ASSOCIATES (vol. 1, no. 1, July 1994) - associates.ucr.edu
CAREENING OUT OF CONTROL ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY? by David J. Ives Head, Microcomputer Systems Group MU Libraries - University of Missouri ELDJIVES@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU Copyright (c) 1994 David J. Ives Hey there, you beach-bunnies and hodaddies! Spending too much time wiping out when you're trying to shoot the curl on that big Information wave? Well, this electronic hotdogger is ready to help you hang ten, be Real Cool, and impress your friends and all that, when it comes to surviving the Curse of Tutankhamen -- the Internet! This article cannot begin to do much more than cover some of the bare essentials (and provide some useful tips and hints) for using and abusing the world-wide Internet. The topics will include: e-mail; listservs; telnet; ftp; gopher; and world-wide web. I won't even touch on less-frequently-encountered (or less "hyped") elements like Prospero, Archie, WAIS, IRC, USENET, Finger, Netfind, Whois, Ping, MUDs, and Jughead (if you want to complain - you write it!). If you can spend some money on a good "guide book", a book that I strongly can recommend is: "The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog" (2nd ed.), Ed Krol, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1994. THE **MOST IMPORTANT** THING FOR ANY INTERNET USER TO DO IS: Find out the telephone number of your library's, campus', or organization's Computer Help Desk! These folks are the ones who should(!) be able to help you with the myriad techno-esoteric factors involved in YOU connecting to (and using) the Internet in YOUR computer environment, using YOUR particular software package. Because the kind of Internet connection you have, the hardware you're using to connect to it, and the software you're using all WILL make a difference, the following discussion of Internet access and use must be kept on a broad, generalized level. Sorry about that, but it's one of the cold, hard facts of computerized technology. E-MAIL: There are literally dozens of e-mail programs that you can use to send and/or receive mail via the Internet. Hint Number One: read the manual for your software! If you have an in-house "guru", make use of his or her knowledge also. Most are willing to share and to help out polite and humble "newbies". Remember that all of your text is going to be transmitted over the Internet as ASCII text. This means you should forget about using word-processing features, such as underlining, italics, and typographic symbols. Those will show up on the receiver's screen as strange, garbled, or "garbage" characters. If you want to emphasize some text, I suggest using CAPITALS, but do not use capital letters for every single word: IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING AND SAYS THAT YOU ARE A RANK NOVICE/GEEK, see? You also can surround the *emphasized text* with asterisks. Remember that there is very little you can do to get emotional contexts across to your readers because they can't see your face or hear your voice. This is why the gods of the Internet invented "smileys" -- these strange little symbol-sets can be used to express emotion. Some of the more common ones include: 8>) [happy] :-( [sad] ;-) [joking - winking] and 8>O [surprise] Try to stick to the common ones. The books that list pages and pages of esoteric and bizarre smileys are practicing serious overkill. For example, how often would you need to use: 6>O%))) [one-eyed person, with triple chins, swallowing a cat]? I suggest that you keep them simple and keep them sparse! A Word To The Wise: there is NO confidentiality on the Internet!!!! Write ALL of your messages in such a way that the receiver could forward them to any person or group of people on the planet and you wouldn't be embarrassed, incensed, or brought to justice. Keep those electronic affairs, controlled substance purchases, and threats of bodily harm off the Internet! LISTSERVS: A high percentage of the e-mail that travels across the Internet is generated by electronic discussion groups called listservs, more commonly known as "Lists". These discussion groups cover every topic imaginable, as well as some that are unimaginable for many people. Messages (comments, questions, requests, etc.) sent to a listserv group should pertain to the subject of THAT listserv group. For example, do NOT ask a question about CD-ROM networks on a list devoted to Elton John and do NOT proselytize your own religious, ethical or political beliefs on a list dedicated to discussing Japanese computer technology! To do so marks you as a rank novice, newbie, and plenty ignorant! One of the biggest problems involving e-mail and lists is that subscribers invariably end up responding to the person when one really wanted to send the message to the entire list, or vice versa. This latter faux pas can send some extremely embarrassing messages allllll over the planet! Try not to worry too much about it -- most people seem to commit that error sooner or later. Either your local communications software/protocols manual, your local "guru", or available menu/help lines on your monitor screen will help you distinguish between the two types of "replies." Handy Hint: after giving the "reply" command, look at the "To:" line or field of the message screen that's presented to you -- is your message going to the right person or is it going to the list? Getting your e-mail "To:" field correctly addressed is especially critical for subscribing and unsubscribing to a particular listserv. The term "listserv" actually refers to 2 entities: 1) the actual name of the listserv discussion group (the "list") you send e-mail messages to; and 2) the name of the computer program that runs and manipulates all of the e-mail sent to and from that discussion group. Thus, the name of a listserv discussion group (a "list") at the University of Missouri might be "WAYCOOL-L," but the name of the software that actually runs that group is "LISTSERV" - and the e- mail address of this "listserv" software will be different from the e-mail address of the "list". Please note *carefully* -- you communicate with a *different* address when you SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE or SET NOMAIL, etc.) to a listserv discussion group than you do when you send general e-mail replies, queries and