1402 lines
61 KiB
Plaintext
1402 lines
61 KiB
Plaintext
Surfing the INTERNET: an Introduction Version 2.0.2
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December 15, 1992
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c. 1992 Jean Armour Polly. Material quoted from other authors was
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compiled from public Internet posts by those authors. No copyright claims
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are made for those compiled quotes. Permission to reprint is granted for
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nonprofit educational purposes. Please let me know if you find this
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compilation useful. This first (much shorter) version of this appeared in the
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June, 1992 Wilson Library Bulletin. Please include this entire
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copyright/copy notice if you duplicate this document. Updates may be ftp'd
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from nysernet.org (192.77.173.2) /pub/resources/guides. Please choose the
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most current version of surfing.the.internet.
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Please send updates and corrections to: jpolly@nysernet.org
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Today I'll travel to Minnesota, Texas, California, Cleveland, New Zealand,
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Sweden, and England. I'm not frantically packing, and I won't pick up any
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frequent flyer mileage. In fact, I'm sipping cocoa at my Macintosh. My
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trips will be electronic, using the computer on my desk, communications
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software, a modem, and a standard phone line.
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I'll be using the Internet, the global network of computers and their
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interconnections, which lets me skip like a stone across oceans and
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continents and control computers at remote sites. I haven't "visited"
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Antarctica yet, but it is only a matter of time before a host computer
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becomes available there!
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This short, non-technical article is an introduction to Internet
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communications and how librarians and libraries can benefit from net
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connectivity. Following will be descriptions of electronic mail, discussion
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lists, electronic journals and texts, and resources available to those
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willing
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to explore. Historical details about the building of the Internet and
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technical
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details regarding network speed and bandwidth are outside the scope of this
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piece.
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What's Out There Anyway?
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Until you use a radio receiver, you are unaware of the wealth of
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programming, music, and information otherwise invisible to you. Computer
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networks are much the same. About one million people worldwide use the
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Internet daily. Information packet traffic rises by 12% each month.
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About 727,000 host computers are connected, according to a January, 1992
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report (Network Working Group Request for Comments: 1296) by Mark
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K. Lottor. So, what's all the excitement about? What's zipping around in
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that fiber and cable and ether, anyway?
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On my electronic adventure I browsed the online catalog at the University
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Library in Liverpool England, leaving some "hi there from Liverpool New
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York" mail for the librarian.
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I downloaded some new Macintosh anti-virus software from Stanford's
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SUMEX archive.
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Then I checked a few databases for information needed for this article, and
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scanned today's news stories.
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I looked at the weather forecast for here in the East and for the San
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Francisco Bay area, forwarding that information to a friend in San Jose
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who would read it when he woke up. The Internet never closes!
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After that I read some electronic mail from other librarians in Israel,
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Korea,
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England, Australia and all over the U.S. We're exchanging information
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about how to keep viruses off public computers, how to network CD
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ROMS, and how to reink inkjet printer cartridges, among other things.
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I monitor about twelve discussion groups. Mail sent to the group address is
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distributed to all other "subscribers". It's similar to a round-robin
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discussion. These are known variously as mailing lists, discussion groups,
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reflectors, aliases, or listservs, depending on what type they are and how
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they are driven. Subscriptions are free.
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One of these groups allows children and young adults all over the world to
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communicate with each other. Kids from Cupertino to Moscow are talking
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about their lives, pets, families, hope and dreams. It's interesting to see
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that
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Nintendo is a universal language!
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Teachers exchange lesson plans and bibliographies in another group, and
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schools participate in projects like the global market basket survey. For
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this
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project, students researched what foods a typical family of four would buy
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and prepare over one week's time. Their results were posted to the global
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project area, where they could be compared with reports from kids all over
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North and South America, India, Scandinavia, and Asia. It opened up
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discussions of dietary laws, staple foods, and cultural differences.
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Other lists explore the worlds of library administration, reference, mystery
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readers, romance readers, bird-watcher hotlines, cat enthusiasts, X-Soviet
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Union watchers, packet radio techies, and thousands more. There is even a
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list to announce the creation of new lists!
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The Power of the Net
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A net connection in a school is like having multiple foreign exchange
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students in the classroom all the time. It promotes active, participatory
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learning. Participating in a discussion group is like being at an ongoing
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library conference. All the experts are Out There, waiting to be asked.
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Want to buy a CD ROM drive? Send one query and "ask" the 3,000 folks
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on PACS-L (Public Access Computer Systems list) for advice. In a few
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hours you'll have personal testimonies on the pros and cons of various
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hardware configurations.
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Want to see if any libraries are doing anything with Total Quality
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Management? Ask the members of LIBADMIN and you'll have offers of
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reports, studies, personal experiences and more. How do you cope with
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budget cuts: personnel layoffs or materials? Again, LIBADMIN use allows
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shared advice.
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Here is one story about the power of the net. At Christmas, an electronic
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plea came from Ireland. "My daughter believes in Santa Claus," it began.
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"And although the 'My Little Pony Megan & Sundance' set has not been
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made in three years, she believes Santa will prevail and she will find one
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under her tree." Mom, a university professor, had called the manufacturer
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in the US, but none were available. "Check around," they said, "maybe
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some yet stand on store shelves." So Mom sent the call out to the net.
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Many readers began a global search for the wily Pony as part of their own
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holiday shopping forays.
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Soon, another message came from Dublin. It seemed that a reader of the
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original message had a father who was a high-ranking executive in the toy
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company, and he had managed to acquire said pony where others had
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failed!
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It was duly shipped in time to save Santa's reputation.
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Part of the library's mission is to help remove barriers to accessing
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information, and part of this is removing barriers between people. One of
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the most interesting things about telecommunications is that it is the Great
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Equalizer. It lets all kinds of computers and humans talk to each other. The
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old barriers of sexism, ageism, and racism are not present, since you can't
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see the person to whom you're "speaking". You get to know the person
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without preconceived notions about what you THINK he is going to say,
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based on visual prejudices you may have, no matter how innocent.
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Well, almost without visual prejudice. Electronic mail is not always an
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harmonic convergence of like souls adrift in the cyberspace cosmos: there
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are arguments and tirades (called "flames"). Sometimes you get so used to
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seeing a frequent poster's electronic signature that you know what he's
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going to say before he says it!
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Smileys
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One problem with written communication is that remarks meant to be
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humorous are often lost. Without the visual body-language clues, some
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messages may be misinterpreted. So a visual shorthand known as "smileys"
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has been developed. There are a hundred or more variations on this theme-
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:-) That's a little smiley face. Look at it sideways. (more Smiley info may
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be found via anonymous ftp at many places, including the following:
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nic.funet.fi /pub/misc/funnies/smiley.txt). FTP is introduced later in the
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text.
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What a range of emotions you can show using only keyboard characters.
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Besides the smiley face above, you can have :-( if you're sad, or :-< if
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you're REALLY upset! ;-) is one way of showing a wink. Folks wearing
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glasses might look like this online: %^).
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But for the most part, the electronic community is willing to help others.
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Telecommunications helps us overcome what has been called the tyranny
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of distance. We DO have a global village.
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Electronic Newsletters and Serials
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Subscribing to lists with reckless abandon can clog your mailbox and
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provide a convenient black hole to vacuum up all your spare time. You
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may be more interested in free subscriptions to compiled documents known
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as electronic journals. These journals are automatically delivered to your
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electronic door.
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There are a growing number of these. Some of the best for librarians are
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listed below. To subscribe to these journals you must know how to send an
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interactive message to another computer. This information is well-
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documented in the resources listed at the end of this article. Telnet and ftp
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are introduced further along in this article.
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ALCTS NETWORK NEWS
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(Association for Library Collections and Technical Services)
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Various ALA news, net news, other items of interest to librarians. Send the
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following message to LISTSERV@UICVM.BITNET
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SUBSCRIBE ALCTS First Name Last Name.
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Current Cites
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Bibliography of current journal articles relating to computers, networks,
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information issues, and technology. Distributed on PACS-L, or connect
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remotely via TELNET to MELVYL.UCOP.EDU (192.35.222.222); Enter
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command at the prompt: SHOW CURRENT CITES.
