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PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #2382)
[PCjs Machine "ibm5170"]
Waiting for machine "ibm5170" to load....
Information about “FREE SPEECH BBS”
Free Speech is a streamlined BBS designed for high message throughput.
Installed in seconds and supports up to three languages (English and
French text provided), with full foreign-character translation. Can be
run as a stand-alone BBS, a front-end, or as a door. Like all Pinnacle
BBS products, Free Speech is a zero maintenance system.
FILE2382.TXT
Disk No: 2382
Disk Title: Free Speech BBS
PC-SIG Version: S1
Program Title: Free Speech BBS
Author Version: 3.10A
Author Registration: $25.00
Special Requirements: A Modem.
Free Speech is a streamlined BBS designed for high message throughput.
Installs in seconds. Supports up to three languages (English and French
text provided), with full foreign-character translation. Can be run as
stand-alone BBS, a front-end, or as a door. Like all Pinnacle BBS
products, Free Speech is a Zero Maintenance system.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
DIALOG.TXT
This is the first message on your Free Speech BBS. It's here to inform you
that you've installed the BBS successfully. The staff of Pinnacle Software
thank you for taking the time to try Free Speech and we hope that you enjoy
this exciting approach to free communication.
;K Inf
The program itself, however, is not free. If you continue to use it after
21 days, it must be legally registered. Registration is only $25.
When you register your copy of Free Speech, you will be entitled to a copy
of the LATEST VERSION. What's more, we'll give you a free one-year sub-
scription to Pinnacle News, so you can stay up-to-date on all the latest
developments of Free Speech and our many other fine products.
;K Hlp
For more details, write to us at:
Pinnacle Software, PO Box 386, Town of Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada, H3P 3C6
;K Inf
Or give us a call today, by calling us at 514-345-9578.
Is your computer IBM-PC compatible? (N y)~~
Can your monitor display in colour? (N y)~~
Lines per screen? (0-continuous, or 10-50)~~
To repeat last search, press Enter.
Find:~~
Searching (spacebar to quit) ...
Not found.
~LINE~
First line is~
Enter ? for help.
Five lines left.
Out of room.
Out of time.
Last line is~
>~
CONSOLE
BAUD~
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
/:YNFR|■ Date & time delim, Yes, No, Forward, Reverse, Local, Colour
Password:~~
KDRQMark lines with K (Keep), D (Delete), R (Retype) or Q (Quit).
Edit mode off.
Would you like an explanation of how this board works? (Y n)~~
End of text.
Top of text.
Found at line~
Search cancelled at line~
Last line viewed at console was~
That was line~
~FROM~
SEARCH~
"" Open and close quotations
~WPM
~DEV
|:|:|:|:|:|
Reached "Five Lines Left" limit for users.
MORE...
Continuing what you were doing...
Your text...
EFS Up to 3 languages; if only one letter, won't ask; first is default
FRE SIL File extension for language 2 & 3; TXT is default; Use 3-char exten
Press E for English. Appuyez F pour francais. Press S for Silly. (E f s)~~
F-BYE.TXT
;K Inf
Thank-you for stopping by!
F-HELP.TXT
;C KB
This is Free Speech
;K Inf
When you see the MORE... prompt, hit Enter to proceed to the next screen.
Additional details will be given later.
;C KB
List of Commands
;K Inf
What to do when you see the > prompt:
;U ITEM ~~~IF ENTERED ON > LINE BY ITSELF
;L
number Reads from that line # onwards
S Searches backwards for text
O Off
;L
;K Hlp
EVERYTHING ELSE you type is RECORDED!
;7
;C KB
Text Search Note
;K Inf
The text search (S) command will help you find your place when you return to
this BBS. It searches backwards from the last line so you can, for example,
look for where you signed your name, or scan for the date or day-of-the-week.
;L
A search for "XYZ" matches on any case. A search for "Xyz" matches only "Xyz".
;L
;8
;C KB
Reading Text
;K Inf
What to do when reading text or when you see the MORE... prompt:
;U PRESS ~~ACTION TAKEN
;L
Spacebar Stop print: back to > prompt
P Pauses; any key will restart
R Rewind to last message
F Forward to next message
;L
;8
;C KB
Entering Text
;K Inf
;U PRESS~~~~IF PRESSED WHILE ENTERING TEXT
;L
CTL-X Cancels the line you're typing
CTL-H Erases the previous character
CTL-A Erases the previous word
CTL-B Erases current sentence
Enter Saves the line (permanently)
;L
;6
;C KB
Disclaimer
;K Woe
The system operator assumes absolutely no responsibility for any statements
expressed by anybody via this service. This is a FREE SPEECH board with an
absolute minimum of control. If you are someone who is EASILY OFFENDED,
please hang up now. All opinions are tolerated here.
;4
;C KB
Everything Explained in Two Sentences
;K Hlp
When you next see the > prompt, you can enter a line number, enter a one-letter
command, or type in message text. If you wish to disconnect, press O on an
empty line, then press Enter.
F-HELP2.TXT
;* This file is displayed if the user seems to be floundering:
;*
;* - Hits CR at first prompt
;* - Hits 3 CRs in a row
;* - Types lots of lines, each of which are 8 or less characters
;*
;K Inf
This BBS is unlike any other BBS. In fact, it is more like a tape recorder
than a traditional BBS. Whatever you type at the > prompt is recorded,
unless it's a command letter.
;K Hlp
Some examples follow. Note the > prompt.
;L
> Hello. <-- This would be saved
> 1 <-- This would list from that line number (i.e. line #1) onwards
> ? <-- This would display a quick overview of commands
> Hi there. <-- This would be saved, since it's not a command
> S <-- This is the Search command
;L
;K Inf
If you've used other BBS's before, you may expect to find bulletins and menus
and message bases; this system has none of those things. It simply records
what you (and other people) type and lets you search through it all. Think of
it as a text editor program used by the whole community.
;K Hlp
If you require further information, enter ? at the > prompt.
F-LOGO.TXT
;U FREE SPEECH~~~Type ? for help
F-SAMPLE.TXT
;*
;* This is file demonstrates how to use the BBS Display Codes;
;*
;* First of all, the ;* control marks a line as a comment.
;*
;U This file uses BBS Display Codes
This is regular text. It is displayed, as is, in the colour.
;S
The ;S control starts slow-typing. This is useful for getting people's
attention, though you have to be careful not to over-use it, since it is
fairly annoying. This control can be typed in only at the console.
;S
;U The ;U control underlines things -- or makes them inverse if you have colour
When you have a list of things, you can make the list easier to read by using
the ;L control...
;*
;* Notice how we use the ~ character to indicate what not to underline.
;*
;U Product~~~~Description of Product
;L
SAPPHIRE The Zero-Maintenance BBS. Now anybody can be a sysop!
PYROTO A BBS integrated with a game. Runs as a door or a stand-alone.
VARITALE A multiple-path writing system that runs as a "door".
