[net.sources] WRITEAID Students' Manual

awinterb@udenva.UUCP (Art Winterbauer) (10/18/85)

          WRITEAID                    -1-              August 20, 1984


                         _W_r_i_t_e_a_i_d _S_t_u_d_e_n_t _U_s_e_r'_s _M_a_n_u_a_l

          [NOTE: If you want a copy of the manual sent to you  through
          electronic  mail (so you can later print the document out on
          a printer in one shot), send a  request  to  "awinterb"  via
          electronic mail.]

               After logging on to the computer system, you will see a
          menu that looks like this:


                                      MENU


              1.  Continue my paper

              2.  Begin a new paper, destroy old one

              3.  Read the manual

              4.  Read my mail

              5.  Exit



          These are the options available to you from the  MAIN  MENU.
          The  first  two  give  you access to the WRITEAID program, a
          computer program with which you can  have  a  "dialogue"  in
          planning a paper you must write for class.  The third option
          lets you read this manual  on  your  computer  screen.   The
          fourth  option  allows  you  to inspect messages that may be
          sent to you through the computer.  And  the  fifth  one,  of
          course, lets you exit the program.

               The rest of this manual is divided into 3 sections:


              1)  The WRITEAID program:  How to Use It

              2)  The Manual:  Tips for "On-Line" Reading

              3)  The Mail System:  How to  Ask  for  and  Receive
              Help



                      The WRITEAID program:  How to Use It

          _W_h_a_t _t_h_e _P_r_o_g_r_a_m _I_s

               The WRITEAID program is _N_O_T a word-processing  program.
          Instead,  it  is  a  program  with which you can "discuss" a


          WRITEAID                    -1-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -2-              August 20, 1984


          topic for a paper that you are planning.  The program is  to
          help you come up with some ideas for your paper, and to help
          you to arrange these ideas in some  logical  format,  before
          you  have  your  pre-writing interview with your instructor.
          It is _N_O_T supposed to take  the  place  of  the  pre-writing
          interview,  but  to augment it.  You will probably talk with
          WRITEAID for an hour or two (perhaps more), although you can
          break  the  interview up over several days.  No one wants to
          sit in front of a terminal for very long at one stretch.

               How are you supposed to use this program?   Essentially
          you  come  to  WRITEAID  with  some vague idea of a topic on
          which you are to write.  You sit down at the  terminal,  log
          on  to  the  computer, select item #2 from the menu (Begin a
          new paper), and WRITEAID appears.   After  the  machine  has
          interviewed you, you can log off your CRT terminal, log back
          on to a printing terminal, get a copy of your  outline,  and
          either  think  more  about  your  paper  or  go talk to your
          instructor.  You can log back on to work with your paper  as
          many times as you want to, and go into as much detail on the
          topic you are developing as you can stand.

               As WRITEAID interviews you, it constructs an outline of
          the  topic  under  discussion.  This outline is not fixed in
          stone.  You can delete portions of it, insert  new  material
          into  it, and you can do this "on-line" (on the terminal) or
          if you prefer you can do it with pencil on the printout.

               None of this has to look pretty.  You can be as neat or
          as  sloppy  as  you choose.  The point is, once you've had a
          session or two with WRITEAID, _Y_O_U  _W_I_L_L  _H_A_V_E  _S_O_M_E_T_H_I_N_G  _T_O
          _T_A_L_K  _A_B_O_U_T  _W_I_T_H  _Y_O_U_R _I_N_S_T_R_U_C_T_O_R.  You will have something
          from which you  launch  your  paper-planning  session.   The
          paper, in the end, may not resemble your original outline in
          the slightest.  But, hopefully, you will  have  gotten  over
          that  first,  and  probably highest, hump in the pre-writing
          stage: _L_O_O_K_I_N_G _A_T _A _B_L_A_N_K _P_I_E_C_E _O_F _P_A_P_E_R,  _A_N_D  _N_O_T  _K_N_O_W_I_N_G
          _H_O_W _T_O _B_E_G_I_N.  At least, we hope so.

