City Of Night Bulletin Board
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Users' Handbook
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By: Robert Swan
Last Update: September 1995
(C) Copyright 1995
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 2
Table Of Contents
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Chapter 1 - Introduction
About Bulletin Boards In General............... 4
How Bulletin Boards Work ...................... 4
Our Purpose ................................... 5
Our History ................................... 7
Our Machine Configuration ..................... 8
Chapter 2 - Connecting To City Of Night
Connecting Using The Phone..................... 9
Connecting Via Internet ....................... 11
Connecting Via Radio Packet ................... 11
Equipment/Terminals Supported ................. 11
Logging Into City ............................. 12
Logging Off City .............................. 13
Chapter 3 - City Membership
Guest Usage Of City ........................... 14
Becoming A Member Of City ..................... 14
Validation .................................... 14
Rules Of Conduct .............................. 15
Chapter 4 - Basic Usage Tips
Basics ........................................ 17
The TOP Menu .................................. 18
The SIG Menu (Special Interest Groups) ........ 18
Disturb Flags ................................. 18
Messages ...................................... 19
Chapter 5 - Electronic Mail
Local Electronic Mail ......................... 20
Internet Mail ................................. 20
Chapter 6 - Sending Public Messages
Public Message Bases .......................... 21
Special Interest Groups ....................... 22
Stories ....................................... 22
Bulletins ..................................... 23
Voting ........................................ 23
Chapter 7 - Teleconference
Basic Teleconference Usage .................... 24
The Teleconference Rooms ...................... 25
Teleconference Commands ....................... 26
Actions ....................................... 28
Invitation Lists .............................. 29
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 3
Chapter 8 - Chat Modes
Private Chat .................................. 30
Public Chat ................................... 31
Broadcast Messages ............................ 31
Accept/Reject Lists ........................... 32
Chapter 9 - Account Information
Section Y - Private Account Data .............. 33
Section A - Public Query Data ................. 33
Chapter 10 - Games
Credits ....................................... 34
The Games Menu ................................ 34
Labyrinth ..................................... 34
Chapter 12 - File Transfers
Section F - File Libraries .................... 35
Rules Regarding Files ......................... 36
Xmodem Protocol ............................... 37
Ascii Protocol ................................ 38
Chapter 13 - Intersystem Connections
Pipes ......................................... 39
Aux Ports ..................................... 39
Chapter 14 - Internet Access
What Is Internet .............................. 40
Signing Up For Internet ....................... 41
Full Shell Access ............................. 41
Mail-Only Access .............................. 41
World-Wide-Web Page ........................... 41
About City's Internet Connection .............. 41
Chapter 15 - Direct Command Mode
The BBS's Architecture ........................ 42
Using Direct Commands ......................... 42
Macros ........................................ 43
Creating Your Own Macros ...................... 43
Command Language Reference .................... 44
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 4
About Bulletin Boards In General
City Of Night is an Online Computer Bulletin Board System.
Bulletin Boards (often referred to as BBS's), exist throughout
the world as electronic meeting places and centers for the exchange
of ideas and information between people using computers. The first
BBS's came into existence in the late 1970's, but it wasn't until
the mid-1980's that cheap modems and computers made them really
popular with large numbers of people. Since that time, BBSing (which
is the practice of connecting to, and using, BBS's) has become one
of the major uses of home modems and computers.
There are many types of Bulletin Board Systems:
Commercial - Established by companies to distribute
information about their products, or advice
and program fixes.
Educational - Established by schools to enable parents and
teachers to exchange class-related
information.
Special-Purpose - Established by political or social groups
for particular kinds of information.
Dating - Designed to enable people to meet and start
relationships.
General-Purpose - Designed to support a wide variety of changing
needs. City Of Night fits in this category.
How Bulletin Boards Work
Most BBS's consist of a computer located at some central place,
running specialized software, and having one or more phone lines and
modems attached to it. The computer waits for a call from a user,
then answers the phone and connects the user to the BBS. Once
connected, the user may take part in whatever activities the
particular BBS will support or allow.
Most BBS's will only communicate with users who have modems.
You will therefore need a modem to connect, as well as a computer
running communications software. (You may also connect using a
modem and a 'dumb terminal', although with the availability of
cheap computers, this has become a rarely used mode.)
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 5
If you dial a BBS's number with a regular telephone, you will
hear a number of strange tones when the system answers. These tones
are the way modems communicate over the phone, and are a sure sign
that you should be using a modem to make the call rather than a
regular telephone.
Some BBS's (not City) have operating hours. This applies
mostly to small BBS's which are sharing a phone line with people
who want to use the line for regular calls during the day. Most
large BBS's (like City) are available 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. Occasionally, you may call City and not get an answer;
this is generally due to maintenance operations being performed
by the System Operators (Sysops). Files must be backed up at
regular intervals in case of disk failure, and the system will
be unable to answer calls at these times. At City, we always
attempt to schedule these downtimes at the least busy times of
the day, typically Thursday or Friday mornings. If City does not
answer, just wait a few minutes and try again.
Our Purpose
There are two main purposes for City Of Night:
1) City exists to facilitate the exchange of ideas and
opinions among the young people of the San Francisco
Bay Area. This allows people to socialize and make
new friends in a semi-supervised atmosphere where people
can remain anonymous.
To further this goal, a variety of chat modes and
conferencing modes are supported. There are public
message posting boards for general subjects, and a
large number of special subjects. Users can post
questions to be put for an immediate vote by the
membership,
To insure privacy, users are not required to reveal any
personal data about themselves to other users at any time.
Users are encouraged to be very careful about giving away
their personal information. They should NEVER make info
such as home phone number, real name, or address, available
to the general user community by posting it to a public
message board. Giving out another user's personal data
is also contrary to the Rules of Conduct on this system.
However, the operators have no control over an individual
deciding to tell someone else their personal data. Anyone
who does this, does so at their own risk.
To promote safety, the Sysop requires that all new users
DO provide personal data to the operator of the BBS. This
discourages any kind of illegal activity, since the system
operator can report such activities to the authorities
if necessary.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 6
2) City exists to encourage and assist young people in
learning how computers operate and are programmed.
Computers will play an ever-increasing role in our lives,
and being computer-literate is very important.
To further this goal, several special-interest discussion
groups are dedicated to computer subjects. City also has
a unique feature called Direct Command Mode which allows
users to actually program the BBS while they are connected.
Several of the system operators are computer professionals
in real life, and are available to give advice and
suggestions about computer subjects and career choices.
City's file libraries have a large number of shareware
products to further anyone's computer-related interests.
City has other minor goals, of course. If the whole thing
where not 'fun', then it would not be successful! Running City
has helped the system operators in their own careers, by creating
an environment of learning about the needs of modern computer
users. And the City's Software was developed with the help of
users testing its various functions.
City also supports a number of specialized goals, by allowing
certain users to run their own special interest areas. These
include political discussions, schoolwork discussions, and dating
services.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 7
Our History
City Of Night started out in 1982. The Sysop was impressed with
the Compuserve Information System, and decided to create a similar
system using a brand-new Commodore VIC-20 computer with 3500 bytes
of memory. This first system was called S.I.N. (The Swan Information
Network), and consisted of the VIC-20 computer, a modified VicModem,
and a single tape drive for message backup and logging. This little
system supported only one user at a time (although the user could
chat with the sysop), had electronic mail, and public messages. This
proved to be totally inadequate of course.
