
This document contains a portion of the text from the Wildcat! Sysop Guide
in text format.  It is semi-formatted text and is intended for the
sysop's use if he/she wants to provide information to callers on
Wildcat! operation. You may modify, condense, re-format and post this
information as a bulletin, display file or even a downloadable file on
your BBS if you find the information might be interesting to your
callers.

Remember, most information needed by callers is already available in the
HELP files and not all of the text in this file will be useful to most
callers.

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


             
          This  chapter  is an introduction  to  the
          various  features of Wildcat! BBS.  It  is
          also   provided  as  a  text  file  called
          WCUSER.TXT  on  the  installation   disks.
          Please feel free to customize the file  to
          match your own menu and command structure,
          and  distribute it to your  callers  as  a
          user's guide to Wildcat! BBS.
Logging On
          When  you  log  on  to a  BBS  or  on-line
          service,  you have to provide  information
          to  the  computer that uniquely identifies
          you. This normally includes your first and
          last  names,  a  user  ID  number,  and  a
          password.
   Hello, my name is . . .
          When you connect with the BBS, whether you
          are  logging on locally or with  a  modem,
          Wildcat!  will ask you for your  name  and
          password.  You  can enter your  full  name
          plus  your password, separated by  spaces,
          at the "First name" prompt.
          Let's  assume your name is Elvis  Presley,
          and  your password is Memphis. Here's  how
          you  would enter that information  to  log
          on.
      What is your first name? Elvis Presley
      Memphis
   User ID numbers
          On  large  BBSs, there may be other  users
          with  the same name as yours. If the Sysop
          allows duplicate user names, Wildcat! will
          list all the users whose names match yours
          with  their user ID numbers and locations,
          and you can select your own from the list.



          You  can  also  log on with your  user  ID
          number instead of your name. Wildcat! will
          not  ask  you  to confirm  your  name  and
          location   so  long  as  you  enter   your
          password  on the same line with your  name
          or user ID.



   Quick Logon
          Depending  on  how the BBS is  configured,
          you may be able to add a special character
          before  your  name or user ID number  when
          you  log on.  The first special character,
          the  *  (asterisk or splat),  is  a  quick
          logon.   Wildcat!  will  skip  the   hello
          screens, bulletin menu, new mail scan  and
          any  other display files or questions, and
          send you directly to the main menu.
          The  second type of quick logon  character
          is  the ! (exclamation mark or bang). Just
          as  with the * quick logon, Wildcat!  will
          skip  all  the  introductory screens,  but
          instead  of going to the main menu prompt,
          it  loads  wcMAIL so you  can  upload  and
          download off-line mail packets.
          Both  quick  logon functions  are  set  by
          security    profile    in    the    system
          configuration, and are intended mainly  to
          provide   quick  access  to  those   using
          automated dialing scripts.
   Local logons
          You  can  log  on  to  the  BBS  from  the
          keyboard   on  the  PC  that  is   running
          Wildcat!,  or  from a PC  connected  to  a
          Local  Area  Network (LAN) if Wildcat!  is
          installed on the network.
      The long way
          To log on locally, change to the drive and
          directory  where  Wildcat!'s  program  and
          support  files  are  installed.  This   is
          usually C:\WILDCAT.
          Then type
      CAT e
          to  start  Wildcat!. Press aL  to  log  on
          locally from the "idle screen", and  enter
          your name and password at the prompts.  If
          you're  the Sysop, press l and enter  your
          password at the prompt.
      The short way
          You can start Wildcat! with a command line
          switch  that bypasses the idle screen  and
          goes  directly to the logon prompt. To  do
          this,  change  to the Wildcat!  drive  and
          directory and type
      WILDCAT /LOCAL e
      For Novell NetWare users only . . .
          An even faster logon for Novell users will
          look  up  your  user information  in  your
          NetWare  account, and skip  the  name  and
          password prompts completely.
          To   use   this,   you  or   your   system
          administrator should enter your full  name
          the  way it appears in your Wildcat!  user
          record, in the "Full Name" in your NetWare
          user    account    information.    Bindery
          Emulation must be turned on for NetWare  4
          users.
          You can then start Wildcat! like this:
      WILDCAT /NOVELL e
   New Users
          If  this is the first time you have called
          this  BBS  then  you are a new  user.  The
          system operator (Sysop) will probably want
          to  know a little about you to set up your
          user  account _ things such as your  voice
          phone   number,   mailing  address,   your
          preferred    language,   screen    colors,
          protocols, and so on.
          The  Sysop  will probably  also  take  the
          opportunity  to show you some  information
          about  the BBS you are calling _  policies
          and house rules, the focus or specialty of
          the  BBS,  and  subscription  charges  for
          varying levels of service.
          If you make a mistake entering any of this
          information, don't worry. You will have  a
          chance  to  correct it later,  by  editing
          your user settings or by leaving a message
          to the Sysop.
Hello screens, Bulletins, and other system
information
          Hello  screens  are the  screens  you  see
          while  you  are logging on.  Sysops  often
          take  great  pride  in the  appearance  of
          these   screens,   and   appreciate   your
          comments and feedback.
          Bulletins are text files you can  read  by
          selecting  them  from the  Bulletin  Menu.
          When  there are new or important bulletins
          to   read,  Wildcat!  will  show  you  the
          bulletin menu automatically.



          You   can  stop  any  display  file   from
          scrolling by hitting the kbar.
   Reading new bulletins
          Type  the number of the bulletin you  want
          to read at the Bulletins prompt, or type N
          to  view only the bulletins that have been
          updated since your last call.
   Downloading bulletins
          You  can  download bulletins for reference
          later   on.   Type  D,  then  select   the
          bulletins  by  number  that  you  want  to
          download.  You  can  select  a  range   of
          bulletins like this:
      Download [1-8], [ENTER] to continue? [1, 4-6,
      8]
          Wildcat! then copies your bulletins  to  a
          temporary  directory, then when  you  exit
          the  bulletin menu, it packs the bulletins
          into an archive for you. You will have the
          opportunity to download your bulletin file
          right  away, or mark the file to  download
          later.



          You  can  look at the bulletin menu  again
          any   time  by  selecting  the  main  menu
          command "Bulletin menu".
   Reading the Newsletter
          The  newsletter is another text  file  you
          can  read on-line. If the Sysop has  added
          new   information   to   the   newsletter,
          Wildcat! will automatically ask you if you
          would like to read it. You can look at the
          newsletter any time by selecting the  main
          menu command "Display Newsletter".
   Viewing the Hello screens again
          You can look at the hello screens again at
          any   time  by  choosing  the  main   menu
          selection for "Show HELLO Screens".
   System statistics



          The main menu command "Display statistics"
          shows  information  about  the  BBS.   The
          display can be as simple as the one  shown
          above, or as detailed as the screen below.
          The  actual  information file  is  several
          pages long.



Getting help
   Help screens
          Press the ? (question mark) at almost  any
          menu  command  or prompt  to  see  a  help
          screen.  If  nothing happens  right  away,
          press e once.
   Sending a comment to the Sysop
          If  you need more assistance using the BBS
          than the help screens can provide, you can
          send a message to the Sysop. The main menu
          command "Comment to Sysop" lets you type a
          message  and  save it, and  Wildcat!  will
          automatically address your message to  the
          Sysop.
          You  can  find  out more about  using  the
          message editor later on in this chapter.
Changing your settings
          You  can  change many of the  options  you
          selected  during the newuser questionnaire
          the  first time. Use the main menu command
          "Change  user settings" to view  and  edit
          your preferences.
          