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Further information: David F. W. Robison, drobison@library.berkeley.edu.
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EFFector Online
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The online newsletter of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. All the hot net
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issues are covered here: privacy, freedom, first amendment rights. Join
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EFF to be added to the mailing list or ftp the files yourself from
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ftp.eff.org
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(192.88.144.4). They are in the /pub/eff and subsequent directories.
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Hot Off the Tree (HOTT)
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(Excerpts and Abstracts of Articles about Information Technology)
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TELNET MELVYL.UCOP.EDU (192.35.222.222); Enter command:
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SHOW HOTT. Further information: Susan Jurist, SJURIST@UCSD.EDU.
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Network News
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An irreverent compendium of tidbits, resources, and net factoids that is a
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must for true Internet surfers. To subscribe, send the following message to
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LISTSERV@NDSUVM1.BITNET
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SUBSCRIBE NNEWS First Name Last Name.
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For more information: Dana Noonan at noonan@msus1.msus.edu.
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Public-Access Computer Systems News and The Public-Access Computer
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Systems Review
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Sent automatically to PACS-L subscribers. See above. For a list of back
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issue files, send the following message to
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LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.BITNET:
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INDEX PACS-L.
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To obtain a comprehensive list of electronic serials on all topics, send the
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following commands to LISTSERV@UOTTAWA.BITNET
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GET EJOURNL1 DIRECTRY
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GET EJOURNL2 DIRECTRY
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For further information, contact Michael Strangelove:
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441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA.
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Remote Login to Internet Resources: TELNET
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One step beyond electronic mail is the ability to control a remote computer
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using TELNET. This feature lets you virtually teleport anywhere on the
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network and use resources located physically at that host. Further, some
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hosts have gateways to other hosts, which have further gateways to still
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more hosts. How can you be in two places at once? It sounds more
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confusing than it is. What resources are available? Here is a sampling of
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some of the fare awaiting you at several sites:
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Cleveland Free-net Freenets
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are the progeny of Tom Grundner, Director,
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Community Telecomputing Laboratory
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Case Western Reserve University
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303 Wickenden Building
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Cleveland, OH 44106
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216/368-2733 FAX: 216/368-5436
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Internet: aa001@cleveland.freenet.edu
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BITNET: aa001%cleveland.freenet.edu@cunyvm
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and the folks at National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN)
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Box 1987
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Cleveland, OH 44106
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216/368-2733 FAX: 216/368-5436
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Internet: aa622@cleveland.freenet.edu.
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Free-nets are built around a city metaphor, complete with schools,
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hospitals, libraries, courthouses, and other public services.
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Academy One recently held an online global simulation of a series of major
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space achievements. 16 schools (from five states and four nations)
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participated. Here are several of the descriptions of their projects:
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"VALKEALA HIGH SCHOOL VALKEALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Valkeala, Finland (sa124@cleveland.freenet.edu)
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Acting as Space Shuttle Discovery taking the Hubble Telescope into space.
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These Finnish students will be in communication with students in Estonia,
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relaying their reports."
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"DR. HOWARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Champaign, IL
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(cwilliam@mars.ncsa.uiuc.edu, cdouglas@ncsa.uiuc.edu)
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Dr. Howard School (25 students in 3rd/4th grade) will be simulating the
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Challenger 2 launch. They are being assisted by the National Center for
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Supercomputing Applications."
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"ST. JULIE BILLIART SCHOOL Hamilton, OH
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(ba542@cleveland.freenet.edu)
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Simulating a NASA Tracking Station in Florida. They will be posting
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hourly weather reports about the conditions in Florida around Cape
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Kennedy. This information is vital to the recovery of the Friendship 7
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capsule and crew. Students have taken an interest in Space Junk and will be
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posting additional reports on the various probes which were used to test the
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surface of the moon and how all of that junk is now becoming a hazard to
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current and future space exploration."
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Another Free-net resource is Project Hermes. This service provides copies
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of Supreme Court opinions in electronic form to as wide an audience as
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possible, almost as soon as they are announced.
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The Court's opinions can be sent directly to you or you may download the
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files directly from any NPTN community computer system.
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The Free-nets also provide weather, news, and gateways to other resources.
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To access the Cleveland Free-Net (where all this is being held) simply
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telnet to: freenet-in-a.cwru.edu 129.22.8.82
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or 129.22.8.75
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or 129.22.8.76
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or 129.22.8.44 and select "visitor" at the login menu.
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MELVYL
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The University of California
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MELVYL
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Catalog Division of Library Automation
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University of California
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Office of the President
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300 Lakeside Drive, 8th floor,
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Oakland, California 94612-3550
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415/987-0555 (MELVYL Catalog Helpline)
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E-mail: lynch@postgres.berkeley.edu
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The MELVYL catalog is the union catalog of monographs and serials
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(periodicals) held by the nine University of California campuses and
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affiliated libraries. It represents nearly 11 million holdings at UC, the
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California State Library, and the Center for Research Libraries.
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The MELVYL catalog also provides access to MEDLINE and Current
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Contents as well as a gateway to many other systems. Access to some
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databases is restricted under a license agreement to the University of
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California faculty, staff, and students. Telnet MELVYL.UCOP.EDU
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(192.35.222.222)
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CARL
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Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
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777 Grant
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Suite 306
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Denver CO 80203-3580
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303/861-5319
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E-mail: help@carl.org
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CARL offers access to the following groups of databases: Academic and
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public library online catalogs, current article indexes such as UnCover and
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Magazine Index, databases such as the Academic American Encyclopedia
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and Internet Resource Guide, and a gateway to other library systems.
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Access to some items is limited. Telnet pac.carl.org or telnet 192.54.81.128
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MICROMUSE
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This is how Barry Kort (aka 'Moulton'), Visiting Scientist at Educational
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Technology Research, BBN Labs, Cambridge, MA describes MicroMuse at
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M.I.T.
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"MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions) or MUSEs (Multi-User Simulation
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Environments) are virtual realities which offer a rich environment for
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synergy, community, collaboration, and exploratory discovery."
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"Players connect to the host computer, adopt a character and personality of
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their choosing, and enter into the synthetic world, consisting of a web of
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connected rooms and movable props."
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"Everything (rooms, movable objects, connecting passageways, and
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players) has a description (typically a few lines of text) which are
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displayed
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when a player looks at it."
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"Actions such as picking up or dropping an object, and exiting to an
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adjacent room also generate a short message appropriate to the action."
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"At MIT's AI Lab, MicroMuse features explorations, adventures, and
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puzzles with redeeming social, cultural, and educational content. The
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MicroMuse Science Center offers an Exploratorium and Mathematica
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Exhibit complete with interactive exhibits drawn from experience with
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Science Museums around the country. The Mission to Mars includes an
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elaborate tour of the red planet with accurate descriptions rivaling those
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found in National Geographic."
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"Elsewhere on MicroMuse, one can find an outstanding adventure based on
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the children's classic Narnia; a recreation of the Wizard of Oz adventure
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built by a gifted 8-year old; a challenging Logic Quest; and a living model
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of the science fiction genre 'The DragonRiders of Pern' by author Anne
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McCaffrey."
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If you would like to explore MicroMuse, you may connect as follows from
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your local host computer:
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telnet michael.ai.mit.edu [18.43.0.177]
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login: guest [no password required]
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tt [TinyTalk client program]
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connect guest [Connect to MicroMuse]
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BBS.OIT.UNC.EDU
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Telnet to BBS.OIT.UNC.EDU or 152.2.22.80.
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Type launch at the login message.
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It's a must. Not only can you read Usenet Newsfeeds, but you can use
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LibTel, a scripted telnet gateway to access both US and international
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libraries plus such things as Data Research Associates Library of Congress
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catalog, the Ham Radio Call Book, the National Science Foundation, the
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Weather Server, Webster's dictionary and thesaurus, and more.