The next improvement came about when the Sysop purchased a
16k memory expander module and a 1540 floppy disk drive. The
software was totally rewritten to take advantage of the new
machine resources, and it was renamed System-20. It supported
multiple, relatively large message bases, improved system status
and sysop functions, and a sophisticated command interpreter,
but still with only one user at a time. This system was in operation
for about a year.
During this time, the software was cloned for use by
other people. The most successful clone was Randall, but it was
never placed into permanent operation.
In late 1983, the Commodore C-64 was introduced. The Sysop
purchased this machine and a second disk drive, and again began
a major rewrite. This new system was called Q.I.N. (Quintessential
Information Network), and was highly successful. Although it
supported only a single user and no file transfers, its console
chat and message base facilities were quite sophisticated and it
attracted quite a few callers. (One must remember that in 1983,
almost all BBS's were still single-user). Q.I.N. could remain
in operation for weeks non-stop.
In late 1984, a second version of Q.I.N. was written (called
QIN-2), which had a far superior command interpreter and a structure
that allowed on-the-fly configuration changes. The intention was
to make the interpreter the central processing element (like in
the current City), but the C-64 lacked the capacity to accomplish
this. No further development was done on the Commodore-based City
BBS's. QIN-2 ran for another few years, until its 300-baud modem
capacity limit became a significant problem. Our BBS operation
was temporarily halted in mid 1985.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 8
In 1986, the Sysop obtained a Leading Edge XT-style computer
and started up the BBS again using WildCat shareware. WildCat
turned out to be totally unacceptable from a configuration
point of view, although it did have many nice features and supported
speeds greater than 300 baud. Also, for the first time, we had
file libraries! Development of a homegrown BBS program for the
IBM was started in late 1987. Goals were set very high. In
particular, we wanted:
- Support for multiple concurrent users
- Support for file transfers
- Capability of running on the XT (8088), since
386 computers were still in the $4,000 price range.
The initial development took about 1 year, and the new
homegrown IBM-based BBS went online in late 1988. This system
was called Star-Alameda, although the new software continues
to bear the name QIN. Although it had fewer features than many
boards, it was an immediate success. This was mostly due to its
unique 'feel', and its full implementation of a direct command
mode that was capable of executing user programs. It was in 1989
time that the name 'City Of Night' was adopted, at first as a
special interest group on the system, then later as the name
for the overall system. The first City Of Night had three 1200
baud modems, the Leading Edge 8088 computer, and its 20 meg
hard drive. The Sysop's console appeared as a fourth port, and
all ports could chat. At the time of its initial release, QIN
was more capable than any freeware BBS program, and better than
most commercial products designed of 8088 computers. The underlying
program architecture has not changed since this release.
However, City has continued to grow. Program changes to
add ports and memory, improve functionality, and provide user
visible expansion have been continuous. City now runs on a 386
clone computer with 700 megs of hard drive space, 4 megs of ram,
and 12 modems. There are no definite plans, but in the near
future we may port City over to a Unix-based machine where better
use can be made of memory. Right now, City runs under DOS.
Our Machine Configuration
- Homemade 386 clone computer with 64k cache
- All homegrown software
- 4 megs of 70ns RAM memory, used as EMS.
- 1 Zoom 14.4 external modem
- 4 Hayes Optima 2400 mnp external modems
- 7 CPI 2400 modems
- 4 Kouwell 4-port serial cards
- 2 Kouwell 2-port serial cards
- 1 Connor 540 SCSI hard drive
- 1 Maxtor 120 SCSI hard drive
- 1 Adaptec SCSI host card
- 1 Hercules monochrome video card
- 1 Original IBM monochrome monitor
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 9
Chapter 2 - Connecting To City Of Night
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Connecting Using The Phone
The preferred method of connecting to City is by using normal
phone lines to one of our 12 dial-in modems. There are three
phone numbers you might need to know, as described below. Note that
City uses a single 'hunt group'; if you dial the first number and
its busy, the phone company will automatically switch you to the
next available number (unless they are ALL busy, in which case you
will get a busy signal.) Unless you have special needs as noted
below, you should always connect using the FIRST number.
(510) 521-7827 - This is City's primary number, and the number
you should use unless you have special needs.
This number will ring at all 12 of City's
lines, giving you the maximum chance of
getting a connection.
(510) 521-0327 - This number jumps into the middle of the
group, on the first error-correcting modem.
It will ring at 5 of City's 12 lines. Use
this number if:
- You have an error-correcting modem, ie.
a modem with v.32 or mnp, AND
- You have experienced line noise when
using the first number.
(510) 521-9606 - This number jumps into the end of the
group, on the 14.4 modem. It rings only a
single line out of City's 12 lines, so you
have the least chance of getting in. You
should only use this number if:
- You have a modem which is faster than
2400 (ie. 9600, 14.4, or 28.8), AND
- You have a need for a high speed
connection because you want to transfer
files or do other intensive operations.
Note: Even though you dial the low-speed number, you may be
connected to the high-speed line if all the low-speed
lines are busy. This is normal. We want everyone to be
connected!
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 10
You will generally have to follow this procedure to dial into
City:
1) Boot up your computer, and start your communications
program. City will work with almost any communications
program, including telix, procomm, qmodem, Windows
Terminal, etc.
2) If you are given the option, tell your program to
perform ANSI-BBS emulation. If this is not available,
then select VT100 emulation. If no emulations are
available on your program, you will probably still be
able to connect; just skip this step.
3) Tell your communications program to dial the number
for our BBS. This is done differently in various programs.
In procomm, you press alt-d.
If your program does not have dialing capability, you
might be able to get your modem to dial by typing:
ATDT5217827 <-- Put in the correct number
If you are using a DUMB MODEM (non-Hayes compatible),
you might have to pick up a phone, and dial the number
yourself. When City answers with a load tone, merely
switch on your DUMB MODEM, and hang up the phone. This
type of equipment is now pretty rare.
4) You might have to tell your program to wait up to 60
seconds for a connection. The default wait time is
often set to 30 seconds, which is sometimes too short
for a busy system like City.
5) You should get a connected message, first from your
program, then from City. You might have to press your
key a few times to bring this up, especially if
you have an error-correcting modem and you are not calling
our error-correcting line.
6) At the prompts, enter your City Of Night User Name and
secret password. If you do not yet have an account on City,
and if the system offers you the option, use the name
guest. Note that upper and lower case are ignored in
this login process. However, your backspace key might
not be handled correctly. If you mistype, just press
your key and try again. You will be given several
chances.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 11
Connecting Via Internet
City Of Night supports two kinds of connections via the
Internet:
1) Guest connections. Telnet to Citynight.com and login
as 'guest'. This option is only switched on occasionally.
2) Subscriber connections. Telnet to Citynight.com and login
with your Citynight Unix password. When connected to
Citynight, type: city or: city2. This option is
available at all times to our Internet Service Subscribers,
but since there are only two ports available, we encourage
users to dial in instead.
Connecting Via Radio Packet
City sometimes allows connections via radio, using the
amateur radio packet switching system. Our address is WA6ZJG-2,
and once a packet connection to this address is made, you login
using the normal commands. Note that passwords sent over the
packet system are not very secure!
To make use of this option, you will need a radio license
and some specialized equipment. While we welcome such experimental
activities, the primary use of this facility is to allow connections
from remote sites like our Gatherings, where no phone lines are
available.
Equipment/Terminals Supported
City is designed specifically to be compatible with any
terminal or communications program. While it might not exploit
the full capabilities of your terminal, you should be able to
use City adequately.
