8747 lines
414 KiB
Plaintext
8747 lines
414 KiB
Plaintext
Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet, v.2.2
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copyright Electronic Frontier Foundation 1993, 1994
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Foreword by Mitchell Kapor, co-founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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Preface by Adam Gaffin, senior writer, Network World.
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Chapter 1: Setting up and jacking in
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1.1 Ready, set...
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1.2 Go!
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1.3 Public-access Internet providers
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1.4 If your town doesn't have direct access
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1.5 Net origins
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1.6 How it works
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1.7 When things go wrong
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1.8 FYI
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Chapter 2: E-mail
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2.1. The basics
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2.2 Elm -- a better way
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2.3 Pine -- even better than Elm
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2.4 Smileys
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2.5 Sending e-mail to other networks
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2.6 Seven Unix commands you can't live without
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Chapter 3: Usenet I
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3.1 The global watering hole
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3.2 Navigating Usenet with nn
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3.3 nn commands
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3.4 Using rn
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3.5 rn commands
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3.6 Essential newsgroups
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3.7 Speaking up
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3.8 Cross-posting
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Chapter 4: Usenet II
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4.1 Flame, blather and spew
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4.2 Killfiles, the cure for what ails you
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4.3 Some Usenet hints
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4.4 The Brain-Tumor Boy, the modem tax and the chain letter
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4.5 Big Sig
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4.6 The First Amendment as local ordinance
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4.7 Usenet history
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4.8 When things go wrong
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4.9 FYI
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Chapter 5: Mailing lists and Bitnet
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5.1 Internet mailing lists
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5.2 Bitnet
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Chapter 6: Telnet
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6.1 Mining the Net
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6.2 Library catalogs
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6.3 Some interesting telnet sites
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6.4 Telnet bulletin-board systems
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6.5 Putting the finger on someone
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6.6 Finding someone on the Net
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6.7 When things go wrong
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6.8 FYI
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Chapter 7: FTP
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7.1 Tons of files
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7.2 Your friend archie
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7.3 Getting the files
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7.4 Odd letters -- decoding file endings
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7.5 The keyboard cabal
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7.6 Some interesting ftp sites
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7.7 ncftp -- now you tell me!
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7.8 Project Gutenberg -- electronic books
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7.9 When things go wrong
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7.10 FYI
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Chapter 8: Gophers, WAISs and the World-Wide Web
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8.1 Gophers
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8.2 Burrowing deeper
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8.3 Gopher commands
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8.4 Some interesting gophers
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8.5 Wide-Area Information Servers
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8.6 The World-Wide Web
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8.7 Clients, or how to snare more on the Web
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8.8 When things go wrong
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8.9 FYI
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Chapter 9: Advanced E-mail
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9.1 The file's in the mail
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9.2 Receiving files
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9.3 Sending files to non-Internet sites
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9.4 Getting ftp files via e-mail
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9.5 The all knowing Oracle
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Chapter 10: News of the world
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10.1 Clarinet: UPI, Dave Barry and Dilbert
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10.2 Reuters
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10.3 USA Today
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10.4 National Public Radio
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10.5 The World Today: From Belarus to Brazil
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10.6 E-mailing news organizations
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10.7 FYI
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Chapter 11: IRC, MUDs and other things that are more fun than they sound
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11.1 Talk
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11.2 Internet Relay Chat
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11.3 IRC commands
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11.4 IRC in times of crisis
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11.5 MUDs
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11.6 Go, go, go (and chess, too)!
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11.7 The other side of the coin
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11.8 FYI
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Chapter 12: Education and the Net
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12.1 The Net in the Classroom
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12.2 Some specific resources for students and teachers
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12.3 Usenet and Bitnet in the classroom
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Chapter 13: Business on the Net
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13.1 Setting up shop
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13.2 FYI
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Chapter 14: Conclusion -- The end?
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Appendix A: Lingo
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Appendix B: Electronic Frontier Foundation Information
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Foreword
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By Mitchell Kapor,
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Co-founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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Welcome to the World of the Internet
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is proud to have sponsored
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the production of the Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet. EFF is a
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nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to ensuring
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that everyone has access to the newly emerging communications technologies
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vital to active participation in the events of our world. As more and more
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information is available online, new doors open up for those who have
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access to that information. Unfortunately, unless access is broadly
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encouraged, individuals can be disenfranchised and doors can close, as
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well. The Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet was written to help open some
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doors to the vast amounts of information available on the world's largest
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network, the Internet.
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The spark for the Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet was ignited in
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a few informal conversations that included myself and Steve Cisler of Apple
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Computer, Inc., in June of 1991. With the support of Apple Computer, EFF
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engaged Adam Gaffin to write the book and actually took on the project in
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September of 1991.
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The idea was to write a guide to the Internet for people who had
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little or no experience with network communications. We intended to post
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this guide to the Net in ASCII and HyperCard formats and to give it away on
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disk, as well as have a print edition available. We have more than
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realized our goal. Individuals from as geographically far away as Germany,
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Italy, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Scotland, Norway, and Antarctica have
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all sent electronic mail to say that they downloaded the Big Dummy's Guide
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to the Internet. The guide is now available in a wide array of formats,
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including ACSCII text, HyperCard, World Wide Web, PostScript and
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AmigaGuide. And the guide will be published in a printed format by MIT
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Press in June of 1994.
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EFF would like to thank author Adam Gaffin for doing a terrific job
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of explaining the Net in such a nonthreatening way. We'd also like to
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thank the folks at Apple, especially Steve Cisler of the Apple Library, for
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their support of our efforts to bring this guide to you.
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We invite you to join with EFF in our fight to ensure that equal
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access to the networks and free speech are protected in newly emerging
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technologies. We are a membership organization, and through donations like
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yours, we can continue to sponsor important projects to make communications
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easier. Information about the Electronic Frontier Foundation and some of
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the work that we do can be found at the end of this book.
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We hope that the Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet helps you learn
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about whole new worlds, where new friends and experiences are sure to be
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yours. Enjoy!
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Mitch Kapor
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Chairman of the Board
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Electronic Frontier Foundation
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mkapor@eff.org
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For comments, questions, or requests regarding EFF or the Big Dummy's Guide
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to the Internet, send a note to ask@eff.org.
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Preface
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By Adam Gaffin,
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Senior Writer, Network World, Framingham, Mass.
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Welcome to the Internet! You're about to start a journey through a
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unique land without frontiers, a place that is everywhere at once -- even
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though it exists physically only as a series of electrical impulses.
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You'll be joining a growing community of millions of people around the
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world who use this global resource on a daily basis.
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With this book, you will be able to use the Internet to:
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= Stay in touch with friends, relatives and colleagues around the
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world, at a fraction of the cost of phone calls or even air
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mail.
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= Discuss everything from archaeology to zoology with people in
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several different languages.
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= Tap into thousands of information databases and libraries
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worldwide.
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= Retrieve any of thousands of documents, journals, books and
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computer programs.
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= Stay up to date with wire-service news and sports and
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with official weather reports.
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= Play live, "real time" games with dozens of other people at once.
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Connecting to "the Net" today, takes something of a sense of
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adventure, a willingness to learn and an ability to take a deep breath
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every once in awhile. Visiting the Net today is a lot like journeying to
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a foreign country. There are so many things to see and do, but
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everything at first will seem so, well, foreign.
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When you first arrive, you won't be able to read the street signs.
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You'll get lost. If you're unlucky, you may even run into some locals
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who'd just as soon you went back to where you came from. If this
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weren't enough, the entire country is constantly under construction;
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every day, it seems like there's something new for you to figure out.
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Fortunately, most of the locals are actually friendly. In fact, the
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Net actually has a rich tradition of helping out visitors and newcomers.
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Until very recently, there were few written guides for ordinary people,
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and the Net grew largely through an "oral" tradition in which the old-
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timers helped the newcomers.
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So when you connect, don't be afraid to ask for help. You'll be
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surprised at how many people will lend a hand!
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Without such folks, in fact, this guide would not be possible. My
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thanks to all the people who have written with suggestion, additions and
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corrections since the Big Dummy's Guide first appeared on the Internet in
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1993.
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Special thanks go to my loving wife Nancy. I would also like to
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thank the following people, who, whether they know it or not, provided
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particular help.
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Rhonda Chapman, Jim Cocks, Tom Czarnik, Christopher Davis, David
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DeSimone, Jeanne deVoto, Phil Eschallier, Nico Garcia, Joe Granrose,
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Joerg Heitkoetter, Joe Ilacqua, Jonathan Kamens, Peter Kaminski, Thomas
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A. Kreeger, Stanton McCandlish, Leanne Phillips, Nancy Reynolds, Helen
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Trillian Rose, Barry Shein, Jennifer "Moira" Smith, Gerard van der Leun
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and Scott Yanoff.
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If you have any suggestions or comments on how to make this guide
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better, I'd love to hear them. You can reach me via e-mail at
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adamg@world.std.com.
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Boston, Mass., February, 1994.
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Chapter 1: SETTING UP AND JACKING IN
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1.1 READY, SET ...
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The world is just a phone call away. With a computer and modem,
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you'll be able to connect to the Internet, the world's largest computer
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network (and if you're lucky, you won't even need the modem; many
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colleges and companies now give their students or employees direct access
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to the Internet).
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The phone line can be your existing voice line -- just remember
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that if you have any extensions, you (and everybody else in the house
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or office) won't be able to use them for voice calls while you are connected
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to the Net.
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A modem is a sort of translator between computers and the phone
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system. It's needed because computers and the phone system process and
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transmit data, or information, in two different, and incompatible
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ways. Computers "talk" digitally; that is, they store and process
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information as a series of discrete numbers. The phone network relies
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on analog signals, which on an oscilloscope would look like a series
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of waves. When your computer is ready to transmit data to another
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computer over a phone line, your modem converts the computer numbers
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into these waves (which sound like a lot of screeching) -- it
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"modulates" them. In turn, when information waves come into your
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modem, it converts them into numbers your computer can process, by
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"demodulating" them.
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Increasingly, computers come with modems already installed. If
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yours didn't, you'll have to decide what speed modem to get. Modem
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speeds are judged in "bps rate" or bits per second. One bps means
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the modem can transfer roughly one bit per second; the greater the
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bps rate, the more quickly a modem can send and receive information.
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A letter or character is made up of eight bits.
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You can now buy a 2400-bps modem for well under $60 -- and most now
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come with the ability to handle fax messages as well. At prices that now
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start around $150, you can buy a modem that can transfer data at 14,400
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bps (and often even faster, using special compression techniques). If you
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think you might be using the Net to transfer large numbers of files, a
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faster modem is always worth the price. It will dramatically reduce the
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amount of time your modem or computer is tied up transferring files and, if
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you are paying for Net access by the hour, will save you quite a bit in
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online charges.
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Like the computer to which it attaches, a modem is useless
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without software to tell it how to work. Most modems today come with
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easy-to-install software. Try the program out. If you find it
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difficult to use or understand, consider a trip to the local software
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store to find a better program. You can spend several hundred dollars
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on a communications program, but unless you have very specialized
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needs, this will be a waste of money, as there are a host of excellent
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programs available for around $100 or less. Among the basic features you
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want to look for are a choice of different "protocols" (more on them in a
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bit) for transferring files to and from the Net and the ability to write
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"script" or "command" files that let you automate such steps as logging
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into a host system.
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When you buy a modem and the software, ask the dealer how to
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install and use them. Try out the software if you can. If the dealer
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can't help you, find another dealer. You'll not only save yourself a
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lot of frustration, you'll also have practiced the prime Internet
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directive: "Ask. People Know."
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To fully take advantage of the Net, you must spend a few minutes
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going over the manuals or documentation that comes with your software.
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There are a few things you should pay special attention to: uploading
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and downloading; screen capturing (sometimes called "screen dumping");
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logging; how to change protocols; and terminal emulation. It is also
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essential to know how to convert a file created with your word
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processing program into "ASCII" or "text" format, which will let you
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share your thoughts with others across the Net.
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Uploading is the process of sending a file from your computer to a
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system on the Net. Downloading is retrieving a file from somewhere on
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the Net to your computer. In general, things in cyberspace go "up" to
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the Net and come "down" to you.
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Chances are your software will come with a choice of several
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"protocols" to use for these transfers. These protocols are systems
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designed to ensure that line noise or static does not cause errors that
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could ruin whatever information you are trying to transfer.
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Essentially, when using a protocol, you are transferring a file in a
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series of pieces. After each piece is sent or received, your computer
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and the Net system compare it. If the two pieces don't match exactly,
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they transfer it again, until they agree that the information they both
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have is identical. If, after several tries, the information just
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doesn't make it across, you'll either get an error message or your
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screen will freeze. In that case, try it again. If, after five tries,
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you are still stymied, something is wrong with a) the file; b) the
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telephone line; c) the system you're connected to; or d) your own
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computer.
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From time to time, you will likely see messages on the Net that
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you want to save for later viewing -- a recipe, a particularly witty
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remark, something you want to write your congressman about, whatever.
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This is where screen capturing and logging come in.
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When you tell your communications software to capture a screen, it
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opens a file in your computer (usually in the same directory or folder
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used by the software) and "dumps" an image of whatever happens to be
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on your screen at the time.
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Logging works a bit differently. When you issue a logging
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command, you tell the software to open a file (again, usually in the
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same directory or folder as used by the software) and then give it a
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name. Then, until you turn off the logging command, everything that
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scrolls on your screen is copied into that file, sort of like
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recording on videotape. This is useful for capturing long documents
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that scroll for several pages -- using screen capture, you would have
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to repeat the same command for each new screen.
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Terminal emulation is a way for your computer to mimic, or
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emulate, the way other computers put information on the screen and
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accept commands from a keyboard. In general, most systems on the Net
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use a system called VT100. Fortunately, almost all communications
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programs now on the market support this system as well -- make sure
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yours does.
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You'll also have to know about protocols. There are several
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different ways for computers to transmit characters. Fortunately,
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there are only two protocols that you're likely to run across: 8-1-N
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(which stands for "8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity" -- yikes!) and 7-1-E
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(7 bits, 1 stop bit, even parity).
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In general, Unix-based systems use 7-1-E, while MS-DOS-based
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systems use 8-1-N. What if you don't know what kind of system you're
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connecting to? Try one of the settings. If you get what looks like
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gobbledygook when you connect, you may need the other setting.
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If so, you can either change the setting while connected, and then hit
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enter, or hang up and try again with the other setting. It's also
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possible your modem and the modem at the other end can't agree on the
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right bps rate. If changing the protocols doesn't work, try using
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another bps rate (but no faster than the one listed for your modem).
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Don't worry, remember, you can't break anything! If something looks wrong,
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it probably is wrong. Change your settings and try again. Nothing is
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learned without trial, error and effort.
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There are the basics. Now on to the Net!
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1.2 GO!
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Once, only people who studied or worked at an institution
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directly tied to the Net could connect to the world. Today, though,
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an ever-growing number of "public-access" systems provide access for
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everybody. These systems can now be found in several states, and there
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are a couple of sites that can provide access across the country.
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There are two basic kinds of these host systems. The more common
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one is known as a UUCP site (UUCP being a common way to transfer
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information among computers using the Unix operating system) and
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offers access to international electronic mail and conferences.
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However, recent years have seen the growth of more powerful sites
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that let you tap into the full power of the Net. These Internet sites
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not only give you access to electronic mail and conferences but to
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such services as databases, libraries and huge file and program
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collections around the world. They are also fast -- as soon as you
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finish writing a message, it gets zapped out to its destination.
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Some sites are run by for-profit companies; others by non-profit
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organizations. Some of these public-access, or host, systems, are
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free of charge. Others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited
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access. And a few charge by the hour. Systems that charge for access
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will usually let you sign up online with a credit card. Some also let
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you set up a billing system.
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But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host
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system, especially if you live in an area with more than one provider.
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Most systems let you look around before you sign up. What is the range
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of each of their services? How easy is each to use? What kind of support or
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help can you get from the system administrators?
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The last two questions are particularly important because many
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systems provide no user interface at all; when you connect, you are
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dumped right into the Unix operating system. If you're already
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familiar with Unix, or you want to learn how to use it, these systems
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offer phenomenal power -- in addition to Net access, most also let you
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tap into the power of Unix to do everything from compiling your own
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programs to playing online games.
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But if you don't want to have to learn Unix, there are other
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public-access systems that work through menus (just like the ones in
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restaurants; you are shown a list of choices and then you make your
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selection of what you want), or which provide a "user interface" that
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is easier to figure out than the ever cryptic Unix.
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If you don't want or need access to the full range of Internet
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services, a UUCP site makes good financial sense. They tend to charge
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less than commercial Internet providers, although their messages may
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not go out as quickly.
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Some systems also have their own unique local services, which can
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range from extensive conferences to large file libraries.
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1.3 PUBLIC-ACCESS INTERNET PROVIDERS
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When you have your communications program dial one of these host
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systems, one of two things will happen when you connect. You'll
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either see a lot of gibberish on your screen, or you'll be asked to
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log in. If you see gibberish, chances are you have to change your
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software's parameters (to 7-1-E or 8-1-N as the case may be). Hang
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up, make the change and then dial in again.
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When you've connected, chances are you'll see something like
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this:
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Welcome to THE WORLD
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Public Access UNIX for the '90s
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Login as 'new' if you do not have an account
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login:
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That last line is a prompt asking you to do something. Since
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this is your first call, type
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new
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and hit enter. Often, when you're asked to type something by a host
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system, you'll be told what to type in quotation marks (for example,
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'new'). Don't include the quotation marks. Repeat: Don't
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include the quotation marks.
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What you see next depends on the system, but will generally
|
||
consist of information about its costs and services (you might want to
|
||
turn on your communication software's logging function, to save this
|
||
information). You'll likely be asked if you want to establish an
|
||
account now or just look around the system.
|
||
You'll also likely be asked for your "user name." This is not
|
||
your full name, but a one-word name you want to use while online. It
|
||
can be any combination of letters or numbers, all in lower case. Many
|
||
people use their first initial and last name (for example,
|
||
"jdoe"); their first name and the first letter of their last name
|
||
(for example, "johnd"); or their initials ("jxd"). Others use a
|
||
nickname. You might want to think about this for a second, because this
|
||
user name will become part of your electronic-mail address (see chapter
|
||
2 for more on that). The one exception are the various Free-Net
|
||
systems, all of which assign you a user name consisting of an arbitrary
|
||
sequence of letters and numbers.
|
||
You are now on the Net. Look around the system. See if there
|
||
are any help files for you to read. If it's a menu-based host system,
|
||
choose different options just to see what happens. Remember: You can't
|
||
break anything. The more you play, the more comfortable you'll be.
|
||
What follows is a list of public-access Internet sites, which are
|
||
computer systems that offer access to the Net. All offer international
|
||
e-mail and Usenet (international conferences). In addition, they offer:
|
||
|
||
FTP: File-transfer protocol -- access to hundreds of file
|
||
libraries (everything from computer software to historical
|
||
documents to song lyrics). You'll be able to transfer
|
||
these files from the Net to your own computer.
|
||
|
||
Telnet: Access to databases, computerized library card
|
||
catalogs, weather reports and other information services,
|
||
as well as live, online games that let you compete with
|
||
players from around the world.
|
||
|
||
Additional services that may be offered include:
|
||
|
||
WAIS: Wide-area Information Server; a program that
|
||
can search dozens of databases in one search.
|
||
|
||
Gopher: A program that gives you easy access to dozens
|
||
of other online databases and services by making
|
||
selections on a menu. You'll also be able to use these
|
||
to copy text files and some programs to your mailbox.
|
||
|
||
IRC: Internet Relay Chat, a CB simulator that lets
|
||
you have live keyboard chats with people around the
|
||
world.
|
||
|
||
However, even on systems that do not provide these services
|
||
directly, you will be able to use a number of them through telnet (see
|
||
Chapter 6). In the list that follows,
|
||
systems that let you access services through menus are noted; otherwise
|
||
assume that when you connect, you'll be dumped right into Unix (a.k.a.
|
||
MS-DOS with a college degree). Several of these sites are available
|
||
nationwide through national data networks such as the CompuServe Packet
|
||
Network and SprintNet.
|
||
Please note that all listed charges are subject to change. Many
|
||
sites require new or prospective users to log on a particular way on
|
||
their first call; this list provides the name you'll use in such cases.
|
||
|
||
ALABAMA
|
||
|
||
Huntsville. Nuance. Call voice number for modem number. $35 setup;
|
||
$25 a month. Voice: (205) 533-4296.
|
||
|
||
ALASKA
|
||
|
||
Anchorage. University of Alaska Southeast, Tundra Services, (907)
|
||
789-1314; has local dial-in service in several other cities. $20 a month.
|
||
Voice: (907) 465-6453.
|
||
|
||
ALBERTA
|
||
|
||
Edmonton. PUCNet Computer Connections, (403) 484-5640. Log
|
||
on as: guest. $10 setup fee; $25 for 20 hours a month plus $6.25 an hour
|
||
for access to ftp and telnet. Voice: (403) 448-1901.
|
||
|
||
ARIZONA
|
||
|
||
Tucson. Data Basics, (602) 721-5887. $25 a month or $180 a year.
|
||
Voice: (602) 721-1988.
|
||
|
||
Phoenix/Tucson. Internet Direct, (602) 274-9600 (Phoenix); (602)
|
||
321-9600 (Tucson). Log on as: guest. $20 a month. Voice: (602) 274-0100
|
||
(Phoenix); (602) 324-0100 (Tucson).
|
||
|
||
BRITISH COLUMBIA
|
||
|
||
Victoria Victoria Free-Net, (604) 595-2300. Menus. Access to all
|
||
features requires completion of a written form. Users can "link" to
|
||
other Free-Net systems in Canada and the United States. Free. Log on as:
|
||
guest Voice: (604) 389-6026.
|
||
|
||
CALIFORNIA
|
||
|
||
Berkeley. Holonet. Menus. For free trial, modem number is (510)
|
||
704-1058. For information or local numbers, call the voice number. $60 a
|
||
year for local access, $2 an hour during offpeak hours. Voice: (510)
|
||
704-0160.
|
||
|
||
Cupertino. Portal. Both Unix and menus. (408) 725-0561 (2400
|
||
bps); (408) 973-8091 (9600/14,400 bps). $19.95 setup fee, $19.95 a month.
|
||
Voice: (408) 973-9111.
|
||
|
||
Irvine. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
|
||
|
||
Los Angeles/Orange County. Kaiwan Public Access Internet, (714)
|
||
539-5726; (310) 527-7358. $15 signup; $11 a month (credit card). Voice:
|
||
(714) 638-2139.
|
||
|
||
Los Angeles. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
|
||
|
||
Oakland. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
|
||
|
||
Pasadena. Dial N' CERF See under San Diego.
|
||
|
||
Palo Alto. Institute for Global Communications., (415) 322-0284.
|
||
Unix. Local conferences on environmental/peace issues. Log on as: new.
|
||
$10 a month and $3 an hour after first hour. Voice: (415) 442-0220.
|
||
|
||
San Diego. Dial N' CERF USA, run by the California Education and
|
||
Research Federation. Provides local dial-up numbers in San Diego, Los
|
||
Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena and Irvine. For more information, call voice
|
||
(800) 876-CERF or (619) 534-5087. $50 setup fee; $20 a month plus $5 an
|
||
hour ($3 on weekends). Voice: (800) 876-2373.
|
||
|
||
San Diego. CTS Network Services, (619) 637-3660. Log on as:
|
||
help. $15 set-up fee, monthly fee of $10 to $23 depending on services
|
||
used. Voice: (619) 637-3637.
|
||
|
||
San Diego. Cyberspace Station, (619) 634-1376. Unix. Log on as:
|
||
guest. Charges: $10 sign-up fee; $15 a month or $60 for six months.
|
||
|
||
San Francisco. Pathways, call voice number for number. Menus. $25
|
||
setup fee; $8 a month and $3 an hour. Voice: (415) 346-4188.
|
||
|
||
San Jose. Netcom, (510) 865-9004 or 426-6610; (408) 241-9760;
|
||
(415) 424-0131, up to 9600 bps. Unix. Maintains archives of Usenet
|
||
postings. Log on as: guest. $15 startup fee and then $17.50 a month for
|
||
unlimited use if you agree to automatic billing of your credit-card
|
||
account (otherwise $19.50 a month for a monthly invoice). Voice: (408)
|
||
554-UNIX.
|
||
|
||
San Jose. A2i, (408) 293-9010. Log on as: guest. $20 a month; $45
|
||
for three months; $72 for six months.
|
||
|
||
Sausalito. The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), (415) 332-
|
||
6106. Uses moderately difficult Picospan software, which is sort of a
|
||
cross between Unix and a menu system. New users get a written manual.
|
||
More than 200 WELL-only conferences. Log on as: newuser. $15 a month
|
||
plus $2 an hour. Access through the nationwide CompuServe Packet Network
|
||
available for another $4.50 an hour. Voice: (415) 332-4335. Recorded
|
||
message about the system's current status: (800) 326-8354 (continental U.S.
|
||
only).
|
||
|
||
COLORADO
|
||
|
||
Colorado Springs/Denver. CNS, (719) 570-1700 (Colorado Springs);
|
||
(303) 758-2656 (Denver). Local calendar listings and ski and stock
|
||
reports. Users can choose between menus or Unix. Log on as: new. $35
|
||
setup fee; $2.75 an hour (minimum fee of $10 a month). Voice: (719) 592-
|
||
1240.
|
||
|
||
Colorado Springs. Old Colorado City Communications, (719) 632-
|
||
4111. Log on as: newuser. $25 a month. Voice: (719) 632-4848.
|
||
|
||
Denver. Denver Free-Net, (303) 270-4865. Menus. Access to all
|
||
services requires completion of a written form. Users can "link" to
|
||
other Free-Net systems across the country. Free. Log on as: guest.
|
||
|
||
Golden. Colorado SuperNet. E-mail to fax service. Available only
|
||
to Colorado residents. Local dial-in numbers available in several
|
||
Colorado cities. For dial-in numbers, call the number below. $3 an hour
|
||
($1 an hour between midnight and 6 a.m.); one-time $20 sign-up fee.
|
||
Voice: (303) 273-3471.
|
||
|
||
DELAWARE
|
||
|
||
Middletown. Systems Solutions, (302) 378-1881. $20 setup fee; $25 a
|
||
month for full Internet access. Voice: (800) 331-1386
|
||
|
||
|
||
FLORIDA
|
||
|
||
Talahassee. Talahassee Free-Net, (904) 488-5056. Menus. Full access
|
||
requires completion of a registration form. Can "link" to other Free-Net
|
||
systems around the country. Voice: (904) 488-5056.
|
||
|
||
GEORGIA
|
||
|
||
Atlanta. Netcom, (303) 758-0101. See under Los Angeles,
|
||
California, for information on rates.
|
||
|
||
ILLINOIS
|
||
|
||
Champaign. Prarienet Free-Net, (217) 255-9000. Menus. Log on as:
|
||
visitor. Free for Illinois residents; $25 a year for others. Voice: (217)
|
||
244-1962.
|
||
|
||
Chicago. MCSNet, (312) 248-0900. $25/month or $65 for three months
|
||
of unlimited access; $30 for three months of access at 15 hours a month.
|
||
Voice: (312) 248-UNIX.
|
||
|
||
Peoria. Peoria Free-Net, (309) 674-1100. Similar to Cleveland
|
||
Free-Net (see Ohio, below). Users can "link" to the larger Cleveland
|
||
system for access to Usenet and other services. There are also Peoria
|
||
Free-Net public-access terminals in numerous area libraries,
|
||
other government buildings and senior-citizen centers. Contact the
|
||
number below for specific locations. Full access (including access to
|
||
e-mail) requires completion of a written application. Free. Voice: (309)
|
||
677-2544.
|
||
|
||
MARYLAND
|
||
|
||
Baltimore. Express Access, (410) 766-1855; (301) 220-0462; (714)
|
||
377-9784. Log on as: new. $20 setup fee; $25 a month or $250 a year.
|
||
Voice: (800 969-9090.
|
||
|
||
Baltimore. Clarknet, (410) 730-9786; (410) 995-0271; (301) 596-
|
||
1626; (301) 854-0446. Log on as: guest. $23 a month, $126 for six months
|
||
or $228 a year. Voice: (410) 730-9765.
|
||
|
||
MASSACHUSETTS
|
||
|
||
Bedford. The Internet Access Company, (617) 275-0331. To log on,
|
||
follow on-line prompts. $20 setup fee; $19.50 a month. Voice: (617)
|
||
275-2221.
|
||
|
||
Brookline. The World, (617) 739-9753. "Online Book Initiative"
|
||
collection of electronic books, poetry and other text files. Log on as:
|
||
new. $5 a month plus $2 an hour or $20 for 20 hours a month. Available
|
||
nationwide through the CompuServe Packet Network for another $5.60 an hour.
|
||
Voice: (617) 739-0202.
|
||
|
||
Lynn. North Shore Access, (617) 593-4557. Log on as: new. $10 for
|
||
10 hours a month; $1 an hour after that. Voice: (617) 593-3110.
|
||
|
||
Worcester. NovaLink, (508) 754-4009. Log on as: info. $12.95 sign-up
|
||
(includes first two hours); $9.95 a month (includes five daytime hours),
|
||
$1.80 an hour after that. Voice: (800) 274-2814.
|
||
|
||
MICHIGAN
|
||
|
||
Ann Arbor. MSEN. Call voice number for dial-in number. Unix.
|
||
Charges: $20 setup; $20 a month. Voice: (313) 998-4562.
|
||
|
||
Ann Arbor. Michnet. Has local dial-in numbers in several Michigan
|
||
numbers. For local numbers, call voice number below. $35 a month plus
|
||
one-time $40 sign-up fee. Additional network fees for access through
|
||
non-Michnet numbers. Voice: (313) 764-9430.
|
||
|
||
NEW HAMPSHIRE
|
||
|
||
Manchester. MV Communications, Inc. For local dial-up numbers call
|
||
voice line below. $5 a month mininum plus variable hourly rates
|
||
depending on services used. Voice: (603) 429-2223.
|
||
|
||
NEW JERSEY
|
||
|
||
New Brunswick. Digital Express, (908) 937-9481. Log on as: new.
|
||
$20 setup fee; $25 a month or $250 a year. Voice: (800) 969-9090.
|
||
|
||
NEW YORK
|
||
|
||
New York. Panix, (212) 787-3100. Unix or menus. Log on as:
|
||
newuser. $40 setup fee; $19 a month or $208 a year. Voice: (212) 877-
|
||
4854.
|
||
|
||
New York. Echo, (212) 989-8411. Unix, but with local
|
||
conferencing software. Log on as: newuser. $19.95 ($13.75 students and
|
||
seniors) a month. Voice: (212) 255-3839.
|
||
|
||
New York. MindVox, (212) 989-4141. Local conferences. Log on as:
|
||
guest. $10 setup fee for non-credit-card accounts; $15 a month. Voice:
|
||
(212) 989-2418.
|
||
|
||
New York. Pipeline, (212) 267-8606 (9600 bps and higher); (212)
|
||
267-7341 (2400 bps). Offers graphical interface for Windows for $90. Log
|
||
on as: guest. $20 a month and $2 an hour after first 20 hours or $35 a
|
||
month unlimited hours. Voice: (212) 267-3636.
|
||
|
||
New York. Maestro, (212) 240-9700. Log on as: newuser. $12 a month
|
||
or $140 a year. Voice: (212) 240-9600.
|
||
|
||
|
||
NORTH CAROLINA
|
||
|
||
Charlotte. Vnet Internet Access, (704) 347-8839; (919) 406-1544.
|
||
Log on as: new. $25 a month. Voice: (704) 374-0779.
|
||
|
||
Triangle Research Park. Rock Concert Net. Call number below for
|
||
local modem numbers in various North Carolina cities. $30 a month; one-
|
||
time $50 sign-up fee. Voice: (919) 248-1999.
|
||
|
||
OHIO
|
||
|
||
Cleveland. Cleveland Free-Net, (216) 368-3888. Ohio and US Supreme
|
||
Court decisions, historical documents, many local conferences. Full
|
||
access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
|
||
application. Free. Voice: (216) 368-8737.
|
||
|
||
Cincinnati. Tri-State Free-Net, (513) 579-1990. Similar to
|
||
Cleveland Free-Net. Full access (including access to e-mail) requires
|
||
completion of a written application. Free.
|
||
|
||
Cleveland. Wariat, (216) 481-9436. Unix or menus. $20 setup fee;
|
||
$35 a month. Voice: (216) 481-9428.
|
||
|
||
Dayton. Freelance Systems Programming, (513) 258-7745. $20 setup
|
||
fee; $1 an hour. Voice: (513) 254-7246.
|
||
|
||
Lorain. Lorain County Free-Net, (216) 277-2359 or 366-9753.
|
||
Similar to Cleveland Free-Net. Users can "link" to the larger
|
||
Cleveland system for additional services. Full access (including
|
||
access to e-mail) requires completion of a written application. Free.
|
||
Voice: (216) 366-4200.
|
||
|
||
Medina. Medina Free-Net, (216) 723-6732, 225-6732 or 335-6732.
|
||
Users can "link" to the larger Cleveland Free-Net for additional
|
||
services. Full access (including access to e-mail) requires
|
||
completion of a written application. Free.
|
||
|
||
Youngstown. Youngstown Free-Net, (216) 742-3072. Users can
|
||
"link" to the Cleveland system for services not found locally. Full
|
||
access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
|
||
application. Free.
|
||
|
||
ONTARIO
|
||
|
||
Ottawa. National Capital FreeNet, (613) 780-3733 or (613) 564-3600.
|
||
Free, but requires completion of a written form for access to all
|
||
services.
|
||
|
||
Toronto. UUNorth. Call voice number below for local dial-in
|
||
numbers. $20 startup fee; $25 for 20 hours a month of offpeak use. Voice:
|
||
(416) 225-8649.
|
||
|
||
Toronto. Internex Online, (416) 363-3783. Both Unix and menus. $40
|
||
a year for one hour a day. Voice: (416) 363-8676.
|
||
|
||
OREGON
|
||
|
||
Portland. Agora, (503) 293-1772 (2400 bps), (503) 293-2059 (9600
|
||
bps or higher). Log on as: apply. $6 a month for one hour per day.
|
||
|
||
Portland. Teleport, (503) 220-0636 (2400 bps); (503) 220-1016
|
||
(9600 and higher). Log on as: new. $10 a month for one hour per day.
|
||
Voice: (503) 223-4245.
|
||
|
||
PENNSYLVANIA
|
||
|
||
Pittsburgh. Telerama, (412) 481-5302. $6 for 10 hours a month, 60
|
||
cents for each additional hour. Voice: (412) 481-3505.
|
||
|
||
QUEBEC
|
||
|
||
Montreal. Communications Accessibles Montreal, (514) 931-7178 (9600
|
||
bps); (514) 931-2333 (2400 bps). $25 a month. Voice: (514) 931-0749.
|
||
|
||
RHODE ISLAND
|
||
|
||
East Greenwich. IDS World Network, (401) 884-9002. In addition
|
||
to Usenet, has conferences from the Fidonet and RIME networks. $10 a
|
||
month; $50 for six months; $100 for a year.
|
||
|
||
Providence/Seekonk. Anomaly, (401) 331-3706. $125 for six months
|
||
or $200 a year. Educational rate of $75 for six months or $125 a year.
|
||
Voice: (401) 273-4669.
|
||
|
||
TEXAS
|
||
|
||
Austin. RealTime Communications, (512) 459-4391. Log on as: new.
|
||
$75 a year. Voice: (512) 451-0046.
|
||
|
||
Dallas. Texas Metronet, (214) 705-2901; (817) 261-1127. Log on as:
|
||
info or signup. $10 to $35 setup fee, depending on service; $10 to $45 a
|
||
month, depending on service. Voice: (214) 705-2900 or (817) 543-8756.
|
||
|
||
Houston. The Black Box, (713) 480-2686. $21.65 a month. Voice: (713)
|
||
480-2684.
|
||
|
||
VIRGINIA
|
||
|
||
Norfolk/Peninsula. Wyvern Technologies, (804) 627-1828 (Norfolk);
|
||
(804) 886-0662 (Peninsula). $10 startup fee; $15 a month or $144 a year.
|
||
Voice: (804) 622-4289.
|
||
|
||
WASHINGTON, DC
|
||
|
||
The Meta Network. Call voice number below for local dial-in
|
||
numbers. Caucus conferencing, menus. $15 setup fee; $20 a month. Voice:
|
||
(703) 243-6622.
|
||
|
||
CapAccess, (202), 784-1523. Log on as guest with a password of
|
||
visitor. A Free-Net system (see under Cleveland, Ohio, for information).
|
||
Free. Voice: (202) 994-4245.
|
||
|
||
See also: listing under Baltimore, MD for Express Access and
|
||
Clarknet.
|
||
|
||
WASHINGTON STATE
|
||
|
||
Seattle. Halcyon, (206) 382-6245. Users can choose between menus
|
||
and Unix. Log on as: new. $10 setup fee; $60 a quarter or $200 a year.
|
||
Voice: (206) 955-1050.
|
||
|
||
Seattle. Eskimo North, (206) 367-3837 (all speeds), (206) 362-6731
|
||
(9600/14.4K bps). $10 a month or $96 a year. Voice: (206) 367-7457.
|
||
|
||
UNITED KINGDOM
|
||
|
||
London. Demon Internet Systems, 44 (0)81 343 4848. 12.50 setup
|
||
fee; 10 a month or 132.50 a year. Voice: 44 (0)81 349 0063
|
||
|
||
|
||
1.4 IF YOUR TOWN HAS NO DIRECT ACCESS
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you don't live in an area with a public-access site, you'll still
|
||
be able to connect to the Net. Several services offer access
|
||
through national data networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and
|
||
SprintNet, which have dozens, even hundreds of local dial-in numbers across
|
||
the country. These include Holonet in Berkeley, Calf., Portal in
|
||
Cupertino, Calf., the WELL in Sausalito, Calf., Dial 'N CERF in San Diego,
|
||
Calf., the World in Brookline, Mass., and Michnet in Ann Arbor, Mich. Dial
|
||
'N CERF offers access through an 800 number. Expect to pay from $2 to $12
|
||
an hour to use these networks, above each provider's basic charges. The
|
||
exact amount depends on the network, time of day and type of modem you use.
|
||
For more information, contact the above services.
|
||
Four other providers deliver Net access to users across the
|
||
country:
|
||
Delphi, based in Cambridge, Mass., is a consumer-oriented network
|
||
much like CompuServe or America Online -- only it now offers
|
||
subscribers access to Internet services. Delphi charges: $3 a month for
|
||
Internet access, in addition to standard charges. These are $10 a month
|
||
for four hours of off-peak (non-working hours) access a month and $4 an
|
||
hour for each additional hour or $20 for 20 hours of access a month and
|
||
$1.80 an hour for each additional hour. For more information, call (800)
|
||
695-4005.
|
||
BIX (the Byte Information Exchange) offers FTP, Telnet and e-mail
|
||
access to the Internet as part of their basic service. Owned by the same
|
||
company as Delphi, it also offers 20 hours of access a month for $20.
|
||
For more information, call (800) 695-4775.
|
||
PSI, based in Reston, Va., provides nationwide access to Internet
|
||
services through scores of local dial-in numbers to owners of IBM and
|
||
compatible computers. PSILink. which includes access to e-mail,
|
||
Usenet and ftp, costs $29 a month, plus a one-time $19 registration
|
||
fee. Special software is required, but is available free from PSI.
|
||
PSI's Global Dialup Service provides access to telnet for $39 a month
|
||
plus a one-time $39 set-up fee. For more information, call (800)
|
||
82PSI82 or (703) 620-6651.
|
||
NovX Systems Integration, based in Seattle, Washington, offers full
|
||
Internet access through an 800 number reachable across the United States.
|
||
There is a $24.95 setup fee, in addition to a monthly fee of $19.95 and a
|
||
$10.5 hourly charge. For more information, call (206) 447-0800.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
1.5 NET ORIGINS
|
||
|
||
|
||
In the 1960s, researchers began experimenting with linking computers
|
||
to each other and to people through telephone hook-ups, using funds from
|
||
the U.S Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
|
||
ARPA wanted to see if computers in different locations could be
|
||
linked using a new technology known as packet switching. This technology,
|
||
in which data meant for another location is broken up into little pieces,
|
||
each with its own "forwarding address" had the promise of letting several
|
||
users share just one communications line. Just as important, from ARPA's
|
||
viewpoint, was that this allowed for creation of networks that could
|
||
automatically route data around downed circuits or computers. ARPA's
|
||
goal was not the creation of today's international computer-using
|
||
community, but development of a data network that could survive a nuclear
|
||
attack.
|
||
Previous computer networking efforts had required a line between
|
||
each computer on the network, sort of like a one-track train route. The
|
||
packet system allowed for creation of a data highway, in which large
|
||
numbers of vehicles could essentially share the same lane. Each packet
|
||
was given the computer equivalent of a map and a time stamp, so that it
|
||
could be sent to the right destination, where it would then be
|
||
reassembled into a message the computer or a human could use.
|
||
This system allowed computers to share data and the researchers to
|
||
exchange electronic mail, or e-mail. In itself, e-mail was something
|
||
of a revolution, offering the ability to send detailed letters at the
|
||
speed of a phone call.
|
||
As this system, known as ARPANet, grew, some enterprising college
|
||
students (and one in high school) developed a way to use it to conduct
|
||
online conferences. These started as science-oriented discussions, but
|
||
they soon branched out into virtually every other field, as people
|
||
recognized the power of being able to "talk" to hundreds, or even
|
||
thousands, of people around the country.
|
||
In the 1970s, ARPA helped support the development of rules, or
|
||
protocols, for transferring data between different types of computer
|
||
networks. These "internet" (from "internetworking") protocols made it
|
||
possible to develop the worldwide Net we have today that links all sorts
|
||
of computers across national boundaries. By the close of the 1970s, links
|
||
developed between ARPANet and counterparts in other countries. The world
|
||
was now tied together in a computer web.
|
||
In the 1980s, this network of networks, which became known
|
||
collectively as the Internet, expanded at a phenomenal rate. Hundreds,
|
||
then thousands, of colleges, research companies and government agencies
|
||
began to connect their computers to this worldwide Net. Some
|
||
enterprising hobbyists and companies unwilling to pay the high costs of
|
||
Internet access (or unable to meet stringent government regulations for
|
||
access) learned how to link their own systems to the Internet, even if
|
||
"only" for e-mail and conferences. Some of these systems began
|
||
offering access to the public. Now anybody with a computer and modem --
|
||
and persistence -- could tap into the world.
|
||
In the 1990s, the Net continues to grow at exponential rates. Some
|
||
estimates are that the volume of messages transferred through the Net
|
||
grows 20 percent a month. In response, government and other users have
|
||
tried in recent years to expand the Net itself. Once, the main Net
|
||
"backbone" in the U.S. moved data at 56,000 bits per second. That proved
|
||
too slow for the ever increasing amounts of data being sent over it, and
|
||
in recent years the maximum speed was increased to 1.5 million and then
|
||
45 million bits per second. Even before the Net was able to reach that
|
||
latter speed, however, Net experts were already figuring out ways to pump
|
||
data at speeds of up to 2 billion bits per second -- fast enough to send
|
||
the entire Encyclopedia Britannica across the country in just one or two
|
||
seconds. Another major change has been the development of commercial
|
||
services that provide internetworking services at speeds comparable to
|
||
those of the government system. In fact, by mid-1994, the U.S.
|
||
government will remove itself from any day-to-day control over the
|
||
workings of the Net, as regional and national providers continue to
|
||
expand.
|
||
|
||
|
||
1.6 HOW IT WORKS
|
||
|
||
|
||
The worldwide Net is actually a complex web of smaller regional
|
||
networks. To understand it, picture a modern road network of trans-
|
||
continental superhighways connecting large cities. From these large cities
|
||
come smaller freeways and parkways to link together small towns, whose
|
||
residents travel on slower, narrow residential ways.
|
||
The Net superhighway is the high-speed Internet. Connected to
|
||
this are computers that use a particular system of transferring data
|
||
at high speeds. In the U.S., the major Internet "backbone"
|
||
theoretically can move data at rates of 45 million bits per second
|
||
(compare this to the average home modem, which has a top speed of roughly
|
||
9,600 to 14,400 bits per second).
|
||
Connected to the backbone computers are smaller networks serving
|
||
particular geographic regions, which generally move data at speeds
|
||
around 1.5 million bits per second.
|
||
Feeding off these in turn are even smaller networks or individual
|
||
computers.
|
||
Unlike with commercial networks such as CompuServe or Prodigy, there
|
||
is no one central computer or computers running the Internet -- its
|
||
resources are to be found among thousands of individual computers. This
|
||
is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The approach
|
||
means it is virtually impossible for the entire Net to crash at once --
|
||
even if one computer shuts down, the rest of the network stays up. The
|
||
design also reduces the costs for an individual or organization to get
|
||
onto the network. But thousands of connected computers can also make it
|
||
difficult to navigate the Net and find what you want -- especially as
|
||
different computers may have different commands for plumbing their
|
||
resources. It is only recently that Net users have begun to develop the
|
||
sorts of navigational tools and "maps" that will let neophytes get around
|
||
without getting lost.
|
||
Nobody really knows how many computers and networks actually make
|
||
up this Net. Some estimates say there are now as many as 5,000
|
||
networks connecting nearly 2 million computers and more than 15 million
|
||
people around the world. Whatever the actual numbers, however, it is
|
||
clear they are only increasing.
|
||
The Net is more than just a technological marvel. It is human
|
||
communication at its most fundamental level. The pace may be a little
|
||
quicker when the messages race around the world in a few seconds, but
|
||
it's not much different from a large and interesting party. You'll see
|
||
things in cyberspace that will make you laugh; you'll see things that
|
||
will anger you. You'll read silly little snippets and new ideas that
|
||
make you think. You'll make new friends and meet people you wish would
|
||
just go away.
