Introduction to BULLETIN on the Vax
                                                  2/88 AW

BULLETIN was written for the Public Domain by Mark London at MIT.

     The BULLETIN utility permits a user to create messages for
reading by other users.  Users may be notified upon logging on
that new messages have been added, and what the topic of the
messages are.  Actual reading of the messages is optional.  (See
the command SET READNEW for info on automatic reading.)  Messages
are automatically deleted when their expiration data has passed.
     The program runs like VAX mail.  The different interest
groups or BULLETIN boards are implemented in the form of
'Folders', just like a filing cabinet.  A Folder contain various
messages on the same general topic.  A message is a piece of text
written by a user or staff person and added to a particular
folder.  All users are not permitted to submit messages to all
folders.

     A message consists of an expiration date, a subject line
and the text of the message.  BULLETIN will prompt the user for
these things when a message is being added.

Folders

     Different folders have been created to contain messages on
different topics.  Folders may be public, semi-private, or
private.  The majority of the folders will be public.  However a
few will be semi-private, which will mean that all users may
read messages in the folder but not all will be able to post to
it. 


BULLETIN is used pretty much like VMS MAIL, so those used to VMS MAIL
will find it easy to use and familiar. At the same time, it can read
net news, post to it, and act as a mail<->news gateway.