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1994-11-15
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Introduction to the Tin newsreader
Paul H Kramer
pkramer@unlinfo.unl.edu
University Nebraska Lincoln
Abstract
A gentle introduction to the basic command set of the tin newsreader.
1.0 Contents
------------
1.1 Introduction
1.2 To start Tin
1.3 To quit Tin
1.4 To work in Tin
1.5 'Group selection level': screen layout
1.5.1 'Group selection level' screen: title
1.5.2 'Group selection level' screen: selection bar
1.5.3 'Group selection level' screen: newsgroup lines
1.5.4 'Group selection level' screen: command menu
1.6 'Group selection level': moving the selection bar
1.7 'Group selection level': searching for a newsgroup
1.8 'Group selection level': display all known newsgroups
1.9 'Group selection level': add (subscribe) newsgroups
1.10 'Group selection level': drop (unsubscribe) newsgroups
1.11 'Group selection level': reorder the newsgroups
1.12 'Group selection level': selecting a newsgroup
1.13 'Group level': screen layout
1.13.1 'Group level' screen: title
1.13.2 'Group level' screen: selection bar
1.13.3 'Group level' screen: article lines
1.13.4 'Group level' screen: command menu
1.14 'Group level': moving the selection bar
1.15 'Group level': selecting an article
1.16 'Article level': screen layout
1.16.1 'Article level' screen: header
1.16.2 'Article level' screen: body of article
1.16.3 'Group level' screen: command menu
1.17 'Article level': reading the selected article
1.18 'Article level': mail the article to someone
1.19 'Article level': print the article
1.20 'Article level': reply to the author of the article directly
1.21 'Article level': save the article as a file on your account
1.22 'Article level': write and post a reply to the article
1.23 'Article level': write and post your own article
1.1 Introduction
----------------
Electronic News provides you the means to read articles found
in the USENET newsgroups, a specific kind of bulletin board
service available on the Internet. Each newsgroup contains
articles written about a particular topic. The number of groups
now number over 4000 when a site takes all available groups.
In using tin, it is important to note how the newsgroups are
organized and named. The newsgroups are organized in a
hierarchical fashion by topic; some are designed for very
specific readership and others for much broader appeal.
This hierarchy is then reflected in the naming scheme for the
newsgroups. For example, newsgroups beginning with the word
'rec.' are about recreational topics. Other top-level words
that you will find in newsgroups names are (this list is not
complete):
bit.listserv. conferences originating as BITNET mailing
lists (e.g. bit.listserv.pacs-l).
clari. newsgroups from UPI (e.g.
clari.sports.baseball).
comp. Computer-related technical groups (e.g.
comp.sys.mac.digest).
sci. Scientific discussions (e.g.
sci.meterology).
soc. Discussions about societies, cultures,
related issues (e.g. soc.culture.indian).
1.2 To start Tin
----------------
+-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +----------+
| | | | | | | |
Press | | | | | | and then the | | key
| t | | i | | n | | Return |
+-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +----------+
Press this key sequence to start the newsreader from the command line.
Note: The <Return> key may be called <Enter> on some keyboards.
1.3 To quit Tin
---------------
+-------+
| |
| | Press the <q> key.
| q |
+-------+
This keystroke exits you from the program when the current
operation level is 'Group selection level'.
+-------+
| |
| | Press the <Q> key.
| Q |
+-------+
This keystroke exits you from the program at any operation level.
1.4 To work in Tin
------------------
When you work in E)lectronic News, you are using a computer
program called 'tin'. This program responds to commands
initiated with keystrokes. For example, the <h> key is assigned
to the help function in 'tin'. By pressing this key, the
program writes a list of commands on the screen.
The key to working in this program efficiently is recognizing
the three separate hierarchical levels of operation:
Group selection level
|
+------- Group level
|
+------- Article level
At the 'Group selection level', the program shows a list of
newsgroups. From this list, you select a newsgroup that has
articles that you would like to read. Other actions that you
might take at this level are:
* add (subscribe) newsgroups to the list,
* display (yank) all known newsgroups into the list,
* drop (unsubscribe) newsgroups from the list,
* reorder (move) the newsgroups' positons in the list, or
* write and post your own article to a newsgroup.
