                           THE INTERNET COMPANION

                   A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking



                               TRACY LAQUEY


                            with Jeanne C. Ryer



                     Foreword by Vice President Al Gore



       
                          AN EDITORIAL INC. BOOK

                      Online BookStore (OBS) Edition


                     Addison-Wesley Publishing Company

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OF INTENT AND ACCOMPANYING ORDERING INFORMATION MUST
REMAIN INTACT AND UNEDITED AND APPEAR AS THE OPENING TEXT ON ALL ELECTRONIC
COPIES OF THIS DOCUMENT. 

This electronic document is for online personal use only and not for
reformatting, resale or distribution, by electronic means or
otherwise, without written permission from Editorial Inc./Online
BookStore (OBS), PO Box 267, Rockport, Mass., 01966, U.S. Don't print
it out; for printed books, check your local library, bookstore, or
order from the email address listed below. Paperback copies (208 pp.)
cost $12.95 plus shipping and handling; *Plus* versions (including
InterCon software for connecting to the Internet) cost $19.95 plus
shipping and handling. Voyager Expanded Book versions (for Windows and Mac) 
include CERFnet software and will be available in December 1993 for $19.95 
each.
 
Comments and requests for the OBS catalogue of other titles, please
write to:

OBS@EDITORIAL.COM, or call +1-508-546-7346



Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish 
their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear 
in this book, and Addison-Wesley was aware of a trademark claim, the 
designations have been printed in initial capital letters or all capital 
letters.

The authors and publishers have taken care in preparation of this book, 
but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no 
responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for 
incidental or consequential damages in connection with or arising out 
of the use of the information or programs contained herein.


Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

LaQuey, Tracy 1963-

The Internet companion: a beginner's guide to 
global networking/
Tracy LaQuey with Jeanne C. Ryer

p.    cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-201-62224-6

1. Internet (Computer network)  I. Ryer, Jeanne C.  II. 
Title.

TK5105.875.I57L37  1992
384.3--dc20    
92-31691
CIP

Text copyright 1993 by Tracy LaQuey and Jeanne C. Ryer.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, 
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any 
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, 
without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the 
United States of America.  Published simultaneously in Canada.

Sponsoring Editor: Keith Wollman
Project Editor: Elizabeth Rogalin



CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1
Why You Should Know About the Internet
Instantaneous Information and Communication
From Whence It Came
Bigger, Faster, Better
The Network Community
Becoming Part of the Internet
The Future

Chapter 2
Internet: The Lowdown
A Network of Networks
How Computers Talk
Who Runs the Internet?
Acceptable Use
Internet Concepts

Chapter 3
Communicating with People
All (or Almost All) About Electronic Mail
Conferencing: Groupspeak
Interactive Discussions
Netiquette, Ethics, and Digital Tricks of the Trade

Chapter 4
Finding Information
Using Online Resources and Services
Accessing Interactive Services
Online Resources
Transferring Information
Finding Resources and Files

Chapter 5 
Internet In-the-Know Guide
Legends on the Internet
Games
UNIX on the Internet
Security Issues
Internet Organizations
Finding Email Addresses: The Sequel
Help! Getting More Information

Chapter 6
Getting Connected
All You Need to Get Started
Types of Individual Connections
Choosing an Individual Access Provider
Connecting Your Business or Organization

Bibliography
Appendix: Resources





FOREWORD

Computer networks have been around for over twenty-five years, and in
that time they have gone from being a laboratory curiosity to a tool
used by millions of people every day. The first network, ARPANET, was
used primarily by a few thousand computer scientists to access
computers, share computer files, and send electronic mail. Today,
scientists, engineers, teachers, students, librarians, doctors,
businesspeople, and even a few members of Congress rely on the
Internet and other networks to communicate with their colleagues,
receive electronic journals, access bulletin boards, log onto
databases, and use remote computers and other equipment.

In the last few years, we have witnessed the democratization of the
Internet. Today, the network connects not only the top research
laboratories and universities but also small colleges, small
businesses, libraries, and high schools throughout the country. The
growth of commercial networks has enabled much broader access to the
government-subsidized portions of the Internet. And that growth is
accelerating because the telecommunications and computer industries
have recognized the commercial potential of high-speed,
packet-switched networking and have invested hundreds of millions of
dollars in developing new switching technology and new applications
for networks.

Since I first became interested in high-speed networking almost
fifteen years ago, there have been many major advances both in the
technology and in public awareness. Articles on high-speed networks
are commonplace in major newspapers and in news magazines.  In
contrast, when as a House member in the early 1980s I called for
creation of a national network of "information superhighways," the
only people interested were the manufacturers of optical fiber. Back
then, of course, high speed meant 56,000 bits per second. Today we
are building the National Research and Education Network, which will
carry billions of bits of data per second, serve thousands of users
simultaneously, and transmit not only electronic mail and data files
but voice and video as well.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to keep track of all the new
developments in networking. According to some recent estimates, the
amount of traffic on the Internet has been increasing 10 percent per
month, and the number of new applications and services has been
growing almost as quickly. You can now access thousands of different
databases and bulletin boards on everything from medieval French
literature to global warming.  Since the Internet is a network of
networks, there is no one place to go for information on what's
available and how to access it. Most users have had to rely on
friends and colleagues for information on the Internet.

That is why I welcome publication of _The Internet Companion_. It
provides a valuable primer on the Internet, explains the "rules of
the road," and provides step-by-step instructions on accessing many
of the information resources available through the Internet. It
should help both new and experienced Internet users learn how to make
the best use of the network.

For too many people the Internet has been uncharted territory, and as
a result they have hesitated to explore the vast potential of
networking.  I trust this book will change that.

August 1992 Al Gore




PREFACE


If you want to stay current in the nineties, and even into the next
century, you need to learn about the Internet. Futurists predict that
information and access to it will be the basis for personal,
business, and political advancement in the next century. Whether you
want to find the latest financial news, browse through library
catalogs, trace your genealogy, exchange information with your
colleagues, or join in lively political debate, the Internet is the
tool that will take you beyond phones, faxes, and isolated computers
to the real electronic information frontier. The Internet can shrink
the world and bring knowledge, experience, and information on nearly
every subject imaginable straight to your computer. It can give you
the power and speed of a supercomputer, even if you have only a
microcomputer and a modem.

_The Internet Companion_ is an introduction to this vast electronic
wonderland. We will tell you why you need to know about the Internet
and show you how people are already using it in their everyday
activities.  We'll explain how to vitalize your home or office
workstation beyond the usual capacities of word processing, games,
and spreadsheet applications. And we'll introduce you to basic
Internet concepts and applications--showing how it's possible to
travel electronic highways and reach destinations such as Australia
or Switzerland in mere seconds.  If you're not already connected to
the Internet, we'll show you how you can get access with only a
computer and a modem. Once you get _hooked_ on the Internet and learn
how you can communicate electronically with people all over the world
and access information from thousands of sources, you'll understand
why the phrase _exponential growth_ is mentioned in virtually every
article about the Internet.  Computers are becoming more powerful and
less expensive. More importantly, they are rapidly being connected to
allow people to communicate and share information.

You've likely heard of--or even used--CompuServe or Prodigy, the
commercial networks and information providers. On the Internet you
can travel far beyond the electronic malls of the commercial services
and reach many more people, for it is much more powerful. It is not
difficult to understand the Internet. Indeed, learning to use the
Internet has been compared--as have many new skills--with learning to
ride a bicycle. You have to make the effort to stay upright on a
two-wheeler--or else resign yourself to riding a tricycle. So, too,
learning the Internet requires some commitment, but the results are
well worthwhile. Until the last few years, the Internet was the sole
province of researchers and computerphiles who had neither the
interest, the need, nor the time to make a friendly user interface.
Fortunately, this is beginning to change, and a concern for
user-friendliness is dominating many planning efforts.

Internet access and interfaces vary tremendously, but you don't have
to be a computer expert to use the applications or understand the
concepts. _The Internet Companion_ will serve as your guide, helping
you find the path toward information you need and telling you
everything you need to know to get started. It also will show you how
to get more information, with a thorough bibliography and an appendix
of sources and resources full of free online books, hypercard stacks,
and guides.

_The Internet Companion_ is full of examples and sample commands to
try.  In general, computer names and email addresses by themselves
appear within single underscores, like the first three words of this
paragraph. New terms appear within asterisks, *like this*. Some of
the example commands are a mixture of both; in those cases, you
should type anything in asterisks _exactly_ as it appears. The
underscores represent variable input that only you can supply, such
as your email address, or your login name.

Keep in mind that the guidance offered in this book is general by
necessity--we can't offer step-by-step directions that will fit every
case. Furthermore, the Internet is constantly growing and changing,
and new services are being made available on a daily basis. It's
exciting, but difficult to document. The resource information
included was up-to-date when the book went to press, but it is
possible that some of it will have changed by the time you read it.
Just remember always to read any instructions that are given when
connecting to an online database, and if you have problems, consult
your provider's helpdesk or consulting services.

So take a walk on the digital frontier! Get ready for the next
installment of the Information Age! Despite the fact that the authors
have never met face-to-face and live almost 2000 miles apart, we were
able to write this book in less than eight weeks by exchanging ideas
and drafts through the Internet. If _we_ can do that, just think
about what _you_ can accomplish! If you have comments about the book,
or if you have an interesting tale to tell about how the Internet has
changed your life, send an email message to
_internet-companion@world.std.com_.

September 1992 Tracy LaQuey, _Austin, Texas_ Jeanne C. Ryer, _North
Sandwich, New Hampshire_


Acknowledgments

We thank our husbands, Patrick Parker and Philip Wilcox, and our
families for their support and encouragement. Laura Fillmore, our
agent and _provocateur_, gave us the necessary motivation to keep
going, Tim Evans assisted when deadlines drew near, and Gene Bailey
was always available to offer much needed and appreciated advice. The
staff at Editorial, Inc. guided us professionally through the
editorial and production process. Our editors at Addison-Wesley,
Keith Wollman and Elizabeth Rogalin, provided direction and sensitive
criticism. We'd like to thank Senator Al Gore for his thoughtful
foreword and Michael Nelson of Senator Gore's staff for his
assistance. William C. Bard and Tracy LaQuey's colleagues at the
University of Texas System Office of Telecommunication Services
helped provide her time for the project, and Connie Stout of the
Texas Education Network provided encouragement.  Guy L. Steele Jr.,
L. Stuart Vance, and Philip Doty reviewed the manuscript and provided
valuable input. The following people also provided valuable advice,
information, and assistance: Billy Barron, Kurt Baumann, Duncan
Briggs, Steve Campbell, Vinton G. Cerf, Susan Estrada, William Green,
Geoff Huston, Ole Jacobsen, Brian Kahin, Brewster Kahle, Peter
Kaminski, John C.  Klensin, Sarah F.Lester, Jean Armour Polly,
Anthony M. Rutkowski, Derek Saunders, and Willem Scholten. We also
want to thank all of the people who gave us stories about how they
use the Internet.

September 1992 The Authors



1. WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE INTERNET

The Internet is a loose amalgam of thousands of computer networks
reaching millions of people all over the world. Although its original
purpose was to provide researchers with access to expensive hardware
resources, the Internet has demonstrated such speed and effectiveness
as a communications medium that it has transcended the original
mission. Today it's being used by all sorts of people--educators,
librarians, hobbyists, and businesspeople--for a variety of purposes,
from communicating with each other, to accessing valuable information
and resources. To appreciate what the Internet has to offer, imagine
discovering a whole system of highways and high-speed connectors
that cut hours off your commuting time. Or a library you could use
any time of the night or day, with acres of books and resources and
unlimited browsing. Or an all-night, nonstop block party with a
corner table of kindred souls who welcome your presence at any time.
Well, that's the Internet, and this chapter will tell you why you
should know about it.

INSTANTANEOUS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

The information age has been ushered in by new and powerful methods
of communication. Gutenberg's invention of the printing press took
books out of the ecclesiastical libraries and put them into the hands
of the people. Then, the telephone system emerged to allow people
instantaneous communication with one another. Now the Internet merges
both these technologies, bringing people and information together
without the middleman (publisher) necessitated by books or the
primarily one-to-one synchronous limitations of the telephone system.
This is a new dimension--an electronic, virtual world where time and
space have almost no meaning. People in geographically distant lands
communicate across time zones without ever seeing each other, and
information is available 24 hours a day from thousands of places. The
implications of this new global communication and information system
are staggering.

Instantaneous broadcast of information has been available through
television for decades. Much of what we watch, however, is carefully
selected and edited according to the discretion and whims of major
networks and advertisers. The dawn of a new era in television began
in 1991, when much of the world witnessed the bombing of Baghdad as
Cable News Network (CNN) provided on-the-ground, uncensored coverage
of an historic military event. Throughout the Gulf War, CNN continued
to broadcast live from the war zone. Heads of state and generals got
their information at the same time as the rest of the world. Consider
that this kind of instantaneous, around-the-globe communication was
already taking place on the Internet (and other worldwide networks)
and, in fact, had been widely used for more than a decade. Although a
bit less glamorous--without the video and the heroic flak-jacketed
reporters--the Internet hummed with live bulletins during the Gulf
War, as it also did during the Tiananmen Square confrontation, the
Soviet coup attempt, the civic uprising in Thailand, the riots in Los
Angeles, and the civil war in what used to be Yugoslavia.

But there is a difference between television and the Internet. In the
Gulf War news coverage, we were the watchers, dependent on a few men
and women with cameras and a company with the technology to bring
those images home to us. On the Internet, _we_ are the reporters, the
viewers, and the production team, as well as people just using the
networks to talk to colleagues and customers and to get our jobs
done. The phrase "democratization of information" often comes up in
discussions about the Internet, which is, indeed, a truly democratic
forum. The network doesn't care if you're president of a Fortune 500
company or a warehouse clerk, a potato farmer, or a molecular
biologist. Your communications are handled the same way, and it's the
worth and wit of what you have to say that determines who's willing
to listen--not your title. In most cases, you're free to say what you
want, when you want. The Internet is an open and sharing environment
that's remarkably free of censorship, a tribute to its roots in the
academic and research communities.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
A Coup on the Internet

During the coup attempt that spelled the end of the Soviet Union in
August of 1991, a small email company with an Internet connection
found itself one of the few unrestricted communications media left.
The government appeared to be jamming the radio stations and tried to
ban all newspapers. Soviet TV programmed old movies and opera.
Attempts were made to cut off the Western media.

The only email carrier in the Soviet Union (that charged in rubles)
to offer domestic service and international connections at that time,
Relcom (RELible COMmunications) was a small network by Western
standards, supplying just under 400 organizations email access mainly
by dialups over the telephone lines. Subscribers typically connected
to Relcom using personal computers and their own modems, which gave
them Internet email access in an indirect way.

With Gorbachev and glasnost under arrest, Relcom's team of
entrepreneurs and technicians keyboarded and posted releases in both
English and Russian from the banned newspapers and news agencies,
Boris Yeltsin's defiant decrees (hand-delivered from his
headquarters), and man-in-the-street reports from their subscribers.
Major Western news sources such as AP and CNN began using it.

At the same time, Relcom's Internet connection became a key source of
news on the coup for the Soviet people. Relcom staffers asked for and
got massive amounts of email from outside the country, including news
from CNN. As one of its subscribers wrote later, "When the dark night
fell upon Moscow, Relcom was one source of light for us. Thanks to
these brave people we could get information and hope."

There were days of intense danger at first. Relcom's computer was
only a mile from KGB headquarters. "Don't worry, we're OK," wrote one
of Relcom's staffers, "though angry and frightened.  Moscow is full
of tanks and military machines--I hate them. . . .  Now we transmit
information enough to put us in prison for the rest of our life."

What got Relcom through to the outside world? Sheer courage was part
of it. There was also what one of Relcom's hackers called "a
subliminal professional kernel"; the staff soon set up a diffused
network with reserve nodes and secret locations, and the authorities
never caught up with them. And beyond that, of course, there was the
great, big illuminating cloud of the Internet itself.

Derived from a paper by Larry Press, Professor of Computer
Information Systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Published in full in the proceedings of iNet '92 in Kobe, Japan (June
15-18, 1992).  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


FROM WHENCE IT CAME

The Internet was not, of course, born full-blown in its present
worldwide form of thousands of networks and connections. It had a
humble--but exciting--beginning as _one_ network called the ARPANET,
the "Mother of the Internet." The ARPANET began as a U.S. government
experiment in packet-switched networking back in 1969. ARPA, the
Department of Defense (DOD) Advanced Research Projects Agency (which
later became DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency),
initially linked researchers with remote computer centers, allowing
them to share hardware and software resources such as computer disk
space, databases, and computers. Other experimental networks using
packet radio and satellite were connected with the ARPANET by using
an internetwork technology sponsored by DARPA. The original ARPANET
itself split into two networks in the early 1980s, the ARPANET and
Milnet (an unclassified military network), but connections made
between the networks allowed communication to continue. At first this
interconnection of experimental and production networks was called
the DARPA Internet, but later the name was shortened to just "the
Internet."

Access to the ARPANET in the early years was limited to the military,
defense contractors, and universities doing defense research.
Cooperative, decentralized networks such as UUCP, a worldwide UNIX
communications network, and USENET (User's Network) came into being
in the late 1970s, initially serving the university community and
later on commercial organizations. In the early 1980s more
coordinated networks, such as the Computer Science Network (CSNET)
and BITNET, began providing nationwide networking to the academic and
research communities. These networks were not part of the Internet,
but later special connections were made to allow the exchange of
information between the various communities.

The next big moment in Internet history was the birth of the National
Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) in 1986, which linked researchers
across the country with five supercomputer centers. Soon expanded to
connect the mid-level and statewide academic networks that connected
universities and research consortiums, the NSFNET began to replace
the ARPANET for research networking. The ARPANET was honorably
discharged (and dismantled) in March 1990. CSNET soon found that many
of its early members (computer science departments) were connected
via the NSFNET, so it too ceased to exist in 1991.


BIGGER, FASTER, BETTER

Around the time NSFNET was built, the Internet began growing by leaps
and bounds, showing exponential gains in number of networks, human
participants, and computers. Similar international networks sprung up
rapidly all over the world and connected to the U.S. nets.  For
example, there are now Internet connections to networks in Australia,
the Nordic countries, the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, and Japan.
Networks in South America are beginning to connect to the Internet,
but as yet there isn't a significant Internet presence in Africa.

Internet fever continues, growing almost unabated, as more and more
organizations scramble to get their networks connected. The current
Internet (that's today, as we write this book) consists of more than
8000 networks literally spanning the globe. It extends to 45
countries on all seven continents. (Yes, there's even an Internet
connection to  Antarctica!) One estimate, cited by Senator Al Gore in
a recent issue of _Scientific American_, has the amount of traffic on
the Internet growing by 10 per cent each _month_. It's been estimated
that between 5 and 10 million people use the Internet itself and that
upwards of 25 million people can exchange online messages between the
Internet and all of the other interconnecting networks.  (See Chapter
2 for an explanation of these connections.)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN NUMBER OF COMPUTERS

In 1981, 213 computers were registered on the Internet; by 1989 there
were 80,000. In October 1990, there were 313,000; only three months
later, in January 1991, there were 376,000. And in January 1992,
there were 727,000 Internet registered computers. If this trend
continues, there should be almost 1.5 million by the time this book
is in your hands. And these figures are considered to be conservative
estimates!

Source: Mark Lottor, "Internet Growth (1981-1991); RFC 1296,"
_Network Working Group Request for Comments_, Network Information
Systems Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., January 1992.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Overall, the Internet is the fastest global network around. Speed is
often referred to as *throughput*--how fast information can be
propelled through the network. As we'll see in the next chapter, the
Internet isn't just _one_ speed, because it can accommodate both slow
networks and the latest technology. The NSFNET in the United States
currently has the fastest overall speeds, capable of transmitting 45
megabits per second (about 5,000 typescript pages).
Gigabit-per-second network speeds currently being tested will allow
even more advanced applications and services, such as complex weather
prediction models produced by supercomputers and transmitted to
weather centers.

While exponential growth and high speed certainly contribute to the
Internet's reputation as a notable network, another reason is its
success in achieving *interoperability*. Interoperability is the
capacity of many diverse systems to work together to enable
communication. It can occur only if the computers and the network
hardware adhere to certain standards.

Although you may not think about it often, standards play a big part
in your everyday life. Camera film always fits in your camera, and
looseleaf paper bought at the drugstore fits in your binder.
Libraries catalog books according to a standard system, so that once
you learn it, you can walk into any library and find the books you
need. Things that don't conform to standards, on the contrary, can
make your life miserable. Standards are just as important in the
computer and networking world. Without standards, only similar
computers could talk to each other, creating an  electronic Tower of
Babel. The standards, or *protocols*, that the Internet uses are
considered "open," meaning that they're publicly available, and they
enable disparate computers from many vendors to talk to each other.
Chapter 2 will explain this concept further, as well as how the
protocols and the networks fit together to make the Internet work.


THE NETWORK COMMUNITY

The Internet community is expanding not only in numbers but in
breadth of application. The Internet has always been, and will always
be, a key part of the research and development community, but the
increase in access and the network's potential for becoming the basis
for worldwide communication between people in all walks of life
cannot be ignored by the rest of us. A network that was once the sole
province of researchers--and, well, geeks--is now home to
third-graders, political activists, farmers, and librarians, as well.


Journalists use the Internet to cover topics from the computer
business to current events, and some even conduct interviews
electronically.  Medical researchers share information on diseases
such as AIDS.  Doctors transmit x-ray or CAT-scan images to a medical
center for further analysis. There are bulletin boards for artists
and online archives for agriculture. Elementary and high school
students travel the Internet in geography and language arts lessons,
learning about other cultures. Librarians love the Internet for its
advanced document searching tools and the almost instant access to
the catalogs and archives of major libraries all over the world.
Business people contact clients and accept orders over the network,
and many are beginning to print email addresses on their business
cards.

In short, the Internet gives you access to more people and more
information faster than you can imagine, including online catalogs
from most major U.S. academic and research libraries and from more
and more foreign libraries. All told there are at least 500
libraries' catalogs, and more are being added almost daily.

In addition to research resources, the Internet is also beginning to
resemble the commercial information/database providers like
CompuServe and Prodigy in offering up-to-date weather, travel
information, restaurant reviews, recipe archives, and access to UPI
newsfeeds and valuable commercial legal and business information
databases for a fee. The free resources still outnumber the
commercial ones, however, which makes exploring the Internet fun.
We'll tell you how to tap into this worldwide community of people and
information in Chapters 3 and 4.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
A Marriage Made on the Internet

Rodrigo and I met in Guatemala about 7 years ago, when we were both
studying computer science, and became casual friends, nothing more.
In 1990 we both left Guatemala to pursue grad studies at different
universities in the U.S.

In January of 1991 we exchanged email addresses and started
corresponding. We discussed everything--from our studies, to the
latest news on the _soc.culture.latin-america_ newsgroup.

By mid-February he was already ending his messages by sending me "a
hug." Internet email was what really allowed us to share our
interests, coursework, and ideas and to get to know each other in the
same way that lovers used to do through letter writing.

Since he insinuated that he would like to see me, I packed my bags
and, to his surprise, flew to New York that summer . . .  and
everything went very well!

From then on our email usage increased, plus we started "talking"
interactively on the Internet for hours at a time, every other night.
Rodrigo finished his coursework and went back to Guatemala. Our
country does not have reliable postal services, and with the
extremely high phone rates, it would have been very difficult for us
to stay in touch without email. The Central American region does not
yet have Internet nodes, but there is one UUCP node in Costa Rica,
_huracan_, of which Rodrigo has become an avid user.

So for the last six months we have communicated through that node.
Since we're getting married in August, now we're talking wedding
arrangements. And yes, we are sending out an electronic invitation to
all our "electronic acquaintances."

Source: Grete Pasch 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


The Politicians

The potential political impact of the Internet hasn't gone unnoticed
on either the national or global political scene. The Tiananmen
Square bloodshed, the Yugoslavian civil war, the fall of communism,
the Los Angeles riots--all were described by people who witnessed the
action and transmitted live reports across the Internet. The Internet
has, indeed, played a large part in disseminating information while
events were unfolding.

Political candidates are starting to realize the benefits of
instantaneous broadcast of information to large groups of people. In
this presidential election year, most of the candidates had email
addresses that could be reached from the Internet. The election in
general and political platforms in particular were discussed in great
detail in certain electronic forums. In the future, electronic town
meetings will be the norm.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
The Internet, the Environment, and the Law

Operating under the premise that information is like water in a
desert, a group of environmental lawyers are using the Internet to
provide access to scientific and legal information to environmental
action groups in the developing world.

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW) was formed by public
interest lawyers in Peru, Ecuador, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. E-LAW uses email and
conferencing, starting with the EcoNet/PeaceNet system in the U.S.,
and is distributed throughout the world on the Internet, BITNET, and
UUCP. Their success in networking to remote sites and undeveloped
regions has been inspiring to other international groups.

Does it work? According to John Bonine, a professor of Law at the
University of Oregon, "Ecuadorian public interest lawyers have been
fighting to prevent oil drilling in a National Park in the Amazon
considered to be the most biologically diverse on the planet.  They
uncovered information on improper influences in the Ecuadorian
judicial system by certain foreign oil companies, drew up a complaint
to the U.S. government, and publicized the complaint worldwide on the
computer networks." This effort, combined with others, may have
persuaded a major North American oil company to drop the project.

E-LAW's position is that speedy access to information, whether
scientific studies or other legal actions, helps level the playing
field between the people trying to protect fragile resources in
remote areas of the world and the big multinational companies who
have worldwide access to information and the resources to press their
points of view.


From an article by John E. Bonine in _Internet Society News_, vol. 1,
no. 1 (Winter 1992), p. 26. Published by the Internet Society in
Reston, Va.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


The Activists

Activists were among the first to realize the Internet's potential
for cheap, fast, global communication. The Internet is a perfect tool
for alerting and assembling large numbers of people electronically.
Amnesty International, for example, has been using its Urgent Action
Network on PeaceNet to mobilize its members to pressure government
officials to release political prisoners. It may come as no surprise
that dictators and tyrants don't appreciate their actions being made
public through this democratic tool.

PeaceNet is part of the Institute for Global Communications (IGC)
network, probably the best-known and most efficiently coordinated
computer effort for peace and protection of the environment. Through
its connection to the Internet, IGC encourages people to "dial
locally, act globally" to collaborate on peace issues. Another IGC
network, EcoNet, focuses on the many environmental issues affecting
our planet and has forums and information on global warming,
destruction of the rain forests, legislation affecting environmental
programs, toxic chemicals entering the water supply, and education of
the general public on environmental issues.

The Internet explosion has had an interesting environmental
side-effect, effectively allowing more and more people to telecommute
to their jobs. As pressure to reduce air pollution from automobiles
continues to mount, increasing access to the Internet for ordinary
people will allow more to work at home and leave cars in the garage.
Telecommunicating will also give handicapped users the freedom to
travel electronically and give families more time together at home.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
SatelLife

Physicians in Africa are practicing medicine and dealing with some of
this century's most serious medical challenges in the midst of
staggering "information poverty." In the mid-80s, the problem caught
the attention of Dr. Bernard Lown, founder of International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (winner of the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1985), who felt the high frontier of space should be
used for humanitarian rather than military purposes. He started
SatelLife, a non-profit organization committed to promoting health
in the developing world by providing improved communication and
exchange of information.  SatelLife's HealthNet is a computer network
linking medical centers in the Southern Hemisphere. Using a
microsatellite, HealthNet enables physicians and healthcare workers
in remote areas to upload and download information to each other and
to medical and research centers in the industrialized countries.

For example, a physician treating an AIDS patient in Zambia, Africa,
where the HIV-positive rate approaches 25 percent, could better treat
his patient by communicating with physicians and researchers in other
African countries as well as with colleagues in other parts of the
world. Through HealthNet, he can get a free electronic copy of the
_New England Journal of Medicine_, with the latest research results,
rather than waiting six months to receive a copy that might cost half
his monthly salary. Using the HealthNet system, this physician can
query researchers about new developments, such as the possible
connection between polio vaccines and AIDS in Africa, or about new
drugs developed for AIDS treatment.

Staffed by people in Cambridge, Massachusetts, SatelLife received a
major contribution for their first satellite from NEC Corp.
SatelLife's second satellite is slated to be launched in 1993. With
ground stations in Africa (and soon in Brazil), SatelLife stations
connect to the Internet through a gateway in Newfoundland.
Ultimately, SatelLife hopes to use the Internet, and electronic
communication in general, to create partnerships for better health.


Based on an interview with Charles Clements, M.D., Executive 
Director of SatelLife.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


BECOMING PART OF THE INTERNET

Whether you have a PC or a Cray YMP supercomputer, a high-speed
network or a regular telephone line, you can get connected to the
Internet. There are two basic methods of access available for
individuals: through an organization's network, or through a
computer, modem, and telephone line. The basic costs are explained
below, but Chapter 6 discusses some of the available options in more
detail and also tells you the general steps to take if you wish  to
connect your organization's network.

Costs

For many people, the Internet is an all-around good deal.  People who
have access to the Internet through an organization, such as a
university or a large company, don't have to worry about how much
they use the Internet. Their communication with people from all over
the world and access to most information resources is not going to
show up itemized on a long-distance bill, because the leased lines or
network links are already paid for. For those users, it's like having
a WATS line with no limit.

Individual users without the benefit of organization apron string
links, in contrast, must get their access from commercial Internet
providers, public access Internet sites, or a digital rich uncle
giving away access through public accounts. Access for those with a
computer and a modem is usually through a local telephone call to a
terminal server or computer. The costs can vary, but many commercial
providers charge a flat rate monthly fee that isn't bad compared with
the potential gain of instant worldwide communication. Some providers
charge as little as $20/month for unlimited electronic mail. But,
just as the telephone system still doesn't quite reach everyone
worldwide, Internet access is not always easily available or
reasonable. Many people in remote areas or foreign countries must
make expensive long-distance calls to send and receive electronic
mail or to access resources.  Often isolated and desiring human
contact and access to information, they find the extra cost worth
it--_if_ they can afford it.


The U.S. National Research and Education Network

Although the Internet is spreading quickly around the world and more
and more organizations are connecting to it, not all U.S.  academic
and research institutions are connected. Recognizing the importance
of having the United States maintain technological superiority,
Senator Al Gore sponsored a bill, "High-Performance Computing Act of
1991," which was signed into law in December 1991. This authorizing
legislation promotes technical leadership by providing all
researchers with access to powerful supercomputer resources and
valuable information resources. The bill also calls for coordinating
and combining several federal agencies' individual networking efforts
into one high-capacity, high-speed network that will connect all
academic and research institutions and federal agencies. Known as the
National Research and Education Network (NREN), this network will, in
essence, be the successor to the research and education portion of
the Internet in the United States.

"High-speed" in this bill means gigabit-per-second speeds.  For
example, an entire encyclopedia could be transferred in less than
three seconds. This encyclopedia metric is often used to describe how
fast the network will be, but it's important to realize that although
some advanced applications, such as videoconferencing, will require
high speeds, this capacity will be used more to handle the increasing
number of people who will be using the network. You can compare this
additional capacity to a 10-lane highway: the number of lanes does
not enable you to drive 10 times faster; it just allows more cars to
travel at the same time.

The NREN will use this added capacity to link researchers with
expensive hardware resources such as supercomputers. Access to
valuable information databases and online libraries will benefit the
"E" in the NREN, the education community, hooking up all of the
2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. And, in addition to all
the fancy applications, visualization, and multimedia services that
will no doubt appear, remote learning applications, more
user-friendly tools, and directories of people and resources are also
planned. While all of this should be in place sometime in the
mid-1990s, the NREN actually exists now.  The NSFNET, the nationwide
network connecting the majority of academic and research institutions
in the United States, is now referred to as the "Interim NREN." The
whole idea is to use existing resources, building on top of the
current infrastructure, instead of "reinventing the wheel."

It is imperative that this technology, now readily available to many
scientists and researchers, be extended to practical applications in
K-12 education, libraries, the health care industry, and
manufacturing and be further extended to the home. The NREN will
provide the basis for a national public network that will connect
grade schools and libraries, hospitals and factories.  Already there
are a growing number of K-12 schools and districts being connected.
The Texas Education Network (TENET), a statewide K-12 education
network with a connection to the Internet, currently links over
15,000 educators in Texas. These teachers and administrators are
using the network to communicate with other educators all over the
world and to access educational resources such as an online
encyclopedia, the Educational Resources Information Center Documents
Database (ERIC), lesson plans, study guides, current events
(including daily guides such as _CNN Newsroom_ and _Stardate_), and
UPI news. It's interesting to note that the growth of this network
paralleled the growth of the Internet.  The Texas Education Agency
predicted there would be, at most, 3,000 participants at the end of
the first year of operation; there were 13,000. Texas is not the only
state that has initiated K-12 networking projects. Virginia, for
example, has a similar network, called the Virginia Public Education
Network (VA.PEN).


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
The Internet and the Classroom

Patsy Lanclos, a TENET Trainer, is an enthusiastic supporter of the
Internet and how it is being used in K-12 classrooms. When asked what
she thought of the Internet, she had this to say:

"You know, I think one of the greatest things I have seen regarding
TENET and the Internet is the enthusiasm it has put back into
teachers. Teachers who were tired and worn have suddenly been retread
and are ready to roll! They are out there creating new and innovative
lessons incorporating telecommunications of all kinds.  They are
taking risks. They are asking for the unthinkable--telephone lines in
the classrooms and computers! They want to belong. It has created a
wonderful network of support. You really aren't out there alone!

