       ********    **************************************************
             *    *                                                  *
            *     *                 The independent guide to BITNET  *
           *      *                                                  *
          *       *                                  February, 1990  *
         *        *                                                  *
        *         *                              Volume 4, Number 4  *
       ********   *                                                  *
                  *                                                  *
        ***       *                                                  *
       * * *      *                                                  *
       * * *      *                                                  *
       * * *      *                                                  *
       * **       *  smsg rscs cmd cunyvm cpq user diana             *
                  *   DMTCMX320E LINK CUNYVM IS NOT ACTIVE           *
           *      *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:29:27                        *
           *      *                                                  *
       ******     *  tell umnews at maine checkin                    *
           *      *   DMTCMX320E LINK MAINE IS NOT ACTIVE            *
           *      *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:29:45                        *
                  *                                                  *
       ********   *  tell relay /who                                 *
             *    *   RELAY NOT LOGGED ON                            *
            *     *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:29:56                        *
           *      *                                                  *
            *     *  tell harry at marist yello....                  *
             *    *   LINK UCONNVM IS NOT ACTIVE                     *
       ********   *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:30:03                        *
                  *                                                  *
        ***       *  tell antonio at bostonu hello?                  *
       *   *      *   DMTCMX320E LINK BROWNVM IS NOT ACTIVE          *
       *   *      *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:30:19                        *
       *   *      *                                                  *
        ***       *  tell all at everywhere help!                    *
                  *   DMTCMX320E NO LINKS WHATSOEVER ARE ACTIVE      *
       ******     *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:31:02                        *
           *      *                                                  *
           *      *  tell rscs what's going ON over there???         *
           *      *   DMTCMX772E HEH HEH HEH.                        *
       ****       *   R; T=0.02/0.02 01:31:40                        *
                  *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
       ******     *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
                  *                                                  *
       ********   *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
           *      *                                                  *
       ****        **************************************************

1




       *     *  ****** ******* *     *  *****  *     * ******* *     *
       **    * *          *    **   ** *     * **    *    *    *     *
       * *   * *          *    * * * * *     * * *   *    *    *     *
       *  *  * *****      *    *  *  * *     * *  *  *    *    *******
       *   * * *          *    *     * *     * *   * *    *    *     *
       *    ** *          *    *     * *     * *    **    *    *     *
       *     *  ******    *    *     *  *****  *     *    *    *     *
       *                       *     *                               *
        ***********************       *******************************


       Editor:  Christopher Condon                     CONDON @ YALEVM


       ********************* Contents - Issue 35 *********************

        *********
       *     *** *  EDITORIAL PAGE____________________________________
       *    ***  *
       *  ***    *  Bitnotes ....................................... 1
       ***     ***  Flames To: ..................................... 3
       *    ***  *  BITNET Ease-of-use Redux ....................... 5
       *  ***    *
       * ***     *
        *********

        *********
       * ***     *  FEATURES__________________________________________
       * ***     *
       * ****    *  Quanta ......................................... 7
       * *****   *  The Adobe File Server .......................... 9
       * ******  *  Sending Mail To and From Telemail ............. 11
       * *** *** *  The Internet NETSERVER ........................ 14
       * ***  ****
        *********

        *********
       *         *  DEPARTMENTS_______________________________________
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  Headlines ..................................... 15
       *   ***   *  New Mailing Lists ............................. 16
       *  ***    *  Helpdesk ...................................... 23
       *****     *  Feedback ...................................... 27
       *         *  NetMonth Policies ............................. 29
        *********

      ********************** 6083 Subscribers ************************
1

                                                                Page 1


        *********
       *     *** *  Bitnotes
       *    ***  *
       *  ***    *  by Christopher Condon
       ***     ***
       *    ***  *  Yale University
       *  ***    *
       * ***     *  CONDON@YALEVM
        *********


                        "But will it play in Peoria?"


       Dave  Bates  wrote  an interesting  letter/editorial  for  this
       issue,  concerning BITNET  and ease-of-use.   He brought  up an
       interesting question, namely,  how do we go about making BITNET
       (or  networking  in  general)  more  accessible  to  people  in
       general?

       The sinister hand of computing is making it's way into more and
       more people's lives,  whether they like it or not.   More often
       than not,   it is  in the  form of  a personal  computer.   The
       typical new  PC user  is abused, bemused,  and  confused by  A:
       prompts,  periods,  slashes,  Control and Alt keys,  and so on.
       The new Macintosh user will take a  while to figure out when to
       click, double click,  drag,  while finding out into what folder
       they  accidentally moved  their  documents.    All of  this  is
       exacerbated by references to RAM, storage,  high-density,  low-
       density, ASCII, inits, system folders, megabytes, kilobytes and
       rebooting.

       To a typical PC or Macintosh user,   all of this is pretty much
       old hat.  To the average person who can barely hunt-and-peck on
       a typewriter, it is pure horror.   Imagine, then,  the grief of
       someone  attempting  to  survive in  a  mainframe  environment,
       designed when  the concepts  of "personal"  and "user-friendly"
       weren't in fashion.    Add to this the  complications of nodes,
       mail headers, messages, servers, domains,  and you have quite a
       number  of  hurdles to  deal  with  before getting  comfy  with
       BITNET.

       People handle  these obstacles  because there  is some  payoff,
       something that makes it worth all the effort.   It might be raw
       information,  the stimulus from mailing  lists and relays,  the
       ability to contact people quickly.  It might just be fun.   All
       of us  went through some  mental gauntlet  to get to  the point
       where using BITNET is a natural part of every day life.
1

                                                                Page 2


       For the occasional user, or the person who isn't expecting such
       a payoff,  they  are likely to throw their hands  up in disgust
       and walk  away from  it.   The  challenge,  then,   is to  make
       mainframe computing  and networking  as quickly  and painlessly
       accessible as possible.    People shouldn't have to  take weeks
       and months to be able to get much out of BITNET.

       Dave's question seems to me to be  about what can be done about
       these difficulties in the long run.

       My question to you  is,  what can we do to  make BITNET and its
       services more accessible  now?   I'm asking this not  only on a
       network level,  but on a local,  "What can be done HERE?" level
       as well.  And what do you do already?


                                  Virtually,

                                  Chris Condon@YaleVM
1

                                                                Page 3


        *********
       *     *** *  Flames To:
       *    ***  *
       *  ***    *  by Craig White
       ***     ***
       *    ***  *  University of Alabama
       *  ***    *
       * ***     *  CWHITE@UA1VM
        *********


       Hello again.

