Zen and the Art of the Internet
________________________________________________________________________________
A Beginner's Guide to the Internet
First Edition
January 1992
by Brendan P. Kehoe
________________________________________________________________________________
This is revision 1.0 of February 2, 1992.
Copyright cfl1992 Brendan P. Kehoe
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this guide
provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all
copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this booklet
under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire resulting
derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical
to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this booklet into
another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except
that this permission notice may be stated in atranslation approved by the
author.
i
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Acknowledgements 3
1 Network Basics 5
1.1 Domains 5
1.2 Internet Numbers 7
1.3 Resolving Names and Numbers 7
1.4 The Networks 8
1.5 The Physical Connection 8
2 Electronic Mail 11
2.1 Email Addresses 11
2.1.1 %@!.: Symbolic Cacophony 11
2.1.2 Sending and Receiving Mail 12
2.1.3 Anatomy of a Mail Header 13
2.1.4 Bounced Mail 14
2.2 Mailing Lists 15
2.2.1 Listservs 16
3 Anonymous FTP 19
3.1 FTP Etiquette 19
3.2 Basic Commands 20
3.2.1 Creating the Connection 20
3.2.2 dir 21
3.2.3 cd 22
3.2.4 get and put 22
3.2.4.1 ASCII vs Binary 23
3.2.4.2 mget and mput 24
3.3 The archie Server 25
3.3.1 Using archie Today 25
3.3.2 archie Clients 26
3.3.3 Mailing archie 27
3.3.4 The whatis database 27
4 Usenet News 29
4.1 What Usenet Is 29
ii Zen and the Art of the Internet
4.2 The Diversity of Usenet 29
4.3 What Usenet Is Not 29
4.4 Propagation of News 31
4.5 Group Creation 32
4.6 If You're Unhappy 33
4.7 The History of Usenet (The ABCs) 33
4.8 Hierarchies 34
4.9 Moderated vs Unmoderated 35
4.10 news.groups & news.announce.newgroups 36
4.11 How Usenet Works 36
4.12 Mail Gateways 37
4.13 Usenet "Netiquette" 37
4.13.1 Signatures 37
4.13.2 Posting Personal Messages 38
4.13.3 Posting Mail 38
4.13.4 Test Messages 39
4.13.5 Famous People Appearing 39
4.13.6 Summaries 39
4.13.7 Quoting 40
4.13.8 Crossposting 41
4.13.9 Recent News 41
4.13.10 Quality of Postings 41
4.13.11 Useful Subjects 42
4.13.12 Tone of Voice 42
4.13.13 Computer Religion 43
4.14 Frequently Asked Questions 43
4.14.1 The Pit-Manager Archive 43
5 Telnet 45
5.1 Using Telnet 45
5.1.1 Telnet Ports 45
5.2 Publicly Accessible Libraries 46
5.3 The Cleveland Freenet 47
5.4 Directories 47
5.4.1 Knowbot 48
5.4.2 White Pages 48
5.5 Databases 48
5.5.1 Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL) 48
5.5.2 PENpages 49
5.5.3 Clemson Univ. Forestry & Agricultural Network 49
5.5.4 University of Maryland Info Database 49
5.5.5 University of Michigan Weather Underground 50
5.5.6 Geographic Name Server 50
5.5.7 FEDIX_Minority Scholarship Information 50
iii
5.5.8 Science & Technology Information System 51
5.5.9 Ocean Network Information Center 51
5.5.10 NASA/IPAC ExtragalacticDatabase (NED) 51
5.5.11 U.S. Naval Observatory Automated Data Service 52
6 Various Tools 53
6.1 Finger 53
6.2 Ping 54
6.3 Talk 55
6.4 The WHOIS Database 55
6.4.1 Other Uses of WHOIS 57
7 Commercial Services 59
7.1 Electronic Journals 59
7.2 Commercial Databases 60
7.3 Clarinet News 60
8 Things You'll Hear About 63
8.1 The Internet Worm 63
8.2 The Cuckoo's Egg 64
8.3 Organizations 64
8.3.1 The Association for Computing Machinery 65
8.3.2 Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility 65
8.3.3 The Electronic Frontier Foundation 66
8.3.4 The Free SoftwareFoundation 68
8.3.5 The League for Programming Freedom 68
8.4 Networking Initiatives 69
8.4.1 NREN 69
9 Finding Out More 71
9.1 Internet Resource Guide 71
9.2 Requests for Comments 71
Conclusion 73
Appendix A Getting to Other Networks 75
Appendix B Retrieving Files via Email 77
ArchiveServers 77
FTP-by-MailServers 77
iv Zen and the Art of the Internet
Appendix C Newsgroup Creation 79
Discussion 79
Voting 79
The Result of a Vote 81
Creation of the Group 81
Glossary 83
Bibliography 91
Books 91
Periodicals & Papers 92
Index 95
Preface 1
Preface
The composition of this booklet was originally started because the Com-
puter Science department at WidenerUniversity was in desperate need of
documentation describing the capabilities of this "great new Internet link"
we obtained.
It's since grown into an effort to acquaint thereader with much of what's
currently availableover the Internet. Aimed at the novice user, it attempts
to remain operating system "neutral"_little information herein is specific
to Unix, VMS, or any other environment. This booklet will, hopefully, be
usable by nearly anyone.
Some typographical conventions are maintained throughout this guide.
All abstract items like possible filenames, usernames, etc., are all represented
in italics. Likewise,definite filenames and email addresses are represented in
a quoted `typewriter' font. A user's sessionis usually offset from the rest
of the paragraph, as such:
prompt> command
The results are usually displayedhere.
The purpose of this booklet is two-fold: first, it's intended to serve as a
reference piece,which someone can easily grab on the fly and look something
up. Also, it forms a foundation from which people can explore the vast
expanse of the Internet. Zen and the Art of the Internet doesn't spend a
significant amount of time onany one point; rather, it provides enough for
people to learn the specifics of what his or her local system offers.
One warning is perhaps in order_this territory we are entering can be-
come a fantastic time-sink. Hours can slip by, people can come and go, and
you'll be locked into Cyberspace. Remember to do your work!
With that, I welcome you, the new user, to The Net.
brendan@cs.widener.edu
Chester, PA
2 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Acknowledgements 3
Acknowledgements
Certain sections in this booklet are not my original work_rather, they
are derived from documents that were available on the Internet and already
aptly stated their areas of concentration. The chapter on Usenet is, in large
part, made up of what's posted monthly to news.announce.newusers, with
some editing and rewriting. Also, the main section on archie was derived
from `whatis.archie' by PeterDeutsch of the McGill University Computing
Centre. It's available via anonymous FTP from archie.mcgill.ca. Much of
what's in the telnet section came from an impressive introductory document
put together by SuraNet. Some definitions inthe one are from an excellent
glossary put together by Colorado State University.
This guide would not be the same without the aid of many peopleon The
Net, and the providers of resourcesthat are already out there. I'd like to
thank the folks who gave thisa read-through and returned some excellent
comments, suggestions, and criticisms, and those who provided much-needed
information on the fly. Glee Willis deserves particular mention for all of his
work; thisguide would have been considerably less polished without his help.
fflAndy Blankenbiller, Army at Aberdeen
fflAlan Emtage, McGill University Computer Science Department
fflBrian Fitzgerald, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
fflJohn Goetsch, Rhodes University, South Africa
fflJeff Kellem, BostonUniversity's Chemistry Department
fflBill Krauss, Moravian College
fflSteve Lodin, Delco Electronics
fflMike Nesel, NASA
fflBob Neveln, Widener University Computer Science Department
fflWanda Pierce, McGill University Computing Centre
fflJoshua Poulson, Widener University Computing Services
fflDave Sill, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
fflBob Smart, CitiCorp/TTI
fflEd Vielmetti, Vice President of MSEN
fflCraig Ward, USC/Information Sciences Institute (ISI)
fflGlee Willis, University of Nevada, Reno
fflChip Yamasaki, OSHA
4 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 1: Network Basics 5
1 Network Basics
We are truly in an information society. Now more than ever, moving
vast amounts of information quickly across great distances is one of our
most pressing needs. From small one-person entrepreneurial efforts, to the
largest of corporations, more and more professional people are discovering
that the only way to be successfulin the '90s and beyond is to realize that
technology is advancing at a break-neck pace_and they must somehow keep
up. Likewise, researchers from all corners of the earth are finding that their
work thrives in a networked environment. Immediate access to the work of
colleagues and a "virtual" library of millions of volumes and thousands of
papers affords them the ability to encorp orate a bo dyof knowledge hereto-
fore unthinkable. Work groups can now conduct interactive conferences with
each other,paying no heed to physical location_the possibilities are endless.
You have at your fingertips theability to talk in "real-time" with someone
in Japan, send a 2,000-word short story to a group of people who will critique
it for the sheer pleasure of doing so, see if a Macintosh sitting in a lab in
Canada is turned on, andfind out if someone happens to be sitting in front
of their computer (logged on) in Australia, all inside of thirty minutes. No
airline (or tardis, for that matter) could ever match that travel itinerary.
The largest problem people face when first using a networkis grasping all
that's available. Even seasoned users find themselves surprised when they
discover a new service or feature that they'd never known even existed. Once
acquainted with the terminology andsufficiently comfortable with making
occasional mistakes, the learning process willdrastically speed up.
1.1 Domains
Getting where you want to go can often be one of themore difficult
aspects of using networks. The variety of ways that places are named will
probably leave a blank stare on your face at first. Don't fret; there is a
method to this apparent madness.
If someone were to ask for a home address, theywould probably expect
a street, apartment, city, state, and zip code. That's all the information the
post office needs to deliver mail in a reasonably speedy fashion. Likewise,
computer addresses have a structure to them. The general form is:
a person's email addresson a computer: user@somewhere.domain
a computer's name: somewhere.domain
The user portion is usually the person's account name on the system,
though it doesn't have to be. somewhere.domain tells you the name of a
6 Zen and the Art of the Internet
system or location, and what kind of organization it is. The trailing domain
is often one of the following:
com Usually a company or other commercial institution or organiza-
tion, like Convex Computers (`convex.com').
edu An educational institution, e.g. New York University, named
`nyu.edu'.
gov A government site; for example, NASA is `nasa.gov'.
mil A military site, like the Air Force (`af.mil').
net Gateways and other administrative hosts for a network (it does
not meanall of the hosts in a network).1 One such gateway is
`near.net'.
org This is a domain reserved for private organizations, who don't
comfortablyfit in the other classes of domains. One example
is the Electronic Frontier Foundation (see Section 8.3.3 [EFF],
page 66), named `eff.org'.
Each country also has its own top-level domain. For example, the us
domain includes each of the fifty states. Other countries represented with
domains include:
au Australia
ca Canada
fr France
uk The United Kingdom. These also have sub-domains of things
like `ac.uk' for academic sites and `co.uk' for commercial ones.
The proper terminology for a site's domain name (somewhere.domain
above) is its FullyQualified Domain Name (FQDN). It is usually selected
to give a clear indication of the site's organization or sponsoring agent. For
example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's FQDN is `mit.edu';
similarly, Apple Computer's domain name is `apple.com'. While such ob-
vious names are usually the norm,there are the occasional exceptions that
are ambiguous enough to mislead_like `vt.edu', which on first impulse one
might surmise is an educational institution of some sort in Vermont; not so.
It's actually the domain name for Virginia Tech. In most cases it's relatively
easy to glean the meaning of a domain name_such confusion is far from the
norm.
_________________________________
1 The Matrix, 111.
Chapter 1: Network Basics 7
1.2 InternetNumbers
Every single machine on the Internet has a unique address,2 called its
Internet number or IP Address. It's actually a 32-bit numb er, but is
most commonly represented as four numbers joined by periods (`.'), like
147.31.254.130. This is sometimes also called a dotted quad; there are
literally thousands of different possible dotted quads. The ARPAnet (the
mother to today's Internet) originally only had the capacity to have up to
256 systems on it because of the way each system was addressed. In the early
eighties, it became clear thatthings would fast outgrow such a small limit;
the 32-bit addressing method was born, freeingthousands of host numbers.
Each piece of an Internet address (like 192) iscalled an "octet," rep-
resenting one of four sets of eight bits. The first two or three pieces (e.g.
192.55.239) represent the network that a system is on, called its subnet.
For example,all of the computers for Wesleyan University are in the subnet
129.133. They can have numbers like 129.133.10.10, 129.133.230.19,
up to 65 thousand possible combinations(p ossible computers).
IP addresses and domain names aren't assigned arbitrarily_that
would lead to unbelievable confusion. An application must be filed
with the Network Information Center (NIC), either electronically (to
hostmaster@nic.ddn.mil) or via regular mail.
1.3 Resolving Names andNumbers
Ok, computers can be referred to by either their FQDN or their Internet
address. How can one user be expected to remember them all?
They aren't. The Internet is designed so that one can use either method.
Since humans find it muchmore natural to deal with words than numbers
in most cases, the FQDN for each host is mapped to its Internet number.
Each domain is served by acomputer within that domain, which provides
all of the necessary information to go from a domain name to an IP address,
and vice-versa. For example, when someone refers to foosun.bar.com, the
resolver knows that it should ask the system foovax.bar.com about systems
in bar.com. It asks what Internet address foosun.bar.com has; if the name
foosun.bar.com really exists,foovax will send back its number. All of this
"magic" happens behind the scenes.
_________________________________
2 At least one address, possibly two or even three_but we won't go into
that.
8 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Rarely will a user have to remember the Internet number of a site (al-
though often you'll catch yourself remembering an apparently obscure num-
ber, simply because you've accessed the system frequently). However, you
will remember a substantial number of FQDNs. It will eventually reach a
point when you are able to make a reasonably accurate guess at what do-
main name a certain college, university, or company might have,given just
their name.
1.4 TheNetworks
Internet The Internet is a large "network of networks." There is no
one network known as The Internet; rather, regional nets like
SuraNet, PrepNet, NearNet, et al., are all inter-connected (nay,
"inter-networked") together into one great living thing, com-
municating at amazing speeds with the TCP/IP protocol. All
activity takes place in "real-time."
UUCP The UUCP network is a loose association of systems all com-
municating with the `UUCP' protocol. (UUCP stands for `Unix-
to-Unix Copy Program'.) It's based on two systems connecting
to each other at specified intervals, called polling, and executing
any work scheduled for either of them. Historically most UUCP
was done with Unix equipment, although the software's since
been implemented on other platforms (e.g. VMS). For example,
the system oregano polls the system basil once every two hours.
If there's any mail waiting for oregano, basil will send it at that
time; likewise, oregano will at that time send any jobs waiting
forbasil.
BITNET BITNET (the "Because It'sTime Network") is comprised of
systems connected by point-to-point links, all running the NJE
protocol. It's continued to grow, buthas found itself suffering
at the handsof the falling costs of Internet connections. Also,
a number of mail gateways are in place to reach users on other
networks.
1.5 The Physical Connection
The actual connections between the various networks take a variety of
forms. The most prevalent forInternet links are 56k leased lines (dedicated
telephone lines carrying 56kilobit-per-secondconnections) and T1 links (spe-
cial phone lines with 1Mbps connections). Also installed are T3 links, acting
Chapter 1: Network Basics 9
as backbones between major locations to carry a massive 45Mbps load of
traffic.
These links are paid for by each institution to a local carrier (for exam-
ple, Bell Atlantic owns PrepNet, the main provider in Pennsylvania). Also
available are SLIP connections, which carry Internet traffic (packets) over
high-speed modems.
UUCP links are made with modems (for the most part), that run from
1200 baud all the way up to ashigh as 38.4Kbps. As was mentioned in
Section 1.4 [The Networks], page 8, the connections are of the store-and-
forward variety. Also in use are Internet-based UUCP links (as if things
weren't already confusing enough!). The systems do their UUCP traffic over
TCP/IP connections, which give the UUCP-based network some blindingly
fast "hops," resulting in better connectivity for the network as a whole.
UUCP connections first became popular in the 1970's, and have remained
in wide-spread use ever since. Only with UUCPcan Joe Smith correspond
with someone across the country oraround the world, for the price of a local
telephone call.
BITNET links mostly take the form of 9600bps modems connected from
site to site. Often places have three or more links going; the majority,
however, look to "upstream" sites for their sole link to the network.
"The Glory and the Nothing of a Name"
Byron, Churchill's Grave
10 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 2: Electronic Mail 11
2 Electronic Mail
The desire to communicate is the essence of networking. People have
always wanted to correspond with each other in the fastest way possible,
short of normal conversation. Electronic mail(or email) is the most preva-
lent application of this in computer networking. It allows people to write
back and forth without havingto spend much time worrying about how the
message actually gets delivered. As technology grows closer and closer to
being a common part of daily life,the need to understand the many ways it
can be utilized and how it works, at least to some level, is vital.
2.1 EmailAddresses
Electronic mail is hinged around the concept of an address; the section
on Networking Basics made somereference to it while introducing domains.
Your email addressprovides all of the information required to get a message
to you from anywhere in the world. Anaddress doesn't necessarily have to
go to a human being. It could be an archive server,1 a list of people, or even
someone's pocket pager. These cases are the exception to the norm_mail
to most addresses is read by human beings.
