MITVMA and Bitnet accounts
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SIPB currently sponsors MITVMA accounts to supply the community with
bitnet access. This is primarily used for real time talk using the
tell command on VMA. This service of providing a $50
account to whomever asks for one will hopefully soon go away and be
replaced by an MITSIPB bitnet node. With this, users can send
tell commands from athena workstations through the node to
the Bitnet.
How to give out a VMA account
The VMA account forms are currently in the lower left drawer of the
front left desk in the office. Pull out the draw and fuddle around for
a hanging folder labled MITVMA. The instructions below are also
included in the front page of the contents of that folder:
- Find a ``Person Registration - IBM System'' form, form 8. If
you don't know where they are, then ask someone. You should fill out
the form yourself, getting the necessary information from the user and
getting his address from his student ID. If you use the second to
last form, make ten or so copies of the last one as soon as possible
after you give out the account.
- Check off VM/CMS under system required.
- Printed output can be mailed to users who are using the system
remotely and can't get to the Information Systems Dispatch desk to
pick it up. Of course, there is a charge for this service.
- The user should get one cylinder for CMS.
The virtual address for CMS is 191.
- Dollar limit is $50. This should last for a while, and if it
runs out, the user can come in and request more money if he wants it.
If the account is for a particular project, place the end date of the
project in the ``End Date'' blank. If it is just an account for
general use, ask the user when he plans to graduate and use that as
the end date. Write ``SIPB'' and your initials or username in the
``Approved by '' blank.
- The project number is M30010.
- To determine the userid, look in the table of already assigned numbers and
use the next one sequentially, i.e. if the last number assigned is
``S20037,'' then use the number ``S20038.'' Neatly write in
the userid table the new userid, your initials or username, the name
of the person to whom you are giving the account, the date on which
the account was assigned, and the end date.
- The ``Destination'' blank should be filled in with a 30. Tell
the user that his printouts will be placed in bin 30 (one of the
hanging bins) at the IS Dispatch Desk, unless he is having them mailed.
- Tell the user to take the registration form to the
Information Systems User Accounts office, room 11-205, and to give it
to them. User Accounts will process the application; this should take
about a day.
- If a user who already has an account comes in to ask for more
money, check to make sure that his account has not expired (Look in
the userid table.). If it has not, then write a dated note to User
Accounts, with the userid and permission to give the user another $50.
Sign the note, print your name and write ``For SIPB'' underneath it.
Send them down to User Accounts with the note, and place a hash mark
next to their name in the userid table. Send the treasurer mail,
telling him/her what you've done.
- Leave security group blank.