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NetMonth, July 1987
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* * The guide to BITNET servers and services * *
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* * Volume 2 Number 1 July 1987 * *
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* * Editor: Chris Condon CONDON@YALEVM * *
* * Assistant Editor: Steve Sutter SUTTER@YALEVM * *
* * NetMonth Staff Supervisor: Gary Moss MOSS@YALEVM * *
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* Contents *
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Inside This Issue ....................................................... 1
Bitnotes ................................................................ 2
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 3
Policies ............................................................... 29
FIRST ANNIVERSARY SECTION__________________________________________________
The Best and Worst ...................................................... 5
Lives, Deaths, and Rebirths ............................................. 7
The Best of Bitnotes .................................................... 9
A Day in BITNET: The Game .............................................. 15
NetMonth Printing for VAX .............................................. 16
NetMonth Index for Volume 1 ............................................ 18
Second Annual File Server Quick Reference Guide ........................ 22
SERVERS AND SERVICES_______________________________________________________
LNAME: A Replacement for NAMES ......................................... 23
New Mailing Lists ...................................................... 26
NetMonth is a network service publication distributed free of charge to
students and professionals in BITNET and other networks. This magazine and
it's companion file, BITNET SERVERS, are the work of the Yale Computer
Center BITNET Services Library (BITLIB) staff. The BITLIB is a local
online help facility designed to inform Yale network users about what
services are available to them through BITNET, and provide instructions
and utilities for their proper use. In publishing NetMonth the BITLIB
staff members hope to share the fruits of their labor with institutions
outside of Yale in order to promote a productive and enjoyable networking
environment for everyone.
BITNET SERVERS is BITNET's most complete and up-to-date list of servers
and services. It is sent to NetMonth subscribers at the same time as the
magazine. BITNET SERVERS is dependent on your support to remain accurate.
If you know of servers and services not listed in BITNET SERVERS, or of
those listed in the file that are no longer available, please contact the
NetMonth staff at BITLIB@YALEVMX.
For information on subscribing to NetMonth and BITNET SERVERS, see the
"Policies" section on the last pages of this issue. Within "Policies" there
are also instructions for submitting articles, sending Letters to the
Editor, and printing this file.
-------------------------< Distribution: 1092 >----------------------------
A publication of the Bitnet Services Library "Because We're Here."
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* The guide to BITNET servers and services *
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A publication of the Bitnet Services Library "Because We're Here."
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* Inside This Issue *
***************************************************************************
We have made some additions to our usual features this month in order to
celebrate a special occasion: the first anniversary of NetMonth. (Well,
WE think it's special). You will find all the the usual features and
article in their usual places, but inside the Anniversary Section we will
also indulge ourselves in a look at the year past:
* The Best and Worst of July 1986 - July 1987: (Actually, a whole gaggle
of "ests"). Some of us deserve praise while some of us deserve to be
laughed at. Everybody gets their just deserts.
* Births, Deaths, and Rebirths: The servers and services come and go.
Here are the ones that came and went.
* The Best of Bitnotes: A few memorable moments with Ol' What's-His-Name.
* A Day in BITNET: The Game: Two to two thousand can play! You'll be
mesmerized for minutes as you try to survive the perils of flaming forums,
crashing systems, and UUCP. Much cheaper and faster than the real-life
version, and you can play it at home! (Some assembly required.)
* NetMonth Printing for VAX: Those of you in the Digital world can now
print NetMonth with page breaks, as long as you have a pascal compiler.
* NetMonth Index for Volume 1: Finally... you asked for it, you've got it.
* Second Annual File Server Quick Reference Guide: How to get indeces and
files from the BITNET file servers in one page!
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*************************************************************************
* Bitnotes Issue 12 *
***************************************************************************
"The problem with the inevitable is that it always happens."
Ho-hum...
It seems that the only constant in the great, cosmic scheme of things is
Change. Another year has gone by and it seems as if the world of BITNET
has been flipped around and turned topsy-turvy so many times that exiting
new revelations have almost become old hat. The network has changed, the
servers have changed, the views have changed... WE have changed.
Turn back your mental clock, if you will, to July of 1986. Did you know
what a List server was? Did you know who ran BITNET? (Did you care?)
What did you think about the future of Relay? Did you know what a NetMonth
was? (And what the heck was a BITLIB?)
These questions (and their answers) have become part of the legends and
lore of our network. Just as some of us may recall the original CHAT or
the first issue of VM/COM, next year we will look back at the times before
LISTSERV and membership fees, and it will seem like so many eons ago. Do
you remember a time before Relay? Do you recall what it felt like?
Everything has changed, and yet I can't quite figure out when BITNET
stopped being like it was THEN and became what it is NOW.
