INTERNET SERVICES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!uhog.mit.edu!sgiblab!rahul.net!a2i!waffle.a2i!waffle

From: savetz@rahul.net (Kevin Savetz)

Newsgroups: alt.internet.services,alt.online-service,news.newusers.questions,alt.answers,news.answers

Subject: Internet Services FAQ (ver. 1.8)

Followup-To: alt.internet.services

Date: 19 Nov 1994 11:00:17 GMT

Organization: a2i network

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Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu

Message-ID: <3akls1$nk2@hustle.rahul.net>

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Summary: This posting lists frequently asked questions and answers about

Internet services. It should be read by anyone wishing to post

to the newsgroup "alt.internet.services".

Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.internet.services:35249 alt.online-service:10536 news.newusers.questions:31024 alt.answers:5755 news.answers:29616

Archive-name: internet-services/faq

Last-Modified: 1994/4/13

Version: 1.8.1

INTERNET SERVICES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Version 1.8.1 - 13 April, 1994

*** CHANGES IN THIS VERSION:

3.1: fixed error in address for DLIST

2.1: added NVN (National VideoText Network)

2.2: added NVN (National VideoText Network)

2.2: can now telnet to CompuServe!

3.4: updated List of Lists

3.4: updates Surfing the Internet

???: lots of random little fixes

3.6: removed the section 3.6: "What's a good book to read for more

information about the Internet?" and created a new periodic posting (see

below).

*** PARDON OUR DUST

Ok, kids. This FAQ is about due for a major overhaul. The Internet

changes quickly, making maintenance of this particular FAQ a chore. So,

as soon as I finish my book at the end of April (well, give me a week to

sleep. As soon as I wake up...) I plan to raze this FAQ list, update it

and give it new life. Among my planned changes: removal of info re dead

and dying Internet documents, addition of info obout sleek new 'net

documents (like the Big Dummy's Guide version 2), info on how to fax

from the 'net, better explanations of 'net tools (like Archie/ Gopher/

Netfind/ Veronica/ WAIS/ WHOIS/ WWW...) and lots of other good stuff.

This list will revert to its task of being a pointer to pointers rather

than an answer source itself.

The changes have already started: I have removed the question "What's a

good book to read for more information about the Internet?" Quite

simply, that question outgrew this FAQ list. I've started a new periodic

posting, "The Unofficial Internet Book List", listing lots and lots of

'net books, many with descriptions. It is (or will soon be) available

via FTP from:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/booklist

For further information, or to automatically receive updates of the

booklist, send mail to "savetz@rahul.net".

*** COPYRIGHT NOTICE

reserved. Permission for non-commercial distribution is hereby granted,

provided that this file is distributed intact, including this copyright

notice and the version information above. Permission for commercial

distribution may be obtained from the editor. SHARE THIS INFORMATION

FREELY AND IN GOOD FAITH. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THIS

DOCUMENT.

*** HOW AM I DRIVING?

This document is constantly in transition. If you notice that a

frequently asked question is missing, or information herein needs

updating, please contact the editor.

Text in [square brackets] indicates unanswered questions and problems in

this document. If you know the answer or have a comment, e-mail the

editor. Please help me out and send it answers to some unanswered

questions - for this FAQ, the best answers are _brief_ ones followed by

information on where to go for more detailed information.

*** TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 0: THE BASICS

0.1: What is the purpose of this document?

0.2: What is alt.internet.services?

0.3: I'm new to the Internet. Where do I start?

0.4: What kind of information is on the Internet?

Why isn't there an encyclopedia on the Internet?

SECTION 1: WHAT IS...?

1.1: What is Telnet?

1.2: What is anonymous FTP?

1.3: What is Usenet?

1.4: What is finger?

1.5: What is IRC?

1.6: What is Alex/Archie/Gopher/Hytelnet/Netfind/Prospero/

Veronica/WAIS/WHOIS/WWW/X.500?

1.7: What is MUD/MUSH/MOO/MUCK/DUM/MUSE, etc.?

SECTION 2: HOW DO I...?

2.1: How do I send mail from the Internet to another network?

2.2: How do I access other systems from the Internet?

2.3: How do I contact a service provider?

2.4: How do I find out someone's e-mail address?

2.5: How do I get a name resolved?

2.6: How do I send e-mail to the White House?

2.7: How do I get stock market information?

2.8: How do I access the Library of Congress?

SECTION 3: I NEED INFORMATION ABOUT...

3.1: Where can I get Internet access in my area?

3.2: I need a BBS (on the Internet or in my area)!

3.3: Is there a list of all the Internet services?

3.4: How do I get information about the Internet online?

3.5: Are there any magazines about the Internet?

SECTION 0: THE BASICS

*** 0.1: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT?

The Internet Services Frequently Asked Questions and Answers List (FAQ)

is intended to help reduce the number of often asked questions that

appear on the newsgroup "alt.internet.services". It helps users with

questions by providing instant access to their answers; it helps other

readers of the newsgroup, who will have to read fewer of the questions

they see over and over again; it helps everyone by (hopefully) reducing

bandwidth utilization.