       I hope your month was pleasant and uneventful.  As you probably
       could tell by my absence from the  last issue,  my work here is
       keeping me very  busy.   So busy in  fact,  that I do  not have
       anything to flame about because I have  not had time to keep up
       with current net happenings.   I  was very surprised to receive
       so  few Flames  from  you folks.    I did  get  several of  the
       standard "why  is it that  node so and  so is always  down" and
       "please remind people that you should always send your requests
       to be  added/deleted to a list  to LISTSERV and not  the list".
       It  is sad  that  these  types of  problems  never  seem to  be
       resolved.   Some think it's the  transient population of BITnet
       that causes this.   I like to think it's simply a by-product of
       the increase in involvement with electronic mail-lists.

       Because my  node is a  member of  a regional network  that uses
       TCP/IP,  I have  had the opportunity to dabble in  this area of
       networking recently.   This caused  me to think philosophically
       about networks.  I wonder what kind of services will we have 10
       years hence.   I wonder what will happen to all of our networks
       when the telephone  company puts digital signals  straight into
       our houses.   So  that becoming part of a network  is much like
       getting long distance service today.

       I am happy to be able to  participate in BITnet/CSnet at such a
       crucial time  in the formation of  CREN.   I think that  we are
       very fortunate to  be involved with these  networks during this
       time.   It  will be interesting  to see how  well of a  job the
       administrators can  do in  integrating the  two very  different
       groups of users.    On the other hand,  its  possible that many
       users are members of both groups  making unification of the two
       that much  smoother.   I am always  surprised at the  amount of
       "brand" loyalty that computer users exhibit.   Once upon a time
       you could tell a fair amount about  the type of system a person
       was likely  to use based on  which network they  were connected
       to.  Nowadays that is becoming increasingly difficult.
1

                                                                Page 4


       A  thought that  occurs with  somewhat regular  frequency as  I
       attempt to keep  track of the merger,  is what  happened to the
       BITnet we used to know.   You know the one where everything was
       done  by  volunteers  and  the charges  for  the  network  were
       minimal.   No one  cared much about what  a Network Information
       Center did.   There was no limit on the size of files you could
       send.   Congestion was only an issue  on the rare occasion when
       Ohio State got really backlogged.

       Oh well so much for the old days.   This months flame is:  WHEN
       YOU WISH  TO BE ADDED/DELETED TO  A MAIL-GROUP THAT  IS HANDLED
       THROUGH A  LISTSERVer,  PLEASE,   PLEASE SEND  THAT REQUEST  TO
       LISTSERV AND NOT TO THE LIST.    Next month (or the month after
       that if my writing frequency for  this column holds)  I will be
       back with "real" flames.  In the meantime flames, comments, and
       suggestion to CWHITE@UA1VM.
1

                                                                Page 5


        *********
       *     *** *  BITNET Ease-of-use Redux
       *    ***  *
       *  ***    *  by Dave Bates
       ***     ***
       *    ***  *  University of Pennsylvania
       *  ***    *
       * ***     *  BATES@PENNHEP1
        *********


       Sometime before Christmas as I  was reading your description of
       movements within the CREN enterprise,   and considering (as are
       we all)  What It  Might All Mean / Add Up To,   I had the happy
       notion of  asking "What could  this do  for me,  a  user?"  The
       cosmic -  level comings and  goings of Large  Committees really
       should work in the interest of  the average user.  The folks at
       the phone  company once knew  this - and  the new folks  in the
       multitude of new smaller phone  companies are learning this all
       over again.

       Two almost - enirely -  separate "discussions" have been taking
       place in NetMonth during the several  years I have been reading
       it.    One  is  conducted  by  the  more  computer  -  oriented
       community.  It deals with technical issues and, in general, the
       politics of BITNET  (and more recently CREN).   The  other is -
       not so much conducted by as formed from the comments from nog -
       computer oriented people.  CREN could profitably note how non -
       computer  oriented people  fail  repeatedly  to form  organized
       discussions over time in NetMonth.    There's so little *focus*
       to what they contribute.

       However,   BITNET and  CREN are  "about" connections  providing
       useful ways of communicating, whether machine - to - machine or
       person - to - person / group - to - group.  And both BITNET and
       CREN cost participating institutions a  lot of money.  Who gets
       served and to what extent are therefore real issues.

       Is it likely  that undergrads and the vast  majority of faculty
       either have not been exposed to BITNET or have been discouraged
       by  encounters with  it?  Is  it  possible that  we are  seeing
       evidence for  the latter  in the comments  from non  - computer
       oriented people in NetMonth?

       Were large  numbers of  people within  this population  to find
       BITNET / CREN "accessible" and *useable*, funding would be more
       assured.

       (And internet communications must become  far more reliable and
       easy to do for this to happen.)
1

                                                                Page 6


       I  suggest   little  about  BITNET   is  easily   and  reliably
       accomplished by  the average  academic.  The  common rejoinder,
       "Read the manual", does not apply in this case:  there is none.
       In its place is a marvelous ad hocery  of clever software which
       can no  longer be allowed  to exist  free of a  documented user
       interface coupled  to reliable processes  which really  do what
       the user asks them to through the interface.

       CREN therefore  has to deal with  *access* in order to  get the
       funding it  needs.   It's that simple:  it needs  users to stay
       alive, and to thrive it needs satisfied ones.

       Who do we write to, we potential users?
1

                                                                Page 7


        *********
       * ***     *  Quanta
       * ***     *
       * ****    *  by Dan Appelquist
       * *****   *
       * ******  *  Carnegie-Mellon University
       * *** *** *
       * ***  ****  R746DA1@CMUCCVMB
        *********


       Ã•Thanks to Dave Applepie for forwarding this information.Ã¥

       Quanta  is a  magazine devoted  to Science  Fiction and  topics
       related to science fiction.   It is published bi-monthly by Dan
       Appelquist (R746DA1@CMUCCVMB).   Send mail to Dan to subscribe,
       submit material,   or just  to receive  more info.    Quanta is
       published in both straight ASCII  and PostScript formats.   The
       introduction from the first issue follows:

                               "Looking Ahead"

       Hi.   I'm Dan  Appelquist,  and I have been known  to sleep all
       day.   I've also produced,  with a little help from my friends,
       the magazine you're currently reading.   A couple of years ago,
       when I was freshmanning in computer science, I had an idea that
       it would  be kind  of neat to  set up  a literary  magazine and
       distribute it around  campus.   There was certainly  a need for
       such a  magazine,  but  the idea kind  of fizzled.    There was
       really  no  way  for  a freshman  to  produce  a  magazine  and
       distribute it.  The costs were simply too prohibitively high.

       The issue of a magazine came up again several months ago when I
       was asked to help produce a fanzine for a local science fiction
       club.  The problem of cost still cropped up.   The club fizzled
       out before  anything developed with  that,  but the  cost still
       would have been too high.