          _H_o_w _t_o _C_a_l_l _I_t


          _T_h_e _S_E_C_R_E_T _W_o_r_d_s

               The program will ask you to supply 4 "secret"  words[1]
          ____________________
             [1] In case you're familiar with computers:  these  words
          are  actually  names  of files stored off-line.  These files
          are necessary for the program to work properly.   The  files
          have  been  created  (or  used)  by your instructor, so each
          class may have to use separate and distinct files.




          WRITEAID                    -2-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -3-              August 20, 1984


          The first word is to be supplied by you, and should be  your
          "login"  word.   The other three words are to be supplied by
          your teacher.  Always enter your login as  the  _f_i_r_s_t  word,
          and enter the other three words in the order given to you by
          your instructor.  If you enter the words in the wrong order,
          the program will not operate properly.  [2]


          _N_a_r_r_o_w_i_n_g _Y_o_u_r _T_o_p_i_c

               When you begin a new paper, the program  will  ask  you
          several  questions  to  help  you  to narrow down the topic.
          This is to prevent you from trying to discuss  too  broad  a
          topic.   The program will ask what the general topic is, and
          will then follow with 3  more  questions,  the  strategy  of
          which  is  to  make  you  think of some sub-field within the
          topic.  The last question should help you create a title for
          your  paper  (which  you  may or may not stick to later when
          writing).


          _T_h_e "_L_e_a_d_i_n_g" _Q_u_e_s_t_i_o_n_s

               After you've come up with a  tentative  title  for  the
          paper  you're  thinking about, the program will ask you some
          "leading" questions.  The purpose of these questions  is  to
          fix  some  boundaries for the discussion to come later.  The
          program will attempt to  restrict  the  later  interview  to
          these boundaries.

               If a question seems inappropriate or  absurd,  you  can
          _s_k_i_p  it  by pressing the _0 (zero) key and then the carriage
          return key.  If you answer quite a few  questions,  and  you
          want  to  move  on  to  the  interview  process, press the .
          (period) key, followed by  the  carriage  return  (<return>)
          key.   This  will end the "leading" questions, and bring you
          to a menu, from which you can choose several options.


          _T_h_e _M_e_n_u

               The menu gives you the following options:


              Choose one:

                   1. See phrases
          ____________________
             In case you are not in a class, but still  want  to  play
          with  the  program, the "default" secret words are: 1. (your
          username) 2. artqst1 3. artrnd1 4. artkey1




          WRITEAID                    -3-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -4-              August 20, 1984


                   2. Insert a phrase between two other phrases
                   3. Delete phrase
                   4. Quit
                   5. Detailed Interview



               If you have just begun your paper, then you won't  care
          to  see  the outline yet (there isn't much to it in the ini-
          tial stage).  If you want to exit the program, you can.  You
          can  come  back  later  and  continue from this point.  What
          you'll probably want to do now is choose the option for  the
          Detailed Interview.


          _T_h_e _D_e_t_a_i_l_e_d _I_n_t_e_r_v_i_e_w

               This is the "heart" of the WRITEAID program.  The  pro-
          gram  will  ask  you  questions  about the paper that you're
          planning, and you must answer as best you can.  But this  is
          a  _d_i_a_l_o_g_u_e.   Talk  to the computer as you would to another
          person.

               WRITEAID does have a strategy behind the  questions  it
          asks  you.   For a new paper, the program will first ask you
          questions about the answers you gave to the  earlier  "lead-
          ing"  questions.   It  will try to wring as much detail from
          you as you can give.  However, there are ways you  can  cope
          with this strategy in an effective manner.

               The program will pick up your first answer to a leading
          question,  and  ask  you a question (or make a remark) about
          it.  You will respond to the machine's question  or  remark.
          The  program  will then latch onto _t_h_a_t answer and ask some-
          thing about it, to which you will make another response, and
          so on and so on.  In effect, the program is trying to get as
          much detail on that _f_i_r_s_t answer as possible,  and,  like  a
          dog  with  a  bone,  it will continue to pursue that line of
          questioning forever.  However, if you  believe  that  it  is
          time  to move on to the answer you gave to another "leading"
          question, press the . (period) key.  The machine  will  move
          on.