City uses primarily ANSI-BBS communications, which is a
compatible superset of the time-honored VT-100 protocol. You
should try to get your communications equipment operating in
this mode, in order to take advantage of color output and quick
cursor movement. However, City can be switched to 'plain ascii
text' output. (It defaults to this mode when you connect as
a guest, but remembers the last mode you used.) In non-ANSI,
plain text mode, City should be compatible with 100% of ascii
terminals.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 12
Logging Onto City
Everyone on City Of Night has a unique 'User Name'. This name
identifies you to the system, and can be almost any name(s) or
word(s) you like. The Sysop reserves the right to limit your
choice based on good taste and to avoid confusion. The username
is sometimes referred to as a 'handle'. You should NOT use your
real name as your Username since this name is visible to all other
users on the system. You may tell your friends your Username.
In addition to the Username, you will have a Password. You
should never tell anyone your password. Choose a password which
is hard to guess, and is not associated with you in real life.
(See the section on Security for more hints.) A valid combination
of your Username and Password are required for you to connect to
City.
Once you have established a connection to City, you will see
prompts from our system for your Username and Password. If you
have already been granted an account on City (and have been told
your username and password), you should enter them. There are
rules against using a username that belongs to another user,
although it is sometimes permitted.
If you are unable to get past the prompts with your Username,
then look for the option to enter the name GUEST. This will allow
you to connect using a guest account, where you can e-mail the
Sysop for information about your Username. The guest facility
is not always turned on; in particular, if the system is very
busy with regular users, guests might not be allowed.
When you log in as a guest, your access will be very limited.
Guest accounts are designed to let you look around the system and
decide if you'd like to become a member. If you decide to apply
for membership, select option R at the Top Menu.
There are two membership-granting modes available:
1) Immediate username allocation - You will be allowed
to create a new username immediately for yourself. This
account will still be somewhat restricted until you are
validated, but it will be far better than a guest account.
Anyone caught creating multiple usernames for themselves
will be banned from the system.
2) Delayed allocation - You will be allowed to submit your
personal data and choice of a username, but not to create
it. The Sysop reviews these applications, and contacts the
persons by phone to set up the account.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 13
Logging Off City
You can disconnect from City at any time simply by hanging up
your phone connection. This does not hurt City, the way it hurts
some other BBS software products.
You may also logoff type selecting option L from the Top Menu.
This option will request confirmation, and also give you the chance
to connect again using a different Username (without hanging up the
phone and risking the lose of your dial-in connection.) This is
very useful if several members of the family want to connect, and
the system is very busy.
Be sure to save or post any messages or files you are working
on before logging off; City does not save your work automatically.
Also note that there are certain time limits which can cause
you to be logged off automatically, as well as line noise detectors
to prevent an 'runaway modem' from posting garbage.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 14
Chapter 3 - City Membership
---------------------------
Guest Usage Of City
City Of Night sometimes allows users to connect using a Guest
Account. Guest accounts are designed for three purposes:
1) If you are unable to logon using your regular Username for
any reason, you can connect as a guest then contact the
Sysop for assistance via electronic mail. This sometimes
happens when a user forgets his password.
2) Guest accounts enable first-time users to try out the
system without establishing an account, to decide if they
want to become members.
3) During times when new members are not being accepted, guest
accounts can be used to try out the system anyway. By
connecting occasionally as a guest, you can stay in touch
and read announcements about when new users might again be
accepted.
Guest accounts are quite limited. They have a very short time
limit per call, and there are many functions that are blocked.
Guests are not generally allowed to post any messages or view
other users public query data.
Becoming A Member Of City
If you like City Of Night, and want to become a member, you will
have to apply for membership. This is done from the Top Menu by
selecting option M.
There are no charges or fees associated with City use or
membership.
You will be asked to select a Username and a Password, and to
enter some real data about yourself, including your real name,
address, and voice phone number. This information is required;
without it, your account will not be opened. The information will
be verified, and your account will be closed if the information
does not check out.
Depending on the new user mode selected by the Sysop, you might
be able to create your new account and start using it immediately,
or you might have to wait for the Sysop to verify your information.
Validation
Validation is the process followed by the Sysop of checking your
personal data to decide if you should be granted membership in City.
Since City Of Night is a privately owned, privately run, no-charge
system, the Sysop's are under no obligation to admit anyone, and may
close an account at any time.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 15
Validation will generally involve a phone call to the number
you gave us in your application. The phone number you give must be
a VOICE phone number, not a modem/BBS number, not a pager number,
and not an answering machine number. The Sysop's will try a
reasonable number of times to reach you at this number, then drop
you from the validation list. If you really want membership, leave
a number where you can be reached.
Rules Of Conduct
We all hate rules, but to insure a smooth-running community and
to protect the members, some rules are necessary. The Sysop will
make all determinations of when rules have been broken. Sanctions
from breaking City's rules can range from a letter of warning to
permanent banishment from the BBS. Other actions which cause
trouble for the Sysop or User community can lead to sanctions, even
if not mentioned here. But this is a fairly complete list of the
actions which can get you into trouble on City:
1) Giving fake information for validation. You must keep us
up-to-date with your real name, address, and phone number.
If at any time your data does not check out, your account
will be closed.
2) Threats against any user will not be tolerated. The excuse
'well he threatened me first' will not be accepted. If someone
threatens you, e-mail the Sysop about it.
3) Excessive profanity, either in chat, messages or anywhere on
the BBS.
4) Using someone else's account is not allowed. The only exception
is when you have the persons permission, and are doing it
because the person is unable to connect themselves. In this
case, you must not impersonate the owner of the account to
other users or the Sysop.
5) Giving out personal information about other users is not
allowed. This is meant to cover such info as their real name,
phone number, address, school, workplace, etc.
6) Any illegal activity, or discussion of illegal activity, will
get your account closed immediately, and can also lead to your
name being reported to police or other authorities. This
includes drug dealing, software piracy, or any other illegal
activity. This is intended to prevent City from becoming a
meeting place for criminals; innocent discussions of any
subject ARE allowed, so long as City does not become part
of a real or planned crime.
7) Flooding another user with messages or broadcasts, so they
cannot use the system effectively, is not allowed and will
generally result in your broadcast ability being turned off.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 16
8) Any attempt to hack into City, or to hack into other people's
accounts. Exception: if you suspect there is a system bug,
you may report the situation to the Sysop then try to exploit
it. If you find a security bug in our software, you must report
it. Reports of actual bugs will be rewarded with credits or
extra privleges.
9) Any kind of harassment of other users, or any action intended
to make the system less usable to other people or to damage the
system in any way, is not allowed.
10) Users are not allowed to impersonate a system operator.
11) Any activity which the Sysop's do not like will be stopped.
There is one overall fact that you should remember when you
connected to City Of Night: City is a privately owned system. All
data entered into City is the property of the Sysop. The Sysop has
the right to deny access to anyone, and does not have to give any
reason. By your usage of City, you agree to these terms.
The City's computer is in the Sysop's home, so everyone who
connects is actually a guest in the Sysop's home. Politeness and
consideration for the Sysop and other users must always be
exercised.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 17
Chapter 4 - Basic Usage Tips
----------------------------
Basics
Most menu options in City Of Night can be selected by simply
pressing the single key associated with the option. For example,
if the menu reads:
S - Send A Message
Q - Quit
Enter Selection -->
Then you need only press the 'S' key on your keyboard to select the
Send A Message option. You do not have to shift the S to upper case,
since most menus will understand either lower or upper case. You
also do not generally have to press the key when selecting
options; if the only allowed response is a single letter, the system
will respond immediately when that letter is pressed, and not wait
for an to be pressed. There are two exceptions:
- If the possible responses include values with more than one
keystroke, but your choice is a single keystroke, you will
have to press after your single keystroke.