       Shortly after this,  I responded  to the call for subscriptions
       for Jim McCabe's Athene  (see ad at the end of  this issue.)  I
       didn't realize it at  the time,  but this was the  format I was
       looking for.  With the computing resources available to me as a
       student at Carnegie  Mellon,  I could produce  a professionally
       typeset magazine electronically with almost  no cost to myself,
       and then distribute the  magazine,  again electronically,  over
       the various nets, again at no cost to myself.

       Three  weeks after  I sent  out  a call  for subscriptions  and
       submissions to Quanta,  we already  had over 200 subscriptions,
       including,  to my surprise and delight,  subscriptions from the
1

                                                                Page 8


       United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Norway,  France,  Canada,  and
       Belgium  (if I've  missed some,   please excuse  me,  it's  not
       trivial to decode the various sorts of mail paths.) We also had
       enough  submissions  to produce  at  least  one issue  of  real
       quality.   I'm very  excited about the material  in this issue,
       and fortunately there's plenty more where that came from.

       In that context, I'd like to thank Peter David for donating our
       only article this issue.   In future issues I'd like to include
       more articles, but if you're thinking of submitting an article,
       please don't  write it  newsnet style.   We  got a  few article
       submissions that were basically newsgroup posts.  We're looking
       for a bit more professionalism than this.

       Looking ahead,   as the  title of  this rather  hastily written
       article  would suggest,   I  see  the arena  of  electronically
       distributed magazines  such as Quanta expanding  greatly.   For
       now,  here's one issue of Quanta.    It comes after much blood,
       sweat,  tears  and wrestling with unruly  typesetting programs.
       Enjoy.
1

                                                                Page 9


        *********
       * ***     *  The Adobe File Server
       * ***     *
       * ****    *  edited by Christopher Condon
       * *****   *
       * ******  *  Yale University
       * *** *** *
       * ***  ****  BITLIB@YALEVM
        *********


       Ã•Thanks to Greg Miller for forwarding this information.Ã¥

       The Adobe  File Server  is a  automatic mail-response  program.
       There  are many  documents available  from the  server such  as
       PostScript  files,  program  source code,   Adobe Font  Metrics
       files, and PostScript Printer Description files.

       To get in touch with the server, send mail to:

            PS-FILE-SERVER@ADOBE.COM

       You can place  commands on either the Subject:  line  or as the
       first line  of text in the  body of you mail.    Valid commands
       are:

       HELP - sends documentation on how to use the server.

       INDEX - returns a list of categories

       INDEX   - returns a  list of files  under .
       For example,  the command INDEX Programs  will return a list of
       files in Programs.

       SEND    - sends  you the requested  file.   For
       example,   you  might  request  something  with  SEND  Programs
       ehandler.ps.   Please note  that the actual file  names for the
       programs are case-sensitive, although nothing else is.

       These are the current available categories:

       AFMFiles -  Contains AFM files  (Adobe Font Metrics)   for many
       currently  released  Adobe  fonts.  Ã•This  is  almost  never  a
       complete list,   so don't depend on  it to be.Ã¥ Listed  by full
       PostScript name (for example:  AvantGarde-Book).   Please don't
       send for more than a handful of these files, or the system will
       overload.   Remember,  these files are  only useful if you have
       the  fonts to  which  they correspond,   either  in  ROM or  as
       downloadable fonts.    All Adobe downloadable  PostScript fonts
       are shipped with the correct AFM files.
1

                                                               Page 10


       Documents - This directory contains  PostScript source for many
       documents  that we  routinely  mail to  people  in paper  form.
       There  have been  many updates  to this  directory starting  in
       December of 1988, so please pay close attention to the dates in
       the  indexes (including  this  one).    Some of  the  documents
       contain  new  information,   and  have  version  numbers  (like
       EPSF2.0.ps).  Others have gotten a facelift.

       PPDFiles   -  This   directory   contains  PostScript   Printer
       Description  Files   (PPD  files)   for   available  PostScript
       printers.   These files contain much of the information that is
       in the PostScript supplement for each printer,  but in machine-
       readable form  intended for  parsing by  spooling and  document
       management  software.   See  also  the documentation  available
       under Documents/PPDformat.ps.

       Programs -  Contains an  assortment of  helpful or  interesting
       PostScript files,  including  error handlers,   a sample  Adobe
       Illustrator file,  the program listings  from the "Green Book",
       and others.
1

                                                               Page 11


        *********
       * ***     *  Sending Mail To and From Telemail
       * ***     *
       * ****    *  by Ann Westine and Chloe Holg
       * *****   *
       * ******  *  ISI
       * *** *** *
       * ***  ****  INTERMAIL-REQUEST@ISI.EDU
        *********


       Ã•This article is  a somewhat shortened version  of the document
       "Mail  Forwarding  Between  Telemail  and  the  Internet  Using
       Commercial Mail  Relay (CMR)"  by Ann  Westine and  Chloe Holg.
       Thank to Chris Refuerzo for forwarding this information.Ã¥

       These are the instructions for  using the Commercial Mail Relay
       (CMR)  system that has replaced the Intermail system.   The CMR
       is used  for transmitting  computer mail  between the  Internet
       ARPA-Mail system and users on the Telemail system.   CMR may be
       used in either direction.

       Messages to  be forwarded are  sent to  the CMR mailbox  on the
       local mail system.  CMR operates a program to service mailboxes
       in both the local and the  destination mail systems.   When the
       right forwarding information is supplied either in the Internet
       header "To"  field,  or  at the  beginning of  a message,   the
       program forwards those messages to the other mail system to the
       appropriate mailboxes.

       The mailbox is called "TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU" in ARPA-Mail
       and "Ã•INTERMAIL/USCISIÃ¥TELEMAIL/USA" on the Telemail system.

       * Sending mail to Telemail:

       In  order for  a message  to be  delivered from  Internet to  a
       mailbox  on   a  Telemail   system  the   Internet  Relay-Style
       addressing format is used.  Simply type the Telemail mailbox in
       the Internet header:

       user-mailbox%TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU
       (for TELEMAIL/USA system only)

       For example:
       JOHNDOE%TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU

       Ã•USER-MAILBOX/ORGÃ¥SYSTEM_BRANCH/COUNTRY%TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU
        (for all other Telenet systems)

       For example:
       Ã•JDOE/NASAÃ¥NASAMAIL/USA%TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU
1

                                                               Page 12


       * Sending mail from Telemail:

       The following  is an example  of how to  send a message  to our
       user service mailbox "Intermail-Request",  to Claudio in BITNET
       and Eddie  in the Internet.   First  send a message to  the CMR
       mailbox  in Telemail  called  "Ã•INTERMAIL/USCISIÃ¥TELEMAIL/USA".
       Then add  the ARPA forwarding  information at the  beginning of
       the text of message.  A typical internet address is in the form
       (user@host.domain).   Addresses  are separated  by commas  (not
       spaces).   Note, when sending mail to BITNET, or UUCP, you must
       type "Forward:   ARPA",  not  "Forward:   BITNET"  or "Forward:
       UUCP".