               After you  and  the  program  have  discussed  all  the
          answers you originally gave to the "leading" questions, WRI-
          TEAID will again present the menu.   If  you  choose  to  be
          interviewed _a_g_a_i_n, WRITEAID will pick up each of the answers
          you provided to its questions/remarks, and  start  on  _t_h_e_m,
          trying to get even more detailed info out of you.  If you do
          not believe you've exhausted the topic,  by  all  means,  go
          through  the interview process again.  The machine will take
          you through any number of levels of  interviewing,  although
          the recommended limit is 3.  After all, the program is to be


          WRITEAID                    -4-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -5-              August 20, 1984


          used to prepare you for the interview with the teacher,  not
          to replace that interview.

               Also, if you're in an interview session, and  you  need
          to  break it off for some reason (go to class, for example),
          press the @ key in response to a  question.   WRITEAID  will
          show  you  the  menu,  and allow you to exit (and save) your
          work.  When you come back, you will  begin  in  roughly  the
          same spot ( I won't go into the details here).

               You're probably curious about those other items on  the
          menu.  Let's talk about those.


          _S_e_e _P_h_r_a_s_e_s


               During the course of working on your  draft,  you  will
          want  to  examine  from  time  to  time the outline that the
          machine is trying to construct.  To see the outline,  choose
          the "See Phrases" item from the menu.

               There are several components to the outline.  The  fol-
          lowing example shows its structure:


          0       1       2       3          4

          *TITLE OF PAPER:*
           A Systems Approach to Implementing an Automated Writing Aid

          --------------------------------------

          [1] 1.*Do you think that the subject is important?  Why?*
           Because more and more administrators must deal with the pro
           blem of achieving a match between personnel requirements an
           d technology.  This is another instance of the same problem
           .

          [2]     1.1.*You seem to have constructed a causal relationship
                    pretty early here.  Why?Could you review the caus
                   e-and-effect relationship to which you have allude
                   d?*
                   Administrators and other significant people within
                    these affected environments are continually baffl
                   ed by rejection of seemingly good technological so
                   lutions to problems.




          The row of numbers across the  top  indicate  margin  inden-
          tions.   These  numbers  come  in  handy when you modify the


          WRITEAID                    -5-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -6-              August 20, 1984


          outline (see Deleting and Inserting  Entries  below).   Down
          the  far left side of the outline is another row of numbers,
          numbered sequentially from [1]  on.   These  numbers  simply
          indicate  the  number  of  items in the outline, and, again,
          come in handy during outline modification.  The body of  the
          outline  itself  is  composed  of  3  parts:  1) the outline
          numbering scheme, 2) the computer's question or remark,  and
          3)  your  response  to that question or remark.  The outline
          numbering scheme is in the format of:


              1.
                1.1
                   1.1.1
                   1.1.2
                1.2
                1.3 2.


          This format was easier for the computer programmer to imple-
          ment  than  the traditional style with Roman numerals.  How-
          ever, it seems  just  as  logical  and  easy  to  use.   The
          computer's   questions/remarks   are   included   with  your
          responses to make it easier for you to  later  identify  the
          context  of  your  responses.  An isolated "yes", by itself,
          from you, might be hard to figure out several days after the
          session with the computer.

               When you select the See Phrases option from  the  menu,
          you  will  be asked if you want your outline display divided
          into screenfuls.  The question is for people using  a  hard-
          copy  terminal  as  opposed  to the CRT display.  If you are
          using a CRT display  (the  terminal  that  operates  like  a
          television),  you  will  probably  want  your  outline to be
          displayed one screenful at a time, instead of having it zing
          past you fast.  Reply "y" in this case.  However, if you are
          getting a printout of your outline  (see  below),  you  will
          want  the whole thing printed out in one, continuous stream.
          In that case, answer the second question with an "n" (No,  I
          don't want the outline "segmented").

