,,the ,,online ,,world ,the ,online ,world book's text on paper1 disk and in any other electronic form is 7,c7 copyrighted #aiic by ,odd de ,presno4 ,all rights reserved worldwide4 xxxx ,,shareware ,,book 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99 99 ,,the ,,online ,,world 99 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99 ,version #a4a - ,september #aiic ,by ,odd de ,presno #dhae ,saltrod1 ,norway 7,europe7 ,voice 7registrations only73 #dg #cgj #cabjd ,internet mail3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,data_/,,bbs3 #dg #cgj #cabjd ,,fax3 #dg #cgj #bgaaa ,,preface ,this is the ,,ascii online distribution of the ,online ,world4 ,it deals with the practical aspects of using the rapidly growing global online information resource4 ,the book is distributed in a form that is designed to be easily accessible with the maximum range of computers1 printer types1 and search programs4 ,also1 it has been designed to be compatible with electronic reading devices for the blind4 ,therefore1 many frills 7such as fancy formatting1 extraneous characters or tags7 have been omitted4 ,the main subject of the book is what you can get out of the online resource4 ,expect an outline1 not a comprehensive list or directory of all available offerings4 ,this book explores selected applications across network and service boundaries1 to show how these needs may be satisfied4 ,in the process1 it gives access information for a large number of specific online offerings4 ,the applications range from entertainment and the bizarre to databases and special services for professionals and organizations4 ,you are not expected to live in the ,united ,states or in ,norway4 ,emphasis is on major international offerings available through services and networks like the ,internet1 ,,bitnet1 ,compu,serve1 ,echo1 ,fido,net1 ,usenet1 ,dialcom1 ,dow ,jones_/,news ,retrieval1 ,,mci1 ,news,net and ,,uucp4 ,these services can be accessed from almost anywhere4 ,talking about the ,internet1 we do not expect that it will be easy for you to get full access4 ,we assume that most people can get access to this network by electronic mail only4 ,i wrote ,the ,online ,world for parents and youth1 teachers1 students1 business people1 social workers1 psychologists1 young1 old1 for anybody interested in knowing a bit more about our current ,global ,village4 ,you can read it like a novel1 to get an idea of what is going on4 ,it can be used as a practical guide book to online data bases and news sources1 or as a book of reference4 ,you need not be a computer expert or an experienced onliner to find it useful4 ,while not being a textbook on data communications1 it contains much information to help novices get started4 ,for an introduction to telecommunications1 check out appendix #b and #c before continuing with ,chapter #a4 ,before you start1 one word of warning4 ,new online offerings are born each day1 while others are being closed down4 ,chances are that most services in this book will still be around when you read it1 but ,i will need to update the text regularly4 ,therefore1 all feedback is welcomed with thanks4 ,please do also tell me what you like1 what you don't1 and what you feel ,i may have missed -- or have gotten hopelessly wrong4 ,send by electronic mail to me at opresnoextern4uio4no 4 ,this book is not free --------------------- ,the ,online ,world book is ,,not public domain4 ,it is copyrighted work and may be distributed only pursuant to this license4 ,you are granted a limited read and use license of the book to see if it is for you4 ,any unregistered use other than to determine if the book meets your needs is a violation of this license and is forbidden4 ,if you like the book1 please become a registered reader4 ,your contribution will support further research and development of the text4 ,the important benefit of registering is that you will receive the latest version of the book on diskette 7,,ms-,,dos only74 ,this will allow you to have current information on your hard disk that you can search whenever you want to4 ,the online world is dynamic4 ,services and offerings come and go4 ,so read appendix #h to find out how to stay updated4 ,the registered shareware version of ,the ,online ,world including shipping and handling is ,,nok #aje4jj for payment by credit card 7around ,,us #ae4jj7 ,,us #bj4jj for all other types of payment 7check or ,,swift bank transfer7 ,as an alternative1 you can also register for six updates of the book during one year4 ,the updates will be mailed you on computer diskette3 ,,us#fj4jj for all types of payment ,the special rates for organizations to make the text available to employees etc4 over a network are explained in appendix #h4 ,please note3 ,as ,i do not receive any renumeration from vendors of shareware disks1 you must register your copy to have a legal license for use of the book beyond an evaluation period4 ,please give to others --------------------- ,permission is with this granted to reproduce and distribute the ,online ,world book so long as3 7#a7 ,no remuneration of any kind is received in exchange4 ,a distribution fee may be charged for the cost of a diskette1 shipping and handling1 as long as the total 7per disk7 does not exceed ,,us#h4jj4 7#b7 ,distribution is without ,,any modification to the contents of all accompanying text files1 including the copyright notice and this license4 ,all of the files in this package are to be distributed together4 7#c7 ,no publication of the book or individual articles from the book in print is permitted1 in any language1 without the express written consent of the author4 ,if archiving this book for ,,bbs use or library use1 please include all files and use the name ,,online#aj1 for example1 ,,online#aj4,,zip1 or ,,online#aj4,,lzh4 ,this will provide consistency for future updates4 ,no copy of this book may be distributed without including a copy of this license4 ,any other use1 including bundling of any of the book's chapters or appendixes for your own distribution1 is prohibited without express1 written permission in advance from the author4 ,the ,online ,world book is regularly being updated4 ,information about where to get the latest version of the book can be retrieved from ,,tow1 a mailing list set up to support the project4 ,for information1 send electronic mail to ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu 7,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a on ,,bitnet7 containing the command ,,get ,,tow ,,master4 ,how to read the book -------------------- ,you may read the book using any ,,ascii viewing or text searching program4 ,my private favorites are3 ,,list - ,shareware ,,ms-,,dos file viewing program1 ,,lookfor - ,shareware boolean text search program4 ,print versions of ,the ,online ,world ---------------------------------- ,the ,online ,world does not cover any specific area of the world4 ,local versions will be printed and published in several countries through joint venture partners4 ,these versions of the book will be adapted to local conditions1 and contain many local examples and references4 ,the following local version of the book is available3 ,ut i verden fra egen skjerm1 ,norwegian text1 ,dataforlaget ,a_/,s1 #aiib4 #bbj pages4 ,phone3 #dg #bb #fc #fa #fb4 ,fax3 #dg #bb #fc #fj #ji4 ,price3 ,,nok #bde1-4 ,,isbn3 #hb-ijfbh-fg-f4 ,local language versions of the book are due be published soon by partners in ,denmark and ,germany4 ,for information1 please contact3 ,claus ,berg 7,denmark7 at ,claus,berg,,skole-,,kom4,,uni-,c4,,dk ,publisher3 ,teknisk ,forlag ,a_/,s1 ,skelbaekgade #d1 #aghj ,kbh4,v41 ,denmark4 ,fax3 #de #ca #ba #ji #hc4 ,dr4 ,karl ,sarnow 7,germany7 at karldadoka4h4ni4schule4de ,publisher3 ,verlag ,heintz ,heise ,gmb,h ,co ,,kb1 ,helstorfer ,strasse #g1 ,d-#cjjj ,hannover #fa1 ,germany4 ,fax3 #di-eaa-ec #eb-abi4 ,do you want to be a partner8 ---------------------------- ,if you are interested in becoming the author of a local language version of the book in your country1 please write me at opresnoextern4uio4no to discuss the possibility of a joint- venture4 ,saltrod 7,norway71 ,september #a1 #aiic ,yours1 ,odd de ,presno ---------------------------------------- --------------------- ,the ,online ,world book's text on paper1 disk and in any other electronic form is 7,c7 copyrighted #aiic by ,odd de ,presno4 ,all rights reserved worldwide4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------- ,,index ,,preface #a4 ,going online will make me rich1 right8 ,knowledge is ,power4 ,a larger personal network gives you a stronger punch4 ,the value of information1 and of having a great time4 4 4 #b4 ,the online world ,the structure and content of the online offerings4 ,about ,bulletin ,board systems1 discussion lists1 conferencing systems1 and online data bases4 ,about packet data services1 and network services like ,fido,net1 i-,com1 ,infonet1 ,internet1 and others4 ,a constantly changing environment4 #c4 ,how to use online services ,short introduction4 ,how to use menus1 and how to navigate like an expert4 ,tailoring online services to your interests and needs4 #d4 ,hobbies1 games1 and fun ,about computer programs1 online adventure games1 threatening viruses1 planning holidays1 collecting coins and stamps1 genealogy1 music1 shopping and other leisure activities4 #e4 ,home1 education1 and work ,tips for house owners1 for those more concerned about money1 about education and the exchange of knowledge1 electronic conferences4 ,building a personal network4 ,job hunting by modem1 and about working from home4 #f4 ,your personal healthnet ,about support for diseases like ,,aids1 cancer1 and kidney diseases4 ,forums for people with physical or mental disabilities1 like hearing impairments1 learning disabilities1 vision impairment1 mobility problems4 #g4 ,electronic mail1 telex1 and fax ,how to communicate globally at a ridiculously low cost1 with notes about how to address your global electronic mail4 #h4 ,free expert assistance ,how to get free advice about your computer1 software and other things4 #i4 ,your electronic daily news ,read national and global news before getting it through the traditional media4 ,get those interesting background facts4 ,read special interest news that the media never bother to print4 #aj4 ,looking for a needle in a bottle of hay ,notes about searching data bases4 ,how to locate interesting books and articles4 #aa4 ,getting an edge over your competitor ,using the networks to manage projects4 ,monitor competitors1 prospects1 suppliers1 markets1 technologies1 and trends4 ,marketing and sales by modem4 #ab4 ,practical tips ,how to get more out of the time spent online4 #ac4 ,cheaper and better communications ,using packet data services or competing data transport services like ,tymnet ,outdial1 ,infonet1 ,internet1 ,,pc ,pursuit1 and others4 #ad4 ,keep what you find4 ,build your local personal data base4 ,strategies for locating interesting information4 ,what separates good from bad information4 #ae4 ,you pay little for a lot6 ,how to figure out costs4 #af4 ,automatic communication ,get a lead on your competitors4 ,avoid duplication of effort4 ,reduce costs4 ,reduce boring repetitive work4 ,no need to remember all the tricks of communications anymore4 #ag4 ,gazing into the future4 ,thoughts about things to come4 --------------------------- ,appendices3 #a4 ,list of selected online services #b4 ,how to get started ,about your personal computer1 modem and communications program4 #c4 ,your first online trip ,getting started4 ,typical pitfalls and simple solutions4 ,down- and uploading4 #d4 ,explanation of some frequently used terms #e4 ,books and articles for further reading #f4 ,international standard country codes #g4 ,about the author #h4 ,how to register --------------------------- ,chapter #a3 ,going online will make me rich1 right8 ,the number of services is enormous4 ,it takes time to find the truly interesting stuff4 - ,knowledge is power4 - ,a large personal network gives you a punch4 - ,the value of information1 and of having a good time4 ,knowledge is ,power ------------------ ,my wife has a rare and dangerous kidney disease4 ,one day her doctor joined us on an online research session to look for experiences and advice in other countries4 ,we sat down in my office in ,norway4 ,i turned on my personal computer and started a communications program4 ,after some keypresses1 we could hear the attached modem dial the number of ,compu,serve1 a ,north ,american information utility4 7,a modem is a piece of equipment that converts computer signals to and from sound codes1 so that data can be sent by phone47 ,it took just a few seconds to make the connection4 ,soon1 a greeting scrolled over our screen1 followed by a menu of available choices4 ,for an introduction to practical telecommunications1 check out appendix #b and #c4 ,appendix #a lists major services mentioned in this book4 ,we selected ,health and the ,data ,base for ,rare diseases4 ,this gave the address of an ,american foundation for cysts in kidneys1 which is the name of her disease4 ,my wife made contact1 and has since received regular reports of research results and experiences gained in the field4 ,we sent an open request for help to an electronic forum for doctors4 ,the result was several useful responses4 ,we searched a magazine data base for medical articles containing the key word kidney4 ,paper copies of the most interesting finds arrived by mail after a few days4 ,my wife gave them to her hospital doctor as background reading4 ,kenya ,saikawa is paralyzed4 ,he communicates with his ,,pc and modem using light key strokes and ,morse code4 ,online communications allows ,kenya to be in regular contact with people outside the walls of his ,tokyo hospital4 ,we met online in a ,handicap ,club on a computer center called ,,twics in ,tokyo4 ,he was there to exchange experiences with others with disabilities4 ,the club is a personal support group for those in need of help4 ,compu,serve's ,cancer ,forum has a similar function4 ,it's a blessing that ,i can visit here #bd hours a day1 one visitor said4 ,when ,i'm unable to sleep at night1 ,i often sit down by the ,,pc to read and write messages to others4 ,the forum is like a family4 ,the file library is full of information about cancer4 ,members can just go in there and pick up whatever they want to read4 ,dave ,hughes from ,old ,colorado ,springs1 ,colorado in the ,united ,states has had a long career as a professional soldier4 ,he has fought in places like the ,yalue river in ,korea and ,vietnam's jungle4 ,when he retired1 he became a political online force4 ,i'm using the new tools of the individual mind to change the world1 he says4 ,native ,american ,indians are among those1 who have benefited from ,dave's energy and knowledge4 ,he has helped them show their culture to the outside world in a graphical form4 ,vladimir ,makarenkov from the ,crimea in the ,ukraine is manager in a company called ,,vinko4 ,in early #aiic1 he distributed an offer of partnership with foreign companies through the mailing list ,e- ,,europe4 ,,vinko is into aluminium processing4 ,he wrote3 ,from our own production we can offer some one metals and aniline dye for cotton1 viscose1 wool1 silk1 leather4 ,we are interested in deliveries of chemical production 7gamma acid1 ,h- acid7 and not quickly deteriorating foods 7food concentrates1 canned food etc74 ,george ,pavlov is ,planning and ,reporting manager at an ,american computer manufacturer4 ,daily1 he logs on to online services to monitor industry product announcements and daily news from several electronic sources4 ,it helps him stay ahead of rapid technological developments4 ,semafor ,a_/,s in ,arendal1 ,norway1 produces modems and other types of telecommunications equipment4 ,they operate an electronic bulletin board for customers1 users and prospects4 ,anybody can call in to get information about products and offerings4 ,if they need help1 they can leave a message to ,semafor ,a_/,s day and night4 ,a response will be waiting for them1 when they call back4 ,eduardo ,salom heads ,software ,plus ,,sa in ,buenos ,aires1 ,argentina4 ,he discovered the online world in #aihh1 and uses it to find information that can help his company develop industrial applications4 ,the ,norwegian civil engineer ,kai ,oestreng regularly calls specialized online computer clubs to discuss his computational needs1 fetch programs and monitor developments4 ,mary ,lou ,rebelo was born in southern ,brazil4 ,today1 she is married to a ,japanese and lives in ,tokyo4 ,she teaches ,portuguese and works as a translator4 ,the modem enables her to keep in touch with others around the world interested in ,portuguese and ,spanish language and culture4 ,mike ,wright teaches at ,st4 ,andrew's ,college in ,grahamstown1 ,south ,africa4 ,he integrates the online world in his teaching to motivate his students4 ,his classes are involved in international projects with schools all over the globe4 ,in ,august #aiia1 the ,old ,stalinists made a coup d'etat in the ,soviet ,union4 ,the news media were silenced1 but they forgot the country's many bulletin boards4 ,early one morning1 a foreign caller picked up the following messages from a ,moscow ,,bbs3 ,from3 ,valery ,koulkov ,to3 ,all ,msg #efj1 #jj3db;am #bj-;,aug-#ia ,subject3 ,moscow1 ,august #ai1 #bc3jj ,some news from the square news ,,rsfsr white building1 #bc3jj4 ,local inhabitants are very welcome for the people guarding 'white building'1 they carry food and some garments to the square4 ,approx4 #h tanks stand by the house under the ,,rsfsr flags6 ,there is an information that 'white house' is surrounded by the soldiers from ,vysshee ,desantnoye uchilische from ,ryazan4 ,the people are not so desperate than some hours ago4 ,there are more and more people4 ,from3 ,stas ,stas ,to3 ,alexey ,zabrodin ,msg #efb1 #jb3ecpm #bj-;,aug-#ia ,subject3 ,russia ,in ,agency news ,i have sent two files ,,ria#d4txt ria#e4txt ,it's msgs of ,russia ,information ,agency ,spread it as much as you can666 ,from3 ,andrew ,brown ,to3 ,all ,msg #efc1 #jf3capm #bj-;,aug-#ia ,subject3 ,what's happening8 ,i am a journalist on the ,london ,daily newspaper 99,the ,independent991 and ,i am trying to discover whether this technology1 like fax machines1 is being used for independent communication now that the censors have clamped down on everything else4 ,can people describe what is happening1 and what they see8 ,something similar was done on ,compuserve during the ,gulf ,war1 by subscribers who where in ,israel and were able to describe ,scud missile attacks without censorship4 ,andrew ,brown ,select3 #efd ,from3 ,valery ,koulkov ,to3 ,all ,msg #efd1 #jj3eb;am #ba-;,aug-#ia ,subject3 ,moscow events ,there is shooting near the ,american embassy and ,,rsfsr state building4 ,informer said 7by phone7 that he saw several victims 7shot and killed under the tanks4 there is fire near the ,,rsfsr building4 ,moscow1 ,august #ba1 #a3ae am ,telecommunications played a role in this historic event4 ,while ,,cnn televised the coup1 it was not the images1 but the words of men like ,yeltsin that held sway for ,russian citizens4 ,within hours of ,yeltsin's statement in defiance of the coup leaders1 handbills reproducing his statement papered the walls of the ,moscow metro and ,leningrad houses4 ,you can6 -------- ,online communication is not just for the privileged or those with a special interest in computers4 ,it is for you1 me1 everybody4 ,there is much to learn in the online land1 and the medium is fascinating4 ,it makes learning fun4 ,you can learn about how to use your computer1 about your profession1 other people's views about whatever1 and more4 ,often1 you will find reports about experiences and know-how that it is hard or impractical to get in other ways4 ,some users go online to learn how to do things better4 ,teachers want to give their students a better and more motivating learning environment4 ,architects1 engineers and companies want increased competitiveness and sales4 ,they seek timely information about competitors1 technologies and tools1 partners and trends4 ,you can take a ,masters ,degree in ,business ,administration while sitting in front of your computer at home4 ,you can join online seminars arranged by local or foreign educational institutes4 ,you can even study at night1 when the rest of your family has calmed down4 ,some build their own educational programs supported by data bases1 online forums and associations of various kinds4 ,you may feel helpless when in hospital1 or when visiting your doctor4 ,knowledge about your disease will make you better equipped to handle the situation4 ,the online resource is just keypresses away1 and knowledge is power4 ,to get this power1 you'll need to know what you can get from the online world4 ,this book is filled with examples of what is available1 and practical tips about how to use the offerings4 ,a large personal network gives strength --------------------------------------- ,most of us belong to one or several networks4 ,they consist of persons that you can call on whenever you need help4 ,your network may be private1 like in your family4 ,you may be member of various associations1 or be part of a group of people with common interests within a company or organization4 ,the modem allows you to be part of more personal networks than you can possibly cope with in the real world4 ,besides1 it's much easier to develop personal networks in the online world4 ,we have used words like clubs and associations4 ,by this we mean groups of people interested in helping ,you and in participating in what ,you happen to be interested in4 ,today's communications technology lets us participate in networks in other countries at a very low cost4 ,many describe it as participation beyond time and space4 ,write a message and send it to a person in your network4 ,it arrives in his_/her mailbox within minutes 7sometimes seconds7 and stays there until the recipient wants to read it4 ,this built-in ability to send messages to other people's electronic mailboxes reduces the power that time and geographical distances have over our lives4 ,a friend in a remote country gets out of bed nine hours after you1 but keeps going well into what1 for you1 is the next morning4 ,no problem4 ,you can send letters when you're awake and receive replies when you're asleep4 ,you can pick up and read your friend's messages the next day or whenever you feel like doing it4 ,that is how two people as far apart as ,arendal1 ,norway and ,beijing1 ,china could be involved in the development of this book4 ,sometimes real time discussions are important4 ,consider the following example4 ,compu,serve has a ,diabetes ,forum4 ,you can call there any time1 day or night1 seven days a week4 ,whenever you feel like it4 ,you will always find someone to chat with who understands and shares your problems4 ,real-time chatting may become expensive1 but you are free to decide your level of involvement4 ,if you think that #aj spent is enough1 then just stop there4 ,what is the point8 ----------------- ,thousands of commercial and noncommercial online services offer over #e1jjj online databases4 ,these infobases are repositories of electronic information4 ,they contain full-text and reference books1 magazines1 newspapers1 radio and ,,tv shows1 reports1 and more4 ,in #aiib1 ,biblio,data 7,,usa7 found that around #d1jjj titles 7i4e41 magazines1 newspapers1 etc47 were available online in full-text4 ,you will find facts and figures about almost anything in the online world4 ,the world has over #ajj1jjj public bulletin board systems 7#aiic74 ,most are small information centers1 running on personal computers using a simple computer program and modems4 ,people call in to read messages and information1 retrieve free software1 or just to have a good time4 ,most ,b,b,ses are free4 ,some charge a small annual fee4 ,the largest board has #bac telephone lines1 seven gigabytes of storage for letters1 conferences1 computer programs1 and more 7#aiic74 ,mind you1 #g gigabytes is a lot4 ,it is equivalent to more than #g1jjj1jjj1jjj characters1 or a whopping #ab1jjj copies of this book6 ,the entrepreneur sees the online world as a new1 profitable playground4 ,many of them have made it their profession to search for information for others1 and they earn a good living doing so4 ,others advertise and sell products and services by modem4 ,some set up their own online services to sell knowledge and know- how1 be it of aqua culture1 wine production1 marketing1 or about the petroleum offshore market4 ,in business1 it pays to be one step ahead of the competition4 ,early warnings of customers' needs1 competitors' moves1 and emerging opportunities can be turned into fortunes4 ,it can reduce potential losses and help develop businesses in more profitable directions4 ,turn this to your advantage4 ,build your own early warning system that monitors online information sources and networks4 ,have fun -------- ,the online world has an abundance of joke clubs1 dramatic adventure games with multiple players1 and large archives filled with computer game software4 ,you can transfer these programs to your personal computer and be ready to play in minutes4 ,others may feel more entertained when things get interesting4 ,surely1 those calling ,moscow in ,august #aiia for news about the coup must have had a strange sensation in the stomach4 ,some online users react quickly when dramatic events occur4 ,they go online to read the news directly from the wires1 from ,associated ,press1 ,,tass1 ,reuters1 ,xinhua ,press1 ,kyodo ,news and others4 ,usually1 the online news is coming directly to you from the journalists' keyboards4 ,often1 you heard it here first4 ,other people prefer to socialize4 ,they meet in online meeting places to debate everything from ,africa and the administration of kindergartens to poetry1 ,,lisp programming and compressed video for multimedia applications4 ,it has been claimed that increased use of online networking in a country can effect social changes within politics1 economics1 communication and science4 ,it can support democratic tendencies1 the transition to a market economy1 the formation and support of businesses1 the spreading of interpersonal and mass communication1 the forging of invisible colleges among scientists1 and breaking-up of traditional and closed information systems developed in some societies4 ,no matter whether your application is useful or just a pastime1 online services queue up to help give your life a better content4 ,some people fear that language might be a problem1 and in particular if ,english is not their first language4 ,don't worry4 ,you are in the driver's seat4 ,if something is hard to understand1 just log off to study the difficult text4 ,take your time4 ,nobody is watching4 ,will you being member of the online world make you rich8 ,probably not4 ,on the other hand1 it most certainly provides the opportunities to help you achieve such a goal1 no matter how you define the word rich4 ,chapter #b3 ,the online world ,this chapter is about the structure and contents of the online world4 ,you will read about ,bulletin ,board systems1 discussion lists1 conferencing systems1 online data bases1 packet data services1 and network services like ,fido,net1 i-,com1 ,infonet1 and the ,internet4 ,from papyrus to bits and bytes ------------------------------ ,around #aejj ,b4,c41 the world's first library was established in ,tell el ,amaran1 ,egypt4 ,eight hundred years later1 the first public library opened in ,athens1 ,greece4 ,it took another two thousand years for the computer to be invented4 ,the first known mention of a possible future online information service was printed in the ,atlantic ,monthly magazine in #aide4 ,nine years later1 the ,naval ,ordinance ,test ,station opened their online search service in ,california 7,u4,s4,a47 ,the first full-text database came six years later4 ,,medlars was a bibliographic database containing references to medical literature4 ,from now on1 things started to roll at a faster pace3 99 ,in #aigb1 ,,dialog 7,u4,s4,a47 opened their ,educational ,resources ,information ,center and ,national ,technical ,information ,service databases for online searching4 7,appendix #a contains infor- mation about the major online services referred to in this book47 99 ,in #aigd1 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval 7,u4,s4,a47 launched a financial information service for stock brokers4 99 ,in #aigh1 the first bulletin board was put into operation in ,chicago 7,u4,s4,a474 99 ,compu,serve 7,u4,s4,a47 launched a service for home users in #aigi4 ,the online world was born in the ,united ,states4 ,little happened in the rest of the world until the late #aihjs4 ,american companies and users still dominate1 but they are no longer alone4 ,today1 we can access over #e1jjj public databases4 ,they are available from more than #ejj1jjj online systems 7host computers7 all over the world4 ,with so many online services1 it is difficult to find our way through the maze of offerings4 ,this book therefore starts with a map of the online world4 ,the structure and contents of the online world ---------------------------------------- ------ ,the online world can be described as a cake with multiple layers1 where the information sources are the bottom layer4 ,you - the user - are the marzipan figure on the top4 ,the online world contains the following tiers3 7#a7 ,database producers and information providers 7#b7 ,online service companies 7#c7 ,gateways and networks 7#d7 ,the services 7#e7 ,the user interface 7#f7 ,the data transport services 7#g7 ,the ,user4 #a4 ,database producers and information providers4 ---------------------------------------- -------- ,i have a bulletin board system in ,norway 7at #dg #cgj #cacgh74 ,my ,,bbs is running on a small personal computer1 and offers shareware and public domain software4 ,anybody can call my board to have programs transferred to their personal computers by modem 7see appendix #b for how to do this74 ,when you call this ,,bbs to download a free program for to your computer's hard disk1 don't expect to find one made by me4 ,i don't write programs4 ,all available programs have been written by others4 ,when you call ,data-,star in ,switzerland1 or ,compu,serve in the ,u4,s4 to read news1 you may find some stories authored by these companies4 ,most of their news1 however1 are written by others4 ,info,pro ,technologies delivers ,russian scientific and technical articles from ,referativnyi ,zurnal through online services like ,orbit1 ,pergamon and ,,brs4 ,info,pro is not the originator4 ,the text has been prepared by ,,viniti 7the ,institute for scientific and technical information of the x,u,s,s,r74 ,my ,,bbs 7the ,saltrod ,horror ,show71 ,data-,star1 ,,nifty-,serve1 ,orbit1 ,pergamon1 ,,brs1 and ,compu,serve are online services4 ,we call those who have provided the news and information on these services for information providers or database producers4 ,the ,american news agency ,associated ,press is an information provider4 ,they write the news1 and sell them to online services like ,dialog1 ,compu,serve1 ,nexis and ,news,net4 ,these online services let you read the news by modem4 ,the information providers sell the right to distribute their news4 ,your news reading charges may be imbedded in the online service's standard access rates4 ,some services will ask you to pay a surcharge when reading news4 ,most subscribers pay ,,us#ab4hj per hour 7#aiic7 to use ,compu,serve at #bdjj bits per second 7bps74 ,at this speed1 you typically receive around #bdj characters of news per second4 ,if you access at higher speeds1 you will have to pay more4 ,compu,serve pays ,associated ,press part of what they earn each time you read their news4 ,there is no surcharge for reading ,,ap news on this service4 ,others charge more4 ,to read ,mid-,east ,business ,digest through ,news,net1 you pay a surcharge of ,,us#gb4jj per hour at #bdjj bps 7#aiic74 ,scanning newsletter headlines and conducting keyword searches are cheaper4 ,you pay the the basic connect charge1 which is ,,us#ij4jj per hour at this speed4 ,thus1 your total cost for reading ,mid-,east ,business ,digest amounts to ,,us#b4gj per minute4 ,compu,serve's database service ,i,quest lets you search ,news,net through a gateway to find and read the same articles4 ,here1 reading will only set you back ,,us#ba4ej_/;hour 7provided the articles are among the first hits in your search74 ,many information providers also distribute information through grassroots bulletin boards4 ,the ,newsbytes ,news ,network and the ,,usa ,today newsletter services 7also in full text on ,dialog and ,nexis7 are two examples4 ,the rates for reading the same article may therefore differ considerably depending on what online service you are using4 ,if you are a regular reader1 shop around for the best price4 ,information providers may have subcontractors4 ,the ,ziff-,davis service ,computer ,database ,plus1 a database with full-text articles from magazines like ,datamation and ,wall ,street ,computer ,review1 depends on them4 ,datamation pays journalists to write the articles4 ,ziff-,davis pays ,datamation for the right to distribute the articles to ,compu,serve's subscribers4 ,compu,serve pays ,ziff-,davis part of what you pay when reading the text4 #b4 ,online services ------------------ ,the term online services refers to information services provided by computer systems1 large or small1 to owners of personal computers with modems4 ,what is offered1 differ by system4 ,it may include access to libraries of programs and data1 electronic mail1 online shopping malls1 discussion forums1 hardware and software vendor support1 games and entertainment1 financial data1 stock market quotes1 and research capabilities4 ,you do not always need a phone and a modem when dialing up4 ,some services can be accessed through leased phone lines1 amateur radio1 or other methods4 ,check out appendix #a for a list of major services mentioned in this book1 with addresses1 phone numbers1 and a short description4 ,compu,serve 7,u4,s4,a471 ,twics 7,japan71 and ,orbit 7,england7 are commercial4 ,they charge you for using their services4 ,some online services are priced like magazines and newspapers with a flat subscription rate for basic services4 ,you can use this part of a service as much as you like within a given period4 ,g,enie1 ,compu,serve1 ,,bix1 ,america ,online1 and ,delphi are among those offering such pricing options4 ,other online services charge for 'connect time'4 ,they have a rate per hour or minute4 ,,mci ,mail uses no cure1 no pay4 ,you only pay to send or read mail4 ,to check for unread letters in your mailbox is free4 ,there are all kinds of creative pricing schemes4 ,some services have different rates for access during the day1 night and weekends4 ,others have different rates for users living far away4 ,sometimes the remote subscriber pays more1 in other cases less than ordinary subscribers4 ,still1 most online services are free4 ,this is particularly true for the over hundred thousand bulletin board systems around the world4 ,the owners of these services often regard them as a hobby1 a public service1 a necessary marketing expense1 or do it for other reasons4 ,the cost of setting up and operating a bulletin board system is low4 ,consequently1 the ,,bbs systems are as varied as the people who run them4 ,each ,,bbs has its own character4 ,my ,,bbs is also free4 ,i consider it an online appendix to this book and the articles ,i write4 ,national ,geographic ,,bbs in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 ,u4,s4,a4 7tel43 #a- #bjb-gge-fgch7 is run by the magazine of the same name4 ,this board is also free4 ,they regard it as a part of their marketing strategy4 ,it provides them with input to the editors1 and it is an easy way of maintaining contacts with schools4 ,semaforum ,,bbs in ,norway is run by a company4 ,its purpose is customer support and to give information to prospective customers4 ,the cost is a marketing expense4 ,some large1 international online services on the ,internet1 ,,bitnet1 and ,,uucp are almost free4 ,they address research and educational institutions and are financed by public funds4 ,these services are now being made available to other users at very moderate rates4 ,some users fear that using online services will increase their telephone costs dramatically1 and especially when using services in other countries4 ,this is often unjustified4 ,read chapter #ac and #ae for tips about how to keep your communications costs down4 #c4 ,gateways and networks ------------------------ ,compu,serve users select the ,computer ,database ,plus from a menu4 ,this prompts ,compu,serve to dial another online service and lets you use this1 as if you were still using ,compu,serve4 ,you hardly notice the difference4 ,you are using ,computer ,database ,plus through a gateway4 ,compu,serve users searching the ,i,quest databases get the following welcome message3 ,one moment please444 ,connected to #ai;,,easyn ,welcome to ,i,quest 7c7 #aiia ,telebase ,systems1 ,inc4 ,u4,s4 ,patent ,no4 #d1ggd1fee ,through another gateway1 ,compu,serve connects you to the online service ,telebase ,systems1 ,inc4 ,telebase lets you go through other gateways to search in databases on online services like ,,brs1 ,,medline and ,news,net4 ,while searching1 you may get similar progress reports3 ,dialing ,,brs ,connect ,,brs ,scanning 4444 ,please wait ,dialing ,medline ,connect ,medline ,scanning 4444 ,please wait ,all the time1 your modem is connected to ,compu,serve4 ,you are mentally using ,i,quest and not other online services4 ,technically1 you are going through various gateways to reach the information libraries4 ,you pay ,compu,serve for the privilege4 ,in turn1 they pay a fee to ,telebase1 and others4 ,you can read ,the ,new ,york ,times on ,down ,jones ,news_/,retrieval through gateways from ,,mci ,mail and ,g,enie4 ,accessing information through a gateway is often simpler than logging on to several online systems4 ,calling several systems often costs more1 and it certainly takes time4 ,users of ,b,b,ses connected to ,relay,net or ,fido,net can join in global discussions4 ,participants in other countries also call their favorite local systems4 ,to the individual user1 it looks as if they all use the same bulletin board system4 ,the networks that tie these boards together regularly send new discussion items to the other participating boards4 ,write ,this is not correct6 in a distributed conference on a ,norwegian ,fido,net ,,bbs1 and others may soon read your line on ,san ,bernardino ,,bbs in ,colton 7,canada71 ,wonderland ,board in ,macau or the ,high,tech ,,bbs in ,sidney 7,australia74 ,sci,link 7,canada7 administers a network for distribution of conferences between systems using the ,caucus software system4 ,participants in ,tokyo1 ,toronto and ,san ,francisco can discuss as if they were all logged on to the same online service4 ,the main purpose may not be to make it simpler or cheaper for the user4 ,one typical motive is to reduce an online service's own communications costs4 ,,kidlink is a global project for children between #aj - #ae years of age4 ,it allows kids to discuss through a system of electronic mail4 ,part of the dialog takes place by the children sending email to a recipient called ,,kidcafe4 ,a message to 'the cafe' goes through the international networks to a host computer in ,north ,dakota 7,u4,s4,a474 ,there1 a computer program called ,,listserv distributes copies of the message to names on an electronic address list4 7,conferences administered by a ,,listserv are called 'discussion lists'47 ,sci,link in ,toronto is one recipient4 ,messages forwarded from ,north ,dakota are made available for users as entries in a 'local' conference called ,,kidcafe4 ,a user in ,tokyo can read a message1 as if it had been entered locally4 ,if she wants to reply1 her answer is sent back to the ,,listserv for redistribution to the world4 ,western ,michigan ,university 7,u4,s4,a47 is also a recipient4 ,here1 another ,,listserv program is in charge of forwarding the mail to yet another list of 7local7 addresses4 ,we call it a 'mail exploder'4 ,this mailing list has been set up by local administrators to reduce costs4 ,the individual user is not allowed to receive copies of messages all the way from ,north ,dakota4 ,one ,michigan recipient may be a local area network4 ,you will find many smart technical solutions in the online world4 ,actually1 this is how the online world got started4 ,two systems were interconnected for exchange of electronic mail4 ,then1 another system was added1 and another4 ,one day it was a global network of computer systems4 ,some network systems are connected by leased telephone lines4 ,other networks1 like ,fido,net1 depend mainly on dial-up using regular voice-grade telephone service4 ,each ,,bbs dial regularly to other computers in the network to send or receive mail and files4 ,they may do it once per day1 twice per day or whatever4 ,then someone got the idea of interconnecting networks4 ,fido,net was connected to the ,,uucp network1 which was connected to the ,internet1 which in turn was connected to the ,bergen ,by ,byte ,,bbs in ,norway1 ,compu,serve1 ,sci,link1 ,,mci ,mail1 and various local area networks4 ,today1 the online world is a global web of networks4 ,the world is 'cabled'4 ,you1 me and all the other modem users stand to benefit enormously4 #d4 ,the services --------------- ,the most popular online services are electronic mail1 chat1 file transfers1 conferences and discussion forums1 news1 reading of online journals and grassroots publications1 database searching1 entertainment4 ,the online world has an infinite number of niches1 things that people are interested in and have fun doing4 ,electronic mail --------------- is not just like paper mail4 ,email is faster1 easier to edit and use in other applications4 ,your mail may be private1 or public4 ,it can be 'broadcasted' to many by a mailing list4 ,the principle is the same on all systems4 ,typically1 an email message is sent to your mailbox in the following form3 ,to3 ,odd de ,presno ,subject3 ,happy ,birthday ,text3 ,i wish you well on your birthday4 -,ole ,the mailbox systems automatically add your name 7i4e41 the sender's return email address71 the creation date1 and forward it to the recipient4 ,if the recipient's mailbox is on another system1 the message is routed through one or several networks to reach its destination4 ,several email services offer forwarding to fax1 telex or ordinary postal service delivery4 ,some offer forwarding to paging services4 ,when new mail arrives in your mailbox1 messages with text like ',,mail from opresnoextern4uio4no' will be displayed on your beeper's small screen4 ,soon1 you can send electronic mail to anyone4 ,by the turn of the century1 it probably will be difficult to tell the difference between fax messages and email4 ,the services will automatically convert incoming faxes to computer-readable text and pictures1 so that you can use them in word processing and other computer applications4 ,automatic language translation is another trend4 ,you will soon be able to send a message in ,english1 and have it automatically translated into ,spanish for ,spanish-reading recipients1 or into other languages4 ,conference systems with automatic translation are already being used in ,japan 7,english to_/from ,japanese74 ,one day we may also have a global email address directory4 ,what is the address of ,nobuo ,hasumi in ,japan4 ,press ,,enter1 and there it is4 ,today1 the largest commercial players email vendors are ,,mci1 ,dialcom1 ,telemail1 ,,at,t ,mail and ,compu,serve4 ,the fight for dominance goes on4 ',chat' ------ ,email has one important disadvantage4 ,it may take time for it to be picked up and read by the recipient4 ,the alternative is real-time conferencing1 a form of direct keyboard-to-keyboard dialog between users4 ,we call it 'chat'4 ,most large systems let you chat with many users simultaneously4 ,even small bulletin boards usually have a chat feature4 ,chat is set up in several ways4 ,on some systems1 you see each character on the screen once it is entered by your dialog partners4 ,other systems send entries line by line1 that is1 whenever you press ,,enter or ,return4 ,here1 it may be difficult to know whether the other person is waiting for you to type1 or if he is actively entering new words4 ,you will find regular chat conferences in ,compu,serve's forums4 ,often1 they invite a person to give a keynote speech before opening 'the floor' for questions and answers4 ,john ,sculley of ,apple ,computers and various politicians have been featured in such 'meetings'4 ,in ,may #aiia1 the ,,kidlink project arranged a full-day chat between kids from all over the world4 ,line1 a #ab-year old ,norwegian girl1 started the day talking with ,japanese kids at the ,nishimachi and ,kanto ,international ,school in ,tokyo4 ,when her computer was switched off late at night1 she was having an intense exchange with children in ,north ,america4 ,the chats took place on various online services and networks1 including ,internet ,relay ,chat 7,,irc71 ,,bitnet's ,relay ,chat1 ,cleveland ,free-,net 7,u4,s4,a471 ,,twics in ,tokyo1 the global network ,tymnet1 and the ,education ,forum on ,compu,serve4 ,the discussions had no moderator4 ,this made the encounters chaotic at times4 ,the kids enjoyed it1 though6 ,one-line messages shot back and forth over the continents conveying intense simultaneous conversations1 occasionally disrupted by exclamations and requests for technical help4 ,speed is a problem when chatting4 ,it takes a lot of time since most users are slow typists4 ,if individual ,messages span more than one line1 there is always a risk that it will be split up by lines coming from others4 ,it takes time to understand what goes on4 ,users of ,sci,link 7,canada7 use a method they call 'semi-sync chat'4 ,the trick is to use ordinary batch-mode conferences for chatting4 ,instead of calling up1 reading and sending mail and then log out1 they stay online waiting for new messages to arrive4 ,this approach allows you to enter multiple-line messages without risking that it to broken up by other messages4 ,the flow of the discussion is often better1 and each person's entries easier to understand4 ,file transfers -------------- ,the availability of free software on bulletin boards brought the online world out of the closet4 ,today1 you can also retrieve books and articles1 technical reports1 graphics pictures1 files of digitized music1 weather reports1 and much more4 ,millions of files are transferred to and from the online services each day4 ,file transfers typically represent over #ge percent of the bulletin boards' utilization time4 ,downloading free software is still the most popular service4 ,in ,june #aiia1 users of my ,,bbs 7which has only one phone line7 downloaded #hf megabytes' worth of public domain and shareware programs4 7#hf,,mb equals around #hf1jjj1jjj bytes47 ,in ,may #aiic1 users downloaded #ajh megabytes distributed over #a1ddf files4 ,add to this the megabytes being downloaded from hundreds of thousands of other bulletin boards4 ,the number is staggering4 ,if you want to download free software3 read in appendix #c about how to do it4 ,downloading is simple4 ,just dial an online service1 order transfer of a given file1 select a file transfer protocol 7like ,,xmodem71 and the file comes crawling to you through the phone line4 ,services on the ,internet offer file transfer through gateways using a command called ,,ftp 7,file ,transfer ,protocol74 ,it works like this3 ,say you're logging on to the ,,ulrik service at the ,university of ,oslo in ,norway4 ,your objective is to download free programs from a large library in ,oakland1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,after having connected to ,ulrik1 you enter the command 'ftp ,,oak4,oakland4,edu' to connect to the computer in ,california4 ,a few seconds later1 the remote host asks for your logon id4 ,you enter 'anonymous'1 and supply your email address as password4 ,this will give you access4 ,you use the cd command 7change directory7 to navigate to the desired library catalog on the remote hard disk4 ,you locate the desired file1 and use a ,,get command to transfer the file to your file area on ,ulrik4 ,when done1 you logout from the remote computer to be returned to ,ulrik's services4 ,your final job is to transfer the file from ,ulrik to your personal computer using traditional methods4 ,being able to send ,internet mail does not guarantee access to the ftp command4 ,if ftp is unavailable1 you may transfer the file by email using a technique called ,u,u,e,n,c,o,d,eing4 ,here1 the file is converted before transfer into a format that can be sent as ordinary mail 7into a seven bits1 even character code74 ,when the file arrives in your mailbox1 you 'read' it as an ordinary message and store the codes in a work file on your disk4 ,finally1 you decode the file using a special utility program 7often called ,,uudecode74 ,read more about this in ,chapter #ab4 ,conferences and discussions --------------------------- ,online conferences have many things in common with traditional face- to-face conferences and discussions1 except that participants don't physically meet in the same room4 ,they 'come' by modem and discuss using electronic messages 7sometimes also through ,chat74 ,there are discussions about any conceivable topic1 from ,how to start your own company1 ,brainstorming1 ,architectural design1 ,the ,future of ,education and ,investments1 to ,,aids1 ,the ,baltic ,states1 ,psychology1 and ,cartoons4 ,instead of calling these discussions online conferences1 some services use terms like echos1 discussion or mailing lists1 clubs1 newsgroups1 round tables1 ,s,i,gs 7,special ,interest ,groups71 and forums4 ,they use other terms in an attempt to make their offerings more attractive and exclusive4 ,others refer to conferences by using the name of the software used to administer the discussions1 like ,,listserv1 ,porta,com1 ,news1 ,usenet1 ,caucus1 or ,p,a,r,t,icipate4 ,on the bottom line1 we're still talking email4 ,however1 while private mail is usually read by one recipient only1 'conference mail' may be read by thousands of people from the whole world4 ,all of them can talk and discuss ,,simultaneously4 ,it is almost impossible for one single individual to dominate4 ,the number of active participants can therefore be far larger than in 'face-to- face' conferences4 ,the conferencing software automatically records all that is said4 ,every character4 ,each participant can decide what to read and when4 ,he may even use the messages in other applications later on4 ,opinions and information can easily be selected and pasted into reports or new responses4 ,some conferences are public and open for anybody4 ,others are for a closed group 7of registered7 participants4 ,they are normally structured by topic and the structure is influenced by the participants' behavior4 ,if the topic is limited1 like in ,the football match between ,mexico and ,uruguay1 it may start with an introduction followed by comments1 questions1 and answers like pearls on a thread4 ,after some time the conference is 'finished'4 ,conferences called ',,ibm ,,pc' or ',,ms-,,dos' often contain so many different sub-topics that they seem chaotic to the outsider4 ,the message subject headings typically have references to computer equipment 7like in ',wyse #jej or ,,tvi #ibe'71 requests for help 7like in ',need ,xywrite help6'71 experience reports1 equipment for sale1 news reports1 etc4 ,the sequence of messages are often illogical4 ,the contents and the quality of the discussion are what separates one online conference from others4 ,how a conference grows into something useful1 depends in part on the features of the software used by the online service4 ,but this is much less important than the kind of people you meet there and their willingness to contribute4 ,messages in the ,,ibm ,hardware ,forum on ,compu,serve are divided into #aa sections4 ,section #b is called ,printers' utilities4 ,if you have problems with an old ,epson ,,fx-#hj printer1 send requests for help to ,all 7to everybody7 and store it in this section4 ,compu,serve has over one million subscribers 7#aiic74 ,they call in from all over the place to join the ,,ibm ,hardware forum4 ,some are there to show off competence 7read3 to sell their expertise74 ,others visit to find solutions to a problem1 or simply to learn4 ,a conference with many users increases your chances of meeting others with relevant know-how4 ,as always1 the quality of the people is the first requirement of a good conference4 ,professional ',sysops' moderate the discussion in ,,ibmhw4 ,they get up to #ae percent of what you pay ,compu,serve for using their forum4 ,to them1 being a sysop is a profession4 ,they use a fair amount of time trying to make the forum a lively and interesting place4 ,the ,printers_/utilities section is not just about ,epson ,,fx-#hj4 ,its members have hundreds of different printers1 each with their own set of user problems4 ,let's use this to explain differences between some conferencing systems4 ,each message in ,compu,serve's forums contains the sender's name 7his local email address71 subject1 date1 and the text itself4 ,we call this the 'bulletin board model'4 ,here1 a message typically looks like this3 3 #bdihh ,s#aj_/,portable ,desktops #bb-;,jul-#ia #aj3je3ch ,sb3 ,t#ebjj #dbemeg ,,hdd ,fm3 ,gordon ,norman #gbcef1cgj ,to3 ,menno ,aartsen #gbfaa1bjff 7,x7 ,menno- ,can you share the ,,hd specs on that #dbe';er444random access time1 transfer rate1 ,,mtbf1 etc48 ,gordon ,this message may not be of interest to you4 ,each day1 hundreds of messages ,,outside your area of interest are being posted4 ,you do ,,not want to read these messages4 ,compu,serve allows selective reading of messages4 ,you can select all messages containing a given word or text string in the subject title 7',sb3' above74 ,you can read threads of messages from a given message number 7replies1 and replies to replies74 ,you can read all messages to_/from a given person1 from a given message number1 and from a given date4 ,there are many options4 ,the ,p,a,r,t,icipate conferencing software functions diametrically different from ,compu,serve's forum software4 ,,parti is used on ,,twics 7,japan71 ,unison 7,u4,s4,a471 ,,nwi 7,u4,s4,a471 and ,the ,point 7can be accessed through a gateway from ,compu,serve74 ,,parti lets the user log on using an alias4 ,for example1 he can use the identity ',,batman'4 ,you may never get to know the true name of the other person4 ,on the other hand1 this allows people to talk about controversial topics1 which they would otherwise not want to have their names associated with4 ,anyone can start a conference4 ,it can be public1 private or a combination4 ,combination conferences allow public review of the messages in the conference1 but restrict the number of people who can contribute to the discussion4 ,enter 'write'1 and ,,parti will prompt you with ,enter the text of your note1 then type 4send or 4open to transmit4 ,enter the welcome text for your new conference1 like in this example3 ,this conference is based on a series of articles about shareware and public domain programs for ,,msdos computers1 which ,i wrote for publication in ,england4 ,since the editor cheated me and they never reached the printing press1 ,i've decided to make them available online instead of letting them rot on my hard disk4 ,join to read1 discuss or 7hopefully7 enjoy6 ,when done1 ,i entered 4open odd de presno1 added the name of the conference 7,,msdos ,,tips7 and a short description 7,,good ,,pd ,,and ,,shareware ,,programs74 ,the conference was presented to the other ,,parti users on ,,twics like this3 ,,msdos ,,tips by ,,odd ,,de ,,presno1 ,feb4 #bc1 #aiij at #aa3eg about ,,good ,,pd ,,and ,,shareware ,,programs 7#g notes7 ,few systems of the bulletin board model let users start their own conferences at will4 ,all new topics must be stored in a given structure4 ,the administrators 7sysops7 of the service manage the evolution of the 'conference room'4 ,after a while1 old messages may even be deleted to make room for new4 ,in ,,parti1 conference messages are organized under a topic1 or any sub-topics that can be derived from the main topic4 ,conferences are modeled after their counterparts in the face- to-face world4 ,they start with an introduction followed by a discussion about a narrow topic1 like here3 ,,smart ,,people by ,,macbeth on ,jan4 #d1 #aiib at #ab3bg1 about ,,who ,,are ,,the ,,best ,,and ,,the ,,brightest 7#ejd characters and #ag notes74 ,in this example above1 the welcome message is #ejd characters long4 ,following that1 there are #ag other messages 7called notes74 ,notes are stored without individual subject headers and the name of a recipient4 ,everything is posted to 'the group'4 ,if ,compu,serve message above had been posted on ,,parti1 then the first five lines might have been reduced to3 #ab 7of #ab7 ,,shabby ,,dog ,jul4 #bb1 #aiia at #aj3je 7#aai characters7 ,on ,,parti1 all participants read all notes4 ,selective reading must be done in other ways 7by searching conference contents74 ,these two conferencing models seem to attract different types of discussions4 ,,parti has given birth to more discussions on topics like these 7from ,,parti on ,the ,point1 ,january #aiib73 ,,hello ,,beep by ,,the ,,shadow on ,sept4 #ag1 #aiia at #ai3bj1 about ,,beep',s ,,adventures ,,in ,,japan1 ,,and ,,the ,,like 7#hdj characters and #bb notes74 ,,memories by ,,lou on ,dec4 #ba1 #aiia at #ab3ca1 about 4444444,i ,,remember ,,when444444 7#dbc characters and #a notes74 ,,amendment ,,ii #aiia by ,,passin ,,thru on ,dec4 #be1 #aiia at #bj3ee1 about ,,our ,,rights ,,to ,,own ,,and ,,possess ,,firearms1 ,,and ,,the ,,myth ,,regarding ,,assault ,,weapons4 7#cjcf characters and #ch notes74 ,,tv ,,shows by ,,the ,,shadow on ,nov4 #af1 #aiij at #ah3jj1 about ,,discussion ,,of ,,television ,,shows 7#aje characters and #cg notes74 ,,philosophy ,,for ,,amateurs by ,,macbeth on ,april #ac1 #aiij at #aj3jh1 about ,,talking ,,about ,,thinking 7#ahg characters and #ig notes74 ,,happy ,,birthday ,,toto by ,,ponder on ,jan4 #b1 #aiib at #ad3cd1 about ,,and ,i ,,bet ,,he ,,thought ,i ,,forgot4 7#hf characters and #ae notes74 ,,online ,,lottery by ,,deedub on ,jan4 #c1 #aiib at #jg3dj1 about ,,multiplying ,,our ,,chances ,,to ,,win ,,the ,,lottery 7#abch characters and #fb notes74 ,,who ,,shot ,,kennedy by ,,matt on ,jan4 #c1 #aiib at #bb3bi1 about ,,the ,,assasination ,,of ,,john ,f4 ,,kennedy2 ,,thoughts1 ,,comments1 ,,questions ,,and ,,theories6 7#ebi characters and #hc notes74 ,,the ,,economy by ,,lou on ,jan4 #e1 #aiib at #af3dj1 about ,,the ,,economy1 ,,as ,,it ,,affects ,,us ,,all4 7#afg characters and #di notes74 ,,puerto ,,rico by ,,packer on ,jan4 #ah1 #aiib at #bj3dg1 about ,,para ,,discutir ,,asuntos ,,puertoriquena 7#aff characters and #i notes74 ,systems using the bulletin board model rarely have conferences like ,,memories4 ,in ,,parti1 one-note conferences are allowed to stay4 ,in the bulletin board environment1 they soon disappear4 ,you can probably still join ,,memories on the ,point to add your own feelings or point-of-views4 ,in larger ,,parti conferences1 the notes can be read like a book4 ,often1 side discussions appear like 'branches' on a 'tree'4 ,join and read them1 if you want to4 ,or just pass4 ,the bulletin board systems 7including ,compu,serve's forums7 and ,p,a,r,t,icipate are at two extremes of the spectrum of conference systems4 ,toward the ,,bbs model1 there are systems like ,fido,net ,echo1 ,,rbbs-,,pc1 and ,porta,com4 ,toward the ,,parti side1 there are systems like ,caucus4 ,many companies set up bulletin board systems to provide technical support to customers4 ,mc,afee ,associates1 ,inc4 in ,california is one example4 ,they offer technical information1 help1 upgrade software1 list of agents1 technical bulletins with lists of products1 and new products through agents' support ,b,b,ses all over the world4 ,for example1 when in ,port of ,spain1 ,trinidad ,tobago call the ,opus ,networx ,,bbs at 7#hai7 #fbh-djbc4 ,setting up a professional ,,bbs is not very expensive4 ,you can easily have #cb people online to the same conference simultaneously on a standard #hjchf-;based ,,pc1 running ,xenix and ,caucus conferencing software4 ,this is what the ,washington ,information ,service ,corp4 in ,u4,s4,a4 did4 ,there's an abundance of software to choose from4 ,many companies rent private 'conference rooms' on commercial online services rather than doing it in-house4 ,the advantage is easier access to an established multi-user system and user base4 ,microsoft1 ,toshiba1 ,quarterdeck1 ,digital ,research1 ,tandy1 ,novell and hundreds of others rent public support forum space on ,compu,serve to keep in touch with customers all over the world4 ,others rent space on regional bulletin boards4 ,other corporate applications of such services include internal organizational development and communications1 and coordination of projects4 ,on ,norwegian bulletin boards the main language is ,norwegian4 ,in ,france1 expect ,french4 ,local systems usually depend on messages in the local language4 ,services catering to a larger geographical area often have a different policy4 ,english is the most common language for international discussions4 ,spanish possibly number two4 ,example3 ,,twics in ,japan is an ,english language system4 ,its ,spanish language conference ,,espanol has participants from ,japan1 ,mexico and ,norway4 ,on ,meta,net 7,arlington1 ,u4,s4,a47 the conferences are divided into conference areas4 ,one area was called ,the ,salon4 ,the welcome message said3 ',all conferences and responses posted here may freely be ported to other conferencing systems'4 ,meta,net regularly 'ports' 7exchanges7 conference notes with systems in ,europe1 ,asia and ,north ,america4 ,exchanging conferences have long traditions in the bulletin board world4 ,to some1 it is routine to call ,thunderball ,cave ,,bbs in ,oslo to discuss photography with people in ,california4 ,new messages are exchanged daily across country boundaries4 ,the global web of connections between computers enables us to discuss with people living in other parts of the world1 as if they were living next door4 ,things ,take ,time6 ----------------- ,how long does it take a message to get from ,hyougo in ,japan to ,saltrod in ,norway8 ,or to ,dominique ,christian in ,paris8 ,sometimes1 mail travels from mailbox service to mailbox service in seconds4 ,that is usually the case with messages from my mailbox in ,norway to ,,kidlink's ,,listserv in ,north ,dakota1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,messages that must go through many gateways may take more time4 ,how long it takes1 depends on the degree of automation in the mail systems involved1 and how these systems have been connected to the global matrix of networks4 ,speed is high if the computers are interconnected with fixed1 high-capacity lines4 ,this is not so for mail from ,oslo to ,dominique in ,paris4 ,his mail is routed through a system in ,london and is forwarded once per day through a dial-up connection4 ,it usually takes at least one day to reach the destination4 ,news ---- ,most large news agencies have online counterparts4 ,you can often read their news online before it appears in print4 ,this is the case with news from sources like ,,ntb1 ,agence ,france-,presse1 ,associated ,press1 ,kyodo ,news ,report 7,japan71 ,reuters1 ,xinhua ,english ,language ,news ,service 7,china7 and ,,tass4 ,some news is only made available in electronic form4 ,news may be read in several ways1 depending on what online service you use3 99 ,from a list of headlines4 ,enter a story's number to receive its full text4 ,the news may be split up into groups1 like ,sports1 ,international news1 ,business1 and ,entertainment4 99 ,some services let you hook directly into a news agency's 'feed line' to get news as it is being made available4 ,at #aa4jb1 #aa4jd1 #aa4ae1 etc4 99 ,news may be 'clipped' and stored in your mailbox twenty-four hours a day1 seven days a week4 ,clipping services search articles for occurrences of your personal keyword phrases while you're offline4 ,in this way1 you can monitor new products1 companies1 people1 and countries1 even when you're not online4 ,news,flash is ,news,net's electronic clipping service1 a powerful resource that lets you monitor ,news,net's newsletters for topics of interest4 ,on the ,executive ,news ,service 7,compu,serve71 you can search for words in story headlines4 ,you can also search for first three lines of text from #h1jjj stories_/day from ,washington ,post1 ,,otc ,news,alert1 ,associated ,press1 ,united ,press ,international and ,reuters ,financial ,news ,wire4 ,newspapers used to receive news through the wires before the online user4 ,this built-in delay has now been removed on many services4 ,industry and professional news is usually available online long before it appears in print4 ,databases --------- ,some years ago1 most databases just contained references to articles1 books and other written or electronic sources of information4 ,the typical search result looked like this3 #jjaibja #jb-hh-fh ,,trimethoprim-,,sulfamethoxazole in ,,cyst ,fluid from ,autosomal ,dominant ,,polycystic ,,kidneys4 ,elzinga ,l4,w42 et al4 ,w4,m4 ,bennett1 ,dept4 of ,med41 ,oregon ,hlth4 ,sci4 ,univ41 #caja ,southwest ,sam ,jackson ,park ,rd41 ,portland1 ,,or #igbja4 ,kid4 ,int4 #cb3 #hhd-hhh4 ,dec4 #aihg ,subfile3 ,internal ,medicine2 ,family ,practice2 ,nephrology2 ,infectious ,disease2 ,clinical ,pharmacology2 ,highlights of ,general ,medicine ,you had to take the reference to a library to get a print copy of the article4 ,some services let you to order a copy while online1 to be sent you by mail from a copying service4 ,full-text searching is now the rule4 ,when you find an article of interest1 you can have the full text displayed on your screen at once 7normally without accompanying pictures and tables1 though74 ,the search commands are simpler and more powerful4 ,just for fun ------------ ,many online services focus on your leisure time4 ,they offer reviews and news about movies1 video1 music1 and sport4 ,there are forums for stamp and coin collectors1 travel maniacs1 passionate cooks1 wine tasters1 and other special interest groups4 ,besides1 many services are entertaining in themselves4 ,large1 complex adventure games1 where hundreds of users can play simultaneously1 are popular choices4 ,people sit glued to the computer screen for hours4 ',chat'1 this keyboard-to-keyboard contact-phone type of simultaneous conversation between from two and up to hundreds of persons1 is also popular4 ,it works like a combination of a social activity and a role-playing_/strategy_/fantasy_/skill-i mproving game4 ,shopping is the online equivalent of traditional mail order business4 ,the difference is that you can buy while browsing4 ,some commercial services distribute colorful catalogues to users to support sales4 ,some distribute pictures of the merchandise by modem4 ,you can buy anything from racer fitness equipment and diamonds to cars4 ,enter your credit card number and the ,chevrolet is yours4 ,the online mail order business is becoming increasingly global4 ,level #e3 ,the user interface --------------------------- ,this term describes how the online service is presented to you1 that is1 in what form text1 pictures and sound appear on your personal communications computer4 ,most online services offer the first three of these four levels4 ,some offer more3 #a4 ,menus for novices4 ,the user can select 7navigate7 by pressing a figure or a letter4 #b4 ,short menus or lists of commands for the intermediate user4 ,the user knows some about how the service works1 and just wants a short reminder to help navigate4 #c4 ,a short prompt 7often just a character1 like a 671 which tells the expert user where he is in the system right now4 ,those knowing the service inside out1 don't need reminders about what word or command to enter at this point4 #d4 ,some services offer automatic access without any menus or visible prompts at all4 ,everything happens in a two-way stream of unintelligent data4 ,the only menus that the user sees1 are those belonging to the program running on his personal computer4 ,some services emphasize colors1 graphics and sound4 ,they may require that users have certain hardware or special add-on cards in their communications computer4 ,often1 a special communications program is also needed4 ,other services use methods for presenting colors and graphics already built into their users' computers 7and programs74 ,colors1 graphics and sound are highly desirable in some applications1 like online games and weather forecasts4 ,but even where it is not important1 there will always be many wanting it4 ,to the professional on a fact-gathering mission1 these features may give slower data transfer and problems when saving text to disk for later use4 ,therefore1 many prefer ,,ascii text with no extras4 ,sports cars are nice1 but for delivering furniture they're seldom any good4 ,the same applies to the user interfaces4 ,no one is perfect for all applications4 ,level #f3 ,the data transporters ------------------------------ ,when the online service's host computer is far away1 the user often faces the challenges of3 #a4 ,noise on the line1 which may result in unreadable text or errors in the received material4 #b4 ,expensive long distance calls ,there are many alternatives to direct long distance calling4 ,some offers better quality data transfers and lower costs4 ,the regional packet data services used to be a popular option4 ,in ,scandinavia1 the offerings of the local ,p,t,ts are called ,datapak4 ,similar services are offered in most countries1 often by a national telephone monopoly4 ,competitively priced alternatives are appearing in many countries as national telecom monopolies are brought to an end4 ,for example1 ,infonet1 ,,tri-,p1 and i-,com compete successfully with former monopolies for transport of data to and from ,north ,america4 ,the ,internet is a global network serving millions of mailboxes4 ,it provides very cost-efficient mail exchange with private and public networks throughout the world4 ,,ixi is a packet data network operated by ,european ,research centers4 ,d,a,snet offers transport of mail between mail systems that have no direct connection with each others4 7,more about this in ,chapter #ac47 ,level #g3 ,the user ----------------- ,this is you and me4 ,turn the page to the next chapter and read about how to use the online services4 ,chapter #c3 ,how to use the online services ,the user interface refers to what you get on your computer screen and how1 when you call an online service4 ,it includes menus and help screens1 and various options to tailor the service to your personal preferences4 ,navigating by menus is simpler ------------------------------ ,most online services have menus to make them easier for novices to use4 ,a typical menu looks like this3 ,r7ead messages ,q7uick search available messages ,w7rite messages ,c7omments to ,sysop ,d7ownload programs 87 for help ,g7oodbye4 ,this is enough6 ,enter a letter 7or 87 to select a function4 ,enter ,r to read messages4 ,there is hardly any need to read the documentation to use this service4 ,compu,serve greets ,european users with this menu3 ,compu,serve ,europe ,,europe ,,compuserve ,,europe ,,main ,,menu #a ,about ,compu,serve #b ,what's ,new #c ,member ,assistance #d ,electronic ,mail #e ,personal ,computer ,support #f ,company ,information #g ,logon ,instructions 7,europe7 #h ,compu,serve ,information ,service 7,u4,s47 ,enter '#h' to get another menu3 ,compu,serve ,,top #a ,member ,assistance 7,,free7 #b ,find a ,topic 7,,free7 #c ,communications_/,bulletin ,bds4 #d ,news_/,weather_/,sports #e ,travel #f ,the ,electronic ,,mall_/,shopping #g ,money ,matters_/,markets #h ,entertainment_/,games #i ,hobbies_/,lifestyles_/,education #aj ,reference #aa ,computers_/,technology #ab ,business_/,other ,interests ,you can go to ,associated ,press' newswires or the section for home-schooling in the ,education ,forum by entering numbers listed in menus4 ,the service is like a tree with menus by every set of branches4 ,a code in the upper right-hand corner of each screen tells you exactly where you are4 ,the last menu has the code ',,top' meaning that this menu is at the 'top of the tree'4 ,by each ,compu,serve system prompt1 the command ,,go followed by a destination code will take you directly to a desired location4 ,enter ,,go ,,ibmhw to go directly to the ,,ibm ,hardware ,forum4 ,the ,,go command will save you time and money4 ,similar codes and commands are used on several other online services4 ,on many systems1 the first menu encountered when logging on is a list of announcements and new offerings4 ,the following is from ,g,enie1 ,general ,electric's ,consumer ,information ,service 7,u4,s4,a473 ,g,enie ,announcements 7,,free7 #a4 ,july #aiia ,g,enie ,billing ,completed4 ,to review yours1 type3444499,,bill #b4 ,hot ,summer ,nights continues to ,,sizzle444444444444444444444444499,,hsn #c4 ,,new444,quality ,product and ,amazing ,value in44444444444444444444,,softclub #d4 ,,last ,,chance---,blue ,g,enie ,sweatshirts4444444444444444444444444499 ,,order #e4 ,color hypermedia in ,apple ,,ii world4 ,hyper,studio ,,rtc in44444444,a#b #f4 ,meet the ,product ,manager1 ,,free ,,rtc4444444444444444444444444444,,sfrt #g4 ,future of ,online ,gaming ,,rtc with ,g,enie ,game ,designers in4444,,mpgrt #h4 ,a ,revolutionary ,credit ,service - ,,trw ,,credentials44444444444444,,trwcredit #i4 #ijj ,numbers3 ,ripoff or ,good ,business ,sense - ,,rtc #h_/aa #i,,pm44444,,radio #aj4 ,air ,warrior ,convention set for ,sept4#bf-bi4 in ,washington444444,,air #aa4 ,,sears ,fall_/,winter ,catalog ,on-line ,,now4444444444444444444444444,,sears #ab4 ,how to ,sell your ,,crafts for ,profit4444444444444444444444444444,,hos b #ac4 ,stellar ,warrior ,campaign starts with a ,,free weekend44444444444,,warrior #ad4 ,followup ,investment ,,rtc with ,mickey ,friedman in444444444444444,,real ,,estate #ae4 ,federation ,,ii1 the adult space fantasy444444444444444444444444,,fed ,enter 1 ,help1 or ,,cr to continue8 ,at the ',enter ' prompt1 enter '#g' to go directly to the ,future of ,online ,gaming conference 7,,rtc,round ,table ,conference74 ,enter ,h for ,help1 or press ,return to get to the systems' main menu4 ,you can go to selected services by entering a videotext page number code or a number 7selected from the menu74 ,type 'mail' to get to your mailbox1 'backgammon' to play1 or ',,sears' to visit the online version of this ,north ,american shoppers' paradise4 ',mail' has page number #bjj4 ,enter 'm #bjj' to go there directly4 ,to go to ,news,bytes' technical news reports by subject1 select #e from menu page number #caf4 ,g,enie even has a faster way4 ,like some other services1 it let you stack commands4 ,instead of issuing one command1 and then wait for the system to respond before issuing the next command1 stacking allows you to put all commands on one line4 ,the command m #caf2e will take you directly to choice #e from the menu on page #caf without displaying intermediate menus4 ,many online services use the same template4 ,they have commands like ,,go ,,service-,,name1 ,,join ,,service-,,name 7or just ,j71 ,,delta ,,service- ,,name1 or just the code or name of the offering as in 'mail' and 'sears' above4 ,entering ,h or 8 7for help7 usually give you assistance4 ,few services are fussy about whether you use lower or capital letters in commands4 ,on some services1 and especially if a selection requires just a letter or a number1 you don't even have to press return to make it happen4 ,this method is used on many bulletin boards4 ,some codes are standard4 ,this is particularly the case with 81 ,h1 or ,help for more information4 ,test drive ---------- ,several commercial systems let you try the service for free or at lower rates4 ,you can check what's out there without paying for the exploratory connect time1 and get some free training in how to use the service4 ,compu,serve's ,practice ,forum 7,,go ,,practice7 does not carry any connect charges1 but applicable communication surcharges are still in effect4 ,they also have a free ',guided ,tour'4 ,free trials are particularly useful before a search in an expensive database4 ,use ,dial,index on ,dialog4 ,orbit has ,,dbin 7,the database ,index71 and ,data-,star has ,,cros4 ,they are master indexes to the databases on the system4 ,first1 select a general subject area1 then enter your search terms4 ,the systems will respond with lists of databases and hit counts4 ,note3 ,you must go to the 'real' databases for results4 ,you cannot retrieve actual information during a test drive4 ,selecting an expert level ------------------------- ,most services regard all new users as novices4 ,the software designers assume that users don't want 7or are unable7 to read lengthy explanations4 ,they think that most users prefer navigation by going from menu to menu4 ,commercial services may support this view for financial reasons1 and especially when charging for access by the minute4 7,some of them let you read their help screens for free1 though47 ,menus are important when browsing new offerings1 or accessing services that we seldom use4 ,frequent users of a service1 however1 quickly learn how to do things4 ,menus may soon begin to annoy rather than please4 ,reading them costs money1 and it slows our communications down4 ,we do not need menus when accessing online services in fully automated mode4 ,your communications program remembers exactly what to do1 and does all the typing for you4 ,there is no point in paying extra for having menus4 ,you'll not read them anyway4 ,the objective is to access the service at maximum speed and the lowest possible cost4 ,most online services can be tailored to your personal needs and preferences4 ,many let you choose between3 99 ,full menus 99 ,short menus 99 ,a prompt line with a list of the most often used commands1 99 a prompt character or word 7see prompt in appendix #d for examples74 ,prompts can be used by automatic communication script files to trigger the next action4 ,if concerned about costs1 note that you can use expert mode without being a true expert4 ,just print the menus1 and keep them by your keyboard while moving around4 ,some users draw 'road maps' of the services to navigate more quickly4 ,others automate the process using automatic communications scripts4 ,tailoring your services ----------------------- ,the need to tailor the online service's prompts and menus differs considerably from user to user1 as they use all kinds of computers for communication4 ,some screens are large4 ,other screens can only display a few lines of text at a time4 ,one user of my ,,bbs even used a ,hewlett ,packard pocket calculator with a tiny1 tiny screen4 ,many online services allow you to tailor the way information is sent to you4 ,if you are satisfied with how things are1 skip the next couple of pages and read from ,connecting the first time4 ,if curious of your options1 read on for a somewhat brief and technical overview4 ,besides a selection of various types of menus1 you can usually also set the following preferences3 99 ,what menu is to be the first1 when you access the service8 99 ,the first menu is to be a tailored menu containing your favorite offerings1 and nothing else4 99 ,colors1 graphics1 or no colors_/graphics4 99 ,preferred file transfer protocol 7to avoid a question each time you want to transfer a file74 99 ,desired terminal emulator1 like ,,tty1 ,,vt-#ajj or ,,vt-#eb4 99 ,,capital ,,letters or ,mixed ,case4 99 ,what ,,ascii character code to use for the ,,delete function4 99 ,how many spaces to insert when expanding ,t,a,bs in your mail4 99 ,number of lines per screen 7for example1 #bd on an ,,ibm ,,pc1 or eight on a ,,trs-#hj ,model #ajj4 ,whether scrolling is to pause after each screenful or not47 99 ,number of characters per line 7for example1 #hj lines on a ,,pc1 or #dj on a ,,trs-#hj ,model #ajj4 99 ,if the linefeed character is to be sent or not4 99 ,if blank lines are to be sent4 99 ,whether the service is to check when you log on to see if you're using special software 7as in ',inquire for ,,vidtex' on ,compu,serve74 99 ,the use of 'echo'4 ,is the service to return the characters that you enter on your keyboard8 99 ,use of delay when sending linefeeds4 7,useful if capturing text to a dumb printing terminal4 ,if text scrolls too fast for the printer1 you risk losing some of it47 99 ,choice of prompt character1 or prompt text string4 ,this is useful when communicating by script files4 ,on ,compu,serve1 ,i have asked the system to add the ,back,space character 7,,ascii character number #h7 to the end of all forum prompts4 ,since this character is rarely found in messages or other texts1 ,i can safely let scripts depend on this prompt character for unattended communication4 ,displaying information on the screen ------------------------------------ ,an ',a' is not an ',a' no matter what service you use4 ,if you call ,tocolo ,,bbs in ,japan 7,tel43 #ha-c-bje-icae4 #abjj bps1 #h1,n1#a47 with a non-,japanese ,,ms-,,dos computer1 chances are that the welcome text will look like this3 99-------------------------------------- ------------------------99 99 ,d#j3 ,,bbs 7_/#i #g4h7 99 99 #fb #c --- #c 7#b,k4#c #jc-bje-icae7 99 99 #c,v#c #f --- #bd #f #f;,d#c ,c,d ,a-#c 99 99 7,wed #i3jj-ag3jj ,j ,r,c ,i ,r #e,t,p ,c7 99 99-------------------------------------- ------------------------99 ,you'll need a ,japanese ,,rom 7,read-,only ,memory7 in your computer1 a special graphics program1 or a ,japanese language operating system to have the ,kanji characters displayed properly on your screen4 ,the characters that you see on your computer's screen are based on a code4 ,the computer finds the characters to display from a table built into your system's hardware or software4 ,most personal computers can be preset to use various tables depending on your needs4 ,when communicating in ,english1 you may want it to show ,latin characters4 ,when writing in ,japanese1 you may want it to display ,kanji characters4 ,those writing in ,norwegian1 often want to use the special ,scandinavian characters 4 ,if the first two of these ,nordic characters read like the symbols for ,yen and ,cent1 you're not set up for ,scandinavian characters4 ,if your system is set up correctly1 they should look like an 'o' and an ',o' overwritten by a '_/'4 9999 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,the #f 'special characters' above were re-coded incorrectly and have been reconstructed4 ,the source character codes for all six were3 #jx#a;,b1 #jx#a;,d1 #jx#aa1 #jx#ab1 #jx#jf and #jx#j;,f4 ,these seem to be offsets from #jx#hj in ,code page #hef4 ,the code telling your computer what to display1 may also contain information about where to put characters and what colors to use4 ,thus1 an online service may order your computer to display a given character in column #aj on line #b1 and to print it in blinking red color4 ,if you're not set up correctly1 these codes may show as garbage on your screen rather than as a colorful character in a given position4 ,if you call a service set to display text in ,,vt-#eb format1 and your communications program is set accordingly1 then you should be ,,ok4 ,,vt-#eb is a setup that makes a program or a service 'behave' like a ,,dec ,,vt-#eb terminal4 ,being able to view ,,vt-#eb coded text on your screen1 does not guarantee that you can capture this 'picture' to a file on your disk4 ,your communications program may need special features to do that4 ,if these features are missing1 you are in for a surprise4 ,the text in your capture file may look like in this example 7it came on a single1 long line on my computer73 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- 99,h99,j99,y#d ,innhold99,y 99,y#d;,emneoversikt #a ,brukerprofil #f99,y7#d,stikkord ,a- #b ,bruker- 99,y99#d veiledning #g99,y1#d;,informasjons- 99,y- #dleverandrer ,a- #c ,teledatanytt99,y4,w #h99,y#jd,personlig indeks #d99,y#b;,h 99,y#cd,meldingstjenesten #e ,avslutte #i99,y#fd pningsside 99#jj 99,y #d,,teledata #hhjhbc-aech99,y#gd ,,nta#ja-jj;a99,y#gd 99,y#gd99,y#gd ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- 9999,,transcriber',s ,,note3 the first character in the example above was #jx#ad1 but has been replaced with an underscore4 ,the character '99' in this example refers to the ,e,s,cape character 7,,ascii number #bg74 ,,esc is used to tell your computer that what follows is a ,,vt-#eb display command4 ,the codes following the ,,esc say where text is to be printed on your screen 7from line number x and column number y74 ,if your communications program cannot save ,,vt-#eb coded text in a readable way1 you'll need auxiliary programs to remove or convert the codes4 ,some communication programs let you take snapshots of the screen1 and store the result in a file4 ,this usually gives good results1 but it may be a cumbersome approach4 ,prestel 7,british ,telecom1 ,england7 belongs to a group of online services called videotex 7or viewdata74 ,minitel 7in ,france and the ,u4,s471 ,alex 7,canada71 and ,prodigy 7,u4,s4,a47 are also in this group4 ,they believe that beautiful color graphics1 large characters1 and menus give them a competitive advantage4 ,compu,serve is often called a videotex service because of its emphasis on menus4 ,however1 most call it ',,ascii videotex' as it is not depending on special display formats4 ,their philosophy is that 'plain text' is required to attract many users across hardware platforms4 ,the viewdata services use graphical display standards with names like ,prestel1 ,,cept1 ,captain 7,character and ,pattern ,telephone ,access ,information ,network ,system1 in ,japan71 ,telidon 7,canada71 ,minitel1 ,teletel 7,france71 ,,gif 7the ,graphics ,interchange ,format71 ,viewdata1 and ,,naplps 7,the ,north ,american ,presentation ,level ,protocol ,syntax74 ,you often need special terminal machines to use some viewdata services4 ,on other services1 you must use special software plus an emulator card in your computer4 ,users of the communications program ,procomm ,plus can buy a ,viewdata module for conversion of ,prestel videotex text to plain ,,ascii1 i4e41 plain text without imbedded special codes4 ,many ,,ms-,,dos based bulletin boards let you set access defaults to colors and graphics4 ,most of them use ,,ansi graphics in welcome texts and menus4 ,users of ,procomm must set their program to ,,ansi ,,bbs to take advantage4 ,capture these welcome texts and menus to a file on your hard disk1 and view them with an editor4 ,they are filled with ,,ansi escape codes1 and thus hard to read 7and search74 ,the good news is that conference and forum mail only rarely contains such codes4 ,many users routinely keep captured online information on their hard disks for later reference4 ,if this is your intention1 make sure that text is sent to you in plain ,,ascii1 or ,,tty mode4 ,,tty sends one line at a time1 and only uses the codes ,,tab1 ,back,space1 ,carriage ,return and ,line,feed during the transfer4 ,the rest is 'plain text'4 ,most online services offer ,,tty format4 ,you can use the setting almost everywhere4 ,even the videotex service ,prestel offers an option called ',,tty ,teletype'4 ,if ',,tty' or ',,ascii' is not on your online services' list of options1 try ',others' or ',other computers'4 ,these settings usually identify your computer as unable to handle 'standard' colors1 sound and graphics4 ,viewdata pages may provide selling pictures1 but the screens often have a low contents of information compared with ,,tty-based services4 ,they are therefore not my favorite services for news in full-text4 ,in other applications1 like games1 colorful graphics are a definite advantage4 ,connecting the first time ------------------------- ,if you have unlimited financial resources1 go ahead and call up services all over the world4 ,learning by doing is exciting4 ,if resources are limited1 start by reading user information manual4 ,or1 go online to capture key menus and help texts4 ,print them out on paper for further study before going online again for a 'real' visit4 ,i always hurry slowly during my first visits to a new online service4 ,i call up1 capture information about how to use it1 and disconnect4 ,it may take me days to study the material4 ,my objective is to find what the service has to offer in order to plan how to use it most efficiently4 ,the first important command to look up is the logoff command4 ,there is nothing more frustrating than entering bye only to get an error message4 ,if lost1 try quit1 exit1 logoff1 off and ,g1 in the hope of finding the correct command4 ,these are the most usual variations4 ,you should also try ,,help or 84 ,if you really can't figure out how to get off a system1 just hang up on it4 ,be careful1 though4 ,some systems will continue to charge for a period1 even after you have disconnected by hanging up4 ,one of the first things that ,i do1 is set my options to expert status1 though ,i am obviously an amateur at this stage4 ,often1 ,i also start automating the process during my first visits4 ,i write script files for automatic access and quick navigation to key offerings4 ,another good strategy is to look for automated offline readers or systems 7see ,chapter #af for details74 ,others prefer paper and pencil4 ,they write a list of required commands on a piece of paper1 like this3 ,call #jafe ,at ,,connect3 ,,enter ,,sp ,,enter ,at the ,,nui prompt3 ,nxxxxxppppp-a#agjjda ,at ,enter 'dix' and ,enter3 dix ,at -- ,more --3 ,,enter ,at ,your name3 ,odd de ,presno ,at ,password3 hemmelig ,at ,what do you want to do3 - when no unread mail goodbye - when mail to read ,,enter ,put the list by your keyboard before calling the service4 ,follow it carefully4 ,after a while you may remember the procedure1 and can throw away your notes4 ,good luck6 ,chapter #d3 ,hobby1 games and fun 99 ,programs1 game and fun ,online adventure games4 ,the virus threat4 99 ,hobbies4 ,holiday travels4 ,collecting stamps or coins4 ,roots1 music1 and online shopping4 ,online services have one thing in common with newspapers1 magazines and books4 ,what they offer1 varies from provider to provider4 ,the next chapters will focus on the contents of the offerings4 ,appendix #a has details about how to access the major service providers4 ,small online services often have interesting offerings in specialized areas1 and especially when they are based on local phenomena or events4 ,they tend to be more personal4 ,they often present their 'wares' in a local language1 and offer very large collections of free software4 ,the large online services have hundreds of thousands of users4 ,the activity is often high4 ,they usually attract interesting 7and competent7 participants to their conferences and forums1 have more programs available for download and more news sources and databases to search4 ,they generally give you a wider choice4 ,we will focus on the large international services4 ,these are available from anywhere without too much effort1 and using them comes surprisingly cheap4 ,therefore1 please remember that this book just covers the top of the iceberg4 ,cheaper services may be found elsewhere1 and they may even be better tuned to your particular areas of interest4 ,locating game software ---------------------- ,the fastest1 easiest and cheapest is to call an online service to download game programs4 ,you'll find an overwhelming number of programs for all types of microcomputers4 ,many games are free4 ,we call them ,public ,domain or ,freeware programs4 ,others are distributed free4 ,you do not have to pay to get them and try them out4 ,if you want to use them1 however1 the copyright owner expects you to pay a fee4 ,we call them shareware or user supported programs4 ,when the game has been transferred to your personal computer1 you can play without worries about communications costs1 or the busy signal on your phone line4 ,my favorite game is shareware4 ,the name is ,arachnid4 ,it is an ,,ms ,windows solitaire game 7patience7 made by ,,sp ,services1 ,p4,o4 ,box #def1 ,southampton1 ,,so#i #g,,xg1 ,england4 ,the desired registration fee is ,,ukp #ae4jj 7,english pounds74 ,you can download the program from my board as ,,wincard4,,exe4 ,the file is #ajf kilobytes large4 ,,wincard4,,exe is a special distribution file1 which contains three games and all supporting files4 ,the ,,exe extension may fool you into thinking that it is a program1 and in a way it is4 ,the file is a self-extract file1 meaning that you just enter ,,wincard on an ,,ms-,,dos computer to extract the game files from the package4 ,games are usually distributed in such distribution files4 ,all files used by a game 7or several games7 is put into one file by special software1 and compressed in size4 ,this makes retrieval of programs easier and cheaper4 ,you do not have to download many related files individually4 ,the transfer takes less time4 7,read about how to extract programs from distribution files in appendix #c74 ,you will find some of the largest collections of games on the ,north ,american services ,compu,serve and ,,exec-,,pc ,,bbs4 ,you will also find many throughout the ,internet4 ,,trickle is a large collection of public domain and shareware programs for ,,ms-,,dos1 ,,cpm1 and other computers4 ,for information about how to use ,,trickle1 send a message through ,internet to ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu ,in the ,,text of the message write _/pdget pd3msdos4startersimtel#bj4;inf ,an information file will be sent to your electronic mailbox4 7,read the chapter about electronic mail and appendix #a for more information47 ,if ,,trickle is not enough1 try ,archie4 ,it is the ,internet archive server listing service4 ,the ,archie database maintains a list of roughly #a4e million files containing #ajj ,giga- bytes 7that is1 #ajj1jjj1jjj1jjj bytes7 of information available from over #hjj anonymous ,,ftp archive sites4 ,you can search this database by email to find where files are located4 ,some ,archie systems maintain a list of libraries all over the world1 while others concentrate on a more limited geographical area4 ,once ,archie has told you where desired programs and files are located1 you can retrieve them by telnet1 anonymous ,,ftp1 of ,f,t,pmail4 ,read ,file transfers through the ,internet in chapter #ab for details4 ,for information about using ,archie1 send mail to one of the following addresses 7see appendix #d for more options73 archiecs4mcgill4ca 7,canada7 archienic4funet4fi 7,finland7 archieplaza4aarnet4edu4au 7,australia7 ,put the word ,,help in the body of the mail ,getting programs by email is a three-step process3 7#a7 ,use ,archie to find file names and where they are stored1 7#b7 ,send a message to ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com to have them retrieved and forwarded to you by email1 and 7#c7 ,use a utility program to convert the file to a useful format4 7,see chapter #ab47 ,check out ,j,v,arc,serv for an ,archie-alike service on ,fido,net4 ,chances are that online services in your area also have many programs to offer4 ,most free bulletin boards have more software than you'll ever get around to try4 ,usually1 there is a natural specialization between boards4 ,those using the ,unix operating system1 have the largest number of programs for such machines4 ,those running on ,,ms-,,dos computers1 have more programs for such computers4 ,some games are trite and bad4 ,others are brilliant4 ,there are ladder games1 games challenging your responses 7racer car driving1 flight control1 war games1 subsea games71 electronic versions of traditional games like ,backgammon1 ,yatzy1 chess and bridge1 educational games 7geography1 mathematics and history71 puzzles1 fractal programs 7drawing beautiful pictures on your screen71 psychological tests1 text-based adventure games1 and other strange and funny creations4 ,here is something for any taste or belief4 ,if you want to get rich in a hurry1 pick programs that increase chances of winning horse race bets1 or other real world money winning games4 ,if you're into beautiful girls1 fill your hard disk with picture files in ,,gif1 ,,pcx or other graphics formats4 7,sorry ladies1 there are not many pictures of naked boys around47 ,you'll also find software that will display the pictures that you just retrieved4 ,keen users of the more popular games often want to swap tricks and discuss experiences3 ,super ,nintendo players regularly meet on the ,,snes mailing list 7on ,,snesspcvxa4spc4edu74 ,to join1 send your subscription request to3 ,,snes-,requestspcvxa4spc4edu 4 ,for chess1 try the ,chess ,discussion ,list 7,,chess- ,l,,grearn4,,bitnet7 unless ,chinese ,chess 7on ,,xiangqi,,indycms4,,bitnet7 is what you're looking for4 ,compu,serve has a ,chess forum 7,,go ,,chessforum7 with message sections called3 ,chess ,basics1 ,theory ,analysis1 ,news ,wire1 ,hardware_/,software1 ,casual ,games1 ,electronic ,knights1 ,oriental_/,variants1 ,tourneys 7,open71 ,,uscf ,rated ,games1 ,team ,play1 and ,time ,out4 ,usenet excels when it comes to games3 rec4gambling ,articles on games of chance betting4 rec4games4board ,discussion and hints on board games4 rec4games4board4ce ,the ,cosmic ,encounter board game4 rec4games4bridge ,hobbyists interested in bridge4 rec4games4chess ,chess computer chess4 rec4games4design ,discussion of game design related issues4 rec4games4empire ,discussion and hints about ,empire4 rec4games4frp ,discussion about ,role ,playing games4 rec4games4go ,discussion about ,go4 rec4games4hack ,discussion1 hints1 etc4 about the ,hack game4 rec4games4misc ,games and computer games4 rec4games4moria ,comments1 hints1 and info about the ,moria game4 rec4games4mud ,various aspects of multi-users computer games4 rec4games4pbm ,discussion about ,play by ,mail games4 rec4games4pinball ,discussing pinball-related issues4 rec4games4programmer ,discussion of adventure game programming4 rec4games4rogue ,discussion and hints about ,rogue4 rec4games4trivia ,discussion about trivia4 rec4games4video ,discussion about video games4 rec4games4video4arcade ,discussions about coin-operated video games4 ,with so many games and programs around1 it is difficult to stay current about new programs and new versions of old ones4 ,consider subscribing to the ,,ms-,,dos ,archive ,additions 7one-way7 information service4 ,internet ,,ms-,,dos archive managers use it to announce new additions to their collections4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to ,,listserv,,tacom-,,emh#a4;,army4,mil with this command in the body of the message3 subscribe msdos-ann ,these announcements are also posted to the ,usenet newsgroup called comp4archives4msdos4announce 4 ,it is probably easier for you to relate to references like rec4games4video on ,usenet1 than to ,,xiangqi,,indycms4,,bitnet4 ,references to ,,bitnet mailing lists are made in various ways throughout the book1 just as it is online4 ,this is the basic rule3 ,all ,,bitnet mailing lists are 'managed' by a ,,listserv program1 which handles all subscription requests4 ,when you read a reference like ,,xiangqi,,indycms4,,bitnet1 then that means that a subscription request must be set to the ,,listserv at the ,,indycms computer on ,,bitnet4 ,mail to the forum1 however1 must be sent to ,,xiangqi,,indycms4,,bitnet to be forwarded to the other members4 ,for more information about these strange address codes1 and how to use them1 read about ,,bitnet in appendix #a4 ,you may find it useful to read about email addresses in ,chapter #g4 ,all ,,bitnet mailing lists can be used by email through the ,internet4 ,several ,,bitnet hosts also have ,internet addresses4 ,example3 ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet can also be reached as ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu 4 ,when dual addresses are given1 ,internet users should use the ,internet address1 while ,,bitnet users should use the ,,bitnet address4 ,note3 ,in cases where a ,,bitnet mailing list has dual addresses1 we have usually given the ,internet address4 ,if you are on ,,bitnet1 and using these addresses are difficult or impossible1 ask your local postmaster for help4 ,computer viruses ---------------- ,few online users ever live to see or experience a computer virus1 but they do exist4 ,so1 read this3 ,a virus is a small1 hidden computer program that can cause the loss or alteration of programs or data1 and can compromise their confidentiality4 ,it can spread from program to program1 and from system to system1 without direct human intervention4 ,the chance of your computer being infected is small1 but you're never safe4 ,therefore1 download a program for virus detection and identification1 like ,,virusscan from ,mc,affee ,associates1 #ddbc ,cheeney ,street1 ,santa ,clara1 ,,ca #iejed-jbec1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,they also have virus disinfection programs 7for ,,ms-,,dos computers74 ,for more about viruses1 subscribe to ,,virus-,l,,lehigh4,,edu4 ,compu,serve has the ,mac ,new ,users ,forum 7with a a ,virus ,clinic section71 the ,mc,afee ,virus ,help ,forum1 the ,symantec ,anti,virus ,forum1 and more4 ,fido,net has a ,,virus echo4 ,,ilink has ,,virus-,i4 ,usenet has bit4listserv4valert-l 7,virus ,alert ,list71 and comp4virus 4 ,online games ------------ ,if you're into games1 why not investigate online adventure games8 ,there are many alternatives4 ,prestel 7,england7 offers ,,trash1 an environmental multi-user game with a futuristic theme and full of humor4 ,up to #fd persons can play simultaneously4 444,callers play out the role of pandimensional refuse disposal officers1 whose primary aim in life is to clean up the multiverse1 as the ,trash environment is called4 ,with a diverse range of 'psionic powers'1 which vary from the nasty 7pyrokinesis7 to the gentle 7faith healing71 at their command1 ,trash players roam across dimensions and universes1 completing various tasks4 ,bulletin boards throughout the world invite you to role playing games4 ,some have graphics1 music and sound effects4 ,dungeons ,dragons is a popular choice4 ,on ,,exec-,,pc1 play ,startrek4 ,select an identity and play it out according to its character4 ,if you're a real afficionado1 check out rec4arts4startrek4info on ,usenet or the list ,,rasi-,lncc#agja;e4uucp 7write ,,listservncc#agja;e4uucp to subscribe74 ,advanced players swap tricks on ,,stargame,,pccvm4,,bitnet4 ,on many ,b,b,ses1 ,,mud is a most popular game4 ,multi-,user ,dungeons 7,,mud7 is a structured and user-modifiable online environment1 which allows users not only to interact with each other1 but to do role-playing1 build and furnish living areas and interaction areas1 extend and create the interactive space and the rules for using that space4 ,popular choices on ,compu,serve are strategy games like ,the ,island of ,kesmai and ,megawars4 ,one game can last for weeks at a time4 ,on ,,cix 7,england71 many prefer the multi-user dungeon game ,disc,world4 ,if you prefer sport fantasies in the armchair1 check out ,g,enie4 ,they offer ,rotisserie ,league ,baseball4 ,decide what team player to be1 and join in a match of ,american baseball4 ,nintendo offers online games through the ,famicom ,networks in ,japan and the ,u4,s4 ,your ,,pc must have a special graphics card to play games like ,,go and ,shogi1 a ,japanese game of chess4 ,chat ---- ,chat1 or keyboard talking1 is a popular attraction1 and in particular on the large online services4 ,your first attempt will probably be a strange experience4 ,when may people talk simultaneously in chat mode1 incoherent sentences seem to fly over your computer screen4 ,it takes some training to be able to read what each of them is saying4 ,compu,serve's ,citizen ,band ,simulator 7,,go ,,cb7 is an electronic version of the hams' short-wave radio4 ,it has #gb ,,cb ,simulator channels4 ,you can chat with anonymous members1 have fun and find new keypals4 ,on ,,exec-,,pc's ,chat and ,entertainment ,system up to #fd users can talk simultaneously4 ,g,enie calls their service ,livewire ,,cb4 ,on ,,bix1 look for ,,cbix4 ,some users are serious about chatting4 ,several large companies are heavy users4 ,although this kind of talking is a slow process1 it has advantages4 ,it is easy to document the discussion4 ,people from places geographically far apart can meet at a low cost to discuss4 ,some online services charge less for chats than for other services4 ,my hobby -------- ,there are online forums for most hobbies3 collection of stamps and coins1 genealogy1 music1 holiday travels1 skiing1 purchase of consumer electronics1 video1 filming1 and more4 ,those you meet in the clubs share your interests4 ,they come to exchange information and experiences1 to listen1 swap stamps or coins1 participate in club auctions1 and exploit favorable group discounts when buying things for their hobby4 ,in these clubs1 the main attraction is the open messages that people write to each other4 ,many clubs also have libraries filled with special software 7like data base programs for collectors7 and information files4 ,coins 7on ,coinsrocky4er4usgs4gov7 is a forum for discussion of ,numismatics1 the study of coins1 ,american and ,international4 ,paper currency is also a welcome topic1 but trading is not allowed4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to robertwhiplash4er4usgs4gov 4 ,music ----- ,,ilink1 an international exchange of conferences between bulletin boards1 has a forum for country music lovers4 ,it presents itself in these words3 ,,country ,,music ,country ,western music including bluegrass and other related forms4 ,discussion of artists1 techniques1 instruments musicians4 ,host3 ,john ,stewart ,one oasis of civility in the ,,bbs maelstrom is the #aej-;board ,,ilink network -- recently renamed from ,inter,link4 ,unlike most ,,bbs networks1 ,,ilink carefully evaluates each board before permitting membership4 ,we are very selective -- some say overly selective1 says ,,ilink's international host ,andy ,keeves4 ,choosiness keeps ,,ilink small but upholds the decorum of its message bases4 ,usenet has rec4music4country4western 4 ,fido,net has #fj,s#gj,s,,progrock about the progressive rock music of the #fj's and #gj's1 gospel music in ,,chr,,gspl,,music1 a club for selling and buying between musicians 7,,musician',s,,services71 and 7,,music,,comp#aja7 for aspiring composers4 ,compu,serve has a bunch of forums4 ,check out the ,music_/,,midi sections in the ,amiga and ,atari ,,st ,arts forums4 ,the latter is a full ,music_/,,midi forum4 ,the ,coin_/,stamp_/,collectibles ,forum has a section for music collectors4 ,compu,serve's ,rock,net forum has the following structure3 ,available message sections3 ,available file libraries3 #j ,general_/,misc4 #j ,general ,misc #a ,rock ,music #a ,rock ,music #b ,rock ,radio #b ,rock ,radio #c ,reviews_/,,lk #c ,reviews #d ,q,a_/,help #d ,q,a_/,help #e ,rock ,film ,video #e ,rock ,film ,video #f ,rock,letters #f ,rock,letters #g ,trends #g ,trends #h ,heavy ,metal #h ,heavy ,metal #i ,old ,wave #i ,old ,wave #aj ,new ,music #aj ,new ,music #aa ,,cd ,hotline #aa ,compact ,discs #ab ,green1 ,village #ab ,graphics_/,programs ,you can tailor your visits to ,rock,net to your personal interests4 ,if you're into ,heavy ,metal1 limit your readings of messages to those in section #h1 and possibly #c and #g4 ,the ,music and ,performing ,arts ,forum 7,,go ,,musicarts7 is another interesting place on ,compu,serve4 ,converse with fellow music fans about on topics like classical1 jazz_/blues1 ,big ,band1 country_/folk and religious music1 ballet_/dance1 drama and more4 ,,midi is discussed on several bulletin boards1 including in conferences distributed by ,relay,net4 ,classical music forums can be found on most larger services4 ,try ,,classm-,l on ,,listserv,,brownvm4,,bitnet4 ,for jazz1 try the ,,ilink conference ,,jazz1 rec4music4bluenote on ,usenet1 ,,miles on ,,listserv,,hearn4,,nic4,,surfnet4,,nl 7about ,miles ,davis71 or ,,blues-,l at ,,listserv,,brownvm4,,brown4,,edu 4 ,another jazz oriented list1 ,,saturn on ,,listserv,,hearn4,,bitnet1 is for discussing the free-jazz big band leader1 ,sun ,ra4 ,network-,audio-,bits is an electronic magazine bringing reviews and information about rock1 pop1 new age1 jazz1 funk1 folk music and other genres4 7,write ,murph,maine4,,bitnet to join47 ,the ,music ,newsletter offers reviews and interviews4 ,subscribe by email to ,,listserv,,vm4,,marist4,,edu using the command ,,subscribe ,,upnews ,your-full-name4 ,on ,,bitnet mailing lists1 you subscribe by using the command ,,sub mailing-list-name ,your-full-name in the body of your email4 ,there are also mailing lists on ,unix workstations1 ,p,cs1 and micro,vaxen4 ,these may require that you write the subscribe command in full 7',,subscribe'71 or use other commands4 ,to get the ,music ,list of ,lists1 an overview of music oriented mailing lists1 send email to mlol-requestwariat4org 4 ,,grind 7write grind-requestunh4edu7 focuses on discussions about grindcore_/death metal_/heavy thrash music4 ,,primus is about the funk_/rock band ,primus 7write to primus-requestunh4edu74 ,,klarinet 7on ,,listserv,,vccscent4,,bitnet7 is a network bringing news1 information1 research and teaching items of interest1 and other related information for clarinet players1 teachers1 students1 and enthusiasts4 ,backstreets on ,,uucp is for those who love the music of ,bruce ,springsteen 7backstreets-requestvirginia4edu74 ,eclipse 7eclipse- requestbeach4cis4ufl4edu7 focuses on ,pink ,floyd and his music4 ,if a fan of ,jimi ,hendrix1 join hey-joe 7hey-joe-requestms4uky4edu74 ,in brass1 the topic is brass band music 7write to brass- requestgeomag4gly4fsu4edu for access74 ,j-,pop 7jpop-requestwystan4bsd4uchicago4edu via ,,uucp7 has discussions about ,japanese pop_/rock of today4 ,wine and food ------------- ,some people would rather fill their stomachs than their ears4 ,they call ,compu,serve for the ,cooks ,online forum 7for gourmets7 and the ,bacchus ,wine ,forum 7for their throats74 ,,bitnet has the mailing list ,eat 7,,eat-,l,,vtvm#b71 a club for ,food,lore_/,recipe ,exchange4 ,in ,j-,,food-,l 7,j-,,food-,l,,jpnknu#aj on ,,bitnet7 they discuss ,japanese food and culture4 ,if your interest is more academic1 subscribe to ,,foodwine 7on ,,listserv,,cmuvm4,,csv4,,cmich4,,edu74 ,it is for those seriously interested in the academic study of food and its accompaniments in the #aiij's1 including a variety of disciplines1 such as marketing1 communications1 hospitality1 consumer affairs1 hotel and catering management4 ,usenet has rec4food4cooking1 rec4food4recipes1 rec4food4drink1 rec4food4restaurants1 and rec4food4veg for vegetarians4 ,on ,fido,net1 check out ,,intercook for words of wisdom on ,international ,cooking4 ,on ,,ilink and ,relay,net1 look for ,,cuisine4 ,that is where we found the following recipe for ,mexican ,meatloaf3 #b lb ,ground ,beef #a ea ,bell ,pepper1 ,diced #aj #a_/b oz ,cream ,chicken ,soup #aj oz ,cheddar ,cheese #d oz ,green ,chilies1 ,diced #a ea ,onion1 ,chopped #h oz ,taco ,sauce #a pk ,tortillas #d oz ,mushrooms 7fresh optional7 #b ea ,jalapen's 7to taste7 #a4 ,brown ground beef and drain4 #b4 ,mix onions1 green peppers1 mushrooms1 green ,,chilies1 taco sauce1 jalapen's and cream chicken soup into skillet with ground beef4 #c4 ,simmer until vegetables are soft4 #d4 ,shred cheddar cheese4 #e4 ,in crock pot or dish1 layer meat mixture1 cheese1 and tortillas2 heat until cheese melts4 ,bon apetit6 ,outdoor life ------------ ,compu,serve's ,great ,outdoors ,,sig is for those preferring nature for the computer screen4 ,its sections are called3 ,general_/,photography1 ,scouting1 ,power ,boating1 ,,trout ,,unlimited1 ,fishing1 ,hunting1 ,cycling1 ,,audubon_/,birding1 ,canoe_/,kayak_/,raft1 ,camp_/,hike_/,walk_/,,rv1 ,snow ,sports_/,climb1 ,,owaa1 ,,cis_/,computers1 ,firearms1 ,,nra1 ,environmnt_/,wildlife1 ,,outdoor ,,life mag4 ,if you dream of visiting ,alaska to hunt1 fish and explore the wilderness by canoe1 then this is the place4 ,add the ,outdoor ,cooking section of the ,cooks ,online ,forum to make it perfect4 ,scandinavian bulletin boards exchange the ,,jakt,,friluft conference 7,through ,,mix74 ,,ilink offers ,,outdoors1 which focuses on outdoor hobbies4 ,as usual1 ,usenet has a lot4 ,these are some examples3 rec4aviation ,aviation rules1 means1 and methods4 rec4backcountry ,activities in the ,great ,outdoors4 rec4bicycles ,bicycles1 related products and laws4 rec4birds ,hobbyists interested in bird watching4 rec4boats ,hobbyists interested in boating4 rec4boats4paddle ,talk about any boats with oars1 paddles1 etc4 rec4climbing ,climbing techniques1 competition announcements1 etc4 ,scouts participate in ,,scouter on ,fido,net 7,international ,,scouting ,conference7 and ,,scouts-,l 7,,scouts-,l,,ndsuvm#a7 on ,,bitnet4 ,golfers meet in ,,golf-,l 7on ,,listservubvm4bitnet74 ,photo enthusiasts will track down ,,photo-,l,,buacca4,,bitnet1 ,compu,serve's ,photography ,forum and its ,,scuba ,forum's sections for underwater photography4 ,for more1 there's ,photography on ,,exec-,,pc and ,the ,well1 ,,photo on ,relay,net1 ,,photosig on ,,ilink and rec4photo on ,usenet4 ,if you're into #c-;d 7stereo7 photography1 enroll in #c;d on ,,uucp3 ,contact3 #c;d-requestbfmny#j4;bfm4com 7,tom ,neff7 ,purpose3 ,discussion of #c-;,d 7stereo7 photography4 ,general info1 hints1 experiences1 equipment1 techniques1 and stereo happenings4 ,anyone interested is welcome to join4 ,there are clubs for all popular outdoor hobbies4 ,roots ----- ,on ,,roots-,l,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet and soc4roots on ,usenet1 the emphasis is on genealogy4 ,here1 you'll get tips about tools and techniques4 ,you can exchange information about ancestors and find new friends and partners for joint research4 ,on ,compu,serve1 it is called ,the ,genealogy ,forum4 ,one message section is called ,overseas ,ancestry4 ,remember to check out the ,family ,history ,library1 a newsletter bringing news from the library for genealogical research in ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,u4,s4,a4 7stored in ,library #aj47 ,the ,north ,american bulletin boards ,,roots-,,bbs 7,san ,francisco7 and ,,the ,,family ,,roots 7,oklahoma7 are connected to ,fido,net4 ,g,enie has the ,genealogy ,knowledgebase4 ,fido,net has ,,gendata ,genealogy ,database ,,genealogy3,,wgw ,who's ,got ,what 7,,wgw7 ,data ,base ,,gensoft ,genealogy software ,,se,,genealogy ,south ,eastern ,,us ,genealogy ,conference ,since ,fido,net has links all over the world1 these conferences can give contacts in countries that you might otherwise have problems in reaching4 ,on most of these services1 you'll find interesting genealogy programs and files with practical hints about how to write a book about your family4 ,him and ,her ----------- ,members of the female sex have their favorite meeting places1 like ,cleopatra on ,bergen ,by ,byte4 ,men do not have admission4 ,usenet has soc4feminism4 ,those with limited access to ,usenet1 may subscribe to feminism-digest4 ,send email to feminism- digestncar4ucar4edu to get on the mailing list4 ,contact feminism-digestncar4ucar4edu above means that you need to write a message to this ,internet email address with a subscription request1 or to receive further information about how to join4 ,this mailing list does not have automatic subscriptions4 ,to join the mailing list feminists1 write ,patricia ,collins on collinshplabs4hp4com 4 ,she presents the conference's purpose in this way3 ,the feminist mailing list is intended to provide a forum for discussion of issues of interest to women1 in a friendly atmosphere4 ,the basic tenets of feminism and the day-to-day experiences of women do not have to be explained or defended4 ,men and women can join1 but everyone requesting to be added to the mailing list ,,must provide the moderator with3 7#a7 a full name2 7#b7 a complete ,,uucp path to a well-known host or a fully specified ,internet address2 7#c7 the correspondent's gender 7for records and statistics only74 ,,no exceptions4 ,while we're at it1 let's move on to other topics associated with the term sex3 ,bisexuals can participate in sappho on ,,uucp4 ,contact sappho-requestmc4lcs4mit4edu4 ,on ,,bitnet1 you'll find ,,bifem-,l 7,,bifem-,l,,brownvm71 ,,bisexu-,l 7,,bisexu-,l,,brownvm7 and others4 ,spanish speaking users can subscribe to ,,arenal 7,lista de discussion para hispanos_/as que desean acabar con la homofobia74 ,subscribe by email to ,,listserv,,lut4,,fi 4 ,usenet has tons of it3 soc4motss1 alt4politics4homosexuality1 alt4sex4bestiality1 alt4sex1 alt4sex4bondage1 alt4sex4pictures4d1 clari4news4group4gays1 alt4sex4pictures1 alt4sex4motss1 clari4feature4kinsey 7,sex ,q,a and ,advice from ,kinsey ,institute71 clari4news4law4crime4sex and clari4news4sex4 ,conferences called ,,sexuality are alive on ,fido,net and ,the ,well4 ,compu,serve has a ,human ,sexuality ,adult ,forum and a ,human ,sexuality ,open ,forum4 ,,stoprape,,brownvm4,,bitnet is a ,sexual ,assault ,activist ,list4 ,finally1 there are a large number of pictures of nudes in all possible and impossible positions4 ,most of them are childish1 some are decidedly pornographic1 a few are beautiful and erotic4 ,the online services' policies vary about what kind of pictures and picture programs to make available4 ,the larger the service1 the more conservative they tend to be4 ,programs for hobbyists ---------------------- ,it's no rule that a service need to have a conference about a hobby1 to have interesting programs available for downloading4 ,programs float around from service to service much easier than conference items4 ,still1 the best programs for a given hobby are normally found on services where hobbyists meet to discuss4 ,you will find3 ,chess and bridge programs1 ,morse code training programs for ham amateurs1 ,astrology programs1 ,data base systems for keeping track of music cassettes or records1 video cassettes1 books1 stamps1 coins1 etc4 ,information systems for wine lovers1 ,recipe programs 7tell me what you've got1 and ,i'll tell you what you can make71 and much more4 ,online shopping --------------- ,you can buy almost anything online3 video cameras1 books1 music1 ,bonsai plants1 golf equipment1 canned cakes from ,gimmee ,jimmy's ,cookies1 ,levi's trousers for men1 computer equipment1 a four-door ,nissan ,pathfinder ,,se-,v#f car1 and air tickets for ,mexico4 ,shoppers who let their modem do the walking are already a few steps ahead of people ,still stuck shopping the old-fashioned way4 ,experienced online shoppers know that you can tap a world of stores without ever leaving your keyboard1 and that you can browse and buy with very little effort4 ,some services present their wares for your information only4 ,it's like reading newspaper ads4 ,you must contact the seller to buy4 ,other services have large online supermarkets with many stores1 and you can by while you visit4 ,subscribers to ,compu,serve get a monthly magazine by mail4 ,go ,mall ,shoppers' ,guide is a regular insert with color photos and descriptions of selected products4 ,type ,,go ,,mall1 order a product1 enter your credit card number1 and have it sent you by mail4 ,what if used goods are good enough8 ,,ilink1 the international conference exchange system1 has ,,garagesale4 ,here you can buy and sell for hobby or home3 ,photo1 video1 audio1 sound_/music and midi equipment1 and all kinds of other domestic items4 ,,ilink also has a conference called ,,buy-,,sell4 ,,ham-,,sale on the ,fido,net is for ham amateurs wanting to swap1 by or sell4 ,the ,american computer magazine ,,pc ,week is operating a ,buyer's ,forum on ,compu,serve4 ,,uucp's muscle-cars is where muscle car enthusiasts offer advice1 share problems and solutions1 discuss technical issues1 racing1 buying or selling parts1 cars1 or services1 or just discuss cars and swap stories with others4 7,contact3 muscle-cars- requestsorinc4,pac,bell4,,com74 ,similar experiences are waiting for you in ,,bmw 7,write3 bmw- requestsol4crd4ge4com71 british-cars 7,write3 british-cars- requestencore4com71 italian-cars 7,write3 italian-cars- requestsol4crd4ge4com7 and ,z-cars 7the topic is ,z-cars from ,datsun_/,nissan4 ,write3 rsiatl6z-car-request74 ,vintage ,,vw 7at ,vintage,v,wrocky4er4usgs4gov7 is about ,vintage ,volkswagens4 ,this includes the ,beetle1 ,bus 7,types ,,ii and ,,ii_/,,iv71 ,ghia1 ,squareback1 ,kubelwagen 7,thing71 bajas1 buggies1 ,schwimmwagen1 rails and any ,,vw 7air-cooled7 powered vehicle including aircraft4 ,beginners1 gurus1 mechanics and non-mechanics1 restorers and daily drivers are welcomed4 ,this is where you can discuss how-to stuff1 parts availability1 answer mechanical questions1 list show dates1 swap meets1 club addresses1 favorite stories1 etc4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to robertwhiplash4er4usgs4gov 4 ,the newsletter ,,newsbytes brings you regular reports about prices on used computers from ,the ,boston ,computer ,exchange 7,,boco74 ,the newsletter is available through ,g,enie1 ,ziff,net on ,compu,serve1 ,news,net1 ,dialog1 and others4 ,ziff,net also offers the ,computer ,directory1 an online encyclopedia with information about more than #ge1jjj hardware and software products sold in ,north ,america 7#aiic74 ,the data base is updated monthly4 ,planning your holidays ---------------------- ,compu,serve invites you to read reviews of theater performances1 books1 movies and restaurants1 opera1 symphonies1 ballets1 dance1 museums and art galleries4 ,they have information about airline schedules and prices1 hotels and the latest ski weather forecast4 ,televerket's ,datatorg in ,norway offers air tickets and hotel reservations through ,,smart ,,link1 a self-serve system operated by the ,norwegian travel agencies4 ,entertainment and travel are also popular on ,prestel4 ,most ,british tour operators have an office there4 ,several international services1 including ,compu,serve and ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval1 offer ,,oag 7,the ,official ,airline ,guide7 and ,eaasy ,sabre 7the ,american ,airlines reservation system74 ,worldscan_/,travel shopper is on ,compu,serve and ,delphi4 ,the ,travel ,forum on ,compu,serve administers a member travel discount program4 ,download ,,hotel4,,sav in ,library #j for information about lower rates on hotel room and car-rental rates4 ,it's often possible to book hotel rooms and rent cars online4 ,travelshopper has a built-in hotel guide1 searchable by city around the world4 ,,oag has a database of over #dj1jjj hotels worldwide 7#aiib74 ,it has the ,,aa ,rated ,european ,hotels ,restaurants menu1 which covers trips from ,andorra to ,yugoslavia4 ,accu-,weather provides three-day weather forecasts for #dej cities worldwide1 updated hourly4 ,travel agents are also operative through the ,internet4 ,one alternative is at ,,traveldelphi4com 4 ,telnet lib4dartmouth4edu for a ,world ,factbook on countries4 ,is this your first visit to ,japan8 ,why not prepare your visit through the online service ,,twics in ,tokyo4 ,it presents itself like this3 ,japan is an island nation1 full of communities in villages1 towns1 and cities squeezed in between the mountains and the sea1 with ports of various sizes and shapes through which communication flows between communities4 ,our own online community is organized in the same terms1 an island community ,,beejima 7,bee ,island71 with our village 7,,mura71 a port 7,,minato71 and our very own volcanic mountain 7,,yama74 ,in the village1 there is a village office 7,,yakuba71 a community meeting place 7,,yoriai71 a high-tech corner 7,,akihabara7 named after the famous electronics district in ,tokyo1 a health center 7,,emedica71 a place to hang around and read things 7,,hon ,,ya71 a school 7,,gakkou71 and a market 7,,ichiba74 ,the port has holding areas and leads to other parts of ,japan 7,,nippon7 and the world 7,,sekai74 ,the mountain has a hot springs 7,,onsen7 recreational area1 and a lively outdoor bath 7,,in ,,the ,,ofuro7 which has become the social center of our island4 ,add to this soc4culture4japan on ,usenet1 the ,,bitnet discussion list ,,japan,,ndsuvm#a1 the ,japan ,forum on ,compu,serve1 and ,,japan on ,relay,net4 ,did you say the former ,soviet ,union8 ,here are phone numbers to some local bulletin board systems3 ,moscow ,fair 7,moscow73 #g #jie #cff #ebji ,,suearn ,,nic ,,bbs 7,moscow73 #g #jie #ich #cfah ,kreit ,,bbs 7,leningrad73 #g #hab #aab #bfaa ,amber ,way ,,bbs 7,vilnius1 ,lithuania73 #g #jab #bbb #gaid ,,ufo ,,bbs 7,riga1 ,latvia73 #g #jac #bcb #cihc ,post ,square #a 7,kiev1 ,ukrain73 #g #jdd #dag #egjj ,,bitnet club ,,travel-,l 7,,travel-,l,,trearn7 for those interested in tourism4 ,,ilink and ,the ,well have conferences under the name ,,travel4 ,many conferences in online land concentrate on particular parts of the world4 ,,balt-,l,,ubvm4,,bitnet is focusing on the ,baltic states4 ,in ,,africa-,l,,brufpb4,,bitnet they discuss ,africa4 ,on ,usenet1 the news group is called soc4culture4african4 ,to brush up your ,portuguese1 consider joining ,,bras-,,net1 ,it is a ,brazilian mailing list_/network4 ,send your subscription request to bras-net-requestcs4ucla4edu 4 ,for general information about other ,brazilian interest groups1 write ,,listserv,,fapq4,,fapesp4,,br 4 ,for those who are into ,spanish1 why not check out ,,chile-,l 7at ,,listserv,,usachvm#a4;,,bitnet71 or ,,follac1 a mailing list about ',folklore ,latino1 ,latinoamericano y ,caribeno'4 ,to join1 write ,emily ,socolov at owner-follacccwf4cc4texas4edu 4 ,here are some other ,african sources3 the ,french language ,algeria ,news ,list 7,,algnews7 is on ,,listservgwuvm4gwu4edu4 ,,tunisnet 7on ,,listservpsuvm4psu4edu7 is ,the ,tunisia ,network4 ,,egypt-,,net 7write3 egypt-net-requestdas4harvard4edu7 is the ,egypt ,discussion and ,news forum4 ,send mail to mcgeeepsilon4eecs4nwu4edu to get a list of ,internet_/,bitnet mailing lists that focus on ,african1 ,african- ,american1 ,african-,caribbean or ,african-,latin issues1 and a list of ,african information sites4 ,in the soc4culture hierarchy on ,usenet1 you'll find area codes like asian1 african1 arabic1 asean1 australian1 bangladesh1 british1 canada1 china1 celtic1 europe1 filipino1 french1 german1 greek1 hongkong1 indian1 iranian1 italian1 jewish1 korean1 latin- american1 lebanon1 magyar1 nepal1 new-zealand1 nordic1 pakistan1 polish1 soviet1 spain1 sri-lanka1 taiwan1 thai1 turkish1 vietnamese and yugoslavia4 ,in argentina1 you can read about how to make empanadas while sharpening up your ,spanish before visiting ,buenos ,aires4 7,contact3 argentina-requestois4db4toronto4edu74 ,compu,serve's ,travel ,forum has sections called ,united ,states1 ,canada1 ,mexico_/,central ,america1 ,caribbean1 ,south ,america1 ,oceania1 ,asia1 ,europe1 ,africa_/,middle ,east and ,hawaii4 ,if you're off to ,london1 check out the ,,uk ,travel section in ,compu,serve's ,,uk ,computing ,forum4 ,its library contains files with tips about affordable hotels1 ,british road signs1 and a list of ,london theatre shows with ticket-buying tips4 ,if your destination is ,germany1 practice ,deutch in the ,deutches ,forum 7,,go ,,gernet74 ,search for additional background information using ,compu,serve's ,magazine ,database ,plus1 if you don't mind paying a wee surcharge4 ,look up places to stay in the ,,abc ,worldwide ,hotel ,listing4 ,on ,america ,online1 you can research ,national ,geographic and ,national ,geographic ,traveler ,magazines online4 ,you can look up your destination in the electronic ,comptons ,encyclopedia4 ,g,enie has a ,japan ,round,table and a ,deutchland ,round,table4 ,both provide for interaction with users from those respective countries4 ,if you are responsible for your company's business travels1 check out the following newsletters on ,news,net3 ,,business ,,travel ,,news1 and ,,tour ,,travel ,,news4 7,you can also search ,news,net's newsletters through ,compu,serve's ,i,quest1 ,dialog1 and others74 ,news,net has searchable newsletters focusing on the conditions in particular countries or parts of the world 7news1 travel and political risk analysis1 political stability1 etc474 ,politics -------- ,many of these conferences and forums are filled to the brim with political discussions4 ,for information about the ,united ,nations1 subscribe to ,,un 7on ,,listserv,,indycms4,,iupui4,,edu74 ,chapter #e3 ,home1 education and work ,house1 garden and finances -------------------------- ,fido,net has a long list of interesting conferences3 ,,home-,n-,,grdn ,home and ,garden ,questions ,,homeaut ,home ,automation ,,homeschl ,homeschooling support ,,home,,imp ,improvements around the house4 ,,home,,office ,home ,office ,,home,,repair ,home ,repair and ,remodelling ,,zymurgy ,beer ,homebrewing ,the ,,exec-,,pc ,,bbs has ,home ,repair4 ,the ,,futurehome ,,technology ,,news newsletter is available through ,news,net4 ,on ,,ilink1 you will find the ,,homegarden conference4 ,usenet has misc4consumers4house 4 ,here they discuss anything related to owning and maintaining a house4 ,on the ,well1 check out ,homeowners4 ,in ,ziff-,davis' ,magazine ,database ,plus you can search and read articles from the ,good ,housekeeping ,magazine4 ,this full-text article database is available from ,compu,serve and other services4 ,through ,,uucp you can get to the conference ,antiques 7,contact3 antiques-requestswbatl4sbc4com74 ,compu,serve also has the ,gardening ,forum4 ,it is operated by the ,national ,gardening ,association1 which publishes ,national ,gardening magazine4 ,the various services' software libraries contain many great shareware and public domain programs4 ,you can download software that will help you prepare tax return forms1 plan next year's taxes1 calculate interests and down-payments on your loans4 ,you'll find double-entry money-managing systems for non-accountants that will help you with personal bookkeeping and checkbook balancing4 ,other programs will help you plan and maintain your house4 ,there are personal inventory programs 7to help you keep track of belongings71 and programs that can help you plan allocation of the space in your home4 4 4 ,join ,compu,serve's ,investors ,forum to learn how to play the stock and money markets1 and other moneymaking 'instruments'4 ,discuss investment techniques with others1 read reports about economical trends1 and retrieve useful programs for your personal computer4 ,relay,net offers the international conference ,,investor4 ,usenet has misc4invest 4 ,if you want to adopt a child1 check out ,,adoption on ,fido,net1 or subscribe to a ,,uucp conference of the same name4 ,for access1 write adoption-requestthink4com 4 ,the ,national ,issues ,forum on ,compu,serve has a message section called ,adoption ,today4 ,addicted ,,tv-viewers may be interested in alt4tv4twin-peaks or alt4tv4muppets on ,usenet4 ,mystery on ,fido,net and ,,uucp is for those preferring mystery novels by the fire place in the living room4 ,there are even offerings for the perfect house wife4 ,i can think of no better pastime than origami1 the traditional ,japanese art of folding paper4 7,contact3 origami-requestcs4utexas4edu on ,,uucp74 ,oh1 ,i almost forgot3 ,the ,,bonsai conference is essential 7on ,,listserv,,cms4,,cc4,,wayne4,,edu74 ,this is where to discuss the art and craft of ,bonsai and related art forms4 ,bonsai is the ,oriental ,art of miniaturizing trees and plants into forms that mimic nature4 ,education1 teaching and the exchange of knowledge ---------------------------------------- --------- ,the list of conferences1 forums1 clubs1 and other services focusing on education - in its broadest meaning of the word - is long4 ,you are offered online courses1 workshops1 and seminars for students of all ages1 databases to help you select a school for yourself or your kids1 and all kinds of discussion forums for educators4 ,usenet1 ,,bitnet1 ,internet1 and ,,uucp have long traditions in education4 ,you'll find offerings for teachers within all subject areas1 from finance and accounting1 through history1 languages and geography to technical subjects on all levels4 ,two guides listing forums of interest to ,educators can be retrieved by anonymous ,,ftp from the pub_/ednet directory at nic4umass4edu 4 ,use the following commands 7see ,,ftp by email at the end of ,chapter #ab73 get educatrs4lst get edusenet4gde ,,kidsphere 7subscribe through ,,joinkidsvms4cis4pitt4edu7 is a discussion forum for teachers of students from the age of kindergarten through high school and higher4 ,this is a selection of other ,,bitnet discussion lists to suggest the span of topics3 ,,chemed-,l 7,,chemed-,l,,uwf7 ,chemistry ,education ,discussion ,,chronicl 7,,chronicl,,uscvm7 ,on-,line ,chronicle of ,higher ,ed ,,civil-,l 7,,civil-,l,,unbvm#a7 ,civil ,engineering ,research ,ed4 ,,comlaw-,l 7,,comlaw-,l,,ualtavm7 ,computers and ,legal ,education ,,drugabus 7,,drugabus,,umab7 ,drug ,abuse ,education ,information ,,journet 7,,journet,,qucdn7 ,discussion ,list for ,journalism ,ed ,,media-,l 7,,media-,l,,bingvmb7 ,media in ,education ,,multi-,l 7,,multi-,l,,barilvm7 ,language and ,education in ,multi- ,lingual ,settings ,,music-,,ed 7,,music-,,ed,,uminn#a7 ,,music-,,ed ,music ,education ,,panet-,l 7,,panet-,l,,yalevm7 ,medical ,education and ,health ,info ,,tag-,l 7,,tag-,l,,ndsuvm#a7 ,,tag-,l ,talented and ,gifted ,ed ,,world-,l 7,,world-,l,,ubvm4,,cc4,,buffalo4,,edu7 ,non-,eurocentric ,world ,history ,here are some ,usenet conferences3 comp4edu ,computer science education sci4edu ,the science of education comp4ai4edu ,applications of ,artificial ,intelligence to ,education ,there are many similar offerings on the commercial services and free bulletin boards4 ,k#ab,net is a decentralized network for schools available on ,fido,net and ,usenet4 ,write janet4murrayf#bc4n#aje4z#a4;fidonet4org for information4 ,fido,net also has ,a,,theist ,a,theism ,education and ,enlightenment ,,high,,ed ,education1 ,post ,secondary ,,history ,international ,history ,,mac,,games ,macintosh ,entertainment ,education ,compu,serve has #ab forums focusing on education4 ,among these you'll find the ,disabilities ,forum1 ,computer ,training ,forum1 ,education ,forum1 ,education ,research forum1 ,science_/,math ,educational ,forum1 ,foreign ,language ,forum1 ,,logo and ,students ,forum4 ,ken and ,carrie ,loss-,cutler are coordinating the section for ,home_/,alternative ,education in ,compu,serve's ,education ,forum4 ,they educate their two children at home instead of sending them to a public school4 ,the ,foreign ,language ,forum has the sections ,potpourri_/,polyglot1 ,spanish_/,portuguese1 ,french1 ,german_/,germanic1 ,latin_/,greek1 ,slavic_/,e4 ,european1 ,english1 ,east ,asian1 ,esperanto1 ,others1 ,,fl ,education1 ,translators1 ,computers_/,,cai-,,call1 ,the ,directory1 ,jobs_/,careers1 ,new ,uploads and ,using the ,forum4 ,if you're into reading_/writing the ,african language ,kiswahili 7,swahili71 write kuntzmacc4wisc4edu to get onto the ,,swahili-,l mailing list4 ,the more occupational oriented forums include ,communications ,industry ,forum1 ,environmental ,forum1 ,firenet 7for volunteer fire brigades71 ,industrial ,hygiene ,forum1 ,,aamsi ,medical ,forum1 ,,ascmd ,forum1 ,health,net1 ,,op-,net ,forum1 the ,,micro ,,md ,network1 ,legal ,,sig1 ,aviation ,,sig1 ,,cb ,society and ,,cemsig 7computers and electronics74 ,bergen ,by ,byte has the ,norwegian language conference ,schools4 ,this conference is for validated users only4 ,there are many private conferences in the online world4 ,all conferences referred to in this book are open for anybody to join1 unless explicitly told to be private4 ,relay,net has ,,education4 ,news,net offers the newsletters ,,education ,,daily1 and the ,,heller ,,report ,,on ,,educational ,,technology4 ,many online services 7including schools and universities7 offer students accredited courses by modem4 ,connected ,education at the ,new ,school for ,social ,research in the ,united ,states is one example1 as is the ,university of ,phoenix in ,arizona4 7,ask in ,compu,serve's ,education ,forum for more information47 ,the ,,edupage newsletter is a twice-weekly summary of news items on information technology1 provided by a consortium of colleges and universities seeking to transform education through the use of information technology4 ,compact and informative4 ,i like it4 ,to subscribe1 send a note to edupageeducom4edu with your name1 institution name and email address4 7,,edupage is also available for ,gopher1 ,,wais and anonymous ,,ftp access on ,,educom's host machine1 educom4edu 47 ,,infobits 7at listservgibbs4oit4unc4edu7 is a monthly service reporting from a number of information and instruction technology sources4 ,the ,internet ,resource ,directory for ,educators is available by anonymous ,,ftp from tcet4unt4edu in the pub_/telecomputing-info_/,,ird subdirectory4 ,file names include3 ,,ird-telnet-sites4txt 7#bbf,,kb ,,ascii text7 ,,ird-ftp-archives4txt 7 #gc,,kb7 ,,ird-listservs4txt 7#bja,,kb7 ,,ird-infusion-ideas4txt 7#bjb,,kb7 ,example3 ,,kidlink ---------------- ,many parents and teachers regard the online world as a learning opportunity for their kids4 ,some of them turn to ,,kidlink1 a global service for children between #aj - #ae years of age4 ,the service is operated by a grassroots network of volunteers4 ,the objective is to get as many children as possible involved in a global dialog4 ,participation is free4 ,before joining the discussion1 however1 each child must respond to the following four questions3 #a4 ,who am ,i8 #b4 ,what do ,i want to be when ,i grow up8 #c4 ,how do ,i want the world to be better when ,i grow up8 #d4 ,what can ,i do ,now to make this come true8 ,the kids can write in any language4 ,most answers are sent through the ,internet to a large online database in ,north ,america4 ,anyone with an email connection to the ,internet can search this database at will4 ,when they have submitted their responses1 they are invited to 'meet' the others in several ,k,i,d,c,a,f,es4 ,the cafes are split up by language4 ,here1 they can discuss anything from pop music to how it is to live in other countries4 ,,kidlink grew from an idea in #aiij to over #aj1jjj participating children in #ej countries by ,may #aiic4 ,schools all over the globe are integrating ,,kidlink with their classes in languages1 geography1 history1 environment1 art1 etc4 ,to the kid participant1 ,,kidcafe may be the beginning of a personal network of international friends4 ,for more information1 send mail to ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu with the following command in the ,,text of your message3 ,,get ,,kidlink ,,general ,your personal network --------------------- ,network is a word with many meanings4 ,it can be a system set up to transport data from one computer to another4 ,it can be an online service with many conferences1 and a friendly connection between people 7like in old boys' network74 ,here1 we use it in the latter meaning of the word4 ,we use our personal networks more than most of us think of4 ,we have a chain of people that we call on to ask for advice1 help1 and who we invite to participate in projects or parties4 ,when they ask us for assistance1 we lend a hand4 ,the online world has some interesting characteristics4 ,one is that most participants in online conferences already have received so much help from others that they feel obliged to pay back4 ,they do this by helping others4 ,those who help1 know that helping others will be rewarded4 ,the reward1 however1 may not come directly from the persons that they help4 ,they contributions help maintain and develop the online world as one giant personal network4 ,a typical example3 ,i wanted to buy a #dbe megabyte hard disk for my ,toshiba #eajj personal computer4 ,i discover the existence of such a drive1 when a user told about his experiences in ,compu,serve's ,toshiba ,forum4 ,before placing an order1 ,i wrote to check if he was still satisfied with the disk4 ,the happy user did more than reply4 ,he told about other sellers and offered to help out with return shipment of my computer when done4 ,he made it clear that he had no financial interest in the companies selling the upgrade4 ,we had no previous contact with each other4 ,the online world is full of similar examples4 ,the list of what people do to help others is very1 very long4 ,in most conferences and forums you get help1 just like that4 ,there is always someone prepared to help4 ,still1 the best long range strategy to build chances of getting help when you need it1 is to be visually present in conferences1 that matter to you4 ',being visually present' means that you should contribute in the discussions and help others as much as you can4 ,the p o s i t i v e contributors get a lot of friends and a disproportional amount of help from others4 ,that is all it takes to build a personal network4 ,one day you may need it4 ,it will give you an incredible advantage4 ,i have seen people get jobs1 partners and clients through such contacts4 ,the online world is full of opportunities4 ,watch your words ---------------- ,written communications are deprived of the body language and tone of voice that convey so much in face-to-face meetings and even in telephone conversations4 ,therefore1 it makes sense to work much harder to build in humor1 sarcasm1 or disagreement and avoid your words come across as stupidity1 rudeness1 or aggressiveness4 ,one way of defusing misunderstanding is to include cues as to your emotional state4 ,one popular technique is to use keyboard symbols like 3-74 ,we call these symbols emoticons4 ,what 3-7 means8 ,tilt your head to the left and look again4 ,yes1 it's a smiling face4 ,here are some other examples to challenge your imagination3 2-7 7,winking ,smiley71 3-7 7,sad71 #h-7 7,user wears glasses71 3-o 7,shocked or surprised71 and 3- 7,hey hey74 ,a bracketed g is shorthand for grin1 and g1dr means grinning1 ducking1 and running4 ,some people prefer to write their emotional state in full text1 like in these two examples3 99grin99 and 99smile994 ,do not misunderstand4 ,you still should not allow yourself to write the most appallingly insulting things to other people1 and then try to shrug it off with a smile4 ,watch your words4 ,they are so easy to store on a hard disk4 ,religion and philosophy ----------------------- ,compu,serve's ,religion ,forum 7,,go ,,religion7 has many message sections with associated file libraries4 ,you can get into serious discussion about topics ranging from ,christianity1 ,judaism1 ,eastern ,religions1 ,islam1 ,interfaith ,dialog1 ,limbo1 ,pagan_/,occult1 to ,religion and ,science1 ,liturgical ,churches1 ,mormonism1 ,ethics and ,values1 and more4 ,you may also want to check out the ,new ,age ,forum4 ,usenet's offerings include these3 soc4culture4jewish ,jewish culture religion4 soc4religion4christian ,christianity and related topics4 soc4religion4eastern ,discussions of ,eastern religions4 soc4religion4islam ,discussions of the ,islamic faith4 talk4religion4misc ,religious1 ethical1 moral implications4 talk4religion4newage ,esoteric and minority religions philosophies4 alt4pagan ,discussions about paganism religion4 alt4religion4computers ,people who believe computing is real life4 clari4news4religion ,religion1 religious leaders1 televangelists4 ,the ,,bitnet_/,internet arena has ,the ,islamic ,information ,news ,net on ,,muslims 7available through ,,listserv,,asuvm4,,inre4,,asu4,,edu74 ,,islam-,l 7on ,,listserv,,ulkyvm4,,louisville4,,edu7 is a non-sectarian forum for discussion1 debate1 and the exchange of information by students and scholars of the history of ,islam4 ,,buddha-,l 7on ,,listserv,,ulkyvm4,,louisville4,,edu7 provides a means for those interested in ,buddhist ,studies to exchange information and views4 ,,buddhist 7on ,,listserv,,jpntuvm#j4;,,bitnet7 is for non- academic discussions4 ,,baptist 7,,listserv,,ukcc4,,uky4,,edu7 is the ,open ,baptist ,discussion ,list4 ,,theology 7contact ,u#afdha,,uicvm4,,bitnet,,vm#a4,,nodak4, ,edu7 is a mailing list dedicated to the intellectual discussion of religion4 ,in its self-presentation1 it says3 ,intellectual is stressed as opposed to the personal1 the inspirational1 or evangelistic4 ,this does not mean one cannot evangelize1 but rather that participants should persuade rather than brow-beat or attack those they disagree with4 ,arguments are inevitable1 but they ultimately should resolve into mutual understanding or at least a truce4 ,pagan 7,contact3 pagan-requestdrycas4club4cc4cmu4edu7 is set up to discuss the religions and philosophies of paganism4 ,,belief-,l 7on ,,listserv,,brownvm4,,bitnet7 is designed to be a forum where personal ideologies can be discussed1 examined1 and analyzed4 ,the discussion list ,,philcomm,,rpiecs4,,bitnet is where you debate the philosophy of communication4 ,,philosop,,yorkvm#a4;,,bitnet is the ,philosophy ,discussion ,forum4 ,several sacred texts and primary texts of religious interest are available by anonymous ,,ftp or ,,listserv4 ,the ,bible1 the ,book of ,mormon and the ,koran 7also spelled ,quran7 are available at many sites and in a variety of file formats4 ,the ,bible 7,king ,james ,version7 is available as bible#aj4zip and bible#aj4txt via ,,ftp to mrcnext4cso4uiuc4edu 7#abh4agd4bja4ab7 in the _/extext_/etext#ib_/ directory4 ,m4,h4 ,shakir's translation of the ,koran is available as #aad individual ,,ascii text chapters via ,,ftp to quake4think4com 7#aib4ca4aha4a7 in the _/pub_/etext_/koran_/ directory4 ,a short file containing quotes from the ,koran is available via ,,listserv from ,,listservasuacad as ,,pakistan ,,al,,quran4 ,a collection of ,sanskrit texts is available via ,,ftp to ftp4bcc4ac4uk in the _/pub_/users_/ucgadkw_/indology_/ directory4 ,you may use the ,archie service 7see ,appendix #d7 to find other religious texts that are also available through the ,internet4 ,on ,fido,net1 check out ,j,v,arc,serv4 ,job-hunting by modem -------------------- ,unemployment is a global problem1 and losing a job is often a bad experience4 ,if this ever should happen to you1 consider checking out the ,,bitnet discussion list ,,laidoff,,arizvm#a - ,so1 you've been laidoff8 ,maybe you already have a job1 but are constantly searching for something better4 ,there are many forums and conferences devoted to help you get a new job4 ,fido,net has the ,,jobs conference1 for those not in a hurry1 and ,,jobs-,,now 7,job ,employment offerings_/listings7 for those who have no more time to wait4 ,on ,bergen ,by ,byte1 it is called ',jobmarket'1 and on ,,ilink ,,career4 ,in many countries there are local bulletin boards operated by public employment agencies4 ,on ,televerket's ,datatorg 7,norway71 you can browse jobs from the following menu 7translated73 ,,vacant ,,jobs ,select desired profession ,number #ja ,technical1 natural sciences 7 #ahb7 #jb ,education1 etc4 7 #fja7 #jc ,media1art 7 #eh7 #jd ,medicine1 health care1 etc4 7 #iea7 #je ,social care 7 #cjg7 #jf ,adm41management1 organization 7 #cdh7 #jg ,finance1computers 7 #ajj7 #jh ,secretarial1 office work 7 #ach7 #ji ,sale1purchasing1 advertising 7 #egf7 #aj ,agriculture1forestry1fishing 7 #ef7 #aa ,oil and gas1 mining 7 #ch7 #ab ,transport1communication 7 #fh7 #ac ,workshop1fine mechanics1electro7 #abf7 #ad craft1building and construction7 #ic7 #ae ,industry1ware-house1mechan4 7 #fh7 #af ,hotel1restaurant1domestic work 7 #acc7 #ag ,service1surveillance1safety 7 #agj7 ,if your potential employers have an email address1 you can send dozens of job resumes - while going for a cup of coffee6 ,,work-,,at-,,home on ,fido,net is for those planning to start their own business 7,take this job and shove it6 ,i'll work at home67 ,compu,serve has the ,working-,from-,home ,forum under the sysopship of online gurus ,paul and ,sarah ,edwards4 ,its file library contains back issues of the electronic magazine ,making ,it on ,your ,own4 ,g,enie has the ,home ,office ,small ,business forum 7,,hosb74 ,home based business opportunities may exist within areas such as desktop publishing1 desktop video1 high-tech equipment repair1 import and export management1 and professional practice management4 ,learn from others in forums or conferences on related topics4 ,the good news is that many organizations are having problems finding qualified candidates for their vacant positions1 and that some of them are turning to ,the ,online ,world for help4 ,one of them did it like this 7from an online announcement73 ,because it is difficult to locate qualified candidates for positions in special libraries and information centers1 and to assist special librarians and information specialists to locate positions1 the student chapter of the ,special ,libraries ,association at ,indiana ,university has formed a ,,listserv1 ,,slajob1 in connection with the ,indiana ,center for ,database ,systems4 ,the ,,listserv1 which is available on both the ,internet and ,bitnet1 will help special libraries and information centers in the sciences1 industry1 the arts and within public and academic libraries to have a central location for announcing special library and information science positions4 ,the ,,listserv is available to individuals or organizations that have an ,internet or ,bitnet network connection4 ,for those on the network1 subscribe by sending an email message to3 ,,listserviubvm4bitnet or ,,listserviubvm4ucs4indiana4edu4 ,leave the subject line blank and then type the following in the message of the text3 subscribe ,,slajob firstname lastname ,the ,israelis have the mailing list ,,cji1 ,computer ,jobs in ,israel4 ,send mail to ,,listserv,,jerusalem#a4;,,datasrv4,,co4 ,,il with the usual ,,sub ,,cji ,your-,full-,name in the text of your message4 ,this will give you monthly updated lists of open computer jobs4 ,when you get tired of hunting for a job1 why not relax with ,,humor at ,,listserv,,uga4,,cc4,,uga4,,edu4 ,this mailing list distributes humor of all types1 topics and tastes4 ,to subscribe1 send the following command to the ,,listserv3 ,,sub ,,humor firstname lastname ,chapter #f3 ,your personal ,health,net ,health is a concern in most families4 ,where a family member or a friend is suffering from cancer1 ,,aids1 a serious disability1 or a rare disease1 finding help is imperative4 ,fortunately1 there are many sources of information for those who want to know more4 ,there are clubs and forums1 where you can meet others with the same disease or problem4 ,they are open #bd hours a day4 ,those who cannot sleep at night1 can log in any time to talk with others4 ,the social aspect of joining a club is important4 ,however1 it may be equally important to learn from other people's experiences with alternative treatment methods1 doctors1 medicines1 and to get practical medical advice4 ,here are some examples to illustrate the width of the offering3 ,,aids ---- ,you may start with ,the ,fog ,city ,online ,information ,service in ,san ,francisco1 the world's largest bulletin board of ,,aids information4 ,the cost of using this ,,bbs from afar may be reduced considerably by using i-,com or similar data transport services 7see chapter #ac74 ,compu,serve has a ,human ,sexuality ,forum and a ,m,e,d,sig with associated file libraries4 ,it also has a surcharged ,ziff,net database with full-text articles about health topics 7,health ,database ,plus74 ,on the ,well1 enter g aids4 ,news,net has the newsletters ,,aids ,weekly and ,,aids ,therapies4 ,the latter is a directory1 updated monthly1 with descriptions of standard and experimental treatments for ,,aids1 along with a guide to treatments for the opportunistic infections 7,,oi7 of ,,aids4 ,it incorporates all existing and potential new ,,aids treatments in one place4 ,on ,,bitnet1 check out ,,aids_/,,hiv ,news 7,,aidsnews,,eb#j,,ub#jaa7 and the mailing list on ,,aids,,eb#j,,ub#jaa4 ,usenet has sci4med4aids 7,,aids3 treatment1 pathology_/biology of ,,hiv1 prevention71 bionet4molbio4hiv1 clari4tw4health4aids 7,,aids stories1 research1 political issues71 and bit4listserv4aidsnews4 ,if you do not have access to ,usenet1 send a message to aids- requestcs4ucla4edu for articles from ,,aidsnews1 statistics and news summaries4 ,aids-stat-requestwubios4wustl4edu is another source of current ,,aids statistics4 ,send a request to info-aidsrainbow4,,uucp4 ,it is a clearinghouse of information1 and discussion about alternative treatment methods1 political implications1 and more4 ,example3 ,kidney disease ----------------------- ,in chapter #a1 ,i told you that my wife has a rare disease called ,polycystic ,kidneys4 ,here are more details about what happened during the online health trip to ,compu,serve with her doctor3 ,the command ,,go ,,health gave the following menu3 #a ,health,net #b ,human ,sexuality #c ,consumer ,health #d ,,nord ,services_/,rare ,disease ,database #e ,paper,chase 7,,medline7 #f ,information ,,usa_/,health #g ,handicapped ,user's ,database #h ,disabilities ,forum #i ,aids ,information #aj ,cancer ,forum ,another menu1 which listed available ,,professional ,,forums1 had choices like ,,aamsi ,medical ,forum and ,health ,forum4 ,besides visiting these1 we searched several medical databases4 ,menu selection five gave us ,the ,national ,library of ,medicine's database 7,,medline71 which is full of references to biomedical literature4 ,this database had more than five million references to articles from #d4jjj magazines from #aiff and up to date1 when we searched it in #aiia4 ,it increases by some #be4jjj new references per month4 ,easy navigation by menus4 ,easy to search4 ,the ,,aamsi ,medical ,forum 7,med,s,i,g7 is sponsored by ,the ,american ,association for ,medical ,systems and ,informatics 7,,aamsi74 ,it is a forum for professionals within health care1 people within associated technical fields1 and ordinary ,compu,serve users4 ,the members meet to find1 develop and swap information4 ,med,s,i,g has a library full of programs and information files4 ,this is an example of what you can find there3 ,,atlas4,,arc #ba-,sep-#hh #cjafa ,keywords3 ,,stereotaxic ,,stereotactic ,,stereotaxis ,,atlas ,,thalamotomy ,,map ,,functional ,,gif ,this contains several of the most useful stereotaxic maps from the ,schaltenbrand and ,wahren ,atlas in ,,gif format4 ,if you can get ,,gif into your ,,cad or drawing program1 you can scale the maps to fit your individualized patient's ,,ac-,,pc distance1 thereby generating a customized map for your patient4 ,compu,serve has many programs for reading ,,gif files1 and converting ,,gif files to other graphical formats4 ,through ,i,quest1 we searched medical databases4 ,simple menus helped define relevant search terms4 ,when done1 ,i,quest searched selected databases for us1 and presented the finds on our local computer screen4 ,the basic rate for completing the search was ,,us#i4jj4 ,in addition1 we paid the normal fees for using ,compu,serve4 ,from ,norway1 this amounted to around ,,us #dj_/;hour at #bdjj bps when logging on through the local ,infonet node at that time4 ,today1 it costs less4 ,this gave us up to #aj article headlines1 when searching in bibliographic databases4 ,abstracts of selected articles were displayed on our screen for an additional ,,us#b4jj4 ,we used the search mode ,smart,scan in the area ,medical research4 ,i,quest searched several databases with a minimum of manual intervention4 ,first1 it told us that the following databases would be included in the search3 ,,brs databases3 ,ageline - ,contains references to and abstracts of materials on aging and the elderly4 ,covers psychological1 medical1 economic1 and political concerns4 ,,aids ,database - ,includes critically selected articles covering all aspects of ,,aids1 7,acquired ,immune ,deficiency ,syndrome71 and ,,aids-related research4 ,,aids ,knowledge ,base - ,provides an online textbook of the most current information on ,,aids available from ,san ,francisco ,general ,hospital4 ,combined ,health ,information ,database - ,for professionals1 patients1 and the general public1 ,,chid contains references to a variety of materials on arthritis1 diabetes1 health education1 digestive diseases1 and high blood pressure4 ,provides abstracts4 ,embase - ,includes extensive abstracts of articles related to biomedicine from medical journals worldwide4 ,about #dj of the references are online only4 ,rehabdata - ,covers articles1 books1 reports1 and audiovisual materials dealing with the rehabilitation of the physically and mentally handicapped4 ,references only4 ,sport ,database - ,indexes publications dealing with sports1 including training1 medicine1 education1 and history4 ,drawn mostly from ,english and ,french with technical articles from other languages4 ,dialog databases3 ,bio,business - ,deals with the business aspects of biotechnology and biomedical research4 ,draws from ,,biosis and ,,management ,,contents4 ,,biosis ,previews - ,provides international coverage of all aspects of biological science4 ,cancerlit - ,monitors articles from journals and other technical publications dealing with all aspects of cancer research throughout the world4 ,includes abstracts4 ,clinical ,abstracts - ,covers human clinical study articles of major importance selected from leading medical journals4 ,includes all aspects of clinical medicine4 ,corresponds to ,abstracts in ,internal ,medicine4 ,abstracts available4 ,life ,sciences ,collection - ,abstracts technical literature in the life sciences from journals and other scientific publications worldwide4 ,medline 7#aiff - to date7 - ,indexes articles from medical journals published worldwide4 ,corresponds to ,index ,medicus1 ,international ,nursing ,index and ,index to ,dental ,literature4 ,includes abstracts in roughly #dj of the records4 ,sci,search - ,monitors worldwide literature across a wide range of scientific and technological disciplines4 ,produced by the ,institute for ,scientific ,information 7,,isi74 ,then we entered our search term3 ,,liver ,,and ,,cyst_/4 ,the search word ,,cyst_/ signified that cyst should match any words starting with these four characters4 ,while searching1 ,i,quest gave the following progress report3 ,scanning ,,brs databases4 ,accessing ,network44444444444,completed4 ,accessing ,database ,host44444,completed4 ,logging on444444444444444444,completed4 ,logging on 7second step74444,completed4 ,selecting ,databases444444444,completed4 ,each period equals one line of scanned data4 ,this may take several minutes44444444444444444444444444444444 ,it continued in the same way with a ,scanning ,dialog databases4 ,when the search results were presented1 we glanced quickly at the article abstracts1 ordered two articles to be sent us by mail and typed ,,bye4 ,compu,serve reported ,off at #ji3ab ,,est #ag-,nov-#hh ,connect time #j3ce4 ,the two articles arrived ,norway by mail a few weeks later4 ,the whole trip1 including visits in medical forums1 took #ce minutes4 ,the cost1 including local telephone and network charges1 was ,,us#ie4 ,of this total cost1 the extra cost of searching through ,i,quest amounted to ,,us#ed4jj4 ,we all felt that the costs were well justified4 ,a note about the costs3 ,the online tour was done manually1 using full menus4 ,we discussed our search strategy while connected1 which is more expensive than logging off to plan the next moves4 ,also1 note that the extra cost of searching ,i,quest 7#ed7 was not time dependent4 ,right now8 ,i have promised to donate one kidney to my wife when the time comes4 ,this has prompted me 7#aiic7 to join a mailing list for ,organ transplant recipients and anyone else interested in the issues 7,,trnsplnt,,wuvmd4,,bitnet74 ,cancer ------ ,fido,net has the forum ,,carcinoma 7,cancer ,survivors74 ,,bitnet has the discussion lists ,,cancer-,l,,wvnvm and ,,clan 7,cancer ,liaison and ,action ,network on ,,clan,,frmop#aa74 ,compu,serve has a ,cancer ,forum4 ,news,net offers the newsletter ,,cancer ,,researcher ,,weekly4 ,in ,september #aiib1 the following message was posted on ,,cancer- ,l by a member from ,brazil3 ,a close friend was just diagnosed with acute leukemia of a type called calapositive pre-,b linphoplastic4 ,it is supposedly an early diagnosis since he is not anemic4 ,we are very shocked but he is reacting quite bravely and all he wants is to have access to literature on his condition4 ,are there any new genetic engineering developments effectively clinically available8 ,what is the present state of knowledge regarding this specific form of leukemia8 ,he was diagnosed three hours ago1 is #dh yrs old1 and will start chemotherapy tomorrow4 ,he was informed that chemotherapy is quite effective in this type of leukemia4 ,but we wonder if there isn't a possibility to use gene therapy4 ,any help will be greatly appreciated4 - ,dora4 ,there were several helpful replies4 ,this came from a member in the ,united ,states3 ,in response to the request for information on treatment for leukemia1 ,i recommend that you access ,cancer,net1 the ,national ,cancer ,institute's mail server on the ,internet which provides current information on treatment for leukemia4 ,to request the ,contents ,list and ,instructions1 send a mail message to cancerneticicb4nci4nih4gov 7,internet address7 cancerneticicb4nci4nih4govnihcu 7 ,,bitnet7 ,leave the subject line blank1 and in the body of the mail message1 enter ,,help4 ,when you receive the ,contents list1 request the statement for ,adult ,acute ,lymphocytic ,leukemia 7cn-#ajajbd74 ,there are also ,news and ,general ,information items1 under the ,heading ,,pdq ,database ,information in the ,contents ,list which provide information on centers which have access to ,physician ,data ,query1 ,,nci's database of cancer treatment information which includes clinical trials information for leukemia4 - ,cheryl4 ,cancer,net is the ,u4,s4 ,national ,cancer ,institute's international information center4 ,it is a quick and easy way to obtain1 through electronic mail1 recommended treatment guidelines from the ,national ,cancer ,institute's ,physician ,data ,query system4 ,to access ,cancer,net1 send email to3 cancerneticicb4nci4nih4gov ,leave the subject line blank4 ,in the body of the mail message1 enter ,,help to receive instructions and the current contents list4 ,the ,national ,cancer ,center in ,tokyo ,japan has a gopher service at gopher4ncc4go4jp4 ,the ,world ,health ,organization 7,,who7 has one at gopher4who4ch4 ,disabilities ------------ ,bulletin boards and online conferences give equal access to all persons4 ,everybody is treated the same way1 regardless if they sit in a wheel chair1 have a hearing impairment1 stutter1 cannot speak clearly1 have difficulties in thinking or acting quickly1 or just have a different looks4 ,you need not worry about typing errors4 ,those who read them will never know whether it's because you never learned how to write on a computer1 or if it is because you have difficulties in controlling your movements4 ,you alone decide if others are to know about your personal disability4 ,if you want it to be a secret1 then it will remain a secret4 ,nobody can possibly know that you are mute and lame from the neck and down1 that computer communication is your main gate into the outer world1 and that you are writing messages with a stick attached to your forehead4 ,therefore1 the online world has changed the lives of many people with disabilities4 ,computer communications have opened a new world for those who are forced to stay at home1 or thinks that it is too difficult to travel4 ,those who can easily drive their car to the library1 often have difficulties in understanding the significance of this4 ,usenet has alt4education4disabled and misc4handicap4 ,it covers all areas of disabilities1 technical1 medical1 educational1 legal1 etc4 ,,uucp has handicap4 ,it is presented in the following words3 ,contact3 wtmbunker4shel4isc-br4com ,purpose3 ,the ,handicap ,digest provides an information_/discussion exchange for issues dealing with the physically_/mentally handicapped4 ,topics include1 but are not limited to3 medical1 education1 legal1 technological aids and the handicapped in society4 ,compu,serve's ,disabilities ,forum has the following sections3 ,general ,interest1 ,develop4 ,disabilities1 ,emotional ,disturbances1 ,hearing ,impairments1 ,learning ,disabilities1 ,vision ,impairments1 ,mobility ,impaired1 ,rights_/,legislation1 ,education_/,employment and ,family ,life_/,leisure4 ,,autism,,sjuvm4,,bitnet is devoted to the developmentally disabled1 their teachers1 and those interested in this area4 ,the list ,,blind- ,l,,uafsysb4,,bitnet focuses on ,computer ,use by and for the ,blind4 ,,commdis,,rpiecs4,,bitnet is a mailing list discussing ,speech disorders4 ,,deaf-,l,,siucvmb4,,bitnet is the ,deaf ,discussion ,list1 and ,,deafblnd,,ukcc4,,uky4,,edu the ,deaf-,blind ,discussion ,list4 ,,stut-,,hlp 7,,listserv,,bgu4,,edu7 is a support forum for people who stutter and their families4 ,on ,l-,,hcap,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet1 the focus is on ,technology for the handicapped4 ,,backs-,l,,uvmvm4,,bitnet discusses research on low back pain disability4 ,the ,handicap ,digest is an electronic mail only digest of articles relating to all types of issues affecting the handicapped4 ,the articles are taken from the ,usenet newsgroup1 the ,handicap ,news4 7misc4handicap7 and various ,fido,net conferences such as ,,abled1 ,blink,talk ,silent,talk1 ,chronic ,pain1 ,spinal ,injury1 ,rare ,conditions1 and several others4 ,subscribe by email to wtmbunker4shel4isc-br4com ,handicap4shel4isc-br4com 7#abi4ahi4d4ahd7 is the email address to an anonymous ftp site that has disability-related files and programs4 ,the disk has some #dj directories with #ejj or so files covering all types of disabilities4 7,this service can be used through ,f,t,p,mail4 ,see chapter #ab about how to do this47 ,getting old ----------- ,,bitnet has the ,,biosci ,ageing ,bulletin ,board on ,,ageing,,irlearn 4 ,usenet has bionet4molbio4ageing1 while ,compu,serve's ,issues ,forum has a message section called ,seniors4 ,ageline on ,dialog is a database produced by the ,american ,association of ,retired ,persons4 ,it does an excellent job covering research about older persons1 particularly on consumer issues and health care1 by summarizing journal articles and the contents of other published reports4 ,while our face-to-face world sometimes makes it difficult for older people to participate in discussions between young people1 this is not so in the ,online ,world4 ,all people are treated the same way4 ,it is impossible for others to know your age1 unless someone tells them4 ,holistic ,healing and ,health --------------------------- ,,holistic on ,,listserv,,siucvmb4,,siu4,,edu is dedicated to providing information and discussion on holistic concepts and methods of living which provide a natural way of dealing with the challenges of life4 ,here are some topics dealt with in this forum3 ,various ,dimensions of ,holistic ,healing and ,health ,states of ,consciousness ,meditation and the role it plays in spiritual_/physical health ,the impact of a healthy diet - including ,herbs and ,vitamins ,bodywork - such as ,rolfing1 ,trager bodywork1 ,reichian1 etc4 ,acupuncture_/pressure ,hypnosis and ,biofeedback ,visualizations and ,affirmations ,spiritual ,healing - ,psychic healing methods ,bioenergetics ,the holistic connection between mind and body ,honest discussion of topics relevant to personal_/spiritual growth - ,and anything else within context for the betterment of the world4 ,the following message is typical3 ,from3 ,helen ,subject3 ,re3 ,asthma and ,sinus ,problems ,to3 ,multiple recipients of list ,,holistic ,my condolences to fellow people allergic to cats4 ,cats and strawberries are two of the most allergenic substances4 ,behavorial changes have proven to be ,,everything to me4 ,the techniques ,i've employed have helped many others4 ,first1 try sleeping at a #de degree angle4 ,this usually requires piling up pillows4 ,the elevation of the head facilitates drainage from the sinuses4 ,when the situation gets really bad1 ,i've slept sitting up on a couch or arm chair propped up by numerous pillows and cushions4 ,this technique can take some getting used to1 but1 it works like a charm and is kinder to your system than drug therapy4 ,second1 try ephedra tea4 ,this is an herb found in ,chinese herb shops4 ,ask the herbalist how to prepare it4 ,i highly recommend the book ,natural ,health1 ,natural ,medicine by ,andrew ,weil1 ,m4,d4 of ,u of ,a ,med ,school in ,tucson4 ,see pages #bec-bef for more information on asthma4 ,fourth1 stay hydrated4 ,this means not only drinking ,,plenty of fluids1 but humidifying the house 7that is if you're not also allergic to molds74 ,basic behavorial techniques are important4444diet1 exercise1 etc4 etc1 444but this is the holistic network444,i'm preaching to the choir444 ,finally1 take heart6 ,being allergic to cats is not well received by cat lovers444often we're cat lovers ourselves4 ,depending on the breed of cat1 there is a good chance you will eventually habituate to those you are around over the long term4 ,good luck1 the advice about sleeping with your head significantly elevated is the best ,i have ever given out to fellow sinus problem sufferers4 ,it really works66 ,helen4 ,homeo,net1 a service of the ,institute of ,global ,communications 7,,igc71 is for those interested in homeopathic medicine4 ,list of health science resources -------------------------------- ,the ,bitnet_/,internet online list of health science resources is available by email from3 ,,listserv,,templevm4,,bitnet 4 ,send the following command3 ,,get ,,medical ,,rscrs ,this will give a long list of ,,bitnet1 ,internet1 and ,usenet forums1 data archives1 electronic newsletters and journals devoted to health science4 ,here are some examples from the list that may be of interest to people not working in the health profession3 99 ,,alcohol,,lmuacad4,,bitnet - a discussion list for ,alcohol and ,drug ,studies1 99 ,,behavior,,asuacad4,,bitnet - ,behavioral and ,emotional ,disorders in ,children1 99 ,,diabetic,,pccvm4,,bitnet is the ,open ,discussion forum for ,,diabetic patient counseling1 99 ,,diarrhoe,,searn4,,bitnet 7or ,,diarrhoe,,searn4,,sunet4,,se through the ,internet7 is a forum for information exchange and discussions on all aspects related to diseases1 disorders1 and chemicals that cause diarrhoea in humans and animals1 99 ,,diet,,indycms4,,bitnet - ,support and ,discussion of ,weight ,loss 99 ,,drugabus,,umab4,,bitnet - ,drug ,abuse ,education ,information and ,research1 99 ,,famcomm,,rpiecs4,,bitnet - ,marital_/family relational communication4 99 ,,fit-,l,,etsuadmn4,,bitnet - ,wellness1 ,exercise1 ,diet1 for exchanging ideas1 tips and any type of information about wellness1 exercise1 and diet4 99 ,,granola,,brownvm4,,bitnet - ,vegetarian ,discussion4 99 ,,herb,,trearn4,,bitnet - ,medicinal and ,aromatic ,plants discussion4 99 ,,mslist-,l,,ncsuvm4,,bitnet - ,multiple ,sclerosis ,discussion and ,support4 99 ,,rzamal-,l,,dkauni#aa4;,,bitnet - ,dental ,amalgam ,fillings and chronic mercury poisoning4 99 ,,sportpsy,,templevm4,,bitnet - ,exercise and ,sports ,psychology4 99 talk4abortion on ,usenet4 ,these mailing lists usually let you search old messages for topics of interest4 ,they are both living discussion forums and interesting searchable databases6 ,mednews is a weekly electronic newsletter4 ,its columns bring regular medical news summaries from ,,usa ,today1 ,center for ,disease ,control ,,mmwr1 weekly ,,aids ,statistics from ,,cdc1 and more4 ,send the following command to ,,listserv,,asuacad4,,bitnet to subscribe3 ,,sub ,,mednews ,your-first-name ,your-last-name ,chapter #g3 ,electronic mail1 telex1 and fax ,electronic mail is one of the most popular online services4 ,people living thousands of miles apart can exchange messages and documents very quickly4 ,international ,resource ,development1 ,inc41 an ,american research organization1 claimed 7#aiib7 that we can send electronic mail to more than #aj million personal mailboxes4 ,we believe the figure to be much higher4 ,the ,matrix ,news 7,texas1 ,u4,s4,a47 claims the number is over #ah million 7,march #aiic74 ,the ,boardwatch ,magazine 7,u4,s4,a47 believes that new callers are coming online for their first time at a rate of close to #aj1jjj per day 7,january #aiic74 ,electronic ,mail ,micro ,systems 7,new ,canaan1 ,conn41 ,u4,s4,a47 estimated an average of #bg4h million messages sent per month in #aiij4 ,mail through the ,internet and grassroots services on free bulletin boards 7like ,fido,net7 is not included in their figure4 ,the annual rate of increase in the number of messages is over #cj and increasing4 ,if a given email service charges you ,,us#cj per hour1 it will cost you a meager ,,us#j4jge to send one typewritten letter 7size ,a- #d1 or around #b1bjj characters74 ,see chapter #ae for a breakdown of this cost4 ,if you live in ,norway1 and send the letter by ordinary mail to a recipient in ,norway1 postage alone is ,,us#j4ec 7#aiib74 ,the cost is seven times higher than using email4 ,to send the same letter from ,norway to the ,united ,states by ordinary mail will cost #aa times more4 ,this letter takes several days to reach the destination1 while email messages arrive almost instantly4 ,often1 you can send email messages to several recipients in one operation - without paying extra for the pleasure4 ,compare this to sending to several parties by fax6 ,you do not have to buy envelopes and stamps1 fold the sheet1 put it into the envelope1 and bring it to a mailbox4 ,just let the computer call your favorite email service to send the letter4 ,the recipient does not have to sit by the computer waiting for your mail4 ,upon receipt1 it will be automatically stored in his mailbox4 ,he can read it when he has time4 ,the recipient can print it locally1 and it will be a perfect document1 no different to one typed in locally4 ,he can also make corrections or comments1 and email onwards to a third party4 ,in this way several people can work jointly on a report1 and no time is it re-typed from scratch4 ,when you receive several messages in the morning1 you can very quickly create replies to them one at the time at your keyboard1 and then send them in one go4 ,no need to feed five different pieces of paper into a fax machine or envelopes for five different people4 ,where you can find a telephone1 you can also read mail4 ,in most countries1 communicating through email is easy and economical4 ,by the way1 the simple but miraculous thing about email is that you can quote easily and exactly the point to which you are replying4 ,this is a revolution in communication1 no8 ,how to send email8 ------------------- ,this is what it normally takes for a ,compu,serve user to send me a message3 ,type ,,go ,,mail to get to the post office1 and then type ,,compose4 ,start writing1 says ,compu,serve4 ,type your message manually1 or send a file 7text or binary74 ,type _/,,exit when done4 ,to whom8 asks ,compu,serve4 ,you enter3 ,odd de ,presno #gegee1acbg1 or just my mailbox number 7#gegee1acbg74 ,compu,serve asks you to enter ,subject4 ,you type3 ,hello1 my friend6 ,your message has been sent4 ,a few seconds later1 the message will arrive in my mailbox4 ,if ,i am online to ,compu,serve at the moment1 ,i will probably read it right away4 ,if not1 it will stay there until ,i get around to fetch it4 ,above1 we used the term normally takes to send4 ,please note that many users never ever ,,type these commands6 ,they use various types of automatic software to handle the mechanics of sending and receiving mail 7see ,chapter #af74 ,other systems require different commands to send email4 ,ulrik at the ,university of ,oslo 7,norway7 is a ,unix system4 ,so is ,the ,well in ,san ,francisco4 ,on such systems1 mail is normally sent using these commands3 ,type mail opresnoextern4uio4no4 ,when the computer asks for ,subject31 enter ,hello1 my friend6 ,type your message or send it4 ,when done1 enter a period 747 in the beginning of a line4 ,ulrik will reply with ,cc3 to allow you to 'carbon copy' the message to other people4 ,if you don't want that1 press ,,enter and the message is on its way4 ,while ,i wrote this book1 ,i had to go to ,japan4 ,a simple command allowed me to redirect all incoming mail to ,compu,serve4 ,as a result ,i could read and send mail by calling a local ,compu,serve number in several ,japanese cities4 ,though the commands for sending email differ between systems1 the principle is the same4 ,all systems will ask you for an address and the text of your message4 ,on some1 the address is a code1 on others a name 7like ,,odd ,,de ,,presno74 ,most systems will ask for a ,subject title4 ,many will allow you to send copies of the message to other recipients 7,cc374 ,some services allow you to send binary files as email4 ,binary files contain codes based on the binary numeration system4 ,such codes are used in computer programs1 graphics pictures1 compressed spreadsheets and text files1 and sound files4 ,many online services let you send messages as fax 7to over #ae million fax machines71 telex 7to over #a4h million telex machines71 and as ordinary paper mail4 ,we have tested this successfully on ,compu,serve1 ,,mci ,mail and other services4 ,on ,compu,serve1 replace ,odd de ,presno #gegee1acbg with ,,fax3 #dgcgjbgaaa4 ,my fax number is #dg #cgj #bgaaa4 ,on ,,mci ,mail type ,,create34 ,,mci asks for ,to31 and you type ,odd de ,presno 7,fax74 ,,mci asks for ,country34 ,you enter ,norway4 ,by ,,recipient ,,fax ,,no enter #cgjbgaaa 7the code for international calls74 ,the country code for ,norway1 #jaadg1 is added automatically4 ,by ,options81 press ,,enter4 ,when ,,mci ,mail asks for more recipients1 press ,,enter4 ,type your message and have it sent4 ,to send a telex1 you'll need the recipient's telex number1 an answerback code1 and the code of the recipient's country4 ,if the message is meant for telex number #hgaafaadg1 answerback ,,zeto1 and country ,russia 7country code ,,su71 enter ,,tlx3#hgaafaadg ,,zeto ,,su when sending from ,compu,serve4 ,by entering ,,postal1 ,compu,serve will send your mail to a business associate in ,california or ,brazil as a professional laser- printed letter4 ,it will take you through the process of filling out the various address lines4 ,the letter may well arrive faster than through ordinary mail4 ,when the recipient is using another mailbox system ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,when the recipient is using your mailbox service1 writing addresses is simple4 ,not so when your email has to be forwarded to mailboxes on other online services4 ,the inter-system email address consists of a user name1 a mailbox system code1 and sometimes also routing information4 ,the problem is that there is no universal addressing format4 ,finding out how to write a given address may be surprisingly difficult4 ,some services are not set up for exchange of email with other services4 ,this is the case with my bulletin board1 the ,saltrod ,horror ,show4 ,to send mail to a user of this system1 you'll have to call it directly and enter it there4 ,this bulletin board is not connected to the outside world for exchange of mail4 ,if your favorite system lets you send mail to other services1 make a note about the following3 99 ,you need to know the exact address of your recipient1 and whether he's using this mailbox regularly4 ,many users have mailboxes that they use rarely or never4 ,for example1 don't try to send mail to my mailbox on ,dow ,jones_/,news ,retrieval4 ,i only use this service sporadically4 ,think of the easiest way for a recipient to respond before sending a message to him or her4 99 ,you need to know how to rewrite the recipient's address to fit your system4 ,for example1 you may have to use a domain address to send through ,internet1 and a different form when sending through an ,x4#djj network4 7,more about this later47 99 ,the recipient's mailbox system may be connected to a network that does not have a mail exchange agreement with your system's network7s74 ,sometimes1 you can use a commercial mail relay service to get your message across 7see chapter #i74 ,users of the ,internet can send messages to recipients on the ,dialcom network through the ,d,a,snet relay service4 99 ,sometimes1 you need to know how to route a message through other systems to arrive at its destination4 ,for example1 a message sent from the ,ulrik computer in ,oslo must be routed through a center in ,london to get to ,dominique ,christian on the ,difer system in ,paris 7,france71 ,internet -------- is the name of a computer network 7here called ,,internet71 and a term used of a global web of systems and networks that can exchange mail with each other 7here called ,internet74 ,,internet is a very large network that has grown out of ,,arpanet1 ,,milnet1 and other ,american networks for research and education4 ,this core network has many gateways to other systems1 and it's when we include these systems and their connections that we call it the ,internet4 ,others call it ,world,net or the ,matrix4 ,internet users can exchange mail with users on networks like ,e,unet1 ,,janet1 ,uninett1 ,,bitnet1 ,,uucp1 ,compu,serve1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,eco,net1 ,peace,net1 ,conflic,net1 ,green,net1 ,web1 ,pegasus1 ,apple,link1 ,alternex1 ,nicarao1 ,freds,naetet1 ,,uunet1 ,,psi1 ,usenet1 ,fido,net and many others4 ,we therefore say that these networks are also on the ,internet4 ,if you have access to the ,internet1 you can send email to users of online services all over the world4 ,you can send to people using ,bergen ,by ,byte and ,telemax in ,norway1 ,,twics in ,tokyo1 and ,colnet in ,buenos ,aires4 ,now is the time to take a closer look at the art of addressing mail through the ,internet4 ,domain name addressing ---------------------- ,on the ,internet1 the general form of a person's email address is3 user-namesomewhere4domain ,my main1 international ,internet mailbox address is3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,you read the address from left to right4 ,first1 the local name of the mailbox 7my name abbreviated74 ,next1 the name of the mailbox system or another identification code 7in this case ,,extern1 to show that ,i have no affiliation with the ,university71 the name of the institution or company 7here ,,uio or ,universitetet i ,oslo71 and finally the country 7,,no for ,norway74 ,people have sent mail to my mailbox from ,new ,zealand1 ,zimbabwe1 ,guatemala1 ,peru1 ,india1 ,china1 ,greece1 ,iceland1 and ,armenia using this address4 ,some users must send their messages through a gateway to the ,internet4 ,in these cases1 the address may have to be changed to reflect this3 ,users of ,apple,link use opresnoextern4uio4no,,internet 4 ,those on ,,janet use opresnoextern4uio4noeanrelay4ac4uk4 ,on ,sprint,mail1 use 7,,rfc-#hbb3 opresno7a7extern4uio4no1 ,,site3,,internet7 4 ,compu,serve subscribers use ,,internet3opresnoextern4uio4no 4 ,the core of these address formats is opresnoextern4uio4no1 in one way or the other4 ,we call this basic addressing format a ,domain ,naming ,system4 ,,extern4,,uio4,,no is a domain4 ,the domain may also contain reference to the name of a company or an organization1 like in twics4co4jp1 compuserve4com1 or ,,igc4,,org4 ,the ,,co1 ,,com1 and ,,org codes identify ,,twics1 ,compu,serve and ,,igc as companies_/organizations4 ,to send mail from the ,internet to my ,compu,serve mailbox1 use3 #gegee4acbg;compuserve4com ,normally 7except on ,apple,link71 a domain address can only contain one -character4 ,when an address has to be extended with gateway routing information1 replace all -characters to the ,,left in the address by -characters4 ,here is an example3 ,,bitnet uses a different addressing method 7,,user,,system74 ,let's assume that you are subscribed to the club for lovers of ,japanese food 7,j-,,food-,l,,jpnknu#aj4;,,bitnet1 see chapter #f74 ,you have a mailbox on ,,internet1 and want to send a recipe to the other members using the address ,j-,,food-,l4 ,on some ,internet systems1 you can simply use the address3 ,j-,,food-,l,,jpnknu#aj4;,,bitnet 1 and your mailbox system will take care of the routing for you4 ,if this addressing method doesn't work1 you can use different gateways into ,,bitnet depending on where you live4 ,the preferred method is to route through a gateway near to you4 ,if living in ,north ,america1 you may route ,,cunyvm4,,cuny4,,edu using the following address3 ,j-,,food-,l,,jpnknu#aj4;,,bitnet,,cunyv m4,,cuny4,,edu ,the rightmost in this address is maintained4 ,the one to the ,,left has been replaced with a 4 ,the term 4,,bitnet tells the gateway machine where to forward the message4 ,the following will happen3 ,first1 the message will be sent to system ,,cunyvm at the ,e,d,ucation site ,,cuny4 ,,cunyvm investigates the address1 and discovers that the message is for ,,bitnet4 ,it cuts off all text to the right of ,,jpnknu#aj1 and replaces the with an 4 ,the message is forwarded to the mailbox ,j-,,food-,l on the ,,bitnet system ,,jpnknu#aj at the ,kinki ,university in ,japan4 ,bang addressing --------------- ,bang is ,american for exclamation point 7674 ,the ,,uucp network uses this variation of the domain addressing scheme4 ,example3 ,user ,jill ,small on ,econet in ,san ,francisco used to have the address pyramid6cdp6jsmall 4 ,read this address from right to left4 ,the name of her mailbox is to the right4 ,the name of the organization is in the middle4 ,pyramid is the name of the network4 ,some email systems can use bang addresses directly4 7,note that the 6 character has a special function on ,unix computers4 ,here1 you may have to type the address as pyramid6cdp6jsmall to avoid unwanted error messages4 ,the character tells ,unix to regard the next character as a character1 and not as a system command4 ,this character may also have to precede other special characters47 ,other systems do not accept bang addresses directly4 ,here1 the users must send such messages through a gateway4 ,the ,american host ,,uunet is a frequently used gateway4 ,if routing through ,,uunet1 you may write the address like this3 pyramid6cdp6jsmalluunet4uu4net ,if your system absolutely refuses to accept exclamation points in addresses1 try to turn the address into a typical ,internet address4 ,write the address elements in the ,internet sequence 7left to right74 ,replace the exclamation points with -s1 like this3 jsmallcdppyramiduunet4uu4net ,this method works most of the time4 ,when it works1 use this addressing form4 ,bang paths may fail if an intermediate site in the path happens to be down4 7,there is a trend for ,,uucp sites to register ,internet domain names4 ,this helps alleviate the problem of path failures47 ,some messages must be routed through many gateways to reach their destination4 ,this is the longest address that ,i have used1 and it did work3 hpda6hplabs6hpscdc6hp-lsd4cos4hp4com6old colo6daveuunet4uu4net ,it used to be the ,internet address of a user in ,colorado1 ,u4,s4,a44 ,today1 he can be reached using a much shorter address4 ,if you are on ,,uucp_/,e,unet1 you may use the following address to send email to ,odd de ,presno3 extern4uio4no6opresno4 ,addressing international electronic mail sometimes looks like black magic4 ,to learn more1 read some of the books listed in appendix #e4 ,we have found ,the ,matrix by ,john ,s4 ,quarterman to be particularly useful4 ,the conference ,,infonets 7,general network forum7 is another source4 ,here1 the ,,internet postmasters discuss their addressing problems4 ,activity is high1 and you will learn a lot about the noble art of addressing4 7,this is not the place to ask for ,olav ,janssen's ,norwegian email address1 though4 ,this question should be sent to a ,norwegian postmaster47 ,you can subscribe to ,infonets by sending the following mail3 ,to3 ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,subject3 7,you can write anything here4 ,it will be ignored47 ,,text3 ,,sub ,,infonets ,your-first-name ,your-last-name ,if your mailbox is on another network1 alter the address to route your subscription correctly to this ,,listserv4 ,hint3 ,you can search the database of old ,,infonets messages by email to ,,listserv,,dearn4,,bitnet4 ,see ,directories of services and subscribers below for information about how to search ,,listserv databases4 ,while the global matrix of networks grows rapidly1 it is still behind in some lesser-developed nations and poorer parts of developed nations4 ,if interested in these parts of the world1 check out ,,gnet1 a library and a journal for documents about the efforts to bring the net to lesser-developed nations4 ,archived documents are available by anonymous ftp from the directory globalnet at dhvx#bj4;csudh4edu 7#aee4ace4a4a74 ,chapter #ab has information on how to use ,,ftp if you only have mail access to the ,internet4 ,to subscribe to a conference discussing these documents1 send a request to gnetrequestdhvx#bj4;csudh4edu4 cc3,mail gateways ---------------- ,many ,local ,area ,networks have been connected to the global ,matrix of networks4 ,compu,serve offers a cc3,mail gateway4 ,lotus cc3,mail is a ,,pc ,lan based email system used in corporate1 government and other organizations4 ,when sending from ,compu,serve ,mail to a cc3,mail user through this gateway1 a typical address may look like this3 mhs3pt-supportperforma ,to send to this user from the ,internet through ,compu,serve's ,,mhs gateway1 write the address like this3 pt-supportperforma4mhs4compuserve4com ,other vendors of ,,lan gateways use other addressing methods4 ,x4#djj addressing ---------------- ,x4#djj is a standard for electronic mail developed by ,,ccitt4 ,it is used on large networks like ,,at,t ,mail1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,sprintnet1 ,,ge ,information ,system1 ,dialcom1 and ,western ,union1 and on other public and private networks throughout the world4 ,,edi 7,electronic ,data ,interchange7 uses ,x4#djj as a transport mechanism for coordination of electronic part ordering1 stock control and payment4 ,x4#djj is used to connect ,,edi systems between companies and suppliers4 ,the ,x4#djj addressing syntax is very different from domain addressing4 ,to send a message from an ,x4#djj mailbox to my address 7opresnoextern4uio4no71 you may have to write it like this3 7,c3,,no1,,admd3uninett1,,prmd3uninett1, o3uio1,,ou3extern1,s3opresno7 ,alas1 it's not so standard as the domain addressing schemes4 ,on other ,x4#djj networks1 the address must be written in one of the following formats - or in yet other ways3 7,c3,,us1,a3,telemail1,p3,internet1,,rfc -#hbb3opresno7a7extern4uio4no7 7,,rfc-#hbb3 opresno7a7extern4uio4no1 ,,site3,,internet7 '7,c3,,usa1,a3,,telemail1,p3,,internet1, ,rfc-#hbb3opresnoaextern4uio4no7 ,,del' 7site3 ,,internet1,,id3 opresnoaextern4uio4no7 ,,rfc-#hbbopresno7a7extern4uio4no ,,gateway,,internet_/,,telemail_/,,us ,to send an ,internet message to a mailbox ,i once had on the ,x4#djj host ,telemax in ,norway1 ,i had to use the following address3 _/,i,d_/,g,,odd_/,s,,presno_/,o,,kud4,,d atasekr_/,,pcmax4telemax4no ,to send from ,internet to ,telemail in the ,,us1 ,i have used this address3 _/,,pn,,telemail4,t4,,support_/,o,,telen et4,,mail_/,,admd,,telemail_/,c,,us_/spr int4com ,if you need to route your message through gateways1 then complexity increases4 ,one ,norwegian ,,uucp user had to use the following address to get through3 nuug6extern4uio4no6pcmax4telemax4no6_/,i ,d_/,g,,odd_/,s,,presno_/,o,,kud4,,datas ekr_/ ,to send a message from an ,x4#djj system to my ,compu,serve mailbox1 ,i have used the following address elements3 ,country ,,us ,,admd ,compu,serve ,,prmd ,c,s,mail ,,dda #gegee4acbg ,the addressing methods used on ,x4#djj systems vary4 ,another example3 ,some use the code ,c3,,usa rather than the ,,iso country code ,c3,,us4 ,,mci ,mail uses ,c3,,norway1 ,c3,,usa1 and ,c3,,sweden4 ,here are some important ,x4#djj codes3 ,c the ,,iso country code 7on most services7 ,,admd domain code for public system 7abbreviation ,a7 ,,prmd domain code for connected private system 7abbreviation ,p7 ,o organization name ,,ou organization unit ,s surname 7last name7 ,g given name 7first name7 ,i initials 7in the name7 ,,dda domain-defined attributes1 keywords defined and used by the individual systems to specify mailboxes 7user name1 list1 station1 user code1 etc471 direct delivery devices 7attention name1 telex addresses1 facsimile1 etc47 ,,pn personal name 7a7 the character cannot be used when routing messages from ,x4#djj to ,internet4 ,try 7a7 instead4 7p7 the character cannot be used when routing messages from ,x4#djj to ,internet4 ,try 7p7 instead4 7b7 the character 6 7used in bang addresses74 7q7 the character used in email addresses4 ,,rfc-#hbb this code tells ,x4#djj that an ,internet domain address follows4 ,does not work on all ,x4#djj systems4 ,returned mail ------------- ,when an email address is incorrect in some way 7the system's name is wrong1 the domain doesn't exist1 whatever71 the mail system will bounce the message back to the sender4 ,the returned message will include the reason for the bounce4 ,a common error is addressing mail to an account name that doesn't exist4 ,let's make an error when sending to ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu4 ,enter pistservvm#a4nodak4edu instead of ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu4 ,this address is wrong4 ,below1 we've printed the complete bounced message4 ,it contains a lot of technical information4 ,most lines have no interest4 ,also1 the message is much larger than the original message1 which contained three lines only4 ,when browsing the bounced message1 note that it has three distinct parts3 7#a7 ,the mail header of the bounced message itself 7here1 the #ac first lines71 7#b7 ,the text of the error report 7from line #ad until the line ,original message follows371 and 7#c7 the mailer header and text of your original message 7as received by computer reporting the error73 ,from ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu ,fri ,dec #ah #ab3ed3jc #aiib ,return-,path3 ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu ,received3 from vm#a4,no,dak4edu by pat4uio4no with ,,smtp 7,,pp7 id #jgfaj-jpat4uio4no2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #aiib #ab3ec3ed #jajj ,received3 from ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet by ,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu 7,,ibm ,,vm ,,smtp ,v#b,r#b7 with ,,bsmtp id #ibie2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #ib #je3ec3bg ,,cst ,received3 from ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet by ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet 7,mailer ,r#b4jg7 with ,,bsmtp id #ccji2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #ib #je3ec3bf ,,cst ,date3 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #ib #je3ec3bf ,,cst ,from3 ,network ,mailer ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu ,to3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,subject3 mail delivery error ,status3 ,r ,batch ,,smtp transaction log follows3 #bbj ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,columbia ,,mailer ,r#b4jg ,,bsmtp service ready4 #jej ,,helo ,,ndsuvm#a #bej ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,hello ,,ndsuvm#a #jej ,,mail ,,from3opresnoextern4uio4no #bej opresnoextern4uio4no444 sender ,,ok4 #jej ,,rcpt ,,to3pistserv,,ndsuvm#a #bej pistserv,,ndsuvm#a444 recipient ,,ok4 #jej ,,data #ced ,start mail input4 ,end with crlf4crlf #eed-,mail not delivered to some or all recipients3 #eed ,no such local user3 ,,pistserv #jej ,,quit #bba ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,columbia ,,mailer ,,bsmtp service done4 ,original message follows3 ,received3 from ,,ndsuvm#a by ,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet 7,mailer ,r#b4jg7 with ,,bsmtp id #ccjh2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #ib #je3ec3be ,,cst ,received3 from pat4uio4no by ,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu 7,,ibm ,,vm ,,smtp ,v#b,r#b7 with ,,tcp2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #ib #je3ec3bc ,,cst ,received3 from ulrik4uio4no by pat4uio4no with local-,,smtp 7,,pp7 id #jgeij-jpat4uio4no2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #aiib #ab3ec3bd #jajj ,received3 by ulrik4uio4no 2 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #aiib #ab3ec3ah #jajj ,date3 ,fri1 #ah ,dec #aiib #ab3ec3ah #jajj ,from3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,message-,id3 #ibabahaaec4;,a,aulrik#bjeafulrik4uio4no ,to3 pistservvm#a4nodak4edu ,subject3 test index kidlink ,the first part of the bounced message is usually of no interest4 ,hidden in the second part you'll find the following interesting line3 #eed ,no such local user3 ,,pistserv ,ah1 a typo6 ,if your original message was long1 you're likely to be pleased by having the complete text returned in the third part of the bounced message4 ,now1 you may get away with a quick cut and paste1 before resending it to the corrected address4 ,the text and codes used in bounced messages vary depending on what type of mailbox system you're using1 and the type of system that is bouncing your mail4 ,above1 ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu returned the full text of my bounced mail4 ,some systems just send the beginning of your original text1 while others 7in particular some ,x4#djj systems7 send nothing but a note telling you the reason for the bounce4 ,note3 ,when you fail to understand why a message is being bounced1 contact your local postmaster for help4 ,send him a copy of the complete text of the bounced message up to and including the line ,subject3 at the bottom4 ,you do not have to send him the text of your original message6 ,replying to an ,internet message ------------------------------- ,on the ,internet1 electronic messages have a common structure that is common across the network4 ,on some systems1 you can reply by using a reply command4 ,if this feature is not available1 use the sender's address as given in the mail header4 ,the bounced message contained two mail headers3 the header of my original message 7in part three71 and the header of the bounced message 7in part one74 ,the 'good' reply address is laid out in the ',from3' header4 ,thus1 this message contains the following two 'good' addresses3 ,from3 ,network ,mailer ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu ,from3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,the ,network ,mailer located the second address line above in my original message1 and used this address when sending the bounced message4 7,note3 there is no point in sending a message back to ,,mailer,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu since this is the address of an automatic mail handling program4 ,write to ,postmaster,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu to talk to a real person at this computer center47 ,the exact order of a message's header may vary from system to system1 but it will always contain the vital ',from3' line4 ,note3 ,exercise caution when replying to a message sent by a mailing list4 ,if you wish to respond to the author only1 make sure that the only address you're replying to is that person's4 ,don't send it to the entire list6 ,directories of services and subscribers --------------------------------------- ,there is no complete global directory of available electronic addresses4 ,on many systems1 however1 you can search lists of local users4 ,normally1 you'd be better off by calling the recipient for his or her email address4 ,sometimes1 the information given you by the recipient is not enough4 ,maybe the address needs an extension for the message to be routed through gateways to the destination4 ,another typical problem is that the syntax of the address is wrong4 ,perhaps you made a mistake1 when you wrote it down 7,,kidcafe became ,,kidscafe74 ,the return address in the received messages' mailer headers may be wrong4 ,it may use a syntax that is illegal on you email system1 or it may suggest a routing that is unknown to your system4 ,when trying to send mail to this address1 the ,mailer-,daemon complains3 ,this is a non-existent address4 ,again1 the first person to contact for help is your local postmaster4 ,on most ,internet hosts this is simple4 ,if you have a mailbox on the ,,ulrik computer at the ,university of ,oslo1 send a request for help to postmasterulrik4uio4no 4 ,if you are on ,,colnet in ,buenos ,aires1 send to postmastercolnetr4edu4ar 4 ,,postmaster is also the address to turn to on ,,bitnet4 ,users of ,fido,net or ,relay,net1 should write to ,,sysop4 ,it may not be that simple to locate the postmaster on ,,uucp4 ,the postmaster ,,id may exist on some systems1 but often he's just a name or a user code4 ,you can get the email address of known ,internet systems by sending a message to ,,service,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil 4 ,in the subject of the message1 write the command ,,whois host-machine-name4 ,do not write anything in the text 7will be ignored74 ,you will get a report of the desired mailbox computer1 and the address of the local postmaster4 ,example3 ,to3 ,,service,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil ,subject3 ,,whois ,,aero4,,org ,text3 ,sometimes1 you just don't know the name of a recipient's mailbox computer4 ,when this is the case1 start at the top of the pyramid4 ,say your desired recipient lives in ,germany4 ,the ,,iso country code for ,germany is ,,de 7see appendix #f74 ,send the message ,to3 ,,service,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil ,subject3 ,,whois ,,domain ,,de ,text3 ,this will give you the email addresses of the main postmasters for this country4 ,most postmasters are willing to help1 but please note that most of them are very busy people4 ,it may take days before they get around to respond to your inquiry4 ,there are over #ajj other whois-servers in more than #ae countries4 ,the systems whois4nic4ad4jp and whois4ripe4net cover ,japan and ,europe4 ,the rest of them provide information about local users4 7,a list is available via anonymous ,,ftp from sipb4mit4edu in the file _/pub_/whois_/whois-servers4list 4 ,chapter #ab has information about how to get this list by email74 ,if your recipient is on ,,uucp1 try netdirmcsun4eu4net 4 ,to locate the postmaster of the mailbox system amanpt#a1 use the following format 7write nothing in the text73 ,to3 netdirmcsun4eu4net ,subject3 amanpt#a ,text3 ,,bitnet provides information about connected systems through many sources4 ,scandinavian users use ,,listserv,,finhutc4,,bitnet in ,finland4 ,try a ,,listserv on a host closer to where you live4 ,for example1 ,north ,american users may use ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet1 which is a host in ,north ,dakota4 ,japanese users should write to the host ,,listserv,,jpnknu#aj4;,,bitnet4 ,when retrieving for ,,bitnet host information mail1 your search will have to be done in two steps4 ,here1 your commands are ,,not to be entered on the ,subject line4 ,enter all commands in the ,,text field 7text on the ,subject line will be ignored74 ,example3 ,you want information about the ,,bitnet computer ,,finhutc 7called a node in the network74 ,your first message should have the following text3 _/_/ job echono database search ddrules _/_/rules dd 99 search 99 in bitearn where node ,,finhutc index ,,listserv sends you the following report3 search 99 in bitearn where node ,,finhutc -- ,database ,,bitearn1 #a hit4 index ,ref ,conn ,nodeid ,site name ---- ---- ------ --------- #jiaj #he_/aa ,,finhutc ,helsinki ,university of ,technology1 ,finland ,send a new search message to the ,,listserv containing the same commands as above4 ,add one line in which you ask for database record number #jiaj 7given in the column ,ref74 ,like this3 _/_/ job echono database search ddrules _/_/rules dd 99 search 99 in bitearn where node ,,finhutc index print #jiaj ,,listserv will return a report with a lot of information4 ,here is part of it3 ,node3 ,,finhutc ,country3 ,,fi ,internet3 ,,finhutc4hut4fi ,net3 ,,earn ,nodedesc3 ,helsinki ,university of ,technology1 ,finland ,phsalmine3 ,harri ,salminen2,,lk-,,hs,,finhutc2#ceh #j #deadcah ,ppautio3 ,petri ,autio2,,postmast,,finhutc2#ceh #j #deadcah ,pvvoutila3 ,vuokko ,voutilainen2,,opr,,finhutc2#ceh #j #deadcdb ,routtab3 ,,rscs 7,,netserv1,,postmast,,finhutc7 ,for more information about searching ,,bitnet databases1 send this message to your favorite ,,listserv1 or use the address below3 ,to3 ,,listserv,,finhutc4,,bitnet ,subject3 nothing ,,text3 ,,get ,,listdb ,,memo ,x4#djj systems are developing an address directory according to ,,ccitt standard ,x4#ejj4 ,the plan is to connect several directories4 ,the developers hope that routing of ,x4#djj messages may eventually be done automatically without the user needing to know the identity of the recipient's mailbox computer4 ,x4#ejj will certainly help ,x4#djj users4 ,the problem is that most email is still carried by other types of systems1 and that ,x4#ejj has no concern for mail transported through foreign systems4 ,dialcom ------- is a commercial1 global online service1 which have many nodes in ,africa and ,latin ,america4 ,to send mail from ,dialcom to the ,internet you must use commercial gateway-services like ,d,a,snet 7see appendix #a74 ,to send mail from one ,dialcom system to another1 use the syntax #fjjg3;,,ewp#jjb4 ,this address points to mailbox ,,ewp#jjb on system number #fjjg4 ,to send mail from ,internet to ,dialcom user ,,ynp#jgi on system #ajjja1 use the following address when sending through ,d,a,snet3 #ajjjaynp#jgi;dcdial4das4net ,note3 ,only registered users with ,d,a,snet can use this method4 ,fido,net ------- ,users of this global network can send and receive mail to_/from the ,internet4 ,for example1 a ,fido,net user may use the following method to send to my ,internet address3 ,send the message to user ,,uucp at #a3aje_/db4 ,the first line of the ,,text of the message should contain3 ,to3 opresnoextern4uio4no ,add a blank line after the address before entering the text of your message4 ,fido,net addresses are composed by three or four numbers2 zone3net_/node or zone3net_/node4point ,the ,fido,net address #a3aje_/db has three elements4 #a3 tells that the recipient lives in ,zone number #a 7,north ,america74 #aje_/db refers to ,node number #db1 which receives mail through ,net number #aje4 ,this node has an automatic gateway to the ,internet4 ,another example3 ,jan ,stozek is sysop of ,home of ,,pcq in ,warsaw1 ,poland4 ,the ,node number of his ,,bbs is #aj4 ,he receives mail through ,net number #dhj4 ,poland is a country in ,europe1 ,zone number #b4 ,the address to his system is3 #b3dhj_/aj4 ,his user name is ,jan ,stozek4 ,you can send an ,internet message to anyone in ,fido,net by using the following template3 firstname4lastnameppoint4fnode4nnet4zzon e4fidonet4org ,where firstname is the person's first name lastname is the person's last name ,to send a message from the ,internet to ,jan1 use this address3 ,jan4,stozekf#aj4n#dhj4z#b4;fidonet4org ,one final example3 ,ola ,garstad in ,oslo has the ,fido,net address #b3ejb_/ae4 ,use the address ,ola4,garstadf#ae4n#ejb4z#b4;fidonet4org 1 when sending mail to him through the ,internet4 ,an updated list of global ,fido,net nodes can be retrieved from most connected ,,bbs systems4 ,for more information -------------------- ,if you have access to ,,bitnet or ,internet mail1 get ,the ,inter- ,network ,mail ,guide4 ,it describes how to send mail between electronic mail systems like ,apple,link1 ,,bitnet1 ,,bix1 ,compu,serve1 ,connect-,,usa1 ,easy,net1 ,envoy1 ,fido,net1 ,geo,net1 ,internet1 ,,mci1 ,,mfenet1 ,nasa,mail1 ,peace,net1 ,sinet1 ,span1 ,sprint,mail1 and more4 ,send a message to the ,,bitnet address ,,listserv,,unmvm4,,bitnet4 ,in the ,,text of the message enter3 ,,get ,,network ,,guide ,this list is also posted monthly to the ,usenet newsgroups comp4mail4misc and news4newusers4questions4 ,the document ,,faq3 ,how to find people's ,e-mail addresses is regularly posted to the ,usenet group news4answers4 ,it is also available by email from mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu 4 ,to get a copy1 put the command send usenet_/news4answers_/finding-addresses in the body of your message4 ,chapter #h3 ,free expert assistance ,this may sound too good to be true4 ,many computer experts are ready to help ,,you without asking a dollar in return4 ,the same is the case with experts in other areas4 ,you have an impossible decision to make4 ,a lawyer has a dotted line that requires your signature1 or a surgeon has a dotted line in mind for your upper abdomen4 ,you're not comfortable with the fine print or the diagnosis and wonder if a second opinion is in order4 ,just ask1 and get help4 ,if you have problems with your communications program1 post a message on a bulletin board4 ,do the same thing if you want to sell equipment4 ,learn from other people's experiences with computers or software that you plan to buy4 ,you will get a reply - if the subject or you attract interest4 ,in the process1 you'll get new friends1 and be able to follow the development in a dynamic marketplace4 ,the following message from ,compu,serve is typical3 #af-,nov-#ia #ae3af3ad ,sb3 ,back ,forth software ,fm3 ,joan ,healy ,to3 ,john ,nelson ,changed my mind about ,grand,view3 #a4 ,learning curve like ,mt4 ,everest4 ,give me intuitive or give me death4 #b4 ,lack of patience with 4 #c4 ,lack of time4 #d4 ,it may be unsuited for what ,i wanted 7outlining a book74 ,since becoming a born-again ,galaxian1 ,i've started using that for the outline1 and ,i'm happy4 ,there's nothing like a decision and a permanent bonding and lifelong commitment to make a woman happy4 ,remember that1 you louts4 3-7 ,many users prefer open conference messages to private email for their technical discussions4 ,this gives the group a chance to read1 comment1 provide additional facts1 and return with new questions4 ,the reactions to one simple question may be overwhelming1 but most of the time the contributions are useful and educational4 ,since the discussion is public1 regard it as your personal online university4 ,offer opinions when you have something to contribute1 or keep silent4 ,in most conferences1 some members are critical to lurkers4 ,a lurker is someone who read without ever contributing4 ,don't let them get to you4 ,do not feel bad about being silent4 ,most other members are there only to watch and learn as well4 ,if you consider buying a newly released computer program1 tune in to the section of your favorite online service that deals with products from this manufacturer4 ,count messages with complaints of the new program before buying4 ,when you have received your new program1 return to read other users' experiences and to pick up practical advice4 ,it will never hurt to offer your own two cents' worth in the process4 ,visit online services that have many users who know more than most4 ,there1 you will usually get faster and better replies to your questions4 ,it is far cheaper to ask than to search4 ,start with bulletin boards4 ,if you have never visited a ,,bbs1 call one in your neighborhood to get a feel for what this is4 ,most of them can be accessed free4 ,usually1 their only requirement is that you answer some self-presentation questions before being granted full access to their system4 ,most bulletin boards offer conferencing and archives filled with shareware and public domain software4 ,many also have files or bulletins listing telephone numbers of other boards in your country or area4 ,the trick is to find know-how4 ,the larger the online service1 the more skilled people are likely to meet there regularly4 ,therefore1 if local bulletin boards fail to satisfy your needs1 visit the large commercial services4 ,compu,serve and ,,exec-,,pc are two services in the top league4 ,,bix is another good source of information for professional computer specialists4 ,one exception3 ,when you need contact with ,,one particular person1 who knows ,,your problem in detail1 go where he uses to go4 ,examples3 ,if you need top advice about the communications program ,,galink1 call ,mike's ,,bbs in ,oslo 7at #dgb -#dafehh74 ,if you buy modems from ,semafor ,a_/,s1 the best place for expert advice is ,semaforum ,,bbs 7tel4 #dgda-cgj-aagaj74 ,if you have a ,novell local area network1 visit the ,novell forums on ,compu,serve4 ,for users of ,,ms-,,dos computers ----------------------------- ,i visit the following ,compu,serve forums regularly3 ,,ibm ,communication - about communication software for ,,ms-,,dos computers4 ,,ibm ,hardware - about new ,,ibm compatibles1 expansion cards1 displays1 hard disks1 ,,ibm ,,ps_/#b1 software for performance evaluation1 printers1 etc4 ,,ibm ,systems_/,utilities - about ,,dos1 utilities1 shells1 file utilities1 and much more4 ,a large software library4 ,,ibm ,applications - about all kind of applications4 ,the forum has a large file library full of shareware and public domain software4 ,many ,compu,serve forums are operated or sponsored by software and hardware vendors1 like3 ,adobe ,systems ,inc41 ,aldus ,corp41 ,ashton-,tate ,corp41 ,autodesk ,inc41 ,borland ,international1 ,broderbund ,software ,inc41 ,buttonware ,inc41 ,cadkey ,inc41 ,crosstalk ,communications1 ,customs ,technologies1 ,enable ,software1 ,datastorm ,technologies ,inc41 ,microsoft ,systems1 ,nantucket ,corp41 ,lotus ,development ,corp41 ,novell ,inc41 ,peter ,norton ,computing1 ,quarterdeck ,office ,systems1 ,quicksoft1 ,sun ,microsystems 7,,tops ,division71 ,symantec ,corp41 ,toshiba1 ,turbopower ,software1 and ,word,perfect ,corp4 ,compu,serve has hundreds of other forums with associated libraries of files and programs4 ,fido,net has the ,,pc,,tech and ,,pcug conferences1 and a long list of product specific echos like ,,quickbbs1 ,,pctools1 ,,zmodem1 ,,desqview and ,,windows4,,sharew 4 ,,bitnet has ,,clipper 7,,clipper,,brufpb71 ,i-,,ibmpc 7,i-,,ibmpc,,uiucvmd71 ,,pc-,l 7,,pc-,l,,ufrj71 and the abstract service ,,info-,,ibmpc 7,,ibmpc- ,l,,bnandp#aa74 ,on ,,exec-,,pc1 look under ,,ms-,,dos systems4 ,usenet has many offerings including the following3 comp4sys4ibm4pc4misc ,discussion about ,,ibm personal computers4 comp4sys4ibm4pc4digest ,the ,,ibm ,,pc1 ,,pc-,,xt1 and ,,pc-,,at4 7,moderated7 comp4sys4ibm4pc4hardware ,,xt_/,,at_/,,eisa hardware1 any vendor4 comp4sys4ibm4pc4rt ,topics related to ,,ibm's ,,rt computer4 comp4sys4ibm4ps#b4;hardware ,microchannel hardware1 any vendor4 ,for help with ,lotus #a-b-c1 there are two ,compu,serve forums4 ,there is a ,,lotus conference on ,relay,net4 ,word,perfect ,corp4 has a support forum on ,compu,serve4 ,,wordperf is the equivalent offering on ,relay,net4 ,on ,,ilink1 visit ,,wordperfect4 ,for support about ,ami ,pro1 visit ,compu,serve's ,,ldc ,word ,processing ,forum4 ,for owners of ,amiga computers ----------------------------- ,fido,net has a long list of conferences for ,amiga users3 ,,amiga ,amiga ,international ,echo ,,amigagames ,amiga ,gaming ,,amiga,,comms ,amiga ,communications ,software and ,hardware ,,amiga,,desktop ,amiga ,desktop ,publishing ,,amiga,,info ,,amiga,,info ,,amiga,,lc ,amiga ,lattice_/,,sasc ,c ,echo ,,amiga,,net,,dev ,amiga ,network ,developers4 ,,amiga,,pdreview ,amiga ,,pd ,reviews ,requests ,,amiga,,perfect ,amiga ,word ,perfect ,word ,processing ,,amiga,,prog ,amiga ,programmer's ,international ,conference ,,amiga,,sysop ,amiga ,sys,op's ,discussion_/,,ads ,echo ,,amiga,,ug ,amiga ,user's ,groups ,,amiga,,video ,amiga ,video and ,animation ,,exec-,,pc has the ,amiga ,hardware and ,amiga ,software conferences1 and a large library with shareware and public domain files4 ,,ilink has the ,,amiga conference4 ,usenet's com4sys4amiga hierarchy has entries like advocacy1 announce applications1 audio1 datacomm1 emulations1 games1 graphics1 hardware1 introduction1 marketplace1 multimedia1 misc1 programmer1 reviews and more4 ,abstracts of comp4sys4amiga conferences are available through several ,,bitnet mailing lists1 like ,,amigahar,,dearn1 ,,amiga-,d,,ndsuvm#a1 and ,,amiga-,s,,ndsuvm#a4 ,most online services have ,find this ,file commands4 ,the most powerful ones are often found on free bulletin boards4 ,on ,compu,serve1 type ,,go ,,amiga to get to ,,cbmnet and get the following welcome menu3 ,amiga ,forums #a ,amiga ,arts ,forum #b ,amiga ,tech ,forum #c ,amiga ,user's ,forum #d ,amiga ,vendor ,forum #e ,amiga ,file ,finder ,commodore ,forums #f ,commodore ,arts and ,games #g ,commodore ,applications ,forum #h ,commodore ,service ,forum #i ,commodore ,newsletter ,a while ago1 we visited ,,cbmnet to find a communications program4 ,from the menu above1 selection five took us to ,the ,amiga ,file ,finder service1 and this menu3 ,file ,finder ,,amiga #a ,about ,file ,finder #b ,instructions ,for ,searching #c ,how to ,locate ,keywords #d ,access ,file ,finder #e ,your ,comments ,about ,file ,finder ,choice four lets us search for files using keywords1 file creation dates1 forum names1 file types1 file name extension1 file name or author4 ,our choice was searching by keywords4 ,the result was a long list of alternatives3 ,enter ,search ,term3 comm ,amiga ,file ,finder #a ,,amigatech_/,c ,programming ,,comsrc4,,arc #b ,,amigatech_/,c ,programming ,,pmdsrc4,,lzh #c ,,amigatech_/,c ,programming ,,pntsrc4,,lzh #d ,,amigauser_/,communications ,,bbsind4,,lzh #e ,,amigauser_/,communications ,,intouc4,,arc etc4 ,by entering numbers1 we asked for short descriptions of file number #d through #ac4 ,here is one of them3 ,filename 3 ,,intouc4,,arc ,forum3 ,,amigauser ,lib3 ,communications ,lib 3 #e ,submitter3 #gfgjb1ccg #bd-,mar-#hi ,size3 #eabjj ,accesses3 #aeg ,this is a modified ,comm#a4cd4 ,it supports both ,,vt#ajj and ,,ansi4 ,the ,,vt#ajj emulation is based on ,dave ,wecker's ,,vt#ajj program4 ,there is automatic dialer1 split screen that is configurable1 phone book1 and other nice features4 ,this is what we were looking for4 ,first1 enter ,,go ,,amigauser to get to the forum4 ,enter ,,dl #e to get to ,downloading ,library number #e4 ,,intouch4,,arc was retrieved using the ,compu,serve ,quick ,b transfer protocol4 ,this protocol is usually the most efficient choice on this service4 ,there are also active ,amiga forums on ,,bix1 ,g,enie1 and ,,cix 7,england74 ,apple users ----------- ,fido,net has an ,,apple conference4 ,,bitnet has ,,apple#b-,l 7,,apple#b- ,l,,brownvm74 ,compu,serve has ,apple ,,ii ,programmers ,forum1 ,apple ,,ii ,users ,forum1 ,apple ,,ii ,vendor ,forum1 ,mac ,community ,clubhouse ,forum1 ,mac ,developers ,forum1 ,mac ,fun_/,entertainment ,forum1 ,mac ,hypertext ,forum1 ,mac ,new ,users_/,help ,forum1 ,mac ,system #g4j ,forum1 ,mac ,system ,software ,forum1 ,mac,user ,forum and ,mac,w,e,e,k ,forum4 ,similar services are found on many other online services4 ,you will also find conferences devoted to support of popular commercial software for ,apple computers4 ,other computers --------------- ,there are so many types of computers3 ,atari computers1 the ,,trs-#hj series and others from ,tandy1 ,,dec computers1 mainframes from ,,ibm1 ,hewlett-,packard computers1 ,,cp_/,m machines1 users of ,,ldos_/,,trsdos or ,,os#i1 ,apricot1 ,z#hh1 ,timex_/,sinclair1 ,archimedes1 ,psion1 and ,armstrad4 ,even so1 there is a high probability that you can find online support for almost all of them4 ,this is so even if the vendor is out of business long ago4 ,compu,serve is a good place to start4 ,chapter #i3 ,your electronic daily news ,read national and global news before they are announced by the traditional media4 ,get those interesting background facts4 ,read special interest news stories that seldom appear in print4 ,sure1 you read newspapers1 watch ,,tv1 and listen to radio4 ,but did you know how limited their stories are8 ,traditional news media just give you a small part of the news4 ,their editors are not concerned about ,,your particular interests4 ,they serve a large group of readers1 viewers or listeners with different interests in mind4 ,go online to discover the difference4 ,the online news has an enormous width and depth4 ,besides popular news1 you will find stories that few editors bother to print4 ,this may give you better insight in current developments1 and in as much details as you can take4 ,most commercial online services offer news4 ,most of their stories come from large news agencies and newspapers4 ,you can also read and search articles from magazines1 newsletters and other special publications4 ,the online users' ability to search today and yesterday's news makes these offerings particularly useful4 ,the cost of reading a given news item varies by online service4 ,what will set you back #bj cents on one service1 will cost you two dollars on another4 ,it may be many times more expensive 7or cheap7 to read the same article from the same news provider on another online service4 ,so1 professional online users compare prices4 ,national news ------------- ,in ,norway1 we have long been able to read local language news from print media like ,aftenposten1 ,dagens ,naeringsliv1 ,kapital1 and news wires from ,,ntb and other local sources4 ,similarly1 local language news is available online in most countries4 ,the cost of reading local news on national online services tends to be more expensive than on major global online services4 ,as competition among global news providers increases1 however1 this is bound to change4 ,international news ------------------ ,the ,global ,village is an old idea in the online world4 ,news from most parts of the world has long been globally available4 ,a while ago1 a well-known ,norwegian industrialist visited my office4 ,i showed off online searching in ,news,net newsletters and stumbled over a story about his company4 ,incredible6 he said4 ,we haven't even told our ,norwegian employees about this yet4 ,often1 ,american online services give news from other countries earlier you can get it on online services from these countries4 ,besides1 the stories will be in ,english4 ,in #aiia1 the ,united ,states had #ef percent of the world's online databases 7,source3 the research company ,,iq1 ,september #aiia74 ,sure1 most ,norwegians prefer to read news in ,norwegian4 ,the ,japanese want news in their language1 and the ,french in ,french4 ,if they can get the news earlier than their competitors1 however1 most are willing to read ,english4 ,few master many languages4 ,unless you live in a country where they talk ,arabic1 ,chinese or ,french1 chances are that you cannot read news in these languages4 ,english1 however1 is a popular second choice in many countries1 and it has become the unofficial language of the online world4 ,another thing is that reading local language news is risky4 ,translators often make mistakes4 ,one reason is time pressure1 another poor knowledge of the source language4 ,the risk of inaccuracies increases when a story1 for example initially translated from ,spanish into ,english1 then are being translated into a third language4 ,avoid news that has been translated more than once4 ,if not1 you may experience something like this3 ,on ,september #ai1 #aiia1 ,norwegian ,,tv brought news from ,moscow4 ,they told that ,russian president ,boris ,yeltsin had a heart attack4 ,the online report from ,associated ,press1 which arrived #g4e hours earlier1 talked about a minor heart attack with the following additional explanation3 ,in ,russian1 the phrase 'heart attack' has a broader meaning than in ,english4 ,it is commonly used to refer to a range of ailments from chest pains to actual heart failure4 ,your personal online daily newspaper will often give you the news faster and more correctly than traditional print media4 ,some news is only made available in electronic form4 ,seven minutes in #aiia --------------------- ,on ,september #ai1 ,i called ,compu,serve to read news and gather information about online news sources4 ,according to my log1 ,i connected through ,infonet in ,oslo 7see ,chapter #ac74 ,the total cost for seven minutes was ,,us#f4jj1 which included the cost of a long distance call to ,oslo4 ,i read some stories1 while they scrolled over the screen4 ,all was captured to a file on my hard disk for later study4 ,the size of this file grew to #cb4jjj characters1 or almost #ae single-spaced typewritten pages 7,a-#d size74 ,if ,i had spent less time reviewing the lists of available stories1 seven minutes would have given a larger file4 ,when ,i had entered my user ,,id and password1 a menu of stories came up on my screen4 ,the headline read ,news from ,compu,serve4 ,the two first items caught my attention1 and ,i requested the text4 ,one had #bj lines about an easier method of finding files in the forum libraries4 ,the other had ten lines about how to write addresses for international fax messages4 ,the command ,,go ,,apv brought me directly to ,associated ,press ,news ,wires4 ,you'll find such tricks by reading the online services' user manuals4 ,this command produced the following menu3 ,,ap ,online ,,apv-#a #a ,latest ,news-,updated ,hourly #b ,weather #c ,sports #d ,national #e ,washington #f ,world #g ,political #h ,entertainment #i ,business ,news #aj ,wall ,street #aa ,dow ,jones ,average #ab ,feature ,news #ac ,today in ,history ,i entered #i for business news1 and got a new list of stories3 ,,ap ,online #a ,women1 ,minority ,businesses ,lag #b ,child ,world ,accuses ,toys ,r ,us #c ,,upi ,may ,cancel ,worker ,benefits #d ,drilling ,plan ,worries ,florida #e ,,uk ,stocks ,dip1 ,tokyo's ,higher #f ,dollar ,higher1 ,gold ,up #g ,farm ,exports ,seen ,declining #h ,supermarket ,coupons ,big ,bucks #i ,cattlemen ,tout ,supply1 ,prices #j ,tokyo ,stocks1 ,dollar ,higher ,,more 6 ,the screen stopped scrolling by ,,more 64 ,pressing ,,enter gave a new list4 ,none of them were of any interest4 ,pressing ,m 7for previous menu7 returned me to the ,,apv-#a menu 7the videotext page number is given in the upper right corner of each menu display74 ,i selected ,world for global news1 which gave me this list3 ,,ap ,online #f ,two ,killed ,in ,nagorno ,karabakh #g ,yugoslavia ,fighting ,rages ,on #h ,storm ,kills ,five ,in ,japan #i ,afghan ,rebels ,going ,to ,moscow8 #j #ai ,killed in ,guatemala ,quakes ,,more 6#h ,oh1 a storm in ,japan6 ,interesting4 ,i was due to leave for ,japan in a couple of weeks1 and entered #h at the ,,more 6 prompt to read4 ,a screenful of text was transferred in a few seconds4 ,this is for later study1 ,i said1 pressed ,m to return to the menu1 and then ,,enter to get the next listing3 ,,ap ,online #a ,bomblets ,kill ,american ,troops8 #b ,no ,movement ,on ,hostage ,release #c ,baker ,plans ,return ,to ,syria #d ,baker1 ,king ,hussein ,to ,confer #e ,madame ,chiang ,leaving ,taiwan8 #f ,baker ,leaves ,syria for ,jordan #g ,klaus ,barbie ,hospitalized #h ,iraq ,denounces ,u4,s4 ,threat #i ,yelstin ,said ,resting ,at ,home #j ,,ss ,auschwitz ,guard ,found ,dead ,,more 6 ,here1 ,i used another trick from the user manual4 ,entering #e1f1i gave three stories in one batch with no pauses between them4 ,five screens with text4 ,if ,i had read the menu more carefully1 ,i might probably also have selected story #j4 ,it looked like an interesting item4 ,this is enough of the ,associated ,press1 ,i thought1 and typed ,g ,,news4 ,this gave me an overview of all available news sources 7,g ,,news is an abbreviation for ,,go ,,news1 or ,,go to the main ,,news menu73 ,news_/,weather_/,sports ,,news #a ,executive ,news ,service 77 #b ,news,grid #c ,associated ,press ,online #d ,weather #e ,sports #f ,the ,business ,wire #g ,newspaper ,library #h ,,uk ,news_/,sports #i ,entertainment ,news_/,info #aj ,online ,today ,daily ,edition #aa ,soviet ,crisis ,first1 a quick glance at #f4 ,the service presented itself in these words3 ,throughout the day ,the ,business ,wire makes available press releases1 news stories1 and other information from the world of business4 ,information on hundreds of different companies is transmitted daily to ,the ,business ,wire's subscribers4 ,then #g3 ,this database contains selected full-text stories from #dh newspapers from across the ,united ,states4 ,classified ads are ,,not included in the full-text of each paper4 ,the list of newspapers included ,boston ,globe1 ,chicago ,tribune and ,san ,francisco ,chronicle 7known for many interesting inside stories from ,silicon ,valley74 ,choice #h gave news from ,england4 ,there1 ,i selected ,,uk ,news ,clips1 which gave the following options3 ,u4,k4 ,news ,clips #ic stories selected #a ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jhah ,,yugoslav ,,air ,,force ,,hits ,,croatian ,,communications #b ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgee ,,croatia ,,battles ,,continue ,,as ,,ec ,,ponders ,,peace ,,force #c ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgec ,,arab ,,papers ,,say ,,moscow ,,wants ,,mideast ,,parley ,,delayed #d ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgdi ,,dollar ,,stands ,,still1 ,,shares ,,drift ,,lower ,,in 444 #e ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgbi ,,earnings ,,gloom ,,reverses ,,london ,,stocks' ,,early ,,gains #f ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgaf ,,soviets ,,need #ad4g ,,billion ,,dollars ,,food ,,aid1 ,,ec ,,says #g ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgjg ,,ira ,,says ,,it ,,killed ,,timber ,,yard ,,worker ,,in ,,belfast ,,docks #h ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jgjf ,,british ,,conservative ,,chief ,,plays ,,down ,,talk ,,of 444 #i ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jfcj ,,finance ,,rates #aj ,r,tw #ji_/ai #jfjc ,,reuter ,,world ,,news ,,schedule ,,at #ajjj ,,gmt ,,thursday 444 ,the numbers in column four are the release times of the stories4 ,they flow in from the wires in a continuous stream4 ,next stop was the ,,uk ,newspaper ,library4 ,here1 you can search in full-text stories from ,the ,daily and ,sunday ,telegraph1 ,financial ,times1 ,the ,guardian1 ,,uk ,news 7with selected stories from ,the ,daily ,sunday ,telegraph1 ,financial ,times1 ,the ,guardian1 ,the ,times_/,sunday ,times1 ,today1 ,the ,independent1 ,lloyd's ,list and ,the ,observer74 ,searching the ,,uk ,newspaper ,library costs ,,us#f4jj for up to ten hits4 ,you get a selection menu of the first ten stories found4 ,a menu with an additional ten stories costs another #f4jj1 etc4 ,you pay ,,us#f4jj to read the full text of selected stories4 ,these rates are added to ,compu,serve's normal access rates4 ,the news service ,soviet ,crisis was my final destination4 ,this was just a few weeks after the attempted coup in ,moscow1 and ,i was eager for reports4 ,i found the following interesting story from ,,otc ,news,alert3 ,,otc #ji_/ai #jgej ,,first ,,english ,,language ,,sovdata ,,dailine ,,is ,,launched ,this selection gave me three screens with information about a new online service4 ,briefly1 this is what it said3 ,the ,sov,data ,dia,line service includes an on-line library of more than #bej ,soviet newspapers1 business and economic periodicals1 profiles of more than #b1ejj ,soviet firms and key executives that do business with the ,west1 legislative reports and other information4 ,it also said that part of the database was available through ,mead ,data ,central 7,nexis_/,lexis71 and that it would be made available through like ,data-,star1 ,,ft ,profile1 ,reuters1 ,westlaw1 and ,,gbi4 ,undoubtedly1 the name has changed by the time you read this4 ,finally1 a fresh story about the fate of ,,kgb4 ,i read another fifty lines1 entered ,,off 7for goodbye ,compu,serve71 and received the following verdict3 ,thank you for using ,compu,serve6 ,off at #ji3jc ,,edt #ai-,sep-#ia ,connect time #j3jg ,seven minutes4 ,fifteen typed pages of text4 ,,us#f4jj4 ,not bad6 ,an overwhelming choice ---------------------- ,i am confident that your daily online newspaper will contain other stories4 ,if you're into computers1 you may want to start with ,online ,today1 ,compu,serve's daily newspaper4 ,it brings short1 informative news stories about the computer industry4 ,news,bytes is another interesting source for computer news4 ,it offers global headline news from its bureaus around the world4 ,the articles are sorted in sections called ,,apple1 ,,business1 ,,general1 ,,government1 ,,ibm1 ,,review1 ,,telecom1 ,,trends and ,,unix4 ,a favorite6 ,newsnet is also available through ,genie1 ,ziff,net on ,compu,serve1 ,news,net1 ,dialog1 in the newsgroup clari4nb on ,usenet1 and various ,,bbs systems around the world4 ,i read it through a ,norwegian ,,bbs 7,euro,net in ,haugesund74 ,for general news1 start with major newswires1 like ,associated ,press1 ,agence ,france-,presse1 ,xinhua1 ,reuters1 and the like4 ,you will find them on many commercial services including ,news,net1 ,compu,serve1 and ,dialog4 ,,frognet - ,the ,french ,way ------------------------ ,if you know ,french1 check out ,,frognet4 ,this ,french language service brings daily news from ,agence ,france ,press1 and often has added excerpts from the ,french dailies4 ,,frog is distributed by the services of the ,french embassy in ,washington4 ,it covers world affairs1 ,european and ,french items1 assembled1 naturally1 from a ,french point of view4 ,the service is free4 ,to subscribe1 send a message through the ,internet to ,,frog,,guvax4,,georgetown4,,edu 4 ,it should contain your answers to the following electronic application form4 ,replace the s with your inputs 7,this is ,french1 right873 ,,nom3 ,,prenom3 ,,naissance344_/44_/44 ,,arrivee344_/44_/44 ,,depart344_/44_/44 ,,email3 ,,ecole ,d',,origine3 ,,qualite3 ,,adresse ,,de ,,recherche3 ,,pays3 ,,state3 ,,universite3 ,,recherche3 ,,motscles3 ,,domaine3 ,complicated8 ,,ok1 here's some instructions in ,french ,,ascii3 99 ,pour les dates veuillez utiliser le format ,francais 7,,dd_/,,mm_/,,yy74 ,arrivee3 c'est la date d'arrivee dans le pays ou vous etes actuellement4 99 ,,qualite3 ,etes vous ,,vsn1 ,,phd1 ,,master1 ,,ingenieur1 ,,post-,,doc 4448 99 ,,ecole ,d',,origine3 ,diplome obtenu en ,france 99 ,,pays3 ,,us1 ,australie 4444 99 ,,state3 pour les ,,us en #b lettres 7,,ny1 ,,tx1 ,,ca7 99 ,,universite3 actuelle ou societe 99 ,,recherche3 ,soyez explicite 6 99 ,,motscles3 7ex3 ,neuronaux1 polymeres1 ,,tvhd4447 99 ,,domaine3 ,en #c lettres confere nomenclature ci-dessous ,nomenclature de la ,national ,science ,foundation4 ,,agr ,,agriculture ,,bio ,,biological ,,sciences ,,hes ,,health ,,sciences ,,eng ,,engineering ,,cis ,,computer ,,and ,,information ,,sc4 ,,mat ,,mathematics ,,phy ,,physical ,,sciences ,,ast ,astronomy ,,atm ,atmospheric ,meteorological ,sciences ,,che ,chemistry ,,geo ,geological ,sciences ,,phs ,physics ,,oph ,other ,physical ,sciences ,,psy ,,psychology ,,sos ,,social ,,sciences ,,hum ,,humanities ,,his ,history ,,let ,letters ,,fll ,foreign ,languages ,literature ,,ohu ,other ,humanities ,,edu ,,education ,,edg ,education ,general ,,ted ,teacher ,education ,,tef ,teaching fields ,,prf ,,professional ,,fields ,,bus ,business ,management ,,com ,communications ,,pfo ,other ,professional ,fields ,,oth ,,other ,,fields ,news is more than news ---------------------- ,after some time1 your definition of the notion news may change4 ,since so many conferences are interesting sources1 they should also be a part of your news gathering strategy4 ,check in regularly to read what members report about what they have seen1 done1 heard1 or discovered4 ,by the way1 professional news hunters have also discovered this4 ,online conferences are popular hunting grounds for reporters of the traditional press4 ,fido,net has many conferences with specialized news contents3 ,,anews ,news of the ,,us and ,world ,,bbns ,,bbs ,news ,service ,,bionews ,environmental ,news ,,el,,salvador ,analysis and ,news ,about ,el ,salvador ,,nicanet ,analysis and ,news ,about ,nicaragua ,,pacific,,news ,pacific ,news ,,panama ,analysis and ,news ,about ,panama ,,bitnet has mailing lists like3 ,,china-,,nn ,,china-,,nn,,asuacad ,china ,news ,digest 7,global ,news7 ,,currents ,,currents,,pccvm ,south ,asian ,news and ,culture ,,india-,l ,,india-,l,,templevm ,the ,india ,news ,network ,,pakistan ,,pakistan,,asuacad ,pakistan ,news ,service ,,sedsnews ,,sedsnews,,tamvm#a ,news about ,space from ,,seds ,,tssnews ,,tssnews,,psuvm ,tunisian ,scientific ,society ,news ,,rferl-,l 7on ,,listserv,,ubvm4,,cc4,,buffalo4,,edu7 distributes the ,,rfe_/,,rl ,research ,institute ,daily ,report4 ,it is a digest of the latest developments in the former ,soviet ,union and ,eastern ,europe4 ,the report is published ,monday through ,friday by the ,,rfe_/,,rl ,research ,institute1 a division of ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty ,inc4 in ,germany4 ,some mailing lists bring a steady flow of news from various sources4 ,,seasia-,l,,msu - ,the ,southeast ,asia ,discussion ,list - is one example4 ,the list is designed to facilitate communication between researchers1 scholars1 students1 teachers1 and others interested in ,southeast ,asian studies with an emphasis on current events4 ,,seasia-,l defines ,southeast ,asia loosely as ,burma_/,myanmar across to ,hong ,kong and down through ,australia and ,new ,zealand4 ,regularly1 it brings full-text news stories from ,inter ,press ,service1 regional news agencies1 and newspapers_/radio4 ,some examples3 ,on ,jul4 #cj1 #aiib1 a full-text story from ,,ips3 ,,philippines3 ,,ramos ,,urges ,,repeal ,,of ,,anti-,,communist ,,law4 ,on ,aug4 #ac1 #aiib1 full- text story from ,the ,new ,straits ,times 7,singapore73 ,schoolgirs involved in flesh trade1 says ,farid4 ,on ,aug4 #ca1 ,,anti-,,vietnamese ,,force ,,turns ,,up ,,in ,,cambodia 7,reuter74 ,,seasia-,l also brings underground reports like ,the ,burma ,focus1 a bimonthly newsletter published by the ,all ,burma ,students' ,democratic ,front4 ,,ecuador brings news from ,ecuador4 ,daily news bulletins from ,diario ,hoy are posted to the list4 ,send roneskat4usc4edu your subscription request4 ,many ,compu,serve forums have news sections4 ,if you're into ,hot ,news and ,rumors about ,amiga ,computers1 read messages in section #c of the ,amiga ,tech ,forum4 ,consumer ,electronics ,forum has the section ,new ,products_/,news4 ,the ,journalist ,forum has ,fast ,breaking ,news6 ,the ,motor ,sports ,forum has ,racing ,news_/,notes4 ,the ,online ,today ,forum has ,in the ,news4 ,news,net's list of newsletters that you can read or search online is long1 and back issues are also available4 ,for example3 ,africa ,news1 ,agence ,france-,presse ,international ,news1 ,applied ,genetics ,news1 ,asian ,economic ,news1 ,asian ,political ,news1 ,business ,travel ,news1 ,catholic ,news ,service1 ,,cd ,computing ,news1 ,computer ,reseller ,news1 ,electronic ,materials ,technology ,news1 ,electronic ,trade ,transport ,news1 ,electronic ,world ,news1 ,high ,tech ,ceramics ,news1 ,inter ,press ,service ,international ,news1 ,international ,businessman ,news ,report1 ,news ,from ,france1 ,northern ,ireland ,news ,service1 ,online ,product ,news1 ,sourcemex -- economic news on ,mexico1 and ,,xinhua ,english language news service 7,china74 ,the ,inter ,press ,service's newsletter ,international ,news focuses on ,third ,world countries1 and news from ,europe_/,north ,america of interest to these countries 7also available through ,impress on ,nexis74 ,usenet brings news from ,bangladesh1 ,india and ,nepal in misc4news4southasia4 ,the ,clari,net hierarchy gateways newsgroups from commercial news services and other official sources1 like3 biz4commodity ,commodity news and price reports4 feature ,feature columns and products canada4briefs ,regular updates of ,canadian ,news in ,brief4 biz4economy ,economic news and indicators biz4top ,top business news books ,books publishing4 briefs ,regular news summaries4 bulletin ,major breaking stories of the week4 consumer ,consumer news1 car reviews etc4 demonstration ,demonstrations around the world4 disaster ,major problems1 accidents natural disasters4 economy ,general economic news4 entertain ,entertainment industry news features4 europe ,news related to ,europe4 fighting ,clashes around the world4 hot4easteurope ,news from ,eastern ,europe4 hot4iraq ,the ,gulf ,crisis hot4panama ,panama and ,general ,noriega4 news4top ,top ,,us news stories4 news4top4world ,top international news stories4 news4trends ,surveys and trends4 news4urgent ,major breaking stories of the day4 ,a feed of ,clari,net news is available for a fee and execution of a license4 7,write infoclarinet4com for information47 ,,uucp has which brings regular news bulletins from ,poland 7,contact3 przemekndcvx4cc4nd4edu74 ,behind the news --------------- ,in an effort to garner new subscribers and retain current readers1 magazine publishers turn to online services to create an ancillary electronic version of their print product4 ,their readers are being transformed from passive recipients of information into active participants in publishing4 ,you can talk to ,,byte's writers on ,,bix1 and with ,,pc ,magazine's writers through ,ziff,net on ,compu,serve4 ,their forums function as expert sources4 ,here1 you will often learn about products and trends sometimes before the magazines hit the newsstand4 ,info,world1 an ,american computer magazine1 runs the ,info,world ,on,line service on ,compu,serve4 ,enter ,,go ,,inf to get to the following menu3 ,info,world ,on-,line ,,infoworld ,,welcome ,,to ,,infoworld #a ,about ,info,world ,online #b ,read ,current ,week's ,news - #a_/ac_/ib #c ,read ,prior ,week's ,news - #a_/jf_/ib #d ,download ,current ,week's ,reviews1 ,comparisons and ,test ,drives 77 #e ,download ,prior ,week's ,reviews1 ,comparisons and ,test ,drives 77 #f ,searching ,help #g ,search ,review_/,comparisons_/ ,impressions_/,test ,drives #h ,comments to ,info,world ,info,world highlights comprehensive computer product comparisons and reports4 ,you can browse this or previous weeks' comparisons and reviews1 or search the entire collection4 ,you can search by company name1 product1 software and hardware category4 ,britain's two best-selling ,,pc magazines share the ,,pc ,plus_/,,pc ,answers ,online forum on ,compu,serve 7,,go ,,pcplus74 ,,pc ,magazine1 another ,american magazine1 has several forums on ,compu,serve4 ,they also operate a bulletin board4 ,people from ,,ai ,expert ,magazine can be encountered in the ,,ai ,expert ,forum4 ,dr4 ,dobb's ,journal is in the ,dr4 ,dobb's ,journal ,forum4 ,the ,entrepreneur's ,small ,business ,forum 7,compu,serve7 is managed by representatives from the magazine4 ,live ,sound61 a magazine devoted to the ,,midi sound field1 occupies section and library #i of the ,,midi ,b ,vendor ,forum4 ,time magazine has a forum on ,america ,online4 ,there1 readers can discuss with magazine reporters and editors1 and even read the text of entire issues of ,time electronically before it is available on newsstands4 ,the ,online ,world shareware book1 the one you're reading just now1 also has a forum4 ,for information about how to join1 send email to ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu 7or ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a on ,,bitnet74 ,in the text of your message1 write the command ,,get ,,tow ,,master4 ,chapter #aj3 ,looking for a needle in a bottle of hay ,experienced users regularly clip news from online services1 and store selected parts of it on their personal computers' hard disks4 ,they use powerful tools to search their data1 and know how to use the information in other applications4 ,regular clipping of news is highly recommended4 ,it is often quicker and easier to search your own databases than to do it online4 ,since your data is a subset of previous searches1 your stories are likely to have a high degree of relevancy4 ,there are many powerful programs for personal computers that let you search your personal data for information4 ,read ,chapter #ad for more on this4 ,while secondary research can never replace primary information gathering1 it often satisfies most information needs related to any task or project4 ,besides1 it points in the direction of primary sources from where more in-depth information may be elicited4 ,when your personal database fails to deliver ---------------------------------------- ---- ,regular clipping can indeed help you build a powerful personal database1 but it will never satisfy all your information needs4 ,occasionally1 you must go online for additional facts4 ,when this happens1 you may feel like ,don ,quixote1 as he was looking for a needle in a bottle of hay4 ,the large number of online offerings is bewildering4 ,to be successful1 you must have a sound search strategy4 ,your first task is to locate useful ,,sources of information4 ,the next1 to decide how best to find that specific piece of information online4 ,you must ,,plan your search4 ,although one source of information1 like an online database1 is supposed to cover your area of interest1 it may still be unable to give you what you want4 ,let me explain with an example3 ,you're tracking a company called ,,ibm 7,international ,business ,machines74 ,your first inclination is to visit forums and clubs concerned with products delivered by this company4 ,there1 you plan to search message bases and file libraries4 ,what is likely to happen1 is that the search term ,,ibm gives so many hits that you almost drown4 ,to find anything of interest in these forums1 your search terms must be very specific4 ,general news providers1 like ,associated ,press1 may be a better alternative4 ,usually1 they just publish one or two stories on ,,ibm per week4 ,don't expect to learn about details that are not of interest to the general public4 ,,ap's stories may be too general for you4 ,maybe you'll be more content with industry insiders' expert views1 as provided by the ,news,net newsletters ,,outlook ,,on ,,ibm1 or ,,the ,,report ,,on ,,ibm4 ,the level of details in a given story depends in part on the news providers' readers1 and the nature of the source4 ,the amount of noise 7the level of irrelevancy7 also varies4 ,in most public forums1 expect to wade through many uninteresting messages before finding things of interest4 ,we suggest the following strategy3 ,step #a3 ,locate sources that provide relevant information1 ,step #b3 ,check if the information from these sources is at a satisfactory level of details1 and that the volume is acceptable 7not too much1 neither too little74 ,step #c3 ,study the service's search commands and procedures1 ,,plan1 and then ,,search4 ,start by asking others6 ----------------------- ,step #a is not an easy one4 ,start by asking other online people for advice4 ,this may be the fastest way to interesting sources4 ,if looking for information about agriculture and fisheries1 visit conferences about related topics4 ,ask members there what they are using4 ,if you want information about computers or electronics1 ask in such conferences4 ,when you don't know where to start your search1 ask others6 ,their know-how is usually the quickest way to the sources4 ,if this doesn't help1 check out ,g,enie's ,home ,office_/,small ,business ,round,table1 a hangout of online searchers4 ,visit ,compu,serve's ,working ,from ,home ,forum1 which has a section for information professionals 7#d71 and the section for new librarians in the ,journalism ,forum4 ,patent searchers are a very specialized group4 ,they discuss common problems on ,dialog's ,dial,mail4 ,their bulletin board is named ,,piug4 ,buy user manuals ---------------- ,some online services send free user information manuals to their users4 ,others charge extra for them4 ,if they do1 buy6 ,they're worth their weight in gold4 ,the user manuals from ,dialog1 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval and ,compu,serve make good reading4 ,the last two also publish monthly magazines full of search tips1 information about new sources1 user experiences1 and more4 ,dialog distributes the monthly newsletter ,chronolog4 ,news,net customers periodically receive a printed listing of available newsletters by subject area1 and a presentation of their information providers4 ,the ,news,net ,action ,letter 7monthly7 is also distributed by mail4 ,on some services1 you can retrieve the help texts in electronic form4 ,doing that is not a bad idea4 ,it is often quicker to search a help file on your disk1 than to browse through a book4 ,monitor the offerings --------------------- ,professional information searchers monitor the activity in the online world4 ,they search databases for information about new sources of information1 and regularly read about new services4 ,on most online services1 you can search databases of available offerings1 and a section with advertisements about their own 'superiorities'4 ,keep an eye on what is being posted there4 ,news,net lets you read and search the following newsletters3 ,worldwide ,videotex ,update1 ,worldwide ,databases 7,,pb#dd71 ,online ,newsletter1 ,the ,online ,newsletter1 and ,the ,online ,libraries and ,microcomputers4 ,the last two are also available as a database from ,information ,intelligence1 ,inc41 7,p4,o4 ,box #cajih1 ,phoenix1 ,,az #hejdf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-fjb-iif-bbhc74 ,you can read the text on ,news,net about one week before it appears in print4 ,these two newsletters can also be read and searched on ,dialog and ,data-,star1 as part of the ,information ,access ,,pts ,newsletter ,database4 ,information ,access is a full-text database with many specialized newsletters for business and industry4 ,on ,compu,serve1 you can get to ,information ,access through the ,i,quest gateway to ,news,net4 ,subscribing to ,,the ,,online ,,newsletter costs ,,us#ej4jj per year 7#aj issues7 for companies1 and ,,us#ce4jj for personal use 7#aiia74 ,for both newsletters1 the price is ,,us#ge4jj4 ,these newsletters are also available on ,,cd-,,rom4 ,the disk contains four databases3 the ,online ,newsletter1 ,online ,hotline1 ,online ,libraries and ,microcomputers1 ,major ,online ,vendors and 99,joblines99 with more than eight thousand full-text articles from ,january #aihj until today4 ,the ,,cd-,,rom version is delivered with a menu-driven searching program4 ,each word in every article and headline has been indexed and can be located in all databases4 ,the price for subscriptions of the printed version is ,,us#ii4ie4 ,price for nonsubscribers3 ,,us#aii4ie4 ,the ,september #aiia issue of ,the ,online ,newsletter had the following index 7partial73 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 999999999999999999 99,,new ,,forthcoming ,,databases99 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 999999999999999999 #aj7 ,,multimedia ,,cia ,,world ,,fact ,,book 7,,cd-,,rom7 ,,review #aa7 ,,north ,,american ,,indians ,,on ,,cd-,,rom 7,,cd-,,rom7 ,,review #ab7 ,,world ,,ceramics ,,abstracts 7,,orbit7 #ac7 ,,gene-,,tox 7,,toxnet_/,,nlm7 #ad7 ,,uk ,,trademarks 7,,orbit7 ,,renamed #ae7 ,,brs ,,adds ,,databases ,,to ,,its ,,offerings #af7 ,,current ,,patents 7,,orbit7 #ag7 ,,new ,,england ,,journal ,,of ,,medicine ,,on ,,cd-,,rom 7,,cd-,,rom7 #ah7 ,,aluminum ,,standards ,,database ,,aaasd 7,,stn #ai7 ,,plasnews 7,,stn ,,international7 #bj7 ,,epic ,,announces ,,new ,,databases #ba7 ,,disclit3 ,,american ,,authors 7,,cd-,,rom - ,,oclc7 #bb7 ,,cross-,,cultural3 ,,crime ,,and ,,social ,,problems 7,,cd-,,rom7 #bc7 ,,international ,,pharmaceutical ,,abstracts 7,,cd-,,rom7 #bd7 ,,ringdoc 7,,cd-,,rom - ,,silverplatter7 #be7 ,,codus 7,,esa-,,irs7 #bf7 ,,moody',s ,,company ,,data 7,,cd-,,rom7 #bg7 ,,federal ,,news ,,service 7,,dialog7 #bh7 ,,inpadoc ,,database ,,to ,,be ,,made ,,available ,,in ,,japan 7,,dialog7 #bi7 ,,software ,,cd3 ,,descriptions ,,reviews 7,,cd-,,rom7 #cj7 ,,monarch ,,notes ,,on ,,cd-,,rom 7,,cd-,,rom7 ,an earlier issue of the newsletter reviewed ,the ,encyclopedia of ,information ,systems and ,services1 a three-volume bible for online users and producers 7#ith edition73 ,,eiss covers more than #cj1jjj organizations1 systems1 services1 more than five thousand databases1 publications1 software products1 etc4 ,their international listing covers #a1cej information organizations in #gj countries1 and has #ece pages4 ,topics3 online host services1 videotex_/teletext information services1 ,,pc oriented services1 data collection and analysis services1 abstracting and indexing services1 computerized searching services1 software producers1 magnetic tape_/diskette providers1 micrographic applications and services1 library and information networks1 library management systems1 information on demand services1 transactional services 7new category71 document delivery services1 ,,sdi_/current awareness services1 consultants1 associations1 research and research projects1 and electronic mail applications4 ,contact3 ,gale ,research ,company1 #fde ,griswold1 ,detroit1 ,,mi #dhbbf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-cac-ifa-bbdb4 ,price per set3 ,,us #dbj4jj4 ,the ,european ,common ,market -------------------------- ,many services bring news and information from the ,european ,common ,market4 ,the ,common ,market's free database service1 ,i',m-,,guide1 is a good place to start4 ,i',m-,,guide is available through ,,echo in ,luxembourg by telnet to echo4lu 4 ,at the question ,,please ,,enter ,,your ,,code1 enter ,,echo and press ,return4 ,you can search ,i',m-,,guide for information sources1 send email inquiries to ,,echo1 and more4 ,searches can be done in ,english1 ,french1 ,german1 ,italian1 ,spanish1 ,dutch1 ,danish1 and ,portuguese4 ,if you have problems using ,i',m-,,guide1 call the ,,echo ,help ,desk in ,luxembourg at #ceb-cd #ih #aa4 ,more sources about sources -------------------------- ,the ,internet-,accessible ,library ,catalogs and ,databases report is available by email from ,,listserv,,unmvm4,,bitnet4 ,put the following command in the ,,text of your message3 ,,get ,,library ,,package ,cuadra_/,elsevier 7,box #hgb1 ,madison ,square ,station1 ,new ,york1 ,,ny #ajaei-baja1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a #bab #fcc #cihj7 sells a ,directory of ,online ,databases1 which lists databases available around the world4 ,the catalog can be searched on ,orbit and ,data-,star4 ,the ,online ,access ,publishing ,group ,inc4 7,chicago7 sells ,the ,online ,access ,guide4 ,annual subscription for this printed manual costs ,,us#ah4ie 7six issues - #aiib74 ,the ,,link-,,up magazine is another interesting source4 ,if living in ,north ,america1 contact ,learned ,information ,inc41 #adc ,old ,mariton ,pike1 ,medford1 ,,nj #jhjee-hgjg1 ,u4,s4,a44 ,if living elsewhere1 contact ,learned ,information 7,europe7 ,ltd41 ,woodside1 ,hinskey ,hill1 ,oxford ,,ox#a #e;,,au1 ,england1 if you live outside ,north ,america4 ,tel43 #dd #hfe #gcj #bge4 ,price3 ,,us#be4jj for six issues_/year 7#aiic74 ,an online version is available through ,ziff,net's ,business ,database ,plus on ,compu,serve4 ,two monthly magazines1 ,information ,world ,review 7price3 ,,gbp #cj_/year7 and ,,fulltext ,,sources ,,online from ,biblio,data ,inc4 in the ,united ,states1 is also available through ,learned ,information4 7,biblio,data1 ,p4,o4 ,box #fa1 ,needham ,heights1 ,,ma #jbaid1 ,u4,s4,a47 ,,fulltext ,,sources ,,online publishes their listing of full-text databases twice per year4 ,the price is ,,gbp #ej ,,gbp per booklet or ,,gbp #ij per year4 ,the newsletter ,,scannet ,,today 7c_/o ,helsinki ,university of ,techn4 ,library1 ,otnaesvaegen #i1 ,,sf-#jbaej ,,esbo1 ,finland7 presents news of ,scandinavian databases by country4 ,subscription is free4 ,computer ,readable ,databases from ,gale ,research is available both in print and online through ,dialog4 ,write to ,gale ,research ,company1 #fde ,griswold1 ,detroit1 ,,mi #dhbbf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,many electronic journals and newsletters are available through the ,internet1 covering fields from literature to molecular biology4 ,for a complete list1 send a message to ,,listserv,,acadvm#a4,,uottawa4,,ca with the following commands in the ,,body of your text3 ,,get ,,ejournl#a ,,directry ,,get ,,ejournl#b ,,directry ,practical hints about online searching -------------------------------------- ,we cannot give a simple1 universal recipe valid for all online services4 ,what is the best approach on one service1 may be useless on others4 ,most services offer full online documentation of their search commands4 ,you can read the help text on screen while connected1 or retrieve it for later study4 ,make a note about the following general tricks3 ,in conferences and forums3 -------------------------- ,many services have commands for selective reading of messages4 ,for example1 on ,compu,serve you can limit your search to given sections4 ,you can also select messages to be read based on text strings in the subject titles4 ,the command rs2s2,,cis ,access from ,japan2#fbibh displays all messages with the text ,,cis ,access from ,japan in their subject titles starting with message number #fbibh4 ,online searching often starts by selecting databases4 ,the next step is to enter search words 7or text strings71 and a valid time frame 7as in between #a_/a_/ij and #a_/a_/ia74 ,the following sample search terms are used on ,news,net3 ,,video99 search for all words starting with ,,video4 99 is a wild-card character referring to any ending of the word4 ,,video99 matches words like ,,videotext and ,,videoconference4 ,,sony ,,and ,,video ,the word ,,sony and the word ,,video4 ,both words must be present in the document to give a match4 ,,sony ,,within_/#aj ,,video ,both words must be present in the text1 but they must not be farther apart than ten words4 7,proximity operators7 ,,ibm ,,or ,,apple ,either one word ,,or the other4 ,many services let you reuse your search terms in new search commands4 ,this can save you time and money1 if there are too many hits4 ,for example3 if ,,ibm ,,or ,,apple gives #a1jjj hits1 limit the search by adding ,,from ,,january #ast41 or by adding the search word ,,notebook994 ,in file libraries ----------------- ,the commands used to find files are similar to those used in traditional databases4 ,often1 you can limit the search by library1 date1 file name1 or file extension4 ,you can search for text strings in the description of the contents of a file1 or use key words4 ,example3 ,you're visiting a bulletin board based on the ,,bbs program ,,rbbs-,,pc4 ,you want a program that can show ,,gif graphics picture files4 ,such files are typically described like this3 ,,vuimg#ca4;,,exe #ajcaje #jg-ae-ia ,,gif99_/,,tiff_/,,pcx ,picture ,viewer_/,printer ,from left to right3 file name1 size in bytes1 date available1 and a #dj character description4 ,you can search the file descriptions for the string gif4 ,you do this by entering the term s gif all4 ,this will probably give you a list of files4 ,some will have the letters ,,gif in the file name4 ,others will have them in the description field4 ,using ,a,n,ds and ,o,rs ------------------ ,boolean searching may seem confusing at first1 unless you already understand the logic4 ,there are three ,boolean operators that searchers use to combine search terms3 ,,and1 ,,or1 and ,,not4 ,use the ,boolean operator ,,and to retrieve smaller amounts of information4 ,use ,,and when multiple words must be present in your search results 7,,mercedes ,,and ,,volvo ,,and ,,citroen ,,and ,,prices74 ,use ,,or to express related concepts or synonyms for your search term 7,,fruit ,,or ,,apples ,,or ,,pears ,,or ,,bananas ,,or ,,peaches74 ,be careful when using the ,,not operator4 ,it gets rid of any record in a database that contains the word that you've notted out4 ,for example1 searching for ,,ibm ,,not ,,apple drops records containing the sentence1 ,,ibm and ,apple are computer giants4 ,the record will be dropped1 even if this is the only mention of ,apple in an article1 and though it is solely about ,,ibm4 ,use ,,not to drop sets of hits that you have already seen4 ,use ,,not to exclude records with multiple meanings1 like ,,chips ,not ,,potato 7if you are looking for chips rather than snack foods74 ,often1 it pays to start with a quick-and-dirty search by throwing in words you think will do the trick4 ,then look at the first five or #aj records1 but look only at the headline and the indexing4 ,this will show you what terms are used by indexers to describe your idea and the potential for confusion with other ideas4 ,use proximity operators to search multiword terms4 ,if searching for market share1 you want the two words within so many words of another4 ,the order of the words1 however1 doesn't matter4 ,you can accept both market share and share of the market4 ,searching by email ------------------ ,,mci ,mail and ,,mci ,fax have a program called ,information ,advantage1 under which online services and newsletters can deliver search results and other information over the online services4 ,dialog1 ,dun ,bradstreet1 ,news,net1 and ,individual ,inc4 have signed up for the program4 ,you can request a search by direct email to say ,dialog4 ,the search results will be returned to you via ,,mci ,mail or ,,mci ,fax4 ,with ,dun and ,bradstreet1 you call them for a credit report and they send it to you4 ,with ,history ,associates1 you send them a message via ,,mci ,mail1 and they report to you4 ,using ,,bitnet discussion lists through ,internet ---------------------------------------- ------ ,to get a directory of ,internet_/,,bitnet mailing lists1 send the following email message3 ,to3 ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu ,subject3 7keep this blank7 ,text3 ,,list ,,global ,you will receive a ,,long list of available sources of information4 ,a recent copy had over two thousand lines of text4 ,each mailing list is described with one line4 ,all these mailing lists can be used by email through the ,internet4 ,here is a random selection3 ,network-wide ,,id ,full address ,list title --------------- ------------ ---------- ,,aesrg-,l ,,aesrg-,l,,umcvmb ,applied ,expert ,systems ,research ,group ,list ,,agric-,l ,,agric-,l,,uga ,agriculture ,discussion ,,aidsnews ,,aidsnews,,eb#j,,ub#jaa ,,aids_/,,hiv ,news ,,anime-,l ,,anime-,l,,vtvm#a ,japanese animedia and other animation news4 ,,banyan ,,banyan-,l,,akronvm ,banyan ,networks ,discussion ,list ,,bridge ,,bridge,,ndsuvm#a ,bridge ,communication products ,,chem-,l ,,chem-,l,,uoguelph ,chemistry discussion ,,ejcrec ,,ejcrec,,rpiecs ,electronic ,journal of ,communication ,,famcomm ,,famcomm,,rpicicge ,marital_/family relational communication ,,sovnet-,l ,,sovnet-,l,,indycms ,,ussr electronic communication list ,the column ,network-wide ,,id contains the names of the mailing lists4 ,full address contains their ,,bitnet email addresses4 ,list title is a short textual description of each conference4 ,keep the list on your hard disk4 ,this makes it easier to find sources of information1 when you need them4 ,subscribing to mailing lists ---------------------------- ,each line in the list above refers to a mailing list1 also often called 'discussion list'4 ,they work like online conferences or message sections on bulletin boards1 but technically they are different4 7,read about ,,kidlink in ,chapter #b for background information47 ,all ,,bitnet mailing lists are controlled by a program called ,,listserv on the host computer given in column two above 7for example ,,umcvmb74 ,they offer conferencing with the following important functions3 99 ,all discussion items 7i4e41 electronic messages sent to the lists' email address7 are distributed to all subscribers4 99 ,all messages are automatically stored in notebook archives4 ,you can search these log files1 and you can have them sent to you as electronic mail4 99 ,files can be stored in the lists' associated file libraries for distribution to subscribers on demand4 ,where to send a subscription request1 depends on where you are communicating from relative to the host running the ,,listserv4 ,if this host is your nearest ,,bitnet ,,listserv1 then send the request to the address in column two by replacing the list name by ,,listserv4 ,example3 ,,aesrg-,l,,umcvmb is administered by ,,listserv,,umcvmb4 ,subscribe 7or signoff7 by email to ,,listserv,,umcvmb4,,bitnet 4 ,if there is a ,,listserv closer to where you live1 then you should subscribe to the nearby system rather than to the remote4 ,this helps keep the total costs of the international network down4 ,example3 ,you live in ,norway4 ,the nearest ,,listserv is at ,,finhutc4 ,to subscribe to ,,aesrg-,l,,umcvmb1 send to ,,listserv,,finhutc4,,bitnet 4 ,use the addresses in column two when sending messages to the other members of the discussion lists1 but do ,,not send your subscription requests to this address66 ,if you do1 it will be forwarded to all members of the mailing list4 ,chances are that nothing will happen1 and everybody will see how sloppy you are4 ,so1 you subscribe by sending a command to a ,,listserv4 ,the method is similar to what we did when subscribing to ,infonets in ,chapter #g4 ,if your name is ,jens ,jensen1 and you want to subscribe to ,,sovnet-,l1 send this message through the ,internet 7assuming that ,,ndsum#a is your nearest ,,listserv host73 ,to3 ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,subject3 7,you can write anything here4 ,will be ignored47 ,text3 ,,sub ,,sovnet-,l ,jens ,jensen ,when your subscription has been registered1 you will receive a confirmation4 ,from this date1 all messages sent to the list will be forwarded to your mailbox4 7,send ,,signoff ,,sovnet-,l to this address1 when you have had enough47 ,some lists will forward each message to you upon receipt4 ,others will send a periodic digest 7weekly1 monthly1 etc474 ,to send a message to ,,sovnet-,l1 send to the ,,bitnet address in column two above4 ,send to ,,sovnet-,l,,indycms4,,bitnet ,review the following example4 ,most ,,bitnet lists will accept these commands4 ,example3 ,subscription to the ,china list --------------------------------------- ,,china-,,nn is listed like this in the ,list of ,lists3 ,,china-,,nn ,,china-,,nn,,asuacad ,china ,news ,digest 7,global ,news7 ,scandinavians may subscribe to ,,china-,,nn by ,internet mail to ,,listserv,,finhutc4,,bitnet 4 ,north ,american users may send their mail to ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet 4 ,if your name is ,winston ,hansen1 write the following command in the ,,text of the message ,,sub ,,china-,,nn ,winston ,hansen ,when you want to leave ,,china-,,nn1 send a cancellation message like this3 ,to3 ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet ,subject3 7nothing here7 ,,signoff ,,china-,,nn ,,note3 ,send the cancellation command to the address you used1 when subscribing6 ,if you subscribed through ,,listserv,,finhutc1 sending the ,,signoff command to ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a will get you nowhere4 ,send to ,,listserv,,finhutc4 ,never send the ,,signoff command to the discussion list itself6 ,always send to the ,,listserv4 ,monitoring the action --------------------- ,,thinknet is an online magazine forum dedicated to thoughtfulness in the cybertime environment4 ,it brings reviews of significant and thought-provoking exchanges within our new electronic nation4 ,this electronic publication is free4 ,if you're interested in philosophy1 subscribe by sending a message through ,internet to thinknetworld4std4com 4 ,write the following in the ,,text of the message3 ,,send ,,thinknet ,,to ,your-,full-,name ,,at ,user,id,your-,internet-,email-,address ,example3 ,if your email address is opresnoextern4uio4no and your name ,odd de ,presno1 use the following command3 ,,send ,,thinknet ,,to ,odd de ,presno ,,at ,,opresno,,extern4,,uio4,,no ,,thinknet is also available through the ,philosophy conference on ,the ,well1 and on ,g,enie in the ,philosophy category under the ,religion and ,ethics ,bulletin ,board4 7,hard copy versions can be bought through ,,thinknet1 ,,po ,,box #hchc1 ,orange ,,ca #ibffd-hchc1 ,u4,s4,a474 ,if you're on ,the ,well1 read the topic ,news from ,around ,well ,conferences to learn about new developments4 ,these are some mailing lists that may help you locate sources of interest3 ,,netscout 7,,netscout,,vmtecmex7 ,the ,b,i,tnet_/,internet scouts4 ,subscribe by email to ,,listserv,,vmtecmex4,,bitnet with the following in the ,,text of your message ,,sub ,,netscout yourfirstname yourlastname ,this is where you can discuss and exchange information about servers1 ,,ftp sites1 ,filelists1 lists1 tools1 and any related aspects4 ,,help-,,net 7,,help-,,net,,templevm7 ,,bitnet_/,,cren_/,,internet ,help ,resource4 ,send email to ,,listserv,,templevm4,,bitnet with the text ,,sub ,,help-,,net yourfirstname yourlastname ,the list's main purpose is to help solve user problems with utilities and software related to the ,internet and ,,bitnet networks4 ,the library contains several good help files for novice networkers4 ,a great place for new ,internet users6 ,other sources available through the ,internet ---------------------------------------- ---- ,the ,interest ,groups ,list of ,lists is available by electronic mail from mail-servernisc4sri4com 4 ,send a message with the following text in the message body3 ,send netinfo_/interest-groups ,note that as of ,april #aiic1 the file was over #a1ajj1jjj bytes in size4 ,it will be returned to you in moderately sized pieces4 ,you can search the ,list of ,lists by email4 ,say you're looking for a mailing list related to ,robotics4 ,to find out1 send a message to ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu containing the following commands3 _/_/,list,srch ,,job ,echo,no ,database ,search ,,dd,rules _/_/,rules ,,dd 99 search robotics in lists index search robotics in intgroup index search robotics in new-list index ,replace the search word 'robotics' with whatever else you may be looking for4 ,the ,usenet list of news groups and mailing lists is available on hosts that run ,usenet ,news or ,net,news servers and_/or clients in the newsgroups news4announce4newusers and news4lists4 ,the members of news4newusers4questions1 alt4internet4help1 alt4internet4access4wanted1 and alt4internet4new-users readily accept your help requests4 ,alt4internet4services focuses on information about services available on the ,internet4 ,it is for people with ,internet accounts who want to explore beyond their local computers1 to take advantage of the wealth of information and services on the net4 ,services for discussion include3 99 things you can telnet to 7weather1 library catalogs1 databases1 and more71 99 things you can ,,ftp 7like pictures1 sounds1 programs1 data7 99 clients_/servers 7like ,m,u,ds1 ,,irc1 ,archie7 ,every second week1 a list of ,internet services called the ,special ,internet ,connections list is posted to this newsgroup4 ,it includes everything from where to ,,ftp pictures from space1 how to find agricultural information1 public ,,unix1 online directories and books1 you name it4 ,dartmouth maintains a merged list of the ,,listserv lists on ,,bitnet and the ,interest ,group lists on the ,internet4 ,each mailing list is represented by one line4 ,to obtain this list1 send a message to ,,listserv,,dartcms#a4;,,bitnet 4 ,enter the following command in the text of the message3 ,,index ,,siglists ,inter,n,i,c ,information ,service maintains an announcement-only service at ,,listservis4internic4net called net-happenings4 ,it distributes announcements about tools1 conferences1 calls for papers1 news items1 new mailing lists1 electronic newsletters like ,,edupage1 and more4 ,to subscribe1 send a message to the ,,listserv containing this command3 subscribe net-happenings ,your ,name ,inter,n,i,c's automated mail service is at ,,mailserv,,rs4,,internic4,,net4 ,it allows access to documents and files via email4 ,to use it1 send email to the ,mailserv with the word ,,help in the subject field of your mail4 ,how to get more out of your magazine subscriptions ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,,pc ,magazine 7,u4,s4,a47 is one of those magazines that arrives here by mail4 ,we butcher them1 whenever we find something of interest4 ,the corpses are dumped in a high pile on the floor4 ,to retrieve a story in this pile is difficult and time consuming1 unless the title is printed on the cover4 ,luckily1 there are shortcuts4 ,logon to ,,pc ,mag,net on ,compu,serve4 ,type ,,go ,,pcmag to get the following menu3 ,,pc ,mag,net #a ,download a ,,pc ,magazine ,utility #b ,,pc ,magazine ,utilities_/,tips ,forum #c ,,pc ,magazine ,editorial ,forum #d ,,pc ,magazine ,programming ,forum #e ,,pc ,magazine ,after ,hours ,forum #f ,,pc ,magazine ,product ,reviews ,index #g ,free6 - ,take a ,survey #h ,submissions to ,,pc ,magazine #i ,letters to the ,editor #aj ,subscribe to ,,pc ,magazine ,choice six lets you search for stories4 ,once you have a list with page_/issue references1 turning the pages gets much easier4 ,,pc ,magazine is owned by the media giant ,ziff-,davis4 ,,pc ,mag,net is a part of ,ziff,net on ,compu,serve4 ,so is ,computer ,database ,plus1 which lets you search through more than #bej1jjj articles from over #bjj popular newspapers and magazines4 ,the oldest articles are from early #aihg4 ,the database is also available on ,,cd-,,rom1 but the discs cover only one year at a time4 ,,cdp contains full-text from around #ej magazines1 like ,personal ,computing1 ,electronic ,news1 ,mac,week and ,electronic ,business4 ,stories from the other magazines are available in abstracted form only4 ,to search the database1 ,,cdp1 you pay an extra ,,us#bd4jj per hour4 ,in addition1 you pay ,,us#a4jj per abstract and ,,us#a4ej per full-text article 7#aiib74 ,these fees are added to your normal ,compu,serve access rates4 ,ziff,net also offers ,magazine ,database ,plus1 a database with stories from over #ij magazines covering science1 business1 sport1 people1 personal finance1 family1 art and handicraft1 cooking1 education1 environment1 travel1 politics1 consumer opinions1 and reviews of books and films4 ,the magazines include3 ,administrative ,management1 ,aging1 ,changing ,times1 ,the ,atlantic1 ,canadian ,business1 ,datamation1 ,cosmopolitan1 ,dun's ,business ,month1 ,the ,economist1 ,the ,futurist1 ,high ,technology ,business1 ,journal of ,small ,business ,management1 ,management ,today1 ,the ,nation1 ,the ,new ,republic1 ,online1 ,playboy1 ,inc41 ,popular ,science1 ,research ,development1 ,sales ,marketing ,management1 ,scientific ,american1 ,technology ,review1 ,,un ,chronicle1 ,,unesco ,courier and ,u4,s4 ,news ,world ,report4 ,in the next chapter1 we will present another ,ziff,net magazine database3 the ,business ,database ,plus4 ,magazine ,index 7,,mi71 from ,information ,access ,company 7,u4,s4,a471 is another source worth looking at4 ,it covers over #ejj consumer and general-interest periodicals as diverse as ,special ,libraries and ,sky ,telescope1 ,motor ,trend and ,modern ,maturity1 ,reader's ,digest and ,rolling ,stone4 ,many titles go as far back as #aiei4 ,although most of the database consists of brief citations1 ,,mi also contains the complete text of selected stories from a long list of periodicals4 ,it is available through ,dialog1 ,compu,serve1 ,,brs1 ,data-,star1 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval1 ,nexis1 and others4 ,say you so often get references to a given magazine that you want a paper subscription4 ,try the ,electronic ,newsstand1 which is available by gopher or telnet to gopher4netsys4com4 ,if these ,internet commands are unavailable1 try mail to staffenews4com4 ,finding that book ----------------- ,over #bgj libraries around the world are accessible by the ,internet telnet command4 ,some of them can also be accessed by ,internet mail4 ,this is the case with ,,bibsys1 a database operated by the ,norwegian universities' libraries4 ,i am into transcendental meditation4 ,i'm therefore constantly looking for books on narrow topics like mantra4 ,to search ,,bibsys for titles of interest1 ,i sent mail to genservpollux4bibsys4no 4 ,the search word was entered in the subject title of the message4 ,by return email1 ,i got the following report3 ,date3 ,fri1 #ba ,jul #ic #ac3ed3ah ,,nor ,from3 ,,genserv,,pollux4,,bibsys4,,no ,subject3 ,searching ,,bibsys ,search request 3 ,,mantra ,database-id 3 ,,bibsys ,search result 3 #e hits4 ,the following is one of the references4 ,i have forwarded it to my local library for processing3 ,forfatter 3 ,gonda1 ,j4 ,tittel 3 ,mantra interpretation in the ,satapatha-,brahmana _/ by ,j4 ,gonda4 ,trykt 3 ,leiden 3 ,e4,j4 ,brill1 #aihh4 ,sidetall 3 ,x1 #bhe s4 ,i serie 3 7,orientalia ,rheno-traiectina 2 #cb7 ,,isbn 3 #ij-jd-jhggf-a #a - ,,uhf #ijka#jccbd - ,,uhf_/,,indo ,rh ,,iii b ,gon ,the ,danish library database ,,rex may be accessed through most international packet switching networks4 ,its ,network ,user ,address 7,,nua7 is #bchbdabejhjjjj4 ,when connected1 enter ,,rc#hjjj and press return4 ,press ,,esc once4 ,the system will respond with ,,att4 ,enter ,,kb ,,rex1 and you're ready to search ,dansk ,bogfortegnelse since #aihj1 ,dansk ,musikfortegnelse since #aihj1 and ,,isds ,denmark4 ,,barton is the library system of ,massachusetts ,institute of ,technology4 ,its database contains everything received since #aigd except magazine articles1 brochures1 and technical reports from sources outside ,m4,i4,t4 ,phone3 #a-fag-beh-fgjj 7#abjj bps74 ,press ,,enter a couple of times to access the system4 ,on ,compu,serve1 there is a section for book collectors in the ,coin_/,stamp_/,collectibles ,forum1 and a ,weekly ,book ,chat section in the ,science,fiction ,fantasy ,forum4 ,in the ,electronic ,mall1 you can buy books directly from ,ballantine ,books1 ,penguin ,books1 ,small ,computer ,book ,club1 ,the ,mc,graw-,hill ,book ,company1 ,time-,life ,books and ,walden ,computer ,books4 ,on the ,internet1 ,roswell ,computer ,books ,ltd4 7,canada7 has an online bookstore with a database of over #g1jjj titles 7#aiic74 ,gopher to nstn4ns4ca1 select ,other ,gophers in ,nova ,scotia1 and then ,roswell ,electronic ,computer ,bookstore4 ,failing access to gopher1 send your email requests to roswellfox4nstn4ns4ca 4 ,the ,book ,review ,digest 7,,go ,,bookreview7 is ,compu,serve's database of bibliographical references and abstracts of reviews 7since #aihc74 ,you can search by title1 author1 and keywords found in the text of book reviews4 ,compu,serve also offers book reviews through ,magazine ,database ,plus4 ,books in print is a ,north ,american bibliographic reference database4 ,it is available on ,,brs and ,compu,serve4 ,south ,african ,bibliographic and ,information ,network has a gopher service at info#b4sabinet4co4za4 ,fido,net has ,,comics 7,the ,comic ,book ,echo71 ,,bitnet the list ,rare ,book and ,special ,collections ,catalogers 7,,notrbcat,,indycms74 ,news,net has the ,,computer ,,book ,,review newsletter and on ,the ,well you'll find the ,computer ,books conference4 ,,oclc's ,world,cat is a reference database covering books and materials in libraries worldwide4 ,bookworms may appreciate the ,,bitnet discussion list ,,dorothyl 7,,listserv,,kentvm4,,kent4,,edu71 and especially if they like ,agatha ,christie1 ,josephine ,tey and ,dorothy ,l4 ,sayers4 ,on ,usenet1 you will find alt4books4reviews1 k#ab4library1 alt4books4technical1 rec4arts4books1 and misc4 books4technical1 and more4 ,on the ,internet1 there are a rapidly growing number of library online public-access catalogs 7,o,p,a,cs7 from all over the world4 ,some provide users with access to additional resources1 such as periodical indexes of specialized databases4 ,more than #bgj library catalogs are now online 7#aiib74 ,an up-to-date directory of libraries that are interactively accessible through ,internet can be had by anonymous ftp from ftp4unt4edu 7then3 cd library74 ,file name3 ,,libraries4,,txt4 ,check out the end of ,chapter #ab for how to get the file by email 7ftpmail74 ,you will also find full electronic versions of books4 ,this book is one example4 ,many texts are courtesy of ,project ,gutenberg1 an organization whose goal is to develop a library of #aj1jjj public domain electronic texts by the year #bjjj4 ,since books are often quite large1 they are somewhat bulky for email transfer4 ,if you have direct ,internet access1 use anonymous ftp instead4 ,many books are available through the _/pub_/almanac_/etext directory at oes4orst4edu4 ,for more about how to use the ,almanac information server1 send ,almanacoes4orst4edu the following email command3 send guide ,for a list of books1 add the line send gutenberg catalog ,among the offerings1 you'll find ,the ,complete ,sherlock ,holmes ,mysteries1 ,the ,unabridged ,works of ,shakespeare1 ,aesop's ,fables1 ,alice's ,adventures in ,wonderland1 ,the ,holy ,bible1 ,the ,love ,teachings of ,kama ,sutra1 ,the ,holy ,koran1 ,the ,oedipus ,trilogy 7,sophocles71 ,peter ,pan1 ,roget's ,thesaurus 7#aiaa71 and ,the ,world ,fact ,book 7#aiij - ,,cia74 ,if quite impossible to locate a given book1 try the ,rare ,books and ,special ,collections ,forum at ,,exlibris,,rutvm#a4;,,bitnet4 ,non-,chinese speaking people will probably classify ,chinese poems as 'rare'4 ,many of them are impossible to read1 unless your computer can handle the special characters1 and you know their meaning4 ,still interested8 ,if yes1 subscribe to ,,chpoem-,l,,ubvm4,,bitnet 4 ,be prepared to use your ,big#e and ,guo,biao utilities4 ,chapter #aa3 ,getting an edge over your competitor ,we must be willing to risk change to keep apace with rapid change4 ,the key is moderation and balance1 supported by sufficient information to allow meaningful feedback4 ,it requires adaption by management and staff in developing the necessary skills and vision4 ,this chapter starts with how to use the networks to manage projects4 ,next1 it treats how to monitor competitors1 prospects1 suppliers1 markets1 technologies1 and trends4 ,it winds down with marketing and sales by modem4 ,project coordination -------------------- ,so far we have mainly been looking at sources of information4 ,let us start this chapter with some words about 'online conference rooms' for project coordination4 ,several services offer rental of private conference areas to businesses4 ,corporations have discovered them to be an efficient way of coordinating a group of people1 who are far apart from each other geographically4 ,they are also useful when team members are constantly on the move and hard to gather face to face4 ,many international companies use such services regularly4 ,the applications are different4 ,they range from tight coordination with suppliers and subcontractors1 to development of company strategies and new organizational structures4 ,renting an online conference room has advantages over doing it in-house4 ,the company does not have to buy software1 hardware1 expensive equipment for communications1 and hire people for to run and maintain a conferencing system4 ,the more international the business1 the better4 ,for ideas about how to set up and operate a coordination conference4 ,study how volunteer organizations do it4 ,one place to check out is ,,kidplan1 one of several coordination conferences used by ,,kidlink 7see ,chapter #b and #e74 ,,kidplan is usually most active during ,april and ,may each year4 ,this is when their annual projects are being closed down1 and new projects are started4 ,read the dialog between coordinators to get an idea of how the medium is being used4 ,old conference messages are stored in notebook files4 ,you can therefore have the full coordination dialogs sent you by email4 ,send all requests for notebook files to ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu ,getting notebook files is a two-step process4 ,in your first message to the ,,listserv1 ask for a list of available files4 ,do this by using the following command in your email3 ,,index ,,kidplan ,the ,,listserv will return a list of files4 ,the following part is of particular interest3 #aja_/b_/ ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,b ,,all ,,own ,v #hj #bcig #ia_/je_/ad #bc3dj3bb ,started on ,wed1 #h ,may #ia #jj3aa3ji ,,cdt #ajb_/b_/ ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,c ,,all ,,own ,v #hj #cada #ia_/je_/ba #bj3dd3af ,started on ,wed1 #ae ,may #ia #ja3bd3ea ,,cdt #ajd_/b_/ ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,d ,,all ,,own ,v #hj #bfhe #ia_/je_/bh #bb3cd3ca ,started on ,wed1 #bb ,may #ia #ag3ja3ba #jbjj ,don't bother about the details4 ,you just want file names1 and dates4 ,the file ,,log#iaje;,b contains all messages from #h ,may #aiia until #ae ,may4 ,if you want all these three files1 send another message to ,,listserv with the following lines3 ,,get ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,b ,,get ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,c ,,get ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,d ,the files will be forwarded to your mailbox4 ,note3 ,some mailbox services have restrictions on the size of incoming mail4 ,this may prevent you from receiving large notebook files4 ,if this happens1 contact your local postmaster for help4 ,some email systems are unable to forward your return-address correctly to ,,listserv4 ,if you suspect that this is the reason for lack of success1 try the following commands3 ,,give ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,b ,,to ,your-,correct-,return-,address ,,give ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,c ,,to ,your-,correct-,return-,address ,,give ,,kidplan ,,log#iaje;,d ,,to ,your-,correct-,return-,address ,making it work -------------- ,making online conferences and task force meetings work1 can be a challenge4 ,most of the dialog is based on the written word4 ,the flow of information can be substantial thus causing an information overload for some participants4 ,to overcome this1 many companies appoint moderator-organizers for their online conferences4 ,this person3 ,adds value by setting agendas2 summarizing points2 getting the discussion7s7 back on track2 moving on to the next point2 mediating debate2 maintaining address and member lists2 acting as general sparkplug_/motivator to keep things flowing by making sure that contributions are acknowledged1 relevant points are noted1 new members are welcomed1 silent ,read-,only ,members are encouraged to participate1 and the general atmosphere is kept appropriate to the goals of the conference_/task force meeting4 ,great online conferences don't just happen4 ,hard work is required4 ,a few people must be responsible for getting the meetings fired up and keep the discussion rolling4 ,the meeting's organization may depend on the number of participants1 where they come from1 the exclusivity of the forum1 and the purpose of the meeting4 ,in large meetings1 with free access for outsiders1 the best strategy may be to appoint a ,moderator-,editor4 ,this person ,filters contributions1 gathers new information1 summarizes scattered contributions1 does background research4 ,filtering may be needed in conferences that are open to customers and media4 ,the main purpose1 however1 is to help participants cope with the absolute flow of information4 ,a conference can have an educational purpose4 ,if so1 you may bring in someone who can add value by bringing experience and expertise to the group4 ,you will also need someone to do all the dirty jobs everyone expects to be done - but never notices until they are not done4 ,this person must keep the show running by serving as a benevolent tyrant1 sheriff1 judge1 mediator1 general scapegoat1 and by playing a role in setting the general policy and atmosphere of the meeting4 ,now1 back to the 'normal' applications of the online resource4 ,monitoring what others do ------------------------- ,the best business opportunities are outside your company1 in the external world4 ,we need to monitor customers and markets1 find technologies to help develop and build products1 research new business actions1 find new subcontractors and suppliers1 people to hire1 and persons to influence to boost sales4 ,in this marketing age1 where sales calls cost hundreds of dollars and business-to-business marketers use the telephone or the mails to reach prospects1 complete and accurate market lists are most valuable commodities4 ,there are many other questions3 ,what are our most important customers and their key people doing8 ,what new products are they promoting8 ,who are their joint-venture partners8 ,what else may influence their willingness to buy from us8 ,what prices are our major suppliers offering other buyers8 ,should we get other sources for supplies8 ,what major contracts have they received recently8 ,will these influence their ability to serve our needs8 ,what new technologies are available now and how are they being used by others8 ,threats are the reverse side of opportunities4 ,what are our competitors doing8 ,what products and services have they launched recently8 ,are they successful8 ,what are our competitors' weaknesses and strengths8 ,what relationships do they maintain with our most important customers8 ,how is their customer support functioning1 and what methods are they using in their quality assurance8 ,each company has its own priorities when it comes to watching the external environment4 ,the information needs are different from company to company1 depending on what products and services that are offered1 the technological level of the company1 the markets that they address1 and more4 ,needs and priorities also differ by department and person1 for example depending on whether a user is the president1 a marketing manager1 product manager1 sales man1 or has a position in finance or production4 ,remember your priorities when going online to search4 ,you cannot possibly capture and digest all information that is there4 ,your basic problem remains to find the right information in the right form at the right time4 ,build your own1 local 'database' -------------------------------- ,it does not take much effort to check one hundred different topics from multiple online sources on a daily basis4 ,the computer will do it for you4 ,also1 you do not have to read all stories as carefully as you would with printed material4 ,most experienced users just read what is important now1 and save selected parts of the retrieved texts on their hard disks for later reference4 ,we handle printed material differently4 ,most of us make notes in the margins1 underline1 use colors1 cut out pages and put into folders4 ,these tricks are important1 since it is so hard to find information in a pile of papers4 ,not so with electronic information4 ,with the right tools1 you can locate information on your computer's hard disk in seconds4 ,in seven seconds1 ,i just searched the equivalent of #bjjj pages of printed text for all occurrences of the combined search words ',,sony' and ',,cd-,,rom'6 ,my tool was the shareware program ,,lookfor 7see ,chapter #ad74 ,it searched through #d4b megabyte on my #hjdhf-;based notebook computer4 ,if you use an indexing program1 the search may be completed even faster4 ,i guess you can see it coming4 ,my personal databases usually give more direct value during my working day1 than what ,i have on paper1 and have available online4 ,my hard disks contain megabytes of texts retrieved from various online services1 but only what ,i have decided to keep4 ,this private database therefore contains more relevant information per kilobyte than the online databases ,i'm using4 ,searching the data often gives enough good hits to keep me from going online for more4 ,i repeat3 ,you will often get better results when searching your own subset of selected online databases1 than by going online to get information4 ,it is usually easier and faster4 ,on the other hand1 your in-house database will never be fully up- to-date4 ,too many things happen all the time4 ,also1 the search terms used for your daily intake of news will never cover all future needs4 ,occasionally1 you must go online to get additional information for a project1 a report1 a plan4 ,updating your database means going online often to find new supplementary information4 ,regular monitoring gives the highest returns1 and is required if you want to have an edge over your competitors4 ,for beginners1 the best strategy will often be to start with the general1 and gradually dig deeper into industry specific details4 ,let us now review some good hunting grounds for information1 and how to use them4 ,clipping the news ----------------- ,several online services offer 'clipping services'4 ,they select the news that you want - #bd hours a day - from a continuous stream of stories from newspapers1 magazines1 news agencies and newsletters4 ,several services make news immediately available1 when they have been received by satellite4 ,the delay previously used to protect the interests of print media is disappearing quickly4 ,online services usually deliver news sooner than in print media1 radio or ,,tv4 ,you select stories by giving the online service a set of search terms4 ,the hits are then sent to your electronic mailbox1 for you to retrieve at will4 ',clipping' gives an enormous advantage4 ,few important details escape your attention1 even when you cannot go online daily4 ,the stories will stay in your mailbox until you have read them4 ',clipping' on ,compu,serve ------------------------ ,compu,serve's ,executive ,news ,service 7,,ens7 monitor more than #h1jjj stories daily4 ,they use sources like ,deutsche ,press-,agentur1 ,kyodo ,news ,service1 ,,tass1 ,xinhua ,news ,agency1 the ,washington ,post1 ,,otc ,news-,alert1 ,reuters ,financial ,news ,wire1 ,associated ,press1 ,,upi and ,reuters ,world ,report1 ,,idg ,,pr ,service1 ,inter ,press ,service 7,,ips71 ,middle ,east ,news ,network and ,european ,community ,report4 ,one of them1 ,reuters1 has #a1bjj journalists in #abj bureaus all over the world4 ,they write company news reports about revenue1 profit1 dividend1 purchases of other companies1 changes in management1 and other important items for judging a company's results4 ,they write regular opinions about ,industry1 ,governments1 ,economics1 ,leading indicators1 and ,commerce4 ,reuters also offers full-text stories from ,financial ,times and other leading ,european newspapers4 ,its ,textline is a database with news from some #a1ejj publications in over #dj countries4 ,it includes ,reuters' own news services1 and has translated abstracts of stories from some #ag languages4 ,the database reaches back #aj years and is updated at around one million articles per year4 7,textline is also available on ,nexis1 ,data-,star1 and ,dialog47 ,another one1 the ,,idg ,,pr ,service1 sends out high-tech related news gathered by the staffs of ,,idg's magazines4 ,inter,press ,service covers ,third ,world countries4 ,middle ,east ,news ,network integrates the contents of #bh information sources covering this region of the world4 ,the ,executive ,news ,service lets you define up to three 'clipping folders'4 ,supply up to seven 'key phrases' that define your interests4 ,these key phrases will be used when searching stories as they are sent4 ,hits will be 'clipped' and held in a folder for you to review at your convenience4 ,each folder can hold #ejj stories4 ,when creating a clipping folder1 you set an expiration date and specify how many days a clipped story is to be held 7maximum #ad days74 ,to browse the contents of a folder1 select it from the menu4 ,stories can be listed by headlines or leads4 ,select those you want to read1 forward to others as email1 or copy to another folder4 ,delete those that you do not need4 ,defining key phrases is simple4 ,the important thing is not to get too much nor too little4 ,general phrases will give you many unwanted stories while too narrow phrases will cause you to miss pertinent stories4 ,let me illustrate with an example3 ,the phrase ,,apple ,,computers will only clip stories that have the words ,,apple and ,,computers next to each other4 ,this may be too narrow4 ,specifying just ,,apple or just ,,computers would be too broad4 ,entering ,,apple ,,computers is a better phrase since the words can appear anywhere in the story1 and not necessarily next to each other4 ,,ens carries an hourly surcharge of ,,us#ae_/;hour over base connect rates4 ,clipping on ,news,net ------------------- ,news,net greets users with this opening screen3 ----------------- - ,n ,e ,w ,s ,n ,e ,t - ----------------- ,w ,o ,r ,k ,i ,n ,g ,k ,n ,o ,w ,l ,e ,d ,g ,e 999999,new--,electromagnetic ,field ,litigation ,reporter 7,,ey#hf7 tracks developments in every important legal action involving electromagnetic radiation from power lines1 cellular phones1 ,v,t,ds1 and radar and microwave equipment4 999999,the title of ,,hh#ae has been changed to ,cancer ,researcher ,weekly4 ,this service was formerly entitled ,cancer ,weekly4 999999,important work in the blood field throughout the world is covered by ,blood ,week 7,,hh#dd71 including research1 literature1 and upcoming events4 999999,,tb ,weekly 7,,hh#de7 is an internationally-focused newsletter that concentrates on tuberculosis-related news and research1 including business developments4 ,new ,services on ,news,net3 ,,tb ,weekly 7,,hh#de7 ,blood ,weekly 7,,hh#dd7 ,electromagnetic ,field ,litigation ,reporter 7,,ey#hf7 ,chapter #aa ,update 7,,fi#hb7 ,tobacco ,industry ,litigation ,reporter 7,,hh#dh7 ,trade and ,development ,opportunities 7,,gt#ej7 ,for details on new services1 enter ,,read ,,pb#ii or ,,help followed by the service code4 ,news,net's clipping service1 ,news,flash1 will automatically search all new editions of newsletters selected for monitoring4 ,the hits will be sent to your mailbox1 and be retained there for up to ten weeks besides the current week4 ,your selection of newsletters can be extended to include news stories from ,united ,press ,international 7,,upi71 ,reuters ,news ,reports1 ,associated ,press1 ,business ,wire1 ,,pr ,newswire1 and others4 ,for some time1 ,i clipped newsletters in the telecommunications group using the keywords ',victoria' 7an ,american communication project7 and ',,kdd' 7the ,japanese telecom giant74 ,when ,i called ,news,flash to check1 it typically reported3 ,,newsflash ,,notification 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999 #d ,total ,newsflash hits4 ,use ,,stop to stop and delete all4 ,new ,hits #d ,saved ,items #j ,,te#ja #g_/ag_/hi ,,victoria ,headline #a ,,cooke ,,sells ,,cable ,,holdings ,,to #f-,,member ,,group ,,for ,,nearly #a4f ,,billion ,jack ,cooke's cable systems will be sold to #f-member consortium ,,te#aa #g_/ag_/hi ,,victoria ,headline #b ,b,o,cs' ,,progress ,,toward ,,intelligent ,,network ,,architecture ,,intertwined ,,with ,,difficult ,,internetworking ,,negotiations1 ,,pending ,,decree ,,court ,,ec#hi #g_/ah_/hi ,,kdd ,headline #c ,,kdd ,,opens ,,ny_/,,london ,,offices ,,tokyo1 ,,japan1 #aihi ,,jul #ad 7,,nb7 -- ,kokusai ,denshin ,denwa 7,,kdd71 ,,ec#hi #h_/bb_/hi ,,kdd ,headline #d ,,foreigners ,,can ,,buy ,,into ,,kdd ,,tokyo1 ,,japan1 #aihi ,,aug #ag -- ,the ,japanese government is planning ,enter ,headline numbers or ,,all to read1 ,,more1 ,,again1 ,,save1 ,,stop1 or ,,help -- ,news,net's databases grow by more than #djj stories per day4 ,your search profiles may contain an almost unlimited number of subjects4 ,delivery of hits is concurrent4 ,twenty-four hours a day1 seven days a week4 ,sprintmail's clipping service 7,u4,s4,a47 scans stories from more than #ae international newswires4 ,,ft ,profile's ,e-mail ,alert searches daily on that particular day's issue of the ,financial ,times4 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval has ,news,scan 7_/_/,,clip74 ,it can deliver by fax or email to a mailbox on another online service4 ,on ,g,enie1 use ,quik,news ,express1 a personalized news clipping service that is integrated with the ,quik-,comm ,system email service4 ,clarinet1 a commercial news service available through ,usenet1 also has a clipping program4 ,when clipping is impossible --------------------------- ,many services do not offer clipping4 ,here1 your