       ***  ***   ******** ********
       ****  *** ********* *********
       ***** *** ***             ***
       ********* ******          ***
       ********* *******         ***
       *** ***** ***             ***
       ***  **** *********       ***
       ***   ***  ********       ***
       ***
       ***   ***  *******  ***  ***  ********  ***  ***
       **** **** ********* ****  *** ********* ***   ***
       ********* ***   *** ***** ***       *** ***   ***
       *** * *** ***   *** *********       *** *********
       ***   *** ***   *** *********       *** *********
       ***   *** ***   *** *** *****       *** ***   ***
       ***   *** ********* ***  ****       *** ***   ***
       ***  ***   *******  ***   ***       *** ***  ***
       ***
       ***  NetMonth / An Independent Guide to BITNET
       ***
       ***  October, 1990 / Issue 37
       ***
       ***  Edited by Christopher Condon / BITLIB@YALEVM
       ***
       ***  CONTENTS:
       ***
       ***  Bitnotes / 1
       ***  Guest Editorial: Lee Varian / 3
       ***  Headlines / 5
       ***  Feature: The Human Genome Project / 7
       ***  New Mailing Lists / 9
       ***  Letters / 12
       ***
       ***  BITNET SERVERS is a list of network  servers and services.
       ***  If you know of servers not listed in BITNET SERVERS, or if
       ***  some listed  are no longer  available,  please contact the
       ***  Editor.  We need your updates so we can stay accurate!
       ***
       ***  BITNET USERHELP is a document  written to  assist the  new
       ***  network user understand the different network services and
       ***  how to use them. You can get a copy by sending the command
       ***  SENDME BITNET USERHELP to LISTSERV@BITNIC.
       ***
       ***  To  subsscribe  to  NetMonth and  BITNET SERVERS, send the
       ***  command "SUBSCRIBE NETMONTH your_name" to LISTSERV@MARIST.
       ***  You can unsubscribe by sending the command UNSUB NETMONTH.
       ***
       ***  Your  editorials,  articles,  and letters  are  encouraged
       ***  (indeed, sought afer).  Send your ideas and letters to the
       ***  Netmonth Editor.

       ********************** Subscribers: 7692 **********************
1

                                                                Page 1


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


                              "What it is."


       Back when I had the time to chat with people on Relay for a few
       hours each night  (WAY back)  I noticed  something interesting.
       Many of the  people I talked to were under  the impression that
       Relay *was* BITNET.   That is,  they were not aware that BITNET
       existed for some  other purpose.   It wasn't  that these people
       were close-minded about  the uses of the network,   it was just
       just Relay so  dominated the scene at the  time that everything
       else seemed to fade into the woodwork.

       Before  Relay,  the  servers that  dominated  BITNET were  file
       servers,   and the  biggest gun  among  these was  CSNEWS@MAINE
       (later UMNEWS).    Among the  other major  servers of  the time
       (BITSERVE,  VMBBOARD,  NETSERV)   CSNEWS was unique it  was run
       primarily  by students.    In a  burst of  vision,  the  CSNEWS
       management made  it a point to  reach out and  communicate with
       people outside  of University of  Maine.   CSNEWS  provided not
       only a file  library,  but also a primitive  bulletin board,  a
       user database,  and a "checkin/checkout" facility to let people
       know  one  was  available for  chatting  (this  was  pre-Relay,
       remember).

       This "by the students,  for  the students" approach made CSNEWS
       the  most  widely used  server  on  BITNET for  several  years.
       Getting a file stored there was to almost guarantee that active
       BITNET users would  find it.   CSNEWS was the  center of BITNET
       activity.   As far as many people were concerned,  CSNEWS *was*
       BITNET.

       Yet, CSNEWS/UMNEWS is gone.  After several stops and starts, it
       has finally kicked the proverbial bucket.  But why?

       LISTSERV has been the center of  BITNET for the past few years,
       eclipsing even Relay in popularity.    The combination of semi-
       interactive communication,   the ability to particpate  and log
       ongoing discussion  on specific topics  have put  mailing lists
       and forums at  the center of BITNET communication.    This is a
       formula that was discovered long before in the Internet.
1

                                                                Page 2


       In BITNET,  mailing lists drive the network,  and (for the most
       part) LISTSERV drives the mailing lists.  As such I have talked
       with many people  who are under the impression  that BITNET and
       LISTSERV  mailing  lists  are  one and  the  same.    They  are
       completely unaware that  anything that exists outside  of that.
       For these people,  I have to make a complete reversal of logic.
       Where I used to explain how  LISTSERV worked by comparing it to
       file servers, now I have to do it the other way around!