This document should help you find answers to frequently asked

questions. Usually, the answers are already available on the Net in one

or more detailed documents. In these cases, this document will tell the

reader where to find the information in question. Thus, when possible,

this document will only point you to another document - that one may

have the information you need, or it may point you somewhere else. (This

may seem annoying at first, but offers multiple benefits. First, it

reduces duplicated work. Second, it increases your chances of finding

the most current, reliable information. Most importantly, it shows _how_

to find the information you need rather than simply giving you answers.

"Teach a man to fish...")

This FAQ is purely a volunteer effort. Although every effort has been

made to insure that answers are as accurate as possible, no guarantee is

implied or intended. The editor and contributors have developed this FAQ

as a service to the Internet community. We hope you find it useful.

While the editor tries to keep this document current, remember that the

Internet is constantly changing, so don't be surprised if you happen

across statements which are obsolete. If you do, please send corrections

to the editor. Corrections, questions, and comments should be sent to

Kevin Savetz at "savetz@rahul.net" (Internet) or "savetz" (America

Online). Indicate what version of this document to which you are

referring.

This file is posted weekly to the newsgroup "alt.internet.services"

(on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th of each month) and posted twice monthly

to "alt.online.services", "news.newuser.questions", "news.answers",

"alt.answers" (on the 5th and 19th.) It is also available via anonymous

FTP:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/faq

This means to use FTP to open a connection to "rtfm.mit.edu", login as

"anonymous", and use your e-mail address as the password. Then, "cd" to

the directory "/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services" and get the

file "faq". This notation is used when appropriate throughout this

document.

If you do not have FTP access, you can obtain it via e-mail by sending a

message to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with a line in the body of the

message reading "send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/faq". A

program at that address will read your mail, process your request, and

reply with mail containing the FAQ.

You can also receive each new edition of this document via

electronic mail. To do so, send e-mail --

To: savetz@rahul.net

Subject: subscribe is-faq

Body: <ignored>

*** 0.2: WHAT IS ALT.INTERNET.SERVICES?

The following is excerpted from Scott McMahn's (mcmahn@cs.unca.edu)

"Welcome to alt.internet.services" charter.

The newsgroup "alt.internet.services" was created to handle information

about services available on the Internet, for people who have Internet

accounts and want to explore beyond their local computers, to take

advantage of the wealth of information and services on the net.

Services for discussion include:

* things you can telnet to (weather, databases, library catalogs...)

* things you can FTP (pictures, sounds, programs, data...)

* clients/servers (like MUDs, IRC, Archie...)

"alt.internet.services" isn't for:

* discussion of utility programs like telnet, FTP, mail, and uudecode.

* basic new user questions.

* pleas for Internet access. (Use alt.internet.access.wanted for this.)

This is *NOT* alt.internet.access.wanted or alt.internet.new-users.

Before asking a question here:

* Ask someone locally! Try the guy sitting next to you, your

professor, or the system administrator. 9 times out of 10 you

won't have to post your question.

* Read the Usenet groups "news.newusers.questions" and

"news.announce.newusers".

* Look through your .newsrc file for a more appropriate group. Questions

about mail can go to "comp.mail.misc". Questions about access can go

to "alt.internet.access.wanted". And so on. alt.internet.services is

*not* some kind of default group to go to if you can't find any

others.

* Ask yourself: Is this question about a service I can access through

the Internet? If so, post.

*** 0.3: I'M NEW TO THE INTERNET. WHERE DO I START?

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Internet. Although this document

may answer some of your basic questions, the Usenet newsgroup

"alt.internet.services" isn't the place for questions like "How do I use

telnet on my system?" or "How do I send electronic mail?" If you have

access to the Usenet, read the newsgroups "news.newusers.questions" and

"news.answers". If you have access to FTP, get copies of the

introduction to the Internet documents mentioned at the end of this

file. If you have access to users around you, ask them to show you the

basics.

For a comprehensive overview of what the Internet is, how it works and

the future of the Internet, read "FYI: What is the Internet?" (This file

is available via anonymous FTP, and is listed in the final section of

this document.)

*** 0.4: WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION IS ON THE INTERNET? (And, WHY ISN'T

THERE AN ENCYCLOPEDIA ON THE INTERNET?)

The type of information you're likely to find on the Internet is free

information, such as government documents, works with expired

copyrights, works that are in the public domain, and works that authors

are making available to the Internet community on an experimental basis.

Conversely, some types of information you are not likely to find on the

Internet, most notably, commercial works which are protected by

For instance, there is no publicly-available Internet encyclopedia.

There are indeed encyclopedias on the net, but they all are closed

systems available only to students at a specific university, or

employees at a certain company. The reason for this is about what you'd

expect: the companies that make encyclopedias are in business to stay in

business, and you don't stay in business by giving away your product.

So, while the Internet does contain a vast array of Good Stuff, it can't

always replace a trip to a decent library. If you can't find an online

encyclopedia that's available to you, try the following:

Ask your own library to make sure they don't have one.

Use the encyclopedias on CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL, etc.

Use a (gasp!) regular encyclopedia, or one on CD-ROM.

Section 1: What is...

