******** ************************************************** * * * * * The independent guide to BITNET * * * * * * February 1988 * * * * * * Volume 2, Number 8 * ******** * * * * *** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * *** * * * * * **** * * * ** * * **** ** * * ** **** *** * * * *** * **** *** * * * **** ** **** *** * * ****** * **** *** **** *** ** * * * **** **** **** **** ** * * * **** * **** **** **** *** * * **** ** **** **** **** **** * ******** * **** *** **** **** **** **** * * * **** **** **** **** **** **** * * * **** **** **** **** **** **** * * * **** **** **** **** **** **** * * * **** **** **** **** **** **** * * * **** ****** **** **** **** **** * ******** * **** ******* **** **** **** **** * * **** ******* **** **** **** **** * *** * **** ***** **** **** **** **** * * * * ***** **** **** **** **** **** * * * * **** **** **** **** ***** ***** * * * * ***** ***** **** ***** ***** ***** * *** * ****** ****** **** ***** **** ***** * * ******** ******* **** ***** **** **** * ****** ********** ******** ***** ****** **** **** * * *********** ******* ******* ***** **** **** * * *********** ****** ******** **** **** **** * * ********** ************** **** **** ****** * **** ********* ************** **** **** ****** * ******** ************** ***** *** ****** * * ********* ************** ***** **** ******** * ********** *************** ******* **** ******* ****** ********** ********************** ****** ******* * ********** ********************* ******* ******* * ******************************** *************** ********************************* **************** ******** ********************************* **************** * ********************************** *************** * *********************************** **************** * *********************************** **************** **** ************************************************** 1 * * * * * ** * * ** ** * * * * * * *** ***** * * * * *** **** ***** **** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***** * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** * * * *** * * * * * ***** ****** Christopher Condon Editor CONDON @ YALEVM Mike Patrick Contributing Editor PATRICK @ YALEVM Glen Overby Technical Assistant NU070156 @ NDSUVM1 Gary Moss Staff Supervisor MOSS @ YALEVM ******************** Contents - Issue 18 ******************** EDITORIAL PAGE_________________________________________________ Bitnotes .................................................... 1 The Human Factor ............................................ 3 The Life in a Day at the BITNIC ............................. 7 Flames To: ................................................. 10 I, Undergraduate ............................................12 FEATURES_______________________________________________________ Accessing ISAAC through BITNET ............................. 14 LifeSci - Coming Soon ...................................... 19 The Space Physics Analysis NetWork ......................... 22 Software Archives at RPICICGE .............................. 23 The On-Line Journal of Distance Education .................. 26 Bioserve - The Bioscience File Server ...................... 27 DEPARTMENTS____________________________________________________ Headlines .................................................. 28 Helpdesk ................................................... 29 New Mailing Lists .......................................... 31 Feedback ................................................... 32 Policies ................................................... 35 * For information on subscribing to NetMonth, submitting * * articles, sending letters, and printing this file, see * * the "Policies" section on the last pages of this issue. * ----------------------------------------- A publication of the Bitnet Services Library 1 Page 1 ********* * * Bitnotes * * * * by Christopher Condon * * * * CONDON@YALEVM ********* "Life is NOT a Cabaret... and stop calling me Chum." ---- I am no fan of cliches, and yet I find myself falling back on them again and again. This time is no exception. Try as I might to think of an original, witty way to get my idea across, I must fall back on something tried and true. The fact that I feel the idea is important makes matters worse, as I want to catch your attention, make you think, promote some action. One doesn't promote action with a cliche, but here it is: "Happy networking begins at home". It's not particularly original, but it sets the stage for this month's topic. This past week we held a meeting of the Yale BITNET Users' Group (YBUG). Gary Moss (our Inforep) and myself have formed this organization to find out how we can improve BITNET service on the local level. The users tell us what they feel we are doing right, what we are doing wrong, and what we aren't even doing at all. In turn, we attempt to get their help and support in making changes. Now, of all places, you would expect Yale to have its house in order when when it comes to BITNET. YALEVM is one of the two original network nodes. It is the home of the Bitnet Services Library. NetMonth, NetWeek, and the other BSL publications were born here. This is where the BITLIB online help system originated. Gary has held numerous informational meetings promoting BITNET use and explaining how to gain access. He wrote a users' guide to electronic mail. There are more pamphlets and flyers than I care to mention. We have a long way to go. We still lack a BITNET Users' Guide. We would like to hold "hands-on" Getting Started classes (an afternoon should do it). Much of the online documentation for commands such as TELL is plain IBM (meaning you need a translator to figure out what they are saying). Very often Gary and I simply take for granted the knowledge level of the average user. After having used the network for several years, it becomes easy to assume they know what we mean when we say "Name Server". "It is hard for the expert to think like a novice." 1 Page 2 As I said earlier, happy networking begins at home (Gosh, that sounds awful!). We have to address these weaknesses, because they hurt the effectiveness of everything that DOES work. All of the network promoting we do becomes muddled if the users can't figure out how to access the services we've touted so vigorously. It is not for lack of trying. The task at hand is a big one and we cannot devote our lives to it. Inforep is not Gary's primary duty. I am here only evenings and assorted weekends. To coin a cliche, there are only so many hours in the day. That is where we hope YBUG will become effective. If the YBUGgers tell us how we are doing, we can learn from that. Our ultimate goal, however, is to work as networking partners with them, enlisting their help, knowledge, and insight to improve services. How clean is your house (or rather, how good are your networking services)? Call a local BITNET User's Group meeting. You may be surprised that things are not as tidy as you think. *************************************************************** Last month's Bitnotes column (the "Hows" and "Whys" of BITNET) generated such a positive response that we have added a new section to the magazine. Look for the "Applications" section, beginning with the next issue. If you know of an interesting use for BITNET, write about it and send it to BITLIB@YALEVM. This month Mike Patrick's Forty-two column goes on hiatus as we attempt to get him connected to the network via his Commodore 64 (oh is THIS going to be strange!!!) Many thanks to Murphy Sewall and William Lott of UCONNVM for their help on this project. However, there are plenty of columns and editorials this month to keep you happy: "The Human Factor" Another thought-provoking column by Tim Stephen. This month he writes about BITNETs developing culture. "Flames To:" A new regular column by Craig White. Is there something about BITNET that really irritates you? Tell Craig about it! 1 Page 3 "The Life in a Day at the BITNIC" Judith Molka takes us through a day at the Network Information Center. It's not all fun and games, you know. (Guest Column) "I, Undergraduate" Tom Limoncelli explains what it is like to be an undergraduate in BITNET. In his case, he tried to learn something. (Guest Column) I hope you enjoy it. - Chris Condon@YALEVM ********* * * The Human Factor * * * * by T. D. Stephen * * * * STEPHEN@RPICICGE ********* Culture is a very hot concept in several areas of the social sciences and humanities these days. It's used to help explain a wide range of human phenomena including corporate success and failure, the nature of intimate bonds and family life, problems in communication between the sciences and humanities -- even the rise and fall of sports teams. When social scientists talk about culture, they are not talking about fashion and art; rather, they are referring to idiosyncratic ways of thinking and communicating that evolve within different social groups. To a large degree, culture determines what people take for granted versus what they see as controversial; thus, in