|
||
Major network providers continue to work on ways to make it
|
||
easier for users of one network to communicate with those of another.
|
||
Work is underway on a system for providing a universal "white pages"
|
||
in which you could look up somebody's electronic-mail address, for
|
||
example. This connectivity trend will likely speed up in coming years
|
||
as users begin to demand seamless network access, much as telephone
|
||
users can now dial almost anywhere in the world without worrying about
|
||
how many phone companies actually have to connect their calls.
|
||
And today, the links grow ever closer between the Internet and such
|
||
commercial networks as CompuServe and Prodigy, whose users can now
|
||
exchange electronic mail with their Internet friends. Some commercial
|
||
providers, such as Delphi and America Online, are working to bring their
|
||
subscribers direct access to Internet services.
|
||
And as it becomes easier to use, more and more people will join
|
||
this worldwide community we call the Net.
|
||
Being connected to the Net takes more than just reading
|
||
conferences and logging messages to your computer; it takes asking and
|
||
answering questions, exchanging opinions -- getting involved.
|
||
If you choose to go forward, to use and contribute, you will become
|
||
a citizen of Cyberspace. If you're reading these words for the first
|
||
time, this may seem like an amusing but unlikely notion -- that one
|
||
could "inhabit" a place without physical space. But put a mark beside
|
||
these words. Join the Net and actively participate for a year. Then
|
||
re-read this passage. It will no longer seem so strange to be a
|
||
"citizen of Cyberspace." It will seem like the most natural thing in
|
||
the world.
|
||
And that leads to another fundamental thing to remember:
|
||
|
||
You can't break the Net!
|
||
|
||
As you travel the Net, your computer may freeze, your screen may
|
||
erupt into a mass of gibberish. You may think you've just disabled a
|
||
million-dollar computer somewhere -- or even your own personal
|
||
computer. Sooner or later, this feeling happens to everyone -- and
|
||
likely more than once. But the Net and your computer are hardier than
|
||
you think, so relax. You can no more break the Net than you can the
|
||
phone system. If something goes wrong, try again. If nothing at all
|
||
happens, you can always disconnect. If worse comes to worse, you can
|
||
turn off your computer. Then take a deep breath. And dial right back
|
||
in. Leave a note for the person who runs the computer to which you've
|
||
connected to ask for advice. Try it again. Persistence pays.
|
||
Stay and contribute. The Net will be richer for it -- and so will
|
||
you.
|
||
|
||
|
||
1.7 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
* Your computer connects with a public-access site and get gibberish
|
||
on your screen.
|
||
If you are using parameters of 8-1-N, try 7-1-e (or vice-versa). If
|
||
that doesn't work, try another modem speed.
|
||
* You have your computer dial a public-access site, but nothing
|
||
happens.
|
||
Check the phone number you typed in. If correct, turn on your modem's
|
||
speaker (on Hayes-compatible modems, you can usually do this by typing ATM1
|
||
in your communications software's "terminal mode"). If the phone just
|
||
rings and rings, the public-access site could be down for maintenance or
|
||
due to a crash or some other problem. If you get a "connect" message, but
|
||
nothing else, try hitting enter or escape a couple of times.
|
||
* You try to log in, but after you type your password, nothing
|
||
happens, or you get a "timed out" message followed by a disconnect.
|
||
Re-dial the number and try it again.
|
||
* Always remember, if you have a problem that just doesn't go away,
|
||
ask! Ask your system administrator, ask a friend, but ask. Somebody will
|
||
know what to do.
|
||
|
||
|
||
1.8 FYI
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Net grows so fast that even the best guide to its resources
|
||
would be somewhat outdated the day it was printed. At the end of each
|
||
chapter, however, you'll find FYI pointers to places on the Net where you
|
||
can go for more information or to keep updated on new resources and
|
||
services.
|
||
Peter Kaminski maintains a list of systems that provide public
|
||
access to Internet services. It's availble on the network itself, which
|
||
obviously does you little good if you currently have no access, but which
|
||
can prove invaluable should you move or want to find a new system. Look
|
||
for his "PDIAL" file in the alt.bbs.lists or news.answers newsgroups in
|
||
Usenet (for information on accessing Usenet, see Chapter 3).
|
||
Steven Levy's book, "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution,"
|
||
(Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1984). describes the early culture and ethos
|
||
that ultimately resulted in the Internet and Usenet.
|
||
John Quarterman's "The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing
|
||
Systems Worldwide" (Digital Press, 1990) is an exhaustive look at
|
||
computer networks and how they connect with each other.
|
||
You'll find numerous documents about the Internet, its history and
|
||
its resources in the pub/Net_info directory on the Electronic Frontier
|
||
Foundation's FTP server (see chapter 7 to decipher this).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 2: E-MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.1 THE BASICS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Electronic mail, or e-mail, is your personal connection to the
|
||
world of the Net.
|
||
All of the millions of people around the world who use the
|
||
Net have their own e-mail addresses. A growing number of "gateways" tie
|
||
more and more people to the Net every day. When you logged onto the host
|
||
system you are now using, it automatically generated an address for you,
|
||
as well.
|
||
The basic concepts behind e-mail parallel those of regular mail.
|
||
You send mail to people at their particular addresses. In turn, they
|
||
write to you at your e-mail address. You can subscribe to the
|
||
electronic equivalent of magazines and newspapers. You might even get
|
||
electronic junk mail.
|
||
E-mail has two distinct advantages over regular mail. The most
|
||
obvious is speed. Instead of several days, your message can reach the
|
||
other side of the world in hours, minutes or even seconds (depending on
|
||
where you drop off your mail and the state of the connections between
|
||
there and your recipient). The other advantage is that once you master
|
||
the basics, you'll be able to use e-mail to access databases and file
|
||
libraries. You'll see how to do this later, along with learning how to
|
||
transfer program and data files through e-mail.
|
||
E-mail also has advantages over the telephone. You send your
|
||
message when it's convenient for you. Your recipients respond at their
|
||
convenience. No more telephone tag. And while a phone call across
|
||
the country or around the world can quickly result in huge phone
|
||
bills, e-mail lets you exchange vast amounts of mail for only a few
|
||
pennies -- even if the other person is in New Zealand.
|
||
E-mail is your connection to help -- your Net lifeline. The
|
||
Net can sometimes seem a frustrating place! No matter how hard you
|
||
try, no matter where you look, you just might not be able to find the
|
||
answer to whatever is causing you problems. But when you know how to
|
||
use e-mail, help is often just a few keystrokes away: you can ask your
|
||
system administrator or a friend for help in an e-mail message.
|
||
The quickest way to start learning e-mail is to send yourself a
|
||
message. Most public-access sites actually have several different types
|
||
of mail systems, all of which let you both send and receive mail. We'll
|
||
start with the simplest one, known, appropriately enough, as "mail," and
|
||
then look at a couple of other interfaces. At your host system's command
|
||
prompt, type:
|
||
|
||
mail username
|
||
|
||
where username is the name you gave yourself when you first logged on.
|
||
Hit enter. The computer might respond with
|
||
|
||
subject:
|
||
|
||
Type
|
||
|
||
test
|
||
|
||
or, actually, anything at all (but you'll have to hit enter before
|
||
you get to the end of the screen). Hit enter.
|
||
The cursor will drop down a line. You can now begin writing the
|
||
actual message. Type a sentence, again, anything at all. And here's
|
||
where you hit your first Unix frustration, one that will bug you
|
||
repeatedly: you have to hit enter before you get to the very end of the
|
||
line. Just like typewriters, many Unix programs have no word-wrapping
|
||
(although there are ways to get some Unix text processors, such as emacs,
|
||
to word-wrap).
|
||
When done with your message, hit return. Now hit control-D (the
|
||
control and the D keys at the same time). This is a Unix command that
|
||
tells the computer you're done writing and that it should close your
|
||
"envelope" and mail it off (you could also hit enter once and then, on
|
||
a blank line, type a period at the beginning of the line and hit enter
|
||
again).
|
||
You've just sent your first e-mail message. And because you're
|
||
sending mail to yourself, rather than to someone somewhere else on the
|
||
Net, your message has already arrived, as we'll see in a moment.
|
||
If you had wanted, you could have even written your message on
|
||
your own computer and then uploaded it into this electronic
|
||
"envelope." There are a couple of good reasons to do this with long
|
||
or involved messages. One is that once you hit enter at the end of a
|
||
line in "mail" you can't readily fix any mistakes on that line (unless
|
||
you use some special commands to call up a Unix text processor). Also,
|
||
if you are paying for access by the hour, uploading a prepared
|
||
message can save you money. Remember to save the document in ASCII or
|
||
text format. Uploading a document you've created in a word processor
|
||
that uses special formatting commands (which these days means many
|
||
programs) will cause strange effects.
|
||
When you get that blank line after the subject line, upload the
|
||
message using the ASCII protocol. Or you can copy and paste the text,
|
||
if your software allows that. When done, hit control-D as above.
|
||
Now you have mail waiting for you. Normally, when you log on,
|
||
your public-access site will tell you whether you have new mail
|
||
waiting. To open your mailbox and see your waiting mail, type
|
||
|
||
mail
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
When the host system sees "mail" without a name after it, it
|
||
knows you want to look in your mailbox rather than send a message.
|
||
Your screen, on a plain-vanilla Unix system will display:
|
||
|
||
Mail version SMI 4.0 Mon Apr 24 18:34:15 PDT 1989 Type ? for help.
|
||
"/usr/spool/mail/adamg": 1 message 1 new 1 unread
|
||
|
||
>N 1 adamg Sat Jan 15 20:04 12/290 test
|
||
|
||
Ignore the first line; it's just computerese of value only to the
|
||
people who run your system. You can type a question mark and hit
|
||
return, but unless you're familiar with Unix, most of what you'll see
|
||
won't make much sense at this point.
|
||
The second line tells you the directory on the host system where
|
||
your mail messages are put, which again, is not something you'll likely
|
||
need to know. The second line also tells you how many messages are in your
|
||
mailbox, how many have come in since the last time you looked and how
|
||
many messages you haven't read yet.
|
||
It's the third line that is of real interest -- it tells you who
|
||
the message is from, when it arrived, how many lines and characters
|
||
it takes up, and what the subject is. The "N" means it is a new
|
||
message -- it arrived after the last time you looked in your mailbox.
|
||
Hit enter. And there's your message -- only now it's a lot
|
||
longer than what you wrote!
|
||
|
||
Message 1:
|
||
From adamg Jan 15 20:04:55 1994
|
||
Received: by eff.org id AA28949
|
||
(5.65c/IDA-1.4.4/pen-ident for adamg); Sat, 15 Jan 1994 20:04:55 -0400
|
||
(ident-sender: adamg@eff.org)
|
||
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 21:34:55 -0400
|
||
From: Adam Gaffin <adamg>
|
||
Message-Id: <199204270134.AA28949@eff.org>
|
||
To: adamg
|
||
Subject: test
|
||
Status: R
|
||
|
||
This is only a test!
|
||
|
||
Whoa! What is all that stuff? It's your message with a postmark
|
||
gone mad. Just as the postal service puts its marks on every piece of
|
||
mail it handles, so do Net postal systems. Only it's called a
|
||
"header" instead of a postmark. Each system that handles or routes
|
||
your mail puts its stamp on it. Since many messages go through a
|
||
number of systems on their way to you, you will often get messages
|
||
with headers that seem to go on forever. Among other things, a header
|
||
will tell you exactly when a message was sent and received (even the
|
||
difference between your local time and Greenwich Mean Time -- as at the end
|
||
of line 4 above).
|
||
If this had been a long message, it would just keep scrolling
|
||
across and down your screen -- unless the people who run your public-
|
||
access site have set it up to pause every 24 lines. One way to deal
|
||
with a message that doesn't stop is to use your telecommunication
|
||
software's logging or text-buffer function. Start it before you hit
|
||
the number of the message you want to see. Your computer will ask you
|
||
what you want to call the file you're about to create. After you name
|
||
the file and hit enter, type the number of the message you want to see
|
||
and hit enter. When the message finishes scrolling, turn off the
|
||
text-buffer function. The message is now saved in your computer.
|
||
This way, you can read the message while not connected to the Net
|
||
(which can save you money if you're paying by the hour) and write a
|
||
reply offline.
|
||
But in the meantime, now what? You can respond to the message,
|
||
delete it or save it. To respond, type a lowercase r and hit
|
||
enter. You'll get something like this:
|
||
|
||
To: adamg
|
||
Subject: Re: test
|
||
|
||
Note that this time, you don't have to enter a user name. The
|
||
computer takes it from the message you're replying to and
|
||
automatically addresses your message to its sender. The computer also
|
||
automatically inserts a subject line, by adding "Re:" to the original
|
||
subject. From here, it's just like writing a new message. But say you
|
||
change your mind and decide not to reply after all. How do you get out
|
||
of the message? Hit control-C once. You'll get this:
|
||
|
||
(Interrupt -- one more to kill letter)
|
||
|
||
If you hit control-C once more, the message will disappear and you'll
|
||
get back to your mail's command line.
|
||
Now, if you type a lowercase d and then hit enter, you'll
|
||
delete the original message. Type a lowercase q to exit your
|
||
mailbox.
|
||
If you type a q without first hitting d, your message is
|
||
transferred to a file called mbox. This file is where all read, but
|
||
un-deleted messages go. If you want to leave it in your mailbox for
|
||
now, type a lowercase x and hit enter. This gets you out of mail
|
||
without making any changes.
|
||
The mbox file works a lot like your mailbox. To access it,
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
mail -f mbox
|
||
|
||
at your host system's command line and hit enter.
|
||
You'll get a menu identical to the one in your mailbox from which
|
||
you can read these old messages, delete them or respond to them. It's
|
||
probably a good idea to clear out your mailbox and mbox file from
|
||
time to time, if only to keep them uncluttered.
|
||
Are there any drawbacks to e-mail? There are a few. One is that
|
||
people seem more willing to fly off the handle electronically than in
|
||
person, or over the phone. Maybe it's because it's so easy to hit r
|
||
and reply to a message without pausing and reflecting a moment.
|
||
That's why we have smileys (see section 2.4)! There's no online
|
||
equivalent yet of a return receipt: chances are your message got to where
|
||
it's going, but there's no absolute way for you to know for sure unless
|
||
you get a reply from the other person.
|
||
So now you're ready to send e-mail to other people on the Net.
|
||
Of course, you need somebody's address to send them mail. How do you
|
||
get it?
|
||
Alas, the simplest answer is not what you'd call the most
|
||
elegant: you call them up on the phone or write them a letter on paper
|
||
and ask them. Residents of the electronic frontier are only beginning
|
||
to develop the equivalent of phone books, and the ones that exist
|
||
today are far from complete (still, later on, in Chapter 6, we'll show
|
||
you how to use some of these directories).
|
||
Eventually, you'll start corresponding with people, which means
|
||
you'll want to know how to address mail to them. It's vital to know
|
||
how to do this, because the smallest mistake -- using a comma when you
|
||
should have used a period, for instance, can bounce the message back
|
||
to you, undelivered. In this sense, Net addresses are like phone
|
||
numbers: one wrong digit and you get the wrong person. Fortunately,
|
||
most net addresses now adhere to a relatively easy-to-understand
|
||
system.
|
||
Earlier, you sent yourself a mail message using just your user-
|
||
name. This was sort of like making a local phone call -- you didn't
|
||
have to dial a 1 or an area code. This also works for mail to anybody
|
||
else who has an account on the same system as you.
|
||
Sending mail outside of your system, though, will require the use
|
||
of the Net equivalent of area codes, called "domains." A basic Net
|
||
address will look something like this:
|
||
|
||
tomg@world.std.com
|
||
|
||
Tomg is somebody's user ID, and he is at (hence the @ sign) a site
|
||
(or in Internetese, a "domain") known as std.com. Large organizations
|
||
often have more than one computer linked to the Internet; in this case,
|
||
the name of the particular machine is world (you will quickly notice
|
||
that, like boat owners, Internet computer owners always name their
|
||
machines).
|
||
Domains tell you the name of the organization that runs a given
|
||
e-mail site and what kind of site it is or, if it's not in the U.S.,
|
||
what country it's located in. Large organizations may have more than
|
||
one computer or gateway tied to the Internet, so you'll often see a
|
||
two-part domain name; and sometimes even three- or four-part domain
|
||
names.
|
||
In general, American addresses end in an organizational suffix,
|
||
such as ".edu," which means the site is at a college or university.
|
||
Other American suffixes include:
|
||
|
||
.com for businesses
|
||
.org for non-profit organizations
|
||
.gov and .mil for government and military agencies
|
||
.net for companies or organizations that run large networks.
|
||
|
||
Sites in the rest of the world tend to use a two-letter code that
|
||
represents their country. Most make sense, such as .ca for Canadian
|
||
sites, but there are a couple of seemingly odd ones. Swiss sites end
|
||
in .ch, while South African ones end in .za. Some U.S. sites have
|
||
followed this international convention (such as well.sf.ca.us).
|
||
You'll notice that the above addresses are all in lower-case.
|
||
Unlike almost everything else having anything at all to do with Unix,
|
||
most Net mailing systems don't care about case, so you generally don't
|
||
have to worry about capitalizing e-mail addresses. Alas, there are a few
|
||
exceptions -- some public-access sites do allow for capital letters in
|
||
user names. When in doubt, ask the person you want to write to, or let
|
||
her send you a message first (recall how a person's e-mail address is
|
||
usually found on the top of her message). The domain name, the part of the
|
||
address after the @ sign, never has to be capitalized.
|
||
It's all a fairly simple system that works very well, except,
|
||
again, it's vital to get the address exactly right -- just as you have
|
||
to dial a phone number exactly right. Send a message to tomg@unm.edu
|
||
(which is the University of New Mexico) when you meant to send it to
|
||
tomg@umn.edu (the University of Minnesota), and your letter will either
|
||
bounce back to you undelivered, or go to the wrong person.
|
||
If your message is bounced back to you as undeliverable, you'll
|
||
get an ominous looking-message from MAILER-DAEMON (actually a rather
|
||
benign Unix program that exists to handle mail), with an evil-looking
|
||
header followed by the text of your message. Sometimes, you can tell
|
||
what went wrong by looking at the first few lines of the bounced
|
||
message. Besides an incorrect address, it's possible your host system
|
||
does not have the other site in the "map" it maintains of other host
|
||
systems. Or you could be trying to send mail to another network, such
|
||
as Bitnet or CompuServe, that has special addressing requirements.
|
||
Sometimes, figuring all this out can prove highly frustrating.
|
||
But remember the prime Net commandment: Ask. Send a message to your
|
||
system administrator. He or she might be able to help decipher the
|
||
problem.
|
||
There is one kind of address that may give your host system
|
||
particular problems. There are two main ways that Unix systems
|
||
exchange mail. One is known as UUCP and started out with a different
|
||
addressing system than the rest of the Net. Most UUCP systems have
|
||
since switched over to the standard Net addressing system, but a few
|
||
traditional sites still cling to their original type, which tends to
|
||
have lots of exclamation points in it, like this:
|
||
|
||
uunet!somesite!othersite!mybuddy
|
||
|
||
The problem for many host sites is that exclamation points (also
|
||
known as "bangs") now mean something special in the more common systems
|
||
or "shells" used to operate many Unix computers. This means that
|
||
addressing mail to such a site (or even responding to a message you
|
||
received from one) could confuse the poor computer to no end and your
|
||
message never gets sent out. If that happens, try putting backslashes in
|
||
front of each exclamation point, so that you get an address that looks
|
||
like this:
|
||
|
||
uunet\!somesite\!othersite\!mybuddy
|
||
|
||
Note that this means you may not be able to respond to such a message
|
||
by typing a lowercase r -- you may get an error message and you'll
|
||
have to create a brand-new message.
|
||
If you want to get a taste of what's possible through e-mail,
|
||
start an e-mail message to
|
||
|
||
almanac@oes.orst.edu
|
||
|
||
Leave the "subject:" line blank. As a message, write this:
|
||
|
||
send quote
|
||
|
||
Or, if you're feeling a little down, write this instead:
|
||
|
||
send moral-support
|
||
|
||
In either case, you will get back a message within a few seconds to
|
||
a few hours (depending on the state of your host system's Internet
|
||
connection). If you simply asked for a quote, you'll get back a
|
||
fortune-cookie-like saying. If you asked for moral support, you'll also
|
||
get back a fortune-cookie-like saying, only supposedly more uplifting.
|
||
This particular "mail server" is run by Oregon State University.
|
||
Its main purpose is actually to provide a way to distribute agricultural
|
||
information via e-mail. If you'd like to find out how to use the
|
||
server's full range of services, send a message to its address with this
|
||
line in it:
|
||
|
||
send help
|
||
|
||
You'll quickly get back a lengthy document detailing just what's
|
||
available and how to get it.
|
||
Feeling opinionated? Want to give the President of the United
|
||
States a piece of your mind? Send a message to president@whitehouse.gov.
|
||
Or if the vice president will do, write vice-president@whitehouse.gov.
|
||
The "mail" program is actually a very powerful one and a Netwide
|
||
standard, at least on Unix computers. But it can be hard to figure
|
||
out -- you can type a question mark to get a list of commands, but
|
||
these may be of limited use unless you're already familiar with Unix.
|
||
Fortunately, there are a couple of other mail programs that are easier
|
||
to use.
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.2 ELM -- A BETTER WAY
|
||
|
||
|
||
Elm is a combination mailbox and letter-writing system that uses
|
||
menus to help you navigate through mail. Most Unix-based host systems
|
||
now have it online. To use it, type
|
||
|
||
elm
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll get a menu of your waiting mail, along with a
|
||
list of commands you can execute, that will look something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Mailbox is '/usr/spool/mail/adamg' with 38 messages [ELM 2.3 PL11]
|
||
|
||
|
||
1 Sep 1 Christopher Davis (13) here's another message.
|
||
2 Sep 1 Christopher Davis (91) This is a message from Eudora
|
||
3 Aug 31 Rita Marie Rouvali (161) First Internet Hunt !!! (fwd)
|
||
4 Aug 31 Peter Scott/Manage (69) New File <UK077> University of Londo
|
||
5 Aug 30 Peter Scott/Manage (64) New File <DIR020> X.500 service at A
|
||
6 Aug 30 Peter Scott/Manage (39) New File <NET016> DATAPAC Informatio
|
||
7 Aug 28 Peter Scott/Manage (67) Proposed Usenet group for HYTELNET n
|
||
8 Aug 28 Peter Scott/Manage (56) New File <DIR019> JANET Public Acces
|
||
9 Aug 26 Helen Trillian Ros (15) Tuesday
|
||
10 Aug 26 Peter Scott/Manage (151) Update <CWK004> Oxford University OU
|
||
|
||
|
||
You can use any of the following commands by pressing the first character;
|
||
d)elete or u)ndelete mail, m)ail a message, r)eply or f)orward mail, q)uit
|
||
To read a message, press <return>. j = move down, k = move up, ? = help
|
||
|
||
Each line shows the date you received the message, who sent it,
|
||
how many lines long the message is, and the message's subject.
|
||
If you are using VT100 emulation, you can move up and down the
|
||
menu with your up and down arrow keys. Otherwise, type the line number
|
||
of the message you want to read or delete and hit enter.
|
||
When you read a message, it pauses every 24 lines, instead of
|
||
scrolling until it's done. Hit the space bar to read the next page.
|
||
You can type a lowercase r to reply or a lower-case q or i
|
||
to get back to the menu (the I stands for "index").
|
||
At the main menu, hitting a lowercase m followed by enter
|
||
will let you start a message. To delete a message, type a lower-case
|
||
d. You can do this while reading the message. Or, if you are in
|
||
the menu, move the cursor to the message's line and then hit d.
|
||
When you're done with elm, type a lower-case q. The program
|
||
will ask if you really want to delete the messages you marked. Then,
|
||
it will ask you if you want to move any messages you've read but
|
||
haven't marked for deletion to a "received" file. For now, hit your n
|
||
key.
|
||
Elm has a major disadvantage for the beginner. The default text
|
||
editor it generally calls up when you hit your r or m key is often a
|
||
program called emacs. Unixoids swear by emacs, but everybody else almost
|
||
always finds it impossible. Unfortunately, you can't always get away
|
||
from it (or vi, another text editor often found on Unix systems), so
|
||
later on we'll talk about some basic commands that will keep you from
|
||
going totally nuts.
|
||
If you want to save a message to your own computer, hit s, either
|
||
within the message or with your cursor on the message entry in the elm
|
||
menu. A filename will pop up. If you do not like it, type a new name
|
||
(you won't have to backspace). Hit enter, and the message will be saved
|
||
with that file name in your "home directory" on your host system. After
|
||
you exit elm, you can now download it (ask your system administrator for
|
||
specifics on how to download -- and upload -- such files).
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.3 PINE -- AN EVEN BETTER WAY
|
||
|
||
|
||
Pine is based on elm but includes a number of improvements that
|
||
make it an ideal mail system for beginners. Like elm, pine starts
|
||
you with a menu. It also has an "address book" feature that is handy
|
||
for people with long or complex e-mail addresses. Hitting A at the
|
||
main menu puts you in the address book, where you can type in the
|
||
person's first name (or nickname) followed by her address. Then, when
|
||
you want to send that person a message, you only have to type in her
|
||
first name or nickname, and pine automatically inserts her actual
|
||
address. The address book also lets you set up a mailing list. This
|
||
feature allows you to send the same message to a number of people at
|
||
once.
|
||
What really sets pine apart is its built-in text editor,
|
||
which looks and feels a lot more like word-processing programs
|
||
available for MS-DOS and Macintosh users. Not only does it have
|
||
word wrap (a revolutionary concept if ever there was one), it also has a
|
||
spell-checker and a search command. Best of all, all of the commands
|
||
you need are listed in a two-line mini-menu at the bottom of each
|
||
screen. The commands look like this:
|
||
|
||
^W Where is
|
||
|
||
The little caret is a synonym for the key marked "control" on your
|
||
keyboard. To find where a particular word is in your document, you'd
|
||
hit your control key and your W key at the same time, which would bring
|
||
up a prompt asking you for the word to look for.
|
||
Some of pine's commands are a tad peculiar (control-V for "page
|
||
down" for example), which comes from being based on a variant of
|
||
emacs (which is utterly peculiar). But again, all of the commands you
|
||
need are listed on that two-line mini-menu, so it shouldn't take you
|
||
more than a couple of seconds to find the right one.
|
||
To use pine, type
|
||
|
||
pine
|
||
|
||
at the command line and hit enter. It's a relatively new program, so
|
||
some systems may not yet have it online. But it's so easy to use, you
|
||
should probably send e-mail to your system administrator urging him to
|
||
get it!
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.4 SMILEYS
|
||
|
||
|
||
When you're involved in an online discussion, you can't see the
|
||
smiles or shrugs that the other person might make in a live
|
||
conversation to show he's only kidding. But online, there's no body
|
||
language. So what you might think is funny, somebody else might take as
|
||
an insult. To try to keep such misunderstandings from erupting into
|
||
bitter disputes, we have smileys. Tilt your head to the left and look at
|
||
the following sideways. :-). Or simply :). This is your basic "smiley."
|
||
Use it to indicate people should not take that comment you just made as
|
||
seriously as they might otherwise. You make a smiley by typing a colon,
|
||
a hyphen and a right parenthetical bracket. Some people prefer using the
|
||
word "grin," usually in this form:
|
||
|
||
<grin>
|
||
|
||
Sometimes, though, you'll see it as *grin* or even just <g> for short.
|
||
|
||
Some other smileys include:
|
||
|
||
;-) Wink;
|
||
:-( Frown;
|
||
:-O Surprise;
|
||
8-) Wearing glasses;
|
||
=|:-)= Abe Lincoln.
|
||
|
||
OK, so maybe the last two are a little bogus :-).
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.5 SENDING E-MAIL TO OTHER NETWORKS
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are a number of computer networks that are not directly
|
||
part of the Net, but which are now connected through "gateways" that
|
||
allow the passing of e-mail. Here's a list of some of the larger
|
||
networks, how to send mail to them and how their users can send mail to
|
||
you:
|
||
|
||
America Online
|
||
|
||
Remove any spaces from a user's name and append "aol.com," to get
|
||
|
||
user@aol.com
|
||
|
||
America Online users who want to send mail to you need only put
|
||
your Net address in the "to:" field before composing a message.
|
||
|
||
|
||
ATTMail
|
||
|
||
Address your message to user@attmail.com.
|
||
|
||
From ATTMail, a user would send mail to you in this form:
|
||
|
||
internet!domain!user
|
||
|
||
So if your address were nancyr@world.std.com, your correspondent
|
||
would send a message to you at
|
||
|
||
internet!world.std.com!nancyr
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bitnet
|
||
|
||
Users of Bitnet (and NetNorth in Canada and EARN in Europe) often
|
||
have addresses in this form: IZZY@INDVMS. If you're lucky, all you'll
|
||
have to do to mail to that address is add "bitnet" at the end, to get
|
||
izzy@indvms.bitnet. Sometimes, however, mail to such an address will
|
||
bounce back to you, because Bitnet addresses do not always translate
|
||
well into an Internet form. If this happens, you can send mail
|
||
through one of two Internet/Bitnet gateways. First, change the @ in
|
||
the address to a %, so that you get username%site.bitnet. Then add
|
||
either @vm.marist.edu or @cunyvm.cuny.edu, so that, with the above
|
||
example, you would get izzy%indyvms.bitnet@vm.marist.edu or
|
||
izzy%indvyvms.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
|
||
Bitnet users have it a little easier: They can usually send mail
|
||
directly to your e-mail address without fooling around with it at all.
|
||
So send them your address and they should be OK.
|
||
|
||
|
||
CompuServe
|
||
|
||
CompuServe users have numerical addresses in this form:
|
||
73727,545. To send mail to a CompuServe user, change the comma to a
|
||
period and add "@compuserve.com"; for example:
|
||
73727.545@compuserve.com.
|
||
Note that some CompuServe users must pay extra to receive mail from
|
||
the Internet.
|
||
If you know CompuServe users who want to send you mail, tell them
|
||
to GO MAIL and create a mail message. In the address area, instead of
|
||
typing in a CompuServe number, have them type your address in this
|
||
form:
|
||
|
||
>INTERNET:YourID@YourAddress.
|
||
|
||
For example, >INTERNET:adamg@world.std.com. Note that both the
|
||
">" and the ":" are required.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Delphi
|
||
|
||
To send mail to a Delphi user, the form is username@delphi.com.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fidonet
|
||
|
||
To send mail to people using a Fidonet BBS, you need the name
|
||
they use to log onto that system and its "node number.'' Fidonet node
|
||
numbers or addresses consist of three numbers, in this form:
|
||
1:322/190. The first number tells which of several broad geographic
|
||
zones the BBS is in (1 represents the U.S. and Canada, 2 Europe and
|
||
Israel, 3 Pacific Asia, 4 South America). The second number
|
||
represents the BBS's network, while the final number is the BBS's
|
||
"FidoNode'' number in that network. If your correspondent only gives
|
||
you two numbers (for example, 322/190), it means the system is in zone
|
||
1.
|
||
Now comes the tricky part. You have to reverse the numbers and
|
||
add to them the letters f, n and z (which stand for
|
||
"FidoNode,''"network,'' and "zone'). For example, the address above
|
||
would become
|
||
|
||
f190.n322.z1.
|
||
|
||
Now add "fidonet.org'' at the end, to get
|
||
f190.n322.z1.fidonet.org. Then add "FirstName.LastName@', to get
|
||
|
||
FirstName.LastName@f190.n322.z1.fidonet.org
|
||
|
||
Note the period between the first and last names. Also, some countries
|
||
now have their own Fidonet "backbone" systems, which might affect
|
||
addressing. For example, were the above address in Germany, you would
|
||
end it with "fido.de" instead of "fidonet.org."
|
||
Whew!
|
||
The reverse process is totally different. First, the person has
|
||
to have access to his or her BBS's "net mail" area and know the
|
||
Fidonet address of his or her local Fidonet/UUCP gateway (often their
|
||
system operator will know it). Your Fidonet correspondent should
|
||
address a net-mail message to UUCP (not your name) in the "to:" field.
|
||
In the node-number field, they should type in the node number of the
|
||
Fidonet/UUCP gateway (if the gateway system is in the same regional
|
||
network as their system, they need only type the last number, for
|
||
example, 390 instead of 322/390). Then, the first line of the message
|
||
has to be your Internet address, followed by a blank line. After
|
||
that, the person can write the message and send it.
|
||
Because of the way Fidonet moves mail, it could take a day or two
|
||
for a message to be delivered in either direction. Also, because many
|
||
Fidonet systems are run as hobbies, it is considered good form to ask
|
||
the gateway sysop's permission if you intend to pass large amounts of
|
||
mail back and forth. Messages of a commercial nature are strictly
|
||
forbidden (even if it's something the other person asked for). Also,
|
||
consider it very likely that somebody other than the recipient will
|
||
read your messages.
|
||
|
||
|
||
GEnie
|
||
|
||
To send mail to a GEnie user, add "@genie.com" to the end
|
||
of the GEnie user name, for example: walt@genie.com.
|
||
|
||
MCIMail
|
||
|
||
To send mail to somebody with an MCIMail account, add
|
||
"@mcimail.com to the end of their name or numerical address. For
|
||
example:
|
||
|
||
555-1212@mcimail.com
|
||
|
||
or
|
||
|
||
jsmith@mcimail.com
|
||
|
||
Note that if there is more than one MCIMail subscriber with that
|
||
name, you will get a mail message back from MCI giving you their names
|
||
and numerical addresses. You'll then have to figure out which one you
|
||
want and re-send the message.
|
||
|
||
From MCI, a user would type
|
||
|
||
Your Name (EMS)
|
||
|
||
at the "To:" prompt. At the EMS prompt, he or she would type
|
||
|
||
internet
|
||
|
||
followed by your Net address at the "Mbx:" prompt.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Peacenet
|
||
|
||
To send mail to a Peacenet user, use this form:
|
||
|
||
username@igc.org
|
||
|
||
Peacenet subscribers can use your regular address to send you
|
||
mail.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Prodigy
|
||
|
||
UserID@prodigy.com. Note that Prodigy users must pay extra for
|
||
Internet e-mail.
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.6 SEVEN UNIX COMMANDS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you connect to the Net through a Unix system, eventually you'll
|
||
have to come to terms with Unix. For better or worse, most Unix systems do
|
||
NOT shield you from their inner workings -- if you want to copy a Usenet
|
||
posting to a file, for example, you'll have to use some Unix commands if
|
||
you ever want to do anything with that file.
|
||
Like MS-DOS, Unix is an operating system - it tells the computer how
|
||
to do things. Now while Unix may have a reputation as being even more
|
||
complex than MS-DOS, in most cases, a few basic, and simple, commands
|
||
should be all you'll ever need.
|
||
If your own computer uses MS-DOS or PC-DOS, the basic concepts will
|
||
seem very familiar -- but watch out for the cd command, which works
|
||
differently enough from the similarly named DOS command that it will drive
|
||
you crazy. Also, unlike MS-DOS, Unix is case sensitive -- if you type
|
||
commands or directory names in the wrong case, you'll get an error message.
|
||
If you're used to working on a Mac, you'll have to remember that Unix
|
||
stores files in "directories" rather than "folders." Unix directories are
|
||
organized like branches on a tree. At the bottom is the "root" directory,
|
||
with sub-directories branching off that (and sub-directories in turn can
|
||
have sub-directories). The Mac equivalent of a Unix sub-directory is a
|
||
folder within another folder.
|
||
|
||
cat Equivalent to the MS-DOS "type" command. To pause a file
|
||
every screen, type
|
||
|
||
cat file |more
|
||
|
||
where "file" is the name of the file you want to see.
|
||
Hitting control-C will stop the display. Alternately,
|
||
you could type
|
||
|
||
more file
|
||
|
||
to achieve the same result. You can also use cat for
|
||
writing or uploading text files to your name or home
|
||
directory (similar to the MS-DOS "copy con" command). If
|
||
you type
|
||
|
||
cat>test
|
||
|
||
you start a file called "test." You can either write
|
||
something simple (no editing once you've finished a line and
|
||
you have to hit return at the end of each line) or upload
|
||
something into that file using your communications software's
|
||
ASCII protocol). To close the file, hit control-D.
|
||
|
||
cd The "change directory" command. To change from your present
|
||
directory to another, type
|
||
|
||
cd directory
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. Unlike MS-DOS, which uses a \ to denote sub-
|
||
directories (for example: \stuff\text), Unix uses a / (for
|
||
example: /stuff/text). So to change from your present
|
||
directory to the stuff/text sub-directory, you would type
|
||
|
||
cd stuff/text
|
||
|
||
and then hit enter. As in MS-DOS, you do not need the first
|
||
backslash if the subdirectory comes off the directory you're
|
||
already in. To move back up a directory tree, you would type
|
||
|
||
cd ..
|
||
|
||
followed by enter. Note the space between the cd and the two
|
||
periods -- this is where MS-DOS users will really go nuts.
|
||
|
||
cp Copies a file. The syntax is
|
||
|
||
cp file1 file2
|
||
|
||
which would copy file1 to file2 (or overwrite file2 with
|
||
file1).
|
||
|
||
ls This command, when followed by enter, tells you what's in the
|
||
directory, similar to the DOS dir command, except in
|
||
alphabetical order.
|
||
|
||
ls | more
|
||
|
||
will stop the listing every 24 lines -- handy if there are a
|
||
lot of things in the directory. The basic ls command does not
|
||
list "hidden" files, such as the .login file that controls
|
||
how your system interacts with Unix. To see these files, type
|
||
|
||
ls -a or ls -a | more
|
||
|
||
ls -l will tell you the size of each file in bytes and tell
|
||
you when each was created or modified.
|
||
|
||
mv Similar to the MS-DOS rename command.
|
||
|
||
mv file1 file2
|
||
|
||
will rename file1 as file2, The command can
|
||
also be used to move files between directories.
|
||
|
||
mv file1 News
|
||
|
||
would move file1 to your News directory.
|
||
|
||
rm Deletes a file. Type
|
||
|
||
rm filename
|
||
|
||
and hit enter (but beware: when you hit enter, it's gone for
|
||
good).
|
||
|
||
WILDCARDS: When searching for, copying or deleting files, you can
|
||
use "wildcards" if you are not sure of the file's exact name.
|
||
|
||
ls man*
|
||
|
||
|
||
would find the following files:
|
||
|
||
manual, manual.txt, man-o-man.
|
||
|
||
Use a question mark when you're sure about all but one or two characters.
|
||
For example,
|
||
|
||
ls man?
|
||
|
||
would find a file called mane, but not one called manual.
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.7 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
|
||
* You send a message but get back an ominous looking message from
|
||
MAILER-DAEMON containing up to several dozen lines of computerese
|
||
followed by your message.
|
||
Somewhere in those lines you can often find a clue to what went
|
||
wrong. You might have made a mistake in spelling the e-mail address.
|
||
The site to which you're sending mail might have been down for
|
||
maintenance or a problem. You may have used the wrong "translation" for
|
||
mail to a non-Internet network.
|
||
* You call up your host system's text editor to write a message or
|
||
reply to one and can't seem to get out.
|
||
If it's emacs, try control-X, control-C (in other words, hit your
|
||
control key and your X key at the same time, followed by control and C).
|
||
If worse comes to worse, you can hang up.
|
||
* In elm, you accidentally hit the D key for a message you want to
|
||
save.
|
||
Type the number of the message, hit enter and then U, which will
|
||
"un-delete" the message. This works only before you exit Elm; once you
|
||
quit, the message is gone.
|
||
* You try to upload an ASCII message you've written on your own
|
||
computer into a message you're preparing in Elm or Pine and you get a
|
||
lot of left brackets, capital Ms, Ks and Ls and some funny-looking
|
||
characters.
|
||
Believe it or not, your message will actually wind up looking fine;
|
||
all that garbage is temporary and reflects the problems some Unix text
|
||
processors have with ASCII uploads. But it will take much longer for
|
||
your upload to finish. One way to deal with this is to call up the
|
||
simple mail program, which will not produce any weird characters when you
|
||
upload a text file into a message. Another way (which is better if your
|
||
prepared message is a response to somebody's mail), is to create a text
|
||
file on your host system with cat, for example,
|
||
|
||
cat>file
|
||
|
||
and then upload your text into that. Then, in elm or pine, you can
|
||
insert the message with a simple command (control-R in pine, for
|
||
example); only this time you won't see all that extraneous stuff.
|
||
* You haven't cleared out your Elm mailbox in awhile, and you
|
||
accidentally hit "y" when you meant to hit "n" (or vice-versa) when
|
||
exiting and now all your messages have disappeared. Look in your News
|
||
directory (at the command line, type: cd News) for a file called
|
||
recieved. Those are all your messages. Unfortunately, there's no way to
|
||
get them back into your Elm mailbox -- you'll have to download the file
|
||
or read it online.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 3: USENET I
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.1 THE GLOBAL WATERING HOLE
|
||
|
||
|
||
Imagine a conversation carried out over a period of hours and days,
|
||
as if people were leaving messages and responses on a bulletin board. Or
|
||
imagine the electronic equivalent of a radio talk show where everybody
|
||
can put their two cents in and no one is ever on hold.
|
||
Unlike e-mail, which is usually "one-to-one," Usenet is "many-to-
|
||
many." Usenet is the international meeting place, where people gather to
|
||
meet their friends, discuss the day's events, keep up with computer
|
||
trends or talk about whatever's on their mind. Jumping into a Usenet
|
||
discussion can be a liberating experience. Nobody knows what you look or
|
||
sound like, how old you are, what your background is. You're judged
|
||
solely on your words, your ability to make a point.
|
||
To many people, Usenet IS the Net. In fact, it is often confused
|
||
with Internet. But it is a totally separate system. All Internet sites
|
||
CAN carry Usenet, but so do many non-Internet sites, from sophisticated
|
||
Unix machines to old XT clones and Apple IIs.
|
||
Technically, Usenet messages are shipped around the world, from
|
||
host system to host system, using one of several specific Net
|
||
protocols. Your host system stores all of its Usenet messages in one
|
||
place, which everybody with an account on the system can access. That
|
||
way, no matter how many people actually read a given message, each
|
||
host system has to store only one copy of it. Many host systems "talk"
|
||
with several others regularly in case one or another of their links goes
|
||
down for some reason. When two host systems connect, they basically
|
||
compare notes on which Usenet messages they already have. Any that one
|
||
is missing the other then transmits, and vice-versa. Because they are
|
||
computers, they don't mind running through thousands, even millions, of
|
||
these comparisons every day.
|
||
Yes, millions. For Usenet is huge. Every day, Usenet users
|
||
pump upwards of 40 million characters a day into the system -- roughly
|
||
the equivalent of volumes A-G of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Obviously,
|
||
nobody could possibly keep up with this immense flow of messages. Let's
|
||
look at how to find conferences and discussions of interest to you.
|
||
The basic building block of Usenet is the newsgroup, which is a
|
||
collection of messages with a related theme (on other networks, these
|
||
would be called conferences, forums, bboards or special-interest
|
||
groups). There are now more than 5,000 of these newsgroups, in several
|
||
diferent languages, covering everything from art to zoology, from
|
||
science fiction to South Africa.
|
||
Some public-access systems, typically the ones that work through
|
||
menus, try to make it easier by dividing Usenet into several broad
|
||
categories. Choose one of those and you're given a list of newsgroups in
|
||
that category. Then select the newsgroup you're interested in and start
|
||
reading.
|
||
Other systems let you compile your own "reading list" so that you
|
||
only see messages in conferences you want. In both cases, conferences
|
||
are arranged in a particular hierarchy devised in the early 1980s.
|
||
Newsgroup names start with one of a series of broad topic names. For
|
||
example, newsgroups beginning with "comp." are about particular computer-
|
||
related topics. These broad topics are followed by a series of more
|
||
focused topics (so that "comp.unix" groups are limited to discussion
|
||
about Unix). The main hierarchies are:
|
||
|
||
bionet Research biology
|
||
bit.listserv Conferences originating as Bitnet mailing lists
|
||
biz Business
|
||
comp Computers and related subjects
|
||
misc Discussions that don't fit anywhere else
|
||
news News about Usenet itself
|
||
rec Hobbies, games and recreation
|
||
sci Science other than research biology
|
||
soc "Social" groups, often ethnically related
|
||
talk Politics and related topics
|
||
alt Controversial or unusual topics; not
|
||
carried by all sites
|
||
|
||
In addition, many host systems carry newsgroups for a particular
|
||
city, state or region. For example, ne.housing is a newsgroup where
|
||
New Englanders look for apartments. A growing number also carry K12
|
||
newsgroups, which are aimed at elementary and secondary teachers and
|
||
students. And a number of sites carry clari newsgroups, which is
|
||
actually a commercial service consisting of wire-service stories and
|
||
a unique online computer news service (more on this in chapter 10).