*** 1.1: WHAT IS TELNET?

Telnet is a program that allows you to login to another computer to run

software there. Typically, you login either to access a "shell" command

environment or some other utility, like a weather server or game. To

telnet to a computer, you need to know its name. This can either be in

words, like "steer.sdsu.edu" or as a numeric address, like

"130.191.1.11". Some services require you to connect to a specific

"port" on the remote computer. Type the port number, if there is one,

after the Internet address. (For example, "telnet nri.reston.va.us

185".) For more information, anonymous FTP to

ftp.sura.net:/pub/nic/network.service.guides

ftp.sura.net:/pub/nic/how.to.telnet.guide

*** 1.2: WHAT IS ANONYMOUS FTP?

FTP stands for file transfer protocol. FTP allows you to copy files from

a remote computer to your local host. Thousands of sites provide

anonymous FTP service, allowing you to download everything from online

books, to satellite pictures of the weather, to public-domain utilities

and games for your personal computer.

Unless your computer is directly connected to the Internet (that is, if

you are connected through an intermediary remote host) software for use

on your home computer needs to be FTPed to your local host, then

downloaded to your PC using Xmodem, Zmodem, Kermit or some other system

-- a two-step process.)

There is an FTP primer (and lots of other good information) in the

"alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, which is posted periodically on

"alt.bbs.internet" and "news.answers".

The following files are available on the Net to teach the basics of FTP.

If you don't know how to use FTP to receive them, try asking someone

else at your site.

For more information, use anonymous FTP to get

ftp.sura.net:/pub/nic/network.service.guides/how.to.ftp.guide

The document "FYI: Searching for Treasure" (listed at the end of this

file) lists some of the best FTP sites to find Macintosh, IBM, UNIX and

other software. Sites maintaining anti-viral software are also covered.

*** 1.3: WHAT IS USENET?

The Usenet is a global bulletin board, of sorts, in which millions of

people exchange public information on every conceivable topic. For more,

FTP to:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/what-is-usenet/part1.Z

The file is also posted regularly to the Usenet newsgroup

"news.answers.newusers".

*** 1.4: WHAT IS FINGER?

Finger is a program that returns information about a registered user on

a computer. Typing "finger" alone will show the users logged into the

system you are using. "finger @host.domain.foo" may show you who's

currently using some other computer. Certain computers have variations

on finger support, where "finger ron" will show info on ron at your

site, and "finger ron@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu" will show you all the Rons

with accounts on a certain computer at MIT. Note that some finger

programs don't take arguments, some will accept only a userid (the exact

last name. If your system has manual pages installed, type "man finger"

for more information. If your system has Internet access but not finger,

there are several freely distributable versions, including GNU finger

and BSD finger.

*** 1.5: WHAT IS IRC?

IRC is the Internet Relay Chat, a service where users can "talk" via

typing to people around the world. See Scott Yanoff's "Internet

Services" list for public IRC clients, or find out if your own system

has the client installed. There are newsgroups specifically devoted to

IRC, including:

alt.irc Internet Relay Chat material.

alt.irc.bot Discussion of creating IRC bots.

alt.irc.ircii Discussion of the IRC II client program.

alt.irc.recovery For those recovering from IRC addiction.

alt.irc.corruption Is nowhere safe?

alt.irc.sleaze Internet Relay Chat flamage.

For more information, anonymous FTP to:

cs.bu.edu:/irc/support/tutorial*

*** 1.6: WHAT IS ALEX/ARCHIE/GOPHER/HYTELNET/NETFIND/PROSPERO/VERONICA/

WAIS/WHOIS/WWW/X.500?

These are all part of a new generation of network information resources.

For complete information, check John December's "internet-tools" list,

available via anonymous FTP to

ftp.rpi.edu:/pub/communications/internet-tools

That document will point you to detailed information about each of these

services.

EARN publishes an thorough guide on network tools. It contains

information on Gopher, Veronica, WWW, WAIS, Astra, Archie, WHOIS,

Netserv, Trickle, BitFTP, Usenet and listservs. To receive this file,

send e-mail to "listserv@earncc.bitnet" with a message body of "send

nettools memo" or "send nettools ps" (for PostScript format.)

You may also anonymous FTP to:

ds.internic.net:/pub/internet-doc/EARN.nettools.txt

Scott Yanoff's "Internet Services List" list will tell you how to access

these services. Most feature on-line help and information.

*** 1.7: WHAT IS MUD/MUSH/MOO/MUCK/DUM/MUSE (etc.)?

These are multi-user, text based, virtual reality games. According to

the MUD FAQ: "A MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) is a computer program which

users can log into and explore. Each user takes control of a

computerized persona/avatar/incarnation/character. You can walk around,

chat with other characters, explore dangerous monster-infested areas,

solve puzzles, and even create your very own rooms, descriptions and

items." There are an astounding number of variations on the MUD theme.

Please see rec.games.mud.* for more information about them -- there are

several very good FAQ postings there that detail MUDs, MUD clients and

servers, and offer a complete, current MUD-list.

