Newsgroups: alt.internet.services Path: nntp-server.caltech.edu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!darwin.sura.net!sgiblab!a2i!news From: savetz@rahul.net (Kevin Savetz) Subject: Internet Services Frequently Asked Questions & Answers (FAQ) Message-ID: Followup-To: alt.internet.services Summary: This posting lists frequently asked questions and answers about Internet services. It should be read by anyone wishing to post +0.1: Document will now really be at rtfm.mit.edu & posted to "alt.answers" and "news.answers". +0.1: Changed posting frequency & dates. Now posted twice a month to news.answers and alt.answers but posted weekly to alt.internet.services. Did this to cut down the number of FAQable questions asked several days after the FAQ was posted. +2.2: Updated info on accessing CompuServe via Internet. +2.7: Added How do I access an online encyclopedia? +2.8: Added How do I get stock market information? +3.3: Added I need a BBS (on the Internet or in my area) +3.4: Updated info on Daniel Dern's book. +3.4: Added book "Internet Passport." Sender: news@rahul.net (Usenet News) Nntp-Posting-Host: bolero Reply-To: savetz@rahul.net Organization: a2i network Date: Wed, 26 May 1993 10:00:13 GMT Lines: 653 Archive-name: internet-services/faq Last-Modified: 1993/5/15 Version: 0.5 INTERNET SERVICES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Version 0.5 - 15 May, 1993 *** COPYRIGHT NOTICE This document is Copyright 1993 by Kevin M. Savetz. All rights reserved. Permission for non-commercial distribution is hereby granted, provided that this file is distributed intact, including this copyright notice and the version information above. Permission for commercial distribution can be obtained from the editor. SHARE THIS INFORMATION FREELY AND IN GOOD FAITH. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT. *** HOW AM I DRIVING? This document is new and in transition. If you notice that a frequently asked question is missing, please send it (and the answer!) to the editor for inclusion in this article. Text in [square brackets] indicates unanswered questions and problems in this document. If you know the answer or have a comment, e-mail the editor. Please help me out and send it answers to some unanswered questions - For this FAQ, the best answers are _brief_ ones followed by information on where to go for more detailed information. [What questions should he here but aren't?] *** TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 0: THE BASICS 0.1: What is the purpose of this document? 0.2: What is alt.internet.services? 0.3: I'm new to the Internet. Where do I start? SECTION 1: WHAT IS...? 1.1: What is Telnet? 1.2: What is anonymous FTP? 1.3: What is Usenet? 1.4: What is finger? 1.5: What is IRC? 1.6: What is Alex/Archie/Gopher/Hytelnet/Netfind/Prospero/ Veronica/WAIS/WHOIS/WWW/X.500? 1.7: What is MUD/MUSH/MOO/MUCK/DUM/MUSE, etc.? SECTION 2: HOW DO I...? 2.1: How do I send mail from the Internet to another network? 2.2: How do I access other systems from the Internet? 2.3: How do I contact a service provider? 2.4: How do I find out someone's e-mail address? 2.5: How do I get a name resolved? 2.6: How do I send e-mail to the White House? 2.7: How do I access an online encyclopedia? 2.8: How do I get stock market information? SECTION 3: I NEED INFORMATION ABOUT... 3.1: Where can I get Internet access in my area? 3.2: Is there a list of all the Internet services? 3.3: I need a BBS (on the Internet or in my area)! 3.4: What's a good book to read for more information about the Internet? 3.5: How do I get information about the Internet online? SECTION 0: THE BASICS *** 0.1: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT? The Internet Services Frequently Asked Questions and Answers List (FAQ) is intended to help reduce the number of often asked questions that appear on the newsgroup "alt.internet.services". It helps users with questions, who can have instant access to their answers; it helps other readers of the newsgroup, who will have to read fewer of the questions they see over and over again; it helps everyone by (hopefully) reducing bandwidth. This document should help you find answers to frequently asked questions. Usually, the answers are already available on the Net in one or more detailed documents. In these cases, this document will tell the reader where to find the information in question. Thus, when possible, this document will only point you to another document - that one may have the information you need, or it may point you somewhere else. (This may seem annoying at first, but offers multiple benefits. First, it reduces duplicated work. Second, it increases your chances of finding the most current, reliable information. Most importantly, it shows _how_ to find the information you need rather than simply giving you answers. "Teach a man to fish...") This FAQ is