- When you are entering text (such as in a letter or
teleconference), the key signals to our software
that your entry is finished. In most cases, the system will
insert an keystroke for you when you approach the end
of the line. However, in cases like these, your last
word might get cut off, so its better to press return
yourself. (There is 'wordwrap' in some places, but not in
all places.)
If at any time you are unsure what to do next, try just
pressing the key, or the '?' key. One of these keys will
generally bring up a menu of the possible choices you can make.
If you make a mistake while typing text, you can use your
key to move back and correct it. However, the backspace
key on some computers is non-standard. If your backspace key does
not appear to work correctly, try going into Section Y and setting
the 'Type Of Backspace' option for your account.
Cursor keys are not recognized by the City software. There is
no full-screen edit facility at the current time. If you press a
cursor key, you will likely get some garbage characters like [D.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 18
City does not 'queue up' your keystrokes like some systems.
You will have to wait for a prompt before you will be allowed to
type anything. Note that excessive keystrokes before a prompt
appears may cause the 'run-away modem detector' to be triggered,
which will log you off. If requires several hundred keystrokes to
fool the detector this way, so don't worry too much.
The TOP Menu
When you connect to City Of Night, you will receive several
pages of system announcement messages and account status messages,
then you will be placed in the TOP MENU. The Top Menu is the
main central point of control for the BBS; from the Top Menu,
options branch out in all directions. The options of the main
menu are commonly called 'Sections'. Pressing the '?' key will
cause the Top Menu to display the options available. Note that
if you are a guest caller, or are not yet validated, then some
of the options will be restricted. The Top Menu prompt includes
a message reminding you of how many minutes you have left this
call before the system logs you off.
The SIG Menu
By pressing 'J' on the Top Menu, you will be taken to section J,
which is the Special Interest Group Menu. This menu contains
pointers to areas of the system which are run by appointed users
rather than the Sysop. Some options lead to simple message bases;
other options lead to entire sub-menu systems. Since City allows
users to program their own menus, you will see some strange things,
which often change. If you would like to run a SIG, discuss the
possibilities with the Sysop.
Disturb Flags
City Of Night includes facilities for users to interrupt each
each other to initiate chats, etc. However, some users do not
want to be interrupted. To control interruptions, there are three
flags:
Your Do-Not-Disturb Flag - If set off, the system will allow
users to interrupt you with chat requests and broadcasts. The
only users who cannot interrupt you, are users you have placed
on your 'reject list'. Once set on, the system will not allow
users to interrupt you. The only users who will still be allowed
to interrupt you, are users that you have placed on your 'accept
list'. You can change the setting of your flag, and update the
accept/reject lists, using either section R from the Top Menu,
or by using commands in teleconference.
Your Inform Flag - If set off, then you will be notified each
time a user connects to the system. If set on, you will not
be notified. This flag is set in section Y.
Your NoInform Flag - If set off, other users will be informed
when you connect. If set on, other users will not be informed.
This flag is set in section Y.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 19
Messages
City Of Night supports the creation and dissemination of
information among users via messages. There are several ways
that messages can be saved and organized, which will be detailed
later. For now, we will discuss some of the characteristics of
messages and some ways that you can handle them.
A message is a piece of text which can be up to 39 lines long.
You can type this text into City using the editing capabilities
of the City software. City's editor is designed for really 'dumb'
terminals, and allows you to type the information in one line at
a time. There is wordwrap, so if you simply keep typing, City will
make sure that the last word on each line is not broken. You can
pause your data entry at any time by typing /q at the beginning of
a line. When so paused, you will be presented with editing options:
D - To delete a line
L - To list the lines you have typed so far
M - To modify a line. The original line will be displayed, and
you can type in the replacement underneath it.
Q - To quit editing, and abort your message.
B - To broadcast a one-line comment directly to another user
who is online, without aborting your message.
C - To continue your message entry.
S - To save your message. Instead of pressing /q then S, you
can also save your message immediately by typing /s at the
beginning of a line.
Each message entered in City is assigned a unique serial
number when it is saved. This number will appear whenever the
message is displayed, and can be used to identify a message
specifically. (This is generally needed only when making some kind
of complaint about message content to the Sysop.)
City's message editor is primitive, and many users find it
easier to create their messages on their own home computers then
use 'ascii upload' to put them onto City. This is perfectly
acceptable, and works quite well so long as you remember the line
and message size limits for City messages.
You may also want to save a copy of a message (particularly
a mail message) on your own computer. After you have read an
interesting message and decided that you want a copy, turn on
'ascii file capture' or 'logging' on your home computer, then
press 'A' to read the message again.
Note that guidelines against harassment and profanity apply
to messages, and your message might be deleted if its offensive.
Repeated offensive postings might result in suspension of your
ability to post.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 20
Chapter 5 - Electronic Mail
---------------------------
Local Electronic Mail
City Of Night includes an electronic mail system which allows
you to send private messages to other users on City. No one can read
your private messages except you, the destination user, and the
Sysop. (The Sysop does not pry into users' mail; but in cases of
harassment by mail, the Sysop may need to read mail to investigate
allegations of harassment. If you feel you are the victim of
harassment by mail, don't delete the message you have received.
Inform the Sysop, and he will read the message and take appropriate
action.)
City's mail system is somewhat limited. You should delete your
mail as soon as you can (after reading it), to conserve space in
the mail database. City should not be used as your permanent file
cabinet! Typically, mail will be deleted automatically after a few
weeks, even if it has not been read. But do not rely on this
process; please delete your read mail as soon as you can.
City supports a 'receipt' feature for mail. If your message is
important, you can request that you be notified when your
destination user has read the message you are sending.
City will notify you that new mail has arrived in these three
ways:
- When you logon, you will get a message saying that you
have new mail
- If you are logged on when you get new mail, and if your
do-not-disturb flag is off, you will receive an automatic
broadcast when someone sends you mail.
- Each time you go back to the Top Menu prompt, the system
checks for and reports on new mail.
Internet Mail
At various times in the past, City Of Night's mail system
has been integrated into the world wide Internet mail system.
However, at the current time there is no such connection. City's
mail is local only, it only operates between users of the BBS.
Internet mail is available to City users, along with other
Internet services, but these services must be subscribed-to
separately. Please refer to the chapter on Internet Services.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 21
Chapter 6 - Sending Public Messages
-----------------------------------
Public Message Bases
The City's software supports up to 50 public message bases. Some
of these bases are dedicated to topics of general interest, and many
others are on loan to special interest groups.
The bases dedicated to the general user community are grouped
into section P (press P from the Top Menu). Here you will find areas
for general announcements, buy-and-sell, gossip, announcements of
new privately-run BBS's, and other subjects of interest to everyone.
Most of the more specialized message bases are in section J.
Wherever they are located, the message bases all function in
the same way. Messages are organized into 'strings', where someone
has posted a 'subject message', and other users have added their
'comments'. Each base is limited to 50 subjects, and each subject
may have 13 comments. Each base is assigned an owner, who has
delete authority for all messages in the base. Besides the owner,
only the person who posted a message (or the sysop), may delete
a message. Co-owners can also be assigned to a message base, and
they will also have global delete access. The main owner of the
base can change the title of the base at any time.