SPACEINV Arcade game for any display -- mono or color
WEED Cleans up log files downloaded from BBS's
PHONEMEM Memory tutorial
LOVEFIRE Interactive adventure for women only!
HLRB Handy Little Reference Books from your printer
PINNARTX Amazing character-graphic pictures
SV This program, just in case a newer one comes out
SECURE A bogus security system for fooling burgulars
PRESERVE A backup system that you won't mind using often
MEGADIII Very wierd game that programmers may enjoy.
LW Easy-to-learn label printing program.
;L
Finally, you can change the colour of individual lines by using the ;C control.
;C BA Blue on black <-- It helps to have comments
Blue on black background
;C EH Red on LightGray
Green on LightGray
Inverse effects can be useful for making things stand out.
;C HA LightGray on Black
The colours codes are:
A - Black F - Magenta K - LightGreen P - White
B - Blue G - Brown L - LightCyan
C - Green H - LightGray M - LightRed
D - Cyan I - DarkGray N - LightMagenta
E - Red J - LightBlue O - Yellow
;C LA
BBS Display Codes are an alternative to ANSI displays. You may find that
they makes it easier for you to give your BBS a consistant appearance.
Of course, you can use all line-drawing characters. For example:
;C EH
┌─────────────────┐
│ │
│ THIS IS A BOX │
│ │
└─────────────────┘
;C LA
People who do not have IBM characters will see a translated version of the
line-drawing characters.
Every method used in this file can be used either in messages or in the
various F-*.TXT files located in the BBS directory.
;E This marks the end of the file
You can keep other material down here, after the ;E control.
F-SYSOPC.TXT
;C NA LightMagenta on Black
The sysop is breaking in for a chat.
To return to what you were doing, enter E on an empty line.
MANUAL.DOC
FREE SPEECH
Release: 3.10
System Operator's Manual
P I N N A C L E S O F T W A R E
P.O. Box 386, Town of Mount Royal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3P 3C6
(514) 345-9578
IMPORTANT
You can EARN MONEY just by passing this software around.
Two minutes' work could bring you hundreds of dollars.
See Appendix B for details.
NOTICES
The present version of Free Speech is distributed as shareware ("Try before
you buy"). You may try out Free Speech for 21 days (three weeks) at no cost.
If you continue to use it after that time, you are required to pay the
registration fee (see HELPME program for details).
Copyrights and Trademarks
Free Speech is Copyright (C) 1990 by Pinnacle Software. Its appearance, look
and feel and operational concepts are property of Pinnacle Software and any
product bearing substantial similarity will be considered an infringement of
copyright. Should any portion of these provisions be found to be inoperat-
ive, the remaining portions shall remain in effect.
The original SASSy design specification and research reports are copyright
(C) 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 by Pinnacle Software.
The original SASSy program is copyright (C) 1986 by Pinnacle Software and Ord
Millar.
The following products were used in the development of Free Speech.
Turbo Pascal is a Trademark of Borland International.
TechnoJocks Turbo Tools, Copyright (C) 1986-1989 TechnoJock Software, Inc.
Support for Unregistered Sysops
If you are an unregistered Free Speech operator, you may call Pinnacle
Software's Customer Support Service for free assistance if you can not
complete the basic installation successfully, or if you have operational
difficulties during the evaluation period.
ii
Support for Registered Sysops
The Free Speech release number follows this pattern:
Version Number Upgrade Level
| |
3 . 1 0 A
/ \
Correction Level Internal ID
A registered Free Speech owner is entitled to operate any release of Free
Speech with the same Version and Upgrade Level, and the same or different
Internal ID or Correction Level. Thus, corrections to the program ("bug
fixes") may be operated at no additional cost.
Upgrades (e.g. from Version 3.00 to 3.10) are available for a nominal fee of
$12. If you had previously ordered the source code, it will be included at
no extra charge. The $12 fee simply covers our time and material.
Technical support via phone is available at competitive rates.
Credits
Design ......................... Timothy Campbell
Programming .................... Timothy Campbell
Additional design .............. Ord Millar and James Ludwick
Design studies ................. Ord Millar and Timothy Campbell
Help in design studies ......... Marc Branchaud, Steve Mitchell, Paul Renault
Marketing ...................... James Ludwick
System Operator's Manual ....... Natasha Mirage
Invaluable assistance from ..... L. Wilson, P. Katt, T. Toc
Social-impact study courtesy ... Dr. Lord, S.P.M. U.E.M. (Project FBBS)
Extra-special thanks to DP, who made Project FBBS possible.
Last but not least, a warm thank-you to all the SASSyites.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Copyrights and Trademarks
Support for Unregistered Sysops
Support for Registered Sysops
Credits
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Prerequisites
What is Free Speech?
Features
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Quick-Install
Detailed Installation
Configuration Items; Shut-Down Hour
TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Modem Problems
Other Problems
OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Maintenance
Sysop Functions
The Status Line
The Message Header
Translate Tables
Customization
DIALOG.TXT; F-*.TXT; Alternate Language Support
Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
? Help
S Search
O Off
| Chat
- Ultramode
B BBS
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Color
EGA and VGA Support
19200 Baud
Gear Shift
Disk Caches
HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Design Rationale
Message-Handling Technique
Two-Month Report
ii
Two-Year Report
Conclusion
FREE SPEECH NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Version 3.10
APPENDIX A -- Operational Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mode 1 -- Stand-Alone BBS
Mode 2 -- Announcer Board
Mode 3 -- BBS front-end
Mode 4 -- Modem-handler
Mode 5 -- Night-time Alternate
Mode 6 -- Door Operation
APPENDIX B -- How to Become a Free Speech Distributor . . . . . . . . . 30
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
iii
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Prerequisites
In order to understand this manual and operate Free Speech, you must be
familiar with BBSing terms such as modem and sysop. You must also have an
IBM-PC compatible computer with a modem.
If you are not familiar with BBS's (Bulletin Board Systems), refer to the
documentation for either our Sapphire or Pyroto BBS products. Both manuals
contain helpful introductions to BBSing.
It is also assumed that you have a working knowledge of DOS operations and
are familiar with such terms as drive and directory. If these are unfamiliar
to you, most computer stores can provide you with a tutorial text that will
quickly cover the basic skills required to install and operate Free Speech.
The Free Speech BBS will appeal to people who wish to explore a new kind of
BBSing. A Free Speech BBS is unlike any other BBS. By granting the users
total free speech, it can be both infuriating and enlightening.
Free Speech is also an ideal first BBS, since it installs in only a few
seconds. New sysops who would prefer a more traditional BBS should consider
Pinnacle Software's Sapphire BBS, which is also easy to install (10 to 15
minutes).
What is Free Speech?
Free Speech is a BBS and utility that can operate in many modes:
(1) As a stand-alone BBS with a very unusual design
(2) As an "announcer" board
(3) As a front-end to other BBS's
(4) As a modem-handler for doors
(5) As a "night-time alternate"
(6) As a "door"
All modes are discussed in "Appendix A - Operational Modes". However, the
majority of this manual covers the first mode -- the stand-alone BBS.
