Methods of Forum Access

If you have never used CompuServe, you might have some basic questions that need answering. You should look at the sidebar titled "CompuServe Forums and Cmail" for information on CompuServe Forums and Cmail.

There are two basic ways to access CompuServe Forums and C-mail:

  1. 1. ONLINE and 2. Using a BATCH PROCESSING program. Online access to CompuServe is simple and effective. You connect to CompuServe, and conduct all activities while connected. You may use the 95LX's built-in COMM program and your modem to conduct an on-line session with CompuServe. The main drawback to this method is the expense. If all messages are read and composed while connected, the 2400 baud connect charge of $12.80 an hour starts to become prohibitive. In order to make the access of Forums and Cmail cost effective, programs have evolved that greatly reduce connect charges. These programs call CompuServe, automatically visit forums you have decided on beforehand, retrieve and store Forum messages/Cmail and then disconnect you from CompuServe.

Once disconnected (no longer incurring online charges) you are free to read and answer these messages at your leisure. When you have finished writing and replying to your messages and Cmail, you can connect to CompuServe once again, and the program will automatically and quickly send your responses to the correct Forums, send Cmail to the Cmail area, and then disconnect.

Examples of programs in this category are MESSAGE, TAPCIS and AUTOSIG. (See the sidebar "Automate Your CompuServe Access" on page 28).

The remainder of this article will guide you through a typical on-line CompuServe session. In the next issue, you will be introduced to MESSAGE, a program designed for the 95LX that allows automatic batch mode access of CompuServe Forums and Cmail.