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.2 NAVIGATING USENET WITH nn
|
||
|
||
|
||
How do you dive right in? As mentioned, on some systems, it's all
|
||
done through menus -- you just keep choosing from a list of choices until
|
||
you get to the newsgroup you want and then hit the "read" command. On
|
||
Unix systems, however, you will have to use a "newsreader" program. Two
|
||
of the more common ones are known as rn (for "read news") and nn (for "no
|
||
news" -- because it's supposed to be simpler to use).
|
||
For beginners, nn may be the better choice because it works with
|
||
menus -- you get a list of articles in a given newsgroup and then you
|
||
choose which ones you want to see. To try it out, connect to your host
|
||
system and, at the command line, type
|
||
|
||
nn news.announce.newusers
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. After a few seconds, you should see something like
|
||
this:
|
||
|
||
Newsgroup: news.announce.newusers Articles: 22 of 22/1 NEW
|
||
|
||
a Gene Spafford 776 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
|
||
b Gene Spafford 362 A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
|
||
c Gene Spafford 387 Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
|
||
d Gene Spafford 101 Hints on writing style for Usenet
|
||
e Gene Spafford 74 Introduction to news.announce
|
||
f Gene Spafford 367 USENET Software: History and Sources
|
||
g Gene Spafford 353 What is Usenet?
|
||
h taylor 241 A Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists
|
||
i Gene Spafford 585 Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I
|
||
j Gene Spafford 455 >Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II
|
||
k David C Lawrenc 151 How to Create a New Newsgroup
|
||
l Gene Spafford 106 How to Get Information about Networks
|
||
m Gene Spafford 888 List of Active Newsgroups
|
||
n Gene Spafford 504 List of Moderators
|
||
o Gene Spafford 1051 Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part I
|
||
p Gene Spafford 1123 Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part II
|
||
q Gene Spafford 1193 >Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part III
|
||
r Jonathan Kamens 644 How to become a USENET site
|
||
s Jonathan Kamen 1344 List of Periodic Informational Postings, Part I
|
||
|
||
-- 15:52 -- SELECT -- help:? -----Top 85%-----
|
||
Explanatory postings for new users. (Moderated)
|
||
|
||
Obviously, this is a good newsgroup to begin your exploration of
|
||
Usenet! Here's what all this means: The first letter on each line is
|
||
the letter you type to read that particular "article" (it makes sense
|
||
that a "newsgroup" would have "articles"). Next comes the name of the
|
||
person who wrote that article, followed by its length, in lines, and
|
||
what the article is about. At the bottom, you see the local time at your
|
||
access site, what you're doing right now (i.e., SELECTing articles),
|
||
which key to hit for some help (the ? key) and how many of the articles
|
||
in the newsgroup you can see on this screen. The "(moderated)" means the
|
||
newsgroup has a "moderator" who is the only one who can directly post
|
||
messages to it. This is generally limited to groups such as this, which
|
||
contain articles of basic information, or for digests, which are
|
||
basically online magazines (more on them in a bit).
|
||
Say you're particularly interested in what "Emily Postnews" has to
|
||
say about proper etiquette on Usenet. Hit your c key (lower case!), and
|
||
the line will light up. If you want to read something else, hit the key
|
||
that corresponds to it. And if you want to see what's on the next page
|
||
of articles, hit return or your space bar.
|
||
But you're impatient to get going, and you want to read that
|
||
article now. The command for that in nn is a capital Z. Hit it and
|
||
you'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Gene Spafford: Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on NetiquetteSep 92 04:17
|
||
Original-author: brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)
|
||
Archive-name: emily-postnews/part1
|
||
Last-change: 30 Nov 91 by brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)
|
||
|
||
|
||
**NOTE: this is intended to be satirical. If you do not recognize
|
||
it as such, consult a doctor or professional comedian. The
|
||
recommendations in this article should recognized for what
|
||
they are -- admonitions about what NOT to do.
|
||
|
||
|
||
"Dear Emily Postnews"
|
||
|
||
Emily Postnews, foremost authority on proper net behaviour,
|
||
gives her advice on how to act on the net.
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
Dear Miss Postnews: How long should my signature be? -- verbose@noisy
|
||
|
||
A: Dear Verbose: Please try and make your signature as long as you
|
||
-- 09:57 --.announce.newusers-- LAST --help:?--Top 4%--
|
||
|
||
The first few lines are the message's header, similar to the header
|
||
you get in e-mail messages. Then comes the beginning of the message.
|
||
The last line tells you the time again, the newsgroup name (or part of
|
||
it, anyway), the position in your message stack that this message
|
||
occupies, how to get help, and how much of the message is on screen. If
|
||
you want to keep reading this message, just hit your space bar (not your
|
||
enter key!) for the next screen and so on until done. When done, you'll
|
||
be returned to the newsgroup menu. For now hit Q (upper case this time),
|
||
which quits you out of nn and returns you to your host system's command
|
||
line.
|
||
To get a look at another interesting newsgroup, type
|
||
|
||
nn comp.risks
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This newsgroup is another moderated group, this time a
|
||
digest of all the funny and frightening ways computers and the people
|
||
who run and use them can go wrong. Again, you read articles by
|
||
selecting their letters. If you're in the middle of an article and
|
||
decide you want to go onto the next one, hit your n key.
|
||
Now it's time to look for some newsgroups that might be of
|
||
particular interest to you. Unix host systems that have nn use a program
|
||
called nngrep (ever get the feeling Unix was not entirely written in
|
||
English?) that lets you scan newsgroups. Exit nn and at your host
|
||
system's command line, type
|
||
|
||
nngrep word
|
||
|
||
where word is the subject you're interested in. If you use a Macintosh
|
||
computer, you might try
|
||
|
||
nngrep mac
|
||
|
||
You'll get something that looks like this:
|
||
|
||
alt.music.machines.of.loving.grace
|
||
alt.religion.emacs
|
||
comp.binaries.mac
|
||
comp.emacs
|
||
comp.lang.forth.mac
|
||
comp.os.mach
|
||
comp.sources.mac
|
||
comp.sys.mac.announce
|
||
comp.sys.mac.apps
|
||
comp.sys.mac.comm
|
||
comp.sys.mac.databases
|
||
comp.sys.mac.digest
|
||
comp.sys.mac.games
|
||
comp.sys.mac.hardware
|
||
comp.sys.mac.hypercard
|
||
comp.sys.mac.misc
|
||
comp.sys.mac.programmer
|
||
comp.sys.mac.system
|
||
comp.sys.mac.wanted
|
||
gnu.emacs.announce
|
||
gnu.emacs.bug
|
||
gnu.emacs.gnews
|
||
gnu.emacs.gnus
|
||
gnu.emacs.help
|
||
gnu.emacs.lisp.manual
|
||
gnu.emacs.sources
|
||
gnu.emacs.vm.bug
|
||
gnu.emacs.vm.info
|
||
gnu.emacs.vms
|
||
|
||
Note that some of these obviously have something to do with
|
||
Macintoshes while some obviously do not; nngrep is not a perfect system.
|
||
If you want to get a list of ALL the newsgroups available on your host
|
||
system, type
|
||
|
||
nngrep -a |more
|
||
|
||
or
|
||
nngrep -a |pg
|
||
|
||
and hit enter (which one to use depends on the Unix used on your host
|
||
system; if one doesn't do anything, try the other). You don't
|
||
absolutely need the |more or |pg, but if you don't include it, the list
|
||
will keep scrolling, rather than pausing every 24 lines. If you are in
|
||
nn, hitting a capital Y will bring up a similar list.
|
||
Typing "nn newsgroup" for every newsgroup can get awfully tiring
|
||
after awhile. When you use nn, your host system looks in a file called
|
||
.newsrc. This is basically a list of every newsgroup on the host system
|
||
along with notations on which groups and articles you have read (all
|
||
maintained by the computer). You can also use this file to create a
|
||
"reading list" that brings up each newsgroup to which you want to
|
||
"subscribe." To try it out, type
|
||
|
||
nn
|
||
|
||
without any newsgroup name, and hit enter.
|
||
Unfortunately, you will start out with a .newsrc file that has you
|
||
"subscribed" to every single newsgroup on your host system! To delete
|
||
a newsgroup from your reading list, type a capital U while its menu is
|
||
on the screen. The computer will ask you if you're sure you want to
|
||
"unsubscribe." If you then hit a Y, you'll be unsubscribed and put in
|
||
the next group.
|
||
With many host systems carrying thousands of newsgroups, this will
|
||
take you forever.
|
||
Fortunately, there are a couple of easier ways to do this. Both
|
||
involve calling up your .newsrc file in a word or text processor. In a
|
||
.newsrc file, each newsgroup takes up one line, consisting of the
|
||
group's name, an exclamation point or a colon and a range of numbers.
|
||
Newsgroups with a colon are ones to which you are subscribed; those
|
||
followed by an exclamation point are "un-subscribed." To start with a
|
||
clean slate, then, you have to change all those colons to exclamation
|
||
points.
|
||
If you know how to use emacs or vi, call up the .newsrc file (you
|
||
might want to make a copy of .newsrc first, just in case), and use the
|
||
search-and-replace function to make the change.
|
||
If you're not comfortable with these text processor, you can
|
||
download the .newsrc file, make the changes on your own computer and
|
||
then upload the revised file. Before you download the file, however,
|
||
you should do a couple of things. One is to type
|
||
|
||
cp .newsrc temprc
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You will actually download this temprc file (note the
|
||
name does not start with a period -- some computers, such as those using
|
||
MS-DOS, do not allow file names starting with periods). After you
|
||
download the file, open it in your favorite word processor and use its
|
||
search-and-replace function to change the exclamation points to colons.
|
||
Be careful not to change anything else! Save the document in ASCII or
|
||
text format. Dial back into your host system. At the command line,
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
cp temprc temprc1
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This new file will serve as your backup .newsrc file
|
||
just in case something goes wrong. Upload the temprc file from your
|
||
computer. This will overwrite the Unix system's old temprc file. Now
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
cp temprc .newsrc
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You now have a clean slate to start creating a reading
|
||
list.
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.3 nn COMMANDS
|
||
|
||
|
||
To mark a specific article for reading, type the letter next to it (in lower
|
||
case). To mark a specific article and all of its responses, type the letter
|
||
and an asterisk, for example:
|
||
|
||
a*
|
||
|
||
To un-select an article, type the letter next to it (again, in lower case).
|
||
|
||
C Cancels an article (around the world) that you wrote.
|
||
Every article posted on Usenet has a unique ID number.
|
||
Hitting a capital C sends out a new message that tells host
|
||
systems that receive it to find earlier message and delete
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
F To post a public response, or follow-up. If selected while
|
||
still on a newsgroup "page", asks you which article to
|
||
follow up. If selected while in a specific article, will
|
||
follow up that article. In either case, you'll be asked if
|
||
you want to include the original article in yours. Caution:
|
||
puts you in whatever text editor is your default.
|
||
|
||
N Goes to the next subscribed newsgroup with unread articles.
|
||
|
||
P Goes to the previous subscribed newsgroup with unread
|
||
articles.
|
||
|
||
G news.group Goes to a specific newsgroup. Can be used to subscribe to
|
||
new newsgroups. Hitting G brings up a sub-menu:
|
||
|
||
u Goes to the group and shows only un-read
|
||
articles.
|
||
|
||
a Goes to the group and shows all articles,
|
||
even ones you've already read.
|
||
|
||
s Will show you only articles with a specific
|
||
subject.
|
||
|
||
n Will show you only articles from a specific
|
||
person.
|
||
|
||
M Mails a copy of the current article to somebody. You'll be
|
||
asked for the recipient's e-mail address and whether you
|
||
want to add any comments to the article before sending it
|
||
off. As with F, puts you in the default editor.
|
||
|
||
:post Post an article. You'll be asked for the name of the group.
|
||
|
||
Q Quit, or exit, nn.
|
||
|
||
U Un-subscribe from the current newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
R Responds to an article via e-mail.
|
||
|
||
space Hitting the space bar brings up the next page of articles.
|
||
|
||
X If you have selected articles, this will show them to you
|
||
and then take you to the next subscribed newsgroup with
|
||
unread articles. If you don't have any selected articles,
|
||
it marks all articles as read and takes you to the next
|
||
unread subscribed newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
=word Finds and marks all articles in the newsgroup with a
|
||
specific word in the "subject:" line, for example:
|
||
|
||
=modem
|
||
|
||
Z Shows you selected articles immediately and then returns
|
||
you to the current newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
? Brings up a help screen.
|
||
|
||
< Goes to the previous page in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
> Goes to the next page in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
$ Goes to the last page in an article.
|
||
|
||
^ Goes to the first page in an article.
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.4 USING rn
|
||
|
||
|
||
Some folks prefer this older newsreader.
|
||
If you type
|
||
|
||
rn news.announce.newusers
|
||
|
||
at your host system's command line, you'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
******** 21 unread articles in news.announce.newusers--read now? [ynq]
|
||
|
||
If you hit your Y key, the first article will appear on your screen. If
|
||
you want to see what articles are available first, though, hit your
|
||
computer's = key and you'll get something like this:
|
||
|
||
152 Introduction to news.announce
|
||
153 A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
|
||
154 What is Usenet?
|
||
155 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
|
||
156 Hints on writing style for Usenet
|
||
158 Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I
|
||
159 Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II
|
||
160 Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
|
||
161 USENET Software: History and Sources
|
||
162 A Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists
|
||
163 How to Get Information about Networks
|
||
164 How to Create a New Newsgroup
|
||
169 List of Active Newsgroups
|
||
170 List of Moderators
|
||
171 Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part I
|
||
172 Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part II
|
||
173 Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists, Part III
|
||
174 How to become a USENET site
|
||
175 List of Periodic Informational Postings, Part I
|
||
176 List of Periodic Informational Postings, Part II
|
||
177 List of Periodic Informational Postings, Part III
|
||
End of article 158 (of 178)--what next? [npq]
|
||
|
||
Notice how the messages are in numerical order this time, and don't
|
||
tell you who sent them. Article 154 looks interesting. To read it,
|
||
type in 154 and hit enter. You'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
Article 154 (20 more) in news.announce.newusers (moderated):
|
||
From: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford)
|
||
Newsgroups: news.announce.newusers,news.admin,news.answers
|
||
Subject: What is Usenet?
|
||
Date: 20 Sep 92 04:17:26 GMT
|
||
Followup-To: news.newusers.questions
|
||
Organization: Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue Univ.
|
||
Lines: 353
|
||
Supersedes: <spaf-whatis_715578719@cs.purdue.edu>
|
||
|
||
Archive-name: what-is-usenet/part1
|
||
Original from: chip@tct.com (Chip Salzenberg)
|
||
Last-change: 19 July 1992 by spaf@cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford)
|
||
|
||
|
||
The first thing to understand about Usenet is that it is widely
|
||
misunderstood. Every day on Usenet, the "blind men and the elephant"
|
||
phenomenon is evident, in spades. In my opinion, more flame wars
|
||
arise because of a lack of understanding of the nature of Usenet than
|
||
from any other source. And consider that such flame wars arise, of
|
||
necessity, among people who are on Usenet. Imagine, then, how poorly
|
||
understood Usenet must be by those outside!
|
||
|
||
--MORE--(7%)
|
||
|
||
This time, the header looks much more like the gobbledygook you get
|
||
in e-mail messages. To keep reading, hit your space bar. If you hit
|
||
your n key (lower case), you'll go to the next message in the
|
||
numerical order.
|
||
To escape rn, just keep hitting your q key (in lower case), until
|
||
you get back to the command line. Now let's set up your reading list.
|
||
Because rn uses the same .newsrc file as nn, you can use one of the
|
||
search-and-replace methods described above. Or you can do this: Type
|
||
|
||
rn
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. When the first newsgroup comes up on your screen, hit
|
||
your u key (in lower case). Hit it again, and again, and again. Or
|
||
just keep it pressed down (if your computer starts beeping, let up for a
|
||
couple of seconds). Eventually, you'll be told you're at the end of the
|
||
newsgroups, and asked what you want to do next.
|
||
Here's where you begin entering newsgroups. Type
|
||
|
||
g newsgroup
|
||
|
||
(for example, g comp.sys.mac.announce) and hit enter. You'll be asked
|
||
if you want to "subscribe." Hit your y key. Then type
|
||
|
||
g next newsgroup
|
||
|
||
(for example, g comp.announce.newusers) and hit enter. Repeat until
|
||
done. This process will also set up your reading list for nn, if you
|
||
prefer that newsreader. But how do you know which newsgroups to
|
||
subscribe? Typing a lowercase l and then hitting enter will show you a
|
||
list of all available newsgroups. Again, since there could be more than
|
||
2,000 newsgroups on your system, this might not be something you want to
|
||
do. Fortunately, you can search for groups with particular words in
|
||
their names, using the l command. Typing
|
||
|
||
l mac
|
||
|
||
followed by enter, will bring up a list of newsgroups with those letters
|
||
in them (and as in nn, you will also see groups dealing with emacs and
|
||
the like, in addition to groups related to Macintosh computers).
|
||
Because of the vast amount of messages transmitted over Usenet,
|
||
most systems carry messages for only a few days or weeks. So if there's
|
||
a message you want to keep, you should either turn on your computer's
|
||
screen capture or save it to a file which you can later download). To
|
||
save a message as a file in rn, type
|
||
|
||
s filename
|
||
|
||
where filename is what you want to call the file. Hit enter. You'll be
|
||
asked if you want to save it in "mailbox format." In most cases, you
|
||
can answer with an n (which will strip off the header). The message
|
||
will now be saved to a file in your News directory (which you can access
|
||
by typing cd News and then hitting enter).
|
||
Also, some newsgroups fill up particularly quickly -- go away for a
|
||
couple of days and you'll come back to find hundreds of articles! One
|
||
way to deal with that is to mark them as "read" so that they no longer
|
||
appear on your screen. In nn, hit a capital J; in rn, a small c.
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.5 rn COMMANDS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Different commands are available to you in rn depending on whether you
|
||
are already in a newsgroup or reading a specific article. At any point,
|
||
typing a lowercase h will bring up a list of available commands and some
|
||
terse instructions for using them. Here are some of them:
|
||
|
||
After you've just called up rn, or within a newsgroup:
|
||
|
||
c Marks every article in a newsgroup as read (or "caught up")
|
||
so that you don't have to see them again. The system will ask
|
||
you if you are sure. Can be done either when asked if you
|
||
want to read a particular newsgroup or once in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
g Goes to a newsgroup, in this form:
|
||
|
||
g news.group
|
||
|
||
Use this both for going to groups to which you're already
|
||
subscribed and subscribing to new groups.
|
||
|
||
h Provides a list of available commands with terse
|
||
instructions.
|
||
|
||
l Gives a list of all available newsgroups.
|
||
|
||
p Goes to the first previous subscribed newsgroup with un-read
|
||
articles.
|
||
|
||
q Quits, or exits, rn if you have not yet gone into a newsgroup.
|
||
If you are in a newsgroup, it quits that one and brings you to
|
||
the next subscribed newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
Only within a newsgroup:
|
||
|
||
= Gives a list of all available articles in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
|
||
m Marks a specific article or series of articles as "un-read"
|
||
again so that you can come back to them later. Typing
|
||
|
||
1700m
|
||
|
||
and hitting enter would mark just that article as un-read.
|
||
Typing
|
||
|
||
1700-1800m
|
||
|
||
and hitting enter would mark all of those articles as un-
|
||
read.
|
||
|
||
space Brings up the next page of article listings. If already on
|
||
the last page, displays the first article in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
u Un-subscribe from the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
/text/ Searches through the newsgroup for articles with a specific
|
||
word or phrase in the "subject:" line, from the current
|
||
article to the end of the newsgroup. For example,
|
||
|
||
/EFF/
|
||
|
||
would bring you to the first article with "EFF" in the
|
||
"subject:" line.
|
||
|
||
?text? The same as /text/ except it searches in reverse order from
|
||
the current article.
|
||
|
||
Only within a specific article:
|
||
|
||
e Some newsgroups consist of articles that are binary files,
|
||
typically programs or graphics images. Hitting e will convert
|
||
the ASCII characters within such an article into a file you
|
||
can then download and use or view (assuming you have the proper
|
||
computer and software). Many times, such files will be split
|
||
into several articles; just keep calling up the articles and
|
||
hitting e until done. You'll find the resulting file in your
|
||
News subdirectory.
|
||
|
||
C If you post an article and then decide it was a mistake, call
|
||
it up on your host system and hit this. The message will soon
|
||
begin disappearing on systems around the world.
|
||
|
||
F Post a public response in the newsgroup to the current
|
||
article. Includes a copy of her posting, which you can then
|
||
edit down using your host system's text editor.
|
||
|
||
f The same as above except it does not include a copy of the
|
||
original message in yours.
|
||
|
||
m Marks the current article as "un-read" so that you can come
|
||
back to it later. You do not have to type the article
|
||
number.
|
||
|
||
Control-N Brings up the first response to the article. If there is no
|
||
follow-up article, this returns you to the first unread article
|
||
in the newsgroup).
|
||
|
||
Control-P Goes to the message to which the current article is a reply.
|
||
|
||
n Goes to the next unread article in the newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
N Takes you to the next article in the newsgroup even if you've
|
||
already read it.
|
||
|
||
q Quits, or exits, the current article. Leaves you in the current
|
||
newsgroup.
|
||
|
||
R Reply, via e-mail only, to the author of the current article.
|
||
Includes a copy of his message in yours.
|
||
|
||
r The same as above, except it does not include a copy of his
|
||
article.
|
||
|
||
s file Copies the current article to a file in your News directory,
|
||
where "file" is the name of the file you want to save it to.
|
||
You'll be asked if you want to use "mailbox" format when
|
||
saving. If you answer by hitting your N key, most of the
|
||
header will not be saved.
|
||
|
||
s|mail user Mails a copy of the article to somebody. For "user" substitute
|
||
an e-mail address. Does not let you add comments to the
|
||
message first, however.
|
||
|
||
space Hitting the space bar shows the next page of the article, or, if
|
||
at the end, goes to the next un-read article.
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.6 ESSENTIAL NEWSGROUPS
|
||
|
||
|
||
With so much to choose from, everybody will likely have their own
|
||
unique Usenet reading list. But there are a few newsgroups that are
|
||
particularly of interest to newcomers. Among them:
|
||
|
||
news.announce.newusers This group consists of a series of
|
||
articles that explain various facets of
|
||
Usenet.
|
||
|
||
news.newusers.questions This is where you can ask questions
|
||
(we'll see how in a bit) about how
|
||
Usenet works.
|
||
|
||
news.announce.newsgroups Look here for information about new or
|
||
proposed newsgroups.
|
||
|
||
news.answers Contains lists of "Frequently Asked
|
||
Questions" (FAQs) and their answers from
|
||
many different newsgroups. Learn how to
|
||
fight jet lag in the FAQ from
|
||
rec.travel.air; look up answers to common
|
||
questions about Microsoft Windows in
|
||
an FAQ from comp.os.ms-windows; etc.
|
||
|
||
alt.internet.services Looking for something in particular on
|
||
the Internet? Ask here.
|
||
|
||
alt.infosystems.announce People adding new information services to
|
||
the Internet will post details here.
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.7 SPEAKING UP
|
||
|
||
|
||
"Threads" are an integral part of Usenet. When somebody posts a
|
||
message, often somebody else will respond. Soon, a thread of
|
||
conversation begins. Following these threads is relatively easy. In
|
||
nn, related messages are grouped together. In rn, when you're done
|
||
with a message, you can hit control-N to read the next related
|
||
message, or followup. As you explore Usenet, it's probably a good
|
||
idea to read discussions for awhile before you jump in. This way, you
|
||
can get a feel for the particular newsgroup -- each has its
|
||
own rhythms.
|
||
Eventually, though, you'll want to speak up. There are two main
|
||
ways to do this. You join an existing conversation, or you can start
|
||
a whole new thread.
|
||
If you want to join a discussion, you have to decide if you want
|
||
to include portions of the message you are responding to in your
|
||
message. The reason to do this is so people can see what you're
|
||
responding to, just in case the original message has disappeared from
|
||
their system (remember that most Usenet messages have a short life span
|
||
on the average host system) or they can't find it.
|
||
If you're using a Unix host system, joining an existing
|
||
conversation is similar in both nn and rn: hit your F key when done
|
||
with a given article in the thread. In rn, type a small f if you
|
||
don't want to include portions of the message you're responding to; an
|
||
uppercase F if you do. In nn, type a capital F. You'll then be asked
|
||
if you want to include portions of the original message.
|
||
And here's where you hit another Unix wall. When you hit your F
|
||
key, your host system calls up its basic Unix text editor. If you're
|
||
lucky, that'll be pico, a very easy system. More likely, however,
|
||
you'll get dumped into emacs (or possibly vi), which you've already met
|
||
in the chapter on e-mail.
|
||
The single most important emacs command is
|
||
|
||
control-x control-c
|
||
|
||
This means, depress your control key and hit x. Then depress the
|
||
control key and hit c. Memorize this. In fact, it's so important, it
|
||
bears repeating:
|
||
|
||
control-x control-c
|
||
|
||
These keystrokes are how you get out of emacs. If they work well,
|
||
you'll be asked if you want to send, edit, abort or list the message you
|
||
were working on. If they don't work well (say you accidentally hit some
|
||
other weird key combination that means something special to emacs) and
|
||
nothing seems to happen, or you just get more weird-looking emacs
|
||
prompts on the bottom of your screen, try hitting control-g. This should
|
||
stop whatever emacs was trying to do (you should see the word "quit" on
|
||
the bottom of your screen), after which you can hit control-x control-c.
|
||
But if this still doesn't work, remember that you can always disconnect
|
||
and dial back in!
|
||
If you have told your newsreader you do want to include portions
|
||
of the original message in yours, it will automatically put the entire
|
||
thing at the top of your message. Use the arrow keys to move down to
|
||
the lines you want to delete and hit control-K, which will delete one
|
||
line at a time.
|
||
You can then write your message. Remember that you have to hit
|
||
enter before your cursor gets to the end of the line, because emacs
|
||
does not have word wrapping.
|
||
When done, hit control-X control-C. You'll be asked the
|
||
question about sending, editing, aborting, etc. Choose one. If you
|
||
hit Y, your host system will start the process to sending your
|
||
message across the Net.
|
||
The nn and rn programs work differently when it comes to posting
|
||
entirely new messages. In nn, type
|
||
|
||
:post
|
||
|
||
and hit enter in any newsgroup. You'll be asked which newsgroup to
|
||
post a message to. Type in its name and hit enter. Then you'll be
|
||
asked for "keywords." These are words you'd use to attract somebody
|
||
scanning a newsgroup. Say you're selling your car. You might type
|
||
the type of car here. Next comes a "summary" line, which is somewhat
|
||
similar. Finally, you'll be asked for the message's "distribution."
|
||
This is where you put how widely you want your message disseminated.
|
||
Think about this one for a second. If you are selling your car, it
|
||
makes little sense to send a message about it all over the world. But
|
||
if you want to talk about the environment, it might make a lot of
|
||
sense. Each host system has its own set of distribution
|
||
classifications, but there's generally a local one (just for users of
|
||
that system), one for the city, state or region it's in, another for
|
||
the country (for example, usa), one for the continent (for Americans
|
||
and Canadians, na) and finally, one for the entire world (usually:
|
||
world).
|
||
Which one to use? Generally, a couple of seconds' thought will
|
||
help you decide. If you're selling your car, use your city or regional
|
||
distribution -- people in Australia won't much care and may even get
|
||
annoyed. If you want to discuss presidential politics, using a USA
|
||
distribution makes more sense. If you want to talk about events in the
|
||
Middle East, sending your message to the entire world is perfectly
|
||
acceptable.
|
||
Then you can type your message. If you've composed your message
|
||
offline (generally a good idea if you and emacs don't get along), you
|
||
can upload it now. You may see a lot of weird looking characters as
|
||
it uploads into emacs, but those will disappear when you hit control-X
|
||
and then control-C. Alternately: "save" the message (for example, by
|
||
hitting m in rn), log out, compose your message offline, log back on and
|
||
upload your message into a file on your host system. Then call up
|
||
Usenet, find the article you "saved." Start a reply, and you'll be asked
|
||
if you want to include a prepared message. Type in the name of the file
|
||
you just created and hit enter.
|
||
In rn, you have to wait until you get to the end of a newsgroup
|
||
to hit F, which will bring up a message-composing system.
|
||
Alternately, at your host system's command line, you can type
|
||
|
||
Pnews
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll be prompted somewhat similarly to the nn
|
||
system, except that you'll be given a list of possible distributions.
|
||
If you chose "world," you'll get this message:
|
||
|
||
|
||
This program posts news to thousands of machines throughout the entire
|
||
civilized world. Your message will cost the net hundreds if not thousands of
|
||
dollars to send everywhere. Please be sure you know what you are doing.
|
||
|
||
Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this? [ny]
|
||
|
||
Don't worry -- your message won't really cost the Net untold
|
||
amounts, although, again, it's a good idea to think for a second
|
||
whether your message really should go everywhere.
|
||
If you want to respond to a given post through e-mail, instead of
|
||
publicly, hit R in nn or r or R in rn. In rn, as with follow-up
|
||
articles, the upper-case key includes the original message in yours.
|
||
Most newsgroups are unmoderated, which means that every message
|
||
you post will eventually wind up on every host system within the
|
||
geographic region you specified that carries that newsgroup.
|
||
Some newsgroups, however, are moderated, as you saw earlier with
|
||
comp.risks. In these groups, messages are shipped to a single
|
||
location where a moderator, acting much like a magazine editor,
|
||
decides what actually gets posted. In some cases, groups are
|
||
moderated like scholarly journals. In other cases, it's to try to cut
|
||
down on the massive number of messages that might otherwise be posted.
|
||
You'll notice that many articles in Usenet end with a fancy
|
||
"signature" that often contains some witty saying, a clever drawing
|
||
and, almost incidentally, the poster's name and e-mail address. You
|
||
too can have your own "signature" automatically appended to everything
|
||
you post. On your own computer, create a signature file. Try to keep
|
||
it to four lines or less, lest you annoy others on the Net. Then,
|
||
while connected to your host system, type
|
||
|
||
cat>.signature
|
||
|
||
and hit enter (note the period before the s). Upload your signature
|
||
file into this using your communications software's ASCII upload
|
||
protocol. When done, hit control-D, the Unix command for closing a
|
||
file. Now, every time you post a message, this will be appended to it.
|
||
There are a few caveats to posting. Usenet is no different from
|
||
a Town Meeting or publication: you're not supposed to break the law,
|
||
whether that's posting copyrighted material or engaging in illegal
|
||
activities. It is also not a place to try to sell products (except in
|
||
certain biz. and for-sale newsgroups).
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.8 CROSS-POSTING
|
||
|
||
|
||
Sometimes, you'll have an issue you think should be discussed in
|
||
more than one Usenet newsgroup. Rather than posting individual messages
|
||
in each group, you can post the same message in several groups at once,
|
||
through a process known as cross-posting.
|
||
Say you want to start a discussion about the political
|
||
ramifications of importing rare tropical fish from Brazil. People who
|
||
read rec.aquaria might have something to say. So might people who read
|
||
alt.politics.animals and talk.politics.misc.
|
||
Cross-posting is easy. It also should mean that people on other
|
||
systems who subscribe to several newsgroups will see your message only
|
||
once, rather than several times -- news-reading software can cancel out
|
||
the other copies once a person has read the message. When you get ready
|
||
to post a message (whether through Pnews for rn or the :post command in
|
||
nn), you'll be asked in which newsgroups. Type the names of the various
|
||
groups, separated by a comma, but no space, for example:
|
||
|
||
rec.aquaria,alt.politics.animals,talk.politics.misc
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. After answering the other questions (geographic
|
||
distribution, etc.), the message will be posted in the various
|
||
groups (unless one of the groups is moderated, in which case the
|
||
message goes to the moderator, who decides whether to make it public).
|
||
It's considered bad form to post to an excessive number of
|
||
newsgroups, or inappropriate newsgroups. Probably, you don't really have
|
||
to post something in 20 different places. And while you may think your
|
||
particular political issue is vitally important to the fate of the world,
|
||
chances are the readers of rec.arts.comics will not, or at least not
|
||
important enough to impose on them. You'll get a lot of nasty e-mail
|
||
messages demanding you restrict your messages to the "appropriate"
|
||
newsgroups.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 4: USENET II
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.1 FLAME, BLATHER AND SPEW
|
||
|
||
|
||
Something about online communications seems to make some people
|
||
particularly irritable. Perhaps it's the immediacy and semi-anonymity
|
||
of it all. Whatever it is, there are whole classes of people you will
|
||
soon think seem to exist to make you miserable.
|
||
Rather than pausing and reflecting on a message as one might do
|
||
with a letter received on paper, it's just so easy to hit your R key
|
||
and tell somebody you don't really know what you really think of them.
|
||
Even otherwise calm people sometimes find themselves turning into
|
||
raving lunatics. When this happens, flames erupt.
|
||
A flame is a particularly nasty, personal attack on somebody for
|
||
something he or she has written. Periodically, an exchange of flames
|
||
erupts into a flame war that begin to take up all the space in a given
|
||
newsgroup (and sometimes several; flamers like cross-posting to let the
|
||
world know how they feel). These can go on for weeks (sometimes they go
|
||
on for years, in which case they become "holy wars," usually on such
|
||
topics as the relative merits of Macintoshes and IBMs). Often, just when
|
||
they're dying down, somebody new to the flame war reads all the messages,
|
||
gets upset and issues an urgent plea that the flame war be taken to e-
|
||
mail so everybody else can get back to whatever the newsgroup's business
|
||
is. All this usually does, though, is start a brand new flame war, in
|
||
which this poor person comes under attack for daring to question the
|
||
First Amendment, prompting others to jump on the attackers for impugning
|
||
this poor soul... You get the idea.
|
||
Every so often, a discussion gets so out of hand that somebody
|
||
predicts that either the government will catch on and shut the whole
|
||
thing down or somebody will sue to close down the network, or maybe
|
||
even the wrath of God will smote everybody involved. This brings what
|
||
has become an inevitable rejoinder from others who realize that the
|
||
network is, in fact, a resilient creature that will not die easily:
|
||
"Imminent death of Usenet predicted. Film at 11.''
|
||
Flame wars can be tremendously fun to watch at first. They
|
||
quickly grow boring, though. And wait until the first time you're
|
||
attacked!
|
||
Flamers are not the only net.characters to watch out for.
|
||
Spewers assume that whatever they are particularly concerned about
|
||
either really is of universal interest or should be rammed down the
|
||
throats of people who don't seem to care -- as frequently as possible.
|
||
You can usually tell a spewer's work by the number of articles he posts
|
||
in a day on the same subject and the number of newsgroups to which he
|
||
then sends these articles -- both can reach well into double digits.
|
||
Often, these messages relate to various ethnic conflicts around the
|
||
world. Frequently, there is no conceivable connection between the issue
|
||
at hand and most of the newsgroups to which he posts. No matter. If you
|
||
try to point this out in a response to one of these messages, you will be
|
||
inundated with angry messages that either accuse you of being an
|
||
insensitive racist/American/whatever or ignore your point entirely to
|
||
bring up several hundred more lines of commentary on the perfidy of
|
||
whoever it is the spewer thinks is out to destroy his people.
|
||
Closely related to these folks are the Holocaust revisionists, who
|
||
periodically inundate certain groups (such as soc.history) with long
|
||
rants about how the Holocaust never really happened. Some people
|
||
attempt to refute these people with facts, but others realize this only
|
||
encourages them.
|
||
Blatherers tend to be more benign. Their problem is that they
|
||
just can't get to the point -- they can wring three or four screenfuls
|
||
out of a thought that others might sum up in a sentence or two. A
|
||
related condition is excessive quoting. People afflicted with this will
|
||
include an entire message in their reply rather than excising the
|
||
portions not relevant to whatever point they're trying to make. The
|
||
worst quote a long message and then add a single line:
|
||
|
||
"I agree!"
|
||
|
||
or some such, often followed by a monster .signature (see section 4.5)
|
||
There are a number of other Usenet denizens you'll soon come to
|
||
recognize. Among them:
|
||
Net.weenies. These are the kind of people who enjoy Insulting
|
||
others, the kind of people who post nasty messages in a sewing
|
||
newsgroup just for the hell of it.
|
||
Net.geeks. People to whom the Net is Life, who worry about what
|
||
happens when they graduate and they lose their free, 24-hour access.
|
||
Net.gods. The old-timers; the true titans of the Net and the
|
||
keepers of its collective history. They were around when the Net
|
||
consisted of a couple of computers tied together with baling wire.
|
||
Lurkers. Actually, you can't tell these people are there, but
|
||
they are. They're the folks who read a newsgroup but never post or
|
||
respond.
|
||
Wizards. People who know a particular Net-related topic inside
|
||
and out. Unix wizards can perform amazing tricks with that operating
|
||
system, for example.
|
||
Net.saints. Always willing to help a newcomer, eager to share
|
||
their knowledge with those not born with an innate ability to navigate
|
||
the Net, they are not as rare as you might think. Post a question
|
||
about something and you'll often be surprised how many responses you
|
||
get.
|
||
The last group brings us back to the Net's oral tradition. With
|
||
few written guides, people have traditionally learned their way around
|
||
the Net by asking somebody, whether at the terminal next to them or on
|
||
the Net itself. That tradition continues: if you have a question, ask.
|
||
Today, one of the places you can look for help is in the
|
||
news.newusers.questions newsgroup, which, as its name suggests, is a
|
||
place to learn more about Usenet. But be careful what you post. Some
|
||
of the Usenet wizards there get cranky sometimes when they have to
|
||
answer the same question over and over again. Oh, they'll eventually
|
||
answer your question, but not before they tell you should have
|
||
asked your host system administrator first or looked at the postings in
|
||
news.announce.newusers.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.2 KILLFILES, THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YOU
|
||
|
||
|
||
As you keep reading Usenet, you are going to run across things or
|
||
people that really drive you nuts -- or that you just get tired of
|
||
seeing.
|
||
Killfiles are just the thing for you. When you start your
|
||
newsreader, it checks to see if you have any lists of words, phrases
|
||
or names you don't want to see. If you do, then it blanks out any
|
||
messages containing those words.
|
||
Such as cascades.
|
||
As you saw earlier, when you post a reply to a message and
|
||
include parts of that message, the original lines show up with a > in
|
||
front of them. Well, what if you reply to a reply? Then you get a >>
|
||
in front of the line. And if you reply to that reply? You get >>>.
|
||
Keep this up, and soon you get a triangle of >'s building up in your
|
||
message.
|
||
There are people who like building up these triangles, or
|
||
cascades. They'll "respond" to your message by deleting everything
|
||
you've said, leaving only the "In message 123435, you said:" part and
|
||
the last line of your message, to which they add a nonsensical
|
||
retort. On and on they go until the triangle has reached the right
|
||
end of the page. Then they try to expand the triangle by deleting one
|
||
> with each new line. Whoever gets to finish this mega-triangle wins.
|
||
There is even a newsgroup just for such folks: alt.cascade.
|
||
Unfortunately, cascaders would generally rather cascade in other
|
||
newsgroups. Because it takes a lot of messages to build up a completed
|
||
cascade, the targeted newsgroup soon fills up with these messages. Of
|
||
course, if you complain, you'll be bombarded with messages about the
|
||
First Amendment and artistic expression -- or worse, with another
|
||
cascade. The only thing you can do is ignore them, by setting up a
|
||
killfile.
|
||
There are also certain newsgroups where killfiles will come in
|
||
handy because of the way the newsgroups are organized. For example,
|
||
readers of rec.arts.tv.soaps always use an acronym in their subject: line
|
||
for the show they're writing about (AMC, for example, for "All My
|
||
Children"). This way, people who only want to read about "One Life to
|
||
Live" can blank out all the messages about "The Young and the Restless"
|
||
and all the others (to keep people from accidentally screening out
|
||
messages that might contain the letters "gh" in them, "General Hospital"
|
||
viewers always use "gh:" in their subject lines).
|
||
Both nn and rn let you create killfiles, but in different ways.
|
||
To create a killfile in nn, go into the newsgroup with the
|
||
offending messages and type a capital K. You'll see this at the
|
||
bottom of your screen:
|
||
|
||
AUTO (k)ill or (s)elect (CR => Kill subject 30 days)
|
||
|
||
If you hit return, nn will ask you which article's subject you're
|
||
tired of. Choose one and the article and any follow-ups will disappear,
|
||
and you won't see them again for 30 days.
|
||
If you type a lower-case k instead, you'll get this:
|
||
|
||
AUTO KILL on (s)ubject or (n)ame (s)
|
||
|
||
If you hit your S key or just enter, you'll see this:
|
||
|
||
KILL Subject: (=/)
|
||
|
||
Type in the name of the offending word or phrase and hit enter.
|
||
You'll then be prompted:
|
||
|
||
KILL in (g)roup 'eff.test' or in (a)ll groups (g)
|
||
|
||
except that the name of the group you see will be the one you're
|
||
actually in at the moment. Because cascaders and other annoying
|
||
people often cross-post their messages to a wide range of newsgroups,
|
||
you might consider hitting a instead of g. Next comes:
|
||
|
||
Lifetime of entry in days (p)ermanent (30)
|
||
|
||
The P key will screen out the offending articles forever, while
|
||
hitting enter will do it for 30 days. You can also type in a number
|
||
of days for the blocking.
|
||
Creating killfiles in rn works differently -- its default
|
||
killfile generator only works for messages in specific groups, rather
|
||
than globally for your entire newsgroup list. To create a global
|
||
killfile, you'll have to write one yourself.
|
||
To create a killfile in rn, go into the newsgroup where the
|
||
offending messages are and type in its number so you get it on your
|
||
screen. Type a capital K. From now on, any message with that subject
|
||
line will disappear before you read the group. You should probably
|
||
choose a reply, rather than the original message, so that you will get
|
||
all of the followups (the original message won't have a "Re: " in its
|
||
subject line). The next time you call up that newsgroup, rn will tell
|
||
you it's killing messages. When it's done, hit the space bar to go
|
||
back into reading mode.
|
||
To create a "global" kill file that will automatically wipe out
|
||
articles in all groups you read, start rn and type control-K. This
|
||
will start your whatever text editor you have as your default on your
|
||
host system and create a file (called KILL, in your News
|
||
subdirectory).
|
||
On the first line, you'll type in the word, phrase or name you
|
||
don't want to see, followed by commands that tell rn whether to search
|
||
an entire message for the word or name and then what to do when it
|
||
finds it.
|
||
Each line must be in this form
|
||
|
||
/pattern/modifier:j
|
||
|
||
"Pattern" is the word or phrase you want rn to look for. It's
|
||
case-insensitive: both "test" and "Test" will be knocked out. The
|
||
modifier tells rn whether to limit its search to message headers
|
||
(which can be useful when the object is to never see messages from a
|
||
particular person):
|
||
|
||
a: Looks through an entire message
|
||
h: Looks just at the header
|
||
|
||
You can leave out the modifier command, in which case rn will
|
||
look only at the subject line of messages. The "j" at the end tells rn to
|
||
screen out all articles with the offending word.
|
||
So if you never want to see the word "foo" in any header, ever again,
|
||
type this:
|
||
|
||
/foo/h:j
|
||
|
||
This is particularly useful for getting rid of articles from
|
||
people who post in more than one newsgroup, such as cascaders, since
|
||
an article's newsgroup name is always in the header.
|
||
If you just want to block messages with a subject line about
|
||
cascades, you could try:
|
||
|
||
/foo/:j
|
||
|
||
To kill anything that is a followup to any article, use this
|
||
pattern:
|
||
|
||
/Subject: *Re:/:j
|
||
|
||
When done writing lines for each phrase to screen, exit the text
|
||
editor as you normally would, and you'll be put back in rn.
|
||
One word of caution: go easy on the global killfile. An
|
||
extensive global killfile, or one that makes frequent use of the a:
|
||
modifier can dramatically slow down rn, since the system will now have
|
||
to look at every single word in every single message in all the
|
||
newsgroups you want to read.
|
||
If there's a particular person whose posts you never want to see
|
||
again, first find his or her address (which will be in the "from:" line
|
||
of his postings) and then write a line in your killfile like this:
|
||
|
||
/From: *name@address\.all/h:j
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.3 SOME USENET HINTS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Case counts in Unix -- most of the time. Many Unix commands,
|
||
including many of those used for reading Usenet articles, are case
|
||
sensitive. Hit a d when you meant a D and either nothing will happen,
|
||
or something completely different from what you expected will happen.
|
||
So watch that case!
|
||
In nn, you can get help most of the time by typing a question mark
|
||
(the exception is when you are writing your own message, because then
|
||
you are inside the text-processing program). In rn, type a lower-case h
|
||
at any prompt to get some online help.
|
||
When you're searching for a particular newsgroup, whether through
|
||
the l command in rn or with nngrep for nn, you sometimes may have to
|
||
try several keywords. For example, there is a newsgroup dedicated to
|
||
the Grateful Dead, but you'd never find it if you tried, say, l grateful
|
||
dead, because the name is rec.music.gdead. In general, try the smallest
|
||
possible part of the word or discussion you're looking for, for example,
|
||
use "trek" to find newsgroups about "Star Trek." If one word doesn't
|
||
produce anything, try another.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.4 THE BRAIN-TUMOR BOY, THE MODEM TAX AND THE CHAIN LETTER
|
||
|
||
|
||
Like the rest of the world, Usenet has its share of urban legends
|
||
and questionable activities. There are three in particular that plague
|
||
the network. Spend more than, oh, 15 minutes within Usenet and you're
|
||
sure to run into the Brain Tumor Boy, the plot by the evil FCC to tax
|
||
your modem and Dave Rhode's miracle cure for poverty. For the record,
|
||
here's the story on all of them:
|
||
There once was a seven-year-old boy in England named Craig
|
||
Shergold who was diagnosed with a seemingly incurable brain tumor. As
|
||
he lay dying, he wished only to have friends send him postcards. The
|
||
local newspapers got a hold of the tear-jerking story. Soon, the boy's
|
||
wish had changed: he now wanted to get into the Guinness Book of World
|
||
Records for the largest postcard collection. Word spread around the
|
||
world. People by the millions sent him postcards.
|
||
Miraculously, the boy lived. An American billionaire even flew
|
||
him to the U.S. for surgery to remove what remained of the tumor. And
|
||
his wish succeeded beyond his wildest dreams -- he made the Guinness
|
||
Book of World Records.
|
||
But with Craig now well into his teens, his dream has turned into
|
||
a nightmare for the post office in the small town outside London where
|
||
he lives. Like Craig himself, his request for cards just refuses to
|
||
die, inundating the post office with millions of cards every year.
|
||
Just when it seems like the flow is slowing, along comes somebody else
|
||
who starts up a whole new slew of requests for people to send Craig
|
||
post cards (or greeting cards or business cards -- Craig letters have
|
||
truly taken on a life of their own and begun to mutate). Even Dear Abby
|
||
has been powerless to make it stop!
|
||
What does any of this have to do with the Net? The Craig letter
|
||
seems to pop up on Usenet as often as it does on cork boards at major
|
||
corporations. No matter how many times somebody like Gene Spafford
|
||
posts periodic messages to ignore them or spend your money on something
|
||
more sensible (a donation to the local Red Cross, say), somebody
|
||
manages to post a letter asking readers to send cards to poor little
|
||
Craig.
|
||
Don't send any cards to the Federal Communications Commission,
|
||
either.
|
||
In 1987, the FCC considered removing a tax break it had granted
|
||
CompuServe and other large commercial computer networks for use of the
|
||
national phone system. The FCC quickly reconsidered after alarmed users
|
||
of bulletin-board systems bombarded it with complaints about this "modem
|
||
tax."
|
||
Now, every couple of months, somebody posts an "urgent" message
|
||
warning Net users that the FCC is about to impose a modem tax. This is
|
||
NOT true. The way you can tell if you're dealing with the hoax story
|
||
is simple: it ALWAYS mentions an incident in which a talk-show host on
|
||
KGO radio in San Francisco becomes outraged on the air when he reads a
|
||
story about the tax in the New York Times.
|
||
Another way to tell it's not true is that it never mentions a
|
||
specific FCC docket number or closing date for comments.
|
||
Save that letter to your congressman for something else.
|
||
Sooner or later, you're going to run into a message titled "Make
|
||
Money Fast." It's your basic chain letter. The Usenet version is always
|
||
about some guy named Dave Rhodes who was on the verge of death, or
|
||
something, when he discovered a perfectly legal way to make tons of money
|
||
-- by posting a chain letter on computer systems around the world. Yeah,
|
||
right.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.5 BIG SIG
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are .sigs and there are .sigs. Many people put only bare-bones
|
||
information in their .sig files -- their names and e-mail addresses,
|
||
perhaps their phone numbers. Others add a quotation they think is funny or
|
||
profound and a disclaimer that their views are not those of their employer.
|
||
Still others add some ASCII-art graphics. And then there are
|
||
those who go totally berserk, posting huge creations with multiple quotes,
|
||
hideous ASCII "barfics" and more e-mail addresses than anybody could
|
||
humanly need. College freshmen unleashed on the Net seem to excel at
|
||
these. You can see the best of the worst in the alt.fan.warlord
|
||
newsgroup, which exists solely to critique .sigs that go too far, such as:
|
||
|
||
|
||
___________________________________________________________________________
|
||
|#########################################################################|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#| ***** * * ***** * * ***** ***** ***** |#|
|
||
|#| * * * * ** ** * * * * |#|
|
||
|#| * ****** *** * * * *** * ** ***** ***** |#|
|
||
|#| * * * * * * * * * * * |#|
|
||
|#| * * * ***** * * ***** ***** * * |#|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#| **** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** |#|
|
||
|#| * ** * * * * * * * * |#|
|
||
|#| **** * * ** ***** * * ** * * * |#|
|
||
|#| * ** * * * ** * * * * * * * |#|
|
||
|#| **** ***** ***** ** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** |#|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#| T-H-E M-E-G-A B-I-G .S-I-G C-O-M-P-A-N-Y |#|
|
||
|#| ~-----------------------------~ |#|
|
||
|#| "Annoying people with huge net.signatures for over 20 years..." |#|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#|---------------------------------------------------------------------|#|
|
||
|#| "The difference between a net.idiot and a bucket of shit is that at |#|
|
||
|#| least a bucket can be emptied. Let me further illustrate my point |#|
|
||
|#| by comparing these charts here. (pulls out charts) Here we have a |#|
|
||
|#| user who not only flames people who don't agree with his narrow- |#|
|
||
|#| minded drivel, but he has this huge signature that takes up many |#|
|
||
|#| pages with useless quotes. This also makes reading his frequented |#|
|
||
|#| newsgroups a torture akin to having at 300 baud modem on a VAX. I |#|
|
||
|#| might also add that his contribution to society rivals only toxic |#|
|
||
|#| dump sites." |#|
|
||
|#| -- Robert A. Dumpstik, Jr |#|
|
||
|#| President of The Mega Big Sig Company |#|
|
||
|#| September 13th, 1990 at 4:15pm |#|
|
||
|#| During his speech at the "Net.abusers |#|
|
||
|#| Society Luncheon" during the |#|
|
||
|#| "1990 Net.idiots Annual Convention" |#|
|
||
|#|_____________________________________________________________________|#|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#| Thomas Babbit, III: 5th Assistant to the Vice President of Sales |#|
|
||
|#| __ |#|
|
||
|#| ========== ______ Digital Widget Manufacturing Co. |#|
|
||
|#| \\ / 1147 Complex Incorporated Drive |#|
|
||
|#| )-======= Suite 215 |#|
|
||
|#| Nostromo, VA 22550-1147 |#|
|
||
|#| #NC-17 Enterpoop Ship :) Phone # 804-844-2525 |#|
|
||
|#| ---------------- Fax # 804-411-1115 |#|
|
||
|#| "Shut up, Wesley!" Online Service # 804-411-1100 |#|
|
||
|#| -- Me at 300-2400, and now 9600 baud! |#|
|
||
|#| PUNet: tbabb!digwig!nostromo |#|
|
||
|#| Home address: InterNet: dvader@imperial.emp.com |#|
|
||
|#| Thomas Babbit, III Prodigy: Still awaiting author- |#|
|
||
|#| 104 Luzyer Way ization |#|
|
||
|#| Sulaco, VA 22545 "Manufacturing educational widget |#|
|
||
|#| Phone # 804-555-1524 design for over 3 years..." |#|
|
||
|#|=====================================================================|#|
|
||
|#| |#|
|
||
|#| Introducing: |#|
|
||
|#| ______ |#|
|
||
|#| The |\ /| / |#|
|
||
|#| | \/ | / |#|
|
||
|#| | | / |#|
|
||
|#| | | / |#|
|
||
|#| | | ETELHED /_____ ONE |#|
|
||
|#|'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'|#|
|
||
|#| 50Megs Online! The k00l BBS for rad teens! Lots of games and many |#|
|
||
|#| bases for kul topix! Call now and be validated to the Metelhed Zone|#|
|
||
|#| -- 804-555-8500 -- |#|
|
||
|#|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\V/////////////////////////////////////|#|
|
||
|#| "This is the end, my friend..." -- The Doors |#|
|
||
|#########################################################################|
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Hit "b" to continue
|
||
|
||
Hahahha... fooled u!
