textfiles/magazines/CURRENTCITIES/1993.4-12

                                _Current_Cites_
                                Volume 4, no. 12 
                                 December 1993
 
                   Information Systems Instruction & Support
		       		 The Library
                      University of California, Berkeley
                         Edited by David F. W. Robison
			       (of NorthWestNet)
                                ISSN: 1060-2356 
       
                                 Contributors:
          David B. Rez, Teri Rinne, Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Roy Tennant
         ______________________________________________________________

Two Important Changes to Ring in 1994:

1) _Current Cites_ will no longer be published and distributed in
paper form.  This brings to a close a long history of dual 
publication formats, which we supported for the benefit of our 
readers who either did not have electronic access or preferred 
the paper format.  Unfortunately, we can no longer support 
producing the paper version.  If you currently receive _Current 
Cites_ on paper, but do have an Internet-accessible e-mail 
address, please send a subscription request to 
cites@library.berkeley.edu and we will add you to our mailing 
list.  For those who do not have electronic mail, we are 
sincerely sorry but you will need to find alternative means for 
obtaining the publication.

2) David Robison is ending his tenure as Editor of _Current 
Cites_ with this issue.  He was the first editor of "CC", and 
under his leadership it grew into a widely recognized and award-
winning network publication.  Among his many accomplishments was 
his effective and unceasing efforts to include citations of 
electronic publications of all types among the standard print 
publications.  David set high standards for _Current Cites_ that 
we will all strive to maintain in his absence.  Thanks, David, 
for all you have done to make _Current Cites_ what it is today.

I am pleased to announce that Teri Rinne, a charter member of the
_Current Cites_ team, will take over as Editor with the first 
issue of Volume 5 (January 1994).  Teri brings excellent writing 
skills and a broad-based technical knowledge to the post and you 
can continue to expect the same high-quality product to which you 
have become accustomed.

Roy Tennant, Head, Information Systems Instruction & Support

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Information Transfer
 
"Archives and Electronic Records" ASIS Bulletin 20(1) (October/
November 1993):9-26.  This special section, devoted to issues of 
archiving and electronic records, includes articles by
various authors on national archives (both in the US and Canada); 
state archives; academic archives; international and professional
organizations, and office systems archives. - VR
 
Bridges, Karl. "Gopher Your Library" Wilson Library Bulletin 68(3) 
(November 1993):36-38.  Beyond explaining what Gopher is, this
article deals with the practical issues of why libraries should be
involved with Gophers, and how to obtain and set up the TurboGopher
client. - VR 
 

Networks and Networking

Agbodike, Chuma. "Networking in Nigeria" Internet Society News 
2(3) (Autumn 1993):8-9.  Agbodike offers a tale from the Internet 
front: providing Internet-accessible email by skirting government 
bureaucracy through bribes for a phone line, buying a generator for 
stable electric power, and having to pay for other people's calls.  
Through all of this, Agbodike was able to sustain, sporadically, a 
FidoNet node in Nigeria from 1990 until the recent political 
upheavals.  Agbodike hopes and believes that reliable email 
service in Nigeria will be available soon. - DFWR

Cisler, Steve. "Protection and the Internet" Apple Library Users 
Group Newsletter 11(4) (Fall 1993):88-92 [available via anonymous 
FTP as files internet.protection and internet.protection.word.hqx 
from <URL:ftp://ftp.apple.com/alug/rights>].  Cisler reminds us 
that as the number and range of users on the Internet increases, 
so do the pressures to "protect" users from "unsavory" activites 
on the net.  From the censoring of Usenet newsgroups (no big 
surprise there), to the censoring of Veronica searches (brought 
about in one case by the scandalous discovery that a search on 
the term "camping" brought up materials about gays - yes, we're 
here, and we do like to camp it up a bit sometimes ;-), to 
censored dictionaries.  Cisler's intent is to remind librarians 
that as guardians of free access and against censorship, we have 
our work cut out for us (no pun intended). - DFWR

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. "Clipper Letter 
to Clinton" posted on CPSR@GWUVM.BITNET (December 9, 1993) 
[available via anonymous FTP <URL:ftp://ftp.cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy
/crypto/clipper/cpsr_letter_to_clinton_12_8_93.txt>].  The 
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) have 
written an open letter to President Clinton asking him not to 
endorse the clipper chip encryption proposal.  This comes despite 
tentative approval of the proposal by the Digital Privacy and 
Security Working Group.  CPSR's objections include the fact that 
the full details of the scheme have not been declassified and the 
inherent requirement that the US government would be in the 
position of mandating technical standards to protect its own wire 
tapping abilities. - DFWR

Cronin, Mary J. "What's My Motivation?: Why Businesses Are 
Turning to the Internet" Internet World 4(9) (November/December 
1993):40-43.  Cronin explains the reasons that businesses can 
take advantage of the Internet and increase their 
competitiveness.  Included in the article are two profiles of 
companies that use the Internet to their advantage, 
SilverPlatter and Cray Research.  Both find the connectivity 
offered by the Internet a distinct benefit in terms of internal 
communications, customer relations, support, and the ability to
consult with experts around the world. - DFWR