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Remote Access to Files (FTP)
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FTP or File Transfer Protocol is what to use to retrieve a text file,
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software,
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or other item from a remote host. Normal practice is to ftp to the host you
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want and login as "anonymous". Some sites use the password "guest" while
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others require that you put in your network address as the password. Some
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popular ftp sites follow:
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SUMEX-AIM
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This archive at Stanford (sumex-aim.stanford.edu or 36.44.0.6) houses a
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plethora of Macintosh applications, utilities, graphics and sound files.
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SIMTEL20
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(simtel20.army.mil or 192.88.110.20) at the White Sands Missile Range in
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New Mexico contains a similar archive software for MS-DOS computers.
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An FTP visit to the Network Service Center at nnsc.nsf.net (128.89.1.178)
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is a gold mine of documents and training materials on net use. See further
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information on this in the "Resources for Learning More" section of this
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article.
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Project Gutenberg
|
|
The primary goal of Project Gutenberg is to encourage the creation and
|
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distribution of electronic text. They hope to have a trillion etexts in
|
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distribution by the end of 2001.
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Some of the many texts available now include Alice in Wonderland, Peter
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Pan, Shakespeare, Paradise Lost and other texts in the public domain.
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Many of these texts are available from:
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ftp mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (128.174.201.12) /pub/etext92 [for 1992 releases]
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or /pub/etext/etext91 [for 1991 releases]
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/pub/etext/articles [for Project Gutenberg articles and newsletters].
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They are also available from quake.think.com (192.31.181.1); /pub/etext,
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and from many other sites.
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For more info:
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Michael S. Hart, Director
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Project Gutenberg
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National Clearinghouse for Machine Readable Texts
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Illinois Benedictine College
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5700 College Road
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Lisle, Illinois 60532-0900
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BITNET: HART@UIUCVMD
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INTERNET: HART@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU
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Travel Agents: Archie, Gopher, Veronica, WAIS, Worldwide Web and
|
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More
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There is so much information on the net, it's impossible to know where
|
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everything is, or even how to begin looking. Fortunately, some
|
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computerized "agents" are in development to help sort through the massive
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data libraries on the net.
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Archie
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Peter Deutsch, of McGill's Computing Centre, describes the archie server
|
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concept, which allows users to ask a question once yet search many
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different hosts for files of interest.
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"The archie service is a collection of resource discovery tools that together
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provide an electronic directory service for locating information in an
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Internet environment. Originally created to track the contents of
|
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anonymous ftp archive sites, the archie service is now being expanded to
|
|
include a variety of other online directories and resource listings."
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"Currently, archie tracks the contents of over 800 anonymous FTP archive
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sites containing some 1,000,000 files throughout the Internet. Collectively,
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these files represent well over 50 Gigabytes (50,000,000,000 bytes) of
|
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information, with additional information being added daily. Anonymous ftp
|
|
archive sites offer software, data and other information which can be
|
|
copied and used without charge by anyone with connection to the Internet."
|
|
|
|
"The archie server automatically updates the listing information from each
|
|
site about once a month, ensuring users that the information they receive is
|
|
reasonably timely, without imposing an undue load on the archive sites or
|
|
network bandwidth."
|
|
|
|
Unfortunately the archie server at McGill is currently out of service. Other
|
|
sites are: archie.ans.net (USA [NY]) archie.rutgers.edu (USA [NJ])
|
|
archie.sura.net (USA [MD]) archie.funet.fi (Finland/Mainland Europe)
|
|
archie.au (Australia/New Zealand) archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (Great
|
|
Britain/Ireland)
|
|
|
|
Info from: UNIX Support Group
|
|
Computing Centre
|
|
McGill University
|
|
Room 200
|
|
Burnside Hall
|
|
805 Sherbrooke Street West
|
|
Montreal, Quebec CANADA H3A 2K6
|
|
514/398-3709
|
|
peterd@cc.mcgill.ca
|
|
|
|
Internet Gopher
|
|
A gopher (or go-fer) is someone who fetches necessary items from many
|
|
locations.
|
|
|
|
Login as gopher after you telnet to consultant.micro.umn.edu and enjoy
|
|
having a computer do all the work for you. Almost. Gopher is still in
|
|
experimental mode at many gopherized sites. Still, it is one of the best
|
|
ways to locate information on and in the Internet.
|
|
|
|
Besides archie, the gopher at consultant.micro.umn.edu includes fun and
|
|
games, humor, libraries (including reference books such as the Hacker's
|
|
Dictionary, Roget's 1911 Thesaurus, and the CIA World Fact Book),
|
|
gateways to other US and foreign gophers, news, and gateways to other
|
|
systems.
|
|
|
|
VERONICA: Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized
|
|
Archives.
|
|
|
|
Very new on the scene is VERONICA. Here is some information from
|
|
Steve Foster about it.
|
|
|
|
"Veronica offers a keyword search of most gopher-server menus in the
|
|
entire gopher web. As Archie is to ftp archives, Veronica is to
|
|
gopherspace. Unlike Archie, the search results can connect you directly to
|
|
the data source. Imagine an Archie search that lets you select the data, not
|
|
just the host sites, directly from a menu. Because Veronica is accessed
|
|
through a gopher client, it is easy to use, and gives access to all types of
|
|
data supported by the gopher protocol."
|
|
|
|
"Veronica was designed as a response to the problem of resource discovery
|
|
in the rapidly-expanding gopher web. Frustrated comments in the net news-
|
|
groups have recently reflected the need for such a service. Additional
|
|
motivation came from the comments of naive gopher users, several of
|
|
whom assumed that a simple-touse service would provide a means to find
|
|
resources 'without having to know where they are.'"
|
|
|
|
"The result of a Veronica search is an automatically-generated gopher
|
|
menu, customized according to the user's keyword specification. Items on
|
|
this menu may be drawn from many gopher servers. These are functional
|
|
gopher items, immediately accessible via the gopher client ? just double-
|
|
click to open directories, read files, or perform other searches -- across
|
|
hundreds of gopher servers. You need never know which server is actually
|
|
involved in filling your request for information. Items that are appear
|
|
particularly interesting can be saved in the user's bookmark list."
|
|
|
|
"Notice that these are NOT full-text searches of data at gopher-server sites,
|
|
|
|
just as Archie does not index the contents of ftp sites, but only the names
|
|
of
|
|
files at those sites. Veronica indexes the TITLES on all levels of the
|
|
menus, for most gopher sites in the Internet. 258 gophers are indexed by
|
|
Veronica on Nov. 17, 1992; we have discovered over 500 servers and will
|
|
index the full set in the near future. We hope that Veronica will encourage
|
|
gopher administrators to use very descriptive titles on their menus."
|
|
|
|
"To try Veronica, select it from the 'Other Gophers' menu on Minnesota's
|
|
gopher server (consultant.micro.umn.edu), or point your gopher at:
|
|
Name=Veronica (search menu items in most of GopherSpace)
|
|
Type=1
|
|
Port=70
|
|
Path=1/Veronica Host=futique.scs.unr.edu"
|
|
|
|
"Veronica is an experimental service, developed by Steve Foster and Fred
|
|
Barrie at University of Nevada. As we expect that the load will soon
|
|
outgrow our hardware, we will distribute the Veronica service across other
|
|
sites in the near future."
|
|
|
|
"Please address comments to: gophadm@futique.scs.unr.edu"
|
|
|
|
Is this the new world order of automated librarianship?
|
|
|
|
WAIS
|
|
Wide Area Information Servers (pronounced ways) allows users to get
|
|
information from a variety of hosts by means of a "client". The user tells
|
|
the client, in plain English, what to look for out in dataspace. The client
|
|
then searches various WAIS servers around the globe. The user tells the
|
|
client how relevant each hit is, and the client can be sent out on the same
|
|
quest again and again to find new documents. Client software is available
|
|
for many different types of computers.
|
|
|
|
WAIStation is an easy to use Macintosh implementation of a WAIS client.
|
|
It can be downloaded from think.com as well as a self-running
|
|
MediaTracks demo of WAIStation in action. Kahle also moderates a
|
|
thoughtful WAIS newsletter and discussion group, often speculating about
|
|
the future of libraries and librarians.
