4. HOMEBASE
Typing C at the WELCOME screen brings you to HOMEBASE. From here you can access any sub-system of EIES®, such as mail or conferences.
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HOMEBASE (20)
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Waiting: 4 Notification Items
6 Mail Items
8 Items in 3 Conferences
3 Filter Items 2 Activities
Most frequently used terms: Most frequently used controls:
View: whole message/comment/object + finish and go back/on
Scan: the headings of objects ++ go to homebase
Compose: a new object - cancel and go back
Reply: to an existing item - quit the system
Enter: a conference ? get help
Waiting: new objects Ctrl-C to break
Accepted: old objects Ctrl-L to redraw
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Notifications Mail Conferences Directory Forms Global Activities
Talk
Notifications (? help, - escape, ++ homebase)
ACTION CHOICE>N
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The top of the HOMEBASE text area contains a list of various waiting items. This gives you an overview of what is waiting for you in the different sub-systems of EIES® without you having to enter each particular sub-system.
The HOMEBASE text area contains the terms and controls frequently used in EIES®.
The menu area contains all the EIES® sub-systems. A description of each one is contained in the next section.
4.1 HOMEBASE CHOICES
Notifications Brief announcements, confirmation of message receipt, or information about conference you’ve been added to.
Mail Private messages from one person to one or more people.
Conferences Ongoing group discussions or collaborations. EIES® automatically keeps track of items called comments, seen by each participant.
Directory Descriptions of all EIES® members, groups, and conferences. Look here to learn about who else is using the system, or find conference to join.
Forms Tools for collecting information from other EIES® members. Examples of forms are surveys and tests.
Global Gives you access to all EIES® items simultaneously. Search all of you mail and conferences at once.
Activities Special purpose programs such as voting or selecting items from a list .
Talk Allows you to chat with other members currently using the system.
4.2 Waiting vs. Accepted
EIES provides various ways of sorting and ordering items for you. The most basic of these is to sort your mail and conference comments into two lists or piles, Waiting and Accepted.
Think of your lists of Waiting items as new things in your in-box, and your lists of Accepted items as your files of old correspondence that you have seen. They have been automatically filed for you in case you want to look at them again. When you view an item, it is taken off your Waiting list (in-box) and filed in your Accepted list (out-box). If you compose an item it is immediately put on your Accepted list.
4.3 FINDING HELP
Help is available anywhere you are on EIES®. Type a single question mark, ?
followed by a <CR>. A screen like this one appears:
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HELP MENU (17)
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HOMEBASE
HOMEBASE is the starting point for EIES®. Listed here are any
waiting NOTIFICATIONS, MAIL, CONFERENCE COMMENTS, FILTER ITEMS, and
ACTIVITIES.
From HOMEBASE you may select any EIES® subsystem: NOTIFICATIONS,
MAIL, CONFERENCES, DIRECTORY, FORMS, GLOBAL, ACTIVITIES, and TALK.
You can then choose an ACTION: SCAN TITLE, VIEW FULL TEXT, etc.
To return to HOMEBASE from anywhere on EIES®, enter
+HOMEBASE, +HOME, or ++ at any prompt.
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Next Back
Next Page ( ? help, - escape, ++ homebase )
ACTION CHOICE>N
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Every screen on EIES® has a HELP message. HELP information may be more than one screen or page long. Use Next to see the next page. When done, press the escape key, esc, or a minus sign, - followed by a <CR>. This will take you out of the current screen and back to the screen you were previously reading.
4.4 USER CONTROLS: MOVING QUICKLY AROUND EIES®
These commands allow you to control your interaction with the system.
The -, +, and ? commands are examples of User Controls: commands that work the same way everywhere on EIES®. As you travel from screen to screen, these commands travel with you.
<CR> (Move ahead)
Moves you forward one step. When you type a carriage return on a line by itself,
EIES® selects whatever choice is highlighted on your screen at the time.
^ (Oops)
Also known as the SHIFT-6 key, this command is used when you are answering a
series of questions such as when you send mail. It moves you back one step of a
process. Repeat ^ several times to retrace your last several steps.
+ (Go ahead)
When writing mail or comments, this command begins the process of sending the item.
- or Escape
Typing a minus or pressing the escape key moves you to the last menu screen.
When writing mail or comments, this command moves you to the previous screen
without sending mail or entering a comment.
++ (HOMEBASE)
Moves you instantly to HOMEBASE from anywhere on EIES®.
-- (Sign off)
Two minus signs will instantly sign you off from anywhere in the system.
? (Help)
Provides a HELP message explaining your choices at the current screen.
O (Other/Orig.)
When is screen mode, this switches back and forth through all menu choices on a
particular screen.
<CTRL>- C
Holding down the <CRTL> key and pressing the c key at the same time acts as a
break key. This is useful in line mode and batch mode. If you are reading a long
text item, typing <CRTL>C will stop the display of the item.