At the 'Group level', the program shows a list of unread
articles in the chosen newsgroup. From this list, you choose an
article that you would like to read. Other actions that you
might take at this level are:
* mail an article to someone,
* print an article to a printer,
* save an article into a file on your account, or
* write and post your own article.
At the 'Article level', the program displays the text of the
article that you selected. Other actions that you might take at
this level are:
* mail the article to someone,
* print the article to a printer,
* reply to the author of the article directly,
* save the article into a file on your account,
* write and post a reply to the article, or
* write and post your own article.
1.5 'Group selection level': screen layout
------------------------------------------
When you enter the `tin 'program, you should view a screen like
the following:
Group Selection (2067) h=help
1 ads.config
2 175 alt.artcom Artistic Community, a
3 153 alt.bbs Computer BBS systems
4 71 alt.bbs.ads Ads for various compu
5 1416 alt.bbs.internet BBS systems accessibl
6 359 alt.bbs.lists Postings of regional
7 21 alt.bbs.lists.d Discussion about regi
8 44 alt.bbs.waffle The Waffle UUCP BBS.
9 2206 alt.cd-rom Discussions of optica
10 1549 alt.censorship Discussion about rest
11 41 alt.cobol Relationship between
12 1922 alt.config Alternative subnet di
13 378 alt.cosuard Council of Sysops & U
14 3993 alt.folklore.computers Stories & anecdotes a
15 2 alt.fractals Fractals in math, gra
16 232 alt.graphics.pixutils Discussion of pixmap
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, c)atchup,
g)oto, j=line down, k=line up, h)elp, m)ove, q)uit, r=toggle all/unread,
s)ubscribe, S)ub pattern, u)nsubscribe, U)nsub pattern, y)ank in/out
1.5.1 'Group selection level' screen: title
...........................................
Group Selection (2067) h=help
This line shows the number of newsgroups available.
1.5.2 'Group selection level' screen: selection bar
...................................................
1 ads.config
2 175 alt.artcom Artistic Community, a
The highlighted line is called a selection bar and it is used to
indicate the current newsgroup.
1.5.3 'Group selection level' screen: newsgroup lines
.....................................................
2 175 alt.artcom Artistic Community, a
3 153 alt.bbs Computer BBS systems
4 71 alt.bbs.ads Ads for various compu
This is the main feature of the 'Group selection level'. There
are four fields per line:
Selection number (e.g. 3)
Number of unread articles (e.g. 153)
Newsgroup name (e.g. alt.bbs)
Description (e.g. Computer BBS systems)
The selection number gives each newsgroup in the list a unique
identifier. You may input this identifer to move the selection
bar. The number of unread articles refers to the number of
articles that you have not read in the particular newsgroup. If
you find no number in this field, the newsgroup has no articles
for you to read. Each newsgroup name is composed of words that
reflect the topic covered or the provider of the articles. For
example, you can find articles from the Washington Post in a
newsgroup named 'americast.wpost'. The last field provides a
description of what you might find discussed in the newsgroup.
1.5.4 'Group selection level' screen: command menu
..................................................
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, c)atchup,
g)oto, j=line down, k=line up, h)elp, m)ove, q)uit, r=toggle all/unread,
s)ubscribe, S)ub pattern, u)nsubscribe, U)nsub pattern, y)ank in/out
This three-line menu shows the commands available to you at this
level. Each command label in the menu has two parts: the key
that you press and a one- or two-word description of the action
the program takes. The label sets the key off with either a
parenthesis or an equal sign. Examples on how to read the
labels follow:
Example 1:
+-------+
| |
the s)ubscribe means press the | | key
| s |
+-------+
Example 2:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
the S)ub pattern means | | and | | to make an S
| Shift | | s |
+-------+ +-------+
Example 3:
+-------+
| |
the /=search pattern means press the | | key
| / |
+-------+
Example 4:
+-------+
| |
the <n>=set current to n means input | |
a number such as 1, 2, 3 ... | 1 |
+-------+
Remember that if the label in the menu shows the key as
capitalized, you must make the keystroke in upper-case.
Note: This menu does not show all of the commands understood
by 'tin' at this level. To see the the full list, use
the h=help command.
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key.
| h |
+-------+
Note: If you know enough of the commands at this level, make
a capital <H> to drop the menu from the display. A
second capital <H> restores it.