The most recent versions of the MUD FAQs are archived as:

ftp.math.okstate.edu:/pub/muds/misc/mud-faq/*

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.mud/*

[rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#2_3:_MUD_Clients_and_Servers

[rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#3_3:_RWHO_and__mudwho_

[rec.games.mud]:_FAQ_#1_3:_MUDs_and_MUDding

A few of the newsgroups out there related to muds:

rec.games.mud.announce Informational articles about MUDs. (Moderated)

rec.games.mud.diku All about DikuMuds.

rec.games.mud.lp Discussions of LPMUD

rec.games.mud.misc Various aspects of multiuser computer games.

rec.games.mud.tiny Discussion of Tiny muds, IE MUSH, MUSE and MOO

alt.mud.bsx BSX VR system.

alt.mud.german For German-speaking MUD-er's.

rec.games.mud.admin Administrative issues of multiuser dungeons.

SECTION 2: HOW DO I...?

*** 2.1: HOW DO I SEND ELECTRONIC MAIL FROM THE INTERNET TO ANOTHER

NETWORK?

To learn the basics of e-mail on the Internet, FTP to:

ftp.sura.net:/pub/nic/network.service.guides/how.to.email.guide

In the best of worlds, our "global village" of electronic mail would be

linked by one main street. Alas, it is actually composed of hundreds of

small networks linked using "gateways." One main street is the Internet,

but jutting off of it are dozens of side roads leading to other

networks. It's always simplest to send mail to a recipient on the same

online service as yourself - say, from your America Online account to

another - but sometimes you may need to send mail to someone who doesn't

have an account on the system you use. While it's usually possible to

mail from one network to another, you need to know the right route to

navigate. In order to send any mail, you need to know the online service

your recipient uses, and her name (or username) on that service.

For a more complete listing of how to send mail from any random network

to any other random network, read the "Inter-Network Mail Guide" edited

by Scott Yanoff (formerly edited by John J. Chew.) It also tells how to

mail from networks other than the Internet - which is beyond the scope

of this document. You can fetch this guide by anonymous FTP in:

csd4.csd.uwm.edu:/pub/internetwork-mail-guide

AMERICA ONLINE: "user@aol.com" Use all lower case and remove spaces. For

example, "savetz@aol.com". AOL splits long Internet e-mail messages into

chunks under 27K. (In the past the America Online gateway software

truncated incoming files at 27K, which put a damper on receiving long

text files BinHexed programs.) Users of the DOS-based PC/AOL software

are limited to a maximum mail size of 8Kb. For all AOL users, funky

characters are replaced with spaces: use printable ASCII only.

APPLELINK: "user@applelink.apple.com". AppleLink charges its users 50

cents per message sent to and from the Internet.

AT&T MAIL: "user@attmail.com"

BITNET: "user@host.BITNET" (Note that the bitnet hostname is not

necessarily the same as the Internet host name.) If this fails, try

directing your mail through a gateway such as "cunyvm.cuny.edu",

"pucc.princeton.edu", or "wuvmd.wustl.edu". The address would be as

follows: "user%domain.BITNET@pucc.princeton.edu" (or cunyvm or wuvmd).

This should help those with SMTP servers that are not quite up to date.

BIX: "user@bix.com"

COMPUSERVE: "userid@compuserve.com". Use the numeric CompuServe

identification number, but use a period instead of a comma to separate

the number sets. For example, to send mail to CompuServe user 17770,101

- mail to "17770.101@compuserve.com".

CONNECT: "user@dcjcon.das.net"

DELPHI: "user@delphi.com"

FIDONET: "firstname.lastname@p#.f#.n#.z#.fidonet.org". To send mail to a

FidoNet user, you not only need the name, but the exact FidoNet address

s/he uses. FidoNet addresses are broken down into zones, net, nodes, and

(optionally) points. For example, the address of one Fido BBS is

"1:102/834". The zone is 1, the net is 102, the node is 834. A user's

address could include a point as well: "1:102/834.1" - the final 1 is

the point. So, to send mail to "John Smith" at Fido address "1:102/834",

e-mail to "John.Smith@f834.n102.z1.fidonet.org". To send mail to that

user at Fido address "1:102/834.1", e-mail to

"John.Smith@p1.f834.n102.z1.fidonet.org".

GENIE: "user@genie.geis.com" where "user" is their mail address. If a

user tells you their mail address is "xyz12345" or something similar, it

isn't. It usually looks like "A.BEEBER42" where A is their first

initial, BEEBER is their last name, and 42 is a number distinguishing

them from all other A.BEEBER's.

INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS (IGC, or "PEACENET"): "user@igc.org"

INTERNET: send mail to "user@domain", where user is the recipient's

where s/he receives e-mail. Examples are "savetz@rahul.net" and

"an017@cleveland.freenet.edu".

MCI MAIL: send your mail to "user@mcimail.com". "User" can be a numeric

identification (which is always 7 digits long, or 3 zeroes followed by 7

digits,) their account name (which is one word) or first and last names

separated with an underline. (E.g. "1234567@mcimail.com", "123-

4567@mcimail.com", or "John_Edward_Doe@mcimail.com".)

NVN (National VideoText Network): user@nvn.com

PC LINK: "user@aol.com". Incoming mail is limited to 27K. (There is no

pclink.com domain. All mail to the America Online, Inc. owned systems

goes to aol.com.)

PRODIGY: To address mail to a PRODIGY service member, use

"abcd12a@prodigy.com" where "abcd12a" is the member's PRODIGY service

ID. If you experience mail delivery problems that may require action by

the administrators of this system, write to "admin@prodigy.com". It

costs the Prodigy member 10 cents for each 6K of mail, coming and going.