|
|
|
|
Info from: Brewster Kahle, Project Leader
|
|
Wide Area Information Servers
|
|
Thinking Machines Corporation
|
|
1010 El Camino Real
|
|
Menlo Park, CA 94025
|
|
415/329-9300 x228
|
|
brewster@Think.COM
|
|
|
|
WorldWideWeb
|
|
Tim Berners-Lee describes the Web this way: "The WWW project merges
|
|
the techniques of information retrieval and hypertext to make an easy but
|
|
powerful global information system. The WWW world consists of
|
|
documents, and links. Indexes are special documents which, rather than
|
|
being read, may be searched. The result of such a search is another
|
|
('virtual') document containing links to the documents found. The Web
|
|
contains documents in many formats. Those documents which are
|
|
hypertext, (real or virtual) contain links to other documents, or places
|
|
within documents. All documents, whether real, virtual or indexes, look
|
|
similar to the reader and are contained within the same addressing scheme.
|
|
To follow a link, a reader clicks with a mouse (or types in a number if he or
|
|
|
|
she has no mouse). To search and index, a reader gives keywords (or other
|
|
search criteria). These are the only operations necessary to access the
|
|
entire
|
|
world of data."
|
|
|
|
Info from: Tim Berners-Lee
|
|
WorldWideWeb project
|
|
CERN
|
|
1211 Geneva 23,
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
Tel: +41(22)767 3755 FAX:+41(22)767 7155
|
|
email:tbl@cernvax.cern.ch
|
|
|
|
Hytelnet
|
|
Peter Scott, the creator of HYTELNET, sends this recent update:
|
|
"HYTELNET version 6.3, the utility which gives an IBM-PC user instant-
|
|
access to all Internetaccessible library catalogs, FREE-NETS, CWISs,
|
|
BBSs, Gophers, WAIS, etc. is now available. You can get it via anonymous
|
|
ftp from: access.usask.ca in the pub/hytelnet/pc subdirectory. It is listed
|
|
as
|
|
HYTELN63.ZIP."
|
|
|
|
"Version 6.3 is a major upgrade. Much redundant information has been
|
|
deleted, and errors have been corrected. New subdirectories have been
|
|
added, which has meant that many files now have a more meaningful
|
|
home. Also all the new/updated files created since Version 6.2 have been
|
|
incorporated."
|
|
|
|
"Note: the UNZIPPED files total over 1.2 mb?but remember, you can
|
|
always edit out any information you do not need, in order to save space.
|
|
Information from Roy Tennant follows, slightly edited, describing how to
|
|
obtain HYTELNET 6.3 from the ftp site (thanks Roy)::"
|
|
|
|
"TO RETRIEVE HYTELNET:
|
|
At your system prompt, enter: ftp access.usask.ca or ftp 128.233.3.1 When
|
|
you receive the Name prompt, enter: anonymous When you receive the
|
|
password prompt, enter your Internet address. When you are at the ftp>
|
|
prompt, enter: binary At the next ftp> prompt, enter: cd pub/hytelnet/pc
|
|
Then enter: get hyteln63.zip After the transfer has occurred, either proceed
|
|
with the instructions below to retrieve the UNZIP utility (which you need
|
|
unless you already have it) or enter: quit
|
|
|
|
The Hytelnet program is archived using a ZIP utility. To unarchive it, you
|
|
must be able to "unzip" the file. If you have the file PKUNZIP.EXE, it will
|
|
unarchive the HYTELN63.ZIP file (see below for instructions). If you do
|
|
not have it, you may retrieve it by following these instructions:
|
|
|
|
TO RETRIEVE PKUNZIP:
|
|
Use the above instructions for connecting to access.usask.ca At the ftp>
|
|
prompt, enter: binary Then enter: cd pub/hytelnet/pc Then enter: get
|
|
pkunzip.exe After the transfer has occurred, enter: quit
|
|
|
|
TO DOWNLOAD IT TO YOUR PC:
|
|
Because of the plethora of PC communications programs, I will not attempt
|
|
to give step-by-step instructions here. You should check the instructions
|
|
for your software for downloading a *binary* file from your Internet
|
|
account to your PC.
|
|
|
|
TO UNARCHIVE HYTELN63.ZIP:
|
|
Make a new directory on your hard disk (e.g., mkdir hytelnet) Copy
|
|
PKUNZIP.EXE and HYTELN63.ZIP into the new directory Make sure you
|
|
are in that directory, then enter: pkunzip HYTELN63 It will then unarchive
|
|
HYTELN63.ZIP, which contains the following files: HYTELNET.ZIP
|
|
READNOW The file READNOW. gives full instructions for un-archiving
|
|
HYTELNET.ZIP. Simply put, you **MUST** unZIP the file with the -d
|
|
parameter so that all the subdirectories will be recursed.
|
|
|
|
To use HYTELNET, you should refer to the instructions in the release
|
|
announcement by Peter Scott, or to the README file included with the
|
|
package."
|
|
|
|
"PLEASE NOTE that I offer the above instructions as a service for those
|
|
who are unfamiliar with the steps required to download and use files from
|
|
network sources. I cannot be responsible for any local variations in these
|
|
procedures which may exist. Please contact your local computer support
|
|
staff if you have difficulty performing these tasks."
|
|
|
|
"The UNIX/VMS version, created by Earl Fogel, is available for browsing
|
|
by telnet to access.usask.ca login with hytelnet (lower case). For more
|
|
information on this version contact Earl at: fogel@skyfox.usask.ca."
|
|
|
|
How to Get Connected
|
|
|
|
Now that you're interested in what resources are available, how does one go
|
|
about getting connected? Time was that you needed a standard, dedicated
|
|
connection to the Internet. Then you needed a robust computer system and
|
|
a couple of zany gurus to keep it all running. And once a year you could
|
|
expect an invoice in the $30,000 range to keep the data flowing.
|
|
|
|
These days, anyone can connect, from small libraries and non-profits to
|
|
individuals. And the prices are affordable.
|
|
|
|
There is a NSFNet acceptable-use policy you must agree to adhere to if
|
|
your traffic passes through NSFNet. It is available from the NSF Network
|
|
Service Center.
|
|
|
|
Contact your regional network first to see what services might be available
|
|
to you. A list of regional nets can be obtained from the NSF Network
|
|
Service Center (address below), or check with a local college or
|
|
university's academic computing center. A university may be able to give
|
|
you a guest account on its system for educational purposes.
|
|
|
|
Access to electronic mail alone is roughly $20 a month at this writing.
|
|
Additional capabilities, including telnet and ftp, cost more, and it will
|
|
cost
|
|
$2,000 or more per year if you want to operate your own host system. The
|
|
good news is that the costs are spiraling downwards. Here are a few other
|
|
methods of connecting to the net. Many more are listed in the "must-have"
|
|
books at the end of this article.
|
|
|
|
CERFnet
|
|
The California Education and Research Federation (CERFnet) has
|
|
announced DIAL N' CERF USA. It allows educators, scientists,
|
|
corporations, and individuals access to the Internet from anywhere in the
|
|
continental US.
|
|
|
|
A toll-free number, 1-800/7CERFNET, provides subscribers with the
|
|
capability to log in to remote machines, transfer files, and send and receive
|
|
|
|
electronic mail, as if they had a standard, dedicated connection. The cost of
|
|
|
|
this toll-free connection is $20 a month with a $10 per hour usage fee and
|
|
free installation. There is an installation charge of $50.
|
|
CERFnet
|
|
California Education and Research Federation
|
|
c/o San Diego Supercomputer Center
|
|
P. O. Box 85608
|
|
San Diego, CA 92186-9784
|
|
800/876-CERF or 619/534-5087
|
|
help@cerf.net
|
|
|
|
Performance Systems International
|
|
PSI offers several permutations of network connectivity, including low-end
|
|
email- only accounts, dial-up host connectivity on demand, and dedicated
|
|
connections. Costs are competitive and performance is reliable. PSI has
|
|
POPs (points of presence) in over forty U.S. cities.