       I like LISTSERV, for the most part.   It has made BITNET a much
       easier place  to communicate,   and a much  more useful  one at
       that.   Still,   I hate  to see any  one service  so completely
       dominate the others that they dissapear.

       *****

       Well,  this  is the  new format.    What do  you think?    I've
       complicated/simplified it  into the following  sections,  which
       will appear each month:

            1. Bitnotes
            2. Guest Editorial
            3. Headlines
            4. Feature on interesting new/old service
            5. New Mailing Lists
            6. Letters

       The secion  where you can contribute  the most is in  the Guest
       Editorial department. You can think, right?  Of course you can!
       You have an opinion, right?  Of course you do!   Send your idea
       to  CONDON@YALEVM,  and  I'll let  you know  if it's  suitable.
       Thanks for your help!

       As always, I am entirely dependent upon you for updates on new
       servers and services.  Send them in!

       This  month  I  have  taken the  liberty  of  printing  as  the
       editorial Lee  Varian's fascinating letter  on the  origins and
       meaning of the BIT in BITNET.  I think you'll like it.


                               Virtually,

                                      Chris Condon@YaleVM
1

                                                                Page 3


       ***
       ***  The BIT In BITNET
       ***
       ***  by Lee C. Varian
       ***
       ***  Princeton University
       ***
       ***  LVARIAN@PUCC
       ***


       Since I'm known  locally as a bit  of a squirrel,  I  happen to
       have a  few of the early  documents on BITNET.   Some  of these
       might shed some light on that nagging question,  "What does the
       BIT in BITNET stand for?"

       The initial  letter from  Ira Fuchs  (then Vice  Chancellor for
       University Systems at  CUNY,  now Vice President  for Computing
       and Information Technology at Princeton), dated March 4,  1981,
       did not suggest a name for  the proposed "network of university
       computer  centers which  utilize  the  IBM networking  software
       (RSCS  and  eventually  PVM),   and  which  would  permit  file
       transfers,   electronic  mail,  and  resource  sharing  between
       faculty and/or  administration at  participating institutions."
       This letter was sent to 34 institutions on the east coast, from
       Maine to South Carolina,  which Ira believed had hardware which
       was compatible with the proposed network.

       The  Winter 1981  Educom  EDUNET  NEWS article  ("BITNET  makes
       'splash'",  pp.  6-7),   ended with a postscript:   "The BIT in
       BITNET is not an eighth of a  byte;  it stands for Because It's
       There."

       The same phrase,  "Because It's There NETwork",  was used in an
       informational brochure from CUNY, undated but from mid-1982,  I
       believe.

       Ira Fuchs  wrote an  article,  titled  "BITNET --  Because It's
       Time", (pp. 16-27 of the IBM journal Perspectives in Computing,
       vol.  3,  no.  1,  March,  1983).    The last paragraph of this
       article included the line "Remember,   the BIT in BITNET stands
       for Because It's Time."

       I  suspect that  both "Because  It's There"  and "Because  It's
       Time" were ultimately  considered too cute for  a network which
       was   becoming  a   major  international   force  in   academic
       networking.  It does point up the fact, however, that Ira Fuchs
       had made the perspicacious observation  in early 1981 that most
       of  the pieces  needed  for the  formation  of  a low-cost  but
       extremely useful network were already  in place.   All that was
1

                                                                Page 4


       required was his insight and  leadership,  a willingness on the
       part of  a few computer center  directors to proceed  on faith,
       and a  few 9600-baud  links among  universities to  launch what
       continues  to be  the  most  ubiquitous and  discipline-diverse
       academic network in the world.
1

                                                                Page 5


       ***
       ***  Headlines
       ***
       ***  Edited by Christopher Condon
       ***
       ***  Yale University
       ***
       ***  Send your updates to BITLIB@YALEVM
       ***


       * List-of-Lists now available in BITNET:

       The popular Interest Groups (List-of-Lists) file now has a home
       in BITNET.    This file provides  a list of  various discussion
       lists  available  to  network  electronic  mail  users.    This
       includes not  only LISTSERV  lists,  but  lists originating  in
       other networks, as well.