alternative is various methods of regular selective reading4 ,many conferencing systems let you select messages by keywords4 ,,bix has ,keyword ,indexer4 ,it let you search public conferences after a key word or phrase and report hits4 ,then it offers you to review 7or retrieve7 messages of interest4 ,compu,serve's forums have efficient 'read selective' and 'quick scan' commands4 ,another trick is to limit your reading to specific message sections4 ,the high forum message volume is a special problem on this service4 ,old messages are regularly deleted to make room for new ones4 7,often called scroll rate47 ,some popular forums do not keep messages for more than a couple of days before letting them go4 ,you must visit often to get all new information4 ,many bulletin boards can be told to store unread messages about given topics in a compressed transportation file4 ,this file can then be retrieved at high speed4 ,special communication programs 7often called offline readers7 and commands are available to automate this completely4 ,powerful scripts 7see ,chapter #ab7 can do automatic selection of news stories based on the occurrence of keywords 7e4g41 a company name7 in headlines4 ,i have developed such a system for selecting news from the ,online ,today magazine on ,compu,serve4 ,subscription services --------------------- ,it is useful to dig1 dig1 and dig for occurrences of the same search words1 but digging is not enough4 ,unless you periodically scan the horizon1 you risk missing new trends1 viewpoints and other important information4 ,it can be difficult to find good sources of information that suits your needs4 ,one trick is to watch the reports from your clipping services4 ,over time1 you may discover that some sources bring more interesting stories than others4 ,take a closer look at these4 ,consider browsing their full index of stories regularly4 ,if your company plans exportation to countries in ,asia1 check out ,,market3 ,,asia ,,pacific on ,news,net4 ,the newsletter is published monthly by ,w-,two ,publications1 ,ltd41 #bjb ,the ,commons1 ,suite #dja1 ,ithaca1 ,,ny #adhej1 ,u4,s4,a4 7phone3 #a-fjg-bgg-jicd74 ,annual print subscription rate3 ,,us#bgi4 ,the index itself may be a barometer of what goes on4 ,here is an example4 ,note the number of ,words_/,lines4 ,do these numbers tell a story8 ,july #a1 #aiic ,head ,headline ,words _/,lines ------ ---------------------------------------- ------------ ------------ #a7 ,,the ,,philippines ,,is ,,at ,a ,,turg ,,point #faf_/gh #b7 ,,china ,,and ,,korea ,,will ,,lead ,,regional ,,economic ,,boom #cae_/da #c7 ,,asian ,,compensation ,,is ,,still ,,low1 ,,but ,,rising ,,quickly #cjc_/ch #d7 ,,consumer ,,goods ,,won',t ,,be ,,all ,,the ,,chinese ,,buy #bba_/bi #e7 ,,women ,,bear ,,the ,,brunt ,,of ,,cambodia',s ,,troubles #bhd_/cd #f7 ,,taiwan ,,makes ,a ,,move ,,toward ,,the ,,cashless ,,society #bdc_/bi #g7 ,,tips ,,on ,,managing ,,cultural ,,harmony ,,in ,,asia #bfd_/cg #h7 ,,taiwanese ,,become ,,more ,,discerning1 ,,harder ,,to ,,reach #bag_/bg #i7 ,,direct ,,marketing ,,headed ,,for ,,growth ,,in ,,singapore #bje_/bg #aj7 ,,tourism ,,in ,,malaysia ,,will ,,grow #faj_/gf #aa7 ,,chongqing3 ,,future ,,powerhouse #bgjh_/cdb ,it is a good idea to visit ,news,net to gather intelligence4 ,review indexes of potentially interesting newsletters4 ,save them on your hard disk for future references4 ,you never know when they may be of use4 ,the newsletters within computers and electronics bring forecasts of market trends1 evaluation of hardware and software1 prices1 information about ,,ibm and other leading companies4 ,you will find stories about technological developments of modems1 robots1 lasers1 video players1 graphics1 and communications software4 ,the ,management section contains experts' evaluation of the economical climate with forecasts1 information about foreign producers for importers1 tips and experiences on personal efficiency1 management of smaller companies1 and office automation4 ,other sections are ,advertising and ,marketing1 ,aerospace and ,aviation1 ,automotive1 ,biotechnology1 ,building and ,construction1 ,chemical1 ,corporate ,communications1 ,defense1 ,entertainment and ,leisure1 ,education1 ,environment1 ,energy1 ,finance and ,accounting1 ,food and ,beverage1 ,general ,business1 ,insurance1 ,investment1 ,health and ,hospitals1 ,law1 ,management1 ,manufacturing1 ,medicine1 ,office1 ,publishing and ,broadcasting1 ,real ,estate1 ,research and ,development1 ,social ,sciences1 ,telecommunications1 ,travel and ,tourism1 ,transport and ,shipping4 ,several newsletters focus on specific geographical areas3 99 ,,marketing ,,research ,,review 7,analyzes and evaluates commercially available marketing research and technology assessment reports4 ,publisher3 ,high-,tech ,publishing ,co41 ,u4,s4,a47 99 ,,german ,,business ,,scope and ,,the ,,week ,,in ,,germany 99 ,,news ,,from ,,france 99 ,,country ,,risk ,,guide3 ,,europe 99 ,,eastern ,,europe ,,finance1 and ,,eastern ,,european ,,energy ,,report 99 ,,european ,,community3 ,,business ,,forecast 99 ,,investext_/,,european ,,region 99 ,,prs ,,forecasts3 ,,eastern ,,europe1 and ,,western ,,europe 99 ,,africa ,,news ,,on-,,line 99 ,,prs-,,forecasts3 ,,mid-,,east ,,north ,,africa 99 ,,prs-,,forecasts3 ,,sub-,,saharan ,,africa 99 ,,the ,,exporter 7,published by ,trade ,data ,reports4 ,monthly reports on the business of exporting4 ,functionally divided into operations1 markets1 training resources1 and world trade information47 99 ,,mid-,,east ,,business ,,digest 99 ,,latin ,,america ,,opportunity ,,report 99 ,,country ,,risk ,,guide3 ,,sub-,,saharan ,,africa 99 ,,country ,,risk ,,guide3 ,,asia ,,the ,,pacific 99 ,,prs ,,forecasts3 ,,asia ,,the ,,pacific 99 ,,prs',s ,,political ,,risk ,,letter 99 ,,sales ,,prospector 7,monthly prospect research reports for sales representatives and other business people interested in commercial1 and institutional expansion and relocation activity4 ,separate services grouped by geographic area in the ,united ,states and ,canada47 ,many newsletters are focusing on technology intelligence3 ,sensor ,technology ----------------- ,provides updates on research being conducted in this rapidly evolving technology4 ,besides analyzing advances in the field1 it offers ideas on how this technology can improve products and services4 ,advanced ,manufacturing ,technology --------------------------------- ,reports on desktop manufacturing1 computer graphics1 flexible automation1 computer-integrated manufacturing1 and other technological advances that help increase productivity4 ,high ,tech ,materials ,alert ------------------------- ,reports on significant developments in high-performance materials1 including alloys1 metallic whiskers1 ceramic and graphite fibers1 and more4 ,concentrates on their fabrication1 industrial applications1 and potential markets4 ,futuretech ---------- ,provides briefings on focused1 strategic technologies that have been judged capable of making an impact on broad industrial fronts4 ,includes forecasts of marketable products and services resulting from the uncovered technology and its potential impact on industry segments4 ,advanced ,coating ,surface ,technology1 ,electronic ,materials ,technology ,news1 ,flame ,retardancy ,news1 ,high ,tech ,ceramics ,news1 ,innovator's ,digest1 ,technology ,access ,report1 ,inside ,r,d1 ,japan ,science ,scan1 ,new ,technology ,week1 ,optical ,materials ,engineering ,news1 ,performance ,materials1 ,surface ,modification ,technology ,news1 ,genetic ,technology ,news1 ,battery ,ev ,technology1 and much more4 ,newsletters on ,compu,serve ------------------------- ,many newsletters are being made available through forums' file libraries on ,compu,serve4 ,consequently1 they are a little harder to locate4 ,some examples 7#aiic73 ,abacus ,online - ,quarterly newsletter on executive computing4 7,in the ,lotus ,spreadsheet forum1 ,library #c47 ,anime ,stuff - ,news and reviews of ,japanese animation software4 7,comics_/,animation ,forum1 ,library #e47 ,communique - ,the quarterly newsletter of the ,international ,association of ,business ,communicators ,u4,k4 ,chapter4 7,,pr and ,marketing ,forum1 ,library #h47 ,distance ,education ,newsletter - ,analyzes the impact of elec- tronic communication on academic research4 7,telecommunications ,forum1 ,library #ac47 ,hint3 ,to find newsletters in the ,,ibm ,,pc oriented forums1 enter ,,go ,,ibmff to search4 ,select ,keyword as search criteria1 and enter newsletter4 ,add further keywords to narrow the search to your areas of interest4 ,compu,serve also has other file find services4 ,databases with an international orientation ---------------------------------------- --- ,information ,access provides reference databases to businesses4 ,you can search #aj databases with full-text stories1 abstracts1 and indexes from international magazines4 ,,prompt 7,overview of ,markets and ,technology7 is the largest of them4 ,it provides international coverage of companies1 markets and technologies in all industries4 ,the other databases cover areas like ,aerospace and ,defense1 ,advertising and ,marketing1 ,new ,product ,announcements1 ,industry ,forecasts and ,time ,series4 ,the ,information ,access' databases are available through online services like ,dialog1 ,data ,star1 ,financial ,times ,profile 7,england71 ,nikkei in ,japan and on the ,thomson ,financial ,networks4 ,they are regularly published on ,,cd-,,rom4 ,ziff,net offers the ,business ,database ,plus through ,compu,serve4 ,here1 you can search in full-text stories from around #eej ,north ,american and international publications for industry and commerce 7#aiic74 ,the articles are about sales and marketing ideas1 product news1 industry trends and analysis1 and provide company profiles in areas such as agriculture1 manufacturing1 retailing1 telecommunications1 and trade4 ,this is a partial list of the database's magazines3 ,agra ,europe1 ,agribusiness ,worldwide1 ,air ,cargo ,world1 ,belgium3 ,economic and ,commercial ,information1 ,beverage ,world1 ,beverage ,world ,periscope ,edition1 ,british ,plastics ,rubber1 ,british ,telecom ,world1 ,business ,perspectives1 ,,cci-,canmaking ,canning ,international1 ,,cd-,,rom ,librarian1 ,chain ,store ,age - ,general ,merchandise ,trends1 ,coal ,synfuels ,technology1 ,communication ,world1 ,communications ,daily1 ,communications ,international1 ,consultant1 ,cosmetic ,world ,news1 ,dairy ,industries ,international1 ,direct ,marketing1 ,the ,economist1 ,erdol und ,kohle1 ,erdgas1 ,petrochemie3 ,hydrocarbon ,technology1 ,euro,business1 ,euromoney1 ,europe #bjjj1 ,european ,cosmetic ,markets1 ,european ,rubber ,journal1 ,financial ,market ,trends1 ,financial ,world1 ,finnish ,trade ,review1 ,food ,engineering ,international1 ,forest ,industries1 ,gas ,world1 ,graphic ,arts ,monthly1 ,the ,printing ,industry1 ,high ,technology ,business1 ,,idc ,japan ,report1 ,inc41 ,international ,trade ,forum1 ,investment ,international1 ,israel ,business1 ,japan ,economic ,newswire1 ,journal of ,international ,business ,studies1 ,journal of ,marketing ,research1 ,kyodo1 ,market ,research ,europe1 ,medical ,world ,news1 ,,meed ,middle ,east ,economic ,digest1 ,middle ,east ,agribusiness1 ,,oecd ,economic ,outlook1 ,the ,oil and ,gas ,journal1 ,oilweek1 ,petroleum ,economist1 ,plastics ,world1 ,purchasing ,world1 ,report on the ,austrian ,economy1 ,restaurant-,hotel ,design ,international1 ,royal ,bank of ,scotland ,review1 ,seafood ,international1 ,soviet ,aerospace ,technology1 ,supermarket ,business ,magazine1 swiss,business1 ,training3 the ,magazine of ,human ,resources ,development1 ,world ,economic ,outlook1 ,world ,oil4 ,dialog's ,,asia-,,pacific ,,database covers business and economics in ,asia and the ,pacific4 ,it contains over #hj1jjj references from newspapers1 magazines and other sources in ,north ,america and international4 ,the ,asia-,pasific ,dun's ,market ,identifiers on ,dialog is a directory listing of about #bej1jjj business establishments in #dj ,asian and ,pacific ,rim countries4 ,the ,middle ,east ,news ,network publishes daily news1 analysis and comments from #ai countries in the ,middle ,east produced by ,arabic1 ,hebrew1 ,turkish and ,persian press4 ,you can read these news through ,reuters 7e4g41 on ,news,grid_/,compu,serve71 ,down ,jones ,news_/,retrieval1 and ,information ,access4 ,the ,jerusalem ,institute for ,western ,defence provides a monthly newsletter with research of the ,arab press4 ,it has unedited quotes from around the ,arab world4 ,write ,,listservjerusalem#a4;datasrv4co4il to subscribe 7,command3 sub arab-press ,firstname ,lastname74 ,the ,international ,reports financial newsletter may be read and searched on ,news,net1 ,information ,access1 and ,mead ,data ,central4 ,news,net also has ,brazil ,service1 ,mexico ,service1 ,country ,risk ,guides and ,weekly ,international ,market ,alert4 ,use ,compu,serve's ,consumer ,report to spot trends in the consumer markets for appliances1 automobiles1 electronics_/cameras1 home4 ,event,line 7,i,quest1 ,compu,serve7 monitors international conferences1 exhibitions1 and congresses4 ,the ,boomer ,report concentrates on the habits of the the baby-boom generation4 ,affaersdata in ,sweden offers the ,swedish-language service ,export-,nytt1 which brings short news stories about export_/import from all over the world4 ,information providers are the ,swedish ,export ,council1 the ,norwegian ,export ,council1 and the ,suomen ,ulkomaankauppaliitto in ,finland4 ,orbit has an ,english language database of ,japanese technology4 ,it contains abstracts of articles1 patents and standards from more than #ejj ,japanese magazines4 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval brings full-text stories from the ,japan ,economic ,newswire4 ,the ,business ,dateline contains news from more than #aej regional business publications in the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,the ,,abi_/,inform business database 7,,umi_/,data ,courier7 contains abstracts and full-text articles from #hjj business magazines and trade journals4 ,the sources include the ,asia ,pacific ,journal of ,management1 ,business ,korea1 and the ,world ,bank ,research ,observer4 ,market research reports from ,frost ,sullivan are available through ,data-,star4 ,it produces over #bej market reports each year1 in #bj industrial sectors4 ,these reports cover results of face-to- face interviews with manufacturers1 buyers and trade association executives1 supplemented by a search and summary of secondary sources4 ,glasnost in the former ,soviet ,union produced a long list of new online information sources1 including3 ,the ,soviet ,press ,digest 7stories from over #ajj newspapers71 ,the ,biz,ekon ,reports 7financial news from #aej business and financial magazines71 ,sov,legis,line 7law71 ,biz,edon ,directory 7detailed information about over #b1ejj companies1 who want to do business with foreign companies71 ,who's ,who in the ,soviet ,union and ,the ,soviet ,public ,association ,directory4 ,some of these may have changed their names now4 ,contact ,mead ,data ,central 7,nexis_/,lexis71 ,data-,star1 ,,ft ,profile and ,reuters for more information4 ,,djnr also offers full text from the ,paris-based ,international ,herald ,tribune1 publications like the ,guardian and others from the ,united ,kingdom1 and from sources in the former ,soviet ,union 7like ,soviet ,press ,digest1 ,biz,ekon ,news1 ,moscow ,news1 and others47 ,e-,,europe is an electronic communications network for doing business in ,eastern ,europe countries1 including ,,cis4 ,its purpose is to help these countries in their transition to market economies4 ,it links business persons in ,western ,europe-,asia-,north ,america with those in ,eastern ,europe4 ,subscription is free and for anyone4 ,to subscribe to ,e-,,europe1 send email ,,listserv,,pucc4,,princeton4,,edu 7or a ,,listserv closer to you7 with the body the message containing this line ,,sub ,e-,,europe ,your,first,name ,your,last,name ,e-,,europe also offers ,international ,marketing ,insights 7,,imi7 for several countries in this region1 including ,russia1 ,hungary1 ,czech1 ,germany1 ,estonia1 ,poland1 ,bulgaria1 and ,lithuania4 ,the ,,imi reports important developments that have implications for traders and investors4 ,typically brief and to-the-point1 they are prepared by ,american ,embassies and ,consulates4 ,the reports cover a wide range of subjects1 such as new laws1 policies and procedures1 new trade regulations1 changing dynamics in the marketplace1 recent statements by influential parties and emerging trade opportunities4 ,for a list of ,e-,,europe ,,imi offerings1 send the following commands to ,,listserv,,pucc4,,princeton4,,edu3 ,,get ,e-,,europe ,,imi ,,imi update notices are not posted to ,e-,,europe1 but you can subscribe to updates to these files4 ,the ,english-language newsletter ,st4 ,petersburg ,business ,news is published in ,russia by the ,committee for foreign economic affairs of ,,lecc4 ,for information and subscription1 send email to aagcfea4ecc4spb4su 4 ,the ,financial ,izvestia weekly1 the joint publication of ,london ,financial ,times and ,moscow-based ,izvestia1 is available by email4 ,the complete feed includes the full text of all articles published in the ,russian language newspaper1 and financial and statistical tables on the commodities and financial markets4 ,write ,legpromsyrie at rootsollo4soleg4msk4su for information4 ,several ,russian newspapers1 including ,commersant ,daily1 ,nega1 and press services like ,postfactum and ,interfax1 have digests or complete editions available for ,relcom network subscribers1 usually for a nominal fee4 ,interested in the ,european ,common ,market8 ---------------------------------------- - ,pergamon ,financial ,data ,services1 ,news,net1 and others1 offer ,dun ,bradstreet ,european ,marketing ,online4 ,it contains company profiles of around two million ,european companies4 ,pergamon's ,,icc ,u4,k4 ,company ,databases contains data on over #adj1jjj ,british companies with up to ten years' financial history1 addresses1 key people1 mother firms_/subsidiaries1 stock quotes4 ,its ,comptex ,news ,service brings daily business news from the ,european arena4 ,the ,,uk ,company ,library on ,compu,serve has financial information about more than #a4b million ,british companies from sources like ,extel ,cards1 ,,icc ,british ,co4 ,directory and ,kompass ,,uk4 ,data-,star offers ,tenders ,electronic ,daily1 a database of ,european ,community contract offers4 ,investext offers a series of bulletins authored by ,europe ,information ,service 7,,eis73 ,european ,report 7biweekly71 ,tech ,report 7,monthly71 ,transport ,europe 7monthly71 ,europe ,environment 7bimonthly71 ,european ,energy 7bimonthly71 ,european ,social ,policy 7monthly71 and ,multinational ,service 7monthly74 ,investext is available through ,data-,star1 ,lexis_/,nexis1 ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval1 ,dialog1 ,news,net1 and others4 ,the ,german ,company ,library 7on ,compu,serve7 offers information about some #dh1jjj ,german companies from databases like ,credit ,reform and ,hoppenstedt's ,directory of ,german ,companies4 ,its ,european ,company ,library contains information about over two million companies in the area4 ,nexis 7,mead ,data ,central ,international7 brings news and background information about companies and the different countries in ,europe4 ,their ,worldwide ,companies database contains company profiles1 balance sheets1 income statements1 and other financial data on the largest companies in #dj countries4 ,nexis also has ,hoppenstedt ,german ,trade ,associations directory1 four more newsletters from the ,europe ,information ,service3 ,europe ,energy1 ,europe ,environment1 ,transport ,europe and ,european ,insight1 a weekly brief on ,european ,community-related happenings1 and ,notisur1 a biweekly news and analysis report on ,south ,american and ,caribbean political affairs4 ,,lexis 7also ,mead7 has databases with information about ,english and ,french law1 and other law material from ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 ,ireland1 ,scotland and ,north ,america4 ,their ,martindale-,hubbell ,law ,directory has information on over #gjj1jjj lawyers and law firms worldwide4 ,the directory can be used for referrals1 selection of associate counsel1 and evaluation of competitive counsel4 ,check out ,,kompass ,,europe when planning exports to the ,,eec4 ,its database contains details about companies in ,sweden1 ,denmark1 ,germany1 ,united ,kingdom1 ,holland1 ,belgium1 ,france1 ,spain1 ,italy1 ,sweden and ,norway4 7,on ,dialog7 ,,ilink has the ,,eec-,i conference 7,discussion about the ,european ,common ,marked74 ,profile offers full-text searches 7and a clipping service7 in stories from ,financial ,times4 ,the database is being updated daily at #jj3ja4 ,those exporting to the ,,eec need to master ,german1 ,french1 ,italian1 and ,spanish besides having a common knowledge of ,english4 ,conversation is the easy part4 ,the problem is writing1 and especially when the task is to translate technical expressions to the languages used within the ,common ,market4 ,for help1 check out the ,eurodicautom online dictionary through ,,echo 7and others47 ,start by selecting a source language 7like ,english71 and up to seven languages for simultaneous translation4 ,the translation is word-for-word1 but may be put in the correct context if required4 ,,echo also offers the ,european ,commission's ,,cordis database 7,community ,research and ,development ,information ,service7 containing information about research results within scientific and technical fields4 ,keywords3 ,race1 ,esprit1 ,delta1 ,aim1 ,fast1 ,brite1 ,comett1 ,climat1 ,eclair and ,tedis4 ,,concise 7,c,osine ,network's ,central ,information ,service for ,europe7 is a pan-,european information service to the ,,cosine scientific and industrial research community4 ,,cosine 7,cooperation for ,open ,systems ,interconnection ,networking in ,europe7 is part of the ,european ,common ,market's ,eureka project4 ,,concise brings information about the ,,cosine project1 networks1 conferences1 networking products1 special interest groups1 projects databases1 directories1 email services and other networked services in ,europe4 ,it is intended for researchers in all fields1 from astronomers through linguists and market researchers to zoologists4 ,,concise is accessible by email through the ,internet1 by ,,ftp1 and interactively 7telnet7 over the ,european academic and research networks1 over public data networks and over telephone links4 7,see ,,echo in appendix #a for more information47 ,the mailing list ,,ec,,indycms4,,bitnet is dedicated to discussion of the ,european ,community1 and is open to all interested persons4 ,subscribe by email to a ,,listserv close to where you live1 or to ,,listserv,,indycms4,,bitnet4 ,scandinavia ----------- ,most countries have several local language news services4 ,in ,norway1 ,statens ,datasentral lets you search stories from the ,,ntb news agency4 ,aftenposten1 a major newspaper1 offers full-text stories from their ,a-,,tekst database1 from ,dagens ,naeringsliv 7,,dnx71 and the ,kapital magazine4 ,before meeting with people from ,norsk ,hydro1 go online to get recent news about these companies4 ,it will only take a couple of minutes4 ,what you find may be important for the success of your meeting4 ,if you know the names of your most important competitors1 use their names as keywords for information about recent contracts1 joint venture agreements1 products 7and their features71 and other important information4 ,,kompass ,,online offers information about over #ahj1jjj companies and #cd1jjj products in ,scandinavia1 ,finland1 ,germany1 ,switzerland1 and ,great ,britain4 ,the information is presented in the local language of the different countries4 ,,kompass is used by easy menus4 ,you can search by 99 company name 99 product or service 7optionally using an industry classification code for companies or products7 99 number of employees1 type of business1 postal number1 telephone area code1 export area1 year of incorporation1 bank affiliation4 ,the database is available through ,affaersdata 7,sweden74 ,new users pay a one time fee of around ,,us#he4 ,searching costs around ,,us#c4jj per minute4 ,the ,,tyr database on the ,finnish service ,,viexpo 7tel43 #ceh #fg #bceajj7 offers information about #b1ejj companies in the ,vaasa and ,oulu regions with addresses1 phone numbers1 contact persons1 main products1 revenues1 and ,,sic industry classification codes4 ,we can go on like this4 ,the list of available services is long in many countries4 ,how to monitor your competitors ------------------------------- ,sales managers need to know what competitors are doing4 ,lacking this knowledge1 it is risky to maneuver in the market4 ,start by making a strategy for online market intelligence4 ,here are some practical hints3 7#a7 ,select online services that offer clipping of stories and information based on your search words or phrases4 ,examples3 ,news,flash on ,news,net1 _/_/,,track on ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval1 ,the ,executive ,news ,service on ,compu,serve4 ,use these services for automatic monitoring of stock quotes and business news4 7#b7 ,read what investment analysts and advisors write about your competitors4 ,most markets are well covered by databases and other sources of information4 7#c7 ,read what competitors write about themselves4 ,their press releases are available from online databases in several countries4 7#d7 ,compare your competitors with your own company and industry4 ,items3 stock prices1 profits1 revenue1 etc4 7#e7 ,regularly monitor companies and their particular products4 7#f7 ,watch trend reports about your industry4 ,search for patterns and possible niches4 7#g7 ,save what you find on your hard disk for future references4 ,can you get everything through the online medium8 ,of course not6 ,don't expect to find production data1 production formulas1 detailed outlines of a company's pension plan1 or the number of personal computers in a company4 ,such information rarely finds its way to public databases4 ,intelligence by fax ------------------- ,financial ,times' ,profile has ,fax ,alert4 ,predefine your interests using search words4 ,stories will be cut and sent to your personal fax number whenever they appear4 ,price depends on the number of characters transmitted4 ,other online services offer similar services4 ,the ,bulletin ,board as a sales tool ---------------------------------- ,many companies - large and small - use bulletin board systems as a marketing instrument4 ,here is an example3 ,the ,san ,francisco-based ,compact ,disk ,exchange 7,tel43 #a-dae-hbd- #gfjc7 offers a database of used ,,cd records4 ,members can call in to buy at very low prices4 ,they can sell old ,c,ds through the board or buy from other members4 7#aiib7 ,marketing and sales by modem ---------------------------- ,the ,americans have a gift for this4 ,you meet them in online forums all over the world1 in person or through agents1 and especially in computer oriented conferences and clubs4 ,their main strategy is reference selling4 ,make key customers happy1 and make sure they tell others4 ,in ,chapter #e1 ,i told you what happened when a member wrote about his upgrade to a #dbe megabytes hard disk in ,compu,serve's ,toshiba forum4 ,it made me place my order with his preferred seller4 ,one common sales strategy is to be constantly present in relevant conferences1 and spend a generous amount of time helping others4 ,this takes time4 ,by proving competence and willingness to help1 you build a positive personal profile4 ,this profile is the key to business1 information about competitors and other benefits4 ,to drop quickly into a conference to post an advertisement1 is a waste of time4 ,the message may be read by some1 but chances are that you will be criticized 7in public7 for having 'polluted their environment' with a commercial message4 ,besides1 the volume of information in the best conferences for your marketing effort is probably too high to make traditional advertisements worth the while4 ,electronic mail --------------- ,here is a list of other useful applications of electronic mail3 99 to distribute quickly lists of important prospects to your sales force1 99 to avoid lengthy telephone conversations1 99 to receive order information faster and more efficiently than by traditional mail or fax1 99 to distribute quickly reports and memos to key people all over the world1 99 to send new prices and product announcements to customers1 99 to exchange spread sheets and analyses between users of personal computers4 ,if this isn't enough1 ask for information from the ,international ,business ,network at #gjgbd4caa;compuserve4com 7or1 at #gjgbd1caa on ,compu,serve74 ,chapter #ab3 ,practical tips - ,quick transfers with a minimum of errors - ,rescuing lost files - ,copyright and other legal matters - ,unwritten laws about personal conduct - ,privacy - ,fax services weigh less than your printer - ,file transfers through the ,internet ,speed and safety ---------------- ,read about ,,mnp1 ,,ccitt ,v4#db1 and ,v4#db;bis in appendix #b4 ,these are popular methods for automatic error correction and compression of data4 ,compression gives faster transfers of data4 ,to use them1 your modem must have these features built-in4 ,they must also be enabled in the modem of the service that you are calling4 ,compression is particularly helpful when sending or receiving text1 for example news stories and messages in conferences4 ,they ensure faster transfers4 ,they are not of much help when transferring precompressed texts and programs4 ,they may even make file transfers with protocols like ,,zmodem1 ,kermit1 and ,,xmodem impossible4 ,if this happens1 temporarily turn off the ,,mnp and ,v4#bd_/,v#db;bis settings in your modem 7more about this in appendix #b74 ,some online services let users retrieve conference messages using a special get or grab function4 ,this function often comes in two versions3 99 ,grab to display3 ,new messages and conference items are received in an uninterrupted stream without stops between items4 ,retrieval of text can happen at maximum speed4 99 ,grab to compressed file3 ,new messages and conference items are selected1 automatically compressed and stored in a file4 ,this file is then transferred using ,,zmodem or similar protocols4 ,some services offer unattended online work with a variation of the get compressed file method4 ,read about 'offline readers' in chapter #af for more about this4 ,the more advanced your software is1 the more time it will take to learn how to use it4 ,the rewards are lower telephone costs1 faster transfers1 and less time spent doing technical online work4 ,recommended4 ,different needs1 different solutions ------------------------------------ ,frank ,burns of the ,american online service ,meta,net is spokesperson for the strategy ,,scan - ,,focus - ,,act4 ,on your first visits to a new online service1 you ,,scan4 ,the goal is to get an overview of what is being offered and find out how to use it most efficiently4 ,notes are made of interesting bulletins1 databases1 conferences1 messages1 news services1 public domain and shareware programs1 games1 and more4 ,capture all of it to disk4 ,don't study it until disconnected from the service4 ,evaluate the material to prepare for your next moves3 ,,focus and ,,act4 ,as you learn about offerings1 users and applications1 your use of the service changes4 ,what was interesting on your first visits1 lose out to new discoveries4 ,some applications may stay as 'regular online functions'1 like when you decide to read a given news report on ,monday mornings4 ,here are some other hints3 99 ,find out what you do ,,not have to know and have enough self- confidence immediately to discard irrelevant material4 ,walk quickly through the information4 ,select what you need now1 store other interesting items on your hard disk1 clip references1 and drop the remainder of your capture file4 99 ,learn when and how to use people1 computers1 libraries and other resources4 ,prepare well before going online4 ,note that the online resource may not necessarily be the quickest way to the goal4 ,if you want the name of ,michael ,jackson's latest album1 you may get a faster answer by calling a local music shop4 4 4 4 99 ,make an outline of how to search the service before going online4 ,if required1 start by going online to collect help menus and lists of search commands 7unless you already have the printed user information manual74 ,study the instructions carefully1 plan your visit1 and then call back4 ,often1 it may be useful to do trial searches in online data1 which you have previously captured to your hard disk4 ,do this to check if your use of search words is sensible4 ,who knows1 you may even have what you are searching for right there4 ,besides1 it is imperative that you use the correct search terms to find what you're looking for4 ,write your search strategy on a piece of paper4 ,if you know how to write macros for your communications program1 consider writing some for your planned search commands4 - ,few people can type #bdj characters per second4 ,using macros may save you time1 frustration and money4 99 ,it may be wise to do your search in two steps4 ,on your first visit3 ,get a ,,list of selected headlines or references1 and then log off the service4 ,study your finds1 and plan the next step4 ,then call back to get full-text of the most promising stories4 ,this strategy is often better than just 'hanging online' while thinking4 ,when you feel the pressure of the taximeter1 it is easy to make costly mistakes4 99 ,novices should always go the easiest way4 ,don't be shy4 ,ask ,,sos ,assistance services for help1 if available4 ,invest in special communication programs with built in automatic online searching features4 ,they are designed to make your work easier4 99 ,limit your search and avoid general and broad search terms4 ,it is often wise to start with a search word that is so 'narrow' that it is unlikely to find articles outside your area of interest4 ,your goal is not to find many stories4 ,you want the right ones4 ,when everything fails --------------------- ,data communications is simple - when you master it4 ,occasionally1 however1 you ,,will lose data4 ,you may even experience the worst of all3 losing unread private email on your hard disk4 ,a while ago1 this happened to a friend4 ,she logged on to her mailbox service using the communications program ,procomm4 ,after capturing all her mail1 she tried to send a message4 ,for some reason1 the computer just froze4 ,it was impossible to close the capture file4 ,she had to switch the power ,,off_/,,on to continue4 ,all retrieved mail was obviously lost4 ,the other day1 ,i had a similar experience4 ,after having written a long and difficult letter1 something went wrong4 ,the outfile was inexplicably closed4 ,the resulting file size was #j bytes4 ,both problems were solved by the ,,ms-,,dos program ,,chkdsk run with the _/,f option4 ,if you ever get this problem1 and have an ,,ms-,,dos computer1 try it4 ,it may save your day4 ,copyright notices and legal stuff --------------------------------- ,most commercial online services protect their offerings with copyright notices4 ,this is especially so for database information and news4 ,some vendors make you accept in writing not to store captured data on a local media 7like diskettes or hard disks74 ,others 7like ,prodigy in the ,u4,s47 force clients to use communication software that makes it impossible to store incoming data to disk4 ,the reason is simple4 ,information providers want to protect their income4 ,in most countries1 you can quote from what others have written4 ,you can cut pieces out of a whole and use in your own writing4 ,what you cannot do1 however1 is copy news raw to resell to others4 ,if an online service discovers you doing that1 expect a law suit4 ,read copyright notices to learn about the limitations on your usage of data that you receive4 ,unwritten laws about personal conduct ------------------------------------- ,some services let their users be anonymous4 ,this is the case on many chat services4 ,if you want to pose as ,donald ,duck or ,jack the ,ripper1 just do that4 ,many free ,,bbs systems let you register for full access to the service during your first visit4 ,it is possible to use any name4 ,don't do that4 ,use your true name1 unless asked to do otherwise4 ,it's impolite and unrespectful of the other members to participate in online discussions using a false identity4 ,being helpful is an important aspect of the online world4 ,the people you meet 'there' use of their time to help you and others4 ,often free4 ,the atmosphere is one of gratitude1 and a positive attitude toward all members4 ,if you use rude words in public1 expect your mailbox to fill with angry messages from others4 ,those who respond carefully to personal attacks1 will never regret it4 ,don't say things online that you would not have said in person4 ,,remember3 ,words written in a moment of anger or frustration can be stored on at least one hard disk4 ,your 'sins' may stay there for a long time - to resurface when you least want it to4 ,here are some guidelines 7often called 'online netiquette'73 99 ,if mail to a person doesn't make it through1 avoid posting the message to a conference4 ,keep private messages private4 99 ,it is considered extremely bad taste to post private mail from someone else on public conferences1 unless they give you explicit permission to redistribute it4 99 ,many users end their messages with some lines about how to get in touch with them 7their email address1 phone number1 address1 etc474 ,limit your personal signature to maximum four lines4 99 ,do not send test messages to a public conference1 unless they are set up to serve this purpose4 99 ,if someone requests that readers reply by private email1 do that4 ,do not send to the conference1 where the request appeared4 99 ,when replying to a message in a public conference1 many users 'quote' the original message prefixed by '' or another special character1 as in ,you wrote3 ,i strongly believe it was wrong to attack ,fidel ,castro in this way6 ,when you quote another person1 edit out whatever isn't directly applicable to your reply4 ,by including the entire message1 you'll only annoy those reading it4 99 ,note that if you ,,use ,,all ,,capital ,,letters1 people will think you're shouting4 ,finally1 smile with me about the following story3 ,according to ,time magazine 7#g_/ai_/ic1 p4 #eh71 three women who corresponded with ,mr4 ,x over the network discovered his duplicity and went public on the network4 ,the incident sparked a lively debate over electronic etiquette 7and ruined ,mr4 ,casanova's chances for further romance74 ,fax services weigh less than your computer's printer ---------------------------------------- ------------ ,many online services let you send electronic mail as fax messages4 ,this is an interesting feature when in that far away place without a printer4 ,send the draft contract or other texts to your hotel's fax machine or to your client's office to get a printout on paper4 ,privacy ------- ,the level of online privacy differs by network1 service1 and application4 ,whatever these services may claim1 always expect that someone1 somewhere1 is able to watch1 even record4 ,all mailbox services have at least one person authorized to access your personal mail box in case of an emergency4 ,most of the time they not have a right to read it without your permission1 but they can4 ,in some countries1 mailbox services may let outsiders 7like the police7 routinely read your private email to check for 'illegal' contents4 ,in this respect1 email is not safer than ordinary mail4 ,the good news is that most 'inspectors' and 'sysops' are good1 honest people4 ,on the other hand1 it is useful to know your situation4 ,it is not safe to send sensitive information 7like credit card details7 by private electronic mail4 ,true1 the probability that an outsider should get hold of and take advantage of such information is small1 but it definitely is not #ajj percent safe4 ,encrypt your email to protect sensitive information4 ,always assume that someone is recording all that is being said in online conferences1 chats1 and other interactive social gatherings4 ,in chats1 anyone using a personal computer as a terminal can log the conversation1 or use screen dump just to capture 'interesting parts'4 ,many ,,pc users can scroll back the screen4 ,they can wait and decide whether to save the conversation in a file until after the conversation has taken place4 ,with these capabilities widely available1 users of chats and talk should always assume that their conversations are being recorded4 ,do not say indiscreet things in small1 informal discussions4 ,it may be recorded and reposted under embarrassing circumstances4 ,the program ,,pgp has become the defacto international ,internet standard for public key encryption4 ,for more on privacy1 check out ,,ethics-,l,,marist4,,bitnet4 ,the files ,,rfc #aaac through #aaae are about ',privacy enhancements for ,internet electronic mail' 7see appendix #a for how to get them74 ,usenet has alt4privacy 7,privacy issues in cyberspace71 and comp4society4privacy 7,effects of technology on privacy74 ,file transfers through the ,internet ----------------------------------- ,the ,internet is a term used of a network interconnecting hundreds of thousands of computer centers around the world4 ,these centers use different types of hardware and software1 and different methods of file transfer4 ,what method to use for file transfers depends on the source host and the type of mailbox computer that you are using4 ,the transfer usually takes place in two steps3 #a4 ,transferring files from a remote data center to your local mailbox host4 #b4 ,transfer from your local mailbox host to your personal computer4 ,transfer to your local mailbox host ----------------------------------- ,we will explain the most commonly used method for those who only have access to file transfer by email4 ,this method can be used by everybody4 ,transferring plain text files is easy4 ,files with imbedded word processor control codes will often have to be treated as binary files4 ,more about this later4 ,to transfer a text to another user1 just send it as an ordinary electronic message4 ,getting text files from a library on a remote computer is a special case4 ,often1 they can be had by sending a retrieval command 7like ,,get7 by email to the remote center4 ,after a while1 the file will be sent to your mailbox by email4 ,you can read it like you read other mail4 ,example3 ,the file ,,binstart can be retrieved from the ,,kidart directory on a computer center in ,north ,dakota1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,it explains how to retrieve binary art files from the ,,kidlink project's file libraries4 ,to get the file1 send a message to the center's mail forwarding 'agent' at ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu4 ,use the following command syntax in your text3 ,,get directory name file name ,to get the ,,binstart file1 write the following command in the ,,text of your message3 ,,get ,,kidart ,,binstart ,note that the command has to be put in the body of the mail and not in the subject field4 ,the file will arrive in your mailbox after a while4 ,also1 note that lists of available files are usually available by using an ,,index directory name command4 ,to get a list of files in the ,,kidart directory1 add the command ,,index ,,kidart in your message above4 ,non-,,listserv libraries may use other retrieval commands4 ,often1 you can get information of what commands to use by sending the word ,,help to a mailing service 7in the ,subject area or in the body of the text74 ,transferring binary files ------------------------- ,users with a direct connection to the ,internet usually have access to the ,,ftp command 7,file ,transfer ,protocol74 ,if they do1 they often prefer ,,ftp for transfers of binary files like computer programs1 pictures1 sound1 and compressed text files4 ,the bad news is that the ,,ftp command is not available to all users of ,internet mail4 ,these will have to use ,,ftp by mail1 or other tricks to transfer such files4 ,more about this in a moment4 ,the ,,ftp command gives access to a special file transfer service4 ,it works in the following way3 #a4 ,logon to your local email host and enter ',,ftp remote- center-code'4 ,example3 'ftp #acd4abi4aaa4a'4 ,this command will connect you to the center in ,north ,dakota mentioned above4 ,here1 you will be prompted for user name and password4 ,enter 'anonymous' as user name1 and use your real name or email address as password4 ,this way of logging on to retrieve files is called transfers by anonymous ftp4 ,you can use this method on many hosts on the ,internet4 #b4 ,when connected to the remote center1 you can request transfer of the desired file to your mailbox4 ,before doing that1 you may have to navigate to a given file catalog 7cd directory71 and tell the host that the transfer is to be binary 7bin74 ,finally1 initiate the transfer by entering a ,,get file name command4 #c4 ,the file will be transferred to your local mailbox computer at high speed4 ,when the transfer is done1 you logoff from the remote center to get back to your mailbox computer's prompt line4 ,now1 you can transfer the file to your personal computer using communications protocols like ,kermit1 ,,xmodem1 ,,zmodem or whatever else is available4 ,binary files transferred as text codes -------------------------------------- ,if you do not have access to ,,ftp1 you must use ordinary email for your binary transfers4 ,usually1 email through the ,internet can only contain legal character codes 7,,ascii characters between number #cb - #abf74 ,most systems cannot transfer graphics or program files directly1 since these files normally contain binary codes 7which are outside this ,,ascii character range74 ,the solution is to convert binary files to text codes using a utility program called ,,uuencode4 ,the encoded file can be sent by ordinary email1 as in this example3 ,from ,,trickle,,vm#a4,no,dak4,,edu ,fri ,aug #af #af3cb3cg #aiia ,date3 ,fri1 #af ,aug #aiia #ji3ca3cd ,,cdt ,to3 opresno,,extern4,,uio4,,no ,subject3 ,part #a_/a ,,simtel#bj4;,,inf ,,pd3,,msdos4,,starter ,the file ,,pd3,,msdos4,,starter,,simtel#bj4;,,inf has been uuencoded before being sent4 ,after combining the #a parts with the mail headers removed1 you must run the file through a decode program4 ------------ ,part #a of #a ------------ begin #fjj ,,simtel#bj4;,,inf ,m#f,t#i;,i2#d,z7-7#ceac7,p,,de4#a;,b777 77761#hg-,t7'7,e ,m,,fes#ifj,z7,,iu2,f#d1;,c,l7,y4#cj;,h- ,b7,m42,w#a;,e4,b6#fdi;,,es ,m3#f,p-,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,, ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3 ,m,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,a h3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3 #f;,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah3,,ah37, z end -------- ,end of part #a of #a --------- ,when you receive a message with uuencoded text1 download it to your personal computer's hard disk4 ,use an editor to cut out the codes and paste them to an empty work file4 ,using the example above1 the first line in your work file should contain3 begin #fjj ,,simtel#bj4;,,inf and the last line should contain end ,now1 use a utility program called ,,uudecode to convert the file back to its binary form 7or whatever74 ,more information about uuencoding and uudecoding is given in the ,,binstart file mentioned above 7for ,,ms-,,dos computers74 ,it has a detailed explanation1 ,,basic source code for making the program ,,uudecode4,,com1 and a ,,debug script for those preferring that4 ,versions of ,,uudecode are also available for other types of computers4 ,transfer of pictures -------------------- ,denis ,pchelkin in ,protvino 7,russia7 is #aa years old1 has two cats and one dog1 and has contributed beautiful computer graphics art to the ,,kidlink project 7#aiib74 ,the file ,,art#jai in the ,,kidart catalog of the ,north ,dakota center contains one of his creations4 ,it is a ,u,u,e,n,c,o,d,ed picture in ,,gif graphics format4 ,you can retrieve ,denis' creation by sending a ,,get command to ,,listserv,,vm#a4,,nodak4,,edu 4 ,put the following command in the ,,text of your message3 ,,get ,,kidart ,,art#jai ,the ,l,i,s,t,s,e,r,ver will return a message filled with strange uu-codes4 ,we assume that you have already retrieved the ,,binstart file1 and that you have a version of the conversion program4 ,your next step is uudecoding3 ,read the message into an editor or a viewing program4 ,cut and paste the codes to a work file4 ,keep the original as backup4 ,use the ,,uudecode4,,com program to convert ,,art#jai into a ,,gif formatted file4 ,now1 view the picture with your favorite graphics program4 7,or use shareware ,,gif-viewers like ,,picem1 ,,vuimg1 and ,,vpic for ,,ms-,,dos computers4 ,these programs are available from ,compu,serve's ,,ibm forums and other services47 ,sending binary files in uuencoded form has weaknesses4 ,one is the lack of automatic error correction when sending_/receiving e- mail4 ,noise on the line can easily distort the picture4 ,file size is another problem4 ,u,u,e,n,c,o,d,eing typically increases file sizes by almost one third4 ,some mailbox systems restrict the length of individual messages that you can receive1 and the file may just be too big4 ,if the uuencoded file gets too big1 some services can 7or will by default7 split it up in parts and then sent separately4 ,tons of uuencoded public domain and shareware programs are available for retrieval by ordinary email4 ,,ftp by email ------------- ,while some services accept commands like ,,get ,,kidart ,,art#jai by email1 this is not so with the many so-called ,,ftp libraries4 ,many of them can only be accessed by ,,ftp4 ,services exist that will do ,,ftp transfers by email for those not having access to the ,,ftp command4 ,the most popular is at ,,dec ,corporate ,research in the ,u4,s4 ,for more information1 write a message to one of the following addresses3 ftpmaildecwrl4dec4com ftpmailcs4uow4edu4au ,in the ,,text of your message1 put the word ,,help4 ,,ftpmail lets you uuencode binary files for transfers4 ,it can split large files up into several messages1 thus helping you around local restrictions on the size of each incoming mail message4 ,chapter #ac3 ,cheaper and better communication ,packet data services and data transportation services like ,tymnet ,outdial1 ,infonet1 ,internet1 and ,,pc ,pursuit may help keep costs down4 ,about reducing the cost of using mailing lists4 ,many users access online services by calling them directly4 ,a lot pay extra for long distance calls to other cities and countries1 even when this means inferior transmission quality 7like when noise characters degrade the data74 ,others investigate other routings for their data4 ,one option is the packet data networks4 ,most countries have ,public ,data ,networks 7,p,d,ns7 operated by local telecommunications authorities4 ,these services are often cheaper than direct calls for some applications1 but more expensive for others4 ,before using a packet data network1 you'll need to establish a ,network ,user ,identification 7,,nui7 with the ,,pdn carrier4 ,you must also know the ,network ,user ,address 7,,nua7 of the hosts that you want to access4 ,in ,scandinavia1 the local ,p,d,ns are called ,datapak4 ,they can be accessed by direct local calls or through leased lines4 ,to personal users1 direct calls are least expensive4 ,a leased line may be cost efficient when the daily volume is high1 like in a company4 ,when you communicate with online services through a ,,pdn1 the latter will split your data and bundle it in standard envelopes or 'packets'4 ,each packet is marked with a code and sent out into the data stream4 ,based on this code1 the packet is routed from computer center to computer center until it reaches its final destination4 ,there1 the information will be reassembled into its original form before being handed over to a user or online service4 ,it is almost like traveling by train4 ,the price per packet or traveler is lower than what it costs to rent the whole train for your trip4 ,national telecommunications monopolies were the first to offer packet data services4 ,their rates were moderately lower than for long distance calls1 but it was hard to find the relationship between real costs and prices4 ,this is still the situation in many countries4 ,throughout the world1 efforts to privatize nationwide phone networks continue4 ,in many countries1 this has given us some interesting competitors offering attractive rates for similar services4 ,their rates differ considerably from country to country1 as does the quality of transmissions4 ,the advantage of using packet data also varies considerably1 by application and by country4 ,the best routing for retrieval of online news may be impossibly expensive for chats or complex online jobs4 ,we can offer no hard rules of thumb1 except this3 ,compare rates regularly6 ,what is cheapest8 ----------------- ,some networks charge by the hour1 while others charge by volume 7number of characters transferred per minute74 ,when volume is low1 your best bet is to use network services with a low price per minute and high prices for volume4 ,when volume is high1 you may be better off using those charging by the minute4 ,to estimate costs reliably1 you'll need statistics4 ,since your usage probably differs from what others do1 start accumulating experience data now4 ,like this3 ,on services only charging for connect time ---------------------------------------- -- ,capture trip information to a log file4 ,register the following information3 99 number of minutes connected 99 modem speed 99 number of characters transmitted4 ,some communication programs can do this automatically for you4 ,on services charging for time and volume ---------------------------------------- ,log the following information3 99 number of minutes connected 99 modem speed 99 number of segments or packets 7measurements of volume7 ,you need this to estimate the average volume of data transferred by minute4 ,here are some general experiences and hints3 ,long streams of data without stops are cheaper through services that only charge by the minute4 ,retrieving software is a typical high volume application4 ,trips that include navigation from conference to conference1 with a little bit of up- and downloading here and there1 make the average transfer speed fall dramatically4 ,it's like driving through a big city at #aej kilometers per hour4 ,red lights will reduce the average speed considerably4 ,the actual transferred volume of text per minute will differ from place to place 7geographically71 and often also from call to call4 ,it depends on factors like3 99 ,how fast you can enter commands and how much time you spend staring at the display before pressing keys1 99 ,how long it takes for an online service to react to your commands4 ,for example1 the response time on ,compu,serve at #jd3jj ,,gmt on a ,friday morning 7it is evening in the ,u4,s47 is much worse than at #aj3cj ,,gmt on a ,sunday morning4 ,then1 most users are asleep4 99 ,the load on your packet data network while you use the service 7or the amount of noise and retransmission1 when calling direct71 99 ,the type of modem you are using 7speed1 level of ,,mnp71 99 ,the number of commands you 7or your scripts7 have to enter during your online visit4 ,an increase in the number of commands1 reduces the average transfer speed4 99 ,the amount of transfer overhead for color and screen handling 7like1 ,,vt-#ajj codes7 that is transferred with your text4 99 ,your use of menus and help texts while online1 or whether you come as expert with a minimum of prompts4 ,it's impossible to calculate the practical effects of these items4 ,you will just have to bear them in mind when estimating typical jobs1 measuring speeds1 calculating costs1 and comparing networks4 ,finding the optimal network for our needs1 will take time1 but is well worth the effort4 ,i think the figures may surprise you4 ,the network services in this chapter will often give you better quality transfers than a direct call4 ,on the other hand1 calling direct may give more characters transferred per minute4 ,the average speed tends to drop dramatically when using a packet data service4 ,using national packet data services ----------------------------------- ,most commercial online services can be reached through national ,p,d,ns1 but you may have problems finding the correct ,,nua 7,network ,user ,address7 to get there4 ,few ,p,d,ns have a directory of available electronic telephone numbers for you to consult4 ,the ,norwegian ,,pdn1 ,datapak1 used to be my only alternative for access to foreign online services1 and ,i thought that the cost was acceptable4 ,not so anymore4 ,my applications require that data be pumped back and forth at maximum speed4 ,on network services charging by a combination of volume and time1 #hj percent of my costs are typically for volume1 while #bj percent is for connect time4 ,when ,i log out after a successful visit to ,compu,serve through ,datapak1 the two services give me similar reports3 ,thank you for using ,compu,serve6 ,off at #aj3aa ,,est #bd-,nov-#hg ,connect time #j3ae ,,clr ,,pad 7#jj7 #jj3jj3ad3ee #ecg #ge ,the last line comes from ,datapak4 ,it tells that ,i have received #ecg segments and sent #ge4 ,the ,segment is ,datapak's volume measure4 ,a segment contains up to sixty-four characters and_/or carriage returns4 ,the price is calculated accordingly4 ,at today's prices1 ,datapak is still my cheapest alternative calling ,compu,serve for chats4 ,i use ,datapak when connecting to ,,twics in ,tokyo1 as the only alternative today is direct calls at a prohibitive cost4 ,once i-,com 7see below7 starts offering outdial to ,japan1 ,i expect this service to be substantially cheaper4 ,the slower your modem speed1 the more attractive is ,datapak compared with direct calls4 ,to get access to a national ,,pdn1 you must have a user identification and a password4 7,getting temporary access to ,,pdn services while traveling abroad is often hard and expensive47 ,note3 ,if you have access to a national ,,pdn1 but need information about ,p,d,ns in other countries1 try ,hostess1 the ,global ,network ,service's information service from ,british ,telecom in ,england4 ,the ,,nua is #jbcdb #aibjajajac 7#jbcdb is the ,data ,network ,identifier ,code section of the address47 ,username or password is not required to use this service4 ,outdial through ,,pc ,pursuit -------------------------- ,sprintnet 7formerly ,,gte ,telenet7 lets ,american users call bulletin boards in ,north ,america at lower rates through their ,,pc ,pursuit service4 ,they pay a modest subscription to call a local number for access to ,,pc ,pursuit4 ,once connected1 they can enter an electronic phone-number to connect to a so-called 'outdial modem' in another city4 ,once connected to the outdial modem1 they can give it dialing commands and have it call any local number4 ,this way1 they can use ,,pc ,pursuit to call an online service in the area1 or the private modem of a friend4 ,we call ,,pc ,pursuit an ,outdial service4 ,such services normally offer lower rates for access to remote bulletin boards than what it costs to call by long distance4 ,besides1 they reduce the chances for noise on the line4 ,outdial through i-,com --------------------- i-,com offers outdial to ,north ,american online services by reselling capacity from ,tymnet's network 7owned by ,british ,telecommunications ,,plc74 ,in the ,united ,states1 ,galaxy ,telecomm ,corp4 offers a similar service under the name ,starlink4 ,outdial to numbers in ,japan and ,europe is planned4 i-,com markets its services to users in ,europe and ,japan1 and have local access in ,brussels1 ,paris1 ,lyon1 ,milano1 the ,hague1 ,eindhoven1 ,zurich1 ,geneva1 ,london1 ,belfast1 ,birmingham1 ,bristol1 ,cambridge1 ,edinburgh1 ,leeds1 ,frankfurt1 ,cologne1 ,munich1 ,madrid1 ,stockholm1 ,copenhagen1 and more4 ,the basic fee for access to the service is ,,us#be4jj per hour 7#aiib74 ,you don't pay volume charges4 ,the monthly subscription fee is ,,us#h4jj4 ,you can pay using ,,visa or ,master,card_/,eurocard4 ,in ,norway1 ,i have used i-,com to connect to ,the ,well in ,san ,francisco1 ,meta,net in ,virginia1 ,,exec-,,pc in ,wisconsin1 and ,sci,link in ,toronto1 ,canada4 ,at the time1 i-,com was cheaper than direct calls and ,datapak for access to these services4 ,while an ,,id on your local ,,pdn is only valid in your area or country1 your i-,com ,,id can be used all over the world including several cities in ,north ,america4 ,once your plane has landed in ,milano1 you can dial the local i-,com node to connect to your favorite service4 i-,com also has a bulletin board 7,,us#ac4jj_/;hour74 ,these are some of its services3 99 ,search a database to find ,,bbs numbers in a given area of interest1 or to locate outdial numbers in a given city or area code4 99 ,conferences about how to use ,north ,american bulletin boards4 99 ,retrieval of shareware and public domain software4 99 ,online shopping of ,american goods at ,american prices4 ,cheaper access to ,compu,serve ---------------------------- ,wherever ,compu,serve has local access points1 you'll be better off using these4 ,you do not have to sign any special agreements4 ,your ,compu,serve ,,id is all you need4 ,payment for using these services will appear on your ,compu,serve bill4 ,compu,serve has special deals with a list of network services1 like ,info,net ,europe 7formerly ,computer ,sciences ,corp471 ,istel1 ,,falnet1 ,,fenics1 ,compu,pass1 ,,lata ,networks1 ,tymnet_/,sprintnet4 ,enter the command ,,go ,,log on ,compu,serve to get access information1 and ,,go ,,rates for rates4 ,i have been using ,compu,pass from ,japan1 ,compu,serve's own network in the ,united ,states1 ,istel1 ,info,net1 and ,,pdn services in ,europe4 ,when at home1 ,i usually use ,compu,serve's #ifjj bps node in ,stockholm1 ,sweden4 ,it is even cheaper than calling ,oslo for a #bdjj bps node for most of my jobs4 ,there is no surcharge when accessing at non-prime time1 and ,,us#g4gj per hour during prime time 7weekdays #jh3jj to #ai3jj local time74 ,in addition1 ,i pay long distance rates to call the node4 ,compu,serve has no extra charges for volume4 ,whenever ,compu,serve opens a new node in your vicinity1 or upgrades the modem speed on one of their nodes1 look at the effects on your total costs4 ,use software for automatic access and navigation 7like ,,tapcis1 ,oz,c,i,s1 or ,,ato74 ,they give higher volume per minute and make your accesses even more cost efficient4 ,before leaving for a business trip1 visit ,compu,serve to find local access numbers in your destination cities4 ,the list of countries includes ,australia1 ,belgium1 ,canada1 ,denmark1 ,finland1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,hong ,kong1 ,italy1 ,japan1 ,mexico1 ,holland1 ,south ,africa1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 ,switzerland1 and ,england4 ,you can also access ,compu,serve through i-,com and other outdial services4 ,compu,serve has exchange of electronic mail with ,internet4 ,you can also access the service by telnet to hermes4merit4edu 7binary transfers are impossible1 though74 ,,ixi - a ,european alternative to ,,pdn ----------------------------------- ,,ixi is an ,x4#be data network for ,european academic1 industrial and governmental research centers4 ,it is sponsored by the ,,eec under the ,,esrin project1 and is operated by the ,dutch ,,ptt4 ,,ixi interconnects national research networks1 many national public data networks and several specialized international networks4 ,it works like a national ,,pdn service1 but uses its own ,network ,user ,addresses4 ,echo1 ,,stn1 ,,dimdi1 ,data-,star and other database vendors can be accessed through ,,ixi4 ,the service is not available to most users having email access through the ,internet4 ,using ,d,a,snet to cross network boundaries ---------------------------------------- ,,da ,systems forwards electronic mail and files 7also binary files7 across mailbox system boundaries for customers4 ,they can send your mail to several large in-house systems1 information networks1 and over #fj commercial mailbox systems in #cj countries4 ,these are some systems on their list3 ,,aba_/net1 ,alternex 7,brazil71 ,,att ,mail1 ,,bix1 ,,bitnet1 ,,cesac 7,italy71 ,c,i,gnet1 ,com,net 7,switzerland71 ,,connect1 ,dialcom1 ,deutsche ,mailbox1 ,dialcom1 ,envoy #ajj1 ,,eies1 ,easy,link1 ,euromail 7,germany71 ,freds,naetet 7,sweden71 ,galaxy1 ,geo,net 7hosts in ,germany1 ,england1 ,u4,s4,a471 ,green,net1 ,,inet1 ,,infotap 7,luxembourg71 ,mailbox ,benelux1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,mercan,mail 7,asia71 ,,mbk ,mediabox 7,germany71 ,meta,net1 ,nicarao 7,nicaragua71 ,,nwi1 ,,otc ,peace,net_/,eco,net1 ,pegasus 7,australia71 ,,pinet1 ,portal1 ,psych,net1 ,san ,francisco_/,moscow ,teleport1 ,telexphone 7,france71 ,tele,rede 7,portugal71 ,telehaus ,nordhorn 7,germany71 ,telemail1 ,,textel 7the ,caribbean71 ,,twics 7,japan71 ,,unison1 ,,uucp1 ,web 7,canada71 ,the ,,well1 ,internet4 ,this list may suggest lack of connectivity between networks that do indeed have connections4 ,for example1 ,internet email may easily be sent to ,,att ,mail1 ,alternex1 ,,bix1 ,,bitnet1 ,freds,naetet1 ,geo,net1 ,green,net1 and many others on this list4 ,connectivity changes constantly4 ,check to see if you really need it1 as this service is far from free4 ,d,a,snet also lets you send email as telex1 fax and by ordinary mail4 ,they charge you by the number of characters transferred1 and the destination address4 7,contact ,anna ,b4 ,lange1 ,,da ,systems1 ,inc41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-djh-eei-gdcd1 or write her at ,anna,b#aa4;,,das4,,net74 ,fido,net - grassroots playground ------------------------------- ,fido,net is an amateur network consisting of tens of thousands of bulletin boards all over the world4 ,the network is loosely coupled1 meaning that most of the participating boards are not always connected4 ,they call each others at regular intervals to exchange mail1 often in the middle of the night when the rates are low4 ,most ,fido,net boards have conferences1 and allow you to send mail to users of other systems4 ,net,mail is a term often used for private ,fido,net email4 ,echo,mail is used about its international conferences4 ,the selection of echomail conferences on a given ,fido,net board can be as unique as the rest of the system4 ,relay,net -------- is another global network of bulletin boards4 ,it offers exchange of email between systems4 ,messages and conference items entered on one system will automatically be copied to other participating boards4 ,your costs for talking with others in other parts of the world are very small4 ,other grassroots networks ------------------------- ,it doesn't take much to set up a bulletin board service1 and it is as easy to connect ,,bbs systems to each other in a dial-up network for regular exchanges of email1 files and conferences4 ,all over the world1 grassroots networks keep popping up with names like ,,ilink1 ,am,net1 ,suedd ,,mb-,verbund1 ,starmail1 ,magic,net1 ,a- ,,net1 ,maus,net1 ,zerberus-,netz1 ,,smbx-,,net1 ,,basa-,,netz1 you name it4 ,many boards offer access to more than one grassroots network1 as well as to the ,internet4 ,thus1 the ability to send global email is extended to new users every day4 ,other services -------------- ,the ,,pdn ,connect-,,usa competes with ,starlink in ,north ,america4 7,connect-,,usa ,communications1 ,inc41 #bfbe ,pennsylvania ,,ne ,suite #bbe1 ,albuquerque1 ,new ,mexico4 #eje-hha-fihh 7voice71 #eje-hha-bgef 7,,fax71 #eje-hha-fifd 7,,bbs74 7 ,global ,access is a similar service reselling time on the ,sprintnet network in ,north ,america4 ,reducing the cost of using mailing lists ---------------------------------------- ,the problem of subscribing to mailing lists is that all discussion items come to you in individual messages4 ,each message comes with its own mailer header1 and this information is generally completely useless4 7,read ,returned mail in ,chapter #g for details47 ,newer versions of the ,,bitnet ,,listserv software provide commands that solve this problem3 ,,set list name ,,digest ---------------------- ,this command is sent to a ,,listserv to make all daily messages come to you in one1 single message4 ,example3 ,say you've joined ,,kidcafevm#a4nodak4edu1 which usually has a large number of messages each day4 ,send the following command to the ,,listserv3 ,,set ,,kidcafe ,,digest ,it will typically reduce the number of lines received from this mailing list by around #ej percent4 ,,set list name ,,index --------------------- ,this command is sent to a ,,listserv to get a daily list of messages1 like in this example from ,,kidcafe3 ,index ,date ,size ,poster and subject ----- ---- ---- ------------------ #bbhci #jf_/bb #bf ,from3 ,david ,chalmers ,david4,chalmersp#c4;f#aee4n#fcc4z#c4;fi donet4org ,subject3 ,conor ,dublin ,ireland ,based on this list1 you can use the ,,listserv's search commands to retrieve individual messages of interest4 ,these commands are similar to those used for searching in chapter #g4 ,for more about searching mailing lists' message bases1 send a message to ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu with the following command in the text of your mail3 ,,get ,,kidlink ,,tips ,some ,l,i,s,t,s,e,r,vs offers simplified search commands and macros to make retrieval of individual messages simpler4 ,chapter #ad3 ,keep what you find ,little is gained by being skillful at locating and accumulating information1 and then becoming drowned in an avalanche of data that one cannot manage - or use4 ,this chapter starts with how to build a personal data base on your own hard disk4 ,we continue by investigating strategies for finding interesting information on your disk1 before winding down with some words about what separates good information from bad4 ,search and throw away --------------------- ,to novices1 everything is difficult4 ,during the first online trips1 they may feel as if moving to the other side of the globe to start over3 ,they need new newspapers1 magazines1 information sources1 and services4 ,trial and error are required to find online gold mines4 ,as you get more experience1 focus tends to shift from getting information to digesting4 ,getting the data gets 'into your fingers'1 and doesn't bother much anymore4 ,the number of retrieved lines increases4 ,the only bad news is that your reading speed remains at the same old level4 ,in our time1 people tend to talk more than they listen1 and you usually find more information than knowledge4 ,therefore1 say ,,no to irrelevant information4 ,it is seldom worth keeping4 ,there is generally no good reason to learn things that you really don't need to know4 ,practice selective ignorance4 ,regularly evaluate your online sources critically1 and discard those costing you more than they are worth4 ,concentrate on those giving the best returns4 ,adjust the frequency with which you visit selected services to match their usefulness4 ,what used to be daily visits1 may have to be downgraded to once per week or month4 ,consider replacing daily news monitoring by clipping services4 ,plan 'overview' and 'details' with different frequencies4 ',overview' refers to online trips to get an impression of what generally goes on4 ,an example3 ,my script system is set for automatic visits to the ,compu,serve ,toshiba forum4 ,whenever ,i visit1 it 'digs out' unread messages based on key words on the item's subject line4 ,during #aiia1 it searched for these strings3 '#eajj'1 ,t#bjjj'1 and '#dbe'4 ,once1 ,this gave the following message to read3 3 #bieej ,s#f_/;,hi-,power ,notebooks #je-,oct-#ia #ag3bg3cj ,sb3 ,t#bjjj,,sx ,recharger ,fm3 ,steve ,kitahata #geaff1agda ,to3 ,all ,i tried to order the battery recharger for my ,t#bjjj,,sx from ,jade ,computer last weekend4 ,the sales rep said it would take about a week1 so ,i called today to check up on it4 ,he told me that ,i could only buy the recharger with the car adapter as a bundled set for #bfj4 ,they had both advertised in their flyer as separate items1 which they should be4 ,has anyone heard of this8 ,does anyone know of any sources that have the battery recharger available8 ,any help would be appreciated4 ,thanx4 -- ,steve ,my script found the search word ,t#bjjj in the subject line's text 7,sb3 ,t#bjjj,,sx ,recharger71 and subsequently selected the message4 ,once per month1 the same system scans the horizon to give me an idea of what is going on4 ,this is done by requesting a list of subjects being discussed4 ,here is part of one such list3 #bieee3 ,,dos #e ,upgrade #f replies #biedj3 ,,tdos ,upgrade questions #c replies #biehe3 ,toshiba ,,dos #e4j ships6 #a reply #biehf3 ,,dos #e4j ,upgrade ,solution #biehj3 ,toshiba,d,o,sbad business #h replies #bieha3 ,,dos #e _/ ,stacker #a reply ,reading the list1 allows me to see if new and interesting topics are up for discussion4 ,if ,i use ,stacker and want contact with other users1 ,i can request message number #bieha and the subsequent reply 7#a reply74 ,that should give me some email addresses4 ,several advanced communication programs and offline readers have built-in quick scan features4 ,for example1 ,,tapcis does this just fine in ,compu,serve forums4 ,when retrieving conference messages from bulletin boards using #ast,reader at high speed1 like #ifjj bps or above1 then the cost of downloading all new items may be insignificant4 ,therefore1 you might just as well do it4 ,later1 when reading the captured mail1 #ast,reader lets you select messages to read from a list of subjects4 ,you can save what you want to keep1 and delete the rest4 ,by regular scanning subject headers you reduce the risk of missing important trends1 for example because authors were using other terms on the subject line than expected4 ,scanning also lets us discover if the discussion is heading off in other1 interesting directions4 ,after a while1 you'll have a set of sources1 persons1 and tools that will provide you with what you need4 ,this is your personal infrastructure of electronic information4 ,now1 you must maintain and cultivate it4 ,store incoming information -------------------------- ,chances are that you will retrieve more information than you can read4 ,sometimes it takes weeks for me to get up to date with my own readings4 ,if you visit several online services1 consider storing the data in files with different names4 ,use part of the file name to show the source of this information4 ,if visiting a service regularly1 consider using the date as part of the file names4 ,this will make it easier to select1 read and search them