2.1.1 %@!.: SymbolicCacophony
Email addresses usually appear in one of two forms_using the Internet
format which contains `@', an"at"-sign, or using the UUCP format which
contains `!', an exclamation point, also called a "bang." Thelatter of the
two, UUCP "bang" paths, is more restrictive, yet more clearly dictates how
the mail will travel.
To reach Jim Morrison on the system south.america.org, one would
address the mail as `jm@south.america.org'. But if Jim's account was on
a UUCP site named brazil,then his address would be `brazil!jm'. If it's
possible (and one exists), try to use theInternet form of an address; bang
paths can fail if an intermediate site in the path happens to be down. There
is a growing trend for UUCPsites to register Internet domain names,to help
alleviate the problem of path failures.
Another symbol that enters the fray is `%'_it acts as an extra "rout-
ing" method. For example, if the UUCP site dream is connected to
_________________________________
1 See [Archive Servers], page 77, for a description.
12 Zen and the Art of the Internet
south.america.org, butdo esn't have an Internet domain name of its own,
a user debbie on dream can be reached by writing to the address
debbie%dream@south.america.org
The form is significant. This address says that the local system should first
send the mail to south.america.org. There the address debbie%dream
will turn into debbie@dream,which will hopefully be a valid address. Then
south.america.org will handle getting the mail to the host dream, where
it will be delivered locally to debbie.
All of the intricacies of email addressing methods are fully covered in
the book !%@:: A Directory ofElectronic Mail Addressing and Networks
published by O'Reilly and Associates, as part of their Nutshell Handbook
series. It is a must for any active email user. Writeto nuts@ora.com for
ordering information.
2.1.2 Sending and Receiving Mail
We'll make one quick diversionfrom being OS-neuter here, to show you
what it will look like to send and receive a mail message on a Unix system.
Check with your system administrator for specific instructions related to
mail at your site.
A person sending the author mail would probably do something like this:
% mail brendan@cs.widener.edu
Subject: print job'sstuck
I typed `print babe.gif' and it didn't work! Why??
The next time the author checked his mail, he would see it listed in his
mailbox as:
% mail
"/usr/spool/mail/brendan": 1 messages 1 new 1 unread
U 1 joeuser@foo.widene Tue May 5 20:36 29/956 print job's stuck
?
which gives information on thesender of the email, when it was sent, and
the subject of the message. He would probably usethe `reply' command of
Unix mail to send this response:
Chapter 2: Electronic Mail 13
? r
To: joeuser@foo.widener.edu
Subject: Re: print job's stuck
You shouldn't printbinary files like GIFs to a printer!
Brendan
Try sending yourself mail a few times,to get used to your system's mailer.
It'll save a lot of wasted aspirin for both you and your system administrator.
2.1.3 Anatomy of a Mail Header
An electronic mail message has a specific structure to it that's common
across every type of computer system.2 Asample would be:
From bush@hq.mil SatMay 25 17:06:01 1991
Received: from hq.mil by house.gov with SMTP id AA21901
(4.1/SMI for dan@house.gov); Sat, 25 May 91 17:05:56 -0400
Date: Sat, 25 May 9117:05:56 -0400
From: The President<bush@hq.mil>;
Message-Id: <9105252105.AA06631@hq.mil>;
To: dan@senate.gov
Subject: Meeting
Hi Dan .. we have ameeting at 9:30 a.m. with the Joint Chiefs. Please
don't oversleep thistime.
The first line, with `From' and the two lines for `Received:' are usually
not very interesting. They give the "real" address thatthe mail is coming
from (as opposed to the address you should reply to, which may look much
different), and what places the mail went through to get to you. Over the
Internet,there is always at least one `Received:' header and usually no more
than four or five. When a message is sent using UUCP, one `Received:'
header is added for each system that the mail passes through. This can
often result in more than a dozen `Received:' headers. While they help
with dissecting problems in mail delivery, odds are the average user will
never want to see them. Most mail programs will filter out this kind of
"cruft" in a header.
The `Date:' header contains the date and time the messagewas sent.
Likewise, the "good" address (as opposed to "real"address) is laid out in
the `From:' header. Sometimes it won't include the full name of the person
_________________________________
2 The standard is written down in RFC-822. See [RFCs],page 73 for more
info on how to get copies of the various RFCs.
14 Zen and the Art of the Internet
(in this case `The President'), and may look different, but itshould always
contain an email address of some form.
The `Message-ID:' of a message is intended mainly for tracing mail rout-
ing, and is rarely of interest to normal users. Every `Message-ID:' is guar-
anteed to be unique.
`To:' lists the email address (or addresses) of the recipients of the messag*
*e.
There may be a `Cc:' header, listing additional addresses. Finally, a brief
subject for the message goes in the `Subject:' header.
The exact order of a message's headers may varyfrom system to system,
but it will always include these fundamental headers that are vital to proper
delivery.
2.1.4 Bounced Mail
When an email address is incorrect in some way (thesystem's name is
wrong, the domain doesn't exist, whatever), the mail system will bounce the
message back to the sender,much the same way that the Postal Service does
when you send a letter to a bad street address. The message will include
the reason for the bounce; acommon error is addressing mail to an account
name that doesn't exist. For example,writing to Lisa Simpson at Widener
University's Computer Sciencedepartment will fail, because she doesn't have
an account.3
From: Mail DeliverySubsystem <MAILER-DAEMON>
Date: Sat, 25 May 9116:45:14 -0400
To: mg@gracie.com
Cc: Postmaster@cs.widener.edu
Subject: Returned mail: User unknown
----- Transcript of sessionfollows -----
While talking to cs.widener.edu:
>>> RCPT To:<lsimpson@cs.widener.edu>;
<<< 550 <lsimpson@cs.widener.edu>;... User unknown
550 lsimpson... Userunknown
As you can see, a carbon copy of the message (the `Cc:' header entry) was
sent to the postmaster of Widener's CS department. The Postmaster is
responsible for maintaining a reliable mail system on his system. Usually
postmasters at sites will attempt to aid you in getting your mail where it's
_________________________________
3 Though if she asked, we'd certainly give her one.
Chapter 2: Electronic Mail 15
supposed to go. If a typing error wasmade, then try re-sending the message.
If you're sure that the address iscorrect, contact the postmaster of the site
directly and ask him how to properly address it.
The message also includes the text of the mail, so you don't have to
retype everything you wrote.
----- Unsent message follows-----
Received: by cs.widener.edu id AA06528; Sat, 25 May 91 16:45:14 -0400
Date: Sat, 25 May 9116:45:14 -0400
From: Matt Groening<mg@gracie.com>;
Message-Id: <9105252045.AA06528@gracie.com>;
To: lsimpson@cs.widener.edu
Subject: Scripting your future episodes
Reply-To: writing-group@gracie.com
: :v:erbiage: : :
The full text of the message is returnedintact, including any headers that
were added. This can be cut out with an editor and fed right back into the
mail system with a proper address, making redelivery a relatively painless
process.
2.2 MailingLists
People that share common interests are inclined to discuss their hobby
or interest at every available opportunity. One modern way to aid in
this exchange of information is by using a mailing list_usually an email
address that redistributes all mail sent to it back out to a list o*
*f ad-
dresses. For example, the Sun Managers mailing list (ofinterest to people
that administer computers manufactured by Sun) has the address `sun-
managers@eecs.nwu.edu'. Any mail sent to that address will "explode" out
to each person named in a file maintained on a computer at Northwestern
University.
Administrative tasks (sometimes referred to as administrivia) are often
handled through other addresses, typically with the suffix `-request'. To
continue the above,a request to be added to or deleted from the Sun Man-
agers list should be sent to `sun-managers-request@eecs.nwu.edu'.
When in doubt, try to write to the `-request' versionof a mailing list
address first; the other people onthe list aren't interested in your desire to
be added or deleted, and cancertainly do nothing to expedite your request.
Often if the administrator of a list isbusy (remember, this is all peripheral to
real jobs and real work),many users find it necessary to ask again and again,
16 Zen and the Art of the Internet
often with harsher and harsher language,to b eremoved from a list. This
does nothing more than waste traffic andb other everyone else receiving the
messages. If, after a reasonable amount oftime, you still haven't succeeded
to be removed from a mailing list,write to the postmaster at that site and
see if they can help.
Exercise caution when replying to a message sent bya mailing list. If
you wish to respond to the author only, make sure that the only address
you're replying to is that person,and not the entire list. Often messages of
the sort "Yes, Iagree with you completely!" will appear on a list, boring the
daylights out of the other readers. Likewise, if you explicitly do want to send
the message to the whole list,you'll save yourself some time by checking to
make sure it's indeed headed to thewhole list and not a single person.
A list of the currently available mailing lists is available in at least two
places; the first is in afile on ftp.nisc.sri.com called `interest-groups'
under the `netinfo/' directory. It's updated fairly regularly, but is large
(presently around 700K), so only get it every once in a while. The other list
is maintained by Gene Spafford(spaf@cs.purdue.edu), and is posted in
parts to the newsgroup news.lists semi-regularly. (See Chapter 4 [Usenet
News], page 29, for info on how toread that and other newsgroups.)
2.2.1 Listservs
On BITNET there's an automated system for maintaining discussion lists
called the listserv. Rather than have an already harried and overworked
human take care of additions and removals from a list, a program performs
these and other tasks by responding to aset of user-driven commands.
Areas of interest are wide and varied_ETHICS-L deals with ethics
in computing, while ADND-L has to do with a role-playing game. A
full list of the available BITNET lists can be obtained by writing to
`LISTSERV@BITNIC.BITNET' with a body containing the command
list global
However, be sparing in your use of this_see if it's already on your system
somewhere. The reply is quite large.
The most fundamental command is `subscribe'. It will tell the listserv
to add the sender to a specific list. The usage is
subscribe foo-l Your Real Name
It will respond with a message either saying that you've been added to the
list, or that the request has b een passed on to the system on which the list
is actually maintained.
Chapter 2: Electronic Mail 17
The mate to `subscribe' is, naturally, `unsubscribe'. It will remove
a given address from a BITNET list. It, along with all other listserv
commands, can be abbreviated_`subscribe' as `sub', `unsubscribe' as
`unsub', etc. For a full list ofthe available listserv commands, write to
`LISTSERV@BITNIC.BITNET', giving it thecommand `help'.
As an aside, there have been implementations of the listserv system for
non-BITNET hosts(more specifically, Unix systems). One of the mostcom-
plete is available on cs.bu.edu in the directory `pub/listserv'.
"I madethis letter longer than usual because
I lack the time to make it shorter."
Pascal, Provincial Letters XVI
18 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 3: Anonymous FTP 19
3 Anonymous FTP
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the primary method of transferring files
over the Internet. On many systems, it's also the name of the program that
implements the protocol. Given proper permission, it's possible to copy a
file from a computer in South Africa toone in Los Angeles at very fast
speeds (on the order of 5-10K per second). This normally requires either
a user id on both systems or a special configuration set up by the system
administrator(s).
There is a good way around this restriction_the anonymousFTP ser-
vice. It essentially will let anyone in the world have access to a certain
area of disk space in a non-threateningway. With this, people can make
files publicly availablewith little hassle. Some systems have dedicated en-
tire disks or even entire computers to maintaining extensive archives *
*of
source code and information. They include gatekeeper.dec.com (Digi-
tal), wuarchive.wustl.edu (Washington University in Saint Louis), and
archive.cis.ohio-state.edu (The Ohio State University).
The process involves the "foreign" user (someone noton the system it-
self) creating an FTP connection and logging intothe system as the user
`anonymous', with an arbitrary password:
Name (foo.site.com:you): anonymous
Password: jm@south.america.org
Custom and netiquette dictate that people respond to the Password: query
with an email address so that the sitescan track the level of FTP usage, if
they desire. (See Section 2.1 [Addresses], page 11 for information on email
addresses).
The speed of the transfer depends on the speed of the underlying link. A
site that has a 9600bps SLIPconnection will not get the same throughput as
a system with a 56k leased line (see Section 1.5 [The Physical Connection],
page 8, for more onwhat kinds of connections can exist in a network). Also,
the traffic of all other users on that link will affect performance. If there a*
*re
thirty people all FTPing from one site simultaneously, the load on the system
(in addition to the network connection) will degrade the overall throughput
of the transfer.
3.1 FTPEtiquette
Lest we forget, the Internet is there for people to do work. People using
the network and the systems onit are doing so for a purpose, whether it be
20 Zen and the Art of the Internet
research, development, whatever. Any heavy activity takes away from the
overall performance of the network as a whole.
The effects of an FTP connection on a site and its link can vary; the
general rule of thumb is thatany extra traffic created detracts from the
ability of that site's users to performtheir tasks. To help be considerate of
this, it's highly recommended that FTP sessions be held only after normal
business hours for that site,preferably late at night. The possible effects of a
large transfer will be less destructiveat 2 a.m. than 2 p.m. Also, remember
that if it's past dinner time in Maine,it's still early afternoon in California_
think in terms of the current timeat the site that's being visited, not of local
time.
3.2 BasicCommands
While there have been many extensions to the various FTP clients out
there, there is a de facto "standard" set that everyone expects to work. For
more specific information, read themanual for your specific FTP program.
This section will only skim the bare minimum of commands needed to op-
erate an FTP session.
3.2.1 Creating the Connection
The actual command to use FTP will vary among operating systems; for
the sake of clarity, we'll use `FTP' here, since it's the most general form.
There are two ways to connect to a system_using its hostname or its
Internet number. Using the hostname is usually preferred. However, some
sites aren't able to resolve hostnames properly, and haveno alternative.
We'll assume you'reable to use hostnames for simplicity's sake. The form is
ftp somewhere.domain
See Section 1.1 [Domains], page 5 forhelp with reading and using domain
names (in the example below, somewhere.domain is ftp.uu.net).
You must first know the name of thesystem you want to connect to.
We'll use `ftp.uu.net' asan example. On your system, type:
ftp ftp.uu.net
(the actual syntax will vary depending on the type of system the connection's
being made from). It will pause momentarilythen respond with the message
Connected to ftp.uu.net.
and an initial prompt will appear:
Chapter 3: Anonymous FTP 21
220 uunet FTP server(Version 5.100 Mon Feb 11 17:13:28 EST 1991) ready.
Name (ftp.uu.net:jm):
to which you should respond with anonymous:
220 uunet FTP server(Version 5.100 Mon Feb 11 17:13:28 EST 1991) ready.
Name (ftp.uu.net:jm): anonymous
The system will then prompt you fora password; as noted previously,a good
response is your email address:
331 Guest login ok,send ident as password.
Password: jm@south.america.org
230 Guest login ok,access restrictions apply.
ftp>
The password itself will not echo. This is to protect a user's security when
he or she is using a real account to FTP files between machines. Once you
reach the ftp> prompt, you know you're logged in and ready to go.
3.2.2 dir
At the `ftp>' prompt, you can type a number of commands to perform
various functions. One example is `dir'_it will listthe files in the current
directory. Continuing the example from above:
ftp> dir
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.
total 3116
drwxr-xr-x 2 7 21 512 Nov 21 1988 .forward
-rw-rw-r-- 1 7 11 0 Jun 23 1988 .hushlogin
drwxrwxr-x 2 0 21 512 Jun 4 1990 Census
drwxrwxr-x 2 0 120 512 Jan 8 09:36 ClariNet
: :e:tc etc : : :
-rw-rw-r-- 1 7 14 42390 May 20 02:24 newthisweek.Z
: :e:tc etc : : :
-rw-rw-r-- 1 7 14 2018887 May 21 01:01 uumap.tar.Z
drwxrwxr-x 2 7 6 1024 May 11 10:58 uunet-info
226 Transfer complete.
5414 bytes receivedin 1.1 seconds (4.9 Kbytes/s)
ftp>
The file `newthisweek.Z' was specifically included because we'll be using it
later. Just for general information, it happens to be a listing of all of the
22 Zen and the Art of the Internet
files added to UUNET's archives during the past week.
The directory shown is on a machine running the Unixop erating system_
the dir command will produce different results on other operating systems
(e.g. TOPS, VMS, et al.). Learning to recognize different formats will take
some time. After a few weeks of traversing the Internet, it proves easier to
see, for example, how large a fileis on an operating system you're otherwise
not acquainted with.
With many FTP implementations, it's also possible to take the output
of dir and put it into a file on the local system with
ftp> dir n* outfilename
the contents of which canthen be read outside of the live FTP connec-
tion; this is particularly useful for systemswith very long directories (like
ftp.uu.net). The above example would put the names of every file that
begins with an `n' into the local file outfilename.
3.2.3 cd
At the beginning of an FTP session,the user is in a "top-level" directory.
Most things are in directories below it(e.g. `/pub'). To change the current
directory, one usesthe cd command. To change to the directory `pub', for
example, one would type
ftp> cd pub
which would elicit the response
250 CWD command successful.
Meaning the "Change Working Directory" command (`cd') worked properly.
Moving "up" a directory is more system-specific_in Unix use the command
`cd ..', and in VMS, `cd [-]'.
3.2.4 get and put
The actual transfer is performed with the get and put commands. To
get a file from the remote computer to the local system, the command takes
the form:
ftp> get filename
where filename is the file onthe remote system. Again using ftp.uu.net as
an example, the file `newthisweek.Z' canb e retrieved with
Chapter 3: Anonymous FTP 23
ftp> get newthisweek.Z
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for newthisweek.Z (42390 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
local: newthisweek.Zremote: newthisweek.Z
42553 bytes receivedin 6.9 seconds (6 Kbytes/s)
ftp>
The section below on using binary mode insteadof ASCII will describe why
this particular choice will resultin a corrupt and subsequently unusable file.