       Example -------------------------------------------------------

       To: Ã•INTERMAIL/USCISIÃ¥TELEMAIL/USA
       Subject: Test Message Number 1

       Forward: ARPA
       To: Intermail-Request@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU
       CC: CLAUDIO@YALEVM.BITNET,
           EDWARD@VENUS.YCC.YALE.EDU

       Hi,

       This is the text of the test message.

              --Fred

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

       "Forward:   ARPA"  signals  the  beginning  of  the  forwarding
       information and tells the forwarding  program that this is mail
       for the ARPA-Mail system.   On the next line,  "To:  Intermail-
       Request@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU," specifies the mailbox  that it will
       be delivered to.   The "To:" line  is required,  to deliver the
       message.

       It is also possible to send copies to other mailboxes,  using a
       "Cc:"  line.   Note that in the forwarding information section,
       the "To"  and "Cc" fields  must start  at the beginning  of the
       line.    Continuation lines  of  the  "To:" and  "Cc:"  fields,
       however,  are indented.   The "To"  and "Cc" fields can contain
       anything that  ARPA-Mail allows.   A  blank line  separates the
       forwarding information from the rest of the text.

       Therefore,   there  can't  be  any   blank  lines  between  the
       "Forward:" line and the "To:"  line.   The "Subject" field from
       the Telemail  header will also  be used  as the subject  in the
       ARPA-Mail header, when the message is forwarded.
1

                                                               Page 13


       Telemail users please note that  forwarding information MUST be
       included in  the text  of the  message even  when the  "ANSWER"
       command is being used.


       * Notes for BITNET users:

       Some systems in the BITNET world treat square brackets, "Ã•" and
       "Ã¥", as special characters.  On these systems, a square bracket
       that is used in an address must  be quoted through the use of a
       preceding backslash, "\".  For example:

       \Ã•GORDON/OMNET\Ã¥MAIL/USA%TELEMAIL@INTERMAIL.ISI.EDU

       Full  documentation  on  the  Commercial   Mail  Relay  can  be
       requested from INTERMAIL-REQUEST@ISI.EDU.
1

                                                               Page 14


        *********
       * ***     *  The Internet NETSERVER
       * ***     *
       * ****    *  edited by Christopher Condon
       * *****   *
       * ******  *  Yale University
       * *** *** *
       * ***  ****  CONDON@YALEVM
        *********


       Ã•Thanks to John Price for forwarding this information.Ã¥

       NETSERVER is  an Internet  file server  with many  programs and
       packages of interest  to VAX users.   You can  send commands to
       NETSERVER by mail, addressed to:

            NETSERVER@RML2.SRI.COM

       Your commands should be in the body of your mail message, *not*
       on the subject line.  Valid commands are:

            ?HELP                -- sends you a helpfile
            ?PACKAGE*packagename -- sends you a package
            ?PACKAGE*?           -- sends you a list of packages

       If you would like to know  how this incredibly simple NETSERVER
       works, have suggestions on how to improve it,  or other related
       topics,  please   feel  free  to  send   mail  to   the  author
       (chojnacki@vaxmfg.tech.nwu.edu) he'll see what he can do.

       Note that  much of  the software on  NETSERVER is  available in
       BITNET from the VMSSERV file servers.
1

                                                               Page 15


        *********
       *         *  Headlines
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  edited by Christopher Condon
       *   ***   *
       *  ***    *  Yale University
       *****     *
       *         *  Send your headlines to BITLIB@YALEVM
        *********


       * New  BITNET Information  (from Jim  Conklin):   Two  files on
       LISTSERV@BITNIC may be of interest to those seeking information
       about BITNET:    The file BITNET  OVERVIEW has been  updated to
       reflect the  new corporate structure  with the  Corporation for
       Research and Educational Networking (a  continuation of the old
       BITNET,  Inc.)  operating BITNET.   It also provides additional
       data about the network.   A new  file named BITNET TOPICS lists
       discussion-list topics  supported by  the LISTSERV  software on
       BITNET.   To  obtain these  files,  simply  send the  following
       commands to LISTSERV@BITNIC via mail or interactive message:

            SEND BITNET OVERVIEW
            SEND BITNET TOPICS

       *  CHAMAS news  (from  Dirk Rode):   The  Chaos Mailbox  System
       (CHAMAS), formerly running at 107633@DOLUNI1, is now running at
       the more sensible address of CHAMAS@DOLUNI1.

       * NETLIB address  update:  The AT&T Labs server  address is now
       NETLIB@RESEARCH.ATT.COM.

       * A new NETSERV )from Chuck Kesler):   The North Carolina State
       Computing Center  is pleased to announce  that NCSUVM is  now a
       NETSERV site.  Forthcoming changes in the network topology will
       put NCSUVM on the BITNET backbone between Virginia Tech (VTVM2)
       and Florida (NER),  in the place which is now occupied by TUCC.
       Because of this change,  we have  been looking at ways in which
       we can  improve the level  of BITNET  services for the  rest of
       North Carolina and the Southeast,   and hosting a Netserv seems
       to be  one way in which  we can accomplish this  goal.  Besides
       somewhat lightening  the potential load  on the  future NCSUVM-
       VTVM2 link,   NETSERV@NCSUVM will provide  easier accessibility
       for sites in our region to the files which are important to the
       operation of a BITNET site  (BITEARN NODES,  node update files,
       XMAILER and DOMAIN names).  It will  also make it easier for us
       to keep NCSUVM's RSCS,  Mailer,   and Listserv as up-to-date as
       possible, which will be an important function once we are a hub
       node.   If there are any  problems with NETSERV@NCSUVM,  please
       notify me,  CHUCK@NCSUVM,  and I'll try to rectify them as soon
       as possible.
1

                                                               Page 16


        *********
       *         *  New Mailing Lists
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  edited by Christopher Condon
       *   ***   *
       *  ***    *  Yale University
       *****     *
       *         *  Send new list descriptions to NEW-LIST@NDSUVM1.
        *********


       Each of  the lists described here  is maintained on  a LISTSERV
       machine unless otherwise  noted.  To subscribe to  one of these
       lists  you  would  send  the   following  command  to  the  the
       appropriate server via mail or message.