a way, culture "imprisons" the minds of its members. Members of one cultural group can be blind to ideas or ways of doing things that seem patently obvious to outsiders. Conversely, outsiders may have considerable difficulty understanding the shared outlook that is the corporate mental property of cultural members. We recognize that we've crossed a cultural boundary when we find ourselves feeling unsure about how to behave, what to say, how to accomplish things, how to evaluate what's going on around us. Communication -- normally more or less automatic -- becomes more of a conscious activity, overlaid, perhaps, by a sense of uncertainty. There are signs that voices on BITNET's Listserv discussions are evolving a cultural or sub-cultural identification. Certainly Listserv authors bandy an 1 Page 4 elaborate set of concepts that probably have little meaning to outsiders. "Relay," "listserv," "RFC822," "inter-network gateway," "file class," "mailer," etc. are fairly difficult ideas to communicate to someone with no experience with computer communications (this month's challenge: try to find a common language metaphor to represent the meaning of "spool your virtual punch to RSCS"). However, the presence of unique language is not sufficient in itself to demonstrate the existence of an emergent culture; many technologies and activities require the use of specialized language in order to express what is unique about them. To claim that BITNET is evolving its own culture, we need evidence that its voices are united to some degree in a unique outlook, a shared set of assumptions whose validity is established and sustained solely in inter-member communication. I've followed several listserv discussions for some time including LstSrv-l, Mail-l, UG-l, Rexxlist, Servers, LinkFail, Bitnews, and a number of others. I've tended to subscribe to lists that have potential relevance for the operation and development of Comserve@Rpicicge, our BITNET information resource for the communication studies discipline. Though not in any sense a random selection, these lists (especially LstSrv-l, Mail-l, Bitnews, and UG-l) carry writing about the network itself and contributions to these lists often implicitly indicate the writers' conceptions of BITNET. Based on this, on perusal of the BITNET organizational documents on Nicserve, and on three years of corresponding with various site personnel, I think it is possible to identify some basic propositions and corollary notions that are often, though not always, implicit "givens" in network interaction and which therefore have the potential to serve as critical building blocks in the emerging structure of BITNET's culture. Perhaps the most basic of these is apparent in the way that listserv respondents tend to write about what BITNET is. It is possible, of course, to see BITNET in many different ways -- a campus information service, a pedagogical tool, a forum for discussion, a bridge to other cultures, a news service, a method for resource sharing, etc. However, I think that BITNET is written about most often, and without challenge, as a set of specifications and associated technical problems. At least the voices on BITNET spend an inordinate amount of time discussing specifications -- protocols, procedural rules, command syntax and so on. Most of what's available to users from BITNIC, the conceptual hub of the network, is also of this form -- hundreds of files containing specifications, node tables, etc., as compared to 1 Page 5 their tiny collection of files containing orientational information for users, and the complete absence in their collection of a single file describing potential educational applications of BITNET. Now there is nothing inherently wrong with envisioning BITNET as a set of specifications and corresponding technical problems and possibilities. It is no more or less "accurate" a vision than any other, and its predominance is probably a natural consequence of the very strong computer science and engineering presence in the network. But what of the implications of the widespread adoption of this particular vision of the network? What are the consequences of this way of thinking about the network? One (and one that I feel very strongly ought to be kept in check) is the possibility that people may come to believe that making the specifications available is most of what's needed in terms of orienting new users. The deduction is that if the network is envisioned as a set of technical specifications, then those who have access to the specifications will be able to use the network. Of course it *is* vital that the specifications are publicly available and BITNIC does a good job in this regard. But that is decidedly not enough to make the network comprehensible to people who are not technically oriented. A second potentially negative implication of the "network as specifications" view is that it may tend to foster and sustain the corollary notion that the most important problems in BITNET's future are problems of refining specifications or adopting better ones. When you look at the future of BITNET in this light it makes good sense that its central policy making body (the BITNET Executive Committee) consists, as it does, exclusively of computer science personnel. But imagine, if only for the sake of contrast, that the dominant shared vision of BITNET was that it is a resource for education and research. If you started from this alternative vision, would it not follow that you would see it as "given" that the policy making body that allocates BITNET's resources and decides BITNET's future would include a representative sample of educators and researchers? Perhaps under this alternative vision, instead of concluding, as did the Executive Committee, that resources should be allocated to demonstrate BITNET at a DEC computer convention, you might conclude that resources should be allocated to demonstrate BITNET at the national conventions of the major academic disciplines -- the American Psychological Association, the Modern Language Association, the International Communication Association, etc. -- places where you could effectively demonstrate its relevance for education 1 Page 6 and research. The shared vision that a group constructs determines the courses of action and policy that the group is likely to undertake. If you listen to the voices of BITNET, you may notice that when they speak in judgment of the network, the criteria are almost exclusively technological and quantitative. Of course, BITNET's success could be assessed in a lot of ways: in terms of the number of faculty who find its services relevant to their work, the number of educational activities that it hosts, the extent to which novices find it easy to use, and so on. But the voices of BITNET tend to judge it in terms of link speeds, queue sizes, the degree to which protocols are adhered to, etc. The adoption of this set of criteria rather than any other set is a logical extension of the predominance of the "set of specifications" view of BITNET. I wrote last month of the danger that BITNET may come to be viewed as a private service for campus computing personnel unless more attention is given to marketing its relevance within the broader academic community. It will become increasingly difficult to even conceive of making such an effort if the evolving culture of BITNET orients itself ever more strongly around engineering and computer science concerns and continues to tend toward the view of BITNET as a set of technical specifications and associated problems. If this particular cultural "set" increases its hold, it will leave less and less room for alternative conceptions and, inevitably, it will begin to have consequences for the types of activities that are undertaken on the network. For example, staff at many sites have often volunteered their efforts in the solution of technical problems -- inventing mailers, listservs, setting up gateways and so on. They do so because the emerging culture of BITNET recognizes and values this sort of technical effort. But given the current prevalence of the "set of specifications" view, what are the possibilities that a site could win widespread recognition for its efforts in devising novel ways to involve faculty and students in BITNET? In thinking about the evolution of the culture of BITNET, I think that it is important to keep two points in mind: first, whatever shared vision of BITNET ultimately predominates among its users, it will be no more natural or "given" than any other -- such things are idiosyncratic social conventions. Second, as Richard Weaver put it, "ideas have consequences," and, thus, the cultural vision that predominates -- whatever it is -- will profoundly affect the reception of BITNET within the broader academic community. 