
The 42nd protocol
Colin Fisher-McAllum, SysOp of 42BBS, offers some encouragement and
advice for anyone considering their first logon...
Main menu on 42BBS
Atari enthusiasts are a rare commodity. If a PC goes wrong and you
shout loud enough someone you'll get plenty of help. Getting help
setting up an Atari isn't so easy. Magazines are a vital source of news
and reviews and user groups have their role to play but if you need
help urgently by far the best way of getting is to ask on-line. Modems
have never been cheaper with state of the art modems costing less than
œ200 and perfectly adequate 14,400 modems changing hands for around œ50
second hand. Messaging in the local or networked areas is one of the
easiest ways to make contact with people who have a common interest.
Despite the techie image comms has most newcomers don't seem to have
much trouble logging on to a BBS using one of the terminal programs
given away on cover disks or supplied by PD libraries. Once connected
most everyone seems to figure out how to find and download files but
only a few get into messaging.

QWK Setup menu on 42BBS
All you need to get started is a modem and some terminal software.
There are various alternatives to choose between, ConNect, STalker,
Teddy Term, Freeze Dried Terminal and many others. Most people seem to
find Teddy Term easy to setup and use and it supports the Zmodem
transfer protocol which is the de-facto standard transfer protocol
these days so why not give it a try first?

Dial options in Connect
Time spent reading the documentation saves time on-line. The most
common problems new users face are setup errors in the terminal
program. Leave the defaults unchanged but make sure the upload and
download paths point somewhere sensible. Select an appropriate baud
rate (19,200 is a safe bet), screen emulation (VT52) and make sure the
transfer protocol is set to Zmodem. It's worth jotting these down
because the first time you logon to a BBS you'll be asked some
questions about your terminal settings.
While most SysOps are happy to help new users make sure you read the
terminal program manual/readme.
First contact
Just like learning any new application it takes time to find your way
around a BBS - don't expect to run before you can walk. The first
screen after the logon procedure usually contains all the options to
navigate the board and access other areas. Look for the Bulletins or
Information options, these usually contain text files to help you get
the best out of the BBS.
The single biggest mistake people make is to read messages live on-line
and it's one of the main reasons people believe being on-line is
expensive. Almost everyone these days uses an off-line reader (OLR) to
keep the telephone bill under control. Basically you select message
areas you fancy reading and the BBS packs the messages into an archive
which you download and then log off. Off-line your OLR extracts and
files the messages in the appropriate areas ready to read and reply to.
The most common OLR system in use today is called QWK. All Atari BBSs
support this system so you'll need a QWK compatible OLR. KiviQWK is the
most popular OLR, it's actively supported and works in a multitasking
environment. The older MT-QWK is still very good for use on
single-tasking STs so the choice is yours. Setting up a QWK session
with a BBS is straightforward if you follow the on-line prompts and
remember to read any help texts the SysOp has made available.
I'd recommend anyone new to comms "lurks" for a while before posting
messages. Lurking gives you a chance to familiarise yourself with the
conversations, the other participants and how things are done. This
should ensure your first comments are "on topic", relevant and
welcomed. Every message area has its own "Echo rules" which must be
obeyed and these are posted regularly. People paying to download a DTP
area are likely to get upset if you start wibbling about the National
Health Service. There's an appropriate message area for every
imaginable topic so there's really no excuse.
After writing your first replies they are archived into a reply package
with a REP file extender and this is uploaded to the BBS next time you
log on. Your messages are posted into the message areas where everyone
taking the areas can read them. Some messages areas are networked and
bounced between BBSs on the network whereas local message areas are
restricted to callers to the BBS.

Message area selection in Kivi
Restrict yourself to a few message areas until you get a handle on how
the system works, some areas can be huge and you'll be in for a lengthy
wait while your messages and packed and downloaded if you're not
careful. Some BBSs offer an off-line packing option which means you
don't have to hang around on-line while your QWK packet is archived and
it's worth investigating this when you become a regular on a particular
BBS.
With a little thought and planning using a BBS is not expensive.
Remember you're a guest of the SysOp and other callers may well be
waiting to logon so look after your BBS and it will prove an invaluable
resource.
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