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
| | and | | to make an H
| Shift | | h |
+-------+ +-------+
1.6 'Group selection level': moving the selection bar
-----------------------------------------------------
1 ads.config
2 175 alt.artcom Artistic Community, a
Moving the selection bar lets you scan the list of newsgroups
found on the 'Group selection level' screen. With the following
keystrokes you can move the selection bar to the:
Beginning of list:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key
| 1 |
+-------+
End of list:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together to make an $
| Shift | | 4 |
+-------+ +-------+
Page Up:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key or
| b |
+-------+
+---------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together
| Control | | u |
+---------+ +-------+
Page Down:
+--------------------------------+
| |
Press the | | bar or
| space |
+--------------------------------+
+---------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together
| Control | | d |
+---------+ +-------+
Line Up:
+-------+
| ^ |
Press the | | | key (up arrow)
| | |
+-------+
Line Down:
+-------+
| | |
Press the | | | key (down arrow)
| V |
+-------+
1.7 'Group selection level': searching for a newsgroup
------------------------------------------------------
A second way to scan the newsgroup list is to initiate a search
based on a word or string of characters in the newsgroup name.
Forward search:
1. Press the slash key:
+-------+
| |
| |
| / |
+-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
Search forwards [previous-string]>
3. Enter a word or a string of characters that you think will
be found in the name of the newsgroup:
Search forwards [previous-string]> clari.ne
Once you press the <RETURN> key, the search preceeds in a
forward direction toward the end of the list.
Note: To repeat the search with the same input, make
two keystrokes: the slash key and then the
<RETURN> key-no input is required.
Backward search:
1. Press the question-mark key:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | ? |
| | and | |
| Shift | | / |
+-------+ +-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
Search backwords [previous-string]>
3. Enter a word or a string of characters that you think will
be found in the name of the newsgroup.
Search backwords [previous-string]> wpost
Once you press the <RETURN> key, the search preceeds in a
backward direction toward the top of the list.
Note: To repeat the search with the same input, make
two keystrokes: the question-mark key and then
the <RETURN> key-no input is required.
1.8 'Group selection level': display all known newsgroups
---------------------------------------------------------
It is possible that you may not have all of the newsgroups in
your list. The first time you select E)electronic News, the
program yanks in all of the newsgroups found in the CRC
subscriptions file ( a subset of all of the newsgroups). If you
want all of the newsgroups from the CRC 'active' file, follow
these steps:
1. Note the number of newsgroups listed in the title:
Group Selection (????) h=help
2. Press the <y> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| y |
+-------+
Note: Subsequent <y> keystrokes toggle the source file
for this list: the '.tinrc' file on your account
or the CRC 'active' file.
1.9 'Group selection level': add (subscribe) newsgroups
-------------------------------------------------------
Initially, the program subscribes you to a subset of all known
newsgroups. To add more newsgroups to your list, follow these
steps:
1. Note the number of newsgroups listed in the title:
Group Selection (????) h=help
2. Press the <y> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| y |
+-------+
3. Read the expanded list of newsgroups.
4. Move the selection bar onto a newsgroup that you want added
to your list (it should be marked as unsubscribed):
345 comp.binaries.os2 Binaries for use unde
u 346 - bionet.agroforestry Discussion of Agrofor
u 347 - bionet.general General BIOSCI discus
5. Press the <s> key:
+-------+
| |
| |
| s |
+-------+
Note: The keystroke removes 'u' from in front of the
selection number. Thus, a space in that field
indicates a subscribed newsgroup. A record of
what newsgroups you are subscribed to is kept in
a file called '.tinrc'.
1.10 'Group selection level': drop (unsubscribe) newsgroups
-----------------------------------------------------------
Each time you select E)lectronic News, the program displays the
newsgroups that you are subscribed to. To drop newsgroups from
this list, you must set the 'unsubscribe' attribute for each
newsgroup you do not want. The steps are as follows:
1. Move the selection bar onto the newsgroup that you want
dropped from your list (it should be marked as subscribed):
345 comp.binaries.os2 Binaries for use unde
346 - bionet.agroforestry Discussion of Agrofor
347 - bionet.general General BIOSCI discus
2. Make sure it is maked as subscribed:
347 - bionet.general General BIOSCI discus
3. Press the <u> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| u |
+-------+
Note: The keystroke adds a 'u' to in front of the
selection number. This change is actually made
when you quit the program and is recoded in your
'.tinrc' file. The <y> keystroke yanks the
unsubscribed newsgroups back into your list.