in a useful sequence4 ,example3 ,say you're regularly visiting ,,twics in ,tokyo4 ,what you download on ,november #aj1 you may store in a file named ,,tw#aaaj4,,tmp ,my scripts do this automatically4 ,on some services1 they also split retrieved data into ,,urgent and ,,may ,,be ,,read ,,later files4 ,private mail from ,,twics is stored in ,,nb#aaaj4,,tmp4 ,by storing private mail separately1 it is easier to see if somebody wants a quick reply4 ,all file names in this example have the extension 4,,tmp 7temporary74 ,this signifies that these files are unread4 ,when ,i read them1 and select parts for permanent storage on my hard disk1 ,i use different names4 ,often1 ,i use the year1 or a month_/year code in the file name extension4 ,for example1 the file ,,dialog4#ic contains information from ,,dialog collected during #aiic4 ,postprocessing the data ------------------------ ,the data capture is completed1 and the retrieved data is stored on the hard disk in more or several files4 ,your next task is to 99 ,read the received texts1 99 ,cut and paste selected parts to archive or work files1 99 ,prepare responses to your electronic mail4 ,this may include quoting part of the incoming messages in your replies4 99 ,finally1 delete all temporary files4 ,many advanced programs have these features built in4 ,if not1 you may use your favorite word processor1 or something else4 ,there are many alternatives4 ,,list is my favorite ,,ms-,,dos shareware file viewer program4 ,it can be downloaded from most bulletin boards4 ,using ,,list1 it is difficult to destroy your precious retrieved data while reading1 cutting and pasting4 ,,more ,,about ,,list3 ,assume that all input data is stored in the disk catalog ,c3,,in and that you're using the file name convention suggested above4 ,type ,,list and press ,enter4 ,a list of file names will appear on your screen4 ,press ,s to sort the list1 and then ,d to have them sorted by creation date4 ,the newest files are at the bottom of the list4 ,move the cursor 7using the ,arrow keys7 to the input file that you want to read and press ,enter4 ,scroll up and down in the file by pressing the ,pg,up_/,pg,dn or the arrow keys4 ,let's assume that you are reading ,,tw#aaaj4,,tmp right now4 ,on your screen is a piece of information that you want to keep for future reference4 ,mark the text with ,,alt-,m commands 7keep the ,,alt key pressed down1 while pressing ,m71 and then ,,alt-,d4 ,,list will ask you for a file name4 ,you enter ,,twics4#ic1 and the text is appended to what is already there4 ,this method allows you quickly to mark and append parts of your input file to various archive files4 ,press ,,esc to return to the file list when through1 then press ,d4 ,,list asks if you really want to delete the file4 ,press ,y1 and ,,tw#aaaj4,,tmp is gone4 ,,list lets you find information stored in your archives 7string search74 ,what you find can be marked and copied to a work file4 ,it can also be set to invoke an editor or a word processor for the selected file4 ,reuse of data on your hard disk ------------------------------- ,over time your personal archives will grow in size4 ,you begin to experience the benefits of having all this information on your hard disk4 ,yesterday's news is today's history1 and may be used in many interesting ways4 ,one business executive regularly monitors key technologies1 customers1 competitors1 and suppliers4 ,he does it by tapping sources like ,,kompass1 ,associated ,press1 and ,reuters4 ,interesting bits of information are regularly stored on his disk4 ,tomorrow1 there is an important meeting with a major customer4 ,first1 a quick search through the personal customer database to be reminded of important events since the last meeting4 ,an unfamiliar person is also going to be present4 ,maybe there is some background information1 for example about a recent promotion4 ,then1 a quick check on major competitors4 ,maybe they are up to something that he needs to know about4 ,with efficient tools for searching your hard disk1 finding information takes only a few seconds4 ,if you are still left with open questions1 go online to complement4 ,on ,,ms-,,dos computers1 you can search the files with ,word,perfect1 ,,list1 the ,,dos utility ,,find1 and a long list of other programs4 ,i prefer programs that let me search for more than one word at the time1 like in ,,hydro ,,and ,,petrochemical ,,and ,,contract1 or ,,exxon ,,or ,,mobil4 ,,my ,,favorite3 ,my favorite search utility is ,,lookfor4 ,it can be downloaded from many bulletin boards4 ,the ,,ms-,,dos program is small1 fast1 and is superior for searches in ,,dos text files4 ,store your finds in work files1 or print them out on paper4 ,,lookfor is not an indexing program4 ,it is ready to search anywhere1 anytime4 ,discipline and organization is required to get the most out of your file archives4 ,you must decide what to do with each piece of information3 ,should it be printed out and be read in front of the fireplace this evening1 or should it be circulated8 ,should it be stored on your hard disk1 or be refined before storage8 ,use standard file names that are easy to remember4 ,if you don't1 risk having to view files to find out what they contain4 ,it may take longer to find a piece of information in a casual file on a large disk1 than look up a piece of information on paper in your inbox4 ,therefore1 finish handling your capture file while you read it on your screen3 ,send the pieces to their final destination4 ,make immediate transfers to your ,,to-,,do files4 ,give the original file a name that makes it easier to move later4 ,have a procedure that prevents duplication of effort4 ,desinformation1 deception and errors ------------------------------------ ,always use several sources of information4 ,some people write to lead you astray4 ,the online world exposed some interesting incidents that came out of the former ,soviet ,union before the attempted coup in #aiia4 ,desinformation hurts everybody and comes from all sides4 ,even professional news agencies1 like ,associated ,press1 ,reuters and ,agence ,france-,presse1 regularly stumble4 ,most news is written by journalists reporting what they have seen1 read or heard4 ,their interpretation of the situation may be wrong4 ,supplement online news with what knowledgeable people say 7by email or in conferences71 when knowing the facts is important4 ,another point3 ,errors will occasionally be discovered and reported by the news sources1 but always after the fact4 ,always store these reports in your archives1 and make it a rule to search to the end when looking for something4 ,otherwise1 you may never discover these corrections4 ,chapter #ae3 ,you pay little for a lot6 ,calculating costs ----------------- ,those living in ,norway may read up to twenty-six pages of news from ,associated ,press in the ,united ,states and ,financial ,times 7,england7 for ,,us #j4fd1 or less4 ,the trick is to dial long distance to a #ifjj bps node in ,sweden when the telephone company and ,compu,serve's non-prime time rates are in effect4 ,at #ifjj bps1 you may transfer text at up to #ifj characters per second4 ,one page of text 7size ,a-#d7 holds around #bbjj characters4 ,a typical news story is one to two pages of text4 ,users watching the 'taximeter' can use online services at a very low cost4 ,for many1 global communication is almost free4 ,reading exactly the same news through another network or service1 may cost you #cjj percent more4 ,through yet another online service1 the cost may double again4 ,a full issue of the ,news,bytes newsletter is around #aej1jjj characters1 or #fh pages of text4 ,retrieving it from a local ,,bbs typically costs me around #bi cents4 ,retrieving the full text from ,compu,serve would cost me over #ejj percent more4 ,using ,news,net for the job1 at #bdjj bps through ,datapak1 would increase my current cost by more than ,,us#cj4jj4 ,the time of day may be important4 ,some services have different rates for access during the day1 the evening1 and the weekend4 ,use your calculator often4 ,when you pay by the minute -------------------------- ,when using bulletin boards1 phone charges are often the only cost items4 ,some boards require a subscription fee for full access to the system4 ,still1 it is easy to calculate the costs of your calls4 ,divide the subscription fee by an estimated number of calls1 and add to the cost of using the phone4 ,the same applies to users of ,compu,serve4 ,their total cost is simply the sum of all connect charges1 any network charges 7to ,compu,serve and others71 part of the basic subscription fee1 and local phone rates 7for direct dialing to the service1 or to reach the network's node74 ,where a service uses a monthly subscription rate1 add part of this to the time charges4 ,distribute the rate using an estimated number of online hours per month4 ,example3 ,you pay ,,us#cj_/;hour to access a service during prime time4 ,your modem speed is #bdj cps4 ,theoretically1 if the data flows without pauses at system prompts1 you can transfer #cib pages of text in one hour4 ,even when you deduct some characters due to stops in the transfer1 the resulting transferred volume remains respectable4 ,to transfer one page of text takes around nine seconds 7#bbjj characters divided by the speed1 which is #bdjj bps1 or about #bdj characters per second74 ,the cost is nine cents4 ,a given binary file 7a program7 is #bceeb bytes large4 ,using the ,,xmodem protocol1 you can transfer it in about four minutes and thirteen seconds4 ,the cost is ,,us#b4aj4 ,to find the cost when paying by the minute is simple4 ,just calculate the cost per minute or second1 and multiply by the estimated connect time4 ,on many services1 it will take a minute or two before you can start to receive text or files4 ,disconnecting also takes a few seconds4 ,add this to the connect time when calculating costs4 ,pauses and delays in the transfer can be caused by you or others1 and may have a dramatic impact4 ,it is particularly important to take this into account when comparing alternatives using different networks4 ,example3 ,transfers to ,,twics via ,datapak at #ifjj bps rarely gave me higher effective speeds than #ajj cps4 ,the reason was that the connection between the ,japanese telcom network and ,,twics went through a #abjj bps gateway4 ,a high speed connection to your data transporter's network does not guarantee a high speed connection to the remote computer4 ,i used to go through ,datapak at #ifjj bps to a computer center in ,oslo4 ,there1 ,i was connected through a local area network to the host computer4 ,the effective speed was rarely higher than #dhjj bps4 ,calling direct gave twice the speed4 ,try to measure the effective transfer speed before selecting a routing for your data4 ,transfer the same amount of text through various networks4 ,if future transfers are likely to take place at a given time of day1 test at that time4 ,if your planned application is retrieval of programs1 retrieve programs4 ,if you want to read news1 then read news from the services that you want to compare4 ,when a network service charging for volume 7like ,datapak7 will also be part of a comparison1 measuring volume is particularly important4 ,do not assume that you know the answer in advance4 ,,note3 ,always calculate the cost based on a fixed volume1 like for the transfer of #ajjj characters4 ,this is particularly important when you need to use different transfer speeds to access competing services4 ,network load varies considerably throughout the day depending on the number of simultaneous users1 and their applications4 ,this also applies to online services4 ,the load is normally lowest1 when the bulk of the users are asleep1 and during weekends4 ,when the load is low1 you get more done per minute4 ,planning and self-discipline pays off ------------------------------------- ,the actual cost of using a given set of services depends a lot on your self-discipline1 the tools you use1 and on how well prepared you are3 99 ,if accessing manually1 use quick commands rather than menus to move at maximum speed to desired sources of information4 99 ,do not set your services to be used with colors1 sound1 or special methods for displaying graphics1 unless you have no choice1 or are willing to pay the extra cost4 ,they increase the volume of transferred text1 and lower effective speed4 99 ,get the information and disconnect4 ,it is expensive - and usually unnecessary - to read captured text while online4 ,log off to read4 ,call back for more to read1 disconnect1 and then call back again4 99 ,learn how to write your mail offline1 and send the letters in a batch to your mailbox4 ,your messages will often have fewer typing errors1 be better thought out1 and the cost will be considerably lower4 99 ,consider automating your communication 7see ,chapter #af74 ,i use ,bergen ,by ,byte this way4 ,a while ago1 it gave me the following progress report3 ,time on3 #ag hrs #dc min1 today #j hrs #j min1 total #hbg times4 ,in average1 ,i spend around #a4c minutes per call4 ,yesterday1 ,i was connected for #b3dh minutes4 ,the result was #ajf kilobytes' worth of conference mail4 ,modem speed and cost -------------------- #bdjj bps is a sensible modem speed for some applications1 and used to be a good starting point for new onliners4 ,the benefits of using a faster modem may be marginal under the following conditions3 99 ,when navigating the online service considerably reduces the effective speed1 and you access the service manually4 99 ,when you pay considerably more for access at higher speed4 7,compu,serve charges extra for #ifjj bps access1 but not much47 99 ,when your networks do not offer higher speeds4 99 ,when the relative price of a faster modem in your country is prohibitive4 ,on the other hand1 a modem doing #ifjj bps or more1 does give you considerably faster communication4 ,if doing things faster is more important than keeping costs down1 then it is a wise investment4 ,this is the case for me4 ,besides1 often it is definitely cheaper4 ,your applications have a considerable impact on your costs4 ,if you mainly use your modem for retrieval of programs and large data files from bulletin boards - and don't have to pay extra for volume - then higher modem speeds will immediately give reduced costs4 ,a slower speed modem may also stop you from getting what you want4 ,for example1 there are several shareware programs on my board that users of #bdjj bps modems are unable to download within their allotted #cj minutes per day4 ,when you pay for volume ----------------------- ,some network services1 like ,datapak in ,norway1 have high rates for volume1 and very low rates for connect time4 ,when using such services1 automatic communication becomes less useful4 ,rather than connecting1 getting a piece of information1 disconnecting1 and then going back for more1 you may find it cost efficient to review menus and results while online4 ,when paying for volume1 the online service's menus become luxury items4 ,using quick commands for navigating is cheaper4 ,your comparisons will never be accurate when comparing with services charging for connect time4 ,it is particularly difficult when the measure of volume is 'packets' rather than 'number of characters transferred'4 ,datapak and many other ,,pdn services reports your sessions like this3 ,,clr ,,pad 7#jj7 #jj3jj3ad3ee #ecg #ge ,these numbers say that you have been connected to a service for #ad minutes and #ee seconds1 that #ecg data 'packets' have been received1 and that #ge have been sent4 ,use these figures to calculate the cost of the call4 ,one data 'packet' or segment contains up to #fd characters4 ,think of it as a measure of the number of lines4 ,each line can have a maximum of #fd characters4 ,if you send the character ,a and a carriage return1 then this also counts as a segment4 ,consequently1 it is hard to use the ,datapak record to estimate the real number of characters transferred4 ,all we know is that #ecg #ge segments were transferred1 and that #fab segments may contain up to #ci1afh characters4 ,when calculating the cost of a direct call1 just the number of minutes counts4 ,use the time reported by the online service1 and not your stop watch4 ,compu,serve gives this type of report3 ,thank you for using ,compu,serve6 ,off at #aj3aa ,,est #bd-,nov-#ib ,connect time #j3ae ,if the size of your log file was #ae ,,kb after the first test1 and #aa ,,kb after the second1 then just adjust the latter to compare 7,actual ,cost_/#aa99ae74 ,it is easy to compare services that only charge by the minute4 ,more practical hints -------------------- ,it is more expensive to call a service daily to check the news1 than to call it once per week to retrieve the same stories4 ,navigating by menus is more expensive than going directly to a source1 or going there by stacking commands 7i4e41 combining quick commands into one74 ,many services let you read selective items in conferences by entering a search string4 ,on my ,,bbs1 the following command r extended #ajj c lets you read all messages containing the search string 'extended' in the text starting with message number #ajj4 ,if you forget the c parameter1 the flow will stop after each message4 ,this will reduce the average effective speed4 ,always use nonstop commands when reading stories1 conference items1 and other texts4 ,now1 read the next chapter4 ,chapter #af3 ,automatic communication ,automatic data communication as a development strategy4 ,to get a lead on your competitors4 ,to avoid duplication of effort4 ,to reduce costs4 ,to reduce boring and repetitive work4 ,to avoid having to remember technical details4 ,automatic communication is both for professionals and amateurs4 ,first1 because it keeps the costs down4 ,second1 because it lets you do the job faster and safer4 ,we all have different needs --------------------------- ,automation will never be the same for everybody4 ,our needs are too different4 ,some get excited when a program can dial a bulletin board1 retrieve a program1 and then disconnect without them having to touch the keyboard4 ,some want an answering machine that can respond to and forward email when he or she is away from the office4 ,others want a communications system that can tap selected news sources1 search databases1 and do postprocessing on the retrieved material4 ,for most professionals1 doing things manually takes too much time4 ,time is better spent reading1 digesting1 and using1 rather than on stupid technical retrieval work4 ,computers can do that4 ,to others again1 automation is a question of being able to use the online resource at all4 ,if it takes #fj seconds to get a piece of information1 it may be possible to get before running for the next meeting4 ,if it takes #ae minutes1 however1 there may not be enough time4 ,if you also need to read a help text to find out how to do it1 you may not even consider it4 ,the mind is full of other things right now4 ,when using a system for automatic communication1 you do not have to learn and remember online commands4 ,the system will do it for you4 ,the minimum solution -------------------- ,automatic data communication in its simplest form entails the following3 99 ,one keypress to get the communications program to dial a number1 and send user name_/password when the online service requests this information4 99 ,macro commands 7like in a word processor7 for navigating through an online service1 searching1 and to send complex commands by pressing one key4 ,most communication programs have a macro language or a script language4 ,you will probably never regret time spent on learning how to use these features4 ,at a minimum1 you should be able to have your system log on to a service automatically4 ,autologon spares you the task of remembering your user name and password4 ,besides1 most people are only able to use the keyboard at a low speed4 ,they easily get frustrated by having to correct typing errors4 ,auto-logon with ,procomm ----------------------- ,procomm is one of the most popular communications program in use today 7see appendix #b74 ,a ,procomm script file is a text file1 which can contain a list of commands for dialing and navigating on an online service4 ,when writing a ,procomm script for auto-logon1 your first step is to list the commands that you believe required4 ,enter them in a text file 7as ,,dos or ,,ascii text74 ,in such scripts1 you can test for the occurrence of a small piece of information that the online service is supposed to send at a given time 7like the question ,password874 ,when this information is found1 ,procomm can be set to send the proper response or command 7here1 your secret password74 ,scripts can be tied to your favorite online services through ,procomm's dialing directory4 ,press a key to start the appropriate script file for access to a service4 ,the following is a simple ,,procomm script file4 ,it can be used to access my bulletin board in ,norway4 ,it assumes that your name is ,jens ,mikkelsen1 and that the secret password is ,,foxcrook#d4 ,you'll have to change this before testing4 2 2,script file for auto-logon to ,,shs with ,,procomm and ,,procomm ,,plus 2 ,,waitfor our ,,first ,name8 ,,pause #a ,,transmit ,jens,m ,,waitfor our ,,last ,name8 ,,pause #a ,,transmit ,mikkelsen,m ,,waitfor ots will echo78 ,,pause #a ,,transmit foxcrook#d,m ,,waitfor ,j,more 7,y71,n1,,ns8 ,,pause #a ,,transmit n,m ,,waitfor ,j,more 7,y71,n1,,ns8 ,,pause #a ,,transmit n,m ,,waitfor ,r to ,continue8 ,,pause #a ,,transmit ,m ,it is not difficult4 ,you probably understand a lot already4 ,here is the explanation3 99 the 2 character at the beginning of a line identifies it as a comment line4 ,procomm is to ignore it4 ,we use such lines for notes4 99 ,,waitfor our ,,first ,name8 has ,procomm wait for the text string our ,,first ,,name8 from my ,,bbs4 ,it is a part of the question ,what is your first name84 99 ,,pause #a halts the execution of the script file for one second4 99 ,,transmit ,jens,m sends the name ,jens followed by a ,return 7the code ,m in ,procomm74 99 ,,waitfor our ,,last ,name8 makes ,procomm wait for the question ,what is your ,,last ,name8 ,the script continues like this4 ,in ,,waitfor commands1 we use part of the text that is displayed on our screen once the scrolling stops4 ,make sure that the search term is unique4 ,it must not appear elsewhere in the text coming from the host computer4 ,if it does1 your name and password may be sent too early4 ,you can call the script ,,horror4,,cmd1 and attach it to the entry for my board in your ,procomm phone directory4 ,when you call it the next time1 ,procomm will execute the commands in the file and turn the keyboard over to you when done4 ,macros in ,procomm ----------------- ,above1 we used a script to log on automatically to a service4 ,when ,procomm gives us access to the keyboard again1 we must continue manually4 ,what we want to do online varies4 ,sometimes1 we want to read new messages in conferences4 ,in other cases1 the purpose is to check new programs in the file library4 ,if we find programs of interest1 we may want to download them4 ,shorthand macros can help you do this faster and safer4 ,for example1 one macro can take you quickly to a conference for new messages4 ,you can make ,procomm start this macro whenever you press ,,alt-#j 7keep the ,,alt key down1 then press #j74 ,you can have the macro key ,,alt-#a send other commands when in the file archives4 ,when ,i started using ,,ms-,,dos computers for data communications1 ,,pc-,,talk became my favorite program4 ,it has many of the same macro capabilities that ,procomm has4 ,with ,,pc-,,talk1 ,i did autologon to ,news,net4 ,macro number one sent commands that gave me the contents of various newsletters4 ,macro #b picked up the contents in another group4 ,macro #c picked up stories from my mailbox1 and macro #d logged me off the service4 ,my mission was completed by pressing four or five keys4 ,automating the full task ------------------------ ,it's a long way from automated logon scripts and the use of macros to automating the whole task4 ,the major difference is that with full automation1 you do not have to look at the screen while the script is working4 ,you can do other things4 ,sometimes1 you may not even be present when the job is being done4 ,on a typical morning1 ,i go directly from bed to my office to switch my communications computer on4 ,while ,i visit the bathroom1 my communications program calls three online services1 retrieve and send information4 ,when the script has disconnected from the first service1 which is my bulletin board1 it analyzes the received data4 ,i want an alphabetic list of visitors since my last visit1 a sorted list of downloaded programs1 and names of those calling in at #ifjj bps or higher4 ,sometimes1 the unexpected happen4 ,there may be noise on the line1 or a sudden disconnect4 ,usually1 my script can solve this without manual intervention4 ,it is therefore allowed to work unattended most of the time4 ,when ,i get to my office after breakfast1 it is all done4 ,my communications program is set for reading and responding to today's email4 ,i can sit down1 and immediately get to work4 ,after having written all my replies1 ,i say send to my system4 ,for me1 it's time for another cup of coffee4 ,i am not needed by the keyboard while my mail is being sent4 ,this is what an automatic communications system can do4 ,my scripts also help plan and prepare online visits1 and ease my work by postprocessing results4 ,when your communication is fully automated1 you need not read incoming data while it scrolls over your screen1 and then again after logging off the service4 ,you do it only once4 ,how to get it8 ,here are some alternatives3 ,alternative #a3 ,write your own system ------------------------------------ ,you can write procedures for powerful script-driven programs like ,pro,yam 7from ,omen ,technology7 and ,crosstalk ,,mk ,,iv4 ,i started writing scripts for ,pro,yam over seven years ago4 ,the system is constantly expanded to include new services1 refined to include more functions1 and enhanced to become more robust4 ,the scripts make my system work like an autopilot4 ,it calls online services1 navigates1 retrieves and sends data4 ,postprocessing includes automatic reformatting of retrieved data1 transfers to various internal databases1 statistics1 usage logs1 and calculation of transfer costs4 ,such scripts can do quite complex operations online4 ,for example1 it can - ,buy and sell stock when today's quotes are over_/under given limits1 - ,select news stories and other types of information based on information found in menus or titles4 ,script writing is not for everybody4 ,it is complicated1 and takes a lot of time4 ,therefore1 it is only for the specially interested4 ,on the other hand1 those going for it seldom regret4 ,tailor- made communication scripts give a wonderful flexibility4 ,the software does not cost much1 but again1 it takes a lot of time6 ,do not use large and complex script files before you know the online service well4 ,the scripts let you do things quicker and safer1 but there is always a possibility for unexpected problems4 ,test your scripts for a long time to make them robust by training them to handle the unexpected4 ,leave them to work unattended when you are reasonably certain that they can do the job4 - ,it may take months to get to that point4 ,build a timeout feature into your scripts1 so that they don't just hang there waiting for you after an encounter with fate4 ,alternative #b3 ,use scripts made by others ---------------------------------------- - ,some script authors generously let others use their creations4 ,earle ,robinson of ,compu,serve's ,,ibm ,europe ,forum1 share his ,pro,yam scripts for automatic usage of ,compu,serve with others4 ,they are available from the ,,ibm ,communication ,forum library4 ,enter ,,go ,,xtalk on ,compu,serve to find advanced script files for ,crosstalk ,mk4#d4 ,,zcomm and ,pro,yam scripts for visiting my board automatically can be freely downloaded there4 ,they split access up into these three phases3 ,phase #a3 ,menu driven offline preparation4 ,phase #b3 ,automatic logon1 navigation through the system1 and automatic disconnection4 ,phase #c3 ,automatic offline postprocessing4 ,you will find scripts for other programs on many online services4 ,alternative #c3 ,special software ------------------------------- ,several online services sell communication programs with built-in functions that provides you with automation4 ,they can have offline functions for reading and responding to mail4 ,the degree of automation varies4 ,there are also many programs written by third parties4 ,most programs assume that you use 'expert' as your default operating mode on the online service4 ,tap,c,i,s1 ,autosig 7,,ato71 ,oz,c,i,s1 ,,cisop1 ,compu,serve ,navigator 7for ,macintosh71 ,auto,pilot 7for ,amiga71 ,,arctic 7for ,acorn ,archimedes71 and ,quick,c,i,s 7for ,atari7 are popular choices on ,compu,serve4 ,tap,c,i,s is my personal favorite4 7,,cim does not offer much automation67 ,aladdin is for ,g,enie4 ,it automates your use of ,round,tables 7conferences71 file areas1 and mail4 ,dialog users turn to ,dialog- ,link4 ,nexis ,news ,plus 7for ,nexis1 ,,us#ej7 has pull-down menus and detailed selection of commands4 ,this ,,ms-,,dos program helps users set up detailed search commands before logging on to the ,mead ,data ,central4 ,your search results will be downloaded automatically4 ,personal ,bibliographics ,software1 ,inc4 7,ann ,arbor1 ,mich1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-cac-iif-aehj7 sells ,pro-,search to ,dialog and ,,brs users 7for ,macintosh and ,,ms-,,dos74 ,pro-,search will lead you through menus to find information on both services4 ,it translates your plain ,english search commands into the cryptic search language used by the services4 ,it logs on automatically1 connects to these services1 finds your information1 and shows you the hits4 ,alternative #d3 ,offline readers ------------------------------ ,the alternatives above have one important weakness4 ,noise on the line can prevent the robot from doing the job4 ,all it takes is for noise to give a prompt another content than is expected by your program or script 7as in ,ener a number3 instead of ,enter a number374 ,you can avoid noise problems by using get commands 7see ,chapter #ae71 and by making the online service use its minimum prompts 7'expert mode'7 4 ,still1 this does not give full protection4 ,the best is to let the online service do the navigation4 ,think of it as logging on to run a batch file on the remote computer4 ,combine this with automatic transfers of your commands1 transmitted in of one stream of data with automatic error correction 7in the software and in the modem71 and you have a very robust system4 ,the program logs on to the service4 ,then the service takes over4 ,it registers your user identity1 checks your user profile for personal interests1 retrieves and packs all messages1 news and files into one compressed file1 and sends it to you at high speed4 ,your outgoing messages1 search commands1 commands to join or leave conferences1 and more1 are transferred to the remote computer in a similar packet 7compressed file74 ,when received by the remote computer1 it unpacks the transfer file and distributes messages and commands to various services following your instructions4 ,your physical contact with the service is when your modem is disconnected4 ,the help menus that you read belong to your program1 and not the online service4 ,you read and respond to mail in a reading module 7ref4 the term offline reader74 ,some offline readers give the caller access to more tools than is available on the online service itself4 ,they may have spelling checkers1 multimedia support1 let you use your favorite editor or word processor1 and offer various storage1 search1 and printing options4 ,using offline readers is probably the easiest1 cheapest1 and safest way of using online services4 ,these readers are popular among bulletin board users1 and some commercial services are also starting to accommodate them4 ,there are many offline reader programs4 ,the most advanced take over completely upon logon1 and manage transfers of commands and compressed information files to and from the host4 7,example3 ,binkley ,term on ,fido,net7 ,global ,link is an offline reader for ,eco,net4 ,bergen ,by ,byte offers the ,,bbs_/,,cs ,mail ,grabber_/,reader1 a script system used with the communications program ,telix and the service's auto-get function4 ,the most popular systems on the ,p,c,board based ,thunderball ,cave ,,bbs are ,offline ,express1 ,megareader1 ,session ,manager1 ,rose ,reader and ,e,z,reader4 ,these are used with scripts written for various communication programs4 ,some of them have built in communications 7and script7 modules4 ,e,z,reader from ,thumper ,technologies 7,p4,o4 ,box #dgacdf1 ,tulsa1 ,,ok #gdadg-acdf1 ,u4,s4,a47 lets users retrieve mail from several online systems using transfer formats such as ,,qwk1 ,p,c,board capture files1 ,pro,door ,,zipm files1 ,,xrs1 ,,mci ,mail1 and others4 ,cost3 ,,us#di 7#aiib74 #ast,reader from ,sparkware 7,post ,office ,box #chf1 ,hendersonville1 ,tennessee #cgjgg1 ,u4,s4,a47 is my personal favorite for accessing ,qmail based online systems4 ,note3 ,some offline readers contain all the features required for fully automated communications4 ,some bulletin boards allow up- and downloading to start right after ,,connect4 ,off-,line ,xpress1 an offline mail reader for ,,qwk 7,qwikmail7 packets1 does not contain a communications module4 ,it just does pre- and postprocessing of mail packets4 ,you can use the ,off-,line ,xpress as one element in a larger automated system4 ,for example1 a system for access to ,p,c,board bulletin boards may consist of ,off-,line ,xpress software1 ,,pkzip and ,,pkunzip 7popular shareware programs to compress_/decompress mail packets71 the ,,qmodem communications program1 and a script to navigate to_/from the ,,qwk packet send and receive area on the ,,bbs4 #ast,reader 7version #a4aa7 contains a powerful script based communications module4 ,it lets you compose replies1 set search commands1 subscriptions to services1 add and drop conferences1 and enter download commands offline4 ,automatic automation -------------------- ,we have explained how to write scripts with ,procomm4 ,however1 there are simpler and quicker ways4 ,many communication programs can make scripts automatically using a learning function4 ,it goes like this3 ,start the learning function before calling the online service4 ,then log on1 navigate to the desired services1 do what you want to automate1 and disconnect4 ,the learning feature analyzes the received data and builds a script file for automatic communication4 ,if you call again with the new script1 it will drive the same route one more time4 ,,zcomm and ,pro,yam have a learning feature4 ,this is how ,i made a script for accessing ,semaforum ,,bbs using ,,zcomm3 ,,zcomm asked for a phone number4 ,i entered #dg-cgj-aagaj4 ,it asked for speed1 and ,i entered #bdjj bps4 ,next1 ,i had to choose one of the following3 7#a7 ,system uses ,,ibm ,,pc 7,,ansi7 line drawing 7#b7 #g bits even parity 7#c7 #h bits no parity ,my choice was #a4 ,,zcomm dialed the number4 ,when the connection was established1 ,i entered my name and password1 navigated to the message section1 read new messages1 browsed new files in the library1 and entered ,g for ,goodbye4 ,this was the tour that ,i wanted to automate4 ,when disconnected1 ,i pressed the ,f#a key4 ,this prompted the learning process based on a record of the online tour4 ,the log described everything that had happened in detail1 including my pauses to think4 ,now ,i was prompted by the following question3 'newscr4t' exists4 ,append_/replace_/quit8 ,i selected append4 ,then3 ,do you want this script file as a new entry in your telephone directory 7y_/n78 ,i entered y1 and named it semaforum4 ,after a few seconds1 my new script was ready3 ,your new script is in the file 'newscr4t' 66 ,you can append the file to your current script file 7for example ,,phodir4,t7 or have the commands executed by entering3 call semaforum4newscr4t ,it was time to test the new wonder4 ,i entered call semaforum4newscr4t at the ,,zcomm command line1 hit the ,enter key1 and off it went4 ,,zcomm called the ,,bbs and repeated everything - at far higher speed than ,i had done it manually4 ,it went on-hook as planned when done4 ,limitations ----------- ,auto-learn programs can create a script file that let you drive the same route4 ,for some applications this is enough4 ,for others1 it's just part of the way4 ,you have to refine the script manually to get what you want4 ,example3 ,if you call my bulletin board with an auto-learned script made yesterday1 chances are that everything works well4 ,if you call twice on the same day1 however1 you're in for a surprise4 ,the board greets you differently on your second visit4 ,you will not get the menu of available bulletins4 ,it will take you directly to the system's main menu4 ,your script must take this into account4 ,on most online services1 many things can happen at each junction of your road4 ,at one point in one of my scripts1 up to twenty things may happen4 ,each event needs its own routing4 ,twenty possible events are an extreme1 but three to four possibilities at each system prompt is not unusual4 ,all of them need to be handled by your script1 if you want it to visit online services unattended while asleep4 ,it is quicker and simpler to use other people's scripts and programs1 although this might force you to use a different program for each service4 ,personally1 ,i prefer offline readers on services where such are able to do the job4 ,on other services1 ,i usually depend on my own tailor-made scripts4 ,chapter #ag3 ,gazing into the future ,thoughts about things to come4 ,newspaper of the future --------------------------- ,some years ago1 ,nicholas ,negroponte of ,massachusetts ,institute of ,technology1 said that today's newspapers are old-fashioned and soon to be replaced by electronic ultra personal newspapers4 ,if the purpose is to sell news1 he said1 then it must be completely wrong to sell newspapers4 ,personally1 ,i think that it is a dreadful way of receiving the news4 ,,mit's ,media ,laboratory had developed a new type of electronic newspaper4 ,daily1 it delivered personalized news to each researcher4 ,the newspaper was written by a computer that searched through the news services' cables and other news sources according to each person's interest profile4 ,the system could present the stories on paper or on screen4 ,it could convert them to speech1 so that the reader could listen to the news in the car or the shower4 ,in a tailor-made electronic newspaper1 personal news makes big headlines4 ,if you are off for ,san ,francisco tomorrow1 the weather forecasts for this city is front page news4 ,email from your son will also get a prominent place4 ,what counts in my newspaper is what ,i consider newsworthy1 said ,negroponte4 ,he claimed that the personal newspaper is a way of getting a grip on the information explosion4 ,we cannot do it the old way anymore4 ,we need other agents that can do prereading for us4 ,in this case1 the computer happens to be our agent4 ,the technology is already here4 ,anyone can design similar papers using powerful communication programs with extensive script features4 ,i have tried4 ,my test edition of ,the ,saltrod ,daily ,news did not convert news to sound4 ,it did not look like a newspaper page on my screen4 ,not because it was impossible4 ,i simply did not feel these 'extras' worth the effort4 ,my personal interest profile was taken care of by my scripts4 ,if ,i wanted news1 the news processor went to work and printed a new edition4 ,on ,tuesdays1 ,thursdays1 and ,saturdays1 ,i got an extended edition4 ,this is a section from my first edition3 ,front page1 ,thursday1 ,november #ba4 ,under the headline ,news ,from ,tokyo1 the following items3 ,,toshiba ,,to ,,market ,,inexpensive ,,portable ,,word ,,processor ,,tohoku ,,university ,,constructing ,,semiconductor ,,research ,,lab ,,meitec1 ,u4,s4 ,,firm ,,to ,,jointly ,,market ,,computer ,,printer ,,info ,,toshiba ,,to ,,supply ,,office ,,equipment ,,to ,,olivetti ,,nissan ,,develops ,,paint ,,inspection ,,robot ,,made-,,to-,,order ,,pocket ,,computer ,,from ,,casio ,these articles were captured from ,kyoto ,news ,service through ,down ,jones_/,news ,retrieval4 ,the column with news from the ,united ,states had stories from ,,newsbytes newsletters3 99 ,,day ,,one ,,comdex4 99 ,,ibm',s ,,pre ,,announcement ,,of ,,clamshell 99 ,,at,t ,,to ,,jump ,,in ,,sooner ,,with ,,laptop ,,computer 99 ,,commodore ,,third ,,consecutive ,,quarterly ,,loss 99 #b ,,zenith ,,unveils ,,touch-,,screen 99 ,,hp's ,,earnings ,,drop ,hot ,news ,from ,england came from several sources1 including ,financial ,times1 and ,reuters 7in ,compu,serve's ,,uk ,news74 ,headlines read3 99 ,,the ,,christmas ,,selling ,,war 99 ,,big ,,macs ,,going ,,cheap ,,to ,,university ,,students ,page #b was dedicated to technology intelligence4 ,page #c had stories about telecommunications1 mainly collected from ,news,net's newsletters4 ,page #d had stories about personal computer applications4 ,as the cost of communicating and using online services continues to decrease1 many people will be able to do the same4 ,this is where we are heading4 ,some people say it is too difficult to read news on a computer screen4 ,maybe so1 but pay attention to what is happening in notebook computers4 ,this paragraph was written on a small ,,pc by the fireplace in my living room4 ,the computer is hardly any larger or heavier than a book4 7,sources for monitoring notebook trends3 ,,newsbytes' ,,ibm and ,apple reports1 ,compu,serve's ,online ,today1 and ,,ibm ,hardware ,forum47 ,electronic news by radio ------------------------ ,if costs were of no concern1 then your applications of the online world would probably change considerably4 ,pay attention1 as we are moving fast in that direction4 ,radio is one of the supporting technologies4 ,it is used to deliver ,usenet newsgroup to bulletin boards 7example3 ,page,sat ,inc4 of ,palo ,alto1 ,u4,s4,a47 ,also1 consider this3 ,businesses need a constant flow of news to remain competitive4 ,desktop ,data ,inc4 7tel4 #a-fag-hij-jjdb7 markets a real-time news service called ,news,e,d,g,e in the ,united ,states and ,europe4 ,they call it live news processing4 ,annual subscriptions start at ,,us#bj1jjj for ten users 7#aiic74 ,news,e,d,g,e continuously collects news from more than #ajj news wires1 including sources like ,,pr ,newswire1 ,knight ,ridder_/,tribune ,business ,news1 ,dow ,jones ,news ,service1 ,dow ,jones ,professional ,investor ,report and ,reuters ,financial ,news4 ,the stories are packaged and immediately feed to customers' personal computers and workstations by ,,fm1 satellite1 or ,x4#be broadcast3 99 ,all news stories are integrated in a live news stream all day long1 99 ,the ,news,edge software manages the simultaneous receipt of news from multiple services1 and alerts users to stories that match their individual interest profiles4 ,it also maintains a full-text database of the most recent #bej1jjj stories on the user's server for quick searching4 ,packet radio ------------ ,a global amateur radio network allows users to modem around the world1 and even in outer space4 ,its users never get a telephone bill4 ,there are over #gjj packet radio based bulletin boards 7,,pbbs74 ,they are interconnected by short wave radio1 ,,vhf1 ,,uhf1 and satellite links4 ,technology aside1 they look and feel just like standard bulletin boards4 ,once you have the equipment1 can afford the electricity to power it up1 and the time it takes to get a radio amateur license1 communication itself is free4 ,packet radio equipment sells in the ,united ,states for less than ,,us #gej4 ,this will give you a radio 7,,vhr tranceiver71 antenna1 cable for connecting the antenna to the radio1 and a controller 7,,tnc - ,terminal ,node ,controller74 ,most ,,pbbs systems are connected to a network of packet radio based boards4 ,many amateurs use #abjj bps1 but speeds of up to #ef1jjj bps are being used on higher frequencies 7the #dbj-dej ,m,hz band in the ,united ,states74 ,hams are working on real-time digitized voice communications1 still-frame 7and even moving7 graphics1 and live multiplayer games4 ,in some countries1 there are also gateways available to terrestrial public and commercial networks1 such as ,compu,serve1 and ,usenet4 ,packet radio is demonstrated as a feasible technology for wireless extension of the ,internet4 ,radio and satellites are being used to help countries in the ,third ,world4 ,volunteers in ,technical ,assistance 7,,vita71 a private1 nonprofit organization1 is one of those concerned with technology transfers in humanitarian assistance to these countries4 ,,vita's portable packet radio system was used for global email after a volcanic eruption in the ,philippines in #aiia4 ,today1 the emphasis is on ,africa4 ,,vita's space mailbox passes over each single point of the earth twice every #be hours at an altitude of #hjj kilometers4 ,when the satellite is over a ground station1 the station sends files and messages for storage in the satellite's computer memory and receives incoming mail4 ,the cost of ground station operation is based on solar energy batteries1 and therefore relatively cheap4 ,to learn more about ,,vita's projects1 subscribe to their mailing list by email to ,,listserv,,auvm4,,bitnet4 ,use the command ,,sub ,,devel-,l ,first-name ,last-name4 ,for more general information about packet radio1 check out ,ham,net on ,compu,serve1 and especially its library #i4 ,retrieve the file 'packetradio' 7,packet radio in earth and space environments for relief and development7 from ,,gnet's archive 7see chapter #g74 ,,ilink has an ,,hamradio conference4 ,there is a packet radio mailing list at ,,packet-,,radio,,wsmr-,,simtel#bj4;,,ar my4,,mil 7write ,,packet- ,,radio-,,request,,wsmr-,,simtel#bj4;,,a rmy4,,mil to subscribe74 ,usenet has rec4radio4amateur4packet 7,discussion about packet radio setups71 and various other rec4radio conferences4 ,there is ,,ham,,tech on ,fido,net1 and ,ham ,radio under ,science on ,,exec-,,pc4 ,the ,american ,radio ,relay ,league 7,,aarl7 operates an ,internet information service called the ,,arrl ,information ,server4 ,to learn how to use it1 send email to infoarrl4org with the word ,,help in the body of the text4 ,cable ,,tv -------- ,expect ,cable ,,tv networks to grow in importance as electronic high- ways1 to offer gateways into the ,internet and others1 and to get interconnected not unlike the ,internet itself4 ,example3 ,continental ,cablevision ,inc4 7,u4,s4,a47 lets customers plug ,p,cs and a special modem directly into its cable lines to link up with the ,internet4 ,the cable link bypasses local phone hookups and provide the capability to download whole books and other information at speeds up to #aj million bits per second4 ,electronic mail on the move --------------------------- ,for some time1 we have been witnessing a battle between giants4 ,on one side1 the national telephone companies have been pushing ,x4#djj backed by ,,ccitt1 and software companies like ,lotus1 ,novell1 and ,microsoft4 ,on the other side1 ,compu,serve1 ,dialcom1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,,geisco1 ,sprint1 and others have been fighting their wars4 ,nobody really thought much about the ,internet1 until suddenly1 it was there for everybody4 ,the incident has changed the global email scene fundamentally4 ,one thing seems reasonably certain3 that the ,internet will grow4 ,in late #aiib1 the president of the ,internet ,society 7,reston1 ,va41 ,u4,s4,a47 made the following prediction3 44 by the year #bjjj the ,internet will consist of some #ajj million hosts1 #c million networks1 and #a billion users 7close to the current population of the ,people's ,republic of ,china74 ,much of this growth will certainly come from commercial traffic4 ,we1 the users1 are the winners4 ,most online services now understand that global exchange of email is a requirement1 and that they must connect to the ,internet4 ,meanwhile1 wild things are taking place in the grassroots arena3 99 ,thousands of new bulletin boards are being connected to grassroots networks like ,fido,net 7which in turn is connected to the ,internet for exchange of mail74 99 ,thousands of bulletin boards are being hooked directly into the ,internet 7and ,usenet7 offering such access to users at stunning rates4 99 ,the ,b,b,ses are bringing email up to a new level by letting us use offline readers1 and other types of powerful mail handling software4 ,email will never be the same4 ,cheaper and better communications --------------------------------- ,during ,christmas #aihg1 a guru said that once the #ifjj bps ,v4#cb modems fell below the ,,us#a1bjj level1 they would create a new standard4 ,today1 such modems can be bought at prices lower than ,,us#bjj4 ,in many countries1 #ad1djj bits_/s modems are already the preferred choice4 ,wild dreams get real -------------------- ,in the future1 we will be able to do several things simultaneously on the same telephone line4 ,this is what the promised land of ,,isdn 7,integrated ,service ,digital ,networks7 is supposed to give us4 ,some users already have this capability4 ,they write and talk on the same line using pictures1 music1 video1 fax1 voice and data4 ,,isdn is supposed to let us use services that are not generally available today4 ,here are some key words3 99 ,chats1 with the option of having pictures of the people we are talking to up on our local screen 7for example in a window1 each time he or she is saying something74 ,eventually1 we may get the pictures in #c-;,d4 99 ,database searches in text and pictures1 with displays of both4 99 ,electronic transfers of video_/movies over a telephone line 7fractal image compression technology may give us another online revolution74 ,imagine dances filmed by ethnologists at the ,smithsonian ,institution in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 or an educational film about the laps in northern ,norway from an information provider called the ,norwegian ,broadcasting ,corp4 ,the ,internet ,talk ,radio is already delivering programs by anonymous ftp 7e4g41 through ftp4nau4edu in the directory _/talk-radio74 99 ,online amusement parks with group plays1 creative offerings 7drawing1 painting1 building of #c-;,d electronic sculptures71 shopping 7with live people presenting merchandise and good pictures of the offerings1 test drives1 etc471 casino 7with real prizes71 theater with live performance1 online dressing rooms 7submit a #b-;,d picture of yourself1 and play with your looks71 online car driving schools 7drive a car through ,tokyo or ,new ,york1 or go on safari74 ,the ,sierra ,network has been playing around with these ideas for quite some time4 99 ,your favorite books1 old as new1 available for on-screen reading or searching in full text4 ,remember1 many libraries have no room to store all the new books that they receive4 ,also1 wear and tear tend to destroy books after some time4 ,many books are already available online1 including this one4 99 ,instant access to hundreds of thousands of 'data cottages'4 ,these are computers in private homes of people around the world set up for remote access4 ,with the technical advances in the art of transferring pictures1 some of these may grow to become tiny online television stations4 ,these wild ideas are already here1 but it will take time before they are generally available4 ,new networks need to be in place4 ,new and more powerful communications equipment has to be provided4 ,farther down the road1 we can see the contours of speech-based electronic conferences with automatic translation to and from the participants' languages4 ,entries will be stored as text in a form that allows for advanced online searching4 ,we may have a choice between the following3 99 ,to use voice when entering messages1 rather than entering them through the keyboard4 ,the ability to mix speech1 text1 sound and pictures 7single frames or live pictures74 99 ,messages are delivered to you by voice1 as text or as a combination of these 7like in a lecture with visual aids74 99 ,text and voice can be converted to a basic text1 which then may be converted to other languages1 and forwarded to its destination as text or voice4 ,one world --------- ,within the ,internet1 the idea of the network as one1 large computer has already given birth to many special services1 like gopher and ,,wais4 ,potentially1 we will be able to find and retrieve information from anywhere on the global grid of connected systems4 ,bulletin boards have commenced to offer grassroots features modeled after telnet and ftp4 ,these alternatives may even end up being better and more productive than the interactive commands offered inside the ,internet4 ,the global integration of online services will continue at full speed1 and in different ways4 ,rates ----- ,there is a trend away from charging by the minute or hour4 ,many services convert to subscription prices1 a fixed price by the month1 quarter or year4 ,other services1 among them some major database services1 move toward a scheme where users only pay for what they get 7no cure1 no pay74 ,,mci ,mail was one of the first4 ,there1 you only pay when you send or read mail4 ,on ,compu,serve's ,i,quest1 you pay a fixed price for a fixed set of search results4 ,cheaper transfers of data ------------------------- ,privatization of the national telephone monopolies has given us more alternatives4 ,this will continue4 ,possible scenarios3 99 ,major companies selling extra capacity from their own internal networks1 99 ,telecommunications companies exporting their services at extra low prices1 99 ,other pricing schemes 7like a fixed amount per month with unlimited usage71 99 ,new technology 7direct transmitting satellites1 ,,fm1 etc47 ,so far1 data transporters have been receiving a disproportionate share of the total costs4 ,for example1 the rate for accessing ,compu,serve from ,norway through ,info,net is ,,us#aa4jj1 while using the service itself costs ,,us#ab4hj at #bdjj bps4 ,increased global competition in data transportation is quickly changing this picture1 supported by general access to the ,internet4 ,prices will most likely continue their dramatic way toward zero4 ,powerful new search tools ------------------------- ,as the sheer quantity of information expands1 the development of adequate finding tools is gaining momentum4 ,our major problem is how to use what we have access to4 ,this is especially true on the ,internet4 ,expect future personal information agents1 called knowbots1 which will scan databases all over the online world for specific information at a user's bidding4 ,this will make personal knowledge of where you need to go redundant4 ,artificial intelligence will increase the value of searches1 as they can be based on your personal searching history since your first day as a user4 ,your personal information agents will make automatic decisions about what is important and what is not in a query4 ,when you get information back1 it will not just be in the normal chronological order4 ,it will be ranked by what seems to be closest to the query4 ,sources for future studies -------------------------- ,it seems appropriate to end this chapter with some online services focusing on the future3 ,newsbytes has a section called ,trends4 ,the topic is computers and communications4 ,,echo has the free database ,trend1 the online edition of the ,trend ,monitor magazine4 ,it contains short stories about the development within electronics and computers 7log on to ,,echo using the password ,,trend74 ,usenet has the newsgroup clari4news4trends 7,surveys and trends74 ,why not complement what you find here by monitoring trends in associated areas 7like music71 to follow the development from different perspectives8 ,the music forum ,rock,net on ,compu,serve has a section called ,trends4 ,compu,serve's ,education ,forum has the section ,future ,talk4 ,what educators think about the future of online services 7and education7 is always interesting4 ,the ,well1 based just outside ,silicon ,valley in the ,united ,states1 has ,the ,future conference4 ,,uucp has info-futures4 ,its purpose is to provide a speculative forum for analyzing current and likely events in technology as they will affect our near future in computing and related areas4 7,contact3 info-futures-requestcs4bu4edu for subscription47 ,usenet has comp4society4futures about ,events in technology affecting future computing4 ,it is tempting to add a list of conferences dedicated to science fiction1 but ,i'll leave that pleasure to you4 ,have a nice trip6 ,appendix #a3 ,list of selected online services ,to make a list of online services is difficult4 ,services come and go4 ,addresses and access numbers are constantly changed4 ,only one thing is certain4 ,some of the details below will be outdated1 when you read this4 ,affaersdata i ,stockholm ,,ab ------------------------- ,p4,o4 ,box #cahh1 ,s-#ajc #fc ,stockholm1 ,sweden4 ,tel43 #df #h #gcf #ei #ai4 ,america ,online -------------- has the ,,cnn ,newsroom 7,turner ,educational ,services71 ,the ,washington ,post1 the ,national ,geographic magazine1 ,,pc ,world and ,macworld4 ,,aol has tailor-made graphical user interfaces for ,apple1 ,macintosh1 and ,,pc compatible computers1 and about #cjj4jjj users 7in ,june #aiic74 ,sending and receiving ,internet mail is possible4 ,contact3 ,america ,online1 #hfai ,westwood ,center ,dr41 ,vienna1 ,,va #bbahb-bbhe1 ,,usa4 ,phone3 #a-gjc-ddh-hgjj4 ,,apc --- ,the ,association for ,progressive ,communications 7,,apc7 is a worldwide partnership of member networks for peace and environmental users with host computers in several countries3 ,alternex 7,brazil74 ,email3 supportax4apc4org ,chasque 7,uruguay74 ,email3 apoyochasque4apc4org ,com,link e4,v 7,germany74 ,email3 supportoln4comlink4apc4org ,ecuanex 7,ecuador74 ,email3 intercomecuanex4apc4org ,glas,net 7,russia74 ,email3 supportglas4apc4org ,green,net 7,england74 ,email3 supportgn4apc4org ,institute for ,global ,communications 7,u4,s4,a471 includes ,eco,net1 ,peace,net1 ,conflict,net1 ,labor,net4 ,email3 supportigc4apc4org ,nicarao - ,,cries 7,nicaragua74 ,email3 ayudanicarao4apc4org ,nord,net 7,sweden74 ,email3 supportpns4apc4org ,pegasus 7,australia74 ,email3 supportpeg4apc4org ,web 7,canada74 ,email3 supportweb4apc4org ,while all these services are fee based1 they bring a wealth of information on environmental preservation1 peace 7incl4 ,greenpeace ,press ,releases71 human rights1 grant-making foundations1 ,third ,world ,resources1 ,united ,nations ,information ,service1 ,pesticide ,information ,service1 and more4 ,for information about ,,apc1 write to apcadminigc4apc4org 1 or ,,apc ,international ,secretariat1 ,rua ,vincente de ,souza1 #bi1 #bbbea-jgj ,rio de ,janeiro1 ,,brasil4 ,fax3 #ee-ba-bhf-jeda4 ,for information about the ,peace,net ,world ,news ,service1 which delivers news digests directly to your email box1 send a request to pwnigc4apc4org4 ,bergen ,by ,byte -------------- ,norwegian online service with conferences and many files4 ,modem tel43 #dg #je #cbcgha4 ,,pdn 7,datapak7 address3 #j #bdbb #dejacd4 ,telnet3 oscar4bbb4no 7#aib4abd4aef4ch74 ,english-language interface available4 ,annual subscription rates4 ,you can register online4 ,limited free usage4 ,,bibsys ------ ,book database operated by the ,norwegian universities' libraries4 ,send ,internet mail to genservpollux4bibsys4no with your search word in the subject title of the message4 ,big ,sky ,telegraph ----------------- is an online community for educators1 business people etc4 living in rural areas in ,north ,america4 ,address3 #gaj ,south ,atlantic1 ,dillon1 ,montana #eigbe1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,bitnet ------ ,because ,it's ,time ,n,e,twork started in #aiha as a small network for ,,ibm computers in ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,today1 ,,bitnet encompasses #c1bhd host computers by academic and research institutions all over the world4 ,it has around #bdc1jaf users 7source3 ,matrix ,news #aiic7 ,all connected hosts form a worldwide network using the ,,nje 7,network ,job ,entry7 protocols and with a single list of nodes4 ,there is no single worldwide ,,bitnet administration4 ,several national or regional bodies administer the network4 ,the ,european part of ,,bitnet is called ,,earn 7,european ,academic ,research ,network71 while the ,canadian is called ,net,north4 ,in ,japan the name is ,asia,net4 ,,bitnet also has connections to ,south ,america4 ,other parts of the network have names like ,,caren1 ,,ansp1 ,,scarnet1 ,,cearn1 ,,gulfnet1 ,,harnet1 ,,ecuanet1 and ,,runcol4 ,normally1 a ,,bitnet email address looks like this3 ,,notrbcat,,indycms ,the part to the left of the -character is the users' mailbox code4 ,the part to the right is the code of the mailbox computer4 ,it is common for ,internet users to refer to ,,bitnet addresses like this3 ,,notrbcat,,indycms4,,bitnet 4 ,to send email from the ,internet to ,,bitnet1 it has to be sent through special gateway computers4 ,on many systems1 this is taken care of automatically4 ,you type ,,notrbcat,,indycms4,,bitnet1 and your mailbox system does the rest4 ,on some systems1 the user must give routing information in the ,,bitnet address4 ,for example1 ,north ,american mail to ,,bitnet can be sent through the gateway center ,,cunyvm4,,cuny4,,edu 4 ,to make mail to ,,notrbcat go through this gateway1 its mail address must be changed as follows3 ,,notrbcat,,indycms4,,bitnet,,cunyvm4,,c uny4,,edu ,explanation3 ,the in the initial address is replaced with 4 ,then add the gateway routing3 4,,bitnet,,cunyvm4,,cuny4,,edu4 ,if you must use a gateway in your address1 always select one close to where you live4 ,ask your local postmaster for the correct addressing in your case4 ,,bitnet has many conferences4 ,we call them discussion lists or mailing lists4 ,the lists are usually administered by a computer program called ,,listserv4 ,the dialog is based on redistribution of ordinary email by mailing lists4 ,consequently1 it is simple for users of other networks to participate in ,,bitnet conferences4 ,a list of discussion lists 7at present around #a1fjj one-line descriptions7 is available by email from ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet4 ,write the following command in the ,,text of your message3 ,,list ,,global ,,new-,,list,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet and ,,netmonth 7from ,,bitlib,,yalevm4,,bitnet7 distribute regular notices about new discussion lists4 ,subscribe to ,,new-,,list by email to ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a4;,,bitnet4 ,use the following command3 ,,sub ,,new-,,list ,your-first-name ,your-last-name ,this is how we usually subscribe to discussion lists4 ,send your subscription commands to a ,,listserv close to where you live4 ,the command ,,sendme ,,bitnet ,,overview tells ,,listserv to send more information about the services4 ,,bix --- is operated as a joint venture between ,general ,videotex ,corp4 and the ,north ,american computer magazine ,,byte 7,mc,graw-,hill74 ,to some extent1 it mirrors what you can read on paper4 ,,bix offers global ,internet email1 telnet and ftp1 multiple conferences4 ,in #aiib1 the service had about #ej1jjj members4 ,the ,,nua address is #jcajfjjaeghgh4 ,on ,internet1 telnet x#be4;bix4com 4 ,at the ,username3 prompt1 enter ,,bix as a user name4 ,at the second ,username3 prompt1 enter ,,new if you don't already have an account on the service4 ,you can sign up for the service1 and play during your first visit to the service4 ,read ,,byte for more information1 or write to ,general ,videotex ,corporation1 #ajcj ,massachusetts ,ave41 ,cambridge1 ,,ma #jbach1 ,,usa4 ,phone3 #a-fag-ced-dacg4 ,,brs --- ,bibliographic ,retrieval ,services is owned by ,info,pro ,technologies 7see below74 ,,brs_/,after ,dark is a service for ,,pc users4 ,it can be accessed during evenings and weekends at attractive rates4 ,info,pro offers connection through their own network in ,europe1 and through the ,internet4 ,,brs contains about #abj databases within research1 business1 news1 and science4 ,the service's strengths are medicine and health4 ,membership in ,,brs costs ,,us#hj per year1 plus hourly database usage charges4 ,it is also available through ,compu,serve 7at a different price74 ,contact in ,europe3 ,,brs ,information ,technologies1 ,achilles ,house1 ,western ,avenue1 ,london ,w#c ,,oua1 ,england4 ,tel4 #dd #ha #iic #iifb4 ,in ,north ,america3 ,info,pro ,technologies4 ,tel43 #a-gjc-ddb-jijj4 ,telnet3 brs4com 7,,us#f_/;hr74 ,canada ,remote ,systems --------------------- is ,north ,america's largest bulletin board system 7#aiib74 ,it has a software library of more than #ejj1jjj programs and files1 and over #c1ejj public forums and discussion areas4 ,canada ,remote provides several news and information services1 including the ,united ,press ,international and ,reuters news wires1 ,north ,american stock exchange results1 the twice-weekly edition of ,newsbytes1 and other publications4 ,tel43 #a-daf-fbi-gjjj 7in the ,u4,s47 and #a-cac-ifc-aije 7,canada74 ,canada ,remote ,systems1 #acca ,crestlawn ,drive1 ,unit ,d1 ,mississauga1 ,ontario1 ,canada ,l#d,w #b,p#i4 ,,cgnet ----- is a network interconnecting a group of international research organizations4 ,besides email1 ,,cgnet provides news clipping services1 airline reservation information1 and database search4 7,see ,dialcom7 ,contact3 ,,cgnet ,services ,international1 #ajbd ,hamilton ,court1 ,menlo ,park1 ,california #idjbe1 ,,usa4 ,telephone3 #a-dae-cbe-cjfa4 ,fax3 #a-dae-cbe-bcac ,telex3 #dijjjjeghh 7,,cgn ,,ui7 4 ,,cix 7,england7 ------------- ,british online-service available by telnet1 through ,,pdn services and by direct dial4 ,telnet cix4compulink4co4uk4 ,compulink ,information e,xchange ,ltd4 claims to be ,europe's largest conferencing system4 ,sign-up fee 7#aiic73 ,,gbp #be4jj4 ,monthly minimum3 ,,gbp #f4be4 ,off-peak connect rate ,,gbp #b4dj4 ,peak rate is #c4fj per hour4 ,the service has full ,internet access1 and email exchange with ,compu,serve and ,dialcom4 ,,cix has many conferences1 ,,isdn access1 ,usenet ,news1 telnet and ftp4 ,contact3 ,the ,compulink ,information ,exchange ,ltd41 ,the ,sanctuary ,oakhill ,grove1 ,surbiton1 ,surrey ,,kt#f #f;,,du1 ,england4 ,tel43 #dd-ha-cij- #hddf4 ,fax3 #dd-ha-cij-fefa4 ,,nua3 #bcdb #accj #jcaj4 ,data3 #dd-ha-cij- #abee_/dd-ha-cij-abdd4 ,email3 cixadmincix4compulink4co4uk 4 ,,cix 7,,usa7 --------- ,the ,commercial ,internet e,xchange is a ,north ,american association of commercial ,internet providers in which they agree to carry each others' packets of mail1 and more4 ,clarinet -------- ,a commercial network publishing service providing information and news in over #ajj newsgroups by subject matter on ,usenet4 ,read ,chapter #i for more information4 ,single-user 7individual7 prices available4 ,clarinet ,communications ,corp41 #abd ,king ,st4 ,north1 ,waterloo1 ,ontario ,n#b;,j #b,x#h1 ,canada4 ,email3 infoclarinet4com 4 ,commercial ,mail ,relay ,service 7,,cmr7 ----------------------------------- ,this service is not available anymore4 ,they used to be available on this address3 ,intermail-,request,intermail4,,isi4,,ed u ,compu,serve ---------- has about #a4c million users 7,august #ic7 all over the world1 over #a1ejj databases1 #bjj forums1 #ejj newspapers1 online shopping from more than #ajj shops and entertainment4 ,it's like a large electronic supermarket4 ,you can access the service though local access numbers in over #ajj countries1 through ,packet ,switching ,services1 and outdial services4 ,the international ,,nua address is #jcacbiiiiiiig4 ,a list of available forums can be retrieved from the ,,ibm ,communication ,forum4 ,participation in forums is normally free 7no extra charge74 ,the ,i,quest database service gives access to more than #hjj publications1 databases1 and indexes within business1 public affairs1 research1 news1 etc4 ,bibliographic and full-text searches4 ,some ,i,quest databases are physically residing on other online services1 like ,news,net1 ,dialog1 ,,brs1 and ,vu_/,text 7,u4,s4,a471 ,data- ,star 7,switzerland71 ,data,solve 7,england4 ,it has ,,tass in the ,world ,reporter database71 and ,questel 7,france74 ,sometimes1 it is cheaper to use these services on ,compu,serve1 than by a call to these services directly4 ,the connect charge for ,compu,serve's ,alternative ,pricing ,plan is ,,us#ab4hj_/;hour at #abjj and #bdjj bps4 #ifjj bps costs ,,us#bb4hj_/;hour4 ,monthly subscription ,,us#b4ej4 ,using the ,executive ,news ,service 7clipping service7 costs an extra ,,us#ae_/;hour4 ,an optional flat-rate pricing plan 7the ,standard ,pricing plan7 is available for ,,us#h4ie per month4 ,it gives unlimited access to over #cj basic services1 including ,compu,serve mail1 ,the ,electronic ,mall1 news1 weather and sports1 member support services1 reference and travel services4 ,hourly rates for ,standard ,pricing ,plan members using extended services go from ,,us#f_/;hour for #cjj bits_/s to ,,us#af_/;hour for #ifjj bits_/s access4 7,feb4 #ic7 ,in addition1 there are network charges4 ,these differ a lot by country4 ,for example1 access through ,european ,compu,serve nodes has no communication surcharges during non-prime time 7#ai3jj-h3jj local time74 ,compu,serve can be accessed by telnet to hermes4merit4edu1 or #ce4a4dh4aej4 ,host3 ,compu,serve4 ,compu,serve ,information ,services ,inc41 ,,pob #bjbab1 #ejjj ,arlington ,centre ,blvd41 ,columbus1 ,ohio #dcbbj1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,in ,europe1 call voice3 #di-hi-ffeej-aaa1 fax3 #di-hi-ff #eej-bee or write to ,compu,serve1 ,jahnstrasse #b1 ,d-#hjbe ,unterhaching b41 ,munich1 ,germany4 ,to contact ,compu,serve ,africa1 call 7#jab7 #hda-becj in ,south ,africa1 or 7#bg77ab7 #hda-becj for everywhere else4 ,cosine ------ ,,cosine 7,cooperation for ,open ,systems ,interconnection ,networking in ,europe7 is a ,european ,common ,market ,eureka project4 ,it works to establish a communications network infrastructure for scientific and industrial research institutes all over ,europe4 ,,ixi is the international packet data network on which the ,,cosine project is based4 ,it is available ,europe-wide providing links of up to #fd ,kbit_/s1 carries non commercial traffic for the research communities1 and provides links to several public data networks4 ,the ,,concise online information service is a focal point for information of interest to ,european researchers4 ,it has lists of sources of information4 ,internet users can access ,,concise through ,telnet4 ,connect either to concise4ixi4ch 7#acj4ei4b4af7 or concise4funet4fi 7#abh4bad4f4aha74 ,login3 concise1 password3 concise4 ,for help1 send email to helpdeskconcise4level-#g4;co4uk with the following command in the body of the text3 start help cug-email ,this will give you the ,,concise ,user ,guide - ,email ,access'4 ,d,a,snet ------ forwards mail between systems that do not have any email exchange agreements4 ,see description in ,chapter #ac4 ,contact3 ,,da ,systems1 ,inc41 #aejc ,e4 ,campbell ,ave41 ,campbell1 ,,ca #iejjh1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,data,arkiv --------- ,major ,scandinavian online service based in ,sweden4 ,contact3 ,data,arkiv1 ,box #aejb1 #aga #bi ,solna1 ,sweden4 ,fax3 #df #h #hbh #bif4 ,tel43 #df #h #gje #ac #aa4 ,data-,star --------- ,formerly owned by ,radio-,suisse in ,switzerland1 ,data-,star is now owned by ,knight-,ridder 7,u4,s4,a474 ,it offers over #bjj databases within business1 science and medicine4 ,sci,search is a database with references to over nine million stories from #dejj newspapers and magazines4 ,other databases3 ,current ,patents ,fast ,alert1 ,flightline 7with stories about air transport71 ,the ,turing ,institute ,database on artificial intelligence1 ,information ,access 7international market data71 parts of ,sov,data1 ,who ,owns ,whom1 etc44 ,access through ,internet3 telnet to rserve4rs4ch #aib4hb4abd4d and login as rserve 1 and follow standard login procedure4 ,contact in ,north ,america3 ,d-,s ,marketing1 ,inc41 ,suite #aaj1 #dhe ,devon ,park ,drive1 ,wayne1 ,,pa #aijhg1 ,tel43 #a-bae-fhg-fggg4 ,contact in ,scandinavia3 ,data-,star marketing ,,ab1 ,maessans gt4 #ah1 ,box #ebgh1 ,s-#djb #be ,gothenburg1 ,sweden4 ,tel43 #df #ca #hc #ei #ge4 ,delphi ------ has full access to ,internet4 ,write to3 ,general ,videotex ,corp41 #ajcj ,massachusetts ,ave41 ,cambridge1 ,,ma #jbach1 ,,usa4 ,dialcom ------- is owned by ,british ,telecom and is a network of data centers in many countries4 ,dialcom is selling its services through many agents 7like ,esi,street for the music industry1 and ,c,g,net for agricultural research74 ,some selected services3 ,the ,official ,airline ,guide1 news 7,financial ,times ,profile1 ,newsbytes1 ,,ap1 ,,upi1 and ,reuters71 mail 7,dialcom#djj71 fax services and several conference type offerings 7like ,campus #bjjj for the education market74 ,today1 most ,dialcom users are unable to exchange mail with the ,internet 7,d,a,snet is a commercial alternative71 but mail can be sent to users of ,sprint,mail1 ,,ibm ,mail1 ,,at,ts ,easylink1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,compania ,telefonica ,nacional de ,espana1 and other ,x4#djj systems4 ,contact3 ,dialcom1 #fabj ,executive ,blvd41 ,rockville1 ,,md #bjheb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,the ,british service ,telecom-,gold is a subsidiary of ,dialcom ,,uk4 ,in ,north ,america1 contact ,,bt ,north ,america at tel43 #a-djh-ibb- #gedc4 ,in ,europe1 contact ,british ,telecom4 ,,cgnet can be reached through the ,internet4 ,send a message to postmastercgnet4com for more information4 ,dialog ,information ,services --------------------------- is owned by ,knight ,ridder and has more than #djj databases online4 ,they offer a long list of newspapers including the ,san ,francisco ,chronicle in full-text1 ,newsbytes1 ,information ,access1 the ,japan ,technology database1 most major global news wires1 ,trademarkscan1 ,,usa ,today1 ,teikoku ,databank from ,japan4 ,knowledge ,index offers evening and weekend reduced-rate access to more than #ajj popular full-text and bibliographic databases and #ej1jjj journals 7#aiic74 ,dialog has gateways to other services1 like ,compu,serve and i,net1 making the databases available to a larger market4 ,many databases are also available on ,,cd-,,rom4 ,in ,europe1 contact ,,dialog ,europe1 ,p ,o ,box #ahh1 ,oxford ,,ox#a #e;,,ax1 ,england4 ,you can telnet to ,,dialog4,,com 7#aib4acb4c4bed1 ,,us #c_/;hour in #aiib74 ,down ,jones ,news_/,retrieval ------------------------- focuses on news for finance and business4 ,,djn_/,r is the sole online distributor of ,the ,wall ,street ,journal 7with articles from the international