"One of the classes became acclimatized to TENET when they wanted to
know things in a hurry. Instead of waiting to hear it on the news,
read the paper, or listen to the radio, the comments were, `Let's
access the UPI news and find out!' From the Brenham explosion to the
California quakes, the news was there instantly." 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The International Commercial Network

The NREN is often compared to the national highway system, as a sort
of electronic information freeway built, operated, and funded by the
U.S. government. As you'll see in Chapter 2, there are some
acceptable use restrictions prohibiting information of a commercial
nature on federally sponsored networks, and it's not clear yet how
these rules will apply to the future NREN. However, commercial
Internet providers are appearing, building their own international
networks and offering access to the general public and businesses
around the world.

Business people are beginning to realize the importance of being
well-connected in order to be more competitive in the global
marketplace.  New players, such as the new coordinated European
market and the former Eastern bloc countries, are broadening the
playing field. In order to compete, businesses need the advantages of
instant communication and access to valuable information. More and
more commercial information providers and networks, such as Dialog
and CompuServe, are establishing connections to the Internet, taking
advantage of its worldwide reach and allowing their customers more
communication options. Recent statistics confirm that commercial
organizations are flocking to connect to the Internet in greater
numbers than ever. This movement started in late 1990, when the
requirement for federal sponsorship of access to the Internet was
dropped. The trend shows that many others will be connecting.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
The Internet and Business Success

According to Alvin Toffler, the well-known futurist, the economic
well-being of the United States depends on the continuing development
of the networks. "Because so much of business now depends on getting
and sending information, companies around the world have been rushing
to link their employees through electronic networks.  These networks
form the key infrastructure of the 21st century, as critical to
business success and national economic development as the railroads
were in Morse's era."

Source: Alvin Toffler, _Power Shift_ (New York: Bantam Books, 1990), 
p. 102.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


THE FUTURE

It's hard to know what will happen in the future. Internet experts
don't have a great track record when it comes to predicting how
people are actually going to _use_ it for their everyday needs. The
developers of the early ARPANET envisioned it being used to bring
expensive hardware resources closer to researchers. What they didn't
expect was that electronic mail would become so heavily used by
researchers at geographically distant sites wanting to talk and
collaborate with each other. Although the NSFNET was built to connect
supercomputers, it is now used more for collaboration and access to
information.

As the Internet connects more people and starts to yield more
applications, it will be used for more than just electronic mail and
transferring files. Internet engineering groups have played with
connecting vending machines and household appliances such as toasters
and stereos to the Internet, allowing them to be operated remotely.
Several recent experiments allowed network engineering meetings in
San Diego and Boston to be "virtually attended" by researchers in
Australia and Europe and other parts of the United States by
transmitting audio and video images of the conference. No doubt,
other virtual reality applications incorporating multimedia--sound
and graphics--will appear soon.

The future of the Internet, while hard to foretell, will be exciting.
Many future applications will make the Internet "transparent" to
people who are using it. That is to say, the network and computer
will be integrated in the home and office, performing important,
vital functions without making you aware of the nitty-gritty details.
Already there are interesting applications appearing that are making
the Internet easy to use by simply hiding the network details. You
don't actually have to know where information is or where resources
are located; the applications figure that out for you.


At this point, you're probably less concerned about the future _of_
the Internet than about your own immediate future _on_ the Internet.
So stay with us as we explain a bit about how it works and some
concepts you need to know before we take you to this electronic
world. Onward to Chapter 2, for the "lowdown" on the Internet.


2. INTERNET: THE LOWDOWN

Ask an Internet wizard what this network is all about, and you'll
probably get a long and sawdusty discourse studded with acronyms and
techspeak. It's friendly if you approach it right, but potentially
huge and terrifying, especially to people who don't know its special
ways. In this chapter we'll try to explain some of the basic
principles that underlie the Internet. Let's begin with the most
important principle of all: You don't have to _fully_ understand how
the Internet works to use it. Plenty of blissfully unaware Internet
users are pounding away at keyboards and communicating merrily, with
absolutely no knowledge of how the Internet fits together.  But
although ignorance may be bliss, the more you know, the more doors
are open to you. So here goes.


A NETWORK OF NETWORKS

The Internet is a worldwide web of interconnected university,
business, military, and science networks. Why do we say a "web"?
Isn't the Internet just one network? Not at all!  It is a _network_
of networks. The Internet is made up of little Local Area Networks
(LANs), city-wide Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), and huge Wide
Area Networks (WANs) connecting computers for organizations all over
the world. These networks are hooked together with everything from
regular dialup phone lines to high-speed dedicated leased lines,
satellites, microwave links, and fiber optic links. And the fact that
they're "on" the Internet means that all these networks are
interconnected.  This network web extends all over the United States
and out to the rest of the world, but trying to describe all of it
and how it fits together is a bit like trying to count the stars.

In fact, so many networks are interconnected within the Internet that
it's impossible to show an accurate, up-to-date picture. Some network
maps show the Internet as a cloud, because it's just too complex to
draw in all of the links. To complicate matters, lots of new
computers and links are being added every day.

So just think of the Internet as a "cloud of links." The cloud hides
all the ugly details--the hardware, the physical links, the acronyms,
and the network engineers. Remember that you don't actually need to
know all the details to communicate and use resources on the
Internet.


HOW COMPUTERS TALK

The computers on a network have to be able to talk to each other. To
do that they use *protocols*, which are just rules or agreements on
how to communicate. Standards were mentioned in Chapter 1 as an
important aspect in computer networking. There are lots of protocol
standards out there, such as DECnet, SNA, Novell, and Appletalk, but
to actually communicate, two computers have to be using the _same_
protocol at the _same_ time. TCP/IP, which stands for Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is the language of the Internet.
You may speak Japanese and I may speak English, but if we both speak
French, we can communicate. So any computer that wants to communicate
on the Internet must "speak" TCP/IP. Developed by DARPA in the 1970s,
TCP/IP was part of an experiment in *internetworking*--that is,
connecting different types of networks and computer systems. First
used on the ARPANET in 1983, it was also implemented and made
available at no cost for computers running the Berkeley Software
Distribution (BSD) of the UNIX operating system. TCP/IP, developed
using public funds, is considered an open, nonproprietary protocol,
and there are now implementations of it for almost every type of
computer on the planet. "Nonproprietary" means that no one
company--not IBM, not DEC, not Novell--has a lock on the products
needed to connect to the Internet. Any number of companies make the
hardware and software necessary for the network connection.

TCP/IP isn't the only protocol suite that is considered "open." Since
the early 1980s the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) has been developing the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
protocols.  While many of the OSI protocols and applications are
still evolving, a few are actually being used in some networks on the
Internet, and more are planned. So even though most of the computers
speak TCP/IP, the Internet is officially considered a
"multi-protocol" network.

The whole idea of protocols and standards can get complicated, but as
an Internet neophyte, all you need to be concerned with are the basic
applications that TCP/IP offers.


The Internet Toolbox

Three TCP/IP applications--electronic mail, remote login, and file
transfer--are the Internet equivalent of the hammer, screwdriver, and
crescent wrench in your toolbox. There are plenty of fancier
applications using variations on or combinations of these basic
tools, but wherever you roam on the Internet, you should have the Big
Three available to you. We'll be covering the three basic Internet
services in later chapters, but here's a quick introduction to get
you on your way.

*Electronic mail,* also known as *email* or *messaging*, is the most
commonly available and most frequently used service on the Internet.
Email lets you write and send a text message to another person or to
a whole group of people. For example, a third-grade student in Texas
can send an email message to a third-grader in Japan to ask how kids
spend their free time there. Or a group of teachers can have an email
conference on using the Internet in the classroom.

*Remote login *is an interactive tool that allows you to access the
programs and applications available on another computer. Say, for
example, that Sven, a student at the University of Oslo, who is
heading out to a ski vacation in the Rocky Mountains, wants to check
out the weather conditions and snowfall there. An Internet computer
at the University of Michigan houses a weather database called the
Weather Underground, with temperatures, precipitation, and even
earthquake alerts for the entire United States. Sven uses the remote
login tool to connect to this computer and interactively query the
Weather Underground for the information he needs.

*File transfer*, the third of the "Big Three" tools, allows files to
be transferred from one computer to another. A file can be a
document, graphics, software, spreadsheets--even sounds! For example,
you may be interested in information on Chernobyl from the Library of
Congress's "Glasnost" online exhibit of documents from the former
Soviet Union.  Using file transfer, you can download those articles
from the computer they're stored on to your own personal computer,
where you can read them, print them out, or clip and incorporate
parts of them into a paper you're writing.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Very, Very Long Cat

Albert Einstein, when asked to describe radio, replied: "You see,
wiretelegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail
in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles.  Do you
understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send
signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that
there is no cat." If radio is a very, very long cat, then what is the
Internet? A very, very long _tiger_?

Source: UNIX Fortune program.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


How Does TCP/IP Work?

When you're actually using the above-mentioned tools, information of
various types is being transferred from one computer to another.
TCP/IP breaks this information into chunks called *packets*. Each
packet contains a piece of the information or document (several
hundred characters, or *bytes*) plus some ID tags, such as the
addresses of the sending and receiving computers.

Say you wanted to take apart an old covered bridge in New England and
move it lock, stock and barrel to California (people _do_ do these
things). You would dismantle the sections, label them _very_
carefully, and ship them out on three, four, maybe even five
different trucks. Some take the northern route and some the southern
route, and one just has to go through Texas. The trucks get to
California at various times with one arriving a little later than the
others, but your careful labels indicate which section goes up first,
second, and third.

So each packet, as TCP/IP handles it with its addressing information,
can travel just as independently. Because of all the network
interconnections, there are often multiple paths to a destination.
Just as you might drive a different route to work to save a few
minutes here or there, the packets may travel different networks to
get to the destination computer. The packets may arrive out of order,
but that's okay, because each packet also contains sequence
information about where the data it's carrying goes in the document,
and the receiving computer can reconstruct the whole enchilada. And
that's why the Internet is known as a *packet-switched network.* The
switches are computers called *routers*, which are programmed to
figure out the best packet routes, just as a travel agent might help
you find the best flights with the fewest layovers. Routers are the
airport hubs of the Internet which connect the networks and shuttle
packets back and forth. The packet is just a chunk of information; it
doesn't care (or know) how fast it travels. So it can travel over a
"fighter-jet" network, running at Mach-whatever speeds and connecting
supercomputers, that interconnects with a "biplane" network operating
a lot slower.


The Networks That Make up the Internet

The Internet network connections don't follow any specific model, but
there is a hierarchy of sorts. The high-speed central networks are
known as *backbones*. The electronic equivalent of an interstate
highway system, they accept traffic from and deliver it to the
mid-level networks. Mid-level networks, in turn, take traffic from
the backbones and distribute it to their own member networks, the
neighborhood roads of the networking world. The network links have
speed limitations, but speeds are determined by the technology used
(not by some "Packet Policeman").


Seamless Worldwide Networking

The bottom line here is that the Internet, which is actually
thousands of networks, looks seamless to the user. Also known as the
internet-working or internet concept, it hides all the details from
you--the packets, the routers, and all those interconnections.
Despite legions of different computers and disparate networks,
somehow the whole web works, and any computer directly connected to
the Internet can talk to all the other computers on the Internet. So
you, working on a computer in your office in Iowa or in your spare
bedroom in Los Angeles, can communicate with a colleague in South
Africa or a friend in Calgary. It's as if you are directly connected
by one wire.


WHO RUNS THE INTERNET?

So who controls this web, this cloud, this network of networks?
Well, as Christopher Davis, an Internet regular, so concisely put it
when asked this question: "Lots of people, and nobody, and the
National Science Foundation, kinda, sorta."

Well put. _People_ is the operative word here. The Internet seems to
be both institutional and anti-institutional at the same time,
massive and intimate, organized and chaotic. In a sense the Internet
is a cooperative endeavor, with its member networks kicking in money,
hardware, maintenance, and technical expertise. The U.S.  government
has a big influence on the federally funded parts of the Internet.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), for example, provides funding
to assist academic and research networks in getting started.  NSF
initiated the NSFNET, the nationwide backbone in the United States
that connects these mid-level networks, which in turn connect
universities and other organizations. For this reason, NSF sets
policy for and operates a chunk of the Internet in the United States,
but it does _not_ have control over all the mid-level networks it
connects.

In addition to the NSFNET there are other federally funded and
operated backbones in areas such as the military, space science, and
energy research. The Federal Networking Council (FNC) was formed to
coordinate these efforts, and it will be working toward combining
them into the NREN (see Chapter 1). There are also, of course, many
international networks that are overseen by other governments and
organizations.

Technical coordination of the Internet is harmonized. For example,
the NSFNET backbone is technically managed and operated by Advanced
Network & Services, Inc. (ANS), a company established by Merit, Inc.,
IBM Corporation, and MCI Communications Corporation.  Furthermore,
the development and improvement of TCP/IP protocols is sanctioned by
the Internet Society. Chapter 5 provides more information about that
organization.

Of particular interest to business users are the commercial Internet
providers that have sprouted up in the United States--companies such
as UUNET Communications Services, Performance Systems International
(PSI), Advanced Network & Services, Inc., Sprint's Sprintlink, and
the California Education and Research Federation Network (CERFnet).
UUNET, PSI, Sprint, and CERFnet have interconnected their backbone
networks to form the Commercial Internet Exchange, or the CIX
(pronounced "kicks"). In addition to connecting organizations'
networks, all of these commercial providers offer users with
modem-equipped PCs and Macs access to the Internet.

Another interesting undertaking is the Enterprise Integration Network
(EINet), being spearheaded by Microelectronics and Computer
Technology Corporation (MCC).  EINet uses UUNET's nationwide
backbone, Alternet, to offer value-added services, an internetwork
infrastructure purely in support of business and commercial
applications. The appendix contains contact information for all of
these providers.


ACCEPTABLE USE

As you can imagine, with all the people and networks and government
agencies participating in the Internet, there are bound to be rules,
restrictions, and policies for parts of it. Probably the best known
and most widely applied is NSFNET's Acceptable Use Policy, which
basically states that transmission of "commercial" information or
traffic is not allowed across the NSFNET backbone, whereas all
information in support of academic and research activities is
acceptable.

What is "commercial" traffic? Some examples are purchase orders,
invoices, and unsolicited advertising. However, there is a gray area
including, for example, announcements of products or software
updates.  Such information may be acceptable because many times it is
considered important and useful to academic and research
organizations. Many people also use the Internet to request
information about vendors and their products. In this instance,
responses--including pricing information--are generally acceptable,
because they were solicited by a user.

But restrictions are not universal, especially with the advent of
commercial network providers selling Internet access. These providers
may or may not have restrictions or acceptable use policies for their
own networks. When traffic from their backbones requires passage over
the NSFNET, though, things can get a little sticky. Commercial
providers usually make their customers aware of acceptable use on
other networks.

It sounds somewhat complicated, but you need to remember that the
original Internet began as a U.S. government-funded experiment, and
no one expected it to become the widespread, heavily used production
network it is today. It's going to take a while for commercialization
and privatization of these networks to occur. The Internet as a whole
continues to move to support--or at least to allow access to--more
and more commercial activity. We may have to deal with some
conflicting policies while that process evolves, but at some point in
the near Internet future, free enterprise will likely prevail and
commercial activity will have a defined place, making the whole issue
moot. In the meantime, if you're planning to use the Internet for
commercial reasons, make sure that the networks you're using support
your kind of activity.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Living on the Fault Line

One California energy company, Unocal Corp.,  uses the Internet
extensively to give it a competitive edge in the energy exploration
business. Earthquakes shake things up in the oil business, so their
seismic engineers transfer the latest earthquake data from Caltech to
help find potential payoff in their existing geothermal fields.  Data
from a recent California earthquake was in the hands of the engineers
within minutes of release by Caltech.

The company also uses the Internet to get state-of-the-art software
for modelling seismic data and technical consulting on the uses of
fractals in seismic work. Access to the research community through
the Internet keeps the company up to the minute in a very competitive
business.

Source: Peter Ho, Unocal Corp. 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


INTERNET CONCEPTS

We'll soon be telling you how to get your hands on the Internet, but
before then--as with almost any new adventure in a foreign
land--you'll need to acquire a bit of new vocabulary.  The basic
concepts are simple, and because the network protocols do much of the
work, you don't have to become an Internet maven to travel its
highways and byways.


Names and Addresses

If you've ever travelled in a country where you couldn't read the
street signs or figure out how they numbered the houses, you'll
understand the wisdom of learning the Internet's name and address
system. Most computers on the Internet can be identified in two ways.
Each computer or *host* has a name and a numerical address (both
unique), just as most of us can be located by our names or
numerically by our phone numbers. It's easier to remember a name than
a phone number, and it's the same on the Internet. An Internet
computer name is usually several words separated by periods, such as
_planet10.yoyodyne.com_.  An Internet address, or technically an *IP
address,* is four numbers also separated by periods--for example,
161.44.128.70.

When you're saying these names and addresses out loud, to look like
you belong you should substitute _dots_ for the "periods." This is
known as *dotspeak*, and there's a whole lot of it in the Internet.
In the examples above, you would say "planet10 dot yoyodyne dot com"
and "161 dot 44 dot 128 dot 70."

The idea is for people to use the computers' names when accessing
resources and to let the computers and routers work with the IP
addresses.  Each Internet-connected organization keeps a database of
the names and addresses of all the computers connected to its own
networks.  Because there are so many computers on the Internet and no
real central authority, name assignment is best left to the local
networks. Imagine if everyone had to get their new phone numbers from
Washington, D.C.!  The Defense Data Network (DDN) Network Information
Center (NIC), which is operated by Government Systems, Inc., in
Chantilly, Virginia, does provide a central registering authority in
the United States for organizations' second-level domain names and
network numbers. Each organization then assumes responsibility for
assigning names and numbers to its computers.

So how's it work? When you want to access a public domain software
archive on the _wuarchive.wustl.edu_ computer, a database at
Washington University in St. Louis (the _wustl.edu_ domain) is
consulted to find out the IP address of that computer.  The address
(not the name) is passed on to the routers so that they can make the
connection. This is done automatically and transparently to you.

Why, then, do you need to know about IP addresses, when the system
was designed so that you shouldn't ever need to concern yourself with
them? The answer, as you may suspect, is that things don't always
work perfectly, and there may come a time when you will need to know
an IP address to access a resource. For this reason, many resources
are listed with the computer's name and its IP address. The
recommended practice is always to use the computer name, since IP
numbers--like telephone numbers--can change, while names tend to stay
the same (see Chapter 5 for more information on finding IP
addresses).


Domain Name System

There's actually a method to these names and addresses: a naming
system known as the Domain Name System, or DNS. The DNS is also the
worldwide system of distributed databases of names and addresses.
These databases provide the "translation" from names to numbers and
vice versa, a sort of international _Who's Who_ of computers.

DNS names are constructed in a hierarchical naming fashion, which you
can think of as a worldwide organization chart. At the top of this
chart are top-level specifications, like EDU (educational), COM
(commercial), GOV (government), MIL (military), ORG (organizations),
NET (networks), and also 2-letter country codes (like US for the
United States and CH for Switzerland).

An organization can register for a *domain name*, selecting one of
the top-level specifications mentioned above that describes it best
and then preceding it with a recognizable version of its name.  So,
for example, the Yoyodyne Software Systems company will have a domain
name like _yoyodyne.com._ From there, it can divide itself into
subdomains, extending the organization chart to department levels, or
it can just give all of its computers names in the _yoyodyne.com_
domain.

Once you understand how this naming system works you can remember
names more easily, and you can also tell things about a computer,
such as to what organization it belongs. The names do not, however,
always indicate geographical location. For example,
_planet10.yoyodyne.com_ may be the main computer at the home office
in Grovers Mill, New Jersey, _mars.yoyodyne.com_ may be at the Hong
Kong branch, while _venus.yoyodyne.com_ might be located at the Santa
Cruz division.

Many U.S. organizations and companies use the 3-letter designations
mentioned above (for example, EDU, COM, and ORG). However, most
countries have stipulated that organizations use their 2-letter
country codes for top-level domains. For example, an actual computer
name, _quake.think.com,_ refers to a commercial (COM) enterprise: The
computer's name is _quake_ and it belongs to Thinking Machines
Corporation (_think_), a supercomputer manufacturer. Another example
is _fujitsu.co.jp,_ a computer at the Fujitsu Company in Japan. (_jp_
is the 2-letter country code for Japan.)

Now you probably have a few questions. After learning about the DNS,
every new Internet user first wants to get a list of all the
computers on the Internet. After all, you have a telephone directory
of all the people in your home area. But there is no exact,
up-to-date Internet name and address list available in hard copy or
online anywhere.

In the early days of the ARPANET, a list was maintained by the DDN's
Network Information Center, but the Internet grew too rapidly to keep
up with all the additions and changes. The distributed domain name
system has replaced this centrally managed list and has allowed the
Internet to grow gracefully.


Internet Resources

While a list of computer names would not be very helpful, a list of
online resources is. *Resources* on the Internet are all of the
useful things that you can access: hardware like supercomputers,
graphics labs, computer centers, or printers.  Or online information
like the wealth of databases, documents, software, archives,
pictures, and sounds. Resources can also be people. If you can talk
to a group of people to figure out the answer to a question or
problem, they are a resource; so are mailing lists and conferencing
systems. An online forum on school networking or a workgroup on
molecular biology are both Internet resources. Your understanding of
the astonishing array of Internet resources, and how to get at them,
will grow as you learn your way around the Internet.


Internet or Outernet?

To better understand what the Internet is, you also need to
understand what the Internet is _not_ and what networks are _not on_
the Internet. There are a number of worldwide networks that use
protocols other than TCP/IP and provide their own sets of services.
Some don't allow remote login, while some employ different file
transfer methods; many have a special connection to the Internet.
These connections are not, however, the seamless web we were talking
about earlier, where the participating networks interoperate to allow
the same services. Instead, these are connections of convenience,
which--like marriages of the same sort--have their purposes but not a
lot of other interaction.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Enough of White Man's ASCII"

Dave Hughes, who is kind of an Internet evangelist, took to the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains to work with a group of Native
American teenagers at the American Indian Science and Engineering
Society's summer school in physics. According to Dave, the kids, who
were from the Navajo, Zuni, Crow, Tohono, Sioux, and Picurus Pueblo
tribes, "showed polite, quiet interest as I explained the technology
and made a local call to the Internet (Colorado Supernet). They
laughed a bit, read, and responded to email sent especially to them
by Dr. George Johnston, physicist at MIT, whom I asked to directly
'welcome' them to the world of mathematics and physics by telecom.


"Then I said, 'enough of white man's ASCII' and started calling up
the Indian art, the Crow Dance poetry, the new pieces by Lorri Ann
Two Bulls, via modem, at 2400 baud. They *really* got excited!
Putting questions to me, walking up to look closer at the full-color
VGA monitor, their dark eyes laughing, smiles, and half of them
standing up for the rest of the hour-long session. When it was over,
a crowd around the machine, picking up copies of the _Online Access
Magazine_ and _Boardwatch Magazine_ I brought, and more questions.
And from their obvious tribal knowledge, they were saying `That's
Crow, that's Sioux!' from the colors and symbols in the various
pieces of art.

"A heart-warming session with 40 Indian kids who seemed to get a
glimpse of a future even they could participate in. And if I am
right, by reaching these youth, starting with their own 'images of
their inner selves' as Indians produced by such technologies, they
may be better able to move on into the world of science, math, and
the cold regions of technological and white man's society, while
still not losing their identity or associations with each other.
Perhaps even doing their life's work as professionals, from the
reservation, thanks to these little devices."


Source: A posting by Dave Hughes to the Consortium for 
School Networking Discussion Forum List (COSNDISC@BITNIC) on July 
10, 1992.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


We refer to networks on the outside as *outernets*, but understanding
the distinction between outernets and the Internet can be difficult.
Because of the differing governments and languages involved in the
Internet and the outernets, there's only one basic
service--electronic mail--that currently can move between them.
Electronic mail moves from the Internet to the outernets through
*email gateways*, the connecting points that translate the different
email protocols of each network. More and more of the outernets are
setting up email gateways to the Internet. This worldwide system of
networks and gateways has been called the *Matrix.* Some network
cartographers apply this term to the electronic regions discovered
during their virtual journeys all over the world via electronic
undergrounds and mazes; it's meant to encompass all the possible
email passageways.  One snapshot of this fast-moving target as it
appeared in 1990  was published as a book called _The Matrix:
Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems Worldwide_, a sort of
Michelin guide for pioneers on the electronic frontier (see Chapter 3
for details on sending mail between networks).

The Matrix is also sometimes called *the Net* by citizens of all
networks. This term is ambiguous because it doesn't refer to any one
network, but it works well in referring to the overall worldwide
situation. If you hear someone say that he's "on the Net," it
probably means that he can be contacted by email.

It's interesting to note that many computers on outernets these days
have DNS names, so it may only _look_ as though they're connected to
the Internet. There's a neat feature in the DNS that allows for *Mail
Exchange* (MX) computers. An MX computer is a gateway that's
connected to the Internet and that is willing (meaning an arrangement
has been made) to transfer email to an outernet computer. Instead of
finding an IP address for the outernet computer in the database, the
DNS obtains an *MX record* or the name of the Internet computer that
will deliver the email to the outernet computer. All of this should
be transparent to you, making it easier to send and receive
electronic mail between the Internet and outernet networks. Which
outernets have email gateways to the Internet? More every day, but
some of the well-known international networks are: FidoNet, a
cooperative network made up of mostly microcomputers linked via
telephone lines; BITNET (Because It's Time Network), an academic and
research network; and UUCP, a network of computers that talk to each
other over dialup connections using UUCP (Unix-to-Unix Copy
Protocol).  Commercial networks, including CompuServe, MCImail,
Genie, and America Online, have made connections, too.

Network News

Another service available on many of these networks is called
*network news*. "News" in the network world refers not to current
events from the newswires but to discussions, interest groups, and
conferences. There are thousands of different discussion groups on
topics ranging from artificial intelligence to recipes, from politics
to sex, from ornithology to skydiving--collectively generating the
equivalent of some 80 books about the size of this one each day.
(That's actually about 35 Megabytes of digital information.) News is
transmitted on the USENET network, which has special relationships
and connections with some of the networks previously mentioned. For
example, USENET news can be transmitted across and between the
Internet and UUCP networks, allowing citizens of both cultures to
participate.  USENET is its own network, however, and no one person
or organization controls it. It's a huge cooperative anarchy, with
2.5 million people participating worldwide.

Even though USENET is closely related to the Internet and a lot of
its traffic travels over the Internet, USENET is _not_ the Internet.
Many people who have access to USENET news don't have Internet
connections; similarly, Internet connectivity doesn't always provide
access to USENET news. Also, note that USENET is a conferencing
system and is not considered an email network.



Now that we've cleared up what the Internet is and is not, it's time
to get on with learning to use it. Conferencing, email, and
interactive online conversations are the most exciting new
developments in communications since the advent of the telephone. If
you think the FAX machine is great, wait until you try the Internet!
With just your fingers on the keyboard, you can reach around the
world.


3. COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE

A network neophyte, faced with a cryptic computer prompt, may find it
hard to picture the Internet as a friendly, peopled place. But every
day hundreds of thousands of people are communicating through the
Internet--conversing and collaborating, working, playing, and letting
off steam. Friendships--even marriages--are made and broken on the
Internet. Clubs are formed. Problems are solved.  Books like this one
are written. Jobs are found. Handicaps and disabilities make no
difference. Through email and the other methods of online
communication, people have become best friends without ever seeing or
talking to each other.

Online communication, perhaps the ultimate in democratic exchange of
information, eliminates barriers. You can't make judgments about whom
you're "talking" to based on appearance, or even voice.  People can
be whoever they want to be. Shy people become bold. Children give
their views to adults, and the adults "listen." Accounting clerks
communicate on the same level as CEOs.

On the Internet, people can communicate asynchronously and in real
time. Translation? *Asynchronous* (Greek for "not at the same time")
communication means that someone can type in a message and send it
off, but the recipient doesn't have to be around to receive it. This
type of communication has some real benefits.  You can send messages
whenever you want to and they reach their destination quickly, and
the recipients can read and respond when _they_ want to. Answering
machines and voice mail are everyday examples of asynchronous
communication. *Real-time*, interactive communication, in contrast,
means that as someone is "talking" (that is, typing), you see it on
your screen as it is typed. We'll be talking about both types of
communication in this chapter.

ALL (OR ALMOST ALL) ABOUT ELECTRONIC MAIL

Electronic mail is the most popular application in use on the
Internet today. It's a very powerful tool that's simple to use and
easy to understand. Using email can give you a real feeling for the
energy and reach of "the Net." It's hard to imagine any other form of
communication that can be so intimate and yet so wide-reaching, so
focused, or so expansive. You can communicate as easily with someone
across 12 time zones as with someone in the same building. Your
message can be limited to just one person, or it can reach hundreds
of kindred souls.

Email is sometimes compared to FAX, but there are some fundamental
differences. A FAX is a graphic image that is digitized and sent over
regular telephone lines by using modems. Electronic mail on the
Internet is text that can be sent over a variety of network
links--everything from dialup to fiber optic lines. It usually costs
the same to send email to one person as it does to send it to a group
of people, while it would probably cost more to send a FAX to those
same people, especially if they're a long-distance call away. Both
are asynchronous forms of communication, eliminating "telephone
tag"--that is, it's not required that the recipient be present to
receive either electronic mail or a FAX.

As we said, electronic mail on the Internet is usually text. But it
is possible to send other formats, such as graphic images, as long as
they're encoded to text before sending and converted back to the
original format upon receipt. Right now this is not automatically
done by most computers on the Internet. Email standards on the
Internet are currently moving to support the transfer of nontextual
information such as audio, images, and other data; however, this
service is not widespread yet.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*email /ee'mayl/ 1. n. Electronic mail automatically passed through
computer networks and/or via modems over common-carrier lines.
Contrast snail-mail, paper-net, voice-net. 2 vt. To send electronic
mail.

Oddly enough, the word _emailed_ is actually listed in the OED; it
means "embossed (with a raised pattern) or arranged in a net work." A
use from 1480 is given. The word is derived from French
_emmailleure,_ network.

Source: _The New Hacker's Dictionary,_ edited by Eric S. Raymond, 
with assistance and illustrations by Guy L. Steele, Jr. (Cambridge, 
Mass.: The MIT Press, 1991). Reprinted with permission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Sending Email

Email is really fast: It is sent and received in seconds--minutes, at
most. Postal mail is often called *snail mail* by way of comparison.
Sending email is easy, too. All you need is access to the Internet,
an email program, and the email address of the person with whom you
wish to communicate.

Access to the Internet.  We've already talked about being directly
connected to the Internet or being on an outernet network such as
UUCP, BITNET, or a commercial service like America Online. If you
have such access, then you're all set.

Email Programs.  You'll need an email program that will run on your
own microcomputer or on whatever computer you're using. Most large
systems and public access  computers offer several email programs
(sometimes called email readers or agents). Some commercial Internet
service providers will supply programs to load on your PC or Mac.  A
common characteristic of email programs is that they let you compose
and send email, and then read and organize the email you receive.
There are too many different email programs to list and explain here.
Your choice of a program will depend on how you're accessing the
Internet.  If you aren't sure what's available, ask your system gurus
for assistance.

Email Addresses.  You'll also need an email address for the recipient
of your message. An email address, like a postal mail address,
contains all the necessary information needed to deliver a message to
someone.

Internet email addresses are, in fact, very simple. They consist of a
_local part_ and a _host part_. The username refers to the mailbox,
login name, or userid of the recipient on that computer. For example,
if your friend Mike logs into his computer as _Wallace,_ then that's
his username. The host part of the address should be recognizable to
you, a series of words separated by dots, as discussed in Chapter 2.
The local part and host part of an email address are separated by an
"@" sign:

username@hostname

Let's say that you know Mike's computer name is _60-minutes.cbs.com._
You could send email to him using this address:
_wallace@60-minutes.cbs.com_ (This and the following _60 Minutes_
examples are fictitious.)

Sending It Off.  Once you have the email program and know the
recipient's email address, you're set to send a message. Each email
program is different, so if you're not familiar with yours, you may
have to fumble around a bit or actually read the manual or online
documentation.  You will need to specify that you want to _send_ a
message, either by typing *send*, clicking a _send_ button, or
performing some other wonderful computer incantation. The email
program will prompt you for information, asking for the recipient's
email address, the key piece of information the program needs to send
the message to the recipient. It will also ask for the subject of
your message--usually a summary, title, or brief description. The
subject is optional, but you should get into the practice of
including it. A good description makes the person to whom you're
sending aware of the nature of your message, whether it's important
or whimsical.  The program may give you the option of sending a
"carbon copy" (cc) message. If there's someone else you think would
be interested in the message, here's a chance to include her address.
(You can send carbon copies to more than one recipient.) If you have
the disk space, it's a good idea to send a copy to yourself so you'll
have a record of your outgoing messages. There may come a day when
you'll need to know exactly what you said to someone!

After you've answered all the email program prompts, you can compose
your message, using your email program's composer, which may or may
not be similar to the word processor with which you're familiar. It's
important to make your message easy to read and understand, and we'll
explain this further in the "Netiquette" section of this chapter.

Anatomy of an Email Message

An email message has two basic parts, the "header" information and
the body of the message. These pieces are separated by a blank line.
In most cases, you'll be interested only in the body, or the actual
text, of the message. The headers contain items such as "Date:",
"cc:", "From:", and "Subject." Sometimes there are seemingly arcane
lines such as "Received:" and "Message-Id". These normally don't
concern you, but they are necessary in email prosgrams and for
debugging purposes. Following is a sample message:

From andy Wed Jul 29 08:47:18 1992 
Received: by 60-minutes.cbs.com id AA05638 
(5.65+/IDA-1.3.5 for wallace); Wed, 
29 Jul 92 08:47:18 -0500
From: Andy Rooney <andy@60-minutes.cbs.com> 
Message-Id: <9207290947.AA05638@60-minutes.cbs.com> 
Subject: Did You Ever WonderWhy?  
To: wallace@60-minutes.cbs.com (Mike Wallace) 
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 8:47:18 CDT 
Cc: andy 
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

Hey Mike,

Did you ever wonder why it takes the U.S. Post Office 3 days 
to send a letter? Why 3 days? Why not 2? Or 5? Was *3* the number 
rolled on the special Post Office dice? And why is there no 
delivery on Sundays? I get a paper on Sunday. Why can't I get my mail?