1 Page 7 ********* * * The Life in a Day at the BITNIC * * * * by Judith A. Molka * * * * AKLOM@BITNIC ********* Click, Click, Click, Click... Its 8:10. Reading the overnight email before America wakes up. Looking at the reader, eight new pieces from LSTSRV-L, four from EARNTECH, a few late nighters from NODMGT-L, LIAISON and POLICY-L. I could read the BITNIC LISTSERV mail by linking to our LISTSERV disk and reading the notebooks, but the mail in my reader prompts me to look at them sooner. The rejection mail from our 50 private and public LISTSERV lists has also arrived. I'm glad these are easily discernable as class N. Some of the rejections are failed attempts on the Internet. "Can not deliver for 2 days, will try for 1 more day." These are deleted. Several of the returns are marked "No such user". If the list is Open, the id is removed. If it is a Closed subscription list, then someone at the site is contacted for a substitute address. Some of the mail is directly for me. Gary Sponseller requests three more files presently stored on NICSERVE to be also stored our LISTSERV. I agree, since these files are requested frequently and updated each month. Steps taken include telling Elizabeth Kilcoyne to add a filename to her list of files to be "PUT" on LISTSERV each month and I change the NODEINFO FILELIST. I keep in mind that it takes Elizabeth more time to update files on LISTSERV than to renew them on NICSERVE. Whenever updating a file on LISTSERV, Elizabeth will need to Xedit the file, add a "PUT" line, file it and send it. (If there is a better way, let me know.) Next mail, "My NETSERV password is going to expire but I don't know what it is so I can't change it." A few months ago, someone told me I was listed as a NETSERV Coordinator. Well, that's what the help documentation said. I think the BITNIC maintains about one file on the NETSERVs but my role allows us to look up passwords. This time it was "12345678". Last time it was "ABCDEFGH". These are the two default passwords assigned by the EARN Master Coordinator about two years ago to all persons in BITEARN NODES with a role of "Contact". If the password was not changed, it seems likely it was not used. The password is basically used by EARN Node Administrators to access privileged files. (BITNET sites that create their own 1 Page 8 route tables may use it and the BITNIC can issue passwords with reason.) BITNET Technical Representatives cannot use the NODEUPD function of NETSERV to change their site data. They must send changes (preferably in Names format) to UPDATE@BITNIC. Next mail message, a request to change a node name. Forward this to UPDATE. A question, "How do I obtain the archives for BITNEWS?" Suggest the command "GET BITNEWS LOGyymm" for files after October 87. Issue a "GET NEWS FILELIST" for archives before October 87. The phone rings. Dublin, Ireland calling, "We're not getting much mail. Know what's wrong?" I message Bill Rubin. "Bill how do I see what is in the FRMOP22 queue?" Bill replys, "You don't, its JES2, and there are 6000 to 8000 files queued at FRMOP22 for CEARN." "Oh.", I reply "Well then how do you know?" "I asked them", says Bill. "Oh", I relay the message. Recently we received word from the BITNET Board of Directors to give class D members the opportunity to reapply as class C members because under a new "Criteria for BITNET Membership" (CRITERIA INFO1) the qualifications had changed. The revised criteria was adopted by the Board at their October 26th meeting. Revisions were made to file on NICSERVE on 11/18/87. Elizabeth and I discussed how to proceed. It was decided a letter would be sent to all BITNET Institutional Representatives inviting all class D members to reapply and pointing out the changes in the criteria form. We considered the letter to the non-class D members to be equally important because several of these sites sponsor class D sites and additionally the revised criteria somewhat relaxes the restriction on class D communications. The important use modifications are as follows. The documents CRITERIA INFO1 and APPLY INFO1 are to be enclosed with the letter. "All transmissions from Class D and E members to Class D and E members are prohibited except to the extent they relate to conference or committee activity sponsored by a Class A, B, or C member. "By mutual agreement cooperating networks will be treated as equal partners, with usage rules applied to individual network members rather than to the network as a whole (i.e., if a cooperating network has a Class D member equivalent, usage restrictions will apply only to that individual Class D member, not to the network as a whole). 1 Page 9 "A Class C nonprofit organization must satisfy one of the following: (i) a majority of its Board members are from higher educational institutions, or (ii) be a professional society which publishes a recognized scholarly journal or (iii) be a foundation which funds University programs. A governmental agency or laboratory must satisfy either of the following: (i) be a funding agency which provides research or training grants to higher education, or (ii) be a research laboratory performing research compatible to that performed in University laboratories." We drew up modifications for the Application form so it would match the Criteria form. We added a request for budget data in the supplement section for applicants not listed in the HEGIS directory. As a result we hope to need fewer phone calls in seeking out the necessary information. We gave the specks for the letter and APPLY INFO1 to our new Technical Writer Patricia Noeth to put it into proper English. Pat at the same time is picking up some knowledge of SCRIPT. The mailing labels would be produced in INGRES on EDUCOM's VAX machine. We produced reports to compare our BIR names in INGRES and SPIRES to be certain they were in sync. (Note: The BITNIC recognizes that SPIRES could produce output for labels. The individual BIR addresses are maintained in INGRES as part of our invoicing procedure. The invoicing is done in INGRES because a program already exists, the accounting department gets the appropriate reports, no invoice numbers are created which duplicate EDUCOM invoice numbers.) Earlier this afternoon I received mail from June Genis about the Node Management Group and scolding us for not "nurturing your volunteers". Basically she said, "If you guys are doing anything to help us, we don't see it from the trenches." Additionally, my VP of Networking requested that employees write job descriptions as part of our evaluation process. Last, Chris Condon keeps asking me for articles. Therefore, I took note of what happened one January day at the BITNIC (from my point of view). As Patricia Noeth our new technical writer obtains a deeper background of BITNET and the activities of the BITNIC, we hope to provide you with more frequent correspondences thru BITNEWS, the representative lists, and Netmonth. Scott Earley, for his part will organize BITNET Technical Meetings prior to SHARE and DECUS conferences as another means of input. Finally, this all did happen in one day, along with phone calls and mail that I did not take note of. Almost forgot to mention my lunch hour. Picked up an insurance estimate of damages to my car which was hit while 1 Page 10 parked in front of my home on December 25th. $4500 worth of damage and won't be fixed till mid-March! Holy Christmas Exec Batman! ********* * * Flames To: * * * * by Craig White * * * * CWHITE@UA1VM ********* Hello everyone! Welcome to the first installment of the Flames To: monthly column. This column will be about such things as network etiquette, crazy happenings on mailing lists and maybe even some helpful how-tos. First order of business: I would like to recommend a very short book for everyone to read. The name of this book is Toward an Ethics and Etiquette for Electronic Mail, and most likely is available from your school library. I believe that everyone who has access to a computer network should read this book before they use that network. My definition of a network is very broad and includes any NET, all Bulletin Boards Systems, Compuserve etc. A short excerpt from the book can be found on NICSERVE AT BITNIC under the file name of MAIL MANNERS. Copies are available for $4 from The Rand Corporation, Publications Department, 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90406-2138. Ask for publication R-3283-NSF/RC. More from this book in future issues. Flame of the month: PLEASE SEND REQUESTS TO BE ADDED/DELETED FROM LISTSERV MAILING LISTS TO LISTSERV AT INSTEAD OF TO THE LIST. This has to be one of the most annoying happenings on mailing lists. My personal favorites are the users who really get upset after sending "Please unsubscribe me" mailings and then start making threats like "I'll send this mail everyday until I get deleted from this list." In some cases the person who can delete them might not even be on the list. 1 Page 11 Please be sure when you help someone subscribe to a mailing list that you also show them how to get off the list. When l help someone subscribe I always start by sending TELL LISTSERV AT HELP and then explain the concept of LISTSERV to the person. By that time the help stuff has arrived and I show them the