editions71 ,barron's1 ,dow ,jones and ,telerate's newswires in full-text4 ,further1 it has ,,pr ,newswire1 many other newspapers in full- text1 clipping service1 online charting for investors1 and gateways to other services like ,info ,globe 7,globe and ,mail in ,canada74 ,address3 ,p4,o4 ,box #cjj1 ,princeton1 ,n4,j4 #jhedc-iifc4 ,,djn_/,r is also accessible through a gateway from ,,mci ,mail4 ,you can telnet to djnr4dowjones4com 4 ,at the ,,what ,,service ,,please prompt1 enter ,,djnr and press ,enter4 ,an ,,enter ,,password prompt will appear4 ,here1 enter your normal ,,djns account password4 ,,echo ---- ,european ,commission ,host ,organization is accessible via ,,concise4 ,telnet either to concise4ixi4ch 7#acj4ei4b4af7 or concise4funet4fi 7#abh4bad4f4aha74 ,login3 concise1 password3 concise4 ,the ,,nua address is #jbgjddhaab4 ,you can also telnet to echo4lu 4 ,login as echotest or echo4 ,,echo's ,i',m ,,guide is a free database providing information about online services within the ,european ,common ,market4 ,it includes ,,cd- ,r,o,ms1 databases and databanks1 database producers1 gateways1 host organizations1 ,,ptt contact points1 and information brokers in ,europe4 ,,echo's other databases are classified under the headings ,research and development1 ,language industry1 ,industry and economy4 ,for information contact3 ,,echo ,customer ,service1 ,,bp #bcgc1 ,l-#ajbc ,luxembourg4 ,tel43 #ceb #cd #ih #abjj4 ,fax3 #ceb #cd #ih #abcd4 ,exec-,,pc ,network ,,bbs ------------------- is based in ,milwaukee 7,wisconsin1 ,u4,s4,a474 ,in ,august #aiia1 it had #bch incoming phone lines1 #i gigabytes of disk capacity1 more than #ajj new programs_/day1 #cjj1jjj programs available for downloading 7including the complete selection from ,,pc-,,sig ,california7 and more than #acj1jjj active messages in its conferences4 ,more than #c1cjj persons called ,,exec-,,pc each day4 ,the service focuses on owners of ,,ibm compatible computers 7,,ms_/,,pc-,,dos1 ,windows1 ,,os_/#b1 ,windows1 ,unix71 ,apple ,macintosh1 ,amiga and ,atari ,,st through over #bjj conferences4 ,you can access ,,exec-,,pc through i-,com's outdial service1 ,global ,access1 ,,pc-,pursuit1 ,connect-,,usa1 and by direct dialing4 ,annual subscription costs ,,us#fj4jj4 ,you can sign on while online4 ,unregistered users get thirty minutes per day free4 ,fido,net ------- was founded in #aihd for automatic transfers of files from one place to the other at night1 when the telephone rates are low4 ,fido,net is one of the most widespread networks in the world4 ,it consists mainly of personal computers 7,,ibm_/,amiga_/,macintosh44474 ,fido,net systems exchange documents by using a modem and calling another ,fido,net system4 ,communication can be either direct to the destination system 7calling long distance7 or by routing a message to a local system4 ,each computer connected to ,fido,net is called a node4 ,there are nodes in around #gj countries4 ,in ,june #aiic1 the net had #bd1hjj nodes throughout the world 7source3 ,fido,net nodelist74 ,the number of nodes is growing at about #dj percent per year4 ,most nodes are operated by volunteers1 and access is free4 ,fido,net is believed to have over #a4ef million users 7#aiib74 ,conferences 7called ,e,c,h,os or ,echomail7 are exchanged between interested nodes1 and may thus have thousands of readers4 ,a typical ,fido,net ,echomail conference gets #ej to #ajj messages each day4 ,any connected ,,bbs may carry #ej1 #ajj1 or more echomail conferences4 ,net ,mail is the term for storing and delivering mail4 ,fido,net users can send and receive mail through the ,internet4 ,the list of member bulletin boards is called the ,nodelist4 ,it can be retrieved from most boards4 ,each node has one line on this list1 like in this example3 1#aj1;,homeof,,pcq1,warszawa1,jan,stozek 1#dh-bb-dajcgd1ifjj1,v#cb1,,mnp1,,xa ,the commas are field separators4 ,the first field 7empty in this example7 starts a zone1 region1 local net1 ,host1 or denotes a private space 7with the keyword ,pvt74 ,the second field 7#aj7 is the node number1 and the third field 7,homeof,,pcq7 is the name for the node4 ,the fourth field 7,warszawa7 is a geographical notation1 and the fifth field 7,jan,stozek7 is the name of the owner4 ,the sixth field is a telephone contact number1 and the other fields contain various technical information used in making connections4 ,fido,net has six major geographical zones3 7#a7 ,north ,america1 7#b7 ,europe1 etc41 7#c7 ,oceania1 7#d7 ,america ,latina1 7#e7 ,africa1 7#f7 ,asia4 ,for information1 contact the ,international ,fido,net ,association 7,,ifna71 ,p4,o4 ,box #daadc1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,,mo #fcada1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,you can also write to postmasterfidonet4fidonet4org 4 ,the ,,fido subdirectory in the ,,msdos directory on ,,simtel#bj 7on the ,internet7 contains extensive information1 including explanation of ,fido,net1 guide for its nodes1 gateways between ,fido,net and ,internet1 and various programs and utilities4 7,see ,,trickle in ,chapter #d for more about how to get these files47 ,fog ,city ,online ,information ,service ----------------------------------- is the world's largest bulletin board with ,,aids information4 ,based in ,san ,francisco 7,u4,s4,a47 it offers free and anonymous access for everybody4 ,call #a-dae-hfc-ifig4 ,enter ,,aids by the question ,first name8 and ,,info by the question ,last ,name84 ,,ft ,profile ---------- has full-text articles from ,financial ,times in ,london1 from several ,european databases 7like the ,hoppenstedt database with more than #df1jjj ,german companies71 and the ,japanese database ,nikkei4 ,profile is available through ,telecom-,gold1 and can also be accessed through other online services4 ,clipping service4 ,,cd-,,rom4 ,contact ,,ft ,information ,services at tel43 #dd-ga-hgc-cjjj4 ,g,enie ----- ,general ,electric ,network for ,information ,exchange is ,,ge's ,consumer ,information ,service4 ,g,enie gives access to many databases and other information services4 ,it has around #cej1jjj users 7#aiib74 ,the basic rate is ,,us#d4ie_/month plus connect charges4 ,the surcharge is ,,us#ah_/;hour between #jh3jj and #ah3jj1 and ,,us#f4jj_/;hour for some services1 like email1 downloading of software1 chat1 conferences1 and multi-user games4 ,access to ,internet email is available as a surcharged add-on service4 7,addressing format3 userid,g,enie4,g,eis4com7 ,for information call #a-cja-cdj-ddib4 ,,ge ,information ,services1 #dja ,n4 ,washington ,st41 ,rockville1 ,,md #bjhej1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,ge ,information ,service ,co4 7,,geis7 --------------------------------- ,online service operated by ,general ,electric4 ,available in over #cb countries4 ,,geis' ,,quik-,,comm service integrates multinational business communications for public and private mail systems4 ,its services include ,telex ,access2 and ,,quik-,,comm to ,,fax1 which allows users to send messages from their workstations to fax machines throughout the world4 ,contact3 tel4 #a-cja-cdj-ddhe ,,genios ------ ,german online service 7tel43 #di #fi #ibj #ai #aja74 ,offers information from ,novosti 7,moscow71 data about companies in the former ,,ddr1 the ,hoppenstedt business directories1 and more4 ,glas,net ------- is an international computer network that provides lowcost telecommunications to nonprofit1 nongovernment organizations throughout the countries of the former ,soviet ,union4 ,email1 fax1 telex1 public conferences4 ,for nonprofit1 nongovernmental organizations1 basic ,glas,net service fees are #cej rubles_/month after a one-time registration fee of #ajjj rubles4 ,this does not include faxes or telexes4 7#aiib7 ,write to3 ,glas,net1 ,ulitsa ,yaroslavskaya #h1 ,korpus #c ,room #aaa1 #abiafd ,moscow1 ,russia4 ,phone3 7#jie7 #bag-fahb 7voice74 ,email3 fickglas4apc4org 4 ,global ,access ------------- is a ,north ,american outdial service 7see ,chapter #ac7 owned by ,g-,a ,technologies1 ,inc4 ,it has an information ,,bbs at #a-gjd-ccd-ijcj4 ,,iasnet ------ ,the ,institute for ,automated ,systems ,network was the first public switched network in the x,u,s,s,r4 ,its main goal is to provide a wide range of network services to the scientific community in the x,u,s,s,r1 including access to online databases1 a catalog of foreign databases1 and conferencing 7,,adonis74 ,,ibm ,information ,network ----------------------- ,the ,,ibm ,information ,network1 based in ,tampa1 ,florida1 is ,,ibm's commercial value-added data network offering the ability to send email and data worldwide4 ,it is one of the largest networks in the world1 with operator-owned nodes in over #cf countries4 ,to send mail from the ,internet to a user of ,advantis ,i,b,mmail 7also called ,,imx or ,mail ,exchange71 address to their userid at ibmmail4com4 ,you need to know their userid 7,,iea in ,i,b,mmail terminology7 in advance4 ,an ,i,b,mmail user can find how to address to ,internet by sending mail to ,,inform at ,i,b,mmail with _/,,get ,,inet in the body of the text4 i-,com ----- offers outdial services to ,north ,america 7ref4 ,chapter #ac74 ,contact3 i-,com1 #d ,rue de ,geneve ,b#cc1 #aadj ,brussels1 ,belgium4 ,tel43 #cb #bbae #gacj4 ,fax3 #cb #bbae #hiii4 ,modem3 #cb #bbae #hghe4 ,,ilink 7,interlink7 ----------------- is a network for exchange of conferences between bulletin boards in ,u4,s4,a41 ,canada1 ,scotland1 ,england1 ,norway1 ,france1 ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 ,sweden1 and other countries4 ,infonet ------- is a privately owned vendor of packet data services with local operations in over #ej countries1 and access from more than #ace countries4 ,contact3 ,infonet ,services ,corp41 #bajj ,east ,grand ,ave41 ,el ,segundo1 ,,ca #ijbde1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,internet -------- started as ,,arpanet1 but is now a large group of more than #f1jjj interconnected networks all over the world supporting mail1 news1 remote login1 file transfer1 and many other services4 ,all participating hosts are using the protocol ,,tcp_/,,ip4 ,there are around #a4c million host computers with ,,ip addresses 7,march #aiib4 ,ref4 ,,rfc#abif and ,,rfc #aaha74 ,the number of users is estimated to more than ten million people4 ,some one million people are said to exchange email messages daily4 ,in addition1 private enterprise networks have an estimated #a1jjj1jjj hosts using ,,tcp_/,,ip 7,source3 ,matrix ,news ,august #aiic47 ,these offer mail exchange with the ,internet1 but not services such as ,telnet or ,,ftp to most parts of the ,internet1 and are estimated to have some #g4e million users4 ,some claim that these figures are low4 ,they believe it is possible to reach around #ej million mailboxes by email through the ,internet4 ,several commercial companies offer full ,internet services4 ,among these are ,alternet 7operated by ,,uunet7 and ,,pci 7operated by ,performance ,systems1 ,inc474 ,the ,,uk ,internet ,consortium offers similar services in ,great ,britain4 ,,internet gives users access to the ftp and telnet commands4 ,ftp gives them interactive access to remote computers for transferring files4 ,telnet gives access to a remote service for interactive dialog4 ,the ,interest ,groups ,list of ,lists is a directory of conferences available by ftp from ftp4nisc4sri4com 7#aib4cc4cc4ec74 ,log in to this host as user anonymous4 ,do a 'cd' 7change directory7 to the netinfo directory1 then enter the command ,,get interest-groups4 ,the list is more than #ejj ,,kb characters long4 ,you can also get it by email from mail-servernisc4sri4com 4 ,write the following command in the ,,text of the message3 ,send netinfo_/interest-groups ,you can telnet several bulletin boards through ,internet4 ,here is a sample3 ,name ,login as ,description ---- ---------- ----------- ,,conrad4,,appstate4,,edu info ,world news collected by monitoring short wave broadcasts from ,,bbs and other global sources4 ,,isca4,,icaen4,,uiowa4,,edu ,,iscabbs ,a large amount of public domain programs ,,atl4,,calstate4,,edu ,,lewisnts ,electronic newspapers and the ,art ,world4 ,,tolsun4,,oulu4,,fi ,,box ,finnish service4 ,english available as an option4 ,internet ,services ,frequently ,asked ,questions and ,answers can be retrieved by email from mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu 4 ,write send usenet_/news4answers_/internet-services_ /faq in the body of your message4 ,internet -------- is a term used on something many call ,world,net or ,the ,matrix4 ,it includes the networks in ,,internet1 and a long list of networks that can send electronic mail to each other 7though they may not be based on the ,,tcp_/,,ip protocol74 ,the ,internet includes ,,internet1 ,,bitnet1 ,d,e,cnet1 ,usenet1 ,,uucp1 ,peace,net1 ,,igc1 ,,earn1 ,uninett1 ,fido,net1 ,compu,serve1 ,alternex 7,brazil71 ,,att ,mail1 ,freds,naetet 7,sweden71 ,apple,link1 ,geo,net 7hosts in ,germany1 ,england1 ,u4,s4,a471 ,green,net1 ,,mci ,mail1 ,meta,net1 ,nicarao 7,nicaragua71 ,,otc ,peace,net_/,eco,net1 ,pegasus 7,australia71 ,,bix1 ,portal1 ,psych,net1 ,telemail1 ,,twics 7,japan71 ,web 7,canada71 ,the ,,well1 ,,carinet1 ,d,a,snet1 ,janet 7,england7 ,answers to ,commonly ,asked ,new ,internet ,user' ,questions is available by email from ,,service,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil 4 ,send email with the following command in the message's ,,subject heading3 ,,rfc #abjf ,one important feature of the ,internet is that no one is in charge4 ,the ,internet is essentially a voluntary association4 ,another thing is that there are rarely any additional charges for sending and receiving electronic mail 7even when sending to other networks71 retrieving files1 or reading ,usenet ,newsgroups44 ,intermail --------- ,see ,commercial ,mail ,relay ,service4 ,istel ----- ,a privately owned vendor of packet data services1 who has operator- owned nodes in ,belgium1 ,canada1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,italy1 ,japan1 ,holland1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 ,england4 ,contact3 ,,at,t ,istel4 ,tel43 #jebg- #fdbie 7in ,england74 ,kompass ,online and ,kompass ,europe -------------------------------- ,these databases are available through many services1 including ,affaersdata in ,sweden and ,dialog4 ,contact3 7voice7 #dg #bb #fd #je #ge4 ,info,pro ,technologies -------------------- ,previously ,maxwell ,online4 ,info,pro's services include ,,brs ,online and ,orbit ,online4 ,,brs owns ,,brs ,online1 ,,brs ,colleague1 ,,brs ,after ,dark1 and ,,brs ,morning ,search1 which focus on medical information4 ,orbit focuses on patent and patent-related searches4 ,orbit carries an annual membership fee of ,,us#ej 7#aiib71 and hourly fees that differ according to database4 ,contact3 ,info,pro ,technologies1 #hjjj ,westpark ,drive1 ,mc,lean1 ,,va #bbajb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-gjc-ddb-jijj4 ,maxwell ,online -------------- ,see ,info,pro ,technologies4 ,,mci ,mail -------- ,,mci ,mail1 ,box #ajja1 #aijj ,m ,st4 ,,nw1 ,washington1 ,,dc #bjjcf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,mead ,data ,central ----------------- operates the ,nexis and ,lexis services4 ,contact3 ,mead ,data ,central ,international1 ,international ,house1 #a1 ,st4 ,katharine's ,way1 ,london ,e#a #i,,un1 ,england4 ,,telnet lexis4meaddata4com or #aib4gc4baf4bj or #aib4gc4baf4ba 4 ,terminal type vt#ajj;a4 ,note3 ,if characters do not echo back1 set your terminal to local echo4 ,meta,net ------- ,contact3 ,metasystems ,design ,group1 #bjjj ,north #aeth ,street1 ,suite #ajc1 ,arlington1 ,,va #bbbja1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-gjc-bdc-ffbb4 ,,mix --- ,a ,scandinavian bulletin board network exchanging conferences4 ,for information1 call ,mike's ,,bbs in ,norway at the following numbers3 #dg-bb-dafehh1 #dg-bb-dajdjc and #dg-bb-ccgcbj4 ,minitel ------- ,french videotex service1 which is being marketed all over the world4 ,it is based on a special graphics display format 7,teletel71 has over #ac1jjj services1 and appears like a large ,french online hypermarche with more than seven million users 7#aiib74 ,access to the ,french ,minitel network is available via the ,infonet international packet data network on a host-paid and chargeable account basis4 ,mnematics --------- ,mnematics1 #gbb ,main ,street ,sparkill1 ,,ny #ajigf-jjai1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a- #iad-cei-dedf4 ,,nec ,,pc-,,van ---------- ,japan's largest online service measured both in number of users and geographical presence4 ,your communications system must be able to display ,japanese characters to use the service4 ,netnews ------- ,see ,usenet4 ,news,net ------- ,the world's leading vendor of full-text business and professional newsletters online4 ,offers access to over #gjj newsletters and news services within #cj industry classification groups 7#aiic74 ,includes the major international news wires4 ,you can read individual newsletter issues1 and search back issues or individual newsletters or publications within an industry classification4 ,news,net's clipping service is called ,news,flash4 ,enter ,,prices at the main command prompt for an alphabetic listing of all available services4 ,contact3 ,news,net1 #ide ,haverford ,rd41 ,bryn ,mawr1 ,,pa #aijaj1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,nifty-,serve ----------- is ,japan's number #b online service4 ,it had #bej1jjj subscribers in ,january #aiib4 ,access is possible via a gateway from ,compu,serve4 ,your communications system must be able to display ,japanese characters to use the service4 ,nifty-,serve is jointly operated by ,fujitsu and ,nissho ,iwai ,trading in a licensing agreement with ,compu,serve4 ,,nwi --- ,networking and ,world ,information1 ,inc4 ,one time subscription fee3 ,,us#bj 7,,us#e is given to charity4 ,,us#ae is returned to the user as free time74 ,non-prime time access costs ,,us#aj4gj_/;hour at #cjj to #bdjj bps4 ,otherwise1 the rate is ,,us#bc4ej4 ,the service is available through ,,pdn and outdial services4 7#aiib7 ,contact3 ,,nwi1 #ccc ,east ,river ,drive1 ,commerce ,center ,one1 ,east ,hartford1 ,,ct #jfajh1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-bjc-bhi-fehe4 ,compu,serve users can access ,,nwi's ,,participate conferences through a gateway4 ,,oclc ---- is a nonprofit computer library service and research organization whose computer network and products link more than #ae1jjj libraries in #dg countries and territories4 ,it serves all types of libraries1 including public1 academic1 special1 corporate1 law1 and medical libraries4 ,contact3 ,,oclc1 #fefe ,fratz ,rd41 ,dublin1 ,,oh1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-fad-gfd-fjjj4 ,orbit ----- is owned by ,info,pro ,technologies 7formerly ,maxwell ,online and ,pergamon ,orbit ,infoline ,inc474 ,it offers more than #ajj science1 technical and patent research1 and company information databases4 ,contact in ,north ,america3 ,info,pro ,technologies1 #hjjj ,west ,park ,drive1 ,mc,clean1 ,,va #bbajb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-gjc-ddb-jijj4 ,in ,europe3 ,,orbit ,search ,service1 ,achilles ,house1 ,western ,avenue1 ,london ,w#c #j,,ua1 ,england4 ,tel43 #dd #a #iib #cdef1 ,fax4 #dd #a #iic #gcce4 ,telnet orbit4com 7,,us#f_/;hr in #aiib74 ,pergamon ,financial ,data ,services -------------------------------- ,see ,orbit4 ,polarnet -------- is a ,scandinavian distributed conferencing system available through many boards1 including ,mike's ,,bbs 7see above74 ,prestel ------- is owned by ,british ,telecom4 ,it is a videotex service based on a special graphics display format4 ,the service is also available as ,,tty ,teletype4 ,,nua address3 #jbcda #ajjbjjbj4 ,prodigy ------- is a ,north ,american videotex service owned by ,,ibm and ,sears4 ,you must have a special communications program to use the service1 which claimed #b4e million subscribers in early #aiib4 7,analysts estimated only #hej1jjj paying users74 ,rates3 ,,us#ab4ej per family per month for up to six family members and up to #cj email messages4 ,annual subscription3 ,,us #aai4ie4 ,the packet sent new users contains a communication program and a ,hayes-compatible #bdjj bps modem4 ,price3 ,,us #ahj4 7early #aiib7 ,contact3 ,prodigy ,services ,co41 #dde ,hamilton ,ave41 ,white ,plains1 ,,ny #ajfja1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-iad-ifb-jcaj4 ,email 7through ,internet73 postmasterinetgate4prodigy4com 4 ,relay,net -------- ,also called ,pc,relay-,net4 ,an international network for exchange of email and conferences between more than #h1ejj bulletin boards4 ,the ,relaynet ,international ,message ,exchange 7,,rime7 consists of some #a1jjj systems 7#aiib74 ,relcom ------ means ',russian ,electronic ,communications4' ,this company provides email1 other network services1 a gateway to ,internet1 and access to ,usenet4 ,in early #aiib1 ,,relcom had regional nodes in #be cities of the x,u,s,s,r connecting over #a1jjj organizations or #cj1jjj users4 ,,relcom has a gateway to ,,iasnet4 ,saltrod ,horror ,show ------------------- ,odd de ,presno's ,,bbs system4 ,tel43 #dg #cgj #cacgh4 ,the ,sierra ,network ------------------ is one of the best things out there for online games4 ,the service claimed more than #bj1jjj subscribers in #aiic4 ,contact3 ,the ,sierra ,network1 ,p4,o4 ,box #dhe1 ,coarsegold1 ,,ca #icfad1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,s,i,gnet ------ ,global ,,bbs network with over #bejj nodes around the world 7#aiic74 ,,simtel#bj ,software ,archives -------------------------- is a system maintained by the ,,us ,army ,information ,system ,command4 ,it contains public domain software1 shareware1 documentation and mail archives under the following top-level headings3 ,,hz#ajj1 ,,info- ,,ibmpc1 ,,msdos1 ,,pc-,,blue1 ,,ada1 ,,archives1 ,,cpm1 ,,cpmug1 ,,pcnet1 ,,sigm1 ,,stars1 ,,unix-,c1 ,,vhdl1 ,,zsys1 ,,macintosh1 ,,misc1 and ,,tops#bj4 ,all files are accessible by ,anonymous ,,ftp4 ,for information1 send a message to the address ,,listserv,,rpiecs4,,bitnet with the command ',,help' in the first line of your text4 ,sprint,mail ---------- is a large1 commercial vendor of email services4 ,it has local nodes serving customers in #ajh countries through its ,sprint,net network 7#aiia74 ,internet mail to the ,sprint,mail user identity ',t4,germain' can be sent to ,t4,germainsprint4sprint4com 4 ,for information1 contact ,sprint,mail1 #abdij ,sunrise ,valley ,dr41 ,reston1 ,,va #bbjif1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,super,n,e,t -------- is an international network for exchange of conferences and mail between ,super,b,b,s bulletin board systems4 ,contact3 ,super,net ,world ,host through ,fido,net at #b3bjc_/caj 7#df-cjj-dacgg7 ,lennart ,odeberg4 ,,tcn --- is a ,dialcom network4 ,internet email to ,,tcn is only possible if either the sender or recipient has registered with ,d,a,snet4 ,the email address would be3 ,t,c,nxxxdas4net 7where xxx is the ,,tcn number74 ,thunderball ,cave ---------------- ,norwegian bulletin board connected to ,relay,net4 ,call #dg-bb- #biidda or #dg-bb-biiddb4 ,offers ,usenet ,news and ,internet mail4 ,tocolo ,,bbs ---------- ,bulletin board for people with disabilities in ,japan1 or with shintaishougaisha1 which is the ,japanese term4 ,call3 #ha-c-bje- #icae4 #abjj bps1 #h1,n1#a4 ,your communications system must be able to display ,japanese characters to use the service4 ,,tri-,p ----- ,international outdial service4 ,contact3 ,,intec ,america1 ,inc41 #abgj ,avenue of the ,americas1 ,suite #bcae1 ,new ,york1 ,,ny #ajjbj1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,in ,japan1 contact ,intec at #b-f-aj ,sarugaku-cho1 ,chiyoda-ku1 ,tokyo #aja4 ,fax3 #ha-c-cbib-bibi4 ,,twics ,bee,l,i,n,e ------------- ,english-language ,japanese online service with ,p,a,r,t,icipate1 ,caucus and ,usenet netnews4 ,half the users are ,japanese4 ,others connect from ,u4,s4,a41 ,england1 ,canada1 ,germany1 ,france1 ,south ,africa1 and ,scandinavia4 ,the ,,nua address is3 #ddjf #bjjjjebd4 ,direct call to #ha #c #ccea #gije 7#ad1d,,kb_/s71 or #ha-c-ccea-hbdd 7#ifjj bps74 ,at ,,connect1 press ,,enter a few times4 ,wait about a second between keystrokes to get to the registration prompt4 ,new users can sign on as ,,guest for information4 ,you can also write postmastertwics4co4jp1 or send mail to ,,twics_/,,iec1 #a-ba ,yotsuya1 ,shinjuku-ku1 ,tokyo #afj1 ,,japan4 ,foreign users have free access 7#aiib74 ,,umi_/,data ,courier ---------------- #fbj ,south ,street1 ,louisville1 ,,ky #djbjb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,uninett ------- delivers networking services to ,norwegian research and educational services4 ,unison ------ ,north ,american conferencing service using ,p,a,r,t,icipate software4 ,,nua address3 #jcaajeacjjbcjjj4 ,password3 ,,us#ce4jj4 ,monthly subscription3 ,,us#f4be4 ,non-prime time access3 ,,us#ab4jj_/;hour4 ,prime time access3 ,,us#ai4jj_/;hour4 ,enter ,,signup when online the first time and follow the prompts4 7#aiia7 ,,uucp ---- ,,uucp 7,,unix to ,,unix ,copy7 is a protocol1 a set of files and a set of commands to copy files from one ,,unix computer to another4 ,this copying procedure is the core of the ,,uucp network1 a loose association of systems all communicating with the ,,uucp protocol4 ,,unix computers can participate in the ,,uucp network 7using leased line or dial-up7 through any other ,,unix host4 ,the network now also has many ,,ms-,,dos and other hosts1 and consisted of #af1cjj hosts in ,january #aiic 7source3 ,,uucp map7 serving more than #dhi1jjj users4 ,the ,,uucp network is based on two systems connecting to each other at specific intervals1 and executing any work scheduled for either of them4 ,for example1 the system ,oregano calls the system ,basil once every two hours4 ,if there's mail waiting for ,oregano1 ,basil will send it at that time4 ,likewise1 ,oregano will at that time send any mail waiting for ,basil4 ,there are databases with connectivity information 7,,uucp maps71 and programs 7pathalias7 that will help you decide the correct routing of messages4 ,however1 many ,,uucp hosts are not registered in the ,,uucp map4 ,,eunet is a ,,uucp based network in ,europe4 ,,junet is an equivalent network in ,japan4 ,there are many gateway machines that exchange mail between ,,uucp and the ,internet4 ,among these1 ,,uunet4,,uu4,,net is among the most frequently used4 ,usenet ------ ,usenet1 ,netnews1 or just ,news are common terms for a large many-to-many conferencing 7only7 system distributed through ,,uucp1 ,internet1 ,fido,net1 and ,,bitnet4 ,this grassroots driven network has grown out of the global university and research domains4 ,it is a service rather than a real network4 ,it is not an organization1 and has no central authority4 ,usenet's newsgroups are carried by over #fi1jjj host computers in five continents1 and has over #a1iia1jjj users 7source3 ,brian ,reid1 #aiic74 ,many of these hosts have access to the ,internet4 ,the ,european portion of ,usenet is called ,,eunet 7,european ,unix ,,net74 ,the local administrator of each individual node in the network decides what newsgroups to receive and make available to its users4 ,few systems offer access to all of them4 ,net,news is organized in groups of 'conferences'4 ,each of these classifications is organized into groups and subgroups according to topic4 ,as of ,june #a1 #aiic1 there were #dejj newsgroups and #bejj regional newsgroups4 ,several sites are carrying over #bfjj topics4 ,the groups distributed worldwide are divided into seven broad classifications3 comp ,topics of interest to both computer professionals and hobbyists1 including topics in computer science1 software source1 and information on hardware and software systems4 sci ,discussions marked by special and usually practical knowledge1 relating to research in or application of the established sciences4 misc ,groups addressing themes not easily classified under any of the other headings or which incorporate themes from multiple categories4 soc ,groups primarily addressing social issues and socializing4 talk ,groups largely debate-oriented and tending to feature long discussions without resolution and without appreciable amounts of generally useful information4 news ,groups concerned with the news network and software themselves4 rec ,groups oriented towards hobbies and recreational activities4 ,also available are many alternative hierarchies1 like3 alt ,true anarchy2 anything and everything can and does appear4 ,subjects include sex1 and privacy4 biz ,business-related groups clari ,newsgroups gatewayed from commercial news services and other 'official' sources4 7,requires payment of a fee and execution of a licence4 ,more information by email to infoclarinet4com74 ,most ,netnews hosts offer both global and local conferences4 ,many newsgroups can be read through bulletin boards1 commercial online services1 or through gateways from connected hosts 7like from some ,,bitnet hosts74 ,a full list of available groups and conferences are normally available from hosts offering ,netnews1 and on ,,netnews servers4 ,all users should subscribe to news4announce4important 4 ,vu_/,text ------- #cbe ,chestnut ,st41 ,suite #acjj1 ,philadelphia1 ,,pa #aiajf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,the ,well -------- ,the ,whole ,earth ,lectronic ,link is a commercial online service based in ,sausalito 7,u4,s4,a474 ,it has its own conferencing culture and is an interesting starting point for those wanting to study what makes the area around ,silicon ,valley so dynamic4 ,the ,well has several hundred conferences1 public and private1 about #g1jjj members1 and is available in a variety of ways4 ,the service has full ,internet access1 and can be reached by telnet to well4sf4ca4us 7or #aib4acb4cj4b74 ,modem tel43 #a-dae-ccb-fajf at #abjj bps or #a-dae-ccb-gcih at #bdjj bps4 ,you can subscribe online4 ,rates3 ,,us #bj_/month plus ,,us #b_/;hour 7invoiced by the minute online - #aiib74 ,ziff,net ------- markets its services through ,compu,serve 7,ziff,net and ,ziff,net_/,mac71 ,prodigy1 and its own online service in the ,u4,s4,a4 ,their offerings include the ,ziff ,buyer's ,market1 the ,ziff,net_/,mac ,buyer's ,guide1 ,computer ,database ,plus1 ,magazine ,database ,plus1 ,news,bytes1 and the ,cobb ,group ,online4 ,contact3 ,ziff ,communications ,company1 #be ,first ,street1 ,cambridge1 ,,ma #jbada1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,tel43 #a-fag-beb-ejjj4 ,appendix #b3 ,short takes about how to get started 99 a computer 99 modem and a communications program ,you must have a computer ------------------------ ,it is not important what kind of computer you have1 though you may find out that it is an advantage to have a popular one4 ,the most common type of microcomputer today is called ,,ms-,,dos computers 7or ,,ibm ,,pc compatibles or ,,ibm clones74 ,your computer should have enough memory for communication4 ,this is seldom a problem4 ,an ,,ms-,,dos computer with #bef ,,kb ,,ram is enough when using popular programs like ,,procomm4 ,your computer does not have to be very powerful and super fast1 unless you want ultra fast transfers1 use a slow communications program1 or a complex system of script files4 ,if this is the case1 you'll know to appreciate speed and power4 ,you do not need a hard disk4 ,many do without4 ,not having one1 however1 means more work1 and less room for storage of all the nice things that you may want to retrieve by modem4 ,personally1 ,i want as much hard disk space as ,i can possibly get4 ,when you have read the book1 ,i guess you'll understand why4 ,others may want to delay the purchase of a hard disk until they can spare the money4 ,if you can afford it1 however1 do it6 ,it is a decision that you'll never regret4 ,you must have a modem --------------------- ,some computers are always connected to a network4 ,if this is your situation1 then you probably have what you need already4 ,the rest of us need a modem4 ,a modem is a small piece of equipment that is translating the internal1 electrical signals of the computer to sound codes4 ,these codes can be sent over an ordinary telephone line4 ,you may think of it as a type of ,morse alphabet4 ,the recipient of data also needs a modem4 ,in his case1 the sound codes will have to be translated back into their original form as digital codes4 ,when this is done1 he can view text and pictures on the screen1 and use the received data in other applications4 ,you can buy modems on an expansion card for installation in your computer1 or in a separate box4 ,often1 a modem has already been built into the computer1 when you buy it4 ,whether to buy an internal or an external modem is a question of needs3 ,a portable computer with an internal modem is easier to bring on travels than an external modem with a modem cable and a power adapter4 ,an external modem can serve several computers4 ,some of them are so compact that they fit besides your toothbrush in the toilet bag4 ,an internal modem blocks one of your serial ports4 ,external modems --------------- ,the options are many4 ,the modems differ on speed1 features1 prices - and whether they are approved for usage in your country4 ,some of them are connected to the phone line by cable4 ,others are connected to the handset 7to the talk and listen part7 by two rubber cups4 ,we call such modems acoustic modems 7or acoustic couplers74 ,acoustic modems are useful where connecting other modems to the telephone is difficult4 ,the bad news is that you'll get more noise on the line4 ,acoustic modems can therefore not be recommended for use in other cases4 ,asynchronous or synchronous modems8 ----------------------------------- ,formerly1 data communication was done by sending job commands to a mainframe computer1 and having the result returned in one batch4 ,the modems were called synchronous4 ,such modems 7and computers7 are still in use in some large corporations4 ,most of today's online services are based on an interactive dialog between the user and the remote computer4 ,the user enters a command1 for example a letter or a number in a menu1 and the result is returned almost immediately4 ,the modems used for such work are called asynchronous 7,see ,explanation of some words and terms in appendix #d74 ,unless you know that you must have a synchronous modem1 buy an asynchronous one4 ,choice of speed --------------- ,speed is measured in many ways4 ,one method is to use baud4 ,another is to use characters per second 7cps7 or bits per second 7bps74 ,bps is a measure of how many data bits that can be transferred over a data channel in one second4 7,each byte is split up into bits before transfer during serial communication47 ,the relationship between baud and bits per second is complex1 and often misused4 ,bits per second is unambiguous4 ,in this book1 we will use it as bps4 ,we can estimate the number of characters per second by dividing the number of bps by ten4 ,for example4 #abjj bps is roughly #abj cps4 ,in #aihg1 #cjj1 #abjj and #bdjj bps asynchronous modems were the standard in many countries4 ,around #aiij1 the growth in #ifjj bps modems and modem with faster speeds gained momentum4 ,modem user manuals often give transfer speed by referring to some international classification codes4 ,here are some ,,ccitt codes with explanation3 ,v4#ba #j-cjj bps ,still used by a small group4 ,cannot full duplex communicate with the ,american ,bell #ajc standard4 ,v4#bb #abjj bps ,partly compatible with the ,american full duplex ,bell #bab;a standard4 ,sometimes it works1 sometimes it fails4 ,v4#bb;bis #bdjj bps ,used all over the world4 ,very full duplex common4 ,v4#bc #fjj #abjj ,rare protocol4 ,used mainly in ,europe4 bps w_/#ge ,half duplex4 bps return ch4 ,v4#bfter #bdjj bps ,used mainly in ,france full duplex ,v4#bgter #bdjj_/dhjj bps ,used in ,group ,,iii fax half duplex ,v4#bi #dhjj1 #gbjj and ,used in gr4 ,,iii fax and in some 7,ame- #ifjj bps rican7 modems4 ,do not buy ,v4#bi if you half duplex want a #ifjj bps modem4 ,v4#cb #dhjj_/ifjj bps ,current standard for #ifjj bps modems full duplex ,v4#cb;bis #dhjj_/gbjj_/ifjj1 ,full duplex with faster interrogation4 #abjjj_/addjj bps ,v4#cd #addjj bps ,a proposed high speed protocol that never made it4 ,v4#db ,error correction protocol 7an appendix yields compatibility w_/,,mnp gr4 #b1c and #d 7see ,,mnp below74 ,for ,v4#bb1 ,v4#bb;bis1 ,v4#bfter and ,v4#cb4 ,v4#db;bis ,data compression for ,v4#db modems4 ,meant to replace ,,mnp and ,,lap4 ,text can be transferred three times faster than with ,,mnp1 i4e41 in up to #chdjj bps using a #ifjj bps modem4 ,very common4 ,v4,fast ,upcoming standard4 ,if approved by also called ,,ccitt1 it will support speeds to ,v4#cbterbo #bh1hjj bps for uncompressed data transmission rates over regular dial- up1 voice-grade lines4 ,using ,v4#db;bis data compression1 up to #hf1djj bps may be achievable4 ,when you consider buying a modem with higher speed1 remember that going from #abjj bps to #bdjj is a #ej percent increase1 while going from #abjj to #ifjj bps gives #hjj percent6 ,on the other hand1 if you currently have #ifjj bits_/s1 going to #ad4djj will only give you #ej percent4 ,,mnp error correction and compression ------------------------------------ ,the ,microcom ,networking ,protocol 7,,mnp7 is a ,u4,s4 industry standard for modem-to-modem communication with automatic error correction and compression4 ,automatic error correction is useful when there is noise on the telephone line4 ,,mnp splits the stream of data up into blocks before transmission4 ,they are checked by the other modem upon receipt4 ,if the contents are correct1 an acknowledge message is sent back to the sending modem4 ,if there has been an error in the transmission1 the sending modem is asked to retransmit4 ,when using compression1 files are being preprocessed before transmission to decrease their size4 ,the result is that the modem has to send fewer bytes1 and the effect is higher speed4 ,,mnp ,level #c and up send data between two modems synchronously rather than asynchronously4 ,since sending a start and stop bit with each transferred byte is no longer required1 the effect is higher speed4 ,,mnp-#d or higher have automatic adjustment of block length when there is noise on the line4 ,if the line is good1 longer blocks are sent4 ,the block size is decreased if the line is bad causing many retransmissions4 ,,mnp-#e has data compression4 ,this gives a further increase in transfer speed by from #aj to #hj percent depending on the type of data sent4 ,,mnp-#g is capable of a three-to-one compression ratio4 ,both users must have their modems set for ,,mnp to use it4 ,the speed of the computer's ,,comm port ------------------------------------- ,installing a super fast modem does not guarantee an increase in the effective transfer speed4 ,the serial port of your computer may be a limiting factor4 ,owners of older ,,ms-,,dos computers often have ,u,a,r,ts 7serial port processors7 in the ,intel #hbej or ,national #afdej series4 ,with these in the computer1 it is difficult to achieve speeds above #ifjj bps without losing data4 ,take this into account when investing in a modem4 ,,mnp and efficiency ------------------ ,i call my bulletin board daily4 ,my personal computer is set to communicate with a ,v4#cb modem at #ai1jjj bps4 ,the modem sends data to the telephone line at #ifjj bps1 which is this modem's maximum line speed4 ,data is received by the remote computer's ,v4#cb modem at #ifjj bps1 and forwarded to bulletin board at #aibjj bps4 ,why these differences in speed8 ,,mnp level #e compresses data in the modem before transfer1 and gives error-free transfer to and from the bulletin board at higher speed than by using #ifjj bps all the way through4 ,the compression effectiveness differs by the type of data4 ,when sending text1 the effective transfer speed may double4 ,speed will increase further if the text contains long sequences of similar characters4 ,text is typically compressed by up to #fc percent4 ,this means that a #bdjj bps modem using ,,mnp-#e may obtain an effective speed of around the double when transferring such data4 ,file transfers using ,,mnp ------------------------ ,files are often compressed and stored in libraries before transfer4 ,online services do this because compressed files take less space on their hard disks4 ,also1 it is easier for users to keep track of files sent in a library file4 ,you rarely get speed advantages when transferring precompressed files using ,,mnp or ,v4#db;bis4 ,with some modems1 you must turn ,,mnp and ,v4#db;bis compression off before retrieval of compressed files4 ,dumb or intelligent modem8 -------------------------- ,some modems are operated with switches or buttons on a panel4 ,they do not react to commands from your computer4 ,we call them dumb4 ,you must dial numbers manually1 and press a key on the modem1 when you hear the tone from a remote modem4 ,only when the modem is connected to the remote modem1 can you ask your communications program to take over4 ,we call those modems 'intelligent' that can react to commands from your computer4 ,most of them react to commands according to the ,hayes standard4 ,buy intelligent1 ,hayes-compatible modems - even when other standards may seem better4 ,most of today's communication programs are designed to be used by such modems4 ,note3 ,buy modems that use the ,hayes extended command set4 ,when a popular communications program1 like ,procomm and ,crosstalk1 tells the modem to dial a number or go on hook1 then the ,hayes- compatible modem will do just that4 ,when you press ,,alt-,h in ,procomm1 the modem will disconnect from the remote modem4 ,if you press ,,alt-,d followed by the number #b1 ,procomm will locate the number to an online service in your telephone directory1 and dial that number4 ,when the connection with the remote modem has been established1 your modem will report back to you with a message like ,,connect #bdjj4 ,this tells that a connection has been set up at #bdjj bps4 ,if ,i select k from a menu provided by my communications program's command scripts1 then my system will retrieve today's business news from ,tokyo and put them up on my screen4 ,in the process1 my system tells the modem to do several things1 including call a number1 speed #bdjj bps1 redial if busy1 go on-hook when done4 ,the only thing that ,i have to do1 is press k4 ,the communications program and the modem will do the rest4 ,automatic communication is impossible without an intelligent modem4 ,the ,hayes standard ------------------ ,the ,u4,s4 company ,hayes ,microcomputer ,products1 ,inc4 pioneered command-driven modems4 ,their ,smartmodem became a success1 and ,hayes compatibility a standard for intelligent modems4 ,today1 it is as unimportant to buy a ,hayes modem to get access to ,hayes commands1 as to buy an ,,ibm ,,pc to run ,,pc software4 ,automatic dialing 7autodial7 was one of ,smartmodem's important features4 ,the modem could call a number and prepare for data communication1 once a connection had been set up4 ,if the line was busy1 it could wait a while and then redial4 ,the operator could work with other things while waiting for the equipment to be ready for communication4 ,the modem had automatic answer 7autoanswer71 i4e41 when someone called in1 the modem could take the phone off hook and set up a connection with a remote modem4 ,the modem enabled a connected ,,pc to act as an electronic answering machine4 ,hayes-compatible modems can report call progress to the local screen using short numeric codes or words like ,,connect1 ,,connect #abjj1 ,,connect #bdjj1 ,,no ,,carrier1 ,,no ,,dialtone1 ,,busy1 ,,no ,,answer1 ,,ring etc4 ,there can be small differences between such modems4 ,the message ,,dialtone on one modem may be ,,dial ,,tone on another4 ,most of the main progress messages1 however1 are the same across brands4 ,the old ,smartmodem had switches used to configure the modem4 ,most modern ,hayes-compatible modems come without switches and have more commands than their ancestor4 ,today's ,hayes-compatible modems have a core of common commands1 the real ,hayes-commands1 and several unstandardized additional commands4 ,here is an example3 ,a standard on the move ---------------------- ,on the ,quattro ,,sb#bdbb modem1 #bdjj bps speed without automatic speed detection is set by the command ,,at,i#a4 ,the equivalent command on ,semafor's ,uni,mod #dafa is ,,at,c#j4 ,automatic detection of speed is a feature that lets the modem discover the speed of the remote modem to set its own speed at the same level4 7,other modems may use different commands to set this47 ,when ,i want ,procomm to call a bulletin board1 it first sends a sequence of ,hayes commands to the ,semafor modem4 ,the purpose is to configure the modem before calling4 ,it sends the following3 ,,at ,s#jj ,c#j ,s#gdj ,s#id ,d#b ,the cryptic codes have the following meaning3 ,,at ,attention modem4 ,commands following44 ,s#jj ,no automatic answer ,c#j ,no automatic speed detection 7fixed speed7 ,s#gdj ,wait #dj seconds for an answer tone from the remote modem4 ,s#id ,wait #d_/aj seconds for detection of carrier ,d#b ,go on-hook if the ,,dtr signal is being changed4 ,if this command is sent to the ,quattro modem1 it will reply with ,,error4 ,the code ,c#j must be replaced with an ,i#a4 ,the rest of the commands are the same4 7,note3 when a modem responds with ,,error1 it has usually rejected all commands sent to it67 ,this setup is held in the modem's memory when ,procomm sends its dialing command3 ,,atdt#dgcgjcacgh4 ,,at stands for ,a,ttention1 as above4 ,,dt stands for ,dial ,tone4 ,here1 it is used to dial the number #dgcgjcacgh using tone signaling 7rather than pulse dialing74 ,the modem cable --------------- ,if you have an external modem1 you must connect your computer to the modem with a cable4 ,some modems are sold without a cable4 ,this cable may be called a serial cable1 a modem cable1 a ,,rs#bcb;,c cable1 or something else4 ,make sure that you buy the correct cable for your system4 ,make sure that the connectors at each end of the cable are correct4 ,if a male connector 7with pins7 is required in one end and a female 7with holes7 in the other1 do not buy a cable with two male connectors4 ,some connectors have #i pins_/holes1 while others have #be or #h- pin round plugs 7,apple computers74 ,use a shielded cable to ensure minimal interference with radio and television reception4 ,at this point1 some discover that there is no place on the ,,pc to attach the cable4 ,look for a serial port at the rear of your machine1 labeled ,,modem1 ,,communications1 ,,serial1 or with a phone symbol4 ,if you find no suitable connector1 you may have to install an asynchronous communication port in the box4 ,connecting your equipment to earth ---------------------------------- ,secure your computer and modem against thunderstorms and other electrical problems4 ,securing the electric outlet in the wall is not enough4 ,problems can also enter through the telephone line4 ,thunderstorms have sent electrical pulses through the telephone line destroying four modems1 three ,,pc-fax cards1 one mother board1 and at least one asynchronous communication port4 ,to prevent this from happening to you1 disconnect electrical and telephone cables from your equipment during thunderstorms4 ,the communications program -------------------------- ,a powerful communications program is half the job4 ,in my case it's the whole job4 ,most of my work is done automatically4 ,the communications program will help you with the mechanical transportation of data in both directions4 ,it lets you store incoming information for later use and reduces the risks of errors4 ,here are some items to consider when shopping communications program3 99 ,seriously consider buying automatic programs 7'robots'7 for access to individual online services1 even if that means having to use several programs for different applications4 7,read chapter #af for more details47 99 ,menus and help texts are important for novices1 and in environments with less motivated personnel4 ,advanced users may find it boring4 99 ,ability to transfer data without errors4 ,the program should have transfer protocols like ,,xmodem1 ,kermit1 ,,xmodem_/,,crc1 ,,ymodem and ,,zmodem4 ,the ,,xmodem protocol is the most commonly used4 ,you need these protocols if you want to transfer compiled computer programs 7e4g41 4,,com and 4,,exe files74 ,they are also used when transferring compressed files1 graphics and music files4 99 ,does it let you tailor it to your taste_/needs8 ,some programs let you attach batches of commands to function keys and keypress combinations4 ,for example1 by having your computer call your favorite online service by pressing the ,f#a key4 99 ,does it let you scroll back information having disappeared out of your screen8 ,this may be useful when you want to respond while online to an electronic mail message4 ,the sender's address and name1 which you need to respond1 have scrolled off the screen4 ,if you cannot review the lost information1 you may have to disconnect and call back later to send your mail4 ,connecting to the online service -------------------------------- ,the first couple of times1 most people think that it is very difficult4 ,soon it becomes a simple routine4 ,on some computers1 you just press a key1 and that's it4 ,on others1 you have to call and press1 and watch1 while things are happening4 ,cheap is often a synonym for more work4 ,if you have a dumb modem connected to your personal computer1 these are the typical steps that you must take3 7#a7 ,start your communications program and set it up1 e4g41 with #bdjj bps1 #h bits word length1 #a stop bit1 no parity4 7,this is the most common setup47 ,then set the program to online4 7#b7 ,call the number 7e4g41 #dg #cgj #cacgh7 7#c7 ,when you hear the tone from the remote modem in the phone1 press ,,data to get the modems to connect to each other 7i4e41 to start to handshake74 7#d7 ,a front panel indicator may tell you when the connection has been set up4 ,you can start transferring data4 ,with an ,,ms-,,dos computer1 an automatic modem and a powerful program preset for the job1 the steps may be as follows3 7#a7 ,start the program and display the telephone directory4 ,select a service from the list by pressing a number4 7#b7 ,the modem will call automatically to the service4 ,when ,,connect has been established1 your user identification and password are sent at the prompts for such information4 ,when this is done1 you are free to take control4 ,with an ,,ms-,,dos computer1 ,,tapcis1 and an intelligent modem1 you start by selecting forums and services to access on ,compu,serve4 ,enter 'o' to upload and download programs1 or 'n' to have it fetch new message headers and messages4 ,,tapcis will dial the number1 do the job1 and tell you when it's done4 ,meanwhile1 you can go out to look at the moon1 or sing a song4 ,getting started with ,procomm ---------------------------- ,procomm is cheap and probably the most commonly used communications program for ,,ms-,,dos computers4 ,it's been like this for many years1 though there are many better and cheaper alternatives4 ,an older version of the program 7version #b4d4b7 is still being distributed through bulletin boards all over the world4 ,you may give copies of this version to anyone4 ,the requirement is that you pay a contribution of ,,us#be to the vendor if you like it and start to use it4 ,procomm is simple for novices1 can automate the work for advanced users and be run on almost any ,,ms-,,dos computer4 ,here is some of the features3 ,press ,,alt-,f#aj for a pull-down window text listing features and commands4 ,press ,,alt,d to call a number1 update the telephone directory1 or select a script file for autologon to a service4 ,procomm can emulate 7pretend to be7 different terminal types1 like ,,ibm #caja and ,,dec ,,vt-#ajj_/,,vt-#eb4 ,most services covered in this book may be well served with the setting ,,ansi4,,bbs4 ,it let you use both dumb and intelligent ,hayes-compatible modems4 ,if you have the latter1 select numbers from the telephone directory for autologon4 ,if the number is busy1 ,procomm can call back until you can get through4 ,you can define macros to automate your work4 ,you can have one keystroke send your user identification1 another for your password1 and a third key to send a sequence of commands4 ,macros make your communication faster and safer4 ,you can write script files to automate the online work further4 ,you can transfer text files and binary files using automatic error detection_/correction protocols1 like ,,xmodem1 ,,ymodem1 ,telink and ,kermit1 at speeds from #cjj to #aibjj bps4 ,adding external protocols like ,,zmodem is relatively simple4 ,appendix #c3 ,online with the world - ,practical data communication - ,your first trip online - ,typical pitfalls and simple solutions - ,receiving 7downloading7 letters1 text and programs - ,sending 7uploading7 letters1 text and programs ,practical data communication ---------------------------- ,the first thing novices want to know is how to set up the modem and computer for communication4 ,this may take more time than expected and often seems complex for the uninitiated4 ,you can save yourself much sweat and frustration by asking others for help4 ,to set up your equipment for communication is a one time job4 ,once done1 you can almost forget what you did and why4 ,there are so many different modems1 computers and programs out there4 ,we just cannot give practical advice on the use of all of them in one short appendix4 ,instead1 we will use one example4 ,your job is to translate the text into a terminology that fits your tools4 ,once your system is set up for communication1 your first job will be to find what keys to press to get the job done4 ,how you use your communications program may vary considerably from our example4 ,in general1 however1 it will be the same for most people doing manual communication4 ,once online1 the environment is the same for all users4 ,if you plan to use automatic communications as explained in chapter #af1 this chapter may not be that important4 ,your program will do the job for you4 ,still1 take a few minutes and browse through the text4 ,it may enable you to handle unexpected problems better4 ,our example assumes that you have an ,,ms-,,dos computer4 ,not because this is the best microcomputer in the world1 but because there are more of them than anything else4 ,we assume that you have an external1 intelligent ,hayes-compatible modem and the communications program ,procomm 7version #b4d4b74 ,in this example1 your modem is tested by calling my bulletin board at #dg #cgj #cacgh4 ,not because this is the best board in the world1 but because ,i have full control over how it looks and feels for those using it4 ,assembling the equipment ------------------------ ,you have the modem1 the cable 7to connect your modem with the computer71 a phone cable 7to connect your modem with the phone or the wall jack71 and a communications program4 ,check that the modem's power switch is off4 ,place the modem by the computer1 and plug the power supply cord 7or the power adapter cord7 into the ,,ac wall socket4 ,switch on the modem4 ,do ,,not use #aae-volt equipment in #bej-volt sockets6 ,connect modem and computer using the modem cable4 ,there may be several optional sockets on the computer4 ,these are usually marked ,,rs-#bcb1 ,,comms1 ,,modem1 or just nothing4 ,the connector may be of a flat #be-pins1 #i pins1 or a round #h-pins type4 ,use communication port number #a1 #b1 or whatever else is available for this purpose4 ,if you have several options1 and the socket for communication port number #a seems free1 use this4 ,if not1 try one of the others4 ,next1 connect the modem to the telephone line4 ,if in luck1 the modem came with a phone cable that works with your setup4 ,if so1 it is simple3 #a4 ,disconnect the phone cable from the telephone4 ,insert the modular plug into the right jack on the modem4 ,this jack is often marked with the word ,,line1 with a drawing of a modular wall jack1 or another understandable icon4 #b4 ,you may be able to connect the phone to the modem using the phone cord that came with the modem4 ,this may allow you to use the phone for voice1 when the line is not busy with communication4 7,you may have to make changes in this cord to make it work with the connected phone47 ,this concludes the technical assembly of your equipment4 ,next step is to install the communications program4 ,when this is done1 we will check it out4 ,installing the program ---------------------- ,let us assume that you have received ,procomm on a diskette1 and that it is set up with its default configuration4 ,,procomm4,,exe is the program4 ,the other files have no importance here4 ,enter ,procomm and press ,,enter4 ,our first task is to prepare it for communication3 ,if you are using a monochrome display1 use the command ,,procomm _/,b ,the program will greet you by a welcome text4 ,at the bottom of the screen1 the message ,,creating ,,system ,,files may appear 7if these have not been created yet71 followed by a message from the creators of the program4 ,press ,,enter when you have read the text4 ,the screen will be blanked1 and a text line will appear at the bottom4 ,now is the time to test if the technical installation has been successful4 ,the dial tone ------------- ,lift the receiver from the phone and check if you can hear the dial tone4 ,if you can1 turn the pages to ,does the computer have contact with the modem8 ,if you hear nothing1 there are several possible causes3 99 ,the phone is not working4 ,this is easily checked4 ,disconnect it from the modem1 and connect it to the wall 7using the original cable674 ,if you get a dial tone now1 then the phone is in order4 99 ,the cable between the modem and the wall jack may be broken1 or wrongly configured4 ,to check this1 we must first check the connection between the modem and the computer4 ,once we know that the connection between the modem and the computer is in order1 we can use the modem to check our phone cable4 99 ,the cable between the modem and the phone may be in disorder4 ,for example1 the modular phone connector may have a cabling that differs from what is assumed in your country4 ,if there is no dial tone1 then the cable between the modem and the telephone must be repaired1 or replaced4 ,does your computer have contact with the modem8 ---------------------------------------- ------- ,when you first use ,procomm1 it is preset for communication at #cjj bps1 use of port #a and ,,ansi-,,bbs4 7,the control line at the bottom of your screen should read3 ,,alt-,f#aj ,,help1 ,,ansi-,,bbs1 ,,hdx1 #cjj ,n#ha1 ,,log ,,closed1 ,,prt ,,off1 ,,cr and ,,cr47 99 ,if your modem is unable to communicate at #cjj bps1 you must change the setup4 ,press ,,alt-,p 7keep the ,,alt key down while pressing ,p7 to get the menu ,,line ,,settings4 ,choice #i gives #bdjj bps with #h bits word length1 no parity and one stop bit4 ,this is a common setting4 ,select #bd ,save changes to make the setting permanent4 99 ,if you know that your modem is not connected to the computer's port number #a1 then change this from the same menu4 ,choice #ba gives ,,com#b1 and choice #bb gives ,,com#c4 ,if you don't know what communication port the modem has been connected to1 you have to find out by testing4 ,do this by entering 7i4e41 sending to the modem7 the characters ,,at4 ,now1 the modem is supposed to respond with an ,,ok 7or with the number #j1 if the modem is set to reply with numeric codes74 ,if you get an ,,ok or a #j on your display1 continue reading from ,does the modem have contact with the phone line8 ,if you can see ,,at on your screen while you enter it1 you have contact with the modem4 ,this is true even if it does not send any confirmation4 ,the modem may have been instructed not to confirm4 ,if you see the ,,at characters1 read from ,does the modem have contact with the phone line8 ,if there is no contact between the modem and the computer1 the screen will remain blank at all times4 ,your problem may be the cable1 your choice of modem port1 or the modem setup4 ,first1 check if the modem is switched on 7the power switch71 and that the plugs are firmly in the jacks4 ,then let's check the modem4 ,it may have been set not to respond to your commands4 ,let's try to change that4 ,enter the following command1 and press ,,enter3 ,,atq#j;,e#a,v#a ,this should make your modem3 give result codes on your screen 7,q#j71 show the characters that you enter 7,e#a71 and use ,,ok instead of the numerical result code #j 7,v#a74 ,if you still get no ,,ok1 the reason may still be in the modem4 ,i have seen modems get indigestion problems when too many commands are given to them4 ,try give a command to return it to its factory setting4 ,this command is not the same on all ,hayes-compatible modems4 ,on most of them1 you can use one of the following3 ,,at,f1 ,,atf or ,,atz 7on some modems ,,atz is used to reset to the stored configuration74 ,locate the correct command to use in the modem's user manual4 ,then1 try ,,atq#j;,e#a,v#a again4 ,if you are still without success1 check your choice of modem port4 ,if there are several communication connectors at the back of your computer1 test these4 ,if this doesn't help1 connect the modem cable to the most probable jack4 ,now1 test the communication port for a response from the modem using another communications program setting4 ,press ,,alt-,p1 select another port 7choice #bj - #bc71 press ,,esc and try ,,at again 7or ,,atq#j;,e#a,v#a74 ,if there is still no reaction1 test the computer's other communications connectors4 ,if you have a mouse connected to your computers1 make sure that it is not using the same port as your communications program4 ,problems with the communications port are often caused by other equipment4 ,remove all extra equipment 7like a ,,pc-fax card or a mouse71 and all associated software 7often represented by a line starting with ,,driver in ,,config4,,sys1 or a resident program driving a mouse74 ,remove all resident programs from memory before testing4 ,if you are still at the same unfortunate stage1 chances are that the problem is either in the cable or the modem4 ,if you know others who are into data communication1 visit them for help4 ,bring your cable and your modem to have them tested in an environment where things work4 ,it is easier to isolate a problem by testing your units in sequence on your helper's system4 ,first1 the cable4 ,connect it between his computer and his modem4 ,test the connection to his modem with your cable as the only foreign element4 ,if the test is successful1 your cable is ,,ok4 ,next1 the modem4 ,if the test is successful1 your modem is in order4 ,the most probable cause of your problems is your computer's communications port4 ,in communications1 many parts have to work together4 ,you may have problems with more than one of them at the same time4 ,the rule is to test step by step to eliminate possible problems4 ,if you get no reply from your modem1 when it is connected to your friend's computer1 chances are that it needs to be repaired4 ,call the seller for help4 ,a last refuge is to buy an extra communications card for your computer 4 4 4 ,does your modem have contact with the phone line8 ---------------------------------------- --------- ,you have contact between your computer and modem4 ,the modem answers ,,ok as assumed4 ,we now have to test if there is contact with the phone line4 ,that is easy4 ,enter the following command and press ,,enter3 ,,atq#j;,e#a,v#a ,when the modem answers ,,ok1 enter the dialing command3 ,,atdt#cgjcacgh ,the modem will try to call #cgjcacgh1 the number to my ,,bbs4 7,you may have to prefix the number with an international code1 and the country code for ,norway4 ,if international calls require the prefix #jji1 enter ,,atdt#jji-dg-cgjcacgh74 ,your modem will wait for ,,connect a preset number of seconds 7rarely longer than #fj seconds74 ,if your modem does not detect the dial tone 7within the preset waiting time71 it will give you the following error message ,,no ,,dialtone ,all other messages 7except ,,error7 declare that the modem did detect the dial tone4 ,if it did1 continue reading from ,configuring your program4 ,,no ,,dialtone ----------- ,the most probable causes of ,,no ,,dialtone are that your phone cable is not connected1 that it has been damaged1 or that it is the wrong cable for the job4 ,the latter cause is common in many countries4 ,for example1 a cable made for a telephone network in the ,united ,states1 may not work in ,norway4 ,a cable made for connection to a switchboard1 may not work when connected to a domestic phone line4 ,a standard1 domestic ,american phone cable contains four lines4 ,two of these 7line number #a and #d7 carry sounds4 ,the others are not being used4 ,a standard ,norwegian domestic cable is set up in the same way1 but here line number #a and #c carry sound4 ,changing the configuration of such cables is often simple4 ,just cut the cable in two1 and put the lines together correctly4 ,this is typically required when your modem assumes that you use it in ,north ,america1 while you are in a country with different cabling4 ,configuring your program ------------------------ ,the modem answers4 ,the dial tone is being detected4 ,procomm is installed on your hard disk4 ,now1 check if the program has been correctly configured4 ,press ,,alt-,s to get the ,setup ,menu4 ,select #a1 ,modem setup1 from this menu4 ,choice #a1 ,modem init string1 is a general setup command4 ,this command will be sent to the modem each time you start ,procomm4 ,you are free to make is as long and powerful as you want4 ,our purpose now1 however1 is to check if it works4 ,most modems do not react if one element in your setup command is wrong4 ,they respond with ,,error 7or the numeric code71 and disregard the rest4 ,procomm's standard ,modem init string has the following commands3 ,,ate#j ,s#gfj ,s#aaee ,v#a ,x#a ,s#jj6 ,these work well with most modems1 provided the speed is legal4 ,go back to the blank screen 7using ,,esc74 ,test the init command by entering it manually4 7,do not enter the 6 character4 ,this is ,procomm's code for ,,enter47 ,if the modem reacts with ,,error1 check with the modem manual to find out what is wrong4 7,check if the values ,s#gfj and ,s#aaee are not too high47 ,if you have to change the init command1 go back to the ,modem init string menu choice4 ,enter the correct commands4 ,remember to add the 6 at the end4 ,press ,,esc to get to the main configuration menu and select #b1 ,,terminal ,,setup4 ,check if ,terminal emulation is ,,ansi-,,bbs4 ,change choice #b1 ,duplex1 to ,,full4 ,the other factory settings are ,,none1 ,,cr1 ,,cr1 ,,dest1 ,,bs1 ,,off1 ,,on1 #cej1 ,,off4 ,return to the ,,setup ,,menu 7press ,,esc74 ,press s to save the setup to disk4 ,your setting has now been stored1 and ,procomm is ready to be used4 ,dialing ------- ,now1 test your setup by calling your favorite online service4 ,we will show how to log on to my bulletin board4 ,you can call manually by entering ,,atdt followed by the phone number4 ,the most practical method1 however1 is to use the built-in phone directory4 ,press ,,alt-,d to get to the phone directory4 ,press ,r to revise the list1 and enter ,saltrod ,horror ,show somewhere on the list4 ,i have it as number #b4 ,answer the questions like this3 ,name3 ,saltrod ,horror ,show ,number3 #jji-dg-cgj-cacgh ,baud3 #ifjj ,parity3 ,n ,databits3 #h ,stop ,bits3 #a ,echo ,on8 ,n ,command file3 7press ,,enter1 meaning that you don't want to use a script file at this point7 ,baud can be anything from #cjj bps to #ifjj bps4 ,it's up to you1 and depends on your modem's capabilities4 ,when done1 enter #b and press ,,enter4 ,the modem will dial the number 7that you have as item #b on the list71 and try to connect4 ,if the number is busy1 you will get a warning4 ,you can now leave ,procomm 7,,alt,x71 or set it for redialing 7,,alt,r74 ,when set for redialing1 ,procomm will call back until a connection has been made4 ,when ,,connect is received from your modem1 ,procomm announces the fact with a beep in the computer's loudspeaker4 ,text will start scrolling over your screen4 ,first1 a short welcome text pops up4 ,your interactive dialog with the bulletin board can start4 ,the first question is ,what is your ,first ,name8 ,enter your first name4 ,then1 ,what is your ,last ,name8 ,enter your last name4 ,your dialog with the remote computer will continue like this4 ,the board will ask you questions1 and you will enter your answers4 ,what may go wrong8 ------------------ ,a setting that works beautifully when calling one bulletin board1 may be a disaster when calling another service4 ,here are some typical problems3 ,when dialing through a switchboard 7,,pbx74 ---------------------------------------- - ,remember to add #i or #j for a city line1 when dialing out from a ,,pbx4 ,if you forget1 you'll get nowhere4 ,use the following command 7assuming that you must enter #j to get a city line1 and use tone signaling73 ,,atdt#j,w#dgcgjcacgh ,if you must use #i for a city line and pulse dialing1 use the following command ,,atdp#i,w#dgcgjcacgh ,register your standard dialing command in ,procomm's ,,modem ,,setup4 ,enter ,,alt,s and then select #a1 ,modem ,setup4 ,choice #b1 ,dialing command4 ,the default entry is ,,atdt4 ,replace this with ,,atdt#j,w1 ,,atdp#i,w or whatever makes dialing work for you4 ,no answer from the remote computer ---------------------------------- ,your computer has to talk the same language as the remote host4 ,if the parameters of your communications program have been set incorrectly1 it may be impossible to set up a connection with the service4 ,sometimes1 you get ,,connect1 but your screen only gives you strange1 unintelligible 'noise' characters4 ,the reason may be ,,connect at an incompatible speed1 a service's use of special codes for displaying text 7including special language characters71 or that the service requires use of a special communications program or method 7as when a service starts by interrogating for the use of an offline reader74 ,many online services require that you use certain settings4 ,most services1 however1 may be reached when using the following3 ,speed3 #bdjj bps #h bits word length1 no parity1 one stop bit ,some services 7notably some ,unix hosts7 demand #g bits1 even parity1 one stop bit4 ,sorry1 no luck6 --------------- ,try again1 just in case4 ,the remote computer may have had a temporary problem1 when you called4 ,the ,,ptt may have given you a particularly noisy telephone line on this attempt4 ,if this doesn't help1 recheck each point in the communications process4 ,it is so easy to do something wrong4 ,if nothing helps1 read the service's user information manuals4 ,only rarely will you be able to blame the communications program 7unless you have made it yourself71 or the equipment4 ,most errors are caused by finger trouble and misunderstandings4 ,testing the ,saltrod ,horror ,show ------------------------------- ,first time visitors often experience problems1 and in particular if this is their first time online using a ,hayes-compatible modem4 ,here are some typical problems with suggested solutions3 99 ,disable ,guard ,tones from the modem when dialing4 ,if it has this feature1 you can often turn it off4 ,put the required command in your ,modem init string4 99 ,don't press ,,enter to wake my system4 ,the software will automatically detect your speed and adjust accordingly4 ,the same applies for many services4 ,on some1 you're just asking for problems by not waiting patiently 7often the case when the remote software starts by checking if you use an offline reader74 99 ,my ,,bbs accepts from #cjj to #ifjj bps asynchronous1 full duplex communication4 ,you may not succeed with #abjj bps half duplex1 ,bell #cjj bps or #abjj bps4 99 ,start with your communications program set for #h bits word length1 no parity and one stop bit4 ,try #g bits1 even parity if there is too much noise on the line 7you cannot retrieve programs using this setting1 though74 99 ,when your modem is set at a low transfer speed1 it may not wait long enough for carrier from my modem4 ,most modems let you set this waiting time longer by giving a value to a ,s-register4 7,read in your modem's manual about how to do this74 ,partial success --------------- ,some bulletin boards offer colors and music4 ,if your equipment is set up correctly1 you can receive the welcome text in full color graphics accompanied by a melody in your computer's speaker4 ,if it is not1 chances are that you will get many strange codes on your screen1 and an ugly feeling that something is wrong4 ,there are two ways out of this problem3 #a4 ,ask the bulletin board to send text only 7select ,u for ,utilities1 and then ,g for ,graphics to change setting71 #b4 ,set your computer for colors and graphics4 ,this feature is only available for callers with an ,,ms-,,dos computers4 ,you may need to add the line ,,device,,ansi4,,sys in your ,,config4,,sys4 ,finally1 you must have a communications program that allows you to display colors on your screen4 ,procomm set with ,,ansi-,,bbs does that4 ,downloading programs -------------------- ,we call the transfer of programs and files from a remote computer for downloading4 ,it means transfer of data to your computer ,,and storage of the data 7down7 on ,,your local disk4 ,you are downloading1 when you call my board to retrieve a program4 ,when you1 overwhelmed by gratitude1 send one of your favorite programs ,,to my bulletin board1 then we call it uploading4 ,data can be many things4 ,it may be news from ,washington ,post1 a digital picture1 an executable program1 a pile of invoices1 a piece of music1 a voice file1 an animated sequence of pictures and music1 or compressed library files4 ,downloading plain text 7also called plain ,,ascii or ,,dos text on ,,ms-,,dos machines7 is relatively easy4 ,such text usually only contains characters between number #cb 7space character7 and #abf 7the character7 in the ,,ascii table4 ,characters with lower numbers have special functions 7like the control characters ,e,s,cape and ,,ctrl,c74 ,these may not even be displayed on your screen4 ,characters with higher numbers are used for graphics1 special national characters1 and other applications4 ,special transfer methods are often required1 when your data contains text with characters outside ,,ascii number #cb through #abf4 ,read under ,protocol transfers below for more information about how to do this4 ,downloading text ---------------- ,most communication programs require that you begin by opening a file4 ,they ask you to enter a file name4 ,from this point and onwards all incoming text will be stored in this file until you say stop4 ,communication programs do this in different ways4 ,some let incoming data flow through a temporary storage area using the principle first in1 first out4 ,when you open a file1 it starts storing data from the beginning of the temporary storage area1 though this text may have scrolled