1.11 'Group selection level': reorder the newsgroups
----------------------------------------------------
The program for E)lectronic News alows you to define the order
of newsgroups appear in your list. The steps are as follows:
1. Move the selection bar onto the newsgroup that you want
reordered:
346 - bionet.agroforestry Discussion of Agrofor
347 - bionet.general General BIOSCI discus
2. Press the <m> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| m |
+-------+
3. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
Position bionet.general in group list (1,2,..,$) [347]>
4. Input the newsgroup's new position in the list:
Position bionet.general in group list (1,2,..,$) [347]>
Note: After input, the program moves the newsgroup to
its new position and drops all unsubscribed
newsgroups from the list. The <y> keystroke
yanks the unsubscribed newsgroups back into your
list.
1.12 'Group selection level': selecting a newsgroup
---------------------------------------------------
Selecting a newsgroup is the main task that you carry out at
this level. The steps to do this are straightforward:
1. Move the selection bar to newsgroup you want to read
(ie, clari.feature.mike_royko):
1153 - comp.databases.theory
1154 - rec.music.marketplace
1155 - rec.music.info
1156 - comp.sys.next.advocacy
1157 - comp.sys.next.hardware
1158 - comp.sys.next.software
1159 - comp.sys.next.marketplace
1160 - comp.society.privacy
1161 - rec.sport.paintball
1162 - clari.feature.dave_barry
1163 - clari.feature.mike_royko
like this:
1153 - comp.databases.theory
1154 - rec.music.marketplace
1155 - rec.music.info
1156 - comp.sys.next.advocacy
1157 - comp.sys.next.hardware
1158 - comp.sys.next.software
1159 - comp.sys.next.marketplace
1160 - comp.society.privacy
1161 - rec.sport.paintball
1162 - clari.feature.dave_barry
1163 - clari.feature.mike_royko
2. Press the <RETURN> key.
+-----------+
| |
| |
| Return |
+-----------+
Note: This action places you in the next operational
level: 'Group level'.
Another way to select a newsgroup and display its articles is to
input the newsgroup's numeric identifer:
1. Type the identifer of the newsgroup (e.g. 67):
Select group> 67
2. Press the <RETURN> key.
+-----------+
| |
| |
| Return |
+-----------+
Note: This action places you in the next operational
level: 'Group level'.
1.13 'Group level': screen layout
---------------------------------
After you select a newsgroup, you should view a screen like the
following:
clari.feature.mike_royko (10T 10A 0K 0H R) h=help
1 + This fast-food diet may cost $7 millio Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2 + Americans deserve lawyer in every pot Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
3 + Holiday music ban is a classic lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
4 + Aspin defenseless against whisperers Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
5 + Columnist, friend, card-carrying celeb Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
6 + What do we have a right to know? Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
7 + Humiliated Jackson can join the crowd Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
8 + Mary and Joe, Chicago style Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
9 + How to ease that hangover Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
10 + A stiff lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, ^K)ill/select,
a)uthor search, c)atchup, j=line down, k=line up, K=mark read, l)ist thread,
|=pipe, m)ail, o=print, q)uit, r=toggle all/unread, s)ave, t)ag, w=post
*** End of Articles ***
1.13.1 'Group level' screen: title
..................................
clari.feature.mike_royko (10T 10A 0K 0H R) h=help
The line for the title shows the following:
Newsgroup name (e.g. clari.feature.mike_royko)
Number of articles per thread (e.g. 10T)
Number of articles overall (e.g. 10A)
Number of killed articles (e.g. 0K)
Number of auto selected articles (e.g. 0H)
Show only unread article (e.g. R)
Note: A 'thread' refers to a particular conversation. The
number of threads refer to the number of different
conversations taking place in the newsgroup. Usually,
there is one article per thread. If the number of
articles is greater than the number of threads, it
means there is one or more people writing about a
particular line of conversation. In other words, a
person wrote about something and others are replying
to it.
1.13.2 'Group level' screen: selection bar
..........................................
