  |
 || WELCOME1.PEX v1.0
||| Proboard v2.00 compatible on-line auto-upgrader
 || Copyright (C) 1994  David L. Nugent & Unique Computing Pty Ltd
  |

WELCOME1 is an automated privilege upgrader, ideal for the 'lazy' 
sysop who wishes not to be bothered by having to deal with upgrading
new callers but still wishes to use and enforce an upgrade policy
which discourages bogus callers (ie. callbacks from users who have
run out of time or download privileges at their access level). It is
suited to public access systems which are simply being cautios in
allowing new callers free access to the file base.

WELCOME1 basically enforces the access policy adopted by this BBS.
We hope you find it useful. It is intentionally friendly (or can be
made so) and attempts to appeal to the 'reasonable' side of your
users rather than attempting to create any impression of dominance
or requirement. Specifically, it deals with users who refuse - for
whatever reason - to read screens and other prompts by being gently
insistent on completing the new user questionarre on calling back
one or more days after their first call. The first 24 hours are
regarded as a 'grace period' in which the new user can browse the
system and determine whether or not they wish to call regularly.

A PEX file named WELCOME1.PEX is automatically executed by Proboard
somewhere on its way from login to the TOP menu, before mail check.
Its job is to ensure that a new user calling back within 24 hours
from his/her first call is warned that they do not have complete 
access until the questionairre has been completed. If a new user
calls back AFTER 24 hours from the first call without having previously
completed the questionairre, then the questionairre file (as defined
in the .INI file) is executed regardless. If the questionairre is
completed at this time (which upgrades the user's privilege), then
the caller's privilege may be automatically upgraded to 'normal'
user status without having to wait for another call or expiration of
yet another 24 period.

Note that a new user who previously completed the questionairre who
calls back after 24 hours from the first call is also silently
upgraded to 'normal user' status.  In either case, the user is
posted a welcome message from the sysop, as a friendly introduction
to the BBS. The contents of this message are entirely up to the
installer.

There is no checking of the questionairre data, however, but a future
version may address this and/or callback verification. If you have
any further suggestions on the use of this .PEX, please forward them
to us and we'll be happy to consider them for future implementations.


INSTALLATION

Copy WELCOME1.PEX to your .PEX directory where Proboard can find it.
Copy the sample WELCOME1.INI along with it, and edit it to suit. A
sample WELCOME1.INI is shown below:

; ----------------------------------------------------
; Configuration file for Welcome1.PEX for Proboard 2.0
; ----------------------------------------------------
;
; NewLevel - Level assigned to new users eligible for
; upgrading via the dreaded questionairre (default=10)
; This shoudl agree with the 'new user' profile defined in
; Proboard's configuration via PROCFG.
;
NewLevel = 10
;
; RegLevel - Level assigned to new users who have completed
; the dreaded questionairre (default=20)
;
RegLevel = 20
;
; NormLevel - Level to which users are upgraded after
; completing the questionairre and 24 hours has elapsed
; (default=45)
;
NormLevel = 45
;
; WelcomeMsg - (text) file containing message to send to
; new users who's security is upgraded (default=*SWelcome1.Msg)
; Note that a '%s' appearing in any line (one only per line)
; will be substituted for the user's name.
;
WelcomeMsg = C:\PB\Pex\Welcome1.Msg
;
; Questionairre to execute should a new user have logged
; in after 24 hours without having completed the questionaire
; in any prior login. Note that on successful completeion this
; questionairre MUST upgrade the caller's priviledge to the
; 'RegLevel' value noted above for this to work correctly.
; If it does not, WELCOME1.PEX assumes that the questionairre
; was aborted by the user.
; (default=REGISTER)
;
Question = REGISTER
;

Next, write a 'welcome' message, and place this in the file
nominated in the "WelcomeMsg" noted in the .INI file. During
the upgrade process, WELCOME1 posts this message to the user,
giving them the impression that their upgrade has been
personally handled by the attendant and ever-vigilant sysop. :)

To personalise the message a little, you can include the '%s'
string somewhere ONCE within any line, and this will be
substitutded for the user's name.  As a side-effect, be careful
when using the '%' character elsewhere - if you need to use one
and have it displayed as such, then use two consecutive '%%'.


BUGS/TODO

The possibilities for this sort of program are quite large, but
since this does everything we personally need, future enhancements
will depend entirely on your suggestions.


CONTACTING THE AUTHOR

  david nugent
  Snail Mail: c/o Unique Computing Pty Ltd
              PO Box 352
              Doveton, Victoria, Aust  3177
     FidoNet: 3:632/348@fidonet
    InterNet: davidn@csource.oz.au
              davidn@csource.pronet.com


REDISTRIBUTION

This file is part of the 'PEXPAK' distribution and must not be
distributed separately. Terms and conditions of redistribution
and use of this software are covered in the license agreement
in LICENSE.TXT which accompanies the PEXPAK suite of programs.