Lest we forget:
One year ago, the new, networked LISTSERV was born. The creation of Eric
Thomas and a great improvement on the original BITNIC design, this type of
server has spread faster than I care to figure out. This helped to
popularize the ARPANET-type forum (a la LIAISON, SF-LOVERS, INFONETS, etc.)
and no less than quadupled the utility of BITNET for the non-Computer
Science user. One might say that it was the Most Significant Service of
1986-1987.
Meanwhile, what was certainly the Most Significant Service of 1985-1986 did
not grow up to expectations. Relay growth has slowed to almost a crawl,
while service has actually been cut off from other areas. This has nothing
to do with the quality of the service or the people running it (a great
bunch of people), it is the stubborness of those at many/most nodes who
fail to see the true potential of Relay for non-recreational
communications. Perhaps that was a failure on both the local and network
level to promote that kind of use. Perhaps we have to kick a few more
people into seeing the light. Perhaps hindsight is always 20/20.
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On yet another front, flame after flame appeared as people debated over the
suddenly important question of who was going to run BITNET after the IBM
grant supporting the Network Information Center ran out. Many felt that
the BITNIC had not lived up to expectations and should be replaced. Others
(perhaps less vocal and intense in their opinions) felt that the job being
done was a job well done. Hovering above these two camps was the question
of membership fees and how the network should support itself. Eventually
the quiet pro-BITNIC camp prevailed, but not until after the BITNIC had
suffered some serious public-relations scars. To be fair, the Network
Information Center has done it's fair share of both wonderful and stupid
things. The coming year will reveal which type of actions are the norm.
Somwewhere in the middle of all this NetMonth hit the virtual news-stands.
At the time it had a subscription list numbering about 250 people, left
over from the weekly Bitlist readers. Now there are over 1000 of you.
There isn't much to say about this magazine without sounding conceited (we
are, after all, a bit biased). However, we like to think that the work we
have done has helped to make the network a better place to work and play.
You may have figured out over the the past few years that we are not in
this for the money (there isn't any), nor are we providing these services
out of the goodness of our hearts. Frankly, we are having fun. In my
first months here there was a new discovery awaiting me each time I powered
up a terminal and explored the network. Each day brought new ideas and
meetings with interesting people from around the world and across the state
line. I'm happy to say that even today when I log on there is still that
slight sense of adventure, that feeling of anticipation... "What will
happen today?"
Some things never change.
Chris Condon@YaleVMX
*************************************************************************
* Scuttlebut *
***************************************************************************
* We have had a number of reports that the server ARCHIVE-REQUEST at the
SIMTEL20 Arpanet node is no longer available. Here is the official report
from Frank J. Wancho:
"Several changes to the Archive Server have been made in the past few weeks
to improve service for replies sent through intermediate hosts. One of the
requested changes was to reduce the size of the messages by half so that
these messages don't hog the single-stream mail channels, particularly on
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BITNET, for extended periods of time, and thus give other mail a chance to
get through in a timely manner.
"Unfortunately, this has resulted in the SIMTEL20 mail queue to rapidly
grow way beyond all expectations: the Server was now generating twice as
many messages and our dedicated mailer for this service now had to
establish twice as many connections for the same number of replies. That
mailer could not keep up with the the queue, and for the second time in as
many weeks, we have had to shutdown the Server because we were running out
of disk space.
"Because the disk space is at a premium for our regular users, and because
the resources required by both the Server and the mailer have now reached a
point well beyond the capabilities of our present system configuration, the
Server has been shut down until further notice and for an indefinite period
of time. New requests will be returned unanswered, and both present
requests and replies will be flushed.
"In the meantime, we are examining other possibilities to provide access to
our collections. Because the great majority of requests have come from
BITNET users, we are looking for one or more BITNET hosts willing to
provide the disk space and BITSERV facilities for one or more of our
collections of public domain software."
* New LISTSERVS: Thanks to Jim Jones for telling us about his installation
of a LISTSERV at JHUVM. Meanwhile, we noticed another one in our own back
yard... YALEVM.
* From Bitnews, "INFO@BITNIC Goes Local": All messages sent to INFO@BITNIC
from users at institutions with appointed INFOREPs will receive the
following message:
*************************************************************
The BITNET Network Information Center has received the mail
you sent to INFO@BITNIC. One of our goals is to provide
quality services to network users. In order to provide you
with these services in a more timely and efficient manner,
your message was forwarded to the BITNET Information Services
Representative (INFOREP) for your node. If you have
additional questions or comments, please see your INFOREP.
INFOREP:
BITNET Address:
Telephone:
BITNET Network Information Center Staff
*************************************************************
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As is stated here, our goal is to find the most efficient way to provide
quality services for all BITNET users. A major part of our plan to provide
quality is to distribute information services through the INFOREP
structure. Consequently, the BITNIC has developed software that forwards a
copy of the message you send to INFO@BITNIC to your local BITNET
Information Services Representative, as well as informs you of your
INFOREP's name, userid, and telephone number. INFO@BITNIC messages sent
from nodes without INFOREPs will be accepted by INFO@BITNIC until an
INFOREP is appointed.