Get back to me on this.

--Andy


Receiving and Keeping Up With the Mail

Receiving email requires less effort than sending it. Incoming
messages are stored in your *inbox*. When you fire up your email
program, it checks this online "mailbox" to see if there's anything
in it, and if there is, it usually displays a one-line summary for
each message in there. You can then select which message you want to
read.

If you think you can't keep up with the junk mail that flows into
your snail-mailbox each day, then just wait until you collect dozens
of "keypals" and you're busily exchanging messages every day.  Most
everyone just _loves_ to get email--it will probably give you a tiny
thrill to get the message, "You have new mail," when you check your
electronic mailbox. But because it's so easy to send and receive
email, you may find that you can't keep up with all the messages you
receive! You should set up a good routine for sorting your mail,
deleting trivial messages and filing the rest by saving them in
separate electronic *folders* sorted by people or topics. If you
don't keep up with your email efficiently, as your messages
proliferate they stack up in the inbox and your email program may
slow to a crawl.


Replying to Email

Email programs usually have some kind of "reply" feature to make
responding quicker and easier. For your part, this involves typing
_reply_ or clicking a _reply_ button with your mouse. The reply
feature takes care of filling in the address and subject fields
(using information in the original message's header) and puts you in
the email program composer. A very common convention when replying to
messages is to include the original message within your reply
message, each line prefaced by a ">" character (or just three
spaces). (Your email program may automatically do this for you or
provide a command that does it.) That way people can distinguish
between their original comments and your response. It may not seem
important to explicitly reference parts of the original message, but
some people receive so many messages a day that they may not remember
your conversation without some background material.

The header lines will alert you to reply messages. For example, a
"Re:" will preface the original subject line, and there may also be
an "In-Reply-to" line. Let's look at a possible response from Mike to
Andy.

From wallace Wed Jul 29 08:55:13 1992
Received: by 60-minutes.cbs.com id AA05676
      (5.65+/IDA-1.3.5 for andy); Wed, 
      29 Jul 92 08:55:13 -0500      Andy 
From: Mike Wallace <wallace@60-minutes.cbs.com>
Message-Id: <9207290947.AA05676@60-minutes.cbs.com>
Subject: Re: Did You Ever Wonder Why?
To: andy@60-minutes.cbs.com (Andy Rooney)
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 8:55:13 CDT
Cc: safer (Morley Safer), wallace (Mike Wallace)
In-Reply-To: <9207290947.AA05638@60-minutes.cbs.com>;
      from "Mike Wallace" at Jul 29, 92 8:47 am
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

Andy,

>> Did you ever wonder why it takes the U.S.
>> Post Office 3 days to send a letter? Why 3
>> days? Why not 2? Or 5? Was *3* the number
>> rolled on the special Post Office dice? And why
>> is there no delivery on Sundays? I get a paper 
>> on Sunday. Why can't I get my mail?


Look, I'm tired of answering these questions. Why can't 
you just accept life the way it is?

Mike



Bounced Email and Other Errors

Sometimes an email message may not actually reach its destination
because of an incorrect address or some other error. Just as postal
mail may come back to you stamped "Returned to Sender," you may get a
*bounced message* back wrapped in an error message that gives you
some clues as to what went wrong. Most often the problem is something
you've mistyped in the address. One common error message is _User
Unknown, _where the message is received by the computer specified in
the address but the local part, or username, doesn't match any
username or mailbox on the computer. Most often, the cause is a typo
or a misspelling, but if you think you typed correctly, then you
should contact the person you're trying to reach by other means to
find out the correct username.

Another common error is _Host Unknown,_ where the host name is wrong.
Again, check for typos first. Sometimes parts of the name are missing
--for example, perhaps you forgot to include part of the domain name.

Other bounced messages such as _network unreachable,_ (the computer)
_can't send for several days,_ _connection timed out_ or _connection
refused,_ and _bad file number_ usually have something to do with
problems on the network or the destination computer. Most of the time
these problems are beyond your control, so you should contact your
system consultants for assistance.

Most of the time, if you type something wrong or have an incorrect
address, you will get a bounced message. Sometimes, however, your
email will simply disappear into the elusive *black hole*, the place
where lost messages go and where they'll never be heard from
again--or at least that's what it feels like. There are several
possible causes of this phenomenon. The message may arrive at the
intended destination, where an error is detected, but your own re-
turn address is incorrect, then the bounced message can't be sent to
you. Or, the message may arrive safe and sound, but your friend never
reads it or decides not to respond to it. Usually, trying again,
using another addressing method, or contacting your friend by other
means to find out if the message was received will help you figure
out what went wrong.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Whole (email) Shooting Match

Members of the USENET's newsgroup on shooting sports organized the
first email rifle competition early in 1992, linking three
continents--Australia, North America, and Europe--to schedule,
stage, and score a match between smallbore rifle clubs from Liverpool
University and the Australian Capital Territory. The competitors did
the shooting on their home ranges and forwarded the scoring via
Internet email to the newsgroup moderator in the United States, who
judged the contest and announced the results.

According to Geoff Miller of the Australian team, making email
history was "the easy part" of the project; "then we actually had to
get the shooters to the range to shoot their cards!" The Liverpool
team, following their leader's red car in a blue minibus, made a
faulty fielder's choice at a rotary and took off after the wrong red
car. The captain, meantime, mistook another blue minivan for his
team's and kept it in his rearview mirror all the way to the range.
When the team finally got themselves assembled, he discovered he'd
left his rifle at home.

In Canberra, lighting problems on the range led to the cancellation
of practice shoots and delays inscheduling the competition. The
Aussies took the field on the first weekend of the new year. Ham-
pered by high winds and the aftereffects of the holidays, the ACT
team lost to Liverpool by a margin of 50 points.

Geoff Miller, undeterred by his team's showing, anticipates email
matches developing into "a regular fixture" on the intercontinental
smallbore scene, "providing yet another example of the inexorable
march of computers into all areas of life." 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Finding Email Addresses

Probably the most frequent burning question from new users is how to
find out someone's email address. Unfortunately, there's no
comprehensive online directory assistance at this time, as there is
for finding out telephone numbers. There are ways, though, to find
email addresses, and the more proficient you become in using the
Internet, the more tricks you'll be able to use. There's no harm, of
course, in just calling someone and asking.

A new trend these days is to include email addresses on business
cards, so when trying to reach a business associate, remember that
and check there first. Or just guess--a frequently used and often
successful method, believe it or not! If you know where someone
works, you can guess at the domain name. Many organizations now allow
email to be delivered to _person-name@domain-name_, where,
_person-name_ is either the person's last name or the first and last
name separated by a dot (as in _lesley.stahl_) where, like the
company mailroom, an email "hub" at the _domain-name_ may distribute
all the email to the correct computers internally. This is not
standard, though, so don't count on it working every time.

Online directory service databases are springing up around the
Internet.  Many organizations have their own online "white pages,"
named after the white pages in phone books, but they are by no means
universal.  We've included more information in Chapter 5 which will
tell you about some of the various white pages services.


Sending Email to Other Networks

As we mentioned in Chapter 2, electronic mail is the one application
that can be sent between the Internet and outernets. Most networks
offer an electronic mail service, and many are connecting to the
Internet by email gateways. (Remember, email gateways are computers
that have connections to both networks and know how to translate the
different email languages between those networks.) So, for example,
if you have a friend or client who has an account on CompuServe and
you're on the Internet, you can send electronic mail to him or her,
and vice versa.

Sometimes, sending email between networks is a bit tricky because you
might have to specify a little bit more information in the email
address, such as the actual name of the email gateway. If you have to
do that, your email address might look like this:

username%hostname@gateway-hostname

Here, the email will be sent to _gateway-host-name,_ which will then
deliver it to the _username_ at the _hostname._ For example,

morley%TV60MIN.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu

would send the message to _morely_ at the _TV60MIN_ node, through the
_cunyvm.cuny.edu_ gateway.

The MX records we mentioned in Chapter 2 may come into play and bail
you out. If the outernet computer to which you're sending email has a
DNS name, then you can just use that. You don't need to specify a
gateway explicitly; the DNS database will figure that out for you.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM THE INTERNET TO THE OUTERNETS 

_Internet to:        Syntax      

America Online       _user*@aol.com_   
Applelink            _user*@applelink.apple.com_ 
ATTMail              _user*@attmail.com_ 
BITNET               _user@host.*bitnet*
                     _user%host.*bitnet*_@gateway_
                     May need to explicitly specify 
                     an email gateway, such as 
                     *cunyvm.cuny.edu*.
CompuServe           _userid@*compuserve.com*_
                     Convert the "," in the CompuServe 
                     userid to a "." 
                     Example, *12345,678* becomes
                     *12345.678@compuserve.com*.
MCIMail              _userid*@mcimail.com*_
                     Eliminate hyphen in userid.
                     Example MCI address: 
                     *123-4567* becomes
                     *1234567@mcimail.com*.
UUCP                 _user@host*.uucp*_ 
                     _user%host.*uucp*@gateway_ 
                     _user@domain-name_
                     (if UUCP node has a DNS name)

Source: _Inter-Network Mail Guide,_ by John J. Chew, and 
_The User's Directory of Computer Networks_, edited 
by Tracy L. LaQuey.

In the preceding table, words surrounded by asterisks (*)  should be
copied literally when constructing an email address. Words surrounded
by underscores (_) should be replaced with the appropriate host,
username, or gateway name. This table shows the most common syntaxes
for sending email from the Internet to another network. If these
syntaxes don't work for you, contact your system consultants. Note
that some commercial services charge a small fee for incoming and
outgoing Internet messages.  Many, many more networks have
connections to the Internet. For more information and references, see
the resources listing at the end of this book.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


CONFERENCING: GROUP SPEAK

You can limit your email use to swapping "letters"--just like your
regular snail mail, only faster--but its electronic nature allows
another dimension entirely. Imagine a newsletter focused on your
interests, where every subscriber is also a writer and the articles
and information all flow around in hours or days instead of weeks or
months. Imagine being able to send a question to a group and receive
responses from 12 different people from all over the world in a
matter of hours. Online conferencing can do just that. Some
discussions and conferences are more opinion-centered than
work-centered, more like a newspaper's editorial page except that the
opinions, commentary, and letters are all online and are sent to
every member of the list or newsgroup, not just the editor. There are
interest groups for everyone, centered on business, academia,
research, games, humor, and hobbies--you name it. The possibilities
for information sharing, problem solving, and--let's admit
it--recreation, are staggering.

Email Lists

Once you start using the Internet, you'll notice people talking about
joining *lists* and participating in discussions on various subjects.
They're referring to *electronic mailing lists*, which are group
discussions or interest groups. Email lists can involve as few as two
people or as many as thousands. There are about 2,600 different
mailing lists on subjects ranging from cooking to etymology, from
music to genealogy. And if there's not a list on a subject you are
interested in, then you might be able to create one yourself.

A mailing list is simply a list of email addresses of people
interested in a certain subject. Each list has its own distribution
address, which looks just like the email addresses described above.
All you have to do to get involved in an interest group is to request
to be added or "subscribed" to it by sending email to the list
administrator, a regular human being. Your email address will be
added to the list and you'll start receiving discussion contributions
from other list members. You may reply to these messages or send new
thought-provoking topics at any time. Any message you send to the
email list address will be distributed to every member of that list.
You don't _have_ to actively participate by sending messages all the
time; you can just "listen" to the discussion. Such listeners are
often called *lurkers* (with no derogatory connotation).

The Bungee Jumpers Email List

List name:        Bungee-Jumpers
Description:      Find out where the best bungee
                  jumping is. Discuss new techniques.
                  Testimonials from those who have
                  done it. Forum for organizing
                  group bungee jumps.
List address:     bungee-jumpers@big-bridge.org
List members:     Evel.Knievel@motorcycles.org
                  gene.titus@stunts.tv.org
                  charley.devany@banzai.edu
                  gordon.smith@fiesta.sa.tx.us
                  wallace@60-minutes.cbs.com

As we said, to subscribe to an email list on the Internet, generally
speaking, you send subscription requests to the list's administrative
address, which is separate from the actual list address. In most
cases, the administrative address is the same as the list address,
but it will have _-request_ added to the end of the list name.  Let's
use our Bungee Jumpers List example above. If this list really
existed and you wanted to subscribe to it, you would send email to
the administrative address

bungee-jumpers-request@big-bridge.org

and then state your request. (For example, "I'd like to subscribe to 
the bungee-jumpers list, please. My email address is," etc.) in the
body of the message. The list administrator will add you to the list
and you'll start receiving any messages sent from fellow bungee
jumpers. (You can also _un_subscribe with a similar request sent to
that address.) A common new user mistake is to send subscription
requests to the regular list address--a quick way to annoy the other
list members, because it adds unnecessary mail to their already
burgeoning inboxes. So don't forget about the administrative address.

LISTSERV

A cousin to the Internet email list is the BITNET LISTSERV.  You will
hear LISTSERV mentioned a lot because there are hundreds and hundreds
of interesting LISTSERV groups. You may want to join one, so it's
important to know what they are. Remember that BITNET is an
outernet-type network, and the only application that can be sent
between it and the Internet is electronic mail.

*LISTSERV*, which gets its name from "list server," is an automatic
discussion list service. It's a program that runs on a BITNET
computer (or BITNET node) and handles all the list administrative
functions such as subscribing and unsubscribing people to and from
interest groups. There isn't such a powerful automatic list
maintainer on the Internet yet, where most subscription requests are
still processed by an actual person, a maintainer of each list.

A LISTSERV accepts commands requesting different actions, such as
subscribing to a list or listing members of a group. On BITNET these
commands can be sent to the LISTSERV using an interactive message
facility. If you're coming from the Internet, however, you have to
send commands within an email message to the LISTSERV address. After
the LISTSERV performs the requested functions, it will send you a
status report via email so that you will know what happened.

Now, here's the tricky part. The actual BITNET interest group will
also have a different email address from that of the LISTSERV. What
we mean is that discussion messages are sent to the list address,
while commands are sent to the LISTSERV address. Many people get
these two confused and end up sending LISTSERV commands to the actual
list, whereupon everyone ends up getting a copy of your command
message.  Let's show an example so that you'll know what we're
talking about.  Let's say you want to join the World Champion Pro
Wrestling discussion group (fabricated for the purposes of this book,
but it does have possibilities!). The list address is
_PRO-WRESTLING@HHOGAN_.  The LISTSERV address is _LISTSERV@HHOGAN._

Note that BITNET addresses are different from Internet addresses.  A
BITNET computer name is easy to recognize because it's usually one
word (no dots) and sometimes cryptic looking. When you're sending
email from the Internet _to_ BITNET, you will need to alert your
computer to that fact. Usually you can just append _.bitnet_ to the
end of the BITNET node name, and your system will know how to deal
with it. In some cases, however, you may need to specify the actual
email gateway, as mentioned above.

Since you want to subscribe to this list, you should send an email
message to the LISTSERV address

LISTSERV@HHOGAN.bitnet

because you always send list _commands_ to the LISTSERV address,
_not_ the actual mailing list address. Remember, it's the LISTSERV
program that takes care of these administrative functions. Within the
body of the message (you don't have to put anything in the subject
field), you have to type the following command:

*SUBSCRIBE PRO-WRESTLING Ric Flair*

(This is assuming your name is Ric Flair. If it isn't, then put your
own name in place of his.) As you can see in this example, the
_SUBSCRIBE_ command is easy:

*SUBSCRIBE* _List-Name Your-Name_

_Your-Name_ should be your name as you usually write it, _not_ your
user id or email address. (The LISTSERV gets your email address from
the message header, not the body.)

Once you've put this command in the body of the message, you can send
it. You should receive a welcome message back saying that you are
subscribed and giving you some important information about the list.
You'll then get messages about the latest match between Hulk Hogan
and the Junk Yard Dog. Now, if you want to participate in the
discussion --that is, send messages to this list--then you should
send email to the list address, _not_ the LISTSERV address. So you
would send your contribution to _PRO-WRESTLING@HHOGAN.bitnet_.  If
you want to unsubscribe, repeat the steps above, sending email to the
LISTSERV address, but instead of the _SUBSCRIBE_ command you type
*SIGNOFF PRO-WRESTLING* and that's it.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Elvis Sighted on Internet 

LIVERPOOL NY--But was he wearing a disguise?  Elvis has the Internet
all shook up with reports that he's been making phantom appearances
on the Net! The King has an email account at the Liverpool (N.Y.)
Public Library. Even the local Liverpool media anxiously await a
physical manifestation to confirm whether the presence is the young
Elvis or the old Elvis. According to Jean Armour Polly at the
library, Elvis does receive mail there, most recently an announcement
of a LISTSERV interest group devoted to 78 rpm records. So write
Elvis at _elvis@lpl.org_ if you've got a burning question about
burning love, want to debate the vocal characteristics of the hound
dog, or develop a newsgroup on the historical and sartorial legacy of
the blue suede shoe. . . .  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


There are many other LISTSERV commands besides _SUBSCRIBE_ and
_SIGNOFF._ If you're interested in learning more, send email to
_LISTSERV@BITNIC.bitnet,_ with just the command *INFO REFCARD* in the
body of the message. You'll receive an email message containing a
list of general user commands from the LISTSERV at the BITNET Network
Information Center (BITNIC).

List Caveats

If you join an email or LISTSERV list, how much traffic will you
receive? That depends. Some lists aren't very active at all, so you
might see only a few messages a week. Other lists can become very
animated, however, so you'll see dozens of messages a day. Many
people get really excited about joining lists, and so they subscribe
to a whole lot of them. Then they get more email than they can
handle.  It's a good idea to keep track of the lists to which you've
subscribed.  That way, if you go on vacation for an extended period
of time and don't want to deal with hundreds (or thousands) of email
messages when you return, you can unsubscribe to all of the groups on
your list.

The amount of traffic an interest group generates can be reduced
considerably if members avoid sending unnecessary messages to the
whole list--for example, subscription requests and "I agree," or "Me
too," responses. Don't get "reply happy" and feel that you need to
respond publicly to every question that someone sends.

Often people use the reply feature in their mail program to offer a
contribution to or continue a discussion, or to send a private
message to the originator of the message. A word of warning here. You
should _always_ check to see to _whom_ you're replying: Is it the
message sender or the entire list? Each email program is different,
so you should familiarize yourself with your particular reply
feature.

Picture this Maalox moment. You see a message from your best friend
on an email list: She has made a contribution to a discussion. You
want to reply to her personally and tell her about your bad day and
how much you can't stand your boss, so you hit the _reply_ button.
You use words you shouldn't. You get descriptive in places.  You
finish the message and away it goes--to every single person on the
list, including your boss! As unbelievable as it sounds, it happens
all the time. The moral of the story is that you should always
double-check to make sure your reply message is going to the right
recipients. Either that, or stock up on the antacid pills.

Finding Lists

As we said earlier, there are a lot of lists out there, and they can
change quickly. You can download some online "List-of-Lists" and
peruse them to find out which groups are for you. Just browsing the
A's in one such List-of-Lists, we found interest groups on
Addictions, Art, and Animal Rights. Quite a range. In Chapter 4 we'll
tell you how you can use the Internet file transfer application FTP
to download (or transfer) publicly available files, such as a
"List-of-Lists," to your computer.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LIST OF EMAIL LISTS 

A list of Internet and BITNET email lists maintained by SRI International 
is available via anonymous FTP on host _ftp.nisc.sri.com_, directory 
_netinfo_, filename _interest-groups_. This file contains descriptions 
of each list and is about 860K bytes long.

A list of BITNET LISTSERV lists is maintained by BITNIC. Send an email 
message to _LISTSERV@BITNIC.bitnet_. In the body of the message, 
type the command *list global*, then send the message. You will 
receive a rather large document (about 224K bytes) that has the 
current list of BITNET discussion groups.

See the appendix for more information on lists of email interest groups.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Network News

USENET was mentioned briefly in Chapter 2. It's a worldwide
conferencing system, encompassing all sorts of organizations
(universities, commercial organizations, government agencies--even
home computers) and supporting one service: news. USENET is a real
community. People from all walks of life spend hours "together,"
reading, contributing ("posting"), and responding. Each group has its
regulars, its "Norm Petersons." Others come and go. Some "lurk,"
while others seem to talk incessantly.

USENET is a breeding ground for free expression and thought. People
are usually very frank on this network! It's a point of pride that
USENET, for the most part, is an open and uncensored environment.  As
a result, some very explicit and candid discussions ensue, from
political arguments, to religious opinions and holy wars, to explicit
stories with indecent themes. Be aware of this if you're easily
offended and simply avoid the groups that focus on subjects
unpalatable to you.

USENET is divided into *newsgroups*. Devoted to a certain topic, each
newsgroup is made up of * articles*, which are similar to email list
messages. There are over 2,100 different newsgroups on USENET, but
not every computer or site gets all of these in its USENET *feed*.
Each site can pick which newsgroups it wants to "carry" or let its
users participate in. Why wouldn't a site want to provide every
single newsgroup? One reason is that the total traffic per day is
huge and takes up valuable disk space.  Or, the site may be paying
long-distance charges to transmit and receive traffic, so it
participates only in a small number of groups. Another very common
reason is that some of the newsgroups deal with explicit subjects
which may or may not be appropriate to carry.

USENET newsgroups are similar to email lists, but there are a few
differences. With Internet email lists, every message is sent to each
person who has explicitly requested to be a participant. On USENET,
every newsgroup article is received and stored on _each_
participating USENET _computer,_ instead of being sent to each user.
Even when you're not participating in a newsgroup, all of its
articles are still stored on the computer, so you have easy access to
any you want.

USENET Hierarchy and Newsgroup Names.  Newsgroups are organized in a
hierarchical structure; their names have dots in them, just like
Internet domain names. The top-level (left-most) word in the
newsgroup name specifies the newsgroup's category. There are seven
major USENET top-level categories, and three alternative categories,
as shown below. Knowing what these categories mean can help you
figure out what each newsgroup is about.

News Readers.  In order to read or post news, you need to have a news
reader program. There are thousands of newsgroups, and you don't want
to have to sift through every one of them. A news reader will let
_you_ select which newsgroups you want to participate in by allowing
you to "subscribe" to them (you don't have to send email to an
administrator). The reader program will organize the newsgroups,
display the articles for you to read, and allow you to post articles.
Just as there are many email programs, there are many news readers.
Some are user-friendly, while others use terse commands and are
difficult to learn.

You'll have to get used to how your news reader works and how it
displays newsgroups and articles. Some readers offer a "threaded"
functionality that organizes articles within a newsgroup according to
discussion threads--a helpful feature if you want to follow a
particular discussion within a newsgroup instead of hopping from one
debate to another.

If you're not sure about your choices for news readers, check with
your system administrator or news provider. If you're on a computer
that runs the UNIX operating system, some of the readers that may be
available to you include _rn_ (for read news) and _vnews_ (for visual
news). If you're using a PC or Mac and are getting news from a
commercial provider, you'll probably have a user-friendly graphical
application to use.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
MAJOR USENET HIERARCHY CATEGORIES

_Category_        _Explanation _

comp              Computer hardware, software, and protocol 
                  discussions. 
misc              Topics that don't fit anywhere else, such as 
                  job hunting, investments, real estate, and 
                  fitness. 
news              Groups that deal with USENET software, 
                  network administration, and informative 
                  documents and announcements. 
rec               Recreational subjects and hobbies, such as 
                  aviation, games, music, and cooking. 
sci               Topics in the established sciences, such as 
                  space research, logic, mathematics, and 
                  physics.
soc               Groups for socializing or discussing social 
                  issues or world culture. 
talk              Lengthy debates and discussions on various 
                  current events and issues--politics, religion, 
                  the environment, and so forth

Alternative Hierarchies 

_Category_        _Explanation_

alt               Alternative group of discussions: not carried 
                  by all USENET sites. Some controversial; 
                  others are "lite." Not considered a regular
                  part of the USENET hierarchy. Alt newsgroups
                  generate a lot of traffic.
gnu               Discussions relating to the GNU Project of the 
                  Free Software Foundation (FSF). (GNU stands 
                  for GNU's, not UNIX.) 
biz               Business-related groups.

A sampling of Newsgroups 

_rec.arts.books              alt.fan.dave_barry_
_rec.humor.funny             soc.women_
_comp.protocols.tcp-ip       news.announce.newsgroups_
_biz.comp.services           talk.politics.mideast_
_alt.fishing                 misc.education_
_gnu.announce                sci.military_
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Getting Started.  Once you're able to access USENET news, the first
thing you should do is read all the articles in the
_news.announce.newusers_ newsgroup. The many useful articles in this
group chronicle the history of USENET, explain concepts and common
problems, provide a list of frequently asked questions along with the
answers, give information on available news readers; explain USENET
software and how to become a USENET site, and provide lists of USENET
groups. This chapter cannot cover every detail you need to know, but
these articles will get you up to speed. This newsgroup
(_news.announce.newusers_) is not a discussion group--that is, you
can't post questions or follow-up articles to it. If you have
new-user questions, there is a newsgroup where you can post them:
the _news.newusers.questions_ group.

Posting Articles.  When posting an article in a newsgroup, you're
asked for some information. As when you send email, you're asked for
a subject.  Be descriptive, since there are many people participating
and it's polite to give them a good idea of what your posting is
about.

You also need to specify how far and wide you want your article
distributed.  Many times you'll want to make sure that everyone in
the USENET world can read it, but sometimes your article may apply to
a local geographic area. For example, if you post an article asking
if anyone has any tickets to the Neil Diamond concert on Friday, you
probably want to restrict it to your home town of Toronto rather than
sending it to Tokyo and everywhere else. It's important that you
exercise good judgment not only by specifying geographic areas but
also by posting articles only to appropriate newsgroups. For example,
it's probably not the best idea to post your resume to
_rec.folk-dancing._


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Springtime in the Ukraine 

More and more schools are getting access to the Internet, 
and seeing its usefulness in teaching geography and social studies, 
math and science. But the benefits run deeper. A school teacher wrote
us about a project where her students communicated with students in
the former Soviet Union. "Besides such an obvious social studies
application, I was deeply moved by a romantic exchange of notes on
springtime in our city and springtime in the Ukraine between a young
adolescent girl with cerebral palsy and a young man whose name was
Albert." There are no handicapped travellers on the Internet.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Moderators

The normal operation for most email lists and USENET newsgroups is to
let everyone participate, sending or posting whatever they want.  As
you can imagine, this practice quite often results in what's called a
low signal-to-noise ratio--lots of junk submissions that offer little
or no quality to the discussion.

As a preventive measure, some email lists and newsgroups are
moderated.  Instead of being sent straight to the group, messages or
articles are submitted to a moderator, who decides whether or not the
submission has relevance to the topic at hand. The moderator may
submit (or reject) each submission or combine messages and articles
to create a digest that gets posted periodically. Moderated lists and
newsgroups usually contain a higher proportion of useful information,
but many people don't like the idea of their postings being
evaluated.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Shared Interests

Teenagers in Texas discovered through email that kids have 
the same concerns even when they live a world apart. Email exchanges 
between high-school-age kids in Japan and west Texas covered the common 
ground of sports, hobbies, pets, and music groups. And a shared dislike 
for school. "We laughed," Helen Bell, the school librarian 
at Lincoln Junior High School in El Paso, Texas, said, "when one 
email told us that 'there are no good teachers in Japan.'"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



INTERACTIVE DISCUSSIONS

So far we've talked about asynchronous communication using 
email, interest lists, and USENET newsgroups. The Internet also has
interactive communication capabilities that allow one-on-one, or
many-to-many, discussions. Since communication is happening in real
time, you need an interactive connection to the Internet in order to
use it. In other words, you can't participate in this type of
communication if you're on an outernet network.

Interactive conversations aren't organized into email messages or
postings; they are simply displayed on your terminal as they are
received.  So unless the communications program on your computer
allows you to log your conversation, you won't have a permanent
record of it.

Can We Talk?

The best-known and most useful interactive communication tool is
known as _talk,_ which allows you to set up a real-time dialog with
another person. Unlike electronic mail or news, both people must be
present. Usually a person requests to _talk_ to another person by
using his email address. For example, if you wanted to chat with your
friend Mike, you would use the following command to set up a dialog:

*talk wallace@60-minutes.cbs.com*

A message will be displayed on Mike's screen, telling him you wish to
talk to him and giving him instructions on how to reach you. If he
does indeed want to talk to you, he'll issue the command *talk*
_your-email-address_, and a two-way interactive discussion can ensue.
The talk program helps you keep "who's typing what" straight by
splitting your terminal screen in two. Whatever you type is shown in
the top half, while the other person's response is shown in the lower
half.

This type of communication is fun, and it can be a very useful tool.
It can, however, be somewhat frustrating if you aren't a great
typist, for there's a tendency to feel pressure to type as fast as
you can--which, of course, introduces all sorts of interesting and
creative errors.  There's also the "who talks now" problem, for which
you have to resort to some radio communication techniques. For
example, when you're done typing, you can type *o* for "over,"
meaning that you'll wait for the other person to type in his
response.

The talk capability, unfortunately, is not universally available.
There are some implementations on certain types of computers that
don't work very well, so you may run into compatibility problems.
Also, some system administrators turn this capability off. So you may
have to just grin and accept the fact that you can't "talk" with
everyone.

Everyone Join In!

The Internet has a many-to-many interactive discussion capability
called *Internet Relay Chat*. IRC is considered more of a toy than a
tool and is probably used more for recreational purposes than for
work. This type of communication is similar to conference calls,
where there are several people talking and listening. Michael
O'Brien--a.k.a. Mr. Protocol, the Miss Manners of the Internet--once
said, "In general use, it resembles a bank of 900-number party chat
lines." If you're a gregarious person who likes to stay up late at
night typing in your thoughts and dreams to others, this interactive
newsgroup capability may appeal to you. A good place to get started
is the IRC Chat Mailing list. Send a subscription request to
_irchat-request@cc.tut.fi._


NETIQUETTE, ETHICS, AND DIGITAL TRICKS OF THE TRADE

It's easy enough to use email and news, but there's an art to
communicating effectively online. Here are some general guidelines
and some advice, gentle reader, on how to behave.

Listen to Me!

If you want to make sure people "listen" to what you have to say,
don't bore and confuse them with rambling messages or postings, which
tend to be skipped in favor of shorter messages that concentrate on
one subject. If you've got several widely different things to say,
it's probably better to organize a bit and send a message on each
topic separately. Some people get hundreds of messages a day, so you
can't expect them to remember what was said in a previous message.
Remember to include background or pertinent material that will help
your audience understand the intent of your message.

Some advice on how your message or article should look. There's no
hard and fast rule, but a good message size is a screenful or two.
Neatness _does_ count, and spelling and correct grammar are
important. Even though online conversations are informal, sloppy
messages that are full of errors really stick out. Take advantage of
the asynchronous nature of email and news and spend some time making
your message or posting readable.

Limit each line length to 70 characters or less. If you're creating
messages or postings using your word processor, make sure the
document is converted to "text with line breaks," meaning that a
carriage return is introduced at the end of each line. If you don't
do that, your message is going to end up looking funny on the screen
and will be very difficult to read.

Try to avoid using acronyms. If you do, here are some that are well
known: FYI (for your information), IMHO (in my humble opinion), BTW
(by the way), and RTFM (read the friendly manual).

Signing On and Off

There are accepted methods by which to begin and end messages.  You
almost never begin any message or posting with a salutation such as
"Dear Sir." You do, however, initially address the person to whom
you're writing ("Andy, I'm looking forward to your show").  Instead
of signing off messages and postings with a "Sincerely," or "Love,"
many people end with their *signature*, which is a sort of digital
identifier. Signatures should be short (preferably 4 lines or less)
and should include information such as your full name, your
organization, and how to reach you. You'll see all sorts of
signatures--from very fancy ones, complete with pictures, or cute
quotes. Your signature may be included automatically by your news
reader or email program, so be careful that it doesn't appear twice.
It's good to include a signature in case the addressing information
in your message or article header is incorrect or not complete. This
might be Andy Rooney's signature:

Andy Rooney                  1-800-1ROONEY
andy@60-minutes.cbs.com      60 Minutes, CBS
         "Did You Ever Wonder Why?"


Beginning Behavior on Newsgroups and Email Lists

You want to be heard, but you don't want to be misunderstood.  In
addition to making your online communication readable, you need to be
considerate of the folks on the other side. Here are a few tips on
how to act when you begin participating in newsgroups and email lists
on the Internet.

Remember that you're entering a world where there are a lot of
experienced folks (including technical gurus and wizards) who have
been around a long time. You should treat mailing lists and
newsgroups like you do any other club you join for the first time. In
other words, don't get on and start blabbing without checking out the
territory first.  Spend some time just "lurking" to get a feel for
the nature of the group and the types of discussions. This background
will help you realize what topics have already been discussed in
detail and beaten into the ground. It also gives you time to observe
the experienced list veterans in action; imitating the experts is
definitely recommended.  And while you're silently getting up to
speed, there's bound to be some other "clueless newbie" who asks the
very questions you're itching to send.

New users can't be expected to know everything about discussions that
have gone on--sometimes for years. So the "in" thing now is for the
"regulars" on mailing lists and newsgroups to compile new-user
questions and the answers to them in a document called *Frequently
Asked Questions* or *FAQs*. The purpose of these informative articles
is to reduce the number of "noise" postings--common questions that
everyone has seen a zillion times.  Not every group or list has a
FAQ, but the ones that do publish them regularly (usually once a
month).

See appendix for information on how to obtain some useful FAQs.


