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: October Issue :
: 1994 Presenting 001 :
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: * A donation supported magazine * :
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: ..Muds..IRC..News..Writing..Trends..People..Places..Events.. :
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The Internet Informer is an Internet based magazine that includes news
and information from both the material and electronic worlds that we exist
in. The purpose of this publication is to encapsulate the changing world
of the Internet, blend it with the transforming world we live in and
deliver it all in one package to your electronic mailbox as often as
possible.
The Internet Informer is available by email, free to the
interested public. Suggested donation amount of $1.00/year accepted to
support the writing staff and defray online costs. The Internet Informer is
a NetBank (R) Merchant. Subscriptions are available by sending EMAIL to
MAJORDOMO@CSC.NCSU.EDU with these words in the message body:
approve c0k3 subscribe inform-l <e-mail address>
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Make Checks { )-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-( }
Payable To The | : : |
Editor: : | The Internet Informer | :
| : P.O. Box 262 : |
Steven : | Hitchcock, Texas | :
Baker | : 77563 : |
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: . Departments . :
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: [ 1 ] Shift Foreword..........Steven.E.Baker............. :
: [ 2 ] Dateline:Internet.......Guest.Commentary........... :
: [ 3 ] The.Top.Tens............Sources.and.Surveys........ :
: . . :
: . Columns . :
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: [ 1 ] Internet.Business.......J. Elsworth................ :
: [ 2 ] Online.Court.Surfing....Brian.M.O'Connell.......... :
: [ 3 ] Money.Net...............Susan.Luntz................ :
: [ 4 ] Informed.Investor.......Douglass.Martin............ :
: [ 5 ] Electric.Word...........Gary.Gach.................. :
: [ 6 ] Net:Neighborhoods.......Kathleen.Crieghton......... :
: [ 7 ] Wild.Wild.WeB...........Charles.Deemer............. :
: [ 8 ] MuD.TiMeS...............R. J. LaRoe................ :
: [ 9 ] AOL.and.You.............Bill.Toscano............... :
: [10 ] A.Lady.Online...........Stephanie.Brail............ :
: [11 ] Macintosh.and.the.NeT...David.Good................. :
: [12 ] Hollywood.Informer......Scott.T. Spencer........... :
: [13 ] Ingenuity...............Dr.John.Lienhard........... :
: [14 ] BackPage Letter.........Craig.Heath................ :
: . . :
: . Features . :
: . . :
: [ a ] Internet Media.................Jordan.Green........ :
: [ b ] A Virtual Education............Andie.Foster........ :
: [ c ] The Wireless Revolution........Greg.Youngblood..... :
: [ d ] The Flame Wars of k12Net.......Billy.Biggs......... :
: [ e ] An Email Encounter.............Lindsay.Edmunds..... :
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by S t e v e n B a k e r
October 1994
The Internet is a tough beat to cover. Usenet and IRC evolve at your
fingertips and no one, no matter how connected, can precisely tell you
where a newsgroup or a channel is headed. The World Wide Web is growing so
rapidly that even the most authoritative lists become outdated in fifteen
minutes. By current estimates by the Internet Society there are somewhere
around 20 Million people with active Internet Email addresses, and 3.7 new
people acquire addresses of their own every minute.
What this means is that the Internet is not the same place it was a few
years ago. The scientist and researchers that established and maintained
the Internet are now a small minority among a vast crowd of new users
enamored with thoughts of a media-hyped cyberspace. These new users have
brought their ideas and interests with them -- Sex, politics, and business
opportunity.
Welcome to the premiere issue of The Internet Informer, an electronic
publication for all users of the Internet. Inside this magazine you will
find a variety of columns and feature articles covering the various aspects
of the Internet and the world in which we exist. This magazine, much like
the Internet, will evolve over the next few months -- so hang on and enjoy
the ride.
The media-at-large would have you believe that soon after connecting to
the Internet you will be a virtual reality cybernaught cruising down the
Infobahn of the future. We know that those themes sell magazines, but are
not accurate representations of a typical online experience. The Internet
is a tool and can be used to extend our capabilities -- and certainly a
device to expand our mind. The Internet Informer seeks to show you how and
why to use the Internet -- with writers who are using it every day.
Jill Ellsworth covers the Internet business scene with her column,
"Internet Business." She is an accomplished writer with the recently
published book "Doing Business On The Internet" by QUE BOOKS. Following up
the Business section are articles by Susan Luntz and Douglas Martin. Susan
covers personal finance and the editors of Money Magazine chose her as one
of the top personal finance managers available. Douglas is an accomplished
investor and licensed investment counselor. Brian J. O'Connell complements
the business section with his views on the legal aspects of the Internet.
A graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1987, he is
currently lecturing and writing on issues involving ethics, law and public
policy.