The BITNIC has compiled lists of appointed BITNET Representatives, their
BITNET addresses, and the institutions they represent. The lists, which
will be updated periodically, are available on NICSERVE@BITNIC as:
BIRREP LIST - BITNET Institutional Representatives
TECHREP LIST - BITNET Technical Representatives
INFOREP LIST - BITNET Information Services Representatives
First Anniversary Section *************************************************
*************************************************************************
* The Best and Worst of the Year Past *
***************************************************************************
* Worst Unfunny Joke: The explanation that a certain European Relay-
imitator was a "top-secret project of the Soviet Union."
* Silliest NetMonth cover: April 1987 ("An elephant... is mushy.")
* Smallest problem causing the Biggest problem: RSCS incompatibilities
between PSUVM and OHSTVMA, causing the most notorious and long-running
network load problem to date.
* Best party disguised as a conference: NetCon Spring '87, New Orleans
* Best conference disguised as a party: NetCon Spring '87, New Orleans
* The Bursting Mailbox Award goes to: Rich Zellich, maintainer of List-of-
Lists.
* Funniest Imitation of a Public Speaker: Chris Condon, at NetCon Spring
'87
* The "Grace Under Pressure" Award goes to: Judy Molka and Bette Kindman-
Koffler, who get to answer any complaints about BITNIC.
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First Anniversary Section ****************************************** Page 6
* Most Tiresome Trend in which we have openly participated: Network
surveys.
* Most Significant New Server: LISTSERV, of course...
* The Instant Insanity Award, or "Why am I Doing This?" goes to: Jeff
Kell, the father of Relay.
* Biggest, Nastiest Argument: The fight over who should run BITNET, and
how much they should charge.
* Best Idea with the Longest Gestation Period: The local InfoRep concept.
* Do people actually use this? (Time Warp Dept.) BITSERVE@CUNYVM
* Do people actually understand how to use this? DATABASE@BITNIC
* Best Server with an Identity Crisis: LISTSERV (Am I a list server? Am I
a file server? Am I both?)
* Most Original Name for a file server: SERVER@TAMCBA, SERVER@UOGUELPH,
SERVER@SUZEUS.
* Funniest Name for a Corporation: BITNET, Inc.
* Best Idea to Take Hold, sort of: Local interface programs for servers, a
la PSYCHNET and EASYCOM/COMSERVE.
* The "They love it when you beg" award goes to: Michele Robinson, who's
pleas for VM/COM articles fall on deaf ears.
* Most Mythical Server: The GRANDiose Server System
* Silliest command you can send to a server: SEND RAW (from the Simtel-20
Archives). Runner up: WEATHER (from SERVER@SUZEUS). Anybody want to know
the forecast for Albany?
* The "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" Award goes to: SERVER@SUZEUS, which
lasted less than a month.
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First Anniversary Section ****************************************** Page 7
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* Births, Deaths, and Rebirths *
***************************************************************************
While we at the NetMonth offices make an effort to address the issues of
the day, we have tried not to forget our basic mission: To inform you
about the latest developments in servers and services. As mentioned
earlier, change is the norm rather than the exception in BITNET. To
demonstrate this point we have constructed this article, charting the
births, deaths, and rebirths of servers and services in the past year.
Allow us a few observations:
1. The file server is a relatively stable sort of service. While several
have been shut down or changed names (or locations), the number of
file servers hasn't risen or fallen dramatically (unless you count
LISTSERV).
2. The electronic magazine has limited appeal to those who wish to offer
services to the network. That is my only explanation for why more
were not offered. Perhaps we should make it seem a bit more
glamourous... Maybe not. Less competition that way.
3. A file server at node X has a good chance of being replaced by a
LISTSERV subserver if a LISTSERV is installed. However, the server's
identity and knowledge of it's existence tend to get muddled.