Free Speech is perhaps the most unusual BBS available today. And when we say
that, we are including our own unique Pyroto Mountain BBS software.
1
Free Speech appears to be an extremely simple BBS. Yet during a design study
that lasted nearly two years, an early version of Free Speech proved to be an
extremely valuable asset to the local BBSing community. In fact, more than a
year after the design study was closed down, people were still asking for it
to be reinstated.
It is because of this demand for Free Speech that we decided to go ahead with
its creation, knowing full well that such a rule-breaking design was likely
to be misunderstood -- though certainly not by the people who used it daily
for two years.
Because Free Speech is so very unusual, we feel obliged to cover the back-
ground of the designer. By understanding his background, you will understand
that Free Speech is a serious exploration into the ways that computers can
help us communicate. The designer has been working on computers and related
communications systems for about 16 years. Over the years, he has partici-
pated in many projects. Here is a partial list:
1975: Co-promoted a popular public conferencing system.
1980: Wrote Montreal's first computer-hobbyist "broadcast" program (BBS).
1981: Became involved with Montreal's fledgling BBS community.
1982: Designed a computer-hobbyist telecomputing system.
1984: Started Canada's first coast-to-coast consumer telecomputing service.
1986: Wrote the Pyroto Mountain Gaming BBS. Installations throughout the
world.
Designed the SASSy BBS Experiment, which led to Free Speech.
Participated in design of experimental BBS systems ITS & Infinity.
1988: Wrote Sapphire, the first truly Zero-Maintenance BBS. Installations
throughout the world.
Over the years, the designer has also created numerous shareware products not
mentioned here, and in so doing made Pinnacle Software one of the most
prolific producers of shareware.
We wish, therefore, to stress that the designer strongly believes in Free
Speech -- not to mention free speech as a concept. (The designer has for
several years been an activitist in the struggle to restore the rights of
Quebec's English-speaking minority. In Quebec, it is against the law to put
up a commercial sign in English.)
Free Speech may not be what you expected, but do not dismiss it because of
its simplicity. Free Speech is a very carefully designed BBS. The simplic-
ity is the very thing that makes it so powerful.
2
Features
Free Speech is designed for conversation. Its streamlined design can provide
a far higher throughput of conversation than any other single-line interac-
tive BBS. As such, it provides the following capabilities:
-- Read public text
-- Write public text
-- Write private text for system operator
These are conducted in the simplest way possible, ensuring that the user can
read, write, then log off. No time is wasted.
Free Speech is also potentially anonymous. Each user is instantly able to
post messages a few seconds after connecting. It is up to the user to decide
if his or her identity is relevant. By providing this ability to be anony-
mous, Free Speech guarantees the right to Free Speech and the freedom from
fear that sometimes compromises one's ability to talk openly.
3
INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
Quick-Install
If you have a 2400-baud Hayes-compatible modem on COM1, you can have Free
Speech up and running in about a minute by following these steps:
1. Copy the files into a directory named C:\FREE
2. Type FREE
3. Pick a message-file size
4. Your BBS is now online.
If you have problems, try the Detailed Installation (described next), or skip
ahead to the Trouble-Shooting guide.
Detailed Installation
If you do not have the hardware described above, or if you run into problems,
you can do a more detailed installation as follows:
1. Copy the files into a directory
2. Type FREE SETUP
3. Answer the configuration questions
4. Type FREE
5. Pick a message-file size.
6. Your BBS is now online.
Configuration Items
Configuration Items
___________________
The following items can be configured:
1. Communications port (i.e. COM1 or COM2)
2. Modem initialization string
3. Maximum baud-rate of the modem (300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200 etc.)
4. Shut-down hour (see explanation below)
5. Maximum number of lines that may be posted per visit
4
6. Maximum number of minutes per visit
7. Command letters; we strongly urge that these be left the way they are,
in order that all Free Speech systems work the same way, but non-English
installations may find the suggested letters inappropriate.
In order of appearance, the commands are:
? = Help S = Search O = Off | = Chat request - = Ultramode
The sixth command, at installation time, is a semi-colon (;), but a
semi-colon is a special "non-command" character. The sixth command is
used to jump from Free Speech to another BBS. For details, see "Mode
2 -- Front-End".
8. Control password. This is the password used to enter Ultramode. See
Commands Summary for details.
9. Keyclick. With Keyclick on, you can hear people typing. When a visitor
to Free Speech types, you'll hear it. When you type, you'll hear that,
too.
In our experience, most established sysops like the idea of Keyclick.
Computer neophytes (who already expect screens to make clicking sounds!)
also react favourably to Keyclick.
However, most veteran BBSers and computer experts find the idea totally
absurd!
Keyclick is one of those ideas that you either love or hate. For this
reason, it has been made configurable; you can turn it off if you want
to.
We know that from a purely "logical" point of view, Keyclick seems
silly; computer screens don't have to click. But don't wonder about it;
try it. We think you may like it.
Shut-Down Hour
Shut-Down Hour
______________
If you are not already running a BBS, you can skip this section.
You may find that, like many sysops, you like Free Speech but also wish to
run a more traditional BBS. In such case, you can program your BBS to run
Free Speech as an "Event". (For an explanation of Events, see Pinnacle
Software's Sapphire installation manual)
5
In this mode, your regular BBS would shut down at a specified hour -- say, 1
in the afternoon, and run Free Speech until a specified hour -- say, 7 at
night.
When specifying the shutdown hour, express the time on a 24-hour clock. For
example:
6:00 AM = 6 Noon = 12 11:00 PM = 23 Midnight = 0
6
TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE
TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE
If your installation went smoothly, you can skip this section.
Modem Problems
1. If you had the problem while running in LOCAL mode, then your problem
wasn't the modem; skip this section.
2. If you have an older Hayes-compatible modem, with Hayes-compatible
switches, make sure your switches are set this way:
Switch 1 UP: Computer should use the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) line
Switch 2 UP: Result codes sent as words
Switch 3 DOWN: Result codes are sent to the computer
Switch 4 UP: Echo incoming characters
Switch 5 DOWN: Don't answer incoming calls
Switch 6 UP: Computer should use the Carrier Detect (CD) line
The positions of switches 7 and 8 are variable, depending on your phone
type and your modem brand. Consult your modem's manual to determine
what should be done with these switches.
Newer modems don't have DIP switches; you have to configure the modem
using commands. In this case, you will have to accomplish with commands
what we were trying to do with the switches. For Hayes-compatible
modems, these commands are preceded by the "&" character (&C1&D2 being
the usual values).
3. If you have an external modem, are you sure that pins 8 and 20 are con-
nected from one end of the cable to the other? These are, respectively,
the Carrier Detect and Data Terminal Ready signals. Are you sure that
pins 2 and 3 lead to socket 2 and 3 on the other end? On some cables
(known as Null Modem cables), these two are reversed, which will prevent
the BBS from being able to talk to the modem.