purely a volunteer effort. Although every effort has been made to insure that answers are as accurate as possible, no guarantee is implied or intended. The editor and contributors have developed this FAQ as a service to Usenet. We hope you find it useful. Please send your corrections, questions, and comments to the editor, Kevin Savetz, at "savetz@rahul.net" (Internet) or "savetz" (America Online.) Please indicate what version of this document you are referring to. This document is posted weekly to the newsgroup "alt.internet.services" (on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th of each month) and posted twice monthly to "news.answers" and "alt.answers" (on the 5th and 19th.) It is also available via anonymous FTP from rtfm.mit.edu as "pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/faq". *** 0.2: WHAT IS ALT.INTERNET.SERVICES? (The following is excerpted from Scott McMahn's (mcmahan@cs.unca.edu) "Welcome to alt.internet.services" charter.) The newsgroup "alt.internet.services" group was designed to handle information about services available on the Internet for people who have Internet accounts and want to explore beyond their local computers, to take advantage of the wealth of information and services on the net. Services for discussion include: * things you can telnet to (weather, databases, library catalogs...) * things you can FTP (pictures, sounds, programs, data...) * clients/servers (like MUDs, IRC, Archie...) "alt.internet.services" isn't for: * discussion of utility programs like telnet, FTP, mail, and uudecode. * basic new user questions. * pleas for Internet access. (Use alt.internet.access.wanted for this.) This is *NOT* alt.internet.general.questions, alt.internet.help, or alt.internet.new-users. Before asking a question here: * Ask someone locally! The guy siting next to you, your professor, the system administrator. 9 times out of 10 you won't have to post. * read news.newusers * look through your .newsrc file for a more appropriate group. Questions about mail can go to comp.mail.misc. Questions about access can go to alt.internet.access.wanted. And so on. alt.internet.services is *not* some kind of default group to go to if you can't find any others. * ask yourself: is this question about a service I can access through the Internet? If so, post. *** 0.3: I'M NEW TO THE INTERNET. WHERE DO I START? Welcome to the wonderful world of the Internet. Although this document may answer some of your basic questions, the Usenet newsgroup "alt.internet.services" isn't the place for questions like "How do I use telnet on my system?" or "How do I send electronic mail?" If you have access to the Usenet, read the newsgroups "news.newusers.questions" and "news.answers". If you have access to FTP, get copies of the introduction to the Internet documents mentioned at the end of this file. If you have access to users around you, ask them to show you the basics. [I'm open to suggestions on how this can be a better answer for newbies...] Section 1: What is... --------------------- *** 1.1: WHAT IS TELNET? Telnet is a program that allows you to login to another computer to run software there. Typically, you login either to access a "shell" command environment or some other utility. To telnet to a computer, you need to know it's name. This can either be in words, like "steer.sdsu.edu" or as a numeric address, like "130.191.1.11". Some services require you to connect to a specific "port" on the remote computer. Type the port number, if there is one, after the Internet address. (For example, "telnet nri.reston.va.us 185".) For more information, anonymous FTP to "ftp.sura.net" and download "how.to.telnet.guide" from directory "pub/nic/network.service.guides". *** 1.2: WHAT IS ANONYMOUS FTP? FTP stands for file transfer protocol. FTP allows you to copy files from a remote computer to your local host. Thousands of sites provide anonymous FTP service, allowing you to download everything from online books, to satellite pictures of the weather, to public-domain utilities and games for your personal computer. (Software for use on your home computer first needs to be FTPed to your local host, then downloaded to your PC using Xmodem, Zmodem, Kermit or some other system -- a two-step process.) For more information, use anonymous FTP to connect to host "ftp.sura.net". Get the file "how.to.ftp.guide" from the directory "pub/nic/network.service.guides". There is an FTP primer (and lots of other good information) in the "alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, which is posted periodically on "alt.bbs.internet" and "news.answers". *** 1.3: WHAT IS USENET? The Usenet is a global bulletin board, of sorts, in which millions of people exchange public information on every conceivable topic. For more, FTP to "rtfm.mit.edu", and get the file "part1.Z" from the directory "pub/usenet/news.answers/what-is-usenet". That file is also posted regularly to the Usenet newsgroup "news.answers.newusers". *** 1.4: WHAT IS FINGER? Finger is a program that returns information about a registered user on a computer. Typing "finger" alone will show the users logged into the system you are using. "finger @host.domain.foo" will show you who's currently using some other computer. Certain computers have variations on finger support, where "finger ron" will show info on ron at your site, and "finger ron@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu" will show you all the Ron's with accounts on a certain computer at MIT. Note that some finger programs don't take arguments, some will accept only a userid (the exact login name of a user,) and still others will search using a first or last name. If your system has manual pages installed, type "man finger" for more information. *** 1.5: WHAT IS IRC? IRC is the Internet Relay Chat, a service where users can "talk" via typing to people around the world. See Scott Yanoff's list for public IRC servers, or find out if your own system has the server installed. There are newsgroups specifically devoted to IRC (alt.irc, for example). Refer to them for more information. For more information, anonymous FTP to "cs.bu.edu", go to the directory "irc/support" and check for file names that start with "tutorial". *** 1.6: WHAT IS ALEX/ARCHIE/GOPHER/HYTELNET/NETFIND/PROSPERO/VERONICA/ WAIS/WHOIS/WWW/X.500? Check John December's "internet-tools" list, available via anonymous FTP from "ftp.rpi.edu" in the directory "pub/communications". That document will point you to detailed information about each of these services. Scott Yanoff's list will tell you how to access these services. Most feature on-line help and information. *** 1.7: WHAT IS MUD/MUSH/MOO/MUCK/DUM/MUSE (etc.)? These are Multi-User, text based, virtual reality games. According to the MUD FAQ: "A MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) is a computer program which users can log into and explore. Each user takes control of a computerized persona/avatar/incarnation/character. 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." There are an astounding number of variations on the MUD theme. Please see rec.games.mud for more information about them -- there is a several very good FAQ postings there that detail MUDs, MUD clients and servers, and offer a complete, current MUD-list. The most recent versions of the MUD FAQs are archived on ftp.math.okstate.edu (139.78.10.6) in "pub/muds/misc/mud-faq", plus on rtfm.mit.edu in "pub/usenet/alt.mud" as: [rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#2_3:_MUD_Clients_and_Servers [rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#3_3:_RWHO_and__mudwho_ [rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#1_3:_MUDs_and_MUDding SECTION 2: HOW DO I...? *** 2.1: HOW DO I SEND ELECTRONIC MAIL FROM THE INTERNET TO ANOTHER NETWORK? To learn the basics of e-mail on the Internet, FTP to "ftp.sura.net". Get the file "how.to.email.guide" from directory "pub/nic/network.service.guides". In the best of worlds, our "global village" of electronic mail would be linked by one main street. Alas, it is actually composed of hundreds of small networks linked using "gateways." The main street is the Internet, but jutting off of it are dozens of side roads leading to other networks. It's always simplest to send mail to a recipient on the same online service as yourself - say, from your America Online account to another - but sometimes you may need to send mail to someone who doesn't have an account on the system you use. While it's usually possible to mail from one network to another, you need to know the right route to navigate. In order to send any mail, you need to know the online service your recipient uses, and her name (or username) on that service. For a more complete listing of how to send mail from any random network to any other random network, read the "Inter-Network Mail Guide" by John J. Chew. (It also tells how to mail from networks other than the Internet - which is beyond the scope of this document.) It's posted regularly to Usenet newsgroups comp.mail.misc and news.newusers.questions. You can fetch this guide by anonymous FTP as /pub/docs/internetwork-mail-guide on FTP.MsState.Edu (130.18.80.11) or as /library/network.guide on ariel.unm.edu (129.24.8.1). AMERICA ONLINE: "user@aol.com" For example, "savetz@aol.com". Mail to America Online users can't be too long - it is limited to 32Kb if the recipient is a Mac user, or 8Kb if s/he is an IBM user. APPLELINK: "user@applelink.apple.com" AT&T MAIL: "user@attmail.com" BITNET: "user@host.BITNET" (Note that the bitnet hostname is not necessarily the same as the internet host name.) If this fails, try directing your mail through a gateway such as "cunyvm.cuny.edu", "pucc.princeton.edu", or "wuvmd.wustl.edu". The address would be as follows: "user%domain.BITNET@pucc.princeton.edu" (or cunyvm or wuvmd). This should help those with SMTP servers that are not quite up to date. (Thanks to Seth Theriault, sltheria@artsci.wustl.edu, for this.) BIX: "user@bix.com" COMPUSERVE: "userid@compuserve.com". Use the numeric CompuServe identification number, but use a period instead of a comma to separate the number sets. For example, to mail to CompuServe user 17770,101 - mail to "177770.101@compuserve.com". CONNECT: "user@dcj.con.das.net" DELPHI: "user@delphi.com" FIDONET: "firstname.lastname@point.node.net.zone.fidonet.org". To send mail to a FidoNet user, you not only need the name, but the exact FidoNet address s/he uses. FidoNet addresses are broken down into zones, net, nodes, and points. To send to John Doe, who uses point 1 of node 2, which is in net 3 of zone 4 - you would send your mail to "john.doe@p1.f2.n3.z4.fidonet.org". GENIE: "user@genie.geis.com" where "user" is their mail address. If a user tells you their mail address is "xyz12345" or something similar, it isn't. It usually looks like "A.BEEBER42" where A is their first initial, BEEBER is their last name, and 42 is a number distinguishing them from all other A.BEEBER's. Caveat: GEnie charges users for incoming as well as outgoing mail, so you can only send mail to GEnie users who have signed up for Internet mail. This is help prevent wayward users from receiving a zillion unwanted messages and getting charged a bundle. INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATION (IGC, or "PEACENET"): "user@igc.org" INTERNET: send mail to "user@domain", where user is the recipient's login name, and domain is the full name and location of the computer where s/he receives e-mail. Examples are "savetz@rahul.net" and "an017@cleveland.freenet.edu". MCI MAIL: send your mail to "user@mcimail.com". "User" can be a numeric identification, or first and last names separated with an underline. (E.g. "10101@mcimail.com" or "john_doe@mcimail.com".) WELL: "user@well.sf.ca.us" PANIX: "user@panix.com" PRODIGY: Prodigy has been promising network mail for months, but hasn't delivered it yet. So currently, Prodigy users are cut off from mail to the outside world. Perhaps by the end of the year, Prodigy users will be able to send and receive mail to and from other networks. They do have a network server, prodigy.com, but it doesn't do anything useful. *** 2.2: HOW DO I ACCESS OTHER SYSTEMS FROM THE INTERNET? AMERICA ONLINE: You can't use AOL from the Internet. BIX: telnet "x25.bix.com". At the "username" prompt, enter "bix". COMPUSERVE: CompuServe is accessible from the Internet through the merit system, but it is quite expensive. According to Lon Lowen, Jr. (lllowen@netcom.com): CompuServe does not know anything about Hermes (Merit, Inc.) because it is actually a SprintNet line that connects to CompuServe. CompuServe never actually sees a connection from Merit. Merit is a service local to Michigan residents so all connections will be Eastern Standard Time regardless of where in the world you access Merit from. Pricing for using Merit: From 7PM - 8AM EST: $1.70/hour. From 8AM - 7PM EST: $11.70/hour. These prices are in addition to your normal CompuServe prices. The billing is all be handled by CompuServe. For further info about this service, contact : CompuServe (1-800-848- 8199), SprintNet (1-800-877-5045), or Merit, Inc.: (1-313-764-9430). DELPHI: telnet delphi.com DIALOG: telnet dialog.com GENIE: They don't provide for logging in from the Internet, citing "security issues." INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATION (IGC, or "PEACENET"): telnet igc.org MCI MAIL: Cannot be accessed via the Internet. The only way users can currently access MCI mail is by dialing in via SprintNet/Tymnet or MCI Mail's own numbers. A tech support rep said that letting people check their MCI mail accounts from Internet isn't a high priority for now. NEXUS/LEXIS: telnet lexis.meaddata.com or telnet 192.73.216.20 or telnet 192.73.216.21. terminal type = .vt100a If characters do not echo back, set your terminal to "local" echo or "half duplex." PANIX: telnet panix.com PRODIGY: Can't be accessed due to the special graphics software. WELL: telnet well.sf.ca.us *** 2.3: HOW DO I CONTACT A SERVICE PROVIDER? [I know we're missing some important ones - help me fill in the gaps. ] AMERICA ONLINE: (800) 827-6364 voice CONNECT: (408) 973-0110 voice COMPUSERVE: (800) 848-8990 voice DELPHI: (800) 544-4005 voice DIALOG: (800) 334-2564 voice GENIE: (800) 638-9636 voice [NEXUS/LEXIS:] MCI MAIL: (800) 444-6245 voice PANIX: (212) 877-4854 voice. E-mail: info@panix.com PRODIGY: New account information (800) 776-3449 voice WELL: (415-332-4335) voice. E-mail: support@well.sf.ca.us *** 2.4: HOW DO I FIND OUT SOMEONE'S E-MAIL ADDRESS? With so many computer systems and users in