commands for both signing onto a list and for signing off. I will then sign them onto the list and then sign them off the list. This way they can see the responses from LISTSERV as it adds them to a list and also the responses when they are deleted from a list. The reason I don't just leave them signed on the list is so they have to go away and actually redo the whole thing again by themselves, hoping that the practice will help them develop a deeper understanding of the concept of mailing lists via LISTSERV. Dealing with mailing lists on networks other than BITNET requires a slightly different approach which I'll deal with in another issue. Disclaimer: It is always a good idea to put a small disclaimer at the end of each mail message you send out to a mailing list. This is not such a big deal with personal correspondence but to a mailing list it is an imperative. I remember my mother always telling me "Please be on you best behavior because you are a reflection on me". I think that this also happens with mail, people look at it and form ideas about your school or business from what you say. Now I'm sure that some of you might be thinking "Your going a little bit far to imply that people would think I somehow represent my school, look at my USERID." What I'm really saying is don't give anyone the chance, use a disclaimer. A very simple one at the close of your mailing to the effect of: The above was the opinions of an individual and in no way reflect the views of my school, employer, etc. And finally, FLAMES TO ME: I am guilty of sending out a mailing that had as a part of the disclaimer my InterNET address in the form of @WISCVM.WISC.EDU. My apologies to the Net. Please remember WISCVM is no longer the way to get to and from the InterNET. If you have any comments, questions or flames about this column send them to CWHITE@UA1VM. * * * *** * * ** * * *** * * **** *** * ** *** * ** * **** *** * ** * ************* *** *** ** **** *** ************** *** ** ******************** ***************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 12 ********* * * I, Undergraduate * * * * by Tom Limoncelli * * * * TLIMONCE@DREW ********* Can a nymphomaniac be cured? What about an "infomaniac"? In a book by Elizabeth M. Ferrarini, _Confessions_of_an_ Infomaniac_ (Sybex, 1984) she portrays a woman who finds a computer network named CompuServe that makes her social life expand beyond belief. Are the majority of undergraduates infomaniacs? Do they find BITNET as a method of expanding their social life, as a form of recreation, or as a educational tool? Too many see it as a toy. How much is too many? I don't know. I am an undergraduate who uses BITNET daily. My major is undeclared but will undoubtedly be Computer Science. Unlike most techies though, I do look at BITNET from a social perspective as well as from a technical standpoint. Initially I saw it as a way of getting messages to friends at other colleges easily. When I learned about LISTSERVs it became a tool. I still send an occasional message to friends, but the education that I am getting from the bitnet discussions is immeasurable. I subscribe to a number of LISTSERV discussions. One concerns the C programming language. I read a great many posts from it a day. Do I get credit for reading this? No. Do I plan on getting credit? No. I do feel that it has added so much to my knowledge of the C language that my computer science degree is greatly enhanced. How could I be given credit for this? As part of a course on C? Independent study? Would that would then require me to write a report or do some project. This is like asking a music major to read The Village Voice and write a report at the end of the semester. The subjects are varied anyway. I could write about conflicting opinions on points of the Draft ANSI C Standard, or programming debates, ad nauseam. It's just not possible. I'm not learning anything I can show my professor. Without bureaucracy let me learn in this mode on my own. Don't give me credit. I will tell other friends who are interested in C to subscribe and because of their own interest will take the initiative. The next discussion I subscribe to is AIDSNEWS, a forum concerned with the latest in research, treatment and politics 1 Page 13 of AIDS. The experts say our best defence against AIDS is education and though I often feel that I am the only non-bio major reading that reads AIDSNEWS I pick at the information and feel more up-to-date then I could by reading any textbook. My subscription will certainly last longer than one semester. Again, I get no credit for this but the information that I have gotten and have been able to share with my friends is more important than credits. It may save a life. Lastly I subscribe to i-amiga. This group is a technical discussion concerned with the Amiga line of computers from Commodore. Since my University has standardized on IBM PC compatibles, finding people to discuss Amigas with on campus is impossible. Through this discussion, I have been able to get help and get help from other Amiga users. My resources have expanded from campus-wide to international. An independent study project that I am planning will be based on the Amiga. All the theory can certainly be taught by my professor(s) here but they have little experience with this "non-mainstream" computer. Luckily, I will be able to draw on BITNET as an indispensable resource. Chris Condon suggests that BITNET should be integrated with curriculum and, not being an educator, can give little direction except as something for telecommunication courses to examine. I have showed how I applied my major to BITNET. Certainly other majors can be applied; there are discussions out there for majors of all types. If we publicize what is "out there" to the students the interested ones will certainly take the initiative. If we publicize it to more educators they will suggest it to their students. The real challenge is for educators to find ways to integrate BITNET with class directly. There you go; one Undergrad's view. * ** *** **** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * **** *** * **** ** **** *** * ** **** *** **** *** ** *** **** **** ***** **** ** **** **** * **** ************ *** **** * ****** ** ****** ***************** **** * ********* **** * *************************** ****** **** ************ ************************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 14 ********* * * Accessing ISAAC through BITNET * * * * by Lorraine Edmond * * * * ISAAC@UWAEE ********* Isaac is the Information System for Advanced Academic Computing (formerly the AEP Bulletin Board). Isaac is funded by IBM to serve as a clearinghouse for information about the use of IBM computers and compatible software as aids to instruction and research in higher education. Access is open to all faculty, students and staff at institutions of higher education and to members of participating professional societies. While access to Isaac is free, you must apply for access using the form at the end of this article. Note that both PC/modem dial-up access and BITNET access are available. BITNET access is specific to your userid. Using Isaac through the PC is much faster and more interactive, but if you don't have the equipment, BITNET access is possible. This article will explain the how this works, but you STILL must apply for access before trying any of these commands. Isaac consists of a bulletin board and three databases. * The bulletin board is made up of rooms which contain entries relating to particular topics. * The AEP Database contains descriptions of projects, funded under the AEP program, which use or develop IBM hardware or software for use as aids to higher education and research. * The Special Studies Database contains descriptions of joint research projects by IBM and university investigators. * The SoftInfo Database is a guide to sources of information about IBM-compatible software. * The Academic Software Database is a catalog of software available through Wisc-Ware. For security reasons access to Isaac via BITNET is granted to individual BITNET accounts/addresses rather than to individual persons. Thus, if you have more than one BITNET account, you will be able to access Isaac only from the authorized account. 1 Page 15 Access to Isaac via BITNET is accomplished by sending interactive messages to a server called ISERVE@UWAEE. Note that ISERVE will NOT accept commands sent by mail. The commands for accessing the bulletin board rooms and those for using the databases are different, so we will explain them separately. Note to users on VM systems: We have developed some software which makes the process of getting the text of an entry from the bulletin board or one of the databases simpler for VM users. We send this software to VM users electronically a few days after we mail their BITNET authorization packet. If your BITNET account resides on an IBM mainframe which is running a VM operating system and you do not receive this software, please send a message to ISAAC@UWAEE. The Bulletin Board: The entries on the bulletin board are divided among "rooms" according to their subject matter. Each room has a table of contents which lists the entries it contains. In order to get the text of one of these entries you will first have to identify its title, as follows. 