,big ,dummy's ,guide ,to ,the ,internet 7,c7#aiic1 #aiid by the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation ,,eff 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 ,copyright #aiic1 #aiid ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation1 all rights reserved4 ,redistribution1 excerpting1 republication1 copying1 archiving1 and reposting are permitted1 provided that the work is not sold for profit1 that ,,eff contact information1 copyright notice1 and distribution information remains intact1 and that the work is not qualitatively modified 7translation1 reformatting1 and excerpting expressly permitted however - feel free to produce versions of the ,guide for use with typesetting1 hypertext1 display1 etc4 applications1 but please do not change the text other than to translate it to another language4 ,excerpts should be credited and follow standard fair use doctrine47 ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation1 #ajja ,g ,st4 ,,nw1 ,suite #iej ,e1 ,washington ,,dc #bjjja ,,usa1 #a #bjb #cdg #edjj 7voice7 #cic #eeji 7fax47 ,basic info3 infoeff4org2 ,general and ,guide related queries3 askeff4org4 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet1 v4#b4b copyright ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation #aiic1 #aiid ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,foreword by ,mitchell ,kapor1 co-founder1 ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,preface by ,adam ,gaffin1 senior writer1 ,network ,world4 ,chapter #a3 ,setting up and jacking in #a4a ,ready1 set444 #a4b ,go6 #a4c ,public-access ,internet providers #a4d ,if your town doesn't have direct access #a4e ,net origins #a4f ,how it works #a4g ,when things go wrong #a4h ,,fyi ,chapter #b3 ,e-mail #b4a4 ,the basics #b4b ,elm -- a better way #b4c ,pine -- even better than ,elm #b4d ,smileys #b4e ,sending e-mail to other networks #b4f ,seven ,unix commands you can't live without ,chapter #c3 ,usenet ,i #c4a ,the global watering hole #c4b ,navigating ,usenet with nn #c4c nn commands #c4d ,using rn #c4e rn commands #c4f ,essential newsgroups #c4g ,speaking up #c4h ,cross-posting ,chapter #d3 ,usenet ,,ii #d4a ,flame1 blather and spew #d4b ,killfiles1 the cure for what ails you #d4c ,some ,usenet hints #d4d ,the ,brain-,tumor ,boy1 the modem tax and the chain letter #d4e ,big ,sig #d4f ,the ,first ,amendment as local ordinance #d4g ,usenet history #d4h ,when things go wrong #d4i ,,fyi ,chapter #e3 ,mailing lists and ,bitnet #e4a ,internet mailing lists #e4b ,bitnet ,chapter #f3 ,telnet #f4a ,mining the ,net #f4b ,library catalogs #f4c ,some interesting telnet sites #f4d ,telnet bulletin-board systems #f4e ,putting the finger on someone #f4f ,finding someone on the ,net #f4g ,when things go wrong #f4h ,,fyi ,chapter #g3 ,,ftp #g4a ,tons of files #g4b ,your friend archie #g4c ,getting the files #g4d ,odd letters -- decoding file endings #g4e ,the keyboard cabal #g4f ,some interesting ftp sites #g4g ncftp -- now you tell me6 #g4h ,project ,gutenberg -- electronic books #g4i ,when things go wrong #g4aj ,,fyi ,chapter #h3 ,gophers1 ,w,a,i,ss and the ,world-,wide ,web #h4a ,gophers #h4b ,burrowing deeper #h4c ,gopher commands #h4d ,some interesting gophers #h4e ,wide-,area ,information ,servers #h4f ,the ,world-,wide ,web #h4g ,clients1 or how to snare more on the ,web #h4h ,when things go wrong #h4i ,,fyi ,chapter #i3 ,advanced ,e-mail #i4a ,the file's in the mail #i4b ,receiving files #i4c ,sending files to non-,internet sites #i4d ,getting ftp files via e-mail #i4e ,the all knowing ,oracle ,chapter #aj3 ,news of the world #aj4a ,clarinet3 ,,upi1 ,dave ,barry and ,dilbert #aj4b ,reuters #aj4c ,,usa ,today #aj4d ,national ,public ,radio #aj4e ,the ,world ,today3 ,from ,belarus to ,brazil #aj4f ,e-mailing news organizations #aj4g ,,fyi ,chapter #aa3 ,,irc1 ,m,u,ds and other things that are more fun than they sound #aa4a ,talk #aa4b ,internet ,relay ,chat #aa4c ,,irc commands #aa4d ,,irc in times of crisis #aa4e ,m,u,ds #aa4f ,go1 go1 go 7and chess1 too76 #aa4g ,the other side of the coin #aa4h ,,fyi ,chapter #ab3 ,education and the ,net #ab4a ,the ,net in the ,classroom #ab4b ,some specific resources for students and teachers #ab4c ,usenet and ,bitnet in the classroom ,chapter #ac3 ,business on the ,net #ac4a ,setting up shop #ac4b ,,fyi ,chapter #ad3 ,conclusion -- ,the end8 ,appendix ,a3 ,lingo ,appendix ,b3 ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation ,information ,foreword ,by ,mitchell ,kapor1 ,co-founder1 ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,welcome to the ,world of the ,internet ,the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation 7,,eff7 is proud to have sponsored the production of the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet4 ,,eff is a nonprofit organization based in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to the newly emerging communications technologies vital to active participation in the events of our world4 ,as more and more information is available online1 new doors open up for those who have access to that information4 ,unfortunately1 unless access is broadly encouraged1 individuals can be disenfranchised and doors can close1 as well4 ,the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet was written to help open some doors to the vast amounts of information available on the world's largest network1 the ,internet4 ,the spark for the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet was ignited in a few informal conversations that included myself and ,steve ,cisler of ,apple ,computer1 ,inc41 in ,june of #aiia4 ,with the support of ,apple ,computer1 ,,eff engaged ,adam ,gaffin to write the book and actually took on the project in ,september of #aiia4 ,the idea was to write a guide to the ,internet for people who had little or no experience with network communications4 ,we intended to post this guide to the ,net in ,,ascii and ,hyper,card formats and to give it away on disk1 as well as have a print edition available4 ,we have more than realized our goal4 ,individuals from as geographically far away as ,germany1 ,italy1 ,canada1 ,south ,africa1 ,japan1 ,scotland1 ,norway1 and ,antarctica have all sent electronic mail to say that they downloaded the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet4 ,the guide is now available in a wide array of formats1 including ,,acscii text1 ,hyper,card1 ,world ,wide ,web1 ,post,script and ,amiga,guide4 ,and the guide will be published in a printed format by ,,mit ,press in ,june of #aiid4 ,,eff would like to thank author ,adam ,gaffin for doing a terrific job of explaining the ,net in such a nonthreatening way4 ,we'd also like to thank the folks at ,apple1 especially ,steve ,cisler of the ,apple ,library1 for their support of our efforts to bring this guide to you4 ,we invite you to join with ,,eff in our fight to ensure that equal access to the networks and free speech are protected in newly emerging technologies4 ,we are a membership organization1 and through donations like yours1 we can continue to sponsor important projects to make communications easier4 ,information about the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation and some of the work that we do can be found at the end of this book4 ,we hope that the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet helps you learn about whole new worlds1 where new friends and experiences are sure to be yours4 ,enjoy6 ,mitch ,kapor ,chairman of the ,board ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation mkaporeff4org ,for comments1 questions1 or requests regarding ,,eff or the ,big ,dummy's ,guide to the ,internet1 send a note to askeff4org4 ,preface ,by ,adam ,gaffin1 ,senior ,writer1 ,network ,world1 ,framingham1 ,mass4 ,welcome to the ,internet6 ,you're about to start a journey through a unique land without frontiers1 a place that is everywhere at once -- even though it exists physically only as a series of electrical impulses4 ,you'll be joining a growing community of millions of people around the world who use this global resource on a daily basis4 ,with this book1 you will be able to use the ,internet to3 ,stay in touch with friends1 relatives and colleagues around the world1 at a fraction of the cost of phone calls or even air mail4 ,discuss everything from archaeology to zoology with people in several different languages4 ,tap into thousands of information databases and libraries worldwide4 ,retrieve any of thousands of documents1 journals1 books and computer programs4 ,stay up to date with wire-service news and sports and with official weather reports4 ,play live1 real time games with dozens of other people at once4 ,connecting to the ,net today1 takes something of a sense of adventure1 a willingness to learn and an ability to take a deep breath every once in awhile4 ,visiting the ,net today is a lot like journeying to a foreign country4 ,there are so many things to see and do1 but everything at first will seem so1 well1 foreign4 ,when you first arrive1 you won't be able to read the street signs4 ,you'll get lost4 ,if you're unlucky1 you may even run into some locals who'd just as soon you went back to where you came from4 ,if this weren't enough1 the entire country is constantly under construction2 every day1 it seems like there's something new for you to figure out4 ,fortunately1 most of the locals are actually friendly4 ,in fact1 the ,net actually has a rich tradition of helping out visitors and newcomers4 ,until very recently1 there were few written guides for ordinary people1 and the ,net grew largely through an oral tradition in which the old- timers helped the newcomers4 ,so when you connect1 don't be afraid to ask for help4 ,you'll be surprised at how many people will lend a hand6 ,without such folks1 in fact1 this guide would not be possible4 ,my thanks to all the people who have written with suggestion1 additions and corrections since the ,big ,dummy's ,guide first appeared on the ,internet in #aiic4 ,special thanks go to my loving wife ,nancy4 ,i would also like to thank the following people1 who1 whether they know it or not1 provided particular help4 ,rhonda ,chapman1 ,jim ,cocks1 ,tom ,czarnik1 ,christopher ,davis1 ,david ,de,simone1 ,jeanne de,voto1 ,phil ,eschallier1 ,nico ,garcia1 ,joe ,granrose1 ,joerg ,heitkoetter1 ,joe ,ilacqua1 ,jonathan ,kamens1 ,peter ,kaminski1 ,thomas ,a4 ,kreeger1 ,stanton ,mc,candlish1 ,leanne ,phillips1 ,nancy ,reynolds1 ,helen ,trillian ,rose1 ,barry ,shein1 ,jennifer ,moira ,smith1 ,gerard van der ,leun and ,scott ,yanoff4 ,if you have any suggestions or comments on how to make this guide better1 ,i'd love to hear them4 ,you can reach me via e-mail at adamgworld4std4com4 ,boston1 ,mass41 ,february1 #aiid4 ,chapter #a3 ,,setting ,,up ,,and ,,jacking ,,in #a4a ,,ready1 ,,set 444 ,the world is just a phone call away4 ,with a computer and modem1 you'll be able to connect to the ,internet1 the world's largest computer network 7and if you're lucky1 you won't even need the modem2 many colleges and companies now give their students or employees direct access to the ,internet74 ,the phone line can be your existing voice line -- just remember that if you have any extensions1 you 7and everybody else in the house or office7 won't be able to use them for voice calls while you are connected to the ,net4 ,a modem is a sort of translator between computers and the phone system4 ,it's needed because computers and the phone system process and transmit data1 or information1 in two different1 and incompatible ways4 ,computers talk digitally2 that is1 they store and process information as a series of discrete numbers4 ,the phone network relies on analog signals1 which on an oscilloscope would look like a series of waves4 ,when your computer is ready to transmit data to another computer over a phone line1 your modem converts the computer numbers into these waves 7which sound like a lot of screeching7 -- it modulates them4 ,in turn1 when information waves come into your modem1 it converts them into numbers your computer can process1 by demodulating them4 ,increasingly1 computers come with modems already installed4 ,if yours didn't1 you'll have to decide what speed modem to get4 ,modem speeds are judged in bps rate or bits per second4 ,one bps means the modem can transfer roughly one bit per second2 the greater the bps rate1 the more quickly a modem can send and receive information4 ,a letter or character is made up of eight bits4 ,you can now buy a #bdjj-;bps modem for well under #fj -- and most now come with the ability to handle fax messages as well4 ,at prices that now start around #aej1 you can buy a modem that can transfer data at #ad1djj bps 7and often even faster1 using special compression techniques74 ,if you think you might be using the ,net to transfer large numbers of files1 a faster modem is always worth the price4 ,it will dramatically reduce the amount of time your modem or computer is tied up transferring files and1 if you are paying for ,net access by the hour1 will save you quite a bit in online charges4 ,like the computer to which it attaches1 a modem is useless without software to tell it how to work4 ,most modems today come with easy-to-install software4 ,try the program out4 ,if you find it difficult to use or understand1 consider a trip to the local software store to find a better program4 ,you can spend several hundred dollars on a communications program1 but unless you have very specialized needs1 this will be a waste of money1 as there are a host of excellent programs available for around #ajj or less4 ,among the basic features you want to look for are a choice of different protocols 7more on them in a bit7 for transferring files to and from the ,net and the ability to write script or command files that let you automate such steps as logging into a host system4 ,when you buy a modem and the software1 ask the dealer how to install and use them4 ,try out the software if you can4 ,if the dealer can't help you1 find another dealer4 ,you'll not only save yourself a lot of frustration1 you'll also have practiced the prime ,internet directive3 ,ask4 ,people ,know4 ,to fully take advantage of the ,net1 you must spend a few minutes going over the manuals or documentation that comes with your software4 ,there are a few things you should pay special attention to3 uploading and downloading2 screen capturing 7sometimes called screen dumping72 logging2 how to change protocols2 and terminal emulation4 ,it is also essential to know how to convert a file created with your word processing program into ,,ascii or text format1 which will let you share your thoughts with others across the ,net4 ,uploading is the process of sending a file from your computer to a system on the ,net4 ,downloading is retrieving a file from somewhere on the ,net to your computer4 ,in general1 things in cyberspace go up to the ,net and come down to you4 ,chances are your software will come with a choice of several protocols to use for these transfers4 ,these protocols are systems designed to ensure that line noise or static does not cause errors that could ruin whatever information you are trying to transfer4 ,essentially1 when using a protocol1 you are transferring a file in a series of pieces4 ,after each piece is sent or received1 your computer and the ,net system compare it4 ,if the two pieces don't match exactly1 they transfer it again1 until they agree that the information they both have is identical4 ,if1 after several tries1 the information just doesn't make it across1 you'll either get an error message or your screen will freeze4 ,in that case1 try it again4 ,if1 after five tries1 you are still stymied1 something is wrong with a7 the file2 b7 the telephone line2 c7 the system you're connected to2 or d7 your own computer4 ,from time to time1 you will likely see messages on the ,net that you want to save for later viewing -- a recipe1 a particularly witty remark1 something you want to write your congressman about1 whatever4 ,this is where screen capturing and logging come in4 ,when you tell your communications software to capture a screen1 it opens a file in your computer 7usually in the same directory or folder used by the software7 and dumps an image of whatever happens to be on your screen at the time4 ,logging works a bit differently4 ,when you issue a logging command1 you tell the software to open a file 7again1 usually in the same directory or folder as used by the software7 and then give it a name4 ,then1 until you turn off the logging command1 everything that scrolls on your screen is copied into that file1 sort of like recording on videotape4 ,this is useful for capturing long documents that scroll for several pages -- using screen capture1 you would have to repeat the same command for each new screen4 ,terminal emulation is a way for your computer to mimic1 or emulate1 the way other computers put information on the screen and accept commands from a keyboard4 ,in general1 most systems on the ,net use a system called ,,vt#ajj4 ,fortunately1 almost all communications programs now on the market support this system as well -- make sure yours does4 ,you'll also have to know about protocols4 ,there are several different ways for computers to transmit characters4 ,fortunately1 there are only two protocols that you're likely to run across3 #h-a-,n 7which stands for #h bits1 #a stop bit1 no parity -- yikes67 and #g-a-;,e 7#g bits1 #a stop bit1 even parity74 ,in general1 ,unix-based systems use #g-a-;,e1 while ,,ms-,,dos-based systems use #h-a-,n4 ,what if you don't know what kind of system you're connecting to8 ,try one of the settings4 ,if you get what looks like gobbledygook when you connect1 you may need the other setting4 ,if so1 you can either change the setting while connected1 and then hit enter1 or hang up and try again with the other setting4 ,it's also possible your modem and the modem at the other end can't agree on the right bps rate4 ,if changing the protocols doesn't work1 try using another bps rate 7but no faster than the one listed for your modem74 ,don't worry1 remember1 you can't break anything6 ,if something looks wrong1 it probably is wrong4 ,change your settings and try again4 ,nothing is learned without trial1 error and effort4 ,there are the basics4 ,now on to the ,net6 #a4b ,,go6 ,once1 only people who studied or worked at an institution directly tied to the ,net could connect to the world4 ,today1 though1 an ever-growing number of public-access systems provide access for everybody4 ,these systems can now be found in several states1 and there are a couple of sites that can provide access across the country4 ,there are two basic kinds of these host systems4 ,the more common one is known as a ,,uucp site 7,,uucp being a common way to transfer information among computers using the ,unix operating system7 and offers access to international electronic mail and conferences4 ,however1 recent years have seen the growth of more powerful sites that let you tap into the full power of the ,net4 ,these ,internet sites not only give you access to electronic mail and conferences but to such services as databases1 libraries and huge file and program collections around the world4 ,they are also fast -- as soon as you finish writing a message1 it gets zapped out to its destination4 ,some sites are run by for-profit companies2 others by non-profit organizations4 ,some of these public-access1 or host1 systems1 are free of charge4 ,others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited access4 ,and a few charge by the hour4 ,systems that charge for access will usually let you sign up online with a credit card4 ,some also let you set up a billing system4 ,but cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host system1 especially if you live in an area with more than one provider4 ,most systems let you look around before you sign up4 ,what is the range of each of their services8 ,how easy is each to use8 ,what kind of support or help can you get from the system administrators8 ,the last two questions are particularly important because many systems provide no user interface at all2 when you connect1 you are dumped right into the ,unix operating system4 ,if you're already familiar with ,unix1 or you want to learn how to use it1 these systems offer phenomenal power -- in addition to ,net access1 most also let you tap into the power of ,unix to do everything from compiling your own programs to playing online games4 ,but if you don't want to have to learn ,unix1 there are other public-access systems that work through menus 7just like the ones in restaurants2 you are shown a list of choices and then you make your selection of what you want71 or which provide a user interface that is easier to figure out than the ever cryptic ,unix4 ,if you don't want or need access to the full range of ,internet services1 a ,,uucp site makes good financial sense4 ,they tend to charge less than commercial ,internet providers1 although their messages may not go out as quickly4 ,some systems also have their own unique local services1 which can range from extensive conferences to large file libraries4 #a4c ,,public-,,access ,,internet ,,providers ,when you have your communications program dial one of these host systems1 one of two things will happen when you connect4 ,you'll either see a lot of gibberish on your screen1 or you'll be asked to log in4 ,if you see gibberish1 chances are you have to change your software's parameters 7to #g-a-;,e or #h-a-,n as the case may be74 ,hang up1 make the change and then dial in again4 ,when you've connected1 chances are you'll see something like this3 ,welcome to ,,the ,,world ,public ,access ,,unix for the '#ijs ,login as 'new' if you do not have an account login3 ,that last line is a prompt asking you to do something4 ,since this is your first call1 type new and hit enter4 ,often1 when you're asked to type something by a host system1 you'll be told what to type in quotation marks 7for example1 'new'74 ,don't include the quotation marks4 ,repeat3 ,don't include the quotation marks4 ,what you see next depends on the system1 but will generally consist of information about its costs and services 7you might want to turn on your communication software's logging function1 to save this information74 ,you'll likely be asked if you want to establish an account now or just look around the system4 ,you'll also likely be asked for your user name4 ,this is not your full name1 but a one-word name you want to use while online4 ,it can be any combination of letters or numbers1 all in lower case4 ,many people use their first initial and last name 7for example1 jdoe72 their first name and the first letter of their last name 7for example1 johnd72 or their initials 7jxd74 ,others use a nickname4 ,you might want to think about this for a second1 because this user name will become part of your electronic-mail address 7see chapter #b for more on that74 ,the one exception are the various ,free-,net systems1 all of which assign you a user name consisting of an arbitrary sequence of letters and numbers4 ,you are now on the ,net4 ,look around the system4 ,see if there are any help files for you to read4 ,if it's a menu-based host system1 choose different options just to see what happens4 ,remember3 ,you can't break anything4 ,the more you play1 the more comfortable you'll be4 ,what follows is a list of public-access ,internet sites1 which are computer systems that offer access to the ,net4 ,all offer international e-mail and ,usenet 7international conferences74 ,in addition1 they offer3 ,,ftp3 ,file-transfer protocol -- access to hundreds of file libraries 7everything from computer software to historical documents to song lyrics74 ,you'll be able to transfer these files from the ,net to your own computer4 ,telnet3 ,access to databases1 computerized library card catalogs1 weather reports and other information services1 as well as live1 online games that let you compete with players from around the world4 ,additional services that may be offered include3 ,,wais3 ,wide-area ,information ,server2 a program that can search dozens of databases in one search4 ,gopher3 ,a program that gives you easy access to dozens of other online databases and services by making selections on a menu4 ,you'll also be able to use these to copy text files and some programs to your mailbox4 ,,irc3 ,internet ,relay ,chat1 a ,,cb simulator that lets you have live keyboard chats with people around the world4 ,however1 even on systems that do not provide these services directly1 you will be able to use a number of them through telnet 7see ,chapter #f74 ,in the list that follows1 systems that let you access services through menus are noted2 otherwise assume that when you connect1 you'll be dumped right into ,unix 7a4k4a4 ,,ms-,,dos with a college degree74 ,several of these sites are available nationwide through national data networks such as the ,compu,serve ,packet ,network and ,sprint,net4 ,please note that all listed charges are subject to change4 ,many sites require new or prospective users to log on a particular way on their first call2 this list provides the name you'll use in such cases4 ,,alabama ,huntsville4 ,nuance4 ,call voice number for modem number4 #ce setup2 #be a month4 ,voice3 7#bje7 #ecc-dbif4 ,,alaska ,anchorage4 ,university of ,alaska ,southeast1 ,tundra ,services1 7#ijg7 #ghi-acad2 has local dial-in service in several other cities4 #bj a month4 ,voice3 7#ijg7 #dfe-fdec4 ,,alberta ,edmonton4 ,p,u,c,net ,computer ,connections1 7#djc7 #dhd-efdj4 ,log on as3 guest4 #aj setup fee2 #be for #bj hours a month plus #f4be an hour for access to ftp and telnet4 ,voice3 7#djc7 #ddh-aija4 ,,arizona ,tucson4 ,data ,basics1 7#fjb7 #gba-ehhg4 #be a month or #ahj a year4 ,voice3 7#fjb7 #gba-aihh4 ,phoenix_/,tucson4 ,internet ,direct1 7#fjb7 #bgd-ifjj 7,phoenix72 7#fjb7 #cba-ifjj 7,tucson74 ,log on as3 guest4 #bj a month4 ,voice3 7#fjb7 #bgd-jajj 7,phoenix72 7#fjb7 #cbd-jajj 7,tucson74 ,,british ,,columbia ,victoria ,victoria ,free-,net1 7#fjd7 #eie-bcjj4 ,menus4 ,access to all features requires completion of a written form4 ,users can link to other ,free-,net systems in ,canada and the ,united ,states4 ,free4 ,log on as3 guest ,voice3 7#fjd7 #chi-fjbf4 ,,california ,berkeley4 ,holonet4 ,menus4 ,for free trial1 modem number is 7#eaj7 #gjd-ajeh4 ,for information or local numbers1 call the voice number4 #fj a year for local access1 #b an hour during offpeak hours4 ,voice3 7#eaj7 #gjd-jafj4 ,cupertino4 ,portal4 ,both ,unix and menus4 7#djh7 #gbe-jefa 7#bdjj bps72 7#djh7 #igc-hjia 7#ifjj_/ad1djj bps74 #ai4ie setup fee1 #ai4ie a month4 ,voice3 7#djh7 #igc-iaaa4 ,irvine4 ,dial ,n' ,,cerf4 ,see under ,san ,diego4 ,los ,angeles_/,orange ,county4 ,kaiwan ,public ,access ,internet1 7#gad7 #eci-egbf2 7#caj7 #ebg-gceh4 #ae signup2 #aa a month 7credit card74 ,voice3 7#gad7 #fch-baci4 ,los ,angeles4 ,dial ,n' ,,cerf4 ,see under ,san ,diego4 ,oakland4 ,dial ,n' ,,cerf4 ,see under ,san ,diego4 ,pasadena4 ,dial ,n' ,,cerf ,see under ,san ,diego4 ,palo ,alto4 ,institute for ,global ,communications41 7#dae7 #cbb-jbhd4 ,unix4 ,local conferences on environmental_/peace issues4 ,log on as3 new4 #aj a month and #c an hour after first hour4 ,voice3 7#dae7 #ddb-jbbj4 ,san ,diego4 ,dial ,n' ,,cerf ,,usa1 run by the ,california ,education and ,research ,federation4 ,provides local dial-up numbers in ,san ,diego1 ,los ,angeles1 ,oakland1 ,pasadena and ,irvine4 ,for more information1 call voice 7#hjj7 #hgf-;,,cerf or 7#fai7 #ecd-ejhg4 #ej setup fee2 #bj a month plus #e an hour 7#c on weekends74 ,voice3 7#hjj7 #hgf-bcgc4 ,san ,diego4 ,,cts ,network ,services1 7#fai7 #fcg-cffj4 ,log on as3 help4 #ae set-up fee1 monthly fee of #aj to #bc depending on services used4 ,voice3 7#fai7 #fcg-cfcg4 ,san ,diego4 ,cyberspace ,station1 7#fai7 #fcd-acgf4 ,unix4 ,log on as3 guest4 ,charges3 #aj sign-up fee2 #ae a month or #fj for six months4 ,san ,francisco4 ,pathways1 call voice number for number4 ,menus4 #be setup fee2 #h a month and #c an hour4 ,voice3 7#dae7 #cdf-dahh4 ,san ,jose4 ,netcom1 7#eaj7 #hfe-ijjd or #dbf-ffaj2 7#djh7 #bda-igfj2 7#dae7 #dbd-jaca1 up to #ifjj bps4 ,unix4 ,maintains archives of ,usenet postings4 ,log on as3 guest4 #ae startup fee and then #ag4ej a month for unlimited use if you agree to automatic billing of your credit-card account 7otherwise #ai4ej a month for a monthly invoice74 ,voice3 7#djh7 #eed-,,unix4 ,san ,jose4 ,a#b;i1 7#djh7 #bic-ijaj4 ,log on as3 guest4 #bj a month2 #de for three months2 #gb for six months4 ,sausalito4 ,the ,whole ,earth ',lectronic ,link 7,,well71 7#dae7 #ccb- #fajf4 ,uses moderately difficult ,picospan software1 which is sort of a cross between ,unix and a menu system4 ,new users get a written manual4 ,more than #bjj ,,well-only conferences4 ,log on as3 newuser4 #ae a month plus #b an hour4 ,access through the nationwide ,compu,serve ,packet ,network available for another #d4ej an hour4 ,voice3 7#dae7 #ccb-dcce4 ,recorded message about the system's current status3 7#hjj7 #cbf-hced 7continental ,u4,s4 only74 ,,colorado ,colorado ,springs_/,denver4 ,,cns1 7#gai7 #egj-agjj 7,colorado ,springs72 7#cjc7 #geh-bfef 7,denver74 ,local calendar listings and ski and stock reports4 ,users can choose between menus or ,unix4 ,log on as3 new4 #ce setup fee2 #b4ge an hour 7minimum fee of #aj a month74 ,voice3 7#gai7 #eib- #abdj4 ,colorado ,springs4 ,old ,colorado ,city ,communications1 7#gai7 #fcb- #daaa4 ,log on as3 newuser4 #be a month4 ,voice3 7#gai7 #fcb-dhdh4 ,denver4 ,denver ,free-,net1 7#cjc7 #bgj-dhfe4 ,menus4 ,access to all services requires completion of a written form4 ,users can link to other ,free-,net systems across the country4 ,free4 ,log on as3 guest4 ,golden4 ,colorado ,super,net4 ,e-mail to fax service4 ,available only to ,colorado residents4 ,local dial-in numbers available in several ,colorado cities4 ,for dial-in numbers1 call the number below4 #c an hour 7#a an hour between midnight and #f a4m472 one-time #bj sign-up fee4 ,voice3 7#cjc7 #bgc-cdga4 ,,delaware ,middletown4 ,systems ,solutions1 7#cjb7 #cgh-ahha4 #bj setup fee2 #be a month for full ,internet access4 ,voice3 7#hjj7 #cca-achf ,,florida ,talahassee4 ,talahassee ,free-,net1 7#ijd7 #dhh-ejef4 ,menus4 ,full access requires completion of a registration form4 ,can link to other ,free-,net systems around the country4 ,voice3 7#ijd7 #dhh-ejef4 ,,georgia ,atlanta4 ,netcom1 7#cjc7 #geh-jaja4 ,see under ,los ,angeles1 ,california1 for information on rates4 ,,illinois ,champaign4 ,prarienet ,free-,net1 7#bag7 #bee-ijjj4 ,menus4 ,log on as3 visitor4 ,free for ,illinois residents2 #be a year for others4 ,voice3 7#bag7 #bdd-aifb4 ,chicago4 ,m,c,s,net1 7#cab7 #bdh-jijj4 #be_/month or #fe for three months of unlimited access2 #cj for three months of access at #ae hours a month4 ,voice3 7#cab7 #bdh-,,unix4 ,peoria4 ,peoria ,free-,net1 7#cji7 #fgd-aajj4 ,similar to ,cleveland ,free-,net 7see ,ohio1 below74 ,users can link to the larger ,cleveland system for access to ,usenet and other services4 ,there are also ,peoria ,free-,net public-access terminals in numerous area libraries1 other government buildings and senior-citizen centers4 ,contact the number below for specific locations4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,voice3 7#cji7 #fgg-bedd4 ,,maryland ,baltimore4 ,express ,access1 7#daj7 #gff-ahee2 7#cja7 #bbj-jdfb2 7#gad7 #cgg-ighd4 ,log on as3 new4 #bj setup fee2 #be a month or #bej a year4 ,voice3 7#hjj #ifi-ijij4 ,baltimore4 ,clarknet1 7#daj7 #gcj-ighf2 7#daj7 #iie-jbga2 7#cja7 #eif- #afbf2 7#cja7 #hed-jddf4 ,log on as3 guest4 #bc a month1 #abf for six months or #bbh a year4 ,voice3 7#daj7 #gcj-igfe4 ,,massachusetts ,bedford4 ,the ,internet ,access ,company1 7#fag7 #bge-jcca4 ,to log on1 follow on-line prompts4 #bj setup fee2 #ai4ej a month4 ,voice3 7#fag7 #bge-bbba4 ,brookline4 ,the ,world1 7#fag7 #gci-igec4 ,online ,book ,initiative collection of electronic books1 poetry and other text files4 ,log on as3 new4 #e a month plus #b an hour or #bj for #bj hours a month4 ,available nationwide through the ,compu,serve ,packet ,network for another #e4fj an hour4 ,voice3 7#fag7 #gci-jbjb4 ,lynn4 ,north ,shore ,access1 7#fag7 #eic-deeg4 ,log on as3 new4 #aj for #aj hours a month2 #a an hour after that4 ,voice3 7#fag7 #eic-caaj4 ,worcester4 ,nova,link1 7#ejh7 #ged-djji4 ,log on as3 info4 #ab4ie sign-up 7includes first two hours72 #i4ie a month 7includes five daytime hours71 #a4hj an hour after that4 ,voice3 7#hjj7 #bgd-bhad4 ,,michigan ,ann ,arbor4 ,,msen4 ,call voice number for dial-in number4 ,unix4 ,charges3 #bj setup2 #bj a month4 ,voice3 7#cac7 #iih-defb4 ,ann ,arbor4 ,michnet4 ,has local dial-in numbers in several ,michigan numbers4 ,for local numbers1 call voice number below4 #ce a month plus one-time #dj sign-up fee4 ,additional network fees for access through non-,michnet numbers4 ,voice3 7#cac7 #gfd-idcj4 ,,new ,,hampshire ,manchester4 ,,mv ,communications1 ,inc4 ,for local dial-up numbers call voice line below4 #e a month mininum plus variable hourly rates depending on services used4 ,voice3 7#fjc7 #dbi-bbbc4 ,,new ,,jersey ,new ,brunswick4 ,digital ,express1 7#ijh7 #icg-idha4 ,log on as3 new4 #bj setup fee2 #be a month or #bej a year4 ,voice3 7#hjj7 #ifi-ijij4 ,,new ,,york ,new ,york4 ,panix1 7#bab7 #ghg-cajj4 ,unix or menus4 ,log on as3 newuser4 #dj setup fee2 #ai a month or #bjh a year4 ,voice3 7#bab7 #hgg- #dhed4 ,new ,york4 ,echo1 7#bab7 #ihi-hdaa4 ,unix1 but with local conferencing software4 ,log on as3 newuser4 #ai4ie 7#ac4ge students and seniors7 a month4 ,voice3 7#bab7 #bee-chci4 ,new ,york4 ,mind,vox1 7#bab7 #ihi-dada4 ,local conferences4 ,log on as3 guest4 #aj setup fee for non-credit-card accounts2 #ae a month4 ,voice3 7#bab7 #ihi-bdah4 ,new ,york4 ,pipeline1 7#bab7 #bfg-hfjf 7#ifjj bps and higher72 7#bab7 #bfg-gcda 7#bdjj bps74 ,offers graphical interface for ,windows for #ij4 ,log on as3 guest4 #bj a month and #b an hour after first #bj hours or #ce a month unlimited hours4 ,voice3 7#bab7 #bfg-cfcf4 ,new ,york4 ,maestro1 7#bab7 #bdj-igjj4 ,log on as3 newuser4 #ab a month or #adj a year4 ,voice3 7#bab7 #bdj-ifjj4 ,,north ,,carolina ,charlotte4 ,vnet ,internet ,access1 7#gjd7 #cdg-hhci2 7#iai7 #djf-aedd4 ,log on as3 new4 #be a month4 ,voice3 7#gjd7 #cgd-jggi4 ,triangle ,research ,park4 ,rock ,concert ,net4 ,call number below for local modem numbers in various ,north ,carolina cities4 #cj a month2 one- time #ej sign-up fee4 ,voice3 7#iai7 #bdh-aiii4 ,,ohio ,cleveland4 ,cleveland ,free-,net1 7#baf7 #cfh-chhh4 ,ohio and ,,us ,supreme ,court decisions1 historical documents1 many local conferences4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,voice3 7#baf7 #cfh-hgcg4 ,cincinnati4 ,tri-,state ,free-,net1 7#eac7 #egi-aiij4 ,similar to ,cleveland ,free-,net4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,cleveland4 ,wariat1 7#baf7 #dha-idcf4 ,unix or menus4 #bj setup fee2 #ce a month4 ,voice3 7#baf7 #dha-idbh4 ,dayton4 ,freelance ,systems ,programming1 7#eac7 #beh-ggde4 #bj setup fee2 #a an hour4 ,voice3 7#eac7 #bed-gbdf4 ,lorain4 ,lorain ,county ,free-,net1 7#baf7 #bgg-bcei or #cff-igec4 ,similar to ,cleveland ,free-,net4 ,users can link to the larger ,cleveland system for additional services4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,voice3 7#baf7 #cff-dbjj4 ,medina4 ,medina ,free-,net1 7#baf7 #gbc-fgcb1 #bbe-fgcb or #cce-fgcb4 ,users can link to the larger ,cleveland ,free-,net for additional services4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,youngstown4 ,youngstown ,free-,net1 7#baf7 #gdb-cjgb4 ,users can link to the ,cleveland system for services not found locally4 ,full access 7including access to e-mail7 requires completion of a written application4 ,free4 ,,ontario ,ottawa4 ,national ,capital ,free,net1 7#fac7 #ghj-cgcc or 7#fac7 #efd-cfjj4 ,free1 but requires completion of a written form for access to all services4 ,toronto4 ,u,u,north4 ,call voice number below for local dial-in numbers4 #bj startup fee2 #be for #bj hours a month of offpeak use4 ,voice3 7#daf7 #bbe-hfdi4 ,toronto4 ,internex ,online1 7#daf7 #cfc-cghc4 ,both ,unix and menus4 #dj a year for one hour a day4 ,voice3 7#daf7 #cfc-hfgf4 ,,oregon ,portland4 ,agora1 7#ejc7 #bic-aggb 7#bdjj bps71 7#ejc7 #bic-bjei 7#ifjj bps or higher74 ,log on as3 apply4 #f a month for one hour per day4 ,portland4 ,teleport1 7#ejc7 #bbj-jfcf 7#bdjj bps72 7#ejc7 #bbj-ajaf 7#ifjj and higher74 ,log on as3 new4 #aj a month for one hour per day4 ,voice3 7#ejc7 #bbc-dbde4 ,,pennsylvania ,pittsburgh4 ,telerama1 7#dab7 #dha-ecjb4 #f for #aj hours a month1 #fj cents for each additional hour4 ,voice3 7#dab7 #dha-ceje4 ,,quebec ,montreal4 ,communications ,accessibles ,montreal1 7#ead7 #ica-gagh 7#ifjj bps72 7#ead7 #ica-bccc 7#bdjj bps74 #be a month4 ,voice3 7#ead7 #ica-jgdi4 ,,rhode ,,island ,east ,greenwich4 ,,ids ,world ,network1 7#dja7 #hhd-ijjb4 ,in addition to ,usenet1 has conferences from the ,fidonet and ,,rime networks4 #aj a month2 #ej for six months2 #ajj for a year4 ,providence_/,seekonk4 ,anomaly1 7#dja7 #cca-cgjf4 #abe for six months or #bjj a year4 ,educational rate of #ge for six months or #abe a year4 ,voice3 7#dja7 #bgc-dffi4 ,,texas ,austin4 ,real,time ,communications1 7#eab7 #dei-dcia4 ,log on as3 new4 #ge a year4 ,voice3 7#eab7 #dea-jjdf4 ,dallas4 ,texas ,metronet1 7#bad7 #gje-bija2 7#hag7 #bfa-aabg4 ,log on as3 info or signup4 #aj to #ce setup fee1 depending on service2 #aj to #de a month1 depending on service4 ,voice3 7#bad7 #gje-bijj or 7#hag7 #edc-hgef4 ,houston4 ,the ,black ,box1 7#gac7 #dhj-bfhf4 #ba4fe a month4 ,voice3 7#gac7 #dhj-bfhd4 ,,virginia ,norfolk_/,peninsula4 ,wyvern ,technologies1 7#hjd7 #fbg-ahbh 7,norfolk72 7#hjd7 #hhf-jffb 7,peninsula74 #aj startup fee2 #ae a month or #add a year4 ,voice3 7#hjd7 #fbb-dbhi4 ,,washington1 ,,dc ,the ,meta ,network4 ,call voice number below for local dial-in numbers4 ,caucus conferencing1 menus4 #ae setup fee2 #bj a month4 ,voice3 7#gjc7 #bdc-ffbb4 ,cap,access1 7#bjb71 #ghd-aebc4 ,log on as guest with a password of visitor4 ,a ,free-,net system 7see under ,cleveland1 ,ohio1 for information74 ,free4 ,voice3 7#bjb7 #iid-dbde4 ,see also3 listing under ,baltimore1 ,,md for ,express ,access and ,clarknet4 ,,washington ,,state ,seattle4 ,halcyon1 7#bjf7 #chb-fbde4 ,users can choose between menus and ,unix4 ,log on as3 new4 #aj setup fee2 #fj a quarter or #bjj a year4 ,voice3 7#bjf7 #iee-ajej4 ,seattle4 ,eskimo ,north1 7#bjf7 #cfg-chcg 7all speeds71 7#bjf7 #cfb-fgca 7#ifjj_/ad4d,k bps74 #aj a month or #if a year4 ,voice3 7#bjf7 #cfg-gdeg4 ,,united ,,kingdom ,london4 ,demon ,internet ,systems1 #dd 7#j7ha #cdc #dhdh4 #ab4ej setup fee2 #aj a month or #acb4ej a year4 ,voice3 #dd 7#j7ha #cdi #jjfc #a4d ,,if ,,your ,,town ,,has ,,no ,,direct ,,access ,if you don't live in an area with a public-access site1 you'll still be able to connect to the ,net4 ,several services offer access through national data networks such as the ,compu,serve ,packet ,network and ,sprint,net1 which have dozens1 even hundreds of local dial-in numbers across the country4 ,these include ,holonet in ,berkeley1 ,calf41 ,portal in ,cupertino1 ,calf41 the ,,well in ,sausalito1 ,calf41 ,dial ',n ,,cerf in ,san ,diego1 ,calf41 the ,world in ,brookline1 ,mass41 and ,michnet in ,ann ,arbor1 ,mich4 ,dial ',n ,,cerf offers access through an #hjj number4 ,expect to pay from #b to #ab an hour to use these networks1 above each provider's basic charges4 ,the exact amount depends on the network1 time of day and type of modem you use4 ,for more information1 contact the above services4 ,four other providers deliver ,net access to users across the country3 ,delphi1 based in ,cambridge1 ,mass41 is a consumer-oriented network much like ,compu,serve or ,america ,online -- only it now offers subscribers access to ,internet services4 ,delphi charges3 #c a month for ,internet access1 in addition to standard charges4 ,these are #aj a month for four hours of off-peak 7non-working hours7 access a month and #d an hour for each additional hour or #bj for #bj hours of access a month and #a4hj an hour for each additional hour4 ,for more information1 call 7#hjj7 #fie-djje4 ,,bix 7the ,byte ,information ,exchange7 offers ,,ftp1 ,telnet and e-mail access to the ,internet as part of their basic service4 ,owned by the same company as ,delphi1 it also offers #bj hours of access a month for #bj4 ,for more information1 call 7#hjj7 #fie-dgge4 ,,psi1 based in ,reston1 ,va41 provides nationwide access to ,internet services through scores of local dial-in numbers to owners of ,,ibm and compatible computers4 ,p,s,i,link4 which includes access to e-mail1 ,usenet and ftp1 costs #bi a month1 plus a one-time #ai registration fee4 ,special software is required1 but is available free from ,,psi4 ,,psi's ,global ,dialup ,service provides access to telnet for #ci a month plus a one-time #ci set-up fee4 ,for more information1 call 7#hjj7 #hb,,psi#hb or 7#gjc7 #fbj-ffea4 ,nov,x ,systems ,integration1 based in ,seattle1 ,washington1 offers full ,internet access through an #hjj number reachable across the ,united ,states4 ,there is a #bd4ie setup fee1 in addition to a monthly fee of #ai4ie and a #aj4e hourly charge4 ,for more information1 call 7#bjf7 #ddg-jhjj4 #a4e ,,net ,,origins ,in the #aifjs1 researchers began experimenting with linking computers to each other and to people through telephone hook-ups1 using funds from the ,u4,s ,defense ,department's ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency 7,,arpa74 ,,arpa wanted to see if computers in different locations could be linked using a new technology known as packet switching4 ,this technology1 in which data meant for another location is broken up into little pieces1 each with its own forwarding address had the promise of letting several users share just one communications line4 ,just as important1 from ,,arpa's viewpoint1 was that this allowed for creation of networks that could automatically route data around downed circuits or computers4 ,,arpa's goal was not the creation of today's international computer-using community1 but development of a data network that could survive a nuclear attack4 ,previous computer networking efforts had required a line between each computer on the network1 sort of like a one-track train route4 ,the packet system allowed for creation of a data highway1 in which large numbers of vehicles could essentially share the same lane4 ,each packet was given the computer equivalent of a map and a time stamp1 so that it could be sent to the right destination1 where it would then be reassembled into a message the computer or a human could use4 ,this system allowed computers to share data and the researchers to exchange electronic mail1 or e-mail4 ,in itself1 e-mail was something of a revolution1 offering the ability to send detailed letters at the speed of a phone call4 ,as this system1 known as ,a,r,p,a,net1 grew1 some enterprising college students 7and one in high school7 developed a way to use it to conduct online conferences4 ,these started as science-oriented discussions1 but they soon branched out into virtually every other field1 as people recognized the power of being able to talk to hundreds1 or even thousands1 of people around the country4 ,in the #aigjs1 ,,arpa helped support the development of rules1 or protocols1 for transferring data between different types of computer networks4 ,these internet 7from internetworking7 protocols made it possible to develop the worldwide ,net we have today that links all sorts of computers across national boundaries4 ,by the close of the #aigjs1 links developed between ,a,r,p,a,net and counterparts in other countries4 ,the world was now tied together in a computer web4 ,in the #aihjs1 this network of networks1 which became known collectively as the ,internet1 expanded at a phenomenal rate4 ,hundreds1 then thousands1 of colleges1 research companies and government agencies began to connect their computers to this worldwide ,net4 ,some enterprising hobbyists and companies unwilling to pay the high costs of ,internet access 7or unable to meet stringent government regulations for access7 learned how to link their own systems to the ,internet1 even if only for e-mail and conferences4 ,some of these systems began offering access to the public4 ,now anybody with a computer and modem -- and persistence -- could tap into the world4 ,in the #aiijs1 the ,net continues to grow at exponential rates4 ,some estimates are that the volume of messages transferred through the ,net grows #bj percent a month4 ,in response1 government and other users have tried in recent years to expand the ,net itself4 ,once1 the main ,net backbone in the ,u4,s4 moved data at #ef1jjj bits per second4 ,that proved too slow for the ever increasing amounts of data being sent over it1 and in recent years the maximum speed was increased to #a4e million and then #de million bits per second4 ,even before the ,net was able to reach that latter speed1 however1 ,net experts were already figuring out ways to pump data at speeds of up to #b billion bits per second -- fast enough to send the entire ,encyclopedia ,britannica across the country in just one or two seconds4 ,another major change has been the development of commercial services that provide