ASSOCIATES (vol. 1, no. 2, November 1994) - associates.ucr.edu
THE INTERNET GURU
by
Brad Eden
Librarian Associate
Scientific and Technical Information Center
NASA/Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
After our short introduction to the Internet in the premiere issue
of ASSOCIATES, this issue will examine the most common and
well-known aspect of the Internet, LISTSERVS. Before I begin, I
would like to thank those people who contacted me and mentioned
their interest in learning about this topic and/or mentioned titles
for the column: Harry Rezzemini, Flo Thompson, and Joan Scott. I
would also like to encourage everyone to write me at:
bradford@medics.jsc.nasa.gov
with their suggestions and comments on current and future topics of
discussion.
LISTSERV was one of the first networking channels that made it
possible to integrate world-wide networks of scholars together via
computers, and allowed them to communicate from one person to many
people via a "list." When one sent a message to a listserv, it was
sent to everyone on the "list." Now, listservs have multiplied by
the hundreds, and it is the most frequently used and best known
aspect of the Internet.
A listserv command consists of a message that one sends to another
computer using an e-mail system such as SMTP (simple mail transfer
protocol). In order to subscribe to a list on a listserv, one
needs to know the computer's "address." This address usually
begins as listserv@Õnode-addresså, and requires a one-line message
in the body of the text. For instance, to subscribe to the
LIBSUP-L list for library support staff, you send the following
message to:
listproc@u.washington.edu
Leave the subject line blank, and write:
subscribe libsup-l firstname lastname
in the message area. That's it! In a few seconds to a few hours
(depending on telecommunications traffic), you will receive a
message from the computer at the University of Washington that you
have been subscribed to the LIBSUP-L list. You will receive every
message sent to the LIBSUP-L list, and every message you send in
reply will be sent to every member of the same list.
Here are two important "addresses" to get you started in finding
lists and their listserv addresses of interest to you:
1) listserv@kentvm.kent.edu (Internet)
or listserv@kentvm.bitnet (Bitnet)
in body of text: get acadlist readme
(Diane Kovac's list of 1200 academic lists/directions for
use)
2) majordomo@is.internic.net
in body of text: sub net-happenings firstname lastname
(sends you a message for every new list on the Internet)
So, subscribe to LIBSUP-L if you haven't already, get Kovac's
academic list, and subscribe to net-happenings for the latest lists
added to the Internet. Make SURE that you follow directions for
subscribing to each list EXACTLY, as some are different than
others. Also, it is a good idea to make a paper copy of the list's
subscription message, as it tells how to unsubscribe in case you
decide that you are not interested in the list. Keep this copy in
a folder with listserv messages from any other lists that you are
subscribed to. About 30-50% of the messages on some lists are
people trying to unsubscribe, and not knowing how to do it.
Let me know how you're doing, and what other topics you would like
discussed. Until next time. . .