Amiga Mag HDD Backup/Amiga Mag HDD Backup.zip/Amiga Mag HDD Backup/Alexander.img.bin/Alexander.img/*********10.11/On Line 11-95

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On Line
November 1995
Rob Hays
    This month we continue our tour of the different parts that
make up the Internet.

Have you read the news today?

    Two years ago this month in the first installment of On
Line, I used the image of a giant bulletin board to illustrate
the idea behind computer bulletin board systems. The image is an
apt one, although too constrained when discussing the Usenet,
also known as the Newsgroups.
    Usenet is often thought of as being the entire Internet,
even though in actuality, it is a separate system, available to
systems not connected to the Internet. To say that Usenet is vast
is an understatement. There are currently more than 5000 separate
newsgroups, each containing hundreds or even thousands of
separate postings from users. Every day more than 40 megabytes of
messages are added to the files.
    While the Internet itself thrives on diversity bordering on
anarchy, the shear volume of message traffic dictates a certain
order to Usenet. Beginning in the 1980's, topics were arraigned
into logical groups, so that if you are looking for information
on RAM chips, you don't have to wade through discussions of
chimpanzees or protozoa. Following the Unix naming conventions,
broad topics are subdivided with periods into narrower topics.
For example, comp.sys.amiga.games, progresses from the wide-open
topic "computers", through "systems", to the "amiga", and ends
with "games."
    A few of the other topic and sup-topic abbreviations you
will run across on the Usenet are: "rec." covering recreational
activities, "sci." for the sciences, "soc." for social topics,
the ever-popular "misc." for topics that don't fit anywhere else,
and the often controversial "alt." topics.
    Most newsgroups are moderated, or overseen, by an individual
or group, that keeps the discussions focused on the stated
topic. The alternative topics are much more free-ranging, and
rely on self-discipline for any focusing. The "alt." topics are
where you are most likely to find not only topics, but language
that some may find offensive. Remember that Usenet is used by
people from all over the world, and not everyone will find the
same things offensive.
    If you find a topic that offends you, just avoid it in the
future. If you post inflammatory comments and accusations against
those who do enjoy that particular topic, you are engaging in a
practice known as "flame-baiting". This often results in heated
responses from those you originally attacked. Unchecked, this
type of exchange quickly de-generates into what is known as a
"flame war." While you might enjoy such exchanges, it does tend
to tie-up valuable computer time, and take up memory all across
the Usenet. If you persist in trying to annoy other users, they
may petition the sysop of your Internet provider to restrict or
remove your access to the Net. Before this happens, you may even
find yourself "mail bombed". This is the term used to describe
the tactic of sending massive amounts of useless e-mail to your
mailbox. Usually many different people will send megabytes of
random characters to you, filling up the space available to you
on your providers' system, and thereby blocking any legitimate e-
mail from getting to you. While these last two examples are
extreme, and rarely do things go this far, it is always best to
practice the "live and let live" philosophy.
    Another way to handle topics, words, or even specific
posters that annoy you is the killfile. No, this is not a file
sent to out of work hit squads, but a list of things you don't
want to read about. Because of the many different systems, the
best advice I can give you is to check out the help files on your
newsreader. Killfiles are read by the newsreader program at
startup. The newsreader then eliminates from the unread
messages, any that contain the words or phrases you placed in the
killfile.
    While the Usenet is text only, binary files, such as
programs, or images can be posted using UUEncoding. The program
UUxT, which has recently been upgraded to version 3.1, allows
conversion of program and data files into a form that can be
transmitted as text. See the March/April 1995 On Line for more
information on this program.
    Current Usenet topics available concerning the Amiga are
quite varied. The following topics all begin with
"comp.sys.amiga." and should be available on your Usenet
newsfeed. All names are in lower case letters only. Advocacy,
audio, cd32, multimedia, programmer, reviews, games, misc,
graphics, hardware, introduction, marketplace, emulations,
applications, datacomm, networking, and announce. There also are
topics titled comp.unix.amiga, comp.binaries.amiga,
comp.sources.amiga, alt.religion.amiga, alt.amiga.demos,
alt.sources.amiga, alt.sys.amiga.demos, and alt.sys.amiga.uucp.

Take off

    Last month we talked about FTP as a way to reach out and
grab files from the Internet. Sometimes getting a file or two
from a remote system just isn't enough, and that is where telnet
comes in. With telnet you actually log onto the remote system as
if you had dialed them directly. While there may not be as many
systems that are available to an anonymous telnet user as there
are for FTP, telnet opens the door to powerful functions that
your provider may not have available.
    The basic telnet function may seem rather redundant, if you
need an existing account on the remote system to be allowed on,
why not just dial direct? In my case, I use telnet to connect to
my accounts on Portal and Delphi. My Internet provider supports
modem speeds up to 28,800bps, with even higher speeds used
between sites on the Net. The local access number where I live
for Delphi is 2400bps, and both systems would be an across-
country long distance call for higher speed connections. By
calling a local number, and using telnet, I can get high speed
access to these other systems.
    Telnet opens many other doors on the Internet too. Library
catalogs and databases of all sorts, can all be accessed as
easily as remote BBS's. One of the best places to start is a
telnet address with the name access.usask.ca. Go to the area of
your provider that allows telnet functions, and type that
address. At the login prompt, type hytelnet and press return.
    This will activate a menu driven system that will provide
you with many different telnet sites, and instructions for their
use. It would be a good idea to turn on your terminal programs
capture function, and save all the information for later
reference.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

    Here are some more Amiga BBS's submitted by readers.

NAME:            A.I.M.A. World BBS
PHONE:            [phone]
SPEEDS SUPPORTED:    up to 38.4kbps
CONTACT:            R.Dewey Mullins III
                P.O. Box 3791
                San Bernardino, CA  92413-3791

NAME:            Amiga Country BBS
PHONE:            [phone]
SPEEDS SUPPORTED:    1200-14,400 8-n-1

NAME:            The Wasp Nest
PHONE:            [phone]
SPEEDS SUPPORTED:    1200-14,400 8-n-1

NAME:            A.C.E. Club BBS
PHONE:            [phone]
SPEEDS SUPPORTED:    1200-14,400 8-n-1

Where To Find Me

        R.Hays5        on GEnie
        RHAYS        on Delphi
        72764,2066    on CompuServe
        Rob Hays        on Portal
    Internet users, I now have a new email address:
[e-mail].

    For U.S.Mail:
        Rob Hays
        P.O.Box 194
        Bloomington, IN 47402
    Please include a SASE if you need a personal reply.

    If you run an Amiga specific BBS, send me the information
callers will need to access your system. Phone number(s), modem
speeds, software settings, etc. As a service to the Amiga
community I will include the information I receive in this column
from time to time. Send the info to any of my addresses above.

    Next month, we will continue talking about telnet functions
and more.
    That's all for now. See you On Line!