         Welcome to the world of Bulletin Board systems or BBS for short.
     Using just your computer, modem and phone line, you can connect to
     the BBSes in your local area that are in the dialing directory of the
     communications program you will find on this disk.  The BBSes listed 
     have a variety of themes with a topic for every taste.  Some provide
     access to the Internet, free or low-cost Internet e-mail, some are
     connected to local, national or international networks of BBSes like
     Fidonet that allow you to communicate with people around the world 
     on a variety of topics.   You can get help with just about any question,
     discuss issues of importance to you and meet people who share your
     interests. BBSes also commonly offer exciting multi-player games and
     a variety of shareware or freeware games and programs available
     for downloading to your computer.

         BBSes are often run by hobbyists who provide everything free
     of charge. They are usually very easy to use once you are familiar 
     with them.  The first few times you call a BBS, you are going to 
     want to check out their help files to understand how to access all
     the various options available to you.  Once you are familiar with the 
     commands, you are ready to take part in the BBS.  

         When people first get a modem, it is not uncommon for them to try
     a few BBSes.  They look around and then never use the modem again
     because they didn't know how to navigate through the BBS menus. 
     The following sections should help you understand what you can expect
     to find on most BBSes, but every BBS has its own unique features and the 
     details will vary from BBS to BBS.  In general, BBBes that use the same
     software will work in a similar fashion.  When in doubt on what to do,
     look for a help menu, often activated by pressing "?" or "/" (except 
     for Citadel BBSes, where a "." calls for help). 
      
         BBSes are as diverse as the many different people who use them. 
     Both the Sysop and the users who call will set the "tone" for the 
     BBS through their active participation in the BBS.  There are small 
     hobbyist systems with only a few files or message areas, but usually 
     a very friendly atmosphere. And then there are large commercially-run 
     boards with many lines and more features than you could possibly 
     imagine.  While some boards offer features of interest to just about 
     everyone, others will be aimed at a particular group of people or 
     interests.  When you first become involved with bulletin board systems, 
     you should explore many different BBSes to find a few that you will 
     feel comfortable with.  Once you have found a few that you like, your 
     participation in the message bases or games will add to others'
     enjoyment as well as your own.

  
  GETTING STARTED ON BBSES
  -

         Before you can start to explore all of the features available
     on a BBS system, you must have a terminal or comm program installed 
     on your computer and configured to your modem.  A program called
     BananaCom is included on this diskette.  This program works with
     most PC-compatible computers and modems.

        If you prefer, you can use another comm program.  Some others are
     HyperTerm (comes with Win95) and Terminal (comes with Win3.x but is
     pretty clunky).  QuickLink, ComIt, and RapidComm are examples of
     programs that come with some new modems.  There are a few cheap modems
     that will only work with the particular software that they came with;
     if you have a "WinModem" or "RPI" modem, only use the software that
     came with it.  The instructions that follow assume you'll use
     BananaCom from this disk.

     Assuming this diskette is in your A: drive, to install BananaCom:
        from DOS:    At a C:> prompt, type A:INSTALL
        from Win3.x: File Run A:INSTALL
        from Win95:  Start Run A:INSTALL
     To run BananaCom from DOS, type BCOM.  To run it from Windows, click
     on the appropriate icon or menu item.

     Now you're ready to dial up a BBS of your choice from the dialing
     directory included in the program.  You can add or remove BBS from
     this directory.

     If you prefer to start with a blank dialing directory and only
     add certain numbers, after installation delete the file
     C:\MODEM\BCOM.TXT and just use the BBS Listing included on this
     diskette as a guide.  It has numbers for BBSes in the 314 Area
     Code.