Jordan Knight dives into Internet Journalism with his feature article
on the Media and Gary Gach follows up with his Electric Word -- teaching
new and established writers how to use the Internet to their advantage. On
toward the lighter side of the Net we find John LaRoe's MuD TiMeS -- a
regular series keeping us up to date with what is happening on the MUD
scene. MUDS have grown into educational tools (MUSE's) that Andie Foster
relates to us in "Virtual Education." Charles Deemer takes on a tour of the
World Wide Web with his regular feature "Wild-Wild-Web" and Craig Heath
follows up with his "Fishing the Net" -- a catch all feature highlighting
interesting new places to be found on the Net.
Lindsay Edmunds tells us about how Email keeps her in tough with
family. Stephanie Brail speaks about what it is like to be a woman online
with all of the challenges of a woman entering a male dominated world.
"Net Neighborhoods" brings us closer to the smaller and sometimes
overlooked sections of the Internet that Kathleen Crieghton has found.
David Good, an AOL chat host, tells us how he best used his Macintosh to
connect with the Information Superhighway. Dave Toscano keeps us updated
with America Online in his regular column "AOL and YOU." As a special
feature we have attracted the talents of Dr. John Lienhard and his series
of articles discussing the engines of our ingenuity. Scott T. Spencer, a
New York City publicist, covers the entertainment world in the "Hollywood
Informer."
The next issue will be available in December, and sometime next year we
will be working towards a monthly edition. The Internet Informer is
committed to developing new talent and ideas -- you are encouraged to
submit your dreams. While distributing this magazine is not costly,
compensating our talented group of writers is a struggle. Your donation is
appreciated, and can be sent to PO BOX 263, Hitchcock Texas -- 77563. The
Internet Informer does not accept advertising at this time, and it is free
to the interested public.
You can send EMAIL to any of the writers by writing "Informer@Cris.Com"
with the writers name in the subject line. Letters to the EDITOR are
encouraged and will be published starting in the DECEMBER issue. Please
direct new subscribers to MAJORDOMO@CNCS.CS.COM instructing them to place
the following text in the message body:
accept 00k67 inform-l <email address>
See you on the Net-
Steven E Baker
Editor
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Dateline Internet Index
1. Commentary: InterNIC Domain Games R. Warren Piatt
2. News: Online Stalking Bill Proposed
3. News: Uk Porno Overload
4. News: Internet Pizza
5. News: AT&T Targets Hackers
6. News: Rosanne Bar and the $7,000,000 Email Letter
7. Press Release: "Freelance Success"
8. Press Release: Nasa and the World Wide Web
9. New Product: Internet Pager
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1 *Domain Games*
by R. W a r r e n P i a t t
The Internet is experiencing explosive growth, and the virtual
shrapnel from this EXPLOSION is being felt in many segments -- including
the territory of intellectual property. InterNIC, the organization that is
paid by the U.S. government to assign names over the Internet, gave out
2,000 new addresses to people and organizations last month. At the same
time last year they gave out about half that many, showing the advance in
Internet utilization by the world. These electronic addresses are handed
out on a first come -- first serve type basis. This RUSH of new
registrations has brought some complications with it -- conflicts in
registered Internet domain names.
Later this year The Internet Society will devise a system to prevent
what an individual named Jim Cashel tried to do last month -- register
electronic addresses for use on the Internet that could possibly BELONG to
someone else. The addresses he registered resembled RECOGNIZED commercial
names such as "hertz", and he did not WORK for any of the companies.
Apparently, by registering the FAMOUS names of commercial and
entertainment entities, he hoped they would have to BUY back the names if
they wanted to get Email at a logical address. When news of what he had
done broke out at the Washington Post, many companies contacted InterNIC to
see if their names had been used. None of the names he had registered even
BOTHERED to contact him about it -- in fact, the only calls he received
were from reporters.
Under PRESSURE from the media, Jim relinquished the domain names and
freed them up for use by their namesake -- but others using the same
tactics are holding on for what they can get. No one has received any
money to release control of a famous name, but a few have had the
registered names pulled and given to the true owners. Microsoft pulled out
the big guns when "Windows" was used, getting a patent registered on the
term "Windows". Now their lawyers are busy contacting EVERYONE who has
ever used "Windows" in their product names. This will affect just about
every software developer that has ever put something out for Windows, but
who knows if Microsoft will carry it THAT far.
The direction InterNIC and the Internet Society wants to take is one
towards protecting intellectual property through guidelines restricting the
issuance of patented but previously UNASSIGNED names. At this point
InterNIC is requiring the interested parties to come to their own
agreements. The Internet is enormous and growing at a tremendous rate,
leaving a lot of loopholes out there for people to try and take advantage
of. Only broad based protection of our intellectual property can tighten
things up, and that is what the Internet Society is hoping to do.