Your Invisible Audience

Online communication is informal. It's much less intimidating to type
your thoughts and fire them off to thousands of people than it is to
give a presentation, live, in front of the same group. But because
you can't see all these people, it's easy to become careless,
forgetting to include necessary background information or not
thinking about your intended audience. It's also easy to think that
because email doesn't use the formal conventions we're all used to
for paper letters or face-to-face meetings, it is an unrestrained
free-for-all. But the net has acquired its own conventions and
etiquette.

One problem is that electronic conversations are missing body
language and voice intonation, crucial components of effective
communication.  Take these elements away and people are forced to
"fill in the blanks" when a typed online message doesn't come across
quite right. For some reason, people become much more sensitive when
they're on line, and they tend to blow things entirely out of
proportion--for example, taking a couple of sentences originally
meant to be humorous or sarcastic entirely the wrong way. If that
happens, everything can go downhill quickly. Instead of asking for
clarification ("You were kidding, weren't you?") or just ignoring it,
many people--forgetting that they're dealing with another human being
on the other end--decide to defend themselves and tell the originator
of the message just exactly what they think of him. This outcome is
what's known in the business as a *flame*. If both sides begin
insulting each other, it's called a *flame war* (kind of like
fighting fire with fire). These digital battles often erupt in
"public" and can sometimes be very entertaining to the lurkers.


Friendly Advice

To avoid being involved in a flame war with someone in an electronic
public square or a misunderstanding in regular one-on-one
communication, follow this advice.

Showing Emotion.  First and foremost, you should always be polite and
considerate of the folks on the other side. Because you're missing
the important visual and aural cues that add nuance to direct
conversation, you need to learn how to show emotion online--not an
easy task.  Probably the most common trick to show emotion is  :-).
That's a sideways smiley face (turn your head 90 degrees to the left)
used to indicate humor or sarcasm. Since there's no smiley face on
the keyboard, you have to "roll your own," using a colon, a hyphen,
and a right-end parenthesis. You'll also see variations on the
smiley. Sometimes people use a semicolon to indicate winking:  ;-).
Or a sad face will look like this:  :-(.

Upper case is used for shouting, so don't use it unless you want to
make a point. For example, if someone wanted to indicate that she was
excited or mad, SHE'D SURE AS HECK LET YOU KNOW THAT!!!! Or, she
could let you know what she was REALLY thinking by using caps in
appropriate places. You can also introduce some online intonation by
the use of asterisks in certain places. For example, "This *is* what
I meant!" places emphasis on _is._

Terse Responses.  Terse responses can sound rude. For example,
responding to someone's question with only a single sentence, "No,
you can't do that!" might make him feel as if he's inconvenienced
you, that you can't be bothered to explain *why* he can't do
something.  If he asked you "live" in person, you'd probably explain.
You don't have to be verbose and long-winded, but a few extra
sentences will go a long way to insure that you don't hurt someone's
feelings.

On the other end, if you receive a short message that leaves you
wondering, "What did I do to deserve this?", don't lose too much
sleep over it. Perhaps the sender was in a big hurry and didn't have
time to explain everything fully.

What may be worse than a terse response is no response at all. Don't
expect an immediate response to your email or news queries. People
tend to get bogged down in unread and unanswered electronic
correspondence.  You might get an answer in five minutes--but it also
might take five days. Just because you don't hear from someone
immediately does not mean she or he thinks your message was
unimportant.

Always Point a Loaded Mailer or Newsreader at the Ground.  Just as
you shouldn't drive when you're angry or upset, you shouldn't send
responses to email and news articles when you're mad at someone. If
someone has "ticked you off" and you're bound and determined to
respond to a message or posting, you should go ahead and type your
response--but don't mail it for at least a day. A delay may seem
frustrating, but chances are that when you come back later to read
your response, you'll be glad you didn't send it. And you should
realize that many times people will say things just to yank your
chain. The thing these folks want most to see is an emotional,
tear-stained response from you. Don't give them that pleasure!

You should also watch what you say in everyday situations. A good
rule is never to send anything that you wouldn't mind seeing on the
front page of a major newspaper. Online correspondence can be easily
archived, referenced at a later date, and sent out to a large number
of people. Avoid saying anything insulting about someone or
disclosing confidential information. Private, sensitive email
messages, or even public flames, could come back to haunt you
someday.

The security and privacy of corporate--and even private--email has
caused quite a stir lately, and you've probably got a few concerns
about the security of _your_ mail. It's best to resign yourself to
the fact that email is not very secure. Once you transmit an email
message, its privacy depends on the security of the destination
system, over which you basically have no control. Chapter 5 discusses
computer and network security further._

Ethics

As noted, you can't depend on email being secure. About the only
thing you can hope for is that people will behave themselves and not
snoop around in others' accounts, reading private correspondence.
Everyone is under a moral and ethical obligation to respect other
people's property and wishes. For example, you shouldn't forward
private electronic mail to anyone without the permission of the
author. You should also be careful not to violate copyrights by
transmitting another person's work verbatim. There are other
guidelines, but generally you should rely on common sense and good
judgment.



Now that you know how to use Internet to communicate, you'll soon be
adept at email and conferencing, LISTSERVs and chat. And no doubt,
you're ready to move on to explore some of those wondrous realms of
information resources we've been alluding to. Stay with us. In the
next chapter, we'll look at the information resources on the
Internet, and we'll show you how to use the three basic Internet
tools to tap into the world's online library of libraries.



4. FINDING INFORMATION

Get ready to switch gears in this chapter: Instead of communicating
with people, we're going digging for information! The Internet has a
digital _megaton_ of information resources. What's out there? Almost
anything you can think of--graphics, software, books, library
catalogs, bulletin boards, data, sounds, journals, newsletters,
newspapers, magazines, and archives. There are thousands and
thousands of independent databases, archives, and online services
available via the Internet, making it essentially one big virtual
library.

Most information on the Internet is free, although commercial
information providers are starting to appear. For example, Dialog
Information Services, Inc. now provides online newspaper and
professional articles, the _Official Airline Guide_, financial
services, and pharmaceutical directories--all accessible to
subscribers. The Lexis (for legal research) and Nexis (for business,
financial, and regular news) databases from Mead Data Central are
also accessible. A company called ClariNet Communications Corporation
transmits UPI newsfeeds. And other commercial services are beginning
to get their feet wet in the Internet ocean.

Unfortunately, this electronic library is not as well organized as a
real library. There isn't just _one_ card catalog where you can check
to find what's available or where things are located.  Part of the
problem is that there are just too many computers out there--the
electronic universe is truly expanding by the minute.  But part of
the beauty of the Internet is that it provides access to diverse
resources from geographically distant organizations, each with
different missions and purposes. And whatever time you can invest in
learning your way around will be amply repaid.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CAN YOU GET THERE FROM HERE?

Reading this chapter may tantalize and frustrate those who have only 
limited access to the Internet. You may be able to reach all of 
these resources or only some of them. If you're on an outernet 
network, you're limited to using email servers--where they exist--
to retrieve files and access services. Technical, economic, 
and political barriers are factors that can limit Internet access, 
but--fortunately for us--nothing in life today changes faster!  Your 
system or provider may add Internet services or connections tomorrow 
or next month. The restriction of commercial traffic over the NSFNET 
backbone that we talked about in Chapter 2 may change, too. So experiment 
and find out what you can and can't get at. If you _really_ 
need access to a particular resource, your system gurus or provider 
may be able to offer you another path. Once you know what's available, 
you may find that you need better access. If so, shop around for a 
connection that offers what you need. Chapter 6 tells you about Internet 
connection options.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


USING ONLINE RESOURCES AND SERVICES

The two basic tools you'll need to access online resources and
information are remote login and file transfer. These were briefly
mentioned in Chapter 2, but we're going to explore them in more
detail in this chapter. Remote login and file transfer both allow you
to contact other computers for information and resources, so you can
use them only if you are _on_ the Internet. Depending on your
computer, the tools may operate differently, so read any local
documentation or manuals that accompany your software or system. In
some cases, you have to type the commands; in others, you may use a
straightforward menu system. The examples we use in this chapter will
be from a command-level perspective, showing the commands (in lower
case) as you would type them on many computers.

Let Me In!

Despite system differences, you will need to know a few specific
pieces of information no matter what your situation. First, you have
to know the name of the computer or host that you want to connect to.
You'll also need to know the login id and perhaps a password. Most
computer systems require that you know the magic word to "be let in"
to an account and usually "please" won't work. What's an *account*?
It's like your own room in a hotel. You have a key that lets you into
your own room (the account), where all your treasured possessions
(files) are stored. On a computer, the key is most often a
combination of a unique id and a secret password. The id (also known
as a username or user id) lets the computer know who you are, and the
password (which only you should know) proves it's really you.

Now, if you live in Amsterdam, it's unlikely that you're going to
have an account on a computer in Sydney, unless you have some type of
special arrangement with an organization there. But many people do
have accounts on remote systems, for various reasons. A real-life
example is a professor at a university in the United States who takes
a sabbatical to do research in Israel. The professor keeps her
accounts open at the U.S. university, and also gets an account on a
computer at an Israeli university. If both computers are on the
Internet, she can access her files by using file transfer and connect
to the services at her home university by using remote login.

Public Services

If you don't have any accounts on other systems, you may be wondering
what you can use these tools for. You will have occasions to use them
--and more than you may realize at first. Lots (and we do mean
_lots_) of organizations are providing services, such as public
information and databases. To use them, you don't need a personal
account on the computers where they reside. (If you do need an
account, you're usually given an opportunity to apply for one.) All
you need to know is the login id of the service, and that's usually
easily available or very well known. Most of these services don't
require passwords or, if they do, they either publish them, accept
anything as a password, or request that you type in your email
address or some other information that lets them track who's using
their resources.

A word on the hospitality of people and organizations providing
publicly accessible services, file transfer sites, databases, and
other resources.  Many of these services are made available by
volunteers, so act politely and try not to hog resources. Sometimes
it's requested that you use a service after working hours, so you
should respect that rule, keeping in mind the time zone as well.


Different Environments

When you use remote login or file transfer to access another
computer's resources, you are connecting to another environment that
may look very different from what you're used to using on your own
system. You've probably figured this out by now, but there isn't just
"one way" to do things in the Internet world. Different
organizations, different computers, and different operating systems
all provide different services. Each remote system and service is
going to have its particular "look and feel."

The interface--the face that the other computer presents to you--will
probably be different. The words may even be in a foreign language.
Don't worry, the public interfaces to these systems are pretty
robust, so you won't harm anything if you don't know what you're
doing and make a few mistakes. Keep in mind that things change on
computers, too. Information is added and deleted. Interfaces change.
Most of these online services don't come with manuals, so you'll need
to read the instructions and use the help screens that are shown when
you sign on. It doesn't hurt to make a few notes. A contact name is
sometimes listed with the description of the service or on one of the
initial login screens; if you have problems, you can email or call.
Remember that you're accessing another computer, so your own system
gurus may not be able to assist you.


Error Messages

Occasionally when you try to use remote login or file transfer to
access resources on other Internet computers, you'll get an error
message or just not be able to get to that computer. One or more
things may be wrong.  First--and most likely--is that you misspelled
or mistyped the name of the computer, in which case you'll get a
message such as _unknown host_.  If that happens, check to make sure
you have the right host name. If you're sure you have the right name,
then it's possible that this computer simply doesn't exist anymore.

If you know that the computer exists and that you have the correct
name and you still get an error message, you can try something else.
Remember from Chapter 2 that the Domain Name System (DNS) allows you
to use computer names instead of IP addresses. It could be that your
computer is having a hard time figuring out what the remote
computer's IP address is. If this is the case, and you do know the IP
address, you can always try substituting it for the computer name.

If you have the right computer name, and the remote computer doesn't
respond after you initiate a remote login or file transfer command,
there may be problems with the network or the computer may be
"down"--that is, it's not working or available. Just try again later.
If the problem persists, contact your network provider or system
administrator for more information.

ACCESSING INTERACTIVE SERVICES

Remote login is perhaps the most exciting of the three basic
applications.  It's a tool that lets you "fly" electronically all
over the world, reaching your destination in a fraction of a second.
This section will tell you how to connect to other computers and
services using remote login.

How It Works

Remote login on the Internet is a lot like using your modem to dial
into another computer, but it's usually much faster and you don't
actually have to dial a number. The name of the protocol that enables
remote login is *Telnet*, which is also the name of the command on
many systems to allow you to login to other computers. (Don't confuse
"Telnet" with "Telenet," a public data network that was around for a
long time.)

When using Telnet to login to a computer, just issue the _telnet_
command followed by a space and the name of the computer. (You can
also issue the _telnet_ command without the computer name, at which
point you'll be in command mode. When you see a telnet prompt, you
can type commands or *help* for more information.) For example, if
you want to connect to NASA's Spacelink, a space-related
informational database for K-12 educators and students provided by
NASA, just type:

*telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov*

When you connect to another system, you are usually greeted by a
computerized "Who goes there?" routine. The typical prompt is _Login:
or _Username:_, at which time you type your login id or username
followed by the <RETURN> key. If you're accessing a publicly
available service such as Spacelink and you don't have a username
yet, you can login as *newuser* to apply for an account. Spacelink,
in particular, is intended for educational use, but NASA doesn't
insist that you be a teacher to get an account. Spacelink is also
offered via dialup phone access at (205) 895-0028.

If you already have a username, type it in; you'll then be prompted
for your password. When you supply the password, don't worry that it
doesn't appear on the screen. It is not shown because your password
is supposed to be secret, and you don't want any folks kibbitzing
behind you to see what it is.

In some cases when you connect to a resource, you'll have to specify
an additional identifier called a *port number*. There can be many
services running on a single computer; the port identifier serves to
keep them separate. When a port number is required, you usually don't
have to type in a username or password. Let's test-drive this
command:

*telnet madlab.sprl.umich.edu 3000*

Here we had to specify the port number, _3000,_ because it identifies
the program we want. Resource guides always include the port numbers
with the instructions for accessing resources, so if you don't see
one, don't worry about it. In this case, we're connecting to the
"Weather Underground," a service provided by the University of
Michigan's College of Engineering. The Weather Underground has a menu
system that's almost easier to use than your automatic teller
machine. You can find information such as your local weather, snow
ski reports for some parts of the country, earthquake reports for
other parts, and hurricane reports (so the Southern folks won't feel
left out).

Sometimes when you login to another system, you'll be asked about
your terminal type. In most cases, you can say you're emulating a
"VT-100" (or something similar) terminal, and you'll do just fine.
Some resources, such as online library catalogs, are running on IBM
mainframes, however, so you might have to use a different version of
Telnet called *tn3270* (if it exists on your system) in order to
emulate an IBM 3270 terminal. It works similarly, though the keys may
not correspond exactly to what you're used to; just substitute
_tn3270_ for _telnet_.

Let Me Outa Here!!!

Why is it so hard to say goodbye? Sometimes the biggest problem new
users have using publicly available services is getting out of them
without shutting down the computer. When you're remotely logged into
another computer, everything you type is being sent to the remote
system for execution. There are two ways to exit a system. One way is
simply to logout of the service. Unfortunately, there's no standard
"let me go" command. The best advice is to carefully read any
instructions that show up when you login to a system. If the screen
doesn't tell you anything, try one of these commands: _exit, quit,
logout, leave, bye, goodbye, ciao, disconnect, CTRL-D, CTRL-Z_.

If you still can't exit, then you can terminate the session by
signaling your _local_ telnet program that you wish to quit. Using a
special "escape" character or command allows you to temporarily
suspend your telnet session, and you're "brought back to reality" to
a telnet prompt (usually _telnet>_) on your home system. The escape
character can vary, but on many systems it's a _CTRL-]_.(Hold down
the control key and at the same time press the _]_ key.) On some
systems, _CTRL-^_ is used. You can then quit the telnet session by
typing* quit* at the telnet prompt.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*plokta* /plok'ta/ [Acronym for `Press Lots Of Keys To Abort'] 
v. To press random keys in an attempt to get some response from the 
system. One might plokta when the abort procedure for a program 
is not known, or when trying to figure out if the system is just 
sluggish or really hung. Plokta can also be used while trying 
to figure out any unknown key sequence for a particular operation. 
Someone going into _plokta mode_ usually places both hands flat 
on the keyboard and presses down, hoping for some useful response. 

Source: _The New Hacker's Dictionary,_ edited by Eric S. Raymond, 
with assistance and illustrations by Guy L. Steele Jr. (Cambridge, 
Mass.: The MIT Press, 1991). Reprinted with permission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


ONLINE RESOURCES

The Weather Service is neat, but it's just the tip of the tornado!
There's much, much more. We'll give you an idea of the types of
resources available and how to try some of them out.

Online Library Catalogs

Some of the most common and most-often-mentioned Internet resources
are the online library catalogs. At least 500 catalogs are accessible
via the Internet, mostly at academic organizations all over the
world. Most don't allow you to look at or transfer entire online
books; they just let you review bibliographic records. You can peruse
a certain library's collection, verify a citation or reference, or
see if a book is checked out or if it's available through the
interlibrary loan system. Online library catalogs, by the way, are
usually open all day and all night!

Some online catalogs offer more than just bibliographic records. For
example, to explore the UHCARL Library System at the University of
Hawaii, Manoa, type:

*telnet starmaster.uhcc.hawaii.edu*

At the _enter class_ prompt, type *lib*. Select *5* for VT-100
emulation. Wander through the menus. (See if _this_ book has been
checked out.) Items of interest include an index of Hawaiian sheet
music and the 1992 edition of the Hawaii Data Book.

Some online library catalogs even offer access to online
encyclopedias!  So you could connect to one of these services and
learn all about the endangered gorillas of Rwanda. Not every service
offered in the menus may be available to outside users. Some, such as
online encyclopedias, may be limited to registered users because of
licensing restrictions.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"The most important piece of information for potential users to know is 
that the resource is _gigantic_ and is growing larger. If it were an 
eggplant, we'd be in real danger."

--Steve Cavrak, University of Vermont
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Bulletin Board Systems 

Bulletin board systems (BBSs) on the Internet are a lot like the
electronic bulletin boards that you can dial into using a modem. Most
BBSs offer a menu of services. Some provide conferencing
capabilities, while others provide "read-only" information, similar
to regular bulletin boards at a library where information is tacked
up for everyone to read and taken down when it's no longer relevant.
SpaceMet Internet is an online bulletin board at the University of
Massachusetts (Amherst) for educators and students interested in
space-related topics:

*telnet spacemet.phast.umass.edu*

FreeNets.  FreeNets are community-based bulletin board systems with
email, information services, interactive communications, and
conferencing. FreeNets are funded and operated by individuals and
volunteers--in one sense, like public television. They're part of the
National Public Telecommunication Network (NPTN), an organization
based in Cleveland, Ohio, devoted to making computer
telecommunication and networking services as freely available as
public libraries. The FreeNet concept is catching on, and they're
opening up in more and more areas. Access is usually by a local dial
phone call using a modem, but a good number have also connected to
the Internet.

The Cleveland FreeNet, operated by Case Western Reserve University
Community Laboratory, is one of the best-known. It's organized almost
like a campus or old-fashioned downtown. Thousands of people access
this system each day, chatting with each other and visiting the
courthouse, the library, the arts building, or the community center.
Academy One, an innovative educational resource--a sort of electronic
schoolhouse--is available. There's also an online version of _USA
Today_ and lots of other interesting and useful information. Want to
try it?  Here's the command:

*telnet freenet-in-a.cwru.edu*

If you're a first-time user and don't have an account, you can demo
the system by selecting the _visitor_ login choice. From there you
can apply for an account free of charge, if you wish, or you can just
explore the system. The Cleveland FreeNet can also be accessed via
dialup phone, at (216) 368-3888.

Campus-Wide Information System.  Also known as CWIS, campus-wide
information services are popping up at universities and other types
of institutions all over the world--many in the United States and
others in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Usually
menu-based, CWIS are digital kiosks that provide campus-specific
information such as event calendars, phone and email directories,
newsletters, restaurant guides, local weather, available jobs,
athletic and cultural events, and course catalogs. While much of the
information may not be of interest to outsiders, some of the services
do provide links to useful databases and online library catalogs.
Also, these systems may be a good place to look for email addresses.
A popular CWIS is Cornell's, which you can access by using the
following command:

*telnet cuinfo.cornell.edu 300*

Some items of interest on this system include Uncle Ezra, an
electronic counselor (you'll have to see it to understand it!);
directories of students, faculty, and staff; job listings;
descriptions of current patents held by Cornell; campus groups'
newsletters; and local weather and ski reports. See the appendix for
instructions on getting a regularly updated list of CWIS sites.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Reach Out, Australia 

People take pity on poor graduate students all over the world. 
Joanne Smedley, an information services librarian at Australian 
National University, got a request from a postgraduate student who 
needed to track down a Ph.D. thesis that had just been completed at 
Cornell. He asked Joanne if she could get some information that hadn't 
shown up in _Dissertation Abstracts._ "I got into the CWIS for Cornell," 
Joanne said, where she discovered that although the faculty supervisor 
didn't have an email address, there was someone in the next office who 
did. She emailed the neighbor and got a response within a few days. 
"I felt at the time this was a nice lateral approach to the problem! 
Given the postgrad had no money to telephone and no computer on his 
own desk, I thought I would try!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Databases and Data Archives

You want data? The Internet's got data! Molecular biology, astronomy,
law, medicine, agriculture--you name it, it's probably accessible and
searchable via remote login. For instance, PEN Pages, provided by the
College of Agricultural Sciences at Pennsylvania State University,
has news articles, fact sheets, and reports on agricultural and
consumer topics. If you need to check the market price for pork
bellies or pineapples, learn how to measure growth of your Guernsey
heifers, or find out when and where the next Corn Silage Production
Meeting is held, this is the place to look.

*telnet psupen.psu.edu*

Login with the two-letter abbreviation for your state (i.e., _TX_ for
Texas, _NH_ for New Hampshire), or _WORLD,_ if you're outside the
United States; no password is needed.

One of the more esoteric online databases is the Dartmouth Dante
database, providing online, full text access to Dante's _La
Commedia_, along with centuries of commentary. To access it:

*telnet lib.dartmouth.edu*

At the first prompt, type *connect dante*.


Supercomputers

We would be remiss if we didn't mention access to supercomputer
centers.  After all, they are part of the reason the Internet exists.
The ARPANET provided researchers scattered across the country access
to expensive computational facilities, and the NSFNET backbone was
originally built to connect supercomputer centers. Supercomputers are
being used to do more than just develop and crack encryption and
security codes. Now they're also handling more mundane things such as
predicting the weather and studying the environment. Access via
remote login is still mostly limited to scientists and researchers;
an account and a reason to use them is needed. It's nice to know,
however, that they're around and that, if you have a reason, you can
access them.

Menu-based Systems

We've covered a few popular resources, but there is much, much more.
It's hard to remember _what_ services are available, let alone
_where_ they are! If you have direct access to the Internet, you can
use menu systems that will organize the many databases, online
library catalogs, bulletin board systems, and campus-wide information
services by subject, type of service, or geographic location. You
won't have to remember host names or port numbers; these menu-based
systems will make the connections for you. Two information resource
access systems that you may hear about are: Libtel, developed by Dan
Mahoney at the University of New Mexico, and Hytelnet, developed by
Peter Scott at the University of Saskatchewan.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SAMPLER OF ONLINE DATABASES AND SERVICES 

The Federal Information Exchange (FEDIX) service provides information 
for colleges, universities, and other research organizations. Telnet 
to host _fedix.fie.com_, login *fedix*. 

National Bureau of Time service will give you the exact time. Use 
telnet to connect to _india.colorado.edu 13_. 

GTE Contel DUAT System allows pilots to file flight plans and get 
weather briefings. Two addresses: _duat.contel.com_ is for pilots, 
and _duats.contel.com_ is for pilots and nonpilots. 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The programs are freely available (via anonymous FTP), and they will 
run on your computer. (See the appendix for information on where to
get them.) There are also public demo systems that you can telnet to.
Check out a version of Libtel, running on the _bbs.oit.unc.edu_
computer; login as *bbs* and work through the opening dialog to apply
for an account. The Hytelnet demo is running on _access.usask.ca_
login as *hytelnet*. Another popular menu-based service that you can
access via remote login is WUGATE, a library/database access system
that is run by the Washington University in St. Louis. The host is
_wugate.wustl.edu_; the login name is* library*.


TRANSFERRING INFORMATION

Imagine that you're creating an important report at your personal
workstation. You want to print it out, but you don't have a printer.
So you copy the document onto a floppy, put on your Keds, and run
down the hall to load the floppy at the nearest workstation-printer
site. This process is known as *file transfer*, because the report is
being transferred to another computer. Now, if both computers were on
the Internet, you could have transferred this file in a matter of
seconds using the file transfer capability. Instead of sending the
file through the slower "SneakerNet," you could have sent it over the
electronic highway. In short, the file transfer capability gives you
the ability to copy files from one computer to another.


What Is a File?

A file can be anything. It can be a document you create in your PC's
word processor. It can be a spreadsheet or a software program. It can
be a picture, or even music. Or it can be ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange) text, which is just plain vanilla
text with no formatting codes such as boldface or underlining.

Many of the documents are just text, useful (and readable by humans)
no matter what computer or software you're using. You should be
aware, however, that some of the files you transfer won't mean
anything to the system you're on. A word processor document--let's
say, one that was prepared by Microsoft Word--has special codes
within the document that signal the program to "make this word bold"
or "use the Times font." Obviously, this file won't mean much to you
if you don't own the Microsoft Word application.

Similarly, a file can be a software application. Not all software
will "run" or work on every computer. In fact, it's safe to say that
there isn't one piece of software that will work on every type of
computer. A Macintosh program won't run directly on a PC, and vice
versa. Similarly, a program created for the VMS operating system
won't run on a UNIX system. (VMS and UNIX are operating systems, just
like DOS is an operating system for PCs.)


File Transfer Clarified

Many people get file transfer and remote login confused--an easy
enough thing to do. Both applications allow you to connect to other
computers and obtain information, but file transfer is a more
specific and straightforward tool. Its main mission is to transfer
files between computers. You're not actually interactively querying
another computer's database or using a service to find out any
information.


There are also similarities and differences between file transfer and
electronic mail. Email is used for transferring personal messages,
although you can send and receive information in the form of files,
too. You wouldn't use file transfer to deliver personal messages, but
if you and another person need to transfer a file--say a text
document--back and forth, then electronic mail will work just fine.
Indeed, in most cases this is probably preferable, because you don't
want to give another person your username and password. Two warnings,
however: Some computers cannot handle extremely long email messages.
If your file is very large, you may need to send it in smaller
sections.  Some email systems can also throw extra characters into
your text, but file transfer guarantees integrity.

If the file is a nontext file, like a software program, then it's
almost always better to transfer it by using the Internet file
transfer tool. As mentioned in Chapter 3, you can send text files
only using the current commonly available email technology. If you
want to send a nontext file via email, it is necessary first to
convert it to text, using an encoding program. Since this process
requires several extra steps (it has to be decoded upon arrival,
too), it may just be simpler to use file transfer rather than email.

How File Transfer Works

Using the file transfer capability on the Internet is fairly
straightforward. The protocol is called File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
On many systems, the actual program that you will use is called
_ftp_, which stands for file transfer program. FTP allows you to
connect to another computer and perform certain actions, such as
listing the files in a directory and copying files back and forth
between both systems.

To start a session, type *ftp* _host-name._ (Or you can also use the
*ftp* command by itself, at which time you'll be put into the command
interpreter, which waits for more instructions from you. The *open*
_host-name_ command will establish a transfer connection.) You should
be prompted for your username and password on the remote system, just
as in the telnet process. Once you've identified yourself to the
remote system, you'll most likely see a prompt that looks like this:
_ftp>

When you use FTP, be sure to check local system documentation for
more information. It will tell you about the many other commands and
things you can do, as well as any system-specific characteristics you
should know about. Keep in mind that most of the following commands
will tell you information about and perform actions on the _remote_
system. For example, you can find out what files are in the remote
directory using the command *dir* (for "directory") or *ls* (for
"list").  You can change to another directory where other files are
stored using the command *cd* _directory-name_ ("change directory").
To go back up the directory ladder to the parent directory, use the
*cdup* command. If you don't know which directory you're in, the
*pwd* ("print working directory") command will tell you.

Now, if the "changing directories" part of this confuses you, then
you need to understand that directories in computers can be organized
similarly to folders in a filing cabinet. A directory is basically an
electronic folder with files and perhaps other folders in it, and
when you change directories, you're just opening up a new folder.
Once you're "in" the right directory on the remote system, you can do
several things, two of which are _getting_ a file (or files) and
_putting_ a file (or files). To download or transfer a file from the
remote system to your local computer, use the *get* _filename_
command.  To upload or put a local file on the remote system, use the
*put* _filename_ command. You can always get help by typing *help*
(for a list of commands) or *help* _command_.  In fact, you should
probably check out the help screens on any system when you are using
it for the first time. When you finish transferring files, you can
close the connection and exit by typing either *bye* or *quit*.

Many of the public archive sites run the UNIX operating system, so if
you're familiar with that, then the listing *dir* produces will make
sense. If you're not, it may help to know that the UNIX file system
is a hierarchical directory structure similar to that of a DOS or
Macintosh computer. Also, UNIX is case-sensitive, so if a filename is
shown in lower case, then you must type it in lower case. (A good
rule is to _always_ type the instructions or filename exactly as
shown.) Chapter 5 will tell you a bit about UNIX commands.  Following
is a sample listing of a directory on an anonymous FTP host that runs
UNIX:

-rw-r--r--  1 tracy  ftp    198 Apr 10 13:16 README 
dr-xr-xr-x  2 root   bin    512 Apr  1  1991 bin 
dr-xr-xr-x  2 root   bin    512 Apr  1  1991 etc 
-rw-r--r--  1 tracy  ftp  88349 Aug  2 15:26 glossary 
dr-xrwxr-x 14 ftp    ftp    512 Jul 23 09:10 pub

In this example, the filenames are on the far right. On the far left
are the permission and file type specifications. The letter _d_ in
the first column indicates that the entry is a directory, so _bin_,
_etc,_ and _pub_ are directories. The file creation date and time are
easy to spot: _README_ was created or modified on April 10 at 1:16
p.m. And finally, another thing you should notice is the number
immediately to the left of the date: the size of the file in bytes.
The glossary file is 88,349 bytes, which is fairly large. Because
it's so easy to transfer files, you may find that you can fill up
your disk space quickly, so you'll need to get a good file management
system going.  Remember to delete the files you don't need and to
compress the ones you want to keep.


Publicly Accessible Files

The transfer of publicly available information is one of the most
widespread uses of the file transfer capability on the Internet.
Many of the organizations connected to the Internet provide openly
accessible file transfer sites with information that anyone can
obtain (or _get_). Files are stored in "open" areas of computers, and
you can access them by using the file transfer program to connect to
those systems. A file that is "available via anonymous FTP" is
publicly available, and you can connect to a public archive computer
and use the file transfer program to copy it to your own system.

Remember that you need a login name and password to be allowed into a
computer. For publicly accessible files, the login name is
*anonymous* and the password can be anything, although it's a good
idea to type your email address. (Sometimes *guest*is the specific
password required.) Once you master spelling _anonymous_, you can
roam around the public storage areas on computers on the Internet
just as you explore public libraries.

Not every computer on the Internet makes public file storage areas
available, but at least 1300 known systems offer gigabytes and
gigabytes of information. These sites are making available electronic
books, public domain software, and graphic images--lots of amusing,
useful, and interesting stuff. Check the appendix for instructions on
obtaining a list of anonymous FTP sites.

Navigating around different computer public storage areas takes some
practice. As we've mentioned before, there are different kinds of
computers out there, and some present their electronic folders a bit
differently. Many systems provide README files that explain what
files are available or anything you might need to know about the
collection of files. You simply transfer the README file: *get
README*. (There's no standard name for an information file; they may
be called _00README_, or _readme, READ.me, INFO, INDEX,_ etc. You can
usually tell what file will provide information when you get a
directory listing.)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Libraries are the last democratic educational institution 
. . . the most important and democratic source of information . . 
. and the last refuge of those without modems." 

--Gloria Steinem, speech at the American Library Association 
in July 1992.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Let's transfer an electronic book, _Aesop's Fables._ This online
volume is made available through Project Gutenberg, a volunteer
organization dedicated to making electronic texts freely available.
In addition to _Aesop's Fables_, Project Gutenberg has _Moby Dick_,
_Roget's Thesaurus_, _The Book of Mormon_, _The Bible_, Shakespeare's
plays and sonnets, _Song of Hiawatha, _Through the Looking Glass_, a
Webster's dictionary, and _The CIA World Factbook_ --to name just a
few--so you may want to "root around" when you get on this system.

We happen to know that _Aesop's Fables_ is available via anonymous
FTP on the computer _mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu_, in the directory
_gutenberg/etext91*, with the filename _aesop11.txt_. In this
example, we won't show a directory listing (using the _dir_ command),
but you can use that command to see what other files are available.
If you wish to rename the file as you're transferring it to your
system, the command is *get* _remote-file_ _new-file-name_. Here's
what you'd see on your screen (the commands you would type are shown
between asterisks):

*ftp mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu*.  Connected to mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu.  220
mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu FTP server (Version 5.20 (NeXT 1.0) Sun Nov 11,
1990) ready.  Name (mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu:tracy): *anonymous* Password
(mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu:anonymous): 331 Guest login ok, send ident as
password.  230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.  ftp>>* cd
gutenberg/etext91* 250 CWD command successful.  ftp> *get
aesop11.txt* 200 PORT command successful.  150 Opening ASCII mode
data connection for aesop11.txt (241062 bytes).  226 Transfer
complete.  local: aesop11.txt remote: aesop11.txt 246283 bytes
received in 3.6 seconds (68 Kbytes/s) ftp> *quit* 221 Goodbye.