|
|
|
|
PSILink, email and delayed ftp, is $19 a month for 2400 baud service or
|
|
below, $29 per month for 9600 baud service.
|
|
|
|
GDS (Global Dialup Service) includes telnet, rlogins at $39 a month, 2400
|
|
baud, 24 hour access.
|
|
|
|
Host DCS (Dialup Connection Service), at about $2000 per year, includes a
|
|
full suite of internet activities (mail, news, ftp, telnet).
|
|
Performance Systems International, Inc.
|
|
11800 Sunrise Valley Dr. Suite 1100
|
|
Reston, VA 22091
|
|
800/82PSI82 or 703/620-6651 FAX: 703/620-4586
|
|
info@psi.com. All-info@psi.com generates an automatic reply response
|
|
containing summaries of various PSI products.
|
|
|
|
Software Tool & Die
|
|
Software Tool & Die offers The World, a public access Unix system: The
|
|
basic rates are $2 per hour and a $5 monthly account fee. Services offered
|
|
by The World include internet electronic mail, USENET news, ClariNet -
|
|
UPI, AP, and satellite news services, real-time chat, Unix Software, Archie,
|
|
the Online Book Initiative (a publicly accessible repository for freely
|
|
redistributable collections of textual information, a net-worker's library.)
|
|
AlterNet Access - Users have access to AlterNet via ftp/telnet. The World
|
|
can also be accessed over the Compuserve Packet Network. You do not
|
|
have to be a Compuserve subscriber to use this network, but you will be
|
|
billed for its use.
|
|
The WORLD
|
|
Software Tool & Die
|
|
1330 Beacon Street
|
|
Brookline, MA 02146
|
|
617/39-0202
|
|
|
|
Daniel Dern also provides the following definitive information file on how
|
|
to get connected:
|
|
Daniel Dern's Short Answer to "How do I get a list of Internet
|
|
Service/Access Providers for Individual Accounts":
|
|
|
|
For a list of Internet Service Providers contact:
|
|
|
|
NSF Network Service Center (NNSC)
|
|
BBN Laboratories Inc.
|
|
10 Moulton St.
|
|
Cambridge, MA 02238
|
|
617/873-3361
|
|
nnsc@nnsc.nsf.net
|
|
|
|
The NNSC info-server utility can also automatically e-mail you a copy of
|
|
this list and other documents. Simply send an e-mail message to: info-
|
|
server@nnsc.nsf.net with the following text in the body:
|
|
request: nsfnet
|
|
topic: <topic-here>
|
|
topic: <topic-here>
|
|
request: end
|
|
|
|
You don't need to put anything in the subject line.
|
|
|
|
"referral-list" gets you the NNSC's referral list of Internet Service
|
|
Providers
|
|
based in the U.S. (possibly providing international service). This is
|
|
generally agreed to be the most comprehensive and least-biased list.
|
|
|
|
"limited-referral" gets you the NNSC's referral list of Internet providers
|
|
for
|
|
"limited service," which includes Dial-Up IP, Internet E-mail.
|
|
|
|
"help" (recommended) gets you the Help document for the info- server
|
|
facility.
|
|
|
|
For a list of dial-up-accessible Public-Access Internet Hosts (Unix BBSs
|
|
that can do telnet, ftp, etc., that can you can access by calling from your
|
|
PC
|
|
and modem), see the PDIAL list, maintained by Peter Kaminski. Kaminski
|
|
periodically posts an updated version to the usenet groups alt.bbs.lists and
|
|
alt.bbs.internet; also, the most recent edition may be obtained by sending e-
|
|
mail to kaminski@netcom.com with the 'Send PDIAL' in the subject. To
|
|
be placed on a list to receive future editions automatically, send e-mail to
|
|
kaminski@netcom.com with 'Subscribe PDIAL' in the subject.
|
|
|
|
The 'nixpub' list is a frequently updated list of Public-Access unix Systems
|
|
-Unix-based BBSs usually carrying usenet news, supporting e-mail
|
|
connectivity to the Internet, and with some mix of local archives, multi-
|
|
user games, etc. The full list is long (over 1,000 lines). To get a current
|
|
|
|
copy of 'nixpub' as an automatic e-mail reply, Send a message to
|
|
'nixpub@digex.com' (no subject or message text needed), or to archive-
|
|
server@cs.widener.edu with message body of one of these:
|
|
|
|
send nixpub long
|
|
send nixpub short
|
|
send nixpub long short
|
|
index nixpub
|
|
|
|
The nixpub and nixpub.short lists are regularly reposted to the USENET
|
|
comp.misc and alt.bbs groups
|
|
|
|
Info from: Daniel P. Dern Free-lance technology writer
|
|
P.O. Box 309
|
|
Newton Centre, MA 02159
|
|
617/969-7947 FAX: 617/969-7949
|
|
ddern@world.std.com"
|
|
|
|
Resources for Learning More
|
|
|
|
CERFnet Network Information Center (NIC)
|
|
This is a repository for many eclectic internet guides and RFC (Requests
|
|
For Comments) from many sources, including the famous, if technical
|
|
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet". These may be obtained via anonymous
|
|
ftp to nic.cerf.net (192.102.249.3). Call the CERFnet Hotline at 800-876-
|
|
CERF for assistance. California Education and Research Federation
|
|
c/o San Diego Supercomputer Center
|
|
P. O. Box 85608
|
|
San Diego, CA 92186- 9784
|
|
800/876-CERF or 619/534-5087
|
|
help@cerf.net
|
|
|
|
CICNet Resource Guide
|
|
Over 200 pages of Internet resources, published June, 1992. Copies are
|
|
$27.00 from CICNet, Inc.
|
|
Attn Kim Schaffer
|
|
2901 Hubbard Pod A
|
|
Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
|
|
313/998-6103 FAX 313/998-6105
|
|
info@cic.net
|
|
|
|
"The December Lists"
|
|
"Information Sources: the Internet and Computer-Mediated
|
|
Communication" Compiled by John December (decemj@rpi.edu)
|
|
Here is part of his information file on this excellent resource:
|
|
|
|
"This document or updates are available via anonymous ftp. Host:
|
|
ftp.rpi.edu, file: /pub/communications/internet-cmc.
|
|
|
|
PURPOSE: to list pointers to information describing the Internet,
|
|
computer networks, and issues related to computer- mediated
|
|
communication (CMC). Topics of interest include the technical, social,
|
|
cognitive, and psychological aspects of CMC.
|
|
|
|
AUDIENCE: this file is useful for those getting started in understanding
|
|
the Internet and CMC; it compactly summarizes sources of information for
|
|
those who are already exploring these issues.
|
|
|
|
ASSUMPTIONS: to access many information sources listed here you must
|
|
have access to and know how to use anonymous ftp, email, or USENET
|
|
newsgroups. Some files are in TeX or PostScript format.
|
|
|
|
Contents:
|
|
Section -1- THE INTERNET AND SERVICES
|
|
Section -2- INFORMATION SERVICES/ELECTRONIC
|
|
PUBLICATIONS
|
|
Section -3- SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
|
|
Section -4- NEWSGROUPS
|
|
Section -5- SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY"
|
|
|
|
"Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette"
|
|
Brad Templeton's (brad@looking.on.ca) satirical and hilarious piece on
|
|
how NOT to behave on the net. Emily Postnews, foremost authority on
|
|
proper net behaviour, gives her advice.There are many places to ftp this
|
|
file, and it is appearing on many gophers. One place to get the file is by
|
|
ftp
|
|
to ra.msstate.edu (130.18.80.10) Location: /pub/docs/words- l/Funnies. The
|
|
file is called emily.postnews. Here is a sample:
|
|
|
|
"Dear Miss Postnews:
|
|
How long should my signature be?
|
|
-- verbose@noisy
|
|
|
|
A: Dear Verbose:
|
|
Please try and make your signature as long as you can. It's much more
|
|
important than your article, of course, so try to have more lines of
|
|
signature
|
|
than actual text. Try to include a large graphic made of ASCII characters,
|
|
plus lots of cute quotes and slogans. People will never tire of reading
|
|
these
|
|
pearls of wisdom again and again, and you will soon become personally
|
|
associated with the joy each reader feels at seeing yet another delightful
|
|
repeat of your signature. Be sure as well to include a complete map of
|
|
USENET with each signature, to show how anybody can get mail to you
|
|
from any site in the world. Be sure to include Internet gateways as well.