          _D_e_l_e_t_i_n_g _a_n_d _I_n_s_e_r_t_i_n_g _E_n_t_r_i_e_s _i_n _t_h_e _O_u_t_l_i_n_e

               The process in deleting and inserting  entries  in  the
          outline is somewhat clumsy.  This is because, unfortunately,
          there wasn't enough time to provide a good "text editor" for
          you  to  use.   However,  if you still want to dress up your
          outline a little, then here's how to do it "on-line."[3]
          ____________________
             [3] There is one other reason for wanting to use the  on-
          line  process of deleting portions of the outline.  The pro-
          gram bases its questioning procedures on  what  the  outline
          contains.  If you recognize that a whole portion of the out-


          WRITEAID                    -6-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -7-              August 20, 1984


          _D_e_l_e_t_e _a_n _E_n_t_r_y

               To delete an entry from the  outline,  first  view  the
          outline  to determine which entry is to be deleted, and make
          a note of its entry number (that's the number  on  the  far-
          left  margin  of  the  page).  Then call up the Delete Entry
          option on the menu.  The program will ask you:


                 What record # do you wish to delete?
                 Enter 0 to abort procedure


          Type in the entry number and  press  <return>.   That  entry
          will be deleted.  If you realize at the last moment that you
          really don't want to delete an entry in the outline (or  you
          can't  remember  its  number),  type in a 0 (zero) and press
          <return>.  Nothing will be deleted and  you're  returned  to
          the menu.

          _I_n_s_e_r_t _a_n _E_n_t_r_y

               To insert an entry into the outline (such as some  com-
          ment  you  deem  important to have in the outline), you must
          view the outline to determine 2 pieces of important informa-
          tion:  1) After what entry number do you want to insert your
          phrase (the far-left number), and 2)  How  many  tab  spaces
          over  should  it be indented (see the numbers across the top
          of the outline display to line up your tab  spaces).   Then,
          choose the Insert Entry option on the menu.  The first ques-
          tion the program asks is:


                 After what record # do you wish to insert?
                 Enter 0 to abort procedure


          ____________________
          line isn't worth following up with detailed interviews,  one
          way to avoid it is to simply delete each of those entries in
          the outline.

               If you simply want to play  around  with  the  outline,
          perhaps annotating it for your own uses later in writing the
          paper, then there is a copy of the outline available for you
          to "tear up" (it won't affect how the program operates).  If
          you already know how to use the "ex" editor or the "vi" edi-
          tor on the computer, you can play with the file called "out-
          line" that resides in your default directory, and  which  is
          continually  updated every time you examine the outline with
          the See Phrases option in the program.




          WRITEAID                    -7-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -8-              August 20, 1984


          In response to this, enter the entry number after which  you
          want your comment to appear.  The computer will then ask:


                 What is the insertion phrase?


          Type in the comment you want to insert (remember, don't  hit
          return  until  you're finished with the phrase!).  Then, you
          will be asked:


                 Enter tab spaces


          Type in the number of  tab  spaces  your  phrase  should  be
          indented.

               As you can see, the process is  pretty  clumsy.   Hope-
          fully, you will seldom need to use this function.


          _P_r_i_n_t_i_n_g _t_h_e _O_u_t_l_i_n_e

               The easiest way to obtain a "hard-copy" of your outline
          is:


                 1. Log onto a "hard-copy" terminal (a terminal
                    with a keyboard, but which uses paper instead
                    of a CRT screen, like the DECwriter brand
                    terminal in the computer-access room  in  Pen-
              rose
                    Library).

                 2. Type:

                      cat outline



               This method gives you a copy of the  outline  that  was
          produced  into  a file the last time you looked at your out-
          line on the terminal screen (in other words, it might be out
          of  date  if  you  haven't  looked  at your outline lately).
          Another way to get a hard-copy of your outline is:


                 1. Log on to a "hard-copy" terminal.

                 2. Type:

                    menu


          WRITEAID                    -8-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -9-              August 20, 1984


                 3. Run through the menus as you normally
                    would to get to the point where you
                    view your outline, and let 'er print
                    out.




          _C_o_n_t_i_n_u_i_n_g _t_h_e _P_a_p_e_r

               The "continue" option on the MAIN MENU will  allow  you
          to  work  with  your paper as much as you want to.  However,
          when you select the "begin" option from the menu, your  ori-
          ginal  outline  will  be  destroyed  to make way for the new
          planning session.

                    The Manual:  Tips for "On-Line" Reading


               There are two ways to read  this  manual:  _O_n-_L_i_n_e  and
          _O_f_f-_L_i_n_e.   On-Line  means  that you read the manual on your
          CRT display.  Off-Line is a fancy way of saying on paper.  I
          would  strongly  urge  you  to read this manual from a paper
          copy, at least for the first couple of times,  and  to  keep
          this  paper  copy  nearby when you use the WRITEAID program.
          However, for those times when you read the manual on-line, I
          offer the following advice.