4. Be sure to carefully check the modem initialization string specified by
the command FREE SETUP. The X3 may have to be replaced by X4 or
something to that effect. Refer to your modem's manual for details.
5. Some computers and modems just can't survive running 24 hours per day.
If your system occasionally crashes, try turning it off for an hour a
day. It may be necessary to install a cooling fan in the computer unit
and remove the back panel of the modem.
7
6. Never overlook the obvious. Check your cables and so on. Is everything
plugged in solidly?
7. If you have any other devices that use a serial port, such as a mouse,
make sure that you are not both trying to use the same serial address.
A typical installation places the BBS on COM1 and the mouse on COM2. If
you try to put both on COM1, neither will work reliably.
8. When all else fails, try borrowing a modem from somebody. This can
sometimes shed light on the source of the problem.
Other Problems
Please refer to the "Notices" section at the front of this manual for a
description of support procedures for both registered and unregistered
sysops.
8
OPERATION
OPERATION
Maintenance
The Free Speech program is completely maintenance-free. Once you start it
up, it can be left alone indefinitely.
At least once after installation, it is a good idea to run a disk defrag-
menter program to ensure that the message file is contiguous. This will
improve performance.
Sysop Functions
The following functions are available to the sysop:
FUNCTION
KEY DESCRIPTION OF FUNCTION
-------- -----------------------------------------------------------------
F1 Display function key help
F3 Decrease user's online time by 10 minutes
F4 Increase user's online time by 10 minutes
F6 Break in to "chat" with the user; enter E on a null line to quit
F10 Turn on or off sound-effects
ALT-F1 Turn on or off printer
ALT-F2 Turn on or off communications to "hide" actions from caller
ALT-F5 No posting; display only sign-on logo (F-LOGO.TXT) then disconnect
ALT-F6 Bias message analyser to reject the message currently being typed
ALT-F9 Shut down BBS when user is finished
ALT-F10 Shut down BBS as soon as user hits Enter
The ALT-F2 key is included mostly because it is part of our serial routines.
Pinnacle Software has designed a "shell" that is appropriate to most BBS and
door applications. Write for details... We can't think of a use for ALT-F2
on Free Speech, but if you need it, you've got it!
ALT-F5 was included against our better judgement. As of this writing, we've
been test-running the current version of Free Speech for around two months,
and we have never used ALT-F5 (except to ensure that it works). As we
explain in the appendices, it is impossible to apply effective censorship to
a Free Speech board, since it simply encourages certain types of people to
redouble their efforts to post something that annoys you.
9
The Status Line
When somebody is connected to Free Speech, the upper line of the screen
provides some information about the system.
At the left of this line appear the words "Time Left", followed by a number.
This is the number of minutes the user has remaining for this call. You can
alter this number with F3 (Remove time) and F4 (Add more time).
On the right side of the status line are "status icons". These are charac-
ters that reflect the current state of the system. These are as follows:
Infinity Sign: The current user is in Ultramode ("dash" command)
Double-note: Sound-effects are enabled (disable with F10 key)
Two-headed arrow: Communications is enabled (toggle with ALT-F2)
Down-arrow: The BBS will close when this user gets off (ALT-F9)
Down-triangle: The BBS is being shut down immediately (ALT-F10)
The letter P: All input and output is being printed (ALT-F1)
The letter R: The current message will be rejected (ALT-F6)
The Message Header
Messages are preceded with some basic information, such as the line number,
and the time and date when they were written. (The last two are omitted if
you are running Free Speech as a door, in order to enhance the anonymity.)
If you are connecting from the console, however, you see some additional
information:
1. The user's baud-rate
2. Whether color was selected (a little box appears after baud-rate)
3. Whether the computer type "PC" was selected (PC appears if so)
4. The lines per screen
5. The line from which he started reading (if a number was typed)
6. The first "Search Text" he typed, if any
7. WPM (Words Per Minute) and DEV (Speed Deviation) statistics
10
WPM is the speed at which the user types. DEV shows how constant his typing
speed was. DEV is actually the difference between the highest (or lowest)
value and the average speed. Thus, if somebody types one of his lines with a
macro key, you might see something like WPM 50 DEV 350. This is not to say
that he typed at 350 words per minute, but that on a least one line, this
speed was attained.
Translate Tables
Free Speech provides "translate tables" that allow IBM-PC users to post
special characters and have these translated intelligibly for those who use
non-IBM-PC computers. This enables IBM-PC users to use Free Speech in any
language that uses accents, while retaining compatibility with all terminal
programs that use standard ASCII. Graphics characters, too, are translated
in a reasonable manner.
For example, if an IBM-PC user transmits the character for a diacritical "e"
(characters decimal 136, 137 and 138 are examples), a non-IBM-PC machine will
receive an ordinary "e" character (decimal 101).
Similarly, the IBM line-drawing characters are translated into dashes and
colons.
Customization
Text that the users might see is contained in the various TXT files. There
are two kinds of files: the DIALOG.TXT file and the F-*.TXT files. All of
these files can be modified with a text editor, such as EDLIN, or a program-
mer's editor, or your word-processor in "DOS Text" (non-document) mode.
DIALOG.TXT
DIALOG.TXT
__________
This is a list of all the prompts and short bits of text that Free Speech
presents to the user. It can be modified with a standard text editor, such
as a programmer's editor, or a word-processor in "DOS Text" mode. The text
of individual lines can be changed, but you must not insert extra lines.
Here is a list of some of the critical lines in DIALOG.TXT:
11
LINE DESCRIPTION
---- -----------
41 Yes, No, Forward, Reverse characters
43 Ultramode command characters
58 Graphic frill used for message header during door operation
63 Alternate language control
64 Alternate language control
65 Alternate language control
The other lines in the file are self-explanatory.
The regular command letters are changed via FREE SETUP.
F-*.TXT
F-*.TXT
_______
These are known as the Display Files. They are called at various points in a
Free Speech session. When this happens, you will see the file name displayed
on the right-hand side of the screen.
Display Files give you quite extensive control of color. A demonstration of
the display codes is provided in the file F-SAMPLE.TXT.
Alternate Language Support
Alternate Language Support
__________________________
As shipped, Free Speech comes with three "languages": English, French and
"Silly". These can be used as is, or may serve to demonstrate how Free
Speech can offer the user a choice of three languages.
For regular operation, Free Speech text is contained in files with the .TXT
extension. However, if the user selects French, Free Speech will get its
text from a .FRE file whenever possible and use the .TXT file only if it
can't find a .FRE file.
The operation of this feature is controlled by lines 63, 64 and 65 of the
DIALOG.TXT file.
Line 63 indicates how many languages there are, and the character the user
must press to select a given language. As shipped, the line starts with the
letters "EFS", for "English, French & Silly". You can eliminate the "Silly"
option by changing it to read "EF", or support English-only by changing it to
read "E" only. (If only one letter is specified, the user will not be asked
to choose a language.)
