DAEDALUS BASICS (Written by Professor Jennifer Shelton, Marshall University; updated and revised by Karin Westman, Coordinator, Computer-Assisted Writing Program, Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.)

How Do I . . .
Log in to DIWE for the first time?
Log in to DIWE after the first time?
Get into a subconference in InterChange (IC)?
Write and send a Message in IC?
Look at a transcript from an IC session?
Print an IC transcript so I can look at it later?
Copy an IC transcript to a floppy disk?
Cite a classmate's IC comment in my paper?
Access Invent or Respond?
See More Questions once I'm in a Prompt Sequence?
Save my Prompt Sequence?
Print my Prompt Sequence?
Open my Prompt Sequence if I saved it so I could work on it again?
Open my Prompt Sequence if I saved it as a text file?
Use the Mail Module?

What do I do if . . .
Every time I type in my password, I get an error message?
I log in again, but the computer doesn't have my name
No one in my IC conference seems to be sending messages?
I accidentally join the wrong group?
I saved my Prompt Sequence, but can't find it again to open it?
I want to print my prompt sequence, but the File menu does not give me the option to print?
My teacher told me which prompt series to choose, but it's not there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do I...

 

Log in to Daedalus for the first time?

1. Turn on your computer, if it's not on already.

2. You'll see a welcome screen from the Microcomputer Lab with a gray background, and a "Start" option in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click on "Start."

3. From the menu options, select "Educational Software (2)."

4. From your menu options, select "English," and then "Daedalus (DIWE 5.31)."

5. Click on "Daedalus (DIWE 5.31)."

6. You'll see an opening dialogue box which asks you to register. Type in your first name, or the name you prefer to be called in class ("Jen," perhaps, instead of Jennifer). Press the "Tab" key or use your mouse to click in the next boxes; type your last name, then type in the last four digits of your social security number for your password.

7. Click on "Register." You will be asked to confirm your password; type in the last four digits of your social security number again, and click on "OK."

8. You'll see a screen with a scrollable box. Locate your instructor and class session by scrolling down the list until his or her name appears (make sure you choose the right section number in addition to choosing the right course). Select the appropriate section, and click on "OK."

 

Log in to Daedalus after the first time?

1. Follow instructions 1-5 above.

2. Instead of typing your name again at the opening dialogue box, select the "List Names" option on the right. Locate your name, select it, and click.

3. In the password box, type in the last four digits of your social security number.

4. Click "OK." If you are registered for only one class on Daedalus, you will be automatically placed into that class. If you are registered for more than one class, you will get a dialogue box which asks you to select the class you wish to join for this session; select the appropriate one, and click "OK."

 

What do I do if...

 

Every time I type in my password, I get an error message?

If you're logging in after the first time, you may be typing a password other than the one you confirmed for the network last time. You might have had the caps lock key depressed when you typed your social security number digits, or you might have used another password that you've forgotten now. Tell your instructor what's happening; he or she can look up your password for you.

 

This is the second time I've logged in, but the computer didn't have my name and asked me to type in my password twice again?

Instead of using the "List Names" function, you've probably typed in a slightly different version of your name than you did when you first registered for your class. The computer program thinks you are another new student, and has asked you to register. Tell your instructor what's happening; he or she can delete from the class list whichever version of your name is incorrect, so there will only be one of you in the system.

How do I...

Get into a subconference in InterChange?

1. First, get into the Main InterChange conference by choosing "InterChange" from the Activity menu, or by clicking on the "InterChange" icon from the Launcher window.

2. Click on the "Conferences" option on the upper left of the box.

3. Select the conference you wish to join, and click "OK." The new conference window will open on top of the Main conference window; the Main conference window will remain open until you close it.

Write and send a message in InterChange?

1. When you're in the conference you want to be in, click in the lower, white box and type your message.

2. When you're ready to send your message, click the "Send" option at the top right of the conference window.

 

What do I do if...

 Nobody in my group is saying anything?

1. While messages should scroll automatically, be sure you've typed a message and sent it to your conference. This process should get the messages scrolling, if they haven't yet.

2. Be sure you're in the correct conference, and in a conference which is currently in use.

 

I accidentally joined the wrong group?

That's okay. Just click on the "Conferences" option at the top left of the InterChange window, and select the conference you should be in. Click "OK."

 

 How do I...

 Look at a transcript from an InterChange session?

1. Log in to Daedalus in the usual way. Make sure you log into the correct class.

2. Under the Utilities menu, pull down to "Read a Document."

3. The default pathway will be your class file folder. You will need to locate the chat file folder, since that is where the InterChange transcripts are saved. Click on the "docs" file folder, then on the "chat" file folder. The pathway listed should read: "g:\win95\diwe5net\classes\instructor'sname\docs\chat."