Non-Text Information

The above directions work fine if you're transferring text files.
When you fire up an FTP session, the system assumes that you are
transferring ASCII text files unless you specify otherwise. But if
you plan on transferring software or "unreadable" files (meaning
files that have been encoded to mean something only to a particular
computer or program), you'll need to tell the computers that you're
doing a *binary transfer*.  Files that have been *compressed* are
binary files, as are software programs.  A compressed file is
basically "dehydrated," or squeezed, to conserve disk space and also
to make the transfer time faster. Type *binary* <RETURN> before you
type *get* or *put* to transfer a file to tell the system that you're
moving a compressed, or non-text, file. Typing *ascii* will put you
back in text mode.

Obtaining Software

Need some software? Software archives are all over the Internet. The
Washington University Public Domain Archives is a great place to
start, with a boatload of public domain and shareware software for
the Amiga, Apple II, Atari, CP/M, DOS, GNU, Macintosh, Sun, TeX,
UNIX, VMS, and X Windows systems. There's so much on this system that
it's advisable to obtain any README files in each directory to learn
about what's available when you're exploring. If you want to check
out this system, type the *ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu* command, login as
*anonymous*, and use your email address as a password. (But don't
forget to specify _binary_ transfer for software!) Before you stock
up on software, read the section on security in Chapter 5.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From Russia with Byte 

Worried about gainful employment for all those Russian scientists 
and computer types, now that they're not doing arms development? 
Dave Hughes was looking for a way to develop a universal 
graphics/telecommunication package for education--and to make 
it inexpensive enough for schools to buy. No funding on these 
shores, so he hooked up with some Russian computer scientists 
and hired them to write the software. The Russians get a very 
capitalistic piece of potential sales and are paid in hard 
currency. So what's the Internet connection? Hughes and friends 
are in the United States, the programmers live in Moscow. They've
never even met. And everything--software standards, technical
documentation, general articles, sample software, code models--
travels the Internet.

Derived from a posting by Dave Hughes on the Consortium 
for School Networking Discussion Forum List<COSNDISC@bitnic.bitnet>. 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


File Formats

As we said earlier, certain files work only on certain computers, so
it's good to have a little knowledge of the types of files, how to
know which is which, and what programs, if any, you'll need to use
the files. Macintosh programs are sometimes in the BinHex (ASCII)
format. Once downloaded and un-BinHexed, the files will most likely
have to be uncompressed. Because PC files and programs are usually in
binary format, they will almost always have to be uncompressed with a
utility like PKZIP or StuffIt after being downloaded. A document
available via anonymous FTP explains most file compression,
archiving, and text-binary formats and tells where you can get
software to convert these various formats. This regularly updated
document is maintained by David Lemson and can be obtained via
anonymous FTP from _ftp.cso.uiuc.edu_, in the directory _doc/pcnet_,
filename _compression_.  The chart below shows some of the more
common file types you'll see, the programs they work with, and how
you should transfer (ASCII or binary mode) each of them.

Common File Formats on the Internet

Computer        Program/type        File ext.      Transfer Method

Mac             MacBinary          .bin           binary (Encoded)
Mac             Compact Pro        .cpt           binary (Compressed)
Mac             BinHex 4.0         .hqx           ASCII (Encoded)
Mac             self extracting    .sea           binary (Mac Application)
Mac             StuffIt            .sit           binary (Compressed)
PC              ARC, PKPAK         .arc           binary (Compressed)
PC              ARJ                .arj           binary (Compressed)
PC              LHArc              .lzh           binary (Compressed)
PC              PAK                .pak           binary (Compressed)
PC              Soundblaster       .voc           binary (Sound)
PC              WAVE               .wav           binary (Sound)
PC              PKZIP/InfoZIP      .zip           binary (Compressed)
PC              zoo                .zoo           binary (Compressed)
UNIX            compress &         .Z             binary (Compressed)
                uncompress
UNIX            tar                .tar           binary (Multiple files)
Any             PostScript         .ps            ASCII (Page Description)
Any             GIF                .gif           binary (Graphics)
Any             text               .txt           ASCII (text)


Obtaining Information via Electronic Mail 

If you don't have direct access to the Internet, are you forever cut off 
from publicly available files? Take heart; there are other ways to
get files. If you are in a situation where you can't interactively
use FTP, then you might want to check out the alternatives explained
in this section.

Using what's called an _info-server_, _archive-server,_ or an
_email-server,_ you can get publicly accessible files (normally
available via anonymous FTP on the Internet) essentially by placing
an "order" for a file (using special commands) in an email message.
(One command that should always work is *help*.) The message is sent
to the address of a server that processes the order and emails the
requested files back to you within a few minutes or, usually, by the
next day. That's all there is to it. If you're interested in knowing
which computers offer publicly available files via email, check the
appendix for information about how to get a regularly updated list.

The National Science Foundation Network Service Center (NNSC)
provides an Info-Server for documents available via anonymous FTP on
_nnsc.nsf.net_.  You can test this out by sending email to
_info-server@nnsc.nsf.net._ In the body of the message (you don't
have to worry about what's in the Subject: field), type the following
text:

*request: info* *topic: help*

A help file will be sent, explaining how to use the Info-Server.You
might want to get a Hypercard_ Tour of the Internet_; instructions
are listed in the _help_ file. This tour is also available via
anonymous FTP to the host _nnsc.nsf.net_, directory_internet-tour_.
See the _Internet-Tour-README_ file.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ONLINE INFORMATION SAMPLER 

You can get almost any type of information on the Internet. Here are some 
examples of items currently available: 

Supreme Court rulings, via anonymous FTP to _ftp.cwru.edu_, directory 
_hermes_. See the _INFO_ file and the various README files for more 
information. 

Lyrics to popular songs, interviews with musicians, sound samplers, and 
other musically related information, available from the Lyric/Music Server 
on _cs.uwp.edu_, directory _pub/music_. 

Sound Archive of digitized sounds for the Mac and PC, available on the 
host _ccb.ucsf.edu_, in the _Pub/Sound_list_ <->directory. See the 
_=readme=_ file. Note that you have to type those directories and 
filenames exactly as shown (including upper and lower case). 

Glasnost Archives containing sample pages from an exhibit of the Library 
of Congress' newly opened Soviet archives, available via anonymous FTP 
to _seq1.loc.gov, directory_ _pub/soviet.archive.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


FTP-by-Email Server.  The Info-Server directions above work only if
the computer that has your desired file supports an email server.
Unfortunately, such services don't exist on every computer offering
anonymous FTP access. Some computers, however, will act as general
purpose email/FTP translation servers. You can send orders for _any_
publicly available files, no matter what computer they're on. The
FTP-by-email server will try to transfer the files from the computers
they reside on, and will then email them to you.

One FTP by mail server is _ftpmail@pa.dec.com_. Send an email message
to that address, with a one-line message in the body: *help.* (Don't
worry about the Subject; anything will do.) You will be sent a help
file telling you what commands to use to obtain files. Another server
is BITFTP, named because it processes file requests from BITNET
users.  If you're on BITNET, send email (command *help* initially) to
_BITFTP@PUCC_ or _bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu_. You should receive a
help file explaining how to use BITFTP.


FINDING RESOURCES AND FILES

So many resources and public archives are available that we can't
even begin to cover everything, and people all over the world are
constantly cooking up interesting new offerings. There is no _one_
Internet resource "card catalog" because of the difficulty in
cataloging everything. Consider, for example, the following variety
of topics:

The radar summary weather maps generated hourly for the United States
(anonymous FTP _vmd.cso.uiuc.edu,_ directory _wx_).

A geographic name server (use the command 
*telnet martini.eecs.umich.edu 3000;* type *?* for help).

A collection of public domain Macintosh software (anonymous 
FTP _sumex-aim.stanford.edu_.

Technion University's (Israel) Library Catalogs (use the command
*telnet lib.technion.ac.il*; login as *ALEPH)*.

A public file archive of history documents (anonymous FTP
_ra.msstate.edu_, directory _pub/docs/history_).

A smorgasbord of electronic books, made available by various groups.

There _are_ lots of resource directories, guides, lists of public FTP
sites, and lists of online library catalogs that can help show you
the way to some important resources. Usually they're maintained by
volunteers and made available without cost via anonymous FTP, posted
regularly to certain mailing lists and newsgroups, or in hardcopy
form for a nominal price. The appendix lists the more popular guides.
Sometimes, however, you just have to resort to learning about new
resources through mailing lists and USENET postings or by word of
mouth. Or you may read a newsletter article about the Internet and
find out about a new server. This is true discovery--which is
fun--but it makes you feel as though you're missing out if you aren't
reading email or news in the right places or if you're not talking to
the right people.

Advanced Information Discovery and Retrieval Tools

Online lists and guides are useful for reading about interesting
online services but there are so many resources and information
archives available that it's hard to keep these guides up to date.
They can also be difficult to search if you've got something
particular in mind that you want to know about.

Fortunately, there are electronic tools springing up that will help
you search and browse documents, retrieve information on certain
subjects, and locate resources of interest to you. Some of the best
known and most used are archie, WAIS, Gopher, and World Wide Web.
These tools each provide a single interface into the hundreds of
disparate services and databases on the Internet, offering easier
ways to search or browse them. In other words, you don't have to
remember computer names, port numbers, or directory structures, or
learn lots of new interfaces.  In some cases they can even establish
links and relationships between other tools and services, helping you
to find information more easily.


Clients and Servers

To comprehend how these advanced applications work, you need to
understand a fundamental networking concept: the client/server model.
In general, *clients* are applications that run on your own computer,
taking advantage of its features. A graphical interface, for
instance, allows you to use your mouse instead of typing in commands.
A client hides many of the network details from you, including
computer names, ports, and commands, and it obtains its information
from servers. *Servers* are just programs running on computers that
are reachable via the network. They know where the data and documents
are and take care of servicing client queries.

Client programs that hide networking details are nice for novice
users who don't know a lot about how the Internet works or what
commands to use. Unfortunately, the client/server model requires a
_direct_ network connection to the Internet. So if you're sitting at
home with just a microcomputer, modem and terminal emulation
software, you may not be able to partake of these powerful
applications right away.  If, however, you can remotely login to
computers on the Internet, there are some simple, terminal-based
interfaces that you can use.  They're not as friendly and easy to use
as their graphical client counterparts, but they'll give you an idea
of what they can do.  Information on how to obtain the free client
programs for all of these applications is listed in the appendix.

All of this talk may sound a bit intimidating, but we did call these
_advanced_ tools. You definitely will have to spend a little time--
and probably endure some frustration--to learn your way around. If
you have a real need, or if you're just an incorrigible information
junkie, the trouble will definitely be worth it.

Archie

Let's start with the easiest to use and most readily understood
application: *archie* (derived from the word_ archive_) is an online
file-finding utility developed at the McGill University (Montreal)
School of Computer Science.  If you've ever looked high and low for a
file on your microcomputer's hard disk, you'll understand the
usefulness of this tool. About 1300 (and increasing) known public
sites are providing access to files via anonymous FTP. Trying to
figure out where a particular document or archive is located on the
Internet is like looking for the proverbial needle in a digital
haystack.

The way it works is simple. The archie system maintains a database of
all the names of files stored at known public archive sites. A user
can search this database by using a client program, by remotely
logging into an archie server computer, or by sending email (with
commands) to the server. Quite a few server computers are scattered
throughout the world, and users are requested to pick the one that's
closest to them. If you're not sure where to go, you can log into the
SURAnet server--*telnet quiche.cs.mcgill.ca*, login as *archie*.
Once you're on, type *help* to get a list of commands. If you want to
start searching for a file, simply type *prog* _filename_, where
_filename_ is the name of the file you're searching for. Archie will
"think" for a while and then produce a list of every place that has a
file by that name. You can then have this list sent to you via email
by typing *mail* _your-email-address_. When you're done searching,
just type *exit* to get back to home base.


If you want to search for public file sites where recipes are stored,
for example, telnet to the nearest archie host, login *archie*, type
*prog* recipes*, and sit back for awhile. Archie will spit out about
220 places where recipes are stored. You can then look through this
list for a file that sounds appealing and FTP a new healthy or exotic
recipe that you can retrieve and try out for dinner.

If your Internet access is limited and you can't telnet to an archie
server, you can access archie via email. Basically, you send commands
in an email message to an archie server and the results are emailed
back to you. To test this out, send a message to
*archie_@nearest-archie-server_ (see table below), with the command
*help* in the body of the message. A description of the basic
commands will be sent to you. You can then use the "FTP by Email
Servers" described earlier to obtain the files you want.


Public archie Servers

Country/State            archie Server Name

Australia                _archie.au_
Canada                   _archie.mcgill.ca_
Finland                  _archie.funet.fi_
UK/Ireland               _archie.doc.ic.ac.uk_
Maryland                 _archie.sura.net_
Nebraska                 _archie.unl.edu_
New York                 _archie.ans.net_
New Jersey               _archie.rutgers.edu_



Wide Area Information Servers 

Archie will tell you _where_ a file is, based on a name that you give 
it, but it can't help you search for information based on what's _in_
the file. That's a job for an application called *Wide Area
Information Servers* (*WAIS*, pronounced "ways"). WAIS was conceived
by Brewster Kahle and developed by Dow Jones, Thinking Machines,
Apple Computer, and KPMC Peat Marwick as a joint project. WAIS allows
you to search for information in databases located on server
computers. How does it work? Think of WAIS as a sort of electronic
reference librarian.  When you ask it where you can get information
on a certain subject, it searches databases and returns documents it
thinks will help you.  Now, the servers don't actually _understand_
your question; they simply look for documents that contain the words
and phrases you used. The documents can be pictures and sound as well
as text.

The WAIS system is very powerful and covers a lot of territory. At
least 400 databases (more being made available every day) are on
server computers all over the world. Here's just a sampling of the
information you have access to: poetry, _The Bible_, Educational
Resources Information Center (ERIC), the current weather, molecular
biology, recipes, zip codes, science fiction reviews, Roget's
_Thesaurus_, agricultural market news, documents about the Internet,
a number of organization phone books, and a variety of USENET news
archives.  You can try out a simple WAIS terminal interface by
remotely logging into _quake.think.com_, username *wais*. While this
interface is not as user-friendly as a graphical client interface, it
does let you check out the system to see exactly what databases are
available.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Is There a Swimming Pool in the Kremlin? 

A group of reference librarians at a major university library (which 
shall remain nameless) were a bit skeptical when a WAIS terminal was 
installed at their reference desk. Not that they were computerphobic. 
Far from it, they just felt they were already masters of the best
research tools available. So someone posed the question, "Is there a
swimming pool in the Kremlin?" Well, in this post-glasnost era,
certainly we should be able to find out.

The reference librarians scurried off to their favorite research mines
--some to the card catalog, some to Dialog, some to the periodical 
indexes. The WAIS wizard worked quietly at his terminal. Within ten 
minutes, he'd found several citations and one whole article about 
a retired member of the Red Guard who swam every day, just outside 
the Kremlin walls. More than half an hour after he'd finished, the 
librarians straggled back. A few had struck out. A couple had a few 
cold leads, and one had, with a lot more work, located the same 
article in about quadruple the time it took on WAIS. Think they were 
convinced?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Gopher 

*Gopher* is an application that organizes access to Internet resources 
using a uniform interface that's simple to understand and easy to
use.  It provides smooth passage into other computers, allowing you
to browse and search documents, and links you to resources and
databases such as USENET news, online library catalogs, and Campus
Wide Information Servers.  So while you're "sniffing" around
"Gopherspace," you may not know it, but you're actually doing things
like transferring files, changing directories, telneting to
computers, and querying servers (including archie and WAIS) all over
the world. You can get an idea of how gopher works by remotely
logging into one of the public gopher telnet sites.  It's recommended
that you choose one that's closest to you.


Public Telnet Gopher Sites

Hostname                         Login Id             Geographical Area


_consultant.micro.umn.edu_       *gopher*             North America
_gopher.uiuc.edu_                *gopher*             North America
_gopher.uwp.edu_                 *gopher*             North America
_panda.uiowa.edu_                *panda*              North America
_info.anu.edu.au_                *info*               Australia
_gdunix.gd.chalmers.se_          *gopher*             Sweden


World Wide Web 

*World Wide Web* (*WWW* or *W3*) is a browsing and searching system that 
allows you to explore a seemingly unlimited worldwide digital "web" of 
information. The system links related documents using a very powerful 
concept called *hypertext*. Basically, almost every piece of information 
you look at provides you with pointers, or links, which you can follow 
to other documents on the same or related subject. You can travel the 
strands of the web, locating information of interest to you. You don't 
have to know where anything is, for a particular journey may present you 
with information from many different servers. WWW does more than just let 
you browse; it also allows you to search for key words in certain documents. 
You can try the simple line mode browser by telnet-ing to
_info.cern.ch_.  It's not as sophisticated as the client browsers
are, but you can get a basic idea of how it works.



The resources we've described in this chapter only skim the surface 
of what's available on the Internet. Once you've mastered remote login 
and file transfer, you'll be able to use the Internet to track down 
a single fact or expand your horizons with masses of information.
With the guideposts we've given you, you'll be able to locate even
more resources to explore.

As you roam the Internet, you'll definitely get the sense that there's 
a culture and a shared history--things that people just "know." 
So that you don't feel left out, Chapter 5 will give the flavor of 
the Internet culture, tell you some of what's gone on before you made 
the scene, and give you some "insider" information about security, 
UNIX commands, and where in the network world you can go to get help.



5. INTERNET IN-THE-KNOW GUIDE

Now that you've learned what you can do on the Internet 
and a bit about how it works, it's time to cover a few "Advanced 
Internet Topics." The Internet is more than just how-to. It has 
its own culture, its own myths and legends. There are fantasy games 
on the Internet that become a world unto themselves for many of the 
players. You should know, too, about the organizations dedicated to 
the Internet and to network users. And there are some technical 
niceties--such as directory services and advanced methods for 
finding email addresses and UNIX commands--that you can master 
if you're willing. Technical necessities, like computer security, 
are a must-read. A final section gives some direction for times when
you need additional information or help with an Internet problem.

Put a few million people together anywhere, even in electronic cyberspace, 
and they'll develop some kind of culture--a fabric of shared experiences, 
shared recreation, shared fears, shared rules of behavior--that 
makes them all feel part of a community. We talked about the Internet's 
formal and informal codes of conduct in Chapter 3. Now it's time to 
learn about some of the less tangible aspects of the Internet culture, 
the 'Net legends, and the notable--and notorious--subculture of
network games.

LEGENDS ON THE INTERNET

Probably everyone knows at least one story that qualifies 
as an "urban legend"--a story that, while it may have started 
with a grain of truth, has been embroidered and retold until it has 
passed into the realm of myth. It's an interesting phenomenon that 
these stories get spread so far and so fast--and so often. Urban 
legends never die; they all just seem to end up on the Internet! You 
won't be on the Internet long before you start seeing references to
these legends. Experienced Internet users have seen some of these old
chestnuts come around regularly for years.

The Infamous Modem Tax

The FCC Modem Tax Scare is a classic example of an Internet 
legend that refuses to die. Several years ago, a proposal surfaced 
in Washington to put a telecommunications tax on modems. The tax was 
quickly squashed in a congressional committee, and it was not--repeat 
_not_--under reconsideration at the time this book was 
published. But you wouldn't know that from some users of the Internet. 
The scare resurfaces continually on the networks, riling new users 
at the prospect that their new-found electronic freedom is about to 
be taxed. The story just keeps on rolling. In one recent email exchange, 
fresh from the Internet, the story and the original (and _undated_) 
letters were forwarded, once again, to a user group with 40 members
scattered all over the state of Texas. How far it was forwarded from
here is anyone's guess.

The FCC story is essentially innocuous, though its constant recycling 
through the Internet wastes people's time, as well as network resources. 
It has also created a "cry wolf" situation, and if another 
modem tax ever _is_ proposed, it will certainly be harder to 
mobilize the opposition. Imagine the damage, though, of a malicious 
rumor or flat-out lie, broadcast around the world again and again.
After you imagine it, promise you'll think twice before you forward
anything, and check the facts before you do.

Get Well Cards Gone Amok

Back in the mid-eighties, a British seven-year-old named Craig Shergold 
was diagnosed as having an inoperable brain tumor. Craig wanted to set 
the Guinness record for receiving the most get-well cards, and his
efforts got worldwide publicity, from mimeographed sheets to email
pleas.

Craig is thirteen now, and he's doing just fine; his brain tumor was 
successfully treated. He did set the Guinness record for get-well 
cards in 1989 and has gotten more than thirty million cards to date.
That's the good news.

Incredibly, however, the Craig Shergold story keeps circulating on 
the Internet, as fresh as the day it started. Sometimes it mutates 
into requests for post cards or business cards, but otherwise the 
story is the same. The hospital where Craig was treated is still being 
buried with cards. The Shergolds (Craig's parents), the hospital, 
even Ann Landers have sent out pleas to stop them, but the story has 
taken on a life of its own, and the cards keep rolling in. In short, 
the situation has taken on a nightmarish quality for all involved. 
The hospital and post office, which have to cope with all of the
cards, sell some to stamp collectors and paper recyclers. Guinness
has discontinued the category to prevent anything like this from
happening again.

So, if you see a plea on the network for cards for a little boy who's 
dying with a brain tumor, pass it up. And pass the word that Craig
Shergold is doing just fine. No more cards, _please_!

The $250 Recipe

Another story that regularly makes the rounds is the $250 cookie recipe. 
As the story goes (in shortened form), a lady ate lunch at the 
restaurant in the Neiman-Marcus department store in Dallas 
and had their famous chocolate chip cookies for dessert. She thought 
they were so good that she asked for the recipe. Told that the recipe 
cost "two-fifty," she said, "Fine," and asked to have the charge added 
to her bill, which she paid with a Visa card. When her statement 
arrived a month later, the "two-fifty" was actually "two hundred 
and fifty" dollars! She tried in vain to get her money back, but the
company wouldn't budge. So her revenge was to make sure that as many
people as possible got a copy of the recipe.

Neiman-Marcus says it just plain never happened. They've never sold 
cookies in their restaurants; they don't even take Visa cards. Recipes 
from their restaurants are given out free to those who request them. 
The same tale has also circulated as the "Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe." 
The story travels in low-tech circles as well as the Internet,
recently surfacing as a bogus letter to Ann Landers. Try the cookie
recipe (see below); they're good! Just do your fellow users a favor
and post the recipe on your refrigerator, not on the 'Net.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The "$250" Cookie Recipe

2 cups of butter              1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of sugar               2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 cups of brown sugar         2 teaspoons of baking soda
4 eggs                        24 oz. of chocolate chips
2 teaspoons of vanilla        1 eight-oz. Hershey bar, grated
4 cups of flour               3 cups of chopped nuts
5 cups of blended oatmeal*

Cream butter, add both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix 
together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. 
Add chips, candy bar, and nuts. Roll into ball shape and place 
2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes at 
375 degrees.

Yield: 112 cookies. The recipe can also be divided in half.

*Blended oatmeal: measure and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chain Letters

Every now and then someone will get a chain letter and decide to send 
it to everyone they've ever known. Before copy machines, the letters 
had to be duplicated by hand or carbon copied in the typewriter. 
Electronic mail makes chain letters much easier--and just as
annoying.  Chain letters also violate every known acceptable use
policy. So just don't send them.

GAMES

Just about every computer user has at least one game tucked away 
somewhere--the kind you play a bit surreptitiously when the 
boss isn't watching or you've got a bad case of writer's block. The 
Internet's no exception. There are shareware and freeware games you 
can download for your own computer, as well as game newsgroup discussions 
and email lists. Games are played on the Internet, too. There's the 
Trivia USENET Newsgroup, whose participants have gotten past naming 
all the seven dwarfs and have now moved on to higher-order thinking:
naming all the characters in the Charlie Brown comic strip. Try the
Weekly Trivia Contest on the USENET newsgroup _rec.games.trivia_.

As you might imagine, the "big" games on the Internet tend 
to match the network itself in scale and complexity, and they are 
a world and a culture unto themselves. Generally, the games--with 
names like Galactic Bloodshed, Empire, and Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs)--are 
adventure, role-playing games or simulations. Devotees call them "text-based 
virtual reality adventures." The games can feature fantasy combat,
booby traps, and magic. Players interact in real time and can change
the "world" in the game as they play it.

All of the games require the ability to use Telnet and demand an intense 
learning process to figure out all the characters and game idiosyncrasies, 
not to mention the rules. They can be extremely addictive; small-time 
players may spend an hour or so a day. Some people literally spend 
all of their waking hours in the game. Many of the game players seem 
to feel the need to leave their mark on the game, and generations 
of game variations have evolved. Empire, for example, a military
simulation written by Peter Langston, has five or six multi-player
spinoffs and a single-player version. According to the _Hacker's
Dictionary,_ all of the empire games "are notoriously addictive."

In most games, new players take on a persona and then participate 
_in_ the game. To quote from the Frequently Asked Questions 
document for Multi-User Dungeons, "You can walk around, chat with 
other characters, explore dangerous monster-infested areas, solve 
puzzles, and even create your very own rooms, descriptions, and items. 
You can also get lost or confused if you jump right in." If these 
games sound interesting, check out the USENET newsgroups under the
hierarchy _rec.games_. Read the postings and then read and study the
FAQs for "your" games.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Man Behind the MUSE

Lately, armed with only my trusty modem, I have been wandering 
though cyberspace and spending time in a computer at MIT wherein lives 
a wonderful new world called MicroMUSE. I suppose MicroMUSE is 
one of those virtual reality things; I have come to distrust the phrase 
"virtual reality" the way, in another era, I came to distrust 
the word "lifestyle."

MUSE stands for Multi-User Simulation Environment; the environment 
in this case is a space station called Cyberion City. It's all text-based 
(there are no graphics) but then "Moby Dick" was a text-based 
adventure, too. It's a pretty vigorous form.

So fine; so fun. I was bumbling about talking to people, 
trying to learn more about the inner workings of MicroMUSE, and I 
was told that the very inventor of the entire system, Mr. MUSE himself, 
lived in the Bay Area. In Cyberion City, he's "Jin" (I'm "Scribe," 
by the way--yuck yuck); in real life he's Stan Lim and works at 
a Prominent Computer Company (hereinafter PCC) on the Peninsula. We 
made a date; I drove down to see him.

Stan Lim is 23 years old, an electrical engineer at PCC; 
he has a small cubicle next to the machine shop. He invented MicroMUSE 
three years ago, when he was a senior at Cal State Fresno. It's all 
a labor of love, all volunteer; he's never received a penny from 
MicroMUSE; doesn't expect to. Does PCC know about MicroMUSE? "Oh, 
no," says Stan Lim. "I haven't told them. I don't know what 
they'd think."

He emphasizes that Cyberion City was a joint enterprise, 
its directors scattered all over the country. Only one, Barry Kort, 
a specialist in artificial intelligence working at MIT, is near the 
actual machine. And many of the key players in Cyberion City are even 
younger than Lim. "Our chief code hacker is 14," he says
matter-of-factly.  "Our youngest citizen is, let's see, 7 now. Kids
really get into it fast; they make me feel old." For more information
on MicroMUSE, log on to your local Internet host and send a message
to _micro-muse-registration@chezmoto.ai.mit.edu_.

Source: Excerpted from a column by Jon Carroll that appeared in the
_San Francisco Chronicle_ on Tuesday, April 14, 1992. Reprinted with 
permission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


UNIX ON THE INTERNET

Once you're a regular on the Internet, you'll notice that a lot of 
computers out there run the UNIX operating system. UNIX was, and is, 
popular among researchers and computer science departments (which 
made up the early Internet), partly because some of the first versions 
of TCP/IP were distributed free with one version of UNIX known as the 
Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Many computer companies sell 
their machines with UNIX and TCP/IP bundled in, which makes it a more
popular combination than some of the other computers and operating
systems for which people have to order TCP/IP support separately.

You don't have to be a UNIX expert to use the Internet, but it doesn't 
hurt to know some of the basic commands. UNIX--fairly or unfairly--has 
gotten a reputation for being unfriendly. If you're using the Internet, 
however, sooner or later you'll have to deal with UNIX face-to-face, 
so included in this chapter is a summary of commands (see below).

The UNIX file system (the way files are organized on the hard disk) 
is hierarchical, similar to the DOS file system. If you understand 
how the DOS file system works, then it shouldn't take you long to 
find your way around UNIX systems. Since a good number of the public
file archive sites are computers running the UNIX operating system,
learning your way up and down a UNIX directory (as we discussed in
Chapter 4) will come in pretty handy. Knowing how to navigate through
directories and use some of the basic UNIX commands will make you a
more powerful Internet user. See the appendix for more UNIX
resources.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
COMMON UNIX COMMANDS

To find out more about a command, use the _man_ (for manual) command. 
For example, to find out about the change directory command, _cd_, 
type *man cd*.

File Commands
*ls*             --list files
*more, page*     --display file at your terminal
*cp*             --copy file
*mv*             --move or rename files
*rm*             --remove files

Editor
*vi*             --screen editor

Directory Commands
*cd*             --change current directory
*mkdir*          --make a new directory
*rmdir*          --remove a directory
*pwd*            --print working directory

Command Information

*apropos*        --locate commands by keyword lookup
*whatis*         --display command description
*man*            --displays manual pages online

Useful Information Commands
*cal*            --print calendar
*date*           --print date and time
*who*            --print who and where users are logged in
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


SECURITY ISSUES

Computer security is a major issue no matter where you go, what type 
of computer you use, or whether or not your computer is connected to 
a network. No doubt you've heard stories about breakins on the 
Internet and would like to know what you should be concerned about.
You might be wondering, "Can people read my email, can they login to
my computer? Will my computer get a virus?" This section will provide
some interesting insight into security on the Internet and the
answers to those questions.

First of all, you should realize that despite its military origins,
the Internet is not a classified network. The ARPANET was a network
research experiment, so there was a lot of collaboration with
information being transferred between machines and researchers.
Collaboration is difficult if computers are locked up tight. Besides,
the ARPANET was a small community, and users left their doors
unlocked, just as trusting folks in small towns do. Today, the
Internet is a massive cooperative with thousands of networks--about
20,000 times larger than the ARPANET, all "tied" together. And
because there's still a lot of research being conducted, it's still
considered an open, "sharing" network. That doesn't mean, however,
that security is not an issue. Sensitive information is stored on
computers on the Internet and is therefore vulnerable to attacks from
intruders.  To further complicate matters, the Internet has spread
its tentacles worldwide. Any computer directly connected to any
network is potentially at risk if proper precautions are not taken.

What's not so secure about the Internet? Basically, the computers:
different computers running different operating systems, each with
its own characteristics, bugs, misconfigured software, and so forth.
The security of each computer is the responsibility of a system
administrator.  Since all parts must work together to make the entire
Internet "secure," it's probably best to assume that things aren't
secure and act accordingly.  If you follow a few simple rules, you'll
probably be okay. Compromises in security have happened and will
continue to happen. Fortunately, when they do, lessons are learned,
"holes" or weaknesses get fixed, problems are highlighted, and the
Internet takes another step toward becoming a bit more secure.


Breaking Down Account Doors

The press regularly reports on hackers breaking into computers and
causing damage. The term "hacker" seems now to describe any denizen
of the night or fourteen-year-old out on an electronic joy ride.
Actually, a more accurate term for these computer hooligans is
*cracker*. *Hacker* in the computer world is a term of respect:
Hackers are basically nuts about computers and like to learn systems
inside and out. Real hackers aren't angels, but they don't get their
kicks from breaking into other systems to exploit holes and to snoop
into someone else's information. Most breakins are accomplished by
incredible patience and brute force. There isn't anything magical
about those who do it. "Cookbook" recipes, giving step-by-step
instructions on how to break into certain systems, have even been
published over the network.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*hacker* [originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe] 
n. 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable 
systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most 
users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. 2. One who 
programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys programming 
rather than just theorizing about programming. 3. A person capable 
of appreciating hack value. 4. A person who is good at programming 
quickly. 5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently 
does work using it or on it; as in 'a UNIX hacker'. (Definitions 1 
through 5 are correlated, and people who fit them congregate.) 
6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, 
for example. 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively 
overcoming or circumventing limitations. 8. [deprecated] A malicious 
meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. 
Hence _password hacker, network hacker_.

It is better to be described as a hacker by others than to describe 
oneself that way. Hackers consider themselves something of an elite 
(a meritocracy based on ability), though one to which new members are 
gladly welcome. There is thus a certain ego satisfaction to be had in 
identifying yourself as a hacker (but if you claim to be one and are 
not, you'll quickly be labeled bogus).

Source: _The New Hacker's Dictionary_, edited by Eric S. Raymond, 
with assistance and illustrations by Guy L. Steele Jr. (Cambridge, 
Mass.: The MIT Press, 1991). Reprinted with permission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


What Can You Do?

As a user of the Internet, you can't do much about fixing problems if 
the computer you're getting Internet access from is not your own.
There is, however, something very important that you can and must do.
You can stop an intruder in his or her tracks simply by being
responsible about the password(s) you use.

Most levels of service on the Internet require some type of
authentication to prove it's really you accessing the service.
Usually this involves a user identification and a password to allow
access. Your userid is usually very well known, so the only way you
can protect is with a secret password. Your password is the key to
the locked door of your account or your electronic mail service. Most
common security problems can be prevented by simply being careful
with your password.

If an "undesirable" gets your password and uses it to enter your
account uninvited, worse things can happen than just your files being
looked at, modified, or deleted. Crackers have posted articles to
newsgroups or mailing lists from an account they shouldn't be using.
You may find that, without your knowledge, "you" made an insulting,
politically incorrect statement that infuriated everyone who read it.
No matter how many followup apology messages you send to rectify the
situation, damage will have been done. A lot of people may not get
your real message, and many won't believe you.

