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USING WHITE PAGES

Introduction to Packet Radio Part 9.

In this part of the series we're going to look at the White Pages. No, not your local telephone directory, but the packet radio directory known as the "White Pages". You help supply the information for "WP", and you can also use it to find the home BBS, QTH and zip code of your friends on packet.

"White Pages" was initially designed by Eric Williams, WD6CMU, of Richmond, California. Hank Oredson, W0RLI, later added a WP database to his packet bulletin board software, and now most of the BBS software programs have some form of the White Pages available. It's a database of packet users showing their name, home BBS, QTH and zip code. It's updated and queried by packet message, allowing stations from all over the world to take advantage of it. When users enter their name and other information into their BBS user file, it gets included in the WP database. The software automatically assembles an update once a day containing all of the changes to the user information it has received in the past 24 hours. This update is then forwarded to the regional White Pages server. The regional server then takes all of the information it has received and sends out updates to all other BBSs in the area, as well as to AD8I in Ohio, the national White Pages Server. As a result, you can easily find the name, home BBS, QTH and zip code of other stations on packet all across the country using the White Pages database.

If your BBS is operating with its own WP database, you may make inquiries of it using either the "I" or "Q" command, depending on the software being used. Simply enter I or Q followed by the callsign you'd like information about. If you wanted information on W6FFF, for example, you would enter:

I W6FFF or Q W6FFF Check the help information on your BBS to see which command is the one used there.

Information from the White Pages can be obtained by sending a query message to your regional WP server or the national WP server, AD8I.#CMH.OH.USA.NA. Since the messages are read and answered by the WP software, not a person, you must use the correct format: callsign ? You may include as many requests as you wish in each message, but each must be on a separate line.

Here's an example of a message sent to the AD8I White Pages database:

W6BBS} SP WP @ AD8I.#CMH.OH.USA.NA (The same format would be used to send a query message to regional WP database.)

Enter subject of message: Query

Enter text: K9AT ? WA6DDM ? K3AKK ? W1KPL ? (Control Z)

Capital and lower case letters may both be used within the message. Just like all other packet messages, messages addressed to WP are forwarded from BBS to BBS toward their destination. If a BBS operating with the W0RLI WP Server handles a query message, it will respond with any pertinent information that it has available. As a result, you might receive more than one response to your WP query.

The WP program also collects data from any WP responses it sees, as well as from the headers of every message that passes through. The information on each call in a WP database is usually deleted in 90 days if it's not updated. The time frame is determined by each local sysop.

It is important to note here that you should choose ONLY ONE BBS as your home BBS, the one where you want all of your messages delivered. You should also make sure that it is a full service BBS, not a personal mailbox, or mail will not be forwarded to you. Always enter that callsign when you are asked to enter your home BBS, even if you are using another system at the time. It's also a good idea to include your home BBS, along with its full hierarchical address, as the last line of the text in any message you send.

When a message arrives at the destination BBS given in the "@ BBS" column, some of the BBS software will check the White Pages information to make sure that the message has been delivered to the right place. If it finds that a different BBS is listed as the addressee's home BBS, it will insert that BBS callsign in the message and send it on its way. If you enter different home BBS calls on several BBSs, your mail could easily end up being sent from BBS to BBS and never reach you.

If you move or change your home BBS, you should then make sure that you update the information for your call in the White Pages database. Use the NH, NQ and NZ commands to update the information. Making sure that the information in the White Pages is correct will help to get your messages delivered to the correct BBS.




Click here for Part 10

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