Setting       Notes
Computer      Describe your computer here if you
type          would like other callers to see this
              information when they choose the main
              menu "list users" command.
Phone number  Enter your voice phone number here.
              Since Wildcat! uses your phone number
              for security verification, you may be
              asked to explain the reason for the
              change. Your phone number is visible
              only to the Sysop, not to other
              callers.
Birth date    Enter your date of birth here. As with
              Phone Number, Wildcat! uses this
              information for security verification.
              You may be asked to explain your
              reason for the change. Your date of
              birth is visible only to the Sysop,
              not to other callers.
Screen        The normal value here is 23 lines.
length        Wildcat! will automatically insert
              screen pauses when you view files on-
              line so you can see a page at a time.
Screen        No color: Black and white screens
display mode  only. If your terminal software can
              respond to Wildcat!'s ANSI detection,
              you will be able to use the full-
              screen message editor, otherwise you
              can use the line editor only.
              Color ANSI: Use this if you want to
              see color screens along with full ANSI
              animation, and the full-screen message
              editor.
              RIP Graphics: Use this only if your
              terminal software offers RIPscrip
              emulation (QmodemPro for DOS and
              Windows, for instance, or RIPterm).
              Wildcat! is fully graphical and mouse-
              compatible in this mode.
              Auto Detect: This is the best possible
              choice. Wildcat! will detect what kind
              of terminal capability you have every
              time you log on, and offers the best
              possible screen display mode. Use this
              if you want the flexibility of being
              able to use whatever terminal
              emulation you like.
Erase prompt  Wildcat! normally erases the
              "Continue" prompt by sending
              backspaces. If this causes problems on
              your system, try changing this option
              to "No".
Hot keys      With hot keys turned off, you can
              "stack" commands, that is, you can
              enter several single letter commands
              separated by spaces or semicolons, and
              the BBS will act on all of them as
              soon as you press e.
              Change this option to "Yes" if you
              would like to execute commands with a
              single keystroke, without having to
              press e.
Quote on      When you reply to messages, it's
reply         considered good form to quote a
              portion of the original message so
              your readers can remember the context
              of your reply.
              If you would like Wildcat! to feed the
              message you're replying to into the
              message editor automatically, with ->
              quote symbols in the left column,
              change this option to "Yes".
Sorted        Change this option to "Yes" if you
listings      would like Wildcat! to sort file area
              and conference names alphabetically
              instead of numerically.
Read message  Scroll: Wildcat! does not clear the
mode          screen between messages. New messages
              appear, with their message headers, at
              the end of the previous message, and
              scroll from bottom to top.
              Clear screen: Wildcat! clears the
              screen between messages. New message
              headers and their text always appear
              starting at the top of the screen.
              Keep header: Wildcat! scrolls the
              message text, but keeps the message
              header on screen.
Default       Line editor: Always use the non-ANSI
editor        line editor when you enter messages on-
              line.
              Full screen editor: Always use the
              ANSI full screen editor when you enter
              messages on-line.
              Select each time: Select which editor
              to use whenever you enter a message on-
              line.
              Note: You can always switch between
              the line editor to the full screen
              editor while you are entering a
              message, at the "Edit Message" prompt.
File display  Single line: List download files with
mode          line number, file name and description
              on one line.
              Double line: List download files with
              line number, file name, size, date,
              number of downloads and estimated
              download time along with file
              description.
              Full listing: List each file on a full
              page with full information including
              date/time, size, uploader, short and
              long descriptions.
Help level    Novice: Show full menus and command
              prompt.
              Regular: Show command prompt with
              option letters.
              Expert: Show command prompt only, no
              option letters.
Default       If you're sure you want to use the
protocol      same protocol every time you upload or
              download a file, select your favorite
              here. If you prefer to view the list
              of available protocols every time you
              transfer a file so you can make your
              selection based on your baud rate and
              line conditions then choose Select.
Calling from  Enter your location here if you would
              like other callers to see this
              information when they choose the main
              menu "list users" or "Who is on-line"
              commands.
Current       If this BBS offers a choice of
language      languages, select your preference
              here.
Alias name    Some conferences require you to use an
              alias name or "handle" to post
              messages. Enter your alias name here.
Chat status   If you do not want other callers to be
              able to page you to request private or
              public on-line chat sessions, answer
              "No" to change this setting to
              "Unavailable".
Doors
          Doors  are external programs you  can  run
          from  the BBS. Depending on what  kind  of
          programs the Sysop has made available, you
          might  be able to play a variety of games,
          or look up information in a database.
          If doors are available on the BBS, you can
          run  them  by  selecting the  "Door  menu"
          command.
Questionnaires
          The     Sysop    can    create     on-line
          questionnaires  and  make  them  available
          from     the     main     menu     command
          "Questionnaires" and in other parts of the
          BBS. These questionnaires can be used  for
          on-line order entry, opinion polling,  and
          gathering of demographic information.
          Questionnaire  answers  can   be   yes/no,
          multiple choice, text, or numeric _ if  an
          answer  requires  a  particular  kind   of
          input,  that's  the  only  kind  it   will
          accept.
Looking for other users
          You  might be curious to see who else uses
          the  BBS.  There are three ways to  search
          for other users.
   Who's on-line
          If  the BBS is a multiline system, several
          people  can use it at the same  time.  The
          main menu command "Who is on-line" shows a
          list  of  active nodes, with the name  and
          location  of each caller currently  logged
          on.



   List users
          You can list all the users on the BBS with
          the  main menu command "List users".  This
          list  shows name, computer type, the  last
          logon date, and location for each user  on
          the BBS.



   Find a user
          You  can find information about a specific
          user  with the main menu command  "Find  a
          user". Enter all or part of the user  name
          you'd like to find, and Wildcat! will list
          all users who match the name you entered.



Chatting with other callers
          While  a single line system will only  let
          you  page  and chat with the Sysop,  there
          are   several  chat  and  paging   options
          available on multiline systems.
   Paging the Sysop
          If  the  Sysop is available for paging  at
          the  time  you  are  logged  on,  you  can
          request  a chat with the main menu command
          "Page Sysop".
          The  Sysop's computer will beep for  about
          30 seconds, and flashes a message that you
          are   requesting  a  chat.  If  the  Sysop
          answers  your page, you will  be  able  to
          type  back  and forth to each other  until
          the Sysop ends the chat session.
          If  the Sysop is not available for paging,
          you  will  see a message inviting  you  to
          leave  a  comment instead. Use  the  Sysop
          Page  function with discretion,  and  only
          when  the  question you have is  important
          enough to interrupt the Sysop's other work
          _  few people appreciate being paged by  a
          caller  whose only reason for chatting  is
          to say "just checking to see if this thing
          works" or "how old are you?"
   Sysop chat
          The  Sysop Chat screen is normally divided
          into  two windows. Your typing appears  in
          the  top window, while the Sysop's  typing
          appears in the bottom window. You can both
          type  at the same time without typing over
          top of each other's messages.
          When  you're chatting with someone in real
          time,  it's courteous to let them know  in
          some  way that you've finished typing  and
          you're  ready  for  their  response.   The
          simplest way is to hit your e key an extra
          time  after your last sentence to leave  a
          blank line on the screen. This signals the
          other person to go ahead and start typing.
          When  the Sysop has finished chatting with
          you,  the  chat screen will go  away,  and
          you'll return to where you left off on the
          BBS.
   Paging other users
          You  can use the global menu command "Page
          User"  to send a short message to  another
          user  on the BBS, unless the other  caller
          is  currently in a door or transferring  a
          file.  Wildcat! will send the  message  as
          soon  as it can, without interrupting what
          the other caller is doing.
          All  of  Wildcat!'s usual  message  editor
          commands  are  available  while  you   are
          typing your message.
   Multi-user chat
          Wildcat!'s multi-user chat lets  you  type
          on-line to other callers, as they type  to
          you.  You  can join a public chat  channel
          and  take  part in a group discussion,  or
          join  private  channels of your  own,  and
          invite other callers to join you. You  can
          even    have    a    one-on-one    private
          conversation with another caller.
          The chat system is like a CB Radio with  a
          number  of  channels.  When  you  go  into
          wcCHAT, you start out in the main channel.
          Depending on how the Sysop has set it  up,
          there  may be other public channels, where
          anyone can go.
          Everyone  on  the BBS also has  a  private
          channel  of  their  own,  where  they  can
          invite  other  callers. You  cannot  enter
          someone else's private channel without  an
          invitation.
          Finally,  a  caller  can  invite   another
          caller into a private conversation,  where
          only  those two callers can type  to  each
          other.
      Joining chat
          The menu command "Run wcCHAT" puts you  in
          the  main  chat channel. Your screen  will
          look something like this:



