Whaddaya mean, ``whatever that is''???

[Brandon Allbery]

Expires:

Quoted from <242 at msunix.UUCP> ["Computer Literacy Modem Phone #"], by jon at msunix.UUCP...
+---------------
| I apologize for adding yet another message about Computer Literacy,
| but it was never mentioned that they are running CommuniTree (whatever
| that is) software whenever the store is closed on some computer so you
| can access the bookstore.  The following is quoted from their info sheet:
+---------------
| Hours of operation (please call only during these times):
| Monday thru Friday: 8:30PM - 9:00AM
| Saturday and Sunday: 24 hours
| (These are hours when there is no human help available).
| 
| To access the Computer Literacy Bookshop Network,
| 1) Have your modem dial (408) 730-9959
| 2) Hit two carriage returns to log on
| 
| It has on-line help available.  I think "R HELP" is what you type.  I tried
| it and it works, though I had no interest in reading anything so I didn't.
+---------------

Correct, although R HELP COMPLETE may be more helpful.

``CommuniTree'', or the Conference Tree (more properly), is a program that
was put out by the CommuniTree Group in California before they went defunct a
few years ago.  They only got a version for Apple ][ working before they
dissolved, although there was an IBM-PC version in the works which may have
been finished by someone else.  The Conference Tree program was written in
FORTH, but the FORTH layer was never visible to either users or system
maintainers.

I rather liked the Conference Tree we had around here until April 1982; its
discontinuation (the sysop moved) was the direct impetus for the first version
of what is now known as UNaXcess (which isn't very much like the Tree at all).

The basis for the Tree:  It is, as the name suggests, a tree-structured
message database.  The root is called CONFERENCES; every message added to the
tree is itself a ``conference'' and may have other conferences added to it,
the only limits being disk space and the (pitifully small) size of the index
maintained in memory by the FORTH interpreter.  It is a very flexible system.

The primary commands are READ, SCAN (print the first few lines of messages)
and INDEX (list names only); each of these commands may take options after the
conference name, some of which are:

	COMPLETE	descend the tree from the named conference
	BEFORE name	read messages up to the named message, descending
			the tree
	AFTER name	similar, but only messages after the named message
			are shown
	DELETED		read messages flagged for deletion
	ONLYDELETED	do not show non-deleted messages

You can chain options together, so to read a portion of the tree you can
say READ CONFERENCES AFTER HELP BEFORE FOOBAR.  Most commands and options can
be abbreviated, so the above command can be given as R CONFERENCES A HELP B
FOOBAR.  The default is to read only the named conference (except INDEX, where
the default is COMPLETE).  Messages have headers showing how many people have
read them; the sender's name is NOT stored.  All messages are to everyone.

There are a number of protection modes, ranging from guest access (you can
read abything but only add conferences to GUEST) to full access.  A password
is needed to go from the default level to a higher level.  Most often, general
access to add messages is granted but copying and deleting messages is
restricted to ``fairwitnesses'' (sysops of particular conferences) or the
sysop.  Messages can be undeleted until the sysop recovers disk space (which
is a separate program from the Tree in order to keep people from deleting
messages and then wiping them).

The software wasn't the most interesting thing about the Tree.  System
administration was split between the Sysop and the Fairwitnesses.  The sysop
kept the hardware running and occasionally compacted disk space; Fairwitnesses
performed the other administrative functions within their conference
subtrees.  But a Fairwitness wasn't merely a sysop; his function was closer to
that of a moderator.  A Fairwitness would spend most of his time helping along
conferences, perhaps starting some, often suggesting other areas of interest
or adding information to the discussion; he might also demonstrate links
between conference topics.

I'd have to agree that the Tree's probably one of the best BBSes that could be
used for the Computer Literacy BBS, although they'll have to look out for
swamped message bases!

++Brandon
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