The Internet Connection! Version 3.0 By
Mark Williamson, Omega Software. Allow
your users to EASILY write an Internet
message from your system! Menu driven,
mousable setup program, new built-in
message editor with quote-text window,
even better, indexed, user file system.
Simply the BEST! Works Great!
Shareware, $25.00 to register.

The Internet Connection! Version 3.0 By
Mark Williamson, Omega Software. Allow
your users to EASILY write an Internet
message from your system! Menu driven,
mousable setup program, new built-in
message editor with quote-text window,
even better, indexed, user file system.
Simply the BEST! Works Great!
Shareware, $25.00 to register.

The Internet Connection Version 3.0
-----------------------------------

README.1ST:

The Internet Connection is being distributed as a Shareware program.
Shareware is a unique concept in program distribution in which the
customer has the opportunity to try the program before actually
purchasing it. This concept will only work if all those who use
shareware programs uphold the principals of try-before-you-buy. This
means that if you like a program, you must purchase it. If you use a
program beyond a reasonable evaluation period, you are in essence
violating the principles of the shareware concept.

The Internet Connection costs $25.00 to register. Owners of older
versions of Inet are not required to pay an upgrade fee at this time.
However, this could change in the future as demands for more features
and more development goes into the program. A great deal of
development, research, and long distance phone calls have been
expended in bringing Inet to you. For users of older versions of
Inet, you may at first be shocked at the increase in registration
price. Some may not even purchase the program, feeling it is too
costly. We fully support our software and your comments are taken to
heart. Compromising on price compromises our ability to further
develope the product. We hope you support the shareware concept and
further encourage you to register the Internet Connection. Upon
registration, you will begin a long-lasting relationship with the
author, who not only appreciates your thoughtfulness in registering,
but also never forgets a customer, and never second-guesses a
customer's needs. Thank you for using the Internet Connection!

You can now register online using your Visa, or Mastercard credit card.
Simply log onto the Omega Software BBS (619 575 4245), login as GUEST, and
select ONLINE REGISTRATION from the menu. Follow the prompts, and your key
will be generated online!

Please make sure you use INETUTIL, the new utility and configuration
program I've developed for 3.0, which allows conversion from any
prior version of data files preceding 3.0 to the new format, and also
check out the greatly anticipated user and address book maintenance
functions...

The Internet Connection is intended to be useful on almost any BBS system.
The platform you use will determine if you can utilize all of the features
the program provides. You will notice a document called BBS-TIPS.DOC in
the archive. This file was written by James Goldbloom and is intended as a
guide for SysOps like you using this software with tips and examples for
review. James has made a great effort in helping me enhance Inet. I
cannot write a detailed guide on using Inet for every mentionable BBS
system, frankly because I don't have that much time 🙂 There are a lot of
systems out there, and I can only scratch the surface. The guidelines
discussed in the INET.DOC file are general enough that any sysop should be
able to get the program up and running in 30 minutes. It is really rather
simple, and once you get accustomed to it, I hope that you will really like
it's capabilities 🙂

Please feel free to comment by sending netmail to 1:202/750. (Yes, Omega
Software is back online once again, after resolving some major disputes
with MA BELL). We shall endeavor to further develop Inet into avenues not
yet explored

Request from your hub the echo called "OMEGA_SOFT" where you can post
questions and comments about any of the products I manufacture. Doing
this can save you netmail cost, and seek advice from numerous users.
This echo is on the zone 1 backbone, and please join in the various
conversations!

IMPORTANT:
----------
Remember to run the convert utility in INETUTIL before putting 3.0 online
if you've run earlier versions! Don't forget to register if you haven't!

Also, still use INET.EXE /PACK from your maintenance batch file(s) in
order to pack your user data on a daily basis, for automation purposes.

!! NEW FEATURES !!
------------

Here's a list of the new features you'll get to play with in 3.0, along
with a listing of bugs that have been fixed:

* Dead bugs:

Very important! The multi-node configuration is fixed. This has been
causing great trouble with multi-node users. This is the cause of the
log file being written to the root directory, disappearing address book,
and other strange errors. Before 3.0, Inet would look for INET.x (x=NODE
number) as the configuration file to load. But, it would also write the
log file as INET.x! Thus, when it went to read the config file, it
wouldn't find any valid options, and null everything out! This is now
fixed! The multinode configuration files are named INETCFG.x and the
multinode log files are INETLOG.x. The single node files are INET.CFG
and INET.LOG.