internetworking services at speeds comparable to those of the government system4 ,in fact1 by mid-#aiid1 the ,u4,s4 government will remove itself from any day-to-day control over the workings of the ,net1 as regional and national providers continue to expand4 #a4f ,,how ,,it ,,works ,the worldwide ,net is actually a complex web of smaller regional networks4 ,to understand it1 picture a modern road network of trans- continental superhighways connecting large cities4 ,from these large cities come smaller freeways and parkways to link together small towns1 whose residents travel on slower1 narrow residential ways4 ,the ,net superhighway is the high-speed ,internet4 ,connected to this are computers that use a particular system of transferring data at high speeds4 ,in the ,u4,s41 the major ,internet backbone theoretically can move data at rates of #de million bits per second 7compare this to the average home modem1 which has a top speed of roughly #i1fjj to #ad1djj bits per second74 ,connected to the backbone computers are smaller networks serving particular geographic regions1 which generally move data at speeds around #a4e million bits per second4 ,feeding off these in turn are even smaller networks or individual computers4 ,unlike with commercial networks such as ,compu,serve or ,prodigy1 there is no one central computer or computers running the ,internet -- its resources are to be found among thousands of individual computers4 ,this is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness4 ,the approach means it is virtually impossible for the entire ,net to crash at once -- even if one computer shuts down1 the rest of the network stays up4 ,the design also reduces the costs for an individual or organization to get onto the network4 ,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 resources4 ,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 lost4 ,nobody really knows how many computers and networks actually make up this ,net4 ,some estimates say there are now as many as #e1jjj networks connecting nearly #b million computers and more than #ae million people around the world4 ,whatever the actual numbers1 however1 it is clear they are only increasing4 ,the ,net is more than just a technological marvel4 ,it is human communication at its most fundamental level4 ,the pace may be a little quicker when the messages race around the world in a few seconds1 but it's not much different from a large and interesting party4 ,you'll see things in cyberspace that will make you laugh2 you'll see things that will anger you4 ,you'll read silly little snippets and new ideas that make you think4 ,you'll make new friends and meet people you wish would just go away4 ,major network providers continue to work on ways to make it easier for users of one network to communicate with those of another4 ,work is underway on a system for providing a universal white pages in which you could look up somebody's electronic-mail address1 for example4 ,this connectivity trend will likely speed up in coming years as users begin to demand seamless network access1 much as telephone users can now dial almost anywhere in the world without worrying about how many phone companies actually have to connect their calls4 ,and today1 the links grow ever closer between the ,internet and such commercial networks as ,compu,serve and ,prodigy1 whose users can now exchange electronic mail with their ,internet friends4 ,some commercial providers1 such as ,delphi and ,america ,online1 are working to bring their subscribers direct access to ,internet services4 ,and as it becomes easier to use1 more and more people will join this worldwide community we call the ,net4 ,being connected to the ,net takes more than just reading conferences and logging messages to your computer2 it takes asking and answering questions1 exchanging opinions -- getting involved4 ,if you choose to go forward1 to use and contribute1 you will become a citizen of ,cyberspace4 ,if you're reading these words for the first time1 this may seem like an amusing but unlikely notion -- that one could inhabit a place without physical space4 ,but put a mark beside these words4 ,join the ,net and actively participate for a year4 ,then re-read this passage4 ,it will no longer seem so strange to be a citizen of ,cyberspace4 ,it will seem like the most natural thing in the world4 ,and that leads to another fundamental thing to remember3 ,you can't break the ,net6 ,as you travel the ,net1 your computer may freeze1 your screen may erupt into a mass of gibberish4 ,you may think you've just disabled a million-dollar computer somewhere -- or even your own personal computer4 ,sooner or later1 this feeling happens to everyone -- and likely more than once4 ,but the ,net and your computer are hardier than you think1 so relax4 ,you can no more break the ,net than you can the phone system4 ,if something goes wrong1 try again4 ,if nothing at all happens1 you can always disconnect4 ,if worse comes to worse1 you can turn off your computer4 ,then take a deep breath4 ,and dial right back in4 ,leave a note for the person who runs the computer to which you've connected to ask for advice4 ,try it again4 ,persistence pays4 ,stay and contribute4 ,the ,net will be richer for it -- and so will you4 #a4g ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong 99 ,your computer connects with a public-access site and get gibberish on your screen4 ,if you are using parameters of #h-a-,n1 try #g-a-;e 7or vice-versa74 ,if that doesn't work1 try another modem speed4 99 ,you have your computer dial a public-access site1 but nothing happens4 ,check the phone number you typed in4 ,if correct1 turn on your modem's speaker 7on ,hayes-compatible modems1 you can usually do this by typing ,,atm#a in your communications software's terminal mode74 ,if the phone just rings and rings1 the public-access site could be down for maintenance or due to a crash or some other problem4 ,if you get a connect message1 but nothing else1 try hitting enter or escape a couple of times4 99 ,you try to log in1 but after you type your password1 nothing happens1 or you get a timed out message followed by a disconnect4 ,re-dial the number and try it again4 99 ,always remember1 if you have a problem that just doesn't go away1 ask6 ,ask your system administrator1 ask a friend1 but ask4 ,somebody will know what to do4 #a4h ,,fyi ,the ,net grows so fast that even the best guide to its resources would be somewhat outdated the day it was printed4 ,at the end of each chapter1 however1 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 services4 ,peter ,kaminski maintains a list of systems that provide public access to ,internet services4 ,it's availble on the network itself1 which obviously does you little good if you currently have no access1 but which can prove invaluable should you move or want to find a new system4 ,look for his ,,pdial file in the alt4bbs4lists or news4answers newsgroups in ,usenet 7for information on accessing ,usenet1 see ,chapter #c74 ,steven ,levy's book1 ,hackers3 ,heroes of the ,computer ,revolution1 7,anchor ,press_/,doubleday1 #aihd74 describes the early culture and ethos that ultimately resulted in the ,internet and ,usenet4 ,john ,quarterman's ,the ,matrix3 ,computer ,networks and ,conferencing ,systems ,worldwide 7,digital ,press1 #aiij7 is an exhaustive look at computer networks and how they connect with each other4 ,you'll find numerous documents about the ,internet1 its history and its resources in the pub_/,netinfo directory on the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation's ,,ftp server 7see chapter #g to decipher this74 ,chapter #b3 ,e-,,mail #b4a ,,the ,,basics ,electronic mail1 or e-mail1 is your personal connection to the world of the ,net4 ,all of the millions of people around the world who use the ,net have their own e-mail addresses4 ,a growing number of gateways tie more and more people to the ,net every day4 ,when you logged onto the host system you are now using1 it automatically generated an address for you1 as well4 ,the basic concepts behind e-mail parallel those of regular mail4 ,you send mail to people at their particular addresses4 ,in turn1 they write to you at your e-mail address4 ,you can subscribe to the electronic equivalent of magazines and newspapers4 ,you might even get electronic junk mail4 ,e-mail has two distinct advantages over regular mail4 ,the most obvious is speed4 ,instead of several days1 your message can reach the other side of the world in hours1 minutes or even seconds 7depending on where you drop off your mail and the state of the connections between there and your recipient74 ,the other advantage is that once you master the basics1 you'll be able to use e-mail to access databases and file libraries4 ,you'll see how to do this later1 along with learning how to transfer program and data files through e-mail4 ,e-mail also has advantages over the telephone4 ,you send your message when it's convenient for you4 ,your recipients respond at their convenience4 ,no more telephone tag4 ,and while a phone call across the country or around the world can quickly result in huge phone bills1 e-mail lets you exchange vast amounts of mail for only a few pennies -- even if the other person is in ,new ,zealand4 ,e-mail is your connection to help -- your ,net lifeline4 ,the ,net can sometimes seem a frustrating place6 ,no matter how hard you try1 no matter where you look1 you just might not be able to find the answer to whatever is causing you problems4 ,but when you know how to use e-mail1 help is often just a few keystrokes away3 you can ask your system administrator or a friend for help in an e-mail message4 ,the quickest way to start learning e-mail is to send yourself a message4 ,most public-access sites actually have several different types of mail systems1 all of which let you both send and receive mail4 ,we'll start with the simplest one1 known1 appropriately enough1 as mail1 and then look at a couple of other interfaces4 ,at your host system's command prompt1 type3 mail username where username is the name you gave yourself when you first logged on4 ,hit enter4 ,the computer might respond with subject3 ,type test or1 actually1 anything at all 7but you'll have to hit enter before you get to the end of the screen74 ,hit enter4 ,the cursor will drop down a line4 ,you can now begin writing the actual message4 ,type a sentence1 again1 anything at all4 ,and here's where you hit your first ,unix frustration1 one that will bug you repeatedly3 you have to hit enter before you get to the very end of the line4 ,just like typewriters1 many ,unix programs have no word-wrapping 7although there are ways to get some ,unix text processors1 such as emacs1 to word-wrap74 ,when done with your message1 hit return4 ,now hit control-,d 7the control and the ,d keys at the same time74 ,this is a ,unix command that tells the computer you're done writing and that it should close your envelope and mail it off 7you could also hit enter once and then1 on a blank line1 type a period at the beginning of the line and hit enter again74 ,you've just sent your first e-mail message4 ,and because you're sending mail to yourself1 rather than to someone somewhere else on the ,net1 your message has already arrived1 as we'll see in a moment4 ,if you had wanted1 you could have even written your message on your own computer and then uploaded it into this electronic envelope4 ,there are a couple of good reasons to do this with long or involved messages4 ,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 7unless you use some special commands to call up a ,unix text processor74 ,also1 if you are paying for access by the hour1 uploading a prepared message can save you money4 ,remember to save the document in ,,ascii or text format4 ,uploading a document you've created in a word processor that uses special formatting commands 7which these days means many programs7 will cause strange effects4 ,when you get that blank line after the subject line1 upload the message using the ,,ascii protocol4 ,or you can copy and paste the text1 if your software allows that4 ,when done1 hit control-,d as above4 ,now you have mail waiting for you4 ,normally1 when you log on1 your public-access site will tell you whether you have new mail waiting4 ,to open your mailbox and see your waiting mail1 type mail and hit enter4 ,when the host system sees mail without a name after it1 it knows you want to look in your mailbox rather than send a message4 ,your screen1 on a plain-vanilla ,unix system will display3 ,mail version ,,smi #d4j ,mon ,apr #bd #ah3cd3ae ,,pdt #aihi ,type 8 for help4 _/usr_/spool_/mail_/adamg3 #a message #a new #a unread ,n #a adamg ,sat ,jan #ae #bj3jd #ab_/bij test ,ignore the first line2 it's just computerese of value only to the people who run your system4 ,you can type a question mark and hit return1 but unless you're familiar with ,unix1 most of what you'll see won't make much sense at this point4 ,the second line tells you the directory on the host system where your mail messages are put1 which again1 is not something you'll likely need to know4 ,the second line also tells you how many messages are in your mailbox1 how many have come in since the last time you looked and how many messages you haven't read yet4 ,it's the third line that is of real interest -- it tells you who the message is from1 when it arrived1 how many lines and characters it takes up1 and what the subject is4 ,the ,n means it is a new message -- it arrived after the last time you looked in your mailbox4 ,hit enter4 ,and there's your message -- only now it's a lot longer than what you wrote6 ,message #a3 ,from adamg ,jan #ae #bj3jd3ee #aiid ,received3 by eff4org id ,,aa#bhidi 7#e4fe;c_/,,ida-#a4d4d_/pen-ident for adamg72 ,sat1 #ae ,jan #aiid #bj3jd3ee -#jdjj 7ident-sender3 adamgeff4org7 ,date3 ,sat1 #ae ,jan #aiid #ba3cd3ee -#jdjj ,from3 ,adam ,gaffin adamg ,message-,id3 #aiibjdbgjacd4;,,aa#bhidi;eff4org ,to3 adamg ,subject3 test ,status3 ,r ,this is only a test6 ,whoa6 ,what is all that stuff8 ,it's your message with a postmark gone mad4 ,just as the postal service puts its marks on every piece of mail it handles1 so do ,net postal systems4 ,only it's called a header instead of a postmark4 ,each system that handles or routes your mail puts its stamp on it4 ,since many messages go through a number of systems on their way to you1 you will often get messages with headers that seem to go on forever4 ,among other things1 a header will tell you exactly when a message was sent and received 7even the difference between your local time and ,greenwich ,mean ,time -- as at the end of line #d above74 ,if this had been a long message1 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 #bd lines4 ,one way to deal with a message that doesn't stop is to use your telecommunication software's logging or text-buffer function4 ,start it before you hit the number of the message you want to see4 ,your computer will ask you what you want to call the file you're about to create4 ,after you name the file and hit enter1 type the number of the message you want to see and hit enter4 ,when the message finishes scrolling1 turn off the text-buffer function4 ,the message is now saved in your computer4 ,this way1 you can read the message while not connected to the ,net 7which can save you money if you're paying by the hour7 and write a reply offline4 ,but in the meantime1 now what8 ,you can respond to the message1 delete it or save it4 ,to respond1 type a lowercase r and hit enter4 ,you'll get something like this3 ,to3 adamg ,subject3 ,re3 test ,note that this time1 you don't have to enter a user name4 ,the computer takes it from the message you're replying to and automatically addresses your message to its sender4 ,the computer also automatically inserts a subject line1 by adding ,re3 to the original subject4 ,from here1 it's just like writing a new message4 ,but say you change your mind and decide not to reply after all4 ,how do you get out of the message8 ,hit control-,c once4 ,you'll get this3 7,interrupt -- one more to kill letter7 ,if you hit control-,c once more1 the message will disappear and you'll get back to your mail's command line4 ,now1 if you type a lowercase d and then hit enter1 you'll delete the original message4 ,type a lowercase q to exit your mailbox4 ,if you type a q without first hitting d1 your message is transferred to a file called mbox4 ,this file is where all read1 but un-deleted messages go4 ,if you want to leave it in your mailbox for now1 type a lowercase x and hit enter4 ,this gets you out of mail without making any changes4 ,the mbox file works a lot like your mailbox4 ,to access it1 type mail -f mbox at your host system's command line and hit enter4 ,you'll get a menu identical to the one in your mailbox from which you can read these old messages1 delete them or respond to them4 ,it's probably a good idea to clear out your mailbox and mbox file from time to time1 if only to keep them uncluttered4 ,are there any drawbacks to e-mail8 ,there are a few4 ,one is that people seem more willing to fly off the handle electronically than in person1 or over the phone4 ,maybe it's because it's so easy to hit r and reply to a message without pausing and reflecting a moment4 ,that's why we have smileys 7see section #b4d76 ,there's no online equivalent yet of a return receipt3 chances are your message got to where it's going1 but there's no absolute way for you to know for sure unless you get a reply from the other person4 ,so now you're ready to send e-mail to other people on the ,net4 ,of course1 you need somebody's address to send them mail4 ,how do you get it8 ,alas1 the simplest answer is not what you'd call the most elegant3 you call them up on the phone or write them a letter on paper and ask them4 ,residents of the electronic frontier are only beginning to develop the equivalent of phone books1 and the ones that exist today are far from complete 7still1 later on1 in ,chapter #f1 we'll show you how to use some of these directories74 ,eventually1 you'll start corresponding with people1 which means you'll want to know how to address mail to them4 ,it's vital to know how to do this1 because the smallest mistake -- using a comma when you should have used a period1 for instance1 can bounce the message back to you1 undelivered4 ,in this sense1 ,net addresses are like phone numbers3 one wrong digit and you get the wrong person4 ,fortunately1 most net addresses now adhere to a relatively easy-to-understand system4 ,earlier1 you sent yourself a mail message using just your user- name4 ,this was sort of like making a local phone call -- you didn't have to dial a #a or an area code4 ,this also works for mail to anybody else who has an account on the same system as you4 ,sending mail outside of your system1 though1 will require the use of the ,net equivalent of area codes1 called domains4 ,a basic ,net address will look something like this3 tomgworld4std4com ,tomg is somebody's user ,,id1 and he is at 7hence the sign7 a site 7or in ,internetese1 a domain7 known as std4com4 ,large organizations often have more than one computer linked to the ,internet2 in this case1 the name of the particular machine is world 7you will quickly notice that1 like boat owners1 ,internet computer owners always name their machines74 ,domains tell you the name of the organization that runs a given e-mail site and what kind of site it is or1 if it's not in the ,u4,s41 what country it's located in4 ,large organizations may have more than one computer or gateway tied to the ,internet1 so you'll often see a two-part domain name2 and sometimes even three- or four-part domain names4 ,in general1 ,american addresses end in an organizational suffix1 such as 4edu1 which means the site is at a college or university4 ,other ,american suffixes include3 4com for businesses 4org for non-profit organizations 4gov and 4mil for government and military agencies 4net for companies or organizations that run large networks4 ,sites in the rest of the world tend to use a two-letter code that represents their country4 ,most make sense1 such as 4ca for ,canadian sites1 but there are a couple of seemingly odd ones4 ,swiss sites end in 4ch1 while ,south ,african ones end in 4za4 ,some ,u4,s4 sites have followed this international convention 7such as well4sf4ca4us74 ,you'll notice that the above addresses are all in lower-case4 ,unlike almost everything else having anything at all to do with ,unix1 most ,net mailing systems don't care about case1 so you generally don't have to worry about capitalizing e-mail addresses4 ,alas1 there are a few exceptions -- some public-access sites do allow for capital letters in user names4 ,when in doubt1 ask the person you want to write to1 or let her send you a message first 7recall how a person's e-mail address is usually found on the top of her message74 ,the domain name1 the part of the address after the sign1 never has to be capitalized4 ,it's all a fairly simple system that works very well1 except1 again1 it's vital to get the address exactly right -- just as you have to dial a phone number exactly right4 ,send a message to tomgunm4edu 7which is the ,university of ,new ,mexico7 when you meant to send it to tomgumn4edu 7the ,university of ,minnesota71 and your letter will either bounce back to you undelivered1 or go to the wrong person4 ,if your message is bounced back to you as undeliverable1 you'll get an ominous looking-message from ,,mailer-,,daemon 7actually a rather benign ,unix program that exists to handle mail71 with an evil-looking header followed by the text of your message4 ,sometimes1 you can tell what went wrong by looking at the first few lines of the bounced message4 ,besides an incorrect address1 it's possible your host system does not have the other site in the map it maintains of other host systems4 ,or you could be trying to send mail to another network1 such as ,bitnet or ,compu,serve1 that has special addressing requirements4 ,sometimes1 figuring all this out can prove highly frustrating4 ,but remember the prime ,net commandment3 ,ask4 ,send a message to your system administrator4 ,he or she might be able to help decipher the problem4 ,there is one kind of address that may give your host system particular problems4 ,there are two main ways that ,unix systems exchange mail4 ,one is known as ,,uucp and started out with a different addressing system than the rest of the ,net4 ,most ,,uucp systems have since switched over to the standard ,net addressing system1 but a few traditional sites still cling to their original type1 which tends to have lots of exclamation points in it1 like this3 uunet6somesite6othersite6mybuddy ,the problem for many host sites is that exclamation points 7also known as bangs7 now mean something special in the more common systems or shells used to operate many ,unix computers4 ,this means that addressing mail to such a site 7or even responding to a message you received from one7 could confuse the poor computer to no end and your message never gets sent out4 ,if that happens1 try putting backslashes in front of each exclamation point1 so that you get an address that looks like this3 uunet6somesite6othersite6mybuddy ,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 message4 ,if you want to get a taste of what's possible through e-mail1 start an e-mail message to almanacoes4orst4edu ,leave the subject3 line blank4 ,as a message1 write this3 send quote ,or1 if you're feeling a little down1 write this instead3 send moral-support ,in either case1 you will get back a message within a few seconds to a few hours 7depending on the state of your host system's ,internet connection74 ,if you simply asked for a quote1 you'll get back a fortune-cookie-like saying4 ,if you asked for moral support1 you'll also get back a fortune-cookie-like saying1 only supposedly more uplifting4 ,this particular mail server is run by ,oregon ,state ,university4 ,its main purpose is actually to provide a way to distribute agricultural information via e-mail4 ,if you'd like to find out how to use the server's full range of services1 send a message to its address with this line in it3 send help ,you'll quickly get back a lengthy document detailing just what's available and how to get it4 ,feeling opinionated8 ,want to give the ,president of the ,united ,states a piece of your mind8 ,send a message to presidentwhitehouse4gov4 ,or if the vice president will do1 write vice-presidentwhitehouse4gov4 ,the mail program is actually a very powerful one and a ,netwide standard1 at least on ,unix computers4 ,but it can be hard to figure out -- you can type a question mark to get a list of commands1 but these may be of limited use unless you're already familiar with ,unix4 ,fortunately1 there are a couple of other mail programs that are easier to use4 #b4b ,,elm -- ,a ,,better ,,way ,elm is a combination mailbox and letter-writing system that uses menus to help you navigate through mail4 ,most ,unix-based host systems now have it online4 ,to use it1 type elm and hit enter4 ,you'll get a menu of your waiting mail1 along with a list of commands you can execute1 that will look something like this3 ,mailbox is '_/usr_/spool_/mail_/adamg' with #ch messages ,,elm #b4c ,,pl#aa #a ,sep #a ,christopher ,davis 7#ac7 here's another message4 #b ,sep #a ,christopher ,davis 7#ia7 ,this is a message from ,eudora #c ,aug #ca ,rita ,marie ,rouvali 7#afa7 ,first ,internet ,hunt 666 7fwd7 #d ,aug #ca ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#fi7 ,new ,file ,,uk#jgg ,university of ,londo #e ,aug #cj ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#fd7 ,new ,file ,,dir#jbj ,x4#ejj service at ,a #f ,aug #cj ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#ci7 ,new ,file ,,net#jaf ,,datapac ,informatio #g ,aug #bh ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#fg7 ,proposed ,usenet group for ,,hytelnet n #h ,aug #bh ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#ef7 ,new ,file ,,dir#jai ,,janet ,public ,acces #i ,aug #bf ,helen ,trillian ,ros 7#ae7 ,tuesday #aj ,aug #bf ,peter ,scott_/,manage 7#aea7 ,update ,,cwk#jjd ,oxford ,university ,,ou ,you can use any of the following commands by pressing the first character2 d7elete or u7ndelete mail1 m7ail a message1 r7eply or f7orward mail1 q7uit ,to read a message1 press return4 j move down1 k move up1 8 help ,each line shows the date you received the message1 who sent it1 how many lines long the message is1 and the message's subject4 ,if you are using ,,vt#ajj emulation1 you can move up and down the menu with your up and down arrow keys4 ,otherwise1 type the line number of the message you want to read or delete and hit enter4 ,when you read a message1 it pauses every #bd lines1 instead of scrolling until it's done4 ,hit the space bar to read the next page4 ,you can type a lowercase r to reply or a lower-case q or i to get back to the menu 7the ,i stands for index74 ,at the main menu1 hitting a lowercase m followed by enter will let you start a message4 ,to delete a message1 type a lower-case d4 ,you can do this while reading the message4 ,or1 if you are in the menu1 move the cursor to the message's line and then hit d4 ,when you're done with elm1 type a lower-case q4 ,the program will ask if you really want to delete the messages you marked4 ,then1 it will ask you if you want to move any messages you've read but haven't marked for deletion to a received file4 ,for now1 hit your n key4 ,elm has a major disadvantage for the beginner4 ,the default text editor it generally calls up when you hit your r or m key is often a program called emacs4 ,unixoids swear by emacs1 but everybody else almost always finds it impossible4 ,unfortunately1 you can't always get away from it 7or vi1 another text editor often found on ,unix systems71 so later on we'll talk about some basic commands that will keep you from going totally nuts4 ,if you want to save a message to your own computer1 hit s1 either within the message or with your cursor on the message entry in the elm menu4 ,a filename will pop up4 ,if you do not like it1 type a new name 7you won't have to backspace74 ,hit enter1 and the message will be saved with that file name in your home directory on your host system4 ,after you exit elm1 you can now download it 7ask your system administrator for specifics on how to download -- and upload -- such files74 #b4c ,,pine -- ,,an ,,even ,,better ,,way ,pine is based on elm but includes a number of improvements that make it an ideal mail system for beginners4 ,like elm1 pine starts you with a menu4 ,it also has an address book feature that is handy for people with long or complex e-mail addresses4 ,hitting ,a at the main menu puts you in the address book1 where you can type in the person's first name 7or nickname7 followed by her address4 ,then1 when you want to send that person a message1 you only have to type in her first name or nickname1 and pine automatically inserts her actual address4 ,the address book also lets you set up a mailing list4 ,this feature allows you to send the same message to a number of people at once4 ,what really sets pine apart is its built-in text editor1 which looks and feels a lot more like word-processing programs available for ,,ms-,,dos and ,macintosh users4 ,not only does it have word wrap 7a revolutionary concept if ever there was one71 it also has a spell-checker and a search command4 ,best of all1 all of the commands you need are listed in a two-line mini-menu at the bottom of each screen4 ,the commands look like this3 ,w ,where is ,the little caret is a synonym for the key marked control on your keyboard4 ,to find where a particular word is in your document1 you'd hit your control key and your ,w key at the same time1 which would bring up a prompt asking you for the word to look for4 ,some of pine's commands are a tad peculiar 7control-,v for page down for example71 which comes from being based on a variant of emacs 7which is utterly peculiar74 ,but again1 all of the commands you need are listed on that two-line mini-menu1 so it shouldn't take you more than a couple of seconds to find the right one4 ,to use pine1 type pine at the command line and hit enter4 ,it's a relatively new program1 so some systems may not yet have it online4 ,but it's so easy to use1 you should probably send e-mail to your system administrator urging him to get it6 #b4d ,,smileys ,when you're involved in an online discussion1 you can't see the smiles or shrugs that the other person might make in a live conversation to show he's only kidding4 ,but online1 there's no body language4 ,so what you might think is funny1 somebody else might take as an insult4 ,to try to keep such misunderstandings from erupting into bitter disputes1 we have smileys4 ,tilt your head to the left and look at the following sideways4 3-74 ,or simply 374 ,this is your basic smiley4 ,use it to indicate people should not take that comment you just made as seriously as they might otherwise4 ,you make a smiley by typing a colon1 a hyphen and a right parenthetical bracket4 ,some people prefer using the word grin1 usually in this form3 grin ,sometimes1 though1 you'll see it as 99grin99 or even just g for short4 ,some other smileys include3 2-7 ,wink2 3-7 ,frown2 3-,o ,surprise2 #h-7 ,wearing glasses2 3-7 ,abe ,lincoln4 ,,ok1 so maybe the last two are a little bogus 3-74 #b4e ,,sending ,e-,,mail ,,to ,,other ,,networks ,there are a number of computer networks that are not directly part of the ,net1 but which are now connected through gateways that allow the passing of e-mail4 ,here's a list of some of the larger networks1 how to send mail to them and how their users can send mail to you3 ,america ,online ,remove any spaces from a user's name and append aol4com1 to get useraol4com ,america ,online users who want to send mail to you need only put your ,net address in the to3 field before composing a message4 ,a,t,t,mail ,address your message to userattmail4com4 ,from ,a,t,t,mail1 a user would send mail to you in this form3 internet6domain6user ,so if your address were nancyrworld4std4com1 your correspondent would send a message to you at internet6world4std4com6nancyr ,bitnet ,users of ,bitnet 7and ,net,north in ,canada and ,,earn in ,europe7 often have addresses in this form3 ,,izzy,,indvms4 ,if you're lucky1 all you'll have to do to mail to that address is add bitnet at the end1 to get izzyindvms4bitnet4 ,sometimes1 however1 mail to such an address will bounce back to you1 because ,bitnet addresses do not always translate well into an ,internet form4 ,if this happens1 you can send mail through one of two ,internet_/,bitnet gateways4 ,first1 change the in the address to a 1 so that you get usernamesite4bitnet4 ,then add either vm4marist4edu or cunyvm4cuny4edu1 so that1 with the above example1 you would get izzyindyvms4bitnetvm4marist4edu or izzyindvyvms4bitnetcunyvm4cuny4edu ,bitnet users have it a little easier3 ,they can usually send mail directly to your e-mail address without fooling around with it at all4 ,so send them your address and they should be ,,ok4 ,compu,serve ,compu,serve users have numerical addresses in this form3 #gcgbg1ede4 ,to send mail to a ,compu,serve user1 change the comma to a period and add compuserve4com2 for example3 #gcgbg4ede;compuserve4com4 ,note that some ,compu,serve users must pay extra to receive mail from the ,internet4 ,if you know ,compu,serve users who want to send you mail1 tell them to ,,go ,,mail and create a mail message4 ,in the address area1 instead of typing in a ,compu,serve number1 have them type your address in this form3 ,,internet3,your,i,d,your,address4 ,for example1 ,,internet3adamgworld4std4com4 ,note that both the and the 3 are required4 ,delphi ,to send mail to a ,delphi user1 the form is usernamedelphi4com4 ,fidonet ,to send mail to people using a ,fidonet ,,bbs1 you need the name they use to log onto that system and its node number4'' ,fidonet node numbers or addresses consist of three numbers1 in this form3 #a3cbb_/aij4 ,the first number tells which of several broad geographic zones the ,,bbs is in 7#a represents the ,u4,s4 and ,canada1 #b ,europe and ,israel1 #c ,pacific ,asia1 #d ,south ,america74 ,the second number represents the ,,bbs's network1 while the final number is the ,,bbs's ,fido,node'' number in that network4 ,if your correspondent only gives you two numbers 7for example1 #cbb_/aij71 it means the system is in zone #a4 ,now comes the tricky part4 ,you have to reverse the numbers and add to them the letters f1 n and z 7which stand for ,fido,node1''network1'' and zone'74 ,for example1 the address above would become f#aij4n#cbb4z#a4 ,now add fidonet4org'' at the end1 to get f#aij4n#cbb4z#a4;fidonet4org4 ,then add ,first,name4,last,name'1 to get ,first,name4,last,namef#aij4n#cbb4z#a4;f idonet4org ,note the period between the first and last names4 ,also1 some countries now have their own ,fidonet backbone systems1 which might affect addressing4 ,for example1 were the above address in ,germany1 you would end it with fido4de instead of fidonet4org4 ,whew6 ,the reverse process is totally different4 ,first1 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 7often their system operator will know it74 ,your ,fidonet correspondent should address a net-mail message to ,,uucp 7not your name7 in the to3 field4 ,in the node-number field1 they should type in the node number of the ,fidonet_/,,uucp gateway 7if the gateway system is in the same regional network as their system1 they need only type the last number1 for example1 #cij instead of #cbb_/cij74 ,then1 the first line of the message has to be your ,internet address1 followed by a blank line4 ,after that1 the person can write the message and send it4 ,because of the way ,fidonet moves mail1 it could take a day or two for a message to be delivered in either direction4 ,also1 because many ,fidonet systems are run as hobbies1 it is considered good form to ask the gateway sysop's permission if you intend to pass large amounts of mail back and forth4 ,messages of a commercial nature are strictly forbidden 7even if it's something the other person asked for74 ,also1 consider it very likely that somebody other than the recipient will read your messages4 ,g,enie ,to send mail to a ,g,enie user1 add genie4com to the end of the ,g,enie user name1 for example3 waltgenie4com4 ,m,c,i,mail ,to send mail to somebody with an ,m,c,i,mail account1 add mcimail4com to the end of their name or numerical address4 ,for example3 #eee-ababmcimail4com or jsmithmcimail4com ,note that if there is more than one ,m,c,i,mail subscriber with that name1 you will get a mail message back from ,,mci giving you their names and numerical addresses4 ,you'll then have to figure out which one you want and re-send the message4 ,from ,,mci1 a user would type ,your ,name 7,,ems7 at the ,to3 prompt4 ,at the ,,ems prompt1 he or she would type internet followed by your ,net address at the ,mbx3 prompt4 ,peacenet ,to send mail to a ,peacenet user1 use this form3 usernameigc4org ,peacenet subscribers can use your regular address to send you mail4 ,prodigy ,user,i,dprodigy4com4 ,note that ,prodigy users must pay extra for ,internet e-mail4 #b4f ,,seven ,,unix ,,commands ,,you ,,can',t ,,live ,,without3 ,if you connect to the ,net through a ,unix system1 eventually you'll have to come to terms with ,unix4 ,for better or worse1 most ,unix systems do ,,not shield you from their inner workings -- if you want to copy a ,usenet posting to a file1 for example1 you'll have to use some ,unix commands if you ever want to do anything with that file4 ,like ,,ms-,,dos1 ,unix is an operating system - it tells the computer how to do things4 ,now while ,unix may have a reputation as being even more complex than ,,ms-,,dos1 in most cases1 a few basic1 and simple1 commands should be all you'll ever need4 ,if your own computer uses ,,ms-,,dos or ,,pc-,,dos1 the basic concepts will seem very familiar -- but watch out for the cd command1 which works differently enough from the similarly named ,,dos command that it will drive you crazy4 ,also1 unlike ,,ms-,,dos1 ,unix is case sensitive -- if you type commands or directory names in the wrong case1 you'll get an error message4 ,if you're used to working on a ,mac1 you'll have to remember that ,unix stores files in directories rather than folders4 ,unix directories are organized like branches on a tree4 ,at the bottom is the root directory1 with sub-directories branching off that 7and sub-directories in turn can have sub-directories74 ,the ,mac equivalent of a ,unix sub-directory is a folder within another folder4 cat ,equivalent to the ,,ms-,,dos type command4 ,to pause a file every screen1 type cat file more where file is the name of the file you want to see4 ,hitting control-,c will stop the display4 ,alternately1 you could type more file to achieve the same result4 ,you can also use cat for writing or uploading text files to your name or home directory 7similar to the ,,ms-,,dos copy con command74 ,if you type cattest you start a file called test4 ,you can either write something simple 7no editing once you've finished a line and you have to hit return at the end of each line7 or upload something into that file using your communications software's ,,ascii protocol74 ,to close the file1 hit control-,d4 cd ,the change directory command4 ,to change from your present directory to another1 type cd directory and hit enter4 ,unlike ,,ms-,,dos1 which uses a to denote sub- directories 7for example3 stufftext71 ,unix uses a _/ 7for example3 _/stuff_/text74 ,so to change from your present directory to the stuff_/text sub-directory1 you would type cd stuff_/text and then hit enter4 ,as in ,,ms-,,dos1 you do not need the first backslash if the subdirectory comes off the directory you're already in4 ,to move back up a directory tree1 you would type cd 44 followed by enter4 ,note the space between the cd and the two periods -- this is where ,,ms-,,dos users will really go nuts4 cp ,copies a file4 ,the syntax is cp file#a file#b which would copy file#a to file#b 7or overwrite file#b with file#a74 ls ,this command1 when followed by enter1 tells you what's in the directory1 similar to the ,,dos dir command1 except in alphabetical order4 ls more will stop the listing every #bd lines -- handy if there are a lot of things in the directory4 ,the basic ls command does not list hidden files1 such as the 4login file that controls how your system interacts with ,unix4 ,to see these files1 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 modified4 mv ,similar to the ,,ms-,,dos rename command4 mv file#a file#b will rename file#a as file#b1 ,the command can also be used to move files between directories4 mv file#a ,news would move file#a to your ,news directory4 rm ,deletes a file4 ,type rm filename and hit enter 7but beware3 when you hit enter1 it's gone for good74 ,,wildcards3 ,when searching for1 copying or deleting files1 you can use wildcards if you are not sure of the file's exact name4 ls man99 would find the following files3 manual1 manual4txt1 man-o-man4 ,use a question mark when you're sure about all but one or two characters4 ,for example1 ls man8 would find a file called mane1 but not one called manual4 #b4g ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong 99 ,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 message4 ,somewhere in those lines you can often find a clue to what went wrong4 ,you might have made a mistake in spelling the e-mail address4 ,the site to which you're sending mail might have been down for maintenance or a problem4 ,you may have used the wrong translation for mail to a non-,internet network4 99 ,you call up your host system's text editor to write a message or reply to one and can't seem to get out4 ,if it's emacs1 try control-,x1 control-,c 7in other words1 hit your control key and your ,x key at the same time1 followed by control and ,c74 ,if worse comes to worse1 you can hang up4 99 ,in elm1 you accidentally hit the ,d key for a message you want to save4 ,type the number of the message1 hit enter and then ,u1 which will un-delete the message4 ,this works only before you exit ,elm2 once you quit1 the message is gone4 99 ,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 brackets1 capital ,ms1 ,ks and ,ls and some funny-looking characters4 ,believe it or not1 your message will actually wind up looking fine2 all that garbage is temporary and reflects the problems some ,unix text processors have with ,,ascii uploads4 ,but it will take much longer for your upload to finish4 ,one way to deal with this is to call up the simple mail program1 which will not produce any weird characters when you upload a text file into a message4 ,another way 7which is better if your prepared message is a response to somebody's mail71 is to create a text file on your host system with cat1 for example1 catfile and then upload your text into that4 ,then1 in elm or pine1 you can insert the message with a simple command 7control-,r in pine1 for example72 only this time you won't see all that extraneous stuff4 99 ,you haven't cleared out your ,elm mailbox in awhile1 and you accidentally hit y when you meant to hit n 7or vice-versa7 when exiting and now all your messages have disappeared4 ,look in your ,news directory 7at the command line1 type3 cd ,news7 for a file called recieved4 ,those are all your messages4 ,unfortunately1 there's no way to get them back into your ,elm mailbox -- you'll have to download the file or read it online4 ,chapter #c3 ,,usenet ,i #c4a ,,the ,,global ,,watering ,,hole ,imagine a conversation carried out over a period of hours and days1 as if people were leaving messages and responses on a bulletin board4 ,or imagine the electronic equivalent of a radio talk show where everybody can put their two cents in and no one is ever on hold4 ,unlike e-mail1 which is usually one-to-one1 ,usenet is many-to- many4 ,usenet is the international meeting place1 where people gather to meet their friends1 discuss the day's events1 keep up with computer trends or talk about whatever's on their mind4 ,jumping into a ,usenet discussion can be a liberating experience4 ,nobody knows what you look or sound like1 how old you are1 what your background is4 ,you're judged solely on your words1 your ability to make a point4 ,to many people1 ,usenet ,,is the ,net4 ,in fact1 it is often confused with ,internet4 ,but it is a totally separate system4 ,all ,internet sites ,,can carry ,usenet1 but so do many non-,internet sites1 from sophisticated ,unix machines to old ,,xt clones and ,apple ,i,is4 ,technically1 ,usenet messages are shipped around the world1 from host system to host system1 using one of several specific ,net protocols4 ,your host system stores all of its ,usenet messages in one place1 which everybody with an account on the system can access4 ,that way1 no matter how many people actually read a given message1 each host system has to store only one copy of it4 ,many host systems talk with several others regularly in case one or another of their links goes down for some reason4 ,when two host systems connect1 they basically compare notes on which ,usenet messages they already have4 ,any that one is missing the other then transmits1 and vice-versa4 ,because they are computers1 they don't mind running through thousands1 even millions1 of these comparisons every day4 ,yes1 millions4 ,for ,usenet is huge4 ,every day1 ,usenet users pump upwards of #dj million characters a day into the system -- roughly the equivalent of volumes ,a-,g of the ,encyclopedia ,britannica4 ,obviously1 nobody could possibly keep up with this immense flow of messages4 ,let's look at how to find conferences and discussions of interest to you4 ,the basic building block of ,usenet is the newsgroup1 which is a collection of messages with a related theme 7on other networks1 these would be called conferences1 forums1 bboards or special-interest groups74 ,there are now more than #e1jjj of these newsgroups1 in several diferent languages1 covering everything from art to zoology1 from science fiction to ,south ,africa4 ,some public-access systems1 typically the ones that work through menus1 try to make it easier by dividing ,usenet into several broad categories4 ,choose one of those and you're given a list of newsgroups in that category4 ,then select the newsgroup you're interested in and start reading4 ,other systems let you compile your own reading list so that you only see messages in conferences you want4 ,in both cases1 conferences are arranged in a particular hierarchy devised in the early #aihjs4 ,newsgroup names start with one of a series of broad topic names4 ,for example1 newsgroups beginning with comp4 are about particular computer- related topics4 ,these broad topics are followed by a series of more focused topics 7so that comp4unix groups are limited to discussion about ,unix74 ,the main hierarchies are3 bionet ,research biology bit4listserv ,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 ,hobbies1 games and recreation sci ,science other than research biology soc ,social groups1 often ethnically related talk ,politics and related topics alt ,controversial or unusual topics2 not carried by all sites ,in addition1 many host systems carry newsgroups for a particular city1 state or region4 ,for example1 ne4housing is a newsgroup where ,new ,englanders look for apartments4 ,a growing number also carry ,k#ab newsgroups1 which are aimed at elementary and secondary teachers and students4 ,and a number of sites carry clari newsgroups1 which is actually a commercial service consisting of wire-service stories and a unique online computer news service 7more on this in chapter #aj74 #c4b ,,navigating ,,usenet ,,with nn ,how do you dive right in8 ,as mentioned1 on some systems1 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 command4 ,on ,unix systems1 however1 you will have to use a newsreader program4 ,two of the more common ones are known as rn 7for read news7 and nn 7for no news -- because it's supposed to be simpler to use74 ,for beginners1 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 see4 ,to try it out1 connect to your host system and1 at the command line1 type nn news4announce4newusers and hit enter4 ,after a few seconds1 you should see something like this3 ,newsgroup3 news4announce4newusers ,articles3 #bb of #bb_/a ,,new a ,gene ,spafford #ggf ,answers to ,frequently ,asked ,questions b ,gene ,spafford #cfb ,a ,primer on ,how to ,work ,with the ,usenet ,community c ,gene ,spafford #chg ,emily ,postnews ,answers ,your ,questions on ,netiquette d ,gene ,spafford #aja ,hints on writing style for ,usenet e ,gene ,spafford #gd ,introduction to news4announce f ,gene ,spafford #cfg ,,usenet ,software3 ,history and ,sources g ,gene ,spafford #cec ,what is ,usenet8 h taylor #bda ,a ,guide to ,social ,newsgroups and ,mailing ,lists i ,gene ,spafford #ehe ,alternative ,newsgroup ,hierarchies1 ,part ,i j ,gene ,spafford #dee ,alternative ,newsgroup ,hierarchies1 ,part ,,ii k ,david ,c ,lawrenc #aea ,how to ,create a ,new ,newsgroup l ,gene ,spafford #ajf ,how to ,get ,information about ,networks m ,gene ,spafford #hhh ,list of ,active ,newsgroups n ,gene ,spafford #ejd ,list of ,moderators o ,gene ,spafford #ajea ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,i p ,gene ,spafford #aabc ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,,ii q ,gene ,spafford #aaic ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,,iii r ,jonathan ,kamens #fdd ,how to become a ,,usenet site s ,jonathan ,kamen #acdd ,list of ,periodic ,informational ,postings1 ,part ,i -- #ae3eb -- ,,select -- help38 -----,top #he----- ,explanatory postings for new users4 7,moderated7 ,obviously1 this is a good newsgroup to begin your exploration of ,usenet6 ,here's what all this means3 ,the first letter on each line is the letter you type to read that particular article 7it makes sense that a newsgroup would have articles74 ,next comes the name of the person who wrote that article1 followed by its length1 in lines1 and what the article is about4 ,at the bottom1 you see the local time at your access site1 what you're doing right now 7i4e41 ,s,e,l,e,c,ting articles71 which key to hit for some help 7the 8 key7 and how many of the articles in the newsgroup you can see on this screen4 ,the 7moderated7 means the newsgroup has a moderator who is the only one who can directly post messages to it4 ,this is generally limited to groups such as this1 which contain articles of basic information1 or for digests1 which are basically online magazines 7more on them in a bit74 ,say you're particularly interested in what ,emily ,postnews has to say about proper etiquette on ,usenet4 ,hit your c key 7lower case671 and the line will light up4 ,if you want to read something else1 hit the key that corresponds to it4 ,and if you want to see what's on the next page of articles1 hit return or your space bar4 ,but you're impatient to get going1 and you want to read that article now4 ,the command for that in nn is a capital ,z4 ,hit it and you'll see something like this3 ,gene ,spafford3 ,emily ,postnews ,answers ,your ,questions on ,netiquette,sep #ib #jd3ag ,original-author3 bradlooking4on4ca 7,brad ,templeton7 ,archive-name3 emily-postnews_/part#a ,last-change3 #cj ,nov #ia by bradlooking4on4ca 7,brad ,templeton7 9999,,note3 this is intended to be satirical4 ,if you do not recognize it as such1 consult a doctor or professional comedian4 ,the recommendations in this article should recognized for what they are -- admonitions about what ,,not to do4 ,dear ,emily ,postnews ,emily ,postnews1 foremost authority on proper net behaviour1 gives her advice on how to act on the net4 ,dear ,miss ,postnews3 ,how long should my signature be8 -- verbosenoisy ,a3 ,dear ,verbose3 ,please try and make your signature as long as you -- #ji3eg --4announce4newusers-- ,,last --help38--,top #d-- ,the first few lines are the message's header1 similar to the header you get in e-mail messages4 ,then comes the beginning of the message4 ,the last line tells you the time again1 the newsgroup name 7or part of it1 anyway71 the position in your message stack that this message occupies1 how to get help1 and how much of the message is on screen4 ,if you want to keep reading this message1 just hit your space bar 7not your enter key67 for the next screen and so on until done4 ,when done1 you'll be returned to the newsgroup menu4 ,for now hit ,q 7upper case this time71 which quits you out of nn and returns you to your host system's command line4 ,to get a look at another interesting newsgroup1 type nn comp4risks and hit enter4 ,this newsgroup is another moderated group1 this time a digest of all the funny and frightening ways computers and the people who run and use them can go wrong4 ,again1 you read articles by selecting their letters4 ,if you're in the middle of an article and decide you want to go onto the next one1 hit your n key4 ,now it's time to look for some newsgroups that might be of particular interest to you4 ,unix host systems that have nn use a program called nngrep 7ever get the feeling ,unix was not entirely written in ,english87 that lets you scan newsgroups4 ,exit nn and at your host system's command line1 type nngrep word where word is the subject you're interested in4 ,if you use a ,macintosh computer1 you might try nngrep mac ,you'll get something that looks like this3 alt4music4machines4of4loving4grace alt4religion4emacs comp4binaries4mac comp4emacs comp4lang4forth4mac comp4os4mach comp4sources4mac comp4sys4mac4announce comp4sys4mac4apps comp4sys4mac4comm comp4sys4mac4databases comp4sys4mac4digest comp4sys4mac4games comp4sys4mac4hardware comp4sys4mac4hypercard comp4sys4mac4misc comp4sys4mac4programmer comp4sys4mac4system comp4sys4mac4wanted gnu4emacs4announce gnu4emacs4bug gnu4emacs4gnews gnu4emacs4gnus gnu4emacs4help gnu4emacs4lisp4manual gnu4emacs4sources gnu4emacs4vm4bug gnu4emacs4vm4info gnu4emacs4vms ,note that some of these obviously have something to do with ,macintoshes while some obviously do not2 nngrep is not a perfect system4 ,if you want to get a list of ,,all the newsgroups available on your host system1 type nngrep -a more or nngrep -a pg and hit enter 7which one to use depends on the ,unix used on your host system2 if one doesn't do anything1 try the other74 ,you don't absolutely need the more or pg1 but if you don't include it1 the list will keep scrolling1 rather than pausing every #bd lines4 ,if you are in nn1 hitting a capital ,y will bring up a similar list4 ,typing nn newsgroup for every newsgroup can get awfully tiring after awhile4 ,when you use nn1 your host system looks in a file called 4newsrc4 ,this is basically a list of every newsgroup on the host system along with notations on which groups and articles you have read 7all maintained by the computer74 ,you can also use this file to create a reading list that brings up each newsgroup to which you want to subscribe4 ,to try it out1 type nn without any newsgroup name1 and hit enter4 ,unfortunately1 you will start out with a 4newsrc file that has you subscribed to every single newsgroup on your host system6 ,to delete a newsgroup from your reading list1 type a capital ,u while its menu is on the screen4 ,the computer will ask you if you're sure you want to unsubscribe4 ,if you then hit a ,y1 you'll be unsubscribed and put in the next group4 ,with many host systems carrying thousands of newsgroups1 this will take you forever4 ,fortunately1 there are a couple of easier ways to do this4 ,both involve calling up your 4newsrc file in a word or text processor4 ,in a 4newsrc file1 each newsgroup takes up one line1 consisting of the group's name1 an exclamation point or a colon and a range of numbers4 ,newsgroups with a colon are ones to which you are subscribed2 those followed by an exclamation point are un-subscribed4 ,to start with a clean slate1 then1 you have to change all those colons to exclamation points4 ,if you know how to use emacs or vi1 call up the 4newsrc file 7you might want to make a copy of 4newsrc first1 just in case71 and use the search-and-replace function to make the change4 ,if you're not comfortable with these text processor1 you can download the 4newsrc file1 make the changes on your own computer and then upload the revised file4 ,before you download the file1 however1 you should do a couple of things4 ,one is to type cp 4newsrc temprc and hit enter4 ,you will actually download this temprc file 7note the name does not start with a period -- some computers1 such as those using ,,ms-,,dos1 do not allow file names starting with periods74 ,after you download the file1 open it in your favorite word processor and use its search-and-replace function to change the exclamation points to colons4 ,be careful not to change anything else6 ,save the document in ,,ascii or text format4 ,dial back into your host system4 ,at the command line1 type cp temprc temprc#a and hit enter4 ,this new file will serve as your backup 4newsrc file just in case something goes wrong4 ,upload the temprc file from your computer4 ,this will overwrite the ,unix system's old temprc file4 ,now type cp temprc 4newsrc and hit enter4 ,you now have a clean slate to start creating a reading list4 #c4c nn ,,commands ,to mark a specific article for reading1 type the letter next to it 7in lower case74 ,to mark a specific article and all of its responses1 type the letter and an asterisk1 for example3 a99 ,to un-select an article1 type the letter next to it 7again1 in lower case74 ,c ,cancels an article 7around the world7 that you wrote4 ,every article posted on ,usenet has a unique ,,id number4 ,hitting a capital ,c sends out a new message that tells host systems that receive it to find earlier message and delete it4 ,f ,to post a public response1 or follow-up4 ,if selected while still on a newsgroup page1 asks you which article to follow up4 ,if selected while in a specific article1 will follow up that article4 ,in either case1 you'll be asked if you want to include the original article in yours4 ,caution3 puts you in whatever text editor is your default4 ,n ,goes to the next subscribed newsgroup with unread articles4 ,p ,goes to the previous subscribed newsgroup with unread articles4 ,g news4group ,goes to a specific newsgroup4 ,can be used to subscribe to new newsgroups4 ,hitting ,g brings up a sub-menu3 u ,goes to the group and shows only un-read articles4 a ,goes to the group and shows all articles1 even ones you've already read4 s ,will show you only articles with a specific subject4 n ,will show you only articles from a specific person4 ,m ,mails a copy of the current article to somebody4 ,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 off4 ,as with ,f1 puts you in the default editor4 3post ,post an article4 ,you'll be asked for the name of the group4 ,q ,quit1 or exit1 nn4 ,u ,un-subscribe from the current newsgroup4 ,r ,responds to an article via e-mail4 space ,hitting the space bar brings up the next page of articles4 ,x ,if you have selected articles1 this will show them to you and then take you to the next subscribed newsgroup with unread articles4 ,if you don't have any selected articles1 it marks all articles as read and takes you to the next unread subscribed newsgroup4 word ,finds and marks all articles in the newsgroup with a specific word in the subject3 line1 for example3 modem ,z ,shows you selected articles immediately and then returns you to the current newsgroup4 8 ,brings up a help screen4 ,goes to the previous page in the newsgroup4 ,goes to the next page in the newsgroup4 ,goes to the last page in an article4 ,goes to the first page in an article4 #c4d ,,using rn ,some folks prefer this older newsreader4 ,if you type rn news4announce4newusers at your host system's command line1 you'll see something like this3 9999999999999999 #ba unread articles in news4announce4newusers--read now8 ynq ,if you hit your ,y key1 the first article will appear on your screen4 ,if you want to see what articles are available first1 though1 hit your computer's key and you'll get something like this3 #aeb ,introduction to news4announce #aec ,a ,primer on ,how to ,work ,with the ,usenet ,community #aed ,what is ,usenet8 #aee ,answers to ,frequently ,asked ,questions #aef ,hints on writing style for ,usenet #aeh ,alternative ,newsgroup ,hierarchies1 ,part ,i #aei ,alternative ,newsgroup ,hierarchies1 ,part ,,ii #afj ,emily ,postnews ,answers ,your ,questions on ,netiquette #afa ,,usenet ,software3 ,history and ,sources #afb ,a ,guide to ,social ,newsgroups and ,mailing ,lists #afc ,how to ,get ,information about ,networks #afd ,how to ,create a ,new ,newsgroup #afi ,list of ,active ,newsgroups #agj ,list of ,moderators #aga ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,i #agb ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,,ii #agc ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists1 ,part ,,iii #agd ,how to become a ,,usenet site #age ,list of ,periodic ,informational ,postings1 ,part ,i #agf ,list of ,periodic ,informational ,postings1 ,part ,,ii #agg ,list of ,periodic ,informational ,postings1 ,part ,,iii ,end of article #aeh 7of #agh7--what next8 npq ,notice how the messages are in numerical order this time1 and don't tell you who sent them4 ,article #aed looks interesting4 ,to read it1 type in #aed and hit enter4 ,you'll see something like this3 ,article #aed 7#bj more7 in news4announce4newusers 7moderated73 ,from3 spafcs4purdue4,,edu 7,gene ,spafford7 ,newsgroups3 news4announce4newusers1news4admin1news4a nswers ,subject3 ,what is ,usenet8 ,date3 #bj ,sep #ib #jd3ag3bf ,,gmt ,followup-,to3 news4newusers4questions ,organization3 ,dept4 of ,computer ,sciences1 ,purdue ,univ4 ,lines3 #cec ,supersedes3 spaf-whatis#gaeeghgai;cs4purdue4edu ,archive-name3 what-is-usenet_/part#a ,original from3 chiptct4com 7,chip ,salzenberg7 ,last-change3 #ai ,july #aiib by spafcs4purdue4edu 7,gene ,spafford7 ,the first thing to understand about ,usenet is that it is widely misunderstood4 ,every day on ,usenet1 the blind men and the elephant phenomenon is evident1 in spades4 ,in my opinion1 more flame wars arise because of a lack of understanding of the nature of ,usenet than from any other source4 ,and consider that such flame wars arise1 of necessity1 among people who are on ,usenet4 ,imagine1 then1 how poorly understood ,usenet must be by those outside6 --,,more--7#g7 ,this time1 the header looks much more like the gobbledygook you get in e-mail messages4 ,to keep reading1 hit your space bar4 ,if you hit your n key 7lower case71 you'll go to the next message in the numerical order4 ,to escape rn1 just keep hitting your q key 7in lower case71 until you get back to the command line4 ,now let's set up your reading list4 ,because rn uses the same 4newsrc file as nn1 you can use one of the search-and-replace methods described above4 ,or you can do this3 ,type rn and hit enter4 ,when the first newsgroup comes up on your screen1 hit your u key 7in lower case74 ,hit it again1 and again1 and again4 ,or just keep it pressed down 7if your computer starts beeping1 let up for a couple of seconds74 ,eventually1 you'll be told you're at the end of the newsgroups1 and asked what you want to do next4 ,here's where you begin entering newsgroups4 ,type g newsgroup 7for example1 g comp4sys4mac4announce7 and hit enter4 ,you'll be asked if you want to subscribe4 ,hit your y key4 ,then type g next newsgroup 7for example1 g comp4announce4newusers7 and hit enter4 ,repeat until done4 ,this process will also set up your reading list for nn1 if you prefer that newsreader4 ,but how do you know which newsgroups to subscribe8 ,typing a lowercase l and then hitting enter will show you a list of all available newsgroups4 ,again1 since there could be more than #b1jjj newsgroups on your system1 this might not be something you want to do4 ,fortunately1 you can search for groups with particular words in their names1 using the l command4 ,typing l mac followed by enter1 will bring up a list of newsgroups with those letters in them 7and as in nn1 you will also see groups dealing with emacs and the like1 in addition to groups related to ,macintosh computers74 ,because of the vast amount of messages transmitted over ,usenet1 most systems carry messages for only a few days or weeks4 ,so if there's a message you want to keep1 you should either turn on your computer's screen capture or save it to a file which you can later download74 ,to save a message as a file in rn1 type s filename where filename is what you want to call the file4 ,hit enter4 ,you'll be asked if you want to save it in mailbox format4 ,in most cases1 you can answer with an n 7which will strip off the header74 ,the message will now be saved to a file in your ,news directory 7which you can access by typing cd ,news and then hitting enter74 ,also1 some newsgroups fill up particularly quickly -- go away for a couple of days and you'll come back to find hundreds of articles6 ,one way to deal with that is to mark them as read so that they no longer appear on your screen4 ,in nn1 hit a capital ,j2 in rn1 a small c4 #c4e rn ,,commands ,different commands are available to you in rn depending on whether you are already in a newsgroup or reading a specific article4 ,at any point1 typing a lowercase h will bring up a list of available commands and some terse instructions for using them4 ,here are some of them3 ,after you've just called up rn1 or within a newsgroup3 c ,marks every article in a newsgroup as read 7or caught up7 so that you don't have to see them again4 ,the system will ask you if you are sure4 ,can be done either when asked if you want to read a particular newsgroup or once in the newsgroup4 g ,goes to a newsgroup1 in this form3 g news4group ,use this both for going to groups to which you're already subscribed and subscribing to new groups4 h ,provides a list of available commands with terse instructions4 l ,gives a list of all available newsgroups4 p ,goes to the first previous subscribed newsgroup with un-read articles4 q ,quits1 or exits1 rn if you have not yet gone into a newsgroup4 ,if you are in a newsgroup1 it quits that one and brings you to the next subscribed newsgroup4 ,only within a newsgroup3 ,gives a list of all available articles in the newsgroup4 m ,marks a specific article or series of articles as un-read again so that you can come back to them later4 ,typing #agjjm and hitting enter would mark just that article as un-read4 ,typing #agjj-ahjjm and hitting enter would mark all of those articles as un- read4 space ,brings up the next page of article listings4 ,if already on the last page1 displays the first article in the newsgroup4 u ,un-subscribe from the newsgroup4 _/text_/ ,searches through the newsgroup for articles with a specific word or phrase in the subject3 line1 from the current article to the end of the newsgroup4 ,for example1 _/,,eff_/ would bring you to the first article with ,,eff in the subject3 line4 8text8 ,the same as _/text_/ except it searches in reverse order from the current article4 ,only within a specific article3 e ,some newsgroups consist of articles that are binary files1 typically programs or graphics images4 ,hitting e will convert the ,,ascii characters within such an article into a file you can then download and use or view 7assuming you have the proper computer and software74 ,many times1 such files will be split into several articles2 just keep calling up the articles and hitting e until done4 ,you'll find the resulting file in your ,news subdirectory4 ,c ,if you post an article and then decide it was a mistake1 call it up on your host system and hit this4 ,the message will soon begin disappearing on systems around the world4 ,f ,post a public response in the newsgroup to the current article4 ,includes a copy of her posting1 which you can then edit down using your host system's text editor4 f ,the same as above except it does not include a copy of the original message in yours4 m ,marks the current article as un-read so that you can come back to it later4 ,you do not have to type the article number4 ,control-,n ,brings up the first response to the article4 ,if there is no follow-up article1 this returns you to the first unread article in the newsgroup74 ,control-,p ,goes to the message to which the current article is a reply4 n ,goes to the next unread article in the newsgroup4 ,n ,takes you to the next article in the newsgroup even if you've already read it4 q ,quits1 or exits1 the current article4 ,leaves you in the current newsgroup4 ,r ,reply1 via e-mail only1 to the author of the current article4 ,includes a copy of his message in yours4 r ,the same as above1 except it does not include a copy of his article4 s file ,copies the current article to a file in your ,news directory1 where file is the name of the file you want to save it to4 ,you'll be asked if you want to use mailbox format when saving4 ,if you answer by hitting your ,n key1 most of the header will not be saved4 smail user ,mails a copy of the article to somebody4 ,for user substitute an e-mail address4 ,does not let you add comments to the message first1 however4 space ,hitting the space bar shows the next page of the article1 or1 if at the end1 goes to the next un-read article4 #c4f ,,essential ,,newsgroups ,with so much to choose from1 everybody will likely have their own unique ,usenet reading list4 ,but there are a few newsgroups that are particularly of interest to newcomers4 ,among them3 news4announce4newusers ,this group consists of a series of articles that explain various facets of ,usenet4 news4newusers4questions ,this is where you can ask questions 7we'll see how in a bit7 about how ,usenet works4 news4announce4newsgroups ,look here for information about new or proposed newsgroups4 news4answers ,contains lists of ,frequently ,asked ,questions 7,f,a,qs7 and their answers from many different newsgroups4 ,learn how to fight jet lag in the ,,faq from rec4travel4air2 look up answers to common questions about ,microsoft ,windows in an ,,faq from comp4os4ms-windows2 etc4 alt4internet4services ,looking for something in particular on the ,internet8 ,ask here4 alt4infosystems4announce ,people adding new information services to the ,internet will post details here4 #c4g ,,speaking ,,up ,threads are an integral part of ,usenet4 ,when somebody posts a message1 often somebody else will respond4 ,soon1 a thread of conversation begins4 ,following these threads is relatively easy4 ,in nn1 related messages are grouped together4 ,in rn1 when you're done with a message1 you can hit control-,n to read the next related message1 or followup4 ,as you explore ,usenet1 it's probably a good idea to read discussions for awhile before you jump in4 ,this way1 you can get a feel for the particular newsgroup -- each has its own rhythms4 ,eventually1 though1 you'll want to speak up4 ,there are two main ways to do this4 ,you join an existing conversation1 or you can start a whole new thread4 ,if you want to join a discussion1 you have to decide if you want to include portions of the message you are responding to in your message4 ,the reason to do this is so people can see what you're responding to1 just in case the original message has disappeared from their system 7remember that most ,usenet messages have a short life span on the average host system7 or they can't find it4 ,if you're using a ,unix host system1 joining an existing conversation is similar in both nn and rn3 hit your ,f key when done with a given article in the thread4 ,in rn1 type a small f if you don't want to include portions of the message you're responding to2 an uppercase ,f if you do4 ,in nn1 type a capital ,f4 ,you'll then be asked if you want to include portions of the original message4 ,and here's where you hit another ,unix wall4 ,when you hit your ,f key1 your host system calls up its basic ,unix text editor4 ,if you're lucky1 that'll be pico1 a very easy system4 ,more likely1 however1 you'll get dumped into emacs 7or possibly vi71 which you've already met in the chapter on e-mail4 ,the single most important emacs command is control-x control-c ,this means1 depress your control key and hit x4 ,then depress the control key and hit c4 ,memorize this4 ,in fact1 it's so important1 it bears repeating3 control-x control-c ,these keystrokes are how you get out of emacs4 ,if they work well1 you'll be asked if you want to send1 edit1 abort or list the message you were working on4 ,if they don't work well 7say you accidentally hit some other weird key combination that means something special to emacs7 and nothing seems to happen1 or you just get more weird-looking emacs prompts on the bottom of your screen1 try hitting control-g4 ,this should stop whatever emacs was trying to do 7you should see the word quit on the bottom of your screen71 after which you can hit control-x control-c4 ,but if this still doesn't work1 remember that you can always disconnect and dial back in6 ,if you have told your newsreader you do want to include portions of the original message in yours1 it will automatically put the entire thing at the top of your message4 ,use the arrow keys to move down to the lines you want to delete and hit control-,k1 which will delete one line at a time4 ,you can then write your message4 ,remember that you have to hit enter before your cursor gets to the end of the line1 because emacs does not have word wrapping4 ,when done1 hit control-,x control-,c4 ,you'll be asked the question about sending1 editing1 aborting1 etc4 ,choose one4 ,if you hit ,y1 your host system will start the process to sending your message across the ,net4 ,the nn and rn programs work differently when it comes to posting entirely new messages4 ,in nn1 type 3post and hit enter in any newsgroup4 ,you'll be asked which newsgroup to post a message to4 ,type in its name and hit enter4 ,then you'll be asked for keywords4 ,these are words you'd use to attract somebody scanning a newsgroup4 ,say you're selling your car4 ,you might type the type of car here4 ,next comes a summary line1 which is somewhat similar4 ,finally1 you'll be asked for the message's distribution4 ,this is where you put how widely you want your message disseminated4 ,think about this one for a second4 ,if you are selling your car1 it makes little sense to send a message about it all over the world4 ,but if you want to talk about the environment1 it might make a lot of sense4 ,each host system has its own set of distribution classifications1 but there's generally a local one 7just for users of that system71 one for the city1 state or region it's in1 another for the country 7for example1 usa71 one for the continent 7for ,americans and ,canadians1 na7 and finally1 one for the entire world 7usually3 world74 ,which one to use8 ,generally1 a couple of seconds' thought will help you decide4 ,if you're selling your car1 use your city or regional distribution -- people in ,australia won't much care and may even get annoyed4 ,if you want to discuss presidential politics1 using a ,,usa distribution makes more sense4 ,if you want to talk about events in the ,middle ,east1 sending your message to the entire world is perfectly acceptable4 ,then you can type your message4 ,if you've composed your message offline 7generally a good idea if you and emacs don't get along71 you can upload it now4 ,you may see a lot of weird looking characters as it uploads into emacs1 but those will disappear when you hit control-,x and then control-,c4 ,alternately3 save the message 7for example1 by hitting m in rn71 log out1 compose your message offline1 log back on and upload your message into a file on your host system4 ,then call up ,usenet1 find the article you saved4 ,start a reply1 and you'll be asked if you want to include a prepared message4 ,type in the name of the file you just created and hit enter4 ,in rn1 you have to wait until you get to the end of a newsgroup to hit ,f1 which will bring up a message-composing system4 ,alternately1 at your host system's command line1 you can type ,pnews and hit enter4 ,you'll be prompted somewhat similarly to the nn system1 except that you'll be given a list of possible distributions4 ,if you chose world1 you'll get this message3 ,this program posts news to thousands of machines throughout the entire civilized world4 ,your message will cost the net hundreds if not thousands of dollars to send everywhere4 ,please be sure you know what you are doing4 ,are you absolutely sure that you want to do this8 ny ,don't worry -- your message won't really cost the ,net untold amounts1 although1 again1 it's a good idea to think for a second whether your message really should go everywhere4 ,if you want to respond to a given post through e-mail1 instead of publicly1 hit ,r in nn or r or ,r in rn4 ,in rn1 as with follow-up articles1 the upper-case key includes the original message in yours4 ,most newsgroups are unmoderated1 which means that every message you post will eventually wind up on every host system within the geographic region you specified that carries that newsgroup4 ,some newsgroups1 however1 are moderated1 as you saw earlier with comp4risks4 ,in these groups1 messages are shipped to a single location where a moderator1 acting much like a magazine editor1 decides what actually gets posted4 ,in some cases1 groups are moderated like scholarly journals4 ,in other cases1 it's to try to cut down on the massive number of messages that might otherwise be posted4 ,you'll notice that many articles in ,usenet end with a fancy signature that often contains some witty saying1 a clever drawing and1 almost incidentally1 the poster's name and e-mail address4 ,you too can have your own signature automatically appended to everything you post4 ,on your own computer1 create a signature file4 ,try to keep it to four lines or less1 lest you annoy others on the ,net4 ,then1 while connected to your host system1 type cat4signature and hit enter 7note the period before the s74 ,upload your signature file into this using your communications software's ,,ascii upload protocol4 ,when done1 hit control-,d1 the ,unix command for closing a file4 ,now1 every time you post a message1 this will be appended to it4 ,there are a few caveats to posting4 ,usenet is no different from a ,town ,meeting or publication3 you're not supposed to break the law1 whether that's posting copyrighted material or engaging in illegal activities4 ,it is also not a place to try to sell products 7except in certain biz4 and for-sale newsgroups74 #c4h ,,cross-,,posting ,sometimes1 you'll have an issue you think should be discussed in more than one ,usenet newsgroup4 ,rather than posting individual messages in each group1 you can post the same message in several groups at once1 through a process known as cross-posting4 ,say you want to start a discussion about the political ramifications of importing rare tropical fish from ,brazil4 ,people who read rec4aquaria might have something to say4 ,so might people who read alt4politics4animals and talk4politics4misc4 ,cross-posting is easy4 ,it also should mean that people on other systems who subscribe to several newsgroups will see your message only once1 rather than several times -- news-reading software can cancel out the other copies once a person has read the message4 ,when you get ready to post a message 7whether through ,pnews for rn or the 3post command in nn71 you'll be asked in which newsgroups4 ,type the names of the various groups1 separated by a comma1 but no space1 for example3 rec4aquaria1alt4politics4animals1talk4po litics4misc and hit enter4 ,after answering the other questions 7geographic distribution1 etc471 the message will be posted in the various groups 7unless one of the groups is moderated1 in which case the message goes to the moderator1 who decides whether to make it public74 ,it's considered bad form to post to an excessive number of newsgroups1 or inappropriate newsgroups4 ,probably1 you don't really have to post something in #bj different places4 ,and while you may think your particular political issue is vitally important to the fate of the world1 chances are the readers of rec4arts4comics will not1 or at least not important enough to impose on them4 ,you'll get a lot of nasty e-mail messages demanding you restrict your messages to the appropriate newsgroups4 ,chapter #d3 ,,usenet ,,ii #d4a ,,flame1 ,,blather ,,and ,,spew ,something about online communications seems to make some people particularly irritable4 ,perhaps it's the immediacy and semi-anonymity of it all4 ,whatever it is1 there are whole classes of people you will soon think seem to exist to make you miserable4 ,rather than pausing and reflecting on a message as one might do with a letter received on paper1 it's just so easy to hit your ,r key and tell somebody you don't really know what you really think of them4 ,even otherwise calm people sometimes find themselves turning into raving lunatics4 ,when this happens1 flames erupt4 ,a flame is a particularly nasty1 personal attack on somebody for something he or she has written4 ,periodically1 an exchange of flames erupts into a flame war that begin to take up all the space in a given newsgroup 7and sometimes several2 flamers like cross-posting to let the world know how they feel74 ,these can go on for weeks 7sometimes they go on for years1 in which case they become holy wars1 usually on such topics as the relative merits of ,macintoshes and ,i,b,ms74 ,often1 just when they're dying down1 somebody new to the flame war reads all the messages1 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 is4 ,all this usually does1 though1 is start a brand new flame war1 in which this poor person comes under attack for daring to question the ,first ,amendment1 prompting others to jump on the attackers for impugning this poor soul444 ,you get the idea4 ,every so often1 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 network1 or maybe even the wrath of ,god will smote everybody involved4 ,this brings what has become an inevitable rejoinder from others who realize that the network is1 in fact1 a resilient creature that will not die easily3 ,imminent death of ,usenet predicted4 ,film at #aa4'' ,flame wars can be tremendously fun to watch at first4 ,they quickly grow boring1 though4 ,and wait until the first time you're attacked6 ,flamers are not the only net4characters to watch out for4 ,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 possible4 ,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 digits4 ,often1 these messages relate to various ethnic conflicts around the world4 ,frequently1 there is no conceivable connection between the issue at hand and most of the newsgroups to which he posts4 ,no matter4 ,if you try to point this out in a response to one of these messages1 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 people4 ,closely related to these folks are the ,holocaust revisionists1 who periodically inundate certain groups 7such as soc4history7 with long rants about how the ,holocaust never really happened4 ,some people attempt to refute these people with facts1 but others realize this only encourages them4 ,blatherers tend to be more benign4 ,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 two4 ,a related condition is excessive quoting4 ,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 make4 ,the worst quote a long message and then add a single line3 ,i agree6 or some such1 often followed by a monster 4signature 7see section #d4e7 ,there are a number of other ,usenet denizens you'll soon come to recognize4 ,among them3 ,net4weenies4 ,these are the kind of people who enjoy ,insulting others1 the kind of people who post nasty messages in a sewing newsgroup just for the hell of it4 ,net4geeks4 ,people to whom the ,net is ,life1 who worry about what happens when they graduate and they lose their free1 #bd-;hour access4 ,net4gods4 ,the old-timers2 the true titans of the ,net and the keepers of its collective history4 ,they were around when the ,net consisted of a couple of computers tied together with baling wire4 ,lurkers4 ,actually1 you can't tell these people are there1 but they are4 ,they're the folks who read a newsgroup but never post or respond4 ,wizards4 ,people who know a particular ,net-related topic inside and out4 ,unix wizards can perform amazing tricks with that operating system1 for example4 ,net4saints4 ,always willing to help a newcomer1 eager to share their knowledge with those not born with an innate ability to navigate the ,net1 they are not as rare as you might think4 ,post a question about something and you'll often be surprised how many responses you get4 ,the last group brings us back to the ,net's oral tradition4 ,with few written guides1 people have traditionally learned their way around the ,net by asking somebody1 whether at the terminal next to them or on the ,net itself4 ,that tradition continues3 if you have a question1 ask4 ,today1 one of the places you can look for help is in the news4newusers4questions newsgroup1 which1 as its name suggests1 is a place to learn more about ,usenet4 ,but be careful what you post4 ,some of the ,usenet wizards there get cranky sometimes when they have to answer the same question over and over again4 ,oh1 they'll eventually answer your question1 but not before they tell you should have asked your host system administrator first or looked at the postings in news4announce4newusers4 #d4b ,,killfiles1 ,,the ,,cure ,,for ,,what ,,ails ,,you ,as you keep reading ,usenet1 you are going to run across things or people that really drive you nuts -- or that you just get tired of seeing4 ,killfiles are just the thing for you4 ,when you start your newsreader1 it checks to see if you have any lists of words1 phrases or names you don't want to see4 ,if you do1 then it blanks out any messages containing those words4 ,such as cascades4 ,as you saw earlier1 when you post a reply to a message and include parts of that message1 the original lines show up with a in front of them4 ,well1 what if you reply to a reply8 ,then you get a in front of the line4 ,and if you reply to that reply8 ,you get 4 ,keep this up1 and soon you get a triangle of 's building up in your message4 ,there are people who like building up these triangles1 or cascades4 ,they'll respond to your message by deleting everything you've said1 leaving only the ,in message #abcdce1 you said3 part and the last line of your message1 to which they add a nonsensical retort4 ,on and on they go until the triangle has reached the right end of the page4 ,then they try to expand the triangle by deleting one with each new line4 ,whoever gets to finish this mega-triangle wins4 ,there is even a newsgroup just for such folks3 alt4cascade4 ,unfortunately1 cascaders would generally rather cascade in other newsgroups4 ,because it takes a lot of messages to build up a completed cascade1 the targeted newsgroup soon fills up with these messages4 ,of course1 if you complain1 you'll be bombarded with messages about the ,first ,amendment and artistic expression -- or worse1 with another cascade4 ,the only thing you can do is ignore them1 by setting up a killfile4 ,there are also certain newsgroups where killfiles will come in handy because of the way the newsgroups are organized4 ,for example1 readers of rec4arts4tv4soaps always use an acronym in their subject3 line for the show they're writing about 7,,amc1 for example1 for ,all ,my ,children74 ,this way1 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 7to keep people from accidentally screening out messages that might contain the letters gh in them1 ,general ,hospital viewers always use gh3 in their subject lines74 ,both nn and rn let you create killfiles1 but in different ways4 ,to create a killfile in nn1 go into the newsgroup with the offending messages and type a capital ,k4 ,you'll see this at the bottom of your screen3 ,,auto 7k7ill or 7s7elect 7,,cr ,kill subject #cj days7 ,if you hit return1 nn will ask you which article's subject you're tired of4 ,choose one and the article and any follow-ups will disappear1 and you won't see them again for #cj days4 ,if you type a lower-case k instead1 you'll get this3 ,,auto ,,kill on 7s7ubject or 7n7ame 7s7 ,if you hit your ,s key or just enter1 you'll see this3 ,,kill ,subject3 7_/7 ,type in the name of the offending word or phrase and hit enter4 ,you'll then be prompted3 ,,kill in 7g7roup 'eff4test' or in 7a7ll groups 7g7 except that the name of the group you see will be the one you're actually in at the moment4 ,because cascaders and other annoying people often cross-post their messages to a wide range of newsgroups1 you might consider hitting a instead of g4 ,next comes3 ,lifetime of entry in days 7p7ermanent 7#cj7 ,the ,p key will screen out the offending articles forever1 while hitting enter will do it for #cj days4 ,you can also type in a number of days for the blocking4 ,creating killfiles in rn works differently -- its default killfile generator only works for messages in specific groups1 rather than globally for your entire newsgroup list4 ,to create a global killfile1 you'll have to write one yourself4 ,to create a killfile in rn1 go into the newsgroup where the offending messages are and type in its number so you get it on your screen4 ,type a capital ,k4 ,from now on1 any message with that subject line will disappear before you read the group4 ,you should probably choose a reply1 rather than the original message1 so that you will get all of the followups 7the original message won't have a ,re3 in its subject line74 ,the next time you call up that newsgroup1 rn will tell you it's killing messages4 ,when it's done1 hit the space bar to go back into reading mode4 ,to create a global kill file that will automatically wipe out articles in all groups you read1 start rn and type control-,k4 ,this will start your whatever text editor you have as your default on your host system and create a file 7called ,,kill1 in your ,news subdirectory74 ,on the first line1 you'll type in the word1 phrase or name you don't want to see1 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 it4 ,each line must be in this form _/pattern_/modifier3j ,pattern is the word or phrase you want rn to look for4 ,it's case-insensitive3 both test and ,test will be knocked out4 ,the modifier tells rn whether to limit its search to message headers 7which can be useful when the object is to never see messages from a particular person73 a3 ,looks through an entire message h3 ,looks just at the header ,you can