      Chat commands
          Most  of  the time, the text you  type  is
          sent automatically to everyone else in the
          same  channel as soon as you press your  e
          key.
          The  chat system recognizes certain  words
          as  commands. With these commands, you can
          see   who  else  is  on-line,  page  other
          callers  to join you in your channel,  and
          invite   another  caller  into  a  private
          conversation.  There are many  other  chat
          commands  _  you  can  see  them  all   by
          typing...
      /HELP e
          or
      /? e
          Almost  all commands you send to the  chat
          program   must  begin  with  a   /(forward
          slash). The exceptions where the / is  not
          used occurs only with "action" words where
          they are typed in as a normal part of  the
          conversation.  This implied  command  will
          convert  your cryptic action-word  into  a
          prepared  comment which can be made  tense
          and  gender-correct. The action words  and
          their associated responses are assigned in
          MAKEWILD.
          All  commands,  names and aliases  may  be
          abbreviated down to the point  where  they
          are  still  unique. You could  use  "/UNIG
          UserName"  to  un-ignore a user,  but  you
          could  not  use  "/UNI  UserName"  as  the
          "/UNINVITE" command also starts with these
          three  letters and therefore  the  command
          "/UNI" is not unique.
      Join or set-up a private channel
          The   "/JOIN  Channel"  command  will  ask
          another  user or the entire chat group  to
          join  your private chat channel. In  order
          to establish your private channel, you use
          the  "/JOIN"  command  without  any  other
          paremeters. This will establish  and  move
          you  into your private channel. Once there
          you  can  set a "/TOPIC TopicSubject"  and
          invite specific users, or all users in.  A
          user  can  respond  to the  invitation  by
          sending the "/JOIN YourChannel" command to
          place them in your chat channel.
      Private chat
          For  a private chat the command "/UserName
          Message"  will send "UserName"  a  message
          that only they can see. The "UserName" can
          respond by sending "/SenderName Message" a
          private message in return. This process is
          invisible to all users on the chat  system
          with the exception of the Sysop.
          Once  the  "/UserName"  and  "/SenderName"
          sequence   has   been  started   the   two
          confidantes  can  continue  the  whispered
          conversation  by  simply preceeding  their
          comments with a double slash.
          User "Cassie" would type...
      /Peter Do you want to meet at lunch time?
          The user "Peter" would respond with...
      /Cassi I'd love to Cassie.
          [Cassie]
      //Would the garden be a good place to meet?
          [Peter]
      //Let's walk down to the lake instead.
      A special private chat
          The  "/TALK"  and "/RESPOND" commands  are
          considered  very  private  and  cannot  be
          monitored  or  snooped upon  even  by  the
          Master  Sysop. Once the process  has  been
          started  the  two users  can  carry  on  a
          "instant" chat where each can see  exactly
          what  the other is typing, as it is  being
          typed.
          On   receiveing  the  offer  to  talk  the
          recipient  can use the "/RESPOND"  command
          to  display  a list of people  wanting  to
          talk  privately  with them.  By  selecting
          from the list the recipient then goes into
          the "instant" mode with the selected user.
          This  private  chat  will  continue  until
          terminated by one of the parties using the
          "/END"  or bX command. The "/END"  command
          will  immediately drop both  back  to  the
          chat  channel where the "/TALK" was  first
          begun.
      Moderated chat
          Any   user  may  open  their  own  private
          channel, optionally assign it a topic  and
          then  invite a specific user, or all other
          users to join them. This private chat then
          operates  exactly the same as  the  global
          chat  but  only  people  invited  in   can
          participate.
          The  owner of the private channel can  use
          the  "/MODERATE" command  to  control  the
          conversation. Users who join  must  "/ASK"
          to speak, and their request will be placed
          in  a  queue.  The moderator controls  the
          queue and allows each user-in-turn to  air
          their views or comments. The moderator can
          skip  a person in the queue if it is  felt
          they are hogging the "/ASK" requests.
          At  the  discretion of the moderator  some
          users  may be granted "Speaker" status  by
          the  "/GUEST UserName" command. The  guest
          can then talk at any time without the need
          for the moderator to pass the conversation
          over to them by way of the "/ASK" queue.
          
Keyword           Chat    Explanation
                  type
/ACTION           Privat  List the available action
                  e       words.
/ACTION [ON |     Privat  Turn the use of action
OFF]              e       words on or off.
/CHANNEL          Global  Display a list of
                          available channels.
/CLS              Global  Clear the screen.
/EXIT             Global  End the chat session and
                          return to the BBS. The
                          same as /QUIT.
/GUEST <Name>     Modera  The <Name> user is
                  ted     granted freedom to "talk"
                          at any time.
/HILITE <Name>    Global  Show the user's text in a
                          contrasting color. Type
                          /HILITE again to turn it
                          off.
/IGNORE <Name>    Privat  Ignore all messages from
                  e       <Name>.
/INVITE ALL       Privat  Invite everyone into your
                  e       private channel.
/INVITE <Name>    Privat  Invite <Name> into your
                  e       private channel.
/JOIN             Privat  Create a private channel.
                  e
/JOIN <Channel>   Global  Join a public or private
                          channel if invited.
/LIST             Global  Display all users and
                          channels.
/MODERATE         Modera  Start and stop moderated
                  ted     chat.
/NAME <Alias>     Global  Change your name to
                          <Alias>.
/NEXT             Modera  Give the next user their
                  ted     turn to talk.
/PAGE <Name>      Global  Page a message to a user
                          on the BBS.
/QUIT             Global  End the user's chat
                          session and return to the
                          BBS. The same as /EXIT.
/RESPOND <Name>   Global  Respond in privacy to a
                          /TALK request from
                          another user.
/SKIPNEXT         Modera  Skip the next user in the
                  ted     /ASK queue.
/TALK             Global  Talk to a another user in
                          privacy.
/TOPIC            Global  Change the channel topic.
<TopicSubject>    Privat  Available only to the
                  e       owner of the channel.
/UNIGNORE <Name>  Global  Turn on messages from a
                          user you previously
                          ignored.
/UNINVITE ALL     Privat  Kick all users out of
                  e       your private channel.
/UNINVITE <Name>  Privat  Kick <Name> out of your
                  e       private channel.
/USERS            Global  Same as "Who is on-line",
                          for the BBS.
/WHOAMI           Global  Display who you are and
                          your node.
/WHONEXT          Modera  Show to the moderator who
                  ted     is next in line in the
                          /ASK queue.
/<Name>           Global  Send <Name> a message.
<Message>
//Message         Privat  Continue the private chat
                  e       set up with the
                          /<SenderName/RecieverName
                          > sequence.
<ActionWord>      Global  Execute an action word to
<Name>                    <Name> user.
Messages
   Off-line mail with wcMAIL
          The most efficient way for most people  to
          read BBS mail is to ask the BBS to prepare
          a  mail packet which they can download and
          read  after they've disconnected from  the
          BBS.
          This is called "off-line mail", and it has
          a  number of advantages over reading  mail
          on-line. Here are just a few:
              You're not running up long distance charges
            while you read mail
    You can take as long as you want to research,
compose and polish your messages
    You can use your favorite text editor or word
processor to type your messages
    You can save and print messages for later
reference _ even after the messages have expired on
the BBS.
          The most popular off-line mail program for
          Wildcat! is called wcMAIL, and it is  part
          of  every  Wildcat! BBS  package.  If  the
          Sysop has decided to install wcMAIL on the
          BBS,   and  has  made  it  available   for
          callers,  you can select the message  menu
          command for wcMAIL to download your mail.
          An  ideal  program for processing  offline
          mail  is  Mustang's own  Off-line  Xpress.
          With Off-line Xpress you can open multiple
          QWK   packets  simultaneously,  reply  to,
          forward and carbon copy messages. Off-line
          Xpress   is  available  as  a  stand-alone
          program  or  an  integral  part   of   our
          QmodePro for DOS, communication package.
      Selecting conferences
          Most  BBSs  are organized into "conference
          areas".  Each conference area consists  of
          messages  on  a particular topic  such  as
          "product    support"   or   "debate"    or
          "technical  help", along with file  areas,
          bulletins, questionnaires, doors,  and  so
          on.
          wcMAIL  only retrieves mail in conferences
          areas  you  have selected  and  skips  the
          rest. So, to receive any mail at all,  you
          must first select some conferences. To  do
          this, select the wcMAIL menu command "Your
          settings",  then  "Select  conferences  to
          scan".



          wcMAIL  will show you a list  of  all  the
          conferences you have access to on the BBS.



          Notice  that  you can sort the  conference
          list  numerically  or alphabetically  with
          the  "Sort"  command. You can also  search
          for   conference  names  with  the  "Find"
          command. To set up a conference, type  the
          conference number at the prompt.  This  is
          the number in the far left of the column.
          wcMAIL will give you four choices: all new
          messages,  mail to you and  mail  to  ALL,
          mail  to  you only, and no mail. When  you
          select  a  conference, you would  normally
          want  to receive all new messages in  that
          conference, so the correct answer in  most
          cases here is "Yes".
          What if I only want my own mail?
          You  may  not  be  interested  in  reading
          everyone else's public messages. There are
          two  ways to filter out messages for other
          people so that you only see your own mail.
          You  can read your own mail only,  or  you
          can  select  mail addressed  to  you,  and
          public messages addressed to "ALL".
          So many messages, so little time . . .
          You can then select the message number  to
          begin reading. Some conferences that  have
          been  active for a long time have a  large
          number  of  messages in  them.  If  you're
          selecting a conference like this  for  the
          first  time,  you probably don't  want  to
          download hundreds of old messages, so  try
          setting  your  high message number  a  few
          messages  back from the highest number  in
          the conference.
          When  you  have finished setting  up  each
          conference,  wcMAIL  returns  you  to  the
          conference  list so you can  select  more.
          Notice  how the display changes  when  you
          select conferences:



          You  can  always go back and  change  your
          settings  later  if  you  don't  like  the
          results.  Type Q for "Quit" when you  have
          finished.
      Other settings
          Besides  conference selections, there  are
          several other settings you can customize.
          Packet format
          Off-line  mail packets are prepared  in  a
          special  format  designed for  QWK  packet
          mail readers such as Off-Line Xpress.  You
          cannot read these packets with an ordinary
          text   browser  or  word  processor.  QWK-
          compatible mail readers are available  for
          many types of PCs, including Macintosh and
          Amiga.
          If you are unable to use a QWK packet mail
          reader  on your computer, you can  receive
          messages  as ASCII text. You will  not  be
          able  to enter replies off-line and upload
          them  to the mail door if you select  text
          file  packets, nor will you be able to  do
          off-line file requests.
          Packer
          The  many files that go into a mail packet
          are compressed, or packed, using a utility
          such  as PKZIP. This saves disk space  and
          transfer  time,  and make it  possible  to
          send several files in a single "envelope".
          For  most people, the correct setting here
          is Z, for PKZIP Archive. If you cannot use
          PKZIP  for  some reason, select  a  packer
          format that is compatible with the one you
          use.
          New files
          When  using wcMAIL it will send you a list
          of  new  files on the BBS with  your  mail
          packets,  if  you  like  _  just  set  the
          "include new files list" option to  "Yes".
          The    "new   files   date"   is   updated
          automatically by Wildcat! every  time  you
          list  new files or download a mail packet.
          You  can  change  it here  by  entering  a
          different date.
          Bulletins
          If  you  want to include new bulletins  in
          your mail packets, change the "Include new
          bulletins" option to "Yes".
          Maximums
          Depending on the capabilities of your mail
          reader, your baud rate, and the amount  of
          time you can use the BBS per call, you can
          change the maximum number of messages  per
          conference and per packet.
          Some  mail  readers  cannot  handle  large
          packets,  or  more than 200  messages  per
          conference,  so keep these limitations  in
          mind  if  you  decide to change  the  per-
          packet and per-conference maximums here.
          Attachments
          You  can  choose whether or not to receive
          files  attached to messages  automatically
          in   your  mail  packets.  There  are  two
          options  to  select here: All  attachments
          (messages addressed to anyone),  and  Your
          attachments only (only messages  addressed
          to you). A second option allows you to set
          the maximum size file attachment that will
          be included in your packet.
          If  a  message has an attachment that  was
          not included in your packet (it was either
          too  big  or  you  chose to  receive  only
          attachments on messages addressed to you),
          you  can request the attachment by sending
          a  control message to wcMAIL in your  next
          reply  packet. We'll show you how a little
          later on.
          Mail from you
          Some people like to get their own messages
          back  when  they download a  mail  packet,
          some  don't. If you want to receive copies
          of  messages you've sent in your next mail
          packet, change this option to "Yes."
          Scripting
          Since  off-line mail removes all kinds  of
          time   constraints  on  your  BBS   usage,
          there's really no need for you to even  be
          at  the  keyboard  when your  computer  is
          picking up mail from the BBS. Many  people
          like  to  use scripts or automated  "robot
          mail"  programs that call the BBS  in  the
          middle of the night when rates are low and
          the  phone  lines are least likely  to  be
          busy.
          Two options help you make the most of your
          automated mail runs. The first is  to  use
          "enhanced  script  prompts".  This  option
          sends  a  standard set of text prompts  in
          addition  to the customizable prompts  the
          Sysop may have added to wcMAIL. This  way,
          you  can  use  the  same scripts  on  many
          different  BBSs and mail doors, with  very
          little modification.
          The   second  option  is  "Good-bye  after
          upload". If you upload reply packets  with
          a  large  number of messages  (net  status
          sysops  take  note), you may not  want  to
          wait  around  while  wcMAIL  unpacks   and
          inserts your replies. If you answer  "Yes"
          to  this option, wcMAIL will automatically
          disconnect 10 seconds after it  gets  your
          reply packet, and will import your replies
          after it logs you off.
      Downloading messages



          When  you download messages, wcMAIL  scans
          all the conferences you have selected, and
          shows  on the screen how many messages  it
          finds.  When it has finished scanning  for
          messages,  wcMAIL will ask  you  if  you'd
          like  to receive the packet. You also have
          the option to disconnect when the download
          is complete.
      Reading off-line
          Now  that you've got your QWK mail packet,
          what do you do with it? You'll need a QWK-
          compatible  mail  packet reader.  You  can
          find  test drive or shareware versions  of
          many different QWK readers on most BBSs.
          We  encourage  you to try Off-Line  Xpress
          Test Drive, the QWK compatible mail reader
          from  Mustang Software, Inc. (the  authors
          of  Wildcat! BBS). It's easy  and  fun  to
          use,  and  works  with any  QWK-compatible
          mail door.
      The dog ate my mail packet. How can I get my
      messages back?
          One  of  the files in your QWK mail packet
          is  a message pointer file, which contains
          your   high  message  numbers   for   each
          conference on the BBS. If you lose a  mail
          packet,  try  extracting the pointer  file
          from  another recent packet from the  same
          BBS,  and  uploading it to wcMAIL.  Here's
          how  to  do  it  for a mail  packet  named
          MUSTANG.QWK with PKZIP and PKUNZIP as your
          archive choice. Type these commands at the
          DOS  prompt  in the directory  where  your
          mail packets are stored:
      PKUNZIP MUSTANG.QWK MUSTANG.PTR e
          If  you  use  some other type  of  packer,
          substitute the proper command.
          Now,  copy  the .PTR file to the  "upload"
          directory for your communication  program.
          Log onto the BBS, get into wcMAIL , go  to
          "Your     Settings",    "Update    message
          pointers", and select the command  "Upload
          MUSTANG.PTR File". Send the file you  just
          extracted from the packet. When wcMAIL has
          received the file, it will ask you whether
          you want your high message numbers set  to
          just before or just after the settings for
          the packet belonging to the .PTR file.
          If  you don't have a message pointer file,
          you  can  still  reset your  high  message
          numbers. The "Your Settings" menu  command
          "Reset  all  message  pointers"  lets  you
          reset  each  conference  to  give  you   a
          certain number of messages below the  top,
          or all messages after a certain date.
          Resetting  message pointers by date  takes
          longer than resetting message pointers  by
          number.
      How to send Fido Netmail messages and
      Internet Email
          E-mail messages require special addressing
          to reach their destinations properly. When
          you enter Email messages on-line, Wildcat!
          will  prompt you for the correct  address,
          and  store it automatically in the message
          information. When you enter messages  off-
          line,   however,   you   must   add   this
          information to the messages yourself.
          The  correct  way  to  address  a  Fidonet
          Netmail  message is to put the addressee's
          zone,  net, node and (if necessary)  point
          number  on the first line of the  message,
          like this:
      ->1:210/17
          Don't  forget the "->" routing symbol  for
          Fidonet messages.
          Internet e-mail addresses and subjects are
          often  too  long for the maximum character
          space  allowed  in  the "To"  and  "Subj."
          fields  of a message in QWK packet format.
          You can put long internet addresses in the
          first two lines of the message like this:
      To: j.r.bob.dobbs@ultimate.slack.org (J.R.
      "Bob" Dobbs)
      Subject: Am I really a sub-genius or not?
      Uploading replies
          When  you  are finished entering  messages
          off-line,  exit from your mail reader  and
          let  it pack up your replies into a  "REP"
          packet.  Log  onto the BBS,  go  into  the
          wcMAIL  program, and type  U  for  "Upload
          replies". When wcMAIL prompts you to begin
          the   upload,  use  the  command  in  your
          communication program to send the file.
          wcMAIL  will  unpack the  reply  file  you
          sent, and you can watch as it inserts each
          message     into    Wildcat!'s     message
          conferences.  Don't forget to  delete  the
          reply  packet from your disk after  you've
          uploaded it, so you don't keep sending the
          same  old  messages each time  you  upload
          more replies.
      Requesting files
          Some messages have files attached to them.
          If  the  message text indicates  that  the
          attachment  was  not  included  with   the
          message  (because you have not  configured
          wcMAIL to send message attachments or  the
          attachment was too large), you can request
          the   attached  file  in  your  next  mail
          packet.
          Some  mail  readers allow you  to  request
          file  attachments  automatically,  with  a
          single   command  or  mouse  click.   This
          creates a special "control message"  which
          tells wcMAIL to include the attached  file
          in  the next mail packet. You can then ask
          the  mail reader to automatically copy the
          attachment from the packet onto your disk.
          If  your mail reader does not handle  file
          attachment requests automatically, you can
          create   a  control  message  to   do   it
          yourself. Enter a new message and  address
          it  to  wcMAIL. The subject of the message
          should be REQUEST, followed by the message
          number  with the attached file  you  want.
          The  conference for the request should  be
          the  same  conference as the message  with
          the attachment.