1 + This fast-food diet may cost $7 millio Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2 + Americans deserve lawyer in every pot Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
The highlighted line is called a selection bar and it is used to
indicate the current article.
1.13.3 'Group level' screen: article lines
..........................................
8 + Mary and Joe, Chicago style Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
9 + How to ease that hangover Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
10 + A stiff lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
The article lines are the main component of the 'Group level'
screen. In each line you should at most, find four fields:
Selection number (e.g. 8)
Unread/Read attribute (e.g. '+' or space)
Article's subject (e.g. Mary and Joe, Chi ...)
Author's e-mail address (e.g. Mike Royko (clarinews@cla))
The selection number gives each article in the list a unique
identifier. You may input this identifer to move the selection
bar. The unread/read attribute indicates whether you have yet
read the article. Once you have selected an article to read,
the '+' is replaced with a space in that field upon return. The
third field displays the subject of the article. This subject
is supplied by the person who wrote the article. The last field
is the e-mail address of the person who posted the article.
Note: If the article-line reports a number between the
second and third fields, it means there is a number of
articles on that thread of conversation-not just one.
1.13.4 'Group level' screen: command menu
.........................................
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, ^K)ill/select,
a)uthor search, c)atchup, j=line down, k=line up, K=mark read, l)ist thread,
|=pipe, m)ail, o=print, q)uit, r=toggle all/unread, s)ave, t)ag, w=post
This three-line menu shows the commands available to you at this
level. Each command label in the menu has two parts: the key
that you press and a one- or two-word description of the action
the program takes. The label sets the key off with either a
parenthesis or an equal sign. Remember that if the label in the
menu shows the key as capitalized, you must make the keystroke
in upper-case.
Note: This menu does not show all of the commands understood
by 'tin' at this level. To see the the full list, use
the h=help command.
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key.
| h |
+-------+
Note: If you know enough of the commands at this level, make
a capital <H> to drop the menu from the display. A
second capital <H> restores it.
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
| | and | | to make an H
| Shift | | h |
+-------+ +-------+
1.14 'Group level': moving the selection bar
--------------------------------------------
1 + This fast-food diet may cost $7 millio Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2 + Americans deserve lawyer in every pot Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
Moving the selection bar lets you scan the list of articles
found for the selected newsgroup. With the following keystrokes
you can move the selection bar to the:
Beginning of list:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key
| 1 |
+-------+
End of list:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together to make an $
| Shift | | 4 |
+-------+ +-------+
Page Up:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key or
| b |
+-------+
+---------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together
| Control | | u |
+---------+ +-------+
Page Down:
+--------------------------------+
| |
Press the | | bar or
| space |
+--------------------------------+
+---------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together
| Control | | d |
+---------+ +-------+
Line Up:
+-------+
| ^ |
Press the | | | key (up arrow)
| | |
+-------+
Line Down:
+-------+
| | |
Press the | | | key (down arrow)
| V |
+-------+
1.15 'Group level': selecting an article
----------------------------------------
Selecting an article is the main action taken at this level.
The steps to do this are straightforward:
1. Move the selection bar to the article you want to read
(eg. Mary and Joe, Chicago style):
1 + This fast-food diet may cost $7 millio Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2 + Americans deserve lawyer in every pot Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
3 + Holiday music ban is a classic lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
4 + Aspin defenseless against whisperers Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
5 + Columnist, friend, card-carrying celeb Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
6 + What do we have a right to know? Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
7 + Humiliated Jackson can join the crowd Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
8 + Mary and Joe, Chicago style Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
9 + How to ease that hangover Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
10 + A stiff lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
like this:
1 + This fast-food diet may cost $7 millio Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2 + Americans deserve lawyer in every pot Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
3 + Holiday music ban is a classic lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
4 + Aspin defenseless against whisperers Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
5 + Columnist, friend, card-carrying celeb Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
6 + What do we have a right to know? Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
7 + Humiliated Jackson can join the crowd Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
8 + Mary and Joe, Chicago style Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
9 + How to ease that hangover Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
10 + A stiff lesson Mike Royko (clarinews@cla
2. Press the <RETURN> key.
+-----------+
| |
| |
| Return |
+-----------+
Note: This action places you in the next operational
level: 'Article level'.
Another way to select an article is to type the article's
numeric identifer:
1. Type the identifer of the article (eg. 6):
Select group> 6
Note: You do not have to press a key to show this
prompt the digits that you type produce it.