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2
*Online Stalking Bill*
Maryland Democrat congressman Kweisi Mfume has proposed federal
legislation against online stalking and harassment. The "Electronic
Stalking Act" will prohibit use of a modem, telephone, or other electronic
device to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person. Mfume sais that
bill HR-5015 will respond to the many complaints he has heard of. "along
with the benefits of the Information Superhighway come the dangers..."
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3
*Porn Photos Overload British Computer*
After a British student stored hundreds of hard-core pornographic
pictures in a computer at a United Kingdom university, the machine
overloaded and shut down for two days. Reuters reports that the
unidentified engineering student transferred the images from the United
States via a modem and telephone lines. He has been severely reprimanded.
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4
*Internet Pizza*
Pizza Hut announced it is pilot testing in Santa Cruz, California, a
new ordering system that will allow computer users to use the Internet to
order pizza and beverages for home delivery.
Called PizzaNet, the system will be available through the World Wide
Web portion of the Internet and will provide users with a variety of
product and price information through a simple, user-friendly interface.
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5
*AT&T Forms Anti-Hacker Unit*
AT&T has formed an investigative team to track the theft of business
long-distance service. The telecommunications giant notes that AT&T Global
Business Communications Systems (GBCS) has created an investigative unit
whose sole purpose is to monitor, track and catch phone system hackers in
the act of committing toll fraud. The unit will initiate "electronic
stakeouts" with its business communications equipment customers and law
enforcement agencies, working with them to prosecute the thieves.
Kevin Hanley, marketing director for business security systems
(AT&T/GBCS) says, "We're in a shoot-out between `high-tech cops' -- like
AT&T - - and `high-tech robbers' who brazenly steal long distance service
from our business customers." He added, "our goal is not only to defend
against hackers but to get them off the street." --Source: Online Today
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6
*E-Mail Foils Roseanne's Ex*
Roseanne's first husband has been forced to return half his divorce
settlement for sending an electronic mail letter to a Nashville, Tennessee
woman.
The Associated Press reports that Bill Pentland, who was divorced from
the star of the popular American television series, "Roseanne" in 1990
after 15 years of marriage, signed a gag order as part of the divorce
settlement not to disclose details of the marriage. Pentland said the
Nashville woman made rude comments to him, to which he responded via
electronic mail. The contents of the message apparently violated the gag
order.
"My impression ... was that I was not to do the talk show circuit, talk
to reporters, radio and TV or media," Pentland said in an interview on
"Geraldo". "I never for a minute thought that it meant I could not have a
private conversation."
The woman printed the electronic mail letter and sent a copy to
Roseanne's lawyer, Marvin Mitchelson.
"I was then hit with a $14.3 million liquidated damages lawsuit that I
had to settle out of court for half the settlement," Pentland said. "I'll
be putting my house on the market. It's going to cost my retirement, my old
age pension, a lot of securities and bonds and things like that."
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7
*"FREELANCE SUCCESS" NEWSLETTER GOES ONLINE*
Marketing & Management Newsletter for Experienced Journalists
now available on CompuServe Journalism Forum"
(New York City, September 30, 1994): Freelance Success newsletter has become
the first newsletter for writers available online when it opens to paid
subscribers to the newsletter only in Section and Library 22 of the Journalism
Forum (JForum) on CompuServe. [E-mail: 70421,2063 or 70421.2063@Compuserve.com].
"This move is a natural and inevitable one," says Judith Broadhurst, the editor
and publisher. "Freelance Success has grown largely by word-of-mouth and
subscriber recommendations online. So it became a techno-era grassroots success
story. That's reason enough to go in this direction, but I also want to keep up
with what's happening in publishing, and much of what's exciting and what's
happening in publishing, period, is happening online. Increasingly, that's where
the editors and media-monitor people are, so that's where writers and this
newsletter need to be. Writers aren't online just so they can chat, or even
just for the wondrous research resources. Most make money because they're
online."
Broadhurst founded the Freelancers Section in JForum which she staffed through
May 1993, and has been the guest for conferences on America Online and GEnie.
Since its launch 18 months ago, in March of 1993, Freelance Success has been
mailed, on paper. Broadhurst says gradually converting it to an electronic-only
publication provides many benefits for subscribers.
Freelance Success has subscribers in 42 states and eight countries. It features
in-depth interviews with editors of top-paying national magazine; runs a popular
Market Guide; covers news, gossip and trends in the publishing industry; and
includes regular columns called Biz Basics, Multimedia Issues, Global Marketing,
Legal Lexicon, Corporate Writing and Writer's Voice. Its purpose is to help
experienced freelance writers make or save money. Therefore its focus is on
marketing and management for those who write books or do freelance writing for
magazines, newspapers and clients, and it does not encompass fiction or run
how-to-write articles.