1. Send an interactive message to ISERVE asking ISERVE to send you a list of the rooms and databases in Isaac. You will do this with the command ROOMS: CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE ROOMS VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE ROOMS 2. Go to your BITNET "mailbox" or readerlist and look at the file Isaac has sent. Decide which room you'd like to see entries from, then get out of the file and exit the mailbox. 3. Ask ISERVE to send you a list of the titles the room contains. For example, to view the titles in the Announcements room, type: CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE ANNOUNCEMENTS VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE ANNOUNCEMENTS Note: You don't have to type the entire room name; you can abbreviate it to the the first 3 letters. 4. Go back to your BITNET mailbox and look at the new file; it will contain a numbered list of titles. Decide which titles you're interested in. 1 Page 16 5. If you're calling from an IBM VM system and you have installed the GETTEXT XEDIT and PROFPEEK XEDIT files that we sent you, move the cursor under the title you're interested and press [PF10]. Repeat this step to obtain other entries. If you're not calling from an IBM VM system, make a note of the numbers next to the titles you're interested in. Then get out of the file, exit the readerlist, and ask ISERVE to send you those titles: CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE ANNOUNCEMENTS 40 12 18 VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE ANNOUNCEMENTS 40 12 18 Using the databases: You will use interactive messages to perform keyword searches of the databases. If you don't specify which database you want to search, ISERVE will assume that you want to search the AEP Database. To specify which database you want to search, substitute the following abbreviations for in the commands below. AEP Database aep SoftInfo Database sof Special Studies Database spe Academic Software Database aca CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE [ISERVE command] VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE [ISERVE command] [database] [keyword] Searches the database for entries associated with that keyword and sends you a numbered list of their project titles. [database] [keyword] [title #] Sends the full details of the project corresponding to an earlier search of a keyword). Sends the full details of that project. Examples: CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE AEP FRENCH VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE AEP FRENCH 1 Page 17 Searches the AEP Database for all projects associated with the keyword "FRENCH" and sends you a numbered list of their titles. CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE AEP FRENCH 1 2 VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE AEP FRENCH 1 2 Sends the full text of the projects numbered 1 & 2 on the list of projects associated with the keyword "FRENCH." CMS: TELL ISERVE AT UWAEE AEP UTX001 VMS: SEND ISERVE@UWAEE AEP UTX001 Sends the full text of the project with ID "UTX001." Sending files to Isaac via BITNET: You can add entries to the rooms on the bulletin board as explained below. Example: To make an entry in the Announcements room, 1. Create a file called ANN ISC (ANN.ISC on VAX systems) or rename an existing file. 2. Use the BITNET command for sending a file to another address. CMS: SENDFILE ANN ISC ISERVE AT UWAEE VMS: SEND/FILE ISERVE@UWAEE ANN.ISC In addition, all entries must meet the following requirements: 1. The first line of the file must say "Title:" followed by the title of the entry. For example, Title: New software builds indexes from text files. (Note: the "T" of "Title:" must be capitalized and the title line may not be more than one, 80-character line long.) 2. The filename must match the name of the room that it is to be sent to (use the first three letters of the room name). 3. The filetype/extension must be "isc" 4. File width must not exceed 80 characters 1 Page 18 Request for access to Isaac: Complete this application and mail it to: Isaac Access m/s FC-06 University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 or use BITNET to send answers to the questions on this application to ISAAC@UWAEE. User materials will be mailed to you. This may take two to three weeks. 1. Name 2. Address, City, State, Zip 3. Phone: (w) Please include area code. 4. University 5. Your BITNET address 6. You may connect to Isaac in two ways. Each method requires separate authorization. Please indicate which method(s) you would like to use. If you choose modem access, we will provide the communications software you'll need. * IBM PC, XT, AT or compatible and a modem. (U.S. except WA) Please specify diskette size 5-1/4 or 3-1/2 * BITNET. (You must include your BITNET address above.) * ** *** **** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * **** *** * **** ** **** *** * ** **** *** **** *** ** *** **** **** ***** **** ** **** **** * **** ************ *** **** * ****** ** ****** ***************** **** * ********* **** * *************************** ****** **** ************ ************************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 19 ********* * * LifeSci - Coming Soon * * * * by Ami Zakai * * * * RPR1ZAK@TECHNION ********* A new service for the medical and paramedical profession is scheduled to open in March 1988 at the Technion, Israel. Did you ever want to talk to professionals in your field in other countries using a computer but thought it was too complicated? How about locating experts in other medical centers or creating work groups with daily contact and information transfer? Ever wondered how multidisciplinary "Think-Tanks" can aid your research? Do you feel you were left behind? if so, I might have the answer for you: LifeSci is a machine intended to enhance interaction and cooperation among researchers and scientists working far from each other who can benefit from fast, cheap and continues contact with their colleagues, it can make international work groups and "Think-Tanks" into a reality by giving you tools that you can use. The audience for whom LifeSci was written knows little of computers and is too busy to learn. It wants simple access without having to bother with the internal works of the system. For the past few years the availability of the communication networks has grown to bring computer access to almost all researchers in the life sciences. Most research institute today have access to one of the various computer networks (BITNET,UUCP,ARPANET etc.). Though the tools are there, relatively few researchers from the life sciences are active on the nets. Maybe its because people from the exact science fields have used computers for years and are more aware of the possibilities, perhaps the busy physician does not have the time to learn the complexity of syntax that is involved in conducting joint research over the networks today and needs a more natural multilingual and intuitive approach... To find the answer to this we wrote LifeSci. 1 Page 20 LifeSci is short for "The Life Science Research Server" and is a dedicated computer program developed at the Rappaport Family Institute and running on the main computer at the Technion, Israel (RPRLSCI@TECHNION). Its purpose is to enhance communication among people in the life related fields (medicine, physiology, psychology, social work etc..). It has several integrated parts: * DIGEST server: Digests are computerized magazines. They do not appear in paper form but exist as electronic media. A group of people interested in a common subject can create their own little journal. Such a digest can have an editor or be an open forum. Its as simple as saying "CREATE DEMENTIA" and every one can do it, once created this "topic" will bind a group of users who will subscribe to it and make them into a work group. Just create your own or join an existing topic. Unlike its paper counterparts all digests are archived and indexed and can be searched and retrieved using simple commands. * NAME server: To locate people from other places according to their name or interest is one of the prime objectives. As you join, you will be asked to fill up a registry form with your vital statistics, interests and area of expertise. * APPLICATION server: If you need a special computer program to aid in a specific experiment, preform a special analysis or run laboratory equipment there is a fair chance someone has already written it or something similar elsewhere, so why reinvent the wheel? LifeSci will not keep the programs themselves but will keep records of computer applications developed elsewhere with instructions on how to get them, whom to contact and what you need to use them. * CONFERENCE server: "Chatting" is the interactive sending and receiving of computer messages, more then two people can chat using special relay machines. Registered users of LifeSci will be able to hold conferences by calling members of their TOPIC. The log of a conference can be distributed as a digest to the missing members. The interface to BITNETs well known RELAY will be complete shortly. * BBOARD: Just a small bulletin board, the BBoard is a public clipboard to post messages of general interest and is accessible by all users. LifeSci is a dynamic tool. It monitors its own use and records the problems and difficulties of those who use it, so enabling improvements according to what YOU need. 1 Page 21 Since we try to learn your needs, the registry is not automatic and all registered users will be asked to fill questionnaires periodicly as to the function of LifeSci and their use of it. I promise to make those sparse and short. LifeSci is designed to be a practical tool according to our concept of the needs of a scientist or a physician, but its only the beginning of a process, it will evolve or die according to your feedback. So what do you need to join LifeSci? 