|
|
Also tell people on your own site how to mail to you. Give independent
|
|
addresses for Internet, UUCP, and BITNET, even if they're all the same."
|
|
|
|
"Incomplete Guide to the Internet"
|
|
The "Incomplete Guide ?" was compiled by the NCSA Education Group,
|
|
dated September, 1992. It is also available for anonymous FTP at:
|
|
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in the /misc directory. This excellent manual is a must. It
|
|
|
|
even covers SLIP connections and use of Eudora.
|
|
|
|
Here are some comments about it from cfarmer@ncsa.uiuc.EDU (Chuck
|
|
Farmer): "The first half of the text is devoted to the mechanics of
|
|
telecommunications, how to connect, what to do once you are connected,
|
|
etc. The second half of the manual is devoted to current
|
|
telecommunications projects, past successful projects, and resources. The
|
|
resources include FTP sites, open BBS's and networks, Free-Nets,
|
|
subscription services, and where to get more information on each resource.
|
|
This resource was complied by the Living Lab program (NSF funded) at
|
|
NCSA as an attempt to encourage the proliferation of HPCC use in the K-
|
|
12 classroom. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
|
|
|
|
For further information: National Center for Supercomputing Applications
|
|
605 E Springfield Ave.
|
|
Champaign, IL 61820
|
|
217/244-6122
|
|
|
|
"Library Resources on the Internet: Strategies for Selection and Use" 1992.
|
|
|
|
RASD Occasional Paper no. 12, selling for $18 to members, $20 for
|
|
nonmembers. It can be ordered from ALA Order Services
|
|
50 E. Huron
|
|
Chicago, IL 60611,
|
|
800/545-2433
|
|
|
|
Electronic versions available via FTP
|
|
ASCII file from:
|
|
host DLA.UCOP.EDU (128.48.108.25), directory /pub/internet/Libcat-
|
|
guide
|
|
host FTP.UNT.EDU (129.120.1.1), directory /pub/library/libcat-guide.
|
|
WordPerfect 5.1 file from:
|
|
host HYDRA.UWO.CA (129.100.2.13), directory libsoft/internet.com
|
|
|
|
Merit's Cruise of the Internet
|
|
This attractive overview looks great on a Macintosh. I have not seen the
|
|
Windows version.
|
|
|
|
From the README text: "Merit's 'Cruise of the Internet' is a computer-
|
|
based tutorial for new as well as experienced Internet 'navigators.' The
|
|
Cruise will introduce you to Internet resources as diverse as
|
|
supercomputing, minorities, multimedia, and even cooking. It will also
|
|
provide information about the tools needed to access those resources."
|
|
|
|
ftp to NIC.MERIT.EDU /internet/resources. There are Macintosh and
|
|
Windows versions, and README text files to explain installation
|
|
procedures.
|
|
|
|
A Cruise of the Internet
|
|
Version 2.01 for Apple Macintosh computers
|
|
December 1, 1992
|
|
|
|
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
|
|
This tutorial will run on any color Macintosh which is capable of
|
|
displaying 256 colors.
|
|
|
|
To run the Cruise tutorial you will need:
|
|
|
|
- A Macintosh II, LC or Quadra series computer
|
|
- 8-bit color and any color monitor (12" minimum)
|
|
- System 6.05 or 7.x
|
|
- Approximately 3 MB of disk space
|
|
- 4 MB RAM is recommended
|
|
- Internet connectivity and software that does file transfers via FTP.
|
|
|
|
A Cruise of the Internet
|
|
Version 2.0 for IBM-DOS and DOS compatibles running Windows
|
|
October 28, 1992
|
|
|
|
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
|
|
This tutorial will run on any IBM-DOS or DOS-compatible computer
|
|
which is equipped to display 256 colors at an aspect ratio of 640 x 480.
|
|
|
|
To run the Cruise tutorial you will need:
|
|
|
|
- An IBM-DOS or DOS-compatible computer
|
|
- XGA- or XGA-compatible adapter set to display 256 colors at 640 x 480
|
|
- Microsoft Windows(TM) version 3.1
|
|
- Approximately 1.5 MB of disk space
|
|
- 2 MB RAM minimum
|
|
- Internet connectivity and software that does file transfers via FTP.
|
|
|
|
"Mining the Internet"
|
|
The Net as mine metaphor is a popular theme. Tunneling through the
|
|
network matrix in search of gems and ore is not far from fact. Sometimes it
|
|
is hard work, and a lot of it is working in the dark.
|
|
|
|
There is a guidebook called "Mining the Internet", available from
|
|
University of California at Davis. Here is how the Gold Country Mining
|
|
Instructions begin:
|
|
"Jist durn tuckered o' workin' eight t' five for a salary. ain't you? An' you
|
|
|
|
wanna set out for parts unknown. You're hankerin' for an a'venture. Come'n
|
|
then go 'Mining the Internet' with me, father of Clementine (that's my
|
|
darlin'), and I'll tell you some old timey tales and introduce you to a new
|
|
resource for students, faculty, and staff called wide area networking?
|
|
'Taint goin' to hurt you any, and the prospect looks good for a lucky
|
|
strike."
|
|
|
|
"Mining the Internet" and "Using the Internet A&B" available from
|
|
Computing Services
|
|
University of California
|
|
Davis, CA 95616-8563
|
|
916/752-0233.
|
|
Or electronically by anonymous ftp from ucdavis.edu (128.120.2.1)
|
|
directory /ucd.netdocs/mining.
|
|
|
|
NSF Network Service Center (NNSC)
|
|
NSF Internet Tour HyperCard Stack--borrow a Macintosh long enough to
|
|
view this, worth the effort! Includes net history, net maps, net poetry and
|
|
lore. Free.
|
|
|
|
They also publish a very complete Internet Resource Guide ($15). Many
|
|
items, including the HyperCard Tour to the Internet, freely available by
|
|
anonymous ftp from nnsc.nsf.net.
|
|
NNSC
|
|
Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.
|
|
10 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
|
|
617/873-3400
|
|
nnsc@nnsc.nsf.net
|
|
|
|
New User's Guide to Unique and Interesting Resources on the Internet 2.2.
|
|
Available from NYSERNet (New York State Education and Research
|
|
Network). It is over 145 pages and lists some 50 sources. OPACS,
|
|
databases, information resources, and more. The New User's Guide is
|
|
available in hard copy at the cost of $25.00. (NYSERNet Members:
|
|
$18.00)
|
|
It is available electronically at nysernet.org (192.77.173.2) in the
|
|
directory
|
|
/pub/resources/guides. It is called the new.user.guide.v2.2.txt
|
|
For more information: NYSERNet, Inc.
|
|
111 College Pl.
|
|
Syracuse, NY 13244-4100
|
|
315/443-4120 FAX 315/425-7518
|
|
info@nysernet.org
|
|
|
|
NorthWestNet User Services Internet Resource Guide
|
|
NorthWestNet has released a 300-page guide to the Internet, covering
|
|
electronic mail, file transfer, remote login, discussion groups, online
|
|
library
|
|
catalogues, and supercomputer access.
|
|
|
|
Copies may be purchased for $20.00 from NorthWestNet. It is also
|
|
available via anonymous ftp: ftphost.nwnet.net in the directory
|
|
/nic/nwnet/user-guide.
|
|
|
|
NorthWestNet
|
|
15400 SE 30th Place, Suite 202,
|
|
Bellevue, WA 98007
|
|
206/562-3000 FAX: 206/562-4822
|
|
|
|
"There's Gold in Them Thar Networks! or Searching for Gold in all the
|
|
Wrong Places" written by Jerry Martin at Ohio State University. This
|
|
document is available via Internet message to Infoserver@nnsc.nsf.net.