                      SUBSCRIBE listname Your_full_name

       For example,   if your  name is  Kristen Shaw  and you  want to
       subscribe to  a list  described as  "DIAPERS@YALEVM" you  would
       send the following command to LISTSERV@YALEVM:

                       SUBSCRIBE DIAPERS Kristen Shaw

       To  make contributions  to  the list  you  would  send mail  to
       DIAPERS@YALEVM.   Please note that this is just and example and
       to  my  knowledge there  are  no  mailing lists  about  diapers
       (although you never know).

       *****

       SCUBA-L@PURCCVM - SCUBA diving

       This list  is maintained by  the Purdue University  SCUBA Club,
       but is open to the public.     Any articles,  views ideas,  and
       opinions relating to SCUBA diving  are welcome.   The list will
       discuss all aspects of SCUBA diving including:

          Safety/First Aid                Places to Dive in INDIANA
          Decompression computation       Best Places to Dive
          Decompression Tables            History
          New Equipment                   Dive Shops
          New Technologies                Mail/order Shopping
          Diving Science & Technology     Tropical Diving
          Dive Computers                  Underwater Animal Life
          Underwater Photography          Questions/Quizzes
          Underwater Vehicles             Certifications
1

                                                               Page 17


       HELPNET@NDSUVM1 - Network Emergency Response Planning

       HELPNET is intended  as a working list for  those interested in
       the  roles global  computer  networks might  play  in times  of
       disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.


       APOLLO-L@UMRVMB - Apollo computer discussion list

       The purpose  of this list  is to  provide an avenue  for Apollo
       computer users  to share comments,   ideas,  and  problems (and
       possibly  utilities),   associated  with   the  use  of  Apollo
       computers.


       3D%BFMNY0@UUNET.UU.NET - Stereo Photography

       Purpose:   3D is a list for discussing 3D (stereo)  photography
       --  a  discipline  as  old   as  photography  itself,   with  a
       fascinating history  and an  enthusiastic crowd  of modern  day
       practitioners and collectors.   Membership is open to everyone.
       You will  be most likely  to enjoy  subscribing if you  work in
       stereo yourself,  or if you  are generally interested and would
       like to  learn more.   No  particular expertise is  required to
       participate  here  -- it's  my  hope  that  we can  share  what
       expertise we do have so that everyone both learns something and
       has  the  pleasure  of  helping others  learn.    The  list  is
       currently not moderated.

       To subscribe, send your name and net mail address to:

            3D-REQUEST%BFMNY0@UUNET.UU.NET


       FELINE-L on UMNEWS@MAINE - Interested in cats?

       The FELINE-L Discussion List is intended for the discussion and
       dissemination  of information  about  all  members of  the  cat
       family.   Particular  emphasis  is placed  on  the  large/feral
       cats,e.g., lions,  tigers,  leopards,  cougars,  etc.,  both in
       captivity and in the wild.  However,  discussion concerning any
       felines,  including  personal pets  and household  tabbies,  is
       welcome.

       Appropriate discussion  subjects might include  research papers
       dealing with  any aspect of  any cat  population,  conservation
       issues,  legislation  impacting these  animals,  management  in
       zoos, wildlife parks and the like,  care,  feeding,  veterinary
       considerations,  research use of cats,  animal rights concerns,
       and  almost  any other  area  dealing  with  any sort  of  cat,
       including showing, breeding, or training.
1

                                                               Page 18


       To  subscribe to  this  list,  send  the  following message  to
       UMNEWS@MAINE via mail or message:

            SUBSCRIBE FELINE-L Your_Full_Name

       To post messages using E-mail, send to UMNEWS@MAINE with either
       a "TO:" entry in the form:

            TO: FELINE-L Discussion 

       or a "SUBJECT:" entry of:

            SUBJECT:  UMBB.FELINE-L Your_own_subject_entry_goes_here


       DRUGABUS@UMAB - Drug Abuse

       DRUGABUS at UMAB  is intended to be a forum  for issues related
       to  community drug  abuse education  and  the epidemiology  and
       study of  drug abuse.   It  is run  by the Office  of Substance
       Abuse Studies at the University of Maryland at Baltimore.


       9NOV89-L@DB0TUI11 - November 9th, 1989

       Whoever  may attach  a meaning  to  the date  of 9.11.1989  (or
       89-11-09,  or 11/9/89)  is invited to subscribe to the 9NOV89-L
       list  at DB0TUI11.    Unfortunately the  people  living in  the
       German Democratic Republic  will not be able  to participate in
       this  discussion,  because  they are  not (not  yet?)  on  this
       network. The list name reflects the most important event in the
       recent  German history,   but it  can't and  shouldn't be  seen
       isolated from what happened in Poland,  the USSR,  and Hungaria
       before (and is still going on).  And yes, dear Joe Techno,  all
       this will influence even such important things as our networks.


       HORROR@PACEVM - Horror Fiction, Film, and Folklore

       HORROR  has  been  established for  the  discussion  of  horror
       (natural,   preternatural  and  supernatural)   in  legend  and
       literature.   We want to discuss Gothic and modern horror,  and
       speculate on  future trends in  the genre.   Anyone  wanting to
       delve into these and related topics is welcome to join.


       PROCOM-L@ATSUVAX1 - Procomm User List

       The PROCOM-L list is dedicated to discussion among users of the
       ProComm 2.4.2,  2.4.3,  and ProComm  Plus Terminal Emulators on
       PCs   and  PC   clones.     Subscribe   by  sending   mail   to
       MAILSERV@ATSUVAX1 with the message SUB PROCOM-L Your_full_name.
1

                                                               Page 19


       EMULPC-L@USACHVM1 - Terminal Emulation Programs for PCs

       The Emulations Programs for PC compatible machines, which allow
       emulate Host's terminals,  are a  power tool in the Information
       Management, we can to achieve speed, power, networking, improve
       graphics capacity,  flexibility,  portability  and all from our
       PC.   This list  deals with issues related to  the PC Emulation
       software and hardware.   (PC3270, IRMA, PCOX, Extra,  Graph-Tek
       APA, GWSP, Yterm, Smarterm and others...)


       PAGAN@DRYCAS - Paganism Discussions

       The PAGAN list  was created as an offshoot of  PSI-L to discuss
       the religions, philosophy, etc.  of Paganism.   To subscribe to
       PAGAN,  send a  brief message to PAGAN-REQUEST@DRYCAS  via mail
       text.


       INDIA-L@ANDY.BGSU.EDU - India Interest Group

       Tentatively  people of  Indian  subcontinent  are the  expected
       readership of this group.  Anything that is of interest to this
       readership is welcome!  To subscribe To this group, please send
       your request to:

            INDIA-L-REQUEST@ANDY.BGSU.EDU


       C370-L@NCSUVM - C on the 370

       This  list  has  been  created for  the  discussion  of  the  C
       programming language  on 370-architecture  machines.   Products
       covered are  IBM's new  C/370 compiler  (5688-040),  the  IBM C
       Program Offering (5713-AAH),  Waterloo C,  SAS/C,  or any other
       such implementations.