the world, it is impossible to keep a complete "white pages" of the Internet. The problem is compounded because people - especially students - come and go from the net all the time. Storing and updating that much information would be an impossible, daunting task. But, it's not impossible to find people on the net. Programs exist that, given some amount of information about your associate, can help you track down his or her e-mail address. These tools include Netfind, X.500, rtfm's usenet-addresses search, and WHOIS. The more information you know about your associate - name, place of business or school, and so on - the higher your chances are. For a very complete answer to this question, read: "FAQ: How to find people's E-mail addresses", available from mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu by sending "send usenet/news.answers/finding-addresses". This document is posted regularly to the Usenet group "news.answers". There is another long document specifically for finding college students' e-mail addresses. It is also posted to "news.answers". It's available by anonymous FTP from "a.gp.cs.cmu.edu" as: /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Email/college-email-1.text /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Email/college-email-2.text /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Email/college-email-3.text *** 2.5: HOW DO I GET A NAME RESOLVED? There should be a name resolver on your system. On UNIX, look for a program called "nslookup". Failing that, send an electronic message to "resolve@cs.widener.edu". In the body of the message, include a line like "site foo.bar.baz", where foo.bar.baz is the name of the site in question. You'll receive a mail message with the IP (Internet Protocol) address for the site. [I read that widener's "external services" are down. Including this one?] *** 2.6: HOW DO I SEND E-MAIL TO THE WHITE HOUSE? The official Party Line: "The White House e-mail system is under construction. This is a new project and suffers from all of the problems common to a startup operation. The Communications office is currently working on defining what this system will do, as well as trying to come up with equipment and staffing to make sure that it works. E-mail messages are currently being printed out and responses are being sent out via US Mail. "Nobody wants this new venture to work more than the staff that has devoted so many hours to getting it up and running. But much time and effort will be required before the system is truly interactive. In the mean time, they will need a little patience from the electronic community. If you send a message to the White House, please include a US Post office address for replies." On the Internet, send to any one of: clinton-hq@Campaign92.Org 75300.3115@compuserve.com clintonpz@aol.com *** 2.7: HOW DO I ACCESS AN ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA? The following is courtesy of Thomas Dowling (tdowling@u.washington.edu): There are indeed encyclopedias on the net, but they all (all that I can find, anyway) are closed systems which require a password or some other form of user authentication. The reason for this is about what you'd expect: the companies that make encyclopedias are in business to stay in business, and you don't stay in business by giving away your product. So when an institution installs an online encyclopedia, they usually sign a license agreement limiting online use to that institution's members; for universities, that's usually currently enrolled students, staff, and faculty. For public libraries, that's usually library card holders. Check if you think your own institution's encyclopedia is available to the net at large; some institutions enforce their license agreements in ways that are fairly transparent to their users. If you can't find an online encyclopedia that's available to you, try the following: Ask your own library to make sure they don't have one. Use the encyclopedias on CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL, etc. Use a (gasp!) regular, hardbound encyclopedia. (These usually contain better information than electronic ones, anyway.) *** 2.8: HOW DO I GET STOCK MARKET INFORMATION? Scott Yanoff's list tells you how, but this question comes up so often its worth mentioning here. If you use a terminal with VT100, ANSI, or some other full-screen terminal emulation, "telnet rahul.net" and log on as "guest". Request the full-screen guest menu; request system information; request the market report. Note that this system, a2i Communications, sells full Unix accounts with Internet access - the stock service is a feature for guests and paying users, and isn't guarenteed to be reliable. SECTION 3: I NEED INFORMATION ABOUT... *** 3.1: WHERE CAN I GET INTERNET ACCESS IN MY AREA? Check out PDIAL, a list of public access service providers offering