          You  can also request other files from the
          BBS, so long as the files are recorded  in
          Wildcat!'s  file  database.  Your  control
          message has the same format as the message
          attachment requests, but in this case  the
          subject line is REQUEST, followed  by  the
          name of the file.
          If  the same file name exists in more than
          one  file  area on the BBS,  you  need  to
          specify  the  file area number  after  the
          file  name. Here's an example of  how  you
          would  request the test-drive  version  of
          Off-Line Xpress in a message addressed  to
          wcMAIL:



          You   cannot   request  password-protected
          files  with an off-line message, or  files
          in areas you don't have access to.
      Off-line configuration with control messages
          Besides  file requests, there are  several
          other  things  you  can  do  with  control
          messages. You can add and drop conferences
          from your message scans, and you can reset
          the high message number in a conference.
          The  manual or on-line help for your  mail
          reader will tell you how to do this.
      Using wcMAIL on a LAN
          If  you  use  Wildcat!  on  a  Local  Area
          Network, you can run wcMAIL directly  from
          your DOS prompt without having to logon to
          the BBS. To do this, change to the network
          drive  and subdirectory where Wildcat!  is
          installed,  and type wcMAIL,  followed  by
          your  user name on the BBS. You can upload
          and  download messages locally just as  if
          you were connected by modem.
          The  wcMAIL  program normally  expects  to
          find  QWK  and REP packets in  your  "node
          work"  directory. If you prefer,  you  can
          use  a  different directory, for  instance
          your  local hard drive, for mail  packets.
          If you add the command
      SET WCMLOCAL=C:\OLX
          to  your  AUTOEXEC.BAT file,  wcMAIL  will
          automatically  create your  mail  packets,
          and  look  for  your reply packets,  in  a
          directory   called  "OLX"  (for   Off-Line
          Xpress) on your C: drive.
          To change the default work directory, add
      SET WCMTEMP=Drive\path
          This allows you to use a local drive or  a
          RAM  drive for wcMAIL processing, if  this
          would  be  faster  than  using  a  network
          drive.
   Reading mail on-line
          You  can  also read mail on-line,  if  you
          prefer.  Wildcat! offers many options  for
          reading, searching and marking messages.
      Selecting conferences to scan
          You can of course read messages on-line by
          joining each conference you want to  read,
          and  reading  the mail in that conference,
          then   joining   another  conference   and
          reading, and so on.
          To  save  you time when you read  mail  in
          several  conference areas, you can  select
          the  conferences you want  to  read  on  a
          regular basis. That way, you can read  the
          conferences you're interested in, skip the
          ones  you're not interested in, and do  it
          with a single command.
          To  select your favorite conferences,  use
          the  message menu command "Update  scanned
          confs".



          Selected  conferences have a  "*"  between
          the  conference number and name. To select
          a  conference, type the conference  number
          at   the  prompt.  You  can  type  several
          numbers on the same prompt line, separated
          by  spaces, and you can select a range  of
          conferences.  The following command  entry
          turns  on conferences 1, 2, 9 through  13,
          and 42:
      1 2 9-13 42
          You  can  de-select conferences  the  same
          way. If a conference is selected, type the
          conference number at the prompt to turn it
          off.
      Checking for mail
          If you skipped the personal mail scan when
          you  logged  on, you can still  check  for
          personal unread messages later on. Use the
          message  menu  command "Check  for  mail".
          Wildcat!  will  scan all  conferences  you
          have  access to, and will list any  unread
          mail addressed to you.
          To  read your unread personal mail, select
          the  message menu command "Read messages",
          then  select "Unread personal", and choose
          All  conferences, Selected conferences  or
          Current conference.
      Reading
          Wildcat!  keeps  track of  the  number  of
          messages you've already read on the BBS so
          you don't have to reread old mail or guess
          where to start reading new mail.
          When  you select the message menu  command
          "read  messages", Wildcat! will  give  you
          several choices:



          
Read type      Notes
Starting from  If you want to start reading at a
               specific message number, type the
               number here.
Marked         Read messages you marked with the
               "search" command
New mail       Read only new messages that you
               haven't already read.
Search         Search for messages containing
               specific information
Unread         Read only new messages addressed to
personal       you
Join           Join another conference
          If  you choose to read mail by number, new
          mail,  or  unread personal, Wildcat!  will
          then  ask if you want to read mail in  the
          current  conference, selected conferences,
          or   all   conferences.  The  default   is
          selected conferences.
          At the end of each message, you will see a
          list of commands. You can read forwards or
          backwards, or jump to a particular message
          number.    The   table   following    this
          illustration  shows you  all  the  end  of
          message commands you can use, depending on
          your security level.



Command type  Notes
Read mode     Informational only. Shows current
              message number, read direction, and
              mode: all, selected, search, thread,
              and so on.
Msg Read [# - The numbers are the lowest and
#]            highest message number in the current
              conference. Enter the message number
              to jump to a specific message.
+             Read forward from low to high message
              numbers.
-             Read backward from high to low
              message numbers.
Edit          Loads the current message into the
              message editor so you can modify it.
              This prompt only appears if you wrote
              the message originally, or you have
              message Sysop access.
Forward       Sends a copy of this message to
              someone else.
Kill          Deletes the current message. This
              prompt only appears if the message
              was sent to you or written by you, or
              if you have Sysop access.
Nonstop       Shows all messages without screen
              pauses. Press the spacebar to stop.
Write         Send a new message in the current
              conference.
Print         Copies the current message to the
              printer, or your choice of file
              names. This option only appears if
              you're logged on locally.
Quit          Quit reading messages and return to
              the message read prompt.
Reply         Reply to the current message. Your
              message is automatically addressed
              back to the sender of the message you
              are replying to.
Thread        Read the next message with the same
              subject line. Add a "--" to read
              backwards by subject.
Sysop         Shows additional message commands:
              toggle public/private, move, copy,
              lookup user, access file database and
              undelete. This prompt only shows up
              if you have Sysop or message Sysop
              access.
Enter = next  Read the next message in numerical
              order. Direction depends on read
              mode, + for forward, - for backwards.
      Searching for messages
          There are two ways to search for messages.
          Both  methods let you search for  specific
          information in a message: the name of  the
          sender   or  recipient,  subject,  message
          number,   and  text  within   a   message.
          Depending  on the kind of text you  search
          for, it can take some time for Wildcat! to
          find  all  messages matching  your  search
          request. You can abort the search  at  any
          time by pressing k.
          Searching and marking message headers
          The  first  method  is  the  message  menu
          command  "Search  messages".  This  method
          finds and lists all messages listing  your
          search  criteria. Only the message  header
          information  is  shown:  message   number,
          from, to, and subject.
          Each  message header is shown with a  line
          number  in  the  left-hand column  of  the
          screen.



          You can mark the messages you want to read
          by  typing M then the line number  at  the
          prompt,  and continue searching until  all
          the  matching messages are found. To  read
          your  marked  messages, select  the  "Read
          messages" command, and select Marked.
          Searching for full message text
          By using the Search command from the "Read
          Messages" prompt, you can also search  for
          messages.    You   enter    your    search
          information  in  the  same  way   as   the
          previous   example,  but  in   this   case
          Wildcat!  will show you the full  text  of
          each message it finds.
          
Search      Notes
type
From / To   Finds messages to or from anyone whose
            name matches the full or partial name
            you put here.
Subject     Finds messages whose subjects match the
            full or partial subject in this field
Msg Body    Finds messages containing this text
            anywhere in the message body
Number      Begins your search at this message
            number
Direction   Default searches from oldest to newest
            message in conference. Change this to
            search backwards.
Conference  Search in current, selected or all
            conferences
   Sending mail on-line
          To send a message on-line, you create your
          message by typing it into one of Wildcat's
          two  message editors: the Line  Editor  or
          the Full-Screen Editor. The line editor is
          a  simple  line by line editor anyone  can
          use,  regardless of your computer type  or
          terminal emulation. The full-screen editor
          requires   an   ANSI-compatible   terminal
          emulation.
          You can select your editor preference from
          the  main menu command "Your Settings"  so
          Wildcat! won't ask you what editor to  use
          every  time you enter a message _ you  can
          always switch from one editor to the other
          while you're entering a message.
      Line Editor
          You  can enter one line of text at a  time
          using  the  line  editor,  and  the   only
          editing   key  you  can  use  to   correct
          mistakes  on  the  current  line  is   the
          backspace key. The line editor wraps  long
          lines    to   the   next   message    line
          automatically, or you can press e to go to
          the next line.
          If  you  see  a mistake you want  to  fix,
          press e twice to get to the "Edit Message"
          prompt, and select Edit. Wildcat! will ask
          you for the number of the line to edit.