12
Line 64 specifies the file extensions for choices #2 and #3. As shipped,
these are FRE (for French) and SIL (for "Silly"). The extensions must be
three characters long and start in columns 1 and 5 respectively.
Line 65 is the prompt that the user will see when he logs on.
If you translate the various text files, we would appreciate having a copy.
If the language you supply is not already in our collection, you will obtain
a free upgrade of Free Speech. Please take great care to ensure that the
translation is grammatically correct.
13
Commands Summary
Commands Summary
? Help
This command displays the article in the file F-HELP.TXT. This usually
provides people with sufficient information to use Free Speech.
However, if Free Speech sees the user floundering (repeated blank lines or
incorrect commands), it will offer him or her another article by asking, "Do
you want an explanation of how this system works?" The text of this tutorial
is found in F-HELP2.TXT.
Both text files may be modified by a text editor.
S Search
This command lets the user search backwards from the last line. If he
searches for his distinctive sign-off (e.g. "Bye-bye from Rabbit!"), he can
easily return to where he left off reading (assuming he posted something on
their last call).
Some users, when they're not up to typing a whole message, leave a one-line
comment known as a "Bookmark". A bookmark does not add much in the way of
content, but it does enable the others to see who has dropped by, and enables
that caller to find his or her place on returning to Free Speech.
O Off
This command disconnects the user and starts up the message analyser. Unlike
the message analyser in Pinnacle's "Pyroto Mountain" software, the Free
Speech analyser does not judge the quality of what is written -- just its
intelligibility. If the message is judged to be incomprehensible, it is
rejected.
Since the analyser is not content-oriented, its algorithms should function
successfully with most languages that can be represented in ASCII.
| Chat
This command buzzes at the console to let you know that somebody wants to
type to you. For the peace of mind of the sysop, if the user tries to buzz
you more than 3 times per call, he or she will be disconnected.
14
- Ultramode
The "Ultramode" command ("-") allows you to delete or change text. To get
into Ultramode, enter a dash at the > prompt, then type your control pass-
word. When you first install Free Speech, this password is PINNSOFT, but we
strongly urge you to change it immediately, to protect your system from
unauthorized tampering. (The password may be changed by starting up Free
Speech with the command FREE SETUP.)
Ultramode should be used not only with discretion but even with caution:
during our two-year design study, we discovered that if offensive text was
erased, it brought about even more offensive text. We understand that
different sysops have different levels of tolerance for nonsense and
scatology, but in our experience, it has been far preferable to let people be
their own censors by skipping messages that offend them. Surely we can only
encourage free speech by letting people take the responsibility for free
listening!
There is a sysop-oriented privilege that can be attained only at the console:
the ability to type the vertical-bar character (ASCII 124 HEX 7C). By
including the "Verty-Bar" in your message, you can prove that you are indeed
the sysop!
B BBS
The sixth command in the command-list (as seen by FREE SETUP) is normally set
to a semi-colon (;), which prevents it from being used. (Any command can be
eliminated in this way. For example, you could use this method to remove the
chat command.)
The B command terminates Free Speech and exits with an error code correspon-
ding to the baud rate. For more information about this feature, see Appendix
A "Mode 1 -- Front End".
In Door mode (Mode 6), the B command (if available) simply acts like the O
(Off) command.
15
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Color
If you have a color adaptor and monochrome display, you may have trouble
seeing some of the characters. You can tell Free Speech (and other programs)
that you can't display color by using this DOS command:
MODE BW80
EGA and VGA Support
Free Speech has been tested briefly in 43- and 50- line mode, but we did not
install it in this version. If you have a video-setting program (such as
Pinnacle Software's SV program), you can put your screen into this mode and
run Free Speech. It should perform properly.
19200 Baud
This version of Free Speech has not been tested at 19200 baud. If you find
it has problems at this speed, or require some additional programming for it
to function with your modem, please drop us a line, giving us as much
technical information about your modem as possible.
Gear Shift
Users can alter output speed by pressing a digit key. 1 is slowest, 9 is
very fast, and 0 is top speed. This feature is not documented in the online
help.
16
Disk Caches
Free Speech seems to have problems with at least one disk cache software,
known as CACHE-AT. If you find that Free Speech terminates with a "Run Time
Error 202", and you're using a disk cache, try running it without the cache.
In general, if you have strange problems with any program, you should try
running it without any TSR's (i.e. pop-ups), caches and spoolers.
17
HISTORY
HISTORY
Free Speech is based on a Pinnacle Software design study for "an unusual BBS-
like service" known as "The SASSy" (Stark And Simple System).
The design of The SASSy has already been discussed in detail elsewhere, and
it is not our intention to cover it again. However, the various documents
relating to The SASSy contain some comments that are worth repeating.
Design Rationale
(From "Technical Specification for The SASSy", August 1986)
Why Simple?
While the sparse design of the SASSy does place the burden of record-keeping
upon the user, it DOES guarantee ABSOLUTE ANONYMITY. People are free to ex-
press themselves in total security. The results are guaranteed to be rather
startling, if not sometimes shocking.
You can expect childishness, impersonations, rage, impotent threats and --
most important -- a completely open forum for opinions.
Since there is no validation required, your job as Sysop is easy. You need
only sit back and enjoy the show.
Why Stark?
In itself, the SASSy has absolutely no "personality" as a program. It is so
low-key in doing its job that the user will never think about it.
Thus, the landscape becomes decorated with the people and whatever fantastic
personae they happen to dream up. Experience has shown that people make
a better background than a program does. If you can't immediately
understand this, perhaps the SASSy will serve to show you this principle.
To quote Marshall McLuhan: "The medium is the message". By de-frilling the
medium, we may be able to learn something about the message.
18
Message-Handling Technique
(From "Technical Specification for The SASSy", August 1986)
The user does not actually type into the line-storage area but into temporary
line memory of twenty lines, in order to facilitate some garbage processing:
1) Repeated blank lines are stored in temp line memory as one blank line.
2) Single- and double-character lines are not stored in temp line memory.
3) When the user logs off, calculate the average line-length. If it is
more than 7 (less than that implying deliberate noise), copy temp
line memory into the permanent line-memory (on disk) which is usually
a relative-record type random-access file. You may wish to also keep
the last hundred or so lines in memory, to improve performance.
4) If you copied in the lines, update the "last line" pointer, and save
that information on disk, also.
5) Make the SASSy ready for the next call.
Two-Month Report
(From "Report on The SASSy" -- January 1987)
Before releasing the spec for SASSy, we wanted to be sure that the idea was
workable. We've beta-tested the concept in Montreal, and we can now state
that SASSy is a marvelous addition to any BBS community.
NOTE: While Ord Millar was running this test, he very seldom wrote anything
on the board, himself. This is as it should be, since he didn't want to
"colour" the results by invoking the authority of the Sysop.
Throughput
Ord Millar brought up SASSy on Nov. 1st, 1986. One month later, he counted
11,000 lines of text. On a typical bulletin board, that's like 40 bulletins
per day.