If, for some reason, you want to save a file under a different name (e.g.
your system can only have14-character filenames, or can only have one dot
in the name), you can specify what the local filename should be by providing
get with an additional argument
ftp> get newthisweek.Z uunet-new
which will place the contents of the file `newthisweek.Z' in `uunet-new' on
the local system.
The transfer works the other way, too. The put command willtransfer
a file from the local system to the remote system. If the permissions are set
up for an FTP sessionto write to a remote directory, a file can be sent with
ftp> put filename
As with get, put will take a third argument, letting you specify a different
name for the file on the remote system.
3.2.4.1 ASCI I vsBinary
In the example above, the file `newthisweek.Z' was transferred, but sup-
posedly not correctly. The reason is this: in a normal ASCII transfer (the
default), certain characters are translatedb etween systems, to help make
text files more readable. However, when binary files (those containing non-
ASCII characters) are transferred, this translation shouldnot take place.
One example is a binary program_a few changed characters can render it
completely useless.
To avoid this problem,it's possible to be in one of two modes_ASCII or
binary. In binary mode, the file isn't translated in any way. What's on the
remote system is precisely what's received. The commands to go between
the two modes are:
ftp> ascii
200 Type set to A. (Note theA, which signifies ASCII mode.)
ftp> binary
200 Type set to I. (Set to Image format, for pure binary transfers.)
24 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Note that each command need only be doneonce to take effect; if the user
types binary, all transfers in that session are done in binary mode (that is,
unless ascii is typed later).
The transfer of `newthisweek.Z' will work if done as:
ftp> binary
200 Type set to I.
ftp> get newthisweek.Z
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for newthisweek.Z (42390 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
local: newthisweek.Zremote: newthisweek.Z
42390 bytes receivedin 7.2 seconds (5.8 Kbytes/s)
Note: The file size (42390) is different from that done in ASCII
mo de(42553) bytes; and the number 42390 matches the one in the
listing of UUNET's top directory. We can be relatively sure that
we've received the file without any problems.
3.2.4.2 mget and mput
The commands mget and mput allow for multiple file transfers using wild-
cards to get several files, or a whole set of files at once, rather than having
to do it manually one by one. For example, to get all files that begin with
the letter `f', one would type
ftp> mget f*
Similarly, to put all ofthe local files that end with .c:
ftp> mput *.c
Rather than reiterate what's been written a hundred times before,con-
sult a local manual for more informationon wildcard matching (every DOS
manual, for example, has a sectionon it).
Normally, FTP assumes a user wants to be prompted for every file in a
mget or mput operation. You'll often need to get a whole set of files and not
have each of them confirmed_you know they're all right. In that case, use
the prompt command to turn the queries off.
ftp> prompt
Interactive mode off.
Likewise, to turn it back on, the prompt command should simply be issued
again.
Chapter 3: Anonymous FTP 25
3.3 Thearchie Server
A group of people at McGill University in Canada got together and cre-
ated a query system called archie. Itwas originally formed to be a quick and
easy way to scan the offeringsof the many anonymous FTP sites that are
maintained around the world. As time progressed, archie grew to include
other valuable services as well.
The archie service is accessible through an interactive telnet session, email
queries, and command-line andX-window clients. The email responses can
be used along with FTPmail servers for those not on the Internet. (See
[FTP-by-Mail Servers], page 77, for info on using FTPmail servers.)
3.3.1 Usingarchie Today
Currently, archie tracks the contents of over 800 anonymous FTP archive
sites containing over a million files stored across the Internet. Collectively,
these files represent well over 50 gigabytes of information, with new entries
being added daily.
The archie server automatically updates the listing information from each
site about once a month. This avoids constantly updating the databases,
which could waste network resources, yet ensures that the information on
each site's holdings is reasonablyup to date.
To access archie interactively, telnet to one of the existing servers.1
They include
archie.ans.net (New York, USA)
archie.rutgers.edu (New Jersey, USA)
archie.sura.net (Maryland, USA)
archie.unl.edu (Nebraska, USA)
archie.mcgill.ca (the first Archie server, in Canada)
archie.funet.fi (Finland)
archie.au (Australia)
archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (Great Britain)
At the login: prompt of one of theservers, enter `archie' to log in. A
greeting will be displayed,detailing information about ongoing work in the
archie project; the user willb e left at a `archie>' prompt, at which he may
enter commands. Using `help' will yield instructions on using the `prog'
command to make queries, `set' to control various aspects of the server's
_________________________________
1 See Chapter 5 [Telnet], page 45, for notes on using the telnet program.
26 Zen and the Art of the Internet
operation, et al. Type `quit' at the prompt to leave archie. Typing the
query `prog vine.tar.Z' will yield a list of the systems that offer the source
to the X-windows program vine;a piece of the information returned looks
like:
Host ftp.uu.net (137.39.1.9)
Last updated 10:30 7 Jan 1992
Location: /packages/X/contrib
FILE rw-r--r-- 15548 Oct 8 20:29 vine.tar.Z
Host nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100)
Last updated 05:07 4 Jan 1992
Location: /pub/X11/contrib
FILE rw-rw-r-- 15548 Nov 8 03:25 vine.tar.Z
3.3.2 archie Clients
There are two main-stream archie clients,one called (naturally enough)
`archie', the other `xarchie' (for X-Windows). They query the archie
databases and yield a list of systems that have the requested file(s) avail-
able for anonymous FTP, without requiring an interactive session to the
server. For example,to find the same information you tried with the server
command `prog', you could type
% archie vine.tar.Z
Host athene.uni-paderborn.de
Location: /local/X11/more_contrib
FILE -rw-r--r-- 18854 Nov 15 1990 vine.tar.Z
Host emx.utexas.edu
Location: /pub/mnt/source/games
FILE -rw-r--r-- 12019 May 7 1988 vine.tar.Z
Host export.lcs.mit.edu
Location: /contrib
FILE -rw-r--r-- 15548 Oct 9 00:29 vine.tar.Z
Note that your system administrator may not have installed the archie
clients yet;the source is available on each of the archie servers, in the direc-
tory `archie/clients'.
Using the X-windows client is much more intuitive_if it's installed, just
read its man page and give it a whirl. It's essential for the networked desktop.
Chapter 3: Anonymous FTP 27
3.3.3 Mailing archie
Users limited to email connectivity to the Internetshould send a message
to the address `archie@archie.mcgill.ca'with the single word help in the
body of the message. An email message will be returned explaining how to
use the email archie server,along with the details of using FTPmail. Most
of the commands offered by the telnet interface can be used with the mail
server.
3.3.4 Thewhatis database
In addition to offering access to anonymous FTP listings, archie also
permits access to the whatis description database. It includes the names
and brief synopses for over 3,500 public domain software packages,datasets
and informational documents located on the Internet.
Additional whatis databases are scheduled to be added in the future.
Planned offerings include listings for the names and locations of online library
catalog programs, the names of publiclyaccessible electronic mailing lists,
compilations of Frequently Asked Questions lists, and archive sites for the
most popular Usenet newsgroups. Suggestions for additional descriptions or
locations databases are welcomed and should be sent to the archie developers
at `archie-l@cs.mcgill.ca'.
"Was fur plundern!"
("What a place to plunder!")
Gebhard Leberecht Blucher
28 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 4: Usenet News 29
4 Usenet News
The first thing to understand about Usenet is that it is widely misunder-
stood. Every day on Usenet the "blind men andthe elephant" phenomenon
appears, in spades. In the opinion of the author, more flame wars (rabid
arguments) arise because of a lackof understanding of the nature of Usenet
than from any other source. And consider that such flame wars arise, of
necessity, among peoplewho are on Usenet. Imagine, then, how poorly
understood Usenet must be by those outside!
No essay on the nature of Usenet can ignore the erroneousimpressions
held by many Usenet users. Therefore, this section will treat falsehoodsfirst.
Keep reading for truth. (Beauty, alas, is not relevant to Usenet.)
4.1 What Usenet Is
Usenet is the set of machines that exchange articlestagged with one
or more universally-recognized labels, called newsgroups (or "groups"for
short). (Note that the term `newsgroup' is correct, while `area', `base',
`board', `bboard', `conference', `roundtable', `SIG', etc. are incorrect. If
you want to be understood, be accurate.)
4.2 The Diversity of Usenet
If the above definition of Usenet sounds vague,that's because it is. It is
almost impossible to generalize over all Usenet sites in any non-trivial way.
Usenet encompasses government agencies, large universities, high schools,
businesses of all sizes, home computersof all descriptions, etc.
Every administrator controls his own site. No one has any real control
over any site but his own. The administrator gets his power from the owner
of the system he administers. As long as the owner is happy with the job the
administrator is doing, he can do whatever he pleases, up to and including
cutting off Usenet entirely. C'est la vie.
4.3 What Usenet Is Not
Usenet is not an organization.
Usenet has no central authority. In fact, it has no central any-
thing. Thereis a vague notion of "upstream" and "downstream"
30 Zen and the Art of the Internet
related to the direction of high-volume news flow. It follows that,
to the extent that "upstream" sites decide what traffic they
will carry for their "downstream" neighbors, that "upstream"
sites have some influence on their neighbors. But such influence
is usually easy to circumvent, and heavy-handed manipulation
typically results in a backlash of resentment.
Usenet is not a democracy.
Ademocracy can be loosely defined as "government of the peo-
ple, by the people, for the people." However, as explained above,
Usenet is not an organization, and only an organization can be
run as a demo cracy. Even a democracy must be organized, for
if it lacks a means of enforcing the peoples' wishes, then it may
as well not exist.
Some people wishthat Usenet were a democracy. Many people
pretend thatit is. Both groups are sadly deluded.
Usenet is not fair.
After all, who shall decide what's fair? For that matter, if some-
one is behaving unfairly, who's going to stop him? Neither you
nor I, that's certain.
Usenet is not a right.
Some people misunderstand their local right of "freedom of
speech" to mean that they have a legal right to use others' com-
puters to say what they wish in whatever way they wish, and
the owners of said computers have no right to stop them.
Those people arewrong. Freedom of speech also means freedom
not to speak; if I choose notto use my computer to aid your
speech,that is my right. Freedom of the press belongs to those
who own one.
Usenet is not a public utility.
Some Usenetsites are publicly funded or subsidized. Most of
them,by plain count, are not. There is no government monopoly
on Usenet, and little or no control.
Usenet is not a commercial network.
Many Usenet sites are academic or government organizations;in
fact, Usenetoriginated in academia. Therefore, there is a Usenet
custom of keeping commercial traffic to a minimum. If such
commercial traffic is generally considered worth carrying, then
it mayb e grudgingly tolerated. Even so, it is usually separated
somehow from non-commercial traffic; see comp.newprod.
Chapter 4: Usenet News 31
Usenet is not the Internet.
The Internet is a wide-ranging network, parts of which are subsi-
dized by various governments. The Internet carries manykinds
of traffic;Usenet is only one of them. And the Internet is only
one of the various networks carrying Usenet traffic.
Usenet is not a Unix network,nor even an ASCII network.
Don't assumethat everyone is using "rn" on a Unix machine.
There are Vaxen running VMS, IBM mainframes, Amigas, and
MS-DOS PCsreading and posting to Usenet. And, yes, some
of them use(shudder) EBCDIC. Ignore them if you like, but
they're outthere.
Usenet is not software.
There are dozens of software packages used at varioussites to
transport and read Usenet articles. So no one program or pack-
age can be called"the Usenet software."
Software designed to support Usenet traffic can be (and is) used
for other kinds of communication, usually without risk of mixing
the two. Such private communication networks are typically
kept distinct from Usenet by the invention of newsgroup names
different from the universally-recognized ones.
Usenet is not a UUCP network.
UUCPis a protocol (some might say protocol suite, but that's
a technical point) for sending data over point-to-point connec-
tions,typically using dialup modems. Usenet is only one of the
various kinds of traffic carried via UUCP, and UUCPis only one
of the various transports carrying Usenet traffic.
Well, enough negativity.
4.4 Propagation of News
In the old days, when UUCP over long-distance dialup lines was the
dominant means of article transmission, a few well-connected sites had real
influence in determining which newsgroups would be carried where. Those
sites called themselves "the backbone."
But things have changed. Nowadays,even the smallest Internet site has
connectivity the likes of which the backbone admin of yesteryear could only
dream. In addition, in the U.S., the advent of cheaper long-distance calls
and high-speed modems has made long-distance Usenetfeeds thinkable for
smaller companies. There is only one pre-eminent UUCP transport site
32 Zen and the Art of the Internet
today in the U.S.,namely UUNET. But UUNET isn't a player in the propa-
gation wars, becauseit never refuses any traffic_it gets paid by the minute,
after all; to refuse based on content would jeopardize its legal status as an
enhanced service provider.
All of the above applies to the U.S. In Europe, different cost structures
favored the creation of strictly controlled hierarchical organizations with cen-
tral registries. This is all very unlike the traditional mode of U.S. sites (pi*
*ck
a name, get the software, geta feed, you're on). Europe's "benign mo-
nopolies", long uncontested, now face competition from looser organizations
patterned after the U.S. model.
4.5 GroupCreation
As discussed above, Usenet is not a democracy. Nevertheless,currently
the most popular way to create a new newsgroup involves a "vote" to de-
termine popular support for (and opposition to) a proposed newsgroup. See
Appendix C [Newsgroup Creation], page 79, for detailed instructions and
guidelines on the process involved in making a newsgroup.
If you follow the guidelines,it is probable that your group will be created
and will be widely propagated. However, due to the nature of Usenet, there
is no way for any user toenforce the results of a newsgroup vote (or any
other decision, for that matter). Therefore, for your new newsgroup tob e
propagated widely,you must not only follow the letter of the guidelines; you
must also follow its spirit. And you must not allow even a whiff of shady
dealings or dirty tricks to mar the vote.
So, you may ask: How is a new user supposed to know anything about the
"spirit" of the guidelines? Obviously, she can't. This fact leads inexorably
to the following recommendation:
If you're a new user, don't try to create a new newsgroup alone.
If you have a good newsgroup idea,then read the news.groups newsgroup for
a while (six months,at least) to find out how things work. If you're too im-
patient to wait six months, then you really need to learn;read news.groups
for a year instead. If you just can'twait, find a Usenet old hand to run the
vote for you.
Readers may think this advice unnecessarily strict. Ignore itat your
peril. It is embarrassing to speak before learning. It isfo olish to jump into a
society you don't understand with your mouth open. And it is futile to try
to force your will on people who can tune you out with the press of a key.
Chapter 4: Usenet News 33
4.6 If You're Unhappy: : :
Property rights being what they are, there is no higher authority on
Usenet than the people who own the machines on which Usenet traffic is
carried. If the owner of the machine you use says, "We will not carry alt.sex
on this machine,"and you are not happy with that order,you have no Usenet
recourse. What can we outsiders do, afterall?
That doesn't mean you are without options. Depending on the nature
of your site, you may have some internal political recourse. Or you might
find external pressure helpful. Or, with a minimal investment, you can get a
feed of your own from somewhere else. Computers capable of taking Usenet
feeds are down in the $500 range now, Unix-capable boxes are going for
under $2000, and there are at least two Unix lookalikes in the $100 price
range.
No matter what, appealing to "Usenet" won't help. Even if those who
read such an appeal regarding system administration are sympathetic to
your cause, they will almost certainly have even less influence at your site
than you do.
By the same token, if you don't like what some user at another site is
doing, onlythe administrator and/or owner of that site have any authority to
do anything about it. Persuade them thatthe user in question is a problem
for them, and they might do something (if they feel like it). If the user in
question is the administrator or owner of the site from which he or she posts,
forget it; you can't win. Arrange for your newsreading software to ignore
articles from him or her if you can, and chalk one up to experience.
4.7 The History of Usenet (The ABCs)
In the beginning, there were conversations, and they were good. Then
came Usenet in 1979, shortly after the release of V7 Unix with UUCP; and
it was better. Two Duke University grad students in North Carolina, Tom
Truscott and Jim Ellis,thought of hooking computers together to exchange
information with the Unix community. Steve Bellovin, a grad student at
the University of North Carolina, put together the first version of the news
software using shell scripts and installed it on the first two sites: unc and
duke. At the beginning of 1980 the network consisted of those two sites
and phs (another machine at Duke), and was described at the January 1980
Usenix conference in Boulder,CO.1 Steve Bellovin later rewrote the scripts
into Cprograms, but they were never releasedb eyond unc and duke. Shortly
_________________________________
34 Zen and the Art of the Internet
thereafter, Steve Daniel did another implementation in the C programming
language for public distribution. Tom Truscott made further modifications,
and this became the "A" news release.
In 1981 at the University of California at Berkeley, grad student Mark
Horton and high school student MattGlickman rewrote the news software to
add functionality and to cope with the ever increasing volume of news_"A"
news was intended for only a few articles per group per day. This rewrite
was the "B" news version. The first public release was version 2.1 in 1982;
all versions before 2.1 were considered in beta test. As The Net grew,the
news software was expanded and modified. The last version maintained and
released primarily by Mark was2.10.1.