Never give anyone your password. But if you do have a valid reason
for giving someone your password so he can obtain some information or
perform an action, change the password as soon as he's done. If you
get an account on another system, such as a public database or
bulletin board, do not use the same password that you use on your
local system. You have no way of knowing where it is stored or how
private passwords on other systems are. Don't write your password
down and leave the paper in an obvious place, such as the desk drawer
next to your computer. Some computers tell you upon login when you
were last seen on that account. You should check to make sure it
agrees with when _you_ were really last logged into that computer.
If there's a discrepancy, call your system administrator.

Copying the scams that try to get your credit card number over the
phone, some potential intruders call or send email claiming to be a
system administrator. This person will tell you that, for various
reasons, you need to change the password for your account to
something he tells you. Be careful of anyone claiming to be a system
administrator.  If you're not sure, get a number and call him back or
try to see him in person.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Stalking the Wily Hacker

Clifford Stoll, an astronomer working as a programmer at Lawrence Berkeley 
Labs (LBL) to make ends meet, traced a 75-cent accounting error on one of 
the lab's computers through the Internet until he found a German spy 
selling computer secrets to the KGB. Stoll documented this chase in a 
surprisingly exciting, can't-put-it-down book called _The Cuckoo's Egg._ 
_The Cuckoo's Egg_ is a great introduction to the world of research 
networking, the Internet, and ARPANET, and it manages to appeal to 
novices and experts alike.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


How to Pick a Password.

An easily guessable password is one of the most common causes of
security problems. If you don't know how to change your password, put
it at the top of your list of things to learn. Passwords should never
be based on your own name--not even your name spelled backwards. They
should also not be easily guessable, such as your husband's or wife's
name, girlfriend's or boyfriend's name, the dog's name, your license
plate, the street where you live, your birthday--you get the picture.
Passwords also should not be dictionary words. Crackers often use
online dictionaries and programs to guess words by "brute force."

So what _can_ passwords be? There's nothing left to pick, right?
Well, be creative. Take your favorite saying, "Until the cows come
home, sweetheart," and use the first letters from each word,
"utcchs". (It's recommended that the word be at least six characters
long.) This way the password is not a word, but it's easy to remember
and hard to guess. You can also combine words, such as "car-bike."
It's also recommended to mix some numbers with the letters and throw
in some punctuation for pizazz, but never make your password all
numbers.

Can People Read My Email?

Can they read it? Yes, they can. Now that doesn't mean that there is
always someone out there reading your email. With millions of people
on the Internet, our individual messages likely get lost in the
crowd. But you've got to realize that once email leaves your system,
it may sit on another computer hundreds or thousands of miles away,
and you have no control over who has access to it. What if that
computer has a liberal security policy, or is full of security holes?
The best thing to do is to realize that your email is not going to be
secure and to avoid transmitting sensitive material, as already
recommended in Chapter 3. Even if no one reads your email while it's
in transit, the recipient could forward the message on to whomever he
or she pleases.

It is possible to physically "tap" networks, just like tapping
telephone lines. And if someone is able to do that, he can read
anything going across those wires. But all hope is not lost: There
are ways to make your email more secure. One is to encrypt it before
it leaves your computer. *Encrypt* means simply that it's encoded
into something that no one else can read without the proper key. Upon
receipt, the message must be decrypted on the recipient's machine.
There are no _automatic_ mechanisms available in the Internet right
now to encrypt email, but if you have the necessary software on your
computer, you can do it.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Catchy Title Should Appear Here

Dave Barry, noted author and nationally syndicated humor columnist for 
the _Miami Herald_, is an Internet regular--despite the fact that he's 
a Net Non-User. His column, released worldwide on the Internet through 
the ClariNet UPI news service (called _clari.feature.dave_barry_), 
has been keeping users entertained on a weekly basis for several years. 
Wanting to understand the erudition and sensitivity of his articles, 
thousands of jacked-in Dave followers formed a USENET newsgroup called 
_alt.fan.dave_barry._ There, fans from Waterloo to Waxahachie 
discuss his articles and books, recent Dave sightings, those witty 
post card replies to his fans, and his thriving presidential campaign 
(his catchword is "A Catchy Slogan Should Appear Here"). When 
asked what he thought of his electronic devotees, the Internet, and 
this book, Dave had this to say: "I think it is truly a wonderful 
thing that, through the Miracle of Computers, millions of people can 
read my column instead of leading productive lives." But humor 
abounds on the Internet, and even researchers and educators have been 
known to search out a laugh.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Viruses

Should you lose much sleep over viruses on the Internet? Well, no, and 
yes.  Your computer can't get a virus from using electronic mail or
just telneting around to other computers. If you're just transferring
text files, then you shouldn't worry; they're not going to reach out
and "grab" your computer and do something to it. You should, however,
treat public domain and shareware _software_ (available via anonymous
FTP from public file archive sites) with caution. If you remember
that you have to do a _binary_ file transfer to get this software,
you will be aware that you're transferring something that could
possibly carry a virus. To guard against viruses from the Internet
and elsewhere, you should make sure you have the best available
virus-detection software installed on your computer. And keep it
updated; new viruses appear all of the time.

Where there's a problem, a solution is usually near at hand, and
security advice is available on the Internet. The Computer Emergency
Response Team (CERT) focuses on the security needs of the research
community.  Based at Carnegie Mellon University, CERT has an
anonymous FTP archive of security advisories, tips, tools, and so on.
The computer name is _ftp.cert.org_. There's also a LISTSERV called
_VIRUS-L_, a moderated, digested mail forum for discussing computer
virus issues.  The USENET newsgroup _comp.virus_ has the same
messages as _VIRUS-L_, only in a slightly different, nondigested
format. The VIRUS-L FAQ document answers questions on how to get the
latest free/shareware antivirus programs. It's available on the CERT
public archive in the directory _pub/virus-l_, filename
_FAQ.virus-l_. See the appendix for suggested reading and resources
on security.

INTERNET ORGANIZATIONS

The Internet has spawned a number of organizations and interest
groups over the years with many different missions and purposes.
Some are special interest groups; some are task groups responsible
for certain aspects of the Internet. The acronym names of these
groups alone are staggering. Two organizations that may be of
interest and that provide direction and information for the entire
Internet are the Internet Society and the Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF).  The Internet Society deals with technical and
operational issues that affect the entire Internet. The Electronic
Frontier Foundation's concerns extend beyond the networks to cover
all of the social and policy issues that arise as we integrate
computers and networks into our culture.

The Internet Society

The Internet Society is a nonprofit professional organization run by
its members (both individuals and organizations in various
communities, including academic, scientific, and engineering),
dedicated to encouraging cooperation among computer networks to
enable a global research communications infrastructure. The society
sponsors several groups that determine the needs of the Internet and
propose solutions to meet them. One of these groups is the Internet
Architecture Board (IAB), which provides direction to two principal
task forces: the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the
Internet Research Task Force (IRTF). The IETF is concerned with
operational and technical issues of the Internet, and the IRTF is
involved in research and development matters.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Electronic Frontier

"Whether by one telephonic tendril or millions, [these computers] are 
all connected to one another. Collectively, they form what their 
inhabitants call the Net. It extends across that immense region of 
electron states, microwaves, magnetic fields, light pulses and thought 
which sci-fi writer William Gibson named Cyberspace.

"Cyberspace, in its present condition, has a lot in common with the 
19th Century West. It is vast, unmapped, culturally and legally ambiguous, 
verbally terse (unless you happen to be a court stenographer), hard to 
get around in, and up for grabs. In this silent world, all conversation 
is typed. To enter it, one forsakes both body and place and becomes a 
thing of words alone. It is, of course, a perfect breeding ground for 
both outlaws and new ideas about liberty."

Excerpted from John Perry Barlow, "Crime and Puzzlement: Desperados of 
the DataSphere," _Whole Earth Review_ (Sausalito, Calif., Fall 1990), 
pp. 45-57. Used with permission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


The society is also dedicated to promoting Internet technology for 
scientific and educational applications and to educating others in
possible uses of the Internet. In addition to sponsoring a yearly
international conference, INET, it publishes a quarterly journal that
provides information about the evolution of the Internet and articles
of interest.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation

The EFF was founded in 1990 to "help civilize the electronic
frontier; to make it truly useful and beneficial to everyone, not
just an elite; and to do this in a way that is in keeping with our
society's highest traditions of the free and open flow of information
and communication." The catalyst for EFF's founding was the
heavy-handed investigation of supposed "computer crimes" by Secret
Service agents who, as the stories go, hardly knew a disk drive from
a discus.  In addition to practically bankrupting a couple of
innocent small businesses, the investigations rode roughshod over the
free speech and privacy rights of electronic communications. EFF's
most famous founder, Mitch Kapor, developer of Lotus 1-2-3 and
current president of ON Technology, led the charge in finding funding
and hiring lawyers to assist in defense. The EFF has continued to
represent computer network users in debates on public policy covering
privacy, law enforcement procedures for computer crime, network
development, and more.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Reporting the November 1988 Internet Virus

On the morning of November 2, 1988, I received a call about a rogue 
program that had spun madly out of control across a remarkable 
number of Internet sites, temporarily disabling thousands of computers 
around the country. It seemed like an interesting story.

I began calling computer systems managers around the Internet, 
who told me that a virus or a worm had crashed naval research laboratory 
computers in San Diego as well as machines at Lawrence Livermore 
Laboratories.

Estimates of the infection's spread ranged from 60,000 to 250,000 
computers attached to the Internet.

News media around the country were scrambling to get the story. 
_The New York Times_, however, got a key break when an unidentified 
caller began a series of strained conversations with me. Whoever 
he was, he knew a great deal about the program and how it was 
written. It was, the caller said, an experiment by Mr. X, a 
Boston-area computer scientist, that had gone awry.

My caller was himself a graduate student, a close friend of 
Mr. X, who was worried about the programmer's welfare. But he made a 
mistake. In one of our conversations he referred to Mr. X as "RTM."

For anyone who frequents computer hacker circles, RTM is immediately 
identifiable as a computer login. Running a command called _finger_ 
remotely over the Internet located the login on a computer at Harvard. 
The person who had written the virus was Robert Tappan Morris, a 
23-year-old Cornell computer science student. The bombshell, of course, 
was that he was the son of Robert Morris, the chief scientist of the 
National Computer Security Center, an arm of the N.S.A.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a wide-ranging 
investigation and the U.S. attorney in Syracuse recommended that 
the younger Mr. Morris be charged with a single misdemeanor. However, 
apparently the Justice Department, concerned that example be set in 
the case, held out for a stiffer set of charges.

Excerpted with permission from a column written by John Markoff in 1989.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


FINDING EMAIL ADDRESSES: THE SEQUEL

We talked briefly about finding email addresses in Chapter 3. Now 
that you know more about using Telnet, FTP, and email, here are a few
more advanced methods for tracking down email addresses.  Literally
millions of people can be reached via electronic mail. And, as you've
seen, the Internet is growing by leaps and bounds, with more
computers and people being added every hour. People are getting "on"
but are having a hard time locating the people with whom they wish to
communicate.

Unfortunately, there is no _one_ way to find email addresses.  You
simply need to be an electronic detective. There isn't a central
database, nor is there a distributed database directory system for
you to query. If you are willing to "feel" your way around the
Internet, though, you can probably find someone's email address, or
at least get close. Some of the most common methods are mentioned
here.

Finding an email address on a network is similar to finding telephone
numbers and snail-mail addresses using the phone book or directory
assistance. On the Internet, the resource is called *directory
services.* More specifically, the Internet *white pages* offer the
location information (such as email and telephone) similar to that
provided by the telephone book's white pages. Similarly, Internet
*yellow pages* are organized by type of service or by network
resource.

Unfortunately, the directories now available are limited to specific
organizations or groups. Providing comprehensive directory service
information is difficult for several reasons. First, many people have
more than one address, and those addresses can change often. For
example, you may have a CompuServe address, an Internet address from
a commercial Internet service, and a BITNET address from a local
university.  Each of these addresses has a slightly different format
and is part of a different organization's directory system.

To compound matters, computer names can change; therefore, your email
address may change. Privacy and security are other issues; you may
wish for your CompuServe address to remain private but be willing to
publicize the others. Some organizations don't wish to release their
entire directories of contact information. And some others just don't
have directory information compiled yet, due to lack of staff or
other reasons. Committees, working groups, and standards bodies have
wrestled with the directory problem, and they are working on a new
directory services standard called X.500. But don't hold your breath
waiting for a complete worldwide directory system any time soon.

Network Information Servers and Tools

Some well-known services and methods for finding email addresses are
discussed below. Basically, you have to know a lot about people
you're trying to reach in order to query a database or service to
reach them.  It helps if you know where they're located, what
organization they work for, what university they attend, or what
network provider they're getting access from. If you have that
information, try to find an online directory for that group. If you
want to play around and try to find the location information
(electronic mail address, telephone number, and so forth) for
Clifford Stoll, author of _The Cuckoo's Egg_, here are a few things
to try and a few places to look.

WHOIS.  (Yes, that's _who is_!) *WHOIS* is a database of information
on domains, networks, hosts, and people at the Defense Data Network
(DDN) Network Information Center (NIC), which is an official Internet
Registry run by Government Systems, Inc. of Chantilly, Va. It is by
no means an exhaustive database; it contains information on computers
and users who have actually been registered (or registered
themselves). WHOIS is a good place to start, though, if you have no
other clue about where to begin. The DDN NIC can help you find a
point of contact for many organizations, which you can use to send
email to find out more information.

You can access the DDN NIC WHOIS database three ways. First, you can
send electronic mail to the NIC's automatic mail service, which
operates just like the info servers mentioned in Chapter 4.
Basically, you send email to _service@nic.ddn.mil_ and place the
commands in the subject (nothing in the message body), and the
response is emailed back to you. (If you want to get help
information, just send the command *help* in the subject.) If you'd
like to test this out, send the command *whois stoll, cliff* in the
subject.  This method is the only way for people to get information
from the WHOIS database if they don't have direct Internet access.

If you do have direct access to the Internet, you can login remotely
to the WHOIS database and use it interactively: Telnet to
_nic.ddn.mil_.  There's no login routine required; you just type the
command *whois* and you're off and running. Make liberal use of the
*help* command to learn how to use the system.

The final way to contact the DDN NIC uses the client/server method
(see Chapter 4). Many computers have a *whois* client program
available on their systems. If you have this available and you're on
a UNIX operating system, you can type *whois -h nic.ddn.mil stoll,
cliff*. The whois client is available for other systems and may
require a slightly different command format. (You may not need to
specify the _-h nic.ddn.mil_ part.) Your client program will contact
the WHOIS server on _nic.ddn.mil_ and return an answer.

Other WHOIS Databases.  If you have a client program running on your
local system, you can contact similar databases at other
organizations. Instead of the _-h nic.ddn.mil_ (which sets the server
host to _nic.ddn.mil_), ] you can substitute the name of any computer
that is running a whois server. More of these servers are being made
available. Check the appendix to find out how to obtain a regularly
updated list.


Finger 

A program called *finger* is available on many computers
directly connected to the Internet, and many people use it to find
information about users on other computers. It's simple to use: Type
*finger*_name@hostname_. When you use finger, you have to know what
computer the user is on. You do not, however, always have to know the
exact login name of the user. You can usually use any part of the
person's name and finger will return essential data on all the users
with that name on that computer. The type of information finger
returns (depending on how much is available) includes their name,
login name, office and location, phone number, and so on. Many
organizations make their entire online directory available and
searchable using finger. Usually these are located on "official" or
well-known computers. You can also use finger to find out about all
the users logged into a computer at any one time. To do this locally,
just type *finger*. Or to check for all the users at a remote system,
you can type *finger*@_remote-hostname_.  Unfortunately, finger isn't
available on all computers, or it may be disabled for security
reasons, so you can't depend on it to provide all the answers. One of
the more obvious security reasons is because many people don't want
others to know where they are or when they were on the computer last.

Some organizations use finger to provide often-updated information,
such as the weather or daily headlines. These include NASA Daily
News, which you can get by issuing the command *finger
nasanews@space.mit.edu*, and up-to-date earthquake reports by issuing
the command *finger quake@geophys.washington.edu*.


Other Methods

Here are some other ideas for finding email addresses. If your friend is 
at a university, you might check to see if there is a CWIS (Campus Wide 
Information System) that can help you locate her electronically. USENET 
has an address database of all the people who have posted articles to
USENET, which has proved very useful. To use this service, send email
to _mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu_ and put the command *send
usenet-addresses*/_name_ in the subject or body of the message;
_name_ should be the various name or names you're looking for.  The
service offers a very "liberal" search method--for example, you could
search on the name "aQuey" and it will return an address for Tracy
LaQuey. In other words, you can include part of a name and the
service will return all occurrences of it. This USENET database is
also searchable via WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers); the WAIS
database is called _usenet-addresses_.


Interfaces to Multiple Databases and Servers.  Some popular services
provide information on multiple organizations or directory services.
These services access multiple directory servers.  Here's some
information on how to access them.

PSI's White Pages Service (a well-known X.500 pilot project) provides
access to directory information for more than 75 organizations.  You
can test it out by remotely logging in using telnet to _wp.psi.com_,
login *fred*.

Knowbot Information Service (KIS) is based on the concept of a
*knowbot*--a knowledge robot that knows how to navigate networks in
search of information.  KIS queries a number of directory services to
help you find directory assistance information. You can remotely
login to this service at: _nri.reston.va.us 185_. Or send email to
_netaddress@nri.reston.va.us_.  Include the command *help* in the
body of the message.

Netfind is similar to the Knowbot Information Service in that it
provides a "one-stop shop" service that knows which directory
services, databases, or computers to contact, based on the keywords
(login name, first and last name, organization) that you supply.
However, Netfind is more thorough and uses more widespread methods
than KIS to find information. You can query Netfind by remotely
logging into _bruno.cs.colorado.edu_, login *netfind*.

Directory Assistance for Computers.  On occasion, you will need to
get a computer's IP address. (Perhaps the host name you've been using
just doesn't work anymore.) The necessary tools may or may not be
available on your system. If they're not, check to see if an
alternative tool is offered. Two well-known tools are _nslookup_ and
_dig_. To use either, just invoke them with the name of the computer.
For example, *nslookup nic.ddn.mil* will return the IP address:
192.112.36.5, or the command *dig nnsc.nsf.net* will return
128.89.1.178. (Unless those numbers have changed, which is entirely
possible!)


HELP! GETTING MORE INFORMATION

As it was so well put in the FAQ on MUDS, "What if I'm completely
confused and am casting about for a rope in a vast, churning
wilderness of chaos and utter incomprehension?" If you're confused
and have questions and don't know where to turn, here are a few
survival tips. First of all, realize that you're not alone and that
we all started off feeling dazed and bewildered. Everyone's digital
digestive system is different; sometimes it takes a while to get the
drift of all of this. Remember, even _net.veterans_ don't know all of
this!

Once you know you have a problem, the biggest hurdle is finding out
what exactly it is! The kinds of things that stump people include
figuring out what they can do from their system (what applications
they can use, what levels of services are available to them); how to
use the applications; how to diagnose problems once they do figure
out the applications; and, after they've learned those ropes, finding
the resources that will help them.

Where to Start

Start close to home when you look for help. Consultants who
understand the applications running on your system or network will be
able to give you the best assistance. Be as specific as possible when
you do ask for help. Write down error messages exactly (including all
numbers and punctuation) as you see them on the screen and try to
recall the chain of events that got you into trouble.

If you're getting network access through work or college, there may
be a local consulting office or helpdesk that can give you
information about available services, such as documentation, manuals,
and online help. Some helpdesks are starting to offer their own
online Gopher systems that provide easy-to-use interfaces to steer
you in the right direction, help you to learn about your local
network and the Internet, and provide links into other systems.

If you are getting (or planning to get) your Internet access through
a commercial provider, you'll need to look to them for information
and services. Ask about support before you sign up. (Chapter 6
provides information about the types of connections and applications
that are available.) Commercial providers have telephone hotlines for
support, provide documentation about their services, and have an
email address to write for more information.

Other Sources of Help

Network Information Centers.  NICs offer information about the
Internet and their networks and services.  Your network isn't
required to have a NIC, but if it does, check out what they have to
offer. NICs are springing up around the Internet; all the nationwide
backbones have them, as well as most of the midlevel and regional
networks. These organizations vary in size and services; many provide
online guides, newsletters, and tutorials. Others offer seminars and
classes. This may be more information than you'll ever need, but it's
useful to familiarize yourself with what's available.

As the Internet continues to grow and evolve into the NREN, user and
information services will become a more important part of network
operation. The NSF recently requested proposals for new national
information services (NIS). These services would include
registration, directory, database, and information on Internet
education. The groups were not yet named as this book went to press.

The NSF Network Service Center.  The NNSC provides help and services
in general for the NSFNET. You can check out its online information
via anonymous FTP on the host _nnsc.nsf.net_. One of the more
interesting items for new users is an _Internet Tour_ Hypercard
stack, which includes information about the history of the Internet
as well as tutorial sessions on electronic mail, FTP. and Telnet.
That's in the _internet-tour_ directory. For instructions on getting
and installing it, get the _Internet-Tour-README_ file.

The NNSC also maintains an online _Internet Resource Guide_,
organized into seven categories: Computational Resources, Library
Catalogs, Archives, White Pages, Networks, Network Information
Centers, and Miscellaneous Resources. You can get the guide on the
_nnsc.nsf.net_ host (available via anonymous FTP) in the_
resource-guide_ directory. Get the _README_ file in that directory
for information about how to get and use the guide.

The Defense Data Network (DDN) Network Information Center.  This NIC
has often been referred to as _The_ NIC. If you're considering
connecting your organization's network to the Internet, these are the
people to talk to. (If you're getting organizational access via a
commercial Internet provider, however, you may not have to contact
the DDN NIC). The DDN NIC acts as the U.S. Internet Registrar for
domains and network numbers, maintains the WHOIS database, provides
an online repository of information available for anonymous FTP from
_nic.ddn.mil._ The information is also available by sending an email
message  to _service@nic.ddn.mil_. To get information on how to use
this mail-server, send email to that address with the command *help*
in the subject, nothing in the message body.

The SRI Network Information Systems Center.  SRI offers the _Internet
Information Series_ documents, including _Internet: Getting Started_.
This very useful book explains the Internet in detail and also
provides good information for organizations wishing to connect. The
NISC offers as well archives of mailing lists and technical documents
on CD ROM called _The TCP/IP CD_, and it has an anonymous FTP archive
of useful information on host _ftp.nisc.sri.com._


Helpful Online Information

Once you're on the network, you may hear about RFCs (requests for
comments).  RFCs are documents that detail protocol standards,
procedures, general information, and sometimes even lighthearted
poems and April Fool jokes about the Internet. Unless you 're
interested in knowing the nitty gritty, bit-level details about
TCP/IP, you probably won't want to look at these RFCs.

There is, however, a series of RFCs called _For Your Information_
documents (FYIs). FYIs are introductory in nature, explaining
Internet concepts rather than detailing protocol specifications. Many
of these documents were compiled and written by members of the User
Services Working Group, one of the working groups in the Internet
Engineering Task Force mentioned earlier in this chapter, charged
with providing introductory information and general help for new
Internet users. FYIs are available from a number of places, including
the DDN NIC (anonymous FTP to host _nic.ddn.mil_, *cd* to the *rfc*
directory).  Get the file _fyi-index.txt_ for a list of available
documents. You can also send electronic mail to _rfc-info@isi.edu_
and, in the body of the message, put the command *help:
ways_to_get_rfcs*. A help message will be returned to you.



You may feel as though you've earned an Internet advanced degree by
now. But, unless you already have access through your work or
college, you're probably just itching to get connected to the
Internet. Our last chapter deals with the nitty-gritty of getting on
the Internet: finding the right modem and software, deciding what
kind of access _you_ need, and locating commercial or alternative
Internet access.  Stay with us: You're almost at home on the
Internet!


6. GETTING CONNECTED

Now that you know what you want to do on the Internet, or at least 
where you want to go exploring, you'll want to get connected. There 
isn't just one place you can go to get access to the Internet; as 
we have said, paths to the Internet are many. The best one for you 
will depend on your circumstances, your needs, and--to some extent
--your pocketbook. This chapter tells you what you need to get 
started, your choices for individual access and where to go for 
services, and the basics for connecting a business organization.

If you work for an institution or a company with full-time access 
through a network connection to the Internet, you have the shortest 
path of all. All you need to do is sit down at your office terminal 
or workstation and, using the instructions supplied by your in-house 
computer gurus, log on and get going. Most Internet connections have 
been made just like that--as connections between two networks, 
rather than two computers. For example, a college's local area network 
(LAN) would get access to the Internet by making a connection through 
a leased phone line to a regional network. Once that connection is 
made, in most cases every computer on the local area network has
"full-time" access, with Internet access available all the time, day
and night.

ALL YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

Fortunately, there are less involved and less expensive ways to get 
access to the Internet if you're an individual computer user or small 
business. All you need is a personal computer (Mac, PC, whatever), 
a modem, communications software, and a phone line. Connecting an 
entire business or organization's network is more complex than we 
can cover in detail, but we've included an overview of the basics 
later in this chapter in the section, "Connecting Your Business or 
Organization." Some sources for more information are given, as well.

Modems

Modems are, simply put, computer appliances that convert the digital 
signal from your computer into an analog sound wave that can be 
transmitted over telephone lines. A modem at the other end converts 
the analog signal back to a digital signal that can be read by the 
computer you're talking to. Exciting advances are being made in modem 
technology, with faster speeds and more error-free data transmission. 
High-speed modems can reduce errors from line noise and even do data 
compression. As with any computer-related purchase, you should buy 
the very best modem you can afford--perhaps even a bit better than 
you can afford. Technology changes fast, and five years from now, 
today's high-speed modems will be as obsolete as that dinosaur of 
modems, the 300 bps acoustic coupler.

The ideal modem for telecommunications communicates at high speeds 
and has error correction and data compression features. Error correction 
protocols help filter out line noise, which throws "garbage" characters 
like {{pdf{{{ on your screen, and they ensure an error-free transmission. 
Data compression, while a useful feature, may not help you much on 
some bulletin boards and information services that have already compressed 
their files, in which case _your_ modem can't compress them any 
further. Shopping for a modem gets you into a complexity of feature 
combinations: speed, modulation protocols, data compression, and more. 
Claims, particularly for speed, may not be what they appear to be. So 
it could be wise, especially if you are planning to spend a lot for a 
high-speed modem, to check some independent sources before you buy.

Most people (getting individual access) are still using 2400 bps modems 
to access the Internet and for other services. They may not be lightning 
fast, but 2400 bps modems are inexpensive, easily available, and nothing 
to be embarrassed about. All of the access and information systems 
support them, and, for the occasional user, the difference in online 
and/or long-distance charges (the higher your modem speed, of course, 
the less time it takes you to get information) will not be too significant. 
If you plan to spend a lot of time online, however, or need quick, 
error-free access, spring for a high-speed modem with error correction 
and data compression.

Communications Software

Communications software, which is installed on your computer, sets up 
the three-way conversation between your computer, the modem, and the 
remote computer. Some modems come bundled with communications software. 
If yours isn't, try to buy them together from a knowledgeable dealer 
so that you'll have minimal frustration in getting everything to work.

Almost all 2400 bps modems are Hayes-compatible and will work seamlessly 
with virtually every communications software package on the market 
for the PC or the Mac. They are easy to install and set up. Some of 
the features you'll want to look for in a communications package are 
a full range of file transfer protocols (that is, Xmodem, Ymodem, 
Zmodem, Kermit, and others, which are different from the Internet's 
FTP) and terminal emulations such as VT-100 and VT-102. Once you enter 
the world of high-speed modems, though, it is not so simple.

Your communications software must support *terminal emulation*, 
which means that your computer essentially becomes a terminal on the 
computer you're connected to. The VT-100 terminal emulation is probably 
the most used and most supported of all the terminal emulations. 
The VT-100 was a venerable terminal produced in the millions by Digital 
Equipment Corporation (DEC). Its keyboard layout and interface 
have become a standard for computer-to-computer communications 
over the years.


Finding Phone Access

Finding an economical way to dial in to your chosen system is a big 
concern. Long-distance telephone and access charges can easily 
exceed your costs for connect time on the computer. Every provider 
offers a local (to them) number for direct dial-up; some provide local 
numbers in major cities or in areas they consider to be their prime 
territory. If your chosen system is an expensive long-distance call 
away, you can check out some of the public data networks and dialup 
services below that make a business of providing computer/phone connections. 
Many of these services provide for online or phone signup and accept 
major credit cards.

CompuServe Packet Network (CPN).
CompuServe has hundreds of local-access phone numbers all over the 
United States and Canada. You need not subscribe to CompuServe's 
information service to use CPN--you'll be billed for your use 
through your provider. If your chosen system allows CPN access, dial 
CompuServe's information service, (800) 848-4480, to find your closest 
CPN access number. Hit <RETURN> to get to the HOST NAME: prompt 
and enter the command *phones* to use their number lookup 
service.

PC Pursuit.
PC Pursuit is a U.S. Sprint service that provides flat rate, off-hours 
dialup services to cities all over the United States. Users pay a 
one-time registration fee and a monthly fee that covers 30 hours of 
non-prime-time use. Excess hours are billed at a low hourly rate. 
Call (800) 736-1130 to set up an account or to get more information. 
In order to sign up online, use your modem and dial 1-(800)-877-2006.

Three Other Services.
TAC Access from UUNET Technologies, PSI's Global Dialing Service, and 
CERFnet's Dial n' CERF's 800 services can give you local or 800 service 
Internet access. (These services are explained later in this chapter.)


TYPES OF INDIVIDUAL CONNECTIONS

You have your modem set up and your software installed; you've even read 
the manuals and practiced a little. Perhaps you're a veteran telecommunicator 
and just want to get right to the Internet. Depending on the kind of 
connection you are using, individuals can have _access_ to the Internet or a 
direct Internet _connection_. Whichever you have, you will be "dialing into" 
the Internet. Following are some of your connection options.


Dialup Terminal Emulation

What It Is.
Using the terminal emulation feature in your communications software, your 
computer essentially becomes a terminal on a remote computer system. You 
can get access to the Internet by dialing "into" a computer that has a 
full-time Internet connection. If you have communications software that does 
terminal emulation, such as Kermit, Procomm, or Whiteknight, then all you 
need is an account on an Internet-connected computer.

Having an account means that you are allowed to login with a userid 
and password and use the services and disk space of that computer. 
By dialing into an Internet-connected computer, you will have access 
to all the basic services on the Internet--that is, remote login, 
file transfer, and electronic mail. Many computers that allow this 
kind of access run the UNIX operating system, so you may need to be 
familiar with some of the UNIX commands mentioned in Chapter 5.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Serious Games

Parallelling world events such as the 1990 Gulf War, university-sponsored 
computer simulations play out real-world political dramas on the Internet 
stage. In early 1990 these computer simulations started in the Middle 
East Politics classes at Melbourne University in Australia, connected 
with foreign relations classes at the University of Texas and Macquarie 
University, Australia.

Students were divided into teams of 1 to 5 people each (simulations 
generally have 40 to 150 teams), and each team assumed the role of 
a political leader in the Middle East or of another vitally interested 
country such as the United States, the United Kingdom, or France. 
One team played Yasser Arafat, while others played President Bush, 
the Prime Minister of Israel, and the King of Saudi Arabia. The teams 
extensively researched their characters to help them play the assigned 
roles in realistic fashion.

The controllers (usually the class lecturers) then set an initial 
scenario (typically the assassination of a prominent figure, an invasion, 
or whatever seemed like fun) and the various teams responded, using 
email (and "talk" where possible) to communicate with each other. 
Each team tried to advance its own goals and strategies, almost always 
at the expense of someone else.

The amount of mail flying back and forth was tremendous. Over the 
three-week simulation period, most teams received about 1,500 to 
2,000 messages. Many general "press release" type of missives 
went out to all players, supplemented by roughly 200 to 250 personal 
messages for each team. Aside from the mail, lots of the wheeling 
and dealing took place over "talk" as well.

In a sense the Internet became the stage on which these games of 
global diplomacy were played out. In the past, such simulations 
used letters which "runners" carried back and forth. Using email 
and the Internet improves the concept tremendously. Most of the 
standard advantages of email apply, including speed, imperviousness 
to distance, and the ability to log in from almost anywhere, rather 
than being confined to one specific location.

During the 1990 Mideast computer simulation, the participants 
managed to _talk_ Saddam Hussein into leaving Kuwait without 
going to war. Otherwise, events in the simulations tended to mirror 
real life to an astonishing degree. At one point, one of the "characters" 
was killed off in a simulation, only to have his real-life counterpart 
die a few weeks later. Players threaten, cajole, bribe, fall in love, 
blackmail, and occasionally shoot at each other. A lot of hot air 
is vented, and things generally don't change very much in the end, 
which is pretty much the way the Middle East is in reality.

The concept's popularity is growing; other simulations occurred 
in 1991, and probably are going on right now as you read this, holding 
the mirror up to nature and playing out alternate scripts to reality 
on the Internet.

Source: Joseph D'Cruz, Research Assistant at Melbourne University, 
Australia.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Who Does It?
Public Access systems (see below), including CERFnet, The World, MSEN, 
and NETCOM, offer dialup terminal emulation. With a little detective 
work, you may find a local user group or university that offers terminal 
access to the Internet.

Terminal Servers

What It Is.
Individual users can also dial into a *terminal server* instead of a 
computer directly on the Internet. A terminal server is basically a 
computer that accepts connections and allows you to use the Internet 
to remotely login to other computers. Terminal servers are "bouncing 
off" points to the Internet.