Here is an explanation of the options available in a
message base:
Press: R - to read all the messages in the base, in
chronological order.
N - to read all the messages posted since the
last time you were in the message base
(the NEW messages). The 'new message flag'
for each message is not reset until you
disconnect from City; therefore is you
go into a message base twice in the same
logon session, the same messages will be
read twice as 'new'.
S - Start reading at a specific subject number.
Not very useful unless someone tells you the
subject number to start at.
L - List the message subjects. Useful for quickly
getting the feeling for what has been posted.
If you see a subject you like, you can note the
number of the subject message, then use option S.
A - Add a new subject. You will be allowed to edit
a message which will then be added as a new
subject.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 22
C - Change the message base title. This option will
only appear for the owner of the base.
Q - Quit the message base.
Once you have selected an option to read messages, they will
be displayed to you one page at a time. At the end of each message,
a list of options will appear. The exact options vary depending on
various factors. Here are the possible options:
Press Q - To quit reading messages. You will be returned to
the message base main options prompt.
N - Next Subject. Any other comments associated with
the current subject are skipped.
R - Read the next comment or subject.
D - Delete the message you just read. If you press D
after reading a subject message, you will delete
not only the subject, but all its comments as well.
A - Add a comment to the current subject string.
Special Interest Groups
Special Interest Groups (or SIG's for short), are created by
the Sysop in response to requests by users. They are generally
devoted to fairly narrow subjects, although many exist as 'private
playgrounds' for small groups of users, rather than them being
subject oriented. Most of the SIG's are in the section J menu.
Some of the larger SIG's are reached directly from the Top Menu.
Most of the SIG's are owned an run by users other than the Sysop.
SIG's may consist of simply a message base, or they may have
their own menu with many options and be, in effect, like a mini-BBS.
Stories
Story bases are a special type of message base in which the
messages are organized into a single long string. The messages
are referred to as 'chapters'. The intention of a story base
is to allow the users to actually write a book, by adding chapters
to the storyline. The options and usage for story bases are
similar to regular message bases. The owner of a story base may
enforce a certain etiquette by, for example, deleting any chapter
which does not fit in the storyline.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 23
Bulletins
Bulletin bases are a special type of message base in which the
messages are not organized at all. The have the ability to display
their unread messages at logon, or on entry to particular parts
of the BBS. Their intended use is to make announcements.
Voting
Ballot bases are used to submit questions to the user community
and gather opinions. Messages take the form of a question which
can by up to three lines long (beware - there is not wordwrap when
you are entering a ballot question. Please try to hit your enter
key prior to reaching the end of the line!)
At the time a question is entered, the posting users must also
enter three responses. A fourth response of 'none of the above' is
always added automatically.
Users may then vote on these questions by reading the question
and selecting one of the four responses. The answers will be tallied
by the system, and are available for display by reading the
questions. Here are the options available in a ballot base:
Press: D - To display the poll results for all questions.
V - To vote on any new questions. You will only be
allowed to vote once on each question.
A - Add a question to the ballot.
R - Remove a question from the ballot. Only the user
who added the question, the ballot owner, and the
sysop can remove a question.
C - Change the title of a ballot. Only the owner of
the ballot and the sysop can change the title.
Q - Quit the ballot area.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 24
Chapter 7 - Teleconference
--------------------------
Basic Teleconference Usage
Teleconference (or TCON for short) is a City Of Night facility
which enables 2 or more persons to engage in a free-flowing, live
conversation using their computers. Each person in tcon may type
the comment they wish to make with few interruptions, and with the
ability to backspace and change the comment before it is sent to
the other users. Each comment is sent out as an entire sentence
to the other users in the conference, with the senders handle
appended to the front of the sentence. Word-wrap is used to make
sure that long comments are readable without having words broken
between lines. A single comment may be up to 240 characters long
(3 normal screen lines). The teleconference main menu is in
section T (press T from the Top Menu). All validated users are
invited to take part.
The main Tcon menu presents the following options:
Press: L - To list the available tcon 'rooms'. See the
next section for a discussion of tcon rooms.
W - Change the welcome message associated with your
personal tcon room.
A - Allocate a public or private tcon room (only
available to sysop and co-sysops).
R - Remove a public or private tcon room (only
available to sysop and co-sysops).
B - Broadcast a one-line comment to another user.
Useful for inviting them to come to a tcon
room with you.
C - Set up your 'custom action'. See the next section
for a discussion of actions.
D - Display the global action list. See the next
section for a discussion of actions.
S - Set the color of your typing. This will affect
the display color of your comments while in tcon,
both to you and the others reading your comments.
I - Display the rooms which are currently being used.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 25
# - Enter teleconference room number #. (Don't press
the # key, press the number of the room you want.)
Q - Quit the teleconference.
To take part in a teleconference discussion, you should first
press I to display the rooms in use. If you see a room with other
users in it, then enter the number of that room and you will then
be placed in the teleconference with those users. The entry and
exit of each user to a given room is announced to the other users
in the room. To exit from a room, type /q at the start of a line.
You should immediately see the comments made by other users in the
room. To join in the conversation, merely type your comment and
press .
The Teleconference Rooms
There are three types of teleconference rooms. The options
and capabilities are similar in each type, but the access and
defaults are different. Your conversation is bounded by the
room you are in, people in other rooms do not receive your
comments.
Public Rooms - Created and owned by the Sysop. Anyone can
use these rooms at any time. Everyone is invited.
These rooms are permanent.
Private Rooms - Created and owned by the Sysop. These rooms
are intended for specific groups, and access can be
restricted by the Sysop. These rooms are permanent.
User Rooms - Each user is allocated a teleconference room that
they can use as they see fit. User rooms are private;
access is by invitation only. User rooms are not
permanent: they are created when the owner logs on,
and they disappear when the owner logs off. Any users
who are in a user room when the owner logs off will
be pushed out to the tcon main menu.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 26
Teleconference Commands
There are many commands available inside the teleconference
rooms. You may access the list of commands by typing /? at the
start of a line. All tcon commands are invoked with a / at the
start of a line. Here is a description of the command. Note
that some commands might not be applicable to all the types of
rooms, and some commands may require special access. The list
shows the commands in upper case, but lower case is also accepted.
Press: /? - List the available commands.
/Q - Quit the teleconference conversation.
/W - Display a list of who is connected to
the BBS, and what they are doing.
/S - Show information about the room you
are in, and list the users who are in the
room with you.
/A msg - Send a one-time action message directed
to all users in the room. You must
specify the text of the action message
after the 'A'.
/A,x msg - Send a one-time action message directed
to the user on port x.
/C msg - Set up your custom action message.
/C ? - Display (to you only) your custom action
message.
/L - List all the users who are invited to
the room you are in.
/D - Toggle your do-not-disturb flag on and
off.
/G ? - Display the global action list.
/G act - Send global action 'act' directed to all
users in the room.
/G,x act - Send global action 'act' directed to
the user on port x.
/B,x msg - Send a private one-line comment to the
user on port x. This is known on City
as a broadcast, but on some other systems
its called a whisper.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 27
/Z,x - Zap. Bump the user on port x off the
system completely. The users modem line
is hung up, but the account is not
closed.
/F,x - Display information about the user on
port x. This consists of the users
'public query' information.
/N handle - Change your teleconference handle. The
tcon handle is the name which is
displayed in front of your comments
to the other users in the conference.