               When you see  the  manual  on-line,  it  is  being  fed
          through a "filter" of sorts which tries to format the manual
          to fit your terminal screen.  If you are using a TVI912 ter-
          minal  (like  the  ones provided by the university), some of
          the material may not be  formatted  correctly  if  you  have
          logged on under TVI912.[4] If the screen looks  funny,  tell
          Art.

               Also, this manual is liberally  laced  with  footnotes.
          These can give you fits if you're trying to read this manual
          on-line.

               The "filter" through which you are seeing  this  manual
          displays one screen of the manual at a time.  After a screen
          ____________________
             [4] This depends upon how your "logon"  files  have  been
          set up.  Some of you may get a little prompt on your screen,
          after you log on which says tvi912(dw) or something  of  the
          sort.   You  don't  have to worry about this.  If the manual
          takes on a strange appearance, tell Art and he'll attempt to
          fix  the  problem  for you.  If you know how to handle these
          sorts of things yourself, always choose "dw" as your  termi-
          nal type and you shouldn't run into any problems.




          WRITEAID                    -9-              August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -10-             August 20, 1984


          is displayed, you can do one of two things.  You  can  touch
          the  space  bar, and the next screen will be shown.  Or, you
          can use either the "q" key or the "delete" key to  stop  the
          manual and go back to the menu.


               The Mail System:  How to Ask for and Receive Help

               _H_o_w _t_o _A_s_k _f_o_r _H_e_l_p. Whenever you  leave  the  WRITEAID
          program,  and just before you are returned to the main menu,
          you are given the chance to send a  message  for  the  main-
          tainer  for  the WRITEAID program.  The prompt gives you the
          bulk of the information you need to know to effectively send
          a  message.   You will treat the screen just like a piece of
          typewriter paper.  Unlike the program, you can hit the  car-
          riage  return  at  the  end  of each line and type normally.
          When you have finished  what  you  want  to  say,  you  give
          another  carriage return to move the cursor down to an empty
          line, and just type a . (period) and a return.   The  prompt
          EOT  (End of Transmission) appears, and your message is sent
          off.  Of course, if you don't want to send a  message,  just
          hit the . (period) key and the carriage return.

               _H_o_w _t_o _R_e_c_e_i_v_e _H_e_l_p. This is  what  the  Read  My  Mail
          option on the menu is for.  If you send off a message to the
          program maintainer, he will send you back a reply.  Check on
          your  mail every once in a while to make sure you don't have
          any messages waiting.

               When you choose "Read My Mail", a display like the fol-
          lowing will appear on your screen:

          Mail version 2.18 5/19/83.  Type ? for help.
          "/usr/spool/mail/marmstro": 2 messages 2 new
          >N  1 awinterb Mon Jun 18 10:55  11/280 "test"
           N  2 awinterb Mon Jun 18 10:57  11/272 "stuff"
          &

          This means that there are two messages waiting  (1  and  2).
          Although  the mail facility is fairly complex, the following
          steps will allow you to read messages like the above.

               The display just indicates that there are two  messages
          waiting,  but they haven't been typed out on your screen for
          you.  To read the first message, type:


              t 1


          To read the second message, type:




          WRITEAID                    -10-             August 20, 1984







          WRITEAID                    -11-             August 20, 1984


              t 2


          After you've read your messages, just type  a  "q"  (without
          the  quote  marks)  to  quit  the  mail editor.  You will be
          returned to your menu.

















































          WRITEAID                    -11-             August 20, 1984










          MAIN MENU .............................................    1
          The WRITEAID Program:  How to Use It ..................    1
               What the Program Is ..............................    1
               How to Call It: The SECRET Words .................    2
               Narrowing Your Topic .............................    3
               The "Leading" Questions ..........................    3
               The WRITEAID Menu ................................    3
                    The Detailed Interview ......................    4
                    See Phrases .................................    5
                    Delete an Entry .............................    7
                    Insert an Entry .............................    7
               Printing the Outline .............................    8
               Continuing the Paper .............................    9
          The Manual: Tips for "On-Line" Reading ................    9
          The Mail System: How to Ask for and Receive Help ......   10