Delfino, Erik. "The Internet Toolkit: File Compression and Archive
Utilities" ONLINE 17(6) (November 1993):90-92.  Delfino explains the
Internet file compression formats, specifically files ending with
".ZIP," and ".z," and where to find file compressioon and archive
utility programs, all of which available via anonymous FTP, on the
Internet. - VR

Dern, Daniel P. "Big Sky Telegraph - A Low Cost Approach to 
Bringing the Value of Telecommunications, Teleliteracy, and the 
Internet to Communities" Internet World 4(9) (November/December 
1993):50-61.  Dern introduces the Big Sky Telegraph project, one 
which uses the power of the BBS to bring store and forward 
Internet services to rural Montana, and interviews its founder, 
Frank Odasz.  The project has proven to be very successful, 
winning many converts and offering an antidote to the isolation 
felt by many the big sky state.  Included in the article is an 
account of one of Big Sky's successes written by a school 
principal.  Odasz' designated quote: "This is the age of the 
individual, personal global telecomputing makes it so." - DFWR

Deutsch, Peter. "Peter's Soapbox" Internet World 4(9) (November/
December 1993):62-65.  Deutsch argues that perhaps continued US 
National Science Foundation funding of the Internet is not such 
a bad thing.  He says it may spur further development of the 
network better than a completely free market scenario, and 
further, if Americans pay as a group, it would contribute to the 
feeling that we have shared in a national endeavor.  (Deutsch is 
Canadian ;-) - DFWR

Deutsch, Peter. "What is the IETF?" Internet World 5(1) (January/
February 1994):74-79.  While it is true that the Internet is not 
run or controlled by a single person or organization, there is an 
official standards setting body called the Internet Engineering 
Task Force (IETF).  The IETF, an all-volunteer group of 
interested individuals, meets in reality-space three times a 
year, but its work continues throughout the year via email lists.  
Deutsch offers a feel for what the IETF does and how it operates, 
and encourages people to join its effort.  As a participant in 
one of the working groups myself, I can say it has been a 
thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience - but do some 
homework and read up on the topic before you show up for a 
meeting.  Peter and I will see you there.  For more information 
on the IETF, see also RFC 1391 
<URL:ftp://ftp.internic.net/rfc/rfc1391.txt>. - DFWR

Godwin, Mike. "Internet Libel: Is the Provider Responsible?" 
Internet World 4(9) (November/December 1993):66-69.  Godwin 
examines one of the few cases where a libel suit was brought 
against an electronic information service provider, in this case, 
CompuServe.  The case, Cubby v. CompuServe alleged that 
CompuServe was responsible for libelous statements made in a 
forum that CompuServe contracted out.  The judge found that like 
a bookstore or library, CompuServe could not be held responsible 
for the content of the publications on its service.  While this 
case does not mean service providers are necessarily in the 
clear, it does signal that the courts have demonstrated a good 
understanding of the nature of such services: the service 
provider is not a publisher and should not be expected to 
exercise editorial control over the contents of the publications 
it carries.  In light of this ruling, Prodigy may wish to rethink 
its policy of checking private email messages for propriety. 
- DFWR

"Government Accounting Office Report on Communications Privacy" 
EFFector Online 6(6) (December 6, 1993) [available via anonymous 
FTP from
<URL:ftp://ftp.eff.org/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/effector6.06>].  
A recent Government Accounting Office (GAO) report supports many 
of the contentions of both the Electronic Frontier Foundation 
(EFF) and the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility 
(CPSR) (and many others) that, laws limiting the export of 
encryption technologies limit the development and deployment of 
such technologies in the US, the National Security Agency (NSA) 
may have overstepped the bounds of the Computer Security Act of 
1987 in the development of the clipper chip technology, and that 
there have not been enough opportunities for public input into 
the clipper chip proposal.  A copy of the complete GAO report 
is available via anonymous FTP from the EFF at 
<URL:ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/eff/papers/osi-94-2.gao>. - DFWR

"HPCC's Slow Implementation Sparks Criticism" The Internet Letter 
1(3) (December 1, 1993):1, 12.  The Computer Systems Policy 
Project (CSPP), a consortium of the major US computer and 
telecommunications companies, has complained that the Clinton 
administration has not done enough to implement the High-
Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC).  HPCC is the law 
that is meant to implement US policy on the further development 
of the Internet and the convergence of communications services.  
Critics are charging that nothing has been done yet, and the 
administration has not done enough to provide specifics goals for 
the act. - DFWR

Lear-Newman, Elizabeth. "How To Be a Supported User" Internet 
World 5(1) (January/February 1994):60-67.  Lear-Newman offers 
advice on the best ways to utilize help and system support when 
using the Internet.  All of us have varying levels of help 
available to us (from online help, to email, to a phone call), 
and the trick is knowing the best way to get your question 
answered, or your problem solved.  Listed here are a number of 
ways to do just that, including a handy sidebar detailing the 
best way to give information to a support person. - DFWR

