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