COMPUSERVE EUROPE MAIN MENU
1 About CompuServe 2 What's New 3 Member Assistance 4 Electronic Mail 5 Personal Computer Support 6 Company Information 7 Logon Instructions (Europe) 8 CompuServe Information Service (U.S.)
Enter '8' to get another menu:
CompuServe TOP
1 Member Assistance (FREE)
2 Find a Topic (FREE)
3 Communications/Bulletin Bds.
4 News/Weather/Sports
5 Travel
6 The Electronic MALL/Shopping
7 Money Matters/Markets
8 Entertainment/Games
9 Hobbies/Lifestyles/Education
10 Reference
11 Computers/Technology
12 Business/Other Interests
You can "go" to Associated Press' newswires or the section for home-schooling in the Education Forum by entering numbers listed in menus. The service is like a tree with menus by every set of branches. A code in the upper right-hand corner of each screen tells you exactly where you are. The last menu has the code 'TOP' meaning that this menu is at the 'top of the tree'. By each CompuServe system prompt, the command GO followed by a destination code will take you directly to a desired location. Enter GO IBMHW to go directly to the IBM Hardware Forum. The GO command will save you time and money. Similar codes and commands are used on several other online services. On many systems, the first menu encountered when logging on is a list of announcements and new offerings. The following is from GEnie, General Electric's Consumer Information Service (U.S.A.):
GEnie Announcements (FREE)
1. July 1991 GEnie Billing Completed. To review yours, type:….*BILL
2. Hot Summer Nights continues to SIZZLE…………………….*HSN
3. NEW…Quality Product and Amazing Value in………………..SOFTCLUB
4. LAST CHANCE—-Blue GEnie Sweatshirts……………………..*ORDER
5. Color hypermedia in Apple II world. HyperStudio RTC in……..A2
6. Meet the Product Manager, FREE RTC……………………….SFRT
7. "Future of Online Gaming" RTC with GEnie Game Designers in….MPGRT
8. A Revolutionary Credit Service - TRW CREDENTIALS…………..TRWCREDIT
9. 900 Numbers: Ripoff or Good Business Sense - RTC 8/11 9PM…..RADIO
10. Air Warrior Convention set for Sept.26-29. in Washington……AIR
11. SEARS Fall/Winter Catalog On-line NOW…………………….SEARS
12. How to Sell your CRAFTS for Profit……………………….HOSB
13. Stellar Warrior Campaign starts with a FREE weekend………..WARRIOR
14. Followup Investment RTC with Mickey Friedman in……………REAL ESTATE
15. Federation II, the adult space fantasy……………………FED
Enter #, <H>elp, or <CR> to continue?
At the 'Enter #' prompt, enter '7' to go directly to the "Future of Online Gaming" conference (RTC=Round Table Conference). Enter H for Help, or press Return to get to the systems' main menu. You can "go" to selected services by entering a videotext page number code or a number (selected from the menu). Type 'mail' to get to your mailbox, 'backgammon' to play, or 'SEARS' to visit the online version of this North American shoppers' paradise. 'Mail' has page number 200. Enter 'm 200' to go there directly. To go to NewsBytes' technical news reports by subject, select "5" from menu page number 316. GEnie even has a faster way. Like some other services, it let you stack commands. Instead of issuing one command, and then wait for the system to respond before issuing the next command, stacking allows you to put all commands on one line. The command "m 316;5" will take you directly to choice 5 from the menu on page 316 without displaying intermediate menus. Many online services use the same template. They have commands like GO SERVICE-NAME, JOIN SERVICE-NAME (or just J), DELTA SERVICE- NAME, or just the code or name of the offering as in 'mail' and 'sears' above. Entering H or ? (for help) usually give you assistance. Few services are fussy about whether you use lower or capital letters in commands. On some services, and especially if a selection requires just a letter or a number, you don't even have to press return to make it happen. This method is used on many bulletin boards. Some codes are standard. This is particularly the case with "?", H, or Help for more information.