Rick Adams, then at the Center for Seismic Studies, took over coordi-
nation of the maintenance and enhancement of the news software with the
2.10.2 release in 1984. By this time, theincreasing volume of news was be-
coming a concern, and the mechanism for moderated groups was added to
the software at 2.10.2. Moderated groups were inspired by ARPA mailing
lists and experience with other bulletin board systems. In late 1986, ver-
sion 2.11 of news was released,including a number of changes to support a
new naming structure for newsgroups,enhanced batching and compression,
enhanced ihave/sendme control messages, and other features. The current
release of news is 2.11, patchlevel 19.
A new version of news,becoming known as "C" news,has been developed
at the University of Toronto by Geoff Collyer and Henry Spencer. This
version is a rewrite of the lowest levels of news to increase article processing
speed, decrease article expiration processing and improve the reliability of
the news system through better locking, etc. The package was released
to The Net in the autumn of 1987. For more information, see the paper
News Need Not Be Slow, published in the Winter 1987 Usenix Technical
Conference proceedings.
Usenet software has also been ported to a number of platforms, from the
Amiga and IBM PCs all the wayto minicomputers and mainframes.
4.8 Hierarchies
Newsgroups are organized according to their specific areas of concentra-
tion. Since the groups are in a tree structure, the various areas arecalled
hierarchies. There are seven major categories:
_________________________________
1 The Usenix conferences are semi-annual meetings where members of the
Usenix Association, a group of Unix enthusiasts, meet andtrade notes.
Chapter 4: Usenet News 35
`comp' Topics of interest to both computer professionals and hobby-
ists, including topics in computer science, software sources, and
informationon hardware and software systems.
`misc' Group addressing themes not easily classified into any of the
other headings or which incorporate themes from multiple cat-
egories. Subjects include fitness, job-hunting, law,and invest-
ments.
`sci' Discussionsmarked by special knowledge relating to research in
or application of the established sciences.
`soc' Groups primarily addressing social issues and socializing. In-
cluded are discussions related to many different world cultures.
`talk' Groups largely debate-oriented and tending to feature long dis-
cussions without resolution and without appreciable amounts of
generally useful information.
`news' Groups concerned with the news network, group maintenance,
andsoftware.
`rec' Groups oriented towards hobbies and recreational activities
These "world" newsgroups are (usually) circulated around the entire
Usenet_this implies world-wide distribution. Not all groups actually en-
joy such wide distribution,however. The European Usenet and Eunet sites
take only a selected subset of themore "technical" groups, and controversial
"noise" groups are often not carried by many sites in the U.S. and Canada
(these groups are primarily under the `talk' and `soc' classifications). Many
sites do not carry some or all of the comp.binaries groups because of the
typically large size of the posts in them (b eing actual executable programs).
Also available are a number of "alternative" hierarchies:
`alt' True anarchy; anything and everything can and does appear;
subjects include sex,the Simpsons, and privacy.
`gnu' Groups concentrating on interests and software with the GNU
Project of the Free Software Foundation. For further info on
what the FSFis, see Section 8.3.4 [FSF], page 68.
`biz' Business-related groups.
4.9 Moderated vs Unmoderated
Some newsgroups insist that the discussion remain focused and on-target;
to serve this need, moderated groups came to be. All articles posted to a
moderated group get mailed to the group's moderator. He or she periodically
(hopefully sooner than later) reviews the posts,and then either posts them
36 Zen and the Art of the Internet
individually to Usenet, or posts a composite digest of the articlesfor the
past day or two. This is how many mailing list gateways work (for example,
the Risks Digest).
4.10 news.groups & news.announce.newgroups
Being a good net.citizen includes being involved in the continuing growth
and evolution of the Usenet system. One part of this involvement in-
cludes following the discussion inthe groups news.groups and the notes
in news.announce.newgroups. It is there thatdiscussion goes on about the
creation of new groups and destruction of inactive ones. Every person on
Usenet is allowed and encouraged to vote on the creation of a newsgroup.
4.11 How UsenetWorks
The transmission of Usenet news is entirely cooperative. Feeds are gener-
ally provided out of good will and the desireto distribute news everywhere.
There are places which providefeeds for a fee (e.g. UUNET), but for the
large part no exchange of money isinvolved.
There are two major transport methods, UUCP andNNTP. The first is
mainly modem-based and involves the normal charges for telephone calls.
The second, NNTP, is the primary method for distributing news over the
Internet.
With UUCP, news is stored in batcheson a site until the neighbor calls
to receive the articles, or the feed site happens to call. A list of groups
which the neighbor wishes to receive is maintained on the feed site. The
Cnews system compresses its batches, which can dramatically reduce the
transmission time necessary for a relatively heavy newsfeed.
NNTP, on the other hand, offers a little more latitudewith how news
is sent. The traditional store-and-forward method is, of course, available.
Given the "real-time" nature of theInternet, though, other methods have
been devised. Programs now keep constantconnections with their news
neighbors, sending news nearly instantaneously, and can handle dozens of
simultaneous feeds, both incoming and outgoing.
The transmission of a Usenet article is centered around the unique
`Message-ID:' header. When an NNTP site offers an article to a neigh-
bor, it says it has that specific Message ID. If the neighbor finds it hasn't
received the article yet,it tells the feed to send it through; this is repeated
for each and every article that's waiting for the neighbor. Using unique IDs
Chapter 4: Usenet News 37
helps prevent a system from receiving five copies of an article from each of
its five news neighbors, for example.
Further information on how Usenet works with relation to the various
transports is available in thedo cumentation for the Cnews and NNTP pack-
ages, as well as in RFC-1036, the Standard for Interchange of USENET
Messages and RFC-977, Network News Transfer Protocol: A Proposed Stan-
dard for the Stream-Based Transmission of News. The RFCs do tend to be
rather dry reading, particularly to thenew user. See [RFCs], page 73 for
information on retrieving RFCs.
4.12 MailGateways
A natural progression is for Usenet news and electronic mailing lists to
somehow become merged_which they have, in the form of news gateways.
Many mailing lists are set up to "reflect" messages not only to the readership
of the list, but also into a newsgroup. Likewise, posts to anewsgroup can
be sent to the moderator of the mailing list, or tothe entire mailing list.
Some examples of this in action are comp.risks (the Risks Digest) and
comp.dcom.telecom (the Telecom Digest).
This method of propagating mailing list traffic has helped solve theprob-
lem of a single message being deliveredto a number of people at the same
site_instead, anyone can justsubscribe to the group. Also, mailing list
maintenance is lowered substantially, since the moderators don't have to be
constantly removing and addingusers to and from the list. Instead, the
people can read and not read the newsgroup attheir leisure.
4.13 Usenet"Netiquette"
There are many traditions with Usenet, not the least of which is dubbed
netiquette_being polite and considerate of others. If you follow a few basic
guidelines, you, and everyone that reads your posts, will be much happier in
the long run.
4.13.1 Signatures
At the end of most articles is a small blurb called a person'ssignature.
In Unix this file is named `.signature'in the person's login directory_
it will vary for other operating systems. It exists to provide information
about how to get in touch with thep erson p osting the article, including
38 Zen and the Art of the Internet
their email address, phone numb er,address, or where they're located. Even
so, signatures have become the graffiti of computers. People put song lyrics,
pictures, philosophical quotes, even advertisements in their ".sigs". (Note,
however,that advertising in your signature will more often than not getyou
flamed until you take it out.)
Four lines will suffice_more is just extra garbage for Usenet sites to carry
along with your article, which is supposed to be the intended focus of the
reader. Netiquette dictates limiting oneself to this "quota" of four_some
people make signatures that are ten lines or even more, including elaborate
ASCII drawings of their hand-writtensignature or faces or even the space
shuttle. This is not cute, andwill bother people to no end.
Similarly, it's not necessary to include yoursignature_if you forget to
append it to an article, don't worry ab outit. The article's just as good as
it ever would be, and contains everything you should want to say. Don't
re-post the article just to include the signature.
4.13.2 Posting Personal Messages
If mail to a person doesn't make it through, avoid posting the message to
a newsgroup. Even if the likelihood of that personreading the group is very
high, all of the other peoplereading the articles don't give a whit what you
have to say to Jim Morrison. Simply wait for the person to post again and
double-check the address, or get intouch with your system administrator
and see if it's a problem with local email delivery. It may also turn out that
their site is down or is having problems, in which case it's just necessary to
wait until things return to normal before contacting Jim.
4.13.3 Posting Mail
In the interests of privacy,it's considered extremely bad taste to post any
email that someone may have sent, unless they explicitly give you permis-
sion to redistribute it. While the legal issues can be heavilydebated, most
everyone agrees that email should be treated as anything one would receive
via normal snailmail,2, with all of the assumed rights that are carried with
it.
_________________________________
2 The slang for the normal land and air postal service.
Chapter 4: Usenet News 39
4.13.4 Test Messages
Many people, particularly new users, want to try outp osting before actu-
ally taking part in discussions. Often the mechanics of getting messages out
is the most difficult part of Usenet. To this end, many, many users find it
necessary to post their tests to "normal" groups (for example, news.admin
or comp.mail.misc). This is considered a major netiquettefaux pas in the
Usenet world. There are a number of groups available,called test groups,
that exist solely for the purpose of trying out a news system, reader, or even
new signature. They include
alt.test
gnu.gnusenet.test
misc.test
some of which will generate auto-magic replies to your posts to let you know
they made it through. There are certain denizens of Usenet that frequent the
test groups to help new users out. They resp ond to the posts, often including
the article so the poster can see how itgot to the person's site. Also, many
regional hierarchies havetest groups, like phl.test in Philadelphia.
By all means, experiment and test_just do it in its proper place.
4.13.5 Famous People Appearing
Every once in a while, someone says that a celebrity is accessible through
"The Net"; or, even more entertaining, an article is forged to appear to
be coming from that celebrity. One example is Stephen Spielberg_the
rec.arts.movies readership was in an uproar for two weeks following a
couple of posts supposedly made by Mr. Spielberg. (Some detective work
revealed it to be a hoax.)
There are a few well-known people that are acquainted with Usenet and
computers in general_but the overwhelming majority are just normal peo-
ple. One should act with skepticismwhenever a notable personality is "seen"
in a newsgroup.
4.13.6 Summaries
Authors of articles occasionally say that readers should replyby mail and
they'll summarize. Accordingly, readers should do just that_reply via mail.
Responding with a followup article to such an article defeats the intention of
the author. She, in a few days, will post one article containing the highlights
of the responses she received. By following up to the whole group, the author
may not read what you have to say.
40 Zen and the Art of the Internet
When creating a summary of the replies to a post, try to make it as
reader-friendly as possible. Avoid just putting all of the messages received
into one big file. Rather, take some time and edit the messages into a form
that contains the essential information that other readers would be interested
in.
Also, sometimes people will respond but request to remain anonymous
(one example is the employeesof a corporation that feel the information's not
proprietary,but at the same time want to protect themselves from political
backlash). Summaries should honor this request accordingly by listing the
`From:' address as `anonymous' or `(Address withheld by request)'.
4.13.7 Quoting
When following up to an article, many newsreadersprovide the facility
to quote the original article with each line prefixed by `> ', as in
In article <1232@foo.bar.com>;, sharon@foo.bar.com wrote:
> I agree, I think that basketweaving's really catching on,
> particularly in Pennsylvania. Here's a list of every person
> in PA that currently engages in it publicly:
: :e:tc : : :
This is a severe example (potentially a horribly long article), but proves
a point. When you quote another person, edit out whatever isn't directly
applicable to your reply.3 This gives the reader of the new article a better
idea of what points you were addressing. By including the entire article,
you'll only annoy those reading it. Also, signatures in the original aren't
necessary; the readers already knowwho wrote it (by the attribution).
Avoid being tedious with responses_rather than pick apart an article,
address it in parts or as a whole. Addressing practically each and every word
in an article only proves thatthe person responding has absolutely nothing
better to do with his time.
If a "war" starts (insults and personal comments get thrown back and
forth), take it into email_exchange email with the person you're arguing
with. No one enjoys watching peoplebicker incessantly.
_________________________________
3 But not changing their words, of course.
Chapter 4: Usenet News 41
4.13.8 Crossp osting
The `Newsgroups:' line isn't limited to just one group_an article can be
posted in a list of groups. For instance, the line
Newsgroups: sci.space,comp.simulation
posts the article to both the groups sci.space andcomp.simulation. It's
usually safe to crosspost to up to three or four groups. To list more than
that is considered "excessive noise."
It's also suggested that if an article is crossposted a `Followup-To:'
header be included. It should name the group to which all additional discus-
sion should be directed to. Forthe above example a possible `Followup-To:'
would be
Followup-To: sci.space
which would make all followups automatically be posted to just sci.space,
rather than both sci.space and comp.simulation. If every response made
with a newsreader's "followup" command should go to the person posting the
article no matter what,there's also a mechanism worked in to accommodate.
The Followup-To: header should contain the single word `poster':
Followup-To: poster
Certain newsreaders will use this to sense that a reply should never be posted
back onto The Net. This is often used with questions that will yield a
summary of information later, a vote, or an advertisement.
4.13.9 Recent News
One should avoid posting "recent" events_sp orts scores, a plane crash,
or whatever people will see on the evening news or read in the morning paper.
By the time the article has propagated across all of Usenet, the "news" value
of the article will have become stale. (This is one case for the argument that
`Usenet news' is a misnomer.4)
4.13.10 Quality of Postings
How you write and present yourself in your articles is important. If
you have terrible spelling, keep a dictionary near by. If youhave trouble
_________________________________
4 Note that the Clarinet News service (see Section 7.3 [Clarinet], page 60)
offers news items in a Usenet format as a precise alternative to the morn-
ing paper, et. al.
42 Zen and the Art of the Internet
with grammar and punctuation,try to get a book on English grammar and
composition (found in many bookstores and at garagesales). By allmeans
pay attention to what yousay_it makes you who you are on The Net.
Likewise, try to be clear in what youask. Ambiguous or vague questions
often lead to no response at all, leaving the poster discouraged. Give as
much essential information as you feel is necessary to let people help you,
but keep it within limits. For instance, you should probably include the
operating system of your computer in thep ostif it's needed, but don't tell
everybody what peripherals you havehanging off of it.
4.13.11 Useful Subjects
The `Subject:' line of an article is what will first attract peopleto read
it_if it's vague or doesn't describe what's contained within, no one will read
the article. At the same time,`Subject:' lines that're too wordy tend to be
irritating. Forexample:
Good Subject: Building Emacs on aSun Sparc under 4.1
Good Subject: Tryin' to find Waldo in NJ.
Bad Subject: I can't get emacs to work !!!
Bad Subject: I'm desperately in search of the honorable Mr. Waldo
in the stateof: : :
Simply put, try to think of what willb est help the reader when he or she
encounters your article in a newsreading session.
4.13.12 Tone of Voice
Since common computers can't portray the inflection or tone ina p erson's
voice, how articles are worded can directly affect the response to them. If
you say
Anybody using a Vic-20 should go buy themselves a life.
you'll definitely get some responses_telling you to take a leap. Rather than
be inflammatory,phrase your articles in a way that rationally expresses your
opinion, like
What're the practical uses of a Vic-20 these days?
which presents yourself as a much more level-headed individual.
Also, what case (upper or lower) you use can indicate how you're trying
to speak_netiquette dictates that if youUSE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS,
people will think you're "shouting." Write asyou would in a normal letter
Chapter 4: Usenet News 43
to a friend, following traditional rules of English (or whatever language you
happen to speak).
4.13.13 Computer Religion
No matter what kind of computer a person is using, theirs is always
the best and most efficient of them all. Posting articles asking questions like
`What computer should I buy? An Atari STor an Amiga?' will lead only to
fervent arguments over the merits and drawbacks of each brand. Don't even
ask The Net_go to a local user group,or do some research of your own like
reading some magazine reviews. Trying to say one computer is somehow
better than another is a moot point.
4.14 Frequently Asked Questions
A number of groups include Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) lists,
which give the answers toquestions or points that have been raised time
and time again in a newsgroup. They're intended to help cut down
on the redundant traffic in a group. For example, in the newsgroup
alt.tv.simpsons,one recurring question is `Did you notice that there's
a different blackboard opening at the beginning of every Simpsons
episode?' As a result, it's part of theFAQ for that group.
Usually, FAQ lists are p osted at the beginning of each month, and are
set to expire one month later (when, supposedly, the next FAQ will be
published). Nearly every FAQ isalso crossposted to news.answers, which
is used as a Usenet repository for them.
4.14.1 ThePit-Manager Archive
MIT, with Jonathan Kamens, has graciously dedicated a machine to the
archiving and storage of the various periodic postings that are peppered
throughout the various Usenetgroups. To access them, FTP to the system
pit-manager.mit.edu and look in the directory`/pub/usenet'.
"Be it true or false, so it be news."
Ben Jonson, News from the New World
44 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 5: Telnet 45
5 Telnet
Telnet is the main Internet protocol for creating a connectionwith a
remote machine. It gives the user the opportunity to be on one computer
system and do work on another,which may be across the street or thousands
of miles away. Where modems are limited, in the majority,by the quality of
telephone lines and a single connection,telnet provides a connection that's
error-free and nearly always faster than the latest conventional modems.