Broadhurst, a full-time freelance writer herself, writes about online services
and the effects of technology for magazines such as Glamour, Working Woman,
Columbia Journalism Review, Home Office Computing, Mobile Office, Online Access
and Executive Female, and is writing a book for a major publisher called The
Women's Guide to Online Networks to be published next spring. She receives no
payment from CompuServe.
Opened in 1985 by Peabody Award winning former NBC News anchor and news director
Jim Cameron, JFORUM now offers its membership message board areas and libraries
dealing with all aspects of journalism, including Jobs, Ethics, Journalism Law,
Freelancers, Radio/TV, Print, and Newsroom Computers. JFORUM also hosts
"Shoptalk", the widely read daily electronic newsletter on broadcast journalism
published by consultant Don Fitzpatrick. Starting this fall, JFORUM began
offering Masters Degree courses in Journalism in conjunction with the University
of Memphis.
Established in 1979, the CompuServe Information Service provides its worldwide
membership of 2.3 million with databases and services to meet both business and
personal interests. In addition to the CompuServe Information Service,
CompuServe Incorporated provides frame relay, wide and local area networking
services, electronic mail, business information services and software to major
corporations and government agencies worldwide. CompuServe is an H&R Block
(NYSE: HRB) company.
CONTACTS: Judith Broadhurst, "Freelance Success"
CompuServe E-Mail 70421,2063
Phone 718-625-5577
Jim Cameron, JFORUM Sysop
CompuServe E-Mail 76703,3010
Phone 203-655-0138
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8
*Nasa on the Net*
I happy to report that the baseline NASA public affairs homepage is now
ready for release. Please be aware that the page is under construction and
may radically change from day to day.
The URL is: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/hqpao/hqpao_home.html
The page contains images, sound and text to explain what NASA does and why
it is important. It also has links to many other NASA pages.
Enjoy!
- Allen Clark
Nasa
NASA
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9
*Internet Pager*
For as little as $19.95 a month you can recieve Internet Email on a
special pager provided by AirNote. The pager itself retails at $299 and
features local, regional, or national paging and Email announcement. You
are assigned an Internet Email address and messages sent to that address
can be reflected to your regular Email address. At the same time the
message header is broadcast to your pager to alert you to the new message.
The message header is parsed so only the pertinent information is
received on the pager. The messages is edited to include only the sender's
name, subject, body and character count of the entire message ( name|
subject | body | character count ). The user can specify the number of
characters from each message they want sent to the pager. AirNote users
can choose to have an acknowledgment sent back to the sender showing the
data that was transmitted to the AirNote pager.
AirNote is advertised as the all-in-one solution that will keep you
updated with the information you need to know NOW. In a single box you
will receive a text pager, AirNote software, network service activation,
Internet mail address, along with toll free customer support as long as you
are an AirNote subscriber. Basic plan also includes a free subscription to
a headline news service.
FOR ORDERS AND PRICING CALL OR E-MAIL:
1-800-732-9900 or sales@airnote.net
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.....o-O-o......
: The.Top.Tens :
O....o-O-o.....O
o-Usenet Facts-o
"as of September 15th, 1994"
1,006,399 articles were submitted from 58,402 different Usenet sites
by 200,747 different users to 10,696 different newsgroups for an
average of 150 Mbytes per day.
Average number of megabytes of USENET news, per day: 150
Estimated number of USENET sites: 180,000
Estimated number of readers of news.announce.newusers: 800,000
Estimated worldwide disks space used by USENET news: 61 terabytes
Top News Categories
.................................................
: : : Article : : :
; # : Category : Count : Mbytes : Percent :
:...:...........:.........:...........:.........:
: 1 : alt : 281,644 : 1,156 : 55.1% :
: 2 : rec : 206,574 : 294 : 14.0% :
: 3 : comp : 132,621 : 201 : 9.6% :
: 4 : soc : 65,920 : 136 : 6.5% :
: 5 : misc : 36,863 : 52 : 2.5% :
: 6 : clari : 38,705 : 48 : 2.3% :
: 7 : sci : 22,981 : 46 : 2.2% :
: 8 : talk : 20,699 : 43 : 2.1% :
: 9 : relcom : 39,864 : 43 : 2.1% :
: 10: bit : 26,167 : 37 : 1.8% :
:...:...........:.........:...........:.........:
Historical Traffic Data
....................................................................