       If you wish to obtain the  entire Interest Groups file send the
       command  GET  INTEREST  PACKAGE  LISTSERV@NDSUVM1.    You  will
       receive  about a  dozen  files including  the  segments of  the
       Interest Groups  list and a file  listing the current  files in
       the "INTEREST PACKAGE".

       To submit new descriptions of mailing lists, to update existing
       information, or to delete old mailing list information from the
       List-of-Lists send mail to interest-groups-request@nisc.sri.com
       and NEW-LIST@NDSUVM1.

       Thanks to Rich Zellich for the many years of effort that he put
       into maintaining this file.   Sadly, circumstances have changed
       and it was not possible to continue the arrangement that worked
       so well over those years. (NISC, Marty Hoag)


       * BITSERVE Bites The Big One:

       A recent command  to the server yielded  the following message:
       "BITSERVE on  CUNYVM is no  longer in service.    Its functions
       have  been replaced  by two  service machines  at node  BITNIC:
       LISTSERV and NETSERV."  (Jahangir Momin)
 1

                                                                Page 6


       * Directory servers at Calgary:

       University of  Calgary has  two new  user directory  servers to
       help you find the userids of people there.  They are:

          DIRECTORY@UCDASVM1 - Calgary Administrative Personnel
          DIRECTORY@UNCAMULT - Calgary Academic Personnel

       The servers  accept commands by  mail.   Withing your  mail you
       should use the command FIND surname.   For example, if you were
       looking for Joe Shmoe,  you would  send the command FIND SHMOE.
       (Don Barker)


       * Directory server at Drake:

       Drake University  has installed a  user directory  server named
       FINGER@DRAKE.  It accpets commands by interactive message.   To
       find the userid of a person ar Drake, send the server a message
       with  the name  for which  you  are searching.    There are  no
       commands. (Robert Lutz)


       * Trickle Update:

       The  Trickle servers  provide directory  listings and  recently
       requested files  from the  SIMTEL20 personal  computer software
       archives to  users in  Europe.   TRICKLE@DTUZDV1  has moved  to
       TRICKLE@DS0RUS1I.    DTUZDV1  no   longer  exists.     (Richard
       Rodriguez)
1

                                                                Page 7


       ***
       ***  The Human Genome Project
       ***
       ***  by Jane Peterson
       ***
       ***  National Center for Human Genome Research
       ***
       ***  JP2@NIHCU
       ***


       The  National Institute  of Health's  Human  Genome Program  is
       planning to  start a newsgroup  for the disucussion  of genome-
       related  issues.   Information  on  how  to subscribe  follows.
       There are four distribution points for the HUMAN-GENOME-PROGRAM
       newsgroup  depending   upon  your   geographical  and   network
       locations:

       If you  reside in  the Americas,   to subscribe  to the  HUMAN-
       GENOME-PROGRAM bulletin  board,  please send  a request  to the
       Internet address

            biosci@genbank.bio.net

       If you use  the European Academic Research  Network (EARN)  and
       live in Continental Europe or Ireland, you can subscribe send a
       subscription request to LISTSERV@IRLEARN withe the command:

            SUBSCRIBE GNOME+PR your_personal_name

       If  you  reside  in  the  United  Kingdom,   please  send  your
       subscription request to

            biosci@uk.ac.daresbury

       If you reside in Scandinavia (or in Continental Europe and have
       nternet access), please send your subscription to

            biosci@bmc.uu.se

       If you  do not fall  into any of  the above categories  you may
       contact whichever of the above sites is most convenient.
1

                                                                Page 8


       * Posting Messages to the Bulletin Board:

       Once you  have chosen  your distribution  point,  you  may post
       messages by sending to the bulletin board address at that site.
       Note  below the  shorter addresses  used for  BITNET/EARN/JANET
       sites.

         Location               Posting address
         --------               ---------------

         Americas / Internet:   human-genome-program@genbank.bio.net
         Americas / BITNET:     gnome-pr@genbank.bio.net
         Ireland  / EARN:       gnome-pr@irlearn.ucd.ie
         U.K.     / JANET:      gnome-pr@uk.ac.daresbury
         Sweden   / Internet:   human-genome-program@bmc.uu.se

       USENET news  software users  may post  messages on  their local
       computer to  bionet.molbio.genome-program (set  distribution to
       "world") and let the software handle distribution details.
1

                                                                Page 9


       ***
       ***  New Mailing Lists
       ***
       ***  Moderated by Marty Hoag
       ***
       ***  North Dakota State University
       ***
       ***  Send your 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).

