--- /dev/null
+ Welcome to ^humannode!
+ New User's Introduction to the BBS
+
+ This is an introduction to ^humannode and to the Citadel BBS concept.
+It is intended for new users so that they can more easily become
+aquainted with the bbs system. Of course, old users might learn
+something new each time they read through it.
+
+ Full help for the BBS commands can be obtained by typing <.H>elp SUMMARY
+
+ The CITADEL BBS room concept
+ ----------------------------
+ The term BBS stands for "Bulletin-Board System". The analogy is
+appropriate: one posts messages so that others may read them. In
+order to organize the posts, people can post in different areas of the
+BBS, called rooms.
+ In order to post in a certain room, you need to be "in" that room.
+Your current prompt is usually the room that you are in, followed the
+greater-than-sign, such as:
+
+ Lobby>
+
+ The easiest way to traverse the room structure is with the "Goto"
+command, on the "G" key. Pressing "G" will take you to the next room
+in the "scanlist" (see below) that has new messages in it. You can
+read these new messages with the "N" key.
+ Once you've "Gotoed" every room in the system (or all of the ones
+you choose to read) you return to the "Lobby," the first and last room
+in the system. If new messages get posted to rooms you've already
+read during your session you will be brought BACK to those rooms so
+you can read them.
+
+ Scanlist
+ --------
+ All the room names are stored in a scanlist, which is just a
+string containing all the room names. When you <G>oto or <S>kip a
+room, you are placed in the next room in your scanlist THAT HAS NEW
+MESSAGES. If you have no new messages in any of the rooms on your
+scanlist, you will keep going to the Lobby>. You can choose not to
+read certain rooms (that don't interest you) by "Z"apping them. When
+you <Z>ap a room, you are merely deleting it from your scanlist (but
+not from anybody else's).
+
+ You can use the <.G>oto (note the period before the G. You can also use
+<J>ump on some systems) to go to any room in the
+system. You don't have to type in the complete name of a room to
+"jump" to it; you merely need to type in enough to distinguish it from
+the other rooms. Left-aligned matches carry a heavier weight, so if you
+typed (for example) ".Goto TECH", you might be taken to a room called
+"Tech Area>" even if it found a room called "Biotech/Ethics>" first.
+
+ To return to a room you have previously <Z>apped, use the <.G>oto command
+to enter it, and it will be re-inserted into your scanlist. In the case
+of returning to Zapped rooms, you must type the room name in its entirety.
+REMEMBER, rooms with no new messages will not show on your
+scanlist! You must <.G>oto to a room with no new messages.
+Incidentally, you cannot change the order of the rooms on your scanlist.
+It's the same for everybody.
+
+ Special rooms
+ -------------
+ There are two special rooms on ^humannode that you should
+know about.
+
+ The first is the Lobby>. It's used for system announcements and other
+such administrativia. You cannot <Z>ap the Lobby>. Each time you first
+login, you will be placed in the Lobby>.
+
+ The second is Mail>. In Mail>, when you post a messages, you are
+prompted to enter the person (handle) who you want to send the message
+to. Only the person who you send the message to can read the message.
+NO ONE else can read it, not even the aides. Mail> is the first room
+on the scanlist, and is un-<Z>appable, so you can be sure that the
+person will get the message.
+
+ System aides
+ ------------
+ These people, along with the room aides, keep the BBS running
+smoothly.
+
+ Among the many things that aides do are: create rooms, delete
+rooms, set access levels, invite users, check registration, grant
+room aide status, and countless other things. They have access to the
+Aide> room, a special room only for aides.
+
+ If you enter a mail message to "Sysop" it will be placed in the
+Aide> room so that the next aide online will read it and deal with it.
+Aides cannot <Z>ap rooms. All the rooms are always on each aide's
+scanlist. Aides can read *any* and *every* room, but they *CAN* *NOT*
+read other user's Mail!
+
+ Room aides
+ ----------
+ Room aides are granted special privileges in rooms that they aide.
+They are *NOT* true system aides; their power extends only over the
+rooms that they control, and they answer to the system aides.
+
+ A room aide's job is to keep the topic of the their room on track,
+with nudges in the right direction now and then. A room aide can also
+move an off topic post to another room, or delete a post, if he/she
+feels it is necessary.
+
+ Currently, very few rooms have room aides. Most rooms do not need
+their own specific room aide. Being a room aide requires a certain
+amount of trust, due to the additional privileges granted.
+
+ Citadel messages
+ ----------------
+ Most of the time, the bbs code does not print a lot of messages
+to your screen. This is a great benefit once you become familiar
+with the system, because you do not have endless menus and screens
+to navigate through. nevertheless, there are some messages which you
+might see from time to time.
+
+ "There were messages posted while you were entering."
+
+ This is also known as "simulposting." When you start entering a
+message, the system knows where you last left off. When you save
+your message, the system checks to see if any messages were entered
+while you were typing. This is so that you know whether you need
+to go back and re-read the last few messages. This message may appear
+in any room.
+
+ "*** You have new mail"
+
+ This message is essentially the same as the above message, but can
+appear at any time. It simply means that new mail has arrived for you while
+you are logged in. Simply go to the Mail> room to read it.
+
+ Who list
+ --------
+ The <W>ho command shows you the names of all users who are currently
+online. It also shows you the name of the room they are currently in. If
+they are in any type of private room, however, the room name will simply
+display as "<private room>". Along with this information is displayed the
+name of the host computer the user is logged in from.
+
+ (This file was shamelessly swiped from QuartzBBS. Thanks to its original
+author for putting it together.)
projects / citadel.git / blobdiff