Welcome to Hermes II Helper!

Hermes II Helper has been written from the ground up to be a complete
guide for beginning users of Hermes II Bulletin Board Systems. This document
will provide Hermes II users with a comprehensive look at all of the standard
features of Hermes II, as well as a few little known features and tips.

This document takes a chronological approach to explaining how Hermes II
functions. We'll start in the message forums and proceed to other parts of
the BBS, just as you would in a typical session on-line with a real Hermes
II BBS. The first time a key word or phrase is mentioned, you will see it
appear in all caps and it will be followed by an explanation.
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A Hermes II BBS is divided into two sections: the Public Message Forums
and the File Transfer Sections. We'll start with a comprehensive examination
of how the message areas function, because this is always where you start
and it is often required that you read or post a message before entering
the file section. Some commands perform the same function when issued at the
main menu prompt as they do at the transfer section prompt, while others
perform very different tasks.
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1] The Public Message Forums

Once connected and logged in to a Hermes II BBS, you will end up at the
first SUB-FORUM of the first FORUM, where you would typically start your NEW
MESSAGES SCAN (referred to as NEWSCAN) by pressing "N" at the main prompt.
Note that if you have an E-MAIL message waiting for you, you will actually
begin at the mailbox prompt, as opposed to the main menu prompt.

By pressing "N" at the main menu prompt (issuing a NEWSCAN), you are telling
Hermes to show you all the new public messages that have been posted since
the last time you performed a NEWSCAN. Note that this does not scan for new
messages since the last time you called the BBS, but rather the last time
you performed a NEWSCAN. If you did not NEWSCAN (or a Q-SCAN - discussed
later) the last time you called the BBS, any new messages that you did not
read at that time will be held over until the next time you call and
perform a NEWSCAN.

Message FORUMS are the general titles for a given area for messages, which
are then separated into SUB-FORUMS. Here is an example of how FORUMS &
SUB-FORUMS are organized on typical Hermes BBS's:

 +------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #1: GENERAL                |   FORUM #2: COMPUTERS          |
 |   SUB-FORUM #1: General Discussion |   SUB-FORUM #1: Apple Computer |
 |   SUB-FORUM #2: Buy, Sell & Trade  |   SUB-FORUM #2: Compaq         |
 |   SUB-FORUM #3: Politics & Law     |   SUB-FORUM #3: IBM            |
 +------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #3: SPECIAL INTERESTS      |   FORUM #4: SOFTWARE           |
 |   SUB-FORUM #1: Movies & Books     |   SUB-FORUM #1: Games          |
 |   SUB-FORUM #2: Stamp Collecting   |   SUB-FORUM #2: Graphics       |
 |   SUB-FORUM #3: Sports             |   SUB-FORUM #3: Programming    |
 +------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

Logging onto a Hermes II BBS with the above FORUM & SUB-FORUM organization
would yield the following prompt:

T - 01:29:54
[GENERAL]
[1] [General Discussion] :

This is often referred to as the MAIN MENU PROMPT. This is the prompt where
you let Hermes II know what you want to do, and where Hermes II tells you
where you are currently located within the BBS and how much time you have
remaining. The "T - 01:29:54" line indicates that this user has 1 hour,
29 minutes, and 54 seconds remaining. Your actual time depends on how the
SysOp has set up your account. The "[GENERAL]" line indicates that this user
is currently located in the GENERAL FORUM, and the "[1] [General Discussion]"
line indicates that he is located in the "General Discussion" SUB-FORUM.
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Now that you have an understanding of the organization of FORUMS, let's take
a more comprehensive look a the many commands available in the message FORUMS:
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A] AUTO MESSAGE
   The Auto Message is the area of the BBS that displays text to all users.
   Some SysOps allow their users to change the contents of the Auto Message.
   Such a use may be for advertisements or just for fun. For example, if Dave
   were selling a 230 MB hard drive, he could enter a brief Auto Message
   about the specs and price of the drive so all users who called after him
   would be able to see the message and could E-MAIL him for details. His
   message would remain there until another user changed it by entering one
   of their own. The SysOp controls who, if any, can change the AUTO MESSAGE.
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B] BBS LIST
   The Online BBS List is a special place for users to enter in other names
   and numbers for other BBS's. The SysOp controls who can add to the list.
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C] CHAT WITH SYSOP
   Pressing "C" at either the MAIN MENU PROMPT or the TRANSFER MENU PROMPT
   will issue a request for CHAT. If the SysOp is available for chat, you
   will be prompted for a "REASON" why you want to chat, where you can enter
   a brief phrase like "my validation" or "download problem" so the SysOp can
   see what it that you would like to chat about. If the SysOp decides to pull
   you into chat, your screen will split with half of the screen displaying
   his typing and the other half displaying yours. Note that while in the
   chat mode, your online time is suspended and will resume when chat mode
   is over. This way you could have 20 remaining minutes when you go into
   chat, chat for 5 minutes, and have 20 minutes remaining when you exit the
   chat mode. Also note that this time suspension is only in effect while
   chatting with the SysOp. Time decreases as usual when in chat with other
   users on multiple line BBS's via Hermes II built in chat.
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D] DEFAULTS SECTION
   The Defaults Section is where you can see and change various aspects of
   your Hermes II account on a given BBS. It is here that you can change
   your password, turn on and off color ANSI, set your screen size, and more.
   Below is a close up look at the defaults section:

     1.  Screen size           : 80 X 24
     2.  ANSI                  : Color
     3.  Pause on screen       : No
     4.  Mailbox               : Normal
     5.  Screen Clears         : Yes
     6.  Configure Q-scan
     7.  Change password
     8.  Notify login/out      : Yes
     9.  Computer type         : Macintosh Centris
     10. Scan New Msgs At Logon: No
     11. Change Signature
     12. Column Display Mode   : 1 Column
     13. Change colors
     Q.  Quit to main menu

         SCREEN SIZE
         This is where you specify the size of the terminal window that you
         use to access the Hermes II BBS. If your communications program
         supports window sizes larger than the standard 80 characters wide
         by 24 lines high, you can increase the size of your terminal window
         and have Hermes II send larger screens full of data. This also
         controls how often Hermes II pauses, if you have the "Pause On
         Screen" option set to ON.

         ANSI
         This is where you specify if you want ANSI graphics or strictly text
         based screens. If your terminal program supports ANSI, I'd suggest
         using it. Many BBS's have ANSI menus and prompts that are color
         coded and makes for much easier reading. Even if you have only a
         black and white Mac, you can still use ANSI graphics but can have
         Hermes II send only black and white ANSI codes.

         PAUSE ON SCREEN
         This is where you tell Hermes II whether or not you want to have it
         pause every screen full of info. If, for example, you come across a
         message that is 75 lines in length, you can have Hermes II only send
         one screen at a time and pause between screens, as specified by the
         screen size option. Note that the pause on screen setting does not
         affect the lack of pauses in continuous Q-SCANs or Express Scans
         (both of which are discussed later).

         MAILBOX
         This is where you can forward your E-MAIL to another user on the BBS
         during times when you might be away for extended periods of time.
         This is simply a toggle switch that you enable to forward to one
         other user and disable to return to standard E-MAIL operation.

         SCREEN CLEARS
         This is where you specify whether or not you want Hermes II to send
         screen clears at times when one is called for. If this is turned off,
         Hermes II sends all data contiguously and appears line by line without
         any clears at all, resulting in a line by line flow of information,
         without any brakes, except for those caused by carriage returns.

         CONFIGURE Q-SCAN
         This is one of the more useful options in the defaults section. Using
         the configure Q-SCAN option you may have Hermes II automatically
         ignore various message subs on a given BBS that may not be of any
         interest to you. Let's use the above FORUM example to explain:

 +-Q----------------------------------+-Q------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #1: GENERAL                |   FORUM #2: COMPUTERS          |
 | * SUB-FORUM #1: General Discussion | * SUB-FORUM #1: Apple Computer |
 | * SUB-FORUM #2: Buy, Sell & Trade  | * SUB-FORUM #2: Compaq         |
 | * SUB-FORUM #3: Politics & Law     | * SUB-FORUM #3: IBM            |
 +-Q----------------------------------+-Q------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #3: SPECIAL INTERESTS      |   FORUM #4: SOFTWARE           |
 | * SUB-FORUM #1: Movies & Books     | * SUB-FORUM #1: Games          |
 | * SUB-FORUM #2: Stamp Collecting   | * SUB-FORUM #2: Graphics       |
 | * SUB-FORUM #3: Sports             | * SUB-FORUM #3: Programming    |
 +------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