off your screen some time ago4 ,most communication programs start storing data from ,,now4 ,procomm works this way4 ,you start downloading of text by pressing the ,pg,dn key4 ,a window will appear on your screen giving you a choice between various methods4 ,select ,,ascii4 ,in another window1 you are asked to enter a file name4 ,when done1 storage of incoming data starts4 ,you stop the process by pressing the ,,esc key4 ,procomm has another method called file logging4 ,you start this by pressing ,,alt-,f#a4 ,procomm requests the file name1 and the storage process starts4 7,read under ,strip about the difference between these methods47 ,if you forget to tell ,procomm to store incoming data1 then you will most probably lose this data for ever4 ,do not waste time and money by forgetting to store what you receive6 ,the term append ----------------- ,when downloading text - or anything - it is important to know whether you are appending information to an existing file1 or overwriting it 7i4e41 destroying the old text74 ,most communication programs complain with an audible signal1 when you try to overwrite an existing file4 ,they will ask you if you really want to delete it1 or append the current data4 ,the term strip ---------------- ,the purpose of 'strip' is to remove something from incoming data or to change it on the fly4 ,when you use ,,ascii downloading with ,procomm1 ,,all incoming data are being stored4 ,this includes so-called ,e,s,cape sequences4 ,if you use ,file ,logging1 all control characters 7except the line feed and new page characters7 are being removed 7filtered74 ,if you download text from a computer that uses other ,,ascii characters for linefeed and return1 save time by having the communications program convert them on the fly to their correct form for your computer4 ,you define strip procedures through ,procomm's ,set,up menu 7,,alt- ,s74 ,you can also request automatic conversion of characters to graphics values1 or local language variants4 ,national characters ------------------- ,special national characters cause problems in many countries4 ,one reason is that they are represented by different internal codes on various hardware platforms1 and that some networks are unable to transmit #h-;bits data4 ,some systems represent these special characters by a #g-;bit code1 others by an #h-;bit code4 ,some depend on the computer having an internal national language ,,rom1 or that it uses a special 7resident7 conversion program4 ,what gives good results on an ,,ms-,,dos computer1 may give rubbish on a ,macintosh1 ,amiga1 ,atari1 or a ,,pc using ,,ms ,windows4 ,many communication programs have features that can help you solve at least some these problems4 ,they let you make translation tables for automatic conversion of special incoming and outgoing characters4 ,if you call a ,scandinavian online service using #g bits even parity1 many transfer the national special characters using the ,,ascii code equivalents of number #ia1 #ib1 #ic1 #abc1 #abd1 and #abe4 ,similar1 more or less formal standards are in place in other countries4 ,protocol transfers ------------------ ,if your purpose is to transfer digitized pictures1 a computer program1 a batch of invoices1 a piece of music or an animated sequence of pictures1 it's important that each character 7bit7 arrives correctly4 ,we achieve this by using protocol transfers4 ,these files often contain control or binary characters4 ,you cannot transfer binary files without the use of special methods4 ,it is easy to understand why we need protocol transfers when retrieving plain text as tables of numbers1 statistics1 and financial reports4 ,transfer errors may have fatal consequences4 ,protocol transfers are also required when transferring word processor text files having imbedded control codes 7like text made with ,word,perfect71 and compressed files4 ,here is an example3 ,downloading public domain software ---------------------------------- ,first1 you need the names and features of the programs that can be downloaded from a service4 ,on most bulletin boards1 you must enter a command to navigate to the ,file ,library4 ,here1 they normally greet you with a menu listing available commands4 ,try ,h 7for ,help67 or 8 when you are stuck4 ,public domain and shareware programs are stored in subdirectories on my bulletin board4 ,the directories have numerical names4 ,utility programs for ,,ms-,,dos computers are stored in directory #aj4 ,games are stored in directory #ag4 ,enter ,l for a list of available directories 7other bulletin boards may use different commands74 ,enter ,l #ag to list the files in directory #ag4 ,this will give file names1 lengths in characters 7to help you estimate download time71 creation dates1 and a short description of each file4 ,you can search for files of interest4 ,when looking for programs that can help you get more out of a printer1 you may search using keywords like printer4 ,some programs are made available in text form4 ,this is the case with older ,,basic programs4 7,the file name extensions 4,,bas1 4,,asc or 4,,txt suggest that the files contain plain text47 ,you can download these files using ,,ascii4 ,most programs are stored in their executable form1 or as one executable file among several in a compressed transfer file 7a library of files74 ,on my board1 most of these files have the file name extension 4,,exe or 4,,com4 ,what transfer protocol to use1 depends on what is available in your communications program4 ,the protocol transfer method explained -------------------------------------- ,the protocol transfer algorithms use methods to check the transfer with automatic error correction4 ,in principle1 they work like this3 ,the sending program calculates a check sum based on the contents of the file4 ,the receiving program does the same calculation and compares the result with the senders' check sum4 ,if the figures match1 the transfer was successful4 ,if not1 all or part of the file will be retransmitted4 ,these are some popular protocols3 ,,xmodem ------ has automatic error detection and correction4 ,most modern programs have this feature4 ,,xmodem exists in programs for ,,ms-,,dos computers1 ,,cp_/,m computers1 ,apple1 ,,trs-#hj ,model #ajj1 etc4 ,it is the most commonly used transfer protocol4 ,,xmodem assumes #h-;bit settings in your communications program4 ,the file to be sent is split up into #abh bit sized blocks 7or packets7 before transfer4 ,the sender calculates the check sum and adds a check sum bit at the end of each packet4 7,packing1 sending and checking is done automatically by the software47 ,the receiving program calculates its own check sum and compares with the sender's4 ,if an error is detected1 ,,xmodem will request retransmission of the last block4 ,,xmodem is reasonably good when there is little noise on the telephone line is low4 ,when the line is bad1 however1 there is always a chance that the transfer will stop4 ,you cannot use ,,xmodem on computer networks that use ,,ascii flow control or ,e,s,cape codes4 ,the transfer commands must be given to both computers4 ,you can only transfer one file per command4 ,,xmodem's packet size 7block length7 is short4 ,this has an impact on transfer speed1 and especially when downloading from timesharing systems1 packet switched networks1 via satellites1 and when using buffered 7error correcting7 modems4 ,the control method 7#h-;bit check sum7 and unprotected transactions give a low level of safety against errors in the transmission4 ,the transferred file may contain #abg bytes with noise characters 7at the end74 ,the creation date of the file is lost in the transfer4 ,these weaknesses have given us better methods4 ,here are some of them3 ,,xmodem_/,,crc ---------- ,,crc is an abbreviation for ,cyclical ,redundancy ,check4 ,the method guarantees #ii4iifi percent free transfer4 ,it still has the other weaknesses of ordinary ,,xmodem transfers4 ,,ymodem ,batch ------------ is faster than ,,xmodem and gives a high level of safety in the transfers4 ,when used with some programs1 ,,ymodem can transfer the files' creation time_/date4 ,you can transfer updated documents4 ,this will replace documents with an older creation date4 ,only one party must enter the file name4 ,,ymodem takes care of the rest4 ,kermit ------ is used on many computer platforms1 and especially where they use a terminal emulation mode 7like ,,vt-#ajj7 which makes the use of ,,xmodem impossible4 ,kermit is one of the few asynchronous error correction protocols that functions well when exchanging files having half duplex ,,ibm front-end machines4 ,kermit can transfer more than one file at the time4 ,super-,kermit ------------ is also called ,kermit with ,sliding ,windows4 ,it can transfer many packets before stopping to check the transfer4 ,the protocol is much faster than ,,xmodem4 ,,zmodem ------ is currently the fastest transfer protocol for many applications4 ,all transactions are protected with a #af-;bit or #cb-;bit ,,crc4 ,,zmodem is immune against most error conditions that prevent traditional protocols to achieve correct transfer4 ,,zmodem transfers the creation date of the file and its exact contents4 ,the file name is read once1 and all transfer commands may be given by the sending program4 ,decompression of files ---------------------- ,if a file has name extensions like ,,zip1 ,,lzh1 ,,arc1 ,,pak1 ,,lqr1 ,,lbr1 ,,zoo1 ,,arj1 or ,,qqq1 you are facing a compressed file4 ,we use such files to achieve faster transfers4 ,files having the extension 4,,exe or 4,,com may be compressed files that have been converted into a self-extract format4 ,to retrieve the files from a self-extract compressed file1 just enter the file's name4 ,to decompress files that have not been made self-extract1 you need a utility program4 ,these programs have many names and are available through most bulletin boards4 ,transfer problems ----------------- ,most transfer problems are caused by the communication programs and their 7lack of7 features4 ,some ,procomm users have problems with the ,kermit protocol4 ,tip3 use #h bit world length and no parity in your program setup4 #g bits and even parity does not always work 7on version #b4d4b74 ,uploading --------- ,the transfer of data the other way1 i4e41 from your disk to a remote computer1 requires that you start by making some decisions4 ,is the file to be sent as plain ,,ascii8 ,should ,i compress it in a distribution file to reduce transfer time1 and make it easier to handle for the recipient8 ,if you are transferring a text file containing special national characters1 then these may have to be converted to another format4 ,if your text contains blank lines 7like blank lines between paragraphs71 you may have to insert a space character at the start of all such lines4 ,some systems interpret a blank line as a signal telling that transmission is done4 ,the invisible space character prevents this4 ,some hosts have limitations on line length4 ,they may require that lines be shorter than #hj characters4 ,if you send lines that are too long1 the result may be fatal4 ,sending electronic mail ----------------------- ,if you send your mail too fast1 some online services tend to get digestion problems4 ,you must be very accurate with the format of your message4 ,it has to agree with the host machine's rules about line length1 and maximum number of lines per message4 ,let's assume that you want to send the following message to an electronic mailbox3 ,to3 ,datatid cc3 ,anne-,tove ,vestfossen ,sj3 ,merry ,christmas6 ,text3 ,thanks for the box with herring4 ,the taste was formidable4 etc 44 etc444 etc444 ,greetings1 ,odd ,if this is all you have to say1 doing it manually may be as fast as doing it automatically4 ,however1 if the line containing etc 44 etc 44 is two full pages of text1 you may feel differently4 ,then1 the best may be to upload a prewritten letter4 ,many ,procomm users prefer to split the job in two4 ,they enter the first four lines manually1 and upload the body of the text 7when the remote computer is ready to receive74 ,press ,pg,up to get a menu of various uploading protocols4 ,select ,,ascii for transfer of plain text4 ,procomm will ask for the name of the file1 which contains your letter4 ,enter the name1 and the file will be sent4 ,slow down with pacing ----------------------- ,sometimes1 the ,pg,up method is just what you need4 ,on other days1 strange things may stop you in the middle of your transfer4 ,one typical reason is that ,procomm is sending it too fast for the recipient4 ,pacing is a method used to slow the speed of the transfer to a level that the recipient can handle4 ,procomm lets you set a tiny pause after each line sent4 ,another technique is to ask the program to wait for a given character 7a ,go-character71 before allowing it to send the next line4 ,for example3 the character 3 is often used in the prompts for the next line on bulletin boards4 ,protocol transfers may be easier -------------------------------- ,you may find it easier to use a transfer protocol4 ,with ,procomm1 press the ,pg,up key1 and the program will ask for a protocol4 ,select ,kermit or something else4 ,the program will ask for a file name1 you enter it1 and off it goes4 ,you will have no problems with blank lines1 or lines that are too long4 ,at times1 even this will fail4 ,the most common reasons are3 99 ,the recipient requires that ,procomm be set for #h-;bits word length1 no parity1 #a stop bit1 when using this protocol1 but you have it set differently4 99 ,you think that the recipient's version of ,,ymodem is the same that you have4 ,wrong6 ,total failure4 ,do the following to upload the file ,,test4,,txt to my bulletin board using ,,xmodem3 #a4 ,navigate to the file area4 ,tell ,,shs what you want by using the following command3 u2test4txt2x #b4 ,press ,pg,up1 select ,,xmodem1 enter a file name 7,,test4,,txt71 and the transfer will start4 7,if you're too slow1 ,,shs may be tired of waiting for your commands 4 4 47 #c4 ,when the transfer is completed1 my board will ask for a short description of the file4 ,enter it1 and you're done4 ,enter ,g 7for ,goodbye71 and disconnect4 ,appendix #d3 ,explanation of some frequently used terms ,we have included some terms that are commonly used in the online world4 ,for more information1 get a copy of ,,fyi3 ,internet ,user's ,glossary4 ,to get this file1 send email to ,,service,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil with the following command in the ,subject of your mail3 ,,rfc #acib 4 ,address ------- ,the string of characters that you must give an electronic mail program to direct a message to a particular person4 ,the term ,internet address often refers to an assigned number1 which identifies a host on this network4 ,anonymous ,,ftp ------------- ,the procedure of connecting to a remote computer1 as an anonymous or guest user1 to transfer files back to your computer4 ,see ,,ftp for more information4 ,,anon-,,ftp -------- ,see ,anonymous ,,ftp4 ,,ansi ---- 7#a7 ,,ansi is an organization that sets standards4 7#b7 ',,ansi graphics' 7ref4 the term ,,ansi-,,bbs7 is a set of cursor control codes that originated on the ,,vt#ajj terminal4 ,many online services use these codes to help improve the sending of characters to communication programs4 ,it uses the escape character1 followed by other characters1 to move the cursor on the screen1 change color1 and more4 ,archie ------ ,an electronic directory service for locating information throughout the ,internet4 ,you can use ,archie to locate files on anonymous ftp archive sites1 other online directories and resource listings4 ,it is useful for finding free software4 ,archie offers access to the whatis description database4 ,this database contains descriptions that include the name and a brief synopsis of the large number of public domain software1 datasets and informational documents located on the ,internet4 ,this book emphasizes email access to ,archie4 ,you can also reach archie servers by telnet to one of the following addresses3 archie4au #aci4acj4d4f 7,australian server7 archie4mcgill4ca #acb4bjf4dd4ba 7,canada7 archie4funet4fi #abh4bad4f4ajj 7,finland_/,europe s47 archie4th-darmstadt #acj4hc4abh4aaa 7,germany7 archie4cs4huji4ac4il #acb4fe4f4ae 7,israel server7 archie4kuis4kyoto-u4ac4jp #acj4ed4bj4a 7,japan7 archie4sogang4ac4kr #afc4bci4a4aa 7,korea7 archie4nz #acj4aie4i4d 7,new ,zealand7 archie4ncu4edu4tw #adj4aae4ai4bd 7,taiwan7 archie4doc4ic4ac4uk #adf4afi4aa4c 7,,uk_/,england server7 archie4rutgers4edu #abh4f4ah4ae 7,u4,s4,a47 ,archie server ------------- ,an email-based file transfer facility offered by some systems connected to the ,internet4 ,,ascii ----- ,the ,american ,standard ,code for ,information ,interchange4 ,a standard seven-bit code created to achieve compatibility between various types of data processing equipment4 ,,ascii1 pronounced ask-key1 is the common code for microcomputer equipment4 ,the ,standard ,,ascii ,character ,set consists of #abh decimal numbers ranging from zero through #abg assigned to letters1 numbers1 punctuation marks1 and the most common special characters4 ,the ,extended ,,ascii ,character ,set also consists of #abh decimal numbers and ranges from #abh through #bee representing additional special1 mathematical1 graphic1 and foreign characters4 ,,ascii download -------------- ,retrieval of plain ,,ascii text 7without special codes74 ,normally1 it takes place without automatic error correction1 but it is typically managed by ,,xon_/,,xoff flow control4 ,asynchronous transfer --------------------- ,serial communication between two computers4 ,when signals are sent to a computer at irregular intervals1 they are described as asynchronous4 ,data is sent at irregular intervals by preceding each character with a start bit and following it with a stop bit4 ,asynchronous transmission allows a character to be sent at random after the preceding character has been sent1 without regard to any timing device4 ,consequently1 in case of line noise1 the modem can find out right away where the next byte should start4 ,autodial -------- ,when a modem dials a telephone number automatically4 ,autodial may be started by the user entering the number manually1 or the number may be sent automatically by the communications program 7for example after having been selected from a phone register74 ,baud ---- ,a unit of measurement that shows the number of discrete signal elements1 such as bits1 that can be sent per second4 ,bits per second 7bps7 is the number of binary digits sent in one second4 ,there is a difference between bps and baud rate1 and the two are often confused4 ,for example1 a device such as a modem said to send at #bdjj baud is not correct4 ,it actually sends #bdjj bits per second4 ,both baud rate and bps refer to the rate at which the bits within a single frame are sent4 ,the gaps between the frames can be of variable length4 ,accordingly1 neither baud rate nor bps refer accurately to the rate at which information is actually being transferred4 ,,bbs --- ,bulletin ,board or ,bulletin ,board ,system4 ,see ,bulletin ,board4 ,bell ---- ,standard frequencies used in older modems made in the ,united ,states4 ,the standard for #cjj bps is called ,bell #ajc4 ,the standard for #abjj bps full duplex is called ,bell #bab;,a4 ,modems using these standards are normally unable to communicate with ,,ccitt standard modems at these speeds4 ,big#e ---- ,coding scheme developed in ,taiwan for using ,chinese on computers4 ,there are different varieties of ,big#e codes1 the most common being ,,et ,big#e 7the code used by the ,taiwanese program ,e,ten1 pronounced ,yi#ctian#a7 and ,,hku ,big#e 7the code used for programs developed at ,hong ,kong ,university74 ,,et ,big#e files must be read with the ,e,ten operating system4 ,binary ------ ,the base #b number system in which only the digits #a and #j are used is called the binary system4 ,the binary system lets us express any number1 if we have enough bits1 as a combination of #a's and #j's4 ,also used to express conditions like on_/off1 true_/false1 yes_/no4 ,bits ---- ,bit is an abbreviation for ,binary dig,i,t4 ,computer words and data are made-up of bits1 the smallest unit of information4 ,a bit can be either zero or one1 represented in a circuit by an off or on state1 respectively4 ,the bits are set on or off to store data1 or to form a code that in turn sends instructions to the computer's central processing unit4 ,bits per second 7bps7 --------------------- ,bits per second 7bps7 is the number of binary digits sent in one second4 ,it refers to the rate at which the bits within a single frame are sent 7'frame' is another term for 'packet'74 ,the gaps between frames can be of variable length4 ,accordingly1 bps does not refer to the rate at which information is actually being transferred4 ,we usually estimate the amount of characters transferred per second 7cps7 by dividing the number of bps by #aj4 ,example3 #bdjj bps transfers around #bdj characters per second4 ,boolean ------- ,search algorithm built on the algebraic theories of the ,english mathematician ,george ,booles4 ,boolean algorithms are used in online databases to help narrow down the number of hits using the words ,,and1 ,,or1 and ,,not4 ,bounce ------ ,the return of a piece of mail because of an error in its delivery4 ,bps --- ,abbreviation for bits per second4 ,see above4 ,browse ------ ,to view and possibly edit a file of data on screen similar to handling text in a word processing document4 ,bulletin board -------------- ,a computer1 often a microcomputer1 set up to receive calls and work as an online service4 ,the ,b,b,ses let users communicate with each other through message bases1 and exchange files4 ,they and may also offer other services 7like news1 data base searches1 and online shopping74 ,carrier ------- ,the tone that the modem sends over a phone line before any data is sent on it4 ,this tone has a fixed frequency and a fixed amplitude4 ,it is then modified to indicate data4 ,character --------- ,here used about a letter1 a number or another typographical symbol or code4 ,,ccitt ----- ,the ,consultative ,committee for ,international ,telephony and ,telegraphy4 ,an international consultative committee1 organized by the ,united ,nations4 ,membership includes ,telephone1 governmental ,post1 and ,telegraph ,authorities1 scientific and trade associations1 and private companies4 ,,ccitt is part of the ,international ,telecommunications ,union1 a ,united ,nations treaty organization based in ,geneva1 ,switzerland4 ,,ccitt sets international communications recommendations4 ,these are often adopted as standards4 ,it also develops interface1 modem1 and data network recommendations4 ,the ,x4#be protocol for access to packet-switched networks was originally a recommendation of ,,ccitt4 ,a wide range of ,,ccitt documents is available through ,the ,teledoc database of ,the ,international ,telecommunication ,union 7,,itu73 99 ,,ccitt and ,,ccir administrative documents 99 lists of contributions 7substantive input_/proposals7 to ,,ccitt and ,,ccir study groups 99 lists of ,,ccitt reports and ,recommendations 7i4e41 standards7 99 summaries of ,,ccitt new or revised ,recommendations 99 ,,ccitt and ,,ccir meeting schedules and other information concerning ,study ,groups structures and activities4 ,for information1 write to shawitu4arcom4ch or bautistaitu4arcom4ch ,the database is at teledocitu4arcom4ch 4 ,,com port -------- ,a ,,com port 7or communication port7 is a communications channel or pathway over which data is transferred between remote computing devices4 ,,ms-,,dos computers may have as many as four ,,com ports1 ,,com#a1 ,,com#b1 ,,com#c1 and ,,com#d4 ,these are serial ports most often used with a modem to set up a communications channel over telephone lines4 ,they can also be used to send data to a serial printer1 or to connect a serial mouse4 ,conference ---------- ,also called ,,sig 7,special ,interest ,group71 ,forum1 ,round,table1 ,echo4 ,a conference is an area on a bulletin board or online service set up as a mini board4 ,most conferences have separate message bases and often also file libraries and bulletins4 ,conferences are focused on topics1 like politics1 games1 multimedia and product support4 ,connect time ------------ ,a term used for the hours1 minutes1 and seconds that a user is connected to an online service4 ,on several commercial services1 users have to pay for connect time4 ,,cps --- ,characters per second4 ,see ,bits per second4 ,data ---- ,information of any kind1 including binary1 decimal or hexadecimal numbers1 integer numbers1 text strings1 etc4 ,database -------- ,a database is a highly structured file 7or set of files7 that tries to provide all the information assigned to a particular subject and to allow programs to access only items they need4 ,online services offer databases that users can search to find full-text or bibliographic references to desired topics4 ,,dce_/,,dte ------- ,data ,communications ,equipment_/,data ,terminal ,equipment4 ,equipment connected to an ,,rs#bcb connector must be either a ,,dce 7like a modem or a printer7 or a ,,dte 7computer or terminal74 ,the term defines the types of equipment that will talk and listen4 ,default ------- ,when a value1 parameter1 attribute1 or option is assigned by a communications program1 modem1 or online system unless something else is specified1 it is called the default4 ,for example1 communication programs often have prespecified values for baud rate1 bit size and parity that are used unless alternative values are given4 ,these prespecified values are called the defaults4 ,some services give users a choice between two or more options4 ,if a selection is not made by the user1 then a selection is automatically assigned1 by default4 ,discussion list --------------- ,see ,mailing list4 ,domain ,name ,system 7,,dns7 ------------------------ ,email addressing system used in networks such as ,internet and ,,bitnet4 ,the ,internet ,,dns consists of a hierarchical sequence of names1 from the most specific to the most general 7left to right71 separated by dots1 for example nic4ddn4mil4 ,doors ----- ,a service offered by many bulletin boards to allow the user to leave the 7remote7 main software system to use one or several independent programs1 like games and databases4 ,downloading ----------- ,the transfer of data from an online service and down to your computers' disk4 ,,dtr --- ,data ,terminal ,ready is a circuit which1 when ,,on1 tells the modem that your computer is ready to communicate4 ,most modems are unable to tell your computer that a connection has been set up with a remote computer before this circuit has been switched off4 ,if your computer turns this signal ,,off1 while it is in a dialog with a remote computer1 the modem will normally disconnect4 ,duplex ------ ,describes how you see text entered by the keyboard4 ,when the setting is ,,half ,,duplex1 all characters entered on your computer for transfer to an online service 7or your modem7 will be displayed4 ,in addition1 you will normally receive an echo from the online service 7or modem74 ,the result will often 'bbee lliikkee tthhiiss'4 ,when using the setting ,,full ,,duplex1 typed characters will not be shown4 ,what you see1 are characters echoed back to you from the online service and_/or your modem4 ,,echo ---- 7#a7 ,when data is being sent1 the receiving device often resends the information back so the sending device can be sure it was received correctly4 7#b7 ,term used on ,fido,net for this network's system of exchanging conferences 7parallel conferencing74 ,email ----- ,abbreviation for ,electronic ,mail4 ,,faq --- ,frequently ,asked ,questions about services on the ,internet4 ,a list of ,,faq documents is posted every four to six weeks to the ,usenet newsgroup news4announce4newusers4 ,file server ----------- ,a file server is a device that serves files to everyone on a network4 ,it allows everyone on the network to get files in a single place1 on one computer4 ,typically1 it is a combination computer1 data management software1 and large capacity hard disk drive4 ,file transfer ------------- ,the copying of a file from one computer to another over a computer network4 ,finger ------ ,a program on computers directly connected to the ,internet that returns information about a registered user on a system4 ,finger is useful before initiating chats1 known on the ,internet as talk4 ,flame ----- ,a flame is a conference message sent by someone who generally disagrees so violently that they are willing to sink to personal attacks4 ,flames can be extremely annoying1 and can get the writer banished from several conference networks4 ,fractal -------- ,a mathematical algorithm from which an image can be created4 ,a fractal formula generates a fractal picture composed of an image based on a basic pattern4 ,an outgrowth of chaos mathematics1 it is being used for compressing and decompressing high quality images4 ,generally1 a fractally compressed image has an extremely small file size4 ,,ftp 7,file ,transfer ,protocol7 ---------------------------- ,a program on the ,internet for sending and receiving files to and from a remote computer to your local host4 ,,ftp lets you connect to many remote computers1 as an anonymous or guest user1 to transfer files back to your computer4 ,,ftp only lets you list file directories on foreign systems1 and get or retrieve files4 ,you cannot browse menus1 send email1 or search databases4 ,usually1 type ftp at your system prompt1 login on the remote system1 and ask for the file you want to receive4 ,it transfers to your local host machine4 7,for more on this1 read under ,internet in appendix #a47 ,unless your computer is directly connected to the ,internet1 the retrieved software will have to be transferred from your local host machine to your ,,pc4 ,where ftp is not available1 you may use ,,ftpmail 7see chapter #ab74 ,full duplex ----------- ,the term full-duplex means the transmission of data in two directions simultaneously as from a terminal to a computer or from the computer to the terminal4 ,full-duplex is simultaneous two-way communication4 ,full-text database ------------------ ,a database containing the full text of an article1 a chapter in a book1 or a book4 ,the contents are not limited to abstracted information 7indexes1 bibliographic information74 ,,fyi --- ,for ,your ,information4 ,on the ,internet1 a subseries of ,r,f,cs that are not technical standards or descriptions of protocols4 ,gateway ------- ,here1 we use the term gateway about an interconnection between two 7or more7 online services1 set up to allow a user of one service to use the other service's offerings through the first service's user interface4 ,the term also has other meanings3 ,a gateway provides an interconnection between two networks with different communications protocols4 ,gateways operate at the #dth through #gth layer of the ,,osi model4 ,for example1 a ,,pad 7a packet assembler_/disassembler7 is a device used to interface non-,x4#be devices to an ,x4#be network4 ,the ,,pad serves as a gateway4 ,protocol converters are gateways between networks4 ,the gateway1 provided by an adapter card in a workstation1 enables the network to perform as if it were a mainframe terminal connected directly to the mainframe4 ,gopher ------ ,a world wide information service with many implementations4 ,it works from a top-level subject-oriented menu system that accesses other information services across the ,internet4 ,gopher combines a finding and fetching capability in one tool4 ,gopher gets information from certain locations on the ,internet to which it is connected1 and brings the information to your computer4 ,it can also get information via other ,gophers at other locations connected to yet other hosts4 ,the ,telneting or file transfer protocols are transparent to the user4 ,common ,questions and ,answers about the ,internet ,gopher are posted to the following ,usenet newsgroups comp4infosystems4gopher1 comp4answers1 and news4answers every two weeks4 ,the most recent version of this ,,faq is also available by anonymous ftp from rtfm4mit4edu in the _/pub_/usenet_/news4answers directory4 ,the file is called gopher4faq4 ,to get it by email1 write mail-serverrtfm4mit4edu with the command send usenet_/news4answers_/finding-sources in the body of the text4 ,guo,biao ------- ,coding scheme for using ,chinese on computers developed in mainland ,china4 ,for more information1 send email to ,,listserv,,uga4,,bitnet with one of the following commands in the text of your mail3 ,,get ,,pc ,,help 7for ,,pc users7 ,,get ,,mac ,,help 7,macintosh users7 ,,get ,,cxterm ,,help 7,x ,windows users7 ,half duplex ----------- ,the term half-duplex means the transmission of data in either direction but only one direction at a time4 ,ham --- ,amateur radio4 ,handle ------ ,an alias used on a bulletin board or online service instead of your real name4 ,often used in chats4 ,header ------ 7#a7 ,in an email message1 the part that precedes the body of a message and contains1 among other things1 the message originator1 date and time4 7#b7 ,on a packet switched network1 the portion of a package1 preceding the actual data1 containing source and destination addresses1 and error checking and other fields4 ,host ---- ,a term for host computer1 remote computer or online service4 ,here1 we use it about a timesharing computer1 a ,,bbs system1 or a central computer that controls a network and delivers online services4 ,hytelnet -------- 7#a7 ,an ,internet service offering access to many other services1 including university and library catalogues around the world4 ,prefers ,,vt-#ajj emulation4 7telnet herald4usask4ca4 ,login3 hytelnet7 ,the ,hytelnet anonymous ftp archive is at ftp4usask4ca4 ,get the ,,readme file in the _/pub_/hytelnet directory4 7#b7 ,a memory resident utility 7,,ms-,,dos7 that provides instant information on ,internet-accessible library catalogues1 ,free-,nets1 ,campus ,wide ,information ,servers1 ,gophers1 ,,wais1 and much more4 ,the program is available by ftp from access4usask4ca in the _/pub_/hytelnet_/pc_/ directory4 ,file name is hytelnxx4zip where xx is the number of the latest version4 ,,hytel-,l,,kentvm4,,bitnet is a mailing list for announcements of new versions4 ,information utility ------------------- ,a term often used about online services 7not unlike the term power utility74 ,internet -------- ,see appendix #a4 ,internet number --------------- ,see ,,ip ,address ,,ip 7,internet ,protocol7 ---------------------- ,the ,internet standard protocol that provides a common layer over dissimilar networks1 used to move packets between host computers and through gateways if necessary4 ,for more information1 send a message to servicenic4ddn4mil with the following text in the subject title3 ,,rfc #gia 4 ,,ip ,address ---------- ,every machine on the ,internet has a unique address1 called its ,internet number or ,,ip address4 ,usually1 this address is represented by four numbers joined by periods 7'4'71 like #abi4acc4aj4aj4 ,the first two or three pieces represent the network that the system is on1 called its subnet4 ,for example1 all of the computers for ,wesleyan ,university in the ,u4,s4,a4 are in the subnet #abi4acc1 while the number in the previous paragraph represents a full address to one of the university's computers4 ,,irc --- ,internet ,relay ,chat is a worldwide party line protocol that allows one to converse with others in real time4 ,,isdn ---- ,an emerging technology being offered by many telephone carriers of the world4 ,,isdn combines voice and digital network services in a single medium1 making it possible to offer customers digital data services as well as voice connections through a single wire4 ,the standards that define ,,isdn are specified by ,,ccitt4 ,,iso --- ,the ,international ,organization for ,standardization4 ,a voluntary1 nontreaty organization responsible for creating international standards in many areas1 including computers and communications4 ,its members are the national standards organizations of the #hi member countries1 including ,,ansi for the ,u4,s4 ,,iso is coordinator of the main ,internet networking standards that are in use today4 ,,iso,,nic4,,ddn4,,mil is a mailing list focusing on the ,,iso protocol stack4 ,,jis --- ,a ,japanese industry standard code for presenting the ,japanese character set ,kanji on computers4 ,,jis defines special ranges of user-defined characters4 ,only the most popular ones are included4 ,the newer ,shift ,,jis standard sets aside certain character codes to signal the start of a two-character sequence4 ,together1 these define a single ,kanji metacharacter4 ,there are many oddities to be found in handling ,kanji over the network4 ,sending ,,jis-encoded messages through the ,internet is done using a #g-;bit code 7standardized on ,,junet74 ,unfortunately1 it incorporates the ,,esc character1 which some systems will filter out4 7,this problem can be overcome by using ,u,u,e,n,c,o,ding47 ,some services1 like ,,apicnet in ,tokyo1 converts outgoing ,kanji messages automatically to #g-;bit format4 ,j,v,arc,serv --------- ,archive server for ,fido,net modelled after ,archie for the ,internet4 ,it maintains file lists from ,fido,net systems throughout its area and will do searches on these file lists based on netmail requests made to it by remote systems4 ,j,v,arc,serv lets you search through file listings for the program you are looking for4 ,it will send you an email message back telling you the ,,bbs name1 phone number1 and file section of all the systems in the network that match the given criteria4 ,,kb -- ,kilobyte4 ,a unit of data storage size which represents #ajbd characters of information4 ,kbits ----- #a1jjj bits4 ,kermit ------ ,protocol designed for transferring files between microcomputers and mainframe computers developed by ,catchings at ,columbia ,university4 ,there are both public domain1 and copyrighted ,kermit programs4 ,some of these programs are complete programs in themselves offering the communication functions needed for the particular machine on which they are running4 ,the complete ,kermit protocol manual and the source code for various versions are available from3 ,kermit ,distribution1 7#bab7 #hed-cgjc ,columbia ,university ,center for ,computing ,activities #fab ,west #aae ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,,ny #ajjbe ,knowbot ------- ,experimental directory services using intelligent computer programs that automate the search and gathering of data from distributed databases4 ,the concept behind the ,knowbot is that it is supposed to be a ,knowledge ,robot -- something that goes hunting for information on the ,internet4 ,to reach a ,knowbot3 telnet ,,cnri4,reston4va4us port #gj ,,lan --- ,local ,area ,network4 ,a data network intended to serve an area of only a few square kilometers or less4 ,,lap-,m ----- ,link ,access ,procedure for ,modems is a ,,ccitt standard for modem modulation and error control4 ,it is the primary basis for the ,,ccitt ,v4#db protocol4 ,library ------- is used on online services about a collection of related databases 7that you may search in7 or files 7that may be retrieved74 ,list ---- ,file-viewing program for ,,ms-,,dos computers 7see chapter #ad74 ,registration3 ,,us#cg to ,buerg ,software1 #aci ,white ,oak ,circle1 ,petaluma1 ,,ca #idieb1 ,u4,s4,a4 7#aiic74 ,,listserv -------- ,an automated mailing list distribution system enabling online discussions of technical and nontechnical issues conducted by electronic mail throughout the ,internet4 ,the ,,listserv program was originally designed for the ,,bitnet_/,,earn networks4 ,similar lists1 often using the ,unix readnews or rn facility1 are available on the ,internet4 ,,lookfor ------- ,fast and flexible shareware program for boolean searches in text files4 ,registration3 ,,us#ae plus postage to ,david ,l4 ,trafton1 #fcji ,stoneham ,rd41 ,bethesda1 ,md4 #bjhag1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,lurking ------- ,no active participation by a subscriber to a mailing list1 a conference1 or ,usenet newsgroup4 ,a person who is lurking is just listening to the discussion4 ,,mailbase -------- ,a program functioning like a ,,listserv4 ,for more information about the ,mailbase at ,newcastle ,university 7,england71 send email to ,,mailbase,,mailbase4,,ac4,,uk containing the following commands3 send mailbase overview 7for a general guide to ,mailbase7 send mailbase userhelp 7for a ,user ,guide7 lists 7for a list of available forums7 ,this mailbase managed #djc mailing lists in ,july #aiic4 ,mail ,gateway ------------ ,a machine that connects to two or more electronic mail systems 7including dissimilar mail systems7 and transfers messages among them4 ,mailing list ------------ ,a possibly moderated discussion group on the ,internet1 distributed via email from a central computer maintaining the list of people involved in the discussion4 ,anyone can send a message to a single mailing list address4 ,the message is reflected to everyone on the list of addresses4 ,the members of that list can respond1 and the responses are reflected1 forming a discussion group4 7,see ,l,i,s,t,s,e,r,vers7 ,mail path --------- ,a series of machine names used to direct electronic mail from one user to the other4 ,mail server ----------- ,a software program that distributes files or information in response to requests sent by email4 ,,mhs --- 7#a7 ,message handling ,service4 ,electronic mail software from ,action ,technologies licensed by ,novell for its ,netware operating systems4 ,provides message routing and store and forward capabilities4 ,,mhs has gateways into ,,profs1 and ,x4#djj message systems4 ,it has been augmented with a directory naming service and binary attachments4 7#b7 ,message ,handling ,system4 ,the standard defined by ,,ccitt as ,x4#djj and by ,,iso as ,message-,oriented ,text ,interchange ,standard 7,,motis74 ,,mhs is the ,x4#djj family of services and protocols that provides the functions for global email transfer among local mail systems4 ,,mnp --- ,microcom ,networking ,protocol4 ,a proprietary standard of error control and data compression4 ,modem ----- ,an acronym for ,m,odulator-,d,e,modulator4 ,it is a device that converts digital data from a computer or terminal into analog data that can be sent over telephone lines4 ,on the receiving end1 it converts the analog data back to digital data4 ,most modern modems can handle the dialing and answering of a telephone call and generate the speed of the data transmission1 measured in bits per second1 or baud rates4 ,the telephone industry sometimes refers to a modem as a dataset4 ,moderator --------- ,a person1 or a small group of people1 who manage moderated mailing lists and newsgroups4 ,moderators are responsible for deciding which email submissions are passed on to list4 ,,mud --- ,multi-,user ,dungeon4 ,a multi-user1 text based1 virtual reality game4 ,,naplps ------ ,north ,american ,presentation-,level ,protocol ,syntax4 ,a text and graphics data transmission format for sending large amounts of information between computers4 ,it was designed for the encoding of alphanumeric1 alpha-mosaic1 alpha-geometric and alpha-photographic constructs4 ,the standard is resolution independent and device independent1 and can easily accommodate international character sets1 bit-mapped images in color1 animation and sound4 ,,naplps was originally developed for videotext and teletext systems through the ,canadian ,standards ,association 7,,csa-,t#ejj-aihc4 ,it was later enhanced by ,,at,t1 and in #aihc became an ,,ansi standard 7,,ansi-,x#c4aaj-aihc74 ,some videotext systems1 including ,prodigy 7,u4,s4,a471 are based on ,,naplps4 ,on ,compu,serve1 ,,naplps has been replaced with a newer protocol called ,,gif1 ,graphics ,interchange ,format4 ,netfind ------- ,internet directory services that allow users to get information about individuals4 ,search by name and organization_/location4 ,for more information1 send email to ,,listservbrownvm4brown4edu with the following text in the body of your mail ,,get ,,netfind ,,help4 ,netiquette ---------- ,a pun on etiquette referring to proper behavior on a network4 ,netnews ------- ,see3 ,usenet4 ,network ------- ,a data communications system which interconnects computer systems at various sites4 ,,nic --- ,network ,information ,center4 ,an organization that provides users with information about services provided by the ,internet network4 ,,nren ---- ,the ,national ,research and ,education ,network4 ,a proposed computer network to be built in the ,u4,s4,a4 ,,nua --- ,network ,user ,address4 ,the network address in a packet data network4 ,the electronic number that is sent to the network to connect to an online service4 ,also1 called ,x4#aba address4 ,,nui --- ,network ,user ,identification4 ,the user name_/password that you use to get access to 7and use7 a commercial packet switched network4 ,offline ------- has the opposite meaning of ,online 7see below74 ,it signifies that your computer is not in direct communication with a remote online service4 ,offline ,reader -------------- ,a computer program making the handling of mail and files from online services easier 7and cheaper74 ,some also provides automatic mail and file transfers4 ,typically1 you first connect to an online service 7often a ,,bbs7 to capture new mail in a compressed file 7typically through a ,q,mail door program47 ,many offline mail reader programs are idle while this goes on1 while others can do communications as well4 ,when disconnected from the service1 the offline reader works as a combination message data base and message editor4 ,it gives you the feeling of still being connected to the online service1 while actually being completely disconnected4 ,when you have read and replied to all messages offline1 the offline reader creates a compressed packet containing any replies entered4 ,some also let you prepare packets containing commands to join or leave conferences1 subscribe to or signoff from special services1 and download files4 ,then1 you dial back to the ,,bbs to upload 7send7 the packet1 either using the offline reader's communications module1 or another communications program4 ,readers are available for ,,ms-,,dos1 ,,ms-,windows1 ,macintosh1 ,amiga1 ,atari ,,st1 ,unix1 and ,,cp_/,m computers4 ,the programs may be downloaded from many ,b,b,ses1 and commercial services4 ,online ------ ,in this book1 it signifies the act of being in direct communication with a remote computer's central processing unit4 ,an online database is a file of information that can be directly accessed by the user4 ,,osi --- ,open ,system ,interconnection4 ,a set of protocols designed to be an international standard method for connecting unlike computers and networks4 ,,ozcis ----- ,,dos-based program that automates access to ,compu,serve using an elaborate array of menus4 ,free for personal use4 ,contact3 ,ozarks ,west ,software1 #adaej ,gleneagle ,drive1 ,colorado ,springs1 ,,co #hjiba1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,packet ------ 7#a7 ,a group of bits sent by a modem that comprise a byte of information4 7#b7 ,a group of bytes sent by a file transfer protocol4 ,packet data networks -------------------- ,also called ,packet ,switching ,networks 7,,pdn74 ,value added networks offering long distance computer communications4 ,they let users access a remote computer1 by dialing a local node1 or access point4 ,the packet data networks use high speed digital links1 which can be land lines or satellite communications1 to transmit data from one computer to another using packets of data4 ,they use synchronous communications1 usually with the ,x4#be protocol4 ,the routes are continually optimized1 and successive packets of the same message need not necessarily follow the same path4 ,packet switching ---------------- ,sending data in packets through a network to some remote location4 ,the data to be sent is subdivided into individual packets of data1 each having a unique identification and carrying its destination address4 ,this allows each packet to go by a different route4 ,the packet ,,id lets the data be reassembled in proper sequence4 ,,pc -- ,personal computer4 ,,pdn --- ,see ,packet data networks4 ,postmaster ---------- ,on the ,internet1 the person responsible for handling electronic mail problems1 answering queries about users1 and other related work at a site4 ,prompt ------ ,several times during interactive dialogs with online services1 the flow of data stops while the host computer waits for commands from the user4 ,at this point1 the service often presents the user with a reminder1 a cue1 a prompt4 ,these are some typical prompts3 8 6 ,,what ,,now8 7,read7 next letter - ulrik #a ,system ,news - #ejjj ,enter 1 ,help1 or ,,cr to continue8 ,action 7,inbox7 ,command3 ,enter command or ,,return -- ,protocol -------- ,a formal description of message formats and the rules two computers must follow to exchange messages4 ,protocols can describe low-level details of machine-to-machine interface 7e4g41 the order in which bits and bytes are sent across the wire71 or high-level exchanges between allocation programs 7e4g41 the way in which two programs transfer a file across the ,internet74 ,pro,yam ------ ,powerful script-driven communications program4 ,,us#aci #e for postage from ,omen ,technology ,inc41 #ageje-,v ,,nw ,sauvie ,island ,rd1 ,portland1 ,oregon #igbca1 ,u4,s4,a4 7,,visa and ,eurocard - #aiib7 ,,pss --- ,british ,telecom's ,packet ,switch ,stream1 an ,x4#be packet data network4 ,,ptt --- ,postal ,telegraph and ,telephone4 ,a telephone service provider1 often a monopoly1 in a particular country4 ,,qwk --- ,qwikmail4 ,a common offline message file format for bulletin boards offering mail through a ,q,mail ,door4 ,the 4,,qwk door and file format has been used to develop entire ,,bbs networks 7example3 ,,ilink47 ,see offline reader4 ,,rfc --- ,the ,internet's ,request for ,comments document series4 ,working notes of the ,internet research and development community4 ,script files ------------ ,a set of commands that enable a communications program to execute a given set of tasks automatically 7macro commands74 ,server ------ ,a provider of resources 7e4g41 file servers and name servers74 ,,sig --- ,special ,interest ,group4 ,snail mail ---------- ,a pejorative term referring to the national postal service in different countries4 ,string search ------------- ,a method for searching a database4 ,works like the search function in a common word processor program4 ,on online services1 your commands will often search the full document 7including the title1 subtitles1 keywords1 and the full text74 ,sometimes1 string searches just return a line or a few lines around the hit4 ,in other cases1 they return the full screen or the full document4 ,sysop ----- ,common name used on bulletin boards for ,system ,operator4 ,this is the person in charge of maintenance and helping users4 ,system ------ ,generic name for a computer with connected equipment or for an online service or bulletin board4 ,talk ---- ,a command on the ,internet1 which may remind of ,,irc1 but is a single link between two parties only4 ,,tapcis ------ ,a program for automatic access to ,compu,serve4 ,it lets callers read and respond to personal email and forum message threads offline1 and download files4 ,contact3 ,support ,group1 ,inc41 ,lake ,technology ,park1 ,mc,henry1 ,,md #baeda1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,also3 ,,tapcis ,forum4 ,internet mail3 #gdjbj4aj;compuserve4com4 ,on ,compu,serve3 #gdjbj1aj4 ,registration3 ,,us #gi4jj4 ,,tcp_/,,ip ------ ,transmission ,control ,protocol_/,internet ,protocol4 ,set of communications protocols that internetwork dissimilar systems connected to the ,internet4 ,,tcp_/,,ip supports services such as remote login 7telnet71 file transfer 7,,ftp71 and mail 7,,smtp74 ,telnet ------ ,a program on the ,internet that allows logins to another computer to run software there4 ,telnet allows a user at one site to interact with a remote system at another site as if the user's terminal was connected directly to the remote computer4 ,with telnet1 you can browse menus1 read text files1 use gopher services1 and search online databases4 ,sometimes1 you can join live1 interactive games and chat with other callers4 ,usually1 you cannot download files or list file directories4 ,telnet is not available to users who have email only access to the ,internet4 ,to telnet a remote computer1 you must know its name4 ,this can either be in words1 like vm#a4nodak4edu1 or a numeric address1 like #acd4abi4aaa4a4 ,some services require that you connect to a specific port on the remote system4 ,enter the port number1 if there is one1 after the ,internet address4 ,for a list of ,,special ,,internet ,,connections1 send email to bbslistaug#c4;augsburg4edu4 ,you can also get it by ftp or gopher to csd#d4;csd4uwm4edu1 and through alt4internet4services on ,usenet4 ,terminal emulator ----------------- ,a program that allows a computer to emulate a terminal4 ,the workstation appears as a given type of terminal to the remote host4 ,,trickle ------- ,servers on the ,internet offering the ,,simtel#bj shareware and public domain files by email 7uuencoded74 ,these servers include3 ,,trickle,,trearn4,,bitnet 7,turkey7 ,,trickle,,bbrnsf#aa4;,,bitnet 7,belgium7 ,,trickle,,taunivm4,,bitnet 7,israel7 ,,trickle,,imipoli4,,bitnet 7,italy7 ,,trickle,,db#j;,,fub#aa4;,,bitnet 7,germany7 ,,trickle,,awiwuw#aa4;,,bitnet 7,austria7 ,,trickle,,unalcol4,,bitnet 7,colombia7 ,for more information and a list of ,,trickle servers1 send a message to one of these addresses with the command _/,,help in the body of your text4 ,,tty --- ,abbreviation for ,,teletype1 a special type of writing terminal 7electrical_/mechanical74 ,also1 known as 'dumb terminal'4 ,,tty mode -------- ,this is when a communications program emulates a ,,tty machine1 which only involves printing characters and recognizing the linefeed1 carriage return and backspace characters4 ,unix ---- ,an operating system that supports multi-user and multitasking operations4 ,uploading --------- ,the act of transferring data from your computer's disk 7up7 to an online service and storage there4 ,usenet ------ ,a global bulletin board1 of sorts1 in which millions of people exchange public information on every conceivable topic4 ,for more information1 see appendix #a4 ,,uucp ---- ,see appendix #a4 ,veronica -------- ,a service on the ,internet4 ,maintains an index of gopher items1 and provides keyword searches of those titles4 ,the result of a search is a set of gopher-type data items1 which is returned to the user as a gopher menu4 ,the user can access any of these data items by selecting from the returned menu4 ,,wais 7,wide ,area ,information ,servers7 ------------------------------------ ,a kind of indexed online search tool to locate items based on what they contain - usually keyword text searches4 ,it is a powerful tool for concurrent searches of large databases and_/or newsgroups on the ,internet4 ,example3 ,telnet ,,quake4,,think4,,com 7or ,telnet #aib4ca4aha4a74 ,login as wais4 ,,wan --- ,wide ,area ,network4 ,the 'whatis' database --------------------- ,archie 7see above7 also permits access to the whatis description database4 ,it contains the names and brief synopses of over #c1ejj public domain software packages1 datasets and informational documents located on the ,internet4 ,whois ----- ,an ,internet program that lets users query a database of people and other ,internet entities1 such as domains1 networks1 and hosts1 kept at the ,,nic 7see above74 ,for example1 ,whois lets you scan through a registry of researchers in the network field to find an ,internet address1 if you have only the last name or part of it4 ,it will give you the person's company name1 address1 phone number1 and email address4 ,it had around #gj1jjj listings in ,december #aiib4 ,to access the ,,whois1 telnet to rs4internic4net4 ,when greeted by the host1 type ,,whois and press ,,return4 ,it also has a gopher service 7type gopher go access1 instead of wais74 ,,www 7,world ,wide ,web7 -------------------- is much like ,gopher in that it provides top level access down to other services on the ,internet4 ,,www uses a hypertext interface with cross links between things4 ,you can use highlighted words to jump off onto another track4 ,,wysiwyg ------- ,what ,you ,see is ,what ,you ,get4 ,x4#be ---- ,a ,,ccitt standard communications protocol used internationally in packet data networks4 ,it provides error-checked communication between packet data networks and their users or other networks4 ,rather than sending a stream of bits like a modem1 an ,x4#be router sends packets of data4 ,there are different packet sizes and types4 ,each packet contains data to be transmitted1 information about the packet's origin1 destination1 size1 and its place in the order of the packets sent4 ,there are clear packets that perform the equivalent of hanging-up the phone4 ,there are reset1 restart1 and diagnostic packets4 ,on the receiving end1 the packet assembler_/ disassembler 7,,pad7 in the router translates the packets back into a readable format4 ,x4#djj ----- ,the ,,ccitt and ,,iso standard for electronic mail4 ,x4#ejj ----- ,the ,,ccitt and ,,iso standard for electronic directory services4 ,appendix #e3 ,books1 articles1 newsletters1 etc4 for further reading ,internet -------- ,the ,matrix3 ,computer ,networks and ,conferencing ,systems ,worldwide1 ,john ,s4 ,quarterman1 ,digital ,press1 ,bedford1 ,,ma1 #gai pages1 #aiij4 7,internet address3 midstic4com4 ,gopher service at gopher4tic4com47 ,matrix ,news1 a newsletter about cross-network issues4 ,networks frequently mentioned include ,,usenet1 ,,uucp1 ,fido,net1 ,,bitnet1 the ,internet1 and conferencing systems like the ,,well and ,compu,serve4 ,matrix ,news is about all computer networks worldwide that exchange electronic mail4 ,online subscription3 ,,us#be for twelve monthly issues1 or ,,us#ae for students4 ,paper subscriptions3 ,,us#cj for twelve monthly issues1 or ,,us#bj for students2 for overseas postage1 add ,,us#aj 7#aiib74 ,contact3 ,matrix ,news1 ,building #b ,suite #cjj1 #aabj ,south ,capitol of ,texas ,highway1 ,austin1 ,,tx #ghgdf1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,email3 midstic4com 4 633 ,a ,directory of ,electronic ,mail ,addressing and ,networks1 by ,donnalyn ,frey and ,rick ,adams 7,o',reilly ,associates1 ,inc41 #fcb ,petaluma ,avenue1 ,sebastopol1 ,,ca #iedgb1 ,u4,s4,a474 #djh pages1 ,,us#bf4ie4 ,write to nutsora4com for ordering information4 ,the ,user's ,directory of ,computer ,networks by ,tracy ,l4 ,la,quey 7,ed471 ,university of ,texas1 ,digital ,press1 #ab ,crosby ,drive1 ,bedford1 ,,ma #jagcj1 ,u4,s4,a4 #fcj pages1 #aiij4 ,zen and the ,art of the ,internet3 ,a ,beginner's ,guide1 ,second ,edition by ,brendan ,p4 ,kehoe1 ,prentice-,hall ,series in ,innovative ,technology1 #aiic4 #aab pages1 ,,isbn #j-ac-jajggh-f1 ,,us#bb4jj4 ,the ,whole ,internet ,user's ,guide and ,catalog1 by ,ed ,krol4 #aiib4 ,published by ,o',reilly and ,associates1 ,inc41 #ajc ,morris ,street1 ,suite ,a1 ,sebastopol1 ,,ca #iedgb1 ,u4,s4,a44 #djj pages1 ,,us#bd4ie4 ,,isbn #a- #efeib-jbe-b4 ,email questions to nutsora4com or uunet6ora6nuts 4 ,a ,guide to ,electronic ,mail ,networks and ,addressing1 by ,donnalyn ,frey and ,rick ,adams4 #aihi4 ,o',reilly ,associates1 ,inc41 #ajc ,morris ,street1 ,suite ,a1 ,sebastopol1 ,,ca #iedgb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,email address3 nutsora4com 4 ,managing ,,uucp and the ,internet4 ,published by ,o',reilly and ,associates1 ,inc41 #ajc ,morris ,street1 ,suite ,a1 ,sebastopol1 ,,ca #iedgb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,email address3 nutsora4com 4 ,the ,internet ,companion3 ,a ,beginner's ,guide to ,global ,networking by ,tracy ,la,quey1 with ,jeanne ,c4 ,ryer4 ,addison-,wesley1 #aiib1 #aj4ie1 p4 #aif1 ,,isbn #j-bja-fbbbd-f4 ,order direct from ,addison-,wesley ,publishing ,co41 ,inc41 #a ,jacob ,way1 ,reading1 ,,ma #jahfg1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,internet3 ,getting ,started1 ,april ,marine1 ed41 ,,sri ,international1 ,menlo ,park1 ,,ca1 ,may #aiib4 ,,isbn3 none1 ,,us#ci4 ,the ,new ,user's ,guide to the ,internet by ,daniel ,p4 ,dern1 ,mc,graw- ,hill1 ,new ,york1 ,,usa4 #aiic4 ,,isbn #j-jg-jafeaj-f 7hc74 ,,isbn #j-jg- #afeaa-d 7pbk74 ,an ,internet ,primer for ,information ,professionals3 ,a ,basic ,guide to ,networking ,technology1 by ,elizabeth ,s4 ,lane1 and ,craig ,a4 ,summerhil1 p4 #bjj1 ,meckler ,corp41 ,westport1 ,,ct1 ,,usa4 ,,us#cg4ej4 ,,isbn #j-hhgcf-hca-,x4 ,crossing the ,internet ,threshold1 by ,roy ,tennant1 ,john ,ober1 and ,anne ,g4 ,lipow1 p4 #acd1 ,library ,solutions ,press1 #aajj ,industrial ,rd41 ,suite #i1 ,san ,carlos1 ,,ca #idjgj1 ,u4,s4,a4 #aiic4 ,,isbn3 #a-hhbbjh-ja- #c 4 ,,us#de4jj plus shipping and handling4 ,the ,internet ,passport3 ,north,west,net's ,guide to ,our ,world ,online by ,kochmer1 ,jonathan and ,north,west,net4 #dth ed4 #eaep4 ,bellevue1 ,,wa1 ,,usa3 ,north,west,net1 #aiic4 ,,isbn3 #j-ifcebha-j-f4 ,price3 ,,us#ci4ie4 7,,us#ai4ie nonprofit and educational74 ,fax3 #a-bjf-efb-dhbb4 ,internet3 ,mailing ,lists #aiic ,edition4 ,franklin ,f4 ,kuo1 ,,sri ,internet ,information ,services4 ,published by ,,ptr ,prentice ,hall1 ,new ,jersey1 ,,usa4 ,,isbn3 #j-ac-cbgida-c4 ,paperback1 #cef pages4 ,internet ,connections3 ,a ,librarian's ,guide to ,dial-,up ,access and ,use by ,mary ,e4 ,engle1 ,marilyn ,lutz1 ,william ,w4 ,jones1 ,jr41 and ,genevieve ,engel4 ,library and ,information ,technology ,association's ,monographs ,series1 #c1 #aiic4 #aff pages4 ,,isbn #j-hchi-gfgg-j4 ,internet ,world magazine1 ,meckler ,corporation1 #aa ,ferry ,lane ,west1 ,westport1 ,,ct #jfhhj1 ,u4,s4,a4 7mecklerjvnc4net7 ,the ,internet ,business ,journal1 #a-fj ,springfield ,road1 ,ottawa1 ,,canada1 ,k#a,m #a;,c#g4 ,fax3 #a-fac-efd-ffda4 ,publisher3 ,michael ,strangelove #gbcjb4cjfb;compuserve4com4 ,netpower3 ,resource ,guide to ,online ,computer ,networks1 by ,eric ,persson1 ,fox ,chapel ,publishing1 ,box #gidh1 ,lancaster1 ,,pa #agfjd-gidh1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,us #ci4ie4 #aiic4 #hjj pages4 ,email3 ,net,power#a;aol4com 4 ,information ,highways4 ,magazine4 ,annual subscription3 #ih4jj;,,cdn4 ,information ,highways1 #afb ,joicey ,blvd41 ,toronto1 ,ontario1 ,m#e,m #b,v#b1 ,canada4 ,fax3 #a-daf-dhh-gjgh4 ,bulletin ,board systems and networks ----------------------------------- ,board,watch ,magazine1 #gehf ,weat ,jewell ,ave41 ,suite #bjj1 ,lakewood1 ,,co #hjbcb1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,email3 jrickardboardwatch4com 4 ,compu,serve ---------- ,compu,serve from ,a to ,z1 by ,charles ,bowen1 ,bantam ,computer ,books1 #aiia4 ,,us#bd4ie4 ,paperback1 #ebj pages4 ,g,enie ----- ,glossbrenner's ,master ,guide to ,g,enie1 ,alfred ,glossbrenner1 ,osborne_/,mc,graw-,hill1 #aiia1 ,,us#ci4ie1 paperback1 #faf pages4 ,various ------- ,eco,linking3 ,everyone's ,guide to ,online ,environmental ,information1 by ,don ,rittner4 ,peachpit ,press1 #aiib1 ,,us#ah4ie1 paperback1 #ceb pages1 appendices1 index4 ,online ,information ,hunting1 by ,nahum ,goldman1 ,,tab ,books1 ,inc41 #aiib1 ,,us#ai4ie1 paperback1 #bcf pages4 ,sys,law3 ,the ,legal ,guide for ,online ,service ,providers by ,lance ,rose1 ,esq41 and ,jonathan ,wallace1 ,esq4 ,sold by ,,pc ,information ,group1 #aabf ,east ,broadway1 ,winona1 ,,mn #eeihg1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,us#cd4ie plus #c4jj shipping4 ,the ,information ,broker's ,handbook1 by ,sue ,rugge and ,alfred ,glossbrenner1 ,windcrest_/,mc,graw-,hill4 ,dvorak's ,guide to ,,pc ,telecommunications1 ,john ,dvorak and ,nick ,anis 7#aiib1 #aabh pages1 ,,us#ci4ie74 ,second edition4 ,articles -------- ,the following articles are available by email from ,,listserv,,uhupvm#a 7,,bitnet7 or ,,listserv,,uhupvm#a4,,uh4,,edu 7,internet74 ,in the ,,text of your message1 write the ,,get command shown after the article's citation below3 ,bailey1 ,charles ,w41 ,jr4 ,electronic ,publishing on ,networks3 ,a ,selective ,bibliography of ,recent ,works4 ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #c1 no4 #b 7#aiib73 #ac-bj4 ,,get ,,bailey ,,prv#c,n#b ,f,,mail4 ,harnad1 ,stevan4 ,post-,gutenberg ,galaxy3 ,the ,fourth ,revolution in the ,means of ,production of ,knowledge4 ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #b1 no4 #a 7#aiia73 #ci-ec4 ,,get ,,harnad ,,prv#b,n#a ,f,,mail4 ,halbert1 ,martin4 ,public-,access ,computer ,systems and the ,internet4 ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #a1 no4 #b 7#aiij73 #ga-hj4 ,,get ,,halbert ,,prv#a,n#b ,f,,mail4 ,arms1 ,caroline ,r4 ,review of ,library ,resources on the ,internet3 ,strategies for ,selection and ,use1 by ,laine ,farley1 ed4 ,in ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #c1 no4 #b 7#aiib73 #bi-cd4 ,,get ,,arms ,,prv#c,n#b ,f,,mail4 ,barron1 ,billy4 ,review of ,zen and the ,art of the ,internet3 ,a ,beginner's ,guide to the ,internet1 by ,brendan ,p4 ,kehoe4 ,in ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #c1 no4 #a 7#aiib73 #eg-ei4 ,,get ,,barron ,,prv#c,n#a ,f,,mail4 ,cook1 ,dave4 ,review of ,the ,user's ,directory of ,computer ,networks1 by ,tracy ,l4 ,la,quey1 ed4 ,in ,the ,public-,access ,computer ,systems ,review #b1 no4 #a 7#aiia73 #agg-aha4 ,,get ,,cook ,,prv#b,n#a ,f,,mail4 ,appendix #f3 ,international ,standard ,top-level ,country codes ,top-level country codes derived from the ,international ,standards ,organization's international standard ,,iso #caff1 except ,united ,kingdom that should be called ,great ,britain 7,,gb7 instead of ,,uk4 ,domain ,country ,comments ,,ad ,andorra ,,ae ,united ,arab ,emirates ,,af ,afghanistan ,,ag ,antigua and ,barbuda ,,ai ,anguilla ,,al ,albania ,,am ,armenia ,ex-,,ussr ,,an ,netherland ,antilles ,,ao ,angola ,,aq ,antarctica ,,ar ,argentina ,,as ,american ,samoa ,,at ,austria ,,au ,australia ,,aw ,aruba ,,az ,azerbaidjan ,ex-,,ussr ,,ba ,bosnia-,herzegovina ,ex-,yugoslavia ,,bb ,barbados ,,bd ,bangladesh ,,be ,belgium ,,bf ,burkina ,faso ,,bg ,bulgaria ,,bh ,bahrain ,,bi ,burundi ,,bj ,benin ,,bm ,bermuda ,,bn ,brunei ,darussalam ,,bo ,bolivia ,,br ,brazil ,,bs ,bahamas ,,bt ,buthan ,,bv ,bouvet ,island ,,bw ,botswana ,,by ,bielorussia ,ex-,,ussr ,,bz ,belize ,,ca ,canada ,,cc ,cocos 7,keeling7 ,isl4 ,,cf ,central ,african ,rep4 ,,cg ,congo ,,ch ,switzerland ,,ci ,ivory ,coast ,,ck ,cook ,islands ,,cl ,chile ,,cm ,cameroon ,,cn ,china ,,co ,colombia ,,cr ,costa ,rica ,,cs ,czechoslovakia ,,cu ,cuba ,,cv ,cape ,verde ,,cx ,christmas ,island ,,cy ,cyprus ,,de ,germany ,,dj ,djibouti ,,dk ,denmark ,,dm ,dominica ,,do ,dominican ,republic ,,dz ,algeria ,,ec ,ecuador ,,ee ,estonia ,ex-,,ussr also via 4su domain ,,eg ,egypt ,,eh ,western ,sahara ,,es ,spain ,,et ,ethiopia ,,fi ,finland ,,fj ,fiji ,,fk ,falkland ,isl47,malvinas7 ,,fm ,micronesia ,,fo ,faroe ,islands ,,fr ,france ,,fx ,france 7,european ,ter47 888 ,,ga ,gabon ,,gb ,great ,britain 7,,uk7 ,x4#djj address gateway ,,gd ,grenada ,,ge ,georgia ,ex-,,ussr ,,gh ,ghana ,,gi ,gibraltar ,,gl ,greenland ,,gp ,guadeloupe 7,fr47 ,,gq ,equatorial ,guinea ,,gf ,guyana 7,fr47 ,,gm ,gambia ,,gn ,guinea ,,gr ,greece ,,gt ,guatemala ,,gu ,guam 7,,us7 ,,gw ,guinea ,bissau ,,gy ,guyana ,,hk ,hong ,kong ,,hm ,heard ,mc,donald ,isl4 ,,hn ,honduras ,,hr ,croatia ,ex-,yugoslavia via 4yu ,,ht ,haiti ,,hu ,hungary ,,id ,indonesia ,,ie ,ireland ,,il ,israel ,,in ,india ,,io ,british ,indian ,o4 ,terr4 ,,iq ,iraq ,,ir ,iran ,,is ,iceland ,,it ,italy ,,jm ,jamaica ,,jo ,jordan ,,jp ,japan ,,ke ,kenya ,,kg ,kirgistan ,ex-,,ussr ,,kh ,cambodia ,,ki ,kiribati ,,km ,comoros ,,kn ,st4,kitts ,nevis ,anguilla ,,kp ,korea 7,north7 ,,kr ,korea 7,south7 ,,kw ,kuwait ,,ky ,cayman ,islands ,,kz ,kazachstan ,ex-,,ussr ,,la ,laos ,,lb ,lebanon ,,lc ,saint ,lucia ,,li ,liechtenstein ,,lk ,sri ,lanka ,,lr ,liberia ,,ls ,lesotho ,,lt ,lithuania ,ex-,,ussr ,,lu ,luxembourg ,,lv ,latvia ,ex-,,ussr ,,ly ,libya ,,ma ,morocco ,,mc ,monaco ,,md ,moldavia ,ex-,,ussr ,,mg ,madagascar ,,mh ,marshall ,islands ,,ml ,mali ,,mm ,myanmar ,,mn ,mongolia ,,mo ,macau ,,mp ,northern ,mariana ,isl4 ,,mq ,martinique 7,fr47 ,,mr ,mauritania ,,ms ,montserrat ,,mt ,malta ,,mu ,mauritius ,,mv ,maldives ,,mw ,malawi ,,mx ,mexico ,,my ,malaysia ,,mz ,mozambique ,,na ,namibia ,,nc ,new ,caledonia 7,fr47 ,,ne ,niger ,,nf ,norfolk ,island ,,ng ,nigeria ,,ni ,nicaragua ,,nl ,netherlands ,,no ,norway ,,np ,nepal ,,nr ,nauru ,,nt ,neutral ,zone ,,nu ,niue ,,nz ,new ,zealand ,,om ,oman ,,pa ,panama ,,pe ,peru ,,pf ,polynesia 7,fr47 ,,pg ,papua ,new ,guinea ,,ph ,philippines ,,pk ,pakistan ,,pl ,poland ,,pm ,st4 ,pierre ,miquelon ,,pn ,pitcairn ,,pt ,portugal ,,pr ,puerto ,rico 7,,us7 ,,pw ,palau ,,py ,paraguay ,,qa ,qatar ,,re ,reunion 7,fr47 ,in 4fr domain ,,ro ,romania ,,ru ,russian ,federation ,ex-,,ussr ,,rw ,rwanda ,,sa ,saudi ,arabia ,,sb ,solomon ,islands ,,sc ,seychelles ,,sd ,sudan ,,se ,sweden ,,sg ,singapore ,,sh ,st4 ,helena ,,si ,slovenia ,ex-,yugoslavia also via 4yu ,,sj ,svalbard ,jan ,mayen ,is ,,sl ,sierra ,leone ,,sm ,san ,marino ,,sn ,senegal ,,so ,somalia ,,sr ,suriname ,,st ,st4 ,tome and ,principe ,,su ,soviet ,union ,still used4 ,,sv ,el ,salvador ,,sy ,syria ,,sz ,swaziland ,,tc ,turks ,caicos ,islands ,,td ,chad ,,tf ,french ,southern ,terr4 ,,tg ,togo ,,th ,thailand ,,tj ,tadjikistan ,ex-,,ussr ,,tk ,tokelau ,,tm ,turkmenistan ,ex-,,ussr ,,tn ,tunisia ,,to ,tonga ,,tp ,east ,timor ,,tr ,turkey ,,tt ,trinidad ,tobago ,,tv ,tuvalu ,,tw ,taiwan ,,tz ,tanzania ,,ua ,ukraine ,ex-,,ussr via 4su domain ,,ug ,uganda ,,uk ,united ,kingdom ,,iso #caff code is ,,gb ,,um ,,us ,minor outlying ,isl4 ,,us ,united ,states ,,uy ,uruguay ,,uz ,uzbekistan ,ex-,,ussr ,,va ,vatican ,city ,state ,,vc ,st4,vincent ,grenadines ,,ve ,venezuela ,,vg ,virgin ,islands 7,british7 ,,vi ,virgin ,islands 7,,us7 ,,vn ,vietnam ,,vu ,vanuatu ,,wf ,wallis ,futuna ,islands ,,ws ,samoa ,,ye ,yemen ,,yu ,yugoslavia ,,za ,south ,africa ,,zm ,zambia ,,zr ,zaire ,,zw ,zimbabwe ,some other top level codes being used3 -------------------------------------- ,,arpa ,old style ,arpanet ,,com ,commercial ,,edu ,educational ,,gov ,government ,,int ,international field used by ,nato ,,mil ,,us ,military ,,nato ,nato field being replaced by 4int ,,net ,network ,,org ,non-,profit ,organization ,the codes 7domains7 in this section are special in that some of them are used in more than one country4 ,appendix #g3 ,about the author ,odd de ,presno 7born #aidd7 lives in ,arendal1 a small town in ,norway1 with his computers and modems4 ,he has written twelve books4 ,half these focus on various aspects of the ,online ,world4 ,the rest is about practical applications of ,,ms-,,dos based personal computers4 ,published in ,norway and ,england4 ,his book ,the ,online ,world is distributed globally as shareware4 ,over #gjj of his articles have been published in management and technical magazines in ,scandinavia1 ,england1 ,japan1 and the ,u4,s4 ,writer4 ,international public speaker4 ,consultant4 ,operates an ,english-language bulletin board system in ,norway 7since #aihe74 ,area of special expertise3 applications of global sources of online information1 computer conferencing1 global electronic mail1 automation of information retrieval1 ,,ms-,,dos computer applications4 ,founder and ,project ,director of ,,kidlink1 an international non- profit organization promoting a global dialog among the youth of the world4 ,since its start in #aiij1 ,,kidlink has involved over ten thousand kids in the #aj - #ae years range in over #ej countries4 ,educational background includes a ,diploma ,degree in ,business ,administration from ,bedriftsoekonomisk ,institutt 7,norway74 ,he founded the software company ,data ,logic ,a_/,s 7,norway7 in #aifg and was president for five years4 ,sales manager ,control ,data ,corp4 seven years 7in charge of ,,cybernet_/,norway1 an international online service74 ,marketing manager ,,iko ,software ,service ,a_/,s1 two years4 ,currently running his own business4 ,member of the ,computer ,press ,association 7,u4,s4,a47 since #aihc1 and ,,nff 7,norway74 ,listed in ,marquis' ,who's ,who in the ,world from #aiia4 ,appendix #h3 ,,how ,,to ,,register ,,your ,,copy ,,of ,,the ,,online ,,world ,the online world is extremely dynamic4 ,services and offerings come and go4 ,your registration will support further research1 and production of updates4 ,you can register your current copy1 or sign up for six updates of the book during one year4 ,details are given below4 ,please send to3 ,odd de ,presno #dhae ,saltrod ,norway 7,europe7 ,please add me as a supporter of the ,online ,world book3 ,name ,company ,address ,city ,state ,zip ,country ,email address ,please mark off your selections with 7x7 below3 ,basic ,registration for individuals ---------------------------------- 7 7 ,,nok #aje4jj ,for payment by credit card4 7around ,,us #ae4jj7 7 7 ,,us #bj4jj ,for all other methods of payment4 7or1 in ,norwegian currency3 ,,nok #adj4jj47 ,option 7for ,basic ,registration7 ------------------------------- 7 7 ,,us #b4jj ,add to have a copy of the most recent version of the book sent you on diskette4 ,only with registration6 7,in ,norway1 ,,nok #aj4jj7 7 7 #e4be ,,ms-,,dos disk 7 7 #c4e disk #gbj,,kb ,,ms-,,dos ,registration with ,six ,updates for individuals ---------------------------------------- ----- ,six updates of the manuscript will be sent you during the next #ab months4 7 7 ,,us #fj4jj ,for all methods of payment4 ,registration for businesses --------------------------- ,all ,corporate site licence options include six updates during the next #ab months4 7 7 ,,us #ejj ,distribution for up to #ajj people on a single network 7 7 ,,us #c4jjj ,distribution for up to #ajjj people on a single network 7 7 ,,us #f4jjj ,distribution for up to #bejj people on a single network 7 7 ,,us #aj4jjj ,distribution for up to #ejjj people on a single network 7 7 ,,us #ae4jjj ,distribution for up to #ajjjj people on a single network 7 7 ,,us #be4jjj ,distribution for over #ajjjj people on a single network ,discounts for schools and public libraries ---------------------------------------- -- ,special rates are available for schools and public libraries4 ,for details1 send a message to ,,listservvm#a4nodak4edu 7,,bitnet users can send it to ,,listserv,,ndsuvm#a74 ,in the text of the message1 use the command3 ,,get ,,tow ,,schools ,,get ,,tow ,,library 7 7 ,please identify what type of discount you are taking advantage of3 ,ref3 ,description3 ,amount ,date 7 7 ,check or money order payable to ,odd de ,presno in ,u4,s4 funds enclosed 7 7 ,,swift transfer to #fcaa4je4bgahi 7,kredittkassen #dhjj ,arendal1 ,norway7 7 7 ,,visa 7 7 ,master,card 7 7 ,american ,express ,credit card number ,exp date ,if you already have an evaluation copy of the book1 where did you get it8 ,version number3 ,comments or suggestions for improvement of ,the ,online ,world ,date ,signature ,t ,h ,a ,n ,k ,y ,o ,u ,f ,o ,r ,s ,u ,p ,p ,o ,r ,t ,i ,n ,g ,s ,h ,a ,r ,e ,w ,a ,r ,e