2. Press the <RETURN> key.
+-----------+
| |
| |
| Return |
+-----------+
Note: This action places you in the next operational
level: 'Article level'.
1.16 'Article level': screen layout
-----------------------------------
After you select an article, you should view a screen like the
following:
Thu, 30 Dec 1993 15:16:34 clari.feature.mike_royko Thread 8 of 10
Lines 105 Mary and Joe, Chicago style No responses
clarinews@clarinet.com Mike Royko at A Happy Company
(This Christmas column originally appeared in 1967 and has
been reprinted many times since.)
Mary and Joe were flat broke when they got off the bus in
Chicago. They didn't know anybody and she was expecting a baby.
They went to a cheap hotel. But the clerk jerked his thumb
at the door when they couldn't show a day's rent in advance.
They walked the streets until they saw a police station.
The desk sergeant said they couldn't sleep in a cell, but he told
them how to get to a welfare office.
A man there said they couldn't get regular assistance
because they hadn't been Illinois residents long enough. But he
gave them the address of the emergency welfare office on the West
Side.
It was a two-mile walk up Madison Street. Someone gave
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, ^K)ill/select,
a)uthor search, B)ody search, c)atchup, f)ollowup, K=mark read,
|=pipe, m)ail, o=print, q)uit, r)eply mail, s)ave, t)ag, w=post
--More--(20%) [1190/5859]
1.16.1 'Article level' screen: header
.....................................
Thu, 30 Dec 1993 15:16:34 clari.feature.mike_royko Thread 8 of 10
Lines 105 Mary and Joe, Chicago style No responses
clarinews@clarinet.com Mike Royko
On the first three lines of the article is the header which
reports the following attributes about the article:
Date posted (e.g. Thu, 30 Dec 1993 15:16:34)
Newsgroup name (e.g. clari.feature.mike_royko)
Article number (e.g. 8 of 10)
Number of lines (e.g. 105)
Subject (e.g. Mary and Joe, Chicago style)
Number of respones in thread (e.g. No responses)
Author (e.g. clarinews@clarinet.com)
Organization (e.g. A Happy Company)
If the article's length is two or more pages, the header at the
top of each screen shows:
Thread 8 of 10 (page 2): Mary and Joe, Chicago style
Article number (e.g. 8 of 10)
Page number (e.g. 2)
Subject (e.g. Mary and Joe, Chicago style)
1.16.2 'Article level' screen: body of article
..............................................
(This Christmas column originally appeared in 1967 and has
been reprinted many times since.)
Mary and Joe were flat broke when they got off the bus in
Chicago. They didn't know anybody and she was expecting a baby.
They went to a cheap hotel. But the clerk jerked his thumb
at the door when they couldn't show a day's rent in advance.
They walked the streets until they saw a police station.
The desk sergeant said they couldn't sleep in a cell, but he told
them how to get to a welfare office.
A man there said they couldn't get regular assistance
because they hadn't been Illinois residents long enough. But he
gave them the address of the emergency welfare office on the West
Side.
It was a two-mile walk up Madison Street. Someone gave
This is simply the text of the article.
1.16.3 'Group level' screen: command menu
.........................................
<n>=set current to n, TAB=next unread, /=search pattern, ^K)ill/select,
a)uthor search, B)ody search, c)atchup, f)ollowup, K=mark read,
|=pipe, m)ail, o=print, q)uit, r)eply mail, s)ave, t)ag, w=post
This three-line menu shows the commands available to you at this
level. Each command label in the menu has two parts: the key
that you press and a one- or two-word description of the action
the program takes. The label sets the key off with either a
parenthesis or an equal sign. Examples on how to read the
labels follow:
Example 1:
+-------+
| |
the o=print means press the | | key
| o |
+-------+
Example 2:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
the B)ody search means | | and | b | to make an B
| Shift | | |
+-------+ +-------+
Remember that if the label in the menu shows the key as
capitalized, you must make the keystroke in upper-case.
Note: This menu does not show all of the commands understood
by 'tin' at this level. To see the the full list, use
the h=help command.
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key.
| h |
+-------+
Note: If you know enough of the commands at this level, make
a capital <H> to drop the menu from the display. A
second capital <H> restores it.