Deaths Births
-------------------------- + --------------------------------------------
]
RELAY @ NCSUVM ]
LFCNET @ ICNUCEVM ]
SERVER @ UOGUELPH ]
DPMA @ UNF ]
SERVER @ SUZEUS ]
The Unlicensed Zone ]
CLUB Magazine ]
] DPMA @ UNF
] DPMA @ UWF
] SERVER @ SUZEUS
] TCSSERVE @ TCSVM
] UTCSERVE @ UTCVM
] CYBSERV @ ACADIA
] COMSERVE @ RPICICGE
] UBSERVE @ UBVMSC
] NETSERV @ EB0UB011
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First Anniversary Section ****************************************** Page 8
Deaths Births
-------------------------- + --------------------------------------------
]
] NETSERV @ NORUNIT
] NETSERV @ TAUNIVM
] NETSERV @ TCSVM
] NETSERV @ UKACRL
] CCUC @ UMCVMB
] VMNAMES @ UREGINA1
] CYBSERV @ ACADIA
] TeXMaG
] Hewlett Packard Public Networking Newsletter
] The Unlicensed Zone
] The VAX Toolbox
] LISTSERV @ AKRONVM LISTSERV @ EB0UB011
] LISTSERV @ BITNIC LISTSERV @ FINHUTC
] LISTSERV @ BNANDP11 LISTSERV @ VTVM1
] LISTSERV @ BYUADMIN LISTSERV @ IRISHVM
] LISTSERV @ CANADA01 LISTSERV @ MAINE
] LISTSERV @ CEARN LISTSERV @ MARIST
] LISTSERV @ CLVM LISTSERV @ NCSUVM
] LISTSERV @ CMUCCVMA LISTSERV @ NDSUVM1
] LISTSERV @ CUNYVM LISTSERV @ OREGON1
] LISTSERV @ DEARN LISTSERV @ RICE
] LISTSERV @ DB0TUI11 LISTSERV @ RITVM
] LISTSERV @ RUTVM1 LISTSERV @ UGA
] LISTSERV @ SUVM LISTSERV @ UIUCVMD
] LISTSERV @ TAMCBA LISTSERV @ UOTTTAWA
] LISTSERV @ TAMVM1 LISTSERV @ UREGINA1
] LISTSERV @ TAUNIVM LISTSERV @ UTORONTO
] LISTSERV @ UCF1VM NEWSERV @ UNCVM1
] RELAY @ BLEKUL11 RELAY @ TAUNIVM
] RELAY @ BNANDP10 RELAY @ UALTAVM
] RELAY @ EB0UB011 RELAY @ UCSVM
] RELAY @ GITVM1 RELAY @ UTCVM
] RELAY @ TAMVM1
Deaths Reborn as... (or replaced by...)
-------------------------- + --------------------------------------------
LOOKUP @ RITVAXA/B/C/D ] INFO @ RITVAXD
MACSERVE @ BITNIC ] MACSERVE @ PUCC
NETSERV @ EARNET ] NETSERV @ ICNUCEVM
CANSERVE @ CANADA01 ] NETSERV @ CANADA01
SILMARIL @ FINHUTC ] LISTSERV @ FINHUTC (and SILMARIL subserver)
TCSSERVE @ TCSVM ] LISTSERV @ TCSVM (and TCSSERVE subserver)
UTCSERVE @ UTCVM ] LISTSERV @ UTCVM (and UTCSERVE subserver)
Bitlist ] NetMonth
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First Anniversary Section ****************************************** Page 9
*************************************************************************
* The Best of Bitnotes... a Trip through Memory Lane *
***************************************************************************
as Unbiasedly Chosen by the Editor (*ahem*)
* July 1986
So here is NetMonth. I will hopefully produce a magazine of the standards
you were used to in Bitlist (whatever they were).
* August 1986
Ignorance is bliss, or so they say. That may not be applicable to BITNET,
for here ignorance usually spells Trouble (yes, with a capital 'T').
Ignorance may be as harmless as not knowing how to use a file server or
as harmful as requesting 125 files from a file server within the course
of three minutes. Certainly, this is not bliss. Not for the poor guy who
doesn't know what is going on, or for the person wondering why it is
taking so long for those 125 files to arrive.
Discipline begins at home, or so they say. Likewise, education on how to
use BITNET servers and services begins at the home node. I have gotten
some mail about this, requests for tips and information. And while I am
not a node administrator by any means, I might be able to get away with
listing these suggestions.
1. When in doubt, don't.
Allegedly common sense will tell you it will require a lot more effort
to fix something you have done wrong than it will to do it right in the
first place. If you don't understand how to use a server or service,
ask somebody who does, or refer to the local documentation. Which leads
to:
2. Keep documentation on how to use the servers and services at your node.
Keep it in a really obvious place too, and update it frequently. One
helpfile about CSNEWS on a public disk is a lot safer than ten users
with copies of their own (and a lot more efficient to boot!). Store
some explanations on what each type of server does (i.e What is a file
server? What does it do? How do you use it?) You might even go as far
as printing a local BITNET users guide (although it would have to be
pretty general with the way things change).
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First Anniversary Section ***************************************** Page 10
3. Have a BITNET user consultant at your node.
There is not much sense in the blind leading the blind, so this is
particularly helpful. You might want to make this person responsible
for keeping the documentation updated.
4. Develop some usage guidelines, and stick to them.
Yes, there may be some bad apples at your node. Have some sort of policy
to deal with these people. On the other hand, some people just don't
know any better, so post some guidelines on what is acceptable and what
isn't. You'd be surprised what some may do unless you tell them they
shouldn't. I think (my opinion only) that a policy that deals with
individual abuses will have a greater affect on those-who-would-be-bad.