4. The InterChange transcripts are saved as text files. To see the transcript files, make sure that you're asking the computer to list text files (files with a "*.txt" extension). Select "All Files" or "Text Files" from the "List Files of type" menu.

5. InterChange transcripts are listed by the name of the conference and the date it was closed. Choose the conference you want to look at by scrolling and then selecting the file name.

6. Then click "OK" to open the read-only file of the transcript. The transcript will appear on the screen in its own window. If the document is hard to read (because the font is small), go to the "Write" menu, and select "Scale"; then, select "Full Screen." The document will be re-sized and the text should be easier to read.

7. When you are finished looking at the file, close the window.

 

Print a transcript so I can look at it later?

1. Follow the directions for looking at a file (#1-#6, above).

2. Make sure the printer switch box is set to your computer.

3. When the transcript appears, choose Print from the File menu.

4. When you are finished printing the file, close the window.

 

Copy a transcript to a floppy disk so I can take it home to view on my computer?

1. Follow the instructions for looking a transcript file, #1 to #6 above.

2. Put your diskette in the "a:" drive.

3. Using the "File" menu, select "Save a copy." At the dialogue box, check to make sure that the file will be saved as a text file ("filename.txt") and to the "a:" drive (instead of the "g:\" drive).

4. Click "OK." You should hear and see the file being saved to your disk in the "a:" drive.

5. When you are finished saving the file to your disk, close the transcript file.

 

Cite a classmate's InterChange comment in my paper?

1. Look up the transcript so you can get your classmate's exact words.

2. Decide how much of the quotation you need to support your position. If your classmate wrote three sentences but only one really helps you, just use the one sentence.

3. It's okay to fix obvious typos. If there's a grammatical mistake, which is common in fast-paced exchanges in Daedalus, fix it, with your correction in brackets. Example: "The children [are] evil."

4. Cite your source this way:

In text: (Jane Doe, message 14).
In Works Cited: Jane Doe, Daedalus InterChange, English 104.1, Group1.909.

 

How do I...

 Access Invent or Respond?

1. From the Activities menu, select Invent or Respond, or click on the Invent or Respond icons in the Launcher window. If you're doing this module in class, your teacher will tell you which one to use. If you're doing it on your own, Invent typically contains prompt sequences to help you get started writing a paper, while Respond typically contains sequences to help you evaluate and revise a classmate's or your own work.

2. Once you've selected either Invent or Respond, you will have the option to begin a new Respond or Invent document, or open an existing one. If you are opening an existing sequence, see below. If you are beginning a new sequence, click on that option. Sequences are listed in alphabetical order; scroll down until you find the one to which you have been assigned. Select it, and click "OK."

3. Depending on the type of sequence your instructor has created, a Warm-Up screen may appear, asking you to free write about your topic, and then name your topic. When you are finished, click on "OK." You will be asked whether you want to save your Warm-Up text. If you do want to save it, select save and give it an appropriate name. If you do not, select no. The Invent prompts will appear on your screen.

4. If you do not get a Warm-Up screen, you will get a dialogue box, asking what kind of document you are responding to: "Paper on Diskette," "Turned in Document," or "No Computer file." Select accordingly, and begin the prompt sequence.

 

See more questions once I'm in a prompt sequence?

1. Click "Next" at the bottom of the prompt screen to move forward in the series of questions.

2. Click "Previous" to move backwards. You can always return to any question and revise your answer.

3. You can also click on "Explain," to see if your instructor has included further information about a particular prompt.

 

Save my file?

1. While you're in the prompt sequence, click "Close." The dialogue box will ask you if you wish to save your prompt sequence. Click "OK."

2. The computer will ask you to name your file. Use a two-to-eight letter name. An extension will be added automatically.

3. Your work has now been saved two ways. It has been saved as a prompt sequence ("filename.rxt") which can be opened again while you are in Respond and to which you can add more information; you cannot print this file. Your work has also been saved as a text file ("filename.txt"); you can print from this file.

 

Print my file?

1. Select "Open" from the "File" menu.

2. Be sure you're asking the computer to list "All Files" or "Text Files" ("*.txt" files). Use the "List Files of type" option to have the computer retrieve your text files. You should now see a list of these files in your user folder.

3. Click on the text file ("filename.txt") you want to open, then select "OK."

4. Make sure the printer switch box is switched to your computer.

5. Once the text file opens, select "Print" from the "File" menu.

Open my file if I saved it so I could work on it again?