     When you first connect to a new BBS system, you usually
     have to complete some sort of registration process.  Until you
     have completed this registration process, some or all of
     the features on the BBS will be unavailable to you.  Take heart,
     registration is usually very easy!  The operators of the BBS
     system (called Sysops for short) do so on their own time
     and budget. They require a bit of information from you - this
     allows them to protect their systems from people who might
     try to wreak havoc. The registration process can take one of
     many different forms. Sometimes you simply have to fill out a
     simple "registration" form.  Other times, you will be required
     to complete a "call back verification" (CBV) process.  Systems 
     requiring the call back verification have you hang up, and then
     will call your modem line to confirm that it has your correct data
     phone number.  All information given during the registration process
     is normally kept confidential by the Sysop and Co-Sysops.  If you
     have concerns about this, the system's policy will usually be stated
     either in the first screens you see when you call, or in a bulletin
     available for reading from the menu; or you can leave a message to the
     Sysop.  Sometimes there is a "recent caller" list that displays the
     logon name and city of the people who have called recently. 
     
      Sometimes the Sysop will give you a voice call back to check
     that you are who you say you are.  (S)He may also welcome you 
     to the BBS and answer any questions you might have.  When  you 
     first log onto the BBS as a new user, you will be given more
     detailed instructions as to the registration process.  Be sure to
     read this information - there can be some important notes you
     would have otherwise missed in here.

         Once you have been validated or verified on the BBS
     system, you will want to look at what is available. Explore the 
     various menus and choices that are available on the BBS, just to
     get a "feel" for what that system has to offer. If you haven't
     already been in touch with the Sysop, it is usually a nice
     gesture to leave her or him a message.   Most systems have an
     option called Feedback where you can introduce yourself and
     thank them for access to the system.  Don't be afraid to try
     things out, you won't break anything.

  
  WHAT'S EXPECTED OF YOU
  

         While there are no hard and fast rules as to what you
     should and should not do on a BBS, if you use your common
     sense and courtesy and think of yourself as a guest in your
     Sysop's home, you shouldn't have any troubles.  

      Here are a few suggestions that would probably be expected of 
     users on any BBS:

     1.) Sysops enjoy users who contribute something to the board
         as well as getting something from it, whether it be files,
         playing on-line games or conversation.  This doesn't mean
         that you are expected to spend your whole time on-line
         uploading hundreds of files.  However you should not log
         onto a board, download files and then hang up everytime you 
         log on!  On some boards, you will not remain welcome if you do
         this regularly.  Think of yourself as a guest in someone else's
         home.  Would you walk in, borrow some food from their refrigerator
         and then walk out again  without even  saying `hi'?  If a BBS has
         a file ratio and you don't have any files you think are suitable,
         alert the sysop to your troubles, and he/she will give you a hand. 
         Note: Uploading of commerical software is prohibited by law.  Be
         sure that any files you chose state that they are free to be
         distributed.

     2.) We all experience difficulties on BBSes at some time or
         another. If you're having trouble with some aspect of the
         system, re-read the instructions.  If this does not
         help, feel free to ask the sysop for assistance.
         Obviously, you don't want to say to the Sysop "Your
         stupid BBS doesn't work right"  (some of us get quite
         defensive about this).  Just say that you're having some
         difficulty and most sysops will spend as much time as it
         takes to help you fix your problem.

     3.) Keep in mind that you are not the only person who uses
         the BBS.  Some systems have only a single phone line and most
         have daily time limits to give everyone a fair chance of using 
         the board.  If not, try to limit yourself to a maximum of 5-7
         hours on each board per week. 

     4.) Try to get involved. There is little worse than a user
         who logs on, looks around, and then logs off again without 
         doing anything.  Once you have been "validated" or "registered"
         on a new board, leave a message to the sysop and the rest of 
         the users.  Let everyone know that you are there, and tell 
         them a bit about who you are.  Don't be afraid to experiment 
         with new features of the board that you have not used before.  
         If you have any questions, again feel free to ask the Sysop 
         for help.

     5.) Try to follow the instructions for the BBS you are calling.  
         BBSes will often have some rules regarding things such as use 
         of aliases and profanity.  It is always a good idea to find 
         out about these limitations before you log on under a false 
         name or use a lot of swearing in your messages.  At times some 
         pretty heated debates can develop in the message bases, but remember
         that these are all in fun.  You should not take these debates too
         seriously.  The motto I like to use is "attack ideas, not people".