All Prodigy members can receive mail from the Internet. In order to send

mail, they need to download Prodigy's offline mail reading software,

called "Mail Manager".

QuantumLink: "Q-Link", a Commodore 64/128-based service offered by

America Online, Inc., is not on the Internet for technical reasons.

WELL: "user@well.sf.ca.us"

WWIVnet: You must have the user number or username of the person you

want to send mail to. as well as his/her WWIVnet node number. WWIVnet

addressing looks similar to: "1@9010" or: "DAN Q@9010". First replace

the "@" with a dash: "1-9010". If you use the username as the recipient,

replace the spaces with an underscore: "DAN_Q-9010". Take that address

and use it as the account name in one of the following examples:

"wwiv!1-9010@tweekco.uucp" or "1-9010%wwiv@tweekco.uucp". Of course,

replace "1-9010" with your recipient's address.

*** 2.2: HOW DO I ACCESS OTHER SYSTEMS FROM THE INTERNET?

AMERICA ONLINE: You can't use AOL from the Internet due to the special

graphics software.

BIX: telnet "x25.bix.com". At the "username" prompt, enter "bix".

COMPUSERVE: CompuServe members can now access CompuServe directly from

the Internet. According to CI$, members may access using the CompuServe

Information Manager user interface or any general communications

software. Telnet access will eliminate the need for a separate modem

connection and, for some members, the need to dial long distance to

reach CompuServe. CompuServe will provide free online membership sign-up

for non-members who access via telnet. Rates for accessing CompuServe

through telnet will be the same as dial-up rates via the CompuServe

network.

DELPHI: telnet delphi.com

DIALOG: telnet dialog.com

GENIE: telnet hermes.merit.edu, at the "Which host?" prompt, enter

"sprintnet-313171". SprintNet communication surcharges will apply. This

is not guaranteed to work for file transfers or any other 8-bit

transfers due to the nature of the telnet protocol. This is therefore

not supported by GEnie.

INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATION (IGC, or "PEACENET"): telnet igc.org

MCI MAIL: Cannot be accessed via the Internet. The only way users can

currently access MCI mail is by dialing in via SprintNet/Tymnet or MCI

Mail's own numbers. A tech support rep said that letting people check

their MCI mail accounts from Internet isn't a high priority for now.

John Levine (johnl@iecc.com) adds, "MCI users can have their mail

automatically forwarded from their MCI accounts to their Internet

addresses. The usual per-message charge applies, but if you don't get a

lot of incoming mail, it's a lot handier than having to dial in all the

time."

NVN (National VideoText Network): telnet nvn.com

NEXIS/LEXIS: telnet lexis.meaddata.com or telnet 192.73.216.20 or telnet

192.73.216.21. terminal type = .vt100a If characters do not echo back,

set your terminal to "local" echo or "half duplex." You can also connect

through Merit.

PC LINK: Can't be accessed due to the special graphics software.

PRODIGY: Can't be accessed due to the special graphics software.

QuantumLink: "Q-Link", a Commodore 64/128-based service offered by

America Online, Inc., is not on the Internet for technical reasons.

WELL: telnet well.sf.ca.us

*** 2.3: HOW DO I CONTACT A SERVICE PROVIDER?

AMERICA ONLINE: (800) 827-6364 voice

BIX: (800) 695-4882 modem, (800) 695-4775 voice.

CONNECT: (408) 973-0110 voice

COMPUSERVE: (800) 848-8990 voice

DELPHI: (800) 695-4005 voice

DIALOG: (800) 334-2564 voice

DOW JONES NEWS/RETRIEVAL: (800) 522-3567 voice

GENIE: (800) 638-9636 voice

INSTITUTE FOR GLOCAL COMMUNICATIONS: (415) 923-0220 voice

NEXIS/LEXIS: (800) 227-9597 voice. Government Customers: 513-865-7223

MCI MAIL: (800) 444-6245 voice

PC-LINK (800) 827-8532 voice.

PRODIGY: New account information (800) 766-3449 voice

Membership services (800) 759-8000 voice

WELL: (415) 332-4335) voice. E-mail: support@well.sf.ca.us

*** 2.4: HOW DO I FIND OUT SOMEONE'S E-MAIL ADDRESS?

With so many computer systems and users in the world, it is impossible

to keep a complete "white pages" of the Internet. The problem is

compounded because people come and go from the net all the time.

(Students are notorious for this.) Storing and updating that much

information would be an impossible, daunting task.

But, it's not impossible to find people on the net. Programs exist that,

given some amount of information about your associate, can help you

track down his or her e-mail address. These tools include Netfind,

X.500, rtfm's usenet-addresses search, and WHOIS. The more information

you know about your associate - name, place of business or school, and

so on - the better your chances are.

For a very complete answer to this question, read: "FAQ: How to find

people's E-mail addresses", available from mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu by

sending "send usenet/news.answers/finding-addresses". This document is

posted regularly to the Usenet group "news.answers".

There is another long document specifically for finding college

students' e-mail addresses. It is also posted to "news.answers". You can

also get the file by anonymous ftp as:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/soc.college/Student_Email_Addresses

or by sending a mail message to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with a

message body of "send usenet/soc.college/Student_Email_Addresses".