dialup access to Internet connections. PDIAL lists both free and pay services all around the world. The PDIAL list is posted semi-regularly to alt.internet.access.wanted, alt.bbs.lists, ba.internet, and news.answers. To receive PDIAL via e-mail, send mail with a subject line of "Send PDIAL" to "info-deli-server@netcom.com". To receive future editions as they are published, send email with the subject "Subscribe PDIAL" to the same address. The most recent PDIAL is also available by sending mail with a message body of "send usenet/news.answers/pdial" to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu. To get PDIAL via FTP: "ftp.netcom.com", it's in "/pub/info-deli/public- access/pdial". Or, from "rtfm.mit.edu", as: pub/usenet/alt.internet.access.wanted/P_D_I_A_L_(P) If you are a college student or faculty, check with your campus computer center to learn about the online facilities available to you. Many schools offer free accounts to students and staff. Another list of service providers, and tips on getting Internet access, is provided in the "alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, available via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu as "pub/usenet/news.answers/inet-bbs-faq.Z". If all else fails, post your plea on the Usenet newsgroup "alt.internet.access.wanted". Note that such requests aren't looked kindly upon if posted elsewhere. *** 3.3: I NEED A BBS (ON THE INTERNET OR IN MY AREA)! This is covered extensively in the "alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, available via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu as "pub/usenet/news.answers/inet-bbs-faq.Z", and on the Usenet group "alt.bbs.internet". Also look for information on "alt.internet.access.wanted" and "alt.internet.services". Get the PDIAL list, mentioned at the end of this document. [I've heard of one called Nixpubs. What is it, and where is it available?] Also, FTP to "wuarchive.wustl.edu" and look in the directory "/mirrors/msdos/bbslists" for BBS information for your area code or interest. *** 3.4: IS THERE A LIST OF ALL INTERNET SERVICES? No. There are just too many computers and too many services for anyone to accurately maintain a complete list. However, Scott Yanoff edits a great list of Internet services: The "Special Internet Connections List" is updated monthly and is posted periodically to alt.internet.services and elsewhere. His list is a comprehensive as any list could ever be. It includes everything from where to FTP pictures from space, how to find agricultural information, public UNIX, online books and dictionaries, you name it. Check this list before posting the question "Where can I get online?" - chances are, it's in there. Finger "yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu" to find ways to receive this list. There's also John December's internet-cmc list, which serves as a pointer to a slew of resources. Its purpose is to list pointers to information describing the Internet, computer networks, and issues related to computer-mediated communication. It points to Internet documents for new users, comprehensive Internet guides, as well as specialized and technical information (for instance, Internet growth studies, maps, and statistics.) It also lists electronic journals and tons of other good things. It is available via anonymous FTP as "internet.cmc" from "ftp.rpi.edu" in directory "pub/communications". *** 3.5: WHAT'S A GOOD BOOK TO READ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNET? "The Internet Companion, A Beginner's Guide To Global Networking" by Tracy LaQuey with Jeanne C. Ryer (Addison-Wesley Publishing.) The Companion includes a detailed history of the Internet, a discussion on "netiquette" (network etiquette), and how to find resources on the net. "Internet: Getting Started." Franklin F. Kuo, Series Editor. SRI Internet Information Services. Published by PTR Prentice Hall, New Jersey. ISBN: 0-13-327933-2. Paperback, 360 pages. Explains how to join the Internet, the various types of Internet access, and procedures for obtaining a unique IP address and domain name. An extensive list of Internet access providers of all types is provided. Information regarding access for countries outside of the United States is included as well. Finally, the guide explains many concepts essential to the Internet, such as the Domain Name System, IP addressing, Internet protocols, and electronic mail. This is the comprehensive overview of what the Internet is and how to become a part of it. "Internet: Mailing Lists 1993 Edition." Franklin F. Kuo, Series Editor. SRI Internet Information Services. Published by PTR Prentice Hall, New Jersey. ISBN: 0-13-327941-3. Copyright 1993. Paperback, 356 pages. (Note that a current "list of lists" is also available online, both via Usenet and FTP. See the next section.) "The Internet Passport: NorthWestNet's Guide to Our World Online". This is published by NorthWestNet and the Nortwest Academic Computing Consortium, Inc. It is 516 pages and covers everything from net etiquette to supercomputers; very comprehensive. It costs $39.95 but schools and not-for-profit organizations can buy it for $19.95 plus shipping. NorthWestNet, 15400 SE 30th Place, Suite 202, Bellevue, WA 98007. (206) 562-3000. "The Whole Internet" by Ed Krol (published by O'Reilly & Associates.) ISBN: 1-56592-025-2. 