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.6 THE FIRST AMENDMENT AS LOCAL ORDINANCE
|
||
|
||
|
||
Usenet's international reach raises interesting legal questions that
|
||
have yet to be fully resolved. Can a discussion or posting that is legal
|
||
in one country be transmitted to a country where it is against the law?
|
||
Does the posting even become illegal when it reaches the border? And
|
||
what if that country is the only path to a third country where the
|
||
message is legal as well? Several foreign colleges and other
|
||
institutions have cut off feeds of certain newsgroups where Americans
|
||
post what is, in the U.S., perfectly legal discussions of drugs or
|
||
alternative sexual practices. Even in the U.S., some universities have
|
||
discontinued certain newsgroups their administrators find offensive,
|
||
again, usually in the alt. hierarchy.
|
||
An interesting example of this sort of question happened in 1993,
|
||
when a Canadian court issued a gag order on Canadian reporters covering a
|
||
particularly controversial murder case. Americans, not bound by the gag
|
||
order, began posting accounts of the trial -- which any Canadian with a
|
||
Net account could promptly read.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.7 USENET HISTORY
|
||
|
||
|
||
In the late 1970s, Unix developers came up with a new feature: a
|
||
system to allow Unix computers to exchange data over phone lines.
|
||
In 1979, two graduate students at Duke University in North
|
||
Carolina, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis, came up with the idea of using
|
||
this system, known as UUCP (for Unix-to-Unix CoPy), to distribute
|
||
information of interest to people in the Unix community. Along with
|
||
Steve Bellovin, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina
|
||
and Steve Daniel, they wrote conferencing software and linked together
|
||
computers at Duke and UNC.
|
||
Word quickly spread and by 1981, a graduate student at Berkeley,
|
||
Mark Horton and a nearby high school student, Matt Glickman, had
|
||
released a new version that added more features and was able to handle
|
||
larger volumes of postings -- the original North Carolina program was
|
||
meant for only a few articles in a newsgroup each day.
|
||
Today, Usenet connects tens of thousands of sites around the world,
|
||
from mainframes to Amigas. With more than 3,000 newsgroups and untold
|
||
thousands of readers, it is perhaps the world's largest computer
|
||
network.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.8 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
|
||
* When you start up rn, you get a "warning" that "bogus
|
||
newsgroups" are present.
|
||
Within a couple of minutes, you'll be asked whether to keep these or
|
||
delete them. Delete them. Bogus newsgroups are newsgroups that your
|
||
system administrator or somebody else has determined are no longer
|
||
needed.
|
||
* While in a newsgroup in rn, you get a message: "skipping
|
||
unavailable article."
|
||
This is usually an article that somebody posted and then decided to
|
||
cancel.
|
||
* You upload a text file to your Unix host system for use in a
|
||
Usenet message or e-mail, and when you or your recipient reads the file,
|
||
every line ends with a ^M.
|
||
This happens because Unix handles line endings differently than MS-
|
||
DOS or Macintosh computers. Most Unix systems have programs to convert
|
||
incoming files from other computers. To use it, upload your file and
|
||
then, at your command line, type
|
||
|
||
dos2unix filename filename or
|
||
|
||
mac2unix filename filename
|
||
|
||
depending on which kind of computer you are using and where filename is
|
||
the name of the file you've just uploaded. A similar program can prepare
|
||
text files for downloading to your computer, for example:
|
||
|
||
unix2dos filename filename or
|
||
unix2mac filename filename
|
||
|
||
will ensure that a text file you are about to get will not come out
|
||
looking odd on your computer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4.9 FYI
|
||
|
||
|
||
Leanne Phillips periodically posts a list of frequently asked
|
||
questions (and answers) about use of the rn killfile function in the
|
||
news.newusers.questions and news.answers newsgroups on Usenet. Bill
|
||
Wohler posts a guide to using the nn newsreader in the news.answers and
|
||
news.software newsgroups. Look in the news.announce.newusers and
|
||
news.groups newsgroups on Usenet for "A Guide to Social Newsgroups and
|
||
Mailing Lists,'' which gives brief summaries of the various soc.
|
||
newsgroups.
|
||
"Managing UUCP and Usenet,' by Tim O'Reilly and Grace Todino
|
||
(O'Reilly & Associates, 1992) is a good guide for setting up your own
|
||
Usenet system.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 5: MAILING LISTS AND BITNET
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
5.1 INTERNET MAILING LISTS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Usenet is not the only forum on the Net. Scores of "mailing
|
||
lists" represent another way to interact with other Net users.
|
||
Unlike Usenet messages, which are stored in one central location on
|
||
your host system's computer, mailing-list messages are delivered right
|
||
to your e-mail box, unlike Usenet messages.
|
||
You have to ask for permission to join a mailing list. Unlike
|
||
Usenet, where your message is distributed to the world, on a mailing
|
||
list, you send your messages to a central moderator, who either re-mails
|
||
it to the other people on the list or uses it to compile a periodic
|
||
"digest" mailed to subscribers.
|
||
Given the number of newsgroups, why would anybody bother with a
|
||
mailing list?
|
||
Even on Usenet, there are some topics that just might not generate
|
||
enough interest for a newsgroup; for example, the Queen list, which is
|
||
all about the late Freddie Mercury's band.
|
||
And because a moderator decides who can participate, a mailing list
|
||
can offer a degree of freedom to speak one's mind (or not worry about
|
||
net.weenies) that is not necessarily possible on Usenet. Several
|
||
groups offer anonymous postings -- only the moderator knows the real
|
||
names of people who contribute. Examples include 12Step, where people
|
||
enrolled in such programs as Alcoholics Anonymous can discuss their
|
||
experiences, and sappho, a list limited to gay and bisexual women.
|
||
You can find mailing addresses and descriptions of these lists
|
||
in the news.announce.newusers newsgroup with the subject of "Publicly
|
||
Accessible Mailing Lists." Mailing lists now number in the hundreds,
|
||
so this posting is divided into three parts.
|
||
If you find a list to which you want to subscribe, send an e-
|
||
mail message to
|
||
|
||
list-request@address
|
||
|
||
where "list" is the name of the mailing list and "address" is the
|
||
moderator's e-mail address, asking to be added to the list. Include
|
||
your full e-mail address just in case something happens to your
|
||
message's header along the way, and ask, if you're accepted, for the
|
||
address to mail messages to the list.
|
||
|
||
|
||
5.2 BITNET
|
||
|
||
|
||
As if Usenet and mailing lists were not enough, there are Bitnet
|
||
"discussion groups" or "lists."
|
||
Bitnet is an international network linking colleges and
|
||
universities, but it uses a different set of technical protocols for
|
||
distributing information from the Internet or Usenet. It offers hundreds
|
||
of discussion groups, comparable in scope to Usenet newsgroups.
|
||
One of the major differences is the way messages are
|
||
distributed. Bitnet messages are sent to your mailbox, just as with a
|
||
mailing list. However, where mailing lists are often maintained by a
|
||
person, all Bitnet discussion groups are automated -- you subscribe to
|
||
them through messages to a "listserver" computer. This is a kind of
|
||
robot moderator that controls distribution of messages on the list. In
|
||
many cases, it also maintains indexes and archives of past postings in a
|
||
given discussion group, which can be handy if you want to get up to
|
||
speed with a discussion or just search for some information related to
|
||
it.
|
||
Many Bitnet discussion groups are now "translated" into Usenet
|
||
form and carried through Usenet in the bit.listserv hierarchy. In
|
||
general, it's probably better to read messages through Usenet if you
|
||
can. It saves some storage space on your host system's hard drives.
|
||
If 50 people subscribe to the same Bitnet list, that means 50
|
||
copies of each message get stored on the system; whereas if 50 people
|
||
read a Usenet message, that's still only one message that needs storage
|
||
on the system. It can also save your sanity if the discussion group
|
||
generates large numbers of messages. Think of opening your e-mailbox
|
||
one day to find 200 messages in it -- 199 of them from a discussion
|
||
group and one of them a "real" e-mail message that's important to you.
|
||
Subscribing and canceling subscriptions is done through an e-
|
||
mail message to the listserver computer. For addressing, all
|
||
listservers are known as "listserv" (yep) at some Bitnet address.
|
||
This means you will have to add ".bitnet" to the end of the
|
||
address, if it's in a form like this: listserv@miamiu. For example, if
|
||
you have an interest in environmental issues, you might want to
|
||
subscribe to the Econet discussion group. To subscribe, send an e-mail
|
||
message to
|
||
|
||
listserv@miamiu.bitnet
|
||
|
||
Some Bitnet listservers are also connected to the Internet, so if you
|
||
see a listserver address ending in ".edu", you can e-mail the
|
||
listserver without adding ".bitnet" to the end.
|
||
Always leave the "subject:" line blank in a message to a
|
||
listserver. Inside the message, you tell the listserver what you
|
||
want, with a series of simple commands:
|
||
|
||
subscribe group Your Name To subscribe to a list, where "group"
|
||
is the list name and "Your Name" is
|
||
your full name, for example:
|
||
subscribe econet Henry Fielding
|
||
|
||
unsubscribe group Your Name To discontinue a group, for example:
|
||
unsubscribe econet Henry Fielding
|
||
|
||
list global This sends you a list of all available
|
||
Bitnet discussion groups. But be careful
|
||
-- the list is VERY long!
|
||
|
||
get refcard Sends you a list of other commands you
|
||
can use with a listserver, such as
|
||
commands for retrieving past postings
|
||
from a discussion group.
|
||
|
||
Each of these commands goes on a separate line in your message
|
||
(and you can use one or all of them). If you want to get a list of
|
||
all Bitnet discussion groups, send e-mail to
|
||
|
||
listserv@bitnic.educom.edu
|
||
|
||
Leave the "subject:" line blank and use the list global command.
|
||
When you subscribe to a Bitnet group, there are two important
|
||
differences from Usenet.
|
||
First, when you want to post a message for others to read in the
|
||
discussion group, you send a message to the group name at its Bitnet
|
||
address. Using Econet as an example, you would mail the message to:
|
||
|
||
econet@miamiu.bitnet
|
||
|
||
Note that this is different from the listserv address you used to
|
||
subscribe to the group to begin with. Use the listserv address ONLY
|
||
to subscribe to or unsubscribe from a discussion group. If you use the
|
||
discussion-group address to try to subscribe or unsubscribe, your message
|
||
will go out to every other subscriber, many of whom will think unkind
|
||
thoughts, which they may share with you in an e-mail message).
|
||
The second difference relates to sending an e-mail message to the
|
||
author of a particular posting. Usenet newsreaders such as rn and nn
|
||
let you do this with one key. But if you hit your R key to respond to
|
||
a discussion-group message, your message will go to the listserver,
|
||
and from there to everybody else on the list! This can prove
|
||
embarrassing to you and annoying to others. To make sure your
|
||
message goes just to the person who wrote the posting, take down his
|
||
e-mail address from the posting and then compose a brand-new message.
|
||
Remember, also, that if you see an e-mail address like IZZY@INDYVMS, it's
|
||
a Bitnet address.
|
||
Two Bitnet lists will prove helpful for delving further into the
|
||
network. NEW-LIST tells you the names of new discussion groups. To
|
||
subscribe, send a message to listserv@ndsuvm1.bitnet:
|
||
|
||
sub NEW-LIST Your Name
|
||
|
||
INFONETS is the place to go when you have questions about Bitnet.
|
||
It is also first rate for help on questions about all major computer
|
||
networks and how to reach them. To subscribe, send e-mail to info-nets-
|
||
request@think.com:
|
||
|
||
sub INFONETS Your Name
|
||
|
||
Both of these lists are also available on Usenet, the former as
|
||
bit.listserv.new-list; the latter as bit.listserv.infonets (sometimes
|
||
bit.listserv.info-nets).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 6: TELNET
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.1 MINING THE NET
|
||
|
||
|
||
Like any large community, cyberspace has its libraries, places you
|
||
can go to look up information or take out a good book. Telnet is one of
|
||
your keys to these libraries.
|
||
Telnet is a program that lets you use the power of the Internet to
|
||
connect you to databases, library catalogs, and other information
|
||
resources around the world. Want to see what the weather's like in
|
||
Vermont? Check on crop conditions in Azerbaijan? Get more information
|
||
about somebody whose name you've seen online? Telnet lets you do this,
|
||
and more.
|
||
Alas, there's a big "but!'' Unlike the phone system, Internet is not
|
||
yet universal; not everybody can use all of its services. Almost all
|
||
colleges and universities on the Internet provide telnet access. So do
|
||
all of the for-fee public-access systems listed in Chapter 1. But the
|
||
Free-Net systems do not give you access to every telnet system. And if
|
||
you are using a public-access UUCP or Usenet site, you will not have
|
||
access to telnet. The main reason for this is cost. Connecting to the
|
||
Internet can easily cost $1,000 or more for a leased, high-speed phone
|
||
line. Some databases and file libraries can be queried by e-mail,
|
||
however; we'll show you how to do that later on. In the meantime, the
|
||
rest of this chapter assumes you are connected to a site with at least
|
||
partial Internet access.
|
||
Most telnet sites are fairly easy to use and have online help systems.
|
||
Most also work best (and in some cases, only) with VT100 emulation.
|
||
Let's dive right in and try one.
|
||
At your host system's command line, type
|
||
|
||
telnet access.usask.ca
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. That's all you have to do to connect to a telnet site!
|
||
In this case, you'll be connecting to a service known as Hytelnet, which
|
||
is a database of computerized library catalogs and other databases
|
||
available through telnet. You should see something like this:
|
||
|
||
Trying 128.233.3.1 ...
|
||
Connected to access.usask.ca.
|
||
Escape character is '^]'.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Ultrix UNIX (access.usask.ca)
|
||
|
||
login:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Every telnet site has two addresses -- one composed of words that
|
||
are easier for people to remember; the other a numerical address better
|
||
suited for computers. The "escape character" is good to remember. When
|
||
all else fails, hitting your control key and the ] key at the same time
|
||
will disconnect you and return you to your host system. At the login
|
||
prompt, type
|
||
|
||
hytelnet
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
Welcome to HYTELNET
|
||
version 6.2
|
||
...................
|
||
|
||
What is HYTELNET? <WHATIS> . Up/Down arrows MOVE
|
||
Library catalogs <SITES1> . Left/Right arrows SELECT
|
||
Other resources <SITES2> . ? for HELP anytime
|
||
Help files for catalogs <OP000> .
|
||
Catalog interfaces <SYS000> . m returns here
|
||
Internet Glossary <GLOSSARY> . q quits
|
||
Telnet tips <TELNET> .
|
||
Telnet/TN3270 escape keys <ESCAPE.KEY> .
|
||
Key-stroke commands <HELP.TXT> .
|
||
|
||
|
||
........................
|
||
HYTELNET 6.2 was written by Peter Scott,
|
||
U of Saskatchewan Libraries, Saskatoon, Sask, Canada. 1992
|
||
Unix and VMS software by Earl Fogel, Computing Services, U of S 1992
|
||
|
||
The first choice, "<WHATIS>" will be highlighted. Use your down
|
||
and up arrows to move the cursor among the choices. Hit enter when you
|
||
decide on one. You'll get another menu, which in turn will bring up
|
||
text files telling you how to connect to sites and giving any special
|
||
commands or instructions you might need. Hytelnet does have one quirk.
|
||
To move back to where you started (for example, from a sub-menu to a
|
||
main menu), hit the left-arrow key on your computer.
|
||
Play with the system. You might want to turn on your computer's
|
||
screen-capture, or at the very least, get out a pen and paper. You're
|
||
bound to run across some interesting telnet services that you'll want to
|
||
try -- and you'll need their telnet "addresses.''
|
||
As you move around Hytelnet, it may seem as if you haven't left
|
||
your host system -- telnet can work that quickly. Occasionally, when
|
||
network loads are heavy, however, you will notice a delay between the
|
||
time you type a command or enter a request and the time the remote
|
||
service responds.
|
||
To disconnect from Hytelnet and return to your system, hit your q
|
||
key and enter.
|
||
Some telnet computers are set up so that you can only access them
|
||
through a specific "port." In those cases, you'll always see a number
|
||
after their name, for example: india.colorado.edu 13. It's important to
|
||
include that number, because otherwise, you may not get in.
|
||
In fact, try the above address. Type
|
||
|
||
telnet india.colorado.edu 13
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You should see something like this:
|
||
|
||
Trying 128.138.140.44 ...
|
||
|
||
Followed very quickly by this:
|
||
|
||
telnet india.colorado.edu 13
|
||
|
||
Escape character is '^]'.
|
||
Sun Jan 17 14:11:41 1994
|
||
Connection closed by foreign host.
|
||
|
||
|
||
What we want is the middle line, which tells you the exact
|
||
Mountain Standard Time, as determined by a government-run atomic clock
|
||
in Boulder, Colo.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.2 LIBRARY CATALOGS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Several hundred libraries around the world, from the Snohomish
|
||
Public Library in Washington State to the Library of Congress are now
|
||
available to you through telnet. You can use Hytelnet to find their
|
||
names, telnet addresses and use instructions.
|
||
Why would you want to browse a library you can't physically get to?
|
||
Many libraries share books, so if yours doesn't have what you're looking
|
||
for, you can tell the librarian where he or she can get it. Or if you live
|
||
in an area where the libraries are not yet online, you can use telnet to do
|
||
some basic bibliographic research before you head down to the local branch.
|
||
There are several different database programs in use by online
|
||
libraries. Harvard's is one of the easier ones to use, so let's try it.
|
||
Telnet to hollis.harvard.edu. When you connect, you'll see:
|
||
|
||
|
||
***************** H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y
|
||
***************** OFFICE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
|
||
*** *** ***
|
||
*** VE *** RI ***
|
||
*** *** *** HOLLIS (Harvard OnLine LIbrary System)
|
||
***** *****
|
||
**** TAS **** HUBS (Harvard University Basic Services)
|
||
*** ***
|
||
***** IU (Information Utility)
|
||
***
|
||
CMS (VM/CMS Timesharing Service)
|
||
|
||
|
||
** HOLLIS IS AVAILABLE WITHOUT ACCESS RESTRICTIONS **
|
||
Access to other applications is limited to individuals who have been
|
||
granted specific permission by an authorized person.
|
||
|
||
To select one of the applications above, type its name on the command
|
||
line followed by your user ID, and press RETURN.
|
||
** HOLLIS DOES NOT REQUIRE A USERID **
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLES: HOLLIS (press RETURN) or HUBS userid (press RETURN)
|
||
===>
|
||
|
||
Type
|
||
|
||
hollis
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see several screens flash by quickly until finally the
|
||
system stops and you'll get this:
|
||
|
||
WELCOME TO HOLLIS
|
||
(Harvard OnLine Library Information System)
|
||
|
||
To begin, type one of the 2-character database codes listed below:
|
||
|
||
HU Union Catalog of the Harvard libraries
|
||
OW Catalog of Older Widener materials
|
||
LG Guide to Harvard Libraries and Computing Resources
|
||
|
||
AI Expanded Academic Index (selective 1987-1988, full 1989- )
|
||
LR Legal Resource Index (1980- )
|
||
PA PAIS International (1985- )
|
||
|
||
To change databases from any place in HOLLIS, type CHOOSE followed by a
|
||
2-character database code, as in: CHOOSE HU
|
||
|
||
For general help in using HOLLIS, type HELP. For HOLLIS news, type
|
||
HELP NEWS. For HOLLIS hours of operation, type HELP HOURS.
|
||
|
||
ALWAYS PRESS THE ENTER OR RETURN KEY AFTER TYPING YOUR COMMAND
|
||
|
||
The first thing to notice is the name of the system: Hollis.
|
||
Librarians around the world seem to be inordinately found of cutesy,
|
||
anthropomorphized acronyms for their machines (not far from Harvard, the
|
||
librarians at Brandeis University came up with Library On-Line User
|
||
Information Service, or Louis; MIT has Barton).
|
||
If you want to do some general browsing, probably the best bet on the
|
||
Harvard system is to choose HU, which gets you access to their main
|
||
holdings, including those of its medical libraries. Choose that, and you'll
|
||
see this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY UNION CATALOG
|
||
|
||
To begin a search, select a search option from the list below and type its
|
||
code on the command line. Use either upper or lower case.
|
||
|
||
AU Author search
|
||
TI Title search
|
||
SU Subject search
|
||
ME Medical subject search
|
||
KEYWORD Keyword search options
|
||
CALL Call number search options
|
||
OTHER Other search options
|
||
|
||
For information on the contents of the Union Catalog, type HELP.
|
||
To exit the Union Catalog, type QUIT.
|
||
|
||
A search can be entered on the COMMAND line of any screen.
|
||
|
||
ALWAYS PRESS THE ENTER OR RETURN KEY AFTER TYPING YOUR COMMAND.
|
||
|
||
Say you want to see if Harvard has shed the starchy legacy of the
|
||
Puritans, who founded the school. Why not see if they have "The Joy of
|
||
Sex" somewhere in their stacks? Type
|
||
|
||
TI Joy of Sex
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This comes up:
|
||
|
||
HU: YOUR SEARCH RETRIEVED NO ITEMS. Enter new command or HELP. You typed:
|
||
TI JOY OF SEX
|
||
*******************************************************************************
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
ALWAYS PRESS THE ENTER OR RETURN KEY AFTER TYPING YOUR COMMAND.
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
OPTIONS: FIND START - search options HELP
|
||
QUIT - exit database
|
||
COMMAND?
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Oh, well! Do they have anything that mentions "sex" in the title? Try
|
||
another TI search, but this time just: TI sex. You get:
|
||
|
||
HU GUIDE: SUMMARY OF SEARCH RESULTS 2086 items retrieved by your search:
|
||
FIND TI SEX
|
||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
1 SEX
|
||
2 SEX A
|
||
823 SEXA
|
||
827 SEXBO
|
||
831 SEXCE
|
||
833 SEXDR
|
||
834 SEXE
|
||
879 SEXIE
|
||
928 SEXJA
|
||
929 SEXLE
|
||
930 SEXO
|
||
965 SEXPI
|
||
968 SEXT
|
||
1280 SEXUA
|
||
2084 SEXWA
|
||
2085 SEXY
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
OPTIONS: INDEX (or I 5 etc) to see list of items HELP
|
||
START - search options
|
||
REDO - edit search QUIT - exit database
|
||
COMMAND?
|
||
|
||
If you want to get more information on the first line, type 1 and hit enter:
|
||
|
||
HU INDEX: LIST OF ITEMS RETRIEVED 2086 items retrieved by your search:
|
||
FIND TI SEX
|
||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
SEX
|
||
1 geddes patrick sir 1854 1932/ 1914 bks
|
||
|
||
SEX A Z
|
||
2 goldenson robert m/ 1987 bks
|
||
|
||
SEX ABUSE HYSTERIA SALEM WITCH TRIALS REVISITED
|
||
3 gardner richard a/ 1991 bks
|
||
|
||
SEX AETATES MUNDI ENGLISH AND IRISH
|
||
4 irish sex aetates mundi/ 1983 bks
|
||
|
||
SEX AFTER SIXTY A GUIDE FOR MEN AND WOMEN FOR THEIR LATER YEARS
|
||
5 butler robert n 1927/ 1976 bks
|
||
|
||
|
||
------------------------------------------------------ (CONTINUES) ------------
|
||
OPTIONS: DISPLAY 1 (or D 5 etc) to see a record HELP
|
||
GUIDE MORE - next page START - search options
|
||
REDO - edit search QUIT - exit database
|
||
COMMAND?
|
||
|
||
|
||
Most library systems give you a way to log off and return to your host
|
||
system. On Hollis, hit escape followed by
|
||
|
||
xx
|
||
|
||
One particularly interesting system is the one run by the Colorado
|
||
Alliance of Research Libraries, which maintains databases for libraries
|
||
throughout Colorado, the West and even in Boston.
|
||
Telnet pac.carl.org.
|
||
Follow the simple log-in instructions. When you get a menu, type 72
|
||
(even though that is not listed), which takes you to the Pikes Peak Library
|
||
District, which serves the city of Colorado Springs.
|
||
Several years ago, its librarians realized they could use their
|
||
database program not just for books but for cataloging city records and
|
||
community information, as well. Today, if you want to look up municipal
|
||
ordinances or city records, you only have to type in the word you're
|
||
looking for and you'll get back cites of the relevant laws or decisions.
|
||
Carl will also connect you to the University of Hawaii library, which,
|
||
like the one in Colorado Springs, has more than just bibliographic material
|
||
online. One of its features is an online Hawaiian almanac that can tell
|
||
you everything you ever wanted to know about Hawaiians, including the
|
||
number injured in boogie-board accidents each year (seven).
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.3 SOME INTERESTING TELNET SITES
|
||
|
||
|
||
AGRICULTURE
|
||
|
||
PENPages, run by Pennsylvania State University's College of
|
||
Agricultural Sciences, provides weekly world weather and crop reports
|
||
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These reports detail
|
||
everything from the effect of the weather on palm trees in Malaysia to
|
||
the state of the Ukrainian wheat crop. Reports from Pennsylvania
|
||
country extension officers offer tips for improving farm life. One
|
||
database lists Pennsylvania hay distributors by county -- and rates
|
||
the quality of their hay!
|
||
The service lets you search for information two different ways. A
|
||
menu system gives you quick access to reports that change frequently,
|
||
such as the weekly crop/weather reports. An index system lets you
|
||
search through several thousand online documents by keyword. At the
|
||
main menu, you can either browse through an online manual or choose
|
||
"PENPages,'' which puts you into the agriculture system.
|
||
Telnet: psupen.psu.edu
|
||
User name: Your 2-letter state code or WORLD
|
||
|
||
California State University's Advanced Technology Information
|
||
Network provides similar information as PENPages, only focusing on
|
||
California crops. It also maintains lists of upcoming California trade
|
||
shows and carries updates on biotechnology.
|
||
Telnet: caticsuf.cati.csufresno.edu
|
||
Log in: public
|
||
|
||
You will then be asked to register and will be given a user name
|
||
and password. Hit "a'' at the main menu for agricultural information.
|
||
Hit "d'' to call up a menu that includes a biweekly biotechnology
|
||
report.
|
||
|
||
|
||
AIDS
|
||
|
||
The University of Miami maintains a database of AIDS health
|
||
providers in southern Florida.
|
||
Telnet: callcat.med.miami.edu
|
||
Log in: library
|
||
|
||
At the main menu, select P (for "AIDS providers" and you'll be able
|
||
to search for doctors, hospitals and other providers that care for
|
||
patients with AIDS. You can also search by speciality.
|
||
|
||
See also under Conversation and Health.
|
||
|
||
|
||
AMATEUR RADIO:
|
||
|
||
The National Ham Radio Call-Sign Callbook lets you search for
|
||
American amateur operators by callsign, city, last name or Zip code. A
|
||
successful search will give you the ham's name, address, callsign,
|
||
age, type of license and when he or she got it.
|
||
Telnet: callsign.cs.buffalo.edu 2000 or ham.njit.edu 2000.
|
||
When you connect, you tell the system how you want to search and
|
||
what you're looking for. For example, if you want to search for hams
|
||
by city, you would type
|
||
|
||
city city name
|
||
|
||
and hit enter (for example: city Kankakee).
|
||
Other search choices are "call" (after which you would type a
|
||
ham's name), "name," and "zip" (which you would follow with a Zip
|
||
code). Be careful when searching for hams in a large city; there
|
||
doesn't seem to be anyway to shut off the list once it starts except
|
||
by using control-]. Otherwise, when done, type
|
||
|
||
quit
|
||
|
||
and hit enter to disconnect.
|
||
|
||
|
||
ANIMALS
|
||
|
||
See under Health.
|
||
|
||
|
||
CALCULATORS
|
||
|
||
Hewlett-Packard maintains a free service on which you can seek
|
||
advice about their line of calculators.
|
||
Telnet: hpcvbbs.cv.hp.com
|
||
No log-in is needed.
|
||
|
||
CHEMISTRY
|
||
|
||
The Electronic Periodic Table of the Elements draws the table on
|
||
your screen and then lets you look up various properties of individual
|
||
elements.
|
||
Telnet: camms2.caos.kun.nl
|
||
No password needed.
|
||
|
||
CONGRESS
|
||
|
||
The Library of Congress Information Service lets you search current
|
||
and past legislation (dating to 1982).
|
||
Telnet: locis.loc.gov
|
||
Password: none needed.
|
||
When you connect, you'll get a main menu that lets you select
|
||
from several databases, including the Library of Congress card catalog
|
||
(with book entries dating to 1978) and a database of information on
|
||
copyright laws.
|
||
For the congressional database, select the number next to its
|
||
entry and hit enter. You'll then be asked to choose which legislative year
|
||
to search. After that, a menu similar to this will come up:
|
||
|
||
***C103- THE LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION FILE FOR THE 103RD CONGRESS,
|
||
which was updated on 05/10/93 and contains 4,044 records,
|
||
is now available for your search.
|
||
|
||
CURRENCY: All information is NOT current through the above date, which is
|
||
machine generated when ANY information is added to the file.
|
||
Bill numbers, official titles, sponsors, and status (STEP) added
|
||
within 48 hours. Indexing terms and digests added later, in
|
||
some cases several weeks after the bill is added to the file.
|
||
|
||
TO START RETRIEVE to find: EXAMPLES:
|
||
SEARCH: member name --------------> retrieve rep gingrich
|
||
retrieve sen kennedy
|
||
bill number --------------> retrieve h.r. 1
|
||
subject keywords ---------> retrieve day care
|
||
|
||
FOR HELP: Type the word HELP and press the ENTER key.
|
||
|
||
|
||
READY FOR NEW COMMAND:
|
||
|
||
CONVERSATION
|
||
|
||
Communications Canada, a Canadian government agency is developing
|
||
Conversational Hypertext Access Technology (CHAT) is a system being
|
||
developed by Communications Canada to provide easy database access to
|
||
people with little or no computer experience, using what are known as
|
||
hypertext links. Instead of cryptic computer commands, users type
|
||
questions in English.
|
||
Telnet: debra.doc.ca
|
||
Log in: chat
|
||
You choose one of the three databases now online, one on AIDS, and
|
||
then ask questions in English.
|
||
Ask the AIDS database, "When was AIDS first discovered?'' and it
|
||
answers:
|
||
"The first case of AIDS in North America was diagnosed in 1979.
|
||
Before that, it existed in Africa, probably beginning in the 1950's.
|
||
AIDS was discovered in North America when a number of young men with a
|
||
history of homosexuality developed a rare type of cancer called
|
||
Kaposi's sarcoma.''
|
||
Sometimes, you do have to rephrase your question. For example,
|
||
when asked "What is the link between AIDS and drug use?'' the computer
|
||
responds:
|
||
"I know two things about drugs: the drugs that are used to treat
|
||
people with AIDS, and the risks that drug users have in getting AIDS.
|
||
Please ask about treatments or drug users.''
|
||
|
||
COPYRIGHT LAW
|
||
|
||
See under Congress.
|
||
|
||
CURRENT EVENTS
|
||
|
||
Every year, the CIA publishes a Fact Book that is essentially an
|
||
almanac of all the world's countries and international organizations,
|
||
including such information as major products, type of government and
|
||
names of its leaders. It's available for searching through the
|
||
University of Maryland Info Database.
|
||
Telnet: info.umd.edu
|
||
Choose a terminal type and hit enter (or just hit enter if you are
|
||
using VT100). At the main menu, choose the number next to "Educational
|
||
Resources." Then select the number next to "International," followed by
|
||
"Factbook." You can then search by country or agency.
|
||
This site also maintains copies of the U.S. budget, documents related
|
||
to the North American Free Trade Agreement and other government
|
||
initiatives. At the "Educational Resources" menu, select the number next to
|
||
"United States" and then the one next to "Government."
|
||
|
||
The Access Legislative Information Service lets you browse through
|
||
and look up bills before the Hawaiian legislature.
|
||
Telnet: access.uhcc.hawaii.edu
|
||
|
||
ENVIRONMENT
|
||
|
||
Envirolink is a large database and conference system about the
|
||
environment, based in Pittsburgh.
|
||
Telnet: envirolink.org
|
||
Log on: gopher
|
||
|
||
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains online
|
||
databases of materials related to hazardous waste, the Clean Lakes
|
||
program and cleanup efforts in New England. The agency plans to
|
||
eventually include cleanup work in other regions, as well. The
|
||
database is actually a computerized card catalog of EPA documents --
|
||
you can look the documents up, but you'll still have to visit your
|
||
regional EPA office to see them.
|
||
Telnet: epaibm.rtpnc.epa.gov
|
||
No password or user name is needed. At the main menu, type
|
||
|
||
public
|
||
|
||
and hit enter (there are other listed choices, but they are only for
|
||
use by EPA employees). You'll then see a one-line menu. Type
|
||
|
||
ols
|
||
|
||
and hit enter, and you'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
NET-106 Logon to TSO04 in progress.
|
||
|
||
DATABASES:
|
||
N NATIONAL CATALOG CH CHEMICAL COLL. SYSTEM
|
||
H HAZARDOUS WASTE 1 REGION I
|
||
L CLEAN LAKES
|
||
|
||
OTHER OPTIONS:
|
||
? HELP
|
||
Q QUIT
|
||
|
||
ENTER SELECTION -->
|
||
|
||
Choose one and you'll get a menu that lets you search by document
|
||
title, keyword, year of publication or corporation. After you enter
|
||
the search word and hit enter, you'll be told how many matches were
|
||
found. Hit 1 and then enter to see a list of the entries. To view
|
||
the bibliographic record for a specific entry, hit V and enter and
|
||
then type the number of the record.
|
||
|
||
The University of Michigan maintains a database of newspaper and
|
||
magazine articles related to the environment, with the emphasis on
|
||
Michigan, dating back to 1980.
|
||
Telnet: hermes.merit.edu
|
||
Host: mirlyn
|
||
Log in: meem
|
||
|
||
GEOGRAPHY
|
||
|
||
The University of Michigan Geographic Name Server can provide
|
||
basic information, such as population, latitude and longitude of U.S.
|
||
cities and many mountains, rivers and other geographic features.
|
||
Telnet: martini.eecs.umich.edu 3000
|
||
No password or user name is needed. Type in the name of a city, a
|
||
Zip code or a geographic feature and hit enter. The system doesn't like
|
||
names with abbreviations in them (for example, Mt. McKinley), so spell
|
||
them out (for example, Mount McKinley).
|
||
By typing in a town's name or zip code, you can find out a
|
||
community's county, Zip code and longitude and latitude. Not all
|
||
geographic features are yet included in the database.
|
||
|
||
GOVERNMENT
|
||
|
||
The National Technical Information Service runs a system that not
|
||
only provides huge numbers of federal documents of all sorts -- from
|
||
environmental factsheets to patent abstract -- but serves as a gateway to
|
||
dozens of other federal information systems.
|
||
Telnet: fedworld.gov
|
||
Log on as: new
|
||
|
||
See also under Congress and Current Events.
|
||
|
||
HEALTH
|
||
|
||
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration runs a database of health-
|
||
related information.
|
||
Telnet: fdabbs.fda.gov
|
||
Log in: bbs
|
||
|
||
You'll then be asked for your name and a password you want to use
|
||
in the future. After that, type
|
||
|
||
topics
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see this:
|
||
|
||
TOPICS DESCRIPTION
|
||
|
||
* NEWS News releases
|
||
* ENFORCE Enforcement Report
|
||
* APPROVALS Drug and Device Product Approvals list
|
||
* CDRH Centers for Devices and Radiological Health Bulletins
|
||
* BULLETIN Text from Drug Bulletin
|
||
* AIDS Current Information on AIDS
|
||
* CONSUMER FDA Consumer magazine index and selected articles
|
||
* SUBJ-REG FDA Federal Register Summaries by Subject
|
||
* ANSWERS Summaries of FDA information
|
||
* INDEX Index of News Releases and Answers
|
||
* DATE-REG FDA Federal Register Summaries by Publication Date
|
||
* CONGRESS Text of Testimony at FDA Congressional Hearings
|
||
* SPEECH Speeches Given by FDA Commissioner and Deputy
|
||
* VETNEWS Veterinary Medicine News
|
||
* MEETINGS Upcoming FDA Meetings
|
||
* IMPORT Import Alerts
|
||
* MANUAL On-Line User's Manual
|
||
|
||
You'll be able to search these topics by key word or
|
||
chronologically. It's probably a good idea, however, to capture a copy
|
||
of the manual, first, because the way searching works on the system is a
|
||
little odd. To capture a copy, type
|
||
|
||
manual
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. Then type
|
||
|
||
scan
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see this:
|
||
|
||
FOR LIST OF AVAILABLE TOPICS TYPE TOPICS
|
||
OR ENTER THE TOPIC YOU DESIRE ==>
|
||
|
||
MANUAL
|
||
BBSUSER
|
||
08-OCT-91
|
||
1 BBS User Manual
|
||
|
||
At this point, turn on your own computer's screen-capture or logging
|
||
function and hit your 1 key and then enter. The manual will begin to
|
||
scroll on your screen, pausing every 24 lines.
|
||
|
||
HIRING AND COLLEGE PROGRAM INFORMATION
|
||
|
||
The Federal Information Exchange in Gaithersburg, MD, runs two
|
||
systems at the same address: FEDIX and MOLIS. FEDIX offers research,
|
||
scholarship and service information for several federal agencies,
|
||
including NASA, the Department of Energy and the Federal Aviation
|
||
Administration. Several more federal agencies provide minority hiring
|
||
and scholarship information. MOLIS provides information about minority
|
||
colleges, their programs and professors.
|
||
Telnet: fedix.fie.com
|
||
User name: fedix (for the federal hiring database) or
|
||
molis (for the minority-college system)
|
||
Both use easy menus to get you to information.
|
||
|
||
HISTORY
|
||
|
||
Stanford University maintains a database of documents related to
|
||
Martin Luthor King.
|
||
Telnet: forsythetn.stanford.edu
|
||
Account: socrates
|
||
|
||
At the main menu, type
|
||
|
||
select mlk
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
|
||
SKI REPORTS
|
||
|
||
See under weather.
|
||
|
||
SPACE
|
||
|
||
NASA Spacelink in Huntsville, Ala., provides all sorts of
|
||
reports and data about NASA, its history and its various missions,
|
||
past and present. You'll find detailed reports on every single probe,
|
||
satellite and mission NASA has ever launched along with daily updates
|
||
and lesson plans for teachers.
|
||
The system maintains a large file library of GIF-format space
|
||
graphics, but you can't download these through telnet. If you want
|
||
them, you have to dial the system directly, at (205) 895-0028.
|
||
Telnet: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
|
||
When you connect, you'll be given an overview of the system and
|
||
asked to register and choose a password.
|
||
|
||
The NED-NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database lists data on more than
|
||
100,000 galaxies, quasars and other objects outside the Milky Way.
|
||
Telnet: ipac.caltech.edu.
|
||
Log in: ned
|
||
|
||
You can learn more than you ever wanted to about quasars, novae and
|
||
related objects on a system run by the Smithsonian Astrophysical
|
||
Observatory in Cambridge, Mass.
|
||
Telnet: cfa204.harvard.edu
|
||
Log in: einline
|
||
|
||
The physics department at the University of Massachusetts at
|
||
Amherst runs a bulletin-board system that provides extensive conferences
|
||
and document libraries related to space.
|
||
Telnet: spacemet.phast.umass.edu
|
||
Log on with your name and a password.
|
||
|
||
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
|
||
|
||
The University of Maryland Info Database maintains U.S. Supreme
|
||
Court decisions from 1991 on.