19
We achieved this respectable throughput largely because SASSy is so simple.
There's no sign-on procedure and there are no message headers, logon bul-
letins, sub-section switching, operator page, and all the other baggage that
makes people spend time on a BBS.
The nemesis of any BBS is the type of person who just reads and contributes
nothing. On SASSy, the problem is minimized. Once the person has read all
the new text, there's nothing left to do. He simply logs off and lets the
next person get on.
There were a few things with which we had to deal...
Uploading
Within a few days, Ord realized that he'd have to do something to prevent
automated uploading of text. Some rascal had set up his communications
program to call, over and over again, to upload the same file.
So, he kept track of the timing between characters. It is impossible for a
typist to type at a perfectly steady rate, so if all the characters are
received with inter-character delays that are within a few milliseconds of
each other, then you know it's a program. If more than 75% of the lines ex-
hibit this timing characteristic, Ord's SASSy simply ignores the message.
This does mean that people can't upload prepared messages, but our experi-
ience with another system (the original Pyroto Mountain BBS/Game) suggested
that people don't do this very often, anyway.
Of course, a clever person could create a program that can upload with
random delays, but clever people usually have better things to do than
harass
a BBS.
Parrots
Some people also called up to type the same few lines, over and over. This
problem is largely self-correcting, since it is very labour-intensive. But
Ord included a backwards scan to check for duplication.
Ord maintains a buffer of recent lines. Since most people only go back a
few dozen lines, this technique speeds up SASSy considerably. This buffer
can also be used for an efficient backwards scan.
Pranksters
A few people did the inevitable: they posted phone numbers and asked people
to make prank calls. This trend died out quickly (although there is one
person who is still trying).
20
The reason that the pranksters fail is three-fold.
(1) Most people aren't by nature prank callers.
(2) The SASSop (SASSy Operator) and some of the users mention, from time to
time, that no phone-numbers or names can be believed. This can be made
more compelling by mentioning that somebody might be trying to get you
to "prank" the local police station!
(3) This kind of "indirect" pranking accomplishes nothing. We pointed out
to the pranksters that, if they wanted to prank the number, why didn't
they simply do it, themselves?
Still, it is possible that in some communities (particularly those without a
reasonably mature base of users) that SASSy could cause some problems. But
we were astounded to discover that it caused no problems whatsoever in our
field trial, simply because the act [of posting phone numbers] is so self-
evidently ineffective. The users don't CARE about pranking somebody they
don't know. (It's a fact that most prank calls are NOT made by strangers.)
Obscenity
We expected it. We got it. What we DIDN'T expect is that we didn't get
MUCH of it. A few people had fun showing us their repetory of risque voca-
bulary, but they quickly realized that NOBODY GAVE A HOOT! Again, there is
one person (yes, the same one) who hasn't gotten the point, but he has
become part of the landscape. As one user pointed out, "You can't have a
picnic without ants!"
Threats
We haven't seen any. Perhaps it's hard to threaten somebody when you're
not even sure if he is who he's claiming to be.
Confusion
Some users get confused. Not many and not for long. If you can operate
a tape recorder, you can probably operate SASSy.
Impersonations
People had a great time, pretending to be somebody else. However, since the
whole SASSy community operates in a state of disbelief, it doesn't amount to
much. I myself was imitated many times, but nobody believed I would say all
those things. Eventually, the mimic DID manage to convince people that he
was me by posting messages that not only LOOKED like mine, but BEHAVED like
mine. I thanked him for saving me the effort of posting, and that was that.
21
Insults and Accusations
There were plenty of these, too. But once again, the nature of SASSy saved
the day. Nobody took things too seriously. The insults didn't go away, but
they began to resemble "playing the dozens", so the users enjoyed them.
Even the most vitriolic insult was soon turned into farce by our playful
SASSy users.
Conversation
To our surprise, there was a LOT of high-quality conversation on SASSy.
People were calling in with their usual nick-name [i.e. alias, pseudo or
handle]. They didn't really crave the anonymity, but they did like the
streamlined design of SASSy, which enabled them to read, write and go.
They also liked the way that you could search through previous messages
while writing. This made it easier to remember exactly what somebody had
said.
News
We were also surprised that several items of news, important to Montreal's
BBSing community, were first revealed on SASSy. People seemed to know intu-
itively what was faked and what was real. We're still trying to figure this
one out!
Observations
SASSy is like CB radio. You are insulated from your listeners, so you have
a lot of freedom. But even the worst scoundrel will simply go away if he is
ignored. (Due to the speed of the "F" function on SASSy, it's a lot easier
to ignore somebody on SASSy than on CB radio.)
We've had some good results. The person who was plaguing the system with
uploads was asked nicely, "Since you're anonymous, why don't you tell us why
you're doing this?" In perfect safety, he told us. He must have thought
about it, because after only one more "attack", he stopped.
Somebody once told me, "I used to love BBSing because it was anonymous. But
once I started associating myself with my 'alias', I just wasn't anonymous
any more. So I stopped calling."
SASSy preserves that thrill of being able to express yourself in safety. It
does not REPLACE traditional BBS's, but adds something by taking something
away -- your name. A traditional BBS might have a "No Name" board, but
still, the Sysop knows who you are.
SASSy is free speech. [From this line did we derive the name.]
22
Two-Year Report
The "Wrap-Up Report on The SASSy" (written in January, 1988) was a bit more
critical of the experiment, citing a continued lack of social cohesiveness on
The SASSy. However, a later experiment by the same team (in a study known as
"The FBBS Experiment") showed that the sysop can exert a tremendous influence
on the direction that a board takes -- even in seemingly uncontrolled
environments such as The SASSy.
At first, The SASSy experiment successfully employed the technique of a
largely absentee sysop. In the second year, however, there was an attempt to
provide a policing capability which became known as the "watchdog functions".
This turned out to be a mistake, inasmuch as The SASSy was an ideal form for
free speech and the "watchdog functions" (possessed by only a few reliable
individuals) had the effect of taking away the free speech; perhaps not in
practice, but for many the threat negated most of the attraction of The
SASSy.
Conclusion
Further discussion of The SASSy, and review of the logs, has led us to
conclude that with a gentle hand, the sysop can maintain the free-speech
aspect of the board while still maintaining a forum that is interesting in
its humanity, if not always erudite.
The FBBS experiment lasted only a few months. It was a BBS run in the
complete and utter absence of a sysop from the very first day. No user knew
who was running the board, or why. The BBS software had virtually all
character stripped away, leaving only an empty shell. But while the board
received a lot of messages, it quickly devolved into "lowest-common-denomina-
tor" traffic.
The Free Speech software puts together the lessons learned from these and
other experiments. While it can not be predicted what precise path your Free
Speech board will take (since that turns out to depend more on the sysop than
upon the software), it can certainly provide you with an endless source of
delight, frustration, points to ponder, and (as long as you keep a free-
wheeling, positive attitude) a lot of laughter.