leave out the modifier command1 in which case rn will look only at the subject line of messages4 ,the j at the end tells rn to screen out all articles with the offending word4 ,so if you never want to see the word foo in any header1 ever again1 type this3 _/foo_/h3j ,this is particularly useful for getting rid of articles from people who post in more than one newsgroup1 such as cascaders1 since an article's newsgroup name is always in the header4 ,if you just want to block messages with a subject line about cascades1 you could try3 _/foo_/3j ,to kill anything that is a followup to any article1 use this pattern3 _/,subject3 99,re3_/3j ,when done writing lines for each phrase to screen1 exit the text editor as you normally would1 and you'll be put back in rn4 ,one word of caution3 go easy on the global killfile4 ,an extensive global killfile1 or one that makes frequent use of the a3 modifier can dramatically slow down rn1 since the system will now have to look at every single word in every single message in all the newsgroups you want to read4 ,if there's a particular person whose posts you never want to see again1 first find his or her address 7which will be in the from3 line of his postings7 and then write a line in your killfile like this3 _/,from3 99nameaddress4all_/h3j #d4c ,,some ,,usenet ,,hints ,case counts in ,unix -- most of the time4 ,many ,unix commands1 including many of those used for reading ,usenet articles1 are case sensitive4 ,hit a d when you meant a ,d and either nothing will happen1 or something completely different from what you expected will happen4 ,so watch that case6 ,in nn1 you can get help most of the time by typing a question mark 7the exception is when you are writing your own message1 because then you are inside the text-processing program74 ,in rn1 type a lower-case h at any prompt to get some online help4 ,when you're searching for a particular newsgroup1 whether through the l command in rn or with nngrep for nn1 you sometimes may have to try several keywords4 ,for example1 there is a newsgroup dedicated to the ,grateful ,dead1 but you'd never find it if you tried1 say1 l grateful dead1 because the name is rec4music4gdead4 ,in general1 try the smallest possible part of the word or discussion you're looking for1 for example1 use trek to find newsgroups about ,star ,trek4 ,if one word doesn't produce anything1 try another4 #d4d ,,the ,,brain-,,tumor ,,boy1 ,,the ,,modem ,,tax ,,and ,,the ,,chain ,,letter ,like the rest of the world1 ,usenet has its share of urban legends and questionable activities4 ,there are three in particular that plague the network4 ,spend more than1 oh1 #ae minutes within ,usenet and you're sure to run into the ,brain ,tumor ,boy1 the plot by the evil ,,fcc to tax your modem and ,dave ,rhode's miracle cure for poverty4 ,for the record1 here's the story on all of them3 ,there once was a seven-year-old boy in ,england named ,craig ,shergold who was diagnosed with a seemingly incurable brain tumor4 ,as he lay dying1 he wished only to have friends send him postcards4 ,the local newspapers got a hold of the tear-jerking story4 ,soon1 the boy's wish had changed3 he now wanted to get into the ,guinness ,book of ,world ,records for the largest postcard collection4 ,word spread around the world4 ,people by the millions sent him postcards4 ,miraculously1 the boy lived4 ,an ,american billionaire even flew him to the ,u4,s4 for surgery to remove what remained of the tumor4 ,and his wish succeeded beyond his wildest dreams -- he made the ,guinness ,book of ,world ,records4 ,but with ,craig now well into his teens1 his dream has turned into a nightmare for the post office in the small town outside ,london where he lives4 ,like ,craig himself1 his request for cards just refuses to die1 inundating the post office with millions of cards every year4 ,just when it seems like the flow is slowing1 along comes somebody else who starts up a whole new slew of requests for people to send ,craig post cards 7or greeting cards or business cards -- ,craig letters have truly taken on a life of their own and begun to mutate74 ,even ,dear ,abby has been powerless to make it stop6 ,what does any of this have to do with the ,net8 ,the ,craig letter seems to pop up on ,usenet as often as it does on cork boards at major corporations4 ,no matter how many times somebody like ,gene ,spafford posts periodic messages to ignore them or spend your money on something more sensible 7a donation to the local ,red ,cross1 say71 somebody manages to post a letter asking readers to send cards to poor little ,craig4 ,don't send any cards to the ,federal ,communications ,commission1 either4 ,in #aihg1 the ,,fcc considered removing a tax break it had granted ,compu,serve and other large commercial computer networks for use of the national phone system4 ,the ,,fcc quickly reconsidered after alarmed users of bulletin-board systems bombarded it with complaints about this modem tax4 ,now1 every couple of months1 somebody posts an urgent message warning ,net users that the ,,fcc is about to impose a modem tax4 ,this is ,,not true4 ,the way you can tell if you're dealing with the hoax story is simple3 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 ,times4 ,another way to tell it's not true is that it never mentions a specific ,,fcc docket number or closing date for comments4 ,save that letter to your congressman for something else4 ,sooner or later1 you're going to run into a message titled ,make ,money ,fast4 ,it's your basic chain letter4 ,the ,usenet version is always about some guy named ,dave ,rhodes who was on the verge of death1 or something1 when he discovered a perfectly legal way to make tons of money -- by posting a chain letter on computer systems around the world4 ,yeah1 right4 #d4e ,,big ,,sig ,there are 4sigs and there are 4sigs4 ,many people put only bare-bones information in their 4sig files -- their names and e-mail addresses1 perhaps their phone numbers4 ,others add a quotation they think is funny or profound and a disclaimer that their views are not those of their employer4 ,still others add some ,,ascii-art graphics4 ,and then there are those who go totally berserk1 posting huge creations with multiple quotes1 hideous ,,ascii barfics and more e-mail addresses than anybody could humanly need4 ,college freshmen unleashed on the ,net seem to excel at these4 ,you can see the best of the worst in the alt4fan4warlord newsgroup1 which exists solely to critique 4sigs that go too far1 such as3 9999999999 99 99 9999999999 99 99 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 99 99 99 99 9999 9999 99 99 99 99 99 999999999999 999999 99 99 99 999999 99 9999 9999999999 9999999999 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 9999999999 99 99 9999999999 9999999999 99 99 99999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 99 9999 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99999999 99 99 9999 9999999999 99 99 9999 99 99 99 99 9999 99 99 99 9999 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 9999999999 ,t-,h-,e ,m-,e-,g-,a ,b-,i-,g 4,s-,i-,g ,c-,o-,m-,p-,a-,n-,y ----------------------------- ,annoying people with huge net4signatures for over #bj years444 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,the difference between a net4idiot and a bucket of shit is that at least a bucket can be emptied4 ,let me further illustrate my point by comparing these charts here4 7pulls out charts7 ,here we have a user who not only flames people who don't agree with his narrow- minded drivel1 but he has this huge signature that takes up many pages with useless quotes4 ,this also makes reading his frequented newsgroups a torture akin to having at #cjj baud modem on a ,,vax4 ,i might also add that his contribution to society rivals only toxic dump sites4 -- ,robert ,a4 ,dumpstik1 ,jr ,president of ,the ,mega ,big ,sig ,company ,september #acth1 #aiij at #d3aepm ,during his speech at the ,net4abusers ,society ,luncheon during the #aiij ,net4idiots ,annual ,convention ,thomas ,babbit1 ,,iii3 #eth ,assistant to the ,vice ,president of ,sales ,digital ,widget ,manufacturing ,co4 _/ #aadg ,complex ,incorporated ,drive 7- ,suite #bae ,nostromo1 ,,va #bbeej-aadg ,,nc-#ag ,enterpoop ,ship 37 ,phone #hjd-hdd-bebe ---------------- ,fax #hjd-daa-aaae ,shut up1 ,wesley6 ,online ,service #hjd-daa-aajj -- ,me at #cjj-bdjj1 and now #ifjj baud6 ,p,u,net3 tbabb6digwig6nostromo ,home address3 ,inter,net3 dvaderimperial4emp4com ,thomas ,babbit1 ,,iii ,prodigy3 ,still awaiting author- #ajd ,luzyer ,way ization ,sulaco1 ,,va #bbede ,manufacturing educational widget ,phone #hjd-eee-aebd design for over #c years444 ,introducing3 ,the _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ ,,etelhed _/ ,,one ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' #ej,megs ,online6 ,the k#jjl ,,bbs for rad teens6 ,lots of games and many bases for kul topix6 ,call now and be validated to the ,metelhed ,zone -- #hjd-eee-hejj -- ,v_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ ,this is the end1 my friend444 -- ,the ,doors ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ,hit b to continue ,hahahha444 fooled u6 #d4f ,,the ,,first ,,amendment ,,as ,,local ,,ordinance ,usenet's international reach raises interesting legal questions that have yet to be fully resolved4 ,can a discussion or posting that is legal in one country be transmitted to a country where it is against the law8 ,does the posting even become illegal when it reaches the border8 ,and what if that country is the only path to a third country where the message is legal as well8 ,several foreign colleges and other institutions have cut off feeds of certain newsgroups where ,americans post what is1 in the ,u4,s41 perfectly legal discussions of drugs or alternative sexual practices4 ,even in the ,u4,s41 some universities have discontinued certain newsgroups their administrators find offensive1 again1 usually in the alt4 hierarchy4 ,an interesting example of this sort of question happened in #aiic1 when a ,canadian court issued a gag order on ,canadian reporters covering a particularly controversial murder case4 ,americans1 not bound by the gag order1 began posting accounts of the trial -- which any ,canadian with a ,net account could promptly read4 #d4g ,,usenet ,,history ,in the late #aigjs1 ,unix developers came up with a new feature3 a system to allow ,unix computers to exchange data over phone lines4 ,in #aigi1 two graduate students at ,duke ,university in ,north ,carolina1 ,tom ,truscott and ,jim ,ellis1 came up with the idea of using this system1 known as ,,uucp 7for ,unix-to-,unix ,co,py71 to distribute information of interest to people in the ,unix community4 ,along with ,steve ,bellovin1 a graduate student at the ,university of ,north ,carolina and ,steve ,daniel1 they wrote conferencing software and linked together computers at ,duke and ,,unc4 ,word quickly spread and by #aiha1 a graduate student at ,berkeley1 ,mark ,horton and a nearby high school student1 ,matt ,glickman1 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 day4 ,today1 ,usenet connects tens of thousands of sites around the world1 from mainframes to ,amigas4 ,with more than #c1jjj newsgroups and untold thousands of readers1 it is perhaps the world's largest computer network4 #d4h ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong 99 ,when you start up rn1 you get a warning that bogus newsgroups are present4 ,within a couple of minutes1 you'll be asked whether to keep these or delete them4 ,delete them4 ,bogus newsgroups are newsgroups that your system administrator or somebody else has determined are no longer needed4 99 ,while in a newsgroup in rn1 you get a message3 skipping unavailable article4 ,this is usually an article that somebody posted and then decided to cancel4 99 ,you upload a text file to your ,unix host system for use in a ,usenet message or e-mail1 and when you or your recipient reads the file1 every line ends with a ,m4 ,this happens because ,unix handles line endings differently than ,,ms- ,,dos or ,macintosh computers4 ,most ,unix systems have programs to convert incoming files from other computers4 ,to use it1 upload your file and then1 at your command line1 type dos#bunix filename filename or mac#bunix filename filename depending on which kind of computer you are using and where filename is the name of the file you've just uploaded4 ,a similar program can prepare text files for downloading to your computer1 for example3 unix#b;dos filename filename or unix#bmac filename filename will ensure that a text file you are about to get will not come out looking odd on your computer4 #d4i ,,fyi ,leanne ,phillips periodically posts a list of frequently asked questions 7and answers7 about use of the rn killfile function in the news4newusers4questions and news4answers newsgroups on ,usenet4 ,bill ,wohler posts a guide to using the nn newsreader in the news4answers and news4software newsgroups4 ,look in the news4announce4newusers and news4groups newsgroups on ,usenet for ,a ,guide to ,social ,newsgroups and ,mailing ,lists1'' which gives brief summaries of the various soc4 newsgroups4 ,managing ,,uucp and ,usenet1' by ,tim ,o',reilly and ,grace ,todino 7,o',reilly ,associates1 #aiib7 is a good guide for setting up your own ,usenet system4 ,chapter #e3 ,,mailing ,,lists ,,and ,,bitnet #e4a ,,internet ,,mailing ,,lists ,usenet is not the only forum on the ,net4 ,scores of mailing lists represent another way to interact with other ,net users4 ,unlike ,usenet messages1 which are stored in one central location on your host system's computer1 mailing-list messages are delivered right to your e-mail box1 unlike ,usenet messages4 ,you have to ask for permission to join a mailing list4 ,unlike ,usenet1 where your message is distributed to the world1 on a mailing list1 you send your messages to a central moderator1 who either re-mails it to the other people on the list or uses it to compile a periodic digest mailed to subscribers4 ,given the number of newsgroups1 why would anybody bother with a mailing list8 ,even on ,usenet1 there are some topics that just might not generate enough interest for a newsgroup2 for example1 the ,queen list1 which is all about the late ,freddie ,mercury's band4 ,and because a moderator decides who can participate1 a mailing list can offer a degree of freedom to speak one's mind 7or not worry about net4weenies7 that is not necessarily possible on ,usenet4 ,several groups offer anonymous postings -- only the moderator knows the real names of people who contribute4 ,examples include #ab,step1 where people enrolled in such programs as ,alcoholics ,anonymous can discuss their experiences1 and sappho1 a list limited to gay and bisexual women4 ,you can find mailing addresses and descriptions of these lists in the news4announce4newusers newsgroup with the subject of ,publicly ,accessible ,mailing ,lists4 ,mailing lists now number in the hundreds1 so this posting is divided into three parts4 ,if you find a list to which you want to subscribe1 send an e- mail message to list-requestaddress where list is the name of the mailing list and address is the moderator's e-mail address1 asking to be added to the list4 ,include your full e-mail address just in case something happens to your message's header along the way1 and ask1 if you're accepted1 for the address to mail messages to the list4 #e4b ,,bitnet ,as if ,usenet and mailing lists were not enough1 there are ,bitnet discussion groups or lists4 ,bitnet is an international network linking colleges and universities1 but it uses a different set of technical protocols for distributing information from the ,internet or ,usenet4 ,it offers hundreds of discussion groups1 comparable in scope to ,usenet newsgroups4 ,one of the major differences is the way messages are distributed4 ,bitnet messages are sent to your mailbox1 just as with a mailing list4 ,however1 where mailing lists are often maintained by a person1 all ,bitnet discussion groups are automated -- you subscribe to them through messages to a listserver computer4 ,this is a kind of robot moderator that controls distribution of messages on the list4 ,in many cases1 it also maintains indexes and archives of past postings in a given discussion group1 which can be handy if you want to get up to speed with a discussion or just search for some information related to it4 ,many ,bitnet discussion groups are now translated into ,usenet form and carried through ,usenet in the bit4listserv hierarchy4 ,in general1 it's probably better to read messages through ,usenet if you can4 ,it saves some storage space on your host system's hard drives4 ,if #ej people subscribe to the same ,bitnet list1 that means #ej copies of each message get stored on the system2 whereas if #ej people read a ,usenet message1 that's still only one message that needs storage on the system4 ,it can also save your sanity if the discussion group generates large numbers of messages4 ,think of opening your e-mailbox one day to find #bjj messages in it -- #aii of them from a discussion group and one of them a real e-mail message that's important to you4 ,subscribing and canceling subscriptions is done through an e- mail message to the listserver computer4 ,for addressing1 all listservers are known as listserv 7yep7 at some ,bitnet address4 ,this means you will have to add 4bitnet to the end of the address1 if it's in a form like this3 listservmiamiu4 ,for example1 if you have an interest in environmental issues1 you might want to subscribe to the ,econet discussion group4 ,to subscribe1 send an e-mail message to listservmiamiu4bitnet ,some ,bitnet listservers are also connected to the ,internet1 so if you see a listserver address ending in 4edu1 you can e-mail the listserver without adding 4bitnet to the end4 ,always leave the subject3 line blank in a message to a listserver4 ,inside the message1 you tell the listserver what you want1 with a series of simple commands3 subscribe group ,your ,name ,to subscribe to a list1 where group is the list name and ,your ,name is your full name1 for example3 subscribe econet ,henry ,fielding unsubscribe group ,your ,name ,to discontinue a group1 for example3 unsubscribe econet ,henry ,fielding list global ,this sends you a list of all available ,bitnet discussion groups4 ,but be careful -- the list is ,,very long6 get refcard ,sends you a list of other commands you can use with a listserver1 such as commands for retrieving past postings from a discussion group4 ,each of these commands goes on a separate line in your message 7and you can use one or all of them74 ,if you want to get a list of all ,bitnet discussion groups1 send e-mail to listservbitnic4educom4edu ,leave the subject3 line blank and use the list global command4 ,when you subscribe to a ,bitnet group1 there are two important differences from ,usenet4 ,first1 when you want to post a message for others to read in the discussion group1 you send a message to the group name at its ,bitnet address4 ,using ,econet as an example1 you would mail the message to3 econetmiamiu4bitnet ,note that this is different from the listserv address you used to subscribe to the group to begin with4 ,use the listserv address ,,only to subscribe to or unsubscribe from a discussion group4 ,if you use the discussion-group address to try to subscribe or unsubscribe1 your message will go out to every other subscriber1 many of whom will think unkind thoughts1 which they may share with you in an e-mail message74 ,the second difference relates to sending an e-mail message to the author of a particular posting4 ,usenet newsreaders such as rn and nn let you do this with one key4 ,but if you hit your ,r key to respond to a discussion-group message1 your message will go to the listserver1 and from there to everybody else on the list6 ,this can prove embarrassing to you and annoying to others4 ,to make sure your message goes just to the person who wrote the posting1 take down his e-mail address from the posting and then compose a brand-new message4 ,remember1 also1 that if you see an e-mail address like ,,izzy,,indyvms1 it's a ,bitnet address4 ,two ,bitnet lists will prove helpful for delving further into the network4 ,,new-,,list tells you the names of new discussion groups4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to listservndsuvm#a4;bitnet3 sub ,,new-,,list ,your ,name ,,infonets is the place to go when you have questions about ,bitnet4 ,it is also first rate for help on questions about all major computer networks and how to reach them4 ,to subscribe1 send e-mail to info-nets- requestthink4com3 sub ,,infonets ,your ,name ,both of these lists are also available on ,usenet1 the former as bit4listserv4new-list2 the latter as bit4listserv4infonets 7sometimes bit4listserv4info-nets74 ,chapter #f3 ,,telnet #f4a ,,mining ,,the ,,net ,like any large community1 cyberspace has its libraries1 places you can go to look up information or take out a good book4 ,telnet is one of your keys to these libraries4 ,telnet is a program that lets you use the power of the ,internet to connect you to databases1 library catalogs1 and other information resources around the world4 ,want to see what the weather's like in ,vermont8 ,check on crop conditions in ,azerbaijan8 ,get more information about somebody whose name you've seen online8 ,telnet lets you do this1 and more4 ,alas1 there's a big but6'' ,unlike the phone system1 ,internet is not yet universal2 not everybody can use all of its services4 ,almost all colleges and universities on the ,internet provide telnet access4 ,so do all of the for-fee public-access systems listed in ,chapter #a4 ,but the ,free-,net systems do not give you access to every telnet system4 ,and if you are using a public-access ,,uucp or ,usenet site1 you will not have access to telnet4 ,the main reason for this is cost4 ,connecting to the ,internet can easily cost #a1jjj or more for a leased1 high-speed phone line4 ,some databases and file libraries can be queried by e-mail1 however2 we'll show you how to do that later on4 ,in the meantime1 the rest of this chapter assumes you are connected to a site with at least partial ,internet access4 ,most telnet sites are fairly easy to use and have online help systems4 ,most also work best 7and in some cases1 only7 with ,,vt#ajj emulation4 ,let's dive right in and try one4 ,at your host system's command line1 type telnet access4usask4ca and hit enter4 ,that's all you have to do to connect to a telnet site6 ,in this case1 you'll be connecting to a service known as ,hytelnet1 which is a database of computerized library catalogs and other databases available through telnet4 ,you should see something like this3 ,trying #abh4bcc4c4a 444 ,connected to access4usask4ca4 ,escape character is ''4 ,ultrix ,,unix 7access4usask4ca7 login3 ,every telnet site has two addresses -- one composed of words that are easier for people to remember2 the other a numerical address better suited for computers4 ,the escape character is good to remember4 ,when all else fails1 hitting your control key and the key at the same time will disconnect you and return you to your host system4 ,at the login prompt1 type hytelnet and hit enter4 ,you'll see something like this3 ,welcome to ,,hytelnet version #f4b 4444444444444444444 ,what is ,,hytelnet8 ,,whatis 4 ,up_/,down arrows ,,move ,library catalogs ,,sites#a 4 ,left_/,right arrows ,,select ,other resources ,,sites#b 4 8 for ,,help anytime ,help files for catalogs ,,op#jjj 4 ,catalog interfaces ,,sys#jjj 4 m returns here ,internet ,glossary ,,glossary 4 q quits ,telnet tips ,,telnet 4 ,telnet_/,,tn#cbgj escape keys ,,escape4,,key 4 ,key-stroke commands ,,help4,,txt 4 444444444444444444444444 ,,hytelnet #f4b was written by ,peter ,scott1 ,u of ,saskatchewan ,libraries1 ,saskatoon1 ,sask1 ,canada4 #aiib ,unix and ,,vms software by ,earl ,fogel1 ,computing ,services1 ,u of ,s #aiib ,the first choice1 ,,whatis will be highlighted4 ,use your down and up arrows to move the cursor among the choices4 ,hit enter when you decide on one4 ,you'll get another menu1 which in turn will bring up text files telling you how to connect to sites and giving any special commands or instructions you might need4 ,hytelnet does have one quirk4 ,to move back to where you started 7for example1 from a sub-menu to a main menu71 hit the left-arrow key on your computer4 ,play with the system4 ,you might want to turn on your computer's screen-capture1 or at the very least1 get out a pen and paper4 ,you're bound to run across some interesting telnet services that you'll want to try -- and you'll need their telnet addresses4'' ,as you move around ,hytelnet1 it may seem as if you haven't left your host system -- telnet can work that quickly4 ,occasionally1 when network loads are heavy1 however1 you will notice a delay between the time you type a command or enter a request and the time the remote service responds4 ,to disconnect from ,hytelnet and return to your system1 hit your q key and enter4 ,some telnet computers are set up so that you can only access them through a specific port4 ,in those cases1 you'll always see a number after their name1 for example3 india4colorado4edu #ac4 ,it's important to include that number1 because otherwise1 you may not get in4 ,in fact1 try the above address4 ,type telnet india4colorado4edu #ac and hit enter4 ,you should see something like this3 ,trying #abh4ach4adj4dd 444 ,followed very quickly by this3 telnet india4colorado4edu #ac ,escape character is ''4 ,sun ,jan #ag #ad3aa3da #aiid ,connection closed by foreign host4 ,what we want is the middle line1 which tells you the exact ,mountain ,standard ,time1 as determined by a government-run atomic clock in ,boulder1 ,colo4 #f4b ,,library ,,catalogs ,several hundred libraries around the world1 from the ,snohomish ,public ,library in ,washington ,state to the ,library of ,congress are now available to you through telnet4 ,you can use ,hytelnet to find their names1 telnet addresses and use instructions4 ,why would you want to browse a library you can't physically get to8 ,many libraries share books1 so if yours doesn't have what you're looking for1 you can tell the librarian where he or she can get it4 ,or if you live in an area where the libraries are not yet online1 you can use telnet to do some basic bibliographic research before you head down to the local branch4 ,there are several different database programs in use by online libraries4 ,harvard's is one of the easier ones to use1 so let's try it4 ,telnet to hollis4harvard4edu4 ,when you connect1 you'll see3 9999999999999999999999999999999999 ,h ,a ,r ,v ,a ,r ,d ,u ,n ,i ,v ,e ,r ,s ,i ,t ,y 9999999999999999999999999999999999 ,,office ,,for ,,information ,,technology 999999 999999 999999 999999 ,,ve 999999 ,,ri 999999 999999 999999 999999 ,,hollis 7,harvard ,on,line ,l,ibrary ,system7 9999999999 9999999999 99999999 ,,tas 99999999 ,,hubs 7,harvard ,university ,basic ,services7 999999 999999 9999999999 ,,iu 7,information ,utility7 999999 ,,cms 7,,vm_/,,cms ,timesharing ,service7 9999 ,,hollis ,,is ,,available ,,without ,,access ,,restrictions 9999 ,access to other applications is limited to individuals who have been granted specific permission by an authorized person4 ,to select one of the applications above1 type its name on the command line followed by your user ,,id1 and press ,,return4 9999 ,,hollis ,,does ,,not ,,require ,a ,,userid 9999 ,,examples3 ,,hollis 7press ,,return7 or ,,hubs userid 7press ,,return7 ,type hollis and hit enter4 ,you'll see several screens flash by quickly until finally the system stops and you'll get this3 ,,welcome ,,to ,,hollis 7,harvard ,on,line ,library ,information ,system7 ,to begin1 type one of the #b-;character database codes listed below3 ,,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 7selective #aihg-aihh1 full #aihi- 7 ,,lr ,legal ,resource ,index 7#aihj- 7 ,,pa ,,pais ,international 7#aihe- 7 ,to change databases from any place in ,,hollis1 type ,,choose followed by a #b-;character database code1 as in3 ,,choose ,,hu ,for general help in using ,,hollis1 type ,,help4 ,for ,,hollis news1 type ,,help ,,news4 ,for ,,hollis hours of operation1 type ,,help ,,hours4 ,,always ,,press ,,the ,,enter ,,or ,,return ,,key ,,after ,,typing ,,your ,,command ,the first thing to notice is the name of the system3 ,hollis4 ,librarians around the world seem to be inordinately found of cutesy1 anthropomorphized acronyms for their machines 7not far from ,harvard1 the librarians at ,brandeis ,university came up with ,library ,on-,line ,user ,information ,service1 or ,louis2 ,,mit has ,barton74 ,if you want to do some general browsing1 probably the best bet on the ,harvard system is to choose ,,hu1 which gets you access to their main holdings1 including those of its medical libraries4 ,choose that1 and you'll see this3 ,,the ,,harvard ,,university ,,library ,,union ,,catalog ,to begin a search1 select a search option from the list below and type its code on the command line4 ,use either upper or lower case4 ,,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 ,catalog1 type ,,help4 ,to exit the ,union ,catalog1 type ,,quit4 ,a search can be entered on the ,,command line of any screen4 ,,always ,,press ,,the ,,enter ,,or ,,return ,,key ,,after ,,typing ,,your ,,command4 ,say you want to see if ,harvard has shed the starchy legacy of the ,puritans1 who founded the school4 ,why not see if they have ,the ,joy of ,sex somewhere in their stacks8 ,type ,,ti ,joy of ,sex and hit enter4 ,this comes up3 ,,hu3 ,,your ,,search ,,retrieved ,,no ,,items4 ,enter new command or ,,help4 ,you typed3 ,,ti ,,joy ,,of ,,sex 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999 ,,always ,,press ,,the ,,enter ,,or ,,return ,,key ,,after ,,typing ,,your ,,command4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ,,options3 ,,find ,,start - search options ,,help ,,quit - exit database ,,command8 ,oh1 well6 ,do they have anything that mentions sex in the title8 ,try another ,,ti search1 but this time just3 ,,ti sex4 ,you get3 ,,hu ,,guide3 ,,summary ,,of ,,search ,,results #bjhf items retrieved by your search3 ,,find ,,ti ,,sex ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- #a ,,sex #b ,,sex ,a #hbc ,,sexa #hbg ,,sexbo #hca ,,sexce #hcc ,,sexdr #hcd ,,sexe #hgi ,,sexie #ibh ,,sexja #ibi ,,sexle #icj ,,sexo #ife ,,sexpi #ifh ,,sext #abhj ,,sexua #bjhd ,,sexwa #bjhe ,,sexy ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ,,options3 ,,index 7or ,i #e etc7 to see list of items ,,help ,,start - search options ,,redo - edit search ,,quit - exit database ,,command8 ,if you want to get more information on the first line1 type #a and hit enter3 ,,hu ,,index3 ,,list ,,of ,,items ,,retrieved #bjhf items retrieved by your search3 ,,find ,,ti ,,sex ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- ,,sex #a geddes patrick sir #ahed #aicb_/ #aiad bks ,,sex ,a ,z #b goldenson robert m_/ #aihg bks ,,sex ,,abuse ,,hysteria ,,salem ,,witch ,,trials ,,revisited #c gardner richard a_/ #aiia bks ,,sex ,,aetates ,,mundi ,,english ,,and ,,irish #d irish sex aetates mundi_/ #aihc bks ,,sex ,,after ,,sixty ,a ,,guide ,,for ,,men ,,and ,,women ,,for ,,their ,,later ,,years #e butler robert n #aibg_/ #aigf bks ---------------------------------------- -------------- 7,,continues7 ------------ ,,options3 ,,display #a 7or ,d #e etc7 to see a record ,,help ,,guide ,,more - next page ,,start - search options ,,redo - edit search ,,quit - exit database ,,command8 ,most library systems give you a way to log off and return to your host system4 ,on ,hollis1 hit escape followed by xx ,one particularly interesting system is the one run by the ,colorado ,alliance of ,research ,libraries1 which maintains databases for libraries throughout ,colorado1 the ,west and even in ,boston4 ,telnet pac4carl4org4 ,follow the simple log-in instructions4 ,when you get a menu1 type #gb 7even though that is not listed71 which takes you to the ,pikes ,peak ,library ,district1 which serves the city of ,colorado ,springs4 ,several years ago1 its librarians realized they could use their database program not just for books but for cataloging city records and community information1 as well4 ,today1 if you want to look up municipal ordinances or city records1 you only have to type in the word you're looking for and you'll get back cites of the relevant laws or decisions4 ,carl will also connect you to the ,university of ,hawaii library1 which1 like the one in ,colorado ,springs1 has more than just bibliographic material online4 ,one of its features is an online ,hawaiian almanac that can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about ,hawaiians1 including the number injured in boogie-board accidents each year 7seven74 #f4c ,,some ,,interesting ,,telnet ,,sites ,,agriculture ,p,e,n,pages1 run by ,pennsylvania ,state ,university's ,college of ,agricultural ,sciences1 provides weekly world weather and crop reports from the ,u4,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,these reports detail everything from the effect of the weather on palm trees in ,malaysia to the state of the ,ukrainian wheat crop4 ,reports from ,pennsylvania country extension officers offer tips for improving farm life4 ,one database lists ,pennsylvania hay distributors by county -- and rates the quality of their hay6 ,the service lets you search for information two different ways4 ,a menu system gives you quick access to reports that change frequently1 such as the weekly crop_/weather reports4 ,an index system lets you search through several thousand online documents by keyword4 ,at the main menu1 you can either browse through an online manual or choose ,p,e,n,pages1'' which puts you into the agriculture system4 ,telnet3 psupen4psu4edu ,user name3 ,your #b-letter state code or ,,world ,california ,state ,university's ,advanced ,technology ,information ,network provides similar information as ,p,e,n,pages1 only focusing on ,california crops4 ,it also maintains lists of upcoming ,california trade shows and carries updates on biotechnology4 ,telnet3 caticsuf4cati4csufresno4edu ,log in3 public ,you will then be asked to register and will be given a user name and password4 ,hit a'' at the main menu for agricultural information4 ,hit d'' to call up a menu that includes a biweekly biotechnology report4 ,,aids ,the ,university of ,miami maintains a database of ,,aids health providers in southern ,florida4 ,telnet3 callcat4med4miami4edu ,log in3 library ,at the main menu1 select ,p 7for ,,aids providers and you'll be able to search for doctors1 hospitals and other providers that care for patients with ,,aids4 ,you can also search by speciality4 ,see also under ,conversation and ,health4 ,,amateur ,,radio3 ,the ,national ,ham ,radio ,call-,sign ,callbook lets you search for ,american amateur operators by callsign1 city1 last name or ,zip code4 ,a successful search will give you the ham's name1 address1 callsign1 age1 type of license and when he or she got it4 ,telnet3 callsign4cs4buffalo4edu #bjjj or ham4njit4edu #bjjj4 ,when you connect1 you tell the system how you want to search and what you're looking for4 ,for example1 if you want to search for hams by city1 you would type city city name and hit enter 7for example3 city ,kankakee74 ,other search choices are call 7after which you would type a ham's name71 name1 and zip 7which you would follow with a ,zip code74 ,be careful when searching for hams in a large city2 there doesn't seem to be anyway to shut off the list once it starts except by using control-4 ,otherwise1 when done1 type quit and hit enter to disconnect4 ,,animals ,see under ,health4 ,,calculators ,hewlett-,packard maintains a free service on which you can seek advice about their line of calculators4 ,telnet3 hpcvbbs4cv4hp4com ,no log-in is needed4 ,,chemistry ,the ,electronic ,periodic ,table of the ,elements draws the table on your screen and then lets you look up various properties of individual elements4 ,telnet3 camms#b4;caos4kun4nl ,no password needed4 ,,congress ,the ,library of ,congress ,information ,service lets you search current and past legislation 7dating to #aihb74 ,telnet3 locis4loc4gov ,password3 none needed4 ,when you connect1 you'll get a main menu that lets you select from several databases1 including the ,library of ,congress card catalog 7with book entries dating to #aigh7 and a database of information on copyright laws4 ,for the congressional database1 select the number next to its entry and hit enter4 ,you'll then be asked to choose which legislative year to search4 ,after that1 a menu similar to this will come up3 999999,c#ajc- ,,the ,,legislative ,,information ,,file ,,for ,,the #ajc,,rd ,,congress1 which was updated on #je_/aj_/ic and contains #d1jdd records1 is now available for your search4 ,,currency3 ,all information is ,,not current through the above date1 which is machine generated when ,,any information is added to the file4 ,bill numbers1 official titles1 sponsors1 and status 7,,step7 added within #dh hours4 ,indexing terms and digests added later1 in some cases several weeks after the bill is added to the file4 ,,to ,,start ,,retrieve to find3 ,,examples3 ,,search3 member name -------------- retrieve rep gingrich retrieve sen kennedy bill number -------------- retrieve h4r4 #a subject keywords --------- retrieve day care ,,for ,,help3 ,type the word ,,help and press the ,,enter key4 ,,ready ,,for ,,new ,,command3 ,,conversation ,communications ,canada1 a ,canadian government agency is developing ,conversational ,hypertext ,access ,technology 7,,chat7 is a system being developed by ,communications ,canada to provide easy database access to people with little or no computer experience1 using what are known as hypertext links4 ,instead of cryptic computer commands1 users type questions in ,english4 ,telnet3 debra4doc4ca ,log in3 chat ,you choose one of the three databases now online1 one on ,,aids1 and then ask questions in ,english4 ,ask the ,,aids database1 ,when was ,,aids first discovered8'' and it answers3 ,the first case of ,,aids in ,north ,america was diagnosed in #aigi4 ,before that1 it existed in ,africa1 probably beginning in the #aiej's4 ,,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 sarcoma4'' ,sometimes1 you do have to rephrase your question4 ,for example1 when asked ,what is the link between ,,aids and drug use8'' the computer responds3 ,i know two things about drugs3 the drugs that are used to treat people with ,,aids1 and the risks that drug users have in getting ,,aids4 ,please ask about treatments or drug users4'' ,,copyright ,,law ,see under ,congress4 ,,current ,,events ,every year1 the ,,cia publishes a ,fact ,book that is essentially an almanac of all the world's countries and international organizations1 including such information as major products1 type of government and names of its leaders4 ,it's available for searching through the ,university of ,maryland ,info ,database4 ,telnet3 info4umd4edu ,choose a terminal type and hit enter 7or just hit enter if you are using ,,vt#ajj74 ,at the main menu1 choose the number next to ,educational ,resources4 ,then select the number next to ,international1 followed by ,factbook4 ,you can then search by country or agency4 ,this site also maintains copies of the ,u4,s4 budget1 documents related to the ,north ,american ,free ,trade ,agreement and other government initiatives4 ,at the ,educational ,resources menu1 select the number next to ,united ,states and then the one next to ,government4 ,the ,access ,legislative ,information ,service lets you browse through and look up bills before the ,hawaiian legislature4 ,telnet3 access4uhcc4hawaii4edu ,,environment ,envirolink is a large database and conference system about the environment1 based in ,pittsburgh4 ,telnet3 envirolink4org ,log on3 gopher ,the ,u4,s4 ,environmental ,protection ,agency maintains online databases of materials related to hazardous waste1 the ,clean ,lakes program and cleanup efforts in ,new ,england4 ,the agency plans to eventually include cleanup work in other regions1 as well4 ,the database is actually a computerized card catalog of ,,epa documents -- you can look the documents up1 but you'll still have to visit your regional ,,epa office to see them4 ,telnet3 epaibm4rtpnc4epa4gov ,no password or user name is needed4 ,at the main menu1 type public and hit enter 7there are other listed choices1 but they are only for use by ,,epa employees74 ,you'll then see a one-line menu4 ,type ols and hit enter1 and you'll see something like this3 ,,net-#ajf ,logon to ,,tso#jd in progress4 ,,databases3 ,n ,,national ,,catalog ,,ch ,,chemical ,,coll4 ,,system ,h ,,hazardous ,,waste #a ,,region ,i ,l ,,clean ,,lakes ,,other ,,options3 8 ,,help ,q ,,quit ,,enter ,,selection -- ,choose one and you'll get a menu that lets you search by document title1 keyword1 year of publication or corporation4 ,after you enter the search word and hit enter1 you'll be told how many matches were found4 ,hit #a and then enter to see a list of the entries4 ,to view the bibliographic record for a specific entry1 hit ,v and enter and then type the number of the record4 ,the ,university of ,michigan maintains a database of newspaper and magazine articles related to the environment1 with the emphasis on ,michigan1 dating back to #aihj4 ,telnet3 hermes4merit4edu ,host3 mirlyn ,log in3 meem ,,geography ,the ,university of ,michigan ,geographic ,name ,server can provide basic information1 such as population1 latitude and longitude of ,u4,s4 cities and many mountains1 rivers and other geographic features4 ,telnet3 martini4eecs4umich4edu #cjjj ,no password or user name is needed4 ,type in the name of a city1 a ,zip code or a geographic feature and hit enter4 ,the system doesn't like names with abbreviations in them 7for example1 ,mt4 ,mc,kinley71 so spell them out 7for example1 ,mount ,mc,kinley74 ,by typing in a town's name or zip code1 you can find out a community's county1 ,zip code and longitude and latitude4 ,not all geographic features are yet included in the database4 ,,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 systems4 ,telnet3 fedworld4gov ,log on as3 new ,see also under ,congress and ,current ,events4 ,,health ,the ,u4,s4 ,food and ,drug ,administration runs a database of health- related information4 ,telnet3 fdabbs4fda4gov ,log in3 bbs ,you'll then be asked for your name and a password you want to use in the future4 ,after that1 type topics and hit enter4 ,you'll see this3 ,,topics ,,description 99 ,,news ,news releases 99 ,,enforce ,enforcement ,report 99 ,,approvals ,drug and ,device ,product ,approvals list 99 ,,cdrh ,centers for ,devices and ,radiological ,health ,bulletins 99 ,,bulletin ,text from ,drug ,bulletin 99 ,,aids ,current ,information on ,,aids 99 ,,consumer ,,fda ,consumer magazine index and selected articles 99 ,,subj-,,reg ,,fda ,federal ,register ,summaries by ,subject 99 ,,answers ,summaries of ,,fda information 99 ,,index ,index of ,news ,releases and ,answers 99 ,,date-,,reg ,,fda ,federal ,register ,summaries by ,publication ,date 99 ,,congress ,text of ,testimony at ,,fda ,congressional ,hearings 99 ,,speech ,speeches ,given by ,,fda ,commissioner and ,deputy 99 ,,vetnews ,veterinary ,medicine ,news 99 ,,meetings ,upcoming ,,fda ,meetings 99 ,,import ,import ,alerts 99 ,,manual ,on-,line ,user's ,manual ,you'll be able to search these topics by key word or chronologically4 ,it's probably a good idea1 however1 to capture a copy of the manual1 first1 because the way searching works on the system is a little odd4 ,to capture a copy1 type manual and hit enter4 ,then type scan and hit enter4 ,you'll see this3 ,,for ,,list ,,of ,,available ,,topics ,,type ,,topics ,,or ,,enter ,,the ,,topic ,,you ,,desire ,,manual ,,bbsuser #jh-,,oct-#ia #a ,,bbs ,user ,manual ,at this point1 turn on your own computer's screen-capture or logging function and hit your #a key and then enter4 ,the manual will begin to scroll on your screen1 pausing every #bd lines4 ,,hiring ,,and ,,college ,,program ,,information ,the ,federal ,information ,exchange in ,gaithersburg1 ,,md1 runs two systems at the same address3 ,,fedix and ,,molis4 ,,fedix offers research1 scholarship and service information for several federal agencies1 including ,,nasa1 the ,department of ,energy and the ,federal ,aviation ,administration4 ,several more federal agencies provide minority hiring and scholarship information4 ,,molis provides information about minority colleges1 their programs and professors4 ,telnet3 fedix4fie4com ,user name3 fedix 7for the federal hiring database7 or molis 7for the minority-college system7 ,both use easy menus to get you to information4 ,,history ,stanford ,university maintains a database of documents related to ,martin ,luthor ,king4 ,telnet3 forsythetn4stanford4edu ,account3 socrates ,at the main menu1 type select mlk and hit enter4 ,,ski ,,reports ,see under weather4 ,,space ,,nasa ,spacelink in ,huntsville1 ,ala41 provides all sorts of reports and data about ,,nasa1 its history and its various missions1 past and present4 ,you'll find detailed reports on every single probe1 satellite and mission ,,nasa has ever launched along with daily updates and lesson plans for teachers4 ,the system maintains a large file