      If you have already failed to do any of the above - don't worry!  
     We have all made many mistakes when we were starting out on BBSes. 
     As long as the Sysop realizes that your intentions are good, most 
     of them will be very understanding. They will do their best to help 
     you out along the way.

      Now you know how to get started on BBSes, and have a
     general idea of how to get the most out of BBSes without
     outstaying your welcome. Let's take a closer look at some of the
     things you can do on a BBS - to really take advantage of all that
     your computer and modem can do for you.

  
  MESSAGES AND MAIL - COMMUNICATING WITH THE WORLD
  

      Even with all of the new features and frills appearing
     on BBSes, the "Messages" still remain the central attraction to
     most people.  Yet calling them "messages" may be somewhat of a
     misnomer.  They are much more than just leaving a short message
     to someone you know. They are an electronic form of socializing.
     You need not know anyone else who uses BBSes to become involved
     in the conversation.   When you first log onto a new BBS, simply
     leave a message to `ALL' introducing yourself.  Soon you will
     find yourself talking to all sorts of new people. It is
     surprising how many new and interesting people you can meet on a
     BBS who share your same interests. Now with international
     message echoing, you can be in touch with thousands of other
     users around the world!  People have traced their family
     roots, met their spouses and much more, all through bulletin
     boards.  As well as giving you a chance to meet new people, you
     can discuss issues and hobbies of interest to you.  You can ask
     questions about everything from cooking to science to Word
     Perfect, or just learn a bit more about other cultures.

      The messages on BBSes are classified into different
     message areas, according to the topics.  For example,
     typical message areas might be named "Social Corner",
     "General", "Programming", "Star Trek" or "Teens". If you are
     interested in the conversations, the best thing to do is to take
     the time to read the messages in that area.  This will allow you
     to get a feel for what type of conversation is going on there.
     Then, just jump right in and join some of the conversations.
     It might not be easy at first, but before long you'll find you
     are really enjoying it.

         You will also find different types of messages on a BBS
     (usually each message area will be only ONE of these types):

         PUBLIC LOCAL MAIL - These are messages that can be read by
           everyone that calls this BBS, but are not available on
           any other BBS.  Since these messages are "public" in
           nature (i.e., they can be read by anyone, not just the
           person to whom it is addressed), they are especially
           useful for taking part in "round-table" discussions.
           Anyone can jump in at any time to make their own
           contributions to the conversation.  Just because a
           message in one of these areas isn't addressed to you,
           doesn't mean you shouldn't reply to them.  Instead,
           don't hesitate to join in.  The only messages that
           aren't intended for you to read or reply to on the BBS
           are the ones that you won't be able to read anyway.

         PRIVATE LOCAL MAIL - These are messages, like the "Public Local
           Mail", that are only available by calling the BBS which
           they were written. Unlike the public message, a private
           message can only be read by the person who wrote it, the
           person it is addressed to, and the Sysop.  This is where
           you would want to leave a private message to another
           user on the BBS that you don't want other people to be
           able to read (say, if you wanted to give someone your
           phone number).

         ECHOMAIL - EchoMail areas contain messages that can be read and
           replied to on many different BBSes. Sometimes these will
           just be various BBSes from around the area.  Much of the
           time, though, these will be BBSes throughout the country,
           continent, or even around the world. In many respects,
           the messages in EchoMail areas are similar to those in
           the public local mail areas. However, when you write
           messages in an EchoMail area, it will be "Echoed" to all
           BBSes that receive this particular echo.  This usually
           occurs in a matter of a day or two!  Since many Sysops
           pay the expense to transfer every message you write around
           the world, you should try to keep your messages on-topic
           for the particular message area.  You should also stick
           to the rules of the particular EchoMail area.