: 14 days : : Mbytes : Posting : Active :
: ending : Articles : per day : Sites : Users : Groups :
:...........:...........:...........:.........:...........:........:
: 01-24-94 : 673,328 : 89.412 : 43,439 : 141,421 : 8,910 :
: 02-09-94 : 736,124 : 99.331 : 48,119 : 152,136 : 8,825 :
: 02-23-94 : 734,372 : 100.445 : 48,466 : 152,994 : 9,068 :
: 03-14-94 : 744,204 : 109.073 : 48,605 : 164,284 : 8,432 :
: 03-28-94 : 736,136 : 105.760 : 47,404 : 160,123 : 8,269 :
: 04-25-94 : 706,233 : 100.243 : 47,057 : 159,858 : 9,366 :
: 05-15-94 : 1,011,667 : 143.988 : 55,027 : 193,072 : 9,233 :
: 05-22-94 : 923,578 : 130.331 : 55,798 : 187,601 : 9,377 :
: 06-08-94 : 925,834 : 132.664 : 57,889 : 180,351 : 9,887 :
: 07-22-94 : 845,238 : 118.355 : 56,424 : 183,773 : 10,205 :
: 08-22-94 : 913,469 : 129.005 : 57,785 : 198,176 : 10,512 :
: 09-08-94 : 1,006,399 : 150.023 : 58,402 : 200,747 : 10,696 :
:...........:...........:...........:.........:...........:........:
Top 10 News Groups by Kbytes for the last 2 weeks
.......
........................ :Post :
: Number of :..................................:per :
: #: Kbytes : Articles: Usenet Group :User :
:..:.........:.........:..................................:.....:
: 1: 491,023 : 14,891 : alt.binaries.pictures.* : 4.3 :
: 2: 125,788 : 3,074 : alt.binaries.sounds.* : 4.6 :
: 3: 40,198 : 660 : alt.binaries.multimedia : 3.6 :
: 4: 23,979 : 752 : news.answers : 1.0 :
: 5: 18,599 : 7,666 : ncar.weather :7666 :
: 6: 19,089 : 1,975 : alt.sex.stories : 3.2 :
: 7: 14,180 : 388 : de.alt.binaries.pictures.* : 7.5 :
: 8: 11,563 : 3,323 : rec.games.deckmaster.marketplace : 4.4 :
: 9: 9,108 : 187 : alt.sex.pictures.male : 11 :
:10: 8,818 : 305 : alt.binaries.doom : 2.1 :
:..:.........:.........:..................................:.....:
Top 10 News Groups by Articles for the last 2 weeks
.......
........................ :Post :
: Number of :..................................:per :
: #: Kbytes : Articles: Usenet Group :User :
:..:.........:.........:..................................:.....:
: 1: 491,023 : 14,891 : alt.binaries.pictures.* : 4.3 :
: 2: 20,405 : 7,666 : ncar.weather : 7666:
: 3: 8,874 : 5,380 : inet : 2.0 :
: 4: 2,982 : 4,798 : relcom.commerce.food : 6.4 :
: 5: 7,867 : 4,670 : cbd.procurements : 1.0 :
: 6: 6,557 : 4,616 : misc.jobs.offered : 5.4 :
: 7: 8,074 : 4,531 : rec.games.deckmaster : 3.9 :
: 8: 4,902 : 4,071 : alt.games.doom : 2.9 :
: 9: 8,809 : 4,049 : alt.fan.rush-limbaugh : 5.1 :
:10: 6,594 : 4,030 : alt.atheism : 6.3 :
:..:.........:.........:..................................:.....:
Internet Informer Top Ten Interesting Activity UseNETters
posts/kbyte
........................................................................
