Creating Levels of Access

You can create different levels of user access using any of the methods outlined below. With each method, you create a new Access Group to provide a new level of access.

 

Add paths to more areas.

Using this method, you can give some users access to a wider variety of areas. Different groups of users have some areas in common, while some areas are unique to the group. This lets you personalize the BBS to meet different needs.

 

 

Set different privileges to the same areas.

Using this method, you can give some users extra capabilities in specific areas of the BBS. This lets you make some users moderators, or managers of part of the BBS, and deny access to mail gateways.

 

 

Create new and unique Access Groups.

Using this method, you can create a "BBS within a BBS." Different groups of users see different messages, files, and topics.

 

 

Control Mail Access

You can designate which users have the privilege of user certain gateways. By default a user can use any mail gateway. See the section on Mail Server for more information about mail gateways.

To restrict the use of a mail gateway add it's name to the Access Group.

• Open the Access Group file, then click in the "Add Gateway Control" button. This opens the "Gateway Control" dialog.

•Enter the Gateway name exactly as it appears in Mail Server. Then turn OFF the "Can Send to gateway" checkbox to restrict users from sending mail through this gateway. Turn OFF the "Can Receive from gateway" checkbox to restrict users from receiving mail through this gateway.

•Click in the OK button to add the Gateway control to the Access Group, then save the Access Group.

 

 

Use Path Privileges

You can use the path privileges in access groups to create a wide variety of "Files" and "Topics" areas. You can even give users different privileges in the same folder. This way, you can be more restrictive with certain groups of users than others. Some samples you can use follow. Of course, there are many more combinations of privileges you can create to meet your own needs.

 

Permit Uploads in a Files Area

Sometimes it's useful to let users upload files directly into a files area. That way, you don't have to move files from "New Uploads" into a Files area. Users can categorize their uploads if you create various folders in this area.

 

Create an Uploads area as follows:

 

• Add a "Files" area to one of the Access Groups.

• In the "Path Options" dialog, select the privilege settings as follows:

Can Write to Path ON
Can Delete from Path OFF
Can See Folders in Path ON
Can See Files in Path ON
Can Create Folders in Path OFF
Can Download from Path ON
Internal Path* OFF

Create a File Drop Area

This is like the area above, except that users cannot see the files that other users upload. This is useful when you want to be able to categorize files that users send to your BBS, yet keep those files private. PostScript service bureaus can use this type of area to collect files from clients.

 

Create a File Drop area as follows:

• Add a "Files" area to one of the Access Groups.

•Select the privilege settings as follows:

Can Write to Path ON
Can Delete from Path OFF
Can See Folders in Path ON
Can See Files in Path OFF
Can Create Folders in Path OFF
Can Download from Path ON
Internal Path OFF

 

*When Internal Paths is turned on, the path will not show up on the user's desktop. TeleFInder uses "Internal Paths" to grant user's access to aliases whose targets are within the Internal Path. Otherwise only aliases whose targets are in the visible ares may be used.

Permit Users to Create their own Topics

This lets the users of your BBS begin their own discussion topics.

 

Create an Open Discussion area as follows:

• Add a "Topics" area to one of the Access Groups.

• Select the privilege settings as follows:

Can Write to Path ON
Can Delete from Path OFF
Can See Folders in Path ON
Can See Files in Path ON
Can Create Folders In Path OFF
Can Create Topics in Path ON
Can Download from Path OFF

 

 

Create a Files Area for Co-Sysops

This lets users help you perform file maintenance in the area.

• Select the privilege settings as follows:

Can Write to Path ON
Can Delete from Path ON
Can See Folders in Path ON
Can See Files in Path ON
Can Create Folders In Path ON
Can Download from Path ON

• In a Topics area, also turn the "Can Create Topics in Path" privilege on. This lets users create new discussion topics within the area.