I made the  mistake of telling my  users about GRAND. I  should obviously not
have, considering that  the user interface is obviously not  suited to inexpert
users. I had a bunch of notes in my reader this morning... Look at what happens
when the lambda users invokes the CONFER exec...
 
 confer
 Unable to link the GRAND 191 system disk rc(12)
 Leaving the CONFER Conferencing system.
 R(00012); T=0.47/0.53 18:09:48
 c 9
 
  It should  read: "You are not  yet signed up  to GRAND. Please send  a SIGNUP
command to your  nearest GRAND server, eg  TELL GRAND AT CUNYVM  SIGNUP Jack G.
Brown".
 
  Now look at what happens when you issue a SIGNUP command:
 
*-------------*
 FROM  FRMOP11(GRAND): *  Your SIGNUP  command is  forwarded to  the primary...
 FROM FRMOP11(GRAND): * server, which will process it
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND):  * Raphaelle  Gilaber, you have  been signed-up  to use...
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND):  * GRAND.  A GRAND  PROFILE is being  sent to  you. Use...
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND): * the CMS "RECEIVE"  command to load it to your A-disk....
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND):  * Then use  a GRAND user interface  program ("CONFER",...
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND): * "GRAIL", etc.) appropriate for you.
 FROM CUNYVM(GRAND): * sent profile of 103556 to 001905
 PUN FILE 2787 FROM RSCS     COPY 001   NOHOLD
 File (3523)  spooled to  RAPHA -- ORG  CUNYVM(GRAND) 12/02/86  19:57:24 G.M.T.
 FROM FRMOP11(GRAND): * 103556 is now recorgnized by this server
 FROM FRMOP11(GRAND): * You are now recognized by this server.
*-------------*
 
  The beginning of the message is ok,  although the paragraph is a little messy
and the  tone is a little  biblic ( :-)  ). Now WHY  do they tell you  that the
profile of 103556  has been sent to  001905 (geez, good news!)?  I guess 001905
is the GRID  number of the FRMOP11 server. Then  you have this self-explanatory
message,  "103556 is  now recorgnized  (sp) by  this server",  followed by  its
translation, "You  have been recognized by  this server". What would  y'all say
if LISTSERV told you:
 
tell listserv at frecp11 rev lstsrv-l
R; T=0.02/0.03 12:34:21
FROM FRECP11(LISTSERV): File "LSTSRV-L FRECP11" has been sent in Netdata format
FROM FRECP11(LISTSERV): Request 28034673 has been sent to 002832.
FROM CLVM(LISTSERV): Request 28034673 from  002976 has been received by 002832.
FROM  CLVM(LISTSERV): File  "LSTSRV-L CLVM"  has been  sent in  Netdata format.
FROM CLVM(LISTSERV): Request 28034673 from 002976 has been passed on to 003498.
etc
 
  The more I  get to learn about GRAND,  the more I get the  impression that it
was designed for  people with a good  CS and VM background, eg  our CS students
here who  did not  scream at  the SIGNUP output  (although they  did ask  a few
questions). If  CS students with at  least 2 years experience  in computers are
not able to get to use CONFER  by themselves, then there is obviously something
wrong with the package.
 
  Eric