TELECOM Digest     Sun, 5 Jun 94 11:06:00 CDT    Volume 14 : Issue 272

Inside This Issue:                          Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Book Review: SSC Command References (Rob Slade)
    Bills Online, Action Needed Now (TAP-Info via James D. Wilson)
    800 Traffic Query (Judith Oppenheimer)
    Second Phone Line: How Can I Do it Myself (Edgar Estrada)
    How Does the Telephone Work? (Chua Tai Wei)
    New Book: The Electronic Traveler (Marcus L. Endicott)
    AT&T to be Held Accountable? (Ken Kopin)

TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 04 Jun 1994 18:01:11 MDT
From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.ca>
Subject: Book Review: SSC Command References


BKSSCREF.RVW  940318
 
Specialized Systems Consultants Inc.
P.O. Box 55549   Seattle, WA  98155
(206) 527-3385   Fax: (206) 527-2806
bel@ssc.com
"UNIX System Command Summary", 1993, 0-916151-61-1
 
Specialized Systems Consultants publish a series of tutorial and
reference cards and booklets.  The standard "tri-fold page" size of
8.5" by 3.5" is a bit difficult to fit on a bookshelf.  While a bit
awkward, it will fit in a shirt pocket or, opened, in a file folder.
It fits quite nicely in a suit jacket inside pocket for those going
out on service calls.  I received an ANSI C reference card, five UNIX
(Beginning Commands, System 4 and 4.2 Command Summaries, and Bourne
and Korn shell) references, an Emacs reference, a vi tutorial and
reference, an MS-DOS Command Summary and an RS-232 reference card.
Most prices appear to range between three and ten dollars.
 
The material is generally well chosen and useful.  For most quick
reference these will be much handier than full documentation.  The
layout is good, with logical divisions between boxed groups of
commands or information tables.
 
Unfortunately, there are oddities, vagaries and outright errors.  The
RS-232 card gives pinouts for DB25 and DB9 connectors but not the
Macintosh's DIN-8.  The MS-DOS summary lists CON only as the console
screen, PRN only as LPT1 and fails to mention that a .COM file is
executable.  The Bourne shell tutorial gives a brief introduction to
wild cards: it will probably surprise novice users when they find that
other UNIX documentation refers to these patterns as regular
expressions (or regexp).  The UNIX references fare somewhat better,
particularly since they are primarily command listings.
 
The tutorials are probably a lot less intimidating for new users than
some of the bulkier texts.  (And cheaper, too.)  The reference cards
are handy and reasonably valuable.  Likely, their list of titles is
growing fairly rapidly.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994   BKSSCREF.RVW  940318. Distribution is
permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.


Vancouver      ROBERTS@decus.ca    
Institute for  Robert_Slade@sfu.ca 
Research into  rslade@cue.bc.ca    
User           p1@CyberStore.ca    
Security       Canada V7K 2G6      

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 00:23:11 HST
From: NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
Subject: Bills Online, Action Needed Now


Message forwarded FYI from TAP. 

James D. Wilson     
P. O. Box 15432     
Honolulu, HI  96830 


  Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 23:32:54 -0400
  From: email list server <listserv@snyside.sunnyside.com>
  To: cpsr-announce@sunnyside.com
  Subject: Bills Online, Action Needed Now

Distributed to TAP-INFO, a free Internet Distribution List
(subscription requests to listserver@essential.org)

TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - INFORMATION POLICY NOTE
(please distribute freely)

Crown Jewels Campaign - LEGIS
June 2, 1994


-    SPECIAL TASK FORCE OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO TAKE
     ACTION ON INTERNET ISSUES

-    ACTION NEEDED (NOW) TO GET COPIES OF CONGRESSIONAL BILLS
     ONLINE THROUGH THE INTERNET

-    QUICK ACTION CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE

     by:  Mike Ward (mike@essential.org), TAP
          Jamie Love (love@essential.org), TAP

A special 60 day "Task Force on the Internet," has been created within
the House of Representatives Committee on House Administration.  This
Task Force will be issuing a report (possibly the week of June 6-10)
on the use of the Internet by the House of Representatives.  Among the
issues that the Task Force should address is the dissemination of
bills being considered by the House. It is critically important to
alert Task Force members to your interest in accessing bills before
Congress through the Internet. TAP recommends that you email and fax
the following House members, telling them that the House of
Representatives should make available all bills pending before
Congress through ftp, email ftp and gopher.