1. A computer account on a network that can at least mail BITNET. 2. Minimal knowledge on how to logon and basic use of the editor and mail tools on your system. Sending messages is useful but not essential. The LifeSci machine has been thoroughly debugged by a test group for a period of over 6 month, however as Murphy used to say we can't make a system foolproof and I am sure you will be able to find rough spots in the design and usage. For a list of LifeSci commands, send the HELP LIST command to RPRLSCI@TECHNION via mail or message. * ** *** **** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * **** *** * **** ** **** *** * ** **** *** **** *** ** *** **** **** **** **** ** *** **** **** **** ***** *** **** ****** **** ***** ***** ***** **** ******* ***** ***************** ***** ******** ******* ****************** ****** ********** ********** ******************* ******** ************ ***************************************** ************* ******************************************* ********************************************************** ************************************************************* *************************************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 22 ********* * * The Space Physics Analysis Network * * * * from the SPAN HELPFILE * * * * NETSERV@BITNIC ********* This article is second in a series about other networks. The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) has rapidly evolved into a broadly based network for cooperative, interdisciplinary and correlative space and Earth science data analysis that is spaceflight mission independent. The disciplines supported by SPAN originally were Solar- Terrestrial and Interplanetary Physics. This support has been expanded to include Planetary, Astrophysics, Atmospherics, Oceans, Climate, and Earth Science. The SPAN utilizes up-to-date hardware and software for computer-to-computer communications allowing binary file transfer, mail, and remote log-on capability to over 1200 space and Earth science computer systems in the United States, Europe, and Canada. SPAN has been reconfigured to take maximum advantage of NASA's Program Support Communication Network (PSCN) high speed backbone highway that has been established between its field centers. In addition to the computer-to-computer communications which utilizes DECnet, SPAN provides gateways to the NASA Packet Switched System (NPSS), GTE/Telenet, JANET, ARPANET, BITNET and CSNET. A major extension for SPAN using the TCP/IP suite of protocols is also being developed. The SPAN first became operational in December 1981 with three major nodes: University of Texas at Dallas, Utah State University, and MSFC. Since that time it has grown rapidly (see Section II). Once operational, SPAN immediately started to facilitate space-data analysis by providing electronic mail, document browsing, access to distributed data bases, facilities for numeric and graphic data transfer, access to Class VI machines, and entry to gateways for other networks. The SPAN is currently managed by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) located at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). All SPAN physical circuits are funded by the Communication and Data Systems Division at NASA Headquarters. Personnel at the NSSDC facility, at the NASA SPAN centers, and the remote institutions work in unison 1 Page 23 to manage and maintain the network. Detailed information on how SPAN is managed can be found in the SPAN Management Guide which is published by the NSSDC. Sending mail to people in the SPAN is quite simple: The syntax sends you through a gateway at Stanford in ARPANET: spanuser%spanhost.SPAN@SU-STAR.ARPA For example: FRED%SATCOM.SPAN@SU-STAR.ARPA ********* * * Software Archives at RPICICGE * * * * by John S. Fisher * * * * FISHER@RPICICGE ********* Selected portions of the SIMTEL20 Internet public domain archives are available from LISTSERV@RPICICGE. These are: PD: -- Info-CPM software archives. PD:*.* -- SIG/M software archives. PD:*.* -- PC-Blue software archives. PD:*.* -- IBM PC (and friends) software archives. PD:*.* -- Miscellaneous software archives. New commands have been added to this list server so that you may retrieve these files. Please note that these modifications are EXPERIMENTAL. The server's primary goal is to support the Info-CPM people on BITNET, but as long as that goal is still achievable, the server is available to all. Commands may be sent to LISTSERV@RPICICGE by either mail or message. The /PDDIR command is used to list the names of files that match some pattern. The syntax for this command is as follows: /PDDIR PD:filename.ext The directory name must be one of CPM, SIGM, PC-BLUE, MSDOS, or MISC. The subdirectory, filename, and ext may include asterisks ('*') as "wild-card" characters. If any of the three are omitted, an asterisk is used. The following are examples. 1 Page 24 /PDDIR PD: Lists files in the MSDOS archive. /PDDIR PD: Lists VAX/VMS related files. /PDDIR PD:UUDECODE*.* Lists uudecode software for CP/M. The /PDGET command is used to request specific files. No pattern-matching is allowed. The syntax for this command is as follows: /PDGET format simtel.filename ( encoding The format specifies how the file is to be transmitted. Allowed values are NETDATA, PUNCH, and MAIL. The encoding specifies any special translation for the file data: NETDATA: suitable for transfer to BITNET hosts that can accept files in IBM Netdata format. PUNCH: suitable for transfer to BITNET hosts that can accept files but cannot decode the Netdata format. Files are sent as 80-byte card-images. MAIL: suitable for transfer to hosts that can accept only mail or are accessible to BITNET only through gateways. Large files sent via mail are split into several smaller files that the recipient must reassemble. The encoding specifies any special translation for the file data: ASIS: suitable for hosts that can receive binary data. The file is sent exactly as it is stored on the server: binary images of the file data. ASIS may be used only with format NETDATA. UUENCODE: suitable for hosts that cannot receive binary data. The file is sent uuencoded. TRANSLATE: suitable for any host, but only when the file actually represents readable text. The file is translated to EBCDIC. (If you are on an ASCII machine, then your system should automatically translate to ASCII when the file arrives.) TRANSLATE applied to a binary file will yield trash. If no encoding is specified, then ASIS is assumed for NETDATA, and UUENCODE for the others. Users on non-IBM hosts should remember that with the NETDATA/ASIS server defaults, binary data is put on an EBCDIC network (viz. BITNET). The normal action of most non-IBM networking software is to do EBCDIC/ASCII translation on 1 Page 25 incoming data. This will render most files from the server useless. Non-IBM users should either use one of the other encoding options or receive the a file without translation. (VMS/JNET has this capability.) In each of the following examples the user wants the UUDECODE.HEX and the UNARC16.ARK files to download to a CP/M micro. 1. The user is on an IBM host directly connected to BITNET: /PDGET NETDATA PD:UUDECODE.HEX (TRANSLATE /PDGET NETDATA PD:UNARC16.ARK The TRANSLATE option for UUDECODE.HEX is not necessary, but it does simplify/speed-up the later down-loading of the file to the microcomputer. It can be down-loaded as a text file rather than as a binary file. 2. The user is on a non-IBM host directly connected to BITNET and can receive Netdata files, but not binary: /PDGET NETDATA PD:UUDECODE.HEX (TRANSLATE /PDGET NETDATA PD:UNARC16.ARK (UUE 3. The user is on some host somewhere: /PDGET MAIL PD:UUDECODE.HEX (TRANSLATE /PDGET MAIL PD:UNARC16.ARK (UUE Additional remarks: 1. If the server is unable to satisfy a request for a file from Simtel20 in five days, the request is rejected. 