allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) (07/31/86)
Expires: Quoted from <242@msunix.UUCP> ["Computer Literacy Modem Phone #"], by jon@msunix.UUCP... +--------------- | I apologize for adding yet another message about Computer Literacy, | but it was never mentioned that they are running CommuniTree (whatever | that is) software whenever the store is closed on some computer so you | can access the bookstore. The following is quoted from their info sheet: +--------------- | Hours of operation (please call only during these times): | Monday thru Friday: 8:30PM - 9:00AM | Saturday and Sunday: 24 hours | (These are hours when there is no human help available). | | To access the Computer Literacy Bookshop Network, | 1) Have your modem dial (408) 730-9959 | 2) Hit two carriage returns to log on | | It has on-line help available. I think "R HELP" is what you type. I tried | it and it works, though I had no interest in reading anything so I didn't. +--------------- Correct, although R HELP COMPLETE may be more helpful. ``CommuniTree'', or the Conference Tree (more properly), is a program that was put out by the CommuniTree Group in California before they went defunct a few years ago. They only got a version for Apple ][ working before they dissolved, although there was an IBM-PC version in the works which may have been finished by someone else. The Conference Tree program was written in FORTH, but the FORTH layer was never visible to either users or system maintainers. I rather liked the Conference Tree we had around here until April 1982; its discontinuation (the sysop moved) was the direct impetus for the first version of what is now known as UNaXcess (which isn't very much like the Tree at all). The basis for the Tree: It is, as the name suggests, a tree-structured message database. The root is called CONFERENCES; every message added to the tree is itself a ``conference'' and may have other conferences added to it, the only limits being disk space and the (pitifully small) size of the index maintained in memory by the FORTH interpreter. It is a very flexible system. The primary commands are READ, SCAN (print the first few lines of messages) and INDEX (list names only); each of these commands may take options after the conference name, some of which are: COMPLETE descend the tree from the named conference BEFORE name read messages up to the named message, descending the tree AFTER name similar, but only messages after the named message are shown DELETED read messages flagged for deletion ONLYDELETED do not show non-deleted messages You can chain options together, so to read a portion of the tree you can say READ CONFERENCES AFTER HELP BEFORE FOOBAR. Most commands and options can be abbreviated, so the above command can be given as R CONFERENCES A HELP B FOOBAR. The default is to read only the named conference (except INDEX, where the default is COMPLETE). Messages have headers showing how many people have read them; the sender's name is NOT stored. All messages are to everyone. There are a number of protection modes, ranging from guest access (you can read abything but only add conferences to GUEST) to full access. A password is needed to go from the default level to a higher level. Most often, general access to add messages is granted but copying and deleting messages is restricted to ``fairwitnesses'' (sysops of particular conferences) or the sysop. Messages can be undeleted until the sysop recovers disk space (which is a separate program from the Tree in order to keep people from deleting messages and then wiping them). The software wasn't the most interesting thing about the Tree. System administration was split between the Sysop and the Fairwitnesses. The sysop kept the hardware running and occasionally compacted disk space; Fairwitnesses performed the other administrative functions within their conference subtrees. But a Fairwitness wasn't merely a sysop; his function was closer to that of a moderator. A Fairwitness would spend most of his time helping along conferences, perhaps starting some, often suggesting other areas of interest or adding information to the discussion; he might also demonstrate links between conference topics. I'd have to agree that the Tree's probably one of the best BBSes that could be used for the Computer Literacy BBS, although they'll have to look out for swamped message bases! ++Brandon -- ---------------- /--/ Brandon S. Allbery UUCP: decvax!cwruecmp! / / /|\/ Tridelta Industries, Inc. ncoast!tdi2!brandon ---- -------- /-++ 7350 Corporate Blvd. PHONE: +1 216 974 9210 / / /---, ---- Mentor, Ohio 44060 SYSOP: UNaXcess/ncoast / / / / / / -- HOME -- (216) 781-6201 24 hrs. / / / / / / 6615 Center St. Apt. A1-105 ARPA: ncoast!allbery% ---- -----~ ---- Mentor, Ohio 44060-4101 case.CSNET@csnet-relay