23
FREE SPEECH NEWS
FREE SPEECH NEWS
This section of the manual is new, as of Version 3.10. Here, the author of
Free Speech (who also runs a Free Speech board) will comment on the upgrades,
reply to common questions, and muse about the Free Speech concept.
Version 3.10
PROPAGANDA VERSUS FREE SPEECH
Free Speech, in one form or another, has been running in Montreal since
Spring of 1986. While I thought we'd seen everything, we recently encoun-
tered a situation that for a short time actually made me question the idea of
totally free speech.
Our board was visited by a fellow who wished to prove that a particular
category of human beings were to be despised and even eliminated from the
face of the Earth. What set this apart from similar cases is that the fellow
was a storehouse of information that apparently proved what he was saying.
Although one user (after much research) came up with counter-arguments,
everybody was astonished that we could be so manipulated.
It occured to me that Free Speech could be used by propaganda artists to whom
deception is second nature. It is one thing to run a board that might expose
people to spicey language or obtuse hang-ups. It is quite another to provide
an unimpeded outlet for propaganda of any kind.
Rather than cutting off the fellow in question, I explained that his material
was generating so much related message traffic that it appeared that my BBS
was becoming a "One Topic Board". I explained to him how a narrow focus had
ruined another BBS I had run. Then I asked him to terminate the subject in
two weeks.
He retains his free speech, though, because I invited him back in 12 months,
and assured him that at that time I will let him take up his subject for
another 30 days. I fully intend to live up to that promise.
As I see it, free speech means that you have a fair chance to get your
message across, but it does NOT mean that you can speak whenever or wherever
you want. An extremely zealous person could turn your Free Speech board into
his or her personal broadcasting system. This is not fair to you or to
anybody else.
24
APPENDIX A -- Operational Modes
APPENDIX A -- Operational Modes
OVERVIEW: This chapter describes the various ways in which you can use Free
Speech.
Mode 1 -- Stand-Alone BBS
This is the mode discussed throughout most of this manual. In this mode,
Free Speech will be running 24 hours per day. If this is your first instal-
lation of Free Speech, the following steps are not necessary. However, if
you are changing from one mode (example: Front-End) to this mode (i.e.
Stand-alone) it is a good idea to check your settings.
To fully configure for this mode, start up Free Speech with this command:
FREE SETUP
1. When asked for the "closing hour", specify 25. This means "Never
closes".
2. When presented with the list of command letters, eliminate the sixth
command (jump to BBSing) by replacing it with a semi-colon.
You will change it to something like this: ?SO|-;
Any command can be eliminated in this manner, by replacing its letter
with a semi-colon.
3. When asked if you want to save the changes, press Y for Yes.
4. To start up the board, type FREE
Mode 2 -- Announcer Board
In this mode, Free Speech will simply answer the phone, play back the
contents of the file F-LOGO.TXT, and hang up. You could use this to run a
"Coming Events" service. Another application is to explain to people that
your regular BBS is out-of-service, perhaps due to a hard drive failure. You
can run Announcer Mode using only a single floppy disk drive.
To start up Free Speech in Announcer mode, enter FREE at the DOS Prompt.
Once it is waiting for visitors, press the ALT-F5 key. Every caller after
that will see only the F-LOGO.TXT file.
25
To turn off Announcer mode and resume standard operation (i.e. let people
enter Free Speech commands), press ALT-F5 again, or press ALT-F10 to close
down the board completely.
Mode 3 -- BBS front-end
In this mode, a sysop can continue to run his traditional BBS, but offer Free
Speech as a moment's diversion before entering.
After Free Speech answers the modem, the user can use all the regular Free
Speech commands. He or she can then enter the B command to enter the main
BBS, or the O command to disconnect.
If you decide to operate Free Speech as a front-end, you should modify the
file F-LOGO.TXT to list a menu. For example:
ENTER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING...
B -- START UP BBS
? -- Display front-end commands
This will allow the curious to find out more, while ensuring that the less
inquisitive can go directly to the standard BBS.
You must then install the B command, using FREE SETUP. When presented with a
list of command letters, replace the sixth command (jump to BBS) with a B.
Your list will look something like this: ?SO|-B
Running Free Speech in this mode will not provide the same atmosphere as a
stand-alone board, but it will still provide your users with some entertain-
ment and variety, in the form of a "Grafitti Wall".
When the user enters the B command, Free Speech ends with a DOS errorlevel
set according to the baud-rate. The errorlevels are as follows:
20 - Console
25 - 300 baud
30 - 1200 baud
35 - 2400 baud
40 - 4800 baud
45 - 9600 baud
50 - 19200 baud
You can use these errorlevels to control a batch file. The following example
shows how you would make Free Speech a front-end for a hypothetical BBS that
accepts this kind of information as a command-line parameter
26
ECHO OFF
:AGAIN
FREE
IF ERRORLEVEL 50 GOTO X50
IF ERRORLEVEL 45 GOTO X45
IF ERRORLEVEL 40 GOTO X40
.
.
etc.
.
.
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO QUIT
.
.
.
:X50
SUPERBBS 19200
GOTO AGAIN
:X45
SUPERBBS 9600
:X40
SUPERBBS 4800
.
.
etc.
.
.
:QUIT
ECHO Returning to DOS...
Remember to check the highest errorlevels first, because the "IF ERRORLEVEL"
facility checks for the specified number or higher. See your DOS manual for
details about "IF ERRORLEVEL".
A sample front-end file is available in the file FRONT.BAT.
Mode 4 -- Modem-handler
If you have an idea for a dial-up program but would like to avoid the task of
writing modem-control routines, you can use Free Speech in a variation on its
"BBS Front-End" mode (described above).
At least one BBS author that we know (beside the author of Free Speech) has
stated that reliable, accomodating modem control is one of the most difficult
aspects of writing a dial-up service.
27
In the long run, it is generally best to integrate your own modem control
with your dial-up program. With Free Speech, though, you can put aside this
time-consuming programming task and get the beta-testing of the main program
underway first.
Mode 5 -- Night-time Alternate
HINT: For a detailed discussion of event-processing, with examples, see
Pinnacle Software's operations manual for the Sapphire BBS.
Most BBS programs allow the sysop to create "Events". Events are tasks that
are performed by shutting down your BBS at a scheduled time, and running a
another program. When that program ends, your BBS is restarted. A typical
use for "Events" is to perform maintenance chores on BBS files.
Pinnacle Software BBS products are Zero-Maintenance, so they do not require
these shut-down periods. But there are other uses for Events. They can back
up important files or ... run a different BBS!
Free Speech is an ideal "after midnight" BBS. Its unstructured nature makes
it perfect for the kinds of conversation that go on "after the witching
hour".
To make this capability possible, the Free Speech setup procedure (invoked by
typing FREE SETUP at start-up time) allows you to specify a "shut-down time".
This is the time when the Free Speech program will end, returning control to
your regular BBS. A 24-hour clock is used, so ...
