Access levels in the system

There are seven different access types available. These are

• R — read messages
• W — write messages
• U — upload files
• D — download files
• O — open doors
• S — sigop functions
• Z — sysop functions

The read and write message access types

There are five different conference types available. These are

Type                     New users get
----                     -------------
Public                   Read and Write
Private                  none
Read Only                Read
Mail                     Read and Write
Resumé                   Read

If a user attempts to Join a conference where he has no read permission then the attempt is rejected. The user must be given at least READ, in which case he will be told that he is in a read-only conference when he joins, or READ and WRITE in which case he will be able to use it just like any other conference.

The mail conference(s) are handled as special cases. Although users can always join the conference they will only be able to see messages they have written or that are addressed to them. However, anyone with Sigop permissions for that conference or SYSOP permissions will be able to read all the messages.

Normally the only time you will have to do anything with these is when you want to let someone write in a READ-ONLY conference or become a member of a closed conference. This may be done either by the SYSOP or anyone with SIGOP permissions in the conference. Use the <A>ccess command in the SYSOP menu to do this.

The upload and download access types

New users are not given automatic permission to upload and download files. This must be done as a manual upgrade by the SYSOP. Files in the system are organized in 'directories', this is not relevant to the access level but is just a convenient way of grouping the files into separate sections to make it easier to find the files you want. The first directory (directory zero) is the upload directory into which new files from users are placed (whether they are posted immediately is set by an option in CFGBBS). The other directories can be anything you want. The <M> option in the SYSOP menu lets the SYSOP move files from one directory to another.

Normally it will be enough to set Up and Download permissions in the main board directory; this is normally the only one that is checked. There is however a possibility to make files 'private' to conferences; in this case the user must have Download permission in the conference to be able to collect the file. In the same way, a user uploading a file with Upload permission in the conference will be able to choose to make the file private to the conference. All these options are open to the SYSOP when installing or uploading files, of course.

The SIGOP access type

A user with SIGOP access will be able to perform some of the SYSOP functions in the conference they are SIGOP for. They will be able to Kill or Bring back any message in the conference and will be able to set access permissions (again, only in the conferences they are SIGOP for).

The SYSOP access type

A user with SYSOP access can do anything EXCEPT to change the SYSOP record (the first entry in the users file). He may also give SYSOP access to another user (this can't be done by SIGOPS).

Creating a new conference

Remember that new conferences you create after you have started registering users will be handled according to CFGBBS for new users but that old users will have NO access to the conference until you set their access with the sysop A command. So the first thing you must do after configuring the conference with CFGBBS is to use that command to give the appropriate access to those users. First JOIN the conference yourself (the sysop always has acccess to everything). Then use ! A to get the access command. Answer 'ALL' when asked which user you are setting the access for; when asked 'All conferences' just type enter to say that you are only setting access for the current conference. The system will then ask you which conference to use as a 'pattern' for the conference access; if you are doing the initial setting for a normal conference just specify the name of one of your obligatory conferences - all users will then be invited.

The reason for using another conference as a 'pattern' is that this makes it easier to create a new private conference where you wish to give access to users according to their access in another private conference. In this case you can specify the name of the other private conference, and then only users who already have read access in the other conference will be given access to the new conference.

When asked for the access to give to users, specify the appropriate access according to the type of conference you have created.

Rather than announce the new conference, you may wish to 'invite' those users who have been given access to the new conference. This MUST be done AFTER you have set the appropriate access! The command is also in the SYSOP menu, INVite. It's more or less the same as the A command; specify ALL users, and press enter when asked about 'All conferences'. This time you can again use an obligatory conference to decide which users will get sent an invitation; in this case the invitation will be sent to every user with read access to the new conference. If you want to be more selective then you can use a non- obligatory conference as a pattern. In this case the invitation will be sent only to those users who both have read access in the new conference and have joined the old conference specified. A typical example of the use of this would be if you were creating a new 'subconference' where you already had one more topics already; you could use one of the old topics to ensure that only those users who had already shown interest were invited.

Summary

So, how do you tackle a new user that has just registered?

1. If you are using time limits, then increase the time limit using the T function in the SYSOP menu, and possibly the FT function for file menu time.
2. If you want the user to be able to transfer files, set U and/or D in the Main Board.
3. If you want the user to have more access to any private or readonly conferences then set these (possibly also U and/or D if the conference may have private files; if you never give anybody U in the conference, then there won't be any).

Scenario

You have 5 public conferences, 1 private, 1 read only and 1 mail. You want to be able to have private files in one of the public conferences and in both the private and the readonly conference. You are using daily time limits with 10 minutes configured for new users. You don't allow upload and download for new users.

1. New user logs on, you want to give him normal privileges but no extended access to any of the special conferences.

• use the SYSOP menu <T> to set the time limit to whatever you wish to use
• use the SYSOP menu <A> to give the user UD access in the main board

2. Old user is to be given SIGOP access to one of the public conferences (not the one with private files).

• Join the conference
• use the SYSOP menu to give RWS in that conference

3. New user to be given access to all conferences; also able to download any of the private files. He is also to be SIGOP for the readonly conference.

• set the time limit as before
• use sysop <A> to give RWD in all conferences
• join the readonly conference
• use sysop <A> to add US to the RWD thats already there.