          Wildcat!  will then ask you what  text  to
          change.  For example, if the message  line
          reads:
      this is a message to shw how to use th Edit
      command.
          Obviously  we need to change  two  errors,
          the  word  "th"  for "the" and  "shw"  for
          "show".  To perform the search and replace
          action the Line Editor uses the syntax  of
          OldString;NewString. The OldString is  the
          string  of  characters that will  uniquely
          identify  the item to be changed  and  the
          NewString  is  the  data  to  replace  the
          OldString. So let's fix "shw" by using the
          command...
      shw;show
          This  command will scan for the word "shw"
          and replace it with "show". Now the harder
          correction.   Notice   that   the    first
          occurrence of the incorrect text  "th"  is
          actually a part of correct text "this"  in
          the   first  word.  Therefore  you  cannot
          simply use the command...
      th;the
          If you did then the new message would read
          "theis is a message..." The correct method
          is  to  broaden  the OldString  search  to
          include additional unique text such as...
      use th;use the
          Notice  that we can replace any number  of
          letters  even  with  a shorter  or  longer
          NewString.
          You  can make more corrections, if needed.
          Press e on a blank line to get back to the
          Edit Message prompt.
      Full Screen Editor
          The  full screen editor lets you move  the
          cursor  around  the  editing  page   using
          cursor  keys and g, d, { and } keys,  very
          much   like  many  word  processors.  This
          editor uses ANSI codes to tell your cursor
          where it should move on the screen, so you
          should use some kind of ANSI terminal mode
          in your communications program.
          Some  of  the Full Screen Editor functions
          are  not available as standard ANSI  codes
          and require additional emulation modes  to
          operate  properly. These functions include
          options  such  as {, g, and several  other
          keys which are not defined in the standard
          ANSI  mode. If your communication  program
          supports Doorway mode it can make  use  of
          these extended functions. You can turn  on
          Doorway   mode   in   most   communication
          programs  by  typing a=.  This  toggle  is
          necessary    since   most   communications
          programs  use the editing keys such  as  }
          for   other  functions  like  starting   a
          download.  Without Doorway mode  only  the
          cursor  keys, c, z (backspace) and  the  b
          keys will be active.
          Type  ^  or  bZ  to leave  the  fullscreen
          editor.  Here are the other keys  you  can
          use to edit and move text:
          
ANSI-BBS       DOORWAY         OPERATION
bA             bz              Cursor word left
bB                             Format paragraph
bC             }               Page down
bD             x               Cursor right
bE             w               Cursor up
bF             bx              Cursor word right
bG             c               Delete character at
                               cursor
bH             Backspace       Backspace
                               (destructive)
bI             v               Tab
bJ                             Join lines
bKd                            Delete to end of line
bKB                            Begin marked block
bKK                            End marked block
bKV                            Move block
bKC                            Copy block
bKH                            Hide block (remove
                               marking)
bKY                            Delete block
bKP                            Display message
bL                             Re-draw screen
bM             e               New line
bN                             Split line
bP             d               Cursor end of line
bQY                            Delete to end of line
bR             {               Page up
bS             z               Cursor left
bT                             Delete word right
bU                             Escape
bV             h               Toggle insert mode
bW             g               Cursor to start of
                               line
bX             y               Cursor down
bY                             Delete line
bZ                             Display help
          Note  that the full screen editor  display
          on  the  local host system will  show  the
          last  few line numbers wrapped on a single
          line  above  the  user record  screen,  if
          displayed.  This is normal  operation  and
          does not affect the remote display.
          Because ANSI escape sequences are used  to
          control cursor movement within the editor,
          you   cannot   upload  ANSI   files   into
          messages.  Wildcat!  will  strip  the  ESC
          character   from  any  ANSI   text   files
          uploaded to the message editor.
      Importing text into a message
          You  can easily import the contents  of  a
          prepared   text  file  directly   into   a
          message. The text file must exist  in  the
          message  database  path  for  the  current
          conference,  and must have  the  extension
          .IMP (for "IMPort"). These text files  can
          be any length, and Wildcat! will translate
          any  color codes or @-macros when the file
          is displayed.
          The  file  itself  is not  stored  in  the
          message,  only  the special import  symbol
          "<<"   and   the  filename.   The   import
          characters   must  be   located   at   the
          beginning of a line, immediately  followed
          by the text file name:
      1: Here are a few suggestions:
      2: <<HELP.IMP
          You  can  include as many import files  as
          you  want  in a message, and you  can  mix
          import  files with typed text, so long  as
          each is on a separate line.
          Although  this  feature  is  available  to
          anyone  entering a valid import  filename,
          it  is  usually used only by the Sysop  or
          other local logon users who have access to
          place .IMP files in the message directory.
      Message Commands
          When  you  escape from the full screen  or
          line  editors, you will see a prompt  line
          at  the  bottom of your screen that  looks
          something like this:



Command      Notes
Continue     Returns to the line editor for
             additional message entry
Insert       Inserts additional lines between
             existing lines in the line editor
View         Shows the text of your message, with
             header, as it would appear to someone
             reading it on-line.
Save         Save the message you just wrote
Abort        Discard the message you just wrote,
             without saving
Carbon       Saves the message and sends a carbon
             copy of the message to another user or
             users
Subject      Change the subject line of the message
             you just wrote
Full screen  Returns to the full screen editor for
             additional message entry
Delete       Deletes the lines you specify from the
             message
List         Lists the text of the current message,
             with line numbers
Quote        Import quoted text from the message you
             are replying to
Attach       Attach a file to this message
Spelling     Check the spelling of all text in the
             message you just wrote
Word         Replace the word you specify with
replace      another word throughout the message
Upload       Upload prepared text into the message,
             using a file transfer protocol
Edit         Allows you to edit text in a specific
             line in the line editor
      Distribution lists
          You  can  send  a copy of a message  to  a
          group of people, without having to address
          carbon copies to each one individually, by
          addressing  the message to a  distribution
          list.
          A  distribution list is a file listing the
          names  of  people who should receive  your
          message, one name per line. The file  must
          be  named  GROUP###.LST, where  ###  is  a
          number  from  1  to 999, and  it  must  be
          located  in  the  display  file  path  for
          Conference 0.
          For  instance,  to  send  the  members  of
          GROUP1.LST a message, address the  message
          to  GROUP1.  Wildcat!  will  automatically
          send  a copy of the message to each person
          whose name is in the list.
          Although  this  feature  is  available  to
          anyone entering a valid distribution  list
          file name, it is usually used only by  the
          Sysop or other local logon users who  have
          access to place group files in the display
          file directory.
      Attaching a file to a message
          If the conference configuration allows it,
          you  can  attach a file to a message,  and
          make   both  the  message  and  the   file
          available to anyone who has access to read
          it. A private message can be read, and its
          attachment  download, only by the  sender,
          recipient, and the Sysop, whereas a public
          message  and its attachment are  available
          to   anyone   who   has  access   to   the
          conference.
          The file attachment can be in any format _
          text,  data, executable program,  archive,
          or anything else. To attach a file, create
          your  message first in the line editor  or
          full  screen  editor, then exit  from  the
          editor and press T to attach a file.
          Wildcat! will then ask you to type in  the
          file  name. This can be any legal DOS file
          name, and it does not necessarily have  to
          match  the  name  of  the  file  you  will
          actually be sending.
          If  you  are  logged on locally,  Wildcat!
          will  ask you for the actual drive,  path,
          and  file name for the attachment; if  you
          are logged on over a modem connection, you
          will be prompted to begin your upload.
          When  Wildcat! has received the  file,  it
          will be saved as part of the message.  The
          recipient of the message can download  the
          attachment  by typing D at the  prompt  at
          the end of the message.
      Quoting
          When  you  reply  to  a  message,  it   is
          considered  helpful to quote some  of  the
          text you are replying to, so the recipient
          of your message can easily see the context
          of  your reply. The easiest way to do this
          is  to select "auto quote replies" in your
          user   preferences,  from  the  main  menu
          command "Change user settings".
          Wildcat! will automatically load the  text
          of  the  message you're replying to,  with
          quote  prefixes. You can delete the  lines
          you don't want to keep in your reply, then
          go ahead and type your message.



          You can still quote from a message even if
          you  have this setting turned off. Use the
          Quote  command to list the message  you're
          replying to, and select the range of  line
          numbers  containing the text you  want  to
          quote.



          Wildcat!  will copy the lines  you  select
          into your new message. You can do this  as
          many times in a message as you like.
      Spelling Checker
          Wildcat!  has a built-in spelling  checker
          in  the message editor. This allows you to
          proofread  your messages before  you  save
          them,  and  correct any spelling  mistakes
          using a 120,000 word dictionary.
          When  the  spelling checker finds  a  word
          that  is  not in its dictionary, the  word
          will be highlighted, and you will see  the
          following prompt:



          If you know the correct spelling, press  E
          to  edit the word, and type in the correct
          spelling. If you know the highlighted word
          is  spelled  correctly (perhaps  it  is  a
          proper  name),  select S to skip  checking
          the  same  word again. A Master Sysop  can
          add  words  to  the  user  dictionary,  or
          suggest   alternate  spellings   for   the
          highlighted word.