library of ,,gif-format space graphics1 but you can't download these through telnet4 ,if you want them1 you have to dial the system directly1 at 7#bje7 #hie-jjbh4 ,telnet3 spacelink4msfc4nasa4gov ,when you connect1 you'll be given an overview of the system and asked to register and choose a password4 ,the ,,ned-,,nasa_/,,ipac ,extragalactic ,database lists data on more than #ajj1jjj galaxies1 quasars and other objects outside the ,milky ,way4 ,telnet3 ipac4caltech4edu4 ,log in3 ned ,you can learn more than you ever wanted to about quasars1 novae and related objects on a system run by the ,smithsonian ,astrophysical ,observatory in ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,telnet3 cfa#bjd4;harvard4edu ,log in3 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 space4 ,telnet3 spacemet4phast4umass4edu ,log on with your name and a password4 ,,supreme ,,court ,,decisions ,the ,university of ,maryland ,info ,database maintains ,u4,s4 ,supreme ,court decisions from #aiia on4 ,telnet3 info4umd4edu ,choose a terminal type and hit enter 7or just hit enter if you are using ,,vt#ajj74 ,at the main menu1 choose the number next to ,educational ,resources and hit enter4 ,one of your options will then be for ,united ,states4 ,select that number and then1 at the next menu1 choose the one next to ,supreme ,court4 ,,telnet ,hytelnet1 at the ,university of ,saskatchewan1 is an online guide to hundreds of telnet sites around the world4 ,telnet3 access4usask4ca ,log in3 hytelnet ,,time ,to find out the exact time3 ,telnet3 india4colorado4edu #ac ,you'll see something like this3 ,escape character is ''4 ,sun ,apr #e #ad3aa3da #aiib ,connection closed by foreign host4 ,the middle line tells you the date and exact ,mountain ,standard ,time1 as determined by a federal atomic clock4 ,,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 world4 ,telnet3 metro4jussieu4fr #ajjjj ,no log-in is needed4 ,when you connect1 you'll be asked to choose a language in which to search 7you can choose ,english or ,french7 and then a city to search4 ,you'll be asked for the station you plan to leave from and the station you want to get to4 ,,weather ,the ,university of ,michigan's ,department of ,atmospheric1 ,oceanographic and ,space ,sciences supplies weather forecasts for ,u4,s4 and foreign cities1 along with skiing and hurricane reports4 ,telnet3 madlab4sprl4umich4edu #cjjj 7note the #cjjj74 ,no log-in name is needed4 ,also see under ,weather in the ,,ftp list for information on downloading satellite and radar weather images4 #f4d ,,telnet ,,bulletin-,,board ,,systems ,you might think that ,usenet1 with its hundreds of newsgroups1 would be enough to satisfy the most dedicated of online communicators4 ,but there are a number of bulletin-board and other systems that provide even more conferences or other services1 many not found directly on the ,net4 ,some are free2 others charge for access4 ,they include3 ,bookstacks ,unlimited is a ,cleveland bookstore that uses the ,internet to advertise its services4 ,its online system features not only a catalog1 however1 but conferences on books and literature4 ,telnet3 books4com ,log in with your own name and select a password for future connections4 ,cimarron4 ,run by the ,instituto ,technical in ,monterey1 ,mexico1 this system has ,spanish conferences1 but ,english commands1 as you can see from this menu of available conferences3 ,list of ,boards ,name ,title ,general ,board general ,dudas ,dudas de ,cimarron ,comentarios ,comentarios al ,,sysop ,musica ,para los afinados44444444 ,libros ,el sano arte de leer44444 ,sistemas ,sistemas ,operativos en ,general4 ,virus ,su peor enemigo444444 ,cultural ,espacio ,cultural de ,cimarron ,ne,x,t ,el ,mundo de ,ne,x,t ,ciencias ,solo apto para ,nerds4 ,inspiracion ,para los ,romanticos e ,inspirados4 ,deportes ,discusiones ,deportivas ,to be able to write messages and gain access to files1 you have to leave a note to ,,sysop with your name1 address1 occupation and phone number4 ,to do this1 at any prompt1 hit your ,m key and then enter1 which will bring up the mail system4 ,hitting ,h brings up a list of commands and how to use them4 ,telnet3 bugs4mty4itesm4mx 7#h p4m4 to #aj a4m41 ,eastern time1 only74 ,at the login3 prompt1 type bbs and hit enter4 ,cleveland ,free-,net4 ,the first of a series of ,free-nets1 this represents an ambitious attempt to bring the ,net to the public4 ,originally an in-hospital help network1 it is now sponsored by ,case ,western ,reserve ,university1 the city of ,cleveland1 the state of ,ohio and ,,ibm4 ,it uses simple menus1 similar to those found on ,compu,serve1 but organized like a city3 ,,cleveland ,,free-,,net ,,directory #a ,the ,administration ,building #b ,the ,post ,office #c ,public ,square #d ,the ,courthouse ,government ,center #e ,the ,arts ,building #f ,science and ,technology ,center #g ,the ,medical ,arts ,building #h ,the ,schoolhouse 7,academy ,one7 #i ,the ,community ,center ,recreation ,area #aj ,the ,business and ,industrial ,park #aa ,the ,library #ab ,university ,circle #ac ,the ,teleport #ad ,the ,communications ,center #ae ,,nptn_/,,usa ,,today ,,headline ,,news ---------------------------------------- -------- h,help1 x,exit ,free-,net1 go helpextended help ,your ,choice ,the system has a vast and growing collection of public documents1 from copies of ,u4,s4 and ,ohio ,supreme ,court decisions to the ,magna ,carta and the ,u4,s4 ,constitution4 ,it links residents to various government agencies and has daily stories from ,,usa ,today4 ,beyond ,usenet 7found in the ,teleport area71 it has a large collection of local conferences on everything from pets to politics4 ,and yes1 it's free6 ,telnet3 freenet-in-a4cwru4edu or freenet-in-b4cwru4edu or freenet-in-c4cwru4edu ,when you connect to ,free-,net1 you can look around the system4 ,however1 if you want to be able to post messages in its conferences or use e-mail1 you will have to apply in writing for an account4 ,information on this is available when you connect4 ,,dubbs4 ,this is a bulletin-board system in ,delft in the ,netherlands4 ,the conferences and files are mostly in ,dutch1 but the help files and the system commands themselves are in ,english4 ,telnet3 tudrwa4tudelft4nl ,,isca ,,bbs4 ,run by the ,iowa ,student ,computer ,association1 it has more than #ajj conferences1 including several in foreign languages4 ,after you register1 hit ,k for a list of available conferences and then ,j to join a particular conference 7you have to type in the name of the conference1 not the number next to it74 ,hitting ,h brings up information about commands4 ,telnet bbs4isca4uiowa4edu ,at the login3 prompt1 type bbs and hit enter4 ,youngstown ,free-,net4 ,the people who created ,cleveland ,free-,net sell their software for #a to anybody willing to set up a similar system4 ,a number of cities now have their own ,free-,nets1 including ,youngstown1 ,ohio4 ,telnet3 yfn4ysu4edu ,at the login3 prompt1 type visitor and hit enter4 #f4e ,,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 yourself4 ,finger uses the same concept as telnet or ftp4 ,but it works with only one file1 called 4plan 7yes1 with a period in front74 ,this is a text file an ,internet user creates with a text editor in his home directory4 ,you can put your phone number in there1 tell a little bit about yourself1 or write almost anything at all4 ,to finger somebody else's 4plan file1 type this at the command line3 finger email-address where email-address is the person's e-mail address4 ,you'll get back a display that shows the last time the person was online1 whether they've gotten any new mail since that time and what1 if anything1 is in their 4plan file4 ,some people and institutions have come up with creative uses for these 4plan files1 letting you do everything from checking the weather in ,massachusetts to getting the latest baseball standings4 ,try fingering these e-mail addresses3 weathercirrus4mit4edu ,latest ,national ,weather ,service weather forecasts for regions in ,massachusetts4 quakegeophys4washington4edu ,locations and magnitudes of recent earthquakes around the world4 jtchernocf4berkeley4edu ,current major-league baseball standings and results of the previous day's games4 nasanewsspace4mit4edu ,the day's events at ,,nasa4 cokecs4cmu4edu ,see how many cans of each type of soda are left in a particular soda machine in the computer-science department of ,carnegie-,mellon ,university4 #f4f ,,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 write8 ,the quickest way may be to just pick up the phone1 call him and ask him4 ,although there are a variety of white pages services available on the ,internet1 they are far from complete -- college students1 users of commercial services such as ,compu,serve and many ,internet public-access sites1 and many others simply won't be listed4 ,major e-mail providers are working on a universal directory system1 but that could be some time away4 ,in the meantime1 a couple of white pages services might give you some leads1 or even just entertain you as you look up famous people or long-lost acquaintances4 ,the whois directory provides names1 e-mail and postal mail address and often phone numbers for people listed in it4 ,to use it1 telnet to internic4net ,no log-on is needed4 ,the quickest way to use it is to type whois name at the prompt1 where name is the last name or organization name you're looking for4 ,another service worth trying1 especially since it seems to give beginners fewer problems1 is the ,knowbot ,information ,service reachable by telnet at info4cnri4reston4va4us #ahe ,again1 no log-on is needed4 ,this service actually searches through a variety of other white pages systems1 including the user directory for ,m,c,i,mail4 ,to look for somebody1 type query name where name is the last name of the person you're looking for4 ,you can get details of other commands by hitting a question mark at the prompt4 ,you can also use the knowbot system by e-mail4 ,start a message to netaddressinfo4cnri4reston4va4us ,you can leave the subject3 line blank4 ,as your message1 type query name for the simplest type of search4 ,if you want details on more complex searches1 add another line3 man ,another way to search is via the ,usenet name server4 ,this is a system at ,,mit that keeps track of the e-mail addresses of everybody who posts a ,usenet message that appears at ,,mit4 ,it works by e-mail4 ,send a message to mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu ,leave the subject3 line blank4 ,as your message1 write send usenet-addresses_/lastname where lastname is the last name of the person you're looking for4 #f4g ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong 99 ,nothing happens when you try to connect to a telnet site4 ,the site could be down for maintenance or problems4 99 ,you get a host unavailable message4 ,the telnet site is down for some reason4 ,try again later4 99 ,you get a host unknown message4 ,check your spelling of the site name4 99 ,you type in a password on a telnet site that requires one1 and you get a login incorrect message4 ,try logging in again4 ,if you get the message again1 hit your control and keys at the same time to disengage and return to your host system4 99 ,you can't seem to disconnect from a telnet site4 ,use control- to disengage and return to your host system4 #f4h ,,fyi ,the ,usenet newsgroups alt4internet4services and alt4bbs4internet can provide pointers to new telnet systems4 ,scott ,yanoff periodically posts his ,updated ,internet ,services ,list in the former4 ,the alt4bbs4internet newsgroup is also where you'll find ,aydin ,edguer's compendium of ,f,a,qs related to ,internet bulletin-board systems4 ,peter ,scott1 who maintains the ,hytelnet database1 runs a mailing list about new telnet services and changes in existing ones4 ,to get on the list1 send him a note at scottsklib4usask4ca4 ,gleason ,sackman maintains another mailing list dedicated to new ,internet services and news about the new uses to which the ,net is being put4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to listservinternic4net4 ,leave the subject3 line blank1 and as your message1 write3 ,sub net-happenings ,your ,name4 ,chapter #g3 ,,ftp #g4a ,,tons ,,of ,,files ,hundreds of systems connected to ,internet have file libraries1 or archives1 accessible to the public4 ,much of this consists of free or low- cost shareware programs for virtually every make of computer4 ,if you want a different communications program for your ,,ibm1 or feel like playing a new game on your ,amiga1 you'll be able to get it from the ,net4 ,but there are also libraries of documents as well4 ,if you want a copy of a recent ,u4,s4 ,supreme ,court decision1 you can find it on the ,net4 ,copies of historical documents1 from the ,magna ,carta to the ,declaration of ,independence are also yours for the asking1 along with a translation of a telegram from ,lenin ordering the execution of rebellious peasants4 ,you can also find song lyrics1 poems1 even summaries of every ,lost in ,space episode ever made4 ,you can also find extensive files detailing everything you could ever possibly want to know about the ,net itself4 ,first you'll see how to get these files2 then we'll show you where they're kept4 ,the commonest way to get these files is through the file transfer protocol1 or ftp4 ,as with telnet1 not all systems that connect to the ,net have access to ftp4 ,however1 if your system is one of these1 you'll be able to get many of these files through e-mail 7see the next chapter74 ,starting ftp is as easy as using telnet4 ,at your host system's command line1 type ftp site4name and hit enter1 where site4name is the address of the ftp site you want to reach4 ,one major difference between telnet and ftp is that it is considered bad form to connect to most ftp sites during their business hours 7generally #f a4m4 to #f p4m4 local time74 ,this is because transferring files across the network takes up considerable computing power1 which during the day is likely to be needed for whatever the computer's main function is4 ,there are some ftp sites that are accessible to the public #bd hours a day1 though4 ,you'll find these noted in the list of ftp sites in section #g4f #g4b ,,your ,,friend ,,archie ,how do you find a file you want1 though8 ,until a few years ago1 this could be quite the pain -- there was no master directory to tell you where a given file might be stored on the ,net4 ,who'd want to slog through hundreds of file libraries looking for something8 ,alan ,emtage1 ,bill ,heelan and ,peter ,deutsch1 students at ,mc,gill ,university in ,montreal1 asked the same question4 ,unlike the weather1 though1 they did something about it4 ,they created a database system1 called archie1 that would periodically call up file libraries and basically find out what they had available4 ,in turn1 anybody could dial into archie1 type in a file name1 and see where on the ,net it was available4 ,archie currently catalogs close to #a1jjj file libraries around the world4 ,today1 there are three ways to ask archie to find a file for you3 through telnet1 client ,archie program on your own host system or e- mail4 ,all three methods let you type in a full or partial file name and will tell you where on the ,net it's stored4 ,if you have access to telnet1 you can telnet to one of the following addresses3 archie4mcgill4ca2 archie4sura4net2 archie4unl4edu2 archie4ans4net2 or archie4rutgers4edu4 ,if asked for a log-in name1 type archie and hit enter4 ,when you connect1 the key command is prog1 which you use in this form3 prog filename followed by enter1 where filename is the program or file you're looking for4 ,if you're unsure of a file's complete name1 try typing in part of the name4 ,for example1 ,,pkzip will work as well as ,,pkzip#bjd4;,,exe4 ,the system does not support ,,dos or ,unix wildcards4 ,if you ask archie to look for ,,pkzip991 it will tell you it couldn't find anything by that name4 ,one thing to keep in mind is that a file is not necessarily the same as a program -- it could also be a document4 ,this means you can use archie to search for1 say1 everything online related to the ,beetles1 as well as computer programs and graphics files4 ,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 online4 ,these client programs seem to provide information a lot more quickly than the actual archie itself6 ,if it is available1 at your host system's command line1 type archie -s filename where filename is the program or document you're looking for1 and hit enter4 ,the -s tells the program to ignore case in a file name and lets you search for partial matches4 ,you might actually want to type it this way3 archie -s filenamemore which will stop the output every screen 7handy if there are many sites that carry the file you want74 ,or you could open a file on your computer with your text-logging function4 ,the third way1 for people without access to either of the above1 is e- mail4 ,send a message to archiequiche4cs4mcgill4ca4 ,you can leave the subject line blank4 ,inside the message1 type prog filename where filename is the file you're looking for4 ,you can ask archie to look up several programs by putting their names on the same prog line1 like this3 prog file#a file#b file#c ,within a few hours1 archie will write back with a list of the appropriate sites4 ,in all three cases1 if there is a system that has your file1 you'll get a response that looks something like this3 ,host sumex-aim4stanford4edu ,location3 _/info-mac_/comm ,,file -rw-r--r-- #behbef ,feb #ae #ag3jg zterm-#ji4;hqx ,location3 _/info-mac_/misc ,,file -rw-r--r-- #gdij ,sep #ab #aiia zterm-sys#g-;color-icons4hqx ,chances are1 you will get a number of similar looking responses for each program4 ,the host is the system that has the file4 ,the ,location tells you which directory to look in when you connect to that system4 ,ignore the funny-looking collections of r's and hyphens for now4 ,after them1 come the size of the file or directory listing in bytes1 the date it was uploaded1 and the name of the file4 #g4c ,,getting ,,the ,,files ,now you want to get that file4 ,assuming your host site does have ftp1 you connect in a similar fashion to telnet1 by typing3 ftp sumex-aim4stanford4edu 7or the name of whichever site you want to reach74 ,hit enter4 ,if the connection works1 you'll see this3 ,connected to sumex-aim4stanford4edu4 #bbj ,,sumex-,,aim ,,ftp server 7,version #d4aif ,mon ,jan #ac #ac3eb3bc ,,pst #aiib7 ready4 ,name 7sumex-aim4stanford4edu3adamg73 ,if nothing happens after a minute or so1 hit control-,c to return to your host system's command line4 ,but if it has worked1 type anonymous and hit enter4 ,you'll see a lot of references on the ,net to anonymous ftp4 ,this is how it gets its name -- you don't really have to tell the library site what your name is4 ,the reason is that these sites are set up so that anybody can gain access to certain public files1 while letting people with accounts on the sites to log on and access their own personal files4 ,next1 you'll be asked for your password4 ,as a password1 use your e-mail address4 ,this will then come up3 #bcj ,guest connection accepted4 ,restrictions apply4 ,remote system type is ,,unix4 ,using binary mode to transfer files4 ftp ,now type ls and hit enter4 ,you'll see something awful like this3 #bjj ,,port command successful4 #aej ,opening ,,ascii mode data connection for _/bin_/ls4 total #bfcf -rw-rw-r-- #a #j #ca #dddd ,mar #c #aa3cd ,,readme4,,posting dr-xr-xr-x #b #j #a #eab ,nov #h #aa3jf bin -rw-r--r-- #a #j #j #aajcjifj ,apr #b #ad3jf core dr--r--r-- #b #j #a #eab ,nov #h #aa3jf etc drwxrwsr-x #e #ac #bb #eab ,mar #ai #ab3bg imap drwxr-xr-x #be #ajaf #ca #eab ,apr #d #jb3ae info-mac drwxr-x--- #b #j #ca #ajbd ,apr #e #ae3ch pid drwxrwsr-x #ac #j #bj #ajbd ,mar #bg #ad3jc pub drwxr-xr-x #b #ajgg #bj #eab ,feb #f #aihi tmycin #bbf ,transfer complete4 ftp ,ack6 ,let's decipher this ,rosetta ,stone4 ,first1 ls is the ftp command for displaying a directory 7you can actually use dir as well1 but if you're used to ,,ms-,,dos1 this could lead to confusion when you try to use dir on your host system1 where it won't work1 so it's probably better to just remember to always use ls for a directory while online74 ,the very first letter on each line tells you whether the listing is for a directory or a file4 ,if the first letter is a d1'' or an l1 it's a directory4 ,otherwise1 it's a file4 ,the rest of that weird set of letters and dashes consist of flags that tell the ftp site who can look at1 change or delete the file4 ,you can safely ignore it4 ,you can also ignore the rest of the line until you get to the second number1 the one just before the date4 ,this tells you how large the file is1 in bytes4 ,if the line is for a directory1 the number gives you a rough indication of how many items are in that directory -- a directory listing of #eab bytes is relatively small4 ,next comes the date the file or directory was uploaded1 followed 7finally67 by its name4 ,notice the ,,readme4,,posting file up at the top of the directory4 ,most archive sites have a read me document1 which usually contains some basic information about the site1 its resources and how to use them4 ,let's get this file1 both for the information in it and to see how to transfer files from there to here4 ,at the ftp prompt1 type get ,,readme and hit enter4 ,note that ftp sites are no different from ,unix sites in general3 they are case-sensitive4 ,you'll see something like this3 #bjj ,,port command successful4 #aej ,opening ,,binary mode data connection for ,,readme 7#dddd bytes74 #bbf ,transfer complete4 #dddd bytes received in #a4aggseconds 7#c4h ,kbytes_/s7 ,and that's it6 ,the file is now located in your home directory on your host system1 from which you can now download it to your own computer4 ,the simple get command is the key to transferring a file from an archive site to your host system4 ,if you want to download more than one file at a time 7say a series of documents1 use mget instead of get2 for example3 mget 994txt ,this will transfer copies of every file ending with 4txt in the given directory4 ,before each file is copied1 you'll be asked if you're sure you want it4 ,despite this1 mget could still save you considerable time -- you won't have to type in every single file name4 ,if you want to save even more time1 and are sure you really want ,,all of the given files1 type prompt before you do the mget command4 ,this will turn off the prompt1 and all the files will be zapped right into your home directory4 ,there is one other command to keep in mind4 ,if you want to get a copy of a computer program1 type bin and hit enter4 ,this tells the ftp site and your host site that you are sending a binary file1 i4e41 a program4 ,most ftp sites now use binary format as a default1 but it's a good idea to do this in case you've connected to one of the few that doesn't4 ,to switch to a directory1 type cd directory-name 7substituting the name of the directory you want to access7 and hit enter4 ,type ls and hit enter to get the file listing for that particular directory4 ,to move back up the directory tree1 type cd 44 7note the space between the d and the first period7 and hit enter4 ,or you could type cdup and hit enter4 ,keep doing this until you get to the directory of interest4 ,alternately1 if you already know the directory path of the file you want 7from our friend archie71 after you connect1 you could simply type get directory_/subdirectory_/filename ,on many sites1 files meant for public consumption are in the pub or public directory2 sometimes you'll see an info directory4 ,almost every site has a bin directory1 which at first glance sounds like a bin in which interesting stuff might be dumped4 ,but it actually stands for binary and is simply a place for the system administrator to store the programs that run the ftp system4 ,lostfound is another directory that looks interesting but actually never has anything of public interest in them4 ,before1 you saw how to use archie4 ,from our example1 you can see that some system administrators go a little berserk when naming files4 ,fortunately1 there's a way for you to rename the file as it's being transferred4 ,using our archie example1 you'd type get zterm-sys#g-;color-icons4hqx zterm4hqx and hit enter4 ,instead of having to deal constantly with a file called zterm-sys#g-;color-icons4hqx1 you'll now have one called1 simply1 zterm4hqx4 ,those last three letters bring up something else3 ,many program files are compressed to save on space and transmission time4 ,in order to actually use them1 you'll have to use an un-compress program on them first4 #g4d ,,odd ,,letters -- ,,decoding ,,file ,,endings ,there are a wide variety of compression methods in use4 ,you can tell which method was used by the last one to three letters at the end of a file4 ,here are some of the more common ones and what you'll need to un- compress the files they create 7most of these decompression programs can be located through archie74 4txt or 4,,txt ,by itself1 this means the file is a document1 rather than a program4 4ps or 4,,ps ,a ,post,script document 7in ,adobe's page description language74 ,you can print this file on any ,post,script capable printer1 or use a previewer1 like ,,gnu project's ,ghost,script4 4doc or 4,,doc ,another common extension for documents4 ,no decompression is needed1 unless it is followed by3 4,z ,this indicates a ,unix compression method4 ,to uncompress1 type uncompress filename4,z and hit enter at your host system's command line4 ,if the file is a compressed text file1 you can read it online by instead typing zcat filename4txt4,z more u#af4zip is an ,,ms-,,dos program that will let you download such a file and uncompress it on your own computer4 ,the ,macintosh equivalent program is called ,mac,compress 7use archie to find these74 4zip or 4,,zip ,these indicate the file has been compressed with a common ,,ms-,,dos compression program1 known as ,,pkzip 7use archie to find ,,pkzip#bjd4;,,exe74 ,many ,unix systems will let you un-,,zip a file with a program called1 well1 unzip4 4gz ,a ,unix version of ,,zip4 ,to uncompress1 type gunzip filename4gz at your host system's command line4 4zoo or 4,,zoo ,a ,unix and ,,ms-,,dos compression format4 ,use a program called zoo to uncompress 4,hqx or 4hqx ,mactintosh compression format4 ,requires the ,bin,hex program4 4shar or ,another ,unix format4 ,use unshar to uncompress4 4,shar 4tar ,another ,unix format1 often used to compress several related files into one large file4 ,most ,unix systems will have a program called tar for un-tarring such files4 ,often1 a tarred file will also be compressed with the gz method1 so you first have to use uncompress and then tar4 4sit or 4,sit ,a ,mactinosh format that requires the ,stuff,it program4 4,,arc ,another ,,ms-,,dos format1 which requires the use of the ,,arc or ,,arce programs4 4,,lhz ,another ,,ms-,,dos format2 requires the use of ,,lharc4 ,a few last words of caution3 ,check the size of a file before you get it4 ,the ,net moves data at phenomenal rates of speed4 ,but that #ejj1jjj- 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 #bdjj-;baud modem4 ,your host system may also have limits on the amount of bytes you can store online at any one time4 ,also1 although it is really extremely unlikely you will ever get a file infected with a virus1 if you plan to do much downloading over the ,net1 you'd be wise to invest in a good anti-viral program1 just in case4 #g4e ,,the ,,keyboard ,,cabal ,system administrators are like everybody else -- they try to make things easier for themselves4 ,and when you sit in front of a keyboard all day1 that can mean trying everything possible to reduce the number of keys you actually have to hit each day4 ,unfortunately1 that can make it difficult for the rest of us4 ,you've already read about bin and lostfound directories4 ,etc is another seemingly interesting directory that turns out to be another place to store files used by the ftp site itself4 ,again1 nothing of any real interest4 ,then1 once you get into the actual file libraries1 you'll find that in many cases1 files will have such non-descriptive names as ,v#a4a- ,,ak4,,txt4 ,the best known example is probably a set of several hundred files known as ,r,f,cs1 which provide the basic technical and organizational information on which much of the ,internet is built4 ,these files can be found on many ftp sites1 but always in a form such as ,,rfc#aja4,,txt1 ,,rfc#ajb4,,txt and so on1 with no clue whatsoever as to what information they contain4 ,fortunately1 almost all ftp sites have a ,rosetta ,stone to help you decipher these names4 ,most will have a file named ,,readme 7or some variant7 that gives basic information about the system4 ,then1 most directories will either have a similar ,,readme file or will have an index that does give brief descriptions of each file4 ,these are usually the first file in a directory and often are in the form #jj;,,index4,,txt4 ,use the ftp command to get this file4 ,you can then scan it online or download it to see which files you might be interested in4 ,another file you will frequently see is called ls-l,r4,z4 ,this contains a listing of every file on the system1 but without any descriptions 7the name comes from the ,unix command ls -l,r1 which gives you a listing of all the files in all your directories74 ,the ,z at the end means the file has been compressed1 which means you will have to use a ,unix un-compress command before you can read the file4 ,and finally1 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 names4 ,on some ,,ftp sites1 you will see file names as long as #hj characters or so1 full of capital letters1 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 it4 ,your secret weapon here is the mget command4 ,just type mget1 a space1 and the first five or six letters of the file name1 followed by an asterisk1 for example3 mget ,this,f99 ,the ,,ftp site will ask you if you want to get the file that begins with that name4 ,if there are several files that start that way1 you might have to answer 'n' a few times1 but it's still easier than trying to recreate a ludicrously long file name4 #g4f ,,some ,,interesting ,,ftp ,,sites ,what follows is a list of some interesting ftp sites1 arranged by category4 ,with hundreds of ftp sites now on the ,net1 however1 this list barely scratches the surface of what is available4 ,liberal use of archie will help you find specific files4 ,the times listed for each site are in ,eastern time and represent the periods during which it is considered acceptable to connect4 ,,amiga ftp4uu4net ,has ,amiga programs in the systems_/amiga directory4 ,available #bd hours4 wuarchive4wustl4edu4 ,look in the pub_/aminet directory4 ,available #bd hours4 ,,atari atari4archive4umich4edu ,find almost all the ,atari files you'll ever need1 in the atari directory4 #g p4m4 - #g a4m4 ,,books rtfm4mit4edu ,the pub_/usenet_/rec4arts4books directories has reading lists for various authors as well as lists of recommended bookstores in different cities4 ,unfortunately1 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 computers4 ,even if you want just one of the files1 it probably makes more sense to use mget than get4 ,this way1 you will be asked on each file whether you want to get it2 otherwise you may wind up frustrated because the system will keep telling you the file you want doesn't exist 7since you may miss the end of its name due to the scrolling problem74 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 mrcnext4cso4uiuc4edu ,project ,gutenberg is an effort to translate paper texts into electronic form4 ,already available are more than #ajj titles1 from works by ,lewis ,carrol to ,mark ,twain2 from ,a ,tale of ,two ,cities to ,son of ,tarzan4 ,look in the _/etext_/etext#ib and _/etext_/etext#ic directories4 #f p4m4 - #i a4m4 ,,computer ,,ethics ftp4eff4org ,the home of the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,use cd to get to the pub directory and then look in the ,,eff1 ,,sjg and ,,cpsr directories for documents on the ,,eff itself and various issues related to the ,net1 ethics and the law4 ,available #bd hours4 ,,consumer rtfm4mit4edu ,the pub_/usenet_/misc4consumers directory has documents related to credit4 ,the pub_/usenet_/rec4travel4air directory will tell you how to deal with airline reservation clerks1 find the best prices on seats1 etc4 ,see under ,books for a caveat in using this ftp site4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,cooking wuarchive4wustl4edu ,look for recipes and recipe directories in the usenet_/rec4food4cooking_/recipes directory4 gatekeeper4dec4com ,recipes are in the pub_/recipes directory4 ,,economics neeedc4umesbs4maine4edu ,the ,federal ,reserve ,bank of ,boston uses this site 7yes1 there are three 'e's in neeedc7 to house all sorts of data on the ,new ,england economy4 ,many files contain #bj years or more of information1 usually in forms that are easily adaptable to spreadsheet or database files4 ,look in the frbb directory4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 town4hall4org4 ,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 ,commission4 ,the other_/fed directory holds various statistical files from the ,federal ,reserve ,board4 ,,ftp iraun#a4;ira4uka4de ,run by the computer-science department of the ,university of ,karlsruhe in ,germany1 this site offers lists of anonymous- ,,ftp sites both internationally 7in the anon4ftp4sites directory7 and in ,germany 7in anon4ftp4sites4,,de74 #ab p4m4 to #b a4m4 ftp4netcom4com ,the pub_/profiles directory has lists of ftp sites4 ,,government ncsuvm4cc4ncsu4edu ,the ,,senate directory contains bibliographic records of ,u4,s4 ,senate hearings and documents for the past several ,congresses4 ,get the file ,,readme4,,dos#iaaa1 which will explain the cryptic file names4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 nptn4org ,the ,general ,accounting ,office is the investigative wing of ,congress4 ,the pub_/e4texts_/gao4reports directory represents an experiment by the agency to use ftp to distribute its reports4 ,available #bd hours4 info4umd4edu ,the info_/,government_/,,us_/,whitehouse directory has copies of press releases and other documents from the ,clinton administration4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 leginfo4public4ca4gov ,this is a repository of legislative calendars1 bills and other information related to state government in ,california4 ,available #bd hours4 whitehouse4gov ,look for copies of presidential position papers1 transcripts of press conferences and related information here4 ,available #bd hours4 ,see also under law4 ,,history nptn4org ,this site has a large1 growing collecting of text files4 ,in the pub_/e4texts_/freedom4shrine directory1 you'll find copies of important historical documents1 from the ,magna ,carta to the ,declaration of ,independence and the ,emancipation ,proclamation4 ,available #bd hours4 ra4msstate4edu ,mississippi ,state maintains an eclectic database of historical documents1 detailing everything from ,attilla's battle strategy to songs of soldiers in ,vietnam1 in the docs_/history directory4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 seq#a4loc4gov ,the ,library of ,congress has acquired numerous documents from the former ,soviet government and has translated many of them into ,english4 ,in the pub_/soviet4archive_/text4english directory1 you'll find everything from telegrams from ,lenin ordering the death of peasants to ,khrushchev's response to ,kennedy during the ,cuban missile crisis4 ,the ,,readme file in the pub_/soviet4archive directory provides an index to the documents4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,hong ,,kong nok4lcs4mit4edu ,,gif pictures of ,hong ,kong pop stars1 buildings and vistas are available in the pub_/hongkong_/,,hkpa directory4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,internet ftp4eff4org ,the pub_/,netinfo directory has a number of sub- directories containing various ,internet resources guides and information files1 including the latest online version of the ,big ,dummy's ,guide4 ,available #bd hours4 nic4ddn4mil ,the internet-drafts directory contains information about ,internet1 while the scc directory holds network security bulletins4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,law info4umd4edu ,u4,s4 ,supreme ,court decisions from #aihi to the present are stored in the info_/,government_/,,us_/,supreme,ct directory4 ,each term has a separate directory 7for example1 term#aiib74 ,get the ,,readme and ,index files to help decipher the case numbers4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ftp4uu4net ,supreme ,court decisions are in the court-opinions directory4 ,you'll want to get the index file1 which tells you which file numbers go with which file names4 ,the decisions come in ,word,perfect and ,atex format only4 ,available #bd hours a day4 ,,libraries ftp4unt4edu ,the library directory contains numerous lists of libraries with computerized card catalogs accessible through the ,net4 ,,literature nptn4org ,in the pub_/e4texts_/gutenberg_/etext#ia and etext#ib directories1 you can get copies of ,aesop's ,fables1 works by ,lewis ,carroll and other works of literature1 as well as the ,book of ,mormon4 ,available #bd hours4 world4std4com ,the obi directory has everything from online fables to accounts of ,hiroshima survivors4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,macintosh sumex-aim4stanford4edu ,this is the premier site for ,macintosh software4 ,after you log in1 switch to the info-mac directory1 which will bring up a long series of sub-directories of virtually every free and shareware ,mac program you could ever want4 #i p4m4 - #i a4m4 ftp4uu4net ,you'll find lots of ,macintosh programs in the systems_/mac_/simtel#bj directory4 ,available #bd hours a day4 ,,movie ,,reviews lcs4mit4edu ,look in the movie-reviews directory4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,ms-,,dos wuarchive4wustl4edu ,this carries one of the world's largest collections of ,,ms-,,dos software4 ,the files are actually copied1 or mirrored from a computer at the ,u4,s4 ,army's ,white ,sands ,missile ,range 7which uses ftp software that is totally incomprehensible74 ,it also carries large collections of ,macintosh1 ,windows1 ,atari1 ,amiga1 ,unix1 ,,os#i1 ,,cp_/,m and ,apple ,,ii software4 ,look in the mirrors and systems directories4 ,the gif directory contains a large number of ,,gif graphics images4 ,accessible #bd hours4 ftp4uu4net ,look for ,,ms-,,dos programs and files in the systems_/msdos_/simtel#bj directory4 ,available #bd hours a day4 ,,music cs4uwp4edu ,the pub_/music directory has everything from lyrics of contemporary songs to recommended ,c,ds of baroque music4 ,it's a little different - and easier to navigate - than other ftp sites4 ,file and directory names are on the left1 while on the right1 you'll find a brief description of the file or directory1 like this3 ,,sites #aebh ,other music-related ,,ftp archive sites classical_/ - 7dir7 ,classical ,buying ,guide database_/ - 7dir7 ,music ,database program discog_/ 7dir7 ,discographies faqs_/ 7dir7 ,music ,frequently ,asked questions files folk_/ - 7dir7 ,folk ,music ,files and pointers guitar_/ 7dir7 ,guitar ,,tab files from ftp4nevada4edu info_/ 7dir7 rec4music4info archives interviews_/ - 7dir7 ,interviews with musicians_/groups lists_/ 7dir7 ,mailing lists archives lyrics_/ 7dir7 ,lyrics ,archives misc_/ - 7dir7 ,misc files that don't fit anywhere else pictures_/ 7dir7 ,,gifs1 ,j,p,e,gs1 ,p,b,ms and more4 press_/ - 7dir7 ,press ,releases and misc articles programs_/ - 7dir7 ,misc music-related programs for various machines releases_/ 7dir7 ,upcoming ,,usa release listings sounds_/ 7dir7 ,short sound samples #bbf ,transfer complete4 ftp ,when you switch to a directory1 don't include the _/4 #g p4m4 - #g a4m4 potemkin4cs4pdx4edu ,the ,bob ,dylan archive4 ,interviews1 notes1 year-by-year accounts of his life and more1 in the pub_/dylan directory4 #i p4m4 - #i a4m4 ftp4nevada4edu ,guitar chords for contemporary songs are in the pub_/guitar directory1 in subdirectories organized by group or artist4 ,,native ,,americans pines4hsu4edu ,home of ,indian,net1 this site contains a variety of directories and files related to ,indians and ,eskimos1 including federal census data1 research reports and a tribal profiles database4 ,look in the pub and indian directories4 ,,pets rtfm4mit4edu ,the pub_/usenet_/rec4pets4dogs and pub_/usenet4rec4pets4cats directories have documents on the respective animals4 ,see under ,books for a caveat in using this ftp site4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,pictures wuarchiv4wustl4edu ,the graphics_/gif directory contains hundreds of ,,gif photographic and drawing images1 from cartoons to cars1 space images to pop stars4 ,these are arranged in a long series of subdirectories4 ,,photography ftp4nevada4edu ,photolog is an online digest of photography news1 in the pub_/photo directory4 ,,religion nptn4org ,in the pub_/e4texts_/religion directory1 you'll find subdirectories for chapters and books of both the ,bible and the ,koran4 ,available #bd hours4 ,,science ,,fiction elbereth4rutgers4edu ,in the pub_/sfl directory1 you'll find plot summaries for various science-fiction ,,tv shows1 including ,star ,trek 7not only the original and ,next ,generation shows1 but the cartoon version as well71 ,lost in ,space1 ,battlestar ,galactica1 the ,twilight ,zone1 the ,prisoner and ,doctor ,who4 ,there are also lists of various things related to science fiction and an online science-fiction fanzine4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,sex rtfm4mit4edu ,look in the pub_/usenet_/alt4sex and pub_/usenet_/alt4sex4wizards directories for documents related to all facets of sex4 ,see under ,books for a caveat in using this ftp site4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,shakespeare atari4archive4umich4edu ,the shakespeare directory contains most of the ,bard's works4 ,a number of other sites have his works as well1 but generally as one huge mega-file4 ,this site breaks them down into various categories 7comedies1 poetry1 histories1 etc47 so that you can download individual plays or sonnets4 ,,space ames4arc4nasa4gov ,stores text files about space and the history of the ,,nasa space program in the pub_/,,space subdirectory4 ,in the pub_/,,gif and pub_/,,space_/,,gif directories1 you'll find astronomy- and ,,nasa-related ,,gif files1 including pictures of planets1 satellites and other celestial objects4 #i p4m4 - #i a4m4 ,,tv coe4montana4edu ,the pub_/,,tv_/,guides directory has histories and other information about dozens of ,,tv shows4 ,only two anonymous-ftp log-ins are allowed at a time1 so you might have to try more than once to get in4 #h p4m4 - #h a4m4 ftp4cs4widener4edu ,the pub_/simpsons directory has more files than anybody could possibly need about ,bart and family4 ,the pub_/strek directory has files about the original and ,next ,generation shows as well as the movies4 ,see also under ,science ,fiction4 ,,travel nic4stolaf4edu ,before you take that next overseas trip1 you might want to see whether the ,state ,department has issued any kind of advisory for the countries on your itinerary4 ,the advisories1 which cover everything from hurricane damage to civil war1 are in the pub_/travel- advisories_/advisories directory1 arranged by country4 #g p4m4 - #g a4m4 ,,usenet ftp4uu4net ,in the usenet directory1 you'll find frequently asked questions files1 copied from rtfm4mit4edu4 ,the communications directory holds programs that let ,,ms-,,dos users connect directly with ,,uucp sites4 ,in the info directory1 you'll find information about ftp and ftp sites4 ,the inet directory contains information about ,internet4 ,available #bd hours4 rtfm4mit4edu ,this site contains all available frequently asked questions files for ,usenet newsgroups in the pub_/usenet directory4 ,see under ,books for a caveat in using this ftp site4 #f p4m4 - #f a4m4 ,,viruses ftp4unt4edu ,the antivirus directory has anti-virus programs for ,,ms- ,,dos and ,macintosh computers4 #g p4m4 - #g a4m4 ,,weather wuarchive4wustl4edu ,the _/multimedia_/images_/wx directory contains ,,gif weather images of ,north ,america4 ,files are updated hourly and take this general form3 ,,cv#ajjbbb4 ,the first two letters tell the type of file3 ,,cv means it is a visible-light photo taken by a weather satellite4 ,,ci images are similar1 but use infrared light4 ,both these are in black and white4 ,files that begin with ,,sa are color radar maps of the ,u4,s4 that show severe weather patterns but also fronts and temperatures in major cities4 ,the numbers indicate the date and time 7in ,,gmt - five hours ahead of ,,est7 of the image3 the first two numbers represent the month1 the next two the date1 the last two the hour4 ,the file ,,wxkey4,,gif explains the various symbols in ,,sa files4 #g4g ncftp -- ,,now ,,you ,,tell ,,me6 ,if you're lucky1 the people who run your host system or public- access site have installed a program called ncftp1 which takes some of the edges off the ftp process4 ,for starters1 when you use ncftp instead of plain old ftp1 you no longer