Terminal servers have modems attached to them so that users can dial 
in and, from there, remotely login to any computer on the Internet. 
Once you've dialed into a terminal server, your scope is a bit limited 
because, even though in most cases you have to login using a userid 
and password, you don't have any disk space. If you're on a trip and 
have access to a local terminal server, you can connect to your mainframe 
or workstation computer back at the office via the Internet. However, 
if you don't have an account on an Internet-connected computer, 
this service won't do you much good, unless you are content to connect 
to online library catalogs or information retrieval servers that allow 
access without a personal userid.

Keep in mind that when you dial into an Internet-connected computer 
or a terminal server, you can access Internet applications. The 
actions you perform, however, are from the standpoint of that computer, 
not your PC or Mac (which is just acting as a terminal) at home. If 
you transfer a file using FTP from a public transfer site, you're 
transferring it to the Internet-connected computer, _not_ to your home 
PC or Mac. If you want that file on your home computer, you will have 
to transfer it again, this time from the Internet computer to your 
computer (using your communications software file transfer protocols, 
Kermit, Zmodem, and so forth). This two-step process can be cumbersome 
and confusing to new users.

Who Does It?
UUNet's TAC Access, CERFnet's Dial n' CERF 800 service, and PSI's Global 
Dialing Service (GDS) offer terminal server access.

Client Software Access

What It Is.
Client software access brings some of the Internet functions, such as 
electronic mail, USENET News, and file transfer, straight to your 
computer. Providers or services supply you with special software, known 
as *client* or *agent software*. With their proprietary or public domain 
software on your computer, you dial into your service's local access 
point. In addition to taking care of the communications, it also 
provides an email reader and an editor for composing messages.

Although you're not _interactively_ using the Internet, you can download 
electronic mail and news and then read messages and postings at your 
leisure on your home computer, rather than tying up a phone line or 
running up connection charges. But not all the Internet's applications, 
particularly remote login, are available to you. These client connections, 
though, can be far more user-friendly than the public access systems. 
You work with a familiar graphic application on your PC or Macintosh, 
not on a foreign computer account. You also don't have to worry about 
taking the extra step of transferring files from the Internet computer 
to your home computer (as you do with dialup terminal emulation access); 
the software does all of this for you.

Who Does It?
InterCon's Worldlink is a good example of a client connection, as is PSI's 
PSILink. Universities also offer access using many public domain software 
packages (Eudora, NuPOP, Trumpet, and others).

Full-Access Dialup Connection

What It Is.
A more advanced client connection uses client networking software and a 
high-speed modem to actually _become_ a computer on the Internet. Protocols 
such as Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point-Protocol 
(PPP) bring the power and flexibility of the Internet straight to your 
home computer over an ordinary telephone line. SLIP and PPP are actually 
two different protocols that make your computer a _peer_ computer on the 
Internet. A SLIP or PPP connection is a great way to connect, but it can 
be more expensive and a bit more difficult to configure. Connect charges 
are high in comparison with other options, and the connections usually 
require a fairly sophisticated high-speed modem.

When you use a SLIP/PPP connection, you are actually using file transfer 
and remote login on your _own_ computer, not on an Internet-connected 
computer that you've dialed into. For example, if you want to transfer 
a file using FTP from a public access site, you are transferring that 
file straight to your home computer.

You must dial into another computer or terminal server that is running 
SLIP (if your computer is running SLIP) or PPP (if your computer is 
running PPP) to make this connection. You'll also need an Internet 
Protocol (IP) address, because your computer needs to be identified 
on the network. Your IP address may stay the same or it may change 
every time you connect. Your provider will most likely assign you 
an address, or the computer or terminal server will assign you a number 
to use when you make the connection. You may want a registered host 
name as well, but as with the IP address, your network provider 
will probably be able to assist you.

Who Does It?
CERFnet, PSI, and many of the public access sytems offer SLIP/PPP 
services to individual and organization systems.


CHOOSING AN INDIVIDUAL ACCESS PROVIDER

Network access for individuals is a new and evolving market, and one 
likely to grow very quickly. So finding the services you want, the 
access, and the right price is not as simple as picking a long-distance 
phone carrier. Internet access is offered by private companies, by 
universities, by academic/research networks, and by public-private 
partnerships. Service packages vary a great deal and change constantly, 
as do rates. Your options are not limited to what is in this chapter. 
Use the information here and in the appendix as a general guide to 
starting your own research.

Public Access Systems

Several companies offer dial-in access to their systems, giving you 
terminal emulation or (if available) SLIP/PPP access to the Internet. 
All of these services offer file transfer and remote login on the 
Internet, in addition to electronic mail and (depending on the system) 
a variety of other services, including commercial databases. Access is 
usually via a phone call to the system's local number, although some 
systems also offer access via public data networks such as CompuServe 
Public Network (CPN). If you have access to an Internet terminal server 
(through a provider such as PSI), you can remotely login to these 
systems.

Many public access providers are expanding and adding access points 
in more cities, so you may want to contact them for the latest access 
and service information. Many of these providers offer assistance 
with buying and installing modems and communications software. Pricing 
structures vary widely, with monthly access fees, connect charges, 
or a combination. The services all provide for a wide range of modem 
speeds. See the appendix for a list of Public Access Systems.

National Providers

As mentioned in Chapter 2, there are commercial Internet providers 
that provide access to their own national networks and to the academic 
and research portion of the Internet. These providers, including 
CERFnet, UUNET, ANS CO+RE, Sprint, and PSI offer a wide range of access 
for individuals, from terminal emulation to full-time SLIP or PPP 
access. The appendix has a list of national providers and what each offers.


Special Interest Groups

You may be eligible for inexpensive Internet access through a special 
interest or professional group. Librarians and educators, for example, 
have led the way in providing Internet access in member groups. Who 
knows? A group you belong to might be offering a low-cost Internet 
connection. Check around. 

The Cooperative Library Agency for Systems and Services (CLASS) is 
an excellent example of an organization offering Internet connectivity 
to its members. CLASS is made up of about 800 academic/public and 
special libraries nationwide. Because Internet access has become so 
popular among librarians, CLASS began providing Internet access 
to their members through a terminal emulation dialup 800 number to 
a UNIX computer system. There is a cost for an organization's first 
account, then extra cost for each additional account. There is also 
an online hourly charge. Through this system, CLASS members have access 
to remote login, file transfer, USENET news, and email.

More and more teachers are using computer networking in the classroom 
and for their own education and curriculum development. Several 
states offer very low-cost access to K-12 educators. If you are a 
teacher and are interested in finding out more about access to the 
Internet, then contact your district's computer coordinator or regional 
computing consortium to find out about your access options.

The Institute for Global Communications (IGC) was mentioned in Chapter 
1 as providing access to its network and the Internet for environmental 
and political activists. IGC provides an offline email reader called 
Global Link, similar to the client email programs described above. 
Check the appendix for contact information. The community FreeNets 
mentioned in Chapter 4 also offer access, usually to anyone who fills 
out an application. The appendix provides contact information for 
the National Public Telecomputing Network.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TeleOlympics

Kids around the world caught the Olympic spirit last year as they 
participated in their own worldwide, "virtual" Olympics. The Academy 
One TeleOlympics, organized by NPTN (National Public Telecomputing 
Network), had more than 12,000 kids from 9 countries competing in 
track and field events in their own schoolyards. All of the events 
were held on the same day, after an opening ceremony that included 
real-time chat hosted by the Cleveland FreeNet and an exchange of 
email among all the participating schools. Events included 50-, 400-, 
800-, and 1600-meter runs (for different age groups), a long jump, 
and a tennis ball throw. Results were posted to the network, and 
medalists in each event and age category shared an electronic victory 
platform. The teachers made the most of the accompanying educational 
opportunities, and the kids had fun!

Source: Linda Delzeit, Cleveland Freenet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Electronic Mail and News Services

The wonder of the Internet is its many connecting points. If the providers 
we've mentioned don't suit you, an outernet (or indirect) connection may. 
Some of the so-called indirect (email and news only) access paths are 
mentioned below; to discover other available options, just ask around. 
Keep in mind that new services, new software, and new technology are 
being made available almost on a daily basis, creating new opportunities 
to connect directly or indirectly to the Internet.

Email Access Through Commercial Networks.
If electronic mail is all you need, you have plenty of choices for an 
Internet connection. Most commercial online services, such as CompuServe, 
American Online, and MCIMail, have an electronic mail gateway to the 
Internet. (At this time, Prodigy does not, nor does it plan to, offer 
an email gateway to the Internet. This is a Frequently Asked Question!) 
If you have an account on one of these systems, you can send and receive 
email to and from anyone on the Internet. Note, however, that these 
services may have a per-message charge for both inbound and outbound 
Internet email. These charges can add up, so be sure to shop around for 
the best deal.

Wireless Email.
Some services allow email to be forwarded from the Internet to alphanumeric 
pagers and portable computers equipped with radio modems. For example, 
RadioMail is a gateway service from Anterior Technology that provides 
two-way email between RadioMail subscribers and the Internet (and other 
commercial networks) and one-way delivery of email (from the Internet and 
other networks) to pagers. The two-way RadioMail service provides a 
transparent (to the user) connection between the worldwide wide-area
land-based networks and wide-area wireless networks. For people who
can't be (or don't want to be) tied to their office or home computer,
RadioMail and similar services have a real advantage. It's also
useful for mobile Internet users who travel frequently. See the
appendix for contact information.

Email Access Through the UUCP Worldwide Network.
*UUCP* stands for UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program. Basically, it is used as a 
method for computers to talk to each other over phone lines. Versions of 
UUCP are available for VMS and DOS operating systems, as well as UNIX 
computers.

UUCP provides for file transfer between machines. The files that are 
transferred often contain commands to be executed on a remote system, 
including printing on a remote computer or sending email. The UUCP 
network consists of thousands of computers all over the world that 
have agreed to communicate with each other via the phone lines. Because 
of these agreements, it is possible to send email from one computer 
to another by specifying exactly which computers the email must travel 
through to get to its destination. This process is known as "source 
routing." Many UUCP nodes are starting to register in the Internet 
domain name system (by using MX records), so they look like they're 
directly connected to the Internet (when, in fact, they have an agreement 
with an Internet-connected computer to act as a "post office," 
transferring email back and forth).

Although no central authority controls the UUCP network, there is 
a public registry that maintains information about computers whose 
administrators have volunteered (or remembered) to submit information. 
There are many email gateways between the UUCP network and the Internet, 
so it is easy to send and receive email back and forth. USENET news 
runs over the UUCP network, so that may also be available. However, 
UUCP does not allow for remote login or interactive file transfer.

Going the UUCP route is usually much less expensive than other kinds 
of access, but it may require more research and upfront work. The 
equipment is simple: just your PC or Mac, modem, and phone line. The 
software is usually free or very inexpensive. Your expenses may include 
some long-distance charges. The hard part may be finding someone to 
agree to "connect" you, either letting you dial them up for information 
or having them dial you up, or both. If you ask, you may find someone in 
a local computer user group who'll agree to let you send information back 
and forth from/to their computer.

Although some universities may offer similar services, user support 
and reliability is not guaranteed because people are usually connecting 
you out of the kindness of their hearts. If you don't want to struggle 
to find someone or to get help, or to spend time debugging problems, 
you should go with a commercial UUCP email provider, where handholding 
and ongoing support are available. Those providers that offer UUCP 
mail and USENET news include UUNET, PSI, Anterior Technology, and many 
of the public access systems.

Bulletin Board Systems.
Many local bulletin board systems also provide some type of mail access 
to the Internet. Through these systems, you may be able to exchange UUCP 
or Fidonet mail and USENET news, or you may be able to dialup the system 
(using terminal emulation) and access mail and news interactively on the 
BBS system.

Find these systems by asking local computer gurus at user group meetings 
or by consulting the NIXPUB list, which currently lists about 127 
systems and their services worldwide. NIXPUB is an access list that's 
maintained by a volunteer and made available via anonymous FTP and 
dialup UUCP. See the appendix for instructions on getting the NIXPUB 
list. (If you don't have direct Internet access, you may have to ask 
someone with Internet access to retrieve it for you.)



CONNECTING YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION

As we said earlier, traditionally, networks are connected to the Internet, 
rather than single computers. These networks can be local area networks 
(LANs) or wide area networks (WANs), or something in between. Connecting 
your organization's local or wide area network to the Internet is entirely 
different from getting an individual connection, and it is much more 
involved. Space prevents us from giving much detail about what you need to 
do, but we'll outline some of the steps to be taken, some documentation 
that is available, and who you can contact for more information.

You must make your connection to the Internet through a network provider. 
The members of the Commercial Internet Exchange (CIX) have already 
been mentioned (CERFnet, PSI, US Sprint, and UUNET). Another commercial 
provider, Advanced Network & Services, Inc. (ANS), also offers commercial 
access. There are many other providers, most of which are academic 
and research in nature. As noted in Chapter 2, an acceptable use policy 
puts limits on commercial information traversing the National Science 
Foundation Network.

If your organization plans on using the Internet for noncommercial 
purposes, there is probably no problem in getting a connection through 
one of these mid-level networks. If, however, you would like more 
flexibility and you aren't sure if you can abide by any acceptable 
use policies, then you'll definitely want to connect to a commercial 
provider. That way, you're free to send any type of information to 
anyone as long as they are on one of these commercial networks. 
Additionally, all commercial providers have connections to the NSFNET, 
and most have agreements with each other to pass traffic back and forth.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Geeks in Paradise

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a voluntary group of 
network designers, engineers, vendors, and researchers who manage 
the protocol development and operation of the Internet. The group 
meets three times a year for a week of technical discussions, 
presentations, and problem-solving sessions. Meetings in the early 
years were usually near a campus network where members could remotely 
connect to their home computers and read their email.

As more and more people started attending the IETF meetings, it was 
difficult to accommodate everyone wanting to read their email from 
home, so the meeting hosts began providing terminal rooms. The 
terminal rooms started out small, usually just a bunch of terminals 
attached to terminal servers with a connection to the Internet through 
the campus or organization networks. As the Internet blossomed, 
however, membership did too, and soon there were so many members that 
the usual university meeting areas were too small to accommodate them. 
When the meetings moved to hotels, the terminal rooms became more 
and more elaborate. IETF members could conveniently access their work 
at the home office between sessions--and their coworkers didn't even 
know they were gone! 

But things got a little out of hand at a recent IETF meeting in San 
Diego. Remember, these are the folks who essentially operate the 
Internet! The people hosting the meeting had outdone themselves 
this time, with the latest in workstation and networking technology, 
all linked together and connected to CERFnet via a T1 (1.544 Mbps) 
leased-line connection. This setup was in one of the hotel's meeting 
rooms, which had a sliding glass door and view of the Pacific. There 
was so much equipment that a guard was posted all night to make sure 
nothing was stolen. Even this Geek Mecca, however, wasn't enough for 
some of the network specialists, who were seen stringing and attaching 
cable (connected to the LAN in the terminal room) with a staple gun 
up the side of the hotel building so that they could bring the power 
of the Internet to their state-of-the-art laptops in the privacy of 
their own rooms. That hotel was wired!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Administrative Details

Before you can make a connection, you must take care of a few administrative 
details--namely, registering for unique information that will identify your 
organization and its network to the rest of the Internet. You will need your 
own Internet Protocol network number (for example, 129.126) and a domain name 
(for example, _kodak.com_). The IP network number will be one of several 
classes, depending on how big your network is in terms of number of attached 
computers.

Once you obtain this number, you can assign separate, unique IP addresses 
to each computer on your network. Similarly, with a domain name you can 
uniquely identify your organization and each of your computers by giving 
them a logical name within that domain. You can obtain these key identifiers 
from the U.S. Internet Registrar, the Defense Data Network (DDN) Network 
Information Center (NIC), operated by Government Systems, Inc. You will need 
to complete several registration forms to apply for your IP number and domain 
name and send them in to the DDN NIC. These registration forms ask for certain 
information about your network, such as how many computers are connected to 
it, as well as administrative and technical contact information. If you have 
problems answering any of the questions on these registration forms, ask your 
network provider or the DDN NIC for assistance.

You'll also need to provide the names of two computers that will act as 
domain nameservers for host information on your network. You will recall 
from Chapter 2 that a domain nameserver is a computer that has a database 
of information about the computers on your network. (The type of information 
in this database includes each computer's name, Internet address, and 
computer type.) Two servers are required for reliability purposes, one 
designated primary, the other secondary. (Your organization can have more 
than one secondary nameserver.)

If one server (perhaps the primary one) is unavailable (perhaps for 
hardware reasons or because the network is down), the other will be 
able to answer queries for computer addresses and names. For this 
reason, it is recommended that one of these nameservers be located 
at some place other than your own network. Some network providers 
offer name service as part of their services or will act as a domain 
"dating service" for you, helping you to find an off-site secondary server.

Software and Equipment Needed to Connect

Because you're connecting to the Internet, you'll need to be "running" the 
TCP/IP protocols on the computers on your network to take full advantage of 
Internet applications. If you're not using TCP/IP, then you'll need to have 
software and equipment that knows how to translate between the Internet and 
your network protocols.

In order to connect your network, you will need some special equipment. 
This equipment will be owned, maintained, and configured by your organization 
or your network provider, or a combination of both. A key piece of equipment 
is a router, a special computer that connects to your network and also has a 
connection to your Internet service provider (see Chapter 2). The router 
takes care of forwarding packets to the proper destination. You will also 
need equipment known as a CSU/DSU to handle the connections between the 
leased lines (mentioned below) and the routers.


Connection Alternatives

There are many ways to actually make a connection to the Internet. 
(Surprisingly, many people think that satellites are used a lot!) 
Most connections are actually just leased digital data lines dedicated 
to telecommunication, available from telephone companies. Other possible 
methods (in addition to satellite) are microwave and fiber optic cables. 
You can also connect your organization's network through the public 
telephone network using the SLIP or PPP protocols described earlier in 
this chapter. This "on demand dialup" connection can be a lower-cost 
(albeit lower-performance) alternative for small organizations. 
Realize, however, that if you have a dialup connection, anytime you 
communicate the dialup connection will have to be established before 
you're actually online. The speed of your connection can be from 9.6 
kbps to 45 Mbps (commonly known as T3). It's good to know how much you 
plan on using the Internet when deciding on the speed of your connection.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Internet to the Rescue!

Tired of those busy signals when you're trying to reach technical 
support for your computer? One high-tech company gets much of its 
hardware and software technical support over the Internet. Over the 
past year, they've gotten bug fixes and patches for their SUN 
Microsystems workstations and technical support from their router 
vendor, Cisco Systems. Another hardware vendor uses the Internet to 
login to their system for problem diagnosis and resolution.

One of the company's software engineers told us about how the 
Internet recently saved the day (and night) for him when his boss 
needed a network monitoring problem fixed by Friday morning! (and 
it was 4:59 PM on Thursday). A quick search into the Internet produced 
a gold mine of network monitoring programs. He chose one of the simpler 
ones, customized it, and within an hour was done and on his way home. 
"Another victory for Truth, Connectedness and the Internet Way!"

Source: Peter Ho, Unocal Corp.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Costs

Costs of connecting your organization's network can vary widely (or wildly) 
from provider to provider. Obviously, providers who do much of the work 
for you will charge more in administrative and monthly or yearly fees. 
Startup expenses include special equipment and administrative fees. After 
your network is connected, recurring costs include monthly administrative 
fees or subscriptions and leased-line charges. However, the information 
traffic on your leased-line links isn't metered--you won't get a 
long-distance bill for every file transfer an employee or student made 
from a computer in Brazil or every email message sent to someone in Alaska.


Other Connection Issues

Once you're connected, there are several issues that you may have to 
address constantly. One is technical support. If your network provider 
doesn't monitor, configure, and upgrade your network's connection, then 
you will have to pay someone to do it. Someone has to maintain the 
domain nameservers and establish an electronic mail system for your 
organization. Additionally, there can be quite a bit of user support 
required once you have a connection to the Internet. Many helpful people, 
mailing lists, and documentation are available on the Internet, but 
initially you may need some handholding for your users. Your network 
provider may assist in this, as well.

Finally, you or your network provider will be responsible for maintaining 
security on your network and computers. Security includes making sure 
you know (by using proper authorization mechanisms such as accounts 
and passwords on computers and terminal servers) which users on your 
network are accessing the Internet and keeping intruders out of your systems.


Providers

Most of the NSFNET mid-level networks are a good source for connections. 
There are too many to list in this book, but you can get a list and 
access information from one of the national NICs mentioned in Chapter 5. 
Commercial providers offering organizational connections include UUNET, 
CERFnet, US Sprint, ANS, and PSI. See the listings in the appendix.

A very informative book, _Internet: Getting Started,_ published by SRI 
International, contains lists of providers organized by region. Updated 
regularly, this book also lists worldwide providers. For ordering 
information about the book and other information sources, see the appendix.



There it is. Now you know what you need to get connected to the Internet 
and to begin to use some of its vast resources. Our only advice is 
this: Keep trying when you're frustrated, keep looking when you can't 
find it, and keep your sense of humor. You probably couldn't ride 
a bicycle perfectly the first time you tried either!

The world of the Internet is immense and so, too, is the body of information 
about it! Our biggest task in writing this book was to sort out what you, 
the new Internet user, most needed to know to get started. The listing of 
resources that follows in the appendix is the most fitting conclusion to 
this book, because it gives you places to look for even more information. 
And we hope we've whetted your appetite for further exploration! We've 
given you the map, the rules of the road, and the keys to the kingdom. 
Enjoy your Internet journey!



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
                      Explore the Internet -- Free!
               
               
         DELPHI, a leading international online service, now offers full
     access to the Internet. You can explore this incredible network
     with no risk. You get 5 hours of access to try it out for free!
     
         No matter where you live, DELPHI is probably just a local call
     away. There are access numbers in over 600 cities and towns through-
     out the US and many other countries.
     
         DELPHI places a priority on helping new members learn how to 
     use powerful Internet features such as Email, telnet, FTP, Gopher, 
     Hytelnet, WAIS, the World-Wide Web, Internet Relay Chat, and 
     USENET Newsgroups. There are expert online assistants and a large
     collection of help files, books, and other resources to help get
     you started.
     
         You can use any type of computer and modem to access DELPHI.
     After the free trial you can choose from two low-cost membership
     plans. With rates as low as $1 per hour, no other online service
     offers so much for so little.
     
              * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
              *                                             *
              *             5-HOUR FREE TRIAL!              *
              *                                             *
              *        Dial by modem, 1-800-365-4636        *
              *        At USERNAME, enter JOINDELPHI        *
              *        At PASSWORD, enter COMPANION         *
              *                                             *
              *    Questions? call 1-800-695-4005 (voice)   *
              *       Send e-mail to INFO@delphi.com        *
              *                                             *
              * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
              
              
                                  DELPHI                   
                                   
               1030 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
               
      Rates are subject to change without notice. Complete details
      are provided during the toll-free registration.
      
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *




7. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, Rick, and Brian Reid. "USENET Readership Summary Report 
for March 1992," _Internet Society News_, vol. 1, no. 2, 
pp. 40-41. Reston, Va.: Internet Society, spring 1992.

Barlow, John Perry. "Crime and Puzzlement: Desperados of the DataSphere," 
_Whole Earth Review_, pp. 45-57. Sausalito, Calif.: POINT, 
fall 1990.

Barron, Billy. _UNT's Accessing On-Line Bibliographic Databases_. 
Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas, April 24, 1992.

Berners-Lee, Tim. "A Summary of the WorldWideWeb System," 
_ConneXions: The Interoperability Report_, vol. 6, no. 7, pp. 
26-27. Mountain View, Calif.: Interop Company, July 1992.

Berners-Lee, Tim, Robert Cailliau, Jean-Fracois Groff, and Bernd Pollermann. 
"World-Wide Web: The Information Universe," _Electronic 
Networking: Research, Applications and Policy_, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 
52-58. Westport, Conn.: Meckler Corporation, spring 1992.

Bonine, John E. "Internet and Environmental Law," _Internet 
Society News_, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 26-27. Reston, Va.: Internet 
Society, winter 1992.

Bromberg, Craig. "In Defense of Hackers," _The New York 
Times Magazine_, pp. 44-49. New York: The New York Times, April 
21, 1991.

Cerf, Vinton G. "The Internet Activities Board; RFC 1120," 
_Network Working Group Request for Comments_. May 1990.

Cerf, Vinton G. "Networks," _Scientific American_, vol. 
265, no. 3, pp. 72-81. New York: Scientific American, Inc., September 
1991.

Chew, John J. _Inter-Network Mail Guide_. June 25, 1992.

Clements, Charles, M.D. "HealthNet Connects Africa to Vital Medical 
Data," _Satellite Communications_, pp. 18-21. January 
1992.

Comer, Douglas E. _Internetworking with TCP/IP: Principles, Protocols 
and Architecture_, Second Edition, Vol. 1. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: 
Prentice Hall, 1991.

Curry, David A. _Improving the Security of Your UNIX System_. 
Menlo Park, Calif.: SRI International Information and Telecommunications 
Sciences and Technology Division, April 1990.

Denning, Peter J. _Computers Under Attack: Intruders, Worms and 
Viruses_. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1990.

Deutsch, Peter. "Resource Discovery in an Internet Environment--the 
Archie Approach," _Electronic Networking: Research, Applications, 
and Policy_, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 45-51. Westport, Conn.: Meckler 
Corporation, spring 1992.

Emtage, Alan, Brewster Kahle, B. Clifford Neuman, and Michael Schwartz. 
_A Comparison of Internet Resource Discovery Approaches_. Boulder, 
Colo.: University of Colorado at Boulder Department of Computer Science, 
July 1992.

Goos, Anke, and Daniel Karrenberg. _The European R&D E-Mail Directory_. 
Buntingford, United Kingdom: EurOpen, 1990.

Gore, Al. "Infrastructure for the Global Village," _Scientific 
American_, vol. 265, no. 3, pp. 150-153. New York: Scientific 
American, Inc., September 1991.

Holbrook, Paul, and Joyce K. Reynolds. "Site Security Handbook; 
RFC 1244 or FYI 8, " _Network Working Group Request for Comments_. 
July 1991.

Horvitz, Robert. "The USENET Underground," _Whole Earth 
Review_, no. 65, pp. 112-115. Sausalito, Calif.: POINT, 
winter 1989.

Kahle, Brewster. "WAIS: Wide Area Information Servers," _NSF 
Network News_, no. 11, pp. 1-2. Cambridge, Mass.: The NSF Network 
Service Center, March 1992.

Kaminski, Peter. "Public Dialup Internet Access List," 
_alt.internet.access.wanted_. USENET, August 25, 1992.

Kamens, Jonathan. "How to Find Sources," _news.answers_. 
USENET, August 15, 1992.

Kapor, Mitchell. "Civil Liberties in Cyberspace," _Scientific 
American_, vol. 265, no. 3, pp. 158-164. New York: Scientific 
American, Inc., September 1991.

Karraker, Roger. "Highways of the Mind," _Whole Earth Review_, 
no. 70, pp. 4-11. Sausalito, Calif.: POINT, spring 1991.

Kehoe, Brendan, P. _Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's 
Guide to the Internet_. Chester, Pa.: Widener University, January 
1992.

Kochmer, Jonathan. _NorthWestNet User Services Internet Resource 
Guide (NUSIRG)_. Bellevue, Wash.: NorthWestNet and NorthWestNet 
Academic Computing Consortium, Inc., December 1991.

Landweber, Larry. "International Connectivity," _Internet 
Society News_, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 49-52. Reston, Va.: Internet 
Society, spring 1992.

LaQuey, Tracy L. _The User's Directory of Computer Networks_. 
Burlington, Mass.: Digital Press, 1990.

Libes, Don, and Sandy Ressler. _Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone_. 
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1989.

Lottor, Mark. "Internet Growth (1981-1991); RFC 1296," 
_Network Working Group Request for Comments_. January 1992.

Malkin, Gary, and April Marine. "FYI on Questions and Answers: 
Answers to Commonly Asked New Internet User Questions; RFC 1325 or 
FYI 4," _Network Working Group Request for Comments. _May 
1992._

Marine, April (Editor), Susan Kirkpatrick, Vivan Neou, and Carol Ward. 
_Internet: Getting Started_. Menlo Park, Calif.: SRI International, 
May 1992.

MaCahill, Mark. "The Internet Gopher: A Distributed Server Information 
System," _ConneXions: The Interoperability Report_, vol. 
6, no. 7, pp. 10-14. Mountain View, Calif: Interop Company, July 
1992.

McClure, Charles R., Ann P. Bishop, Philip Doty, and Howard Rosenbaum. 
_The National Research and Education Network (NREN): Research and 
Policy Perspectives. _Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 
1991._

Mockapetris, Paul. "Domain Names--Concepts and Facilities; 
RFC 822," _Network Working Group Request for Comments_. November 
1983.

Moore, Michael A., and Ronald M. Sawey. _BITNET for VMS Users_. 
Burlington, Mass.: Digital Press, 1992.

O'Brien, Michael. "Ask Mr. Protocol--Playing in the MUD," 
_SunExpert_, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 19-27. Brookline, Mass.: 
Computer Publishing Group, May 1992.

Press, Larry. "Relcom, An Appropriate Technology Network," 
_INET '92 Proceedings, Kobe, Japan_. Reston, Va.: Internet Society, 
June 1992.

Quarterman, John S. _The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing 
Systems Worldwide_. Burlington, Mass.: Digital Press, 1990.

Quarterman, John S. "Which Network and Why It Matters," _Matrix 
News_, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 6-13. Austin, Tex.: Matrix Information 
and Directory Services, Inc., August 1991.

Quarterman, John S. "Analogy is Not Identity," _Matrix 
News_, vol. 1, no. 7, pp. 6-9. Austin, Tex.: Matrix Information 
and Directory Services, Inc., October 1991.

Raymond, Eric, and Guy L. Steele Jr. _The New Hacker's Dictionary_. 
Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1992.

Salzenberg, Chip. "What is Usenet?" _news.announce.newusers_. 
USENET, July 19, 1992.

Spafford, Gene. "Do Not Send Any {Get Well, Post, Business} Cards 
to Craig Shergold," _news.announce.important_. USENET, 1992.

Spafford, Gene. "List of Active Newsgroups," 
_news.announce.newusers_. USENET, July 19, 1992._

Stoll, Clifford. _The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the 
Maze of Computer Espionage_. New York: Doubleday, 1989.

SURAnet Network Information Center. _SURAnet Information Available 
on the Internet: A Guide to Selected Sources_. College Park, Md.: 
SURAnet, August 3, 1992.

Toffler, Alvin. _Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at 
the Edge of the 21st Century_. New York: Bantam Books, November 
1990.

Weiser, Mark. "The Computer for the 21st Century," _Scientific_ 
American_, vol. 265, no. 3, pp. 94-104. New York: Scientific 
American, Inc., September 1991.

Wyk, Kenneth R. van. "Frequently Asked Questions on VIRUS-L/comp.virus," 
_VIRUS-L Digest_. _VIRUS-L@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu,_ March 19, 
1992.

Yanoff, Scott. _Special Internet Connections_. Milwaukee, Wis.: 
University of Wisconsin, June 30. 1992.



8. APPENDIX: RESOURCES


CLIENT SOFTWARE AND MENU SYSTEMS


Information Searching and Retrieval Clients

_Archie_ Archie clients can be obtained via anonymous FTP 
to host _quiche.cs.mcgill.ca_, directory _archie/clients_. 
Get the _README_ file for more information. Send questions about 
archie to _archie-l@archie.mcgill.ca_.

_WAIS_ The main distribution site for WAIS software is on 
host _think.com_, directory _wais_. Get the file _README_ 
for more information. Send comments and questions about WAIS to 
Brewster Kahle, _brewster@think.com_.

_Gopher_ Obtain Gopher clients via anonymous FTP to host 
_boombox.micro.umn.edu_, in the _pub/gopher_ directory. See the 
_00README_ file for more information. Send suggestions and 
comments about Gopher to _gopher@boombox.micro.umn.edu_.

_WorldWideWeb_  The main software distribution site for WWW 
software is on the anonymous FTP host _info.cern.ch_, directory 
_pub/WWW_; get the _README.txt_ file. Send WWW comments 
and questions to Tim Berners-Lee, _timbl@info.cern.ch_.


Menu-Based Systems

The menu systems that organize and enable access to online library 
catalogs, databases, BBSs, and CWIS include HYTELNET, as well as 
LIBTEL and CATALIST. These programs and others can be also be obtained 
via anonymous FTP on host _ftp.unt.edu_, directory _library_.

_CATALIST_ Developed by Richard Duggan, University of Delaware, Newark, 
Del. CATALIST requires MicroSoft Windows 3.0 to run. It's available via 
anonymous FTP on _zebra.acs.udel.edu_, directory _pub/library_. Get 
the file _readme.txt_for more information.

_Hytelnet_ Developed by Peter Scott, University of Saskatchewan, 
Saskatoon, Canada. Hytelnet programs for PC, Mac, VMS and UNIX are 
available on host _access.usask.ca_, directory _pub/hytelnet_. 
Get the _README_ file for more information.

_LIBTEL_ Developed by Dan Mahone, University of New Mexico, 
Albuquerque, N.M. UNIX and VMS versions are available via anonymous 
FTP on host _ftp.unt.edu_, directory _library_. See the _libtel_ files.



COMMERCIAL NETWORKING

Trade Association of Commercial Internet Providers
The Commercial Internet Exchange (CIX) Association
Phone: (617) 864-0665
Email: _info@cix.org_
Anonymous FTP: _cix.org_. See the _cix-info.txt_ file.