:01: 34/5242 ummilit2@cc.UMANITOBA.CA (Giovanni John Militano) :
: : 84% alt.binaries.pictures.* :
: : 7% alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc :
: : 7% alt.cracks :
:..:...................................................................:
:02: 1531/471 graefja@ucbeh.SAN.UC.EDU :
: : 100% alt.flame :
:..:...................................................................:
:03: 524/82 sameer@cdrom.COM :
: : 100% alt.test :
:..:...................................................................:
:04: 459/1419 avc@ace.COM (Avc) :
: : 39% misc.jobs.offered :
: : 38% ne.jobs :
: : 14% misc.jobs.contract :
: : 7% misc.jobs.offered.entry :
:..:...................................................................:
:05: 367/263 da825@cleveland.FREENET.EDU (Richard N Kitchen) :
: : 23% rec.arts.tv.soaps :
: : 16% alt.folklore.urban :
: : 13% rec.arts.movies :
: : 12% alt.showbiz.gossip :
: : 7% alt.tv.real-world :
: : 6% alt.history.what-if :
:..:...................................................................:
:06: 341/705 lizard@char.VNET.NET (Lizard) :
: : 24% alt.politics.libertarian :
: : 17% alt.politics.radical-left :
: : 17% talk.politics.theory :
: : 14% alt.society.anarchy :
: : 8% alt.gobment.lones :
:..:...................................................................:
:07: 322/457 cswigg@dorite.USE.COM (Craig Wigginton) :
: : 71% misc.jobs.offered :
: : 13% fl.jobs :
: : 6% misc.jobs.contract :
: : 5% ne.jobs :
:..:...................................................................:
:08: 315/559 ckalina@gwis.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Charles Kalina) :
: : 17% alt.fan.rush-limbaugh :
: : 16% alt.feminism :
: : 11% alt.atheism :
: : 9% alt.politics.clinton :
: : 7% alt.politics.homosexuality :
: : 5% alt.rush-limbaugh :
:..:...................................................................:
:09: 303/283 mwilson@ncratl.ATLANTAGA.NCR.COM (Mark O. Wilson) :
: : 17% talk.politics.misc :
: : 10% alt.politics.clinton :
: : 8% alt.politics.libertarian :
: : 6% talk.abortion :
: : 5% alt.politics.radical-left :
:..:...................................................................:
:10: 302/374 jdawson@netcom.COM (Joe Dawson) :
: : 48% alt.smokers :
: : 37% alt.support.non-smokers :
: : 6% alt.politics.libertarian :
:..:...................................................................:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Sept 15th snapshot of the commercial domains registered with
InterNIC shows 20,242 unique commercial domains compared with 18,403 as
of Aug 15, 1994. The net increase of 1,839 domains represents and 10.0%
month gain."
- The Internet Scout Report
____ Internet _
| __ ) _ _ ___(_)_ __ ___ ___ ___
| _ \| | | / __| | '_ \ / _ \/ __/ __|
| |_) | |_| \__ \ | | | | __/\__ \__ \
|____/ \__,_|___/_|_| |_|\___||___/___/
by J. E l s w o r t h
Percentage of PCs using TCP/IP in 1993: 3.9
Sales of PC TCP/IP products in 1993: $272 million
Average time between new network connections: 30 minutes
Number of CommerceNet Sponsors: 53
Number of Commercial Internet Exchange members: 85
Number of commercial domains registered between 7-15 and 8-15: 1401
Number of domains registered to Fidelity Investments and related companies:15
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?
For most Internauts, it is no news that business is becoming a great
deal more visible on the Internet. In fact, business is booming. I know
some of you just said, "I thought that you couldn't do anything commercial
on the Internet".
The current NSF acceptable use policies certainly limit the commercial
activity on certain parts of the net, but non-invasive advertising is fine.
The use of passive tools like Gopher and WWW are popular, especially with
the growth of Mosaic and other graphical WWW browsers.
The commercial domains now account for more than half of all domain
registrations, and that number has risen again to 16,000 plus. California
leads the pack with registrations, followed by Colorado, Massachusetts and
New York. InterNet Info compiles information on the commercial activity on
the net, and for more information e-mail to info@internetinfo.com.
In these new registrations, we find names like coke.com, sex.com,
money.com, hertz.com, trump.com, startrek.com and windows.com. And all of
these registrations are not from the companies suggested in the name. The
ownership of these domain names is creating new opportunities for
controversy.
I imagine that "I want my mtv.com" is what MTV is saying to Adam Curry.
Last year, Adam Curry decided that bringing MTV to the Internet would be a
cool idea, and so set about to do that. MTV was not interested, so he
created mtv.com and went on the Internet with MTV information. Now, MTV is
suing Curry to get ownership of mtv.com. Where you find lawyers fighting
over domain names, business must be interested!
But, what kinds of business are using the Internet? Well, you will find
hundreds of large companies like Exxon, Transamerica, GTE, Unisys, Texas
Instruments, Boeing, Motorola, Lockheed, Ford Motor Company, and more. Lots
of smaller businesses are online too, selling flowers, books, swings,
crafts, T-Shirts, etc., and you will find dairies, reporters, consultants
and more all online.
Some quick examples:
Canadian Airlines International has a WWW homepage at
http://www.CdnAir.CA. They provide destination information, news updates,
weather and you can find flight arrival and departure information online.
In addition they provide page links to an online movie, and access to the
Big Dummies Guide to the Internet.
The Center For Arthroscopic Surgery -- "Get a leg up on the
competition" their ad says <groan> at
http://mmink.cts.com/mmink/dossiers/cas.html. They specialize in
arthroscopic surgery for the knees, and their page describes their
services, and provides contact information for their business in Los
Angeles.
Located in Maine, DeLorme Mapping services maintains an Internet
presence through a WWW page at http://www.delorme.com. They proved mapping
software and databases for education, business and government. They publish
printed atlases of individual states, and offer an online product catalog,
map demonstrations, ordering information and technical support online.