*** 2.5: HOW DO I GET A NAME RESOLVED?

There should be a name resolver on your system. On UNIX, look for a

program called "nslookup". Failing that, send an electronic message to

"resolve@cs.widener.edu". In the body of the message, include a line

like "site foo.bar.baz", where foo.bar.baz is the name of the site in

question. You'll receive a mail message with the IP (Internet Protocol)

address for the site.

*** 2.6: HOW DO I SEND E-MAIL TO THE WHITE HOUSE?

The official Party Line: "The White House e-mail system is under

construction. This is a new project and suffers from all of the problems

common to a startup operation. The Communications office is currently

working on defining what this system will do, as well as trying to come

up with equipment and staffing to make sure that it works. E-mail

messages are currently being printed out and responses are being sent

out via US Mail.

"Nobody wants this new venture to work more than the staff that has

devoted so many hours to getting it up and running. But much time and

effort will be required before the system is truly interactive. In the

mean time, they will need a little patience from the electronic

community. If you send a message to the White House, please include a US

Post office address for replies."

On the Internet, send to:

president@whitehouse.gov or vice.president@whitehouse.gov

*** 2.7: HOW DO I GET STOCK MARKET INFORMATION?

Scott Yanoff's "Internet Services" list tells you how, but this question

comes up so often its worth mentioning here. If you use a terminal with

VT100, ANSI, or some other full-screen terminal emulation, "telnet

rahul.net" and log on as "guest". Request the full-screen guest menu;

request system information; request the market report. Note that this

system, a2i Communications, sells full UNIX accounts with Internet

access - the stock service is a feature for guests and paying users, and

isn't guaranteed to be reliable.

Martin Wong sends out end-of-the-day stock reports along with other

useful business information. These files are available via FTP to dg-

rtp.dg.com (see below) and via e-mail. If you would like to receive the

daily quote mailings, send a request to "Martin.Wong@eng.sun.com". Your

e-mail will be read by a human, not a machine, so be nice. Wong requests

"that people send me timely information on company earnings, products,

or industry news for inclusion in the distribution. I also want to know

if anyone gets rich from the information."

For historical stock information, FTP to dg-rtp.dg.com [128.222.1.2] and

look in the directory "/pub/misc.invest". There's lots of good stuff

there (including historical stock, mutual fund, etc.) but I haven't had

time to throughly examine it. More complete information is available

from the misc.invest FAQ, which you can find on the Usenet: posted

monthly to misc.invest, misc.answers and news.answers; via anonymous ftp

as:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/investment-faq/general/*

or by sending e-mail to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with a message body

of "send usenet/news.answers/investment-faq/general/*"

*** 2.8: HOW DO I ACCESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS?

(Thanks to Kathryn D. Ellis (kell@seq1.loc.gov) for the following info.)

Library of Congress Online Search: Telnet to "locis.loc.gov"

(140.147.254.3). This will connect you to LOCIS (Library Of Congress

Information System). You will see a menu for the Library of Congress

Catalog Files, Federal Legislation, Copyright Information, Foreign Law,

Braille and Audio Files, and a file of selected Organizations. This

system is available Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.;

Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

(all times USA, Eastern Time). Searching manuals are available by

anonymous FTP and for sale. LOCIS accepts both 3270 and VT100 modes, but

3270 works better.

Library of Congress MARVEL: Telnet to "marvel.loc.gov" (140.147.2.15),

70. LC MARVEL is a gopher-based campus wide information system that

presents information about the Library of Congress such as facilities

and services, reading rooms, copyright, services to libraries and

publishers, etc., as well as many electronic resources accessible

through the Internet.

Library of Congress Anonymous FTP site: FTP to "seq1.loc.gov"

(140.147.3.12), login as "anonymous", send your e-mail address as a

password, "cd /pub" to get to the public directory. From the public

directory, you can access several subdirectories such as online

exhibits, information about the Library of Congress, information from

the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC), etc.

SECTION 3: I NEED INFORMATION ABOUT...

*** 3.1: WHERE CAN I GET INTERNET ACCESS IN MY AREA?

Check out PDIAL, a list of public access service providers offering

dialup access to Internet connections. PDIAL lists both free and pay

services all around the world. The PDIAL list is posted semi-regularly

to alt.internet.access.wanted, alt.bbs.lists, ba.internet, and

news.answers.

To receive PDIAL via e-mail, send mail with a subject line of

"Send PDIAL" to "info-deli-server@netcom.com". To receive future

editions as they are published, send email with the subject

"Subscribe PDIAL" to the same address. The most recent PDIAL is also

available by sending mail with a message body of

"send usenet/news.answers/pdial" to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu". To get

PDIAL via FTP:

ftp.netcom.com:/pub/info-deli/public-access/pdial

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.internet.access.wanted/P_D_I_A_L_(P)

Another useful list of service providers is available by sending mail

(any subject line, any message body) to "dlist@ora.com". The DLIST is an

updated version of a list provided in Susan Estrada's book, Connecting

to the Internet.

For more information about service providers and getting on the

Internet, read "FYI: Searching for Treasure" (FTP info at the end of

this document.)