|
||
Telnet: info.umd.edu
|
||
Choose a terminal type and hit enter (or just hit enter if you are
|
||
using VT100). At the main menu, choose the number next to "Educational
|
||
Resources" and hit enter. One of your options will then be for "United
|
||
States." Select that number and then, at the next menu, choose the one
|
||
next to "Supreme Court."
|
||
|
||
TELNET
|
||
|
||
Hytelnet, at the University of Saskatchewan, is an online guide to
|
||
hundreds of telnet sites around the world.
|
||
Telnet: access.usask.ca
|
||
Log in: hytelnet
|
||
|
||
TIME
|
||
|
||
To find out the exact time:
|
||
|
||
Telnet: india.colorado.edu 13
|
||
|
||
You'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Escape character is '^]'.
|
||
Sun Apr 5 14:11:41 1992
|
||
Connection closed by foreign host.
|
||
|
||
The middle line tells you the date and exact Mountain Standard
|
||
Time, as determined by a federal atomic clock.
|
||
|
||
TRANSPORTATION
|
||
|
||
The Subway Navigator in Paris can help you learn how long it will
|
||
take to get from point A to point B on subway systems around the world.
|
||
Telnet: metro.jussieu.fr 10000
|
||
No log-in is needed.
|
||
When you connect, you'll be asked to choose a language in which to
|
||
search (you can choose English or French) and then a city to search.
|
||
You'll be asked for the station you plan to leave from and the station
|
||
you want to get to.
|
||
|
||
WEATHER
|
||
|
||
The University of Michigan's Department of Atmospheric, Oceanographic
|
||
and Space Sciences supplies weather forecasts for U.S. and foreign cities,
|
||
along with skiing and hurricane reports.
|
||
Telnet: madlab.sprl.umich.edu 3000 (note the 3000).
|
||
No log-in name is needed.
|
||
Also see under Weather in the FTP list for information on downloading
|
||
satellite and radar weather images.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.4 TELNET BULLETIN-BOARD SYSTEMS
|
||
|
||
|
||
You might think that Usenet, with its hundreds of newsgroups,
|
||
would be enough to satisfy the most dedicated of online communicators.
|
||
But there are a number of "bulletin-board" and other systems that
|
||
provide even more conferences or other services, many not found
|
||
directly on the Net. Some are free; others charge for access. They
|
||
include:
|
||
|
||
Bookstacks Unlimited is a Cleveland bookstore that uses the Internet
|
||
to advertise its services. Its online system features not only a catalog,
|
||
however, but conferences on books and literature.
|
||
Telnet: books.com
|
||
Log in with your own name and select a password for future connections.
|
||
|
||
Cimarron. Run by the Instituto Technical in Monterey, Mexico,
|
||
this system has Spanish conferences, but English commands, as you can
|
||
see from this menu of available conferences:
|
||
|
||
List of Boards
|
||
Name Title
|
||
General Board general
|
||
Dudas Dudas de Cimarron
|
||
Comentarios Comentarios al SYSOP
|
||
Musica Para los afinados........
|
||
Libros El sano arte de leer.....
|
||
Sistemas Sistemas Operativos en General.
|
||
Virus Su peor enemigo......
|
||
Cultural Espacio Cultural de Cimarron
|
||
NeXT El Mundo de NeXT
|
||
Ciencias Solo apto para Nerds.
|
||
Inspiracion Para los Romanticos e Inspirados.
|
||
Deportes Discusiones Deportivas
|
||
|
||
To be able to write messages and gain access to files, you have
|
||
to leave a note to SYSOP with your name, address, occupation and phone
|
||
number. To do this, at any prompt, hit your M key and then enter,
|
||
which will bring up the mail system. Hitting H brings up a list of
|
||
commands and how to use them.
|
||
Telnet: bugs.mty.itesm.mx (8 p.m. to 10 a.m., Eastern time, only).
|
||
At the "login:" prompt, type
|
||
|
||
bbs
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
|
||
Cleveland Free-Net. The first of a series of Free-nets, this
|
||
represents an ambitious attempt to bring the Net to the public.
|
||
Originally an in-hospital help network, it is now sponsored by Case
|
||
Western Reserve University, the city of Cleveland, the state of Ohio
|
||
and IBM. It uses simple menus, similar to those found on CompuServe,
|
||
but organized like a city:
|
||
|
||
<<< CLEVELAND FREE-NET DIRECTORY >>>
|
||
|
||
1 The Administration Building
|
||
2 The Post Office
|
||
3 Public Square
|
||
4 The Courthouse & Government Center
|
||
5 The Arts Building
|
||
6 Science and Technology Center
|
||
7 The Medical Arts Building
|
||
8 The Schoolhouse (Academy One)
|
||
9 The Community Center & Recreation Area
|
||
10 The Business and Industrial Park
|
||
11 The Library
|
||
12 University Circle
|
||
13 The Teleport
|
||
14 The Communications Center
|
||
15 NPTN/USA TODAY HEADLINE NEWS
|
||
------------------------------------------------
|
||
h=Help, x=Exit Free-Net, "go help"=extended help
|
||
|
||
Your Choice ==>
|
||
|
||
The system has a vast and growing collection of public documents,
|
||
from copies of U.S. and Ohio Supreme Court decisions to the Magna
|
||
Carta and the U.S. Constitution. It links residents to various
|
||
government agencies and has daily stories from USA Today. Beyond
|
||
Usenet (found in the Teleport area), it has a large collection of
|
||
local conferences on everything from pets to politics. And yes, it's
|
||
free!
|
||
Telnet: freenet-in-a.cwru.edu or
|
||
freenet-in-b.cwru.edu or
|
||
freenet-in-c.cwru.edu
|
||
|
||
When you connect to Free-Net, you can look around the system.
|
||
However, if you want to be able to post messages in its conferences or
|
||
use e-mail, you will have to apply in writing for an account.
|
||
Information on this is available when you connect.
|
||
|
||
|
||
DUBBS. This is a bulletin-board system in Delft in the
|
||
Netherlands. The conferences and files are mostly in Dutch, but the
|
||
help files and the system commands themselves are in English.
|
||
Telnet: tudrwa.tudelft.nl
|
||
|
||
|
||
ISCA BBS. Run by the Iowa Student Computer Association, it has
|
||
more than 100 conferences, including several in foreign languages.
|
||
After you register, hit K for a list of available conferences and then
|
||
J to join a particular conference (you have to type in the name of the
|
||
conference, not the number next to it). Hitting H brings up
|
||
information about commands.
|
||
Telnet bbs.isca.uiowa.edu
|
||
At the "login:" prompt, type
|
||
|
||
bbs
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
|
||
Youngstown Free-Net. The people who created Cleveland Free-Net
|
||
sell their software for $1 to anybody willing to set up a similar
|
||
system. A number of cities now have their own Free-Nets, including
|
||
Youngstown, Ohio. Telnet: yfn.ysu.edu At the "login:" prompt, type
|
||
|
||
visitor
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.5 PUTTING THE FINGER ON SOMEONE
|
||
|
||
Finger is a handy little program which lets you find out more about
|
||
people on the Net -- and lets you tell others on the Net more about
|
||
yourself.
|
||
Finger uses the same concept as telnet or ftp. But it works with
|
||
only one file, called .plan (yes, with a period in front). This is a
|
||
text file an Internet user creates with a text editor in his home
|
||
directory. You can put your phone number in there, tell a little bit
|
||
about yourself, or write almost anything at all.
|
||
To finger somebody else's .plan file, type this at the command
|
||
line:
|
||
|
||
finger email-address
|
||
|
||
where email-address is the person's e-mail address. You'll get back a
|
||
display that shows the last time the person was online, whether
|
||
they've gotten any new mail since that time and what, if anything, is
|
||
in their .plan file.
|
||
Some people and institutions have come up with creative uses for
|
||
these .plan files, letting you do everything from checking the weather
|
||
in Massachusetts to getting the latest baseball standings. Try
|
||
fingering these e-mail addresses:
|
||
|
||
weather@cirrus.mit.edu Latest National Weather Service weather
|
||
forecasts for regions in Massachusetts.
|
||
|
||
quake@geophys.washington.edu Locations and magnitudes of recent
|
||
earthquakes around the world.
|
||
|
||
jtchern@ocf.berkeley.edu Current major-league baseball standings and
|
||
results of the previous day's games.
|
||
|
||
nasanews@space.mit.edu The day's events at NASA.
|
||
|
||
coke@cs.cmu.edu See how many cans of each type of soda
|
||
are left in a particular soda machine
|
||
in the computer-science department of
|
||
Carnegie-Mellon University.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.6 FINDING SOMEONE ON THE NET
|
||
|
||
|
||
So you have a friend and you want to find out if he has an Internet
|
||
account to which you can write? The quickest way may be to just pick up
|
||
the phone, call him and ask him. Although there are a variety of "white
|
||
pages" services available on the Internet, they are far from complete --
|
||
college students, users of commercial services such as CompuServe and
|
||
many Internet public-access sites, and many others simply won't be
|
||
listed. Major e-mail providers are working on a universal directory
|
||
system, but that could be some time away.
|
||
In the meantime, a couple of "white pages" services might give you
|
||
some leads, or even just entertain you as you look up famous people or
|
||
long-lost acquaintances.
|
||
The whois directory provides names, e-mail and postal mail address
|
||
and often phone numbers for people listed in it. To use it, telnet to
|
||
|
||
internic.net
|
||
|
||
No log-on is needed. The quickest way to use it is to type
|
||
|
||
whois name
|
||
|
||
at the prompt, where "name" is the last name or organization name you're
|
||
looking for.
|
||
Another service worth trying, especially since it seems to give
|
||
beginners fewer problems, is the Knowbot Information Service reachable by
|
||
telnet at
|
||
|
||
info.cnri.reston.va.us 185
|
||
|
||
Again, no log-on is needed. This service actually searches through a
|
||
variety of other "white pages" systems, including the user directory for
|
||
MCIMail. To look for somebody, type
|
||
|
||
query name
|
||
|
||
where "name" is the last name of the person you're looking for. You can
|
||
get details of other commands by hitting a question mark at the prompt.
|
||
You can also use the knowbot system by e-mail. Start a message to
|
||
|
||
netaddress@info.cnri.reston.va.us
|
||
|
||
You can leave the "subject:" line blank. As your message, type
|
||
|
||
query name
|
||
|
||
for the simplest type of search. If you want details on more complex
|
||
searches, add another line:
|
||
|
||
man
|
||
|
||
Another way to search is via the Usenet name server. This is a
|
||
system at MIT that keeps track of the e-mail addresses of everybody who
|
||
posts a Usenet message that appears at MIT. It works by e-mail. Send a
|
||
message to
|
||
|
||
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
|
||
|
||
Leave the "subject:" line blank. As your message, write
|
||
|
||
send usenet-addresses/lastname
|
||
|
||
where "lastname" is the last name of the person you're looking for.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.7 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
* Nothing happens when you try to connect to a telnet site.
|
||
The site could be down for maintenance or problems.
|
||
* You get a "host unavailable" message. The telnet site is down
|
||
for some reason.
|
||
Try again later.
|
||
* You get a "host unknown" message.
|
||
Check your spelling of the site name.
|
||
* You type in a password on a telnet site that requires one, and
|
||
you get a "login incorrect" message.
|
||
Try logging in again. If you get the message again, hit your
|
||
control and ] keys at the same time to disengage and return to your host
|
||
system.
|
||
* You can't seem to disconnect from a telnet site.
|
||
Use control-] to disengage and return to your host system.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6.8 FYI
|
||
|
||
The Usenet newsgroups alt.internet.services and alt.bbs.internet
|
||
can provide pointers to new telnet systems. Scott Yanoff periodically
|
||
posts his "Updated Internet Services List" in the former. The
|
||
alt.bbs.internet newsgroup is also where you'll find Aydin Edguer's
|
||
compendium of FAQs related to Internet bulletin-board systems.
|
||
Peter Scott, who maintains the Hytelnet database, runs a
|
||
mailing list about new telnet services and changes in existing ones.
|
||
To get on the list, send him a note at scott@sklib.usask.ca.
|
||
Gleason Sackman maintains another mailing list dedicated to new
|
||
Internet services and news about the new uses to which the Net is being
|
||
put. To subscribe, send a message to listserv@internic.net. Leave the
|
||
"subject:" line blank, and as your message, write: Sub net-happenings
|
||
Your Name.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 7: FTP
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.1 TONS OF FILES
|
||
|
||
Hundreds of systems connected to Internet have file libraries, or
|
||
archives, accessible to the public. Much of this consists of free or low-
|
||
cost shareware programs for virtually every make of computer. If you
|
||
want a different communications program for your IBM, or feel like
|
||
playing a new game on your Amiga, you'll be able to get it from the Net.
|
||
But there are also libraries of documents as well. If you
|
||
want a copy of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, you can find it on
|
||
the Net. Copies of historical documents, from the Magna Carta to the
|
||
Declaration of Independence are also yours for the asking, along with a
|
||
translation of a telegram from Lenin ordering the execution of
|
||
rebellious peasants. You can also find song lyrics, poems, even
|
||
summaries of every "Lost in Space" episode ever made. You can also find
|
||
extensive files detailing everything you could ever possibly want to know
|
||
about the Net itself. First you'll see how to get these files; then
|
||
we'll show you where they're kept.
|
||
The commonest way to get these files is through the file transfer
|
||
protocol, or ftp. As with telnet, not all systems that connect to the
|
||
Net have access to ftp. However, if your system is one of these, you'll
|
||
be able to get many of these files through e-mail (see the next chapter).
|
||
Starting ftp is as easy as using telnet. At your host system's command
|
||
line, type
|
||
|
||
ftp site.name
|
||
|
||
and hit enter, where "site.name" is the address of the ftp site you want
|
||
to reach. One major difference between telnet and ftp is that it is
|
||
considered bad form to connect to most ftp sites during their business
|
||
hours (generally 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time). This is because
|
||
transferring files across the network takes up considerable computing
|
||
power, which during the day is likely to be needed for whatever the
|
||
computer's main function is. There are some ftp sites that are
|
||
accessible to the public 24 hours a day, though. You'll find these noted
|
||
in the list of ftp sites in section 7.6
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.2 YOUR FRIEND ARCHIE
|
||
|
||
|
||
How do you find a file you want, though?
|
||
Until a few years ago, this could be quite the pain -- there was
|
||
no master directory to tell you where a given file might be stored on
|
||
the Net. Who'd want to slog through hundreds of file libraries looking
|
||
for something?
|
||
Alan Emtage, Bill Heelan and Peter Deutsch, students at McGill
|
||
University in Montreal, asked the same question. Unlike the weather,
|
||
though, they did something about it.
|
||
They created a database system, called archie, that would
|
||
periodically call up file libraries and basically find out what they had
|
||
available. In turn, anybody could dial into archie, type in a file name,
|
||
and see where on the Net it was available. Archie currently catalogs
|
||
close to 1,000 file libraries around the world.
|
||
Today, there are three ways to ask archie to find a file for you:
|
||
through telnet, "client" Archie program on your own host system or e-
|
||
mail. All three methods let you type in a full or partial file name and
|
||
will tell you where on the Net it's stored.
|
||
If you have access to telnet, you can telnet to one of the following
|
||
addresses: archie.mcgill.ca; archie.sura.net; archie.unl.edu;
|
||
archie.ans.net; or archie.rutgers.edu. If asked for a log-in name, type
|
||
|
||
archie
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
When you connect, the key command is prog, which you use in this
|
||
form:
|
||
|
||
prog filename
|
||
|
||
followed by enter, where "filename" is the program or file you're
|
||
looking for. If you're unsure of a file's complete name, try typing in
|
||
part of the name. For example, "PKZIP" will work as well as
|
||
"PKZIP204.EXE." The system does not support DOS or Unix wildcards.
|
||
If you ask archie to look for "PKZIP*," it will tell you it couldn't
|
||
find anything by that name. One thing to keep in mind is that a file is
|
||
not necessarily the same as a program -- it could also be a document.
|
||
This means you can use archie to search for, say, everything online
|
||
related to the Beetles, as well as computer programs and graphics files.
|
||
A number of Net sites now have their own archie programs that
|
||
take your request for information and pass it onto the nearest archie
|
||
database -- ask your system administrator if she has it online. These
|
||
"client" programs seem to provide information a lot more quickly than the
|
||
actual archie itself! If it is available, at your host system's command
|
||
line, type
|
||
|
||
archie -s filename
|
||
|
||
where filename is the program or document you're looking for, and hit
|
||
enter. The -s tells the program to ignore case in a file name and lets
|
||
you search for partial matches. You might actually want to type it this
|
||
way:
|
||
|
||
archie -s filename|more
|
||
|
||
which will stop the output every screen (handy if there are many sites
|
||
that carry the file you want). Or you could open a file on your computer
|
||
with your text-logging function.
|
||
The third way, for people without access to either of the above, is e-
|
||
mail.
|
||
Send a message to archie@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca. You can leave the
|
||
subject line blank. Inside the message, type
|
||
|
||
prog filename
|
||
|
||
where filename is the file you're looking for. You can ask archie to
|
||
look up several programs by putting their names on the same "prog" line,
|
||
like this:
|
||
|
||
prog file1 file2 file3
|
||
|
||
Within a few hours, archie will write back with a list of the
|
||
appropriate sites.
|
||
In all three cases, if there is a system that has your file,
|
||
you'll get a response that looks something like this:
|
||
|
||
Host sumex-aim.stanford.edu
|
||
|
||
Location: /info-mac/comm
|
||
FILE -rw-r--r-- 258256 Feb 15 17:07 zterm-09.hqx
|
||
Location: /info-mac/misc
|
||
FILE -rw-r--r-- 7490 Sep 12 1991 zterm-sys7-color-icons.hqx
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chances are, you will get a number of similar looking responses
|
||
for each program. The "host" is the system that has the file. The
|
||
"Location" tells you which directory to look in when you connect to
|
||
that system. Ignore the funny-looking collections of r's and hyphens
|
||
for now. After them, come the size of the file or directory listing
|
||
in bytes, the date it was uploaded, and the name of the file.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.3 GETTING THE FILES
|
||
|
||
Now you want to get that file.
|
||
Assuming your host site does have ftp, you connect in a similar
|
||
fashion to telnet, by typing:
|
||
|
||
ftp sumex-aim.stanford.edu
|
||
|
||
(or the name of whichever site you want to reach). Hit enter. If the
|
||
connection works, you'll see this:
|
||
|
||
Connected to sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
|
||
220 SUMEX-AIM FTP server (Version 4.196 Mon Jan 13 13:52:23 PST 1992) ready.
|
||
Name (sumex-aim.stanford.edu:adamg):
|
||
|
||
If nothing happens after a minute or so, hit control-C to return
|
||
to your host system's command line. But if it has worked, type
|
||
|
||
anonymous
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see a lot of references on the Net to
|
||
"anonymous ftp." This is how it gets its name -- you don't really have
|
||
to tell the library site what your name is. The reason is that these
|
||
sites are set up so that anybody can gain access to certain public
|
||
files, while letting people with accounts on the sites to log on and
|
||
access their own personal files. Next, you'll be asked for your
|
||
password. As a password, use your e-mail address. This will then come
|
||
up:
|
||
|
||
230 Guest connection accepted. Restrictions apply.
|
||
Remote system type is UNIX.
|
||
Using binary mode to transfer files.
|
||
ftp>
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now type
|
||
|
||
ls
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll see something awful like this:
|
||
|
||
200 PORT command successful.
|
||
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.
|
||
total 2636
|
||
-rw-rw-r-- 1 0 31 4444 Mar 3 11:34 README.POSTING
|
||
dr-xr-xr-x 2 0 1 512 Nov 8 11:06 bin
|
||
-rw-r--r-- 1 0 0 11030960 Apr 2 14:06 core
|
||
dr--r--r-- 2 0 1 512 Nov 8 11:06 etc
|
||
drwxrwsr-x 5 13 22 512 Mar 19 12:27 imap
|
||
drwxr-xr-x 25 1016 31 512 Apr 4 02:15 info-mac
|
||
drwxr-x--- 2 0 31 1024 Apr 5 15:38 pid
|
||
drwxrwsr-x 13 0 20 1024 Mar 27 14:03 pub
|
||
drwxr-xr-x 2 1077 20 512 Feb 6 1989 tmycin
|
||
226 Transfer complete.
|
||
ftp>
|
||
|
||
Ack! Let's decipher this Rosetta Stone.
|
||
First, ls is the ftp command for displaying a directory (you can
|
||
actually use dir as well, but if you're used to MS-DOS, this could lead
|
||
to confusion when you try to use dir on your host system, where it won't
|
||
work, so it's probably better to just remember to always use ls for a
|
||
directory while online).
|
||
The very first letter on each line tells you whether the listing is
|
||
for a directory or a file. If the first letter is a ``d,'' or an "l",
|
||
it's a directory. Otherwise, it's a file.
|
||
The rest of that weird set of letters and dashes consist of "flags"
|
||
that tell the ftp site who can look at, change or delete the file. You
|
||
can safely ignore it. You can also ignore the rest of the line until you
|
||
get to the second number, the one just before the date. This tells you
|
||
how large the file is, in bytes. If the line is for a directory, the
|
||
number gives you a rough indication of how many items are in that
|
||
directory -- a directory listing of 512 bytes is relatively small. Next
|
||
comes the date the file or directory was uploaded, followed (finally!) by
|
||
its name.
|
||
Notice the README.POSTING file up at the top of the directory. Most
|
||
archive sites have a "read me" document, which usually contains some
|
||
basic information about the site, its resources and how to use them.
|
||
Let's get this file, both for the information in it and to see how to
|
||
transfer files from there to here. At the ftp> prompt, type
|
||
|
||
get README
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. Note that ftp sites are no different from Unix sites in
|
||
general: they are case-sensitive. You'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
200 PORT command successful.
|
||
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for README (4444 bytes).
|
||
226 Transfer complete. 4444 bytes received in 1.177seconds (3.8 Kbytes/s)
|
||
|
||
And that's it! The file is now located in your home directory on your host
|
||
system, from which you can now download it to your own computer. The
|
||
simple "get" command is the key to transferring a file from an archive
|
||
site to your host system.
|
||
If you want to download more than one file at a time (say a series
|
||
of documents, use mget instead of get; for example:
|
||
|
||
mget *.txt
|
||
|
||
This will transfer copies of every file ending with .txt in the given
|
||
directory. Before each file is copied, you'll be asked if you're sure
|
||
you want it. Despite this, mget could still save you considerable
|
||
time -- you won't have to type in every single file name. If you want to
|
||
save even more time, and are sure you really want ALL of the given files,
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
prompt
|
||
|
||
before you do the mget command. This will turn off the prompt, and all
|
||
the files will be zapped right into your home directory.
|
||
|
||
There is one other command to keep in mind. If you want to get a
|
||
copy of a computer program, type
|
||
|
||
bin
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This tells the ftp site and your host site that you are
|
||
sending a binary file, i.e., a program. Most ftp sites now use binary
|
||
format as a default, but it's a good idea to do this in case you've
|
||
connected to one of the few that doesn't.
|
||
To switch to a directory, type
|
||
|
||
cd directory-name
|
||
|
||
(substituting the name of the directory you want to access) and hit
|
||
enter. Type
|
||
|
||
ls
|
||
|
||
and hit enter to get the file listing for that particular directory.
|
||
To move back up the directory tree, type
|
||
|
||
cd ..
|
||
|
||
(note the space between the d and the first period) and hit enter. Or
|
||
you could type
|
||
|
||
cdup
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. Keep doing this until you get to the directory of
|
||
interest. Alternately, if you already know the directory path of the
|
||
file you want (from our friend archie), after you connect, you could
|
||
simply type
|
||
|
||
get directory/subdirectory/filename
|
||
|
||
On many sites, files meant for public consumption are in the pub
|
||
or public directory; sometimes you'll see an info directory.
|
||
Almost every site has a bin directory, which at first glance
|
||
sounds like a bin in which interesting stuff might be dumped. But it
|
||
actually stands for "binary" and is simply a place for the system
|
||
administrator to store the programs that run the ftp system. Lost+found
|
||
is another directory that looks interesting but actually never has
|
||
anything of public interest in them.
|
||
Before, you saw how to use archie. From our example, you can see
|
||
that some system administrators go a little berserk when naming files.
|
||
Fortunately, there's a way for you to rename the file as it's being
|
||
transferred. Using our archie example, you'd type
|
||
|
||
get zterm-sys7-color-icons.hqx zterm.hqx
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. Instead of having to deal constantly with a file called
|
||
zterm-sys7-color-icons.hqx, you'll now have one called, simply,
|
||
zterm.hqx.
|
||
Those last three letters bring up something else: Many program files
|
||
are compressed to save on space and transmission time. In order to
|
||
actually use them, you'll have to use an un-compress program on them first.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.4 ODD LETTERS -- DECODING FILE ENDINGS
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are a wide variety of compression methods in use. You can
|
||
tell which method was used by the last one to three letters at the end of
|
||
a file. Here are some of the more common ones and what you'll need to un-
|
||
compress the files they create (most of these decompression programs can
|
||
be located through archie).
|
||
|
||
.txt or .TXT By itself, this means the file is a document, rather than a
|
||
program.
|
||
|
||
.ps or .PS A PostScript document (in Adobe's page description
|
||
language). You can print this file on any PostScript
|
||
capable printer, or use a previewer, like GNU project's
|
||
GhostScript.
|
||
|
||
.doc or .DOC Another common "extension" for documents. No decompression
|
||
is needed, unless it is followed by:
|
||
|
||
.Z This indicates a Unix compression method. To uncompress,
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
uncompress filename.Z
|
||
|
||
and hit enter at your host system's command line. If the
|
||
file is a compressed text file, you can read it online by
|
||
instead typing
|
||
|
||
zcat filename.txt.Z |more
|
||
|
||
u16.zip is an MS-DOS program that will let you download
|
||
such a file and uncompress it on your own computer. The
|
||
Macintosh equivalent program is called MacCompress (use
|
||
archie to find these).
|
||
|
||
.zip or .ZIP These indicate the file has been compressed with a common
|
||
MS-DOS compression program, known as PKZIP (use archie to
|
||
find PKZIP204.EXE). Many Unix systems will let you un-ZIP
|
||
a file with a program called, well, unzip.
|
||
|
||
.gz A Unix version of ZIP. To uncompress, type
|
||
|
||
gunzip filename.gz
|
||
|
||
at your host system's command line.
|
||
|
||
.zoo or .ZOO A Unix and MS-DOS compression format. Use a program called
|
||
zoo to uncompress
|
||
|
||
.Hqx or .hqx Mactintosh compression format. Requires the BinHex program.
|
||
|
||
.shar or Another Unix format. Use unshar to uncompress.
|
||
.Shar
|
||
|
||
.tar Another Unix format, often used to compress several related
|
||
files into one large file. Most Unix systems will have a
|
||
program called tar for "un-tarring" such files. Often, a
|
||
"tarred" file will also be compressed with the gz method,
|
||
so you first have to use uncompress and then tar.
|
||
|
||
.sit or .Sit A Mactinosh format that requires the StuffIt program.
|
||
|
||
.ARC Another MS-DOS format, which requires the use of the ARC
|
||
or ARCE programs.
|
||
|
||
.LHZ Another MS-DOS format; requires the use of LHARC.
|
||
|
||
A few last words of caution: Check the size of a file before you get
|
||
it. The Net moves data at phenomenal rates of speed. But that 500,000-
|
||
byte file that gets transferred to your host system in a few seconds
|
||
could take more than an hour or two to download to your computer if
|
||
you're using a 2400-baud modem. Your host system may also have limits on
|
||
the amount of bytes you can store online at any one time. Also, although
|
||
it is really extremely unlikely you will ever get a file infected with a
|
||
virus, if you plan to do much downloading over the Net, you'd be wise to
|
||
invest in a good anti-viral program, just in case.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.5 THE KEYBOARD CABAL
|
||
|
||
|
||
System administrators are like everybody else -- they try to make
|
||
things easier for themselves. And when you sit in front of a keyboard
|
||
all day, that can mean trying everything possible to reduce the number
|
||
of keys you actually have to hit each day.
|
||
Unfortunately, that can make it difficult for the rest of us.
|
||
You've already read about bin and lost+found directories. Etc is
|
||
another seemingly interesting directory that turns out to be another
|
||
place to store files used by the ftp site itself. Again, nothing of any
|
||
real interest.
|
||
Then, once you get into the actual file libraries, you'll find that
|
||
in many cases, files will have such non-descriptive names as V1.1-
|
||
AK.TXT. The best known example is probably a set of several hundred
|
||
files known as RFCs, which provide the basic technical and
|
||
organizational information on which much of the Internet is built.
|
||
These files can be found on many ftp sites, but always in a form such as
|
||
RFC101.TXT, RFC102.TXT and so on, with no clue whatsoever as to what
|
||
information they contain.
|
||
Fortunately, almost all ftp sites have a "Rosetta Stone" to help
|
||
you decipher these names. Most will have a file named README (or some
|
||
variant) that gives basic information about the system. Then, most
|
||
directories will either have a similar README file or will have an index
|
||
that does give brief descriptions of each file. These are usually the
|
||
first file in a directory and often are in the form 00INDEX.TXT. Use
|
||
the ftp command to get this file. You can then scan it online or
|
||
download it to see which files you might be interested in.
|
||
Another file you will frequently see is called ls-lR.Z. This contains
|
||
a listing of every file on the system, but without any descriptions (the
|
||
name comes from the Unix command ls -lR, which gives you a listing of all
|
||
the files in all your directories). The Z at the end means the file has
|
||
been compressed, which means you will have to use a Unix un-compress command
|
||
before you can read the file.
|
||
And finally, we have those system administrators who almost seem to
|
||
delight in making things difficult -- the ones who take full advantage of
|
||
Unix's ability to create absurdly long file names. On some FTP sites, you
|
||
will see file names as long as 80 characters or so, full of capital letters,
|
||
underscores and every other orthographic device that will make it almost
|
||
impossible for you to type the file name correctly when you try to get it.
|
||
Your secret weapon here is the mget command. Just type mget, a space, and
|
||
the first five or six letters of the file name, followed by an asterisk, for
|
||
example:
|
||
|
||
mget This_F*
|
||
|
||
The FTP site will ask you if you want to get the file that begins with that
|
||
name. If there are several files that start that way, you might have to
|
||
answer 'n' a few times, but it's still easier than trying to recreate a
|
||
ludicrously long file name.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.6 SOME INTERESTING FTP SITES
|
||
|
||
|
||
What follows is a list of some interesting ftp sites, arranged by
|
||
category. With hundreds of ftp sites now on the Net, however, this list
|
||
barely scratches the surface of what is available. Liberal use of archie
|
||
will help you find specific files.
|
||
The times listed for each site are in Eastern time and represent
|
||
the periods during which it is considered acceptable to connect.
|
||
|
||
AMIGA
|
||
|
||
ftp.uu.net Has Amiga programs in the systems/amiga directory.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu. Look in the pub/aminet directory.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
ATARI
|
||
|
||
atari.archive.umich.edu Find almost all the Atari files you'll ever
|
||
need, in the atari directory.
|
||
7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
|
||
|
||
BOOKS
|
||
|
||
rtfm.mit.edu The pub/usenet/rec.arts.books directories has
|
||
reading lists for various authors as well as lists of recommended
|
||
bookstores in different cities. Unfortunately, this site uses incredibly
|
||
long file names -- so long they may scroll off the end of your screen if
|
||
you are using an MS-DOS or certain other computers. Even if you want
|
||
just one of the files, it probably makes more sense to use mget than get.
|
||
This way, you will be asked on each file whether you want to get it;
|
||
otherwise you may wind up frustrated because the system will keep telling
|
||
you the file you want doesn't exist (since you may miss the end of its
|
||
name due to the scrolling problem).
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu Project Gutenberg is an effort to translate
|
||
paper texts into electronic form. Already available are more than 100
|
||
titles, from works by Lewis Carrol to Mark Twain; from "A Tale of Two
|
||
Cities" to "Son of Tarzan." Look in the /etext/etext92 and
|
||
/etext/etext93 directories.
|
||
6 p.m. - 9 a.m.
|
||
|
||
COMPUTER ETHICS
|
||
|
||
ftp.eff.org The home of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Use cd
|
||
to get to the pub directory and then look in the EFF, SJG and CPSR
|
||
directories for documents on the EFF itself and various issues related to
|
||
the Net, ethics and the law.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
CONSUMER
|
||
|
||
rtfm.mit.edu The pub/usenet/misc.consumers directory has
|
||
documents related to credit. The pub/usenet/rec.travel.air directory
|
||
will tell you how to deal with airline reservation clerks, find the best
|
||
prices on seats, etc. See under Books for a caveat in using this ftp
|
||
site.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
COOKING
|
||
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu Look for recipes and recipe directories in the
|
||
usenet/rec.food.cooking/recipes directory.
|
||
|
||
gatekeeper.dec.com Recipes are in the pub/recipes directory.
|
||
|
||
ECONOMICS
|
||
|
||
neeedc.umesbs.maine.edu The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston uses
|
||
this site (yes, there are three 'e's in "neeedc") to house all sorts of
|
||
data on the New England economy. Many files contain 20 years or more of
|
||
information, usually in forms that are easily adaptable to spreadsheet or
|
||
database files. Look in the frbb directory.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
town.hall.org. Look in the edgar directory for the beginnings of a
|
||
system to distribute annual reports and other data publicly held
|
||
companies are required to file with the Securities and Exchange
|
||
Commission. The other/fed directory holds various statistical files from
|
||
the Federal Reserve Board.
|
||
|
||
FTP
|
||
|
||
iraun1.ira.uka.de Run by the computer-science department of the
|
||
University of Karlsruhe in Germany, this site offers lists of anonymous-
|
||
FTP sites both internationally (in the anon.ftp.sites directory) and in
|
||
Germany (in anon.ftp.sites.DE).
|
||
12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
|
||
|
||
ftp.netcom.com The pub/profiles directory has lists of ftp sites.
|
||
|
||
GOVERNMENT
|
||
|
||
ncsuvm.cc.ncsu.edu The SENATE directory contains bibliographic
|
||
records of U.S. Senate hearings and documents for the past several
|
||
Congresses. Get the file README.DOS9111, which will explain the cryptic
|
||
file names.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
nptn.org The General Accounting Office is the investigative wing of
|
||
Congress. The pub/e.texts/gao.reports directory represents an experiment
|
||
by the agency to use ftp to distribute its reports.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
info.umd.edu The info/Government/US/Whitehouse directory has copies
|
||
of press releases and other documents from the Clinton administration.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
leginfo.public.ca.gov This is a repository of legislative
|
||
calendars, bills and other information related to state government in
|
||
California.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
whitehouse.gov Look for copies of presidential position papers,
|
||
transcripts of press conferences and related information here.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
See also under law.
|
||
|
||
HISTORY
|
||
|
||
nptn.org This site has a large, growing collecting of text files.
|
||
In the pub/e.texts/freedom.shrine directory, you'll find copies of
|
||
important historical documents, from the Magna Carta to the Declaration
|
||
of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
ra.msstate.edu Mississippi State maintains an eclectic database of
|
||
historical documents, detailing everything from Attilla's battle strategy
|
||
to songs of soldiers in Vietnam, in the docs/history directory.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
seq1.loc.gov The Library of Congress has acquired numerous
|
||
documents from the former Soviet government and has translated many of
|
||
them into English. In the pub/soviet.archive/text.english directory,
|
||
you'll find everything from telegrams from Lenin ordering the death of
|
||
peasants to Khrushchev's response to Kennedy during the Cuban missile
|
||
crisis. The README file in the pub/soviet.archive directory provides an
|
||
index to the documents.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
HONG KONG
|
||
|
||
nok.lcs.mit.edu GIF pictures of Hong Kong pop stars, buildings
|
||
and vistas are available in the pub/hongkong/HKPA directory.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
INTERNET
|
||
|
||
ftp.eff.org The pub/Net_info directory has a number of sub-
|
||
directories containing various Internet resources guides and information
|
||
files, including the latest online version of the Big Dummy's Guide.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
nic.ddn.mil The internet-drafts directory contains information about
|
||
Internet, while the scc directory holds network security bulletins.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
LAW
|
||
|
||
info.umd.edu U.S. Supreme Court decisions from 1989 to the present
|
||
are stored in the info/Government/US/SupremeCt directory. Each term has
|
||
a separate directory (for example, term1992). Get the README and Index
|
||
files to help decipher the case numbers.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
ftp.uu.net Supreme Court decisions are in the court-opinions
|
||
directory. You'll want to get the index file, which tells you which file
|
||
numbers go with which file names. The decisions come in WordPerfect and
|
||
Atex format only.
|
||
Available 24 hours a day.
|
||
|
||
LIBRARIES
|
||
|
||
ftp.unt.edu The library directory contains numerous lists of
|
||
libraries with computerized card catalogs accessible through the Net.
|
||
|
||
LITERATURE
|
||
|
||
nptn.org In the pub/e.texts/gutenberg/etext91 and etext92
|
||
directories, you can get copies of Aesop's Fables, works by Lewis Carroll
|
||
and other works of literature, as well as the Book of Mormon.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
world.std.com The obi directory has everything from online fables
|
||
to accounts of Hiroshima survivors.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
MACINTOSH
|
||
|
||
sumex-aim.stanford.edu This is the premier site for Macintosh
|
||
software. After you log in, switch to the info-mac directory, which will
|
||
bring up a long series of sub-directories of virtually every free and
|
||
shareware Mac program you could ever want.
|
||
9 p.m. - 9 a.m.
|
||
|
||
ftp.uu.net You'll find lots of Macintosh programs in the
|
||
systems/mac/simtel20 directory.
|
||
Available 24 hours a day.
|
||
|
||
MOVIE REVIEWS
|
||
|
||
lcs.mit.edu Look in the movie-reviews directory.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
MS-DOS
|
||
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu This carries one of the world's largest
|
||
collections of MS-DOS software. The files are actually copied, or
|
||
"mirrored" from a computer at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range
|
||
(which uses ftp software that is totally incomprehensible). It also
|
||
carries large collections of Macintosh, Windows, Atari, Amiga, Unix, OS9,
|
||
CP/M and Apple II software. Look in the mirrors and systems directories.
|
||
The gif directory contains a large number of GIF graphics images.
|
||
Accessible 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
ftp.uu.net Look for MS-DOS programs and files in the
|
||
systems/msdos/simtel20 directory.
|
||
Available 24 hours a day.
|
||
|
||
MUSIC
|
||
|
||
cs.uwp.edu The pub/music directory has everything from lyrics of
|
||
contemporary songs to recommended CDs of baroque music. It's a little
|
||
different - and easier to navigate - than other ftp sites. File and
|
||
directory names are on the left, while on the right, you'll find a brief
|
||
description of the file or directory, like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
SITES 1528 Other music-related FTP archive sites
|
||
classical/ - (dir) Classical Buying Guide
|
||
database/ - (dir) Music Database program
|
||
discog/ = (dir) Discographies
|
||
faqs/ = (dir) Music Frequently Asked questions files
|
||
folk/ - (dir) Folk Music Files and pointers
|
||
guitar/ = (dir) Guitar TAB files from ftp.nevada.edu
|
||
info/ = (dir) rec.music.info archives
|
||
interviews/ - (dir) Interviews with musicians/groups
|
||
lists/ = (dir) Mailing lists archives
|
||
lyrics/ = (dir) Lyrics Archives
|
||
misc/ - (dir) Misc files that don't fit anywhere else
|
||
pictures/ = (dir) GIFS, JPEGs, PBMs and more.
|
||
press/ - (dir) Press Releases and misc articles
|
||
programs/ - (dir) Misc music-related programs for various machines
|
||
releases/ = (dir) Upcoming USA release listings
|
||
sounds/ = (dir) Short sound samples
|
||
226 Transfer complete.
|
||
ftp>
|
||
|
||
When you switch to a directory, don't include the /.
|
||
7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
|
||
|
||
potemkin.cs.pdx.edu The Bob Dylan archive. Interviews, notes,
|
||
year-by-year accounts of his life and more, in the pub/dylan directory.
|
||
9 p.m. - 9 a.m.
|
||
|
||
ftp.nevada.edu Guitar chords for contemporary songs are in the
|
||
pub/guitar directory, in subdirectories organized by group or artist.
|
||
|
||
NATIVE AMERICANS
|
||
|
||
pines.hsu.edu Home of IndianNet, this site contains a variety
|
||
of directories and files related to Indians and Eskimos, including
|
||
federal census data, research reports and a tribal profiles database.
|
||
Look in the pub and indian directories.
|
||
|
||
PETS
|
||
|
||
rtfm.mit.edu The pub/usenet/rec.pets.dogs and
|
||
pub/usenet.rec.pets.cats directories have documents on the respective
|
||
animals. See under Books for a caveat in using this ftp site.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
PICTURES
|
||
|
||
wuarchiv.wustl.edu The graphics/gif directory contains hundreds of
|
||
GIF photographic and drawing images, from cartoons to cars, space images
|
||
to pop stars. These are arranged in a long series of subdirectories.
|
||
|
||
PHOTOGRAPHY
|
||
|
||
ftp.nevada.edu Photolog is an online digest of photography news, in
|
||
the pub/photo directory.
|
||
|
||
RELIGION
|
||
|
||
nptn.org In the pub/e.texts/religion directory, you'll find
|
||
subdirectories for chapters and books of both the Bible and the Koran.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
SCIENCE FICTION
|
||
|
||
elbereth.rutgers.edu In the pub/sfl directory, you'll find plot
|
||
summaries for various science-fiction TV shows, including Star Trek (not
|
||
only the original and Next Generation shows, but the cartoon version as
|
||
well), Lost in Space, Battlestar Galactica, the Twilight Zone, the
|
||
Prisoner and Doctor Who. There are also lists of various things related
|
||
to science fiction and an online science-fiction fanzine.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
SEX
|
||
|
||
rtfm.mit.edu Look in the pub/usenet/alt.sex and
|
||
pub/usenet/alt.sex.wizards directories for documents related to all
|
||
facets of sex. See under Books for a caveat in using this ftp site.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
SHAKESPEARE
|
||
|
||
atari.archive.umich.edu The shakespeare directory contains most of
|
||
the Bard's works. A number of other sites have his works as well, but
|
||
generally as one huge mega-file. This site breaks them down into various
|
||
categories (comedies, poetry, histories, etc.) so that you can download
|
||
individual plays or sonnets.
|
||
|
||
SPACE
|
||
|
||
ames.arc.nasa.gov Stores text files about space and the history of
|
||
the NASA space program in the pub/SPACE subdirectory. In the pub/GIF
|
||
and pub/SPACE/GIF directories, you'll find astronomy- and NASA-related
|
||
GIF files, including pictures of planets, satellites and other celestial
|
||
objects.
|
||
9 p.m. - 9 a.m.
|
||
|
||
TV
|
||
|
||
coe.montana.edu The pub/TV/Guides directory has histories and other
|
||
information about dozens of TV shows. Only two anonymous-ftp log-ins are
|
||
allowed at a time, so you might have to try more than once to get in.
|
||
8 p.m. - 8 a.m.
|
||
|
||
ftp.cs.widener.edu The pub/simpsons directory has more files than
|
||
anybody could possibly need about Bart and family. The pub/strek
|
||
directory has files about the original and Next Generation shows as well
|
||
as the movies.
|
||
See also under Science Fiction.
|
||
|
||
TRAVEL
|
||
|
||
nic.stolaf.edu Before you take that next overseas trip, you might
|
||
want to see whether the State Department has issued any kind of advisory
|
||
for the countries on your itinerary. The advisories, which cover
|
||
everything from hurricane damage to civil war, are in the pub/travel-
|
||
advisories/advisories directory, arranged by country.
|
||
7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
|
||
|
||
USENET
|
||
|
||
ftp.uu.net In the usenet directory, you'll find "frequently asked
|
||
questions" files, copied from rtfm.mit.edu. The communications
|
||
directory holds programs that let MS-DOS users connect directly with UUCP
|
||
sites. In the info directory, you'll find information about ftp and ftp
|
||
sites. The inet directory contains information about Internet.
|
||
Available 24 hours.
|
||
|
||
rtfm.mit.edu This site contains all available "frequently
|
||
asked questions" files for Usenet newsgroups in the pub/usenet directory.
|
||
See under Books for a caveat in using this ftp site.
|
||
6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
|
||
|
||
VIRUSES
|
||
|
||
ftp.unt.edu The antivirus directory has anti-virus programs for MS-
|
||
DOS and Macintosh computers.
|
||
7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
|
||
|
||
WEATHER
|
||
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu The /multimedia/images/wx directory contains GIF
|
||
weather images of North America. Files are updated hourly and take this
|
||
general form: CV100222. The first two letters tell the type of file: CV
|
||
means it is a visible-light photo taken by a weather satellite. CI
|
||
images are similar, but use infrared light. Both these are in black and
|
||
white. Files that begin with SA are color radar maps of the U.S. that
|
||
show severe weather patterns but also fronts and temperatures in major
|
||
cities. The numbers indicate the date and time (in GMT - five hours
|
||
ahead of EST) of the image: the first two numbers represent the month,
|
||
the next two the date, the last two the hour. The file WXKEY.GIF explains
|
||
the various symbols in SA files.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.7 ncftp -- NOW YOU TELL ME!