         NETMAIL - NetMail is a sort of private form of EchoMail. Like
           local private messages, NetMail message can only be read
           by the person who wrote the message, the person who the
           message is addressed to, and Sysops. However, unlike
           EchoMail, NetMail messages are not sent to all of the
           systems connected to the BBS Network, but only a single
           system. Thus, you can use NetMail to write a
           (semi)private message to a user on a particular BBS in
           another city or country. This may be someone you met
           through an EchoMail area or someone you already knew.
           In order to send a NetMail message, you must know not
           only the name of the person to which you wish to send
           it, but the "node address" of the BBS which that person
           will call.
               
           With most BBSes, you can "quote" part of the message you are
           replying to.  Since it may be a day or so before the people
           read your reply, this helps them to remember what you are 
           talking about. Quoted text will usually appear in your message 
           with the user's initials, followed by a `>' symbol. For example,
           if you were replying to a message written by John Doe, and 
           quoted from it, your message might appear as:

                   Hi John!

                   JD> What did you think of the performance?

                   It was fantastic! I really enjoyed ....

           The BBS will allow you to select the lines you wish to quote
           from the message to which you are replying, and automatically
           place these lines in your message for you. In EchoMail areas,
           you should limit the size of text you quote in your message,
           as unduly long quotes tend to annoy readers (and create text
           that is unnecessarily long, and thus more costly to transport).
           No one likes seeing pages of quotes, especially followed by a
           single line reply.
           
  
  FILES - THE PROGRAMS AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON BBSES
  

      BBSes also often have files available for you to use. Among
     the files you'll find on BBSes are top-quality application
     programs, utilities, games, specialty programs, informative text
     files, image files and much much more. Usually programs will
     appear on BBSes around the world only days or weeks after they
     are released by their authors. BBSes are truly a very powerful
     way for you to share files with other users.

      The first thing that you should be aware is that all of
     the files on BBSes are public-domain or shareware files that
     can legally be distributed in this manner (for example, you
     could not share a copy of Windows on a BBS). Public-domain, or
     "freeware" files are ones that you can use free of charge.
     "Shareware" files are ones that you can freely distribute, but
     must pay for if you wish to continue using them after the trial
     period.  Another issue that may be of some concern to you - but 
     really need not be - is that of the possiblity of having your 
     computer invaded by a computer virus.  Most BBSes scan the files for 
     viruses before they are put into the transfer area.  They also often 
     have available current virus scanners that you can download like 
     McAfee's Scan.  Get into the habit though of scanning any file you 
     receive after decompressing it and before executing the program. 
     Even commerical programs fresh from the store are occasionally
     infected.
    
      Files on BBSes are usually stored in archive files, such as .ZIP
     files, .ARJ files or .LZH files. These are individual files that
     you can transfer to and from the BBS, which can contain one or
     more separate files in a compressed format. The use of archived
     files on BBSes allows you to deal with a single package, even
     though the program actually consists of many separate files. The
     archived files are also "compressed" to save space on the BBSes,
     and decrease the amount of time required to transfer the file. In
     order to extract the files contained within a single archive, you
     must obtain the file decompression utility for the particular
     file format you are dealing with unless it is a type called
     "self-extracting" which is an executable file (for PCs, ending
     in .EXE) that has the decompressor built into it.  For example, 
     if a file ends in the extension:

                    .ZIP, you will need the utility "PKUNZIP"
                          or a compatible program
                    .LZH, you will need the utility "LHA"
                    .ARJ, you will need the utility "ARJ"
                    .LZH, you will need the utility "LHA"

     Each of these utilities are available on many BBSes. 

      So, how do you transfer these files to and from your
     computer and the BBS? When you are receiving a file from the BBS
     (known as `Downloading'), or when you are sending a file to the BBS
     (known as `Uploading'), the same basic procedure applies. Files
     are transferred using a "file transfer protocol" such as Xmodem,
     Ymodem, or Zmodem. When you are either uploading or downloading a
     file, you must select the same file transfer protocol on both
     the BBS and your terminal program. If Zmodem is available on
     both, you will probably want to use it as it is generally
     considered to be superior to the others. The next in order of
     preference is Ymodem, with Xmodem being least desirable but
     almost always available. When you wish to either upload or
     download a file, you must tell both the BBS and your terminal
     program that you want to do so, and then enter the protocol
     and filename to transfer.