5.1 UsingTelnet
As with FTP (see Section 3.2.2 [Anonymous FTP], page 21), the actual
command for negotiating a telnet connection varies from system to system.
The most common is telnet itself, though. It takes the form of:
telnet somewhere.domain
To be safe, we'll use your local system as a working example. By now, you
hopefully know your site's domain name. If not, ask or try to figure it out.
You'll not get by without it.
To open the connection, type
telnet your.system.name
If the system were wubba.cs.widener.edu, for example, the command
would look like
telnet wubba.cs.widener.edu
The system will respond with something similarto
Trying 147.31.254.999...
Connected to wubba.cs.widener.edu.
Escape character is'^]'.
The escape character, in this example ^] (Control-]), is the character that
will let you go back to the local system to close the connection, suspend it,
etc. To close this connection, the user would type ^], andrespond to the
telnet> prompt with the command close. Local documentation should
be checked for information onsp ecific commands, functions, and escape
character that can be used.
5.1.1 Telnet Ports
Many telnet clients also include a third option, the port on whichthe
connection should take place. Normally, port 23is the default telnet port;
46 Zen and the Art of the Internet
the user never has to think about it. But sometimes it's desirable to telnet
to a different port on a system, where there may be a service available, or
to aid in debugging a problem. Using
telnet somewhere.domain port
will connect the user to the givenp ort on the system somewhere.domain.
Many libraries use this port method to offer their facilities to the general
Internet community; other services are also available. For instance, one
would type
telnet martini.eecs.umich.edu 3000
to connect to the geographic serverat the University of Michigan (see Sec-
tion 5.5.6 [Geographic Server],page 50). Other such port connections follow
the same usage.
5.2 Publicly AccessibleLibraries
Over the last several years, mostuniversity libraries have switched from
a manual (card) catalog system to computerized library catalogs. The au-
tomated systems provide users witheasily accessible and up-to-date infor-
mation about the books available in these libraries. This has been further
improved upon with the advent of local area networks, dialup modems, and
wide area networks. Now many of us can check on our local library's holdings
or that of a library halfway around the world!
Many, many institutions of higher learning have made their library cata-
logs available for searching by anyone on the Internet. They include Boston
University,the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL), and London
University King's College.
To include a listing of some of the existing sites would not only be far
too long for this document, it would so on be outof date. Instead, several
lists are being maintained and are available either by mail or via FTP. Also,
the Internet Resource Guide (IRG) also describes a few libraries that are
accessible_see Section 9.1 [IRG], page 71 for further information.
Art St. George and Ron Larsen are maintaining a list of Internet-
accessible libraries and databases oftenreferred to as "the St. George di-
rectory." It began with only library catalogs but has expanded to in-
clude sections on campus-wide information systems, and even bulletin
board systems that are not on the Internet. The library catalog sec-
tions are divided into those that are free, those that charge, and inter-
national (i.e. non-U.S.) catalogs; they are arranged by state, province, or
country within each section. There is also a section giving dialup *
*in-
formation for some of the library catalogs. It's available for FTP (*
*see
Chapter 5: Telnet 47
Section 3.2.2 [Anonymous FTP], page 21) on nic.cerf.net in the di-
rectory `cerfnet/cerfnet_info/library_catalog'. The file `internet-
catalogs' has a date suffix;check for the most current date. The informa-
tion is updated periodically.
Billy Barron, Systems Manager at the University of North Texas, pro-
duces a directory as an aid to his usercommunity. It complements the St.
George guide by providing a standard format for all systems which lists the
Internet address, login instructions, the system vendor, and logoff informa-
tion. The arrangement is alphabetic by organization name. It's available
for FTP on vaxb.acs.unt.edu in the subdirectory `library' as the file
`libraries.txt'.
For announcements of new libraries being available and discussion on
related topics, consult the Usenet newsgroup comp.internet.library (see
Chapter 4 [Usenet News], page 29 to learn how to read news).
5.3 The Cleveland Freenet
Freenets are open-access, free, communitycomputer systems. One such
system is the Cleveland Freenet, sponsored by CWRU (Case Western Re-
serve University). Anyone and everyone is welcome tojoin and take part
in the exciting project_that of a National Telecomputing Public Network,
where everyone benefits. There's no charge for the registration process and
no charge to use the system.
To register, telnet to any one of
freenet-in-a.cwru.edu
freenet-in-b.cwru.edu
freenet-in-c.cwru.edu
After you're connected, choose the entry on the menu that signifies you're
a guest user. Another menu will follow; select `Apply for an account', and
you'll be well on your way to being a FreeNet member.
You will need to fill out a form and send it tothem through the Postal
Service_your login id and password will be created in a few days. At that
point you're free to use the systemas you wish. They provide multi-user
chat, email, Usenet news, and a variety of other things to keep you occupied
for hours on end.
5.4 Directories
There are a few systems that are maintained to provide the Internet com-
48 Zen and the Art of the Internet
munity with access to lists ofinformation_users, organizations, etc. They
range from fully dedicated computers with access to papers and research
results, to a system to find out about the faculty members of a university.
5.4.1 Knowbot
Knowbot is a "master directory" that contains email address information
from the NIC WHOIS database (see Section6.4.1 [Whois], page 57), the
PSI White Pages Pilot Project, the NYSERNET X.500 database and MCI
Mail. Most of these services are email registries themselves, but Knowb ot
provides a very comfortable way to access all of them in one place. Telnet
to nri.reston.va.us on port 185.
5.4.2 WhitePages
PSI maintains a directory of information on individuals. It will list the
person's name, organization, and email address if it is given. Telnet to
wp.psi.net and log in as `fred'. The White Pages Project also includes an
interface to use Xwindows remotely.
5.5 Databases
For information on database services, see Section 7.2 [Commercial
Databases], page 60. Not all databases on the Internetrequire payment
for use, though. There do exist some, largelyresearch-driven databases,
which are publicly accessible. New ones spring up regularly.
To find out more about the databases in this section, contact the people
directly responsible for them. Their areas of concentration and the software
used to implement them are widely disparate, and are probably beyond the
author's expertise. Also, don't forget to checkwith your local library_the
reference librarian there can provide information on conventional resources,
and possibly even those available over the Internet (they are becoming more
common).
5.5.1 Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL)
The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL), in asso ciation with
CARL Systems Inc., operates a public access catalog of services. Offered are
a number of library databases, includingsearches for government periodi-
cals, book reviews, indices for current articles, and access to to other library
Chapter 5: Telnet 49
databases around the country. Other services are available to CARL mem-
bers including an online encyclopedia. Telnet to pac.carl.org, or write to
`help@carl.org' for more details.
5.5.2 PENpages
PENpages is an agriculturally-oriented database administered by Penn-
sylvania State University. Information entered into PENpages is provided by
numerous sources including the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, Rutgers
University,and Penn State. Easy-to-usemenus guide users to information
ranging from cattle and agricultural prices to current weather information,
from health information to agriculturalnews from around the nation. A
keyword search option also allows users to search the database for related
information and articles. The database is updated daily, and a listing of
most recent additions is displayed after login. Telnet to psupen.psu.edu
and log in as the user `PNOTPA'.
5.5.3 Clemson Univ. Forestry & Agricultural Network
Clemson maintains a database similar to PENpages in content, but the
information provided tends to be localized tothe Southeastern United States.
A menu-driven database offers queries involving the weather, food, family,
and human resources. Telnet to eureka.clemson.edu and log in as `PUBLIC'.
You need to be on a good VT100 emulator (or a real VT terminal).
5.5.4 University of Maryland Info Database
The Computer Science department of the University of Maryland main-
tains a repository of information on a wide variety of topics. They wish to
give a working example of how network technology can (and should) provide
as much information as possible tothose who use it. Telnet to info.umd.edu
and log in as `info'. The information contained in the database is accessible
through a screen-oriented interface, and everything therein is available via
anonymous FTP.
There is a mailing list used to discuss the UMD Info Database, welcom-
ing suggestions for new information,comments on the interface the system
provides, and other related topics. Send mail to listserv@umdd.umd.edu
with a body of
subscribe INFO-L Your Full Name
See Section 2.2.1 [Listservs], page 16 for more information on using the
Listserv system.
50 Zen and the Art of the Internet
5.5.5 University of Michigan Weather Underground
The University of Michigan's Department ofAtmospheric, Oceanic, &
Space Sciences maintains a databaseof weather and related information for
the United States and Canada. Available are current weather conditions and
forecasts for cities in the U.S., a national weather summary, ski conditions,
earthquake and hurricane updates,and a listing of severe weather conditions.
Telnet to madlab.sprl.umich.edu on port 3000 to use the system.
5.5.6 Geographic Name Server
A geographic database listing information for cities in the United States
and some international locations is maintained by Merit, Inc. The database
is searchable by city name, zip code, etc. It will respond with a lot of
information: the area code, elevation,time zone, and longitude and latitude
are included. For example, a query of `19013' yields
0 Chester
1 42045 Delaware
2 PA Pennsylvania
3 US United States
F 45 Populated place
L 39 50 58 N 75 21 22 W
P 45794
E 22
Z 19013
Z 19014
Z 19015
Z 19016
.
To use the server, telnet to martini.eecs.umich.edu on port 3000. The
command `help' will yield further instructions, along with an explanation
for each of the fields in a reponse.
5.5.7 FEDIX_Minority Scholarship Information
FEDIX is an on-line information service that links the higher education
community and the federal government to facilitate research, education, and
services. The system provides accurate and timely federal agency informa-
tion to colleges, universities, andother research organizations. There are no
registration fees and no access charges for FEDIX whatsoever.
Chapter 5: Telnet 51
FEDIX offers the Minority On-Line Information Service (MOLIS), a
database listing current information about Black and Hispanic colleges and
universities.
Daily information updates are made on federal education and research
programs, scholarships, fellowships, and grants, available used research
equipment, and general information about FEDIX itself. To access the
database, telnet to fedix.fie.com and log in as `fedix'.
5.5.8 Science & Technology Information System
The STIS is maintained by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and
provides access to many NSFpublications. The full text of publications can
be searched online and copied from the system, which can accommodate up
to ten users at one time. Telnet to stis.nsf.gov and log in as `public'.
Everything on the system is also available via anonymous FTP. For further
information, contact:
STIS, Office of Information Systems, Room 401
National Science Foundation
1800 G. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20550
stis-request@nsf.gov
(202)357-7492
(202) 357-7663 (Fax)
5.5.9 OceanNetwork Information Center
The University of Delaware College of Marine Studies offers access to an
interactive database of research information covering all aspects of marine
studies, nicknamed OCEANIC. This includes the World Oceanic Circulation
Experiment (WOCE) information and program information, research ship
schedules and information,and a Who's Who of email and mailing addresses
for oceanic studies. Data from a variety of academic institutions based on
research studies is also available. Telnet to delocn.udel.edu and log in as
`INFO'.
5.5.10 NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)
The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)is an ongoing project,
funded by NASA, to make data and literature on extragalactic objects avail-
able over computer networks. NED is an object-oriented database which
52 Zen and the Art of the Internet
contains extensive informationfor nearly 132,000 extragalactic objects taken
from about major catalogs of galaxies, quasars, infraredand radio sources.
NED provides positions, names, and other basic data (e.g. magnitude
types, sizes and redshifts aswell as bibliographic references and abstracts).
Searches can be done by name, around a name, and on an astronomical po-
sition. NED contains a tutorial which guides the user through the retrieval
process. Telnet to ipac.caltech.eduand log in as `ned'.
5.5.11 U.S.Naval Observatory Automated Data Service
Operated by the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., this au-
tomated data service provides database access to information ranging from
current navigational satellitep ositioning, astronomical data, and software
utilities. A wide variety of databases can be searched andinstructions for
file transfer are given. Telnet to tycho.usno.navy.mil and log in as `ads'.
"My consciousness suddenly switchedlo cations, for the first time in
my life, from the vicinity of my head and body to a point about
twenty feet away from where I normally see the world."
Howard Rheingold, Virtual Reality
Chapter 6: Various Tools 53
6 Various Tools
New and interesting ways to use the Internet are being dreamed up every
day. As they gain wide-spread use, some methods become near-standard (or
actual written standard) tools for Internet users to take advantage of. A few
are detailed here; there are undoubtedly others, and new ideasspring up
all the time. An active user of the Internet will discover most of the more
common ones in time. Usually, these services are free. See Chapter 7 [Com-
mercial Services], page 59 for applicationsthat are commercially available
over the Internet.
Usenet is often used to announce a new service or capability on the Inter-
net. In particular,the groups comp.archives and comp.protocols.tcp-ip
are good places to look. Information will drift into other areas as word
spreads. See Chapter 4 [Usenet News], page 29 for information on reading
news.
6.1 Finger
On many systems there exists the `finger' command,which yield infor-
mation about each user that's currently logged in. This command also has
extensions for use over the Internet, as well. Under normal circumstances,
the command is simply `finger' for a summary of who's logged into the lo-
cal system, or `fingerusername' for specific information about a user. It's
also possible to go one step further and go onto the network. The general
usage is
finger @hostname
To see who's currently logged in at Widener University, for instance, use
% finger @cs.widener.edu
[cs.widener.edu]
Login Name TTY Idle When Where
brendan Brendan Kehoe p0 Fri 02:14 tattoo.cs.widene
sven Sven Heinicke p1 Fri 04:16 xyplex3.cs.widen
To find out about a certain user, they can be fingered specifically (and need
not be logged in):
54 Zen and the Art of the Internet
% finger bart@cs.widener.edu
[cs.widener.edu]
Login name: bart In real life: Bart Simpson
Directory: /home/springfield/bart Shell: /bin/underachiever
Affiliation: Brotherof Lisa Home System: channel29.fox.org
Last login Thu May 23 12:14 (EDT) on ttyp6 from channel29.fox.org.
No unread mail
Project: To become a"fluff" cartoon character.
Plan:
Don't have a cow, man.
Please realize that some sites are very security conscious, and need to restrict
the information about their systems and usersavailable to the outside world.
To that end, they often block finger requests from outside sites_so don't
be surprised if fingering a computer or a userreturns with `Connection
refused'.
6.2 Ping
The `ping' command allows the user to check ifanother system is cur-
rently "up" and running. The general form of the command is `ping sys-
tem'.1 For example,
ping cs.widener.edu
will tell you if the main machine in Widener University's Computer Science
lab is currently online (we certainly hope so!).
Many implementations of `ping' also include an option to let you see how
fast a link is running (to give you some idea of the load on the network).
For example:
% ping -s cs.swarthmore.edu
PING cs.swarthmore.edu: 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 130.58.68.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=251 time=66 ms
64 bytes from 130.58.68.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=251 time=45 ms
64 bytes from 130.58.68.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=251 time=46 ms
^C
--- cs.swarthmore.edu ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 45/52/66 ms
This case tells us that for `cs.swarthmore.edu' it takes about 46 millisec-
onds for a packet to go from Widener to Swarthmore College and back again.
_________________________________
1 The usage will, again, vary.
Chapter 6: Various Tools 55
It also gives the averageand worst-case speeds, and any packet loss that may
have occurred (e.g. because of network congestion).
While `ping' generally doesn't hurt network performance,you shouldn't
use it too often_usually once or twice will leave you relatively sure of the
other system's state.
6.3 Talk
Sometimes email is clumsy and difficult to manage when one really needs
to have an interactive conversation. The Internet provides for that as well, in
the form of talk. Two users can literally see each other type across thousands
of miles.
To talk with Bart Simpson at Widener, one would type
talk bart@cs.widener.edu
which would cause a message similar to the following to be displayed on
Bart's terminal:
Message from Talk_Daemon@cs.widener.edu at 21:45 ...
talk: connection requested by joe@ee.someplace.edu
talk: respond with: talk joe@ee.someplace.edu
Bart would, presumably, respond by typing `talk joe@ee.someplace.edu'.
They could then chat about whateverthey wished, with instantaneous re-
sponse time, rather than the write-and-wait style of email. To leave talk,
on many systems one would type Ctrl-C (hold down the Control key and
press `C'). Check local documentation to be sure.
There are two different versions of talk in common use today. The first,
dubbed "old talk," is supported by a set of Unix systems(most notably,
those currently sold by Sun). The second, ntalk (aka "new talk"), is more
of the standard. If, when attempting to talk with another user, it responds
with an error about protocol families,odds are the incompatibilities between
versions of talk is the culprit. It's up to the system administrators of sites
which use the old talk to install ntalk for their users.
6.4 The WHOIS Database
The main WHOIS database is run at the Network Information Center
(NIC). The `whois' command will let you search a database of every regis-
tered domain (e.g. `mit.edu') and of registered users. It's primarily used by
system postmasters or listowners to findthe Points of Contact for a site, to
56 Zen and the Art of the Internet
let them know of a problem or contact them for one reason or another. You
can also find out their postal address. For example:
% whois mit.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) MIT.EDU 18.72.2.1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT-DOM) MIT.EDU
Note that there are two entries for `mit.edu'; we'll go for the second.
