[10516] in Athena Bugs
vax 7.4H: Barton
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ninadm@Athena.MIT.EDU)
Thu May 27 12:40:33 1993
From: ninadm@Athena.MIT.EDU
To: bugs@Athena.MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 12:40:26 EDT
Hello out there. I fear this may be the wrong place to send this, but
maybe you'll forward it appropriately. I've just had a lengthy OWL
transaction with a user who is having a HORRIBLE time getting into
Barton. I've tried to walk him through it but to no avail... At the
risk or infuriating you, I'm going to send you the transcript of the
OWL session to see if you can help this poor fellow. (I know I could
get him to fill out the form but he's suffered so much already, I
can't bear to pester him further.) OK, here it comes:
Log Initiated for user Xiaoou Tang (xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0]).
[Thu 27-May-93 11:19am]
Topic: general
Question:
I telnet from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Then I type 'add library'
and 'library'. A window opened. Then I click on Barton:MIT Catalog. The Barton
window opened. It ask me to 'enter number or code'. But it didn't respond to
anything I entered. Why?
Thank you.
[my response deleted]
[Thu 27-May-93 11:57am]
*** Reply from user xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:00pm]
I am connecting to barton now. I just got the Barton window up. But it still
didn't respond to my command, like cat or a number.
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@VONGOLE.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:04pm]
Which screen are you on? What does it say? (If you're at a workstation,
copy a little bit of the screen into your message so I can recognize it.)
--- User xtang read reply.
[Thu 27-May-93 12:05pm]
*** Reply from user xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:06pm]
076 MIT LIBRARIES - GEAC LIBRARY SYSTEM - *ADVANCED HELP
Which advanced feature do you want to read about?
1. COMMAND CHAINING: Enter more than one command at a time
Enter CAT to begin a new search
Enter number or code: 2 Then press SEND
I also tried CAT and 1. no response.
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@HUM-MYTH-2.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:10pm]
Oh, I see. In your frustration, you must have hit F2. Hit F6 now, that should
work. Try it!
*** Reply from user xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:11pm]
The following is the screen after I click on the '*Barton:MIT Catalog' button.
---------
Trying 18.84.1.10...
Connected to barton.mit.edu.
Escape character is '^]'.
---------------
Then I click F6. The screen change to the one I sent you last message.
--- User xtang read reply.
[Thu 27-May-93 12:12pm]
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@HUM-MYTH-2.MIT.EDU [0].
- [Thu 27-May-93 12:13pm]
OK. I hit F6 and I got this:
Press SEND to continue
And then I pressed SEND and got this:
084 MIT LIBRARIES - GEAC LIBRARY SYSTEM - INTRODUCTION
At any point in your use of the system, you can:
Press (F7) or NEW USER for public catalogue overview
Press (F1) or HELP for help
Press (F8) or COMMAND HELP for catalogue command overview
Press (F2) or ADVANCED HELP for advanced instructions
Press (F4) or PREVIOUS SCREEN to back up to previous screen
Press (F3) or START OVER to begin again
Press (F5) or END to end your session
Now press SEND to begin:
Can you get to this screen?\
--- User xtang read reply.
[Thu 27-May-93 12:13pm]
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@HUM-MYTH-2.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:20pm]
I'm just about to take a little break, but I don't want to leave you stranded.Did you manage to get to the above screen?
--- User xtang read reply.
[Thu 27-May-93 12:21pm]
*** Reply from user xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:23pm]
I press F6 first. Get to the screen I send to you the first time. Then in thatwindow, I press F8. I got the screen you sent me. But it didn't respond anymore
after that. I gusse it's the problem of my computer.
*** Reply from user xtang@VANDIVER.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:28pm]
I press F1 to F10 randomly. Then get to this window.
-----
076 MIT LIBRARIES - GEAC LIBRARY SYSTEM - *CHOOSE SEARCH
What type of search do you wish to do?
1. TIL - Title, journal title, series title, etc.
2. AUT - Author, illustrator, editor, organization, etc.
3. SUB - Subject heading assigned by library.
4. NUM - Call number, ISBN, ISSN, etc.
5. KEY - One word taken from a title, author or subject.
Enter number or code: 1 Then press SEND
-----------------
I enter 1. It didn't respond. So forget it. This computer stink. Unless you get
some same question from other students who telnet from other place, forget
my question.
Thank you very much for your patient.
Xiaoou Tang
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@HUM-MYTH-2.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:29pm]
Well, if you got to that screen, you should press SEND. But here's what I
recommend:
There's really no need to use those function keys. (Yes, I know the initial
help screen lists them, but believe me I use this thing CONSTANTLY and I've
never touched one of them till this minute!) If you can, I think you should
go back to the very beginning, and this time don't use F8. The procedure I
use is --
1. add library;library (or use the SPECIAL Dashboard feature)
2. Get the MIT Libraries menu window; click on Barton
3. ....
Oh, wait, I'll read your next message before I continue!
--- User xtang read reply.
[Thu 27-May-93 12:29pm]
*** Reply from Librarian ninadm@HUM-MYTH-2.MIT.EDU [0].
[Thu 27-May-93 12:33pm]
Well, I certainly appreciate how utterly maddening this must be. As you can
probably tell, I moved over to a workstation, and I've gotten in without any
problem at all. I will forward your question and my attempt to answer it to
our Library Systems people; maybe they can succeed where I've failed. Don't
mark your question done (unless you're so absolutely fed up with it that any
more activity on it will cause you to lose the will to live); I'll get back toyou or ask Systems to contact you directly.
-------------------------------
So, what do you think? Respond to him or to me, as you prefer.
Thanks for your help.
Nina Davis-Millis
Humanities Library
ninadm@athena