* September 1986
The BITNET Charter: This will probobly be subject to a lot of change
before the year is out. There are a few provisions missing yet (like
requiring the Executive Committee to print the minutes of it's meetings,
which it does anyway) but those changes are probobly being written as you
read this. Most of all there has been a lot of debate over the
possibility of annual BITNET membership fees (for the node, not the user)
which hasn't been entirely settled. Stay tuned for the final solution.
* October 1986
Every week or so I get a mail message from some new BITNET user or another
requesting that I send him BITNET USERHELP or BITNET SERVERS or even a back
of NetMonth. I don't mind this, and gladly send them what they need, but
some of those requests are strangely rude:
SENDME BITNET USERHELP
Oh, so you want that file, Huh? Couldn't you even say "please"? Then it
dawns on me that this poor person must think that I am a file server of
some sort. I send them the file they requested and a brief note explaining
that I am indeed human and would appreciate being addressed as such in
the future, thank you. All of this is in good fun and I am not offended in
any way. However...
Aren't we rude to our servers?
We don't even say "thank you", let alone "please" for those valuable
services they offer. We just DEMAND that they respond to our COMMANDS and
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they meekly OBEY. Brutal, no? Therefore, I suggest a new server protocol,
one where requests replace commands. For example:
TELL CSNEWS AT MAINE PLEASE SENDME BITNET USERHELP
FROM MAINE(CSNEWS): The file BITNET USERHELP is being sent to you.
TELL CSNEWS AT MAINE THANK YOU
FROM MAINE(CSNEWS): You are quite welcome.
Of course, that sort of thing could get out of hand...
TELL CSNEWS AT MAINE PLEASE SENDME BITNAUTS LIST
FROM MAINE(CSNEWS): Say pretty please with sugar on it.
* November 1986
Now, Jeff is very kind not to suggest that these old-style chats be
squashed, considering that these servers undermine all of the work that he
and and many others put into Relay over the course of more than a year.
Needless to say, I will not be listing these Relay-impostors in BITNET
SERVERS.
Therefore... if you hear of one of these old-style Chat machines running
at a nearby node, ignore it. Better yet, bring it to the attention
of an operator or system administrator at that node. You will be doing
yourself, your friends, and the BITNET community a big favor.
* December 1986 / January 1987
Network Gurus...
Every BITNET site should have someone who can answer questions about the
network. Every year a whole slew of bright, young, old, and inexperienced
(or simply uninformed) people arrive at universities everywhere with
questions to challenge the most informed networker. Unfortunately, not
every node has an informed networker, at least not in an official
capacity. Many a time the brunt of the question answering falls upon
INFO@BITNIC.
This, at first, does not seem to be a bad state of affairs. After all,
when everyone asks Judy Molka and Company a question they are guaranteed
a consistent (and correct) answer. The problem arises when EVERYBODY
begins asking INFO a lot of questions, everybody also has to wait a long
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time for the answers. Eventually the question-queue grows larger than
can be dealt with realisticly.
BITNIC has made the decision to decentralize information dispersal by
finding an informed networker for each site, and allowing only that
that person to request information from INFO. The average user will be
able to ask the local network guru questions and have them answered quickly
AND correctly. The guru will probobly have BITNIC-supplied standard answers
to common questions (or perhaps he should know the answers, anyway) while
he forwards the real tough ones to Judy. (Who will undoubtedlty have the
answer, or know who to ask).
There is more to this (see the article in this issue: The Decentalization
of INFO), but that is the basic premise. It strikes me as a perfectly
intelligent idea, the RIGHT idea for times. Hindsight tells us that this
should have been done a long time ago. My experience with managing a
local online BITNET help facility tells me that it will work.
A suggestion for those new network gurus: Put any and all useful
information on BITNET in a place on your mainframe where everybody can
read it. Online help files are the second place people will look to for
answers. If they don't find satisfaction there they will come to YOU.
In other words, answer their questions before they ask them.
On, yes. The FIRST place people look to for answers are friends and
experienced networkers. It is your job to make it possible to answer,
"The information you need is probobly on the INFO-BITNET disk," (or
whatever you decide to call it). I believe that BITNIC plans to provide
some automated online facilities to assist you, but I get the impression
that initially you will fend for yourselves somehow.
* Note: Two issues later we offered the Bitnet Services Library files to
to the BITNET community.
* February 1987
A small celebration is in order. The NetMonth/BITNET SERVERS mailing list
has reached (actually, exceeded) the 500-subscriber milestone. This is
a significant number, not only because it is so large, but because there
are now twice as many readers as there were when the first issue of
NetMonth hit the newstands only eight months ago. The reaction from the
staff ranged from astonishment to extreme glee.
A file server is a file server, unless of course, it is also a name server.