       *****

       NOTRBCAT@INDYCMS - Catalogers of Rare Books

       NOTRBCAT is  an open  forum for  catalogers of  rare books  and
       special collections.    Although it  was founded  to provide  a
       means  for  RBSC  catalogers  working   in  NOTIS  to  exchange
       information on working  in the NOTIS system,   NOTRBCAT members
       soon decided  that issues of  rare books cataloging  in general
       were paramount.    System affiliation,  then,   is no  longer a
       criterion for  membership.   It  is expected  that all  systems
       represented by  the membership will  be discussed from  time to
       time, although NOTIS continues to be the primary system.
1

                                                               Page 10


       NewsE-D@INDYCMS - News of the Earth
       NewsE-L@INDYCMS - News of the Earth Letters
       NewsE-S@INDYVMS - News of the Earth Supplements

       NewsE-D is News of the Earth (ISSN 1052-2239) distribution, the
       free and  public dissemination of  global news  and information
       monitored   by   shortwave   radio    by   John   B.    Harlan.
       Reader/subscriber  discussion is  encouraged  on the  companion
       NewsE-L  (News of  the Earth  letters).    Additional news  and
       information from  other sources  is made  available on  NewsE-S
       (News  of the  Earth supplements).    NewsE-D  and NewsE-S  are
       successors to JBH  Online (ISSN 0896-8241)  and  JBH News (ISSN
       1048-7999),   published electronically  from  1987  to 1990  as
       Online-L and JBHNewsL.


       EXLIBRIS@ZODIAC.RUTGERS.EDU - Rare Books and Manuscripts

       ExLibris is  an unmoderated news  and discussion group  for the
       purpose  of  discussing  matters  related   to  rare  book  and
       manuscript  librarianship,  including  special collections  and
       related issues.  You may subscribe by sending a message to

            exlibris-request@zodiac.rutgers.edu

       with a  subject indicating subscription  request ("Subscription
       request" would do just fine)  and  a text which gives your name
       and electronic address.  Messages may be sent to the discussion
       group by e-mailing to:

            exlibris@zodiac.rutgers.edu


       JUGGLINGV@INDYCMS - Past, Present, and Future Jugglers

       JUGGLING  is an  online forum  for jugglers  of all  abilities.
       This  allows   for  open  communication  of   juggling  topics,
       including conferences, newsmedia, and other related topics.


       TRAOM-L@AEARN - TRends in Angular Overlap Model

       Unmoderated  list  dedicated  to AOM  practicioners  and  other
       interested   researchers  to   interchange  ideas,    comments,
       information, computer programs and results, and possibly papers
       associated with  ligand field analyses  by the AOM  and related
       approaches.   This   list  may   also  be   used  to   announce
       opportunities for  doing collaborative research and  to promote
       such joint projects.
1

                                                               Page 11


       THEATRE@GREARN - The Theatre List

       The purpose of this list is to  offer to all people  who are or
       want  to  be  involved  with  theatre  as  a  hobby  a  way  to
       communicate and share ideas and experiences.


       DTS-L@IUBVM - Educational Issues

       This list is devoted to the discussion of educational issues by
       educational professionals.


       PHILOS-LV@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK - UK Philosophers

       This list is mostly for UK and European philosophers,  but with
       a  world-wide  membership.    Information,   announcements  and
       queries  predominate  over  idle or  even  philosophical  chat.


       INCLEN-L@MCMVM1.CIS.MCMASTER.CA - Clinical Epidemiology

       The  purpose  of   this  list  is  to  provide   units  of  the
       International Clinical Epidemiology Network presently connected
       by electronic mail,  with a  vehicle for questions and comments
       to an "expert"  in different aspects of  clinical epidemiology.
       To   subscribe  to   this   list  send   a   mail  message   to
       CLIFTONJ@MCMASTER or CLIFTONJ@SSCVAX.CIS.MCMASTER.CA requesting
       a  subscription to  list  INCLEN-L giving  your  full name  and
       title.


       REFUGE@UCHCECVM - South America after Nuclear War

       Nicolas  Luco,  journalist  for chilean  newspaper El  Mercurio
       opens a  debate on  whether a  nuclear middle  eastern conflict
       would leave South  America's southern cone free  from disaster.
       The results  and opinions of  the exchange  will be used  for a
       major feature story for El Mercurio,  one of the top newspapers
       in South America.