% whois mit-dom
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT-DOM) ) Mailingaddress
Cambridge, MA 02139
Domain Name: MIT.EDU ) Domain name
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Schiller, Jeffrey I. (JIS) JIS@MIT.EDU
(617) 253-8400
Record last updated on 22-Jun-88. ) Last change made to the record
Domain servers in listed order: ) Systems that can tell you the Int*
*ernet
addresses for a site
STRAWB.MIT.EDU 18.71.0.151
W20NS.MIT.EDU 18.70.0.160
BITSY.MIT.EDU 18.72.0.3
LITHIUM.LCS.MIT.EDU 18.26.0.121
To see this host record with registered users, repeat the command with
a star ('*') beforethe name; or, use '%' to show JUST the registered
users.
Much better! Now this information (sought, possibly, by a system admin-
istrator) can be used to find out how tonotify MIT of a security issue or
problem with connectivity.
Queries can be made for individuals as well;the following would yield an
entry for the author:
Chapter 6: Various Tools 57
% whois brendan
Kehoe, Brendan (BK59) brendan@cs.widener.edu
Widener University
Department of Computer Science
Kirkbride 219
P.O. Box 83 Widener University
Chester, PA 19013
(215)/499-4011
Record last updated on 02-May-91.
Included is the author's name,his handle (a unique sequence of letters and
numbers), informationon how to contact him, and the last time the record
was modified in any way.
Anyone can register with the whois database. People who are adminis-
trative or technical contacts for domains are registered automatically when
their domain applications are processed. For normal users, one must sim-
ply fill out a form from the NIC. FTP to nic.ddn.miland get the file
`netinfo/user-template.txt'. The completed form should be mailed to
`registrar@nic.ddn.mil'.
6.4.1 OtherUses of WHOIS
Also, many educational sites run WHOIS servers of their own, to offer
information about people who may be currentlyon the staff or attending the
institution. To specify a WHOIS server, many implementations include some
sort of option or qualifier_in VMSunder MultiNet, it's `/HOST', in Unix `-
h'. To receive information about using the Stanford server, one might use
the command
whois -h stanford.edu help
A large list of systems offering WHOIS services is being maintained by
Matt Power of MIT(mhpower@stan.mit.edu). It is availablevia anonymous
FTP from sipb.mit.edu, in the directory `pub/whois'. The file is named
`whois-servers.list'.
The systems available include, but are certainly not limited to, Syra-
cuse University (syr.edu), New YorkUniversity (acfcluster.nyu.edu),
the University of California at San Diego (ucsd.edu), and Stanford Univer-
sity (stanford.edu).
"Fingers were made before forks."
Jonathan Swift, Polite Conversation
58 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 7: Commercial Services 59
7 Commercial Services
Many services can be accessed through the Internet. As time progresses
and more outlets for commercial activity appear, once-restricted traffic (by
the NSFnet Acceptable Use Policy) may now flow freely. Now that there
are other networks for that information to travel on, businesses are making
their move.
7.1 ElectronicJournals
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) publishes a hard-copy di-
rectory of electronic journals, newsletters, and scholarly discussion lists. It
is a compilation of entries for hundreds of scholarly lists, dozens of journals
and newsletters, and a many "other"titles, including newsletter-digests, into
one reference source. Each entry includes instructions on how to access the
referenced publication or list.
The documents are available electronically by sending the commands
get ejournl1 directry
get ejournl2 directry
to the server at `LISTSERV@OTTAWA.BITNET'. See Section 2.2.1 [Listservs],
page 16 for further instructions on using a listserv.
The directory, along with a compilation by Diane Kovacs called Directo-
ries of Academic E-Mail Conferences, is available in print and on diskette
(DOS WordPerfect and MacWord) from:
Office of Scientific & Academic Publishing
Association of Research Libraries
1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
ARLHQ@UMDC.BITNET
(202)232-2466
(202) 462-7849 (Fax)
The ARL is a not-for-profit organization representing over one hundred re-
search libraries in the United States and Canada. The publication is available
to ARL members for $10 and tonon-members for $20 (add $5 postage per
directory for foreign addresses). Orders of six or more copieswill receive a
10% discount; all orders mustb e prepaid and sent to the ARL.
60 Zen and the Art of the Internet
7.2 CommercialDatabases
The American Institute of Physics maintains the Physics Information
Network. It contains the bibliographic SPIN and General Physics Advanced
Abstracts databases. Also available is access to bulletin boards and several
searchable lists (job notices, announcements, etc). Telnet to pinet.aip.org;
new users must log in as `NEW' andgive registration information.
7.3 ClarinetNews
Clarinet's an electronic publishing network servicethat provides profes-
sional news and information, including live UPI wireservice news, in the
Usenet file format. See Chapter 4 [Usenet News], page 29 for more informa-
tion about Usenet.
Clarinet lets you read an "electronic newspaper" right onthe local system;
you can get timely industry news,technology related wirestories,syndicated
columns and features, financial information, stock quotes and more.
Clarinet's provided by using the Usenet message interchange format, and
is available via UUCP andother delivery protocols, including NNTP.
The main feature is ClariNews, an "electronic newspaper," gathered live
from the wire services of United Press International (UPI). ClariNews arti-
cles are distributed in 100 newsgroups based on their subject matter, and
are keyworded for additional topics and the geographical location of the
story. ClariNews includes headlines, industry news, box scores, network TV
schedules, and more. The main products of ClariNews are:
fflClariNews General, the general news"paper" with news, sports, and
features, averaging about 400 stories per day.
fflTechWire, special groups for stories on science, technology,and industry
stories around them.
fflClariNews-Biz, business and financial stories.
fflNewsbytes, a daily computer industry newsmagazine.
fflSyndicated Columns, including Dave Barry (humor) and Mike Royko
(opinion).
Full information on ClariNet, including subscription information, is available
from
Clarinet Communications Corp.
124 King St. North
Waterlo o, Ontario N2J 2X8
info@clarinet.com
Chapter 7: Commercial Services 61
(800)USE-NETS
or with anonymous FTP in thedirectory `/Clarinet' on ftp.uu.net (see
Section 3.2.2 [Anonymous FTP], page21).
"Needless to say, Aristotle did not envisage modern finance."
Frederick Copleston, S.J.
A History of Philosophy, v.1
62 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Chapter 8: Things You'll Hear Ab out 63
8 Things You'll Hear About
There are certain things that you'll hear about shortly after you start
actively using the Internet. Most people assume that everyone's familiar
with them, and they require no additional explanation. If only that were
true!
This section addresses a few topics that are commonly encountered and
asked about as a new user explores Cyberspace. Some of them are directly
related to how the networks are run today; other points are simply interesting
to read about.
8.1 The Internet Worm
On November 2, 1988, Robert Morris, Jr., a graduate student in Com-
puter Science at Cornell, wrote an exp erimental, self-replicating, self-
propagating program called a worm and injected it into the Internet. He
chose to release it from MIT, to disguise the fact that the worm came from
Cornell. Morris soon discovered that the program was replicating and rein-
fecting machines at a much faster rate than he had anticipated_there was
a bug. Ultimately, many machines at locations around the country either
crashed or became "catatonic." When Morris realizedwhat was happening,
he contacted a friend at Harvard to discuss a solution. Eventually,they sent
an anonymous message from Harvard over the network, instructing program-
mers how to kill the worm andprevent reinfection. However, because the
network route was clogged, this message did not get through until it was too
late. Computers were affected at many sites, including universities,military
sites, and medical research facilities. The estimated cost of dealing with the
worm at each installation ranged from $200 to more than $53,000.1
The program took advantage of a hole in the debug mode ofthe Unix
sendmail program, which runs on asystem and waits for other systems to
connect to it and give it email, and a hole in the finger daemon fingerd, which
serves finger requests (see Section6.1 [Finger], page 53). People at the
University of California at Berkeley and MIT had copies of the program and
were actively disassembling it (returning the program back into its source
form) to try to figure out how it worked.
Teams of programmers worked non-stopto come up with at least a tem-
porary fix, to prevent the continued spread of the worm. After about twelve
_________________________________
1 Derived in part from a letter by Severo M. Ornstein, in the Communica-
tions of the ACM, Vol 32 No 6, June 1989.
64 Zen and the Art of the Internet
hours, the team at Berkeley came up with steps that would help retard
the spread of the virus. Another method was also discovered at Purdue and
widely published. The information didn't get out as quickly as it could have,
however, since somany sites had completely disconnected themselves from
the network.
After a few days, things slowly began to return to normalcy and everyone
wanted to know who had done it all. Morris was later named in The New
York Times as the author (though this hadn't yet been officially proven,
there was a substantial body of evidencep ointing to Morris).
Robert T. Morris was convicted of violating the computer Fraud and
Abuse Act (Title 18), and sentenced to three years of probation, 400 hours
of community service, a fine of $10,050, and the costs of his supervision. His
appeal, filed in December, 1990, was rejected the following March.
8.2 The Cucko o's Egg
First in an article entitled "Stalking the Wily Hacker," and later in the
book The Cuckoo's Egg,Clifford Stoll detailed his experiences trying to track
down someone breaking into a system at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in
California.2
A 75-cent discrepancy in theLab's accounting records led Stoll on a chase
through California, Virginia, and Europe to end up in a small apartment in
Hannover, West Germany. Stoll dealt with many levels of bureaucracy and
red tape, and worked withthe FBI, the CIA, and the German Bundespost
trying to track his hacker down.
The experiences of Stoll, and particularly his message in speaking engage-
ments, have all pointed out the dire need for communication betweenparties
on a network of networks. The only way everyone can peacefully co-exist in
Cyberspace is by ensuring rapid recognition of any existing problems.
8.3 Organizations
The indomitable need for humans to congregate and share their common
interests is also present in the computing world. User groups exist around
the world, where people share ideas and experiences. Similarly, there are
organizations which are one step "ab ove" user groups; that is to say, they
_________________________________
2 See the bibliography for full citations.
Chapter 8: Things You'll Hear Ab out 65
exist to encourage or promote an idea orset of ideas, rather than support a
specific computer or application of computers.
8.3.1 The Asso ciation for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery (the ACM) wasfounded in
1947, immediately after Eckert and Mauchly unveiled one of the first elec-
tronic computers, the ENIAC, in 1946. Since then, the ACM has grown by
leaps and bounds, becoming one of the leading educational and scientific
societies in the computer industry.
The ACM's stated purposes are:
fflTo advance the sciences and arts of information processing;
fflTo promote the free interchange of information about the sciences and
arts of informationpro cessing both among specialists and among the
public;
fflTo develop and maintain the integrity and competence of individuals
engaged in the practices of the sciences and arts of information process-
ing.
Membership in the ACM has grown from seventy-eight in September,
1947, to over 77,000 today. There are local chapters around the world, and
many colleges and universitiesendorse student chapters. Lecturers frequent
these meetings, which tend to be one step above the normal "user group"
gathering. A large variety of published material is also available at dis-
counted prices for members of the asso ciation.
The ACM has a number of Special InterestGroups (SIGs) that concen-
trate on a certain area of computing, ranging from graphicsto the Ada
programming language to security. Each of the SIGs also publishes its own
newsletter. There is a Usenet group, comp.org.acm, for the discussion of
ACM topics. SeeChapter 4 [Usenet News], page 29 for more information on
reading news.
For more information and a membership application, write to:
Assocation for ComputingMachinery
1515Broadway
New York City, NY 10036
ACMHELP@ACMVM.BITNET
(212)869-7440
8.3.2 Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
The CPSR is an alliance of computer professionals concentrating on cer-
66 Zen and the Art of the Internet
tain areas of the impact of computer technology on society. It traces its
history to the fall of 1981,when several researchers in Palo Alto,California,
organized a lunch meeting to discuss their shared concerns about the con-
nection between computing and the nuclear arms race. Out of that meeting
and the discussions which followed, CPSR was born, and has been active
ever since.3
The national CPSR program focuses on the following project areas:
fflReliability and Risk This area reflects on the concern that overreliance
on computing technology can lead to unacceptable risks to society. It
includes, but isn'tlimited to, work in analyzing military systems such
as SDI.
fflCivil Liberties and Privacy This project is concerned with such top-
ics as the FBINational Crime Information Center, the growing use of
databases by both government and private industry,the right of access
to public information, extension of FirstAmendment rights to elec-
tronic communication, and establishing legal protections for privacy of
computerizedinformation.
fflComputers in the Workplace The CPSR Workplace Project has con-
centrated itsattention on the design of software for the workplace,and
particularly on thephilosophy of "participatory design," in which soft-
ware designerswork together with users to ensure that systems meet
the actual needs ofthat workplace.
fflThe 21st Century Pro jectThis is a coalition with other professional
organizations working towards redirecting national research priorities
from concentrating on military issues to anticipating and dealing with
future problems as science and technology enter the next century.
For more information on the CPSR, contactthem at:
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
P.O.Box 717
Palo Alto, CA 94302
cpsr@csli.stanford.edu
(415)322-3778
(415) 322-3798 (Fax)
8.3.3 The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was established to help civilize
_________________________________
3 This section is part of the CPSR's letter to prospective memb ers.
Chapter 8: Things You'll Hear Ab out 67
the "electronic frontier"_the Cyberspacial medium becoming ever-present
in today's society;to make it truly useful and beneficial not just to a technic*
*al
elite, but to everyone; and to do this in a way which is in keeping with the
society's highest traditions of the freeand open flow of information and
communication.4
The mission of the EFF is
fflto engage in and supp orteducational activities which increase popular
understanding of theopp ortunities and challenges posed by develop-
ments in computing and telecommunications;
fflto develop among p olicy-makers a better understanding of the issues
underlying free andop entelecommunications, and support the creation
of legal and structural approaches which will ease the assimilation of
these new technologies by society;
fflto raise public awareness about civil liberties issues arising from the
rapid advancement in the area of new computer-based communications
media and, where necessary, support litigation in the public interest to
preserve, protect, and extend First Amendment rights within the realm
of computing and telecommunications technology;
fflto encourage and supp ortthe development of new tools which will en-
dow non-technical users with full and easy access to computer-based
telecommunications;
The Usenet newsgroups comp.org.eff.talk and comp.org.eff.news
are dedicated to discussion concerning the EFF. They also have mailing
list counterparts for those that don't have access to Usenet, eff-talk-
request@eff.org and eff-news-request@eff.org. The first is an informal
arena (aka a normal newsgroup)where anyone may voice his or her opinions.
The second, comp.org.eff.news, is a moderatedarea for regular postings
from the EFF in the form of EFFector Online. To submit a posting for
the EFFector Online,or to get general information about the EFF, write to
eff@eff.org. There is also a wealth of information available via anonymous
FTP on ftp.eff.org.
The EFF can be contacted at
_________________________________
4 This section was derived from `eff.about', available along with other
material via anonymous FTP from ftp.eff.org
68 Zen and the Art of the Internet
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc.
155 Second St. #1
Cambridge,MA 02141
eff@eff.org
(617)864-0665
(617) 864-0866 (Fax)
8.3.4 The Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation was started by Richard Stallman (creator
of the popular GNUEmacs editor). It is dedicated to eliminating restrictions
on copying, redistributing, and modifying software.
The word "free" in their name does not refer to price;it refers to freedom.
First, the freedom to copy a program and redistribute it to your neighbors,
so that they can use it as well asyou. Second, the freedom to change a
program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you;for this, the
source code must be made available to you.
The Foundation works to provide these freedoms by developing free
compatible replacements for proprietary software. Specifically, they are
putting together a complete,integrated software system called "GNU" that
is upward-compatible with Unix.5 Whenit is released, everyone will be
permitted to copy it and distribute it to others. Inaddition, it will be
distributed with source code, so you will b eable to learn about operating
systems by reading it,to port it to your own machine, and to exchangethe
changes with others.
For more information on the Free Software Foundation and the status of
the GNU Project,or for a list of the current tasks that still need to be done,
write to gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu.
8.3.5 The League for Programming Freedom
The League for Programming Freedom is a grass-ro otsorganization of
professors, students, businessmen, programmers and users dedicated to
"bringing back" the freedom to write programs, which they contend has
been lost over the past numb er years. The League is not opposed to the le-
gal system that Congress intended-copyright on individual programs. Their
_________________________________
5 As an aside, the editor of the GNU project, emacs, contains a built-in
LISP interpreter and a large part of its functionality is written in LISP.
The name GNU is itself recursive (the mainstay of the LISP language);
it stands for "Gnu's Not Unix."
Chapter 8: Things You'll Hear Ab out 69
aim is to reverse the recent changes made by judges in response to spe-
cial interests, often explicitly rejecting the public interest principles of the
Constitution.
The League works to abolish the new monopolies by publishing articles,
talking with public officials, boycotting egregious offenders, and in the future
may intervene in court cases. On May 24, 1989, the League picketed Lotus
headquarters because of their lawsuits,and then again on August 2, 1990.
These marches stimulated widespread media coverage for the issue. They
welcome suggestions for other activities, as well as help in carrying them
out.
For information on the League and how to join, write to
League for Programming Freedom
1 Kendall Square #143
P.O.Box 9171
Cambridge,MA 02139
league@prep.ai.mit.edu
8.4 Networking Initiatives
Research and development are two buzz words often heard when dis-
cussing the networking field_everything needs to go faster, over longer dis-
tances, for alower cost. To "keep current,"one should read the various trade
magazines and newspapers,or frequent the networking-oriented newsgroups
of Usenet. If possible,attend trade shows and symposia like Usenix, Interop,
et. al.