have to worry about misspelling anonymous when you connect4 ,the program does it for you4 ,and once you're in1 instead of getting line after line filled with dashes1 x's1 r's and d's1 you only get listings of the files or directories themselves 7if you're used to ,,ms-,,dos1 the display you get will be very similar to that produced by the dir_/w command74 ,the program even creates a list of the ftp sites you've used most recently1 so you can pick from that list1 instead of trying to remember some incredibly complex ftp site name4 ,launching the program1 assuming your site has it1 is easy4 ,at the command prompt1 type ncftp sitename where sitename is the site you want to reach 7alternately1 you could type just ncftp and then use its open command74 ,once connected1 you can use the same ftp commands you've become used to1 such as ls1 get and mget4 ,entries that end in a _/ are directories to which you can switch with cd2 others are files you can get4 ,a couple of useful ncftp commands include type1 which lets you change the type of file transfer 7from ,,ascii to binary for example7 and size1 which lets you see how large a file is before you get it1 for example size declaration4txt would tell you how large the declaration4txt file is before you get it4 ,when you say bye to disconnect from a site1 ncftp remembers the last directory you were in1 so that the next time you connect to the site1 you are put back into that directory automatically4 ,if you type help you'll get a list of files you can read to extend the power of the program even further4 #g4h ,,project ,,gutenberg -- ,,electronic ,,books ,project ,gutenberg1 coordinated by ,michael ,hart1 has a fairly ambitious goal3 to make more than #aj1jjj books and other documents available electronically by the year #bjja4 ,in #aiic1 the project uploaded an average of four books a month to its ftp sites2 in #aiid1 they hope to double the pace4 ,begun in #aiga1 the project already maintains a library of hundreds of books and stories1 from ,aesop's ,fables to ,through the ,looking ,glass available for the taking4 ,it also has a growing number of current- affairs documents1 such as the ,,cia's annual ,world ,factbook almanac4 ,besides nptn4org1 ,project ,gutenberg texts can be retrieved from mrcnext4cso4uiuc4edu in the etext directory4 #g4i ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong 99 ,you get a host unavailable message4 ,the ftp site is down for some reason4 ,try again later4 99 ,you get a host unknown message4 ,check your spelling of the site name4 99 ,you misspell anonymous when logging in and get a message telling you a password is required for whatever you typed in4 ,type something in1 hit enter1 type bye1 hit enter1 and try again4 ,alternately1 try typing ftp instead of anonymous4 ,it will work on a surprising number of sites4 ,or just use ncftp1 if your site has it1 and never worry about this again4 #g4aj ,,fyi ,liberal use of archie will help you find specific files or documents4 ,for information on new or interesting ftp sites1 try the comp4archives newsgroup on ,usenet4 ,you can also look in the comp4misc1 comp4sources4wanted or news4answers newsgroups on ,usenet for lists of ftp sites posted every month by ,tom ,czarnik and ,jon ,granrose4 ,the comp4archives newsgroup carries news of new ftp sites and interesting new files on existing sites4 ,in the comp4virus newsgroup on ,usenet1 look for postings that list ftp sites carrying anti-viral software for ,amiga1 ,,ms-,,dos1 ,macintosh1 ,atari and other computers4 ,the comp4sys4ibm4pc4digest and comp4sys4mac4digest newsgroups provide information about new ,,ms-,,dos and ,macintosh programs as well as answers to questions from users of those computers4 ,chapter #h3 ,,gophers1 ,w,a,i,ss ,,and ,,the ,,world-,,wide ,,web #h4a4 ,,gophers ,even with tools like ,hytelnet and archie1 telnet and ftp can still be frustrating4 ,there are all those telnet and ftp addresses to remember4 ,telnet services often have their own unique commands4 ,and1 oh1 those weird directory and file names6 ,but now that the ,net has become a rich repository of information1 people are developing ways to make it far easier to find and retrieve information and files4 ,gophers and ,wide-,area ,information ,servers 7,w,a,i,ss7 are two services that could ultimately make the ,internet as easy to navigate as commercial networks such as ,compu,serve or ,prodigy4 ,both gophers and ,w,a,i,ss essentially take a request for information and then scan the ,net for it1 so you don't have to4 ,both also work through menus -- instead of typing in some long sequence of characters1 you just move a cursor to your choice and hit enter4 ,gophers even let you select files and programs from ftp sites this way4 ,let's first look at gophers 7named for the official mascot of the ,university of ,minnesota1 where the system was developed74 ,many public-access sites now have gophers online4 ,to use one1 type gopher at the command prompt and hit enter4 ,if you know your site does not have a gopher1 or if nothing happens when you type that1 telnet to consultant4micro4umn4edu ,at the log-in prompt1 type gopher and hit enter4 ,you'll be asked what type of terminal emulation you're using1 after which you'll see something like this3 ,internet ,gopher ,information ,client v#a4jc ,root gopher server3 gopher4micro4umn4edu -- #a4 ,information ,about ,gopher_/ #b4 ,computer ,information_/ #c4 ,discussion ,groups_/ #d4 ,fun ,games_/ #e4 ,internet file server 7ftp7 sites_/ #f4 ,libraries_/ #g4 ,news_/ #h4 ,other ,gopher and ,information ,servers_/ #i4 ,phone ,books_/ #aj4 ,search lots of places at the ,u of ,m 8 #aa4 ,university of ,minnesota ,campus ,information_/ ,press 8 for ,help1 q to ,quit1 u to go up a menu ,page3 #a_/a ,assuming you're using ,,vt#ajj or some other ,,vt emulation1 you'll be able to move among the choices with your up and down arrow keys4 ,when you have your cursor on an entry that looks interesting1 just hit enter1 and you'll either get a new menu of choices1 a database entry form1 or a text file1 depending on what the menu entry is linked to 7more on how to tell which you'll get in a moment74 ,gophers are great for exploring the resources of the ,net4 ,just keep making choices to see what pops up4 ,play with it2 see where it takes you4 ,some choices will be documents4 ,when you read one of these and either come to the end or hit a lower-case q to quit reading it1 you'll be given the choice of saving a copy to your home directory or e-mailing it to yourself4 ,other choices are simple databases that let you enter a word to look for in a particular database4 ,to get back to where you started on a gopher1 hit your u key at a menu prompt1 which will move you back up through the gopher menu structure 7much like cd 44 in ftp74 ,notice that one of your choices above is ,internet file server 7ftp7 sites4 ,choose this1 and you'll be connected to a modified archie program -- an archie with a difference4 ,when you search for a file through a gopher archie1 you'll get a menu of sites that have the file you're looking for1 just as with the old archie4 ,only now1 instead of having to write down or remember an ftp address and directory1 all you have to do is position the cursor next to one of the numbers in the menu and hit enter4 ,you'll be connected to the ftp site1 from which you can then choose the file you want4 ,this time1 move the cursor to the file you want and hit a lower-case s4 ,you'll be asked for a name in your home directory to use for the file1 after which the file will be copied to your home system4 ,unfortunately1 this file-transfer process does not yet work with all public-access sites for computer programs and compressed files4 ,if it doesn't work with yours1 you'll have to get the file the old-fashioned way1 via anonymous ftp4 ,in addition to ftp sites1 there are hundreds of databases and libraries around the world accessible through gophers4 ,there is not yet a common gopher interface for library catalogs1 so be prepared to follow the online directions more closely when you use gopher to connect to one4 ,gopher menu entries that end in a _/ are gateways to another menu of options4 ,entries that end in a period are text1 graphics or program files1 which you can retrieve to your home directory 7or e-mail to yourself or to somebody else74 ,a line that ends in 8 or ,,cso represents a request you can make to a database for information4 ,the difference is that 8 entries call up one-line interfaces in which you can search for a keyword or words1 while ,,cso brings up an electronic form with several fields for you to fill out 7you might see this in online ,white ,pages directories at colleges74 ,gophers actually let you perform some relatively sophisticated ,boolean searches4 ,for example1 if you want to search only for files that contain the words ,,ms-,,dos and ,macintosh1 you'd type ms-dos and macintosh 7gophers are not case-sensitive7 in the keyword field4 ,alternately1 if you want to get a list of files that mention either ,,ms-,,dos or ,macintosh1 you'd type ms-dos or macintosh #h4b ,,burrowing ,,deeper ,as fascinating as it can be to explore gopherspace1 you might one day want to quickly retrieve some information or a file4 ,or you might grow tired of calling up endless menus to get to the one you want4 ,fortunately1 there are ways to make even gophers easier to use4 ,one is with archie's friend1 veronica 7it allegedly is an acronym1 but don't believe that for a second71 who does for gopherspace what archie does for ftp sites4 ,in most gophers1 you'll find veronica by selecting ,other gopher and information services at the main menu and then ,searching through gopherspace using veronica4 ,select this and you'll get something like this3 ,internet ,gopher ,information ,client v#a4a ,search titles in ,gopherspace using veronica -- #a4 4 #b4 ,,faq3 ,frequently-,asked ,questions about veronica 7#aiic_/jh_/bc74 #c4 ,how to compose veronica queries 7,,new ,june #bd7 ,,read ,,me664 #d4 ,search ,gopher ,directory ,titles at ,p,s,i,net 8 #e4 ,search ,gopher ,directory ,titles at ,,sunet 8 #f4 ,search ,gopher ,directory ,titles at ,u4 of ,manitoba 8 #g4 ,search ,gopher ,directory ,titles at ,university of ,cologne 8 #h4 ,search gopherspace at ,p,s,i,net 8 #i4 ,search gopherspace at ,,sunet 8 #aj4 ,search gopherspace at ,u4 of ,manitoba 8 #aa4 ,search gopherspace at ,university of ,cologne 8 ,press 8 for ,help1 q to ,quit1 u to go up a menu ,page3 #a_/a ,a few choices there6 ,first1 the difference between searching directory titles and just plain ol' gopherspace4 ,if you already know the sort of directory you're looking for 7say a directory containing ,,ms-,,dos programs71 do a directory-title search4 ,but if you're not sure what kind of directory your information might be in1 then do a general gopherspace search4 ,in general1 it doesn't matter which of the particular veronicas you use -- they should all be able to produce the same results4 ,the reason there is more than one is because the ,internet has become so popular that only one veronica 7or one gopher or one of almost anything7 would quickly be overwhelmed by all the information requests from around the world4 ,you can use veronica to search for almost anything4 ,want to find museums that might have online displays from their exhibits8 ,try searching for museum4 ,looking for a copy of the ,declaration of ,independence8 ,try declaration4 ,in many cases1 your search will bring up a new gopher menu of choices to try4 ,say you want to impress those guests coming over for dinner on ,friday by cooking cherries flambe4 ,if you were to call up veronica and type in flambe after calling up veronica1 you would soon get a menu listing several flambe recipes1 including one called dessert flambe4 ,put your cursor on that line of the menu and hit enter1 and you'll find it's a menu for cherries flambe4 ,then hit your q key to quit1 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 somewhere4 ,as you can see1 you can use veronica as an alternative to archie1 which1 because of the ,internet's growing popularity1 seems to take longer and longer to work4 ,in addition to archie and veronica1 we now also have jugheads 7no bettys yet1 though74 ,these work the same as veronicas1 but their searches are limited to the specific gopher systems on which they reside4 ,if there are particular gopher resources you use frequently1 there are a couple of ways to get to them even more directly4 ,one is to use gopher in a manner similar to the way you can use telnet4 ,if you know a particular gopher's ,internet address 7often the same as its telnet or ftp address71 you can connect to it directly1 rather than going through menus4 ,for example1 say you want to use the gopher at info4umd4edu4 ,if your public-access site has a gopher system installed1 type this gopher info4umd4edu at your command prompt and you'll be connected4 ,but even that can get tedious if there are several gophers you use frequently4 ,that's where bookmarks come in4 ,gophers let you create a list of your favorite gopher sites and even database queries4 ,then1 instead of digging ever deeper into the gopher directory structure1 you just call up your bookmark list and select the service you want4 ,to create a bookmark for a particular gopher site1 first call up gopher4 ,then go through all the gopher menus until you get to the menu you want4 ,type a capital ,a4 ,you'll be given a suggested name for the bookmark enty1 which you can change if you want by backspacing over the suggestion and typing in your own4 ,when done1 hit enter4 ,now1 whenever you're in gopherspace and want to zip back to that particular gopher service1 just hit your ,v key 7upper- or lower-case2 in this instance1 gopher doesn't care7 anywhere within gopher4 ,this will bring up a list of your bookmarks4 ,move to the one you want and hit enter1 and you'll be connected4 ,using a capital ,a is also good for saving particular database or veronica queries that you use frequently 7for example1 searching for news stories on a particular topic if your public-access site maintains an indexed archive of wire-service news74 ,instead of a capital ,a1 you can also hit a lower-case a4 ,this will bring you to the particular line within a menu1 rather than show you the entire menu4 ,if you ever want to delete a bookmark1 hit ,v within gopher1 select the item you want to get rid of1 and then hit your ,d key4 ,one more hint3 ,if you want to find the address of a particular gopher service1 hit your key after you've highlighted its entry in a gopher menu4 ,you'll get back a couple of lines1 most of which will be technicalese of no immediate value to most folks1 but some of which will consist of the site's address4 #h4c4 ,,gopher ,,commands a ,add a line in a gopher menu to your bookmark list4 ,a ,add an entire gopher menu or a database query to your bookmark list4 d ,delete an entry from your bookmark list 7you have to hit v first74 q ,quit1 or exit1 a gopher4 ,you'll be asked if you really want to4 ,q ,quit1 or exit1 a gopher without being asked if you're sure4 s ,save a highlighted file to your home directory4 u ,move back up a gopher menu structure v ,view your bookmark list4 ,get information on the originating site of a gopher entry4 ,move ahead one screen in a gopher menu4 ,move back one screen in a gopher menu4 #h4d4 ,,some ,,interesting ,,gophers ,there are now hundreds of gopher sites around the world4 ,what follows is a list of some of them4 ,assuming your site has a gopher client installed1 you can reach them by typing gopher sitename at your command prompt4 ,can't find what you're looking for8 ,remember to use veronica to look up categories and topics6 ,,agriculture cyfer4esusda4gov ,more agricultural statistics and regulations most people will ever need4 usda4mannlib4cornell4edu ,more than #adj different types of agricultural data1 most in ,lotus #a-b-c spreadsheet format4 ,,animals saimiri4primate4wisc4edu ,information on primates and animal-welfare laws4 ,,architecture libra4arch4umich4edu ,maintains online exhibits of a variety of architectural images4 ,,art marvel4loc4gov ,the ,library of ,congress runs several online galleries of images from exhibits at the library4 ,many of these pictures1 in ,,gif or ,,jpeg format1 are ,,huge1 so be careful what you get first4 ,exhibits include works of art from the ,vatican1 copies of once secret ,soviet documents and pictures of artifacts related to ,columbus's #adib voyage4 ,at the main menu1 select #b and then ,exhibits4 galaxy4ucr4edu ,the ,california ,museum of ,photography maintains its own online galery here4 ,at the main menu1 select ,campus ,events1 then ,california ,museum of ,photography1 then ,network ,ex- hibitions4 ,,astronomy cast#j4;ast4cam4ac4uk ,a gopher devoted to astronomy1 run by the ,institute of ,astronomy and the ,royal ,greenwich ,observatory1 ,cambridge1 ,england4 ,,census bigcat4missouri4edu ,you'll find detailed federal census data for communities of more than #aj1jjj people1 as well as for states and counties here4 ,at the main menu1 select ,reference and ,information ,center1 then ,united ,states and ,missouri ,census ,information and ,united ,states ,census4 ,,computers wuarchive4wustl4edu ,dozens of directories with software for all sorts of computers4 ,most programs have to be un-compressed before you can use them4 sumex-aim4stanford4edu ,a similar type of system1 with the emphasis on ,macintosh programs and files4 ,,disability val-dor4cc4buffalo4edu ,the ,cornucopia of ,disability ,information carries numerous information resources on disability issues and links to other disability-related services4 ,,environment ecosys4drdr4virginia4edu ,copies of ,environmental ,protection ,agency factsheets on hundreds of chemicals1 searchable by keyword4 ,select ,education and then ,environmental fact sheets4 envirolink4org ,dozens of documents and files related to environmental activism around the world4 ,,entomology spider4ento4csiro4au ,all about creepy-crawly things1 both the good and the bad ones4 ,,geology gopher4stolaf4edu ,select ,internet ,resources and then ,weather and geography for information on recent earthquakes4 ,,government marvel4loc4gov ,run by the ,library of ,congress1 this site provides numerous resources1 including access to the ,library card catalog and all manner of information about the ,u4,s4 ,congress4 gopher4lib4umich4edu ,wide variety of government information1 from ,congressional committee assignments to economic statistics and ,,nafta information4 ecix4doc4gov ,information on conversion of military installations to private uses4 sunsite4unc4edu ,copies of current and past federal budgets can be found by selecting ,sunsite archives1 then ,politics1 then ,sunsite politcal science archives4 wiretap4spies4com ,documents related to ,canadian government can be found in the ,government docs menu4 stis4nih4gov ,select the ,other ,u4,s4 government gopher servers for access to numerous other federal gophers4 ,,health odie4niaid4nih4gov ,national ,institutes of ,health databases on ,,aids1 in the ,,aids related information menu4 helix4nih4gov ,for ,national ,cancer ,institute factsheets on different cancers1 select ,health and clinical information and then ,cancernet information4 nysernet4org ,look for information on breast cancer in the ,special ,collections3 ,breast ,cancer menu4 welchlink4welch4jhu4edu ,this is ,johns ,hopkins ,university's medical gopher4 ,,history ,see under ,art4 ,,internet gopher4lib4umich4edu ,home to several guides to ,internet resources in specific fields1 for example1 social sciences4 ,select ,what's ,new ,featured ,resources and then ,clearinghouse4 ,,israel jerusalem#a4;datasrv4co4il ,this ,israeli system offers numerous documents on ,israel and ,jewish life4 ,,japan gopher4ncc4go4jp ,look in the ,japan information menu for documents related to ,japanese life and culture4 ,,music mtv4com ,run by ,adam ,curry1 an ,,mtv video jock1 this site has music news and ,curry's daily ,cybersleaze celebrity report4 ,,nature ucmp#a4;berkeley4edu ,the ,university of ,california at ,berkeley's ,museum of ,paleontology runs several online exhibits here4 ,you can obtain ,,gif images of plants and animals from the ,remote ,nature menu4 ,the ,origin of the ,species menu lets you read ,darwin's work or search it by keyword4 ,,sports culine4colorado4edu ,look up schedules for teams in various professional sports leagues here1 under ,professional ,sports ,schedules4 ,,weather wx4atmos4uiuc4edu ,look up weather forecasts for ,north ,america or bone up on your weather facts4 #h4e4 ,,wide-,,area ,,information ,,servers ,now you know there are hundreds of databases and library catalogs you can search through4 ,but as you look1 you begin to realize that each seems to have its own unique method for searching4 ,if you connect to several1 this can become a pain4 ,gophers reduce this problem somewhat4 ,wide-area information servers promise another way to zero in on information hidden on the ,net4 ,in a ,,wais1 the user sees only one interface -- the program worries about how to access information on dozens1 even hundreds1 of different databases4 ,you tell give a ,,wais a word and it scours the net looking for places where it's mentioned4 ,you get a menu of documents1 each ranked according to how relevant to your search the ,,wais thinks it is4 ,like gophers1 ,,wais client programs can already be found on many public-access ,internet sites4 ,if your system has a ,,wais client1 type swais at the command prompt and hit enter 7the s stands for simple74 ,if it doesn't1 telnet to bbs4oit4unc4edu1 which is run by the ,university of ,north ,carolina ,at the login3 prompt1 type bbs and hit enter4 ,you'll be asked to register and will then get a list of bulletins1'' which are various files explaining how the system works4 ,when done with those1 hit your ,q key and you'll get another menu4 ,hit #d for the simple ,,wais client1 and you'll see something like this3 ,,swais ,source ,selection ,sources3 #bc ,server ,source ,cost #jja3 archie4au aarnet-resource-guide ,free #jjb3 archive4orst4edu aeronautics ,free #jjc3 nostromo4oes4orst4ed agricultural-market-news ,free #jjd3 sun-wais4oit4unc4edu alt-sys-sun ,free #jje3 archive4orst4edu alt4drugs ,free #jjf3 wais4oit4unc4edu alt4gopher ,free #jjg3 sun-wais4oit4unc4edu alt4sys4sun ,free #jjh3 wais4oit4unc4edu alt4wais ,free #jji3 archive4orst4edu archie-orst4edu ,free #jaj3 archie4au archie4au-amiga-readmes ,free #jaa3 archie4au archie4au-ls-l,rt ,free #jab3 archie4au archie4au-mac-readmes ,free #jac3 archie4au archie4au-pc-readmes ,free #jad3 pc#b4pc4maricopa4edu ascd-education ,free #jae3 archie4au au-directory-of-servers ,free #jaf3 cirm#b4univ-mrs4fr bib-cirm ,free #jag3 cmns-sun4think4com bible ,free #jah3 zenon4inria4fr bibs-zenon-inria-fr ,free ,keywords3 space selects1 w for keywords1 arrows move1 return searches1 q quits1 or 8 ,each line represents a different database 7the 4au at the end of some of them means they are in ,australia2 the 4fr on the last line represents a database in ,france74 ,and this is just the first page6 ,if you type a capital ,k1 you'll go to the next page 7there are several pages74 ,hitting a capital ,j will move you back a page4 ,the first thing you want to do is tell the ,,wais program which databases you want searched4 ,to select a database1 move the cursor bar over the line you want 7using your down and up arrow keys7 and hit your space bar4 ,an asterisk will appear next to the line number4 ,repeat this until you've selected all of the databases you want searched4 ,then hit your ,w key1 after which you'll be prompted for the key words you're looking for4 ,you can type in an entire line of these words -- separate each with a space1 not a comma4 ,hit return1 and the search begins4 ,let's say you're utterly fascinated with wheat4 ,so you might select agricultural-market-news to find its current world price4 ,but you also want to see if it has any religious implications1 so you choose the ,bible and the ,book of ,mormon4 ,what do you do with the stuff8 ,select recipes and usenet-cookbook4 ,are there any recent ,supreme ,court decisions involving the plant8 ,choose supreme-court4 ,how about synonyms8 ,try roget-thesaurus and just plain thesaurus4 ,now hit w and type in wheat4 ,hit enter1 and the ,,wais program begins its search4 ,as it looks1 it tells you whether any of the databases are offline1 and if so1 when they might be ready for a search4 ,in about a minute1 the program tells you how many hits it's found4 ,then you get a new menu1 that looks something like this3 ,keywords3 ,score ,source,title,lines #jja3 #ajjj 7roget-thesaurus7 #dfe4 results of comparison4 #a ,di #ai #jjb3 #ajjj 7roget-thesaurus7 #fji4 ,choice4 -- ,n4 choice1 option2 #cf #jjc3 #ajjj 7roget-thesaurus7 #dfe4 results of comparison4 #a ,di #ai #jjd3 #ajjj 7roget-thesaurus7 #fji4 ,choice4 -- ,n4 choice1 option2 #cf #jje3 #ajjj 7recipes7 aemmthvax ,re3 ,,monthly3 ,rec4,food4,recipes #dbe #jjf3 #ajjj 7 ,bookof,mormon7 ,mosiah #i3if #jjg3 #ajjj 7 ,bookof,mormon7 #c ,nephi #ah3ahe #jjh3 #ajjj 7agricultural-ma7 ,re3 ,,jo ,,gr#aae1 ,,weekly ,,grain#hb #jji3 #hbb 7agricultural-ma7 ,re3 ,,wa ,,cb#cea ,,prospective ,,plantings #eeb #jaj3 #hjj 7 recipes7 kmsapss4a ,re3 ,,request3 ,wheat-free1 ,suga #ce #jaa3 #gej 7agricultural-ma7 ,re3 ,,wa ,,cb#aja ,,crop ,,production#beh #jab3 #fdc 7agricultural-ma7 ,re3 ,,sj ,,gr#hej ,,daily ,,nat ,,grn ,,sum#gb #jac3 #djj 7 recipes7 patjaamer ,re3 ,,vegan3 ,honey ,granola#fc #jad3 #djj 7 recipes7 jrtrintpa ,re3 ,,ovo-,,lacto3 ,sourdough_/,trit #adb ,each of these represents an article or citing that contains the word wheat1 or some related word4 ,move the cursor bar 7with the down and up arrow keys7 to the one you want to see1 hit enter1 and it will begin to appear on your screen4 ,the score is a ,,wais attempt to gauge how closely the citing matches your request4 ,doesn't look like the ,supreme ,court has had anything to say about the plant of late6 ,now think of how much time you would have spent logging onto various databases just to find these relatively trivial examples4 #h4f ,,the ,,world-,,wide ,,web ,developed by researchers at the ,european ,particle ,physics ,laboratory in ,geneva1 the ,world-,wide ,web is somewhat similar to a ,,wais4 ,but it's designed on a system known as hypertext4 ,words in one document are linked to other documents4 ,it's sort of like sitting with an encyclopedia -- you're reading an article1 see a reference that intrigues you and so flip the pages to look up that reference4 ,to try the ,worldwide ,web1 telnet to ukanaix4cc4ukans4edu ,log on as3 www4 ,when you connect1 you'll see something like3 ,welcome to ,,cern ,the ,world-,wide ,web3 ,,cern entry point ,,cern is the ,european ,particle ,physics ,laboratory in ,geneva1 ,switzerland4 ,select by number information here1 or elsewhere4 ,help#a ,about this program ,world-,wide ,web#b ,about the ,w#c global information initiative4 ,,cern information#c ,information from and about this site ,particle ,physics#d ,other ,,hep sites with information servers ,other ,subjects#e ,catalogue of all online information by subject4 ,also3 by server type#f 4 9999 ,,check ,,out ,x#aa ,,browser ,viola,w,w,w3 ,,anon ,,ftp ,,to info4cern4ch in _/pub_/www_/src 999999 ,still beta1 so keep bug reports calm 3-7 ,if you use this service frequently1 please install this or any ,w#c browser on your own machine 7see instructions#g 74 ,you can configure it to start #a-g1 ,,return for more1 ,quit1 or ,help3 ,you navigate the web by typing the number next to a given reference4 ,so if you want to know more about the web1 hit #b4 ,this is another system that bears playing with4 #h4g4 ,,clients1 ,,or ,,how ,,to ,,snare ,,more ,,on ,,the ,,web ,if you are used to plain-vanilla ,unix or ,,ms-,,dos1 then the way these gophers and ,w,a,i,ss work seems quite straightforward4 ,but if you're used to a computer with a graphical interface1 such as a ,macintosh1 an ,,ibm compatible with ,windows or a ,next1 you'll probably regard their interfaces as somewhat primitive4 ,and even to a veteran ,,ms-,,dos user1 the ,world-,wide ,web interface is rather clunky 7and some of the documents and files on the ,web now use special formatting that would confuse your poor computer74 ,there are1 however1 ways to integrate these services into your graphical user interface4 ,in fact1 there are now ways to tie into the ,internet directly1 rather than relying on whatever interface your public-access system uses1 through what are known as client programs4 ,these programs provide graphical interfaces for everything from ftp to the ,world-,wide ,web4 ,there is now a growing number of these client programs for everything from ftp to gopher4 ,,psi of ,reston1 ,va41 which offers nationwide ,internet access1 in fact1 requires its customers to use these programs4 ,using protocols known as ,,slip and ,,ppp1 these programs communicate with the ,net using the same basic data packets as much larger computers online4 ,beyond integration with your own computer's desktop1'' client programs let you do more than one thing at once on the net -- while you're downloading a large file in one window1 you can be chatting with a friend through an ,internet chat program in another4 ,unfortunately1 using a client program can cost a lot of money4 ,some require you to be connected directly to the ,internet through an ,ethernet network for example4 ,others work through modem protocols1 such as ,,slip1 but public-access sites that allow such access may charge anywhere from #be to #bjj a month extra for the service4 ,your system administrator can give you more information on setting up one of these connections4 #h4h4 ,,when ,,things ,,go ,,wrong ,as the ,internet grows ever more popular1 its resources come under more of a strain4 ,if you try to use gopher in the middle of the day1 at least on the ,east ,coast of the ,u4,s41 you'll sometimes notice that it takes a very long time for particular menus or database searches to come up4 ,sometimes1 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 in4 ,the only alternative is to either try again in #bj minutes or so1 or wait until later in the day1 when the load might be lower4 ,when this happens in veronica1 try one of the other veronica entries4 ,when you retrieve a file through gopher1 you'll sometimes be asked if you want to store it under some ludicrously long name 7there go our friends the system administrators again1 using #abh characters just because ,unix lets them74 ,with certain ,,ms-,,dos communications programs1 if that name is longer than one line1 you won't be able to backspace all the way back to the first line if you want to give it a simpler name4 ,backspace as far as you can4 ,then1 when you get ready to download it to your home computer1 remember that the file name will be truncated on your end1 because of ,,ms-,,dos's file-naming limitations4 ,worse1 your computer might even reject the whole thing4 ,what to do8 ,instead of saving it to your home directory1 mail it to yourself4 ,it should show up in your mail by the time you exit gopher4 ,then1 use your mail command for saving it to your home directory -- at which point you can name it anything you want4 ,now you can download it4 #h4i ,,fyi ,david ,riggins maintains a list of gophers by type and category4 ,you can find the most recent one at the ftp site ftp4einet4net1 in the pub directory4 ,look for a file with a name like gopher-jewels4txt4 ,alternately1 you can get on a mailing list to get the latest version sent to your e-mailbox automatically4 ,send a mail message to gopherjewelslist- requesttpis4cactus4org 7yep1 that first part is all one word74 ,leave the subject3 line blank1 and as a message1 write ,,subscribe4 ,blake ,gumprecht maintains a list of gopher and telnet sites related to1 or run by1 the government4 ,he posts it every three weeks to the news4answers and soc4answers newsgroups on ,usenet4 ,it can also be obtained via anonymous ftp from rtfm4mit4edu1 as _/pub_/usenet_/news4answers_/us-govt-net -pointers4 ,students at the ,university of ,michigan's ,school of ,information and ,library ,studies1 recently compiled separate lists of ,internet resources in #aa specific areas1 from aeronautics to theater4 ,they can be obtained via gopher at gopher4lib4umich4edu1 in the ,what's ,new and ,featured ,resources menu4 ,the ,usenet newsgroups comp4infosystems4gopher and comp4infosystems4wais are places to go for technical discussions about gophers and ,w,a,i,ss respectively4 ,the ,interpedia project is an attempt to take gopher one step further1 by creating an online repository of all of the interesting and useful information availble on the ,net and from its users4 ,to get on the mailing list for the project1 send an e-mail message1 with a subject3 of subscribe to interpedia-requesttelerama4lm4com4 ,you can get supporting documentation for the project via anonymous ftp at ftp4lm4com in the pub_/interpedia directory4 ,chapter #i3 ,,advanced ,e-,,mail #i4a ,,the ,,file',s ,,in ,,the ,,mail ,e-mail by itself is a powerful tool1 and by now you may be sending e-mail messages all over the place4 ,you might even be on a mailing list or two4 ,but there is a lot more to e-mail than just sending messages4 ,if your host system does not have access to ftp1 or it doesn't have access to every ftp site on the ,net1 you can have programs and files sent right to your mailbox4 ,and using some simple techniques1 you can use e-mail to send data files such as spreadsheets1 or even whole programs1 to friends and colleagues around the world4 ,a key to both is a set of programs known as encoders and decoders4 ,for all its basic power1 ,net e-mail has a big problem3 it can't handle graphics characters or the control codes found in even the simplest of computer programs4 ,encoders however1 can translate these into forms usable in e-mail1 while decoders turn them back into a form that you can actually use4 ,if you are using a ,unix-based host system1 chances are it already has an encoder and decoder online that you can use4 ,these programs will also let you use programs posted in several ,usenet newsgroups1 such as comp4binaries4ibm4pc4 ,if both you and the person with whom you want to exchange files use ,unix host systems1 you're in luck because virtually all ,unix host systems have encoder_/decoder programs online4 ,for now1 let's assume that's the case4 ,first1 upload the file you want to send to your friend to your host site 7ask your system administrator how to upload a file to your name or home directory if you don't already know how74 ,then type uuencode file file file4uu and hit enter4 ,file is the name of the file you want to prepare for mailing1 and yes1 you have to type the name twice6 ,the is a ,unix command that tells the system to call the encoded file file4uu 7you could actually call it anything you want74 ,now to get it into a mail message4 ,the quick and dirty way is to type mail friend where friend is your friend's address4 ,at the subject line1 tell her the name of the enclosed file4 ,when you get the blank line1 type r file4uu or whatever you called the file1 and hit enter4 7on some systems1 the may not work2 if so1 ask your system administrator what to use74 ,this inserts the file into your mail message4 ,hit control-,d1 and your file is on its way6 ,on the other end1 when your friend goes into her mailbox1 she should transfer it to her home directory4 ,then she should type uudecode file4name and hit enter4 ,this creates a new file in her name directory with whatever name you originally gave it4 ,she can then download it to her own computer4 ,before she can actually use it1 though1 she'll have to open it up with a text processor and delete the mail header that has been stamped on it4 ,if you use a mailer program that automatically appends a signature1 tell her about that so she can delete that as well4 #i4b ,,receiving ,,files ,if somebody sends you a file through the mail1 you'll have to go through a couple of steps to get it into a form you can actually use4 ,if you are using the simple mail program1 go into mail and type w file4name where is the number of the message you want to transfer and file4name is what you want to call the resulting file4 ,in pine1 call up the message and hit your ,o key and then ,e4 ,you'll then be asked for a file name4 ,in elm1 call up the message and hit your ,s key4 ,you'll get something that looks like this3 file4request ,type a new file name and hit enter 7if you hit enter without typing a file name1 the message will be saved to another mail folder1 not your home directory74 ,in all three cases1 exit the mail program to return to your host system's command line4 ,because the file has been encoded for mail delivery1 you now have to run a decoder4 ,at the command line1 type uudecode file4name where file4name is the file you created while in mail4 ,uudecode will create a new1 uncompressed binary file4 ,in some cases1 you may have to run it through some other programs 7for example1 if it is in tar form71 but generally it should now be ready for you to download to your own computer 7on which you might then have to run a de-compressor program such as ,,pkxzip74 #i4c ,,files ,,to ,,non-,,internet ,,sites ,what if your friend only connects with a non-,unix system1 such as ,compu,serve or ,m,c,i,mail8 ,there are programs available for ,,ms-,,dos1 ,apple and ,amiga computers that will encode and decode files4 ,of course1 since you can't send one of these programs to your friend via e-mail 7how would she un-encode it871 you'll have to mail 7the old-fashioned way7 or give her a diskette with the program on it first4 ,then1 she can get the file by e-mail and go through the above process 7only on her own computer7 to get a usable file4 ,remember to give her an encoder program as well1 if she wants to send you files in return4 ,for ,,ms-,,dos machines1 you'll want to get uunecode4com and uudecode4com4 ,both can be found through anonymous ftp at wuarchive4wustl4edu in the _/mirrors_/msdos_/starter directory4 ,the ,,ms- ,,dos version is as easy to use as the ,unix one3 ,just type uudecode filename4ext and hit enter4 ,mac users should get a program called uutool1 which can be found in the info-mac_/util directory on sumex-aim4stanford4edu4 ,think twice before sending somebody a giant file4 ,although large sites connected directly to the ,internet can probably handle mega-files1 many smaller systems cannot4 ,some commercial systems1 such as ,compu,serve and ,m,c,i,mail1 limit the size of mail messages their users can receive4 ,fidonet doesn't even allow encoded messages4 ,in general1 a file size of #cj1jjj or so bytes is a safe upper limit for non-,internet systems4 #i4d ,,getting ,,ftp ,,files ,,via ,e-,,mail ,to help people without ftp access1 a number of ftp sites have set up mail servers 7also known as archive servers7 that allow you to get files via e-mail4 ,you send a request to one of these machines and they send back the file you want4 ,as with ftp1 you'll be able to find everything from historical documents to software 7but please note that if you do have access to ftp1 that method is always quicker and ties up fewer resources than using e-mail74 ,some interesting or useful mail servers include3 mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu ,files of frequently asked questions related to ,usenet2 state-by-state lists of ,u4,s4 representatives and ,senators and their addresses and office phone numbers4 archive-servereff4org ,information about the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation2 documents about legal issues on the ,net4 archive-servercs4widener4edu ,back copies of the ,computer ,underground ,digest and every possible fact you could want to know about ,the ,simpsons4 netlibuunet4uu4net ,programs for many types of personal computers2 archives of past postings from many ,usenet newsgroups4 archive-serverames4arc4nasa4gov ,space-related text and graphics 7,,gif-format7 files4 servicenic4ddn4mil ,detailed information about ,internet4 ,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 you4 ,the most important command is send1 which tells the computer you want it to send you a particular file4 ,first1 though1 you'll need to know where the mail server stores that file1 because you have to tell it which directory or sub- directory it's in4 ,there are a couple of ways to do this4 ,you can send an e-mail message to the archive-server that consists of one line3 index ,the server will then send you a directory listing of its main1 or root directory4 ,you'll then have to send a second message to the archive server with one line3 index directory_/subdirectory where that is the directory or directory path for which you want a listing4 ,an alternative is to send an e-mail message to our old friend archie1 which should send you back the file's exact location on the archive-server 7along with similar listings for all the other sites that may have the file1 however7 ,once you have the file name and its directory path1 compose a message to the archive server like this3 send directory_/subdirectory_/file ,send off the message and1 anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days later1 you'll find a new message in your mailbox3 a copy of the file you requested4 ,the exact time it will take a file to get to you depends on a variety of factors1 including how many requests are in line before yours 7mail servers can only process so many requests at a time7 and the state of the connections between the server and you4 ,seems simple enough4 ,it gets a little more complicated when you request a program rather than a document4 ,programs or other files that contain unusual characters or lines longer than #acj characters 7graphics files1 for example7 require special processing by both the mail server to ensure they are transmitted via e-mail4 ,then you'll have to run them through at least one converter program to put them in a form you can actually use4 ,to ensure that a program or other non-mailable file actually gets to you1 include another line in your e-mail message to the server3 encoder ,this converts the file into an encoded form4 ,to decode it1 you'll first have to transfer the file message into a file in your home directory4 ,one further complication comes when you request a particularly long file4 ,many ,net sites can only handle so much mail at a time4 ,to make sure you get the entire file1 tell the mail server to break it up into smaller pieces1 with another line in your e-mail request like this3 size #ajjjjj ,this gives the mail server the maximum size1 in bytes1 of each file segment4 ,this particular size is good for ,,uucp sites4 ,internet and ,bitnet sites can generally go up to #cjjjjj4 ,when you get all of these files in mail1 transfer them to your home directory4 ,exit mail and call up each file in your host system's text processor and delete each one's entire header and footer 7or signature at the end74 ,when done with this1 at your host system's command line1 type cat file#a file#b bigfile where file#a is the first file1 file#b the second file1 and so on4 ,the tells your host system to combine them into a new megafile called bigfile 7or whatever you want to call it74 ,after you save the file to your home directory 7see section #i4b above71 you can then run uudecode1 tar1 etc4 ,one word of caution1 though3 if the file you want is long enough that it has to be broken into pieces1 think of how much time it's going to take you to download the whole thing -- especially if you're using a #bdjj-;baud modem6 ,there are a number of other mail servers4 ,to get a list1 send an e-mail message to mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu3 send usenet_/comp4sources4wanted_/,howtofinds ources7,,read,,this,,before,,posting7 ,you'll have to spell it exactly as listed above4 ,some mail servers use different software1 which will require slightly different commands than the ones listed here4 ,in general1 if you send a message to a mail server that says only help you should get back a file detailing all of its commands4 ,but what if the file you want is not on one of these mail servers8 ,that's where ftpmail comes in4 ,run by ,digital ,equipment ,corp4 in ,california1 this service can connect to almost any ftp site in the world1 get the file you want and then mail it to you4 ,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 you4 ,compose an e-mail message to ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com ,leave the subject3 line blank4 ,inside the message1 there are several commands you can give4 ,the first line should be reply address where address is your e-mail address4 ,the next line should be connect host where host is the system that has the file you want 7for example3 wuarchive4wustl4edu74 ,other commands you should consider using are binary 7required for program files72 compress 7reduces the file size for quicker transmission7 and uuencode 7which encodes the file so you can do something with it when it arrives74 ,the last line of your message should be the word quit4 ,let's say you want a copy of the ,u4,s4 constitution4 ,using archie1 you've found a file called1 surprise1 constitution1 at the ftp site archive4cis4ohio-state4edu1 in the _/pub_/firearms_/politics_/rkba directory4 ,you'd send a message to ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com that looks like this3 reply adamgworld4std4com connect archive4cis4ohio-state4edu binary compress uuencode get pub_/firearms_/politics_/rkba_/constitut ion quit ,when you get the file in your mailbox1 use the above procedure for copying it to a file4 ,run it through uudecode4 ,then type uncompress file4name to make it usable4 ,since this was a text file1 you could have changed the binary to ascii and then eliminated the uuencode file4 ,for programs1 though1 you'll want to keep these lines4 ,one caveat with ftpmail3 it has become such a popular service that it could take a week or more for your requested files to arrive4 #i4e ,,the ,,all ,,knowing ,,oracle ,one other thing you can do through e-mail is consult with the ,usenet ,oracle4 ,you can ask the ,oracle anything at all and get back an answer 7whether you like the answer is another question74 ,first1 you'll want to get instructions on how to address the ,oracle 7he1 or she1 or it1 is very particular about such things and likes being addressed in august1 solemn and particularly sycophantic tones74 ,start an e-mail message to oracleiuvax4cs4indiana4edu ,in the subject3 line1 type help and hit enter4 ,you don't actually have to say anything in the message itself -- at least not yet4 ,hit control-,d to send off your request for help4 ,within a few hours1 the ,oracle will mail you back detailed instructions4 ,it's a fairly long file1 so before you start reading it1 turn on your communications software's logging function1 to save it to your computer 7or save the message to a file on your host system's home directory and then download the file74 ,after you've digested it1 you can compose your question to the ,oracle4 ,mail it to the above address1 only this time with a subject line that describes your question4 ,expect an answer within a couple of days4 ,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 well6 ,chapter #aj3 ,,news ,,of ,,the ,,world #aj4a ,clarinet3 ,,upi1 ,dave ,barry and ,dilbert4 ,usenet newsgroups can be something of a misnomer4 ,they may be interesting1 informative and educational1 but they are often not news1 at least1 not the way most people would think of them4 ,but there are several sources of news and sports on the ,net4 ,one of the largest is ,clarinet1 a company in ,cupertino1 ,calf41 that distributes wire-service news and columns1 along with a news service devoted to computers and even the ,dilbert comic strip1 in ,usenet form4 ,distributed in ,usenet form1 ,clarinet stories and columns are organized into more than #ajj newsgroups 7in this case1 a truly appropriate name71 some of them with an extremely narrow focus1 for example1 clari4news4gov4taxes4 ,the general news and sports come from ,united ,press ,international2 the computer news from the ,news,bytes service2 the features from several syndicates4 ,because ,clarinet charges for its service1 not all host systems carry its articles4 ,those that do carry them as ,usenet groups starting with clari4 ,as with other ,usenet hierarchies1 these are named starting with broad area and ending with more specific categories4 ,some of these include business news 7clari4biz72 general national and foreign news1 politics and the like 7clari4news71 sports 7clari4sports72 columns by ,mike ,royko1 ,miss ,manners1 ,dave ,barry and others 7clari4feature72 and ,news,bytes computer and telecommunications reports 7clari4nb74 ,because ,clarinet started in ,canada1 there is a separate set of clari4canada newsgroups4 ,the clari4nb newsgroups are divided into specific computer types 7clari4nb4apple1 for example74 ,clari news groups feature stories updated around the clock4 ,there are even a couple of bulletin newsgroups for breaking stories3 clari4news4bulletin and clari4news4urgent4 ,clarinet also sets up new newsgroups for breaking stories that become ongoing ones 7such as major natural disasters1 coups in large countries and the like74 ,occasionally1 you will see stories in clari newsgroups that just don't seem to belong there4 ,stories about former ,washington1 ,d4,c4 mayor ,marion ,barry1 for example1 often wind interspersed among columns by ,dave ,barry4 ,this happens because of the way wire services work4 ,,upi uses three-letter codes to route its stories to the newspapers and radio stations that make up most of its clientele1 and harried editors on deadline sometimes punch in the wrong code4 #aj4b ,,reuters ,this is roughly the ,british equivalent of ,,upi or ,associated ,press4 ,msen1 a public-access site in ,michigan1 currently feeds ,reuters dispatches into a series of ,usenet-style conferences4 ,if your site subscribes to this service1 look for newsgroups with names that begin in msen4reuters4 #aj4c ,,usa ,,today ,if your host system doesn't carry the clari or msen4reuters newsgroups1 you might be able to keep up with the news a different way over the ,net4 ,,usa ,today has been something of an online newspaper pioneer1 selling its stories to bulletin-board and online systems across the country for several years4 ,cleveland ,free-,net provides the online version of ,,usa ,today 7along with all its other services7 for free4 ,currently1 the paper only publishes five days a week1 so you'll have to get your weekend news fix elsewhere4 ,telnet3 freenet-in-a4cwru4edu or freenet-in-b4cwru4edu ,after you connect and log in1 look for this menu entry3 ,,nptn_/,,usa ,,today ,,headline ,,news4 ,type the number next to it and hit enter4 ,you'll then get a menu listing a series of broad categories1 such as sports and telecommunications4 ,choose one1 and you'll get a yet another menu1 listing the ten most recent dates of publication4 ,each of these contains one-paragraph summaries of the day's news in that particular subject4 #aj4d ,,the ,,world ,,today1 ,,from ,,belarus ,,to ,,brazil ,radio ,free ,europe and ,radio ,liberty are ,american radio stations that broadcast to the former ,communist countries of eastern ,europe4 ,every day1 their news departments prepare a summary of news in those countries1 which is then disseminated via the ,net1 through a ,bitnet mailing list and a ,usenet newsgroup4 ,to have the daily digests sent directly to your e-mailbox1 send a message to listservubvm4cc4buffalo4edu ,leave the subject line blank1 and as a message1 write3 subscribe rferl-l ,your ,name ,alternately1 look for the bulletins in the ,usenet newsgroup misc4news- east-europe4rferl4 ,daily ,brazilian news updates are available 7in ,portuguese7 from the ,university of ,sao ,paulo4 ,use anonymous ftp to connect to uspif4if4usp4br ,use cd to switch to the whois directory4 ,the news summaries are stored in files with this form3 ,,news4#bc,,oct#ib2a4 ,but to get them1 leave off the semicolon and the #a1 and don't capitalize anything1 for example3 get news4#bcoct#ib ,daily summaries of news reports from ,france 7in ,french7 are availble on the ,national ,capital ,free,net in ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ,telnet to freenet4carleton4ca and log on as3 guest4 ,at the main menu1 select the number for ,the ,newsstand and then ,la presse de ,france4 #aj4e ,e-,,mailing ,,news ,,organizations ,a number of newspapers1 television stations and networks and other news organizations now encourage readers and viewers to communicate with them electronically1 via ,internet e-mail addresses4 ,they include3 ,the ,middlesex ,news1 ,framingham1 ,mass4 sysopnews4ci4net ,the ,boston ,globe voxboxglobe4com ,,wcvb-,,tv1 ,boston1 ,mass4 wcvbaol4com ,,nbc ,news1 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 nightlynbc4com ,the ,ottawa ,citizen1 ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ottawa-citizenfreenet4carleton4ca ,,cjoh-,,tv1 ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ab#cfc;freenet4carleton4ca ,st4 ,petersburg 7,fla47 ,times #gcagd4ccdd;compuserve4com ,illinois ,issues1 ,springfield1 ,ill4 gherardisangamon4edu ,,wtvf-,,tv1 ,nashville1 ,tenn4 craig4ownsbynashville4com #aj4f ,,fyi ,the clari4net4newusers newsgroup on ,usenet provides a number of articles about ,clarinet and ways of finding news stories of interest to you4 ,to discuss the future of newspapers and newsrooms in the new electronic medium1 subscribe to the ,computer ,assisted ,reporting and ,research mailing list on ,bitnet4 ,send a mail message of ,subscribe carr-l ,your ,name to listservulkyvm4bitnet4 ,chapter #i3 ,,advanced ,e-,,mail #i4a ,,the ,,file',s ,,in ,,the ,,mail ,e-mail by itself is a powerful tool1 and by now you may be sending e-mail messages all over the place4 ,you might even be on a mailing list or two4 ,but there is a lot more to e-mail than just sending messages4 ,if your host system does not have access to ftp1 or it doesn't have access to every ftp site on the ,net1 you can have programs and files sent right to your mailbox4 ,and using some simple techniques1 you can use e-mail to send data files such as spreadsheets1 or even whole programs1 to friends and colleagues around the world4 ,a key to both is a set of programs known as encoders and decoders4 ,for all its basic power1 ,net e-mail has a big problem3 it can't handle graphics characters or the control codes found in even the simplest of computer programs4 ,encoders however1 can translate these into forms usable in e-mail1 while decoders turn them back into a form that you can actually use4 ,if you are using a ,unix-based host system1 chances are it already has an encoder and decoder online that you can use4 ,these programs will also let you use programs posted in several ,usenet newsgroups1 such as comp4binaries4ibm4pc4 ,if both you and the person with whom you want to exchange files use ,unix host systems1 you're in luck because virtually all ,unix host systems have encoder_/decoder programs online4 ,for now1 let's assume that's the case4 ,first1 upload the file you want to send to your friend to your host site 7ask your system administrator how to upload a file to your name or home directory if you don't already know how74 ,then type uuencode file file file4uu and hit enter4 ,file is the name of the file you want to prepare for mailing1 and yes1 you have to type the name twice6 ,the is a ,unix command that tells the system to call the encoded file file4uu 7you could actually call it anything you want74 ,now to get it into a mail message4 ,the quick and dirty way is to type mail friend where friend is your friend's address4 ,at the subject line1 type the name of the enclosed file4 ,when you get the blank line1 type r file4uu or whatever you called the file1 and hit enter4 7on some systems1 the may not work2 if so1 ask your system administrator what to use74 ,this inserts the file into your mail message4 ,hit control-,d1 and your file is on its way6 ,on the other end1 when your friend goes into her mailbox1 she should transfer it to her home directory4 ,then she should type uudecode file4name and hit enter4 ,this creates a new file in her name directory with whatever name you originally gave it4 ,she can then download it to her own computer4 ,before she can actually use it1 though1 she'll have to open it up with a text processor and delete the mail header that has been stamped on it4 ,if you use a mailer program that automatically appends a signature1 tell her about that so she can delete that as well4 #i4b ,,receiving ,,files ,if somebody sends you a file through the mail1 you'll have to go through a couple of steps to get it into a form you can actually use4 ,if you are using the simple mail program1 go into mail and type w file4name where is the number of the message you want to transfer and file4name is what you want to call the resulting file4 ,in pine1 call up the message and hit your ,o key and then ,e4 ,you'll then be asked for a file name4 ,in elm1 call up the message and hit your ,s key4 ,you'll get something that looks like this3 file4request ,type a new file name and hit enter 7if you hit enter without typing a file name1 the message will be saved to another mail folder1 not your home directory74 ,in all three cases1 exit the mail program to return to your host system's command line4 ,because the file has been encoded for mail delivery1 you now have to run a decoder4 ,at the command line1 type uudecode file4name where file4name is the file you created while in mail4 ,uudecode will create a new1 uncompressed binary file4 ,in some cases1 you may have to run it through some other programs 7for example1 if it is in tar form71 but generally it should now be ready for you to download to your own computer 7on which you might then have to run a de-compressor program such as ,,pkxzip74 #i4c ,,sending ,,files ,,to ,,non-,,internet ,,sites ,what if your friend only connects with a non-,unix system1 such as ,compu,serve or ,m,c,i,mail8 ,there are programs available for ,,ms-,,dos1 ,apple and ,amiga computers that will encode and decode files4 ,of course1 since you can't send one of these programs to your friend via e-mail 7how would she un-encode it871 you'll have to mail 7the old-fashioned way7 or give her a diskette with the program on it first4 ,then1 she can get the file by e-mail and go through the above process 7only on her own computer7 to get a usable file4 ,remember to give her an encoder program as well1 if she wants to send you files in return4 ,for ,,ms-,,dos machines1 you'll want to get uunecode4com and uudecode4com4 ,both can be found through anonymous ftp at wuarchive4wustl4edu in the _/mirrors_/msdos_/starter directory4 ,the ,,ms- ,,dos version is as easy to use as the ,unix one3 ,just type uudecode filename4ext and hit enter4 ,mac users should get a program called uutool1 which can be found in the info-mac_/util directory on sumex-aim4stanford4edu4 ,think twice before sending somebody a giant file4 ,although large sites connected directly to the ,internet can probably handle mega-files1 many smaller systems cannot4 ,some commercial systems1 such as ,compu,serve and ,m,c,i,mail1 limit the size of mail messages their users can receive4 ,fidonet doesn't even allow encoded messages4 ,in general1 a file size of #cj1jjj or so bytes is a safe upper limit for non-,internet systems4 #i4d ,,getting ,,ftp ,,files ,,via ,e-,,mail ,to help people without ftp access1 a number of ftp sites have set up mail servers 7also known as archive servers7 that allow you to get files via e-mail4 ,you send a request to one of these machines and they send back the file you want4 ,as with ftp1 you'll be able to find everything from historical documents to software 7but please note that if you do have access to ftp1 that method is always quicker and ties up fewer resources than using e-mail74 ,some interesting or useful mail servers include3 mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu ,files of frequently asked questions related to ,usenet2 state-by-state lists of ,u4,s4 representatives and ,senators and their addresses and office phone numbers4 archive-servereff4org ,information about the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation2 documents about legal issues on the ,net4 archive-servercs4widener4edu ,back copies of the ,computer ,underground ,digest and every possible fact you could want to know about ,the ,simpsons4 netlibuunet4uu4net ,programs for many types of personal computers2 archives of past postings from many ,usenet newsgroups4 archive-serverames4arc4nasa4gov ,space-related text and graphics 7,,gif-format7 files4 servicenic4ddn4mil ,detailed information about ,internet4 ,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 you4 ,the most important command is send1 which tells the computer you want it to send you a particular file4 ,first1 though1 you'll need to know where the mail server stores that file1 because you have to tell it which directory or sub- directory it's in4 ,there are a couple of ways to do this4 ,you can send an e-mail message to the archive-server that consists of one line3 index ,the server will then send you a directory listing of its main1 or root directory4 ,you'll then have to send a second message to the archive server with one line3 index directory_/subdirectory where directory_/subdirectory is the directory path for which you want a listing4 ,an alternative is to send an e-mail message to our old friend archie1 which should send you back the file's exact location on the archive-server 7along with similar listings for all the other sites that may have the file1 however7 ,once you have the file name and its directory path1 compose a message to the archive server like this3 send directory_/subdirectory_/file ,send off the message and1 anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days later1 you'll find a new message in your mailbox3 a copy of the file you requested4 ,the exact time it will take a file to get to you depends on a variety of factors1 including how many requests are in line before yours 7mail servers can only process so many requests at a time7 and the state of the connections between the server and you4 ,seems simple enough4 ,it gets a little more complicated when you request a program rather than a document4 ,programs or other files that contain unusual characters or lines longer than #acj characters 7graphics files1 for example7 require special processing by the mail server to ensure they are transmitted via e-mail4 ,then you'll have to run them through at least one converter program to put them in a form you can actually use4 ,to ensure that a program or other non-mailable file actually gets to you1 include another line in your e-mail message to the server3 encoder ,this converts the file into an encoded form4 ,to decode it1 you'll first have to transfer the file message into a file in your home directory4 ,one further complication comes when you request a particularly long file4 ,many ,net sites can only handle so much mail at a time4 ,to make sure you get the entire file1 tell the mail server to break it up into smaller pieces1 with another line in your e-mail request like this3 size #ajjjjj ,this gives the mail server the maximum size1 in bytes1 of each file segment4 ,this particular size is good for ,,uucp sites4 ,internet and ,bitnet sites can generally go up to #cjjjjj4 ,when you get all of these files in mail1 transfer them to your home directory4 ,exit mail and call up each file in your host system's text processor and delete each one's entire header and footer 7or signature at the end74 ,when done with this1 at your host system's command line1 type cat file#a file#b bigfile where file#a is the first file1 file#b the second file1 and so on4 ,the tells your host system to combine them into a new megafile called bigfile 7or whatever you want to call it74 ,after you save the file to your home directory 7see section #i4b above71 you can then run uudecode1 tar1 etc4 ,one word of caution1 though3 if the file you want is long enough that it has to be broken into pieces1 think of how much time it's going to take you to download the whole thing -- especially if you're using a #bdjj-;baud modem6 ,there are a number of other mail servers4 ,to get a list1 send an e-mail message to mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu3 send usenet_/comp4sources4wanted_/,howtofinds ources7,,read,,this,,before,,posting7 ,you'll have to spell it exactly as listed above4 ,some mail servers use different software1 which will require slightly different commands than the ones listed here4 ,in general1 if you send a message to a mail server that says only help you should get back a file detailing all of its commands4 ,but what if the file you want is not on one of these mail servers8 ,that's where ftpmail comes in4 ,run by ,digital ,equipment ,corp4 in ,california1 this service can connect to almost any ftp site in the world1 get the file you want and then mail it to you4 ,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 you4 ,compose an e-mail message to ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com ,leave the subject3 line blank4 ,inside the message1 there are several commands you can give4 ,the first line should be reply address where address is your e-mail address4 ,the next line should be connect host where host is the system that has the file you want 7for example3 wuarchive4wustl4edu74 ,other commands you should consider using are binary 7required for program files72 compress 7reduces the file size for quicker transmission7 and uuencode 7which encodes the file so you can do something with it when it arrives74 ,the last line of your message should be the word quit4 ,let's say you want a copy of the ,u4,s4 constitution4 ,using archie1 you've found a file called1 surprise1 constitution1 at the ftp site archive4cis4ohio-state4edu1 in the _/pub_/firearms_/politics_/rkba directory4 ,you'd send a message to ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com that looks like this3 reply adamgworld4std4com connect archive4cis4ohio-state4edu binary compress uuencode get pub_/firearms_/politics_/rkba_/constitut ion quit ,when you get the file in your mailbox1 use the above procedure for copying it to a file4 ,run it through uudecode4 ,then type uncompress file4name to make it usable4 ,since this was a text file1 you could have changed the binary to ascii and then eliminated the uuencode file4 ,for programs1 though1 you'll want to keep these lines4 ,one caveat with ftpmail3 it has become such a popular service that it could take a week or more for your requested files to arrive4 #i4e ,,the ,,all ,,knowing ,,oracle ,one other thing you can do through e-mail is consult with the ,usenet ,oracle4 ,you can ask the ,oracle anything at all and get back an answer 7whether you'll like the answer is another question74 ,first1 you'll want to get instructions on how to address the ,oracle 7he1 or she1 or it1 is very particular about such things and likes being addressed in august1 solemn and particularly sycophantic tones74 ,start an e-mail message to oracleiuvax4cs4indiana4edu ,in the subject3 line1 type help and hit enter4 ,you don't actually have to say anything in the message itself -- at least not yet4 ,hit control-,d to send off your request for help4 ,within a few hours1 the ,oracle will mail you back detailed instructions4 ,it's a fairly long file1 so before you start reading it1 turn on your communications software's logging function1 to save it to your computer 7or save the message to a file on your host system's home directory and then download the file74 ,after you've digested it1 you can compose your question to the ,oracle4 ,mail it to the above address1 only this time with a subject line that describes your question4 ,expect an answer within a couple of days4 ,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 well6 ,chapter #aj3 ,,news ,,of ,,the ,,world #aj4a ,clarinet3 ,,upi1 ,dave ,barry and ,dilbert4 ,usenet newsgroups can be something of a misnomer4 ,they may be interesting1 informative and educational1 but they are often not news1 at least1 not the way most people would think of them4 ,but there are several sources of news and sports on the ,net4 ,one of the largest is ,clarinet1 a company in ,cupertino1 ,calf41 that distributes wire-service news and columns1 along with a news service devoted to computers and even the ,dilbert comic strip1 in ,usenet form4 ,distributed in ,usenet form1 ,clarinet stories and columns are organized into more than #ajj newsgroups 7in this case1 a truly appropriate name71 some of them with an extremely narrow focus1 for example1 clari4news4gov4taxes4 ,the general news and sports come from ,united ,press ,international2 the computer news from the ,news,bytes service2 the features from several syndicates4 ,because ,clarinet charges for its service1 not all host systems carry its articles4 ,those that do carry them as ,usenet groups starting with clari4 ,as with other ,usenet hierarchies1 these are named starting with broad area and ending with more specific categories4 ,some of these include business news 7clari4biz72 general national and foreign news1 politics and the like 7clari4news71 sports 7clari4sports72 columns by ,mike ,royko1 ,miss ,manners1 ,dave ,barry and others 7clari4feature72 and ,news,bytes computer and telecommunications reports 7clari4nb74 ,because ,clarinet started in ,canada1 there is a separate set of clari4canada newsgroups4 ,the clari4nb newsgroups are divided into specific computer types 7clari4nb4apple1 for example74 ,clari news groups feature stories updated around the clock4 ,there are even a couple of bulletin newsgroups for breaking stories3 clari4news4bulletin and clari4news4urgent4 ,clarinet also sets up new newsgroups for breaking stories that become ongoing ones 7such as major natural disasters1 coups in large countries and the like74 ,occasionally1 you will see stories in clari newsgroups that just don't seem to belong there4 ,stories about former ,washington1 ,d4,c4 mayor ,marion ,barry1 for example1 often wind interspersed among columns by ,dave ,barry4 ,this happens because of the way wire services work4 ,,upi uses three-letter codes to route its stories to the newspapers and radio stations that make up most of its clientele1 and harried editors on deadline sometimes punch in the wrong code4 #aj4b ,,reuters ,this is roughly the ,british equivalent of ,,upi or ,associated ,press4 ,msen1 a public-access site in ,michigan1 currently feeds ,reuters dispatches into a series of ,usenet-style conferences4 ,if your site subscribes to this service1 look for newsgroups with names that begin in msen4reuters4 #aj4c ,,usa ,,today ,if your host system doesn't carry the clari or msen4reuters newsgroups1 you might be able to keep up with the news a different way over the ,net4 ,,usa ,today has been something of an online newspaper pioneer1 selling its stories to bulletin-board and online systems across the country for several years4 ,cleveland ,free-,net provides the online version of ,,usa ,today 7along with all its other services7 for free4 ,currently1 the paper publishes only five days a week1 so you'll have to get your weekend news fix elsewhere4 ,telnet3 freenet-in-a4cwru4edu or freenet-in-b4cwru4edu or freenet-in-c4cwru4edu ,after you connect and log in1 look for this menu entry3 ,,nptn_/,,usa ,,today ,,headline ,,news4 ,type the number next to it and hit enter4 ,you'll then get a menu listing a series of broad categories1 such as sports and telecommunications4 ,choose one1 and you'll get a yet another menu1 listing the ten most recent dates of publication4 ,each of these contains one-paragraph summaries of the day's news in that particular subject4 #aj4d ,,national ,,public ,,radio ,look in the alt4radio4networks4npr newsgroup in ,usenet for summaries of ,,npr news shows such as ,all ,things ,considered4 ,this newsgroup is also a place to discuss the network and its shows1 personalities and policies4 #aj4e ,,the ,,world ,,today1 ,,from ,,belarus ,,to ,,brazil ,radio ,free ,europe and ,radio ,liberty are ,american radio stations that broadcast to the former ,communist countries of eastern ,europe4 ,every day1 their news departments prepare a summary of news in those countries1 which is then disseminated via the ,net1 through a ,bitnet mailing list and a ,usenet newsgroup4 ,to have the daily digests sent directly to your e-mailbox1 send a message to listservubvm4cc4buffalo4edu ,leave the subject line blank1 and as a message1 write3 subscribe rferl-l ,your ,name ,alternately1 look for the bulletins in the ,usenet newsgroup misc4news- east-europe4rferl4 ,the ,voice of ,america1 a government broadcasting service aimed at other countries1 provides transcripts of its ,english-language news reports through both gopher and anonymous ftp4 ,for the former1 use gopher to connect to this address3 gopher4voa4gov and for the latter1 to this address3 ftp4voa4gov ,daily ,brazilian news updates are available 7in ,portuguese7 from the ,university of ,sao ,paulo4 ,use anonymous ftp to connect to uspif4if4usp4br ,use cd to switch to the whois directory4 ,the news summaries are stored in files with this form3 ,,news4#bc,,oct#ib2a4 ,but to get them1 leave off the semicolon and the #a1 and don't capitalize anything1 for example3 get news4#bcoct#ib ,daily summaries of news reports from ,france 7in ,french7 are availble on the ,national ,capital ,free,net in ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ,telnet to freenet4carleton4ca and log on as3 guest4 ,at the main menu1 select the number for ,the ,newsstand and then ,la presse de ,france4 #aj4f ,e-,,mailing ,,news ,,organizations ,a number of newspapers1 television stations and networks and other news organizations now encourage readers and viewers to communicate with them electronically1 via ,internet e-mail addresses4 ,they include3 ,the ,middlesex ,news1 ,framingham1 ,mass4 sysopnews4ci4net ,the ,boston ,globe voxboxglobe4com ,,wcvb-,,tv1 ,boston1 ,mass4 wcvbaol4com ,,nbc ,news1 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 nightlynbc4com ,the ,ottawa ,citizen1 ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ottawa-citizenfreenet4carleton4ca ,,cjoh-,,tv1 ,ottawa1 ,ont4 ab#cfc;freenet4carleton4ca ,st4 ,petersburg 7,fla47 ,times #gcagd4ccdd;compuserve4com ,illinois ,issues1 ,springfield1 ,ill4 gherardisangamon4edu ,,wtvf-,,tv1 ,nashville1 ,tenn4 craig4ownsbynashville4com ,santa ,cruz ,county 7,calif47 ,sentinel sentedcruzio4com ,morning ,journal1 ,lorain1 ,ohio mamjornlfreenet4lorain4oberlin4edu ,,wcco-,,tv1 ,minneapolis1 ,minn4 wccotvmr4net ,tico ,times1 ,costa ,rica ttimeshuracon4cr #aj4g ,,fyi ,the clari4net4newusers newsgroup on ,usenet provides a number of articles about ,clarinet and ways of finding news stories of interest to you4 ,to discuss the future of newspapers and newsrooms in the new electronic medium1 subscribe to the ,computer ,assisted ,reporting and ,research mailing list on ,bitnet4 ,send a mail message of ,subscribe carr-l ,your ,name to listservulkyvm4bitnet4 ,chapter #aa3 ,,irc1 ,m,u,ds ,,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 world4 ,to find out if your host system offers these1 you can ask your system administrator or just try them -- if nothing happens1 then your system does not provide them4 ,in general1 if you can use telnet and ftp1 chances are good you can use these services as well4 #aa4a ,,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 time4 ,to use it1 type talk usersite4name where usersite4name is the e-mail address of the other person4 ,she will see something like this on her screen3 talk3 connection requested by yournamesite4name talk3 respond with3 talk yournamesite4name ,to start the conversation1 she should then type 7at her host system's command line73 talk yournamesite4name where that is your e-mail address4 ,both of you will then get a top and bottom window on your screen4 ,she will see everything you type in one window2 you'll see everything she types in the other4 ,to disconnect1 hit control-,c4 ,one note3 ,public-access sites that use ,sun computers sometimes have trouble with the talk program4 ,if talk does not work1 try typing otalk or ntalk instead4 ,however1 the party at the other end will have to have the same program online for the connection to work4 #aa4b ,,internet ,,relay ,,chat ,,irc is a program that lets you hold live keyboard conversations with people around the world4 ,it's a lot like an international ,,cb radio - it even uses channels4 ,type something on your computer and it's instantly echoed around the world to whoever happens to be on the same channel with you4 ,you can join in existing public group chats or set up your own4 ,you can even create a private channel for yourself and as few as one or two other people4 ,and just like on a ,,cb radio1 you can give yourself a unique handle or nickname4 ,,irc currently links host systems in #bj different countries1 from ,australia to ,hong ,kong to ,israel4 ,unfortunately1 it's like telnet -- either your site has it or it doesn't4 ,if your host system does have it1 ,just type irc and hit enter4 ,you'll get something like this3 999999 ,connecting to port #fffg of server world4std4com 999999 ,welcome to the ,internet ,relay ,network1 adamg 999999 ,your host is world4std4com1 running version #b4g4a;e#d 999999 ,you have new mail4 999999 ,if you have not already done so1 please read the new user information with _/,,help ,,newuser 999999 ,this server was created ,sat ,apr #ah #aiib at #af3bg3jb ,,edt 999999 ,there are #cfd users on #adj servers 999999 #de users have connection to the twilight zone 999999 ,there are #abd channels4 999999 ,i have #a clients and #c servers ,,motd - world4std4com ,message of the ,day - ,,motd - ,be careful out there444 ,,motd - ,,motd - -,spike 99 ,end of _/,,motd command4 #bc3ac #a adamg ,mail3 #cb 99 type _/help for help ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ,you are now in channel #j1 the null channel1 in which you can look up various help files1 but not much else4 ,as you can see1 ,,irc takes over your entire screen4 ,the top of the screen is where messages will appear4 ,the last line is where you type ,,irc commands and messages4 ,all ,,irc commands begin with a _/4 ,the slash tells the computer you are about to enter a command1 rather than a message4 ,to see what channels are available1 type _/list and hit enter4 ,you'll get something like this3 999999 ,channel ,users ,topic 999999 ,money #a ,school ,,ca,h 7_/msg ,,sos,,aid help7 999999 ,gone #a ----- ,gone with the wind666 ------ 999999 mee #a 999999 eclipse #a 999999 hiya #b 999999 saigon #d 999999 screwed #c 999999 z #b 999999 comix #a ,,let',s ,,talk ',,bout ,,comix66666 999999 ,drama #a 999999 ,ray,trace #a ,rendering to ,reality and ,back 999999 ,ne,x,t #a 999999 wicca #d ,mr4 ,potato ,head1 ,r4 ,i4 ,p4 999999 ddemhe #a no'ng chay8 mo998 444ba con o99iiii 999999 jgm #a 999999 ucd #a 999999 ,maine #b 999999 ,snuffland #a 999999 p_/g6 #d 999999 ,dragon,srv #a ,because ,,irc allows for a large number of channels1 the list might scroll off your screen1 so you might want to turn on your computer's screen capture to capture the entire list4 ,note that the channels always have names1 instead of numbers4 ,each line in the listing tells you the channel name1 the number of people currently in it1 and whether there's a specific topic for it4 ,to switch to a particular channel1 type _/join channel where channel is the channel name and hit enter4 ,some public channels actually require an invitation from somebody already on it4 ,to request an invitation1 type _/who channel-name where channel-name is the name of the channel1 and hit enter4 ,then ask someone with an next to their name if you can join in4 ,note that whenever you enter a channel1 you have to include the 4 ,choose one with a number of users1 so you can see ,,irc in action4 ,if it's a busy channel1 as soon as you join it1 the top of your screen will quickly be filled with messages4 ,each will start with a person's ,,irc nickname1 followed by his message4 ,it may seem awfully confusing at first4 ,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 all4 ,eventually1 though1 you'll get into the rhythm of the channel and things will begin to make more sense4 ,you might even want to add your two cents 7in fact1 don't be surprised if a message to you shows up on your screen right away2 on some channels1 newcomers are welcomed immediately74 ,to enter a public message1 simply type it on that bottom line 7the computer knows it's a message because you haven't started the line with a slash7 and hit enter4 ,public messages have a user's nickname in brackets1 like this3 tomg ,if you receive a private message from somebody1 his name will be between asterisks1 like this3 99tomg99 #aa4c ,,irc ,,commands ,note3 ,hit enter after each command4 _/away ,when you're called away to put out a grease fire in the kitchen1 issue this command to let others know you're still connected but just away from your terminal or computer for awhile4 _/help ,brings up a list of commands for which there is a help file4 ,you will get a topic3 prompt4 ,type in the subject for which you want information and hit enter4 ,hit enter by itself to exit help4 _/invite ,asks another ,,irc to join you in a conversation4 _/invite fleepo hottub would send a message to fleepo asking him to join you on the hottub channel4 ,the channel name is optional4 _/join ,use this to switch to or create a particular channel1 like this3 _/join hottub ,if one of these channels exists and is not a private one1 you will enter it4 ,otherwise1 you have just created it4 ,note you have to use a as the first character4 _/list ,this will give you a list of all available public channels1 their topics 7if any7 and the number of users currently on them4 ,hidden and private channels are not shown4 _/m name ,send a private message to that user4 _/mode ,this lets you determine who can join a channel you've created4 _/mode channel s creates a secret channel4 _/mode channel p makes the channel private _/nick ,this lets you change the name by which others see you4 _/nick fleepo would change your name for the present session to fleepo4 ,people can still use _/whois to find your e-mail address4 ,if you try to enter a channel where somebody else is already using that nickname1 ,,irc will ask you to select another name4 _/query ,this sets up a private conversation between you and another ,,irc user4 ,to do this1 type _/query nickname ,every message you type after that will go only to that person4 ,if she then types _/query nickname where nickname is yours1 then you have established a private conversation4 ,to exit this mode1 type _/query by itself4 ,while in query mode1 you and the other person can continue to listen to the discussion on whatever public channels you were on1 although neither of you will be able to respond to any of the messages there4 _/quit ,exit ,,irc4 _/signoff ,exit ,,irc4 _/summon ,asks somebody connected to a host system with ,,irc to join you on ,,irc4 ,you must use the person's entire e-mail address4 _/summon fleepofoo4bar4com would send a message to fleepo asking him to start ,,irc4 ,usually not a good idea to just summon people unless you know they're already amenable to the idea2 otherwise you may wind up annoying them no end4 ,this command does not work on all sites4 _/topic ,when you've started a new channel1 use this command to let others know what it's about4 _/topic ,amiga would tell people who use _/list that your channel is meant for discussing ,amiga computers4 _/who chan ,shows you the e-mail address of people on a particular channel4 _/who foo would show you the addresses of everybody on channel foo4 _/who by itself shows you every e-mail address for every person on ,,irc at the time1 although be careful3 on a busy night you might get a list of #ejj names6 _/whois ,use this to get some information about a specific ,,irc user or to see who is online4 _/whois nickname will give you the e-mail address for the person using that nickname4 _/whois 99 will list everybody on every channel4 _/whowas ,similar to _/whois2 gives information for people who recently signed off ,,irc4 #aa4d ,,irc ,,in ,,times ,,of ,,crisis ,,irc has become a new medium for staying on top of really big breaking news4 ,in #aiic1 when ,russian lawmakers barricaded themselves inside the parliament building1 some enterprising ,muscovites and a couple of ,americans set up a news channel on ,,irc to relay first-person accounts direct from ,moscow4 ,the channel was set up to provide a continuous loop of information1 much like all-news radio stations that cycle through the day's news every #bj minutes4 ,in #aiid1 ,los ,angeles residents set up a similar channel to relay information related to the ,northridge earthquake4 ,in both cases1 logs of the channels were archived somewhere on the ,net1 for those unable to tune in live4 ,how would you find such channels in the future8 ,use the _/list command to scroll through the available channels4 ,if one has been set up to discuss a particular breaking event1 chances are you'll see a brief description next to the channel name that will tell you that's the place to tune4 #aa4e ,m,u,ds ,multiple-,user ,dimensions or ,dungeons 7,m,u,ds7 take ,,irc into the realm of fantasy4 ,m,u,ds are live1 role-playing games in which you enter assume a new identity and enter an alternate reality through your keyboard4 ,as you explore this other world1 through a series of simple commands 7such as look1 go and take71 you'll run across other users1 who may engage you in a friendly discussion1 enlist your aid in some quest or try to kill you for no apparent reason4 ,each ,,mud has its own personality and creator 7or ,god7 who was willing to put in the long hours required to establish the particular ,,mud's rules1 laws of nature and information databases4 ,some ,m,u,ds stress the social aspects of online communications -- users frequently gather online to chat and join together to build new structures or even entire realms4 ,others are closer to ,dungeons and ,dragons and are filled with sorcerers1 dragons and evil people out to keep you from completing your quest -- through murder if necessary4 ,many ,m,u,ds 7there are also related games known as ,m,u,c,ks and ,m,u,s,es7 require you to apply in advance1 through e-mail1 for a character name and password4 ,one that lets you look around first1 though1 is ,holo,muck at ,mc,gill ,university in ,montreal4 ,the premise of this game is that you arrive in the middle of ,tanstaafl1 a city on the planet ,holo4 ,you have to find a place to live 7else you get thrown into the homeless shelter7 and then you can begin exploring4 ,magic is allowed on this world1 but only outside the city limits4 ,get bored with the city and you can roam the rest of the world or even take a trip into orbit 7of course1 all this takes money2 you can either wait for your weekly salary or take a trip to the city casino74 ,once you become familiar with the city and get your own character1 you can even begin erecting your own building 7or subway line1 or almost anything else74 ,to connect1 telnet to collatz4mcrcim4mcgill4edu #egeg ,when you connect1 type connect guest guest and hit enter4 ,this connects you to the guest account1 which has a password of guest4 ,you'll see this3 ,the ,homeless ,shelter7#bb,rna7 ,you wake up in the town's ,homeless ,shelter1 where vagrants are put for protective holding4 ,please don't sleep in public places-- there are plenty of open apartments available4 ,type 'apartments' to see how to get to an apartment building with open vacancies4 ,there is a small sign on the wall here1 with helpful information4 ,type 'look sign' to read it4 ,the door is standing open for your return to respectable society4 ,simply walk 'out' to the center4 ,of course1 you want to join respectable society1 but first you want to see what that sign says4 ,so you type look sign and hit enter1 which brings up a list of some basic commands4 ,then you type out followed by enter1 which brings up this3 ,you slip out the door1 and head southeast444 ,tanstaafl ,center ,this is the center of the beautiful town of ,tanstaafl4 ,high ,street runs north and south into residential areas1 while ,main ,street runs east and west into business districts4 ,,sw3 is ,tanstaafl ,towers4 ,please claim an apartment444 no sleeping in public6 ,,se3 the ,public ,library offers both information and entertainment4 ,,nw3 is the ,homeless ,shelter1 formerly the ,town ,jail4 ,,ne3 is ,town ,hall1 site of several important services1 including3 ,public ,message ,board1 ,bureau of ,land ,management 7with maps and regulations71 and other governmental_/ bureaucratic help4 ,down3 ,below a sign marked with both red and blue large letter ',u's1 a staircase leads into an underground subway passage4 7,feel free to 'look' in any direction for more information47 ,obvious exits3 launch1 d1 nw1 se1 w1 e1 n1 s1 ne1 sw ,contents3 ,instructions for newcomers ,directional signpost ,founders' statue ,to see ,instructions for newcomers1 type look ,instructions for newcomers and hit enter4 ,you could do the same for ,directional signpost and ,founders' statue4 ,then type ,,sw and enter to get to ,tanstaafl ,towers1 the city housing complex1 where you have to claim an apartment 7you may have to look around2 many will already7 be occupied4 ,and now it's off to explore ,holo6 ,one command you'll want to keep in mind is take4 ,periodically1 you'll come across items that1 when you take them will confer certain abilities or powers on you4 ,if you type help and enter1 you'll get a list of files you can read to learn more about the ,,mud's commands4 ,the say command lets you talk to other players publicly4 ,for example1 say ,hey1 ,i'm here6 would be broadcast to everybody else in the room with you4 ,if you want to talk to just one particular person1 use whisper instead of say4 whisper agora,hey1 ,i'm here6 would be heard only by agora4 ,another way to communicate with somebody regardless of where on the world they are is through your pager4 ,if you suddenly see yours go off while visiting1 chances are it's a wizard checking to see if you need any help4 ,to read his message1 type page ,to send him a message1 type page namemessage where name is the wizard's name 7it'll be in the original message74 ,other ,m,u,ds and ,m,u,c,ks may have different commands1 