The Online World resources handbook

Automatic communication http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/16.html
commands. This MS DOS program helps users set up detailed search commands before
logging on to the LEXIS NEXIS service. Your search results will be downloaded
automatically.
Alternative 4: Offline readers
The alternatives above have one important weakness. Noise on the line can prevent the
"robot" from doing the job. All it takes is for noise to give a prompt another content than
is expected by your program or script (as in "En@er a number:" instead of "Enter a
number:").
You can avoid noise problems by using grab or get commands (Chapter 12), and by
making the online service use its minimum prompts ('expert mode') . Still, this does not
give full protection.
The best is to let the online service do the navigation. Think of it as logging on to
run a batch file on the remote computer. Combine this with automatic transfers of your
commands, sent in of one stream of data with automatic error correction (in the software
and in the modem), and you have a very robust system.
The program logs on to the service. Then the service takes over. It registers your
user identity, checks your user profile for personal interests, retrieves and packs all
messages, news and files into one compressed file, and sends it to you at high speed.
Your outgoing messages, search commands, commands to join or leave
conferences, and more, are transferred to the remote computer in a similar packet
(compressed file).
When received by the remote computer, it unpacks the transfer file and distributes
messages and commands to various services following your instructions.
Your "physical" contact with the service is when your modem is disconnected. The
help menus that you read belong to your program, and not the online service. You read
and respond to mail in a reading module (ref. the term "offline reader").
Some offline readers give the caller access to more tools than is available on the
online service itself. They may have spelling checkers, multimedia support, let you use
your favorite editor or word processor, and offer various storage, search, and printing
options.
They may let you sort incoming conference mail by "threads," and permit you to
place obnoxious writers on a "kill" list.
Using offline readers is probably the easiest, cheapest, and safest way of using
online services. You even risk writing more concise and thoughtful messages. The
"readers" are popular among bulletin board users, and some commercial services are
also starting to accommodate them.
There are many offline reader programs. The most advanced take over completely
upon logon, and manage transfers of commands and compressed information files to and
from the host. (Example: Binkley Term on FidoNet)
Global Link is an offline reader for EcoNet. Bergen By Byte offers the BBS/CS
Mail Grabber/Reader, a script system used with the communications program Telix and
the service's "auto get" function.
NUPOP (MS DOS), Eudora for Windows (Windows and Macintosh), and
WinQVT/Net (Windows) are offline readers for use when calling Unix hosts.
The most popular systems on the PCBoard based Thunderball Cave BBS are
Offline Express, Megareader, Session Manager, Rose Reader and EZReader. Freddie is
a reader for Macintosh.
These readers are used with scripts written for various communication programs.
Some of them have built in communications (and script) modules.
EZReader from Thumper Technologies (P.O. Box 471346, Tulsa, OK 74147 1346,
U.S.A.) lets users retrieve mail from several online systems using transfer formats such
as QWK, PCBoard capture files, ProDoor ZIPM files, XRS, MCI Mail, and others.
1stReader from Sparkware (Post Office Box 386, Hendersonville, Tennessee
37077, U.S.A.) is my personal favorite for accessing Qmail based online systems.
Note: Some offline readers contain all the features required for fully
automated communications. Some bulletin boards allow up and
downloading to start right after CONNECT.
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