comments to that listserv discussion group. The following examples note the e-mail addresses for some imaginary listserv discussion groups and for the listserv software itself: send messages to Waycool-L@bogus.ku.edu send subscribe to Listserv@bogus.ku.edu send messages to Killmls-L@phony.ksu.edu send subscribe to Listserv@phony.ksu.edu send messages to Pubheads-L@big.org send subscribe to Listserv@big.org It is worth repeating: * You DO NOT send normal discussion group e-mail messages to LISTSERV@anything.anything * You DO NOT send requests to subscribe or unsubscribe to any address *BUT* LISTSERV@anything.anything Everyone got that? There's nothing that will spotlight you as a rank novice as will confusing the destinations of these 2 types of correspondence. And this error almost is guaranteed to provoke other list members to flame you! Just what are "flames?" They are non-congratulatory (i.e., vicious, damning, sarcastic, derogatory, contemptuous, vitriolic, scornful) messages sent by list members to a member who has broken a code of conduct, sent an unsubscribe request to the listserv group itself, or who has the audacity to take a controversial stance on just about any topic imaginable. It is *not* a good idea to flame someone unless there are extremely mitigating circumstances involved as this can start what is known as a "flame war". In "flame wars", members of various sides of an issue send messages that no longer even discuss the topic but whose sole purpose seems to be to castigate those who disagree with them. Do not do this!! It is *not* nice!! Another thing with which a list should NOT be clogged is repetitious "Me too"s. If you agree with someone's argument or point, don't clog up the list (and the Internet) with empty "yeah, me too!" messages. Send this kind of brain-dead message to the individual *person or author*, NOT to the *listserv group* (see above regarding the "To:" field)! Finally, you will do yourself and your listserv colleagues a Big Favor if you make sure that the "Subject:" field of your message always reflects accurately the topic of your message. This allows everyone to either ignore a topic in which they have no particular interest or to quickly zero in on a special topic of interest. Your Computing Help Desk or local "guru" will be able to tell you how to change the "Subject:" field of a message you originate or a message to which you are replying. WARNING: A single list may generate anywhere from a couple to many dozen messages each and every day. Make sure you have the time to read and/or dump these message, and make certain that your e-mail storage space (Computing Help Desk again!) is large enough to store that volume of mail. TELNET: Telneting is nothing more than establishing an electronic two-way connection between your terminal/computer and a computer that has information or data that you want (OPACs, databases, etc.). Telnet was one of the first widespread Internet protocols and it's still a viable one. There's not too much to telneting. The syntax usually is: telnet(e.g., telnet bigkahuna.missouri.edu). Sometimes the instructions will tell you to use the syntax: telnet , where is a 4-digit number (e.g., telnet ipecac.missouri.edu 3000), . All this means is that the site to which you are telneting needs to use a "port" that is different from the default telnet port of 23 -- in this example, port 3000. The Big Trick with telneting occurs when you are trying to telnet to an IBM main frame computer. If this is the case, the screen of the computer to which you connect will contain all sorts of strange text splits, garbage characters, etc., and it probably will be unreadable. To telnet to an IBM mainframe you need to use a program that emulates an IBM 3270 terminal (an early and dumb terminal), a program called "tn3270" (surprise!). If your library or campus doesn't provide you with tn3270 access, you will need to acquire any one of the several tn3270 emulation programs that are available (but ONLY if you need to "telnet" to an IBM mainframe computer!). Fortunately, most of the Internet is populated by Unix-based hosts (for which telnet works just fine), but large academic sites, in particular, may still be running IBM mainframes. Be sure to exit your telnet/tn3270 session appropriately. The host site may tell you what this command is as it often varies with the user's software. Some hosts will automatically log you off after "x" minutes of inactivity, others won't. FTP: FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, which is the primary means used today for transferring files to your computer from a distant host computer. Need that Internet Subject list, that picture of the Rocky Mountains, that neato computer utility program? FTP is one of the ways to retrieve those files. Most FTPing is used to retrieve files from host computers called "anonymous FTP sites." All this means is that you login to the FTP host computer with a user id of "anonymous" and, when prompted, type in your e-mail address as your password (e.g., jcrater@). An anonymous site does not require you to have a pre-determined user id and password. If you are going to be FTPing, it is critical that you understand the difference between "non-binary" and "binary" files. A "non-binary" file is any straight-text file (e.g., filename.txt, filename.doc, filename.wp, or filename.ref). A "binary" file is any file that is NOT a straight-text file (e.g., a graphic file, a program file, or a compressed file) -- e.g., filename.gif, filename.exe, filename.zip, or filename.lzh. When you FTP a file from a site, you usually must give your FTP software specific commands so that the file will be transferred in the appropriate format (if it isn't, it's *worthless*). These commands might be something like: "binary" or "set file type binary" to transfer binary files, "ascii" or "set file type ascii" to transfer non-binary (ASCII) files. Depending on your software and/or on how you are connected to the Internet, the file(s) you get by FTPing may be stored on your computer's hard disk, or they may be stored on your library's or campus' mainframe or minicomputer (from which you will have to transfer then to your hard disk). Ask your local "guru" or your Computing Help Desk. When FTPing files from an anonymous FTP site, keep in mind that, in most cases, the filenames *are* case sensitive. If the name of the