1. To open a "*.rxt" file, select "Respond" from the "Activities" menu or from the Launcher window.

2. The first dialogue box asks you whether you wish to begin a new sequence or open an existing sequence. Select "Open," and then select the appropriate file.

3. Click "OK." The dialogue box will ask you what type of document you are responding to; select accordingly, and resume your prompt sequence.

Open my file if I saved it as a text file?

1. From the "File" menu, select "Open."

2. Be sure you're asking the computer to list All Files or All Text Files ("*.txt") files in your user folder. You should see a list of the text files in your user folder.

3. Click on the file you want to open, then select "OK."

4. If the text file is difficult to read (because the font is small), pull down the "Window" menu, and select "Scale," and then "Full Size."

 

What do I do if...

 I saved my file, but when I use the Open command, it isn't there?

1. Be sure that you are asking the computer to look for the right type of file: an "*.rxt" file for a prompt sequence in progress, or a "*.txt" file for a text file ready for printing. Check that the "List files of type" option is showing "All Files" or "Text Files."

2. Be sure that you are asking the computer to look in the right folder: the pathway should read: "g:\win95\diwe5net\users\yourname."

 

I want to print my prompt sequence, but the File menu does not give me the option to print?

1. You get this message when you try to print a prompt sequence file (a "*.ixt" or "*.rxt" file) in Invent or Respond. To print, you need to open the text ("*.txt") version of this file. See instructions above.

2. If you see a window divided into top and bottom portions, with the top portion containing the question and the bottom portion containing your response, you are looking at the Respond or Invent window and not the text file version. Save the file (see instructions above), and open the text version ("filename.txt").

 

I opened Invent or Respond just as I was supposed to, but the questions are all about some book I've never read?

1. Sounds like you chose the wrong prompt sequence in the choice window. You might also have gone into Invent instead of Respond, or vice versa.

2. Quit Invent or Respond and start again, being careful to choose the right prompt series.

 

My teacher told me which prompt series to choose, but it's not there?

1. You may have gone into the wrong program -- Invent instead of Respond or vice versa. Check to make sure you're in the right program.

2. If you are in the right program, you just need to check the list of available sequences once again. The sequences appear in alphabetical order.

 
How do I...

 Read a message in Mail?

1. Choose Mail from the Activities pull-down menu. Usually, your class will start out with just one active conference, although your teacher may establish more later. In any case, the name of the Mail conference will appear at the top of the window.

2. The Mail screen shows all available messages, listing them by sender, recipient, date, and subject. An asterisk before the sender's name means the message can only be read by the sender and recipient. All other messages can be read by anyone in the class.

3. Double-click the message you want to read, or click the message name and then click "Read."

4. The Mail List will disappear behind the opened mail window while you're reading the message. Select the option "Return to Mail List" to close the window.

 
Write a message in Mail?

1. Click "Send" at the top right of the Mail List screen.

2. An blank message window will open, allowing you to choose a recipient, topic, and access level.

3. Use the pull-down menu under "To," in order to designate your recipient. The default setting sends the message to "Everyone" in the class.

4. Type a subject line of 20 or fewer letters in the Subject line.

5. All messages are sent as public ones unless you select the "private" box. I recommend that you send all messages as public messages. In practice, people tend to read messages that are directed to them and not to others. Private messages may only be opened by the sender and the designated recipient.

6. Type your message, then click either "Send" or "Cancel," depending on whether you want to send the message or not.

7. You can also copy and paste text into the Mail message. Open the text file; highlight the portion you wish to send. Then select "Copy" from the "Edit" menu, and switch back to your Mail message window. Position your cursor, and then select "Paste" from the "Edit" menu. The selected text will appear in the Mail message.

 

Reply to a Mail message?

1. When you open a message to read it, you'll see that one of the buttons at the top says "Reply."

2. Click on "Reply." You'll get a window that looks very like the window you see when you send a new mail message, only a recipient and subject line will be filled in already. It's good practice to leave these alone, as they tell the original writer that this is a reply.

3. The original message will appear in your reply window. You can then add to it, trim it down, or delete it.

 

Delete a message?

1. You can only delete a message that you sent or that is addressed to your proper log-in name

2. Highlight the name of the file, and click on "Delete." A dialogue box will appear asking you to confirm.

 

Move about from conference to conference?

1. Your teacher may establish conferences to organize special projects or topics you take up. If he or she does, you'll need to switch between the available conferences.

2. Click "Conference" at the top of the Main Mail window.

3. You'll see a list of available conferences. Select the conference you want, and click "Join."