       MOTO.CHASSIS@OCE.ORCE.EDU - Motorcycle Chassis Design

       Moto.chassis  is  a mailing  list  devoted  to the  theory  and
       practice of  motorcycle chassis  design and  construction.   To
       subscribe, send a mail to MOTO.CHASSIS-REQUEST@OCE.ORST.EDU.


       APOGEES@FRMOP11 - Critical and Strategic Information Management

       A new list has been created for persons wishing to get involved
       in the study of critical  and strategic information management.
       Its objective is to identify  information of long-term value to
       an  organization and  to  develop  realistic methodologies  and
1

                                                               Page 20


       policies of management (data bases,  ethics policy,  education,
       supervisory systems ...).

       In  APOGEES,  we  share the  creation  of business  information
       supervising systems.   We discuss methodologies suitable to the
       management and development of technological information through
       supervisory divisions.

       We  welcome in  APOGEES  people from  all  fields of  sciences,
       management,  information technology,  computer science,  and so
       on.   APOGEES needs this diversity  to succeed in achieving its
       objective of quality.

       We  also  welcome  managers  who  are  concerned  with  several
       critical items  when making  their business  decisions.   Their
       practical experience  will contribute to  the quality  of group
       discussions.


       BISEXU-L@BROWNVM

       Bisexu-L,  is a forum for  discussion of issues of bisexuality.
       Cordial and civilized exchange of relevant ideas,  opinions and
       experiences between members of all orientations is encouraged -
       we do not discriminate on  the basis of orientation,  religion,
       gender, race, etc.

       This list is not intended in  the spirit of separatism from any
       existing lists devoted to lesbian,  gay and bisexual issues but
       as an additional  resource for discussion of  bisexual concerns
       in particular;   by the same  token,  the existence of Bisexu-L
       should not imply in any way  that other discussion lists are no
       longer appropriate forums for  discussion of bisexuality.   The
       list of  subscribers is confidential  for purposes  of personal
       privacy;   excessively rude, obnoxious or abusive postings will
       not be tolerated.


       LAWSCH-L@AUVM - Law students

       On December  8,  1989,   the new list  LAWSCH-L was  created at
       American University Law School.   It is  designed as a forum to
       discuss matters of concern which  affect all law students.   it
       is also designed to allow  for interaction between students and
       law schools to lessen the gap between them.
1

                                                               Page 21


       SAFETY@UVMVM - Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues

       The  SAFETY  list  is  for people  interested  in  the  various
       environmental, health and safety issues and problems on college
       and university campuses.   These can include life safety issues
       (fire  protection,  trip  and  fall  and other  general  safety
       issues),   chemical safety  issues  (waste disposal  laboratory
       safety, meeting regulations),  biological hazards and radiation
       safety.    Both   users  of  hazardous  materials   and  people
       administering campus safety programs are welcome on this list.


       WXSPOT-L@UIUCVMD - Storm Spotter Discussion List

       The list  WXSPOT-L has been  created to  facilitate discussions
       about severe storm spotter training, spotter networks, training
       materials,  upcoming training,  methods of transmitting weather
       data, and local community programs.  The list, although a spin-
       off of  STORM-L,  will  be used for  discussions only  and will
       carry current  weather data.   It  is hoped that  through these
       discussions better community severe  storm spotter training and
       public awareness programs can be developed.


       MEDCONS@FINHUTC - Medical consulting and case descriptions

       This list  is not intended  for Non-professionals  or patients,
       which still are welcome to follow the activity on the list.  It
       is intended  for Physicians  and investigators  in the  medical
       field to allow  medical consulting on a  voluntary basis.   The
       final responsibility for the care of patients is always that of
       the personal Physician exclusively.

       Short  descriptions  of  cases  "hard to  solve"  in  the  form
       anamnesis  status and  laboratory  findings  - question:   what
       bothered the patient  - followed by the diagnosis  and cure are
       encouraged.    Real  bedside  problem  solving  could  also  be
       enlightened  by  short  descriptions of  the  most  exotic  and
       puzzling  cases  the colleagues  have  encountered.    Absolute
       anonymity for the  patients is required.   Please  favour Latin
       and professional  terminology to  make it more  easy for  me to
       keep laymen from obstructing this list.  Contributions from the
       field of so called alternative medicine are obsolete,  and will
       not be redistributed to the subscribers.


       INGRES-L@HDETUD1 - Inres databases

       INGRES-L is a  list,  dedicated to the discussion  of the RDBMS
       INGRES.    Discussion may  include  any  topic related  to  the
1

                                                               Page 22


       subject, such as problems in implementing,  tuning or using the
       product in any environment (MS/DOS, UNIX,  VMS,  CMS,  MVS or a
       combination of any of these),  conversion to new versions (such
       as from Version-5 to Version-6),  announcements of conferences,
       etc.


       AIDS-STAT@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU - AIDS Statistics

       AIDS-STAT is a moderated mailing list whose sole purpose is for
       the distribution of AIDS statistics from various agencies.  The
       prime  information being  distributed will  be  the Center  for
       Disease  Control's  monthly  AIDS   Surveillance  Report.    To
       subscribe, send a mail to: AIDS-STAT-REQUEST@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU


       WORD-PC@HVRFORD

       WORD-PC is a list for users of Microsoft Word running under DOS
       and Windows.   It is intended to serve  as a forum in which all
       issues  related to  MS Word  for  the PC,   technical and  non-
       technical,   may  be discussed  in  depth.    The list  is  not
       currently moderated,  but may be  at a later date.   Interested
       persons may subscribe by sending mail with a blank subject line
       and the single command SUBSCRIBE WORD-PC to MAILSERV@HVRFORD.


       WORD-MAC@HVRFORD - Microsoft Word on the Nacintosh

       WORD-MAC  is a  list for  users  of Microsoft  Word running  on
       Macintosh computers.    It is intended to  serve as a  forum in
       which  all  issues  related  to  MS  Word  for  the  Macintosh,
       technical and non-technical,  may be  discussed in depth.   The
       list is not  currently moderated,  but may be at  a later date.
       Interested persons may  subscribe by sending mail  with a blank
       subject  line and  the  single  command SUBSCRIBE  WORD-MAC  to
       MAILSERV@HVRFORD.