Enterprise Networking
Enterprise Integration Networking (EINet)
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC)
3500 West Balcones Center Drive, Austin, TX  78759
Phone: (512) 338-3569 FAX: (512) 338-3897
Email: _info@einet.net_ Email server: _einet-info@einet.net_
Anonymous FTP: _ftp.einet.net_

Commercial Information Services
Dialog Information Services
Phone: (415) 858-3785, (800) 3-DIALOG FAX: (415) 858-7069
Dow Jones News/Retrieval, Dow Jones Information Services
Phone: (800) 522-3567, (609) 452-1511

Lexis-Nexis, Mead Data Central, Inc.
Phone: (800) 227-4908

ClariNet Communications Corporation
Phone: (408) 296-0366, (800) USE-NETS FAX: (408) 296-1668
Email: _info@clarinet.com_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.clarinet.com_


DIRECTORY SERVICES

Documents

_How to Find People's E-Mail Addresses FAQ, _by Jonathan Kamens, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Available 
via anonymous FTP on host _pit-manager.mit.edu,_ directory 
_pub/usenet/news.answers_, filename _finding-addresses_.

_List of Internet Whois Servers_, by Matt Power, Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Available via anonymous 
FTP on host _sipb.mit.edu_, directory _pub/whois_, filename 
_whois-servers.list_.


INTEREST GROUPS AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Federation of Academic and Research Networks
FARNET, Attn: Laura Breeden
100 Fifth Avenue, Waltham, MA 02154
Phone: (617) 890-5120 FAX: (617) 890-5117
Email: _breeden@farnet.org_ Anonymous FTP: _farnet.org_

K-12 Networking
Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)
P.O. Box 65193, Washington, DC 20035-5193
Phone: (202) 466-6296
Email: _cosn@bitnic.bitnet_

Library Networking
Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 232-2466 FAX: (202) 462-7849
Email: _info@cni.org_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.cni.org_

Public Access Computer Systems List (PACS-L). Moderated 
by Charles Bailey. 
LISTSERV Address: _LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.bitnet_. 
List Address: PACS-L@UHUPVM1.bitnet.


INTERNET AND ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH NETWORKS

Books
Frey, Donnalyn, and Rick Adams. _!%@:: A Directory 
of Electronic  Mail Addressing and Networks_. Sebastopol, Calif.: 
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1990.

Krol, Ed. _The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog_. 
Sebastopol,    Calif.: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992.

LaQuey, Tracy L. _The User's Directory of Computer 
Networks_. Burlington, Mass.: Digital Press, 1990.

Malamud, Carl. _Exploring the Internet: A Technical 
Travelogue_. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1992.

Quarterman, John S. _The Matrix: Computer Networks 
and Conferencing Systems Worldwide_. Burlington, Mass.: Digital 
Press, 1990.

Tennant, Roy, John Ober, and Anne G. Lipow. _Crossing 
the Internet Threshold: An Instructional Handbook_. Berkeley, Calif.:
Library Solutions Institute and Press, 1992.


Email List

_INFO-NETS@THINK.COM_ This mailing list is for general 
discussion of networks, focusing on internetwork connectivity. Focuses 
on general worldwide networking questions, connections to particular 
sites, and announcements of new networks and services. Archives are 
maintained and can be accessed via anonymous FTP to _think.com_, 
directory _mail_. All subscription requests should be sent to 
_info-nets-request@think.com_.


Journals and Newsletters

_Electronic Networking: Research, Applications, and Policy_
Meckler Corporation
11 Ferry Lane West, Westport, CT 06880
Phone: (203) 226-6967
Email: _meckler@jvnc.net_

_Matrix News_
Matrix Information & Directory Services, Inc. (MIDS)
_P.O. Box 14621
Austin, TX  78761_
Phone: (512) 329-1087 FAX: (512) 327-1274
Email: _mids@tic.com_

_Research & Education Networking_
Meckler Corporation
11 Ferry Lane West, Westport, CT 06880
Phone: (203) 226-6967
Email: _meckler@jvnc.net_


Lists & Guides for Online Library Catalogs, BBSs, and Databases

_University of North Texas' Accessing On-line Bibliography 
Databases,_ by Billy Barron, University of North Texas, Denton, 
Tex. Directory of online library catalogs and databases. Available 
via anonymous FTP on _ftp.unt.edu_, directory _library_. 
There are several formats (PostScript, text, WordPerfect) of this 
document available. Look at the _libraries_ files.

_Internet-Accessible Library Catalogs & Databases_. 
by Art St. George, University of New Mexico, and Ron Larsen, University 
of Maryland. Directory of online library catalogs and databases. Available 
via anonymous FTP on _ariel.unm.edu_ in the _library_ directory. Text 
version is filename _internet.library_. Postscript version is _library.ps_.

_Internet Resource Guide_, by the NSF Network Service Center (NNSC), 
BBN Laboratories, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Available via anonymous FTP 
on _nnsc.nsf.net_, directory _resource-guide_. Get the _README_ file 
for instructions on getting the guide. 

_SURAnet Information Available on the Internet: A Guide to Selected Sources_, 
by the SURAnet Network Information Center, College Park, Md. This is a 
weekly updated guide to new and unique Internet resources. Available via 
anonymous FTP on _ftp.sura.net_, directory _pub/nic_. Filename is 
_infoguide.x-xx.txt_, where _x-xx_ is the prefix for the most current dated 
version. For more information, get the _00-README.FIRST_ file.


_Special Internet Connections_, compiled by Scott Yanoff, University of 
Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis. Posted regularly to the USENET 
_alt.internet.services_ newsgroup. Also available via anonymous 
FTP on _csd4.csd.uwm.edu_, directory _pub_, filename _inet.services.txt_.

_Campus-Wide Information Systems (CWIS)_, compiled by Judy Hallman, 
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. Available via anonymous 
FTP on _ftp.oit.unc.edu_, directory _pub/docs_, filename _cwis-l_.


Lists of Electronic Mail Gateways and Interest Groups

_Inter-Network Mail Guide_, by John J. Chew, University of Toronto, 
Toronto, Canada. Posted regularly to the USENET _comp.mail.misc_ 
and _news.newusers.questions_ newsgroups. Available via anonymous 
FTP to _FTP.MsState.Edu_, directory _pub/docs_, filename 
_internetwork-mail-guide_. Also available via email by sending 
a message to _listserv@unmvm.bitnet_ with the command *get 
network guide* in the body.

_List of Interest Groups_, compiled and maintained at SRI International 
Network Information Systems Center, Menlo Park, Calif. Available via 
anonymous FTP on _ftp.nisc.sri.com_, directory _netinfo_, filename 
_interest-groups_.

_List of BITNET LISTSERV Lists_, compiled and maintained at the BITNET 
Network Information Center (BITNIC), Washington, DC. Available via email 
by sending a message to _listserv@bitnic.bitnet_. In the body of the 
message type the command *list global*. For more information, contact 
the BITNIC, 1112 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: 
(202) 872-4200. Email: _info@bitnic.educom.edu_.

_Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences_, compiled by Diane K. 
Kovacs, Kent State University Libraries, Kent, Ohio. Available via 
anonymous FTP on host _ksuvxa.kent.edu_, directory _library_. 
Get the _ACADLIST.README_ file for more information.

_Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists_, compiled and maintained 
by Stephanie da Silva, originally by Chuq Von Ruspach. 
Posted regularly to USENET newsgroups, _news.lists_, 
_news.announce.newusers_, _news.answers_. Also available via 
anonymous FTP on host _pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory 
_pub/usenet/news.answers/mailing-lists_, filenames _part1_, 
_part2_, and _part3_.


Lists and Guides for Finding Information and Software Sources

_List of Anonymous FTP Sites_, by Tom Czarnik. Posted regularly 
to USENET newsgroups _comp.misc_, _news.answers_, _comp.sources.wanted_, 
and _alt.sources.wanted_. Also available in multipart files via anonymous 
FTP on host _pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory _pub/usenet/comp.misc_.

_How to Find Sources and List of Mail Servers_, by Jonathan Kamens, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Includes a 
list of anonymous FTP sites that allow files to be accessed via email. 
Available via anonymous FTP on host _pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory 
_pub/usenet/news.answers_, filename _finding-sources_. This file is 
also available via an email server. For directions, send a message to 
_mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu_, with the command *help* in the Subject.


Hypercard Tours of the Internet

_Tour of the Internet_. Developed by the NSF Network Service Center (NNSC), 
BBN Laboratories, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Available via anonymous FTP on 
host _nnsc.nsf.net_, directory _internet-tour_. Get the _Internet-Tour-README_ 
file for instructions on getting and installing this HyperCard stack. Contact 
the NNSC for more information (address below).

_A Cruise of the Internet_. Developed by Merit Network, Inc., 
Ann Arbor, Mich. Available via anonymous FTP on host _nic.merit.edu_, 
directory _resources_. See the file _merit.cruise.readme.txt_ for 
more information. Contact Merit Network, Inc., 1075 Beal Avenue, 
Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109-2112. Email address: _nsfnet-info@merit.edu_.


Online Documents and Books

_For Your Information (FYI) Documents_ are available via anonymous FTP 
on host _nic.ddn.mil_ in the _rfc_ directory. Get the _fyi-index.txt_ 
file for more information. See the "Internetworking and TCP/IP 
Resources" section in this appendix for more information about obtaining 
FYI/RFCs.

_Zen and the Art of the Internet_, by Brendan Kehoe, Widener University, 
Chester, Pa. Available online via anonymous FTP on _ftp.cs.widener.edu_, 
directory _pub/zen_. See the _README_ file for more information.

_NorthWestNet User Services Internet Resource Guide (NUSIRG)_, by Jonathan 
Kochmer, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Available online in 
PostScript form on host _ftphost.nwnet.net_, directory _nic/nwnet/user-guide_. 
Get the _README.nusirg_ file for more information. Also available in hard 
copy. Contact NorthWestNet, NUSIRG Orders, 15400 SE 30th Place, Suite 202, 
Bellevue, WA 98007. Phone: (206) 562-3000. Email: _nusirg-orders@nwnet.net_.


Periodic Postings and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Lists 
and Archives

_USENET FAQs_ Posted or emailed regularly to newsgroups 
and mailing lists. USENET FAQs are also regularly posted 
on the USENET newsgroup _news.answers_. FAQs also archived and 
available via anonymous FTP on host _pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory 
_pub/usenet/news.answers_. For more information, see the _introduction_ 
file in the _news-answers_ directory.

_Periodic Postings_ Compiled and maintained by Jonathan I. Kamens, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. (originally 
by Rich Kulawiec). Periodic documents are posted or emailed regularly 
to newsgroups and mailing lists. List of USENET periodic postings 
available from host _pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory 
_pub/usenet/news.answers/periodic-postings_, filenames _part1_, 
_part2_, _part3_. Actual documents are available via anonymous FTP, host 
_pit-manager.mit.edu_, directory _pub/usenet_. Documents are organized 
by newsgroup directories. Type the file names _exactly_ as shown.



NETWORK INFORMATION CENTERS (NICs)

Defense Data Network (DDN) Network Information Center (NIC) Government 
Systems, Inc., Attn: Network Information Center
14200 Park Meadow Drive, Suite 200, Chantilly, VA  22021
Phone: (703) 802-4535, (800) 365-3642 FAX: (703) 802-8376
Email: _hostmaster@nic.ddn.mil_ Anonymous FTP: _nic.ddn.mil_

NSF Network Service Center
BBN Systems and Technologies Corporation
10 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA  02138
Phone: (617) 873-3400 FAX: (617) 873-5620
Email: _nnsc@nnsc.nsf.net_ Anonymous FTP: _nnsc.nsf.net_

SRI International, Network Information Systems Center
333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (415) 859-6387 FAX: (415) 859-6028
Email: _nisc@nisc.sri.com_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.nisc.sri.com_


NATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK (NREN)

Books

Kahin, Brian. _Building Information Infrastructure: Issues in the 
Development of the National Research and Education Network  (NREN)_. 
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992.

McClure, Charles R., Ann P. Bishop, Philip Doty, and Howard Rosenbaum. 
_The National Research and Education Network (NREN): Research and Policy 
Perspectives_. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Press, 1991.

Parkhurst, Carol A. _Library Perspectives on NREN: The National Research 
and Education Network_. Chicago, Ill.: Library and Information Technology 
Association (LITA), a division of the  American Library Association, 1990.


Online Documents

Thoughts on the National Research and Education Network, by Vinton G. Cerf, 
Corporation for National R, Reston, Va. Available via anonymous FTP on 
host _nic.ddn.mil, directory rfc_, filename _rfc1167.txt_.

_Libraries and the National Research and Education Network_, available via 
anonymous FTP on host _ftp.eff.org_, directory _pub/internet-info_, 
filename _lita.nren_.

_NREN Legislation and Remarks_, available via anonymous FTP on host 
_ftp.merit.edu_, directory _internet/legislative.actions_. 
See the _INDEX.legislative.actions_ file for more information.



ELECTRONIC FRONTIER

Organizations

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc.
155 Second Street, Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: (617) 864-0665 FAX: (617) 864-0866

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc.
666 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Suite 303
Washington, DC  20003
Phone: (202) 544-9237 FAX: (202) 547-5481
Email: _eff@eff.org_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.eff.org_

USENET Newsgroups: _comp.org.eff.talk_ and _comp.org.eff.news_


Books

Hafner, Katie, and John Markoff. _Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers 
on the Computer Frontier_. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

Raymond, Eric, and Guy L. Steele Jr. _The New Hacker's Dictionary_. 
Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1992.

Sterling, Bruce. _The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic 
Frontier_. New York: Bantam Books, 1992.

Stoll, Clifford. _The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze 
of Computer Esponiage_. New York: Doubleday, 1989.



INTERNET ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL ACCESS PROVIDERS

National Commercial Internet Providers

Advanced Network & Services, Inc. (ANS) and ANS CO+RE
100 Clearbrook Road, Elmsford, NY  10523
Phone: (914) 789-5300 FAX: (914) 789-5310
Email: _info@ans.net_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.ans.net_

California Education & Research Federation Network (CERFnet)
P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA  92186-9784
Phone: (619) 455-3900, (800) 876-2373 
FAX: (619) 455-3990 
Email: _help@cerf.net_ Anonymous FTP: _nic.cerf.net_

Sprint
Bob Doyle, Sprintlink
13221 Woodland Park Road, Herndon, VA 22071
Phone: (703) 904-2167 FAX: (703) 904-2680
Email: _bdoyle@icml.icp.net_

Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI)
11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 1100, Reston, VA  22091
Phone: (703) 620-6651, (800) 82-PSI-82 
FAX: (703) 620-4586
Email: _info@psi.com_ Email server: _all-info@psi.com_
Anonymous FTP: _ftp.psi.com_

UUNET Technologies, Inc.
3110 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 570, Falls Church, VA 22042 
Phone: (703) 204-8000, (800) 4-UUNET-3 
FAX: (703) 204-8001
Email: _alternet-info@uunet.uu.net_


Radiomail 

Anterior Technology
P.O. Box 1206, Menlo Park, CA 94026-1206
Phone: (415) 322-1753 FAX: (415) 328-5615
Email: _support@fernwood.mpk.ca.us_ 
Email Server: _info@fernwood.mpk.ca.us



PUBLIC ACCESS SYSTEMS (INDIVIDUAL ACCESS)

Source:  Most of the following information and provider listing was 
obtained from _Public Dialup Internet Access List (PDIAL)_, compiled 
by Peter Kaminski and used with permission. Send additions and corrections 
to _kaminski@netcom.com_. See the "Lists of Providers" section in this 
appendix for information on obtaining the latest online list.

Many of these systems run the UNIX operating system. All provide dialup 
terminal emulation. Ask about UUCP, SLIP, or PPP access. Typical services 
include USENET, IRC, BBS, and games. Most of these systems offer local area 
dialup access. (See the "Dialup" field for the local modem number and a new 
user login name, if one exists.) A summary of services by area code is 
provided. (See "Local Dialup Access Providers Summary.")

A good number of systems also provide access for users outside their local 
areas. (See the "Wide Area Access Providers Summary" section.) Wide area 
access is usually offered via a public data network (PDN, contact information 
listed below) and is specified in the "Long Distance" field. "800" means the 
provider is accessible via a "toll-free" US phone number. The phone company 
will not charge for the call, but the service provider will add a 
relatively large surcharge to cover the high cost of the 800 service. 
Please note that prices, access, and services for each of these may 
change; use the prices listed here for guidance only and not as the 
definitive pricing structure for each organization. 


Wide Area Access Providers Summary (offering access for most area codes 
in continental U.S.)

Dial-n-CERF-USA            OARnet
Holonet                    Portal
Michnet                    PSI
Intercon                   Well
JvNC                       World


Local Dialup Access Area Code Summary

201 JvNC-Tiger             510 Dial-n-CERF, Holonet, Netcom
202 Express                513 OARnet
203 JvNC-Tiger             516 JvNC-Tiger
206 Halcyon                517 MichNet
212 Panix                  603 NEARnet
213 Dial-n-CERF, Netcom    609 JvNC-Tiger
215 JvNC-Tiger             614 OARnet
216 OARnet                 616 MichNet
301 Express                617 NEARnet, World
303 CSN                    619 Cyber, Dial-n-CERF
310 Dial-n-CERF, Netcom    703 Express
313 MichNet, MSEN          714 Dial-n-CERF
401 Anomaly, IDS,          718 Panix
401 JvNC-Tiger             719 CNS, CSN
408 a2i, Netcom, Portal    818 Dial-n-CERF, Netcom
410 Express                906 MichNet
415 Netcom, Well           908 JvNC-Tiger
419 OARnet                 919 CONCERT
508 Nearnet 


Local Dialup Access Providers

a2i communications
1211 Park Avenue, Suite 202, San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: n/a
Email: _info@rahul.net_
Anonymous FTP: _ftp.rahul.net_, directory _pub_, filename _BLURB_
Dialup: (408) 293-9010 (v.32, v.32 bis) or (408) 293-9020 
   (PEP); Login as *guest*
Area Code: 408 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $20/month, $45/3 months, or $72/6 months

Anomaly--Rhode Island's Gateway To The Internet
Small Business Systems, Inc.
Box 17220, Route 104, Smithfield, RI 02917
Phone: (401) 273-4669 FAX: (401) 823-1447
Email: _root@anomaly.sbs.risc.net_
Dialup: (401) 331-3706 (v.32) or (401) 455-0347 (PEP)
Area Code: 401 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $125/6 months or $200/year

Colorado SuperNet, Inc. (CSN), Colorado School of Mines
1500 Illinois, Golden, CO  80401
Phone: (303) 273-3471 FAX: (303) 273-3475
Email: _info@csn.org_
Anonymous FTP: _csn.org_, directory _CSN/reports_, filename _DialinInfo.txt_
Dialup: Contact for number
_Area Codes: 303, 719 Long Distance: Internet or PDN; 
Note:    CSN serves Colorado only._
Fees: $1/hour off-peak, $2/hour peak ($250 max/month) + $20 signup
Off Peak: midnight to 6 a.m.

Community News Service (CNS)
1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd., Suite 400
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Phone: (719) 592-1200 or (800) 748-1200
Email: _info@cscns.com_
Dialup: (719) 520-1700; Login as *new*
Area Code: 719 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Rates: $2.75/hour; $10/month minimum + $35 setup fee

CONCERT 
_Communications for North Carolina Education, Research, and Technology_
3021 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: (919) 248-1999 FAX: (919) 248-1405
Email: _info@concert.net_
Dialup: Contact for number
Area Code: 919 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $30/month + $100 signup

The Cyberspace Station
204 N. El Camino Real, Suite E626, Encinitas, CA 92024
Email: _help@cyber.net_
Dialup: (619) 634-1376, Login as *guest*
Area Code: 619 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $15/month + $10 startup or $60 for six months

Dial n' CERF, AYC, and Dial n' CERF USA
P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784
Phone: (619) 455-3900, (800) 876-2373 FAX: (619) 455-3990 
Email: _help@cerf.net_
Anonymous FTP: _nic.cerf.net_, directory _cerfnet/dial-n-cerf_
Dialup: Contact for number
Area Codes: 213, 310, 510, 619, 714, 818, 800
Long Distance: Internet, PDN, or included
Fees: ACY: $5/hour ($3/hour on weekend) + $20/month 
+ $50 startup or $250/month; Dial n' CERF USA: $10/hour  ($8/hour 
on weekend) + $20/month
Off Peak: Weekend: 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday

Express Access--Online Communications Service
6006 Greenbelt Road  #228, Greenbelt, MD 20770
Phone: (301) 220-2020
Email: _info@digex.com_
Dialup: (301) 220-0462, (410) 766-1855. Login as *new*.
Area Codes: 202, 301, 410, 703 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $25/month or $250/year

Halcyon
P.O. Box 555, Grapeview, WA 98546
Phone: (206) 426-9298
Email: _info@halcyon.com_
Anonymous FTP: _halcyon.com_, directory _pub/waffle_, filename _info_
Dialup: (206) 382-6245; Login as *BBS*
Area Code: 206 Long Distance: Internet or PDN

HoloNet, Information Access Technologies, Inc.
46 Shattuck Square, Suite 11, Berkeley, CA 94704-1152
Phone: (510) 704-0160 
FAX: 510-704-8019
Email: _info@holonet.net_
Anonymous FTP: _holonet.net_, directory _info_
Dialup: (510) 704-1058 (local only). (For demo, call 800-NET-HOLO)
Area Codes: 510, PDN Long Distance: [per hour, off-peak/peak] 
Bay Area: $0.50/$0.95; PSINet A: $0.95/$1.95; PSINet B: $2.50/$6.00; 
Tymnet: $3.75/$7.50
Fees: $2/hour off-peak, $4/hour peak; $6/month or $60/year minimum
Off Peak: 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. + weekends and holidays

The IDS World Network, InteleCom Data Systems
11 Franklin Rd., East Greenwich, RI 02818
Phone: (401) 884-7856
Email: _sysadmin@ids.net_ Anonymous FTP: _ids.net_, filename _ids.net_
Dialup: (401) 884-9002, (401) 785-1067
Area Code: 401 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $10/month, $50/half year, or $100/year

InterCon Systems Corporation
950 Herndon Parkway, Suite 420, Herndon, VA 22070
Phone: (703) 709-9890, (800) NET-2-YOU
FAX: (703) 709-9896
Email: _comment@intercon.com_
Dialup: Send email to _numbers-info@psi.com_
Area Code: PDN Long Distance: included
Fees: Worldlink: $20/month + $19 startup

The John von Neumann Computer Network
Dialin' Tiger and Tiger Mail & Dialin' Terminal
JvNCnet-Princeton University
B6 von Neumann Hall, Princeton, NJ  08544
Phone: (800) 35-TIGER, (609) 258-2400
Email: _info@jvnc.net_
Dialup: Contact for number
Area Codes: 201, 203, 215, 401, 516, 609, 908, and 800
Long Distance: Internet, PDN, or included
Fees: Dialin' Tiger: $99/month + $99 startup; Tiger Mail & Dialin' Terminal: 
$19/month + $10/hour + $36 startup

Merit Network, Inc.--MichNet project
University of Michigan, Institute of Science and Technology
2200 Bonisteel Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Phone: (313) 764-9430
Email: _info@merit.edu_ Anonymous FTP: _nic.merit.edu_
Dialup: Contact for number
Area Codes: 313, 517, 616, 906, PDN
Long Distance: SprintNet, Autonet, Michigan Bell packet-switch network
Fees: $35/month + $40 signup

MSEN, Inc.
628 Brooks St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (313) 998-4562 FAX: (313) 998-4563
Email: _info@msen.com_
Anonymous FTP: _ftp.msen.com_ directory _pub/vendor/msen_
Dialup: (313) 998-4555. Login as *newuser*.
Area Code: 313 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $5/month + $2/hr or $20/mo for 20 hr

NEARnet
10 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 873-8730
Email: _nearnet-join@nic.near.net_
Anonymous FTP: _nic.near.net_ directory _docs_
Dialup: Contact for numbers
Area Codes: 508, 603, 617 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $250/month

Netcom Online Communication Services, Inc.
4000 Moorpark Ave., No. 209, San Jose, CA 95117
Phone: (408) 554-UNIX FAX: 408-241-9145
Email: _info@netcom.com_
Dialup: (310) 842-8835, (408) 241-9760, (408) 459-9851, (415) 424-0131, 
(510) 426-6860, (510) 865-9004, Login as *guest*
Area Codes: 213, 310, 408, 415, 510, 818
Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $19.50/month + $15.00 signup

OARnet, Ohio Supercomputer Center
1224 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212-1154
Phone: (614) 292-8100
Email: _nic@oar.net_
Dialup: Send email to _nic@oar.net_
Area Codes: 614, 513, 419, 216, 800
Long Distance: 800 service
Fees: $4.00/hr to $330.00/month

PANIX Public Access Unix
Panix Public Access Unix of New York
c/o Alexis Rosen, 110 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 877-4854 (Alexis Rosen), (718) 965-3768 (Jim Baumbach)
Email: _alexis@panix.com_, _jsb@panix.com_
Dialup: (718) 832-1525, Login as *newuser*
Area Codes: 212, 718 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: $19/month or $208/year + $40 signup

Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI)
Global Dialup Service (GDS) and Personal Internet Access (PSILink)
11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 1100, Reston, VA  22091
Phone: (703) 620-6651, (800) 82 PSI 82 FAX: (703) 620-4586
Email: _all-info@psi.com_, _gds-info@psi.com_
Anonymous FTP: _ftp.psi.com_
Dialup: Send email to _numbers-info@psi.com_
Area Code: PDN Long Distance: included
Fees: GDS: $39/month + $39 startup, PSILink: $29/month + $19 startup

Portal Communications Company (PORTAL-DOM)
20863 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Suite 200
Cupertino, CA  95014
Phone: (408) 973-9111
Email: _cs@cup.portal.com_
Dialup: (408) 725-0561; Login as *new, info, help*
Area Code: 408 Long Distance: SprintNet: $2.50/hour off-peak, 
$7-$10/hour peak; Tymnet: similar Fees: $18.95/month + $19.95 signup
Off Peak: 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. + weekends and holidays

UK PC User Group
Email: _info@ibmpcug.co.uk_
Dialup: 44 (0)81 863 6646
Area Codes: 44 (0)81 Long Distance: Internet or PDN
Fees: GBPounds 15.50/month or 160/year + 10 startup (no time charges)

The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
The WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link)
27 Gate Five Road, Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: (415) 332-4335 FAX: (415)-332-4927
Email: _info@well.sf.ca.us_
Dialup: (415) 332-6106; Login as *newuser*
Area Codes: 415, PDN Long Distance: CPN: $4/hour
Fees: $15.00/month + $2.00/hr

The World, Software Tool and Die
1330 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02146
Phone: (617) 739-0202
Email: _office@world.std.com_
Anonymous FTP: _world.std.com_, directory _world-info_, filename _basic.info_
Dialup: (617) 739-9753; Login as *new*
Area Code: 617 Long Distance: CPN: $5.60/hour
Fees: $5.00/month + $2.00/hr or $20/month for 20 hours



Public Data Networks Contacts (PDN)

BT Tymnet
Phone: (215) 666-1770, (800) 937-2862

CompuServe Packet Network (CPN)
Phone: (800) 848-4480

PC Pursuit (Sprint)
Phone: (913) 541-1025, (800) 736-1130 FAX: (913) 541-6146

PSINet
Phone: (703) 620-6651, (800) 82-PSI-82
Email: _all-info@psi.com_


Groups Offering Internet Access

Cooperative Library Agency for Systems and Services (CLASS)
1415 Koll Circle, Suite 101, San Jose, CA 95112-4698
Phone: (408) 453-0444, (800) 488-4559 FAX: (408) 453-5379

Institute for Global Communications (IGC) (Peacenet, Econet)
18 De Boom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 442-0220 FAX: (415) 546-1794
Email: _support@igc.apc.org_

National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN) (Freenets)
Box 1987, Cleveland, OH 44106
Phone: (216) 368-2733 FAX: (216) 368-5436
Email: _info@nptn.org_

The Texas Education Network (TENET), The Texas Education Agency (TEA)
1701 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701    
Phone: (512) 463-0828 X. 39091 FAX: (512) 463-9090
Email: _tea@tenet.edu_



LISTS OF PROVIDERS

*Internet Access Providers* Compiled and maintained by SRI 
International Network Information Systems Center (NISC), Menlo Park, 
Calif. Available via anonymous FTP on host _ftp.nisc.sri.com_, 
directory _netinfo_, filenames _Internet-access-providers-US.txt_ and 
_Internet-access-providers-non-US.txt_. Also available in hard 
copy form in the book _Internet: Getting Started_. Contact 
the SRI NISC (address above) for more information.

*Network Provider Referral List* Compiled and maintained by the 
NSF Network Service Center (NNSC), BBN Laboratories, Inc., Cambridge, 
Mass. Available via anonymous FTP on host _nnsc.nsf.net_, directory 
_nsfnet_, filename _referral-list_. Contact the NNSC (address 
in the NIC section) for more information.

*Open Access UNIX Sites: NIXPUb List* Posted regularly to _USENET 
comp.misc_, _comp.bbs.misc_, and _alt.bbs_ newsgroups. Available via 
anonymous FTP on _GVL.Unisys.COM_, directory _pub/nixpub_, 
filenames _long_ or _short_. For those with UUCP access, 
this file is also available via anonymous UUCP from node name _jabber_, 
login _nuucp_, directory _/usr/spool/uucppublic_, filename 
_nixpub_, or _nixpub.short_.

*Public Dialup Internet Access List (PDIAL)* Compiled and maintained 
by Peter Kaminski. Posted regularly to the following USENET Newsgroups: 
_alt.internet.access.wanted_, _alt.bbs.lists_, and _ba.internet_. 
Available via anonymous FTP on host _gvl.unisys.com_, directory 
_pub/pubnet_, filename _pdial_. Or send a message to 
_info-deli-server@netcom.com_ with the Subject: Send PDIAL.



SECURITY

Books

Denning, Peter J. _Computers Under Attack: Intruders, Worms and Viruses_. 
Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1990.

Garfinkel, S., and E. Spafford. _Practical UNIX Security_.  Sebastopol, 
Calif.: O'Reilly & Associates, 1991.


Mailing Lists

*RISKS@csl.sri.com* The _RISKS Digest_ is a moderated discussion 
group on general computer security issues. To subscribe, send a message 
to _risks-request@csl.sri.com_.

*VIRUS-L@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu* VIRUS-L is an electronic mail discussion 
forum devoted to sharing information about computer viruses. To 
subscribe, send an email message to _LISTSERV@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu_ 
(note this is a LISTSERV with an Internet address) and include this 
command in the message body: *SUB VIRUS-L* _Your-name_.


Organization

Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
4500 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 268-7090 FAX: (412) 268-6989
Email: _cert@cert.org_ Anonymous FTP: _ftp.cert.org_


Online documents

_Ethics and the Internet_, by the Internet Activities Board. 
Available online via anonymous FTP on host _nic.ddn.mil_, directory 
_rfc_, filename _rfc1087.txt_.

_Site Security Handbook_, by Paul Holbrook, CICNet, Ann Arbor, 
Mich., and Joyce K. Reynolds, University of Southern California, Information 
Sciences Institute, Marina del Rey, Calif. Available via anonymous 
FTP on host _nic.ddn.mil_, directory _rfc_, filename _rfc1244.txt_. 
Also known as FYI 8.

_Virus Information Documents_: Public virus informational 
documents are available via anonymous FTP on host _ftp.cert.org_, 
directory _pub/virus-l/docs_. See the _READM_E file for more information.


USENET Newsgroups

*comp.risks* This newsgroup is the same as _RISKS Digest_.
*comp.virus* This newsgroup is the same as _VIRUS-L._



TCP/IP AND INTERNETWORKING

Books

Comer, Douglas E. _Internetworking with TCP/IP: Principles, Protocols 
and Architecture, Second Edition, Volume 1_. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: 
Prentice Hall, Inc., 1991.

Marine, April, Susan Kirkpatrick, Vivan Neou, and Carol Ward. _Internet: 
Getting Started_. Menlo Park, Calif.: SRI International, May 1992. 
See the NIC section for contact information.


Email Lists

*tcp-ip@nic.ddn.mil*. This mailing list is a discussion group for TCP/IP 
developers and maintainers. Send subscription requests to 
_tcp-ip-request@nic.ddn.mil_.


Newsletter

_ConneXions: The Interoperability Report_
Interop Company
480 San Antonio Road, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA  94040
Phone: (800) INTEROP, (415) 941-3399 FAX: (415) 941-2913
Email: _connexions@interop.com_


Online Documents

_Network Reading List_, by Charles Spurgeon, The University of 
Texas at Austin Network Information Center, Austin, Tex. Available 
in PostScript and text formats via anonymous FTP on host _ftp.utexas.edu_, 
directory _pub/netinfo/reading-list_.

_Request For Comments_ (RFCs and FYIs) can be obtained via anonymous FTP 
from the following hosts: _nic.ddn.mil_, _ftp.nisc.sri.com_, _nis.nsf.net_, 
_nisc.jvnc.net_, _venera.isi.edu_, _wuarchive.wustl.edu_, _src.doc.ic.ac.uk_, 
or _ftp.concert.net_. RFCs (and the RFC index) can be obtained via email also. 
Send a message to _rfc-info@isi.edu_, and in the body of the message put the 
command *help: ways_to_get_rfcs*. A help message will be returned to you. 
RFCs are also available in hard copy form on a cost recovery basis from SRI 
International Network Information Systems Center. See the contact information 
in the NIC section.


Organization

Internet Society (ISOC)
1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 100, Reston, VA  22091
Phone: (703) 648-9888 FAX: (703) 620-0913
Email: _isoc@cnri.reston.va.us_ 
Anonymous FTP: _cnri.reston.va.us_



UNIX

Books

Libes, Don, and Sandy Ressler. _Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone_. 
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1989.

McGilton, Henry, and Rachel Morgan. _Introducing the UNIX System_. 
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983.

Norton, Peter, and Harley Hahn. _Peter Norton's Guide to UNIX_.
New York: Bantam Books, 1990.

Todino, Grace, and John Strang. _Learning the UNIX Operating System_. 
Sebastopol, Calif.: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1989.


s: NIXPUb List* Posted regularly to _USENET 
comp.misc_, _comp.bbs.misc_, and 