         The above example illustrates a default configuration of the Q-SCAN,
         with every SUB-FORUM included in the Q-SCAN. With this setup, if you
         were to do a NEWSCAN, all new messages in every SUB-FORUM would be
         displayed. Now let's say that you had no interest in buying & selling
         of stuff, IBM or Compaq computers, programming, and stamp collecting.
         With a quick change to the configure Q-SCAN, you could completely
         ignore any message activity in the related SUB-FORUMS. Below would
         be an example of the modified Q-SCAN setup -- the "*" character in
         the "Q" column indicates that that SUB-FORUM is to be included in the
         Q-SCAN, those without the "*" character are ignored:

 +-Q----------------------------------+-Q------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #1: GENERAL                |   FORUM #2: COMPUTERS          |
 | * SUB-FORUM #1: General Discussion | * SUB-FORUM #1: Apple Computer |
 |   SUB-FORUM #2: Buy, Sell & Trade  |   SUB-FORUM #2: Compaq         |
 | * SUB-FORUM #3: Politics & Law     |   SUB-FORUM #3: IBM            |
 +-Q----------------------------------+-Q------------------------------+
 |   FORUM #3: SPECIAL INTERESTS      |   FORUM #4: SOFTWARE           |
 | * SUB-FORUM #1: Movies & Books     | * SUB-FORUM #1: Games          |
 |   SUB-FORUM #2: Stamp Collecting   | * SUB-FORUM #2: Graphics       |
 | * SUB-FORUM #3: Sports             |   SUB-FORUM #3: Programming    |
 +------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

         As you can see, with a quick change to the Q-SCAN setup, you can save
         time and money by completely ignoring those SUB-FORUMS which have no
         interest to you. Note that you can still read the contents of these
         SUB-FORUMS manually by using the SCAN MESSAGE TITLES feature
         (discussed later in this document).

         CHANGE PASSWORD
         This is where you can change your password manually. Hermes II will
         automatically prompt you to update your password once a year, but
         changing your password more frequently is seriously recommended. A
         password change once every three of four months is a good idea.

         NOTIFY LOGIN/LOGOUT
         This option is also a toggle switch. If NOTIFY LOGIN/LOGOUT is
         enabled and you are connected to a multi-line BBS, you will be
         notified of other users when they login and logout, by a single
         line alert. If you do not want to be notified of other users, turn
         this option off. Note that this does not perform any function unless
         the BBS has multiple nodes (phone lines).

         COMPUTER TYPE
         The only purpose this serves is to update the BBS's records to
         reflect any change that may occur with respect to what kind of
         computer you use to call into the BBS. This has no particular
         function, except for the sole purpose of BBS statistics.

         SCAN NEW MESSAGES AT LOGON
         This option is also a toggle switch. When set to the on position,
         you will be prompted with the option to scan for any public
         messages specifically addressed to you, immediately after the
         auto-message is displayed. When set to the off position, you will
         not be asked to scan for these messages, but you can see them during
         your NEWSCAN. On most BBS's, you can force Hermes II to scan for
         new personal public messages by pressing the "@" character at the
         main menu prompt.

         CHANGE SIGNATURE
         This option allows you to save time by assigning a specific
         signature to be used when you post a message or send an E-MAIL.
         It is here that you specify your signature, using standard ASCII
         characters and ANSI colors (discussed later). To send an E-MAIL
         or post a message with your personal signature, use the "/ESP"
         command on a blank line at the end of your message. The line will
         then contain the contents of your signature, as specified here.

         COLUMN DISPLAY MODE
         This option is a toggle switch that simply determines if SUB-FORUM
         lists or TRANSFER SECTIONS are displayed in one or two columns.
         This is most useful for BBS's that have more than a dozen or so
         of either that would normally make the top of the list scroll off
         the top of your screen. The two column mode cuts the length of this
         list in half by displaying the items in two columns instead.