Leslie, Jacques. "Kids Connecting: You've Heard it Before, But 
This Time it's True: Online Technology Can Reform Our Schools" 
Wired 1(5) (November 1993):90-93.  Leslie argues that offering 
basic telecomputing services to schools will foster large-scale 
reform of schools.  With email kids can connect with each other 
around the world, making current events come alive.  It will 
allow teachers, especially those in remote areas (see Dern on 
the Big Sky Telegraph project, above), to collaborate, socialize, 
and engage in life-long learning.  To reach this goal, one study 
suggests certain priorities need to be in place: teachers must be 
trained in telecommunications along with computers, 
telecommunications should be included in the overall planning of 
school equipment and infrastructure, budgets, and curricula, 
class schedules need to be more flexible to accommodate longer 
sessions (i.e., longer than 40 minutes), corporations and 
foundations must assist schools in meeting these challenges by 
offering money and other types of assistance. - DFWR

Lieberman, Dan B. "Teens for Telnet: K-12 and the Internet" 
Internet World 5(1) (January/February 1994):38-42.  Learn about 
K-12 Internetworking from a 15-year-old.  Lieberman is fortunate 
enough to attend a high school involved in a US National Science 
Foundation networking project (and, I'm glad to say, NorthWestNet 
is the network service provider).  Lieberman's enthusiasm for 
networking is evident, and he clearly hope his enthusiasm will 
encourage other schools to get involved with the Internet.  Be 
sure to bring this article along when you try to convince your 
school administration to get on the net. - DFWR

Riendeau, Mary. "Flames and Punishment: Is There Justice on the 
Internet? And If So, Where?" Internet World 4(9) (November/
December 1993):72-75.  Riendeau discusses some of the rules of 
the road of the Internet, pointing out that many hosts and most 
service providers have an acceptable use policy (AUP) governing 
activity on that portion of the Internet.  In this article, 
Riendeau lists both sources of conflict (naivete, flaming, etc.) 
and methods of conflict resolution (system administrators, 
service providers, the InterNIC, civil courts, etc.). - DFWR

Roberts, Steven K. "Technomadness and the Internet" Internet 
World 5(1) (January/February 1994):44-51. Roberts is the guy 
who rides around the US on his fully-wired reclining bike.  He's 
a technomad. Learn why he calls the Internet his literal home, 
where he has friends, engages is projects and business, and 
visits hangouts. Is this the life for you?  Get more info on what 
could be a wave of the future. - DFWR

Saunders, Laverna. "Exploring Library Resources on the Internet" 
Internet World 4(9) (November/December 1993):44-49.  Saunders 
provides a much-needed update on the ways library resources can 
be located and accessed on the Internet.  With the advent of the 
Gopher revolution, and services like MARVEL (the Library of 
Congress' Gopher), the LIBS service, and the steady increase in 
the number of online catalogs available via telnet, the picture 
has changed quite considerably in the past year or so.  If you've 
begun to feel at a loss in finding library resources due to the 
wealth available, Saunders can help get you back on the right 
track. - DFWR

Simmonds, Curtis. "Painless File Extraction: The A(rc)-Z(oo) of
Internet Archive Formats" ONLINE 17(6) (November 1993):60-65.
When referring to the Internet, what does "extracting a file" mean?
What is "unarchiving" and "uncompressing"? "Why archive files?"
This article will answer many questions on file extraction. - VR

Smith, Jane. "Hypatia Screamed" Internet World 5(1) (January/
February 1994):86-89.  Smith explains why the Internet and the 
current batch of network information discovery and retrieval 
(NIDR) tools will not make the librarian obsolete.  Quite the 
contrary, librarians are needed more than ever to guide both the 
users and the developers of the NIDR tools.  This becomes even 
clearer as the network gets more complex and the amount of 
information available on it grows. - DFWR


Optical Disc Technologies

Beiser, Karl. "Imaging Technology in Libraries: Photo CD Offers 
New Possibilities" ONLINE 17(6) (November 1993):16-29.  Beiser 
makes a good case for Kodak Photo CD technology's potential for 
storage and retrieval of photographic images in electronic format. 
- VR

Sparrow, S. F. "Buying a CD-ROM Drive?" CD-ROM World 8(10)
(November/December 1993):76-79.  Sparrow compares the performance 
of two CD-ROM drives from Texel and Toshiba.  The difference 
between media access speed and rate of data throughput is 
emphasized.  Considerable attention is focused upon the 8-bit
SCSI adapters bundled with the products. - TR

Williamson, Linda Eileen. "CD-ROM, Micros, and Government Data: A 
Potent Triad" Computers in Libraries 13(9) (October 1993):39-44.  
Williamson speaks to the challenges posed by the "true revolution 
in information distribution" afforded by the concurrent 
development of optical disc storage capabilities and the linking 
of microcomputers together through local and wide-area
telecommunications networks.  As the title suggests, the 
revolution has special implications for government information, 
especially in light of the recent movement toward the 
privatization of the distribution of some government information. 
Williamson cautions those in the library and information world to 
carefully monitor emerging trends in this area to insure theat the 
balance be tipped in favor of greater dispersal of information 
rather than greater control of information. - TR 

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Current Cites 4(12) (December 1993) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright (C) 1993 by the Library, University of
California, Berkeley.  All rights reserved. 

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