CompuServe Thread

#Message lifetime

13 messages in this thread
#120241From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 6, 1994 11:08 PM
One more thing, who decides when to remove messages and are they permanently gone when removed from this section?
#120252From: Jeff CoonFeb 7, 1994 5:19 AM
Lanny, I have to pay long distance or Tymnet charges for CIS use also and the learning curve can be expensive. Hang in there as there are many ways to save money. One suggestion I have is to use Go Practice which is free as far as forum charges go. I use this when ever I have some new navigation software I want to try out. In addition there are several offline readers where you can perform CIS passes in a couple of minutes and then read and respond off-line. Let me know if I can help with any specific questions. Jeff Coon Traverse City,MI 07-Feb-94 at 6:11a EST
#120353From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 7, 1994 11:05 PM
Thanks Jeff. I am interested in being able to compose messages offline. So please explain. I think I have a goo idea on how to navigate fairly well with the MacCIM and the menu bar and the go commands, but there are a lot of things to learn yet. Lanny Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
#120459From: Jeff CoonFeb 8, 1994 8:31 PM
Lanny, Ah..you have a Mac. Great machine, however I not up on specific programs for the Mac although I know there is a navigation program. Let me give you a general explanation of my routine using Ozcis. I make a first pass downloading my mail and visit about 5 forums where I down load every message in one of them except for one section and download every message on the board in this section. The other three forums I visit I download message headers for my review. Any messages waiting for me are downloaded from whatever forum on this first pass. All of this takes about 4 minutes of on line time and is done automatically. I read all downloaded messages and mail and respond. I then review the quickscan headers and mark the ones I want to download. I also review any new library entries in certain forums and mark them if I want a download. I then make my second pass again automatically uploading my responses and downloading anything I had indicated. This takes about two minutes depending on what I ask to be downloaded. All of this saves a lot of time, allows you to accomplish more, and save $$$! There are several programs that do this, however I don't know the name of the Mac Navigation program. Perhaps someone else will chime in. Good Luck and feel free to ask any specific questions you might have. Jeff Coon Traverse City,MI 08-Feb-94 at 9:20p EST
#120476From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 8, 1994 10:44 PM
Thanks Jeff and the others who replied. A few more times in this forum and a few more questions and it should be fairly easy. Unfortunately, time saving may be real necessary, I think my Tymnet connection is limited to 2400 bps. So all time savers will help. Lanny
#120513From: Jeff CoonFeb 9, 1994 6:36 AM
Lanny, Would you please give me some information on Mineral News? Jeff
#120613From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 9, 1994 11:24 PM
Hi Jeff Mineral News is a monthly newsletter for mineral collectors with news on new discoveries, new minerals, new localities, closure of localities, dealers–new addresses, new material, etc., major show reports (Tucson, Denver, Munich, etc.), locality descriptions, etc. with emphasis on the field collector and "average collector." The rate is $15.00 per year for 2nc Class postage, $19.00 for First Class. It is in its 10th year with international distribution. I Edit and publish and try to write as little of it as possible. Thanks for your interest. Lanny
#120254From: Tom LeCompte-SysopFeb 7, 1994 6:39 AM
We have a fixed number of messages on the board. When the newest message is posted, the oldest one "scrolls off" – i.e. is deleted by the system. Messages last about a week – maybe a little less. And when they're gone, they're gone.
#120354From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 7, 1994 11:06 PM
I posted my first message in this forum on Friday night, then made a quick tour on Saturday and read two responses. Saturday night when I came back to re-read them and respond they were gone, so messages don't necessarily last a week. Lanny
#120368From: Gary BrownFeb 8, 1994 5:55 AM
Your messages are still there–including the one you left Friday night and the replies. To reread them, you have to tell the software to look at older messages. I'm not familiar with MacCIM so I can't tell you exactly how to do that, but typically there's a date on the "search for messages" box, and if you don't set it back, it assumes you only want to search for messages you haven't already seen–those since your last visit to the forum. (In my opinion, that's a screwy default, but….)
#120377From: Susan RobbinsFeb 8, 1994 8:15 AM
<< it assumes you only want to search for messages you haven't already seen–those since your last visit to the forum. (In my opinion, that's a screwy default, but….) >> The alternative is to see ALL the messages EVERY time you enter the forum. I think it would be extremely confusing to have to see them all each time. You'd have to look at each one in order to know whether you'd already read it or not, except for entirely new threads. Next time you enter the forum, set your date all the way back — that's what it would look like. I think it's much simpler to see just the new messages, and it's not difficult to set the date back an appropriate number of days if you need to see older messages.
#120482From: Doug MitchellFeb 8, 1994 10:54 PM
Hi, Lanny– Note my reply on "invisibility" of messages in your other thread (subject). The messages truly vanish from the message board later on, after a certain number (or volume) of later messages have been posted, depending on which forum. In this forum, they typically last about a week, though when physics section got hot about cold fusion, it once shrank to 3 days. –Doug
#120493From: Lanny R. ReamFeb 8, 1994 11:29 PM
Thanks again. I need to learn how to upload, and my idea is to put condensed info/news for mineral collectors in the library. Your thoughts on this? Lanny