This handle defaults to your regular
system username, but you may change it
to anything you wish. Using tcon handles
to impersonate the sysop is not allowed.
/CL ? - Display the list of available colors for
your tcon display printing.
/CL x - Set your tcon printing color to color
number x.
/SQ,x - Squelch the user on port x. After you
use this command, any comments made by
that user will not be displayed to you.
This is useful if you find a particular
user bothersome of offensive.
/SQ - Turn off your squelch facility.
/I,ALL - Invite all users of the BBS into the
current room.
/I,x - Invite the user on port x.
/I,name - Invite the user named 'name'.
/U,ALL - Uninvite all users from the current
room.
/U,x - Uninvite the user on port x.
/U,name - Uninvite the user named 'name'.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 28
/AC f name - Update your accept list. See the chapter
on chat modes for a description of your
accept list. 'Name' is the username
to add or delete from the list. 'F' can
be one of: lst - display the list
add - add 'name' to list
del - delete 'name' from list.
/RJ f name - Update your reject list. See the chapter
on chat modes for a description of your
reject list. 'Name' is the username
to add or delete from the list. 'F' can
be one of: lst - display the list
add - add 'name' to list
del - delete 'name' from list.
Actions
Actions are special sayings that a teleconference user can
send out to the other users in the conference. There are three
type of actions:
One-Time Actions - These are created by the /A command. You
must type in the test you want sent, by placing it after
the 'A' in the /A command.
Your Custom Action - If there is a saying that you like to use
often, then instead of using the /A command, you can have
it stored in your custom action area using the /C command.
Just type the text you want after the 'C' in the /C
command.
Global Actions - There is a large file of common sayings that
people like to make. Some are humorous, some mildly
derogatory. These actions are all referred to by names.
You can display the names and content of the global actions
using /G ? and send one out using either /G name or
/G,x name. User suggestions for new global actions are
sometimes added to the lists.
Actions are differentiated from normal comments in two ways:
Handle Display Color - The tcon handle color is normally
displayed as magenta for female users, cyan for male users,
and green for users who have not set their sex in the
query information. Actions are displayed in yellow.
Pronoun Substitution - Since the saying can be used in a
variety of ways, and referring to many different people,
City supports a substitution of special symbols within
the action text, with the correct pronoun for the
situation.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 29
Within the text of the action message, the special
symbols #1 through #8 are replaced as follows:
#1 - The sender's tcon handle
#2 - The target user's tcon handle. If no specific
user was mentioned (the action was directed at
all the users in the room), then the value
"Everyone" is used.
#3 - A second-person pronoun which refers to the sender,
"He", "She", or "It".
#4 - A possessive pronoun which refers to the sender,
"His", "Her", or "It's".
#5 - A third-person pronoun which refers to the sender,
"Him", "Her", or "It".
#6 - A second-person pronoun which refers to the target,
"He", "She", "It", or "Everyone".
#7 - A possessive pronoun which refers to the sender,
"His", "Her", "It's", or "Their".
#8 - A third-person pronoun which refers to the sender,
"Him", "Her", "It", or "Them".
Invitation Lists
The non-public teleconference rooms each have associated with
them an invitation list. Up to 25 users may be on an invitation
list at any time. The list determines which users will be granted
access to the non-public rooms. A user will always be granted access
to their own User Room, without having to be on the list.
The lists are maintained by the room owners from within the
teleconference, using the commands:
/L - Show who is on the list. Any user may use this
command to display the invite list.
/U... - Uninvite (remove) a user from the list
/I... - Invite (add) a user to the list.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 30
Chapter 8 - Chat Modes
----------------------
Private Chat
City Of Night has a live, one-on-one chat mode which is unusual
in most BBS systems. This mode connects 2 or more users in a very
intimate way; as you type each character, it is immediately
displayed on the terminals of any other users in your chatroom.
Even mistakes, and your backspacing over them, will be displayed.
This results in a very 'live' communication. Only one person can
type at a time, so you must be polite with each other, just like
in a real conversation.
This mode is primarily designed for two people to chat. The
system will allow more than two persons into a chatroom, but they
must cooperate or the conversation will be unreadable, just like
in a large group talking together!
You use option C from the Top Menu to select a chat mode.
The following options will be available:
Press: O - For one-on-one private chat.
M - For multi-user public chat. This is described
in the next section.
The user you want to chat with will be interrupted by the system and
asked if they want to chat with you. You will both have to wait
until the user replies. However, after 30 seconds, if the user
has not replied you will receive a message that the user has not
responded. If the user responds 'yes', then you will both be placed
into the next available chatroom. You have no choice as to which
room you are placed in, but it does not matter since they are all
the same. As each person speaks, the system will provide a header
indicating the name if the person speaking, but the messages
are not broken into lines like in tcon. The flow is natural, with
only the addition of wordwrap.
There are some commands that you can execute from within chat
mode. They are recognized anywhere in they line, but must each
be followed immediately with a key:
Press: /Q - To exit from chat mode
/? - To review the list of commands
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 31
/W - To display the list of users connected to
the BBS, and what they are doing
/D - To toggle your do-not-disturb flag on
and off
/B,x msg - To broadcast a private comment to the
user on port x.
/S,x - To invite the user on port x into your
private chat room. This is the only way
three or more users can get into a private
chat room together.
/K,x - To push the user on port x out of a chatroom.
/Z,x - Zap (bump user on port x off the system.)
Control-C - Quick exit from chat mode.
All users who enter and exit a chatroom are announced to any
users who remain in the room. To reduce the likelihood of
impersonation, certain characters are filtered out in chat mode,
including the ">" symbol.
Public Chat
Public chat mode (option M in the chat menu) is very similar
to private chat, except that anyone can enter it at any time.
There is only a single public chat room in the system.
Broadcast Messages
Broadcast (called whisper on some other systems) is a method
of sending a one-line private comment to another user on the system.
The user must be logged on; if the user disconnects they message
will not be delivered. Broadcast messages will pop out on your
screen asynchronously, as soon as the sender issues them. They
are always accompanied by a header indicating who they are from.
You may send broadcast messages from many places in the system,
including:
- Option B from the Top Menu
- Using /B in Teleconference
- Using /B in Chat Mode
- Using /Q then option B in message edit.
Be careful when typing your broadcast messages, particularly
in teleconference. If you forget the /, then the system will
not recognize your typing as a broadcast, and your private
message will be displayed for everyone to see!
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 32
Accept/Reject Lists
Each user is allowed to maintain two lists of other users, which
can control the level to which they are willing to be disturbed and
by whom. They control whether or not you will be interrupted by
broadcasts and chat requests:
Your Accept List - This list of up to 24 users specifies who
you ALWAYS want to hear from, even if your do-not-disturb
flag is set on. Put your closest friends on this list.
Your Reject List - This list of up to 24 users specifies who
you NEVER want to hear from, even if your do-not-disturb
flag is set off. Put people on this list if you are not
interested in hearing from them. Note: If you are being
harassed by another user, report this to the Sysop.
These lists can be updated in Section Y, or more easily
in teleconference.
There are other controls which you can use to prevent
interruptions:
/SQ - To squelch out a particular user in
a teleconference.
Inform flag - Used to turn of system messages which would
otherwise inform you of who is connecting
to the BBS.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 33
Chapter 9 - Account Information
-------------------------------
Section Y - Private Account Data
Option Y from the Top Menu will take you to a menu of options
related to private information about your account. The information
you enter here will not be accessible to any other user except the
Sysop. The items on this menu change from time to time, however here
is a discussion of some of the more important items:
Your Password - Use this option to change your password. You
should never let anyone know your password. Use
a password that is impossible to guess, and not
a word or phrase that your friends might know
you for. Refer to the section on Security for
more information about keeping your account
safe. Note: if someone guesses your password,
they can access your private files and mail,
and you might be blamed for anything bad they
do. So please keep your password safe.