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you're lucky, the people who run your host system or public-
|
||
access site have installed a program called ncftp, which takes some of
|
||
the edges off the ftp process.
|
||
For starters, when you use ncftp instead of plain old ftp, you no
|
||
longer have to worry about misspelling "anonymous" when you connect. The
|
||
program does it for you. And once you're in, instead of getting line
|
||
after line filled with dashes, x's, r's and d's, you only get listings of
|
||
the files or directories themselves (if you're used to MS-DOS, the
|
||
display you get will be very similar to that produced by the dir/w
|
||
command). The program even creates a list of the ftp sites you've used
|
||
most recently, so you can pick from that list, instead of trying to
|
||
remember some incredibly complex ftp site name.
|
||
Launching the program, assuming your site has it, is easy. At the
|
||
command prompt, type
|
||
|
||
ncftp sitename
|
||
|
||
where "sitename" is the site you want to reach (alternately, you could
|
||
type just ncftp and then use its open command). Once connected, you can
|
||
use the same ftp commands you've become used to, such as ls, get and
|
||
mget. Entries that end in a / are directories to which you can switch
|
||
with cd; others are files you can get. A couple of useful ncftp commands
|
||
include type, which lets you change the type of file transfer (from ASCII
|
||
to binary for example) and size, which lets you see how large a file is
|
||
before you get it, for example
|
||
|
||
size declaration.txt
|
||
|
||
would tell you how large the declaration.txt file is before you get it.
|
||
When you say "bye" to disconnect from a site, ncftp remembers the last
|
||
directory you were in, so that the next time you connect to the site, you
|
||
are put back into that directory automatically. If you type
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
you'll get a list of files you can read to extend the power of the
|
||
program even further.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.8 PROJECT GUTENBERG -- ELECTRONIC BOOKS
|
||
|
||
Project Gutenberg, coordinated by Michael Hart, has a fairly
|
||
ambitious goal: to make more than 10,000 books and other documents
|
||
available electronically by the year 2001. In 1993, the project uploaded
|
||
an average of four books a month to its ftp sites; in 1994, they hope to
|
||
double the pace.
|
||
Begun in 1971, the project already maintains a "library" of hundreds
|
||
of books and stories, from Aesop's Fables to "Through the Looking Glass"
|
||
available for the taking. It also has a growing number of current-
|
||
affairs documents, such as the CIA's annual "World Factbook" almanac.
|
||
Besides nptn.org, Project Gutenberg texts can be retrieved from
|
||
mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu in the etext directory.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.9 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
|
||
* You get a "host unavailable" message. The ftp site is down for
|
||
some reason.
|
||
Try again later.
|
||
* You get a "host unknown" message.
|
||
Check your spelling of the site name.
|
||
* You misspell "anonymous" when logging in and get a message
|
||
telling you a password is required for whatever you typed in.
|
||
Type something in, hit enter, type bye, hit enter, and try again.
|
||
Alternately, try typing "ftp" instead of "anonymous." It will work on a
|
||
surprising number of sites. Or just use ncftp, if your site has it, and
|
||
never worry about this again.
|
||
|
||
|
||
7.10 FYI
|
||
|
||
Liberal use of archie will help you find specific files or
|
||
documents. For information on new or interesting ftp sites, try the
|
||
comp.archives newsgroup on Usenet. You can also look in the comp.misc,
|
||
comp.sources.wanted or news.answers newsgroups on Usenet for lists of ftp
|
||
sites posted every month by Tom Czarnik and Jon Granrose.
|
||
The comp.archives newsgroup carries news of new ftp sites and
|
||
interesting new files on existing sites.
|
||
In the comp.virus newsgroup on Usenet, look for postings that list
|
||
ftp sites carrying anti-viral software for Amiga, MS-DOS, Macintosh,
|
||
Atari and other computers.
|
||
The comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest and comp.sys.mac.digest newsgroups
|
||
provide information about new MS-DOS and Macintosh programs as well as
|
||
answers to questions from users of those computers.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 8: GOPHERS, WAISs AND THE WORLD-WIDE WEB
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.1. GOPHERS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Even with tools like Hytelnet and archie, telnet and ftp can still
|
||
be frustrating. There are all those telnet and ftp addresses to
|
||
remember. Telnet services often have their own unique commands. And,
|
||
oh, those weird directory and file names!
|
||
But now that the Net has become a rich repository of information,
|
||
people are developing ways to make it far easier to find and retrieve
|
||
information and files. Gophers and Wide-Area Information Servers (WAISs)
|
||
are two services that could ultimately make the Internet as easy to
|
||
navigate as commercial networks such as CompuServe or Prodigy.
|
||
Both gophers and WAISs essentially take a request for information
|
||
and then scan the Net for it, so you don't have to. Both also work
|
||
through menus -- instead of typing in some long sequence of characters,
|
||
you just move a cursor to your choice and hit enter. Gophers even
|
||
let you select files and programs from ftp sites this way.
|
||
Let's first look at gophers (named for the official mascot of the
|
||
University of Minnesota, where the system was developed).
|
||
Many public-access sites now have gophers online. To use one, type
|
||
|
||
gopher
|
||
|
||
at the command prompt and hit enter. If you know your site does not have
|
||
a gopher, or if nothing happens when you type that, telnet to
|
||
|
||
consultant.micro.umn.edu
|
||
|
||
At the log-in prompt, type
|
||
|
||
gopher
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll be asked what type of terminal emulation you're
|
||
using, after which you'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
Internet Gopher Information Client v1.03
|
||
|
||
Root gopher server: gopher.micro.umn.edu
|
||
|
||
--> 1. Information About Gopher/
|
||
2. Computer Information/
|
||
3. Discussion Groups/
|
||
4. Fun & Games/
|
||
5. Internet file server (ftp) sites/
|
||
6. Libraries/
|
||
7. News/
|
||
8. Other Gopher and Information Servers/
|
||
9. Phone Books/
|
||
10. Search lots of places at the U of M <?>
|
||
11. University of Minnesota Campus Information/
|
||
|
||
Press ? for Help, q to Quit, u to go up a menu Page: 1/1
|
||
|
||
Assuming you're using VT100 or some other VT emulation, you'll be
|
||
able to move among the choices with your up and down arrow keys. When
|
||
you have your cursor on an entry that looks interesting, just hit enter,
|
||
and you'll either get a new menu of choices, a database entry form, or a
|
||
text file, depending on what the menu entry is linked to (more on how to
|
||
tell which you'll get in a moment).
|
||
Gophers are great for exploring the resources of the Net. Just keep
|
||
making choices to see what pops up. Play with it; see where it takes
|
||
you. Some choices will be documents. When you read one of these and
|
||
either come to the end or hit a lower-case q to quit reading it, you'll
|
||
be given the choice of saving a copy to your home directory or e-mailing
|
||
it to yourself. Other choices are simple databases that let you enter a
|
||
word to look for in a particular database. To get back to where you
|
||
started on a gopher, hit your u key at a menu prompt, which will move you
|
||
back "up" through the gopher menu structure (much like "cd .." in ftp).
|
||
Notice that one of your choices above is "Internet file server (ftp)
|
||
sites." Choose this, and you'll be connected to a modified archie
|
||
program -- an archie with a difference. When you search for a file
|
||
through a gopher archie, you'll get a menu of sites that have the file
|
||
you're looking for, just as with the old archie. Only now, instead of
|
||
having to write down or remember an ftp address and directory, all you
|
||
have to do is position the cursor next to one of the numbers in the menu
|
||
and hit enter. You'll be connected to the ftp site, from which you can
|
||
then choose the file you want. This time, move the cursor to the file
|
||
you want and hit a lower-case s. You'll be asked for a name in your home
|
||
directory to use for the file, after which the file will be copied to
|
||
your home system. Unfortunately, this file-transfer process does not yet
|
||
work with all public-access sites for computer programs and compressed
|
||
files. If it doesn't work with yours, you'll have to get the file the
|
||
old-fashioned way, via anonymous ftp.
|
||
In addition to ftp sites, there are hundreds of databases and
|
||
libraries around the world accessible through gophers. There is not yet
|
||
a common gopher interface for library catalogs, so be prepared to follow
|
||
the online directions more closely when you use gopher to connect to
|
||
one.
|
||
Gopher menu entries that end in a / are gateways to another menu of
|
||
options. Entries that end in a period are text, graphics or program
|
||
files, which you can retrieve to your home directory (or e-mail to
|
||
yourself or to somebody else). A line that ends in <?> or <CSO>
|
||
represents a request you can make to a database for information. The
|
||
difference is that <?> entries call up one-line interfaces in which you
|
||
can search for a keyword or words, while <CSO> brings up an electronic
|
||
form with several fields for you to fill out (you might see this in
|
||
online "White Pages" directories at colleges).
|
||
Gophers actually let you perform some relatively sophisticated
|
||
Boolean searches. For example, if you want to search only for files that
|
||
contain the words "MS-DOS" and "Macintosh," you'd type
|
||
|
||
ms-dos and macintosh
|
||
|
||
(gophers are not case-sensitive) in the keyword field. Alternately, if
|
||
you want to get a list of files that mention either "MS-DOS" or
|
||
"Macintosh," you'd type
|
||
|
||
ms-dos or macintosh
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.2 BURROWING DEEPER
|
||
|
||
|
||
As fascinating as it can be to explore "gopherspace," you might one
|
||
day want to quickly retrieve some information or a file. Or you might
|
||
grow tired of calling up endless menus to get to the one you want.
|
||
Fortunately, there are ways to make even gophers easier to use.
|
||
One is with archie's friend, veronica (it allegedly is an acronym,
|
||
but don't believe that for a second), who does for gopherspace what
|
||
archie does for ftp sites.
|
||
In most gophers, you'll find veronica by selecting "Other gopher and
|
||
information services" at the main menu and then "Searching through
|
||
gopherspace using veronica." Select this and you'll get something like
|
||
this:
|
||
|
||
Internet Gopher Information Client v1.1
|
||
|
||
Search titles in Gopherspace using veronica
|
||
|
||
--> 1. .
|
||
2. FAQ: Frequently-Asked Questions about veronica (1993/08/23).
|
||
3. How to compose veronica queries (NEW June 24) READ ME!!.
|
||
4. Search Gopher Directory Titles at PSINet <?>
|
||
5. Search Gopher Directory Titles at SUNET <?>
|
||
6. Search Gopher Directory Titles at U. of Manitoba <?>
|
||
7. Search Gopher Directory Titles at University of Cologne <?>
|
||
8. Search gopherspace at PSINet <?>
|
||
9. Search gopherspace at SUNET <?>
|
||
10. Search gopherspace at U. of Manitoba <?>
|
||
11. Search gopherspace at University of Cologne <?>
|
||
|
||
|
||
Press ? for Help, q to Quit, u to go up a menu Page: 1/1
|
||
|
||
A few choices there! First, the difference between searching
|
||
directory titles and just plain ol' gopherspace. If you already know the
|
||
sort of directory you're looking for (say a directory containing MS-DOS
|
||
programs), do a directory-title search. But if you're not sure what kind
|
||
of directory your information might be in, then do a general
|
||
gopherspace search. In general, it doesn't matter which of the particular
|
||
veronicas you use -- they should all be able to produce the same results.
|
||
The reason there is more than one is because the Internet has become so
|
||
popular that only one veronica (or one gopher or one of almost anything)
|
||
would quickly be overwhelmed by all the information requests from around
|
||
the world.
|
||
You can use veronica to search for almost anything. Want to find
|
||
museums that might have online displays from their exhibits? Try
|
||
searching for "museum." Looking for a copy of the Declaration of
|
||
Independence? Try "declaration."
|
||
In many cases, your search will bring up a new gopher menu of
|
||
choices to try.
|
||
Say you want to impress those guests coming over for dinner on
|
||
Friday by cooking cherries flambe. If you were to call up veronica and
|
||
type in "flambe" after calling up veronica, you would soon get a menu
|
||
listing several flambe recipes, including one called "dessert flambe."
|
||
Put your cursor on that line of the menu and hit enter, and you'll find
|
||
it's a menu for cherries flambe. Then hit your q key to quit, and gopher
|
||
will ask you if you want to save the file in your home directory on your
|
||
public-access site or whether you want to e-mail it somewhere.
|
||
As you can see, you can use veronica as an alternative to archie,
|
||
which, because of the Internet's growing popularity, seems to take longer
|
||
and longer to work.
|
||
In addition to archie and veronica, we now also have jugheads (no
|
||
bettys yet, though). These work the same as veronicas, but their
|
||
searches are limited to the specific gopher systems on which they reside.
|
||
If there are particular gopher resources you use frequently, there
|
||
are a couple of ways to get to them even more directly.
|
||
One is to use gopher in a manner similar to the way you can use
|
||
telnet. If you know a particular gopher's Internet address (often the
|
||
same as its telnet or ftp address), you can connect to it directly,
|
||
rather than going through menus. For example, say you want to use the
|
||
gopher at info.umd.edu. If your public-access site has a gopher system
|
||
installed, type this
|
||
|
||
gopher info.umd.edu
|
||
|
||
at your command prompt and you'll be connected.
|
||
But even that can get tedious if there are several gophers you use
|
||
frequently. That's where bookmarks come in. Gophers let you create a
|
||
list of your favorite gopher sites and even database queries. Then,
|
||
instead of digging ever deeper into the gopher directory structure, you
|
||
just call up your bookmark list and select the service you want.
|
||
To create a bookmark for a particular gopher site, first call up
|
||
gopher. Then go through all the gopher menus until you get to the menu
|
||
you want. Type a capital A. You'll be given a suggested name for the
|
||
bookmark enty, which you can change if you want by backspacing over the
|
||
suggestion and typing in your own. When done, hit enter. Now, whenever
|
||
you're in gopherspace and want to zip back to that particular gopher
|
||
service, just hit your V key (upper- or lower-case; in this instance,
|
||
gopher doesn't care) anywhere within gopher. This will bring up a list
|
||
of your bookmarks. Move to the one you want and hit enter, and you'll be
|
||
connected.
|
||
Using a capital A is also good for saving particular database or
|
||
veronica queries that you use frequently (for example, searching for
|
||
news stories on a particular topic if your public-access site maintains
|
||
an indexed archive of wire-service news).
|
||
Instead of a capital A, you can also hit a lower-case a. This will
|
||
bring you to the particular line within a menu, rather than show you the
|
||
entire menu.
|
||
If you ever want to delete a bookmark, hit V within gopher, select
|
||
the item you want to get rid of, and then hit your D key.
|
||
One more hint:
|
||
If you want to find the address of a particular gopher service, hit
|
||
your = key after you've highlighted its entry in a gopher menu. You'll
|
||
get back a couple of lines, most of which will be technicalese of no
|
||
immediate value to most folks, but some of which will consist of the
|
||
site's address.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.3. GOPHER COMMANDS
|
||
|
||
|
||
a Add a line in a gopher menu to your bookmark list.
|
||
|
||
A Add an entire gopher menu or a database query to your bookmark
|
||
list.
|
||
|
||
d Delete an entry from your bookmark list (you have to hit v
|
||
first).
|
||
|
||
q Quit, or exit, a gopher. You'll be asked if you really want to.
|
||
|
||
Q Quit, or exit, a gopher without being asked if you're sure.
|
||
|
||
s Save a highlighted file to your home directory.
|
||
|
||
u Move back up a gopher menu structure
|
||
|
||
v View your bookmark list.
|
||
|
||
= Get information on the originating site of a gopher entry.
|
||
|
||
> Move ahead one screen in a gopher menu.
|
||
|
||
< Move back one screen in a gopher menu.
|
||
|
||
8.4. SOME INTERESTING GOPHERS
|
||
|
||
There are now hundreds of gopher sites around the world. What
|
||
follows is a list of some of them. Assuming your site has a gopher
|
||
"client" installed, you can reach them by typing
|
||
|
||
gopher sitename
|
||
|
||
at your command prompt. Can't find what you're looking for? Remember to
|
||
use veronica to look up categories and topics!
|
||
|
||
|
||
AGRICULTURE
|
||
|
||
cyfer.esusda.gov More agricultural statistics and regulations
|
||
most people will ever need.
|
||
|
||
usda.mannlib.cornell.edu More than 140 different types of agricultural
|
||
data, most in Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet format.
|
||
|
||
ANIMALS
|
||
|
||
saimiri.primate.wisc.edu Information on primates and animal-welfare
|
||
laws.
|
||
|
||
ARCHITECTURE
|
||
|
||
libra.arch.umich.edu Maintains online exhibits of a variety of
|
||
architectural images.
|
||
|
||
ART
|
||
|
||
marvel.loc.gov The Library of Congress runs several online
|
||
"galleries" of images from exhibits at the
|
||
library. Many of these pictures, in GIF or JPEG
|
||
format, are HUGE, so be careful what you get
|
||
first. Exhibits include works of art from the
|
||
Vatican, copies of once secret Soviet documents
|
||
and pictures of artifacts related to Columbus's
|
||
1492 voyage. At the main menu, select 2 and then
|
||
"Exhibits."
|
||
|
||
galaxy.ucr.edu The California Museum of Photography maintains its
|
||
own online galery here. At the main menu,
|
||
select "Campus Events," then "California
|
||
Museum of Photography," then "Network Ex-
|
||
hibitions."
|
||
|
||
ASTRONOMY
|
||
|
||
cast0.ast.cam.ac.uk A gopher devoted to astronomy, run by the
|
||
Institute of Astronomy and the Royal Greenwich
|
||
Observatory, Cambridge, England.
|
||
|
||
CENSUS
|
||
|
||
bigcat.missouri.edu You'll find detailed federal census data for
|
||
communities of more than 10,000 people, as well
|
||
as for states and counties here. At the main
|
||
menu, select "Reference and Information Center,"
|
||
then "United States and Missouri Census
|
||
Information" and "United States Census."
|
||
|
||
COMPUTERS
|
||
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu Dozens of directories with software for all sorts
|
||
of computers. Most programs have to be
|
||
"un-compressed" before you can use them.
|
||
|
||
sumex-aim.stanford.edu A similar type of system, with the emphasis on
|
||
Macintosh programs and files.
|
||
|
||
DISABILITY
|
||
|
||
val-dor.cc.buffalo.edu The Cornucopia of Disability Information carries
|
||
numerous information resources on disability issues
|
||
and links to other disability-related services.
|
||
|
||
ENVIRONMENT
|
||
|
||
ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu Copies of Environmental Protection Agency
|
||
factsheets on hundreds of chemicals, searchable
|
||
by keyword. Select "Education" and then
|
||
"Environmental fact sheets."
|
||
|
||
envirolink.org Dozens of documents and files related to
|
||
environmental activism around the world.
|
||
|
||
ENTOMOLOGY
|
||
|
||
spider.ento.csiro.au All about creepy-crawly things, both the good
|
||
and the bad ones.
|
||
|
||
GEOLOGY
|
||
|
||
gopher.stolaf.edu Select "Internet Resources" and then "Weather
|
||
and geography" for information on recent
|
||
earthquakes.
|
||
|
||
GOVERNMENT
|
||
|
||
marvel.loc.gov Run by the Library of Congress, this site
|
||
provides numerous resources, including access
|
||
to the Library card catalog and all manner of
|
||
information about the U.S. Congress.
|
||
|
||
gopher.lib.umich.edu Wide variety of government information, from
|
||
Congressional committee assignments to economic
|
||
statistics and NAFTA information.
|
||
|
||
ecix.doc.gov Information on conversion of military
|
||
installations to private uses.
|
||
|
||
sunsite.unc.edu Copies of current and past federal budgets can
|
||
be found by selecting "Sunsite archives," then
|
||
"Politics," then "Sunsite politcal science
|
||
archives."
|
||
|
||
wiretap.spies.com Documents related to Canadian government can be
|
||
found in the "Government docs" menu.
|
||
|
||
stis.nih.gov Select the "Other U.S. government gopher
|
||
servers" for access to numerous other federal
|
||
gophers.
|
||
|
||
HEALTH
|
||
|
||
odie.niaid.nih.gov National Institutes of Health databases on AIDS,
|
||
in the "AIDS related information" menu.
|
||
|
||
helix.nih.gov For National Cancer Institute factsheets on
|
||
different cancers, select "Health and clinical
|
||
information" and then "Cancernet information."
|
||
|
||
nysernet.org Look for information on breast cancer in the
|
||
"Special Collections: Breast Cancer" menu.
|
||
|
||
welchlink.welch.jhu.edu This is Johns Hopkins University's medical
|
||
gopher.
|
||
|
||
HISTORY
|
||
|
||
See under Art.
|
||
|
||
INTERNET
|
||
|
||
gopher.lib.umich.edu Home to several guides to Internet resources
|
||
in specific fields, for example, social
|
||
sciences. Select "What's New & Featured
|
||
Resources" and then "Clearinghouse."
|
||
|
||
ISRAEL
|
||
|
||
jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il This Israeli system offers numerous documents
|
||
on Israel and Jewish life.
|
||
|
||
JAPAN
|
||
|
||
gopher.ncc.go.jp Look in the "Japan information" menu for
|
||
documents related to Japanese life and culture.
|
||
|
||
MUSIC
|
||
|
||
mtv.com Run by Adam Curry, an MTV video jock, this site
|
||
has music news and Curry's daily "Cybersleaze"
|
||
celebrity report.
|
||
|
||
NATURE
|
||
|
||
ucmp1.berkeley.edu The University of California at Berkeley's
|
||
Museum of Paleontology runs several online
|
||
exhibits here. You can obtain GIF images of
|
||
plants and animals from the "Remote Nature" menu.
|
||
The "Origin of the Species" menu lets you read
|
||
Darwin's work or search it by keyword.
|
||
|
||
SPORTS
|
||
|
||
culine.colorado.edu Look up schedules for teams in various professional
|
||
sports leagues here, under "Professional Sports
|
||
Schedules."
|
||
|
||
WEATHER
|
||
|
||
wx.atmos.uiuc.edu Look up weather forecasts for North America or
|
||
bone up on your weather facts.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.5. WIDE-AREA INFORMATION SERVERS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now you know there are hundreds of databases and library catalogs
|
||
you can search through. But as you look, you begin to realize that each
|
||
seems to have its own unique method for searching. If you connect to
|
||
several, this can become a pain. Gophers reduce this problem somewhat.
|
||
Wide-area information servers promise another way to zero in on
|
||
information hidden on the Net. In a WAIS, the user sees only one
|
||
interface -- the program worries about how to access information on
|
||
dozens, even hundreds, of different databases. You tell give a WAIS a
|
||
word and it scours the net looking for places where it's mentioned. You
|
||
get a menu of documents, each ranked according to how relevant to your
|
||
search the WAIS thinks it is.
|
||
Like gophers, WAIS "client" programs can already be found on many
|
||
public-access Internet sites. If your system has a WAIS client, type
|
||
|
||
swais
|
||
|
||
at the command prompt and hit enter (the "s" stands for "simple"). If it
|
||
doesn't, telnet to bbs.oit.unc.edu, which is run by the University of North
|
||
Carolina At the "login:" prompt, type
|
||
|
||
bbs
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll be asked to register and will then get a list of
|
||
"bulletins,'' which are various files explaining how the system works.
|
||
When done with those, hit your Q key and you'll get another menu. Hit 4
|
||
for the "simple WAIS client," and you'll see something like this:
|
||
|
||
SWAIS Source Selection Sources: 23#
|
||
Server Source Cost
|
||
001: [ archie.au] aarnet-resource-guide Free
|
||
002: [ archive.orst.edu] aeronautics Free
|
||
003: [nostromo.oes.orst.ed] agricultural-market-news Free
|
||
004: [sun-wais.oit.unc.edu] alt-sys-sun Free
|
||
005: [ archive.orst.edu] alt.drugs Free
|
||
006: [ wais.oit.unc.edu] alt.gopher Free
|
||
007: [sun-wais.oit.unc.edu] alt.sys.sun Free
|
||
008: [ wais.oit.unc.edu] alt.wais Free
|
||
009: [ archive.orst.edu] archie-orst.edu Free
|
||
010: [ archie.au] archie.au-amiga-readmes Free
|
||
011: [ archie.au] archie.au-ls-lRt Free
|
||
012: [ archie.au] archie.au-mac-readmes Free
|
||
013: [ archie.au] archie.au-pc-readmes Free
|
||
014: [ pc2.pc.maricopa.edu] ascd-education Free
|
||
015: [ archie.au] au-directory-of-servers Free
|
||
016: [ cirm2.univ-mrs.fr] bib-cirm Free
|
||
017: [ cmns-sun.think.com] bible Free
|
||
018: [ zenon.inria.fr] bibs-zenon-inria-fr Free
|
||
|
||
Keywords:
|
||
|
||
<space> selects, w for keywords, arrows move, <return> searches, q quits, or ?
|
||
|
||
Each line represents a different database (the .au at the end of some of
|
||
them means they are in Australia; the .fr on the last line represents a
|
||
database in France). And this is just the first page! If you type a
|
||
capital K, you'll go to the next page (there are several pages).
|
||
Hitting a capital J will move you back a page.
|
||
The first thing you want to do is tell the WAIS program which
|
||
databases you want searched. To select a database, move the cursor bar
|
||
over the line you want (using your down and up arrow keys) and hit your
|
||
space bar. An asterisk will appear next to the line number. Repeat this
|
||
until you've selected all of the databases you want searched. Then hit
|
||
your W key, after which you'll be prompted for the key words you're
|
||
looking for. You can type in an entire line of these words -- separate
|
||
each with a space, not a comma.
|
||
Hit return, and the search begins.
|
||
Let's say you're utterly fascinated with wheat. So you might select
|
||
agricultural-market-news to find its current world price. But you also
|
||
want to see if it has any religious implications, so you choose the
|
||
Bible and the Book of Mormon. What do you do with the stuff? Select
|
||
recipes and usenet-cookbook. Are there any recent Supreme Court
|
||
decisions involving the plant? Choose supreme-court. How about synonyms?
|
||
Try roget-thesaurus and just plain thesaurus.
|
||
Now hit w and type in wheat. Hit enter, and the WAIS program begins
|
||
its search. As it looks, it tells you whether any of the databases are
|
||
offline, and if so, when they might be ready for a search. In about a
|
||
minute, the program tells you how many hits it's found. Then you get a new
|
||
menu, that looks something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Keywords:
|
||
|
||
# Score SourceTitleLines
|
||
001: [1000] (roget-thesaurus) #465. [results of comparison. 1] Di 19
|
||
002: [1000] (roget-thesaurus) #609. Choice. -- N. choice, option; 36
|
||
003: [1000] (roget-thesaurus) #465. [results of comparison. 1] Di 19
|
||
004: [1000] (roget-thesaurus) #609. Choice. -- N. choice, option; 36
|
||
005: [1000] (recipes) aem@mthvax Re: MONTHLY: Rec.Food.Recipes 425
|
||
006: [1000] ( Book_of_Mormon) Mosiah 9:96
|
||
007: [1000] ( Book_of_Mormon) 3 Nephi 18:185
|
||
008: [1000] (agricultural-ma) Re: JO GR115, WEEKLY GRAIN82
|
||
009: [ 822] (agricultural-ma) Re: WA CB351 PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS 552
|
||
010: [ 800] ( recipes) kms@apss.a Re: REQUEST: Wheat-free, Suga 35
|
||
011: [ 750] (agricultural-ma) Re: WA CB101 CROP PRODUCTION258
|
||
012: [ 643] (agricultural-ma) Re: SJ GR850 DAILY NAT GRN SUM72
|
||
013: [ 400] ( recipes) pat@jaamer Re: VEGAN: Honey Granola63
|
||
014: [ 400] ( recipes) jrtrint@pa Re: OVO-LACTO: Sourdough/Trit 142
|
||
|
||
Each of these represents an article or citing that contains the word wheat,
|
||
or some related word. Move the cursor bar (with the down and up arrow
|
||
keys) to the one you want to see, hit enter, and it will begin to appear
|
||
on your screen. The "score" is a WAIS attempt to gauge how closely the
|
||
citing matches your request. Doesn't look like the Supreme Court has had
|
||
anything to say about the plant of late!
|
||
Now think of how much time you would have spent logging onto various
|
||
databases just to find these relatively trivial examples.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.6 THE WORLD-WIDE WEB
|
||
|
||
|
||
Developed by researchers at the European Particle Physics
|
||
Laboratory in Geneva, the World-Wide Web is somewhat similar to a WAIS.
|
||
But it's designed on a system known as hypertext. Words in one document
|
||
are "linked" to other documents. It's sort of like sitting with an
|
||
encyclopedia -- you're reading an article, see a reference that
|
||
intrigues you and so flip the pages to look up that reference.
|
||
To try the Worldwide Web, telnet to
|
||
|
||
ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
|
||
|
||
Log on as: www. When you connect, you'll see something like:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Welcome to CERN
|
||
The World-Wide Web: CERN entry point
|
||
|
||
CERN is the European Particle Physics Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland.
|
||
Select by number information here, or elsewhere.
|
||
|
||
Help[1] About this program
|
||
|
||
World-Wide Web[2] About the W3 global information initiative.
|
||
|
||
CERN information[3] Information from and about this site
|
||
|
||
Particle Physics[4] Other HEP sites with information servers
|
||
|
||
Other Subjects[5] Catalogue of all online information by subject. Also:
|
||
by server type[6] .
|
||
|
||
** CHECK OUT X11 BROWSER "ViolaWWW": ANON FTP TO info.cern.ch in
|
||
/pub/www/src *** Still beta, so keep bug reports calm :-)
|
||
|
||
If you use this service frequently, please install this or any W3 browser on
|
||
your own machine (see instructions[7] ). You can configure it to start
|
||
1-7, <RETURN> for more, Quit, or Help:
|
||
|
||
|
||
You navigate the web by typing the number next to a given
|
||
reference. So if you want to know more about the web, hit 2. This is
|
||
another system that bears playing with.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.7. CLIENTS, OR HOW TO SNARE MORE ON THE WEB
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you are used to plain-vanilla Unix or MS-DOS, then the way these
|
||
gophers and WAISs work seems quite straightforward. But if you're used
|
||
to a computer with a graphical interface, such as a Macintosh, an IBM
|
||
compatible with Windows or a Next, you'll probably regard their
|
||
interfaces as somewhat primitive. And even to a veteran MS-DOS user, the
|
||
World-Wide Web interface is rather clunky (and some of the documents and
|
||
files on the Web now use special formatting that would confuse your poor
|
||
computer).
|
||
There are, however, ways to integrate these services into your
|
||
graphical user interface. In fact, there are now ways to tie into the
|
||
Internet directly, rather than relying on whatever interface your
|
||
public-access system uses, through what are known as "client" programs.
|
||
These programs provide graphical interfaces for everything from ftp to
|
||
the World-Wide Web.
|
||
There is now a growing number of these "client" programs for
|
||
everything from ftp to gopher. PSI of Reston, Va., which offers
|
||
nationwide Internet access, in fact, requires its customers to use these
|
||
programs. Using protocols known as SLIP and PPP, these programs
|
||
communicate with the Net using the same basic data packets as much larger
|
||
computers online.
|
||
Beyond integration with your own computer's "desktop,'' client
|
||
programs let you do more than one thing at once on the net -- while you're
|
||
downloading a large file in one window, you can be chatting with a
|
||
friend through an Internet chat program in another.
|
||
Unfortunately, using a client program can cost a lot of money. Some
|
||
require you to be connected directly to the Internet through an Ethernet
|
||
network for example. Others work through modem protocols, such as SLIP,
|
||
but public-access sites that allow such access may charge anywhere from
|
||
$25 to $200 a month extra for the service.
|
||
Your system administrator can give you more information on setting
|
||
up one of these connections.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.8. WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
|
||
|
||
As the Internet grows ever more popular, its resources come under
|
||
more of a strain. If you try to use gopher in the middle of the day, at
|
||
least on the East Coast of the U.S., you'll sometimes notice that it
|
||
takes a very long time for particular menus or database searches to come
|
||
up. Sometimes, you'll even get a message that there are too many people
|
||
connected to whichever service you're trying to use and so you can't get
|
||
in. The only alternative is to either try again in 20 minutes or so, or
|
||
wait until later in the day, when the load might be lower. When this
|
||
happens in veronica, try one of the other veronica entries.
|
||
When you retrieve a file through gopher, you'll sometimes be asked
|
||
if you want to store it under some ludicrously long name (there go our
|
||
friends the system administrators again, using 128 characters just
|
||
because Unix lets them). With certain MS-DOS communications programs, if
|
||
that name is longer than one line, you won't be able to backspace all the
|
||
way back to the first line if you want to give it a simpler name.
|
||
Backspace as far as you can. Then, when you get ready to download it to
|
||
your home computer, remember that the file name will be truncated on your
|
||
end, because of MS-DOS's file-naming limitations. Worse, your computer
|
||
might even reject the whole thing. What to do? Instead of saving it to
|
||
your home directory, mail it to yourself. It should show up in your mail
|
||
by the time you exit gopher. Then, use your mail command for saving it
|
||
to your home directory -- at which point you can name it anything you want.
|
||
Now you can download it.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8.9 FYI
|
||
|
||
|
||
David Riggins maintains a list of gophers by type and category. You
|
||
can find the most recent one at the ftp site ftp.einet.net, in the pub
|
||
directory. Look for a file with a name like "gopher-jewels.txt."
|
||
Alternately, you can get on a mailing list to get the latest version sent
|
||
to your e-mailbox automatically. Send a mail message to gopherjewelslist-
|
||
request@tpis.cactus.org (yep, that first part is all one word). Leave
|
||
the "subject:" line blank, and as a message, write SUBSCRIBE.
|
||
Blake Gumprecht maintains a list of gopher and telnet sites related
|
||
to, or run by, the government. He posts it every three weeks to the
|
||
news.answers and soc.answers newsgroups on Usenet. It can also be
|
||
obtained via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu, as
|
||
/pub/usenet/news.answers/us-govt-net-pointers.
|
||
Students at the University of Michigan's School of Information and
|
||
Library Studies, recently compiled separate lists of Internet resources
|
||
in 11 specific areas, from aeronautics to theater. They can be obtained
|
||
via gopher at gopher.lib.umich.edu, in the "What's New and Featured
|
||
Resources" menu.
|
||
The Usenet newsgroups comp.infosystems.gopher and
|
||
comp.infosystems.wais are places to go for technical discussions about
|
||
gophers and WAISs respectively.
|
||
The Interpedia project is an attempt to take gopher one step
|
||
further, by creating an online repository of all of the interesting and
|
||
useful information availble on the Net and from its users. To get on the
|
||
mailing list for the project, send an e-mail message, with a "subject:"
|
||
of "subscribe" to interpedia-request@telerama.lm.com. You can get
|
||
supporting documentation for the project via anonymous ftp at ftp.lm.com
|
||
in the pub/interpedia directory.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 9: ADVANCED E-MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.1 THE FILE'S IN THE MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
E-mail by itself is a powerful tool, and by now you may be
|
||
sending e-mail messages all over the place. You might even be on a
|
||
mailing list or two. But there is a lot more to e-mail than just
|
||
sending messages. If your host system does not have access to ftp,
|
||
or it doesn't have access to every ftp site on the Net, you can have
|
||
programs and files sent right to your mailbox. And using some simple
|
||
techniques, you can use e-mail to send data files such as spreadsheets,
|
||
or even whole programs, to friends and colleagues around the world.
|
||
A key to both is a set of programs known as encoders and
|
||
decoders. For all its basic power, Net e-mail has a big problem: it
|
||
can't handle graphics characters or the control codes found in even
|
||
the simplest of computer programs. Encoders however, can translate
|
||
these into forms usable in e-mail, while decoders turn them back into
|
||
a form that you can actually use. If you are using a Unix-based host
|
||
system, chances are it already has an encoder and decoder online that
|
||
you can use. These programs will also let you use programs posted in
|
||
several Usenet newsgroups, such as comp.binaries.ibm.pc.
|
||
If both you and the person with whom you want to exchange files use
|
||
Unix host systems, you're in luck because virtually all Unix
|
||
host systems have encoder/decoder programs online. For now, let's
|
||
assume that's the case. First, upload the file you want to send to your
|
||
friend to your host site (ask your system administrator how to upload a
|
||
file to your name or "home" directory if you don't already know how).
|
||
Then type
|
||
|
||
uuencode file file > file.uu
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. "File" is the name of the file you want to prepare for
|
||
mailing, and yes, you have to type the name twice! The > is a Unix
|
||
command that tells the system to call the "encoded" file "file.uu"
|
||
(you could actually call it anything you want).
|
||
Now to get it into a mail message. The quick and dirty way is to
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
mail friend
|
||
|
||
where "friend" is your friend's address. At the subject line, tell
|
||
her the name of the enclosed file. When you get the blank line, type
|
||
|
||
~r file.uu
|
||
|
||
or whatever you called the file, and hit enter. (on some systems, the ~
|
||
may not work; if so, ask your system administrator what to use). This
|
||
inserts the file into your mail message. Hit control-D, and your file
|
||
is on its way!
|
||
On the other end, when your friend goes into her mailbox, she
|
||
should transfer it to her home directory. Then she should type
|
||
|
||
uudecode file.name
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This creates a new file in her name directory with
|
||
whatever name you originally gave it. She can then download it to her
|
||
own computer. Before she can actually use it, though, she'll have to
|
||
open it up with a text processor and delete the mail header that has
|
||
been "stamped" on it. If you use a mailer program that automatically
|
||
appends a "signature," tell her about that so she can delete that as
|
||
well.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.2 RECEIVING FILES
|
||
|
||
|
||
If somebody sends you a file through the mail, you'll have to go
|
||
through a couple of steps to get it into a form you can actually use. If
|
||
you are using the simple mail program, go into mail and type
|
||
|
||
w # file.name
|
||
|
||
where # is the number of the message you want to transfer and
|
||
file.name is what you want to call the resulting file. In pine, call
|
||
up the message and hit your O key and then E. You'll then be asked
|
||
for a file name. In elm, call up the message and hit your S key.
|
||
You'll get something that looks like this:
|
||
|
||
=file.request
|
||
|
||
Type a new file name and hit enter (if you hit enter without
|
||
typing a file name, the message will be saved to another mail folder,
|
||
not your home directory).
|
||
In all three cases, exit the mail program to return to your host
|
||
system's command line. Because the file has been encoded for mail
|
||
delivery, you now have to run a decoder. At the command line, type
|
||
|
||
uudecode file.name
|
||
|
||
where file.name is the file you created while in mail. Uudecode will
|
||
create a new, uncompressed binary file. In some cases, you may have to
|
||
run it through some other programs (for example, if it is in "tar" form),
|
||
but generally it should now be ready for you to download to your own
|
||
computer (on which you might then have to run a de-compressor program
|
||
such as PKXZIP).
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.3 FILES TO NON-INTERNET SITES
|
||
|
||
|
||
What if your friend only connects with a non-Unix system, such as
|
||
CompuServe or MCIMail? There are programs available for MS-DOS, Apple
|
||
and Amiga computers that will encode and decode files. Of course, since
|
||
you can't send one of these programs to your friend via e-mail (how would
|
||
she un-encode it?), you'll have to mail (the old-fashioned way) or give
|
||
her a diskette with the program on it first. Then, she can get the file
|
||
by e-mail and go through the above process (only on her own computer) to
|
||
get a usable file. Remember to give her an encoder program as well, if
|
||
she wants to send you files in return.
|
||
For MS-DOS machines, you'll want to get uunecode.com and
|
||
uudecode.com. Both can be found through anonymous ftp at
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu in the /mirrors/msdos/starter directory. The MS-
|
||
DOS version is as easy to use as the Unix one: Just type
|
||
|
||
uudecode filename.ext
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
Mac users should get a program called uutool, which can be found
|
||
in the info-mac/util directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
|
||
Think twice before sending somebody a giant file. Although large
|
||
sites connected directly to the Internet can probably handle mega-files,
|
||
many smaller systems cannot. Some commercial systems, such as CompuServe
|
||
and MCIMail, limit the size of mail messages their users can receive.
|
||
Fidonet doesn't even allow encoded messages. In general, a file size of
|
||
30,000 or so bytes is a safe upper limit for non-Internet systems.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.4 GETTING FTP FILES VIA E-MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
To help people without ftp access, a number of ftp sites have set up
|
||
mail servers (also known as archive servers) that allow you to get files
|
||
via e-mail. You send a request to one of these machines and they send
|
||
back the file you want. As with ftp, you'll be able to find everything
|
||
from historical documents to software (but please note that if you do
|
||
have access to ftp, that method is always quicker and ties up fewer
|
||
resources than using e-mail).
|
||
Some interesting or useful mail servers include:
|
||
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu Files of "frequently asked questions"
|
||
related to Usenet; state-by-state lists of U.S. representatives and
|
||
Senators and their addresses and office phone numbers.
|
||
archive-server@eff.org Information about the Electronic Frontier
|
||
Foundation; documents about legal issues on the Net.
|
||
archive-server@cs.widener.edu Back copies of the Computer
|
||
Underground Digest and every possible fact you could want to know about
|
||
"The Simpsons."
|
||
netlib@uunet.uu.net Programs for many types of personal computers;
|
||
archives of past postings from many Usenet newsgroups.
|
||
archive-server@ames.arc.nasa.gov Space-related text and graphics
|
||
(GIF-format) files.
|
||
service@nic.ddn.mil Detailed information about Internet.
|
||
Most mail servers work pretty much the same -- you send an e-mail
|
||
message that tells them what file you want and how you want it sent to
|
||
you. The most important command is "send," which tells the computer you
|
||
want it to send you a particular file.
|
||
First, though, you'll need to know where the mail server stores
|
||
that file, because you have to tell it which directory or sub-
|
||
directory it's in. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can
|
||
send an e-mail message to the archive-server that consists of one
|
||
line:
|
||
|
||
index
|
||
|
||
The server will then send you a directory listing of its main, or
|
||
root directory. You'll then have to send a second message to the
|
||
archive server with one line:
|
||
|
||
index directory/subdirectory
|
||
|
||
where that is the directory or directory path for which you want a
|
||
listing. An alternative is to send an e-mail message to our old
|
||
friend archie, which should send you back the file's exact location on
|
||
the archive-server (along with similar listings for all the other
|
||
sites that may have the file, however)
|
||
Once you have the file name and its directory path, compose a
|
||
message to the archive server like this:
|
||
|
||
send directory/subdirectory/file
|
||
|
||
Send off the message and, anywhere from a few minutes to a couple
|
||
of days later, you'll find a new message in your mailbox: a copy of the
|
||
file you requested. The exact time it will take a file to get to you
|
||
depends on a variety of factors, including how many requests are in line
|
||
before yours (mail servers can only process so many requests at a time)
|
||
and the state of the connections between the server and you.
|
||
Seems simple enough. It gets a little more complicated when you
|
||
request a program rather than a document. Programs or other files that
|
||
contain unusual characters or lines longer than 130 characters (graphics
|
||
files, for example) require special processing by both the mail server
|
||
to ensure they are transmitted via e-mail. Then you'll have to run them
|
||
through at least one converter program to put them in a form you can
|
||
actually use. To ensure that a program or other "non-mailable" file
|
||
actually gets to you, include another line in your e-mail message to the
|
||
server:
|
||
|
||
encoder
|
||
|
||
This converts the file into an encoded form. To decode it, you'll
|
||
first have to transfer the file message into a file in your home
|
||
directory.
|
||
One further complication comes when you request a particularly
|
||
long file. Many Net sites can only handle so much mail at a time. To
|
||
make sure you get the entire file, tell the mail server to break it up
|
||
into smaller pieces, with another line in your e-mail request like
|
||
this:
|
||
|
||
size 100000
|
||
|
||
This gives the mail server the maximum size, in bytes, of each
|
||
file segment. This particular size is good for UUCP sites. Internet
|
||
and Bitnet sites can generally go up to 300000. When you get all of
|
||
these files in mail, transfer them to your home directory. Exit mail
|
||
and call up each file in your host system's text processor and delete
|
||
each one's entire header and footer (or "signature" at the end). When
|
||
done with this, at your host system's command line, type
|
||
|
||
cat file1 file2 > bigfile
|
||
|
||
where file1 is the first file, file2 the second file, and so on. The >
|
||
tells your host system to combine them into a new megafile called
|
||
bigfile (or whatever you want to call it). After you save the file to
|
||
your home directory (see section 9.2 above), you can then run uudecode,
|
||
tar, etc. One word of caution, though: if the file you want is long
|
||
enough that it has to be broken into pieces, think of how much time it's
|
||
going to take you to download the whole thing -- especially if you're
|
||
using a 2400-baud modem!
|
||
There are a number of other mail servers. To get a list, send an
|
||
e-mail message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu:
|
||
|
||
send usenet/comp.sources.wanted/How_to_find_sources_(READ_THIS_BEFORE_POSTING)
|
||
|
||
You'll have to spell it exactly as listed above. Some mail
|
||
servers use different software, which will require slightly different
|
||
commands than the ones listed here. In general, if you send a message
|
||
to a mail server that says only
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
you should get back a file detailing all of its commands.
|
||
But what if the file you want is not on one of these mail
|
||
servers? That's where ftpmail comes in. Run by Digital Equipment
|
||
Corp. in California, this service can connect to almost any ftp site
|
||
in the world, get the file you want and then mail it to you. Using it
|
||
is fairly simple -- you send an e-mail message to ftpmail that
|
||
includes a series of commands telling the system where to find the
|
||
file you want and how to format it to mail to you.
|
||
Compose an e-mail message to
|
||
|
||
ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
|
||
|
||
Leave the "subject:" line blank. Inside the message, there are
|
||
several commands you can give. The first line should be
|
||
|
||
reply address
|
||
|
||
where "address" is your e-mail address. The next line should be
|
||
|
||
connect host
|
||
|
||
where "host" is the system that has the file you want (for example:
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu). Other commands you should consider using are
|
||
"binary" (required for program files); "compress" (reduces the file
|
||
size for quicker transmission) and "uuencode" (which encodes the file
|
||
so you can do something with it when it arrives). The last line of
|
||
your message should be the word "quit".
|
||
Let's say you want a copy of the U.S. constitution. Using archie,
|
||
you've found a file called, surprise, constitution, at the ftp site
|
||
archive.cis.ohio-state.edu, in the /pub/firearms/politics/rkba
|
||
directory. You'd send a message to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com that looks
|
||
like this:
|
||
|
||
reply adamg@world.std.com
|
||
connect archive.cis.ohio-state.edu
|
||
binary
|
||
compress
|
||
uuencode
|
||
get pub/firearms/politics/rkba/constitution
|
||
quit
|
||
|
||
When you get the file in your mailbox, use the above procedure
|
||
for copying it to a file. Run it through uudecode. Then type
|
||
|
||
uncompress file.name
|
||
|
||
to make it usable.
|
||
Since this was a text file, you could have changed the "binary" to
|
||
"ascii" and then eliminated the "uuencode" file. For programs, though,
|
||
you'll want to keep these lines. One caveat with ftpmail: it has become
|
||
such a popular service that it could take a week or more for your
|
||
requested files to arrive.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.5 THE ALL KNOWING ORACLE
|
||
|
||
|
||
One other thing you can do through e-mail is consult with the
|
||
Usenet Oracle. You can ask the Oracle anything at all and get back an
|
||
answer (whether you like the answer is another question).
|
||
First, you'll want to get instructions on how to address the Oracle
|
||
(he, or she, or it, is very particular about such things and likes being
|
||
addressed in august, solemn and particularly sycophantic tones). Start
|
||
an e-mail message to
|
||
|
||
oracle@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
|
||
|
||
In the "subject:" line, type
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You don't actually have to say anything in the message
|
||
itself -- at least not yet. Hit control-D to send off your request
|
||
for help. Within a few hours, the Oracle will mail you back detailed
|
||
instructions. It's a fairly long file, so before you start reading
|
||
it, turn on your communications software's logging function, to save
|
||
it to your computer (or save the message to a file on your host system's
|
||
home directory and then download the file). After you've digested it,
|
||
you can compose your question to the Oracle. Mail it to the above
|
||
address, only this time with a subject line that describes your
|
||
question. Expect an answer within a couple of days. And don't be
|
||
surprised if you also find a question in your mailbox -- the Oracle
|
||
extracts payment by making seekers of knowledge answer questions as
|
||
well!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 10: NEWS OF THE WORLD
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.1 Clarinet: UPI, Dave Barry and Dilbert.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Usenet "newsgroups" can be something of a misnomer. They may be
|
||
interesting, informative and educational, but they are often not news,
|
||
at least, not the way most people would think of them. But there are several
|
||
sources of news and sports on the Net.
|
||
One of the largest is Clarinet, a company in Cupertino, Calf., that
|
||
distributes wire-service news and columns, along with a news service
|
||
devoted to computers and even the Dilbert comic strip, in Usenet form.
|
||
Distributed in Usenet form, Clarinet stories and columns are
|
||
organized into more than 100 newsgroups (in this case, a truly
|
||
appropriate name), some of them with an extremely narrow focus, for
|
||
example, clari.news.gov.taxes. The general news and sports come from
|
||
United Press International; the computer news from the NewsBytes
|
||
service; the features from several syndicates.
|
||
Because Clarinet charges for its service, not all host systems
|
||
carry its articles. Those that do carry them as Usenet groups starting
|
||
with "clari." As with other Usenet hierarchies, these are named starting
|
||
with broad area and ending with more specific categories. Some of these
|
||
include business news (clari.biz); general national and foreign news,
|
||
politics and the like (clari.news), sports (clari.sports); columns by
|
||
Mike Royko, Miss Manners, Dave Barry and others (clari.feature); and
|
||
NewsBytes computer and telecommunications reports (clari.nb). Because
|
||
Clarinet started in Canada, there is a separate set of clari.canada
|
||
newsgroups. The clari.nb newsgroups are divided into specific computer
|
||
types (clari.nb.apple, for example).
|
||
Clari news groups feature stories updated around the clock. There
|
||
are even a couple of "bulletin" newsgroups for breaking stories:
|
||
clari.news.bulletin and clari.news.urgent. Clarinet also sets up new
|
||
newsgroups for breaking stories that become ongoing ones (such as major
|
||
natural disasters, coups in large countries and the like).
|
||
Occasionally, you will see stories in clari newsgroups that just
|
||
don't seem to belong there. Stories about former Washington, D.C. mayor
|
||
Marion Barry, for example, often wind interspersed among columns by Dave
|
||
Barry.
|
||
This happens because of the way wire services work. UPI uses
|
||
three-letter codes to route its stories to the newspapers and radio
|
||
stations that make up most of its clientele, and harried editors on
|
||
deadline sometimes punch in the wrong code.