Another list of service providers, and tips on getting Internet access,

is provided in the "alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, available via FTP as

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/inet-bbs-faq.Z

[This seems to have moved, dunno where is currently is.]

Access provider information from the book "Internet: Getting Started,"

(detailed in the final section of this document) is available via

anonymous FTP as

sri.com:/netinfo/internet-access-providers-us.txt

sri.com:/netinfo/internet-access-providers-non-us.txt

If you are a college student or faculty, check with your campus computer

center to learn about the online facilities available to you. Many

schools offer free accounts to students and staff.

Next, turn to the Usenet community for assistance. Find out if there is

a local newsgroup for your area or state. For instance, Columbus, Ohio

users can check on the "oh.general" and "cmh.general" newsgroups. Many

other areas have regional newsgroups. Ask the locals questions about the

area - who better to know the answers?

If all else fails, post your plea on the Usenet newsgroup

"alt.internet.access.wanted". Note that such requests aren't looked

kindly upon if posted elsewhere.

*** 3.2: I NEED A BBS (ON THE INTERNET OR IN MY AREA)!

This is covered extensively in the "alt.bbs.internet" FAQ, available on

the Usenet group "alt.bbs.internet" or via FTP as

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/inet-bbs-faq.Z

Also look for information on the Usenet newsgroups

"alt.internet.access.wanted" and "alt.internet.services". Get the PDIAL

list, mentioned at the end of this document.

Also available is NIXPUB, a listing of over 100 free and pay-for-play

accessible systems. It is posted regularly to the Usenet newsgroups

"comp.misc", "comp.bbs.misc", and "alt.bbs". Retrieval information near

the end of this document.

More information is available from:

vector.intercon.com:/pub/BBS/US.Canada

vector.intercon.com:/pub/BBS/International

vector.intercon.com:/pub/BBS/Other

But wait, there's more! Anonymous ftp to:

aug3.augsburg.edu:/files/bbs_lists

Also, for BBS information for your area code or specific interest, FTP

to:

wuarchive.wustl.edu:/mirrors/msdos/bbslists

*** 3.3: IS THERE A LIST OF ALL INTERNET SERVICES?

No. There are just too many computers and too many services for anyone

to accurately maintain a complete list. However, Scott Yanoff edits a

great list of Internet services: the "Special Internet Connections List"

is updated biweekly and is posted periodically to alt.internet.services

and elsewhere. His list is as comprehensive as any list could ever be.

It includes everything from where to FTP pictures from space, how to

find agricultural information, public UNIX, online books and

dictionaries, you name it. Check this list before posting the question

"Where can I get <whatever> online?" - chances are, it's in there.

Finger "yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu" to find ways to receive this list.

There's also John December's "internet-cmc" list, which serves as a

pointer to a slew of resources. Its purpose is to list pointers to

information describing the Internet, computer networks, and issues

related to computer-mediated communication. It points to Internet

documents for new users, comprehensive Internet guides, as well as

specialized and technical information (for instance, Internet growth

studies, maps, and statistics.) It also lists electronic journals and

tons of other good things. (FTP info at the end of this document.)

*** 3.4: HOW DO I GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNET ONLINE?

Once you have an account, several good texts are available via FTP:

"FYI: New Internet User Questions" (RFC-1325) is FTPable as:

nic.merit.edu:/documents/fyi/fyi_04.txt

"FYI: Experienced Internet User Questions" (RFC-1207) is FTPable as:

nic.merit.edu:/documents/fyi/fyi_07.txt

This file is dated February 1991, and some of the information may be out

of date. Many of the Q&As are of a technical nature. Covers the Domain

Name System, SLIP & PPP, network management, routing and the like.

"FYI: Searching for Treasure" is FTPable as:

nic.merit.edu:/documents/fyi/fyi_10.txt

This document (old - dated January 1993) presents some of the "gold

nuggets" of information and file repositories on the network.

"FYI: Internet Users' Glossary" (RFC-1392) is FTPable as:

nic.merit.edu:/documents/fyi/fyi_18.txt

This is a comprehensive glossary concentrating mostly on terms specific

to the Internet.

"FYI: What is the Internet?" is FTPable as:

nic.merit.edu:/documents/fyi/fyi_20.txt

This comprehensive paper covers the Internet's definition, history,

administration, protocols, financing, and current issues such as growth,

commercialization, and privatization. (May 1993.)

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet" (RFC-1118) will interest users

who are more into the technical bits of the Internet. This document,

also written by Ed Krol, explains how Internet addresses work and

discusses issues such as trust and carrying capacity of the Internet. It

is pretty much out of date, but people keep asking for it. The "Guide,"

as well as other useful texts for new users, is available at

wuarchive.wustl.edu:/mirrors/EFF/internet-info/*

"Internet Basics" is available by FTP as:

nnsc.nsf.net:/nsfnet/internet-basics.eric-digest

"Internet-cmc list", by John December, is a pointer to a slew of

resources. Its purpose is to list pointers to information describing the

Internet, computer networks, and issues related to computer-mediated

communication. It points to Internet documents for new users,

comprehensive Internet guides, as well as specialized and technical

information (for instance, Internet growth studies, maps, and

statistics.) It also lists electronic journals and tons of other good

things. It is available via anonymous FTP as:

ftp.rpi.edu:/pub/communications/internet-cmc

To connect via WWW, use the URL:

ftp://ftp.rpi.edu/pub/communications/internet-cmc.html

This information is also available in Postscript, 80-column text, Tex,

dvi, and .html formats -for more information, read:

ftp.rpi.edu:/pub/communications/internet-cmc.readme

"The Internet Companion" a beginner's guide to the net, is available by

FTP. This is part 1 of the Tracy LaQuey book mentioned in the previous

section.

