-- TIPS AND TRICKS FOR YOUR MESSAGES --

SENDING PRIVATE MESSAGES
------------------------

If you need privacy,  you can set aside the remainder of a message,  so that it
can only be read by the people that you list.

To declare the  remainder  of a message as private, start your line like this:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: <<JOE>> The rest of this message is :
: for Joe, and only Joe can read it.  :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'

You can list  more  than one person, as shown in this example:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: <<JOE><HAROLD>>  Type your message  :
: here and only Joe & Harold see it.  :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'

For example,  let's say  you've typed a few lines for general consumption,  and
wish to set aside  the rest of the message for  FREDDY,  MARIO and BERNIE.  You
would do it this way:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: <<FREDDY><MARIO><BERNIE>> Hello!    :
: How are you, today?  I am fine.     :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'

If you want to make sure you understand this technique,  send a private message
that  doesn't  include your own name in the list.   (Why should it, after all?)
Then, use the  SET command to go back a few minutes.  Re-read your message.  If
you can't read the private section, you got it right!

You can  use this technique  to reserve several "Privates" in one message.


HOW TO TALK BEHIND SOMEBODY'S BACK
----------------------------------

This one's  just  for fun:  you can set aside part of your message such that it
can read only by people who  AREN'T  in the  list of names.  An example:  let's
say you're  planning  a surprise  party for  JOE and HAROLD.  You'd put this in
front of the relevant text:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: ><JOE><HAROLD><  Say, everybody,    :
: let's give Joe & Harold a party!    :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'

...and so forth.   JOE and HAROLD would not be able to read the following text.


WHEN YOU CAN'T FIT IT ALL ON ONE LINE
-------------------------------------

If you simply can't  fit  all the names for a Private or an Exclusive on one 80
character line, simply stack them:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: <<JOE><HAROLD><MARY><KENNETH>>      :
: <<PHILBERT><ROGER><JOAN>> Okay, we  :
: launch our attack tonight at 8:00!  :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'


USING SEVERAL GIMMICKS IN ONE MESSAGE
-------------------------------------

You can freely mix  Privates  and  Exclusives.  Here's the way you'd  type up a
short message that uses all these techniques:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: Hello, everybody!  Nice day, eh?    :
: Now, some Privates and Exclusives:  :
:                                     :
: <<BILL><JILL><PHIL><MORRIS><BORIS>> :
: <<HARRY><MARY>>  Hey, we are going  :
: to have a party for Fred and Joe!   :
:                                     :
: <<FRED><JOE>>  Hi.  Are you two     :
: available next Saturday?            :
:                                     :
: ><FRED><JOE><  Everybody, please    :
: don't mention to Fred and Joe that  :
: we're going to give them a party!   :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'


FILE TRANSFERS
--------------

When typing up your documentation for a file upload,  you can include a Private
header in the summary line, which will make the file inaccessible  to everybody
except the people you list.

HANDY TIP:  If you and the people who are running this system  are swapping the
same file back and forth,  include your  OWN  name in the  summary line  of the
documentation.  For example, if your name was FRED JONES:

.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
: <<FRED JONES><SYSOP>>  Here is the  :
: file containing the text I want you :
: to edit.                            :
'- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'


CONCLUSION
----------

If all this  sounds complicated to you, start by experimenting with simple pri-
vate messages to  one person.  Then try some of the other tricks later on!