       STREK-L@HEARN - Star Trek Discussion list

       STREK-L is  a list for  the discussion  of the many  aspects of
       Star Trek,  ranging from discussions about the movies,  series,
       and  books;  discussions  about the  characters and/or  actors;
       discussions about Star Trek fan clubs; to anything else dealing
       with Star Trek.   This list is open to  anyone with an interest
       in Star Trek.
1

                                                               Page 12


       ***
       ***  Letters
       ***
       ***  Letters!!!
       ***
       ***  Letters!!!!!!
       ***
       ***  Send your letters to BITLIB@YALEVM
       ***


       **  From:     Hank Nussbacher 
       **            Israeli Academic Network Information Center
       **  Subject:  Eastern Europe update

       I have  been informed that the  EARN Executive was  informed by
       the Bitnet BoD that the  Cocom restrictions on allowing Eastern
       European countries to connect to  EARN have been removed.   The
       current list of  applications (some of which have  been held up
       for close to 2 years) are as follows:

       USSR
       ----
       International Center for Scientific and Technical Information
       Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna
       Kalinin State University
       Program Systems Institute, Pereslavl-Zalessky

       Hungary
       -------
       Hungarian Academy of Science, Budapest
       Technical University of Budapest

       Bulgaria
       --------
       Bulgarian Academy of Science, Sofia
       Centre for Informatics and Computing Technology, Sofia

       Czechoslowakia
       --------------
       University of Brno
       Czech Technical University, Praha

       Poland
       ------
       University of Warsaw
       Polish Academy of Science, Warzaw
       Technical University of Lodz
       Technical University of Wroclaw
1

                                                               Page 13


       **  From:     Hans Gruenberger 
       **            FAW Ulm
       **  Subject:  But will it play in Peoria?

       Ever since I read "But will it play in Peoria" last February, I
       wanted to comment  on it.  You asked,   what can we do  to make
       BITNET and  its services  more accessible  now?  The  answer is
       simple and trivia: CARE!

       This is something we who already  use BITNET must always try to
       do,  and this is also something we  see in the likes of Richard
       Schafer and John Wagner.

       Those people have  contributed to BITNET for  years,  they have
       enhanced  the usability  of BITNET  enormously  and,  last  not
       least,   they  succeeded  in creating  a  very  special,   very
       constructive and very friendly atmosphere:   If everything else
       at your installation fails, at least you have the chance to ask
       somebody in BITNET  for help - which in most  cases will really
       help.   Yes, we beginners tend to ask a lot of stupid questions
       - sometimes  even twice;   but never  have I  experienced those
       offensive or  rude remarks which now  and then show up  in non-
       BITNET discussion lists.

       This  kind  of  community  you all  have  established  is  very
       important - at least for me, because basically I still consider
       mainframes a rather hostile  computing environment.  So,  stick
       together,  support your  (local)  users and care:   Nobody ever
       mastered those $&*! machines with documentation only.


       **  From:     John B. Harlan 
       **            Indiana University
       **  Subject:  ISSNs

       I noted with interest your article  in the September 1990 issue
       of   NetMonth   (v.4,no.5)    regarding   the   assignment   of
       International   Standard    Serial   Numbers    to   electronic
       publications.

       You (and NetMonth's readers) may be interested to know that one
       of the first electronic publications to be assigned an ISSN was
       JBH  Online,  a  digest of  world news  monitored by  shortwave
       radio.   JBH  Online was distributed  exclusively by  e-mail as
       Online-L and  at its height  had some 2,000  direct subscribers
       and an unknown  number of indirect subscribers  through some 50
       local  edistribution  points.    (Online-L was  peered  at  six
       ListServ sites  worldwide in  addition to  its host  ListServ.)
       JBH Online  was assigned  ISSN 0896-8241 in  late 1987  / early
       1988.
1

                                                               Page 14


       I agree that electronic publishers are very fortunate that LC's
       NSDP  staff  have  been  so   willing  and  flexible  in  their
       recognition of newly emerging electronic publishing formats and
       technologies.   They are also very  helpful in keeping the MARC
       and OCLC databases up-to-date;   for instance, when News of the
       Earth (ISSN  1052-2239)  recently started  up as  NewsE-D,  the
       successor list  to Online-L,  the  NSDP graciously  updated its
       cataloging to establish linkage between the two.

       While I believe  JBH Online / Online-L may have  been the first
       such electronic  publication distributed via the  ListServ list
       format to receive an ISSN assignment,   it clearly won't be the
       last.



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

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