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.2 REUTERS
|
||
|
||
This is roughly the British equivalent of UPI or Associated Press.
|
||
Msen, a public-access site in Michigan, currently feeds Reuters
|
||
dispatches into a series of Usenet-style conferences. If your site
|
||
subscribes to this service, look for newsgroups with names that begin in
|
||
msen.reuters.
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.3 USA TODAY
|
||
|
||
If your host system doesn't carry the clari or msen.reuters
|
||
newsgroups, you might be able to keep up with the news a different way
|
||
over the Net. USA Today has been something of an online newspaper
|
||
pioneer, selling its stories to bulletin-board and online systems across
|
||
the country for several years. Cleveland Free-Net provides the online
|
||
version of USA Today (along with all its other services) for free.
|
||
Currently, the paper only publishes five days a week, so you'll have to
|
||
get your weekend news fix elsewhere.
|
||
|
||
Telnet: freenet-in-a.cwru.edu or
|
||
freenet-in-b.cwru.edu
|
||
|
||
After you connect and log in, look for this menu entry: NPTN/USA
|
||
TODAY HEADLINE NEWS. Type the number next to it and hit enter. You'll
|
||
then get a menu listing a series of broad categories, such as sports and
|
||
telecommunications. Choose one, and you'll get a yet another menu,
|
||
listing the ten most recent dates of publication. Each of these
|
||
contains one-paragraph summaries of the day's news in that particular
|
||
subject.
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.4 THE WORLD TODAY, FROM BELARUS TO BRAZIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty are American radio stations
|
||
that broadcast to the former Communist countries of eastern Europe.
|
||
Every day, their news departments prepare a summary of news in those
|
||
countries, which is then disseminated via the Net, through a Bitnet
|
||
mailing list and a Usenet newsgroup.
|
||
To have the daily digests sent directly to your e-mailbox, send a
|
||
message to
|
||
|
||
listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
|
||
|
||
Leave the subject line blank, and as a message, write:
|
||
|
||
subscribe rferl-l Your Name
|
||
|
||
Alternately, look for the bulletins in the Usenet newsgroup misc.news-
|
||
east-europe.rferl.
|
||
Daily Brazilian news updates are available (in Portuguese) from the
|
||
University of Sao Paulo. Use anonymous ftp to connect to
|
||
|
||
uspif.if.usp.br
|
||
|
||
Use cd to switch to the whois directory. The news summaries are stored
|
||
in files with this form: NEWS.23OCT92;1. But to get them, leave off the
|
||
semicolon and the 1, and don't capitalize anything, for example:
|
||
|
||
get news.23oct92
|
||
|
||
Daily summaries of news reports from France (in French) are availble
|
||
on the National Capital FreeNet in Ottawa, Ont. Telnet to
|
||
|
||
freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
|
||
and log on as: guest. At the main menu, select the number for "The
|
||
Newsstand" and then "La presse de France."
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.5 E-MAILING NEWS ORGANIZATIONS
|
||
|
||
|
||
A number of newspapers, television stations and networks and other
|
||
news organizations now encourage readers and viewers to communicate with
|
||
them electronically, via Internet e-mail addresses. They include:
|
||
|
||
The Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass. sysop@news.ci.net
|
||
The Boston Globe voxbox@globe.com
|
||
WCVB-TV, Boston, Mass. wcvb@aol.com
|
||
NBC News, New York, N.Y. nightly@nbc.com
|
||
The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ont. ottawa-citizen@freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
CJOH-TV, Ottawa, Ont. ab363@freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times 73174.3344@compuserve.com
|
||
Illinois Issues, Springfield, Ill. gherardi@sangamon.edu
|
||
WTVF-TV, Nashville, Tenn. craig.ownsby@nashville.com
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.6 FYI
|
||
|
||
The clari.net.newusers newsgroup on Usenet provides a number of
|
||
articles about Clarinet and ways of finding news stories of interest
|
||
to you.
|
||
To discuss the future of newspapers and newsrooms in the new
|
||
electronic medium, subscribe to the Computer Assisted Reporting and
|
||
Research mailing list on Bitnet. Send a mail message of
|
||
|
||
Subscribe carr-l Your Name
|
||
|
||
to listserv@ulkyvm.bitnet.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 9: ADVANCED E-MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.1 THE FILE'S IN THE MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
E-mail by itself is a powerful tool, and by now you may be
|
||
sending e-mail messages all over the place. You might even be on a
|
||
mailing list or two. But there is a lot more to e-mail than just
|
||
sending messages. If your host system does not have access to ftp,
|
||
or it doesn't have access to every ftp site on the Net, you can have
|
||
programs and files sent right to your mailbox. And using some simple
|
||
techniques, you can use e-mail to send data files such as spreadsheets,
|
||
or even whole programs, to friends and colleagues around the world.
|
||
A key to both is a set of programs known as encoders and
|
||
decoders. For all its basic power, Net e-mail has a big problem: it
|
||
can't handle graphics characters or the control codes found in even
|
||
the simplest of computer programs. Encoders however, can translate
|
||
these into forms usable in e-mail, while decoders turn them back into
|
||
a form that you can actually use. If you are using a Unix-based host
|
||
system, chances are it already has an encoder and decoder online that
|
||
you can use. These programs will also let you use programs posted in
|
||
several Usenet newsgroups, such as comp.binaries.ibm.pc.
|
||
If both you and the person with whom you want to exchange files use
|
||
Unix host systems, you're in luck because virtually all Unix
|
||
host systems have encoder/decoder programs online. For now, let's
|
||
assume that's the case. First, upload the file you want to send to your
|
||
friend to your host site (ask your system administrator how to upload a
|
||
file to your name or "home" directory if you don't already know how).
|
||
Then type
|
||
|
||
uuencode file file > file.uu
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. "File" is the name of the file you want to prepare for
|
||
mailing, and yes, you have to type the name twice! The > is a Unix
|
||
command that tells the system to call the "encoded" file "file.uu"
|
||
(you could actually call it anything you want).
|
||
Now to get it into a mail message. The quick and dirty way is to
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
mail friend
|
||
|
||
where "friend" is your friend's address. At the subject line, type
|
||
the name of the enclosed file. When you get the blank line, type
|
||
|
||
~r file.uu
|
||
|
||
or whatever you called the file, and hit enter. (on some systems, the ~
|
||
may not work; if so, ask your system administrator what to use). This
|
||
inserts the file into your mail message. Hit control-D, and your file
|
||
is on its way!
|
||
On the other end, when your friend goes into her mailbox, she
|
||
should transfer it to her home directory. Then she should type
|
||
|
||
uudecode file.name
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This creates a new file in her name directory with
|
||
whatever name you originally gave it. She can then download it to her
|
||
own computer. Before she can actually use it, though, she'll have to
|
||
open it up with a text processor and delete the mail header that has
|
||
been "stamped" on it. If you use a mailer program that automatically
|
||
appends a "signature," tell her about that so she can delete that as
|
||
well.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.2 RECEIVING FILES
|
||
|
||
|
||
If somebody sends you a file through the mail, you'll have to go
|
||
through a couple of steps to get it into a form you can actually use. If
|
||
you are using the simple mail program, go into mail and type
|
||
|
||
w # file.name
|
||
|
||
where # is the number of the message you want to transfer and
|
||
file.name is what you want to call the resulting file. In pine, call
|
||
up the message and hit your O key and then E. You'll then be asked
|
||
for a file name. In elm, call up the message and hit your S key.
|
||
You'll get something that looks like this:
|
||
|
||
=file.request
|
||
|
||
Type a new file name and hit enter (if you hit enter without
|
||
typing a file name, the message will be saved to another mail folder,
|
||
not your home directory).
|
||
In all three cases, exit the mail program to return to your host
|
||
system's command line. Because the file has been encoded for mail
|
||
delivery, you now have to run a decoder. At the command line, type
|
||
|
||
uudecode file.name
|
||
|
||
where file.name is the file you created while in mail. Uudecode will
|
||
create a new, uncompressed binary file. In some cases, you may have to
|
||
run it through some other programs (for example, if it is in "tar" form),
|
||
but generally it should now be ready for you to download to your own
|
||
computer (on which you might then have to run a de-compressor program
|
||
such as PKXZIP).
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.3 SENDING FILES TO NON-INTERNET SITES
|
||
|
||
|
||
What if your friend only connects with a non-Unix system, such as
|
||
CompuServe or MCIMail? There are programs available for MS-DOS, Apple
|
||
and Amiga computers that will encode and decode files. Of course, since
|
||
you can't send one of these programs to your friend via e-mail (how would
|
||
she un-encode it?), you'll have to mail (the old-fashioned way) or give
|
||
her a diskette with the program on it first. Then, she can get the file
|
||
by e-mail and go through the above process (only on her own computer) to
|
||
get a usable file. Remember to give her an encoder program as well, if
|
||
she wants to send you files in return.
|
||
For MS-DOS machines, you'll want to get uunecode.com and
|
||
uudecode.com. Both can be found through anonymous ftp at
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu in the /mirrors/msdos/starter directory. The MS-
|
||
DOS version is as easy to use as the Unix one: Just type
|
||
|
||
uudecode filename.ext
|
||
|
||
and hit enter.
|
||
Mac users should get a program called uutool, which can be found
|
||
in the info-mac/util directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
|
||
Think twice before sending somebody a giant file. Although large
|
||
sites connected directly to the Internet can probably handle mega-files,
|
||
many smaller systems cannot. Some commercial systems, such as CompuServe
|
||
and MCIMail, limit the size of mail messages their users can receive.
|
||
Fidonet doesn't even allow encoded messages. In general, a file size of
|
||
30,000 or so bytes is a safe upper limit for non-Internet systems.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.4 GETTING FTP FILES VIA E-MAIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
To help people without ftp access, a number of ftp sites have set up
|
||
mail servers (also known as archive servers) that allow you to get files
|
||
via e-mail. You send a request to one of these machines and they send
|
||
back the file you want. As with ftp, you'll be able to find everything
|
||
from historical documents to software (but please note that if you do
|
||
have access to ftp, that method is always quicker and ties up fewer
|
||
resources than using e-mail).
|
||
Some interesting or useful mail servers include:
|
||
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu Files of "frequently asked questions"
|
||
related to Usenet; state-by-state lists of U.S. representatives and
|
||
Senators and their addresses and office phone numbers.
|
||
archive-server@eff.org Information about the Electronic Frontier
|
||
Foundation; documents about legal issues on the Net.
|
||
archive-server@cs.widener.edu Back copies of the Computer
|
||
Underground Digest and every possible fact you could want to know about
|
||
"The Simpsons."
|
||
netlib@uunet.uu.net Programs for many types of personal computers;
|
||
archives of past postings from many Usenet newsgroups.
|
||
archive-server@ames.arc.nasa.gov Space-related text and graphics
|
||
(GIF-format) files.
|
||
service@nic.ddn.mil Detailed information about Internet.
|
||
Most mail servers work pretty much the same -- you send an e-mail
|
||
message that tells them what file you want and how you want it sent to
|
||
you. The most important command is "send," which tells the computer you
|
||
want it to send you a particular file.
|
||
First, though, you'll need to know where the mail server stores
|
||
that file, because you have to tell it which directory or sub-
|
||
directory it's in. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can
|
||
send an e-mail message to the archive-server that consists of one
|
||
line:
|
||
|
||
index
|
||
|
||
The server will then send you a directory listing of its main, or
|
||
root directory. You'll then have to send a second message to the
|
||
archive server with one line:
|
||
|
||
index directory/subdirectory
|
||
|
||
where directory/subdirectory is the directory path for which you want a
|
||
listing. An alternative is to send an e-mail message to our old friend
|
||
archie, which should send you back the file's exact location on the
|
||
archive-server (along with similar listings for all the other sites that
|
||
may have the file, however)
|
||
Once you have the file name and its directory path, compose a
|
||
message to the archive server like this:
|
||
|
||
send directory/subdirectory/file
|
||
|
||
Send off the message and, anywhere from a few minutes to a couple
|
||
of days later, you'll find a new message in your mailbox: a copy of the
|
||
file you requested. The exact time it will take a file to get to you
|
||
depends on a variety of factors, including how many requests are in line
|
||
before yours (mail servers can only process so many requests at a time)
|
||
and the state of the connections between the server and you.
|
||
Seems simple enough. It gets a little more complicated when you
|
||
request a program rather than a document. Programs or other files that
|
||
contain unusual characters or lines longer than 130 characters (graphics
|
||
files, for example) require special processing by the mail server to
|
||
ensure they are transmitted via e-mail. Then you'll have to run them
|
||
through at least one converter program to put them in a form you can
|
||
actually use. To ensure that a program or other "non-mailable" file
|
||
actually gets to you, include another line in your e-mail message to the
|
||
server:
|
||
|
||
encoder
|
||
|
||
This converts the file into an encoded form. To decode it, you'll
|
||
first have to transfer the file message into a file in your home
|
||
directory.
|
||
One further complication comes when you request a particularly
|
||
long file. Many Net sites can only handle so much mail at a time. To
|
||
make sure you get the entire file, tell the mail server to break it up
|
||
into smaller pieces, with another line in your e-mail request like
|
||
this:
|
||
|
||
size 100000
|
||
|
||
This gives the mail server the maximum size, in bytes, of each
|
||
file segment. This particular size is good for UUCP sites. Internet
|
||
and Bitnet sites can generally go up to 300000. When you get all of
|
||
these files in mail, transfer them to your home directory. Exit mail
|
||
and call up each file in your host system's text processor and delete
|
||
each one's entire header and footer (or "signature" at the end). When
|
||
done with this, at your host system's command line, type
|
||
|
||
cat file1 file2 > bigfile
|
||
|
||
where file1 is the first file, file2 the second file, and so on. The >
|
||
tells your host system to combine them into a new megafile called
|
||
bigfile (or whatever you want to call it). After you save the file to
|
||
your home directory (see section 9.2 above), you can then run uudecode,
|
||
tar, etc. One word of caution, though: if the file you want is long
|
||
enough that it has to be broken into pieces, think of how much time it's
|
||
going to take you to download the whole thing -- especially if you're
|
||
using a 2400-baud modem!
|
||
There are a number of other mail servers. To get a list, send an
|
||
e-mail message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu:
|
||
|
||
send usenet/comp.sources.wanted/How_to_find_sources_(READ_THIS_BEFORE_POSTING)
|
||
|
||
You'll have to spell it exactly as listed above. Some mail
|
||
servers use different software, which will require slightly different
|
||
commands than the ones listed here. In general, if you send a message
|
||
to a mail server that says only
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
you should get back a file detailing all of its commands.
|
||
But what if the file you want is not on one of these mail
|
||
servers? That's where ftpmail comes in. Run by Digital Equipment
|
||
Corp. in California, this service can connect to almost any ftp site
|
||
in the world, get the file you want and then mail it to you. Using it
|
||
is fairly simple -- you send an e-mail message to ftpmail that
|
||
includes a series of commands telling the system where to find the
|
||
file you want and how to format it to mail to you.
|
||
Compose an e-mail message to
|
||
|
||
ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
|
||
|
||
Leave the "subject:" line blank. Inside the message, there are
|
||
several commands you can give. The first line should be
|
||
|
||
reply address
|
||
|
||
where "address" is your e-mail address. The next line should be
|
||
|
||
connect host
|
||
|
||
where "host" is the system that has the file you want (for example:
|
||
wuarchive.wustl.edu). Other commands you should consider using are
|
||
"binary" (required for program files); "compress" (reduces the file
|
||
size for quicker transmission) and "uuencode" (which encodes the file
|
||
so you can do something with it when it arrives). The last line of
|
||
your message should be the word "quit".
|
||
Let's say you want a copy of the U.S. constitution. Using archie,
|
||
you've found a file called, surprise, constitution, at the ftp site
|
||
archive.cis.ohio-state.edu, in the /pub/firearms/politics/rkba
|
||
directory. You'd send a message to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com that looks
|
||
like this:
|
||
|
||
reply adamg@world.std.com
|
||
connect archive.cis.ohio-state.edu
|
||
binary
|
||
compress
|
||
uuencode
|
||
get pub/firearms/politics/rkba/constitution
|
||
quit
|
||
|
||
When you get the file in your mailbox, use the above procedure
|
||
for copying it to a file. Run it through uudecode. Then type
|
||
|
||
uncompress file.name
|
||
|
||
to make it usable.
|
||
Since this was a text file, you could have changed the "binary" to
|
||
"ascii" and then eliminated the "uuencode" file. For programs, though,
|
||
you'll want to keep these lines. One caveat with ftpmail: it has become
|
||
such a popular service that it could take a week or more for your
|
||
requested files to arrive.
|
||
|
||
|
||
9.5 THE ALL KNOWING ORACLE
|
||
|
||
|
||
One other thing you can do through e-mail is consult with the
|
||
Usenet Oracle. You can ask the Oracle anything at all and get back an
|
||
answer (whether you'll like the answer is another question).
|
||
First, you'll want to get instructions on how to address the Oracle
|
||
(he, or she, or it, is very particular about such things and likes being
|
||
addressed in august, solemn and particularly sycophantic tones). Start
|
||
an e-mail message to
|
||
|
||
oracle@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
|
||
|
||
In the "subject:" line, type
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You don't actually have to say anything in the message
|
||
itself -- at least not yet. Hit control-D to send off your request
|
||
for help. Within a few hours, the Oracle will mail you back detailed
|
||
instructions. It's a fairly long file, so before you start reading
|
||
it, turn on your communications software's logging function, to save
|
||
it to your computer (or save the message to a file on your host system's
|
||
home directory and then download the file). After you've digested it,
|
||
you can compose your question to the Oracle. Mail it to the above
|
||
address, only this time with a subject line that describes your
|
||
question. Expect an answer within a couple of days. And don't be
|
||
surprised if you also find a question in your mailbox -- the Oracle
|
||
extracts payment by making seekers of knowledge answer questions as
|
||
well!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 10: NEWS OF THE WORLD
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.1 Clarinet: UPI, Dave Barry and Dilbert.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Usenet "newsgroups" can be something of a misnomer. They may be
|
||
interesting, informative and educational, but they are often not news,
|
||
at least, not the way most people would think of them. But there are several
|
||
sources of news and sports on the Net.
|
||
One of the largest is Clarinet, a company in Cupertino, Calf., that
|
||
distributes wire-service news and columns, along with a news service
|
||
devoted to computers and even the Dilbert comic strip, in Usenet form.
|
||
Distributed in Usenet form, Clarinet stories and columns are
|
||
organized into more than 100 newsgroups (in this case, a truly
|
||
appropriate name), some of them with an extremely narrow focus, for
|
||
example, clari.news.gov.taxes. The general news and sports come from
|
||
United Press International; the computer news from the NewsBytes
|
||
service; the features from several syndicates.
|
||
Because Clarinet charges for its service, not all host systems
|
||
carry its articles. Those that do carry them as Usenet groups starting
|
||
with "clari." As with other Usenet hierarchies, these are named starting
|
||
with broad area and ending with more specific categories. Some of these
|
||
include business news (clari.biz); general national and foreign news,
|
||
politics and the like (clari.news), sports (clari.sports); columns by
|
||
Mike Royko, Miss Manners, Dave Barry and others (clari.feature); and
|
||
NewsBytes computer and telecommunications reports (clari.nb). Because
|
||
Clarinet started in Canada, there is a separate set of clari.canada
|
||
newsgroups. The clari.nb newsgroups are divided into specific computer
|
||
types (clari.nb.apple, for example).
|
||
Clari news groups feature stories updated around the clock. There
|
||
are even a couple of "bulletin" newsgroups for breaking stories:
|
||
clari.news.bulletin and clari.news.urgent. Clarinet also sets up new
|
||
newsgroups for breaking stories that become ongoing ones (such as major
|
||
natural disasters, coups in large countries and the like).
|
||
Occasionally, you will see stories in clari newsgroups that just
|
||
don't seem to belong there. Stories about former Washington, D.C. mayor
|
||
Marion Barry, for example, often wind interspersed among columns by Dave
|
||
Barry. This happens because of the way wire services work. UPI uses
|
||
three-letter codes to route its stories to the newspapers and radio
|
||
stations that make up most of its clientele, and harried editors on
|
||
deadline sometimes punch in the wrong code.
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.2 REUTERS
|
||
|
||
This is roughly the British equivalent of UPI or Associated Press.
|
||
Msen, a public-access site in Michigan, currently feeds Reuters
|
||
dispatches into a series of Usenet-style conferences. If your site
|
||
subscribes to this service, look for newsgroups with names that begin in
|
||
msen.reuters.
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.3 USA TODAY
|
||
|
||
If your host system doesn't carry the clari or msen.reuters
|
||
newsgroups, you might be able to keep up with the news a different way
|
||
over the Net. USA Today has been something of an online newspaper
|
||
pioneer, selling its stories to bulletin-board and online systems across
|
||
the country for several years. Cleveland Free-Net provides the online
|
||
version of USA Today (along with all its other services) for free.
|
||
Currently, the paper publishes only five days a week, so you'll have to
|
||
get your weekend news fix elsewhere.
|
||
|
||
Telnet: freenet-in-a.cwru.edu or
|
||
freenet-in-b.cwru.edu or
|
||
freenet-in-c.cwru.edu
|
||
|
||
After you connect and log in, look for this menu entry: NPTN/USA
|
||
TODAY HEADLINE NEWS. Type the number next to it and hit enter. You'll
|
||
then get a menu listing a series of broad categories, such as sports and
|
||
telecommunications. Choose one, and you'll get a yet another menu,
|
||
listing the ten most recent dates of publication. Each of these
|
||
contains one-paragraph summaries of the day's news in that particular
|
||
subject.
|
||
|
||
10.4 NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
|
||
|
||
Look in the alt.radio.networks.npr newsgroup in Usenet for summaries
|
||
of NPR news shows such as "All Things Considered." This newsgroup is
|
||
also a place to discuss the network and its shows, personalities and
|
||
policies.
|
||
|
||
10.5 THE WORLD TODAY, FROM BELARUS TO BRAZIL
|
||
|
||
|
||
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty are American radio stations
|
||
that broadcast to the former Communist countries of eastern Europe.
|
||
Every day, their news departments prepare a summary of news in those
|
||
countries, which is then disseminated via the Net, through a Bitnet
|
||
mailing list and a Usenet newsgroup.
|
||
To have the daily digests sent directly to your e-mailbox, send a
|
||
message to
|
||
|
||
listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
|
||
|
||
Leave the subject line blank, and as a message, write:
|
||
|
||
subscribe rferl-l Your Name
|
||
|
||
Alternately, look for the bulletins in the Usenet newsgroup misc.news-
|
||
east-europe.rferl.
|
||
The Voice of America, a government broadcasting service aimed at
|
||
other countries, provides transcripts of its English-language news
|
||
reports through both gopher and anonymous ftp. For the former, use
|
||
gopher to connect to this address:
|
||
|
||
gopher.voa.gov
|
||
|
||
and for the latter, to this address:
|
||
|
||
ftp.voa.gov
|
||
|
||
Daily Brazilian news updates are available (in Portuguese) from the
|
||
University of Sao Paulo. Use anonymous ftp to connect to
|
||
|
||
uspif.if.usp.br
|
||
|
||
Use cd to switch to the whois directory. The news summaries are stored
|
||
in files with this form: NEWS.23OCT92;1. But to get them, leave off the
|
||
semicolon and the 1, and don't capitalize anything, for example:
|
||
|
||
get news.23oct92
|
||
|
||
Daily summaries of news reports from France (in French) are availble
|
||
on the National Capital FreeNet in Ottawa, Ont. Telnet to
|
||
|
||
freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
|
||
and log on as: guest. At the main menu, select the number for "The
|
||
Newsstand" and then "La presse de France."
|
||
|
||
|
||
10.6 E-MAILING NEWS ORGANIZATIONS
|
||
|
||
|
||
A number of newspapers, television stations and networks and other
|
||
news organizations now encourage readers and viewers to communicate with
|
||
them electronically, via Internet e-mail addresses. They include:
|
||
|
||
The Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass. sysop@news.ci.net
|
||
The Boston Globe voxbox@globe.com
|
||
WCVB-TV, Boston, Mass. wcvb@aol.com
|
||
NBC News, New York, N.Y. nightly@nbc.com
|
||
The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ont. ottawa-citizen@freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
CJOH-TV, Ottawa, Ont. ab363@freenet.carleton.ca
|
||
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times 73174.3344@compuserve.com
|
||
Illinois Issues, Springfield, Ill. gherardi@sangamon.edu
|
||
WTVF-TV, Nashville, Tenn. craig.ownsby@nashville.com
|
||
Santa Cruz County (Calif.) Sentinel sented@cruzio.com
|
||
Morning Journal, Lorain, Ohio mamjornl@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu
|
||
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, Minn. wccotv@mr.net
|
||
Tico Times, Costa Rica ttimes@huracon.cr
|
||
|
||
10.7 FYI
|
||
|
||
The clari.net.newusers newsgroup on Usenet provides a number of
|
||
articles about Clarinet and ways of finding news stories of interest
|
||
to you.
|
||
To discuss the future of newspapers and newsrooms in the new
|
||
electronic medium, subscribe to the Computer Assisted Reporting and
|
||
Research mailing list on Bitnet. Send a mail message of
|
||
|
||
Subscribe carr-l Your Name
|
||
|
||
to listserv@ulkyvm.bitnet.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 11: IRC, MUDs AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE MORE FUN THAN THEY SOUND
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Many Net systems provide access to a series of interactive
|
||
services that let you hold live "chats" or play online games with
|
||
people around the world. To find out if your host system offers
|
||
these, you can ask your system administrator or just try them -- if
|
||
nothing happens, then your system does not provide them. In general,
|
||
if you can use telnet and ftp, chances are good you can use these
|
||
services as well.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.1 TALK
|
||
|
||
|
||
This is the Net equivalent of a telephone conversation and
|
||
requires that both you and the person you want to talk to have access
|
||
to this function and are online at the same time. To use it, type
|
||
|
||
talk user@site.name
|
||
|
||
where user@site.name is the e-mail address of the other person. She will
|
||
see something like this on her screen:
|
||
|
||
talk: connection requested by yourname@site.name
|
||
talk: respond with: talk yourname@site.name
|
||
|
||
To start the conversation, she should then type (at her host system's
|
||
command line):
|
||
|
||
talk yourname@site.name
|
||
|
||
where that is your e-mail address. Both of you will then get a top
|
||
and bottom window on your screen. She will see everything you type in
|
||
one window; you'll see everything she types in the other. To
|
||
disconnect, hit control-C.
|
||
One note: Public-access sites that use Sun computers sometimes have
|
||
trouble with the talk program. If talk does not work, try typing
|
||
|
||
otalk
|
||
|
||
or
|
||
|
||
ntalk
|
||
|
||
instead. However, the party at the other end will have to have the same
|
||
program online for the connection to work.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.2 INTERNET RELAY CHAT
|
||
|
||
|
||
IRC is a program that lets you hold live keyboard conversations
|
||
with people around the world. It's a lot like an international CB
|
||
radio - it even uses "channels." Type something on your computer and
|
||
it's instantly echoed around the world to whoever happens to be on the
|
||
same channel with you. You can join in existing public group chats or
|
||
set up your own. You can even create a private channel for yourself
|
||
and as few as one or two other people. And just like on a CB radio,
|
||
you can give yourself a unique "handle" or nickname.
|
||
IRC currently links host systems in 20 different countries, from
|
||
Australia to Hong Kong to Israel. Unfortunately, it's like telnet --
|
||
either your site has it or it doesn't. If your host system does have it,
|
||
Just type
|
||
|
||
irc
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll get something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
*** Connecting to port 6667 of server world.std.com
|
||
*** Welcome to the Internet Relay Network, adamg
|
||
*** Your host is world.std.com, running version 2.7.1e+4
|
||
*** You have new mail.
|
||
*** If you have not already done so, please read the new user information with
|
||
+/HELP NEWUSER
|
||
*** This server was created Sat Apr 18 1992 at 16:27:02 EDT
|
||
*** There are 364 users on 140 servers
|
||
*** 45 users have connection to the twilight zone
|
||
*** There are 124 channels.
|
||
*** I have 1 clients and 3 servers
|
||
MOTD - world.std.com Message of the Day -
|
||
MOTD - Be careful out there...
|
||
MOTD -
|
||
MOTD - ->Spike
|
||
* End of /MOTD command.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
23:13 [1] adamg [Mail: 32] * type /help for help
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
You are now in channel 0, the "null" channel, in which you can look
|
||
up various help files, but not much else. As you can see, IRC takes over
|
||
your entire screen. The top of the screen is where messages will
|
||
appear. The last line is where you type IRC commands and messages. All
|
||
IRC commands begin with a /. The slash tells the computer you are about
|
||
to enter a command, rather than a message. To see what channels are
|
||
available, type
|
||
|
||
/list
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You'll get something like this:
|
||
|
||
|
||
*** Channel Users Topic
|
||
*** #Money 1 School CA$H (/msg SOS_AID help)
|
||
*** #Gone 1 ----->> Gone with the wind!!! ------>>>>>
|
||
*** #mee 1
|
||
*** #eclipse 1
|
||
*** #hiya 2
|
||
*** #saigon 4
|
||
*** #screwed 3
|
||
*** #z 2
|
||
*** #comix 1 LET'S TALK 'BOUT COMIX!!!!!
|
||
*** #Drama 1
|
||
*** #RayTrace 1 Rendering to Reality and Back
|
||
*** #NeXT 1
|
||
*** #wicca 4 Mr. Potato Head, R. I. P.
|
||
*** #dde^mhe` 1 no'ng chay? mo*? ...ba` con o*iiii
|
||
*** #jgm 1
|
||
*** #ucd 1
|
||
*** #Maine 2
|
||
*** #Snuffland 1
|
||
*** #p/g! 4
|
||
*** #DragonSrv 1
|
||
|
||
Because IRC allows for a large number of channels, the list might
|
||
scroll off your screen, so you might want to turn on your computer's
|
||
screen capture to capture the entire list. Note that the channels
|
||
always have names, instead of numbers. Each line in the listing tells
|
||
you the channel name, the number of people currently in it, and whether
|
||
there's a specific topic for it. To switch to a particular channel,
|
||
type
|
||
|
||
/join #channel
|
||
|
||
where "#channel" is the channel name and hit enter. Some "public"
|
||
channels actually require an invitation from somebody already on it. To
|
||
request an invitation, type
|
||
|
||
/who #channel-name
|
||
|
||
where channel-name is the name of the channel, and hit enter. Then ask
|
||
someone with an @ next to their name if you can join in. Note that
|
||
whenever you enter a channel, you have to include the #. Choose one
|
||
with a number of users, so you can see IRC in action.
|
||
If it's a busy channel, as soon as you join it, the top of your
|
||
screen will quickly be filled with messages. Each will start with a
|
||
person's IRC nickname, followed by his message.
|
||
It may seem awfully confusing at first. There could be two or
|
||
three conversations going on at the same time and sometimes the
|
||
messages will come in so fast you'll wonder how you can read them all.
|
||
Eventually, though, you'll get into the rhythm of the channel and
|
||
things will begin to make more sense. You might even want to add your
|
||
two cents (in fact, don't be surprised if a message to you shows up on
|
||
your screen right away; on some channels, newcomers are welcomed
|
||
immediately). To enter a public message, simply type it on that bottom
|
||
line (the computer knows it's a message because you haven't started the
|
||
line with a slash) and hit enter.
|
||
Public messages have a user's nickname in brackets, like this:
|
||
|
||
<tomg>
|
||
|
||
If you receive a private message from somebody, his name will be
|
||
between asterisks, like this:
|
||
|
||
*tomg*
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.3 IRC COMMANDS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Note: Hit enter after each command.
|
||
|
||
|
||
/away When you're called away to put out a grease fire
|
||
in the kitchen, issue this command to let others know
|
||
you're still connected but just away from your terminal
|
||
or computer for awhile.
|
||
|
||
|
||
/help Brings up a list of commands for which there is a help
|
||
file. You will get a "topic:" prompt. Type in the
|
||
subject for which you want information and hit enter.
|
||
Hit enter by itself to exit help.
|
||
|
||
/invite Asks another IRC to join you in a conversation.
|
||
|
||
/invite fleepo #hottub
|
||
|
||
would send a message to fleepo asking him to join you on
|
||
the #hottub channel. The channel name is optional.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
/join Use this to switch to or create a particular channel,
|
||
like this:
|
||
|
||
/join #hottub
|
||
|
||
If one of these channels exists and is not a private
|
||
one, you will enter it. Otherwise, you have just
|
||
created it. Note you have to use a # as the first
|
||
character.
|
||
|
||
|
||
/list This will give you a list of all available public
|
||
channels, their topics (if any) and the number of users
|
||
currently on them. Hidden and private channels are not
|
||
shown.
|
||
|
||
/m name Send a private message to that user.
|
||
|
||
/mode This lets you determine who can join a channel you've
|
||
created.
|
||
|
||
/mode #channel +s
|
||
|
||
creates a secret channel.
|
||
|
||
|
||
/mode #channel +p
|
||
|
||
makes the channel private
|
||
|
||
/nick This lets you change the name by which others see you.
|
||
|
||
/nick fleepo
|
||
|
||
would change your name for the present session to
|
||
fleepo. People can still use /whois to find your e-mail
|
||
address. If you try to enter a channel where somebody
|
||
else is already using that nickname, IRC will ask you to
|
||
select another name.
|
||
|
||
/query This sets up a private conversation between you and
|
||
another IRC user. To do this, type
|
||
|
||
/query nickname
|
||
|
||
Every message you type after that will go only to that
|
||
person. If she then types
|
||
|
||
/query nickname
|
||
|
||
where nickname is yours, then you have established a
|
||
private conversation. To exit this mode, type
|
||
|
||
/query
|
||
|
||
by itself. While in query mode, you and the other
|
||
person can continue to "listen" to the discussion on
|
||
whatever public channels you were on, although neither
|
||
of you will be able to respond to any of the messages
|
||
there.
|
||
|
||
/quit Exit IRC.
|
||
|
||
/signoff Exit IRC.
|
||
|
||
/summon Asks somebody connected to a host system with IRC to
|
||
join you on IRC. You must use the person's entire e-mail
|
||
address.
|
||
|
||
/summon fleepo@foo.bar.com
|
||
|
||
would send a message to fleepo asking him to start IRC.
|
||
Usually not a good idea to just summon people unless you
|
||
know they're already amenable to the idea; otherwise you
|
||
may wind up annoying them no end. This command does not
|
||
work on all sites.
|
||
|
||
/topic When you've started a new channel, use this command to let
|
||
others know what it's about.
|
||
|
||
/topic #Amiga
|
||
|
||
would tell people who use /list that your channel is meant
|
||
for discussing Amiga computers.
|
||
|
||
/who <chan> Shows you the e-mail address of people on a particular
|
||
channel.
|
||
|
||
/who #foo
|
||
|
||
would show you the addresses of everybody on channel foo.
|
||
|
||
/who
|
||
|
||
by itself shows you every e-mail address for every person
|
||
on IRC at the time, although be careful: on a busy night
|
||
you might get a list of 500 names!
|
||
|
||
/whois Use this to get some information about a specific IRC
|
||
user or to see who is online.
|
||
|
||
/whois nickname
|
||
|
||
will give you the e-mail address for the person using
|
||
that nickname.
|
||
|
||
/whois *
|
||
|
||
will list everybody on every channel.
|
||
|
||
/whowas Similar to /whois; gives information for people who
|
||
recently signed off IRC.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.4 IRC IN TIMES OF CRISIS
|
||
|
||
|
||
IRC has become a new medium for staying on top of really big
|
||
breaking news. In 1993, when Russian lawmakers barricaded themselves
|
||
inside the parliament building, some enterprising Muscovites and a couple
|
||
of Americans set up a "news channel" on IRC to relay first-person
|
||
accounts direct from Moscow. The channel was set up to provide a
|
||
continuous loop of information, much like all-news radio stations that
|
||
cycle through the day's news every 20 minutes. In 1994, Los Angeles
|
||
residents set up a similar channel to relay information related to the
|
||
Northridge earthquake. In both cases, logs of the channels were archived
|
||
somewhere on the Net, for those unable to "tune in" live.
|
||
How would you find such channels in the future? Use the /list
|
||
command to scroll through the available channels. If one has been set up
|
||
to discuss a particular breaking event, chances are you'll see a brief
|
||
description next to the channel name that will tell you that's the place
|
||
to tune.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.5 MUDs
|
||
|
||
|
||
Multiple-User Dimensions or Dungeons (MUDs) take IRC into the
|
||
realm of fantasy. MUDs are live, role-playing games in which you
|
||
enter assume a new identity and enter an alternate reality through
|
||
your keyboard. As you explore this other world, through a series of
|
||
simple commands (such as "look," "go" and "take"), you'll run across
|
||
other users, who may engage you in a friendly discussion, enlist your
|
||
aid in some quest or try to kill you for no apparent reason.
|
||
Each MUD has its own personality and creator (or God) who was
|
||
willing to put in the long hours required to establish the particular
|
||
MUD's rules, laws of nature and information databases. Some MUDs
|
||
stress the social aspects of online communications -- users frequently
|
||
gather online to chat and join together to build new structures or
|
||
even entire realms. Others are closer to "Dungeons and Dragons" and
|
||
are filled with sorcerers, dragons and evil people out to keep you
|
||
from completing your quest -- through murder if necessary.
|
||
Many MUDs (there are also related games known as MUCKs and MUSEs)
|
||
require you to apply in advance, through e-mail, for a character name
|
||
and password. One that lets you look around first, though, is
|
||
HoloMuck at McGill University in Montreal. The premise of this game
|
||
is that you arrive in the middle of Tanstaafl, a city on the planet
|
||
Holo. You have to find a place to live (else you get thrown into the
|
||
homeless shelter) and then you can begin exploring. Magic is allowed
|
||
on this world, but only outside the city limits. Get bored with the
|
||
city and you can roam the rest of the world or even take a trip into
|
||
orbit (of course, all this takes money; you can either wait for your
|
||
weekly salary or take a trip to the city casino). Once you become
|
||
familiar with the city and get your own character, you can even begin
|
||
erecting your own building (or subway line, or almost anything else).
|
||
To connect, telnet to
|
||
|
||
collatz.mcrcim.mcgill.edu 5757
|
||
|
||
When you connect, type
|
||
|
||
connect guest guest
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. This connects you to the "guest" account, which
|
||
has a password of "guest."
|
||
You'll see this:
|
||
|
||
The Homeless Shelter(#22Rna)
|
||
You wake up in the town's Homeless Shelter, where vagrants are put for
|
||
protective holding. Please don't sleep in public places-- there are plenty of
|
||
open apartments available. Type 'apartments' to see how to get to an
|
||
apartment building with open vacancies.
|
||
There is a small sign on the wall here, with helpful information. Type 'look
|
||
sign' to read it.
|
||
The door is standing open for your return to respectable society. Simply walk
|
||
'out' to the center.
|
||
Of course, you want to join respectable society, but first you
|
||
want to see what that sign says. So you type
|
||
|
||
look sign
|
||
|
||
and hit enter, which brings up a list of some basic commands. Then
|
||
you type
|
||
|
||
out
|
||
|
||
followed by enter, which brings up this:
|
||
|
||
You slip out the door, and head southeast...
|
||
Tanstaafl Center
|
||
This is the center of the beautiful town of Tanstaafl. High Street runs north
|
||
and south into residential areas, while Main Street runs east and west into
|
||
business districts.
|
||
SW: is Tanstaafl Towers. Please claim an apartment... no sleeping in public!
|
||
SE: the Public Library offers both information and entertainment.
|
||
NW: is the Homeless Shelter, formerly the Town Jail.
|
||
NE: is Town Hall, site of several important services, including: Public
|
||
Message Board, Bureau of Land Management (with maps and regulations), and
|
||
other governmental/ bureaucratic help.
|
||
Down: Below a sign marked with both red and blue large letter 'U's, a
|
||
staircase leads into an underground subway passage.
|
||
(Feel free to 'look' in any direction for more information.)
|
||
[Obvious exits: launch, d, nw, se, w, e, n, s, ne, sw]
|
||
Contents:
|
||
Instructions for newcomers
|
||
Directional signpost
|
||
Founders' statue
|
||
|
||
To see "Instructions for newcomers", type
|
||
|
||
look Instructions for newcomers
|
||
|
||
and hit enter. You could do the same for "Directional signpost" and
|
||
"Founders' statue." Then type
|
||
|
||
SW
|
||
|
||
and enter to get to Tanstaafl Towers, the city housing complex, where
|
||
you have to claim an apartment (you may have to look around; many will
|
||
already) be occupied. And now it's off to explore Holo! One command
|
||
you'll want to keep in mind is "take." Periodically, you'll come
|
||
across items that, when you take them will confer certain abilities or
|
||
powers on you. If you type
|
||
|
||
help
|
||
|
||
and enter, you'll get a list of files you can read to learn more about
|
||
the MUD's commands.
|
||
The "say" command lets you talk to other players publicly. For
|
||
example,
|
||
|
||
say Hey, I'm here!
|
||
|
||
would be broadcast to everybody else in the room with you. If you
|
||
want to talk to just one particular person, use "whisper" instead of
|
||
"say."
|
||
|
||
whisper agora=Hey, I'm here!
|
||
|
||
would be heard only by agora. Another way to communicate with
|
||
somebody regardless of where on the world they are is through your
|
||
pager. If you suddenly see yours go off while visiting, chances are
|
||
it's a wizard checking to see if you need any help. To read his
|
||
message, type
|
||
|
||
page
|
||
|
||
To send him a message, type
|
||
|
||
page name=message
|
||
|
||
where name is the wizard's name (it'll be in the original message).
|
||
Other MUDs and MUCKs may have different commands, but generally
|
||
use the same basic idea of letting you navigate through relatively
|
||
simple English commands.
|
||
When you connect to a MUD, choose your password as carefully as
|
||
you would one for your host system; alas, there are MUD crackers who
|
||
enjoy trying to break into other people's MUD accounts. And never,
|
||
never use the same password as the one you use on your host system!
|
||
MUDs can prove highly addicting. "The jury is still out on
|
||
whether MUDding is 'just a game' or 'an extension of real life with
|
||
gamelike qualities'," says Jennifer Smith, an active MUD player who
|
||
wrote an FAQ on the subject.
|
||
She adds one caution: "You shouldn't do anything that you
|
||
wouldn't do in real life, even if the world is a fantasy world. The
|
||
important thing to remember is that it's the fantasy world of possibly
|
||
hundreds of people, and not just yours in particular. There's a
|
||
human being on the other side of each and every wire! Always remember
|
||
that you may meet these other people some day, and they may break
|
||
your nose. People who treat others badly gradually build up bad
|
||
reputations and eventually receive the NO FUN Stamp of Disapproval."