world.std.com:/OBS/The.Internet.Companion

"Internet Services Frequently Asked Questions and Answers". That's the

file you're looking at now. For the most recent version, FTP to:

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/faq

or send an email message to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with a line in

the body of the message reading "send usenet/news.answers/internet-

services/faq".

"Internet-tools list", by John December, contains information about a

variety of network tools and information resources (such as Archie,

Gopher, Netfind, WWW and so on.) It is available at:

ftp.rpi.edu:/pub/communications/internet-tools

To connect via WWW, use the URL:

ftp://ftp.rpi.edu/pub/communications/internet-tools.html

This information is also available in Postscript, 80-column text, Tex,

dvi, and .html formats -for more information, read:

ftp.rpi.edu:/pub/communications/internet-tools.readme

"Inter-Network Mail Guide", contains a possibly-complete listing of how

to send mail from any random network to any other random network. It

also tells how to mail from networks other than the Internet - which is

beyond the scope of this document. You can fetch this guide by anonymous

FTP in:

csd4.csd.uwm.edu:/pub/internetwork-mail-guide

"List of Lists". For a list of some of the currently available

electronic mail mailing lists, FTP to:

sri.com:/netinfo.dir/interest-groups

"NIXPUB" is available via anonymous FTP as:

vfl.paramax.com:/pub/pubnet/nixpub.long

vfl.paramax.com:/pub/pubnet/nixpub.short

Or, you can receive it via e-mail. Send mail to

"nixpub@access.digex.com" (subject/message body unimportant.)

"PDIAL", a list of public access service providers offering dialup

access to Internet connections. PDIAL is posted semi-regularly to

alt.internet.access.wanted, alt.bbs.lists, and news.answers. To receive

PDIAL via e-mail, send mail with a subject line of "Send PDIAL" to

"info-deli-server@netcom.com". To get it, FTP to either:

ftp.netcom.com:/pub/info-deli/public-access/pdial

rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.internet.access.wanted/P_D_I_A_L_(P)

"Special Internet Connections List", edited by Scott Yanoff, is updated

monthly and is posted periodically to alt.internet.services and

elsewhere. It includes everything from where to FTP pictures from space,

how to find agricultural information, public UNIX, online books and

dictionaries, you name it. Check this list before posting the question

"Where can I get <whatever> online?" - chances are, it's in there.

Finger "yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu" to find ways to receive this list.

"Surfing the Internet" is available as:

nysernet.org:/pub/guides/surfing.2.0.3.txt

"Zen and the Art of Internet" is the first edition of Kehoe's Book,

detailed in the final section. The book is much longer, updated and

improved over this online version. It is available as:

world.std.com:/obi/Internet/zen-1.0/zen-1.0.txt.Z

ftp.uu.net:/doc/internet/zen-1.0.txt.Z

If you have Usenet access, read some of the many newsgroups for new

users and frequently asked questions: "news.answers", "comp.answers" and

"news.newusers.questions".

*** 3.5: ARE THERE ANY MAGAZINES ABOUT THE INTERNET?

Sure. (All prices in US dollars.)

"3W - A global networking newsletter." 3W is published bi-monthly. For

all European countries the 3W costs UKSterling #24 for an annual

subscription and UKSterling #4 for an individual copy including postage.

Outside Europe 3W costs UKSterling #30 (US$45) for an annual

subscription including airmail postage. Individual issues cost

UKSterling #5 (US$7.5) including airmail postage. For more information,

contact "3W@ukartnet.demon.co.uk"

"Boardwatch." $36 for 12 monthly issues. (800) 933-6038. E-mail:

"jack.rickard@boardwatch.com". Focus includes bulletin board systems,

legal aspects of the online world and the Internet.

"Internet Business Journal" Strangelove Press. E-mail:

mstrange@fonorola.net or phone: (613) 565-0982. $149 ($179 Canadian) 12

issues annually; $75 ($89 Canadian) for educational institutions and

small businesses. Sample copies are available on request or by

gopher to "gopher.fonorola.net"

"Internet World" (Previously Electronic Networking: Research,

Applications, and Policy.) Meckler Corp. E-mail: meckler@jvnc.net.

Phone: (800)-MECKLER. The cost for a one-year subscription is $24.95. A

two-year subscription is $37.00. Outside the U.S., add $18.00.

"Matrix News" (Matrix Information and Directory Services.) Published in

online and paper editions. Online edition is $25 for 12 monthly issues

($15 for students.) E-mail: mids@tic.com

"Online Access" (Chicago Fine Print.) Subscription is $19.80 for 8

issues. E-mail: 70324.343@compuserve.com

### End of document ###

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