|
|
Once inside the message area, give the following commands to retrieve the
|
|
document: REQUEST:NSFNET
|
|
TOPIC:NETWORK-TREASURES
|
|
REQUEST: END
|
|
|
|
"The Yanoff Lists"
|
|
"Special Internet Connections" Compiled by Scott Yanoff. This is an
|
|
indispensable weekly list of network resources available using telnet and
|
|
ftp.
|
|
|
|
It includes a few Online Public Access Catalogs, chat lines, weather
|
|
servers, Campus Wide Information Systems, and reference resources.
|
|
Send e-mail to the list manager (Scott Yanoff) at:
|
|
yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu or ftp to csd4.csd.uwm.edu. The filename is
|
|
inet-services.
|
|
|
|
How to Find out More About Discussion Lists
|
|
|
|
Thousands of discussion groups, LISTSERVs, and mail reflectors exist on
|
|
the Internet. Here are several ways to find lists of interest to you.
|
|
|
|
LISTSERVs available from NYSERNet.org
|
|
Nysernet.org hosts over 20 lists, including folk_music and PUBLIB for
|
|
public librarians. Send a LIST GLOBAL command in an interactive
|
|
message to our host. For example: To: LISTSERV@nysernet.org
|
|
Subject:
|
|
Message: LIST GLOBAL
|
|
|
|
The SRI NIC Maintained Interest-Groups List of Lists
|
|
This is available by FTP from ftp.nisc.sri.com (192.33.33.22) in the
|
|
directory /netinfo/interest-groups.
|
|
|
|
The SRI NIC list-of-lists is also available via electronic mail. Send a
|
|
message to mail-server@nisc.sri.com with the following line in the
|
|
message body:
|
|
Send netinfo/interest-groups
|
|
Example:
|
|
To: mail-server@nisc.sri.com
|
|
Subject:
|
|
Message: Send netinfo/interest-groups
|
|
|
|
The List of Lists
|
|
A comprehensive list-of-lists can be obtained from some larger host
|
|
computers running LISTSERV software, by sending a LIST GLOBAL
|
|
command in an interactive message. This will return a "one line per list"
|
|
list of all lists known to that host as of that date.
|
|
For example:
|
|
To: LISTSERV@ VM1.NoDak.EDU mail
|
|
Subject:
|
|
Message: LIST GLOBAL
|
|
|
|
The global list can also be searched online. For details send LISTSERV
|
|
the command INFO DATABASE .
|
|
|
|
Network Accessible Database Server
|
|
Only available on the LISTSERV at VM1.NoDak.EDU is a searchable
|
|
interest groups database. For example, to search of the databases for lists
|
|
on "cats" you would send the following statements (copy them exactly into
|
|
your mail message to the LISTSERV):
|
|
|
|
//DBlook JOB Echo=No
|
|
Database Search DD=Rules
|
|
//Rules DD *
|
|
Select cats in lists
|
|
index
|
|
Select cats in intgroup
|
|
index
|
|
Select cats in new-list
|
|
index
|
|
|
|
These statements search the global LISTSERV list of lists ("in lists"), and
|
|
the local copy of the SRI-NIC Interest Groups ("in intgroup"), and the
|
|
archives of the "new-list" list ("in new-list"). Send LISTSERV the
|
|
command INFO DATABASE for more information.
|
|
|
|
The 5th Revision of the Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences
|
|
This resource is available at LISTSERV@KENTVM or
|
|
LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU and via anonymous FTP to
|
|
ksuvxa.kent.edu in the library directory. This announcement is extracted
|
|
from the ACADLIST README FILE
|
|
|
|
"This directory contains descriptions of 805 electronic conferences
|
|
(econferences) on topics of interest to scholars. E- conference is the
|
|
umbrella term that includes discussion lists, interest groups, e-journals, e-
|
|
newsletters, Usenet newsgroups, forums, etc. We have used our own
|
|
judgment in deciding what is of scholarly interest -- and accept any advice
|
|
or argument about our decisions. We have placed the entries into
|
|
categories by deciding what the *dominant* academic subject area of the
|
|
electronic conference is."
|
|
|
|
"The 5th Revision involves an attempt to make it easier to feed the
|
|
Directory into HyperCard(TM), dBase(TM) and other database programs.
|
|
The first step in this effort has been to use field labels for each part of
|
|
each
|
|
record. We've also reduced the size of each record by trying to keep topic
|
|
information between 25-50 words (some are still bigger). Advice on this
|
|
topic will be gratefully accepted at dkovacs@kentvm.kent.edu."
|
|
|
|
"In addition, information about editorial policy and archive availability and
|
|
|
|
frequency have also been included in each record. Where possible the
|
|
information in each record has been checked for currency and accuracy by
|
|
checking the LISTSERV header in the case of LISTSERV based e-
|
|
conferences and contacting the moderators of other kinds of e-
|
|
conferences."
|
|
|
|
"The field labels are as follows: LN: (e-conference name) TI: (topic
|
|
information) SU: (subscription information) ED: (edited? Yes or No) AR:
|
|
(archived? if Yes, frequency, private=subscribers only) MO: (moderator,
|
|
editor, listowner, manager, coordinator, etc.) IA: ('official' institutional
|
|
affiliation)."
|
|
|
|
"Topic descriptions are taken in whole or part from the descriptions
|
|
provided by each listowner, editor, moderator or coordinator to the New-
|
|
List, the List of Lists, and the Internet Interest Groups file."
|
|
|
|
"Any errors are the responsibility of the compiler of the Electronic
|
|
Conferences for Academics Files. If you can provide corrections or
|
|
additional information about any of these electronic conferences, please
|
|
contact:
|
|
|
|
Diane Kovacs (Bitnet) DKOVACS@KENTVM (Internet)
|
|
DKOVACS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU
|
|
|
|
These files are available on the Directory of Scholarly E-Conferences:
|
|
ACADLIST README (explanatory notes for the Directory)
|
|
ACADSTCK HQX (binhexed, self-decompressing, HyperCard Stack of
|
|
entire Directory - Keyword searchable)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE1 (Anthropology- Education)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE2 (Geography-Library and Information Science)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE3 (Linguistics-Political Science)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE4 (Psychology-Writing)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE5 (Biological sciences)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE6 (Physical sciences -now includes Academic Computing
|
|
and Computer Science)
|
|
ACADLIST FILE7 (business, Academia, news)
|
|
ACADWHOL HQX (binhexed self-decompressing Macintosh M.S. Word
|
|
4.0 document of all 7 directories)
|
|
ACADLIST.CHANGES (Major additions and deletions)
|
|
|
|
How to retrieve the abovefiles via mail
|
|
1. Send an e-mail message addressed to LISTSERV@KENTVM or
|
|
LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU.
|
|
2. Leave the subject and other info lines blank.
|
|
3. The message must read: GET Filename Filetype
|
|
(e.g.,filename=ACADLIST filetype=FILE1 or HQX or whatever)
|
|
4. The files will be sent to you and you must receive them.
|
|
5. If you need assistance receiving, etc. contact your local Computer
|
|
Services people.
|
|
|
|
How to retrieve the files via anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
|
|
FTP to KSUVXA.KENT.EDU
|
|
1. when prompted for 'USERID,' type ANONYMOUS.
|
|
2. Your password will be your actual userid on your local machine.
|
|
3. Type: cd library
|
|
4. Type: GET Filename.Filetype (e.g., filename=ACADLIST
|
|
filetype=FILE1 or HQX or whatever)
|
|
5. The files will be transferred directly into the directory you ftp'ed from
|
|
at
|
|
your site.
|
|
|
|
New Lists and List Changes
|
|
New lists are being started every day, and old ones fade away. To find out
|
|
about these changes, join the NEW-LIST mailing. Here is part of their
|
|
welcome message:
|
|
|
|
"The 'NEW-LIST' list has been established as a central address to post
|
|
announcements of new public mailing lists. In addition, 'NEW-LIST' might
|
|
be used as a final verification before establishing a list (to check for
|
|
existing lists on the same topic, etc.). However, be sure to check sources
|
|
such as the Internet List-of-Lists (SIGLIST or INTEREST-GROUPS list),
|
|
LISTSERV GROUPS, and the LISTS database on the major LISTSERVs
|
|
(we have the LISTS database on NDSUVM1)."