Then it is niether, or both. Many of our file servers have taken on the
duties of name servers, notably NETSERV. The name "file server" doesn't
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exactly do it justice, and "name server" doesn't even come close. Somehow
we get by and list it separately under both categories. This sort of thing
is so commonplace that we don't even notice anything odd about it.
* April 1987
The Bitnet Services Library (BITLIB) is an online help facility providing
Yale VM users with information on file servers, name servers, electronic
magazines, and other services. It includes specific usage information
for each server, explanations of basic concepts (such as "What is a file
server?") and a set of useful EXECs to make life with BITNET easier.
All documentation has been tailored to the VM environment.
* May 1987
It was not an easy easy speech to write...
...but it was simple to deliver. I'm ahead of myself again. Let me start
from the beginning: I was invited to speak at NetCon.
What is a NetCon? A convention, of sorts, for the people of BITNET. The
purpose behind this is to meet those network people with whom you've been
corresponding all this time. ("Oh... so THAT'S what you look like!")
Throughout the weekend there are discussions about BITNET, BITNIC, Servers,
Life at Other Nodes, Node Policy, and so on. These talks aren't planned,
they just happen. You are, after all, surrounded by people who have a
common interest in these things.
Of course, this was New Orleans, and there was also plenty of fun.
Per usual, I digress... As I said the speech was easy to deliver. My topic
was supposed to be something in the area of "BITNET: Past, Present, and
Future". Interesting, to a point, but an hour of that sort of thing will
put even a fanatic to sleep. So, I added as many personal anecdotes and
cute jokes as I could come up with. Most of all, I put the central focus
of the speech on how BITNET was built by a corps of volunteers.
I delivered the speech... and people smiled, and they laughed at the right
times... and something occurred to me: These people CARED. Really. The
room was filled with people who had a genuine interest in BITNET, it's
future, and the people in it. It was a room filled with people who had
gotten something out of BITNET... be it friendship, knowledge, whatever.
Now comes the time to give something back.
"There are only so many Jeff Kells," I said, "and only so many Eric
1
First Anniversary Section Page 14
Thomases." (People who have made enormous voluntary contributions to the
network). Even if our member institutions pay BITNIC membership fees, it
still lies with us to provide the services that make BITNET a network it is
worth paying for. Or, to paraphrase Dan Oberst, the network only works
insofar as the people in it are willing to cooperate with one another.
Many of the people at NetCon have made their contributions to BITNET.
Their time and effort have helped to make the network grow. Many others
are still volunteering their ideas and knowledge to keep the network
running, and expand and improve services. Still others have yet to make
their contributions.
I didn't only talk about the Past, Present, and Future of BITNET. I spent
a weekend with them.
* June 1987
Sometimes I think that you are all crazy.
That's OK, I am too. Oh, we're nowhere near the fashionable padded-
wall and straitjacket set, but we have our moments. How many of us
spend a day working in front of the Cathode Ray Tube, only to find
ourselves at the keyboard of a PC when we get home? Here it is, a
glorious, sunny, Saturday and I am typing my mind away. I could be
getting a TAN for once.
Crazy.
***** ****************** ********** ************* *************
****** ****************** ********* ***********
****** ******************* ******** ***************** *********
******* ****************** ******** *******
******** **************** ********* ******************** ******
******* **************** *********** *****
******* ************** ************* ********************* ****
******** *********** **************** ****
********* ********* ****************** ****************** *****
********** ******* ******************* *******
********** ****** ******************** *************** ********
*********** ***** ******************** *********
********** ******** ******************* ************* *********
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******** ************ ********************* ***********
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First Anniversary Section Page 15
*************************************************************************
* A Day in BITNET: The Game *
***************************************************************************
+---------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------+
] * * * * * * * ] ] . . ]
] * * ] ] Latest . Node table is out . Subscribe to ]
] * The * ] ] issue of . of date. Can't . a mailing list ]
] * Start * ] ] NetMonth . reach new nodes. . relevant to ]
] * ] * ] ] arrives! . - 7 . your thesis. ]
] * v * ] ] + 10 . . + 12 ]
] * * * * * * * ] ] +-------------------+ ]
] . . . . . . . ] ] . . . . . . . ] ] . . . . . . . . ]
] ] ] ] +---------------+ ]
] The system ] ] The ] ] . BITLIB ]
] *crashed* ] ] Links ] ] Sixty flames . installed at ]
] last night! ] ] are ] ] from LIAISON . your ]
] All reader ] ] up. ] ] fill your . node. ]
] files lost! ] ] + 5 ] ] mailbox. . + 14 ]
] - 10 ] ] ] ] - 15 . ]
] ] ] ] ] +-----------------+
] . . . . . . . ] ] . . . . . . . ] ] . . . . . . . ]
] +---+ ] ] +-----------------+
] A Relay . ARPANET ] ] . ]
] opens . gateway ] ] You write an . You have to ]
] at your . is ] ] article for . figure out ]
] node. . down. ] ] VM/COM. . how to send ]
] + 10 . - 6 ] ] + 12 . mail to UUCP! ]
] . ] ] . - 15 ]
+-----------------------------------+ +---------------+ ]
] . . . . . . . . ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * +---------------+ ]
* A Day in BITNET: The Game * ] . Spend 3 hours ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ] Request . in scholarly ]
] CHAT package . discourse ]
Two to two thousand can play! Each ] from . on Relay. ]
player takes a turn throwing a six- ] NETSERV. . + 15 ]
sided die and moving a game-piece ] + 6 . ]
(not included) the number of spaces ] +-----------------+
indicated. The player then adds or ]. . . . . . . .]