  
  DOORS, ONLINE GAMES AND THE LIKE
  

      Many of the features available on BBSes, such as online
     games, multi-user chat facilities, reading periodicals and
     publications online, on-line shopping and more are accessed
     through what are known as "doors".  Technically, a door is simply
     a separate program to which the BBS system will transfer control.
     
      One of the most common sorts of doors are on-line games.
     These games can be a lot more exciting and dynamic than
     conventional games, as you are often playing with many other
     players who are real people. Typically, each time you play one of
     these games you are allotted a certain number of "turns". Then
     between each time you play the game, other players are able to
     enter the game, play their turns. You should be aware that
     various online games can differ considerably, and only some
     of them use this individual "turn" style. On-line games will
     often make use of ANSI graphics. This is to provide color and
     animation for graphs, charts, and other items of interest.

      Another very popular feature on some multi-line BBSes is
     multi-user chatting.  Multi-node chatting, provides you with an 
     exciting method of communicating with other BBS users. Unlike 
     messages, multi-node chatting allows you to carry on a conversation 
     with one or more other individuals in real time - the user sees what 
     you are typing as you type it.
       
  
  MORE OF WHAT BBSES ARE ALL ABOUT
  

     Where Did BBSes Come From?
  
      To give you a glimpse of how the BBS world has evolved, the 
     first BBSes ran on computers with double floppy drives, 
     300 baud modems and seldom more than 64K of memory. Those first
     boards looked little like the giant boards of today, with
     gigabytes of disk storage, high-speed modems, and highly
     complex software. However, one thing has remained the same through
     the ten years in which BBSes have prospered. This is the spirit
     of the people who make this such a wonderful and dynamic
     hobby.  While modern BBSes often have hundreds or even
     thousands of files available for download, on-line games,
     international message "echos" and more, the original ideas
     behind BBSing have never changed.

      As BBSes first started to pop up in the early '80s,
     they seldom offered little more than "message" bases.
     People could chat with one another, carrying on conversations
     that often last weeks or months.  BBSes were places where
     computer users from all over could meet and talk about both
     computer and non-computer related topics.  Since then, they
     have evolved to also allow these people to play games
     together, share public-domain and shareware files, and much
     much more.  There are now some boards appearing that are
     trying to make money by offering large collections of files
     or multiple chat rooms. However, BBSing still remains largely 
     a hobbyist's venture.  Even those few boards that do charge a 
     membership seldom make any profit.

  
  Behind the Scenes
  

         What makes this all work?  You, of course!  The BBS
     world could not survive without all the wonderful people who
     work together to keep their hobby alive.  If users did not
     participate on BBSes,  they would simply cease to exist.
     BBSing is a hobby for both the people who use them and the
     people who run them alike. The SYStem OPerators, or Sysops,
     almost always put a lot of time, effort and money into
     maintaining their boards.  They do this because they enjoy
     it.  Generally speaking, all that most Sysops want in return
     for running the BBS is for the users to contribute to and
     enjoy the board. This helps keep things going.
       
  
  HOW DO I GET MORE HELP?
  

      BBSes usually have some sort of on-line help system
     that will instruct you in the commands and procedures to
     accomplish various things on the BBS. If at any time you are
     experiencing difficulty with some feature on the BBS, you will
     likely find that referring to this online help will answer your
     questions. However, if after consulting the instructions, online
     help, etc., you are unable to solve your problem, don't hesitate
     to contact the sysop. He/She will usually be able to answer any
     questions you have, and after all, that's what they're there for!
       
         If you have problems with installing the comm program or 
     dialing up a BBS, a BBS Awareness Campaign volunteer will be
     happy to assist you by email. You can email castle@inteworld.net,
     (who is San Diego County BBSA Representative) for assistance.


  
  WHAT DO ALL THOSE WORDS MEAN?
  

