MESSAGE BASE HELP

   The message base is divided into an indefinite number of SIGs, Special
   Interest Groups. You can choose to become a member of up to twenty of
   them at a time. Imagine you have a radio that can run on up to 20
   channels, depending on what crystals you buy; this situation is very
   similar. You have access to a great many "channels", any 20 at a time.
   This describes the message bases very well.

   In effect you are creating your own bulletin board, composed of the
   interests you select. Once you have selected your conferences (with the
   [J]oin command from THIS menu) you can use the [A]rea command to move
   around from area to area. The system keeps track of your high message in
   each area independently, messages waiting, etc.

   This help file is in several pages; the help gets more detailed as you
   go along. To exit HELP, hit Q any time the text is scrolling. The next
   page covers the menu commands, the one after explains the special
   reading modes Traceback, Reply tracing, and Message Threading.

   @R

                            THE MESSAGE BASE MENU

   [N]ew shows you the messages sent in the current area since your last
   call.

   [S]equential reading takes the place of forward and reverse retrieval on
   many systems. You specify a message number to start at and one to finish
   at, and read the messages one by one. The direction depends on the order
   of the numbers entered. Also, if you enter only a starting point and no
   ending point, the system will assume you mean forward retrieval.

   [P]ersonal messages are those sent directly to you by name since your
   last call. This includes public and private messages.

   [F]ilter mail allows you to use several kinds of "filters" to choose
   what mail to read. Note that search keys are CASE SENSITIVE.

   [E]nter allows you to enter a new message. The system allows messages to
   ALL or to any member of the board who is ALSO a member of that SIG.

   [K]ill lets you delete a message to or from you.


                       THE MESSAGE READING FUNCTIONS

   Normally when reading messages, whether with New, Personal, Filter or
   Sequential, you are reading in one of the "normal modes"; the message
   numbers move always in one direction. There are three special modes that
   can be used from within the basic modes; the appropriate ones are
   available after reading each message. They are:

   [S]EE REPLIES - This is obvious enough; it shows you, in order, all the
   messages that are a direct reply to the one you just read. When
   finished, or when you [Q]uit, you drop back into normal mode, one
   message up from where you were when you entered this mode.

   [T]HREADING - This means to follow a long back-and-forth conversation.
   It leapfrogs through the message base, showing only the chain of letters
   that are answers to each other. It too drops back into normal reading
   when you are finished.

   [T]RACEBACK - This is like threading, only backwards. You can see a
   puzzling message and follow it back through the chain of replies. Again,
   this drops you back into normal reading when finished.


   You know what mode you're in at all times because it's listed in the top
   of the message. Just remember that when you ENTER one of these modes,
   you stay in it until either it's finished or you use [Q]uit.

   Messages already seen DO NOT show up again in that reading sequence. For
   instance, if reading messages 20 to 25, you see that 24 is a response to
   20 and read it at that point, when you return to normal the remaining
   messages 21,22,23, and 25, skipping 24. If you wish to see 24 again, you
   must return to the message base menu and try again. This feature is to
   save you time re-reading old messages.


   @R