CISUSE.THD --- Copyright 1988 by Phil Wheeler An original compilation of Compuserve Model 100 Forum messages for use by Forum members only. Efficient use of Compuserve can give greater satisfaction and save $$$. This file has questions and some useful tips for effective CIS forum usage. Great information from experienced users! Message range: 173189 to 173275 Dates: 8/20/88 to 8/21/88 Sb: #using compuserve Fm: don hinkle 73776,2504 To: all Especially when using my Model 100 on CompuServe, I feel the handicap of not feeling like I can remember the commands sufficiently to negotiate without the menus, and so I curse the wasted time. Anyone got any hints or helps to make learning this stuff easier? I've downloaded piles of material and clipped articles from paper ONLINE and it all just seems like lots of verbiage. I NEED SHORTCUTS! Another problem is in Telcom, I can't see what my files in RAM are like and occasionally I download a file to which I have given the name of an existing file...and then weep afterward. Got any helpful hints on how to prevent/avoid that? Fm: David Sommer 73127,2630 To: don hinkle 73776,2504 I guess to learn the commands just takes playing with them. Many people don't use all of them but settle down to the set of commands they are most comfortable to them depending much on what they do on the forum. We remember what we use. I've found that a quick reference card is useful when you searching for what command options you have in any context. I don't have one other than the CIS references but maybe someone here has made a handy card to give you. The PRACTICE forum has a command reference card available so you might try there. I've found that to maximize learning things involves studying the manuals myself and making my own cards -- usually by the time I'm done, I know the commands enough to not really need the cards! But the study exercise is the point. All this is probably very subjective to the individual. Directory access is one of the many limitations of TELCOM. There's a patch program around here some where (sysops: jump in anytime) that patches TELCOM so that a couple of function keys will list files and RAM free respectively. I use XMDPW5 instead of TELCOM which has that built in aswell as TEXT and BASIC access while online (plus alot more). I hope that helps some. I've left out some of the details since I can't remember them offhand but one of our friendly neighborhood sysops will probably fill in the holes. If not, just ask and I'll dig in my basement for the answers. Fm: Tony Anderson 76703,4062 To: don hinkle 73776,2504 If you want to continue to use the old forum software for a while, which was easier to deal with in many respects, you can add ";OLDF" to your User ID number when you sign on, and you will go back to the old system that you may have been more familiar with. If you elect to use the ;OLDF software for a while longer, you can gain considerable insight from the file NOMENU.HLP in Library 1, whose sole purpose was to encourage users to get off the menu system, and go into command mode. Also in Lib. 1, you will find a conversion list from the old command to the new commands in the CMDLST file. Once you are familiar with how the system works in command mode, you can experiment with using the equivalent commands in the new software. Also, while you're continuing to use the old software, I'd suggest you set aside some learning time, and sign on to the system with the new software, and go to the PRACTICE forum, where you don't pay for your connect time, and really learn to use the system at no cost. It should only take you a couple of hours to learn the new software well enough to get out of the menu rut, and get into command mode with the new software, too. An evening well-spent, considering you aren't charged for the learning time in the practice forum. GO PRACTICE will get you there. You should need to learn no more than a dozen commands to be able to do everything you need to do in a forum; to read messages on the board, to download files from the library, and to actively conference online with other users in our Sunday conferences. Fm: Tony Anderson 76703,4062 To: don hinkle 73776,2504 There is a program in Lib. 3 called TELUTL.100, by Bill Templeton 75655,1056, which you run just before you use TELCOM, and which will "patch" the function key jumps so that when you are in TELCOM, if you press the F6 it will give you a list of files in RAM, just as pressing F1 will give you "Files" in BASIC. Another approach is to always download files with a significant character in the filename. For example, MSGS*.DO. The "*" indicates it's downloaded. That way, if you have a file in RAM with the name MSGS.DO, you won't erase it. After you have read or used MSGS*.DO, you can kill it, or rename it to something else with the NAME command in BASIC. (NAME"MSGS*.DO"AS"OLD88.DO") Fm: Paul Globman 72227,1661 To: don hinkle 73776,2504 Don - wasted time on CIS is annoying as well as costly. If you spend a bit of time setting up your personal menu and your options here on the M100SIG, you can save time on every call. PERSONAL MENU - set your logon to go directly to Easyplex if mail is waiting. If no mail waiting you can go directly to M100SIG or to a custom menu that you set up. This will speed access to the SIG, other areas of CIS that you use, or to Easyplex. M100SIG - Go to the Forum Options Menu and set FORUM OPTION 1 = FORUM. Set FORUM OPTION 2 = COMMAND. This will eliminate menus and take you right to the Forum! prompt. Set MESSAGES OPTION 3 = NEVER, and set MESSAGES OPTION 7 = [only the sections you wish to view. Eliminate the areas of no interest]. Now when you log on and arrive at the Forum! prompt, you can input RTN and all new messages will scroll in thread order, without stopping for replies. You capture the SIG messages and construct your replies off-line. Each reply or post is put in a separate file, and formatted as follows: Replies Posts -------------- ---------- REP ###### COM /post /post to: sub: sec: Replies or posts formatted like this can be uploaded directly at the Forum! prompt, as the command (REP or COM) is part of the upload. Be sure to set width of upload to 39 or 79, to prevent long lines from getting truncated. From the Forum! prompt you can get to the DL's by just typing DL10 (or whatever ). I can get in, read all selected sections (I only view 4 or 5 areas here) and out in about 2 minutes average. Add one more minute for a second logon with replies (I'm at 1200 baud). I hope this is the kind of tip you were seeking. It's a time-saver anyway! Fm: don hinkle 73776,2504 To: David Sommer 73127,2630 Dave - Thanks for taking the thought to give such a thorough reply. I'm chastizing myself for being so "lazy" and it's good to know that others have encountered - and overcome - these difficulties too. Don Fm: don hinkle 73776,2504 To: Tony Anderson 76703,4062 Tony - thanks for advice, and for the listing of the telutl program. I'll get that right away and give it a try. Don Fm: don hinkle 73776,2504 To: Paul Globman 72227,1661 Paul - Yep, that was the kind of help I have been seeking. I'm going to start incorporating your ideas right away. Thanks!