subtracts the number of points on ] +-----------------+
the space to his/her total. The ] . * * * * * * * * ]
player with the most points when ] The links . * * ]
The End is reached wins! ] are down. . * The * ]
------------------------------------- ] - 9 . * End * ]
The Bitnet Services Library ] . * * ]
"Because We're Here" ] . * * * * * * * * ]
(Batteries not included.) +---------------------------------+
1
First Anniversary Section Page 16
*************************************************************************
* NetMonth Printing for VAX *
***************************************************************************
Fred Condo of Claremont Graduate School has written this PASCAL program to
allow VAX users to print NetMonth. In the past readers who were not on an
IBM VM system had to change all those little 1's in column 1 into form-feed
symbols. This program eliminates that annoying task and does the job
automatically...
Program EmagProc(Input,Output);
type
String = varyingÕ255å of char;
var
inFile, outFile: TEXT;
theLine: String;
inFileName, outFileName: String;
function midstr(src: string; startpos,howmany: integer): string;
var
pos: integer;
tmpval: string;
srclen, maxlen: integer;
begin
srclen := length(src);
if srclen = 0 then
tmpval := ''
else
begin
if srclen < howmany then
maxlen := srclen
else
maxlen := howmany;
tmpval := '';
for pos := 1 to maxlen do
tmpval := tmpval + srcÕpos + startpos - 1å
end;
midstr := tmpval
end; {MIDSTR}
function instr(startpos: integer; source, substr: string): integer;
1
First Anniversary Section Page 17
var
pos, tmpfunc: integer;
found: Boolean;
begin
pos := startpos - 1;
found := false;
while (pos <= length(source) - length(substr)) and (not found) do
begin
pos := pos + 1;
found := (substr = midstr(source,pos,length(substr)))
end; {WHILE}
if found then
tmpfunc := pos
else
tmpfunc := 0;
instr := tmpfunc
end; {INSTR}
function string_equal(a,b: string): Boolean;
begin
if length(a) <> length(b) then
string_equal := FALSE
else
string_equal := (a=b)
end; {STRING_EQUAL}
procedure openfiles(var a,b: text; var inspec, outspec: string);
begin
write('Source file: '); readln(inspec);
write('Target file: '); readln(outspec);
open(a,inspec,history:=old);
reset(a);
open(b,outspec,history:=new);
rewrite(b)
end; {OPENFILES}
procedure closefiles(var a,b: text);
begin
close(a);
close(b,disposition := save)
end; {CLOSEFILES}
1
First Anniversary Section Page 18
begin
OpenFiles(inFile, outFile, inFileName, outFileName);
While NOT EOF(inFile) DO
begin
readln(inFile, theLine);
if (midstr(theLine,1,1) = '1') then
page(outFile)
ELSE
writeln(outFile,theLine)
END;
CloseFiles(inFile,outFile)
end.