2. The server limits /PDGET requests to one per day. There is no limit on /PDDIR requests. The limits are subject to change. 3. The server refreshes its directory listings of files at Simtel20 about every two days. Therefore, there is a window during which requests for recently deleted files are accepted by the server and requests for recently added files are rejected. 4. Problems regarding the service should be sent directly to FISHER@RPICICGE, and not to anyone at Simtel20 or its associated interest groups. 1 Page 26 ********* * * The On-Line Journal of Distance Education * * * * by Jason B. Ohler and Paul J. Coffin * * * * JADIST@ALASKA ********* The On-Line Journal of Distance Education and Communication Special Interest Group has two primaray concerns: FIRST, it is concerned with distance education as the organized method of reaching geographically disadvantaged learners, whether K-12, post secondary, general enrichment students, or people in business. Areas of interest include delivery technologies, pedagogy, cross cultural concerns of wide area education delivery, and any other matters regarding the theory and practice of distance education. We recognize that education encompasses a broad area of experience and that distance education includes distance communications that fall outside the domain of formal learning. The Journal welcomes contributions that deal with serving people at a distance who aren't necessarily associated with a learning institution. We welcome information about, for example, public radio and television efforts to promote cultural awareness, governmental efforts to inform a distant public about policy issues, or the many training programs run by private business to upgrade employee skills. Once the distance education infrastructure is solidly in place, local learners will want to tap into it, because they simply prefer learning in a decentralized setting or because they want to expand their learning opportunities and resources beyond those immediately available to them. This phenomenon, which we call 'bringing distance education home,' will grow in the coming years and we look forward to hearing from people about it. SECOND, the Journal is interested in projects concerned with overcoming cultural barriers thorough the use of electronic communication, particularly electronic mail. The Journal particularly looks forward to contributions concerning efforts to improve electronic communication between the USSR and the US. To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@UWAVM via mail or message: SUB DISTED your_full_name 1 Page 27 ********* * * Bioserve - the Bioscience File Server * * * * by Deba Patnaik * * * * DEBA@UMDC ********* BIOSERVE is a network file server for BIOSCIence area. Currently, previous BIOTECH bulletins, SEQNET bulletins and information on plasmid sequences are stored on the disk. Public domain data and software in biotechnology area will be available in future. (To subscribe to BIOTECH bulletins, please mail your requests to BIOTECH@UMDC ) The server accepts both interactive message requests and e- mail requests. Currently the server accepts only one command per message or per e-mail at a time. The E-mail interface works for mail headers. In case it does not respond to your mail request, please report to us. One command is accepted after the Subject: header in the same line. The server is going through changes everyday. New functions and new resources will be announced whenever it is available on BIOSERVE. The following four commands are currently supported: HELP LIST SENDme filename filetype WHATIS NEW The server address is BIOSERVE@UMDC. * ** *** **** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * **** *** * **** ** **** *** * ** **** *** **** *** ** *** **** **** ***** **** ** **** **** * **** ************ *** **** * ****** ** ****** ***************** **** * ********* **** * *************************** ****** **** ************ ************************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 28 ********* * * Headlines * * * * Smaller bits of news, but not unimportant * * * * BITLIB@YALEVM ********* * In a close, but well differentiated, race, Glenn Ricart has won a one year seat on the BITNET Board of Trustees. It is interesting to note that there was one abstention! The following BITNET Institutional Representatives are members of the BITNET Board of Trustees: Douglas Bigelow BIGELOW%WCC@WESLEYAN Ira Fuchs FUCHS@PUCC Butch Kemper X040BK@TAMVM1 Ben Klein BSKCU@CUNYVM Les LLoyd LLLOYD@DREW Phil Long LONG@YALEVM Glenn Ricart RICART@UMDC Marty Solomon TS2425@OHSTVMA Douglas Van Houweling devh@UM.CC.UMICH.EDU Leland Williams TUCLHW@TUCC John Young CJY2@NERVM * A new newsletter: John Muffo is Editor of the AIR Newsletter. The topic of AIR is Institutional Research and Planning Analysis. If you are interested in a subscription or have AIR news send mail to John at IRMUFFO@VTVM1. * /WHOIS News: The Listserv /WHOIS name server modification (installed on some list servers) has been modified so that you can now receive better information. For example, if you search for JOHN DOE, you will now receive matches for John Q. Doe, John Doe, Doe John Q., and so on. The /WHOIS mod has been added to two more list servers: LISTSERV@UALTAVM and LISTSERV@UKANVM. Thanks to Michael Gettes, Chris Thierman, and Wes Hubert for the information. * New Listserv filelists: LISTSERV@PUCC now has a FILELIST for the COCO mailing list. The FILELIST also includes many files of interest to Tandy Color Computer Users. LISTSERV@RICE holds a Macintosh software library in it's MAC-ARCH FILELIST. For users in the southern United States, this is much closer than 1 Page 29 MACSERVE@PUCC. For more information on these filelists, send the INDEX command to each of these list servers via mail or message. For example: INDEX COCO (sent to LISTSERV@PUCC) INDEX MAC-ARCH (sent to LISTSERV@RICE) Thanks to Eric Tilenius and John Courcoul for this information. ********* * * Helpdesk * * * * a Question and Answer Column * * * * Send your questions to BITLIB@YALEVM ********* *Q* How does one go about find a particular list on a LISTSERV without having to resort to sending a LIST command to every one?? *A* The best place to look for a list (ANY list) is in Rich Zellichs List-of-Lists. It is stored on most NETSERV file servers. NICSERVE@BITNIC also has a file named LISTSERV GROUPS which lists many of the popular Listserv lists. *Q* How does one go about forming his or her own list? *A* If you have a Listserv at your node, ask the Computer Center staff at your site. If you don't have a listserv, contact the Listserv administrator at a nearby Listserv. If you send a Listserv the HELP command, at the end of the command list you will be shown a list of Postmasters for that server and their addresses. They should be able to help you set up a list, or direct you to someone who can. *Q* Is there any conventional way to ship binary files / object code on BITNET? *A* The only thing I know of are the UUDECODE and UUENCODE programs available from the SIMTEL20 archives on LISTSERV@RPICICGE. (See the article on that server in this issue for more information). Thanks to Eric Thomas for his help with this answer. 1 Page 30 *Q* A few months ago, if you wanted to send a file from TAUNIVM (or any other place in Israel, actually) to CUNYVM (or any other place in the U.S.) the file's way was quite short: TAUNIVM-EARNET-CUNYVM. --but-- Today, when you want to send the same file, it has to pass two nodes in Italy, one in France, and CUNYVMV2, before it gets to CUNYVM. My question is short: WHY? Is that a policy or something? *A* As the network grows, nodes are being moved around and reorganized. Some new nodes are physically between other nodes, so by connecting through the new node, line lengths are reduced and costs are cut. That, at least, is a good guess. *Q* I read your article in Netmonth and I am looking for some help in reaching England. His colleagues there have given him three different usercodes to try. I have had several unsuccessfull attempts at getting mail through. These are the addresses he was given: SUQVINES%UK.AC.AM.CMS@UKACRL SUQVINES%UK.AC.RDG.AM.CMS@EARN SUQVINES@UK.AC.RDG.AM.CMS *A* As we said in our article on JANET last month, the addresses in England are backward from the way we are used to them (isn't everything over there?) ALWAYS make sure the UK is at the end. The address you should use is: SUQVINES@CMS.AM.RDG.AC.UK *Q* Where can I get useful general purpose VMS tools written in DCL to make my VMS/Jnet enviroment more pleasurable? One server which has VMS software is UBSERVE@UBVMSC. For more information, type the command SEND UBSERVE@UBVMSC HELP. * ** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * * **** *** * * **** ** *** *********** *** *** * **** *** ******** ****************** ***** ** ****** *************** ****************************** *********** ************************************************* *************************************************************** 