| |
N5MDT > SYSOP 13.12.20 15:33l 90 Lines 5673 Bytes #999 (0) @ USA
BID : 12264_N5MDT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Thank You!
Path: IZ3LSV<IQ5KG<IK1NHL<CX2SA<N6RME<N9PMO<N9LCF<W9GM<N9SEO<N4NVD<N5MDT
Sent: 201213/1251Z 12264@N5MDT.#STX.TX.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.20
Thank You to all those sysops that read and reply to all those message that state "Test - Please Disregard!"
It is actually meaningful to receive feedback to those even if the originating station requested otherwise. Although the author
may be testing his forwarding just outbound from his own BBS it is very useful to know what path a message will take well beyo
nd the initial route after it leaves the originating station.
As a new BBS sysop I just loaded a ran the software. I didn't know squat about forwarding and just followed the instructions of
my Elmer without actually learning the correct configuration or why something is the way it is to get BPQ to forward the way i
t should. Not just blindly forward.
Today I spend time regularly, weekly, sometimes daily, looking at the messages sent from my BBS and make sure that the message
is being sent properly. Everyone should do this. Especially if you are new or made recent configuration changes. So, how do you
do that, some new sysop will ask...
This will use the Web Access to your BPQ node because all installations that I know of has the web access. If you do not know h
ow to access your BPQ system from a browser ask your neighbor, on the support groups, me or anyone. Someone will gladly help yo
u out. Here is an example of a web access to BPQ:
http://n5mdt.ham-radio-op.net:52852
My pages will look slightly different than yours as I have added some coding to the landing page. Click on Node Index and you w
ill likely get a familiar page. Access the web page for your own BPQ Node, then click on Mail Mgmt. Then select Messages.
You will see a list of all the messages sent and received by your BBS. This is where I spend most of my time. Looking at each m
essage to make sure it forwarded to the proper place. You can click on each message number and in the right pane you will see t
he message details, From, To, Subject, etc. At the bottom of that pane is a list of all your forwarding partners, each in his o
wn table cell. The cell changes color based on the forwarding status. No color if the selected message was not forwarded to thi
s person, yellow if it is queued to send to this person on the next expiration of the forwarding timer, and green if the messag
e has been forwarded to this station.
As I select each message I pay attention to the VIA line, and the forwarding partners, and make sure that the message was forwa
rded properly. Here are some of the considerations when you see various changes in each message.
If the message was not forwarded at all, either:
1. The message is for you.
2. You received it from the only possible place you could forward it.
3. There is no place to forward it.
4. You have an error.
Regarding #3, there will always be a message or two addressed unconventionally, that you have no place configured to forward. D
on't worry that it didn't forward. You are not required to forward all messages. If it has an invalid HA then it probably shoul
d not be forwarded. Ask a friend or Elmer for assistance. There are so many cases it would be difficult to address them all her
e.
Many of the messages are sent via WW. You may have several forwarding partners that you send all message to. You will be able t
o see the pattern of the station colors. All of the WW message will have that same color pattern of green cells, with one excep
tion. You will not send a message back to the station from whom you received it. So one green cell may be missing.
When you hit a message sent via USA then there may be slightly fewer green cells.
And when you select a message that is sent VIA another country you should only see ONE green cell. If you see more then your BB
S forwarding is not configured properly. There is no reason to send a message destined for Europe to multiple USA stations, and
no reason to send USA messages to Europe (baring the most unusual cases.) So, watch for that as well.
All of the above applies mainly to Bulletins. Personal messages will look slightly different. Personal messages are only sent t
o ONE forwarding partner. So, when you see only one green cell then the message could be a bulletin to another country (or even
another general area) or it could be a personal message.
The easiest way to see if your configuration is correct for directing personal messages is the send each of your partners a WP
Update as a personal message. On the BBS Configuration you should have Send WP Updates checked, and Send as Personal Message se
lected. In the Send Updates to: add each of your forwarding partners, one to a line, using the format:
WP@N5MDT
Once per day you housekeeping should run, sending a WP Update message to each of your forwarding partners. As you select throug
h each of the messages you will soon find those WP message. Each should be sent only to the one station intended. The VIA will
have his call, and the cell containing the call will be green. Many will simply send WP Updates as bulletins, although I block
those. It's not wrong to send WP Updates as bulletins, I just have my reasons for the way I do it.
Since there is always another way to do things there will be others with other opinions or other ways of doing the same thing.
You will find your way soon enough, but please do settle on a way to check your system to be sure you are forwarding message ap
propriately.
This has gone on long enough. All this started as a simple Thank you. Thank you for responding to those messages. Thank you for
calling my attention to any error my BBS makes in its routing. And thank you for checking your own BBS occasionally to make su
re you are forwarding correctly.
73,
Mark
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