8.4.1 NREN
The National Research and Education Network (NREN) is a five-year
project approved by Congress in theFall of 1991. It's intended to create
a national electronic "super-highway." The NREN will be 50 times faster
than the fastest available networks (at the time of this writing). Propo-
nents of the NREN claim it will be possible to transfer the equivalent of
the entire text of the Encyclopedia Britannica in one second. Further infor-
mation, including the original text of the bill presented by Senator Al Gore
(D-TN), is available through anonymous FTP to nis.nsf.net, in the di-
rectory `nsfnet'. In addition,Vint Cerf wrote on the then-proposed NREN
in RFC-1167, Thoughtson the National Research and Education Network.
See [RFCs], page 73 for information on obtaining RFCs.
70 Zen and the Art of the Internet
A mailing list, `nren-discuss@uu.psi.com', is available for discussion of
the NREN; write to `nren-discuss-request@uu.psi.com' to be added.
"To talk in publick, to think in solitude,
to read and to hear, to inquire,
and to answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar."
Samuel Johnson
Chapter VIII
The History of Rasselas, Princeof Abissinia
Chapter 9: Finding Out More 71
9 Finding Out More
9.1 Internet Resource Guide
The NSF Network Service Center(NNSC) compiles and makes available
an Internet Resource Guide (IRG). The goal of the guide is to increase the
visibility of various Internet resources that may help users do their work
better. While not yet an exhaustive list, theguide is a useful compendium
of many resources and can be a helpful reference for a new user.
Resources listed are grouped by types into sections. Current sections
include descriptions of online library catalogs, data archives, online white
pages directory services, networks, network information centers, and com-
putational resources, such as supercomputers. Each entry describes the re-
source, identifies who can use theresource, explains how to reach the local
network via the Internet,and lists contacts for more information. The list
is distributed electronically by the NNSC. To receive a guide, or to get on
a mailing list that alerts you to when it is updated, send a message to
resource-guide-request@nnsc.nsf.net.
The current edition of the IRG is availablevia anonymous FTP from
nnsc.nsf.net, in the directory `/resource-guide'.
9.2 Requests for Comments
The internal workings of the Internet are defined by a set of documents
called RFCs (Request for Comments). The general processfor creating
an RFC is for someone wanting something formalized to write a document
describing the issue and mailing it to Jon Postel (postel@isi.edu). He
acts as a referee for the proposal. It is then commented upon by all those
wishing to take part in the discussion (electronically, of course). It may go
through multiple revisions. Should it be generally accepted as a good idea,
it will be assigned a number and filed with the RFCs.
The RFCs can be divided into five groups: required, suggested, direc-
tional, informational and obsolete. Required RFCs (e.g., RFC-791, The
Internet Protocol) must be implemented on any host connected to the In-
ternet.
Suggested RFCs are generally implemented by network hosts. Lack of
them does not preclude access to the Internet, but may impact its usability.
RFC-793, Transmission Control Protocol, is a must for those implementing
TCP.
72 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Directional RFCs were discussed and agreed to,but their application has
never come into wide use. This may be due to the lack of wide need for
the specific application (RFC-937, The Post OfficeProtocol ) orthat, al-
though technically superior, ran against other pervasive approaches (RFC-
891, Hello). It is suggested that, should the facility be required by a par-
ticular site, an implementationb e done in accordance with the RFC. This
ensures that, should the idea be one whose time has come, the implementa-
tion will be in accordance with some standardand will be generally usable.
Informational RFCs contain factual information about the Internet and
its operation (RFC-990, Assigned Numb ers ).
There is also a subset of RFCs called FYIs (For Your Information). They
are written in a language muchmore informal than that used in the other,
standard RFCs. Topics range from answers to common questionsfor new
and experienced users to a suggested bibliography.
Finally, as the Internet has grown and technologyhas changed, some
RFCs become unnecessary. These obsolete RFCs cannot be ignored,how-
ever. Frequently when a change is made to some RFC that causes a new
one to obsolete others,the new RFC only contains explanationsand motiva-
tions for the change. Understanding the model on which thewhole facility
is based may involve reading the original and subsequent RFCs on the topic.
RFCs and FYIs are available via FTP from many sources, including:
fflThe nic.ddn.mil archive, as `/rfc/rfc-xxxx.txt', where xxxx is the
number of theRFC.
fflfrom ftp.uu.net, inthe directory `/RFC'.
They're also available through mail by writing to service@nic.ddn.mil,
with a `Subject:' line of sendRFC-xxxx.TXT, again with xxxx being the
RFC number. To learnab out archive servers, [Archive Servers], page 77.)
"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, orwe
know where we can find information upon it."
Samuel Johnson
Letter toLord Chesterfield
February, 1755
Conclusion 73
Conclusion
This guide is far from complete_the Internet changeson a daily (if not
hourly) basis. However, this booklet should provide enough information
to make the incredible breadth andcomplexity of the Internet a mite less
imposing. Coupled with some exploration and experimentation,every user
has the potential to be a competent net citizen, using the facilities that are
available to their fullest.
You, the reader, are strongly encouraged to suggest improvements to any
part of this booklet. If something was unclear, left you with doubts, or
wasn't addressed,it should be fixed. If you find any problems, inaccuracies,
spelling errors, etc., please report them to:
BrendanKehoe
Department ofComputer Science
WidenerUniversity
Chester, PA 19013
Internet:guide-bugs@cs.widener.edu
UUCP:...!widener!guide-bugs
If you are interested in future updates to this guide (aside from normal new
editions), discussion about information to be included or removed, etc., write
to `guide-request@cs.widener.edu' to be placedon a mailing list for such
things.
"I've seed de first an de last : :I:seed de beginnin,
en now I sees de endin."
WilliamFaulkner
The Sound & The Fury
April 8, 1928
74 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Appendix A: Getting to Other Networks 75
Appendix A Getting to Other Networks
Inter-connectivity has been and always will be one of the biggest goals
in computer networking. The ultimate desire is to make it so one person
can contact anyone else no matter where they are. A number of "gateways"
between networks have been set up. They include:
AppleLink Quantum Services sells access to AppleLink, which is similar to
QuantumLink for Commodore computers and PCLink for IBM
PCs and compatibles. It also provides email access through the
address`user@applelink.apple.com'.
ATTMail AT&T sells a commercial email service called ATTMail. Its
users can be reached by writing to `user@attmail.com'.
BIX Users on BIX(the Byte Information eXchange) can be reached
through theDAS gateway at `user@dcibix.das.net'.
CompuServe (CI$)
To reach a user on the commercial service CompuServe, you
must address the mail as xxxxx.xxx@compuserve.com, with
xxxxx.xxx being their CompuServe user ID. Normally Com-
puServe ids are represented as being separated by a comma (like
71999,141);since most mailers don't react well to having com-
mas in addresses, it was changed to a period. For the above
address, mail would be sent to `71999.141@compuserve.com'.
EasyNet Digital sells a service called EasyNet; users that subscribe to it
can be reached with the addresses user@host.enet.dec.com or
`user%host.enet@decwrl.dec.com'.
FidoNet The FidoNet computer network can be reached by using a
special addressing method. If John Smith is on the node
`1:2/3.4' on FidoNet, his or her email address would be
`john.smith@p4.f3.n2.z1.fidonet.org' (notice how the num-
bers fall in place?).
MCI Mail MCIalso sells email accounts (similar to ATTMail). Users can
be reached with `user @mcimail.com'.
PeaceNet Users on thePeaceNet network can be reached by writing to
`user@igc.org'.
This table is far from complete. In addition to sitesnot b eing listed,
some services are not (nor do they planto b e)accessible from the "outside"
(like Prodigy); others, likeGEnie, are actively investigating the possibility
of creating a gateway into their system. For the latest information, consult
a list called the Inter-Network Mail Guide. It's available from a number of
FTP sites,including UUNET; see Section 3.2.2 [Anonymous FTP], page 21,
for more information on getting a copy of it using anonymous FTP.
76 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Appendix B: Retrieving Files via Email 77
Appendix B Retrieving Files via Email
For those who have a connection to the Internet, but cannot FTP, there do
exist a few alternatives to get those files you so desperately need. When re-
questing files,it's imperative that you keep in mind the size of your request_
odds are the other people who may be using your link won't be too receptive
to sudden bursts of really heavy traffic on their normally sedate connection.
Archive Servers
An alternative to the currently well over-used FTPmail system is taking
advantage of the many archive servers that are presently being maintained.
These are programs that receive email messages that contain commands, and
act on them. For example, sending an archive server the command `help'
will usually yield, in the form of a piece of email, information on how to use
the various commands that theserver has available.
One such archive server is `service@nic.ddn.mil'. Maintained by the
Network Information Center (NIC) in Chantilly, VA, the server is set up
to make all of the information at the NIC available for people who don't
have access to FTP. This also includes the WHOIS service (see Section6.4.1
[Whois], page 57). Some sample `Subject:' linesfor queries to the NIC
server are:
Subject: help Describes available commands.
Subject: rfc 822 Sends a copy of RFC-822.
Subject: rfc index Sends an index of the available RFC*
*s.
Subject: netinfo domain-template.txt Sends a domain application.
Subject: whois widener Sends WHOIS information on `widene*
*r'.
More information on using their archive servercan be obtained by writing
to their server address service@nic.ddn.mil with a `Subject:' of help.
There are different "brands" of archive server, each with its own set of
commands and services. Among them there often exists a common set of
commands and services (e.g. `index', `help', etc). Be that as it may, one
should always consult the individual help for a specific server before assuming
the syntax_100K surprises can be hard ona system.
FTP-by-Mail Servers
Some systems offer people the ability to receive files through a mock-
FTP interface via email. See Section 3.2.2 [Anonymous FTP], page 21 for
78 Zen and the Art of the Internet
a general overview of howto FTP. The effects of providing such a service
varies, although a rule of thumb is that it will probably use a substantial
amount of the available resources on a system.
The "original" FTP-by-Mail service, BITFTP, isavailable to BITNET
users from the Princeton node PUCC. It was once accessible to anyone, but
had to be closed out to non-BITNETusers because of the heavy load on the
system.
In response to this closure, Paul Vixie designed and installed asystem
called FTPmail on one of Digital's gateway computers, decwrl.dec.com.
Write to `ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com' with `help' in the body of the letter
for instructions on its use. The software is undergoing constant development;
once it reaches a stable state,other sites will be encouraged to adopt it and
provide the service also.
Appendix C: Newsgroup Creation 79
Appendix C Newsgroup Creation
Everyone has the opportunity to make a Call For Votes on the Usenet
and attempt to create a newsgroup that he/she feels would be of benefit
to the general readership. The rules governing newsgroup creation have
evolved over the years into a generally accepted method. They only govern
the "world" groups; they aren't applicable to regional or other alternative
hierarchies.
Discussion
A discussion must first take place to address issues like the naming of
the group, where in the group tree it should go (e.g. rec.sports.koosh
vs rec.games.koosh?), and whether or not it should be created in the
first place. The formal Request For Discussion (RFD) should be posted
to news.announce.newgroups,along with any other groups or mailing lists
at all related to the proposed topic. news.announce.newgroups is moder-
ated. You should place it first in the `Newsgroups:' header, so that it will
get mailed to the moderator only. The article won't be immediately posted
to the other newsgroups listed; rather, it willgive you the opportunity to
have the moderator correct anyinconsistencies or mistakes in your RFD. He
or she will take care of posting it to the newsgroups you indicated. Also the
`Followup-To:' header will be set so that theactual discussion takes place
only in news.groups. If a user has difficulty posting to a moderated group,
he or she may mail submissions intended for news.announce.newgroups to
the address `announce-newgroups@rpi.edu'.
The final name and charter of the group, and whether it will be moderated
or unmoderated, will be determined duringthe discussion period. If it's to
be moderated, the discussion will also decide who the moderator will be. If
there's no general agreement on these points among those in favor of a new
group at the end of 30 days, the discussion will be taken into mail rather
than continued posting to news.groups; that way, the proponents of the
group can iron out their differences andcome back with a proper proposal,
and make a new Request For Discussion.
Voting
After the discussion period (which is mandatory),if it's been determined
that a new group really is desired, a name and charter are agreed upon, and
it's been determined whether the group will be moderated(and by whom), a
80 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Call For Votes (CFV) shouldb e postedto news.announce.newgroups, along
with any other groups that the original Request For Discussion was posted
to. The CFVshould be posted (or mailed to the news.announce.newgroups
moderator) as soon as possible after the discussion ends(to keep it fresh in
everyone's mind).
The Call for Votes should include clear instructions on how to cast a vote.
It's important that it be clearly explained how to both vote for and against
a group (and be of equivalentdifficulty or ease). If it's easier for you or your
administrator, two separate addresses can be used to mail yes and no votes
to, providing that they're on the same machine. Regardless of the method,
everyone must have a very specific idea of how to get his/her vote counted.
The voting period can last between 21 and 31 days,no matter what the
preliminary results of the vote are. A vote can't be called off simply because
400 "no" votes have comein and only two "yes" votes. The Call for Votes
should include the exact date that the voting period will end_only those
votes arriving on the vote-taker's machine before this date can be counted.
To keep awareness high,the CFV can be repeated during the vote, pro-
vided that it gives the same clear,unbiased instructions for casting a vote as
the original;it also has to be the same proposal as was first posted. The char-
ter can't change in mid-vote. Also, votes that're posted don't count_only
those that were mailed to the vote-taker can be tallied.
Partial results should never be included;only a statement of the specific
proposal, that a vote is in progress onit, and how to cast a vote. A mass
acknowledgement ("Mass ACK" or "Vote ACK") is permitted; however, it
must be presented in a way that gives no indication of which way a person
voted. One way to avoid this is to create one large list of everyone who's
voted, and sortit in alphabetical order. It should not be two sorted lists (of
the yes and no votes, respectively).
Every vote is autonomous. The votes for or against one group can't be
transferred to another,similar proposal. A vote can only count for the exact
proposal that it was a response to. In particular, a vote for or against a
newsgroup under one name can't be counted as a vote for or against another
group with a different name or charter, a different moderated/unmoderated
status, or, if it's moderated, a different moderator or set of mo derators.
Whew!
Finally, the vote has to be explicit; they should be of the form *
*`I
vote for the group foo.bar as proposed'or `I vote against the group
foo.bar as proposed'. The wording doesn't have to be exact,your inten-
tion just has to be clear.
Appendix C: Newsgroup Creation 81
The Result of a Vote
At the end of the voting period, the vote-taker has to post (to
news.announce.newgroups) the tally and email addresses of the votes
received. Again, it can also be posted to any of the groups listed in the
original CFV. The tally should makeclear which way a person voted, so the
results can be verified if it proves necessary to do so.
After the vote result is posted to news.announce.newgroups,there is a
mandatory five-day waiting p erio d. This affords everyone the opportunity to
correct any errors or inconsistencies in the voter list or the voting procedure.
Creation of the Group
If, after the waiting period, there are no serious objections that might
invalidate the vote, the vote is put to the "water test." If there *
*were
100 more valid `YES/create' votes than `NO/don't' create votes, and at
least two-thirds of the totalnumber of votes are in favor of creation, then
a newgroup control message can be sent out (often by the moderator of
news.announce.newgroups). If the 100-vote margin or the two-thirds per-
centage isn't met, the group has failed and can't be created.
If the proposal failed, all is not lost_after a six-month waiting *
*pe-
riod (a "cooling down"), a new Request For Discussion can be posted to
news.groups, and the whole pro cess can start over again. If after a couple
of tries it becomes obvious that the group is not wanted or needed,the vote-
taker should humbly stepback and accept the opinion of the majority. (As
life goes, so goes Usenet.)
82 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Glossary 83
Glossary
This glossary is only a tiny subset of all of the various terms and other
things that people regularly use on The Net. For a more complete (and very
entertaining) reference, it's suggested you get a copy of The New Hacker's
Dictionary, whichis based on a VERY large text file called theJargon File.
Edited by Eric Raymond (eric@snark.thyrsus.com), it is available from
the MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142; its ISBN number is 0-
262-68069-6. Also see RFC-1208, A Glossary of Networking Terms.
:-) This odd symbol is one of the ways a person can portray "mood"
in the very flat medium of computers_by using "smilies." This is `meta-
communication', andthere are literally hundreds of them, from the obvious
to the obscure. This particular exampleexpresses "happiness." Don't see
it? Tilt your head to the left 90degrees. Smilies are also used to denote
sarcasm.
address resolution Conversion of an Internet address to the correspond-
ing physical address. On an ethernet, resolution requires broadcasting on
the local area network.
administrivia Administrative tasks, most often related to the mainte-
nance of mailing lists, digests, news gateways, etc.
anonymous FTP Also known as "anon FTP"; a service provided to make
files available to the general Internet community_see Section 3.2.2 [Anony-
mous FTP], page 21.
ANSI The American National Standards Institute disseminates basic
standards like ASCII, and acts as the United States' delegate to the ISO.
Standards can be ordered from ANSI by writing to the ANSI Sales De-
partment, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, or by telephoning (212)
354-3300.
archie A service which provides lookups for packages in a database of
the offerings of countless of anonymous FTP sites. See Section 3.3.1 [archie],
page 25 for a full description.
archive server An email-based file transfer facility offered by some sys-
tems.
ARPA (AdvancedResearch Projects Agency) Former name of DARPA,
the government agency that funded ARPAnet and later the DARPAInter-
net.