          Select   the  correctly-spelled  word   by
          number, to replace the misspelled word.
          Type N for Next word to continue checking,
          or Q to quit.
Joining conferences
          You  don't have to join a conference  just
          to  read mail if you use the "selected" or
          "all" commands while reading. You may need
          to join a specific conference, however, if
          the  Sysop has defined conference-specific
          doors,    file    areas,   bulletins    or
          questionnaires.  You  will  stay  in   any
          conference  you join, even after  you  log
          off, until you change conferences again.
          To  change  conferences, use  the  "Change
          conference" command. Enter the  conference
          number  at the prompt if you know  it,  or
          type   L   to  list  all  the  conferences
          available.
Files
          For  most  BBS users, the file section  is
          probably  their favorite part of the  BBS.
          Wildcat!  makes it easy for you  to  list,
          find  and  download files.  You  can  even
          preview  GIF  files  before  you  download
          them.
   Listing
          Most  BBSs  organize their  file  download
          areas  by  topic. That makes it easier  to
          find  the  files you are looking for.  You
          can view a list of file names by selecting
          the  file  menu  command  "List  available
          files". If you press e now, Wildcat!  will
          start  showing you all the  files  on  the
          BBS, starting from the first file area you
          have access to.
          If   you   want   to  narrow   down   your
          selections,  type  L again  to  list  file
          areas.  You  can then mark the file  areas
          you  want to list by typing each file area
          number at the prompt. A "*" character will
          show  next  to  each file  area  you  have
          selected.  You can unmark file  areas  the
          same way.



          You  can select as many file areas as  you
          like.  When  you  are finished  with  your
          selections,  press  e  to  begin   listing
          files.
   Marking
          The   easiest  way  to  select  files   to
          download  is  to  mark them  in  the  file
          listing, then download your list of marked
          files  when  you  have finished  selecting
          from the list.
          Type  M  to mark files, then type  in  the
          line  number of the file or files you want
          to  mark.  You  can mark  one  file,  many
          files, or a range of files on each screen.
   Information on a file
          The   normal  one-line  or  two-line  file
          listings show only basic information about
          each   file.  If  you  want  to  see  more
          information,  for instance the  uploader's
          name,  an  extended description,  keywords
          and more, press I for "Information".



          From  this screen you can write a  message
          to  the uploader, and if you uploaded  the
          file,  you  can edit the file  description
          and  other  information if the  Sysop  has
          configured the BBS to allow this.  If  you
          have  Sysop  or  file Sysop  access,  some
          additional commands are available.
   Searching
          The quickest way to find the files you are
          looking  for  is to search  for  them.  By
          choosing  search keywords  carefully,  you
          can  get  a  list of the files  you  want,
          without the files you don't want.



          Wildcat!     recognizes    the    standard
          punctuation  symbols & for  "And",  |  for
          "Or"  and  !  for "Not", as  well  as  the
          literal  text  "and",  "or",  "not",  plus
          parentheses   to   group   search    items
          together.  Here's  how  you  would   enter
          search  keywords for all files about  diet
          and fitness, but not weightlifting:
      diet & fit ! weight
          The command
      diet and fit not weight
          will produce the same search results.
          Notice that we shorten the keywords to the
          minimum length required to distinguish the
          topic, to take into account differences in
          the  way the words might be entered in the
          file descriptions.
          To   find   all  files  about  modems   or
          communications, for Windows or DOS but not
          OS/2, try this search pattern:
      (windows | DOS) & (modem | comm) !OS/2
          The  search may take some time, if a large
          number  of matching files are found.  When
          Wildcat! has finished its initial  search,
          it  will  display the number  of  possible
          matches it found, and ask if you want  the
          listing  sorted  or  unsorted  _  unsorted
          listings  are faster. Press e to  see  the
          list   of   files  matching  your   search
          pattern.
          From   there,  you  can  mark,  view   and
          download files from this listing, just  as
          you   can  from  the  other  file  listing
          formats.
   Viewing
          Before  you download a file, you may  want
          to  view its contents if it is an archive,
          or  read it on-line if it is a text  file.
          There  are two ways to select a  file  for
          viewing.
      Reading a text file
          If  the  file is uncompressed ASCII  text,
          Wildcat!  will display it on screen,  with
          screen pauses for each page. You can  page
          forwards  and backwards in the file  while
          you are viewing it.
      Viewing a compressed file
          If   the  file  is  a  compressed  archive
          containing one or more files, you may  see
          just  a  listing of the files  within  the
          archive,  or  you may have the  option  to
          extract  and  view individual files.  What
          you  see  depends  on how  the  Sysop  has
          configured the file viewing function.
   GIF Thumbnails
          You  can preview a selection of GIF  files
          in  "thumbnail" format before  downloading
          them.  After viewing the "thumbnail" views
          you  can then download only the files  you
          want. To do this, list then mark the files
          you're interested in, then select the file
          menu command "Download".
          Select "Thumbnail" from the Download menu,
          then  select  the  screen  resolution  you
          would like. The higher the resolution, the
          longer  it  will  take  to  transmit   the
          thumbnail file, and the more detailed  the
          thumbnail pictures will be.



          Notice that the file name is displayed  on
          each picture.
          You  can edit the download list to  remove
          any  pictures you don't want  to  receive,
          then  download the full-sized versions  of
          the ones you have selected.
   New Files
          You may be interested in seeing all of the
          files  that  have been posted on  the  BBS
          since  a certain date. To do this,  select
          the file menu command "New files since".
          You  can specify an explicit date to begin
          searching,  or a number of days  backwards
          from  today. Wildcat! will store your last
          "new files" date for you, so the next time
          you   list   new  files,  you   will   see
          everything  posted  since  your  last  new
          files listing.
   Uploading & Downloading
          Uploading and Downloading means copying  a
          file   between  two  computers   over   an
          electronic  connection  using   a   common
          transfer    protocol.    The    electronic
          connection  can be a modem, or  a  network
          system  or similar. When a caller sends  a
          file  to  the BBS, the process  is  called
          "Uploading",  when the caller  receives  a
          file   from   the   BBS   it   is   called
          "Downloading" .
      Upload
          To  upload a file, you must first  request
          the  upload on the BBS, so it is ready  to
          receive  the file you are about  to  send.
          The  usual  command to upload  a  file  in
          Wildcat!   is  "U",  on  the  File   Menu.
          Wildcat! will then prompt you to select  a
          transfer   protocol.  Depending   on   the
          protocol you selected, you might be  asked
          to  type the name of the file you wish  to
          send,  along with other information  about
          the file transfer.
          When   you  have  finished  entering  this
          information, Wildcat!. will prompt you  to
          begin uploading the file.
          You then tell your communications software
          (for  instance QmodemPro) to begin sending
          the  file.  In QmodemPro, select  "Upload"
          from  the "Files" section of the QmodemPro
          main  menu, or press the { key. Then enter
          the  name  for  each  file  you  want   to
          transfer.
          When  transferring files, both the sending
          and  receiving computers must use the same
          communication protocol. This means that if
          you  select Xmodem-1k on the BBS, you also
          must  select  Xmodem-1k from the  protocol
          selection  window  in your  communications
          software.
      Download
          Downloading is much the same as uploading.
          First,  you request the download from  the
          BBS, specifying the names of the files you
          want to receive, and the transfer protocol
          to  use. When the BBS signals it is  ready
          to  begin  sending  the file,  select  the
          "Download"    in    your    communications
          software, select the protocol to use  (the
          same  one  you  selected on  the  BBS,  of
          course),  then enter the destination  file
          name and directory if necessary, and begin
          the download.
          Batch downloads
          You  can  queue up as many files  as  your
          security   level,  download   ratio,   and
          available  time permits, and download  all
          the  files in one batch. All Wildcat! file
          download    protocols    support     batch
          transfers, even those that normally send a
          single file at a time.
          For  single-file protocols such as Xmodem,
          you  will need to start each file download
          when  Wildcat! prompts you, by  typing  in
          the  destination file name  and  beginning
          the   transfer   with  your  communication
          software.
          For  batch  protocols such as  Ymodem  and
          Zmodem,  all you need to do is  start  the
          first file downloading, then sit back  and
          wait for all the files to be transmitted.
          If  you like, you can let Wildcat! log you
          off  automatically when the last file  has
          been   received  _  select  "Logoff  after
          download" instead of "Yes" when you  begin
          a batch download. You will have 10 seconds
          to abort the logoff when the last file has
          been sent.
          Edit marked list
          You  can  add and remove files  from  your
          download queue with the file menu  command
          "Edit marked list". This command will show
          you  a  list  of  all the files  you  have
          queued  up, with estimated download  times
          for  each  file,  and  a  total  estimated
          download time for the entire batch.