Your Username - City allows you to change your Username anytime
you want. (This is not generally allowed on
other systems.) We ask only that you not use
any profanity in your Username. Also, the name
must be made up only of the letters A through
Z, digits 0 through 9, and the dash "-". It
must start with a letter. You should NOT use
your real name.
Be sure you remember any changes you make to
your username or password; you cannot log onto
City without them! If you forget your username
or password, please do not establish another
account. Logon as guest and notify the Sysop.
Inform Flag - This flag determines if other users will be
informed when you connect to City.
NoInform Flag - This flag determines if you will be informed
by the system when other users connect.
Real Info - You must always keep the Sysop informed of
your address and phone number.
Section A - Public Query Data
Option A from the Top Menu takes you to a menu of options
related to your Public Query Data. The Sysop does not require
that you enter any data here; it is totally optional.
The data here includes such items as your location, your sex,
your favorite hobby, your profession. These are things that other
users ask to get to know you better. You can insert your own data
or query the user database about other user's data.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 34
Chapter 10 - Games
------------------
Credits
City of Night keeps track of the number of Credits that each
user has been awarded or earned. These are, in effect, a form of
'play money' for use on the system.
You get credits by: - Being paid a salary. Each time you
connect for the first time in a day,
you are paid a certain amount. The
amount depends on how long you have
been a member of City.
- By uploading files to the library.
The number of credits you are paid
depends on the size of the file.
- By winning at games. Some of the
games allow you to win credits.
You lose credits by: - Downloading files, unless file
downloads happen to be free.
- By playing games. Some of the games
have an entrance fee.
The Games Menu
City has a few games. The collection of games changes from time
to time. We are also looking for users to help write new games.
Some of the games cost credits to play. A few will also allow you
to win credits.
Labyrinth
The Labyrinth is a complex game that is still under construction
by several users here at City. You are welcome to try it out, but
please don't report any bugs to the Sysop.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 35
Chapter 12 - File Transfers
---------------------------
Section F - File Libraries
City of Night maintains file libraries for the exchange of
software between users. Most of the libraries are available by
selecting option F in the Top Menu. Some of the libraries are
also available in the Special Interest Groups. There are about 50
libraries, which allows us to organize our selection of files by
many subjects.
In the Files Menu, the following options are available:
Press: L - To list the libraries which are available.
I - To display the latest information about file
transfers.
N - To search all the libraries for New files,
uploaded since you last connected to City.
R - Reset the New Files flag in all libraries.
Use this option is you have been away from
City for a while, and don't want the New
Files display to list every file in the system.
S - Show the disk space available for uploads.
# - Select a library. (Don't type the # key, instead
type the number of the library you want).
You should first type L to list the available libraries, then
enter the number of the library that interests you. Once you enter
a library, the following options will be available:
Press: L - To list all files in this library.
S - To search the library. You can enter any string
of characters, like "pk" to search for PKUNZIP.
The search facility checks all the filenames
and descriptions of files. Do not enter DOS
wild-card specifications, like PK*.*; these
are not recognized.
N - List new files, uploaded since you last connected
to City.
I - Information about a file, including how big the
file is, its description, who uploaded it, and
when.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 36
R - Read a file. This can be used to view text files
without having to download them. You can optionally
have page breaks inserted. If you use this function
with a non-text file, you might get surprising
results.
U - Upload a file to the library using Xmodem protocol.
D - Download a file from the library using Xmodem
protocol.
E - Erase a file from the library. You must be the
owner of the library, or the user who uploaded
the file.
C - Copy a file to another library. You must be the
owner of both libraries to perform this function.
M - Mark a file. This toggles the downloadable flag
on and off. Available only to the Sysop.
T - Change the title of the library. Only the owner
and the Sysop can perform this function.
A - Add an existing file. Only the sysop can perform
this function, which can be used to move files
around from the system console.
Q - Exit from the library.
Rules Regarding Files
Users must not upload adult picture files to the City Of Night.
There is one library available for adult text files; please do not
put adult materials into any other library.
All files are downloaded at your own risk. The Sysop does not
perform virus scans on files, or check them for correct operation.
We would like to hear about any trouble you have with a file, so we
can correct the problem, delete the file, and/or warn other users,
but we will not accept any responsibility for damage done to your
computer system.
All files uploaded to City must be shareware or freeware. We
take copyright laws very seriously, and anyone who uploads pirate
software will be banned immediately. If you are in doubt about the
status of a file, contact the Sysop.
Don't upload any MAC files. This is primarily an IBM system.
We certainly support communication with MAC computers for access
to most BBS functions, but we are not about to waste any library
space on MAC files.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 37
Don't upload any SOUND files (.WAV, .MID, etc.) These files
take up way to much space.
Please check the various libraries before you upload a new
file, to make sure we don't already have it. Sometimes, the name
of the file might not be exactly the same, so pay attention to
file sizes and descriptions.
Do not upload any chain-letter or make-$ files.
Use PKZIP or other compression utilities to reduce the size
of large binary files, especially .EXE and .BMP files. GIF files
are already compressed. You can leave text files uncompressed, since
they typically don't take up that much space, and people like to
read them online.
Xmodem Protocol
City of Night supports only Xmodem protocol for file transfers.
Please do not ask about other protocols.
To use Xmodem, you will need a terminal emulation program (comm
program) which supports Xmodem transfers. Almost all programs will
work. The success of a file transfer depends on many factors,
including having compatible software and a noise-free phone line.
Here are the general procedures; they may vary somewhat for your
particular comm program. Example keystrokes are for PROCOMM:
- Press option F at the Top Menu
- Press L to view the list of libraries. Note the number
of the library you are interested in.
- Enter the number of the library, to get to the library
prompt.
- Press L to list the available files. Note the name of the
file you are interested in.
- Press D to download a file.
- Press 1, 2, or 3, to select the version of Xmodem you want
to use. Checksum mode (1) is the most commonly supported.
CRC (2) has much better error checking, but sometimes there
are incompatibilities between comm programs and City. 1K (3)
is a faster version of (2). You should use the highest number
that your comm program will support. If in doubt, use (2).
If that fails, try (1).
- Enter the filename you want to download.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 38
- If all is well, the system will issue a message to the effect
that its ready to transfer the file. This is your signal to
go into your own comm program start the transfer on your end.
In PROCOMM, you do this by pressing the Page-Down key, then 1,
then entering the filename you want. Note that this must be
accomplished within about 1 minute, since City will timeout
waiting for the transfer to start.
- Uploading is performed in a similar fashion; you press U on
City to select upload, enter the protocol and filename, then
initiate upload in your comm program (the Page-Up key in
PROCOMM).
Ascii Protocol
City allows you to 'read a file' directly from the library.
This is, in effect, an ASCII Download. If you turn on ascii capture
or 'logging' on your comm program, then initiate a file read without
page breaks, you can download a text file quickly. There is no error
correction in this mode.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 39
Chapter 13 - Intersystem Connections
------------------------------------
Pipes
The City Of Night Software supports 'pipes', which are direct
connections between user ports for game playing and other uses. They
are available in Section G (press G from the Top Menu). At the
current time, only two users at a time are allowed in a pipe.