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
| | and | | to make an H
| Shift | | h |
+-------+ +-------+
1.17 'Article level': reading the selected article
--------------------------------------------------
To read a selected article, use the following keystrokes:
Next Page:
+--------------------------------+
| |
Press the | | bar
| space |
+--------------------------------+
Previous Page:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key
| b |
+-------+
First Page:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key
| g |
+-------+
Last Page:
+-------+ +-------+
| | | |
Press | | and | | together to make an G
| Shift | | g |
+-------+ +-------+
Text searching:
1. Press the slash key:
+-------+
| |
| |
| / |
+-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
Search forwards [previous-string]>
3. Type the word or the string of characters that you are
searching for:
Search forwards [previous-string]> kramer
Press the <RETURN> key. If there is a match, the article
is turned to that page. Otherwise, a message indicating no
match is reported.
Quit:
+-------+
| |
Press the | | key
| q |
+-------+
This keystroke returns you to the previous operation level.
1.18 'Article level': mail the article to someone
-------------------------------------------------
If you would like someone to receive the article that you are
currently reading via e-mail, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <m> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| m |
+-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Mail a)rticle, t)hread, h)ot, p)attern, T)agged articles, q)uit: t
3. Press the <a> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| a |
+-------+
This indicates that an article is to be mailed.
4. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Mail article(s) to [previous-address>
5. Enter the e-mail address of the person to receive the
article:
Mail article(s) to [previous-address> pkramer@unl.edu
Note: You may mail the article to one person at a time.
6. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
q)uit, e)dit, s)end [subject]: s
7. Press the <s> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| s |
+-------+
This confirms your intention to mail the current article.
The other keystrokes allow you to change your mind about
mailing it or allow you to make changes to the article.
1.19 'Article level': print the article
---------------------------------------
If you would like to print the article that you are currently
reading, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <o> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| o |
+-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Print a)rticle, t)hread, h)ot, p)attern, T)agged articles, q)uit: a
3. Press the <a> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| a |
+-------+
1.20 'Article level': reply to the author of the article directly
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to write to the author of the article that you
are reading, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <r> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| r |
+-------+
2. Using the text editor invoked for you, write your reply.
When finished, make the keystroke or enter the command that
closes the editor.
3. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
q)uit, e)dit, s)end: s
4. Press the <s> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| s |
+-------+
This confirms your intention to mail your reply. The other
keystrokes allow you to change your mind about mailing it
or allow you to make further changes to the reply.
1.21 'Article level': save the article as a file on your account
----------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to save the article that you are currently
reading, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <s> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| s |
+-------+
2. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Save a)rticle, t)hread, h)ot, p)attern, T)agged articles, q)uit: a
3. Press the <a> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| a |
+-------+
4. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Save filename []>
5. Enter the name that you want used as the filename:
Save filename []> file.pkramer
6. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
Process n)one, s)har, u)ud, l)ist zoo, e)xt zoo, L)ist zip, E)xt zip, q)uit: n
7. Press the <n> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| n |
+-------+
This keystroke selects a null extraction process for the
saving of the file. The other choices, if selected, apply
the following extraction processes:
s s)har unsharing
u u)ud uudecoding
l l)ist zoo list files within 'zoo' archive
e e)xt zoo extract files within 'zoo' archive
L l)ist zip list files within 'zip' archive
E E)xt zip extract files within 'zip' archive
1.22 'Article level': write and post a reply to the article
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to write and post a reply to the article that
you are currently reading, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <f> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| f |
+-------+
2. Using the text editor invoked for you, write your reply.
When finished, make the keystroke or enter the command that
closes the editor.
Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the screen:
q)uit, e)dit, p)ost: p
3. Press the <p> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| p |
+-------+
This confirms your intention to post your followup.
1.23 'Article level': write and post your own article
-----------------------------------------------------
If you would like to write and post your own article to the
current newsgroup, you need to follow these steps:
1. Press the <w> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| w |
+-------+
2. Using the text editor invoked for you, write your article.
When finished, make the keystroke or enter the command that
closes the editor.
3. Look for the prompt it produces at the bottom of the
screen:
q)uit, e)dit, p)ost: p
4. Press the <p> key.
+-------+
| |
| |
| p |
+-------+
This confirms your intention to your post.