84 Zen and the Art of the Internet
ARPAnet A pioneering long haul network funded by ARPA. It served
as the basis for early networking research as well as a central backbone dur-
ing the development of the Internet. The ARPAnet consisted of individual
packet switching computers interconnected by leased lines. The ARPAnet
no longer exists as a singular entity.
asynchronous Transmission byindividual bytes, not related to specific
timing on the transmitting end.
auto-magic Something which happens pseudo-automatically, and is usu-
ally too complex to go into any further than to say it happens "au*
*to-
magically."
backbone A high-speed connection within a network that connects
shorter, usually slower circuits. Also used in reference to a system that acts
as a "hub" for activity (although those are becoming much less prevalent
now than they were ten years ago).
bandwidth The capacity of a medium to transmit a signal. More infor-
mally, the mythical"size" of The Net, and its ability to carry the files and
messages of those that use it. Some view certain kinds of traffic (FTPing
hundreds of graphics images, forexample) as a "waste of bandwidth" and
look down upon them.
BITNET (Because It's Time Network) An NJE-based international ed-
ucational network.
bounce The return of a piece of mailb ecause of an error in its delivery.
btw An abbreviation for "by the way."
CFV (Call For Votes) Initiates the voting period for a Usenet newsgroup.
At least one (occasionally twoor more) email address is customarily included
as a repository for the votes. See See Appendix C [Newsgroup Creation],
page 79 for a full description of the Usenet voting process.
ClariNews Thefee-based Usenet newsfeed available from ClariNet Com-
munications.
client The user of a network service;also used to describe a computer
that relies upon another for some or all of its resources.
Cyberspace A term coined by William Gibson in his fantasy novel Neu-
romancer to describe the "world" of computers, and the society that gathers
around them.
datagram The basic unit of information passed acrossthe Internet. It
contains a source and destination address along with data. Large messages
are broken down into a sequence of IP datagrams.
disassembling Converting a binary program into human-readable ma-
chine language code.
Glossary 85
DNS (Domain Name System) The metho d used to convert Internet
names to their corresponding Internet numbers.
domain A part of the naming hierarchy. Syntactically, a domain name
consists of a sequence of names or otherwords separated by dots.
dotted quad Aset of four numbers connected with periods that make up
an Internet address; for example, 147.31.254.130.
email The vernacular abbreviation for electronic mail.
email address The UUCP or domain-based address that auser is referred
to with. For example, the author's address is brendan@cs.widener.edu.
ethernet A 10-million bit per second networking scheme originally devel-
oped by Xerox Corporation. Ethernet is widely used for LANs because it can
network a wide variety of computers, it is not proprietary, and components
are widely available frommany commercial sources.
FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) An emerging standard fornet-
work technology based on fiber optics that has been established by ANSI.
FDDI specifies a 100-million bit per second data rate. The access control
mechanism uses token ring technology.
flame A piece of mail or a Usenet posting which is violently argumenta-
tive.
FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) The FQDN isthe full site name
of a system, rather than just its hostname. For example,the system lisa
at Widener University has a FQDN of lisa.cs.widener.edu.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) The Internet standard high-level protocol
for transferring files from one computerto another.
FYI An abbreviation for the phrase "for your information." There is also
a series of RFCs put out by the Network Information Center called FYIs;
they address common questions of new users and many other useful things.
See [RFCs], page 73 for instructions on retrieving FYIs.
gateway A special-purpose dedicated computer that attaches to two or
more networks and routes packets from one network to the other. In par-
ticular, an Internet gateway routes IP datagrams among the networks it
connects. Gateways route packets to other gateways until they can be de-
livered to the final destination directly across one physical network.
header The portion of a packet, preceding the actual data, containing
source and destination addresses and error-checking fields. Also part of a
message or news article.
hostname The name given toa machine. (See also FQDN.)
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) This usually accompanies a statement
86 Zen and the Art of the Internet
that may bring about personal offense or strong disagreement.
Internet A concatenation of many individual TCP/IP campus, state,
regional, and national networks (such as NSFnet, ARPAnet, and Milnet)
into one single logical network all sharing a common addressing scheme.
Internet number The dotted-quad address used to specify a certain sys-
tem. The Internet number for thesite cs.widener.edu is 147.31.254.130.
A resolver is used to translate between hostnames and Internet addresses.
interoperate The ability of multi-vendor computers to work together
using a common set of protocols. With interoperability, PCs, Macs, Suns,
Dec VAXen, CDCCybers, etc, all work together allowing one host computer
to communicate with and take advantage of the resources of another.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Coordinator of the
main networking standards thatare put into use today.
kernel The level ofan operating system or networking system that con-
tains the system-level commands orall of the functions hidden from the user.
In a Unix system, the kernel is a program that contains the device drivers,
the memory management routines, the scheduler, andsystem calls. This
program is always running while the system is operating.
LAN (Local Area Network) Any physical network technology that op-
erates at high speed over short distances (up to a few thousand meters).
mail gateway A machine that connectsto two or more electronic mail
systems (especially dissimilar mail systems ontwo different networks) and
transfers mail messages among them.
mailing list A possibly moderated discussion group,distributed via email
from a central computer maintaining the list of people involved in the dis-
cussion.
mail path Aseries of machine names used to direct electronic mail from
one user to another.
medium The material used to support the transmission of data. This
can be copper wire, coaxial cable, optical fiber, or electromagnetic wave (as
in microwave).
multiplex The division of a single transmission medium into multiple
logical channels supporting many simultaneous sessions. For example, one
network may have simultaneous FTP, telnet, rlogin, and SMTPconnections,
all going at the same time.
net.citizen An inhabitant of Cyberspace. One usually tries to be a good
net.citizen, lest one be flamed.
netiquette A pun on "etiquette"; proper behavior on TheNet. See
Section 4.13 [Usenet Netiquette], page 37.
Glossary 87
network A group of machines connected together so they can transmit
information to one another. There are two kinds of networks: local networks
and remote networks.
NFS (Network File System) A method developed by Sun Microsystems
to allow computers to share files across a network in a way that makes them
appear as if they're "local" to the system.
NIC The Network Information Center.
node A computer that is attachedto a network; also called a host.
NSFnet Thenational backbone network, funded by theNational Science
Foundation and operated by the Merit Corporation, used to interconnect
regional (mid-level) networks such as WestNet to one another.
packet The unit of data sent across a packet switching network. The term
is used loosely. While some Internet literature uses it to refer specifically to
data sent across a physical network, other literature views the Internet as a
packet switching network and describes IP datagrams as packets.
polling Connecting to another system to check for things like mail or
news.
postmaster The person responsible for taking care of mail problems,
answering queries about users, and otherrelated work at a site.
protocols A formal description of message formats and the rules two
computers must follow to exchange those messages. Protocols can describe
low-level details of machine-to-machine interfaces (e.g., the order in which
bits and bytes are sent acrossa wire) or high-level exchanges between allo-
cation programs (e.g., the way in which two programs transfer a file across
the Internet).
recursion The facility of a programming language to be able to call
functions from within themselves.
resolve Translate an Internet name into its equivalent IP address or other
DNS information.
RFD (Request For Discussion) Usually a two- to three-week period in
which the particulars of newsgroupcreation are battled out.
route The path that network traffic takes from its source to its destina-
tion.
router A dedicated computer (or other device) that sends packets from
one place to another, paying attention to the current state of the network.
RTFM (Read The Fantastic Manual) . This anacronym is often used
when someone asks a simple or common question. The word `Fantastic' is
usually replaced with one muchmore vulgar.
88 Zen and the Art of the Internet
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) The Internet standard proto-
col for transferring electronic mail messages from one computer to another.
SMTP specifies how two mail systemsinteract and the format of control
messages they exchange to transfermail.
server A computer that shares its resources, such as printers and files,
with other computers on the network. An example of this is a Network File
System (NFS) server which shares its disk space with other computers.
signal-to-noise ratio When used in reference to Usenet activity,`signal-
to-noise ratio' describes the relation between amount of actual informa-
tion in a discussion, compared to theirquantity. More often than not, there's
substantial activity in a newsgroup, but a very small number of those articles
actually contain anything useful.
signature The small, usually four-line message at theb ottom of a piece of
email or a Usenet article. In Unix,it's added by creating a file `.signature'
in the user's home directory. Large signatures are a no-no.
summarize To encapsulate a number of responses into one coherent,
usable message. Often done on controlled mailing lists or active newsgroups,
to help reduce bandwidth.
synchronous Data communications in which transmissions are sent at a
fixed rate, with the sending and receiving devices synchronized.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Proto col) A set of
protocols, resulting from ARPA efforts, used by the Internet to support
services such as remote login (telnet), file transfer (FTP) and mail (SMTP).
telnet The Internet standard protocol for remote terminal connection
service. Telnet allows a user at one site to interact with a remote timesharing
system at another site as if the user'sterminal were connected directly to
the remote computer.
terminal server A small, specialized, networked computer that connects
many terminals to a LANthrough one network connection. Any user on the
network can then connect to various network hosts.
TEX A free typesettingsystem by Donald Knuth.
twisted pair Cablemade up of a pair of insulated copper wires wrapped
around each other to cancel the effects of electrical noise.
UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy Program) A store-and-forward system, pri-
marily for Unix systems but currently supported on other platforms (e.g.
VMS and personal computers).
WAN (Wide-AreaNetwork) A network spanning hundreds or thousands
of miles.
workstation A networked personal computing device with more power
Glossary 89
than a standard IBM PC or Macintosh. Typically, a workstation has an
operating system such as unix that is capable of running several tasks at the
same time. It has several megabytes of memory and a large, high-resolution
display. Examples are Sunworkstations and Digital DECstations.
worm A computer program which replicates itself. The Internet worm
(see Section 8.1 [The Internet Worm], page 63) was perhaps the most fa-
mous; it successfully (and accidentally) duplicated itself on systems across
the Internet.
wrt With respect to.
"I hate definitions."
Benjamin Disraeli
Vivian Grey, bk i chapii
90 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Bibliography 91
Bibliography
What follows is a compendium of sources that have information that will
be of use to anyone reading this guide. Most of them were used in the writing
of the booklet, while others are simply noted because they are a must for
any good net.citizen's bookshelf.
Books
Comer, Douglas E. (1991). Internetworking With TCP/IP, 2nd ed., 2v.
Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Davidson, John (1988). An Introduction to TCP/IP. Springer-Verlag:
Berlin.
Frey, Donnalyn, and Adams, Rick (1989). !@%:: A Directory of Elec-
tronic Mail Addressing and Networks. O'Reilly and Associates: Newton,
MA.
Gibson, William (1984). Neuromancer. Ace: New York, NY.
LaQuey, Tracy(1990). Users' Directory of Computer Networks. Digital
Press: Bedford, MA.
Levy, Stephen (1984). Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.
Anchor Press/Doubleday: Garden City, NY.
Partridge, Craig (1988). Innovations in Internetworking. ARTECH
House: Norwood, MA.
Quarterman, John S. (1989). The Matrix: Computer Networks and Con-
ferencing Systems Worldwide. Digital Press: Bedford, MA.
Raymond, Eric (ed) (1991). The New Hacker's Dictionary. MIT Press:
Cambridge, MA.
Stoll, Clifford (1989). The Cuckoo's Egg. Doubleday: New York.
Tanenbaum, Andrew S. (1988). Computer Networks, 2d ed. Prentice-
Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Todinao, Grace (1986). Using UUCP and USENET: A Nutshell Hand-
book. O'Reilly and Asso ciates: Newton, MA.
The Waite Group (1991). Unix Communications, 2nd ed.. Howard W.
Sams & Company: Indianapolis.
92 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Periodicals & Papers
Barlow, J. Coming Into The Country. Communications of the ACM34:3
(March 1991): 2. Addresses "Cyberspace"_John Barlow was a co-founder
of the EFF.
Collyer, G., and Spencer, H. News Need Not Be Slow. Proceedings of the
1987 Winter USENIX Conference: 181-90. USENIX Association, Berkeley,
CA (January 1987).
Denning, P. The Internet Worm. American Scientist (March-April 1989):
126-128.
________.The Science of Computing: Computer Networks. American Sci-
entist (March-April 1985): 127-129.
Frey, D., and Adams, R. USENET:Death by Success? UNIX REVIEW
(August 1987): 55-60.
Gifford, W. S. ISDN User-Network Interfaces. IEEE Journal on Selected
Areas in Communications (May 1986): 343-348.
Ginsberg, K. Getting from Here to There. UNIX REVIEW (January
1986): 45.
Hiltz, S. R. The Human Elementin Computerized Conferencing Systems.
Computer Networks (December 1978): 421-428.
Horton, M. What is a Domain? Proceedings of the Summer 1984 USENIX
Conference: 368-372.USENIX Association, Berkeley, CA (June 1984).
Jacobsen, Ole J. Information on TCP/IP. ConneXions_The Interoper-
ability Report (July 1988): 14-15.
Jennings, D., et al. Computer Networking for Scientists. Science (28
February1986): 943-950.
Markoff, J. "Author of computer `virus'is son of U.S. electronic security
expert." New York Times (Nov. 5, 1988): A1.
________."Computer snarl: A `back door' ajar." New York Times (Nov.
7, 1988): B10.
McQuillan, J. M., and Walden, D. C. The ARPA Network Design Deci-
sions. Computer Networks (1977): 243-289.
Ornstein, S. M. A letterconcerning the Internet worm. Communications
of the ACM 32:6 (June 1989).
Partridge, C. Mail Routing Using Domain Names: An Informal Tour.
Proceedings of the 1986 Summer USENIX Conference: 366-76. USENIX As-
sociation, Berkeley, CA (June 1986).
Bibliography 93
Quarterman, J. Etiquette and Ethics. ConneXions_The Interoperability
Report (March 1989): 12-16.
________.Notable Computer Networks. Communications of theACM 29:10
(October 1986). This was the predecessor to The Matrix.
Raeder, A. W., and Andrews, K. L. Searching Library Catalogs on the
Internet: A Survey.Database Searcher 6 (September 1990): 16-31.
Seeley, D. A tour of the worm. Proceedings of the 1989 Winter USENIX
Conference: 287-304.USENIX Association, Berkeley, CA (February 1989).
Shulman, G. Legal Research on USENET Liability Issues. ;login: The
USENIX Association Newsletter (December 1984): 11-17.
Smith, K. E-Mail to Anywhere. PC World (March 1988): 220-223.
Stoll, C. Stalking the Wily Hacker. Communications of the ACM 31:5
(May 1988): 14. This article grew into the book The Cuckoo's Egg.
Taylor, D. The Postman Always Rings Twice: Electronic Mail in a Highly
Distributed Environment. Proceedings of the 1988 Winter USENIX Confer-
ence: 145-153. USENIX Association, Berkeley, CA (December 1988).
U.S. Gen'l Accounting Ofc. Computer Security: Virus Highlights Need for
Improved Internet Management. GAO / IMTEC - 89 - 57, (1989).Addresses
the Internet worm.
"And all else isliterature."
PaulVerlaine
The Sun, New York
94 Zen and the Art of the Internet
Index 95
Index
A
ACM 65
address, email 11, 14, 38
address, IP (Internet) 7, 20, 47
administrivia 15,83
ANSI 83
AppleLink 75
archie 25, 26
archiveservers 11, 72
ARL 59
B
bang path 11
BITFTP 78
BITNET 8
book bugs 73
bounce, mail delivery 14
C
CARL 46, 48
Clarinet 60
CompuServe 75
CPSR 65
crossposting 41
Cyberspace 1, 63, 64, 67, 84
D
databases 60
domains 5, 11, 14, 56, 85
E
EFF 66
EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) 6
Electronic Mail 11
extragalactic database 51
F
FAQs 43
FEDIX 50
finger 53, 63
FQDN 6, 7
Freenet 47
FSF (Free SoftwareFoundation) 68
FTPable Items 16, 17, 43, 47, 57, 67, 75
96 Zen and the Art of the Internet
G
gateway,mail-news 35, 37, 75
GNU Project 68
H
headers 13
help,with archie 26
help, with FTPmail 78
help, with geo server 50
help, with listservs 17
I
InternetInumber 7
Internet worm 63, 89
IRG (Internet Resource Guide) 71
J
journals 59
K
Knowbot 48
L
leased line 9
libraries 27, 46, 71
listserv 16, 17, 49, 59
LPF 68
M
mailing list 15
MCI Mail 75
minority scholarships 50
moderation, of newsgroups 34, 35, 79, 80
Morris, Robert (Jr.) 63
97 Zen and the Art of the Internet
N
NED 51
newsgroups, for testing 39
NJE protocol, for BITNET 8
NNTP 36, 60
Nutshell Books 12
O
OCEANIC 51
octet 7
P
ping 54
postmaster 15, 16, 56,87
Q
quotes, stock 60
R
resolving 7, 20, 86
RFC-822, email format 13
RFCs (Requests for Comments) 37, 71
S
security 54
signature files 37
SLIP links, modem-based IP 9, 19
STIS 51
Stoll, Cliff 64
subnet 7
Sun Managers 15
T
talk 55
U
UUCP 8, 11, 13, 36, 60, 73, 85
UUNET 20, 32
W
Weather 50
White Pages Pilot Project 48
WHOIS databases 55