6 = 6:00 AM 12 = Noon 23 = One hour before midnight
Each BBS product has its own way of calling up event programs, so we can not
give an example that will apply to all BBS's. The main thing to remember is
that there is a "loop" involved, in this general form:
Step 1. The regular BBS program starts up and runs until ...
Step 2. At a given time (say, 1:00 AM), the BBS determines it is time to
run an Event that you had previously defined to it.
Step 3. The BBS ends and/or calls up Free Speech.
Step 4. At the "shut-down time" specified during FREE SETUP (say, 6:00 AM),
Free Speech ends.
Step 5. The whole process starts again at Step 1.
28
Some BBS products allow you to call Free Speech directly and will continue
running after the program ends. In some other BBS products, you will have to
write a batch (.BAT) file. The documentation for your regular BBS will guide
you here.
Mode 6 -- Door Operation
HINT: For a detailed discussion of doors, with examples, see Pinnacle
Software's operations manual for the Sapphire BBS.
NOTE: Free Speech does not currently operate on multi-line systems.
You may wish to restrict access to Free Speech by running it as a "door".
This gives people a way to express their opinions semi-anonymously, but
allows you to control who can use the service.
In an ideal world, Free Speech would be at its best when run without any
controls. But many sysops will decide that -- for their BBS community --
Free Speech runs better with a bit of supervision.
Free Speech can run "underneath" another BBS, as a door. A door is a program
that is called by a BBS program, on request by the user. When the door
program ends, the user is returned to the BBS.
Each BBS product has its own way of calling up doors, so we can not give an
example that will apply to all BBS's. The main thing to remember is that
when Free Speech is called, it must be informed that it is a "door", so it
will start and end without configuring the modem.
To start up Free Speech as a door, call it this way:
FREE DOOR
This command may go in a batch file, or be entered directly into your BBS,
depending on your main BBS software.
When run as a door, Free Speech does not specify the time and date of each
post (unless you have connected at the console). This enhances the anonymity
of each user of Free Speech.
29
APPENDIX B -- How to Become a Free Speech Distributor
APPENDIX B -- How to Become a Free Speech Distributor
Any registered owner of a Pinnacle Software product can order the Free Speech
distribution kit. Others can order the kit for $12. The kit includes:
-- A specially marked copy of Free Speech
-- Instructions for locating software that came from YOU
All you have to do is pass around your specially marked copy. Whenever we
get a registration via the Easy-mailer, we'll know it came from you. We will
send you a cheque for HALF THE REGISTRATION COST.
The registration fee for Free Speech is currently $25. So if you upload your
specially marked copy to a few bulletin boards, and it results in two
registrations, you'll receive $25 for less than 5 minutes' work!
That's like earning $300 per hour!
If you're the first person to get Free Speech on a really BIG system, who
knows how much you'll make?
Has making money ever been so easy?
30
INDEX
INDEX
Can't find it here? Check the Table of Contents.
; 5, 15 DIALOG.TXT 11
& Commands 7 DIP Switches
19200 16 Modem 7
43-line mode 16 Directory
50-line mode 16 C:\FREE 4
Accents 11 Disk cache 17
Address Display Files 12
Pinnacle Software 1 Distributer 30
Announcer 25 Door 10, 29
Anonymity 3, 18, 22 B Command 15
Arrow 10 DOS 1
ASCII 11 Down-arrow 10
Assistance ii DTR 7
B command 26 EGA 16, 17, 24
Baud-rate 4 English 2
BBS's 1 Event 5, 28
Bookmark 14 F-*.TXT 11
Borland ii F-HELP.TXT 14
Box 10 F-HELP2.TXT 14
Bug fixes iii F-LOGO.TXT 9, 25
Bulletin Board Systems 1 F-SAMPLE.TXT 12
BW80 16 FBBS iii
CACHE-AT 17 Features 3
Canada 2 Forward 12
Carrier Detect 7 FRE extension 12
CD 7 FREE SETUP 4, 12, 15, 25
Censorship 9 French 12
Change Front End 15
User text 15 FRONT.BAT 27
Chat 5, 9, 14 Front-end 26
Removal of command 15 Front-End". 5
Closing hour 25 Function keys 9
Color 16 Gear Shift 16, 17, 24
COM1 4 Graphics 11
COM2 4 Hayes 4
Command letters 5, 12, 25 Hayes modem 7
Control password 5, 15 Heat 7
Copyright ii Help 5, 9, 14
Crash 7 HELPME ii
Data Terminal Ready 7 History 16, 18, 24
Defragmenter 9 Icons 10
Delete Infinity 2, 10
User text 15 Initialization 4
Design study 2, 15 Installation 4
DEV 10 Assistance ii
Diacritical 11 Internal ID iii
31
ITS 2 Sapphire 1, 2, 5
Keyclick 5 SASSy ii, iii, 2
Language 11, 14 Definition 18
Line-drawing 11 Search 5, 14
Logo 9 Search Text 10
Maintenance 9 Semi-colon 5, 15
Message analyser 14 Shareware ii
Message-file size 4 Shut down 9
Modem 1, 4, 7 Shut-down hour 4, 5
Modem initialization 4 Shut-down time 28
Modem-handler 27 Sound-effects 9
Modes Stand-Alone 25
Summary 1 Status 10
Money 30 Support
Montreal 2 Registered Sysops iii
Multi-line 29 Unregistered ii
Night-time Alternate 28 Switch 7
No 12 Sysop 1, 15
Nodes 29 TechnoJocks ii
Non-command 5 Text editor 11, 14
Note 10 Time Left 10
Off 5, 14 Translate tables 11
Online time 9 Translation 13
PC 10 Turbo Pascal ii
Performance 9 Ultramode 5, 10, 12, 15
Pinnacle Software 2 Ultramode. 5
Port 4 Upgrade iii
Printer 9 Validation 18
Printing 10 Version iii
Pyroto 1, 2, 14 Versions ii
Quebec 2 Vertical-bar 15
Registration ii Verty-Bar 15
Reject 9, 10 VGA 16
Release iii WPM 10
Reverse 12 Yes 12
Run-Time Error Zero-Maintenance 2, 9, 28
202 17
32
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< DISK #2382 FREE SPEECH >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ To start FREE SPEECH, type: INSTALL ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
(c) Copyright 1990, PC-SIG Inc.
INSTALL.DOC
To install Free Speech, type INSTALL [Enter]
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #2382
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
INSTALL DOC 49 9-03-90 9:58p
INSTALL BAT 3333 8-31-90 2:23p
FREE S-D 362 8-28-90 8:04a
PKUNZIP EXE 35258 7-21-89 1:01a
QUERY COM 128 1-27-86 5:35a
FREE ZIP 120986 9-03-90 9:58p
GO BAT 24 10-03-90 1:40a
GO TXT 731 10-04-90 4:53a
FILE2382 TXT 1481 10-03-90 11:13a
9 file(s) 162352 bytes
153600 bytes free