         CHANGE COLORS
         This section allows you to change the colors of various prompts.
         While it is not really all that useful, it does allow you to change
         the colors in which such things as input lines and alerts appear.
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E] E-MAIL ANOTHER USER
   E-MAIL is one of the most active sections of a BBS. Using E-MAIL, you can
   send and receive private messages to other users on the BBS. Note that
   while private, every SysOp has the option to read any correspondence,
   both public and private, transpiring on his own BBS. However, this is
   generally not done as most SysOps have much better things to do that go
   around reading other people's E-MAIL, not to mention that it takes a lot
   of time to run a BBS and most SysOps simply do not have the time to do so.
   Regardless, these messages are not available for reading by anyone other
   than the intended addressee.
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F] FEEDBACK
   FEEDBACK is identical to E-MAIL, except that on most systems, it
   is automatically routed to the SysOp or Co-SysOp without being given the
   option to enter a users name or number. FEEDBACK it treated as E-MAIL.
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G] G-FILES SECTION
   The G-FILES section is a special section on a given BBS for storage of
   online text files, which are organized into sections. These are not
   treated at messages, in that they are never NEWSCAN'ed or replied to.
   They are simply specific areas in which the SysOp can store public access
   text information that may be called up at any given time.
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I] INFORMATION
   The INFORMATION section is just a small informative screen that usually
   provides some sort of specs on the BBS. Most SysOps use this section to
   display information on the number and size of hard drives, make and model
   of modems, type of computer, and number of phone lines for the BBS.
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J] JUMP TO A FORUM
   The JUMP command is how you switch from one FORUM to another to read and
   post messages. Because you can only be in one FORUM at any given time,
   this is provided as a means to "jump" between available FORUMS.
   In the above example, you would see this prompt:

T - 01:29:54
[GENERAL]
[1] [General Discussion] : J

Forums available:

 1: GENERAL   
 2: COMPUTERS
 3: SPECIAL INTERESTS
 4: SOFTWARE

Jump to? 2


T - 04:12:48
[SPECIAL INTERESTS]
[1] [Movies & Books] :
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K] KILL E-MAIL
   This command allows you to delete E-MAIL that you have previously sent,
   which has not already been deleted by it's addressee. Note that just
   because you can delete a previously sent E-MAIL, that does not
   necessarily mean that it has not already been read by its intended
   recipient, but rather that it has not yet been _deleted_ by the
   recipient. You can also use this option to read through any old E-MAIL
   that you have sent out that may still be sitting in the other person's
   mailbox, with the option to read, delete, or ignore.
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L] LIST TODAY'S CALLERS
   This command return a list of all names and times of everyone who has
   logged into the BBS since the last reset (12:00 am).
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M] OPEN MAILBOX
   This command checks to see if your have any E-MAIL in your mailbox, and
   opens it for your if you have any E-MAIL waiting.
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N] NEWSCAN
   NEWSCAN (or New Messages Scan) is probably the most common command on
   Hermes II BBS's. It is this command that is almost always issued after you
   have checked and responded to any E-MAIL. NEWSCAN starts with the first
   SUB-FORUM and checks for any new messages posted since the last NEWSCAN. If
   there are any, they will be displayed and you may scan through them, reply
   to them both publicly or privately, list titles, and more. Once all new
   messages are displayed in FORUM #1, the NEWSCAN will advance to FORUM #2
   to scan those SUB-FORUMS for any new message activity, and will repeat
   this process until all FORUMS are scanned. Note that this activity of
   jumping from SUB-FORUM to SUB-FORUM during the NEWSCAN is controlled by
   the CONFIGURE Q-SCAN section of the DEFAULTS (explained above).
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O] LOGOFF
   This command tells Hermes II that you want to disconnect from the BBS. It
   will give you the option of confirming this choice with a "Y/N?" prompt.
   You will soon get in the habit of pressing "OY" quickly to disconnect and
   confirm the disconnect in the same stroke of keys. This proper way of
   disconnecting from a Hermes II BBS is far more preferred than issuing a
   hang up command from within your communications program, as some modems
   are more susceptible to becoming "hung" because of an improper disconnect
   sequence. Note that as an alternative to the "OY" sequence, you can use
   the "/O" sequence, which is considered the "fast logoff", but is still
   a two keystroke sequence -- go figure.
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P] POST A MESSAGE
   This command allows you to post a message in the current SUB-FORUM. Note
   that you can only be on one SUB-FORUM at any time and that once you post
   a message, you can not move it, although you can remove it and post it
   elsewhere. It is important to pay attention to the MAIN MENU PROMPT to see
   what FORUM and SUB-FORUM you are currently located in prior to pressing
   "P" to actually begin posting the message.
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Q] Q-SCAN CURRENT SUB-FORUM
   Q-SCAN performs the equivalent of the NEWSCAN, in that it checks for any
   new message activity, but Q-SCAN is "quick" because it only checks the
   current SUB-FORUM. For example, if you wanted to quickly see if there were
   any new messages in SUB-FORUM #3 of FORUM #4 (which would be "Programming"
   in the above FORUM example), you could navigate there quickly by "J"umping
   to FORUM #4 and pressing "3" to switch to SUB-FORUM #3, and then pressing
   "Q" to perform a Q-SCAN of that SUB-FORUM only. That is much faster than
   doing a complete NEWSCAN, although it may not seem that way on paper.
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R] REMOVE A POST
   This allows you to list and remove any posts made by you, in the current
   SUB-FORUM. It does not allow you to remove any posts made by anyone else,
   and will not work outside of the current SUB-FORUM.
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S] SCAN MESSAGE TITLES
   This allows you to see a list of titles of messages posted in the current
   SUB-FORUM, without having to read each one. Hermes II will ask you where
   to start the listing, and will then list ten titles at a time. Once you see
   the first set of ten, you can immediately press "T" to see the next ten
   titles. When you see a title of a message that you want to read, just enter
   the number of the message and it will be displayed.
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T] GO TO THE FILE TRANSFER SECTIONS
   This command will take you out of the Public Message Forums and place you
   in the TRANSFER SECTIONS, assuming you have got a high enough POST:CALL
   ratio (more on that later). Note that while a few of these commands work
   in the TRANSFER SECTIONS, most of them perform entirely different functions
   there then they do at the MAIN MENU PROMPT. The complete set of TRANSFER
   SECTION commands are covered in section #2 of this document.
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U] USER LIST
   If allowed by the SysOp, this command will list all the names of the users
   on the BBS. If not allowed by the SysOp, the command will do nothing.
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W] WATCH NODES SECTION
   On a multiple node BBS, the WATCH NODES SECTION lets you know who else is
   on line, what they are doing, allows you to send them a message, or even
   participate in real time chat with them.
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X] EXPERT MENUS
   The EXPERT MENU command is a toggle switch that will, if activated, display
   the appropriate menu (either the MAIN menu or the TRANSFER menu) every time
   any action is done. This is great for new users who often need to refer to
   the menus for commands but can be very irritating for experienced users.
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Y] YOUR GENERAL INFORMATION
   This command brings up a brief report of your current information, as
   collected by the BBS. This information includes your handle or name, your
   ratio requirements and their status, your current phone number, how many
   times you've called the BBS, the first and last time you were logged on,
   the number of E-MAIL messages you have sent (not posted messages), and the
   number of E-MAIL messages you have waiting in your mailbox.
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Z] EXPRESS NEW SCAN
   Perhaps the most useful command for long distance callers and new callers
   to a BBS is the EXPRESS NEW SCAN. This command performs a continuous scan
   of all new messages since your last NEWSCAN in every SUB-FORUM of every
   FORUM without pausing to ask you if you want to post a message and without
   pausing between screens. Once this is performed, all messages covered in
   the EXPRESS NEW SCAN are marked as "READ" and will never be new messages
   again, but new replies to those messages will be treated as such. This is
   most useful for long distance callers who want to keep up with what is
   going on without having to read each message separately. Those messages
   can be read offline in a word processor (such as Microsoft Word), assuming
   you turned on a capture in your communications program. EXPRESS NEW SCAN
   is also useful for first time callers to catch-up on new messages and get
   in the swing of the new message activity, so that the next NEWSCAN will
   only display any new messages.
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Now, let's take a close look at the commands for use in the TRANSFER sections
of a Hermes II BBS.
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C] CHAT WITH SYSOP
   Same function as performed in the MESSAGE AREAS. See above for description.
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D] DOWNLOAD A FILE
   The DOWNLOAD command is where you specify a file name to download a file.
   *** NOTE: Entering the complete file name is NOT necessary. The DOWNLOAD
   command is similar to the SEARCH BY FILENAME command, in that it accepts
   the WILDCARD "*" character, in place of the actual file name. This means
   that entering "SpeedyF*" is the same as entering "SpeedyFinder7 2.5.4.sit"
   and saves you the extra characters. If there are two files that match the
   "SpeedyF*" WILDCARD (such as "SpeedyFinder7 2.5.4.sit" and "SpeedyFinder7
   2.5.1.cpt") then both will be displayed and you will have the option to
   download either, none, or both of them.
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F] FIND IN DESCRIPTION
   This command allows you to search for files by the text in their
   description. This often allows you to find files more accurately, because
   a lot more information can be provided in the description than can be in
   the file name. You can choose to (or not to) search the single line
   description or the extended 10 line description in the TRANSFER SECTION
   OPTIONS command (discussed later).
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L] LIST FILES
   The LIST FILES command allows you to list all files in the CURRENT
   directory with a matching filter string. If you supply NO filter string,
   then ALL files will be listed. For example, you can LIST FILES with the
   filter "SpeedyFinder" and Hermes II would list only the files in that
   directory that contained that string of text. Following the above example,
   this list would yield two files:


     (1)-(Upload Here) :L

     Enter full or partial filename: SpeedyFinder

     Upload Here - #1, 254 files
     ===========================

     SpeedyFinder7 2.5.4.sit  : 348k: Latest version of this great utility
     SpeedyFinder7 2.5.1.cpt  : 289k: Most recent update. Uploaded by request


     Files listed: 2

   By using the sting "SpeedyFinder" as the filter, only the two files in
   this directory that matched the filter were displayed. The other 252
   were ignored by the LIST FILES command.
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N] NEW FILES SCAN
   Similar to the NEWSCAN of messages, this command searched all directories
   for any new files that have been uploaded since the last time you performed
   a NEW FILES SCAN. You are prompted to scan only the current directory, or
   all directories. This allows you to, for example, only scan for new files
   in directory #24 (Games).
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O] LOGOFF
   Same function as performed in the MESSAGE AREAS. See above for description.
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P] NEW FILES SEARCH DATE
   This command allows you to bypass the calculated search date. Like with the
   messages, Hermes II keeps track of what files you have seen already and
   which ones are new. Using this command, you can bypass that calculation and
   set a new date to search by. So you can search all directories for any new
   files uploaded within the last month, just by changing the NEW FILES
   SEARCH DATE. This date resets itself when you logoff, so your next
   NEW FILES SCAN will produce accurate results. This command is entered as
   a date and must be entered with leading zeros where necessary --
   a date of "4/9/94" is not valid -- use "04/09/94" instead.
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Q] QUIT TO MAIN MENU
   This command takes you out of the TRANSFER SECTIONS and puts you back in
   the MAIN MENU area where the messages are.
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R] REMOVE A FILE
   This allows you to remove a file you have uploaded. Your credit for the
   file is also removed, and the file is deleted off the hard drive where it
   was stored. This only allows you to remove files that YOU have uploaded and
   only works within the current directory.
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S] SEARCH BY FILE NAME
   Much like the FIND IN DESCRIPTION command, this allows you to search for a
   file by name. This also uses a text filter string, and if you issue a
   search but fail to enter a filter, you are essentially searching for ALL
   files, and that can take a LONG time! If you hit "S" by mistake, enter a
   text filter of "XXXXXXXX" (or some other invalid string) and Hermes II
   report that no files match the string. This is a LOT faster then watching
   EVERY file on the BBS flash before your eyes! However, this would be the
   case if you wanted to do a capture to your hard drive of every file
   available on a BBS.
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T] TRANSFER SECTION OPTIONS
   This command brings up a short list of options you have in the TRANSFER
   SECTION:

     1. Set Default Protocol
        Allows you to set the default transfer protocol so you don't have to
        select from the list each time you download. The default will be
        selected when you press [carriage return] at the PROTOCOL PROMPT.

     2. N-Scan Transfer after Message Base(Yes)
        Automatically searches for new files after you are done reading
        and posting messages.

     3. Print Extended Descriptions in Listing(Yes)
        Toggles the EXTENDED DESCRIPTIONS on or off. Useful for saving time.

     4. Search Extended Descriptions(Yes)
        Allows you to search the text contents of the EXTENDED DESCRIPTIONS
        as well as the SINGLE LINE DESCRIPTION when you perform a FIND IN
        DESCRIPTION. Note that this is a little slower, but more accurate.
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U] UPLOAD A FILE
   This is the command you use when you want to upload a file to a particular
   directory. You will be prompted for the name of the file and asked to
   enter a one line description. You are also given the opportunity to enter
   an extended description, which will appear under the one line description
   and can be up to ten lines in length. Be sure to upload your file to the
   appropriate directory. Note that some BBS's are set up so you are only
   allowed to upload to a single directory, and the SysOp will move the file
   to the appropriate directory after checking the validity of the file.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X] BATCH TRANSFER
   If you have previously selected to add a file to a download batch, or if
   you have specified to upload in a batch, this command will initiate the
   BATCH TRANSFER. The wonderful thing about batch transferring is that you
   can start it and walk away from the computer, while literally dozens of
   files are uploaded from or downloaded to your computer. In order to
   initiate a batch transfer, you must first have specified the files you
   wish to batch transfer, by using one of the batch protocols when you
   go to download the file. I can't tell you how many times I have seen
   users INDIVIDUALLY download ten or more files, which requires you to
   be sitting there watching each file transfer and waiting to download the
   next one! With the BATCH TRANSFER command, you can download as many
   files as you have time and ratio to download, and then walk away from
   your computer (or send your communications program to the background
   and do something else in the foreground). BATCH TRANSFER requires that
   you use a batch protocol for your file transfer; Z-MODEM BATCH is the
   best one to use. Just enter the file name of the file you wish to
   BATCH TRANSFER, and hit "3" (Z-MODEM BATCH) at the protocol prompt.
   It's that easy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y] YOUR TRANSFER STATS
   This command will bring up an informative list of statistics about your
   file transfer activity:

     Uploads    : 690383k in 3920 files
     Downloads  : 130003k in 329 files
     DL Credits : 0k
     Ratio      : 5.311
     Your DSL   : 255

   The upload and download lines refer to the number of files that you have
   transferred (except those downloaded from a "FREE DOWNLOADS" directory).
   DL Credits are any credits that you have been given by the SysOp. If your
   account has any DL Credits, these credits are used up before any
   additional kilobytes added to your "Downloads:" total. Note that in the
   1.0.1 version of Hermes II, a nasty bug exists that does not let a user
   download if he has credits but not the UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD ratio necessary to
   download a file. This is said to have been fixed in the next release of
   Hermes II. The "Ratio:" line is a decimal equivalent of UPLOADS:DOWNLOADS.
   For example, if you have uploaded 1 MB and downloaded 4 MB, you would have
   a UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD ratio of 1:4 -- or 0.250 in Hermes II decimal format.
   Your DSL refers to an internal number that the SysOp has assigned to
   your account, and is not of importance to you as the user.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z] UPLOAD FILE TO SYSOP
   This command is identical to the UPLOAD FILE command, except that the file
   is automatically sent to a special directory that only the SysOp (and
   and anyone else whom the SysOp has specified access) can see. This is
   useful for sending the SysOp private material or other files that you want
   only the SysOp to see. Not even the uploader of a file can see that file
   when it is stored in the SysOp directory.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now that you have an understanding of both the PUBLIC MESSAGE FORUMS and the
FILE TRANSFER SECTIONS and how they work, here are a few tips:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPACE BAR ABORTS
   When a long flow of text data is coming in (such as a long list of files)
   and you want to abort the list, use the space bar to abort. This seems to
   work better on 9600 baud connections and higher, so if it doesn't work the
   first time, hit the space bar a few times. It'll work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GET USED TO WILDCARDS
   The proper use of the Hermes II wildcard character "*" can make life a lot
   easier. The "*" character allows you to search for files and specify names
   without having to use enter the complete file name or user name. For
   example, sending E-MAIL to "Tom An*" is the same as entering "Tom
   Anderson". The same is the case when searching for "Speed*", when searching
   for "SpeedyFinder7 2.5.4.sit" (although Hermes II has a sort of wildcard
   routine built-in to the SEARCH BY FILENAME).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSI & COLOR
   Hermes II supports color in messages and E-MAIL, but to use color you have
   to enter a special sequence of characters that determine the color:
   The sequence is "CONTROL P". That is, hold down the control key and
   press "P", then press a number for the color you wish to use:

      CONTROL P "1" -> light blue (bold)
      CONTROL P "2" -> yellow (bold)
      CONTROL P "3" -> magenta
      CONTROL P "4" -> white (bold) on blue (inverse video)
      CONTROL P "5" -> green
      CONTROL P "6" -> red (bold)
      CONTROL P "7" -> white (no color)

   Once you have selected the color, just begin typing, and the typed text
   will appear in the specified color. Note that when you begin a new line,
   you will need to re-specify the color. You can also use more than one
   color in a single line (or word for that matter). And things can get real
   ugly pretty quick if you're not careful. Be safe and use color only when
   emphasizing a single word or phrase. I often use red to emphasize "not"
   and yellow to emphasize an announcement of some sort.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this little text file helps you become more familiar with Hermes II!

Please direct any questions or comments to me on Olympus at user #1248.

I would _really_ like to know if the time I put into this little guide has
helped anyone (or have I just wasted my time -- that would be a bummer).

Enjoy!