*************************************************************************
* NetMonth Index for Volume 1 *
***************************************************************************
Volume 1 Number 1 July 1986
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
The Psychnet Services ................................................... 1
New Mailing Lists ....................................................... 1
The Revised List Processor .............................................. 1
You Are Here ............................................................ 1
/Links .................................................................. 1
File Server Quick Reference Guide ....................................... 1
Letters ................................................................. 1
Volume 1 Number 2 August 1986
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Instant Insanity by Jeff Kell ........................................... 3
Relay Growth ............................................................ 6
New Mailing Lists ....................................................... 7
The VAX Toolbox ......................................................... 7
/Links .................................................................. 8
The NETSERV User Directory Services ..................................... 8
New List Servers ....................................................... 10
Spotlight Server: UTCSERVE@UTCVM ....................................... 12
Feedback ............................................................... 13
Policies ............................................................... 14
1
First Anniversary Section Page 19
Volume 1 Number 3 September 1986
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
The Proposed BITNET Charter ............................................. 2
Announcing COMSERVE ..................................................... 4
New Mailing Lists ....................................................... 7
The Hewlett Packard Public Networking Newsletter ........................ 9
CYBSERV ................................................................ 10
Coming Soon: GRAND ..................................................... 11
More New LITSERVs ...................................................... 11
The RELAY Rules ........................................................ 13
Feedback ............................................................... 16
NetMonth Policies ...................................................... 17
Volume 1 Number 4 October 1986
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Publishing an Electronic Magazine by David A. Liscomb ................... 2
New Mailing Lists ....................................................... 4
The DPMA Servers by Thomas Henderson .................................... 6
Your Questions Answered by the BITNET Executive Committee ............... 9
New List Servers ....................................................... 13
Spotlight Server: NDCSNEWS@NDSUVM1 ..................................... 13
Feedback ............................................................... 15
Volume 1 Number 5 November 1986
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Announcing TexMaG ....................................................... 3
The New File Server UBSERVE@UBVMSA ...................................... 4
More Questions Answered ................................................. 4
The Unlicensed Zone ..................................................... 8
Relay and Compuserve CB Chat User Survey ................................ 9
New Mailing Lists ...................................................... 11
Feedback ............................................................... 14
********* ********* ****************** ****************** *****
********** ******* ******************* *******
********** ****** ******************** *************** ********
*********** ***** ******************** *********
********** ******** ******************* ************* *********
********** ********** ****************** *********
********* ************ ****************** ********** **********
******** ************ ********************* ***********
******** ************* ********************* ***** ************
1
First Anniversary Section Page 20
Volume 1 Number 6 & 7 December 1986 - January 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 3
New Mailing Lists ....................................................... 4
The Decentralization of INFO ............................................ 6
Two New UH-INFO Subservers .............................................. 8
The BITNET Executive Committee .......................................... 9
COMSERVE's Name Server Functions ....................................... 10
Plan for Implementation of BITNET Membership Fees ...................... 11
Spotilight Server: BITSERVE@CUNYVM ..................................... 12
Feedback ............................................................... 16
NetMonth Policies ...................................................... 20
Volume 1 Number 8 February 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
The NetMonth Reader Survey .............................................. 2
The Simtel20 Archives ................................................... 6
Listserv's File Server Functions ....................................... 10
Odd Parity ............................................................. 15
The Ethics of Computer Conferencing .................................... 16
Electronic Chain Letters ............................................... 17
New Mailing Lists ...................................................... 18
The CSNET Information Server ........................................... 19
The United States Data Defense Network - Network Information Server .... 21
The Color and Vision Network ........................................... 22
Feedback ............................................................... 23
Policies ............................................................... 26
Volume 1 Number 9 March 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 1
Netcon - Spring 1987 .................................................... 3
Global Teachers' Network ................................................ 4
Network Load ............................................................ 5
To NIC or not to NIC? ................................................... 9
NetMonth Reader Survey Results ......................................... 14
A New File Server: SERVER@SUZEUS ....................................... 16
A New Name Server: VMNAMES@UREGINA1 .................................... 18
New Mailing Lists ...................................................... 20
MACSERVE Moves to PUCC ................................................. 22
Feedback ............................................................... 23
Policies ............................................................... 24
1
First Anniversary Section Page 21
Volume 1 Number 10 April 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 2
The PSUVM/OHSTVMA Link .................................................. 4
Global Students Network ................................................. 5
Mail Manners ............................................................ 7
The BITNET Domains Task Force Report .................................... 8
Spotlight Server: DATABASE@BITNIC ..................................... 13
New Mailing Lists ...................................................... 15
Feedback ............................................................... 16
Policies ............................................................... 17
Volume 1 Number 11 May 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 2
The BITNIC Prepares to Relocate ......................................... 4
The Undergraduate in BITNET ............................................. 5
Spotlight Server: VMNAMES@WEIZMANN ..................................... 9
Feedback ............................................................... 12
Policies ............................................................... 12
Volume 1 Number 12 (Network Tools Issue) June 1987
Bitnotes ................................................................ 1
Scuttlebut .............................................................. 2
LOOK .................................................................... 4
CROSSNET ................................................................ 5
MAILMERGER .............................................................. 5
BITSEND ................................................................. 4
BITRCV .................................................................. 5
CHAT .................................................................... 5
GONE .................................................................... 9
BITLIB .................................................................. 5
Feedback ............................................................... 12
Policies ............................................................... 12
********* ********* ****************** ****************** *****
********** ******************* *******
********** ****** ******************** *************** ********
*********** ******************** *********
********** ******** ******************* ************* *********
1
First Anniversary Section Page 22
*************************************************************************
* Second Annual File Server Quick Reference Guide *
***************************************************************************
Userid @ Node Send a list of files Send a file
-------- - -------- ------------------------ ---------------------------
BITSERVE @ CUNYVM - SEARCHF I INDEX SENDME fn ft
COMSERVE @ RPICICGE - DIRECTORY
|