file you wish to get is "AAcR3.DoC," that is what you will have to type in at the prompt - NOT "AACR3.DOC" or "aacr3.doc." Handy Hint: for those looking for X-rated files on the Internet, here are two pieces of advice: 1) there aren't any, and 2) I'm *not* going to tell you where they are (as you surf the Net, you'll find 'em!). GOPHER: This software (developed in Minnesota -- Golden Gophers; "gofer" information; "tunneling" through the Internet like a gopher, get it??) is becoming more widely used all the time. It will connect you, transparently, to a wide variety of data and information. The Gopher protocol connects you to over seven-hundred Gopher sites around the world. These sites contain a wealth of information: online books; government documents; software programs and documentation; scientific reports, etc. These files can be viewed onscreen or downloaded to your computer or computer account for later retrieval and use. The Gopher "server" software runs on the machines that supply the information. The Gopher "client" software runs on the machines that access that information. Check with your Computing Help Desk or local "guru" to find out how (and if) you can connect to the Gopher system. The wealth of Gophered Internet information is formatted in a directory-subdirectories-files kind of hierarchy. You select an item and either a file is displayed on your monitor or you are taken another level deeper into the Gopher's directory structure. Each of the directory entries are marked as to their type, "D" = Directory, "F" = File, and so forth. As you move back and forth through the directory structure, you actually are being connected to a number of different computers at different sites, countries, or continents -- all without any extra effort or knowledge on your part. This is the Big Beauty of the Gopher system! I have retrieved a file from a Gopher site in California, but I actually got to it by Gophering to a site in Missouri and selecting a menu directory that connected me to a site in England. Then, by selecting another menu item, I was connected to a Gopher site in Israel. From there I was connected to a site in Western Australia. I made another menu selection and was connected to a site in Atlanta, GA, from which I made the final menu selection that connected me to a host computer in Northern California, and from which I downloaded the file. All of this was done seamlessly and transparently. The only "work" I had to do was to select particular menu items! Gophering is made much easier (and often faster) by the use of an ancillary software tool called "Veronica" and developed at the University of Nevada, Reno. In essence, "Veronica" is a keyword searcher for all of the Gopher sites, although it is searching only on the words in the menu option listings or menu headers. Access to "Veronica" is almost always available at every Gopher site -- sometimes as "Veronica" and sometimes in a directory titled "Other gopher and information sources", or something similar. "Veronica" will search Gopherspace for your keyword(s) and then automatically build and display a primary menu for you. The entries on this menu will connect to files or other directories on Gopher computers all over the world, with no effort or expertise needed on your part. If you're looking for Internet information on a specific topic, or based on a specific keyword, the Gopher-Veronica combination is hard to beat (so, get out there and gopher it!). Keep in mind, though, that only a relatively small percentage of all of the Internet's sites are linked by the Gopher software. Many telnet and FTP sites aren't. WORLD-WIDE WEB: The World Wide Web (WWW or just the "Web") has been the target of lots of media attention lately. If you believed all the hype you'd think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It's not, though it can be useful at times. The Web is based on hypertext -- text or reference numbers that appear either highlighted or are within brackets [ ]. When these hypertext items are selected, a connection is made (transparent to the user) that expands additional information on that subject or topic. This additional information can be text, graphics (pictures, charts, etc.), sound, or a combination thereof. Of course, you'll need special software to use the Web and to make use of its hypertext capabilities. The most common user software packages are: Mosaic, a graphic user interface in some incarnation, for PCs, MACs and Unix machines; and Lynx, a character-based interface. Both Mosaic and Lynx are freely available programs. While there may seem to be many similarities between Gopher and the Web (there are!), remember that the Web is based on hypertext and Gopher isn't. The Web can often provide pictures and sound onscreen (using the necessary user software, of course) and Gopher can't. The Web can be useful for *browsing* information but Gopher has a far superior information *search* engine. At the moment there is more hype regarding the Web than there is real substance. It may become considerably more useful in the future -- but only after commercial end-user software becomes widely available, and only after far more information is available on Web sites than there is now. IN SUM: The number of tools available for navigating the vaguely-definable Internet are many ... far more than can be covered in this brief overview. These tools were developed to help you navigate the Internet, to help you find the information you need to find, and to insulate you as much as possible from the high-technology side of the Internet -- its operation and use. Many of these tools still are in an embryonic form, they are not exactly "user friendly", nor are all tools available to all users -- much still depends on what hardware and software your computer is using and what hardware and software your library, campus, or organization is using. The Internet is not going to go away, but a truly "user friendly" Internet is years in the future. If you want to be part of the Internet community, if you want to be able to make use of the myriad information resources available through the Internet, you are going to have to learn how to use some of these tools. Remember -- get the phone number of your Computing Help Desk and make the acquaintance of your local "guru" (taking them to lunch wouldn't hurt a bit!) ... but, do your homework first.