         Here's a quick glossary of some of those more common
     terms that you keep running into - but what do they mean?

         ANSI GRAPHICS - ANSI Graphics are special control codes that 
             the BBS can send to your computer, to allow changing of
             colors, cursor movement, etc. on your screen. This
             allows the BBS to display graphs, charts and simple
             drawings, as well as providing a much nicer interface.
             Usually, if both the BBS and your terminal program
             will support ANSI graphics, you will want to enable
             them.

         ARJ FILES - ARJ is a file compression format used to archive
             multiple files into a single package for uploading and
             downloading to the BBS. In order to access the
             programs and files stored in an .ARJ archive, you
             must obtain a copy of ARJ, which is usually available
             for download from most BBSes.

         BAUD RATE or BPS - The baud rate refers to the speed at which 
             data can be transferred between the BBS system and your
             computer.  If you have an internal modem, you should 
             normally set it to the highest rate your software will 
             allow, even if it is faster than your modem.  Your modem
             and the modem on the other end will then normally connect   
             at the fastest speed that both can accomodate.  If you have
             an external modem, you should set it to the highest rate
             your computer will allow (some older computers will not
             work properly with speeds higher than 9600).

         DOWNLOAD - Downloading refers to the process of transferring a
             file (such as a program, graphics image or other data)
             FROM the BBS TO your computer.

         ECHOMAIL - EchoMail refers to a message which will be sent to
             other BBSes, allowing you to communicate with users
             other than just those who call your particular BBS.
       
         FREEWARE - Freeware is a term that refers to software that
             legally be used and distributed free of charge.

         GIF FILES - The GIF file format is a standard method of storing
             the graphics images that are available for download
             from many BBSes. In order to view or use these images, you
             will need a program that supports the GIF file format
             - of which there are many available on various BBSes.
 
         LOCAL MAIL - Local mail refers to messages which are only
             available on the particular BBS on which they were
             written.

         LZH FILES - LHA is a file compression format used to archive
             multiple files into a single package for uploading and
             downloading to the BBS. In order to access the
             programs and files stored in a .LZH archive, you must
             obtain a copy of LHA.
       
         PUBLIC DOMAIN - Public Domain software refers to software that
             can legally be used, altered or distributed free of
             charge.

         PUBLIC MAIL - Public mail refers to messages which can be read by
             anyone with access to a particular message area.

         PRIVATE MAIL - Private mail refers to messages which can only be
             read by the person who wrote the message, the person to
             whom the message is addressed and the sysop.

         PROTOCOL - A file transfer protocol refers to one of several
             different "methods" used for uploading and downloading
             files from a BBS. Common file transfer protocols
             include Xmodem, Ymodem and Zmodem.

         QUOTING - When replying to a message, it is common to use a
             "quoting" feature on the BBS to quote a portion of the 
             message to which you are replying. Quoting serves to
             remind people of what was said in the message you are
             replying to and helps maintain a sort of continuity
             of conversation.

         SHAREWARE - Shareware refers to software that can be freely
             distributed, but which you must pay for if you wish to
             continue using for an extended period of time.

         TERMINAL PROGRAM - The terminal program (or communications
             program) is the program you use in order to call a
             BBS. The terminal program displays information sent
             from the BBS, transmits your commands to the BBS and
             transfers files to and from your computer.

         UPLOAD - Uploading refers to the process of transferring a
             file (such as a program, graphics image or other data)
             FROM your computer TO the BBS.

         ZIP FILES - ZIP is a file compression format used to archive
             multiple files into a single package for uploading and
             downloading to the BBS. In order to access the
             programs and files stored in a .ZIP archive, you must
             obtain a copy of PKUNZIP (or a compatible program), which
             is available for download from most BBSes.

         Obviously this text has not covered everything you
     could ever want to know about BBSes. But it should help you
     to get off on the right foot by "setting the stage" and
     hopefully you too will come to enjoy this hobby as much as
     the rest of us do.   Welcome to THE BBS WORLD!
