Question 1: Why are you so slow? Answer: Since this is a free service, we do not get as much money as we would like, so we have to administrate launchpad (12,000 users, 2,600 a day) with part-time employees only. We do our best, but delays are inevitable, for which we apologize. If you feel that your correspondence has been lost, please write again, but keep in mind that delays of up to a month are not uncommon. Question 2: Where is question 2? Answer: There is no question 2. Question 3: I want to send mail on the computer. How do I do that? I want Usenet privileges right now. Give them to me. [Sometimes it is hard to understand the person's request, since the questioner himself rarely understands what he wants. If he mentions privileges, Usenet, Internet, mail, or news, then chances are he wants what we simply call "privileges".] Answer: Everyone can use the Internet news and mail facilities here on Launchpad, but to send mail to other systems or to post articles that will be distributed to other systems, you need privileges. To get privileges, you need to fill out the request form, which is available via anonymous ftp. From your home system, type ftp SunSite.unc.edu Type anonymous for the user name. Type in your Internet address when you are asked for a password. Once inside, type cd pub/docs/UNC-bbs get priv_request You should now have the privilege request form. Fill it out and send it in to receive access to Internet News and mail. Since we need your signature, you must send it to us via "postal" mail, not e-mail. Question 4: Could you please change the password on my account, Paul Hardin? I really am Paul Hardin, I just forgot the password. Answer: For security reasons, we cannot change passwords without written permission and proof of identification (e.g. photocopy of driver's license, birth certificate, etc.). Send these things to Extended Bulletin Board Services Research and Development UNC Office of Information Technology Campus Box #3460, Wilson Library University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3460 Also, please tell us what you want your new password to be. Question 5: What is my e-mail address? Answer: Your address is Firstname.Lastname@launchpad.unc.edu Question 6: Why can't people just send mail to me at lambada.oit.unc.edu? Answer: That address might work for now, but the only address that will always work is launchpad.unc.edu Question 7: Every time I try to read news, it says 'Checking for new groups' and then it hangs. Answer: Sometimes checking for new groups takes a long time, sometimes longer that five minutes. It does not hang, it is just slow. We are aware of this problem and are looking into it. Question 8: Where are all the files I want to read? Answer: All of the files that users used to be able to download directly from the old bbs have been moved to our anonymous ftp site, SunSITE.unc.edu. If you want to download any of these files, you need ftp capability. Question 10: How do I upload a file to post? Answer: Sending a file from your home system is possible, but it depends on your computer and the software that it runs. Most communication programs have an option called something like "ASCII upload", which will send a file on your home system to another system as if you typed it in yourself. If you can do this, all you have to do is go into the editor as you normally would to post, and then upload the file. Sometimes you might have to slow your software down, because the editor may not be able to accept the file as fast as you can send it. Question 11: How do I dial in to launchpad? Answer: For up to 2400 bps, call 962-9921. For up to 14.4K bps, call 962-9921. These phone numbers are all local to Chapel Hill. 549-8211 is toll-free everywhere in the Research Triangle, and works for 1200 and 2400 bps. Once you are connected, you should see a menu. Choose option #3, which will connect you directly to launchpad. Question 12: Why can't I read the unc.usatoday groups? Answer: We receive the unc.usatoday groups under a contract that restricts them to this campus. That is why the campus news administrators will not let launchpad users read them. Question 13: How do I change folders in elm? Answer: The version of elm that we now use handles folders differently from the version we used to use. To list your folders, go into elm and press the letter c. Then type =* and press return. This should show you everything in your folder directory. To go to one of these folders, press c if you have not already done so and then type =foldername, where "foldername" is the name of the folder you want. For example, almost everyone has a folder called =received, although elm confuses you by calling this folder both "=received" and ">". Once you are inside a folder, you can delete anything inside it by pressing d. You can "undelete" things by typing the number of the message and then pressing u. Thank you very much for your question. We are desperately low on disk space, and we are grateful to everyone who deletes his or her mail before it becomes a problem. Question 14: Why is your disk full? Are you all losers? Fix it now!!! Answer: Thank you for your message. The disk should be free now. The reason the disk keeps filling up so quickly is that users are not deleting their non-ESSENTIAL mail, if you are guilty of this (it's okay, you're not alone) please try to delete everything you can. Thanks. Question 15: How can I save articles to my own account on BBS? Answer: Hi, You can use the command "R" command in rn or trn which will take you to elm. You could change the "To:" field to your account and send it. Just make sure you don't include anything in Cc. If this FAQ has not answered all of your questions, you are welcome to send us some more mail at help@launchpad.unc.edu. We would encourage you to help us out by being clear and specific about your problems. We will get to your mail as fast as possible. Thanks! LaUNChpad SysOps. (Nash Foster, Kelly Garner, Jeremy Greene, et al...)