Inet will look for the INETCFG.x automatically at startup. If it is not
found, it will load INET.CFG. This gives you flexibility so you can have
different configs for each node if you really want to.

The internal message editor now has an import feature. If the user's
security level matches the Sysop Security Level, the import feature will
be visible and active, otherwise it will be invisible and inactive.

A new program has been written by James Goldbloom to handle the job of
FixMsg. This program is called REPLYCHK. It's sole purpose in life is
to convert the Fidonet standard ^aREPLYADDR line of an incoming Internet
message to a line that will be exported by your BBS. Some BBS packages
like RemoteAccess and Proboard, do not write the CTL-A (^A) kludge lines
which are usually invisible to the reader. These kludge lines provide
information to the computers that 'see' these messages. REPLYCHK reads
the REPLYADDR kludge line, and if it is an internet address, it will
write a new line to the message which begins with @INETADDR. Since this
line is unique to Inet, only those messages that contain it are treated
as Internet messages and handled appropriately during the reply process.
REPLYCHK will be placed in the batch file you use to run your BBS.
Preferebly in after your tosser tosses the mail, but before it imports
it. If you have more questions, please post them in the OMEGA_SOFT echo,
so everyone can benefit from the answers 🙂

NOTE: Use of the REPLYCHK program is required to enable the reply mode
feature of Inet!

For MAXIMUS sysops, please see the file MAXIMUS for addon's that you
might want to use!

Really, all known bugs are fixed finally!

When spawning the external editor, the comm port is now reinitialized on
return. This was the cause of the disappearing output when the editor
returned to Inet.

When the user selected the PUBLIC address book when there is no data or
the file is missing, there would be no message stating so. That has been
fixed with the addition of the NOPUBLIC.A?? help file.

* Added an option to turn off the appending of the [Exported by...] line at
the end of each message. This was strictly cosmetic and was requested by
quite a few registered users. So, at the request of even more registered
customers, I've added this option to turn off the exported line.

* Internal ANSI and ASCII editors, for those who use BBS systems that don't
easily use external message editor programs, or if you prefer the simple
approach. Looks good, works great!

* Address book manager. Edit, add, tag/delete, pack files, and convert
address book files. Don't forget to convert, prior to putting online
if you are currently running an older version before 3.0.

* User file manager. Edit, add, tag/delete and pack the user files.

* Time and date stamp added to end of exported messages (and import,
if enabled.)

* Expanded online help and documentation.

* Rewritten documentation, in depth details on configuration options,
setup, hints and tips on usage, plus extra documentation on how to find a
UUCP host near you, setting up Inet on your BBS, and more.

* Intelligent reply handling feature, will detect the sender's address from
just about any internet mail format. Used in your BBS batch file upon
receipt of netmail, REPLYCHK will check the incoming netmail before your
tosser goes to work to import the message. If the message is an internet
message (i.e. from your UUCP host), REPLYCHK will find the sender's address
and add a special line to the message so Inet can see the address
consistently, and with a high degree of accuracy.

* Added a macro to have Inet fill in the subject line with the contents of
the address COMMENT field. By putting a dollar sign character, $, at the
beginning of the comment field, Inet will load the comment field and copy
it to the subject line when the user selects an address from their address
book. This is a GREAT feature... use it for your public address book
so your users can enjoy the power of Internet netmailing!

* Added a quick-list feature. When the user is at the To: prompt, they may
press the backslash key, \, and a list of their addresses will be
displayed. This list is exactly the same as that displayed when the user
presses / for the address book menu, then S for Select Address.

* Better online help screens give more detail about what is expected of the
user at any given point.

* The log file system is back. Due to a bug, it disappeared in 1.6.

* It was noted that the prompt to add the address to the address book was
only visible on the local screen, not on the remote. This has been fixed.

Comments or questions? Write me, and please register...

Best Regards,
Mark Williamson
Author, The Internet Connection! 3.0
[email protected]
1:202/750@Fidonet