|
|
|
|
"We will gladly rebroadcast New List announcements, final list proposals
|
|
(to avoid conflicts or redundancy), or emergency announcements about the
|
|
availability of some list.
|
|
|
|
List Review Service
|
|
These folks subscribe to and monitor a list for awhile and then report on it
|
|
to everyone else. It's a great idea and a useful way to "sample" a list. Here
|
|
|
|
is the subscription information. Email its author to be added to the List
|
|
Review Service list, BITNET ADDRESS: SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA.
|
|
|
|
LIST REVIEW SERVICE ISSN: 1060-8192 Published bi-weekly,
|
|
when school is in session, by The University of Missouri, St. Louis
|
|
Libraries.
|
|
Raleigh C. Muns, editor.
|
|
For more information: Thomas Jefferson Library
|
|
University of Missouri St. Louis
|
|
8001 Natural Bridge Road
|
|
St. Louis, MO 63121
|
|
314/553-5059
|
|
|
|
Internet Library Guides
|
|
|
|
Three different Internet library guides are available to help both beginning
|
|
and experienced OPAC users.
|
|
|
|
Art St. George's Internet-Accessible Library Catalogs and Databases
|
|
includes directions for Internet libraries and Campus Wide Information
|
|
Systems as well as dialup libraries and bulletin boards in the United States.
|
|
|
|
Available from: ariel.unm.edu /LIBRARY/INTERNET.LIBRARY
|
|
|
|
Billy Barron's Accessing On-line Bibliographic Databases contains a
|
|
number of useful features such as guides to local OPAC escape sequences
|
|
and commands. FTP to ftp.unt.edu (129.120.1.1)
|
|
/LIBRARY/LIBRARIES.TXT
|
|
|
|
Dana Noonan's A Guide to Internet/Bitnet comes in two parts. Part two is
|
|
about Internet Libraries. It is an easy to use guide to many national and
|
|
international OPACS and their login and use instructions. (available via
|
|
anonymous ftp from vm1.nodak.edu then CD NNEWS (although nnews
|
|
may not show up on the directory menu, it works.) A printed version is
|
|
available for $10 from Metronet. For more information:
|
|
Metronet,
|
|
226 Metro Square Building
|
|
Seventh and Robert Streets
|
|
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
|
|
612/224-4801 FAX 612/224-4827
|
|
|
|
Must-have Books for the Internet Surfer
|
|
|
|
Kehoe, Brendan. (1993). Zen and the Art of the Internet: a Beginner's
|
|
Guide (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. The first edition is
|
|
available for free from many FTP sites (see below) This version has about
|
|
30 pages of new material and corrects various minor errors in the first
|
|
edition. Includes the story of the Coke Machine on the Internet. For much
|
|
of late 1991 and the first half of 1992, this was the document of choice for
|
|
learning about the Internet. ISBN 0-13-010778-6. Index. $22.00
|
|
|
|
To ftp Zen 1.0 in a PostScript version:
|
|
ftp.uu.net [137.39.1.9] directory /inet/doc
|
|
ftp.cs.toronto.edu [128.100.3.6] directory /pub/zen
|
|
ftp.cs.widener.edu [147.31.254.132] directory /pub/zen as zen-1.0.tar.Z,
|
|
zen-1.0.dvi, and zen-1.0.PS
|
|
ftp.sura.net [128.167.254.179] directory /pub/nic as zen-1.0.PS
|
|
It is also available to read on many Gopher servers.
|
|
|
|
Krol, Ed. (1992). The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog. Sebastopol,
|
|
CA: O'Reilly & Associates. Comprehensive guide to how the network
|
|
works, the domain name system, acceptable use, security, and other issues.
|
|
Chapters on telnet/remote login, File Transfer Protocol, and electronic mail
|
|
explain error messages, special situations, and other arcana. Archie,
|
|
Gopher, Net News, WAIS, WWW, and troubleshooting each enjoy a
|
|
chapter in this well-written book. Appendices contain info on how to get
|
|
connected in addition to a glossary. ISBN 1-56592-025-2. $24.95
|
|
|
|
LaQuey, Tracey, & Ryer, J. C. (1993). The Internet Companion: a
|
|
Beginner's Guide to Global Networking.. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
|
|
Beginning with a forewordby Vice-President Elect Al Gore, this book
|
|
provides an often-humorous explanation of the origins of the Internet,
|
|
acceptable use, basics of electronic mail, netiquette, online resources,
|
|
transferring information, and finding email addresses. The In the Know
|
|
guide provides background on Internet legends (Elvis sightings is one),
|
|
organizations, security issues, and how to get connected. Bibliography.
|
|
Index. ISBN 0-201-62224-6 $10.95
|
|
|
|
Marine, April. (1992). INTERNET: Getting Started.. Menlo Park, CA: SRI
|
|
International. This book has an international overview, and includes things
|
|
the others don't, such as an index to all the RFC's (Request for Comments),
|
|
Internet organizations, source information for the TCP/IP CD ROM, and
|
|
the answer to "who is in charge of the Internet?" (No one is. The Internet is
|
|
|
|
a cooperating group of independently administered networks. Some groups
|
|
set basic policy though.) ISBN 0-944604-15-3 $39.00
|
|
SRI
|
|
333 Ravenswood Ave.
|
|
Menlo Park, CA 94025
|
|
|
|
Tennant, Roy, Ober, J., & Lipow, A. G. (1993). Crossing the Internet
|
|
Threshold: An Instructional Handbook. Berkeley, CA: Library Solutions
|
|
Press. A cookbook to run your own Internet training sessions. Real- world
|
|
examples. Foreword by Cliff Lynch. ISBN: 1-882208-01-3 $45.00
|
|
Library Solutions Institute and Press
|
|
2137 Oregon Street Berkeley, CA 94705
|
|
510/841-2636 FAX: 510/841-2926
|
|
|
|
Magazine
|
|
|
|
Matrix News, the monthly newsletter edited by John S. Quarterman.
|
|
Subscriptions are $30 per year. for a paper edition, $25/yr for an online
|
|
edition. Matrix News, Matrix Information & Directory Services, Inc.
|
|
(MIDS)
|
|
1106 Clayton La.
|
|
Suite 500 W
|
|
Austin, TX 78746
|
|
512/329-1087 FAX: 512/327-1274
|
|
mids@tic.com
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|
Organizations
|
|
|
|
CNI Coalition for Networked Information
|
|
1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW
|
|
Washington, DC 20036
|
|
202/232-2466 FAX: 202/462-7849
|
|
info@cni.org
|
|
|
|
CPSR Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
|
|
PO Box 717
|
|
Palo Alto, CA 94302
|
|
415/322-3778 FAX: 415/322-3798
|
|
CPSR Newsletter, annual Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference,
|
|
poster ("Technology is driving the future-- it's time to find out who's
|
|
steering.") cpsr@clsi.stanford.edu
|
|
|
|
EFF The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc.
|
|
155 Second St.
|
|
Cambridge, MA 02141
|
|
617/864-1550 FAX: 617/864-0866
|
|
Publishes the EFFector in online and print editions. T-shirts, bumper
|
|
stickers ("I'd rather be telecommuting"; "ISDN: Make it so.";
|
|
"CYBERNAUT")
|
|
eff@eff.org
|
|
|
|
Internet Society
|
|
1895 Preston White Drive
|
|
Suite 100
|
|
Reston, VA 22091
|
|
703/620-8990, FAX 703/620-0913
|
|
Annual conference, quarterly Internet Society News.
|
|
isoc@nri.reston.va.us
|
|
|
|
=============================================
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For more information about this article:
|
|
Jean Armour Polly
|
|
Manager of Network Development and User Training
|
|
NYSERNet, Inc.
|
|
111 College Place
|
|
Syracuse, NY 13244-4100
|
|
315/443-4120
|
|
FAX: 315/425-7518
|
|
jpolly@nysernet.org
|
|
=============================================
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