       STUTT-L@TEMPLEVM - Stuttering discussion list

       Purpose:   This list was designed to facilitate the exchange of
       information  among researchers  and clinicians  working on  the
       problem of  stuttering.   Researchers are encouraged  to submit
       descriptions of current projects (purpose, procedures,  results
       if any,  current status)  and to raise questions that may be of
       interest to  other researchers.   Clinicians are  encouraged to
       describe unusual, interesting,  or provocative cases and to ask
       for consultation on particularly difficult cases.   Individuals
       who stutter  may also  want to  get information  about therapy,
       recent research results, etc.
1

                                                               Page 23


        *********
       *         *  Helpdesk
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  by Murph Sewall
       *   ***   *
       *  ***    *  University of Connecticut
       *****     *
       *         *  SEWALL@UCONNVM
        *********


       *Q*  A  number of  weeks  ago  a  note  was sent  via  LINKFAIL
       regarding 4381  capacitor problems.   Could somebody  out there
       please advise me as to what the note was in reference to?

       *A* Ã•By Murph SewallÃ¥:   Send  the following to LISTSERV@BITNIC
       (or  LISTSERV@MARIST  or  whichever  LISTSERV  is  the  nearest
       LINKFAIL Peer distributor to you) as mail:

            //
            DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES
            //RULES DD *
            SEARCH 4381 AND capacitor IN LINKFAIL
            INDEX
            PRINT ALL OF 1782
            /*

       I sent  the INDEX command  first,  got  the list of  'hits' and
       subsequently sent the PRINT ALL OF 
       (you don't need to request the INDEX again to get a copy of the
       messages) -

            > SEARCH 4381 AND capacitor IN LINKFAIL
            --> Database LINKFAIL, 2 hits.

            > INDEX
            Item #   Date   Time  Recs   Subject
            ------   ----   ----  ----   -------
            001782 89/10/18 14:20   22   GITVM1 downtime on 10/21
            001809 89/11/03 12:50   12   4381 Capacitors

            > PRINT ALL OF 1782
            >>> Item number 1782, dated 89/10/18 14:20:47 -- ALL

            =====================================================
            Date:         Wed, 18 Oct 89 14:20:47 EDT
            Reply-To:     Dave Buechner 
            Sender:       Link failure 
            From:         Dave Buechner 
            Subject:      GITVM1 downtime on 10/21
1

                                                               Page 24


            GITVM1 will be down from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. on
            Saturday,   10/21/89  for some  pre-emptive  hardware
            work.   We will  be replacing capacitors in  the 4381
            power supply.

            As an aside,  4381 users may want to check with their
            CEs on capacitor problems.   The other 4381 on campus
            (GTRI01)  was down for 16 hours  2 1/2 weeks ago when
            the capacitors failed, taking the microcode diskettes
            and some channel attached  hardware with them.   From
            what  our   CE  has  indicated  there   are  problems
            appearing with capacitors that were manufactured by a
            particular  company  whose  name   I  forget.    Good
            capacitors were manufactured by GE.   If anyone would
            like more detail please reply to me privately.

            Dave Buechner
            Lead IBM Systems Programmer
            Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

            =====================================================

       You can  use the format of  the SEARCH command above  to search
       any archive of a LISTSERV list (INFONETS has useful messages on
       all sorts of questions,  such as,   how to send email to India,
       Australia and other popular destinations or to Comserv, MCImail
       or FidoNet).


       *Q* USENET:  How does on  access this,  or subscribe (whichever
       term applies...)?

       *A* of a more correct type Ã•by John McMahonÃ¥:   USENET is not a
       true  network.   USENET  is a  collection of  nodes on  various
       networks which distribute News  files.   Newsgroups are similar
       to a regular mailing list,  except  a person does not subscribe
       to a Newsgroups.   He/She reads a Newsgroup like you would read
       a column  in a  large Newspaper.   In  the USENET,   every node
       receives a copy of every message in every Newsgroup.  Each node
       provides a common  system area where users can  read any/all of
       the groups and  can reply to them.   This is  much like getting
       the entire Newspaper  delivered to you,  and then  you read the
       parts of the paper you are interested in.   The great advantage
       to the USENET is that when a  user develops a new interest,  he
       or she merely selects the new  Newsgroup they are interested in
       and starts  reading.   There  is no time  lag to  subscribe and
       catch up on the current topic.   Also, the user doesn't have to
       use up his/her own disk space since  USENET news is stored in a
       system common area.
1

                                                               Page 25


       A common misconception is that the  UUCP and UUNET networks and
       USENET are interchangeable terms.   They  aren't.   USENET is a
       service that  runs on a network,   like the LISTSERV  and RELAY
       systems.    UUCP  and  UUNET supports  a  variety  of  services
       including USENET News.

       A second misconception  is that you have  to be a Unix  host on
       UUCP/UUNET to get easy access to News.   More than a few USENET
       sites are on the Internet or  DECnet networks,  and many do not
       run UNIX.   USENET has grown  beyond it's UNIX-only beginnings.
       However,  to become  a USENET site your  system management will
       have to install special software.   In some cases, the software
       is available at low cost.    Check the operating system mailing
       lists (e.g. Info-Vax@Sri.Com for VMS) for details.

       To access  USENET,  you  must be  on a  site that  is receiving
       USENET News.  Check with your system manager for details.

       Finally, some USENET groups are gatewayed to mailing lists that
       you can  subscribe to if you  don't have access to  News.   For
       example,  the News group comp.os.vms  is linked to the INFO-VAX
       mailing  list  on  various BITNET  LISTSERVs.    Check  a  good
       directory of mailings lists (Like  issues of NetMonth)  to find
       if the  group you  are looking  for is  gatewayed to  a mailing
       list.


       *Q*   What does  the domain  name  ending .EDU  mean?   I  keep
       hearing "Internet" and "Arpanet".   Is  .EDU an entire network?
       Or is Internet (if that's what it is) part of CSNet?

       *A* Ã•by Chris CondonÃ¥:  At one time the Arpanet was one, large,
       (*very* large network).  A few years ago the addressing for the
       Arpanet was split  up into something we now  call the Internet.
       The major portions of the Internet are .GOV (Government),  .EDU
       (Education), and .COM (Commercial).   Under Arpanet,  one of my
       addresses might  have been  CONDON@VENUS.ARPA.   Under  current
       "domain" scheme,  the address is now CONDON@VENUS.YCC.YALE.EDU.
       While this  is somewhat longer,  it  makes routing of  the mail
       somewat easier,  because every computer in the Internet doesn't
       need to know how  to send mail to every other  one.   (There is
       more detail on how this works in BITNET USERHELP).

       CSNET is (for now) it's own animal.
1

                                                               Page 26


       *Q* How does one send mail to Fidonet?