The venerable financial company, Dun & Bradstreet is online with a www
server at http://www.corp.dnb.com. Currently, their Internet presence is
"under construction" but they plan to provide information on The Dun &
Bradstreet Corporation's Statement of Values, Business
Information|Donnelley Yellow Page Service|Smartstream Support and currently
you can take a customer survey online. They have been working closely with
CommerceNet to prototype the business models of the future.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia Roswell's Bookstore is online at
http://www.nstn.ns.ca/cybermall/roswell/roswell.html, and on the Nova
Scotia Technical Networks CyberMall on gopher at owl.nstn.ns.ca. They have
both an Internet bookstore and a walk- in bookstore devoted exclusively to
computer books with a database listing over 7000 titles. Online the
database can be searched by title author, and ISBN, and orders can be
placed using data input forms.
The World Real Estate Listing Services provides real estate listings
all over the world, although mostly focused on the US. The listings are
organized by country, and then by state or province and city. Have a look
at their homepage: http://interchange.idc.uvic.ca/wrels/index.html. They
have an interesting map based navigation feature as well.
Pizza Hut has come online with http://www.pizzahut.com where you can
order pizza on the Internet -- if you live in Santa Cruz California. If
the experiment works out, they will be expanding their services nation wide
-- I for one am already waiting.
And last but not least, Scottso the Clown is online with an ad at
http://mmink.cts.com/mmink/dossiers/scottso.html, and via e-mail to
rdegel@ctsnet.cts.com (put "scottso" on the subject line. In his listing,
he provides information on his appearances in Southern California and San
Diego area.
Where can I find out more information? If you are interested in doing
business on the Internet, here there are several resources for you.
Start with the Commercial Sites on the Web at: URL:
http://tns-www.lcs.mit.edu/commerce.html and http://tns-
www.lcs.mit.edu/commerce/whatsnew.html. This listing is comprehensive and
interesting.
Next, hit the Commercial Use of the Net Page. The URL is
http://pass.wayne.edu/business.html.
Have a look at Thomas Ho's favorite Electronic Commerce WWW page at
http://biomed.nus.sg/people/commmenu.html.
Check out CommerceNet -- specifically oriented to the commercial user.
Their URL http://www.commerce.net/.
Some other good sites:
Interesting Business Sites on the Web at
http://www.rpi.edu/~okeefe/business.html
BizWeb at http://www.bizweb.com/
The Quantum Internet Mall at URL http://www.gcr.com/mall/.
There are lots of others - The Shops at world.std.com, The Shops at
pipeline.com, and on the Nova Scotia Technical Network (owl.nstn.ns.ca:70).
The commercial domain is the fastest growing segment of the Internet.
Look for lots of activity, and for discussions of security, how to purchase
online, and more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
____ Online _ ____ __ _
/ ___|___ _ _ _ __| |_ / ___| _ _ _ __ / _(_)_ __ __ _
| | / _ \| | | | '__| __| \___ \| | | | '__| |_| | '_ \ / _` |
| |__| (_) | |_| | | | |_ ___) | |_| | | | _| | | | | (_| |
\____\___/ \__,_|_| \__| |____/ \__,_|_| |_| |_|_| |_|\__, |
|___/
by B r i a n M. O ' C o n n e l
Number of lawsuits over use of trademarks in domain names: 2
Average time between new network connections: 30 minutes
Number of PGP keys in the MIT public key server: 6398
Number of advisories issued by the Computer Emergency Response Team : 98
Recently, there has been an explosion of legal commentary covering
everything from celebrity murder trials to bankruptcy hearings. An entire
cable channel is now dedicated to the broadcast of law-related stories and
prognostications. We can court surf daily with a cadre of attorneys
offering predictions about case outcomes. They are often accurate and
reinforce the common notion that law is objective, steady and intelligible.
As a lawyer writing about the Internet, I have to contend with this
long held belief of predictability. Legal experts are rightly expected to
pinpoint trends and anticipate results. What follows is something of a
challenge to this assumption. It is as much about law as it is about "the
Net."
A familiar image of legal training is that of the menacing professor
grilling the hapless student about the most minute detail of an arcane
case, originally argued in another century. Far from a caricature, the
"case study method" is the cornerstone of nearly every American lawyer's
education and is based on the assumption that unchanging legal principles
will be revealed through a close examination of the facts and analyses
employed by the courts.
A similar thesis, one which is equally ingrained in our legal system,
is that whatever disputes are involved in any given case, chances are that
they have been considered by a previous court which has formed a rule on
how to deal with them. This is known as the doctrine of "precedence" and
it is grounded in the belief that universal rules can be culled and applied
to most if not every circumstance.
These theories have served us well. Their use has permitted a certain
degree of welcome consistency in the resolution of legal controversies.