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.6 GO, GO, GO (AND CHESS, TOO)!
|
||
|
||
Fancy a good game of go or chess? You no longer have to head for
|
||
the nearest park with a board in hand. The Internet has a couple of
|
||
machines that let you engage people from around the world in your
|
||
favorite board games. Or, if you prefer, you can watch matches in
|
||
progress.
|
||
To play go,
|
||
|
||
telnet hellspark.wharton.upenn.edu 6969
|
||
log on as: guest
|
||
|
||
You'll find prompts to various online help files to get you started.
|
||
For a chess match,
|
||
|
||
telnet news.panix.com 5000
|
||
log on as: guest
|
||
|
||
You'll find prompts for online help files on the system, which lets you
|
||
choose your skill level.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.7 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
|
||
|
||
|
||
All is not fun and games on the Net. Like any community, the Net
|
||
has its share of obnoxious characters who seem to exist only to make
|
||
your life miserable (you've already met some of them in chapter 4).
|
||
There are people who seem to spend a bit more time on the Net than many
|
||
would find healthy. It also has its criminals. Clifford Stoll writes in
|
||
"The Cuckoo's Egg" how he tracked a team of German hackers who were
|
||
breaking into U.S. computers and selling the information they found to
|
||
the Soviets. Robert Morris, a Cornell University student, was convicted
|
||
of unleashing a "worm" program that effectively disabled several thousand
|
||
computers connected to the Internet.
|
||
Of more immediate concern to the average Net user are crackers
|
||
who seek to find other's passwords to break into Net systems and people
|
||
who infect programs on ftp sites with viruses.
|
||
There is a widely available program known as "Crack" that can
|
||
decipher user passwords composed of words that might be found in a
|
||
dictionary (this is why you shouldn't use such passwords). Short of
|
||
that, there are the annoying types who take a special thrill in trying to
|
||
make you miserable. The best advice in dealing with them is to count to
|
||
10 and then ignore them -- like juveniles everywhere, most of their fun
|
||
comes in seeing how upset you can get.
|
||
Meanwhile, two Cornell University students pleaded guilty in 1992 to
|
||
uploading virus-infected Macintosh programs to ftp sites. If you plan
|
||
to try out large amounts of software from ftp sites, it might be wise to
|
||
download or buy a good anti-viral program.
|
||
But can law enforcement go too far in seeking out the criminals?
|
||
The Electronic Frontier Foundation was founded in large part in
|
||
response to a series of government raids against an alleged gang of
|
||
hackers. The raids resulted in the near bankruptcy of one game
|
||
company never alleged to have had anything to do with the hackers,
|
||
when the government seized its computers and refused to give them
|
||
back. The case against another alleged participant collapsed in court
|
||
when his attorney showed the "proprietary" and supposedly hacked
|
||
information he printed in an electronic newsletter was actually
|
||
available via an 800 number for about $13 -- from the phone company
|
||
from which that data was taken.
|
||
|
||
|
||
11.8 FYI
|
||
|
||
You can find discussions about IRC in the alt.irc newsgroup.
|
||
"A Discussion on Computer Network Conferencing," by Darren Reed
|
||
(May, 1992), provides a theoretical background on why conferencing
|
||
systems such as IRC are a Good Thing. It's available through ftp at
|
||
nic.ddn.mil in the rfc directory as rfc1324.txt.
|
||
Every Friday, Scott Goehring posts a new list of MUDs and related
|
||
games and their telnet addresses in the newsgroup rec.games.mud.announce.
|
||
There are several other mud newsgroups related to specific types of MUDs,
|
||
including rec.games.mud.social, rec.games.mud.adventure,
|
||
rec.games.mud.tiny, rec.games.mud.diku and rec.games.mud.lp.
|
||
For a good overview of the impact on the Internet of the Morris
|
||
Worm, read "Virus Highlights Need for Improved Internet Management," by
|
||
the U.S. General Accounting Office (June, 1989). You can get a copy via
|
||
ftp from cert.sei.cmu.edu in the pub/virus-l/docs directory. It's
|
||
listed as gao_rpt.
|
||
Clifford Stoll describes how the Internet works and how he tracked
|
||
a group of KGB-paid German hackers through it, in "The Cuckoo's Egg:
|
||
Tracking a Spy through the Maze of Computer Espionage," Doubleday
|
||
(1989).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 12: EDUCATION AND THE NET
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
12.1 THE NET IN THE CLASSROOM
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you're a teacher, you've probably already begun to see the
|
||
potential the Net has for use in the class. Usenet, ftp and telnet have
|
||
tremendous educational potential, from keeping up with world events to
|
||
arranging international science experiments.
|
||
Because the Net now reaches so many countries and often stays
|
||
online even when the phones go down, you and your students can "tune
|
||
in" to first-hand accounts during international conflicts. Look at
|
||
your system's list of Usenet soc.culture groups to see if there is one
|
||
about the country or region you're interested in. Even in peacetime,
|
||
these newsgroups can be great places to find people from countries you
|
||
might be studying.
|
||
The biggest problem may be getting accounts for your students, if
|
||
you're not lucky enough to live within the local calling area of a
|
||
Free-Net system. Many colleges and universities, however, are willing
|
||
to discuss providing accounts for secondary students at little or no
|
||
cost. Several states, including California and Texas, have Internet-
|
||
linked networks for teachers and students.
|
||
|
||
12.2 SOME SPECIFIC RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
|
||
|
||
In addition, there are a number of resources on the Internet aimed
|
||
specifically at elementary and secondary students and teachers. You
|
||
can use these to set up science experiments with classes in another
|
||
country, learn how to use computers in the classroom or keep up with the
|
||
latest advances in teaching everything from physics to physical
|
||
education.
|
||
Among them:
|
||
|
||
AskERIC Run by the Educational Resource and Information Center,
|
||
AskERIC provides a way for educators, librarians and
|
||
others interested in K-12 education to get more
|
||
information about virtually everything. The center
|
||
maintains an e-mail address (askeric@ericir.syr.edu) for
|
||
questions and promises answers within 48 hours. It also
|
||
maintains a gopher site that contains digests of
|
||
questions and answers, lesson plans in a variety of
|
||
fields and other educationally related information. The
|
||
gopher address is ericir.syr.edu.
|
||
|
||
Health-Ed: A mailing list for health educators. Send a request to
|
||
health-ed-request@stjhmc.fidonet.org
|
||
|
||
K12Net: Begun on the Fidonet hobbyist network, K12Net is now also
|
||
carried on many Usenet systems and provides a host of
|
||
interesting and valuable services. These include
|
||
international chat for students, foreign-language
|
||
discussions (for example, there are French and German-
|
||
only conference where American students can practice
|
||
those languages with students from Quebec and German).
|
||
There are also conferences aimed at teachers of specific
|
||
subjects, from physical education to physics. The K12
|
||
network still has limited distribution, so ask your
|
||
system administrator if your system carries it.
|
||
|
||
Kidsphere: Kidsphere is a mailing list for elementary and secondary
|
||
teachers, who use it to arrange joint projects and
|
||
discuss educational telecommunications. You will find
|
||
news of new software, lists of sites from which you can
|
||
get computer-graphics pictures from various NASA
|
||
satellites and probes and other news of interest to
|
||
modem-using teachers.
|
||
To subscribe, send a request by e-mail to kidsphere-
|
||
request@vms.cis.pitt.edu or joinkids@vms.cis.pitt.edu and
|
||
you will start receiving messages within a couple of
|
||
days.
|
||
To contribute to the discussion, send messages to
|
||
kidsphere@vms.cis.pitt.edu.
|
||
KIDS is a spin-off of KIDSPHERE just for students
|
||
who want to contact students. To subscribe, send a
|
||
request to joinkids@vms.cis.pitt.edu, as above. To
|
||
contribute, send messages to kids@vms.cist.pitt.edu.
|
||
|
||
Knoxville Using the newspaper in the electronic classroom. This
|
||
News- gopher site lets students and teachers connect to
|
||
Sentinel the newspaper, and provides resources for them derived
|
||
Online from the newsroom. Use gopher to connect to
|
||
gopher.opup.org
|
||
|
||
MicroMUSE This is an online, futuristic city, built entirely by
|
||
participants (see chapter 11 for information on MUSEs
|
||
and MUDs in general). Hundreds of students from all
|
||
over have participated in this educational exercise,
|
||
coordinated by MIT. Telnet to michael.ai.mit.edu.
|
||
Log on as guest and then follow the prompts for more
|
||
information.
|
||
|
||
NASA Spacelink: This system, run by NASA in Huntsville, Ala.,
|
||
provides all sorts of reports and data about NASA, its
|
||
history and its various missions, past and present.
|
||
Telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov or 128.158.13.250.
|
||
When you connect, you'll be given an overview of the
|
||
system and asked to register. The system maintains a
|
||
large file library of GIF-format space graphics, but note
|
||
that you can't download these through telnet. If you want
|
||
to, you have to dial the system directly, at (205) 895-
|
||
0028. Many can be obtained through ftp from
|
||
ames.arc.nasa.gov, however.
|
||
|
||
Newton: Run by the Argonne National Laboratory, it offers
|
||
conferences for teachers and students, including one
|
||
called "Ask a Scientist."
|
||
|
||
Telnet: newton.dep.anl.gov.
|
||
Log in as: cocotext
|
||
|
||
You'll be asked to provide your name and address. When
|
||
you get the main menu, hit 4 for the various conferences.
|
||
The "Ask a Scientist" category lets you ask questions of
|
||
scientists in fields from biology to earth science.
|
||
Other categories let you discuss teaching, sports and
|
||
computer networks.
|
||
|
||
OERI: The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational
|
||
Resources and Improvement runs a gopher system that
|
||
provides numerous educational resources, information and
|
||
statistics for teachers. Use gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
gopher.ed.gov.
|
||
|
||
Spacemet Forum: If your system doesn't carry the K12 conferences, but
|
||
does provide you with telnet, you can reach the
|
||
conferences through SpaceMet Forum, a bulletin-board
|
||
system aimed at teachers and students that is run by the
|
||
physics and astronomy department at the University of
|
||
Massachusetts at Amherst.
|
||
|
||
Telnet: spacemet.phast.umass.edu.
|
||
|
||
When you connect, hit escape once, after which you'll be
|
||
asked to log on. Like K12Net, SpaceMet Forum began as a
|
||
Fidonet system, but has since grown much larger. Mort
|
||
and Helen Sternheim, professors at the university,
|
||
started SpaceMet as a one-line bulletin-board system
|
||
several years ago to help bolster middle-school science
|
||
education in nearby towns.
|
||
In addition to the K12 conferences, SpaceMet carries
|
||
numerous educationally oriented conferences. It also has
|
||
a large file library of interest to educators and
|
||
students, but be aware that getting files to your site
|
||
could be difficult and maybe even impossible. Unlike
|
||
most other Internet sites, Spacemet does not use an ftp
|
||
interface. The Sternheims say ZMODEM sometimes works over
|
||
the network, but don't count on it.
|
||
|
||
|
||
12.3 USENET AND BITNET IN THE CLASSROOM
|
||
|
||
There are numerous Usenet newsgroups of potential interest to
|
||
teachers and students.
|
||
As you might expect, many are of a scientific bent. You can find
|
||
these by typing l sci. in rn or using nngrep sci. for nn. There are now
|
||
close to 40, with subjects ranging from archaeology to economics (the
|
||
"dismal science," remember?) to astronomy to nanotechnology (the
|
||
construction of microscopically small machines).
|
||
One thing students will quickly learn from many of these groups:
|
||
science is not just dull, boring facts. Science is argument and standing
|
||
your ground and making your case. The Usenet sci. groups encourage
|
||
critical thinking.
|
||
Beyond science, social-studies and history classes can keep busy
|
||
learning about other countries, through the soc.culture newsgroups.
|
||
Most of these newsgroups originated as ways for expatriates of a
|
||
given country to keep in touch with their homeland and its culture. In
|
||
times of crisis, however, these groups often become places to
|
||
disseminate information from or into the country and to discuss what is
|
||
happening. From Afghanistan to Yugoslavia, close to 50 countries are
|
||
now represented on Usenet. To see which groups are available, use l
|
||
soc.culture. in rn or nngrep soc.culture. for nn.
|
||
Several "talk" newsgroups provide additional topical discussions,
|
||
but teachers should screen them first before recommending them to
|
||
students. They range from talk.abortion and talk.politics.guns to
|
||
talk.politics.space and talk.environment.
|
||
One caveat: Teachers might want to peruse particular newsgroups
|
||
before setting their students loose in them. Some have higher levels of
|
||
flaming and blather than others.
|
||
There are also a number of Bitnet discussion groups of potential
|
||
interest to students and teachers. See Chapter 5 for information on
|
||
finding and subscribing to Bitnet discussion groups. Some with an
|
||
educational orientation include:
|
||
|
||
biopi-l ksuvm.bitnet Secondary biology education
|
||
chemed-l uwf.bitnet Chemistry education
|
||
dts-l iubvm.bitnet The Dead Teacher's Society list
|
||
phys-l uwf.bitnet Discussions for physics teachers
|
||
physhare psuvm.bitnet Where physics teachers share resources
|
||
scimath-l psuvm.bitnet Science and math education
|
||
|
||
To get a list of ftp sites that carry astronomical images in the GIF
|
||
graphics format, use ftp to connect to nic.funet.fi. Switch to the
|
||
/pub/astro/general directory and get the file astroftp.txt. Among the
|
||
sites listed is ames.arc.nasa.gov, which carries images taken by the
|
||
Voyager and Galileo probes, among other pictures.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
CHAPTER 13: Business on the Net
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
13.1 SETTING UP SHOP
|
||
|
||
|
||
Back in olden days, oh, before 1990 or so, there were no markets in
|
||
the virtual community -- if you wanted to buy a book, you still had to
|
||
jump in your car and drive to the nearest bookstore.
|
||
This was because in those days, the Net consisted mainly of a series
|
||
of government-funded networks on which explicit commercial activity was
|
||
forbidden. Today, much of the Net is run by private companies, which
|
||
generally have no such restrictions, and a number of companies have begun
|
||
experimenting with online "shops" or other services. Many of these shops
|
||
are run by booksellers, while the services range from delivery of indexed
|
||
copies of federal documents to an online newsstand that hopes to entice
|
||
you to subscribe to any of several publications (of the printed on paper
|
||
variety). A number of companies also use Usenet newsgroups (in the biz
|
||
hierarchy) to distribute press releases and product information.
|
||
Still, commercial activity on the remains far below that found on
|
||
other networks, such as CompuServe, with its Electronic Mall, or Prodigy,
|
||
with its advertisements on almost every screen. In part that's because
|
||
of the newness and complexity of the Internet as a commercial medium. In
|
||
part, however, that is because of security concerns. Companies worry
|
||
about such issues as crackers getting into their system over the network,
|
||
and many people do not like the idea of sending a credit-card number via
|
||
the Internet (an e-mail message could be routed through several sites to
|
||
get to its destination). These concerns could disappear as Net users
|
||
turn to such means as message encryption and "digital signatures." In the
|
||
meantime, however, businesses on the Net can still consider themselves
|
||
something of Internet pioneers.
|
||
A couple of public-access sites and a regional network have set up
|
||
"marketplaces" for online businesses.
|
||
The World in Brookline, Mass., currently rents "space" to several
|
||
bookstores and computer-programming firms, as well as an "adult toy
|
||
shop." To browse their offerings, use gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
world.std.com
|
||
|
||
At the main menu, select "Shops on the World."
|
||
Msen in Ann Arbor provides its "Msen Marketplace," where you'll find
|
||
a travel agency and an "Online Career Center" offering help-wanted ads
|
||
from across the country. Msen also provides an "Internet Business
|
||
Pages," an online directory of companies seeking to reach the Internet
|
||
community. You can reach Msen through gopher at
|
||
|
||
gopher.msen.com
|
||
|
||
At the main menu, select "Msen Marketplace."
|
||
The Nova Scotia Technology Network runs a "Cybermarket" on its
|
||
gopher service at
|
||
|
||
nstn.ns.ca
|
||
|
||
There, you'll find an online bookstore that lets you order books through
|
||
e-mail (to which you'll have to trust your credit-card number) and a
|
||
similar "virtual record store.'' Both let you search their wares by
|
||
keyword or by browsing through catalogs.
|
||
|
||
Other online businesses include:
|
||
|
||
AnyWare Associates This Boston company runs an Internet-to-fax
|
||
gateway that lets you send fax message anywhere
|
||
in the world via the Internet (for a fee, of
|
||
course). For more information, write
|
||
|
||
sales@awa.com
|
||
|
||
Bookstacks Unlimited This Cleveland bookstore offers a keyword-
|
||
searchable database of thousands of books for
|
||
sale. Telnet:
|
||
|
||
books.com
|
||
|
||
Counterpoint Publishing Based in Cambridge, Mass., this company's main
|
||
Internet product is indexed versions of federal
|
||
journals, including the Federal Register (a daily
|
||
compendium of government contracts, proposed
|
||
regulations and the like). Internet users can
|
||
browse through recent copies, but complete access
|
||
will run several thousand dollars a year. Use
|
||
gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
enews.com
|
||
|
||
and select "Counterpoint Publishing"
|
||
|
||
Dialog The national database company can be reached
|
||
through telnet at
|
||
|
||
dialog.com
|
||
|
||
To log on, however, you will have first had to
|
||
set up a Dialog account.
|
||
|
||
Dow Jones News A wire service run by the information company
|
||
Retrieval that owns the Wall Street Journal. Available
|
||
via telnet at
|
||
|
||
djnr.dowjones.com
|
||
|
||
As with Dialog, you need an account to log on.
|
||
|
||
Infinity Link Browse book, music, software, video-cassette and
|
||
laser-disk catalogs through this system based in
|
||
Malvern, Penn. Use gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
columbia.ilc.com
|
||
|
||
Log on as: cas
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Internet Company Sort of a service bureau, this company, based in
|
||
Cambridge, Mass., is working with several publishers
|
||
on Internet-related products. Its Electronic
|
||
Newsstand offers snippets and special
|
||
subscription rates to a number of national
|
||
magazines, from the New Republic to the New
|
||
Yorker. Use gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
enews.com
|
||
|
||
MarketBase You can try the classified-ads system developed
|
||
by this company in Santa Barbara, Calif., by
|
||
gopher to connect to
|
||
|
||
mb.com
|
||
|
||
O'Reilly and Associates Best known for its "Nutshell" books on Unix,
|
||
O'Reilly runs three Internet services. The gopher
|
||
server, at
|
||
|
||
ora.com
|
||
|
||
provides information about the company and its
|
||
books. It posts similar information in the
|
||
biz.oreilly.announce Usenet newsgroup. Its
|
||
Global Network Navigator, accessible through the
|
||
World-Wide Web, is a sort of online magazine that
|
||
lets users browse through interesting services
|
||
and catalogs.
|
||
|
||
|
||
13.2 FYI
|
||
|
||
|
||
The com-priv mailing list is the place to discuss issues surrounding
|
||
the commercialization and the privatization of the Internet. To
|
||
subscribe (or un-subscribe), send an e-mail request to com-priv-
|
||
request@psi.com.
|
||
Mary Cronin's book, "Doing Business on the Internet" (1994, Van
|
||
Nostrand Reinhold), takes a more in-depth look at the subject.
|
||
Kent State University in Ohio maintains a repository of
|
||
"Business Sources on the Net." Use gopher to connect to refmac.kent.edu.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chapter 14: CONCLUSION -- THE END?
|
||
|
||
|
||
The revolution is just beginning. New communications systems and
|
||
digital technologies have already meant dramatic changes in the way we
|
||
live. Think of what is already routine that would have been considered
|
||
impossible just ten years ago. You can browse through the holdings of
|
||
your local library -- or of libraries halfway around the world -- do your
|
||
banking and see if your neighbor has gone bankrupt, all through a
|
||
computer and modem.
|
||
Imploding costs coupled with exploding power are bringing ever
|
||
more powerful computer and digital systems to ever growing numbers of
|
||
people. The Net, with its rapidly expanding collection of databases
|
||
and other information sources, is no longer limited to the
|
||
industrialized nations of the West; today the web extends from Siberia
|
||
to Zimbabwe. The cost of computers and modems used to plug into the Net,
|
||
meanwhile, continue to plummet, making them ever more affordable.
|
||
Cyberspace has become a vital part of millions of people's daily
|
||
lives. People form relationships online, they fall in love, they get
|
||
married, all because of initial contacts in cyberspace, that ephemeral
|
||
``place'' that transcends national and state boundaries. Business
|
||
deals are transacted entirely in ASCII. Political and social
|
||
movements begin online, coordinated by people who could be thousands
|
||
of miles apart.
|
||
Yet this is only the beginning.
|
||
We live in an age of communication, yet the various media we use
|
||
to talk to one another remain largely separate systems. One day,
|
||
however, your telephone, TV, fax machine and personal computer will be
|
||
replaced by a single ``information processor'' linked to the worldwide
|
||
Net by strands of optical fiber.
|
||
Beyond databases and file libraries, power will be at your
|
||
fingertips. Linked to thousands, even millions of like-minded people,
|
||
you'll be able to participate in social and political movements across
|
||
the country and around the world.
|
||
How does this happen? In part, it will come about through new
|
||
technologies. High-definition television will require the development
|
||
of inexpensive computers that can process as much information as
|
||
today's workstations. Telephone and cable companies will cooperate, or
|
||
in some cases compete, to bring those fiber-optic cables into your home.
|
||
The Clinton administration, arguably the first led by people who
|
||
know how to use not only computer networks but computers, is pushing for
|
||
creation of a series of "information superhighways" comparable in scope
|
||
to the Interstate highway system of the 1950s (one of whose champions in
|
||
the Senate has a son elected vice president in 1992).
|
||
Right now, we are in the network equivalent of the early 1950s,
|
||
just before the creation of that massive highway network. Sure, there are
|
||
plenty of interesting things out there, but you have to meander along
|
||
two-lane roads, and have a good map, to get to them.
|
||
Creation of this new Net will require more than just high-speed
|
||
channels and routing equipment; it will require a new communications
|
||
paradigm: the Net as information utility. The Net remains a somewhat
|
||
complicated and mysterious place. To get something out of the Net today,
|
||
you have to spend a fair amount of time with a Net veteran or a manual
|
||
like this. You have to learn such arcana as the vagaries of the Unix cd
|
||
command.
|
||
Contrast this with the telephone, which now also provides access to
|
||
large amounts of information through push buttons, or a computer network
|
||
such as Prodigy, which one navigates through simple commands and mouse
|
||
clicks.
|
||
Internet system administrators have begun to realize that not all
|
||
people want to learn the intricacies of Unix, and that that fact does
|
||
not make them bad people. We are already seeing the development of
|
||
simple interfaces that will put the Net's power to use by millions of
|
||
people. You can already see their influence in the menus of gophers and
|
||
the World-Wide Web, which require no complex computing skills but which
|
||
open the gates to thousands of information resources. Mail programs and
|
||
text editors such as pico and pine promise much of the power of older
|
||
programs such as emacs at a fraction of the complexity.
|
||
Some software engineers are taking this even further, by creating
|
||
graphical interfaces that will let somebody navigate the Internet just by
|
||
clicking on the screen with a mouse or by calling up an easy text editor,
|
||
sort of the way one can now navigate a Macintosh computer -- or a
|
||
commercial online service such as Prodigy.
|
||
Then there are the Internet services themselves.
|
||
For every database now available through the Internet, there are
|
||
probably three or four that are not. Government agencies are only
|
||
now beginning to connect their storehouses of information to the
|
||
Net. Several commercial vendors, from database services to booksellers,
|
||
have made their services available through the Net.
|
||
Few people now use one of the Net's more interesting
|
||
applications. A standard known as MIME lets one send audio and
|
||
graphics files in a message. Imagine opening your e-mail one day to hear
|
||
your granddaughter's first words, or a "photo" of your friend's new
|
||
house. Eventually, this standard could allow for distribution of even
|
||
small video displays over the Net.
|
||
All of this will require vast new amounts of Net power, to handle
|
||
both the millions of new people who will jump onto the Net and the new
|
||
applications they want. Replicating a moving image on a computer screen
|
||
alone takes a phenomenal amount of computer bits, and computing power to
|
||
arrange them.
|
||
All of this combines into a National Information Infrastructure able
|
||
to move billions of bits of information in one second -- the kind of
|
||
power needed to hook information "hoses" into every business and house.
|
||
As these "superhighways" grow, so will the "on ramps," for a high-
|
||
speed road does you little good if you can't get to it. The costs of
|
||
modems seem to fall as fast as those of computers. High-speed modems
|
||
(9600 baud and up) are becoming increasingly affordable. At 9600 baud,
|
||
you can download a satellite weather image of North America in less than
|
||
two minutes, a file that, with a slower modem could take up to 20
|
||
minutes to download. Eventually, homes could be connected directly to a
|
||
national digital network. Most long-distance phone traffic is already
|
||
carried in digital form, through high-volume optical fibers. Phone
|
||
companies are ever so slowly working to extend these fibers the "final
|
||
mile" to the home. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is working to
|
||
ensure these links are affordable.
|
||
Beyond the technical questions are increasingly thorny social,
|
||
political and economic issues. Who is to have access to these
|
||
services, and at what cost? If we live in an information age, are we
|
||
laying the seeds for a new information under class, unable to compete
|
||
with those fortunate enough to have the money and skills needed to
|
||
manipulate new communications channels? Who, in fact, decides who has
|
||
access to what? As more companies realize the potential profits to be
|
||
made in the new information infrastructure, what happens to such
|
||
systems as Usenet, possibly the world's first successful anarchistic
|
||
system, where everybody can say whatever they want?
|
||
What are the laws of the electronic frontier? When national and
|
||
state boundaries lose their meaning in cyberspace, the question might
|
||
even be: WHO is the law? What if a practice that is legal in one
|
||
country is "committed" in another country where it is illegal, over a
|
||
computer network that crosses through a third country? Who goes after
|
||
computer crackers?
|
||
What role will you play in the revolution?
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Appendix A: THE LINGO
|
||
|
||
Like any community, the Net has developed its own language.
|
||
What follows is a glossary of some of the more common phrases you'll
|
||
likely run into. But it's only a small subset of net.speak. You an find
|
||
a more complete listing in "The New Hacker's Dictionary," compiled by
|
||
Eric Raymond (MIT Press). Raymond's work is based on an online reference
|
||
known as "The Jargon File," which you can get through anonymous ftp from
|
||
ftp.gnu.mit.ai.mit as jarg300.txt.gz in the pub/gnu directory (see
|
||
chapter 7 for information on how to un-compress a .gz file).
|
||
|
||
ASCII Has two meanings. ASCII is a universal computer code
|
||
for English letters and characters. Computers store
|
||
all information as binary numbers. In ASCII, the
|
||
letter "A" is stored as 01000001, whether the computer
|
||
is made by IBM, Apple or Commodore. ASCII also refers
|
||
to a method, or protocol, for copying files from one
|
||
computer to another over a network, in which neither
|
||
computer checks for any errors that might have been
|
||
caused by static or other problems.
|
||
|
||
ANSI Computers use several different methods for deciding
|
||
how to put information on your screen and how your
|
||
keyboard interacts with the screen. ANSI is one of
|
||
these "terminal emulation" methods. Although most
|
||
popular on PC-based bulletin-board systems, it can also
|
||
be found on some Net sites. To use it properly, you
|
||
will first have to turn it on, or enable it, in your
|
||
communications software.
|
||
|
||
|
||
ARPANet A predecessor of the Internet. Started in 1969 with
|
||
funds from the Defense Department's Advanced Projects
|
||
Research Agency.
|
||
|
||
backbone A high-speed network that connects several powerful
|
||
computers. In the U.S., the backbone of the Internet is
|
||
often considered the NSFNet, a government funded link
|
||
between a handful of supercomputer sites across the
|
||
country.
|
||
|
||
Baud The speed at which modems transfer data. One baud is
|
||
roughly equal to one bit per second. It takes eight
|
||
bits to make up one letter or character. Modems rarely
|
||
transfer data at exactly the same speed as their listed
|
||
baud rate because of static or computer problems. More
|
||
expensive modems use systems, such as Microcom Network
|
||
Protocol (MNP), which can correct for these errors or
|
||
which "compress" data to speed up transmission.
|
||
|
||
BITNet Another, academically oriented, international computer
|
||
network, which uses a different set of computer
|
||
instructions to move data. It is easily accessible to
|
||
Internet users through e-mail, and provides a large
|
||
number of conferences and databases. Its name comes from
|
||
"Because It's Time." "
|
||
|
||
Bounce What your e-mail does when it cannot get to its
|
||
recipient -- it bounces back to you -- unless it goes
|
||
off into the ether, never to be found again.
|
||
|
||
Command line On Unix host systems, this is where you tell the
|
||
machine what you want it to do, by entering commands.
|
||
|
||
Communications A program that tells a modem how to work.
|
||
software
|
||
|
||
Daemon An otherwise harmless Unix program that normally works
|
||
out of sight of the user. On the Internet, you'll most
|
||
likely encounter it only when your e-mail is not
|
||
delivered to your recipient -- you'll get back your
|
||
original message plus an ugly message from a "mailer
|
||
daemon.
|
||
|
||
Distribution A way to limit where your Usenet postings go. Handy for
|
||
such things as "for sale" messages or discussions of
|
||
regional politics.
|
||
|
||
Domain The last part of an Internet address, such as "news.com."
|
||
|
||
Dot When you want to impress the net veterans you meet at
|
||
parties, say "dot" instead of "period," for example: "My
|
||
address is john at site dot domain dot com."
|
||
|
||
Dot file A file on a Unix public-access system
|
||
that alters the way you or your messages interact with
|
||
that system. For example, your .login file contains
|
||
various parameters for such things as the text editor you
|
||
get when you send a message. When you do an ls command,
|
||
these files do not appear in the directory listing; do ls
|
||
-a to list them.
|
||
|
||
Down When a public-access site runs into technical trouble,
|
||
and you can no longer gain access to it, it's down.
|
||
|
||
Download Copy a file from a host system to your computer. There
|
||
are several different methods, or protocols, for
|
||
downloading files, most of which periodically check the
|
||
file as it is being copied to ensure no information is
|
||
inadvertently destroyed or damaged during the process.
|
||
Some, such as XMODEM, only let you download one file at
|
||
a time. Others, such as batch-YMODEM and ZMODEM, let
|
||
you type in the names of several files at once, which
|
||
are then automatically downloaded.
|
||
|
||
EMACS A standard Unix text editor preferred by Unix types
|
||
that beginners tend to hate.
|
||
|
||
E-mail Electronic mail -- a way to send a private message to
|
||
somebody else on the Net. Used as both noun and verb.
|
||
|
||
Emoticon See smiley.
|
||
|
||
F2F Face to Face. When you actually meet those people you
|
||
been corresponding with/flaming.
|
||
|
||
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. A compilation of answers to
|
||
these. Many Usenet newsgroups have these files, which
|
||
are posted once a month or so for beginners.
|
||
|
||
Film at 11 One reaction to an overwrought argument: "Imminent death
|
||
of the Net predicted. Film at 11."
|
||
|
||
Finger An Internet program that lets you get some bit of
|
||
information about another user, provided they have first
|
||
created a .plan file.
|
||
|
||
Flame Online yelling and/or ranting directed at somebody else.
|
||
Often results in flame wars, which occasionally turn into
|
||
holy wars (see).
|
||
|
||
Followup A Usenet posting that is a response to an earlier
|
||
message.
|
||
|
||
Foo/foobar A sort of online algebraic place holder, for example: "If
|
||
you want to know when another site is run by a for-
|
||
profit company, look for an address in the form of
|
||
foo@foobar.com."
|
||
|
||
Fortune cookie An inane/witty/profund comment that can be found around
|
||
the net.
|
||
|
||
Freeware Software that doesn't cost anything.
|
||
|
||
FTP File-transfer Protocol. A system for transferring files
|
||
across the Net.
|
||
|
||
Get a life What to say to somebody who has, perhaps, been spending a
|
||
wee bit too much time in front of a computer.
|
||
|
||
GIF Graphic Interchange Format. A format developed in the
|
||
mid-1980s by CompuServe for use in photo-quality graphics
|
||
images. Now commonly used everywhere online.
|
||
|
||
GNU Gnu's Not Unix. A project of the Free Software
|
||
Foundation to write a free version of the Unix operating
|
||
system.
|
||
|
||
Hacker On the Net, unlike among the general public, this is not
|
||
a bad person; it is simply somebody who enjoys stretching
|
||
hardware and software to their limits, seeing just what
|
||
they can get their computers to do. What many people
|
||
call hackers, net.denizens refer to as crackers.
|
||
|
||
Handshake Two modems trying to connect first do this to agree on
|
||
how to transfer data.
|
||
|
||
Hang When a modem fails to hang up.
|
||
|
||
Holy war Arguments that involve certain basic tenets of faith,
|
||
about which one cannot disagree without setting one of
|
||
these off. For example: IBM PCs are inherently superior to
|
||
Macintoshes.
|
||
|
||
Host system A public-access site; provides Net access to people
|
||
outside the research and government community.
|
||
|
||
IMHO In My Humble Opinion.
|
||
|
||
Internet A worldwide system for linking smaller computer
|
||
networks together. Networks connected through the
|
||
Internet use a particular set of communications
|
||
standards to communicate, known as TCP/IP.
|
||
|
||
Killfile A file that lets you filter Usenet postings to some
|
||
extent, by excluding messages on certain topics or from
|
||
certain people.
|
||
|
||
Log on/log in Connect to a host system or public-access site.
|
||
|
||
Log off Disconnect from a host system.
|
||
|
||
Lurk Read messages in a Usenet newsgroup without ever saying
|
||
anything.
|
||
|
||
Mailing list Essentially a conference in which messages are delivered
|
||
right to your mailbox, instead of to a Usenet newsgroup.
|
||
You get on these by sending a message to a specific e-
|
||
mail address, which is often that of a computer that
|
||
automates the process.
|
||
|
||
MOTSS Members of the Same Sex. Gays and Lesbians online.
|
||
Originally an acronym used in the 1980 federal census.
|
||
|
||
Net.god One who has been online since the beginning, who knows
|
||
all and who has done it all.
|
||
|
||
Net.personality Somebody sufficiently opinionated/flaky/with plenty of
|
||
time on his hands to regularly post in dozens of
|
||
different Usenet newsgroups, whose presence is known to
|
||
thousands of people.
|
||
|
||
Net.police Derogatory term for those who would impose their
|
||
standards on other users of the Net. Often used in
|
||
vigorous flame wars (in which it occasionally mutates to
|
||
net.nazis).
|
||
|
||
Netiquette A set of common-sense guidelines for not annoying others.
|
||
|
||
Network A communications system that links two or more
|
||
computers. It can be as simple as a cable strung
|
||
between two computers a few feet apart or as complex
|
||
as hundreds of thousands of computers around the world
|
||
linked through fiber optic cables, phone lines and
|
||
satellites.
|
||
|
||
Newbie Somebody new to the Net. Sometimes used derogatorily by
|
||
net.veterans who have forgotten that, they, too, were
|
||
once newbies who did not innately know the answer to
|
||
everything. "Clueless newbie" is always derogatory.
|
||
|
||
Newsgroup A Usenet conference.
|
||
|
||
NIC Network Information Center. As close as an Internet-
|
||
style network gets to a hub; it's usually where you'll
|
||
find information about that particular network.
|
||
|
||
NSA line eater The more aware/paranoid Net users believe that the
|
||
National Security Agency has a super-powerful computer
|
||
assigned to reading everything posted on the Net. They
|
||
will jokingly (?) refer to this line eater in their
|
||
postings. Goes back to the early days of the Net when
|
||
the bottom lines of messages would sometimes disappear
|
||
for no apparent reason.
|
||
|
||
NSF National Science Foundation. Funds the NSFNet, a
|
||
high-speed network that once formed the backbone of the
|
||
Internet in the U.S.
|
||
|
||
Offline When your computer is not connected to a host system
|
||
or the Net, you are offline.
|
||
|
||
Online When your computer is connected to an online service,
|
||
bulletin-board system or public-access site.
|
||
|
||
Ping A program that can trace the route a message takes from
|
||
your site to another site.
|
||
|
||
.plan file A file that lists anything you want others on the Net to
|
||
know about you. You place it in your home directory on
|
||
your public-access site. Then, anybody who fingers (see)
|
||
you, will get to see this file.
|
||
|
||
Post To compose a message for a Usenet newsgroup and then send
|
||
it out for others to see.
|
||
|
||
Postmaster The person to contact at a particular site to ask for
|
||
information about the site or complain about one of
|
||
his/her user's behavior.
|
||
|
||
Protocol The method used to transfer a file between a host
|
||
system and your computer. There are several types,
|
||
such as Kermit, YMODEM and ZMODEM.
|
||
|
||
Prompt When the host system asks you to do something and
|
||
waits for you to respond. For example, if you see
|
||
"login:" it means type your user name.
|
||
|
||
README files Files found on FTP sites that explain what is in a given
|
||
FTP directory or which provide other useful information
|
||
(such as how to use FTP).
|
||
|
||
Real Soon Now A vague term used to describe when something will
|
||
actually happen.
|
||
|
||
RFC Request for Comments. A series of documents that
|
||
describe various technical aspects of the Internet.
|
||
|
||
ROTFL Rolling on the Floor Laughing. How to respond to a
|
||
particularly funny comment.
|
||
|
||
ROT13 A simple way to encode bad jokes, movie reviews that give
|
||
away the ending, pornography, etc. Essentially, each
|
||
letter in a message is replace by the letter 13 spaces
|
||
away from it in the alphabet. There are online decoders
|
||
to read these; nn and rn have them built in.
|
||
|
||
RTFM Read the, uh, you know, Manual. Often used in flames
|
||
against people who ask computer-related questions that
|
||
could be easily answered with a few minutes with a
|
||
manual. More politely: RTM.
|
||
|
||
Screen capture A part of your communications software that
|
||
opens a file on your computer and saves to it whatever
|
||
scrolls past on the screen while connected to a host
|
||
system.
|
||
|
||
Server A computer that can distribute information or files
|
||
automatically in response to specifically worded e-mail
|
||
requests.
|
||
|
||
Shareware Software that is freely available on the Net. If you
|
||
like and use the software, you should send in the fee
|
||
requested by the author, whose name and address will be
|
||
found in a file distributed with the software.
|
||
|
||
.sig file Sometimes, .signature file. A file that, when placed in
|
||
your home directory on your public-access site, will
|
||
automatically be appended to every Usenet posting you
|
||
write.
|
||
|
||
.sig quote A profound/witty/quizzical/whatever quote that you
|
||
include in your .sig file.
|
||
|
||
Signal-to-noise The amount of useful information to be found in a given
|
||
ratio Usenet newsgroup. Often used derogatorily, for example:
|
||
"the signal-to-noise ratio in this newsgroup is pretty low."
|
||
|
||
SIMTEL20 The White Sands Missile Range used to maintain a giant
|
||
collection of free and low-cost software of all kinds,
|
||
which was "mirrored" to numerous other ftp sites on the
|
||
Net. In the fall of 1993, the Air Force decided it had
|
||
better things to do than maintain a free software library
|
||
and shut it down. But you'll still see references to
|
||
the collection, known as SIMTEL20, around the Net.
|
||
|
||
Smiley A way to describe emotion online. Look at this with
|
||
your head tilted to the left :-). There are scores
|
||
of these smileys, from grumpy to quizzical.
|
||
|
||
Snail mail Mail that comes through a slot in your front door or a
|
||
box mounted outside your house.
|
||
|
||
Sysadmin The system administrator; the person who runs a host
|
||
system or public-access site.
|
||
|
||
Sysop A system operator. Somebody who runs a bulletin-board
|
||
system.
|
||
|
||
TANSTAAFL There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.
|
||
|
||
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The
|
||
particular system for transferring information over a
|
||
computer network that is at the heart of the Internet.
|
||
|
||
Telnet A program that lets you connect to other computers on
|
||
the Internet.
|
||
|
||
Terminal There are several methods for determining how your
|
||
emulation keystrokes and screen interact with a public-access
|
||
site's operating system. Most communications programs
|
||
offer a choice of "emulations" that let you mimic the
|
||
keyboard that would normally be attached directly to
|
||
the host-system computer.
|
||
|
||
UUCP Unix-to-Unix CoPy. A method for transferring Usenet
|
||
postings and e-mail that requires far fewer net resources
|
||
than TCP/IP, but which can result in considerably slower
|
||
transfer times.
|
||
|
||
Upload Copy a file from your computer to a host system.
|
||
|
||
User name On most host systems, the first time you connect you
|
||
are asked to supply a one-word user name. This can be
|
||
any combination of letters and numbers.
|
||
|
||
VT100 Another terminal-emulation system. Supported by many
|
||
communications program, it is the most common one in
|
||
use on the Net. VT102 is a newer version.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Appendix B: General Information About the Electronic Frontier Foundation
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a membership organization that
|
||
was founded in July of 1990 to ensure that the principles embodied in the
|
||
Constitution and the Bill of Rights are protected as new communications
|
||
technologies emerge.
|
||
|
||
From the beginning, EFF has worked to shape our nation's communications
|
||
infrastructure and the policies that govern it in order to maintain and
|
||
enhance First Amendment, privacy and other democratic values. We believe
|
||
that our overriding public goal must be the creation of Electronic
|
||
Democracy, so our work focuses on the establishment of:
|
||
|
||
o new laws that protect citizens' basic Constitutional rights as they
|
||
use new communications technologies,
|
||
|
||
o a policy of common carriage requirements for all network providers
|
||
so that all speech, no matter how controversial, will be carried without
|
||
discrimination,
|
||
|
||
o a National Public Network where voice, data and video services are
|
||
accessible to all citizens on an equitable and affordable basis, and
|
||
|
||
o a diversity of communities that enable all citizens to have a voice
|
||
in the information age.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Join us!
|
||
|
||
I wish to become a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. I enclose:
|
||
|
||
$__________ Regular membership -- $40
|
||
$__________ Student membership -- $20
|
||
|
||
|
||
Special Contribution
|
||
|
||
I wish to make a tax-deductible donation in the amount of $__________ to
|
||
further support the activities of EFF and to broaden participation in the
|
||
organization.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Documents Available in Hard Copy Form
|
||
|
||
The following documents are available free of charge from the Electronic
|
||
Frontier Foundation. Please indicate any of the documents you wish to
|
||
receive.
|
||
|
||
___ Open Platform Proposal - EFF's proposal for a national
|
||
telecommunications infrastructure. 12 pages. July, 1992
|
||
|
||
___ An Analysis of the FBI Digital Telephony Proposal - Response of
|
||
EFF-organized coalition to the FBI's digital telephony proposal of Fall,
|
||
1992. 8 pages. September, 1992.
|
||
|
||
___ Building the Open Road: The NREN and the National Public Network - A
|
||
discussion of the National Research and Education Network as a prototype
|
||
for a National Public Network. 20 pages. May, 1992.
|
||
|
||
___ Innovative Services Delivered Now: ISDN Applications at Home, School,
|
||
the Workplace and Beyond - A compilation of ISDN applications currently in
|
||
use. 29 pages. January, 1993.
|
||
|
||
___ Decrypting the Puzzle Palace - John Perry Barlow's argument for strong
|
||
encryption and the need for an end to U.S. policies preventing its
|
||
development and use. 13 pages. May, 1992.
|
||
|
||
___ Crime and Puzzlement - John Perry Barlow's piece on the founding of
|
||
the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the world of hackers, crackers and
|
||
those accused of computer crimes. 24 pages. June, 1990.
|
||
|
||
___ Networks & Policy - A quarterly newsletter detailing EFF's activities
|
||
and achievements.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Your Contact Information:
|
||
|
||
Name: __________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Organization: ____________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Address: ________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Phone: (____) _______________ FAX: (____) _______________ (optional)
|
||
|
||
E-mail address: ___________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Payment Method
|
||
|
||
___ Enclosed is a check payable to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
|
||
|
||
___ Please charge my:
|
||
___ MasterCard ___ Visa ___ American Express
|
||
|
||
Card Number: ___________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Expiration Date: _________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Signature: ______________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Privacy Policy
|
||
|
||
EFF occasionally shares our mailing list with other organizations promoting
|
||
similar goals. However, we respect an individual's right to privacy and
|
||
will not distribute your name without explicit permission.
|
||
|
||
___ I grant permission for the EFF to distribute my name and contact
|
||
information to organizations sharing similar goals.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Print out and mail to:
|
||
Membership Coordinator
|
||
Electronic Frontier Foundation
|
||
1001 G Street, N.W.
|
||
Suite 950 East
|
||
Washington, DC 20001
|
||
202/347-5400 voice
|
||
202/393-5509 fax
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization
|
||
supported by contributions from individual members, corporations and
|
||
private foundations. Donations are tax-deductible.
|
||
|