1 Page 31 ********* * * New Mailing Lists * * * * from List-of-Lists by Rich Zellich * * * * ZELLICH@SRI-NIC.ARPA ********* ADA-SW A mailing list for those who in accessing and contributing software to the Ada Repository on SIMTEL20; it serves two purposes: to provide an information exchange medium between the repository users and to mail repository submissions to the Coordinator for inclusion in the archives. All requests to be added to or deleted from this list, problems, questions, etc., should be sent to ADA-SW- REQUEST@SIMTEL20.ARPA. Coordinator: Rick Conn ADVSYS Mailing list for Advsys programmers. All requests to be added to or deleted from this list, problems, questions, etc., should be sent to ADVSYS- REQUEST@EDDIE.MIT.EDU. Moderator: Brian Preble COCO Discussions related to the Tandy Color Computer (any model), OS-9 Operating System, and any other topics relating to the "CoCo", as this computer is affectionately known. To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@PUCC by mail or message: SUB COCO your_full_name Coordinator: Eric W. Tilenius 1 Page 32 DAVE-BARRY Mailing list for Dave Barry discussions. All requests to be added to or deleted from this list, problems, questions, etc., should be sent to DAVE-BARRY- REQUEST@EDDIE.MIT.EDU. Moderator: Brian Preble ********* * * Feedback * * * * How? Why? * * * * Send your letters to BITLIB@YALEVM ********* From: David Klein Subject: Uses for BITNET I read your editorial in the most recent Netmonth issue and was quite in agreement. I also was struck by the fact that there seems to be little (that I have come across yet) documentation on all the features that the BITNET has to offer, both to faculty in most disciplines and students (graduates and undergraduates). I for one would find it very useful if there was a concise, well written file somewhere that listed the available uses for this medium. This file should also include how to use those services, or at least provide the node and file which hold the more in-depth instructions for that specific facility. The reason I would like to know is that, as a relatively new user, and at the same time an advisor at my college, I would like to provide my boss with some hard information that would influence him to upgrade the present low level of support/general awareness for and about BITNET. If I could present this info to him, it would be one step in encouraging use of an excellent medium for information exchange and research which, at present, is quite under- utilized here. Would you have any ideas whether or not some sort of publication like this exists, or could it be set up? 1 Page 33 * While there is no publication for that kind of information, I am hoping that NetMonth can fill that role with the new "Applications" section, beginning next month. As for in-depth instructions, we offer the BITLIB online help system to all VM nodes who will have it. It has all the BITNET services listed in a simple menu structure, with instructions for how to access them. -- Chris From: Michael J. Hammel Subject: Getting involved. Why is it, as I sit here in my lonely Texas plains office, that it seems technology is developed on the West coast, used on the East coast, and ignored here in the middle? We seem to pride ourselves on being Bigger and Better in everything, but have you ever tried to plug a keyboard into an 1800 pound steer? Not to mention trying to get a printout. I'm a communications nut. BITNET has taught me more about computers and computing than ANY class I ever took, and in less time. Chris, you put it well in your January Bitnotes article when you said a textbook can't hold a candle to experience. Amen. I too graduated last year, and I'm still here at school, getting that important word amended to my resume thats required by all grads with GPA's that look like Avagadro's number: Experience. Note: capital 'E'. But enough of this babbling. What I really wanted to talk about was how, here at my school at least, all the comforts afforded the modern student are being passed up. I realize that Relay is not exactly, in its current form and use, something to get professors and administrators hopping up and down about as an educational tool, but it can be. A very good example seems to be the LifeSci Monitor. I don't know much about it, but just from your little blurb in January's Headlines I think it could give some respect to our little communications network here. The whole idea of being able to talk to someone far away is to get some information (at least from a business and educational point of view). Conferencing over Relay makes sense to me. Reserve channels for meetings and discussions. You could possibly imitate a non-visual form of the TAGER system (if I spelled that correctly). One VERY important use of something like this would be to train local contacts, those responsible for knowing the "How's" and "Why's" of BITNET (and Mailer for that matter) such as myself. I inherited this job because I enjoy it. But no one knows much about it here, and, unfortunately, aside from a few systems programmers and student assistants, no one cares much about it. 1 Page 34 I have to find things out on my own by making myself somewhat of a nuisance to others on the net (my thanks to Bill Rubin and Jeff Kell for lots of help). From: Dwight McCann Subject: NetWeek & NetMonth I really like the NetWeek idea. I will be posting each successive issue to our NEWS system. The new look of NetMonth is nice, but having quality editorials borders on miraculous. For those of us who want to know what is going on, but are devoted to other areas of computing, your efforts are a boon. From: Peter Flynn Subject: NetMonth and Desktop Publishing I would prefer NetMonth to remain a printfile. I think the standard of design you have achieved is remarkable considering the limitations of 80-col screens and 66-line paper. If you wanted to move it to DTP, then *surely* the sensible solution is to use TeX. This way the source file (which is a plain edit file) can be sent over the net, just as the present version is, but sites can then push it thru TeX and laserprint or whatever their local copies. As TeX is available for very little capital outlay, and runs on a wide range of kit, there is little excuse for sites not having it. This sounds like an apologia for TeX, but what I'm really saying is, follow the BITNET principle: Because It's There --- TeX is cheap and already on probably a majority of academic sites worldwide in one form or another. Why DTP the mag and force people to buy expensive s/w they may not otherwise use? I'd happily TeXify an issue to see what it would come out like. * ** * * **** ** ** **** *** *** * * **** *** * * **** ** *** ****** **** *** *** * **** *** ****** ***************** **** ** **** **** ******** ******************* ****** ** ****** *************** ****************************** *********** ************************************************* *************************************************************** *************************************************************** 1 Page 35 ********* * * NetMonth Polices * * * * Everything you ever wanted to know... * * * * BITLIB@YALEVM ********* NetMonth is a network service publication distributed free of charge to students and professionals in BITNET and other networks. This magazine and its companion file, BITNET SERVERS, are the work of the Bitnet Services Library (BSL) staff and contributors from around the network. BITNET SERVERS is BITNETs list of servers and services. If you know of servers not listed in BITNET SERVERS, or if some listed are no longer available, please contact the NetMonth Editor. * Subscribing to NetMonth and BITNET SERVERS: Send the following command to LISTSERV@MARIST by mail or messgage: SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH Your_full_name Internet users may use this method, but must address the mail to LISTSERV%MARIST.BITNET * Back issues: BITNET users may get NetMonth back issues from the file server NICSERVE@BITNIC. A subscriber can delete him/herself from the mailing list by sending LISTSERV@MARIST the UNSUBSCRIBE NETMONTH command. * Letters to the Editor: If you have questions or comments about BITNET or NetMonth that you would like to see printed here, mail your letter to BITLIB@YALEVM. Make sure that you specify in the "Subject:" header or somewhere in the letter that it is for the NetMonth letters column. * Article Submissions: The only requirements for NetMonth articles and columns are that they be informative, interesting, and concern some BITNET-related topic. Send your articles and to BITLIB@YALEVM. 1 Page 36 * Printing this file: VM users can print this file by first copying it to NETMONTH LISTING and then printing the new file. This will allow page-breaks and other formatting to be accepted by your printer. _ __- __--- The __----- Bitnet __------- Services ___________ Library "Because We're Here." ***************************************************************