Users who wish to use a pipe should first use chat or broadcast
to arrange a time, then they should simply both go into section G
and select the same pipe. You exit a pipe by sending a break signal.
(Not all comm programs are capable of sending a break signal;
PROCOMM does it when you press alt-F7. If you are unable to send a
break signal, then there well be no way for you to exit the pipe
except to hangup the phone connection. This is perfectly allowable
as far as City is concerned.)
You will need your own game or other software running on your
own computer to make use of a pipe connection. The Sysop is not
able to help you in setting this up; you are on your own. Try asking
other users, there are many software packages which work effectively
with the City's pipe facility.
Aux Ports
Aux ports are connections going out from the City's computer
to other computers or devices. The exact nature of these other
devices changes from time to time. Currently, several aux ports
are connected to our Internet Server Host, and one is connected
to the Packet Radio TNC. You will generally not be concerned with
the details of the aux ports; when they are connected to interesting
devices, then options for them will appear on the menus, usually
in section N (Network Connections).
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 40
Chapter 14 - Internet Access
----------------------------
What Is Internet
The Internet is a world-wide network of computer systems, at
universities, colleges, government institutions, libraries, and
businesses. By connecting to the Internet, you can access
information at these various computer sites. This information
is so large in scale, and so varied in character, that it is
impossible to describe it here. There are many books about the
Internet; one good one "Zen and the Internet" is available for
online reading in section N. Some of the important features
of the Internet are:
- Electronic Mail, reaching about 150 million persons all
over the world. Internet mail addresses look like:
username@myhost.mydomain.com
- Online access to many books, research papers, government
documents including laws and studies.
- A huge distributed database of software, which includes
virtually every shareware and freeware program available
anywhere in the world.
- The World-Wide-Web, a comparatively new sub-system, which
allows multi-media (pictures, sound, movies, fancy text)
to be transmitted quickly. WWW browsers are available for
Windows and other systems, and make the entire Internet
look like a clickable Windows-style application. You can
visit and search computers all over the world just by
clicking on their icons.
- Internet Relay Chat (IRC) which looks and acts similar to
City's Teleconference, but operates world-wide and often
has 50,000 users in 2,000 rooms.
- Worlds Chat, a virtual reality chat system which allows you
to see the people you are talking to (or at least the
digital representation they want you to see.)
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 41
Signing Up For Internet
City of Night runs an Internet Server, CityNight.COM for the
purpose of supplying access to Internet for the users of City. This
is a non-profit service, but you must pay for it to help meet our
costs. Payment is accepted by CHECK only (no cash or money orders).
You much mail in your check along with the filled out application
form in section N. Your Internet access will be switched on as soon
as your check is received.
All ports from City to the Internet are 2400 baud. This is a
limitation imposed by the speed of our server machine and its link
to the network. This may seem slow to users who have used high-speed
links, but its perfectly usable for all Internet functions.
Full Shell Access
City's 'full shell access' costs $10 a month (or $60 a year if
you sign up for a whole year; that's only $5 a month, the cheapest
Internet you will find anywhere.) With a shell account, you can do
practically anything you want on the Internet including sending
and receiving unlimited mail, FTP, web access using Netscape, IRC,
Worlds Chat, and Usenet News. In addition, you will have a complete
UNIX shell development environment available to you, with all the
editors, compilers, and tools you'd expect. There is no per-hour
usage charge; once you have subscribed, you may have access as many
hours a day as you want. You may build your own Web pages, and run
server background processes (so long as they don't impact the system
as a whole.)
Mail-Only Access
For users who need only Internet Mail services, we will supply
unlimited mail for $15 a year. This also includes Usenet News.
World-Wide-Web Page
You can establish your place on the Internet's World Wide Web
using City's Web Page service. For $25 a year, we will build your
pages (using text and pictures that you supply), and serve those
pages on the Web.
About City's Internet Connection
City runs a separate 386DX40 computer with 20 megs of RAM for
access to the Internet. The system runs Linux Slackware, with many
enhancements. Our Internet connection is via a dedicated phone
line that runs 24 hours at 38,400 baud. This is slower than most
commercial providers, but is adequate for the small number of users
on City.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 42
Chapter 15 - Direct Command Mode
--------------------------------
The BBS's Architecture
The City's software is unique among all BBS's in its use of the
Macro Language. This language was developed by the writers of the
software to facilitate quick and easy changes to our menus, but its
abilities have fare outgrown the original intent. The core of the
BBS program is written in Borland Turbo C. This includes all serial
interrupt handlers, database access routines, and many other
important functions. One of the biggest functions is the Macro
Interpreter, which accepts text files containing commands in the
Macro Language, and performs the specified actions. Most of the
menus in City are driven by these macro programs, being interpreted
by the core software. This allows users of City to do a little of
their own programming if they desire! You can create your own menus,
games, almost anything.
Using Direct Commands
Most of the macro commands can not only be executed in text
files, but also one-at-a-time at a command prompt. You may access
this prompt in section D (Press D from the Top Menu). At this
prompt, there will be no menus, so be prepared to learn a few
commands.
The City's macro language is a mixture of the following:
- DOS commands, like DIR, MD, COPY, SCRATCH
- Unix commands, like DF, W, DU
- Mainframe Wylbur commands, like: GOTO, COLLECT, MODIFY
- BASIC commands, like LET, PRINT, INPUT
- Commands you have never heard of, and which are particularly
suited for use in a BBS, like MSGBASE, STATUS, GETNAME
Its a peculiar, but very powerful mix.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 43
Macros
Macros are small programs written in the City's macro language.
There are many macros already in existence, which perform the
myriad of functions needed by City Of Night. You can look at
existing macros in Section D, by:
- Type DIR to list all the files, or you can use a DOS-style
wildcard to limit the display: DIR PSYS*.*
- Press control-c at any time to interrupt the display.
- See a filename you'd like to view? type: read filename
Reading and studying existing macros is a very good way
to learn about the language, so you can begin writing your
own macros.
Creating Your Own Macros
You can easily create your own macros. Regular users are
authorized to save as many files as they like in the direct command
area, so long as the filenames start with: Uxxxx where the xxxx
is your account number. Here is a simple procedure for creating
a macro, saving it, then running it:
- Go into direct mode by selecting option D from the Top Menu.
You will get a prompt that looks like this: Command>
- Type: erase This will clear out any data from your
macro editing work area.
- Type: collect This will put you into the 'collect' mode,
which allows you to enter data into the macro editing work
area. A prompt like this will appear: 001> indicating
that you are about to type line number 1.
- Type: print "Hello, World!" Type it completely as shown,
with the double quotes in the right places. Hit your
key. You will get a prompt like: 002> indicating that
the system is now waiting for line number 2.
- Don't type any more lines. Just press the key again
to exit collect mode. (Blank lines are not allowed in a
macro.) You will now be back to the Command> prompt.
- If you are not sure what your account number is, type: status
and look in the display. The number under Acct# next to your
username is your account number. Make a note of it.
City Of Night Users' Handbook Page 44
- Type: save Uxxxxyyy where xxxx is your account number
and yyy is any three letters you like. Example: save U1234ZZZ
The system should inform you that one line was saved.
- Type: run Uxxxxyyy using the same filename you just
saved. You should receive the response: Hello, World!
You have just written, saved, and tested your first City
macro language program.
Command Language Reference
The complete documentation for the macro language is available
for download in the text files library. It is also available in
Section I (press I in the Top Menu).