Members of the TASK FORCE ON THE INTERNET are:

Thomas Manton (D-NY)
ph.  202-225-3965        fax  202-225-1909   NO EMAIL

Sam Gejdenson (D-CT)
ph.  202-225-3965        fax  202-225-2076   bozrah@hr.house.gov

Dale Kildee (D-MI)
ph.  202-25-3611         fax  202-225-6393   NO EMAIL

Bill Thomas (R-CA), Ranking Minority Member Comm. on House Admin.
ph.  202-225-2915        fax  202-225-8798   NO EMAIL

Jennifer Dunn (R-WA)     
ph.  202-225-7761        fax  202-225-8673   NO EMAIL


Also important is:

Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking minority member of the Joint
Committee on Printing
ph. 202-225-2715         fax 202-225-5375

                    -----------------------------------
                      Our letter reads as follows:

Representative Sam Gejdenson, et. al
Task Force on the Internet
U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Representative:

We are writing to urge you to make all pending bills available on the
Internet.  We have been asking for online access to congressional
bills for three years.  It is our understanding that the principal
opposition to this has come from a handful of commercial data vendors.
We think that the time has come for Congress to think in terms of how
it can make democracy work better for the public, rather than find
ways to enrich a few commercial interests.  If Congress can find
millions of dollars for Congressional franking privileges, sending out
thinly disguised campaign literature, it can find a few thousand
dollars to put copies of pending legislation online so that ordinary
citizens can better monitor the activities of Congress.

Thank you.


Sincerely
James Love
Mike Ward
Taxpayer Assets Project

                   ------------------------------------
            GPO Access Program Announcement on "enrolled bills"

Several readers wrote us in regards to a post circulated on the
Internet announcing the Government Printing Office's plan to make
bills accessible through the Internet on June 8th. The announcement
about the GPO Access Program only pertained to bills already passed by
both the House and Senate, "enrolled bills", that are awaiting the
President's signature.  These bills are of little use for citizen
participation in the democratic process since they have already been
passed by congress.  mike

                        --------------------------
                  letter from Representative Charlie Rose

Attached is a letter from Rep. Charlie Rose (crose@hr.house.gov),
Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, responding to those
who wrote him in regards to the May 9th TAP-INFO, "Zimmer Urges House
Legislation Be Accessible on the Internet."


Dear Interested Network Citizen:

 Thank you for your recent interest and thoughtful comments regarding
the availability of proposed legislation on the Internet.  As you may
know, the Committee on House Administration, which I Chair, and House
Information Systems have been working hard to make Member and
Committee offices accessible to the Internet.  Currently, twenty-five
Members and several committees have established Internet mail boxes.
In March I announced the availability to all Member offices public
electronic mail services using the Internet.  We are also providing
access for Member offices directly to the Internet for staff research.
As part of these efforts, House Information Systems has also
established a server on the Internet which uses the University of
Minnesota GOPHER software to provide a wide variety of information
about the House of Representatives, its Members, and committees.  This
server is accessible on the Internet, and is named GOPHER.HOUSE.GOV.
Information regarding the public electronic mail system, which
provides a mail box for constituents to send electronic mail messages
to their Member of Congress, can be obtained by sending an electronic
mail message to:

    CONGRESS@HR.HOUSE.GOV.

 The Committee on House Administration is currently considering
various policy alternatives regarding the release of the electronic
version of congressional documents printed by the Government Printing
Office.  In fact I have created a task force, which conducted a
hearing this past Wednesday, May 5, to explore those alternatives.
After receiving input from the task force, the Committee will direct
House Information Systems to add the electronic data base version of
printed documents that can be economically and accurately made
available.  I would also encourage you to write Bill Thomas of
California, the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on House
Administration and Pat Roberts of Kansas, the Ranking Minority Member
of the Joint Committee on Printing.  It is important that they know
your views of this important subject.

 Once again, thank you for your interest and please watch for
additional announcements regarding the availability of on-line
congressional information.