400 pages. $24.95 US. This book covers the basic utilities used to access the network and then guides users through the Internet's "databases of databases" to access the millions of files and thousands of archives available. It includes a resource index that covers a broad selection of approximately 300 important resources available on the Internet. "Zen & the Art of Internet" by Brendan Kehoe. Published by Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-010778-6. 112 pages. $22.00 US. This guide should give you a reference to consult if you're curious about what can be done with the Internet. It also presents the fundamental topics that are all too often assumed and considered trivial by many network users. It covers the basic utilities and information reaching other networks. In August or September, McGraw-Hill will release "The Internet Guide for New Users," by Daniel P Dern. Along with the obligatory topics such as telnet, FTP, and Archie, the book suggests how to get an Internet account and teaches enough UNIX to survive on the net. *** 3.4: HOW DO I GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNET ONLINE? Once you have an account, several good texts are available via FTP: December's internet-cmc list, a pointer to a slew of resources. Its purpose is to list pointers to information describing the Internet, computer networks, and issues related to computer-mediated communication. It points to Internet documents for new users, comprehensive Internet guides, as well as specialized and technical information (for instance, Internet growth studies, maps, and statistics.) It also lists electronic journals and tons of other good things. It is available via anonymous FTP as "internet.cmc" from "ftp.rpi.edu" in directory "pub/communications". "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet" will interest users who are more into the technical bits of the Internet. This document, also written by Ed Krol, explains how Internet addresses work and discusses issues such as trust and carrying capacity of the Internet. The "Guide," as well as other useful texts for new users, is available from "wuarchive.wustl.edu" (128.252.135.4) in directory "/mirrors/EFF/internet-info". "Internet Basics" is available by FTP from "nnsc.nsf.net" as "nsfnet/internet-basics.eric-digest". "The Internet Companion" a beginner's guide to the net, is available by FTP from "world.std.com" in directory "/OBS/The.Internet.Companion". "List of Lists". For a list of the currently available electronic mail mailing lists, ftp to "nisc.sri.com" and look in the /netinfo directory. The file name is "interest-groups". To be notified of future additions to the list, send mail to interest-groups-request@nisc.sri.com. "New User's Questions" is FTPable from "nic.merit.edu" as "documents/fyi/fyi_04.txt". PDIAL, a list of public access service providers offering dialup access to Internet connections. PDIAL is posted semi-regularly to alt.internet.access.wanted, alt.bbs.lists, ba.internet, and news.answers. To receive PDIAL via e-mail, send mail with a subject line of "Send PDIAL" to "info-deli-server@netcom.com". To get PDIAL via FTP: "ftp.netcom.com", it's in "/pub/info-deli/public-access/pdial". Or, from "rtfm.mit.edu", as: pub/usenet/alt.internet.access.wanted/P_D_I_A_L_(P) "Surfing the Internet" is available at "nysernet.org" as "pub/guides/surfing.2.0.2.txt". Yanoff's "Special Internet Connections List" is updated monthly and is posted periodically to alt.internet.services and elsewhere. It includes everything from where to FTP pictures from space, how to find agricultural information, public UNIX, online books and dictionaries, you name it. Check this list before posting the question "Where can I get online?" - chances are, it's in there. Finger "yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu" to find ways to receive this list. "Zen and the Art of Internet" is also available from "world.std.com" as "zen-1.0.txt.Z" in the directory "/obi/Internet/zen-1.0" - this is an old, free version of Kehoe's Book. You can find Zen on "ftp.uu.net" in /doc/internet as well. (The newer book version is much longer and much improved over this online version.) If you have Usenet access, read some of the many newsgroups for new users and frequently asked questions: "news.answers", "comp.answers" and "news.newusers.questions". ### End of document ###