          You  can remove individual files from  the
          list, or clear the list and remove all the
          files  from your download queue.  You  can
          add files directly to the download list if
          you know the file name _ if you don't know
          the name, try searching for the file, then
          mark it.
   Protocols
          A  transfer  protocol is a set of  signals
          and responses combined with the data being
          transferred.   Protocols   provide   error
          checking  and correction, and monitor  the
          progress of the file transfer.
          Wildcat! already contains some of the most
          popular,  efficient, and reliable transfer
          protocols.  These  are  called   "Internal
          Protocols",  since they form part  of  the
          Wildcat! program.
          Other  transfer protocols can be added  as
          "external" protocols, and more information
          on their installation and use is available
          in Chapter 6, Customizing.
      ASCII
          The  ASCII protocol is used primarily  for
          on-line   text  transfers.  It  does   not
          support  transferring binary data such  as
          programs or compressed files.
          ASCII does not perform any error-checking,
          which  makes  it  very sensitive  to  line
          noise.  Bursts of phone line  interference
          will  introduce stray characters that  are
          not  part  of  the data being transmitted.
          For  this reason, ASCII transfers are  not
          recommended  unless  they  are  used   for
          specific  purposes where that protocol  is
          needed.
      Xmodem
          There  are  two Xmodem protocols presently
          in   use.  The  original  Xmodem  uses   a
          Checksum  method to insure that  the  data
          received  is  the same as that  which  was
          sent.  Checksum  is a very  simple  error-
          detection method with an accuracy rate  of
          99.6%.  Xmodem Checksum transmits 128-byte
          data blocks.
      Xmodem CRC
          Xmodem-CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Checking) is
          similar to Xmodem-Checksum, but uses a far
          more  reliable  error-detection  algorithm
          (99.9969%.). Wildcat! will correct  itself
          automatically if the wrong Xmodem protocol
          is  selected  by the caller,  rather  than
          aborting the transfer.
      Xmodem-1k
          Xmodem-1K is a modified version of  Xmodem
          CRC,  which  uses  1024  byte  blocks   as
          opposed to Xmodem's 128 byte blocks.
      Ymodem
          Ymodem  is the true implementation of  the
          Ymodem  batch  protocol and  is  sometimes
          called   Ymodem   Batch.   This   protocol
          supports  the  transfer of multiple  files
          within  a  single  session,  without  user
          intervention.
          True  Ymodem and Ymodem/G batch  protocols
          include Header Records in the uploaded  or
          downloaded  data.  These  records  contain
          file-dependent information such  as  name,
          size, and date/time stamps.
      Xmodem-1k/G & Ymodem/G
          These  two protocols are similar to  their
          non-/G  counterparts. /G protocols do  not
          perform  any error correction and rely  on
          the   error-correction  features  of   the
          modems.   Modems  equipped  with  internal
          protocols  such  as MNP, LAP-B,  and  X.PC
          insure that communications are error free.
          You  must enable hardware handshaking  via
          the CTS/RTS signal lines with such modems.
          /G  protocols will not be available unless
          the following is true:
              CTS checking is enabled in the Device
            configuration.
    The two modems report an error-free connection
when the caller logs on.
          Make  sure that the modem does not  always
          force the CTS signal ON. This will cause a
          modem  buffer  overflow  resulting  in  an
          aborted transfer.
          Xmodem-1K/G  and Ymodem/G  cannot  re-send
          bad  data blocks. In theory, there  should
          be  NO bad blocks of data in an error-free
          connection.  If  errors  occur,  they  are
          likely  to be caused by an improper  setup
          either in the hardware or Wildcat!
          High-speed   or  Error-Correcting   modems
          communicate with Wildcat! at the  hardware
          level via the CTS/RTS interface. The modem
          cables  used  in conventional modems  (for
          instance 1200/2400, non-MNP units) may not
          carry  all  the  necessary  signals  (pins
          could  be missing). The wrong cable  could
          prevent  Wildcat! from detecting  the  CTS
          signal_ignoring   the  modem's   hardware-
          handshaking capabilities.
          When in doubt, use a serial cable with all
          25  pins  connected (a  flat  ribbon,  25-
          conductor  cable).  Users  with  80286  or
          80386/486 class machines may use  a  9-pin
          to   25-pin  adapter  with  all  9   lines
          connected,   attached  to  a  25-conductor
          cable as described above.
      Zmodem
          This is the popular streaming protocol put
          into  the public domain by Telenet. Zmodem
          uses  a  variable sized block to  transfer
          data  over even the noisiest phone  lines.
          Zmodem  was  designed as a Batch  transfer
          protocol.  As  such, it  shares  the  same
          transfer  windows  and allocation  methods
          that the Ymodem protocol uses.
          Should  errors occur, Zmodem can tell  the
          sending  end  exactly  where  to  restart.
          Zmodem  does  not require a high-speed  or
          error-correcting modem with MNP or V.42 to
          be  effective. While it is not as fast  as
          Ymodem/G  or Xmodem-1K/G, it does  perform
          well enough to have become a "standard" in
          the industry.
          One  of  the benefits of Zmodem  is  Crash
          Recovery.  This  allows  an  aborted  file
          transfer  to  be restarted later,  without
          having to re-transmit the already received
          portion of the file. Wildcat! checks first
          to  make  sure  the partial file  has  not
          changed.  If it hasn't, then it  picks  up
          where  it  left off. If it has,  then  the
          file transfer restarts from the beginning.
      Kermit
          This  protocol's main claim is not  speed,
          but  rather  its ability to interact  with
          many types of computers from mainframes to
          micros.  It can cope with systems  limited
          to seven-bit characters even when the data
          to  be  transmitted is in eight-bit  form.
          All   characters   are   translated   into
          standard    printable    characters    and
          reconstructed on the receiving end.
          While  not very efficient, it is sometimes
          necessary   to   transfer   data   between
          different  types of systems and terminals.
          It   is  not  recommended  for  PC  to  PC
          transfers unless there is no other choice.
      Local uploads and downloads
          You  can  upload and download  files  even
          when   logged  on  locally.  Rather   than
          offering a selection of transfer protocols
          for   a   local  file  transfer,  Wildcat!
          prompts you to enter a DOS drive, path and
          file  name  for the source of  a  file  to
          upload (wildcards are allowed), or the DOS
          drive and path name for the destination of
          a file to download.
   File ratios
          Your  Sysop  may  choose  to  impose  file
          download ratios on callers. The ratio  can
          be  based  on number of files,  number  of
          bytes, or both. For instance, if the  file
          download  ratio  is 20:1, after  you  have
          downloaded  20  files  you  will  have  to
          upload one file to be able to download any
          more files. If the byte ratio is 20:1, for
          every 20 kilobytes you download, you  will
          have to upload 1 kilobyte of files.
          Sysops  who  impose  download  ratios  are
          generally  interested in  uploads  of  new
          shareware files they don't already have. A
          good   way   to   lose  your   downloading
          privileges completely is to try  to  cheat
          the  system by uploading files  the  Sysop
          already has, or uploading "junk" files the
          Sysop has to throw out.
      Checking your ratio
          You  can check your file ratio status  any
          time  with the file menu command "Personal
          file statistics".



          This  screen  shows  the  files  you  have
          downloaded  today, and  since  your  first
          call,  and  computes your  file  and  byte
          download ratios.
Logging Off
          When you log off, Wildcat! will close  its
          files  and  update your user  information,
          then prepares to wait for the next caller.
          The polite way to disconnect from a BBS is
          to  type G for "Good-bye". You cannot hurt
          Wildcat! by hanging up (dropping carrier),
          and  in some cases it is unavoidable _  if
          your  PC locks up, for instance, or you're
          stuck somewhere and don't know how to  get
          out.
          Some  external programs and doors  do  not
          recover   as   gracefully   as   Wildcat!,
          however,  and may cause problems  for  the
          Sysop  if  you  make a habit  of  dropping
          carrier  instead of logging off  properly.
          If  you have a problem that causes you  to
          disconnect  abruptly,  why  not  leave   a
          polite  note  to the Sysop explaining  the
          situation on your next call.
Other menu commands
          You  may find other menu commands  on  the
          BBS that aren't described here, or you may
          find  some  of these commands on different
          menus.   These  additional  commands   may
          provide   shortcuts   to   some   of   the
          procedures  we  have  shown  you  in  this
          section,  or  they may provide  additional
          functions  through Wildcat!'s  programming
          language wcCODE.
          Additional  commands  are  usually   self-
          explanatory _ ask your Sysop for help with
          any options you don't understand.