but generally use the same basic idea of letting you navigate through relatively simple ,english commands4 ,when you connect to a ,,mud1 choose your password as carefully as you would one for your host system2 alas1 there are ,,mud crackers who enjoy trying to break into other people's ,,mud accounts4 ,and never1 never use the same password as the one you use on your host system6 ,m,u,ds can prove highly addicting4 ,the jury is still out on whether ,m,u,dding is 'just a game' or 'an extension of real life with gamelike qualities'1 says ,jennifer ,smith1 an active ,,mud player who wrote an ,,faq on the subject4 ,she adds one caution3 ,you shouldn't do anything that you wouldn't do in real life1 even if the world is a fantasy world4 ,the important thing to remember is that it's the fantasy world of possibly hundreds of people1 and not just yours in particular4 ,there's a human being on the other side of each and every wire6 ,always remember that you may meet these other people some day1 and they may break your nose4 ,people who treat others badly gradually build up bad reputations and eventually receive the ,,no ,,fun ,stamp of ,disapproval4 #aa4f ,,go1 ,,go1 ,,go 7,,and ,,chess1 ,,too76 ,fancy a good game of go or chess8 ,you no longer have to head for the nearest park with a board in hand4 ,the ,internet has a couple of machines that let you engage people from around the world in your favorite board games4 ,or1 if you prefer1 you can watch matches in progress4 ,to play go1 telnet hellspark4wharton4upenn4edu #fifi log on as3 guest ,you'll find prompts to various online help files to get you started4 ,for a chess match1 telnet news4panix4com #ejjj log on as3 guest ,you'll find prompts for online help files on the system1 which lets you choose your skill level4 #aa4g ,,the ,,other ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,coin ,all is not fun and games on the ,net4 ,like any community1 the ,net has its share of obnoxious characters who seem to exist only to make your life miserable 7you've already met some of them in chapter #d74 ,there are people who seem to spend a bit more time on the ,net than many would find healthy4 ,it also has its criminals4 ,clifford ,stoll writes in ,the ,cuckoo's ,egg how he tracked a team of ,german hackers who were breaking into ,u4,s4 computers and selling the information they found to the ,soviets4 ,robert ,morris1 a ,cornell ,university student1 was convicted of unleashing a worm program that effectively disabled several thousand computers connected to the ,internet4 ,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 viruses4 ,there is a widely available program known as ,crack that can decipher user passwords composed of words that might be found in a dictionary 7this is why you shouldn't use such passwords74 ,short of that1 there are the annoying types who take a special thrill in trying to make you miserable4 ,the best advice in dealing with them is to count to #aj and then ignore them -- like juveniles everywhere1 most of their fun comes in seeing how upset you can get4 ,meanwhile1 two ,cornell ,university students pleaded guilty in #aiib to uploading virus-infected ,macintosh programs to ftp sites4 ,if you plan to try out large amounts of software from ftp sites1 it might be wise to download or buy a good anti-viral program4 ,but can law enforcement go too far in seeking out the criminals8 ,the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation was founded in large part in response to a series of government raids against an alleged gang of hackers4 ,the raids resulted in the near bankruptcy of one game company never alleged to have had anything to do with the hackers1 when the government seized its computers and refused to give them back4 ,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 #hjj number for about #ac -- from the phone company from which that data was taken4 #aa4h ,,fyi ,you can find discussions about ,,irc in the alt4irc newsgroup4 ,a ,discussion on ,computer ,network ,conferencing1 by ,darren ,reed 7,may1 #aiib71 provides a theoretical background on why conferencing systems such as ,,irc are a ,good ,thing4 ,it's available through ftp at nic4ddn4mil in the rfc directory as rfc#acbd4txt4 ,every ,friday1 ,scott ,goehring posts a new list of ,m,u,ds and related games and their telnet addresses in the newsgroup rec4games4mud4announce4 ,there are several other mud newsgroups related to specific types of ,m,u,ds1 including rec4games4mud4social1 rec4games4mud4adventure1 rec4games4mud4tiny1 rec4games4mud4diku and rec4games4mud4lp4 ,for a good overview of the impact on the ,internet of the ,morris ,worm1 read ,virus ,highlights ,need for ,improved ,internet ,management1 by the ,u4,s4 ,general ,accounting ,office 7,june1 #aihi74 ,you can get a copy via ftp from cert4sei4cmu4edu in the pub_/virus-l_/docs directory4 ,it's listed as gaorpt4 ,clifford ,stoll describes how the ,internet works and how he tracked a group of ,,kgb-paid ,german hackers through it1 in ,the ,cuckoo's ,egg3 ,tracking a ,spy through the ,maze of ,computer ,espionage1 ,doubleday 7#aihi74 ,chapter #ab3 ,,education ,,and ,,the ,,net #ab4a ,,the ,,net ,,in ,,the ,,classroom ,if you're a teacher1 you've probably already begun to see the potential the ,net has for use in the class4 ,usenet1 ftp and telnet have tremendous educational potential1 from keeping up with world events to arranging international science experiments4 ,because the ,net now reaches so many countries and often stays online even when the phones go down1 you and your students can tune in to first-hand accounts during international conflicts4 ,look at your system's list of ,usenet soc4culture groups to see if there is one about the country or region you're interested in4 ,even in peacetime1 these newsgroups can be great places to find people from countries you might be studying4 ,the biggest problem may be getting accounts for your students1 if you're not lucky enough to live within the local calling area of a ,free-,net system4 ,many colleges and universities1 however1 are willing to discuss providing accounts for secondary students at little or no cost4 ,several states1 including ,california and ,texas1 have ,internet- linked networks for teachers and students4 #ab4b ,,some ,,specific ,,resources ,,for ,,students ,,and ,,teachers ,in addition1 there are a number of resources on the ,internet aimed specifically at elementary and secondary students and teachers4 ,you can use these to set up science experiments with classes in another country1 learn how to use computers in the classroom or keep up with the latest advances in teaching everything from physics to physical education4 ,among them3 ,ask,e,r,i,c ,run by the ,educational ,resource and ,information ,center1 ,ask,e,r,i,c provides a way for educators1 librarians and others interested in ,k-#ab education to get more information about virtually everything4 ,the center maintains an e-mail address 7askericericir4syr4edu7 for questions and promises answers within #dh hours4 ,it also maintains a gopher site that contains digests of questions and answers1 lesson plans in a variety of fields and other educationally related information4 ,the gopher address is ericir4syr4edu4 ,health-,ed3 ,a mailing list for health educators4 ,send a request to health-ed-requeststjhmc4fidonet4org ,k#ab,net3 ,begun on the ,fidonet hobbyist network1 ,k#ab,net is now also carried on many ,usenet systems and provides a host of interesting and valuable services4 ,these include international chat for students1 foreign-language discussions 7for example1 there are ,french and ,german- only conference where ,american students can practice those languages with students from ,quebec and ,german74 ,there are also conferences aimed at teachers of specific subjects1 from physical education to physics4 ,the ,k#ab network still has limited distribution1 so ask your system administrator if your system carries it4 ,kidsphere3 ,kidsphere is a mailing list for elementary and secondary teachers1 who use it to arrange joint projects and discuss educational telecommunications4 ,you will find news of new software1 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 teachers4 ,to subscribe1 send a request by e-mail to kidsphere- requestvms4cis4pitt4edu or joinkidsvms4cis4pitt4edu and you will start receiving messages within a couple of days4 ,to contribute to the discussion1 send messages to kidspherevms4cis4pitt4edu4 ,,kids is a spin-off of ,,kidsphere just for students who want to contact students4 ,to subscribe1 send a request to joinkidsvms4cis4pitt4edu1 as above4 ,to contribute1 send messages to kidsvms4cist4pitt4edu4 ,knoxville ,using the newspaper in the electronic classroom4 ,this ,news- gopher site lets students and teachers connect to ,sentinel the newspaper1 and provides resources for them derived ,online from the newsroom4 ,use gopher to connect to gopher4opup4org ,micro,m,u,s,e ,this is an online1 futuristic city1 built entirely by participants 7see chapter #aa for information on ,m,u,s,es and ,m,u,ds in general74 ,hundreds of students from all over have participated in this educational exercise1 coordinated by ,,mit4 ,telnet to michael4ai4mit4edu4 ,log on as guest and then follow the prompts for more information4 ,,nasa ,spacelink3 ,this system1 run by ,,nasa in ,huntsville1 ,ala41 provides all sorts of reports and data about ,,nasa1 its history and its various missions1 past and present4 ,telnet spacelink4msfc4nasa4gov or #abh4aeh4ac4bej4 ,when you connect1 you'll be given an overview of the system and asked to register4 ,the system maintains a large file library of ,,gif-format space graphics1 but note that you can't download these through telnet4 ,if you want to1 you have to dial the system directly1 at 7#bje7 #hie- #jjbh4 ,many can be obtained through ftp from ames4arc4nasa4gov1 however4 ,newton3 ,run by the ,argonne ,national ,laboratory1 it offers conferences for teachers and students1 including one called ,ask a ,scientist4 ,telnet3 newton4dep4anl4gov4 ,log in as3 cocotext ,you'll be asked to provide your name and address4 ,when you get the main menu1 hit #d for the various conferences4 ,the ,ask a ,scientist category lets you ask questions of scientists in fields from biology to earth science4 ,other categories let you discuss teaching1 sports and computer networks4 ,,oeri3 ,the ,u4,s4 ,department of ,education's ,office of ,educational ,resources and ,improvement runs a gopher system that provides numerous educational resources1 information and statistics for teachers4 ,use gopher to connect to gopher4ed4gov4 ,spacemet ,forum3 ,if your system doesn't carry the ,k#ab conferences1 but does provide you with telnet1 you can reach the conferences through ,space,met ,forum1 a bulletin-board system aimed at teachers and students that is run by the physics and astronomy department at the ,university of ,massachusetts at ,amherst4 ,telnet3 spacemet4phast4umass4edu4 ,when you connect1 hit escape once1 after which you'll be asked to log on4 ,like ,k#ab,net1 ,space,met ,forum began as a ,fidonet system1 but has since grown much larger4 ,mort and ,helen ,sternheim1 professors at the university1 started ,space,met as a one-line bulletin-board system several years ago to help bolster middle-school science education in nearby towns4 ,in addition to the ,k#ab conferences1 ,space,met carries numerous educationally oriented conferences4 ,it also has a large file library of interest to educators and students1 but be aware that getting files to your site could be difficult and maybe even impossible4 ,unlike most other ,internet sites1 ,spacemet does not use an ftp interface4 ,the ,sternheims say ,,zmodem sometimes works over the network1 but don't count on it4 #ab4c ,,usenet ,,and ,,bitnet ,,in ,,the ,,classroom ,there are numerous ,usenet newsgroups of potential interest to teachers and students4 ,as you might expect1 many are of a scientific bent4 ,you can find these by typing l sci4 in rn or using nngrep sci4 for nn4 ,there are now close to #dj1 with subjects ranging from archaeology to economics 7the dismal science1 remember87 to astronomy to nanotechnology 7the construction of microscopically small machines74 ,one thing students will quickly learn from many of these groups3 science is not just dull1 boring facts4 ,science is argument and standing your ground and making your case4 ,the ,usenet sci4 groups encourage critical thinking4 ,beyond science1 social-studies and history classes can keep busy learning about other countries1 through the soc4culture newsgroups4 ,most of these newsgroups originated as ways for expatriates of a given country to keep in touch with their homeland and its culture4 ,in times of crisis1 however1 these groups often become places to disseminate information from or into the country and to discuss what is happening4 ,from ,afghanistan to ,yugoslavia1 close to #ej countries are now represented on ,usenet4 ,to see which groups are available1 use l soc4culture4 in rn or nngrep soc4culture4 for nn4 ,several talk newsgroups provide additional topical discussions1 but teachers should screen them first before recommending them to students4 ,they range from talk4abortion and talk4politics4guns to talk4politics4space and talk4environment4 ,one caveat3 ,teachers might want to peruse particular newsgroups before setting their students loose in them4 ,some have higher levels of flaming and blather than others4 ,there are also a number of ,bitnet discussion groups of potential interest to students and teachers4 ,see ,chapter #e for information on finding and subscribing to ,bitnet discussion groups4 ,some with an educational orientation include3 biopi-l ksuvm4bitnet ,secondary biology education chemed-l uwf4bitnet ,chemistry education dts-l iubvm4bitnet ,the ,dead ,teacher's ,society list phys-l uwf4bitnet ,discussions for physics teachers physhare psuvm4bitnet ,where physics teachers share resources scimath-l psuvm4bitnet ,science and math education ,to get a list of ftp sites that carry astronomical images in the ,,gif graphics format1 use ftp to connect to nic4funet4fi4 ,switch to the _/pub_/astro_/general directory and get the file astroftp4txt4 ,among the sites listed is ames4arc4nasa4gov1 which carries images taken by the ,voyager and ,galileo probes1 among other pictures4 ,,chapter #ac3 ,business on the ,net #ac4a ,,setting ,,up ,,shop ,back in olden days1 oh1 before #aiij or so1 there were no markets in the virtual community -- if you wanted to buy a book1 you still had to jump in your car and drive to the nearest bookstore4 ,this was because in those days1 the ,net consisted mainly of a series of government-funded networks on which explicit commercial activity was forbidden4 ,today1 much of the ,net is run by private companies1 which generally have no such restrictions1 and a number of companies have begun experimenting with online shops or other services4 ,many of these shops are run by booksellers1 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 7of the printed on paper variety74 ,a number of companies also use ,usenet newsgroups 7in the biz hierarchy7 to distribute press releases and product information4 ,still1 commercial activity on the remains far below that found on other networks1 such as ,compu,serve1 with its ,electronic ,mall1 or ,prodigy1 with its advertisements on almost every screen4 ,in part that's because of the newness and complexity of the ,internet as a commercial medium4 ,in part1 however1 that is because of security concerns4 ,companies worry about such issues as crackers getting into their system over the network1 and many people do not like the idea of sending a credit-card number via the ,internet 7an e-mail message could be routed through several sites to get to its destination74 ,these concerns could disappear as ,net users turn to such means as message encryption and digital signatures4 ,in the meantime1 however1 businesses on the ,net can still consider themselves something of ,internet pioneers4 ,a couple of public-access sites and a regional network have set up marketplaces for online businesses4 ,the ,world in ,brookline1 ,mass41 currently rents space to several bookstores and computer-programming firms1 as well as an adult toy shop4 ,to browse their offerings1 use gopher to connect to world4std4com ,at the main menu1 select ,shops on the ,world4 ,msen in ,ann ,arbor provides its ,msen ,marketplace1 where you'll find a travel agency and an ,online ,career ,center offering help-wanted ads from across the country4 ,msen also provides an ,internet ,business ,pages1 an online directory of companies seeking to reach the ,internet community4 ,you can reach ,msen through gopher at gopher4msen4com ,at the main menu1 select ,msen ,marketplace4 ,the ,nova ,scotia ,technology ,network runs a ,cybermarket on its gopher service at nstn4ns4ca ,there1 you'll find an online bookstore that lets you order books through e-mail 7to which you'll have to trust your credit-card number7 and a similar virtual record store4'' ,both let you search their wares by keyword or by browsing through catalogs4 ,other online businesses include3 ,any,ware ,associates ,this ,boston company runs an ,internet-to-fax gateway that lets you send fax message anywhere in the world via the ,internet 7for a fee1 of course74 ,for more information1 write salesawa4com ,bookstacks ,unlimited ,this ,cleveland bookstore offers a keyword- searchable database of thousands of books for sale4 ,telnet3 books4com ,counterpoint ,publishing ,based in ,cambridge1 ,mass41 this company's main ,internet product is indexed versions of federal journals1 including the ,federal ,register 7a daily compendium of government contracts1 proposed regulations and the like74 ,internet users can browse through recent copies1 but complete access will run several thousand dollars a year4 ,use gopher to connect to enews4com and select ,counterpoint ,publishing ,dialog ,the national database company can be reached through telnet at dialog4com ,to log on1 however1 you will have first had to set up a ,dialog account4 ,dow ,jones ,news ,a wire service run by the information company ,retrieval that owns the ,wall ,street ,journal4 ,available via telnet at djnr4dowjones4com ,as with ,dialog1 you need an account to log on4 ,infinity ,link ,browse book1 music1 software1 video-cassette and laser-disk catalogs through this system based in ,malvern1 ,penn4 ,use gopher to connect to columbia4ilc4com ,log on as3 cas ,the ,internet ,company ,sort of a service bureau1 this company1 based in ,cambridge1 ,mass41 is working with several publishers on ,internet-related products4 ,its ,electronic ,newsstand offers snippets and special subscription rates to a number of national magazines1 from the ,new ,republic to the ,new ,yorker4 ,use gopher to connect to enews4com ,market,base ,you can try the classified-ads system developed by this company in ,santa ,barbara1 ,calif41 by gopher to connect to mb4com ,o',reilly and ,associates ,best known for its ,nutshell books on ,unix1 ,o',reilly runs three ,internet services4 ,the gopher server1 at ora4com provides information about the company and its books4 ,it posts similar information in the biz4oreilly4announce ,usenet newsgroup4 ,its ,global ,network ,navigator1 accessible through the ,world-,wide ,web1 is a sort of online magazine that lets users browse through interesting services and catalogs4 #ac4b ,,fyi ,the com-priv mailing list is the place to discuss issues surrounding the commercialization and the privatization of the ,internet4 ,to subscribe 7or un-subscribe71 send an e-mail request to com-priv- requestpsi4com4 ,mary ,cronin's book1 ,doing ,business on the ,internet 7#aiid1 ,van ,nostrand ,reinhold71 takes a more in-depth look at the subject4 ,kent ,state ,university in ,ohio maintains a repository of ,business ,sources on the ,net4 ,use gopher to connect to refmac4kent4edu4 ,chapter #ad3 ,,conclusion -- ,,the ,,end8 ,the revolution is just beginning4 ,new communications systems and digital technologies have already meant dramatic changes in the way we live4 ,think of what is already routine that would have been considered impossible just ten years ago4 ,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 bankrupt1 all through a computer and modem4 ,imploding costs coupled with exploding power are bringing ever more powerful computer and digital systems to ever growing numbers of people4 ,the ,net1 with its rapidly expanding collection of databases and other information sources1 is no longer limited to the industrialized nations of the ,west2 today the web extends from ,siberia to ,zimbabwe4 ,the cost of computers and modems used to plug into the ,net1 meanwhile1 continue to plummet1 making them ever more affordable4 ,cyberspace has become a vital part of millions of people's daily lives4 ,people form relationships online1 they fall in love1 they get married1 all because of initial contacts in cyberspace1 that ephemeral place'' that transcends national and state boundaries4 ,business deals are transacted entirely in ,,ascii4 ,political and social movements begin online1 coordinated by people who could be thousands of miles apart4 ,yet this is only the beginning4 ,we live in an age of communication1 yet the various media we use to talk to one another remain largely separate systems4 ,one day1 however1 your telephone1 ,,tv1 fax machine and personal computer will be replaced by a single information processor'' linked to the worldwide ,net by strands of optical fiber4 ,beyond databases and file libraries1 power will be at your fingertips4 ,linked to thousands1 even millions of like-minded people1 you'll be able to participate in social and political movements across the country and around the world4 ,how does this happen8 ,in part1 it will come about through new technologies4 ,high-definition television will require the development of inexpensive computers that can process as much information as today's workstations4 ,telephone and cable companies will cooperate1 or in some cases compete1 to bring those fiber-optic cables into your home4 ,the ,clinton administration1 arguably the first led by people who know how to use not only computer networks but computers1 is pushing for creation of a series of information superhighways comparable in scope to the ,interstate highway system of the #aiejs 7one of whose champions in the ,senate has a son elected vice president in #aiib74 ,right now1 we are in the network equivalent of the early #aiejs1 just before the creation of that massive highway network4 ,sure1 there are plenty of interesting things out there1 but you have to meander along two-lane roads1 and have a good map1 to get to them4 ,creation of this new ,net will require more than just high-speed channels and routing equipment2 it will require a new communications paradigm3 the ,net as information utility4 ,the ,net remains a somewhat complicated and mysterious place4 ,to get something out of the ,net today1 you have to spend a fair amount of time with a ,net veteran or a manual like this4 ,you have to learn such arcana as the vagaries of the ,unix cd command4 ,contrast this with the telephone1 which now also provides access to large amounts of information through push buttons1 or a computer network such as ,prodigy1 which one navigates through simple commands and mouse clicks4 ,internet system administrators have begun to realize that not all people want to learn the intricacies of ,unix1 and that that fact does not make them bad people4 ,we are already seeing the development of simple interfaces that will put the ,net's power to use by millions of people4 ,you can already see their influence in the menus of gophers and the ,world-,wide ,web1 which require no complex computing skills but which open the gates to thousands of information resources4 ,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 complexity4 ,some software engineers are taking this even further1 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 editor1 sort of the way one can now navigate a ,macintosh computer -- or a commercial online service such as ,prodigy4 ,then there are the ,internet services themselves4 ,for every database now available through the ,internet1 there are probably three or four that are not4 ,government agencies are only now beginning to connect their storehouses of information to the ,net4 ,several commercial vendors1 from database services to booksellers1 have made their services available through the ,net4 ,few people now use one of the ,net's more interesting applications4 ,a standard known as ,,mime lets one send audio and graphics files in a message4 ,imagine opening your e-mail one day to hear your granddaughter's first words1 or a photo of your friend's new house4 ,eventually1 this standard could allow for distribution of even small video displays over the ,net4 ,all of this will require vast new amounts of ,net power1 to handle both the millions of new people who will jump onto the ,net and the new applications they want4 ,replicating a moving image on a computer screen alone takes a phenomenal amount of computer bits1 and computing power to arrange them4 ,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 house4 ,as these superhighways grow1 so will the on ramps1 for a high- speed road does you little good if you can't get to it4 ,the costs of modems seem to fall as fast as those of computers4 ,high-speed modems 7#ifjj baud and up7 are becoming increasingly affordable4 ,at #ifjj baud1 you can download a satellite weather image of ,north ,america in less than two minutes1 a file that1 with a slower modem could take up to #bj minutes to download4 ,eventually1 homes could be connected directly to a national digital network4 ,most long-distance phone traffic is already carried in digital form1 through high-volume optical fibers4 ,phone companies are ever so slowly working to extend these fibers the final mile to the home4 ,the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation is working to ensure these links are affordable4 ,beyond the technical questions are increasingly thorny social1 political and economic issues4 ,who is to have access to these services1 and at what cost8 ,if we live in an information age1 are we laying the seeds for a new information under class1 unable to compete with those fortunate enough to have the money and skills needed to manipulate new communications channels8 ,who1 in fact1 decides who has access to what8 ,as more companies realize the potential profits to be made in the new information infrastructure1 what happens to such systems as ,usenet1 possibly the world's first successful anarchistic system1 where everybody can say whatever they want8 ,what are the laws of the electronic frontier8 ,when national and state boundaries lose their meaning in cyberspace1 the question might even be3 ,,who is the law8 ,what if a practice that is legal in one country is committed in another country where it is illegal1 over a computer network that crosses through a third country8 ,who goes after computer crackers8 ,what role will you play in the revolution8 ,appendix ,a3 ,,the ,,lingo ,like any community1 the ,net has developed its own language4 ,what follows is a glossary of some of the more common phrases you'll likely run into4 ,but it's only a small subset of net4speak4 ,you an find a more complete listing in ,the ,new ,hacker's ,dictionary1 compiled by ,eric ,raymond 7,,mit ,press74 ,raymond's work is based on an online reference known as ,the ,jargon ,file1 which you can get through anonymous ftp from ftp4gnu4mit4ai4mit as jarg#cjj4txt4gz in the pub_/gnu directory 7see chapter #g for information on how to un-compress a 4gz file74 ,,ascii ,has two meanings4 ,,ascii is a universal computer code for ,english letters and characters4 ,computers store all information as binary numbers4 ,in ,,ascii1 the letter ,a is stored as #jajjjjja1 whether the computer is made by ,,ibm1 ,apple or ,commodore4 ,,ascii also refers to a method1 or protocol1 for copying files from one computer to another over a network1 in which neither computer checks for any errors that might have been caused by static or other problems4 ,,ansi ,computers use several different methods for deciding how to put information on your screen and how your keyboard interacts with the screen4 ,,ansi is one of these terminal emulation methods4 ,although most popular on ,,pc-based bulletin-board systems1 it can also be found on some ,net sites4 ,to use it properly1 you will first have to turn it on1 or enable it1 in your communications software4 ,a,r,p,a,net ,a predecessor of the ,internet4 ,started in #aifi with funds from the ,defense ,department's ,advanced ,projects ,research ,agency4 backbone ,a high-speed network that connects several powerful computers4 ,in the ,u4,s41 the backbone of the ,internet is often considered the ,n,s,f,net1 a government funded link between a handful of supercomputer sites across the country4 ,baud ,the speed at which modems transfer data4 ,one baud is roughly equal to one bit per second4 ,it takes eight bits to make up one letter or character4 ,modems rarely transfer data at exactly the same speed as their listed baud rate because of static or computer problems4 ,more expensive modems use systems1 such as ,microcom ,network ,protocol 7,,mnp71 which can correct for these errors or which compress data to speed up transmission4 ,b,i,t,net ,another1 academically oriented1 international computer network1 which uses a different set of computer instructions to move data4 ,it is easily accessible to ,internet users through e-mail1 and provides a large number of conferences and databases4 ,its name comes from ,because ,it's ,time4 ,bounce ,what your e-mail does when it cannot get to its recipient -- it bounces back to you -- unless it goes off into the ether1 never to be found again4 ,command line ,on ,unix host systems1 this is where you tell the machine what you want it to do1 by entering commands4 ,communications ,a program that tells a modem how to work4 software ,daemon ,an otherwise harmless ,unix program that normally works out of sight of the user4 ,on the ,internet1 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 daemon4 ,distribution ,a way to limit where your ,usenet postings go4 ,handy for such things as for sale messages or discussions of regional politics4 ,domain ,the last part of an ,internet address1 such as news4com4 ,dot ,when you want to impress the net veterans you meet at parties1 say dot instead of period1 for example3 ,my address is john at site dot domain dot com4 ,dot file ,a file on a ,unix public-access system that alters the way you or your messages interact with that system4 ,for example1 your 4login file contains various parameters for such things as the text editor you get when you send a message4 ,when you do an ls command1 these files do not appear in the directory listing2 do ls -a to list them4 ,down ,when a public-access site runs into technical trouble1 and you can no longer gain access to it1 it's down4 ,download ,copy a file from a host system to your computer4 ,there are several different methods1 or protocols1 for downloading files1 most of which periodically check the file as it is being copied to ensure no information is inadvertently destroyed or damaged during the process4 ,some1 such as ,,xmodem1 only let you download one file at a time4 ,others1 such as batch-,,ymodem and ,,zmodem1 let you type in the names of several files at once1 which are then automatically downloaded4 ,,emacs ,a standard ,unix text editor preferred by ,unix types that beginners tend to hate4 ,e-mail ,electronic mail -- a way to send a private message to somebody else on the ,net4 ,used as both noun and verb4 ,emoticon ,see smiley4 ,f#b;,f ,face to ,face4 ,when you actually meet those people you been corresponding with_/flaming4 ,,faq ,frequently ,asked ,questions4 ,a compilation of answers to these4 ,many ,usenet newsgroups have these files1 which are posted once a month or so for beginners4 ,film at #aa ,one reaction to an overwrought argument3 ,imminent death of the ,net predicted4 ,film at #aa4 ,finger ,an ,internet program that lets you get some bit of information about another user1 provided they have first created a 4plan file4 ,flame ,online yelling and_/or ranting directed at somebody else4 ,often results in flame wars1 which occasionally turn into holy wars 7see74 ,followup ,a ,usenet posting that is a response to an earlier message4 ,foo_/foobar ,a sort of online algebraic place holder1 for example3 ,if you want to know when another site is run by a for- profit company1 look for an address in the form of foofoobar4com4 ,fortune cookie ,an inane_/witty_/profund comment that can be found around the net4 ,freeware ,software that doesn't cost anything4 ,,ftp ,file-transfer ,protocol4 ,a system for transferring files across the ,net4 ,get a life ,what to say to somebody who has1 perhaps1 been spending a wee bit too much time in front of a computer4 ,,gif ,graphic ,interchange ,format4 ,a format developed in the mid-#aihjs by ,compu,serve for use in photo-quality graphics images4 ,now commonly used everywhere online4 ,,gnu ,gnu's ,not ,unix4 ,a project of the ,free ,software ,foundation to write a free version of the ,unix operating system4 ,hacker ,on the ,net1 unlike among the general public1 this is not a bad person2 it is simply somebody who enjoys stretching hardware and software to their limits1 seeing just what they can get their computers to do4 ,what many people call hackers1 net4denizens refer to as crackers4 ,handshake ,two modems trying to connect first do this to agree on how to transfer data4 ,hang ,when a modem fails to hang up4 ,holy war ,arguments that involve certain basic tenets of faith1 about which one cannot disagree without setting one of these off4 ,for example3 ,,ibm ,p,cs are inherently superior to ,macintoshes4 ,host system ,a public-access site2 provides ,net access to people outside the research and government community4 ,,imho ,in ,my ,humble ,opinion4 ,internet ,a worldwide system for linking smaller computer networks together4 ,networks connected through the ,internet use a particular set of communications standards to communicate1 known as ,,tcp_/,,ip4 ,killfile ,a file that lets you filter ,usenet postings to some extent1 by excluding messages on certain topics or from certain people4 ,log on_/log in ,connect to a host system or public-access site4 ,log off ,disconnect from a host system4 ,lurk ,read messages in a ,usenet newsgroup without ever saying anything4 ,mailing list ,essentially a conference in which messages are delivered right to your mailbox1 instead of to a ,usenet newsgroup4 ,you get on these by sending a message to a specific e- mail address1 which is often that of a computer that automates the process4 ,,motss ,members of the ,same ,sex4 ,gays and ,lesbians online4 ,originally an acronym used in the #aihj federal census4 ,net4god ,one who has been online since the beginning1 who knows all and who has done it all4 ,net4personality ,somebody sufficiently opinionated_/flaky_/with plenty of time on his hands to regularly post in dozens of different ,usenet newsgroups1 whose presence is known to thousands of people4 ,net4police ,derogatory term for those who would impose their standards on other users of the ,net4 ,often used in vigorous flame wars 7in which it occasionally mutates to net4nazis74 ,netiquette ,a set of common-sense guidelines for not annoying others4 ,network ,a communications system that links two or more computers4 ,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 cables1 phone lines and satellites4 ,newbie ,somebody new to the ,net4 ,sometimes used derogatorily by net4veterans who have forgotten that1 they1 too1 were once newbies who did not innately know the answer to everything4 ,clueless newbie is always derogatory4 ,newsgroup ,a ,usenet conference4 ,,nic ,network ,information ,center4 ,as close as an ,internet- style network gets to a hub2 it's usually where you'll find information about that particular network4 ,,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 ,net4 ,they will jokingly 787 refer to this line eater in their postings4 ,goes back to the early days of the ,net when the bottom lines of messages would sometimes disappear for no apparent reason4 ,,nsf ,national ,science ,foundation4 ,funds the ,n,s,f,net1 a high-speed network that once formed the backbone of the ,internet in the ,u4,s4 ,offline ,when your computer is not connected to a host system or the ,net1 you are offline4 ,online ,when your computer is connected to an online service1 bulletin-board system or public-access site4 ,ping ,a program that can trace the route a message takes from your site to another site4 4plan file ,a file that lists anything you want others on the ,net to know about you4 ,you place it in your home directory on your public-access site4 ,then1 anybody who fingers 7see7 you1 will get to see this file4 ,post ,to compose a message for a ,usenet newsgroup and then send it out for others to see4 ,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 behavior4 ,protocol ,the method used to transfer a file between a host system and your computer4 ,there are several types1 such as ,kermit1 ,,ymodem and ,,zmodem4 ,prompt ,when the host system asks you to do something and waits for you to respond4 ,for example1 if you see login3 it means type your user name4 ,,readme files ,files found on ,,ftp sites that explain what is in a given ,,ftp directory or which provide other useful information 7such as how to use ,,ftp74 ,real ,soon ,now ,a vague term used to describe when something will actually happen4 ,,rfc ,request for ,comments4 ,a series of documents that describe various technical aspects of the ,internet4 ,,rotfl ,rolling on the ,floor ,laughing4 ,how to respond to a particularly funny comment4 ,,rot#ac ,a simple way to encode bad jokes1 movie reviews that give away the ending1 pornography1 etc4 ,essentially1 each letter in a message is replace by the letter #ac spaces away from it in the alphabet4 ,there are online decoders to read these2 nn and rn have them built in4 ,,rtfm ,read the1 uh1 you know1 ,manual4 ,often used in flames against people who ask computer-related questions that could be easily answered with a few minutes with a manual4 ,more politely3 ,,rtm4 ,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 system4 ,server ,a computer that can distribute information or files automatically in response to specifically worded e-mail requests4 ,shareware ,software that is freely available on the ,net4 ,if you like and use the software1 you should send in the fee requested by the author1 whose name and address will be found in a file distributed with the software4 4sig file ,sometimes1 4signature file4 ,a file that1 when placed in your home directory on your public-access site1 will automatically be appended to every ,usenet posting you write4 4sig quote ,a profound_/witty_/quizzical_/whatever quote that you include in your 4sig file4 ,signal-to-noise ,the amount of useful information to be found in a given ratio ,usenet newsgroup4 ,often used derogatorily1 for example3 the signal-to-noise ratio in this newsgroup is pretty low4 ,,simtel#bj ,the ,white ,sands ,missile ,range used to maintain a giant collection of free and low-cost software of all kinds1 which was mirrored to numerous other ftp sites on the ,net4 ,in the fall of #aiic1 the ,air ,force decided it had better things to do than maintain a free software library and shut it down4 ,but you'll still see references to the collection1 known as ,,simtel#bj1 around the ,net4 ,smiley ,a way to describe emotion online4 ,look at this with your head tilted to the left 3-74 ,there are scores of these smileys1 from grumpy to quizzical4 ,snail mail ,mail that comes through a slot in your front door or a box mounted outside your house4 ,sysadmin ,the system administrator2 the person who runs a host system or public-access site4 ,sysop ,a system operator4 ,somebody who runs a bulletin-board system4 ,,tanstaafl ,there ,ain't ,no ,such ,thing as a ,free ,lunch4 ,,tcp_/,,ip ,transmission ,control ,protocol_/,internet ,protocol4 ,the particular system for transferring information over a computer network that is at the heart of the ,internet4 ,telnet ,a program that lets you connect to other computers on the ,internet4 ,terminal ,there are several methods for determining how your emulation keystrokes and screen interact with a public-access site's operating system4 ,most communications programs offer a choice of emulations that let you mimic the keyboard that would normally be attached directly to the host-system computer4 ,,uucp ,unix-to-,unix ,co,py4 ,a method for transferring ,usenet postings and e-mail that requires far fewer net resources than ,,tcp_/,,ip1 but which can result in considerably slower transfer times4 ,upload ,copy a file from your computer to a host system4 ,user name ,on most host systems1 the first time you connect you are asked to supply a one-word user name4 ,this can be any combination of letters and numbers4 ,,vt#ajj ,another terminal-emulation system4 ,supported by many communications program1 it is the most common one in use on the ,net4 ,,vt#ajb is a newer version4 ,appendix ,b3 ,general ,information ,about the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation ,the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation 7,,eff7 is a membership organization that was founded in ,july of #aiij to ensure that the principles embodied in the ,constitution and the ,bill of ,rights are protected as new communications technologies emerge4 ,from the beginning1 ,,eff has worked to shape our nation's communications infrastructure and the policies that govern it in order to maintain and enhance ,first ,amendment1 privacy and other democratic values4 ,we believe that our overriding public goal must be the creation of ,electronic ,democracy1 so our work focuses on the establishment of3 o new laws that protect citizens' basic ,constitutional rights as they use new communications technologies1 o a policy of common carriage requirements for all network providers so that all speech1 no matter how controversial1 will be carried without discrimination1 o a ,national ,public ,network where voice1 data and video services are accessible to all citizens on an equitable and affordable basis1 and o a diversity of communities that enable all citizens to have a voice in the information age4 ,join us6 ,i wish to become a member of the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,i enclose3 ,regular membership -- #dj ,student membership -- #bj ,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 organization4 ,documents ,available in ,hard ,copy ,form ,the following documents are available free of charge from the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,please indicate any of the documents you wish to receive4 ,open ,platform ,proposal - ,,eff's proposal for a national telecommunications infrastructure4 #ab pages4 ,july1 #aiib ,an ,analysis of the ,,fbi ,digital ,telephony ,proposal - ,response of ,,eff-organized coalition to the ,,fbi's digital telephony proposal of ,fall1 #aiib4 #h pages4 ,september1 #aiib4 ,building the ,open ,road3 ,the ,,nren and the ,national ,public ,network - ,a discussion of the ,national ,research and ,education ,network as a prototype for a ,national ,public ,network4 #bj pages4 ,may1 #aiib4 ,innovative ,services ,delivered ,now3 ,,isdn ,applications at ,home1 ,school1 the ,workplace and ,beyond - ,a compilation of ,,isdn applications currently in use4 #bi pages4 ,january1 #aiic4 ,decrypting the ,puzzle ,palace - ,john ,perry ,barlow's argument for strong encryption and the need for an end to ,u4,s4 policies preventing its development and use4 #ac pages4 ,may1 #aiib4 ,crime and ,puzzlement - ,john ,perry ,barlow's piece on the founding of the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation and the world of hackers1 crackers and those accused of computer crimes4 #bd pages4 ,june1 #aiij4 ,networks ,policy - ,a quarterly newsletter detailing ,,eff's activities and achievements4 ,your ,contact ,information3 ,name3 ,organization3 ,address3 ,phone3 77 ,,fax3 77 7optional7 ,e-mail address3 ,payment ,method ,enclosed is a check payable to the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation4 ,please charge my3 ,master,card ,visa ,american ,express ,card ,number3 ,expiration ,date3 ,signature3 ,privacy ,policy ,,eff occasionally shares our mailing list with other organizations promoting similar goals4 ,however1 we respect an individual's right to privacy and will not distribute your name without explicit permission4 ,i grant permission for the ,,eff to distribute my name and contact information to organizations sharing similar goals4 ,print out and mail to3 ,membership ,coordinator ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation #ajja ,g ,street1 ,n4,w4 ,suite #iej ,east ,washington1 ,,dc #bjjja #bjb_/cdg-edjj voice #bjb_/cic-eeji fax ,the ,electronic ,frontier ,foundation is a nonprofit1 #eja7;c77#c7 organization supported by contributions from individual members1 corporations and private foundations4 ,donations are tax-deductible4