       *A*  Ã•by David  DodellÃ¥:   FidoNet  is fully  coupled into  the
       Internet.   You do not need to know any specific gateways, just
       address the message correctly into the fidonet.org domain,  and
       everything will be routed automatically.  FidoNet addresses can
       be addressed in the basic format of:

            FirstName_LastName@fzz.nxx.zyy.fidonet.org

            zz= FidoNet Node
            xx= FidoNet Network or Region
            yy= FidoNet Zone (Presently only 1 to 4 are valid)

       Therefore,  as an  example,  my name David  Dodell,  resides at
       FidoNet address 1:114/15.  My FidoNet Internet address is:

            David_Dodell@f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org

       Now how  to you  go from  a fidonet  node to  a internet  style
       address?   Just as easy, however, you need to find a gateway on
       fidonet first,  since there is no automatic routing to internet
       gateways at this time.   For example,  you could use my gateway
       at 1:114/15

       You would send a message to the user "uucp" at 1:114/15.

       In the  first line  of the  text,  you  put the  internet style
       address, followed by 2 returns, i.e.

       The addressing is in the form:

            To: user@site.domain

       For example,  to send to my  bitnet account of ATW1H @ ASUACAD,
       the  fidonet message  would  go to  "uucp"  at fidonet  address
       1:114/15.

       The first line of text in the body of the message would be:

            To: atw1h@asuacad.bitnet
1

                                                               Page 27


        *********
       *         *  Feedback - a Letters Column
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  edited by Christopher Condon
       *   ***   *
       *  ***    *  Yale University
       *****     *
       *         *  Send your letters to BITLIB@YALEVM, now!!!!!!
        *********


       From:     Joyce Neu 
       Subject:  NetMonth

       Just want  to compliment you on  this issue of  NetMonth (loved
       the greetings from Pisa)  and thank you for the great p.r.  for
       XCULT-L and the inclusion of SLART-L  in the "new lists" group.
       I'm going to send the XCULT-L blurb to my students so that they
       can see (especially Joan,  whose  article you've selected here)
       that they're "famous"!  (in some small, Warholian way).


       From:     Stephen Orton 
       Subject:  CREN

       CREN de  Monthe gets two  thumbs up.    How about "Creme  de la
       CREN" for your new letters column?

       * Editor's  note:   I  dunno.   People might  find it  a little
       inCRENdible.  Or would they be inCRENdulous?


       From:     Dave Gomberg 
       Subject:  Mail from Listserv

       I think I have offended as  many BITNET folks as anyone,  which
       classifies me as a GRADE IX crudmugeon:  There is no point in a
       list  with no  editor.   Many  recent  contributions have  said
       things  like:  Who  is running  things here?    What about  the
       requests for HELP?  And so forth.

       I propose that all nodes refuse to propagate unedited lists.

       I am not against anyone's free speech,  and an editor must have
       an exceptionally light touch,  but  garbage is garbage.    I am
       talking about  things the  author would  be embarassed  to have
       sent to  the list if he/she/it  knew the facts.   I  am talking
       about  HELP/SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/Is Sweetie-pie  still  there?
       This is not free speech, this is free drooling.
1

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       I expect that I may have a lot of time to volunteer soon,  so I
       will volunteer  as the interim editor  of any list  that cannot
       (temporarily) find a real one.

       Now let's get our act cleaned up!   Go for it!


       From:     Dave Bates 
       Subject:  CREN user interface

       NetMonth may  be described as  a highly  - useful form  of glue
       holding the network together through  repeated giving of advice
       to users.   While there  is a  legitimate need  to educate  new
       users,  and  to provide guidance  and instruction to  users who
       need to explore  the more arcane or advanced  "features" of the
       network (taken to include listservers, etc), one has to observe
       that a  common thread running through  the talk in  Bitmonth is
       the complaint that much about BITNET (now CREN) is confusing to
       the person  who needs what  is available  at some other  end of
       BITNET. **Using** the system and its services **in order to get
       service** is problematic.

       Your patience,  and the patience of people offering advice,  is
       admirable        .  However, the time may have come when people
       can now offer help to users through adopting a set of standartd
       user interfaces  along the lines  of that offered  by COMSERVE.
       This  could  do a  lot  to  increase  access and  accuracy  and
       therefore  use of  BITNET by  **users** who  are not  primarily
       experts in or on the system itself.
1

                                                               Page 29


        *********
       *         *  NetMonth Policies
       *     *****
       *    ***  *  Everything you ever wanted to know...
       *   ***   *
       *  ***    *  ...but were afraid to ask.
       *****     *
       *         *  BITLIB@YALEVM
        *********


       NetMonth is a  network service publication distributed free  of
       charge to  students  and  professionals  in  BITNET  and  other
       networks. This magazine and its companion file, BITNET SERVERS,
       are the  work  of the  BITNET Services Library (BSL) staff  and
       contributors from around the network.

       BITNET SERVERS is BITNETs list of servers and services.  If you
       know of servers not listed in BITNET SERVERS, or if some listed
       are no longer available, please contact the NetMonth Editor.

       * Subscribing to NetMonth and BITNET SERVERS:

       Send  the  following  command  to  LISTSERV@MARIST  by  mail or
       messgage:

            SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH Your_full_name

       A subscriber  can delete  him/herself from  the mailing list by
       sending LISTSERV@MARIST the command:

            UNSUB NETMONTH

       Internet users may use these methods, but must address the mail
       to LISTSERV@MARIST.BITNET

       * Back issues:

       BITNET users  may get NetMonth back issues from the file server
       LISTSERV@CMUCCVMA.  For a list of  files,  send the  server the
       the command:

            INDEX NETMONTH

       * Letters to the Editor:  If  you  have  questions  or comments
       about BITNET or  NetMonth that you would like  to  see  printed
       here, mail  your letter  to BITLIB@YALEVM.  Make  sure that you
       specify in the "Subject:"  header or  somewhere  in  the letter
       that it is for the NetMonth letters column.
1

                                                               Page 30


       * Article Submissions:  The  only  requirements  for   NetMonth
       articles and columns are that they be informative, interesting,
       and concern some BITNET-related topic.  Send your articles  and
       to BITLIB@YALEVM.

       * Printing this file:  VM  users can print  this file  by using
       the "( CC" option of  the PRINT command.   VAX/VMS users should
       RECEIVE NetMonth  with a  format of  FORTRAN.

       John  McMahon  of the  NASA  Goddard  Space Flight  Center  has
       written a program or VAX/VMS users which  changes  Fortran form
       feeds in an issue of NETMONTH to ASCII form feeds.  This allows
       a  user on  a VAX/VMS  system to  RECEIVE a  copy of  NETMONTH,
       reformat  it using  this  procedure,  and  print  it using  the
       standard VMS PRINT command.

       The program is internally documented, and you can get a copy by
       sending the following command to LISTSERV@CMUCCVMA or MARIST:

            SENDME NETMONTH COM


            _
           __-
          __---    The
         __-----   BITNET
        __-------  Services
       ___________ Library                       "Because We're Here."

       ***************************************************************