 With my very best wishes,

      Sincerely,


      Charlie Rose
        Chairman


                         --------------

TAP-INFO is an Internet Distribution List provided by the Taxpayer
Assets Project (TAP).  TAP was founded by Ralph Nader to monitor the
management of government property, including information systems and
data, government funded R&D, spectrum allocation and other government
assets.  TAP-INFO reports on TAP activities relating to federal
information policy.  tap-info is archived at ftp.cpsr.org;
gopher.cpsr.org and wais.cpsr.org

Subscription requests to tap-info to listserver@essential.org with
the message:  subscribe tap-info your name.

Taxpayer Assets Project; P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC  20036
v. 202/387-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet:  tap@essential.org

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 12:41:21 -0400
From: Judith Oppenheimer <producer@pipeline.com>
Subject: 800 Traffic Query 


I have a client who plans on retaining an inbound telephone
center/fulfillment house for an advertising campaign.  My client wants
to use one of his existing 800 numbers for this campaign.

How can he transfer service of the 800 number from his business
location to an adequately equipped and staffed telemarketing center,
without losing ownership of his number?

We assume this is done all the time, but have no idea how. Can anyone
advise?  Please respond by email to Producer@pipeline.com.


Judith Oppenheimer   Producer@pipeline.com

------------------------------

From: ab503@lafn.org (Edgar Estrada)
Subject: Second Phone Line: How Can I Do it Myself
Organization: Los Angeles Free-Net
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 19:45:24 GMT


I'd like to add a second phoneline in my apartment. I called the local
phone company and they want $100 just to install the jack.  I suspect
that I can probably do it myself. I remember reading somewhere that
most new aparments have been wired for two lines so all I would have
to buy is a phone panel with two jacks and connect the right wires.
Would this be right? If so what are the right wire? Does anybody know
of a how to book that will tell me how to do it?


Thanks,

Edgar

------------------------------

From: taiwei@solomon.technet.sg
Subject: How Does the Telephone Work?
Date: 5 Jun 1994 01:16:00 GMT
Organization: Technet, Singapore


I am looking for information on how normal telephones (POTS) work.
 
I am particularly interested to know:

1.      How are signals sent into the network?
2       How are signals received from the network?
3       How will loop current affect 1 & 2?
4       Are there any differences between POTs of various countries?
5       Technical Specifications for POTs (eg. Ringing voltages,    
        Return Loss, Call Progress Tones)
6.      How the telephone network will affect modems (eg. Phase
 distortions, Amplitude Distortions, etc)
 
Any pointers to technical documentations (FCC, BELL, ITU, BT, etc),
FTPable documents or any other sources would be most appreciated.
 
7. During a recent trip to the US, I note that many hotel phones are
 digital types and do not work with normal modems... I also read
 somewhere that there are special converters that can adapt modems
 to work on such systems.   Where can I find more technical
 information on such systems?   Are all digital systems (PABX) 
 the same?

8. I understand that in Europe, there are special requirements to 
 'seize' the telephone line, something about ground start and mute
 relays ... any idea what these refer to?
 

Thanks,

Chua Tai Wei
MediaCom Technologies  Tel:  65 299 4808
287, Beach Road, #03-00  Fax:  65 299 4828
Singapore 0719   Internet: taiwei@solomon.technet.sg
Republic of Singapore   t.chua@ieee.org

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 05:05:20 -0700
From: Marcus L. Endicott <mendicott@igc.apc.org>
Subject: New Book: The Electronic Traveler


                       THE ELECTRONIC TRAVELER:
               DIRECTORY OF TOURISM INFORMATION SOURCES

    copyright   1994 M. L. Endicott all rights reserved worldwide


                 With a Forward by Steven K. Roberts
                       of Nomadic Research Labs

as the title says, The Electronic Traveler is a directory of tourism
information available to everyone with a computer and a telephone: it
is a guidebook to travel information sources on the emerging
information superhighway.

Although the much touted "information superhighway" is under
construction, its principal components are already in evidence and
many lanes are open for use.  As this historic technological
convergence and social restructuring takes place right before our
eyes, The Electronic Traveler provides signposts, empowering you to
participate in this process.  It explains exactly what travel and
tourism information is available on the information highway and how to
access it.  It covers the vast Internet, popular proprietary
interactive systems, Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs), independent
bulletin board systems (BBSs), and commercial fulltext databases.  It
is for everyone who loves travel and the world: from the traveling
public to the industry that provides them with services and products.

The Electronic Traveler will help you learn of and about destinations
and how best to get there, including buying transportation and
accommodation.  It will help you find people and places, organizations
and events, restaurants and stores, museums and libraries, historic
sites and scenic vistas, entertainment and adventure to satisfy your
individual needs and desires.  It will help you amuse yourself in
transit, as well as keep you in better contact with home while away.
It will help you connect with travel partners.  The Electronic
Traveler will not only do all this and more but will also help you get
the best value for your time and money.


                             ORDER FORM:
The Electronic Traveler: Directory of Tourism Information Sources

Publication Date: June 1, 1994
Format: Spiral Bound, approx. 130 pages
Cost: U.S. $50.00, postpaid (priority mail U.S., airmail outside U.S.)
Enclose check or money order payable to M. L. Endicott with order form and
mail to:
M. L. Endicott, P.O. Box 20837, Saint Simons Island, Georgia 31522-0437,
USA

Number of Copies:

Amount Enclosed:

Your Name:                                                                 

Street Address or P.O. Box:                                                

City and State:                                                            


Postal Code and Country:



                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
0.0  Introduction
     0.1  Origins Of The Information Superhighway
     0.2  Origins Of This Book
     0.3  What To Expect From This Book
     0.4  What To Bring To This Book
     0.5  Short List Of Useful Books And Periodicals
     0.6  Overview Of The Matrix
     0.7  About The Internet
     0.8  Some Major Online Functions
     0.9  Information Technology In Travel And Tourism Today 

1.0  Internet/Usenet/Bitnet
     1.1  Newsgroups
     1.2  Mailing Lists
     1.3  F.A.Q.s: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FILES/GOPHER/WORLDWIDE WEB
     1.4  List of Travel Related Worldwide Web and Gophers on the Internet

2.0  Proprietary Systems
     2.1  America Online (AOL.COM)
     2.2  CompuServe (CompuServe.COM)
     2.3  Delphi (Delphi.COM)
     2.4  eWorld (eWorld.COM)
     2.5  GEnie (genie.geis.com)
     2.6  Institute for Global Communications (IGC.APC.ORG)
     2.7  National Videotex Network (NVN.COM)
     2.8  Prodigy (prodigy.com)
     2.9  TogetherNet (together.org)
     2.10 Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (well.com)

3.0  Computer Reservation Systems/Consumer CRS
     3.1  Eaasy Sabre
     3.2  OAG Electronic Edition
     3.3  WORLDSPAN Travelshopper
     3.4  TravelFile/ORG

4.0  Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)
     4.1  BBS Software Support BBS
     4.2  List of Travel-Related BBS Listkeepers
     4.3  BBS Networks
     4.4  Travel BBS List - Short
     4.5  Travel BBS List - Long

5.0  Commercial Fulltext Databases
     5.1  General Fulltext Databases
     5.2  Travel Periodicals Online
     5.3  Travel Databases

6.0  International Telephony/Connectivity
     6.1  Where-To
     6.2  How-To
     6.3  What-To

7.0  Travel Information Technology Trade Organizations
     7.1  HEDNA
     7.2  ITTA
     7.3  CASMA

8.0  Bibliography
     8.1  Travel Information Technology Books
     8.2  Internet Books
     8.3  Travel Information Technology Periodicals


4.4  Travel BBS List - Short

Active as of April 1994:

Access America                     918-747-2542
Alaska Information Cache           907-373-3205
American Travel Network            704-567-0893
Back Lounge of the Tour Bus        908-637-6336
Backpacker's Wilderness            305-245-7601
CABB (Consular Affairs Bulletin Board) 202-647-9225
Cave God BBS                       513-890-6261
ChicAAgo Hanger & The Eagles Nest BBS  708-980-1613
Colorado TravelBank                303-671-7669
Digital Inn                        303-296-1300
DirectLink                         subscriber-only
Europe Through The Back Door(ETBD)BBS  206-771-1902
Export-Import (ExIm) Bank BBS      202-566-4699
FAA Headquarters BBS               202-267-5697
FedWorld Gateway                   703-321-8020
Fountain Travel BBS                0273 584827
Gaia Passage                       912-265-0784
Hawaii DBED BBS                    808-586-2496
Home Exchange Network              407-869-5956
Immigration Law BBS                718-463-1091
Independent Travel Technology Association (ITTA) BBS
 (c/o ARINC BBS)                   410-573-3244
LeisureTyme Free Travel Club       401-943-7093
Modern Traveller                   7-0562-425901
National Park Service              215-597-2710
OSSN BBS                           subscriber-only
Outdoor Almanac                    206-363-0195
Outdoor Education BBS              216-374-8850
Outdoors BBS                       317-887-9466
PCTravel                           919-831-4848
Sun Vacation & World Travel        914-758-2485
Time Traveler BBS                  886-4-276-0160
Travel Connection                  415-691-0954
Travel Friends Information Service 800-328-2427 (Interspan)
                                   303-573-1800 (US West)
Travel Info Net                    519-428-9287
Travel Mates BBS                   708-928-0281
Travel Online (St. Louis Online)   314-973-4073
                                   314-625-3874
                                   314-625-4045
Travel Online Recreation Info System   708-830-4BBS
Travel Search BBS                  914-358-0480
Traveller-Box                      49-7664-95185
Travelmatic                        39-11-502423
USCS BBS (U.S. Customs Service)    703-440-6155
Vacation Source                    800-868-7555
                                   303-738-0972
Vacationland (New Hampshire)       603-444-0701
World Travel Online                212-717-5922
Worldwide Brochures                218-847-3027

Apparently defunct:

Airline BBS/DFW (System One)       817-540-2794
Alexair Travel                     513-836-8170
AlpineTrail Source                 206-882-0110
Belize Tourism                     011501233711
Boundary Waters BBS                218-365-6907
Game & Travel BBS                  415-221-6456
International Travel Briefing Service  n.a.
ModemCity/Europe-On-Line           n.a.
Premier Vacations & Travel BBS     619-741-2392
The Traveler BBS                   804-420-9573
The Traveler                       305-944-4394
US Information Agency Bulletin Service
 (USIA) BBS                        n.a.

------------------------------

From: aa377@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ken Kopin)
Subject: AT&T to be Held Accountable?
Date: 5 Jun 1994 06:19:13 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: aa377@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ken Kopin)


I just witnessed a commercial from AT&T which implies that we will all
soon have Personal AI assistants! Cute little Doggies, even! (I guess
they didn't think a gopher would interest most 'regular people')

Don't believe it?? YOU WILL. And the Company that will bring it to
you? AT&T

Now, either I have fallen farther behind in my reading than I think I
have or that kind of interactive AI assistant isn't going to make it
here in time to see The Simpsons' 20th Aniversary Special :-)

Can AT&T actually get away with this kind of misleading advertising?
Now granted, they never laid out any kind of time table for this stuff, 
but I think it's safe to imply from "YOU WILL" that they intend to get
ALL THIS STUFF to market within one lifetime.


**Dramatization**

  Have you ever ordered Earl Gray Tea ... from a hole in the wall?

  Have you ever called your shipmates ... by talking into your jewelry?

  Have you ever climbed a mountain ... 10^7 lightyears from the nearest
planet?

  Have you ever seen a commercial that was SO outlandish in it's claims ...
                ... You expected to see a pink bunny with a drum wander in?

YOU WILL!            ... (eventually)

  It's just so annoying ... 

  Thank you for your bandwidth. I feel much better now.


Internet: aa377@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Just this morning I heard a radio commercial
saying AT&T was now actively competing with Ameritech/Illinois Bell for
local traffic between the 312/708 area codes. If local calls here are to
points (relative to the calling party) in the 'C' or 'D' bands (the most
expensive of the local intra-lata calls here) then according to the message
on the radio, AT&T will be less expensive. The commercial said one will
save 'up to twenty percent' on those calls by prepending 10288 (or actually
'one-oh-ATT' was the way it was phrased in the commercial) to the dialing
string.  This will be interesting to test out. If any Digest readers in
the 312/708 area routinely make calls to far-away local points (what would
be a 'C' or 'D' band call for you) then you might want to test out AT&T's
claims. Please note that 1+ from/to 312/708 still defaults to local service
via Illinois Bell. You need to do it 10288 + 1 +.  Let us know.   PAT]

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest V14 #272
******************************