The law does not need to be reinvented each time a new suit is filed and
while the progress of civilization has at times caused some alterations to
precedent, they have often been no more radical than substituting the word
"wagon" with "automobile" or "steamship" with "airliner."
If for instance, something viewed to be an unreasonable hazard is let
loose upon one's property, the law provides a general principle which will
make it's owner liable for any damage caused. This outcome may be traced to
an 1868 judgment reached by an English tribunal. It will unlikely be
affected by whether the "something" is a pet lion kept by nineteenth
century squire or a toxin developed by a modern laboratory.
Lawyers, judges, and even legislators have understandably been guided
by precedent. Courts routinely base their decisions about the law upon
their understanding of prior decisions made in related matters.
Consequently, the outcome of almost every case is dependant upon what has
come before it.
The advent of the Internet threatens to change this status quo and
make predicting case outcomes extremely difficult. It is beyond the scope
of this discussion to list every topic through which jurisprudence will be
challenged, however two things are certain. The first is that the Net will
attract litigation. The second is that courts and attorneys will be hard
pressed to apply normal legal theory to the resolution of these conflicts.
As for the likelihood of litigation, the current state of the Internet
makes it inevitable. In a recent Scientific American article, Paul Wallich
observed that at this stage of its genesis, the Net resembles not so much a
superhighway, but a train running through the badlands of the Old West.
This machine, travelling largely uncharted territory is supported by mutual
cooperation and trust rather than by any formal agreement. When trouble
breaks out, there is often no marshal.
Much attention has been given to the practices of flaming, spamming
and Internet "worming." In most of these instances, the resolution of
frontier disputes has taken the form of "self help" such as
counter-flaming, cancelbots or site and account restrictions. Other times,
they are met with benign neglect, presumably in the hope that this too
shall pass.
What is troublesome is that home remedies will not solve the problems.
Human nature dictates that even in a collective Utopia, not everybody can
be pleased all the time. More significantly, legal history teaches that
when an injury, real or perceived is unrequited, a lawsuit is born with
each party looking for the law to take its side. Those who will try to
determine where the law "stands" on the Internet will look to precedent and
develop eyestrain.
What, for example, will the law say about the place of privacy in
cyberspace? For centuries, dwellings have been regarded as castles,
subject to intrusion only on the basis of a valid search and seizure
warrant. Society has been prepared to recognize this special zone of
privacy because it is familiar with what goes on within the home and has
accepted the need, absent the most compelling circumstances, to protect it.
Frequently, courts have had to determine the boundaries of the home,
deciding for example, whether the same protection is given to a back yard
garden as to one's living room. Not surprisingly, their decisions have
been based upon experiences and expectations common to most every person in
today's society and often in those of the past.
Some 23 million people "inhabit" the Net. Here they engage in a
multiplicity of transactions in both public and private venues. Through
various channels such as Usenet forums, or email, information is shared.
In the former case, the messages are shared with the public. In the
latter, the information is normally directed to an individual. In reality,
computer experts will say, both communications will be unwittingly
addressed to potentially huge numbers of people as a consequence of the
packet switching protocols employed by the Internet. As the Net becomes
the target of litigation, the level of legal privacy protection which these
mediums are accorded will be a subject for a court's consideration.
A familiar image of legal training is that of the menacing professor
grilling the hapless student abonsider the competing interests inherent in
socio-technical interaction. Textbook law may provide some clues to these
debacles, but they it will not supply the answers.
The Internet is no longer the affable province of academicians and
researchers. Whatever it's relation to futurist's dreams of global
villages and superhighways, the arrangement which currently exists is a
precarious mixture of many personalities, temperaments and agendas. The
emergent litigation will not only reflect this situation, but will force
the creation of entirely new law. As legal analysts attempt to divine
outcomes and formulate predictions, it will be well to remember that court
surfing will be an even more complex task than that of navigating the Net.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
__ __ Personal _ _ _
| \/ | ___ _ __ ___ _ _ | \ | | ___| |_
| |\/| |/ _ \| '_ \ / _ \ | | | | \| |/ _ \ __|
| | | | (_) | | | | __/ |_| |_| |\ | __/ |_
|_| |_|\___/|_| |_|\___|\__, (_)_| \_|\___|\__|
|___/ by S u s a n L u n t z
Are you still playing on that stupid computer? Did your Mom, Dad,
significant (or insignificant) other ever say that to you while you were
surfing the net? Well, next time it happens tell him or her there is news
and information on spending, and investing - information on tracking your
investments, news on currencies, federal economic data, even job openings
around the country and the world, and lots more. Money.Net column will
appear in each issue of the INTERNET.INFORMER with news and information on
investing and personal finance from both the material and the electronic
world. This column will talk about finding investing and personal finance
information on the internet through gophers, freenets and fee-based
networks; on usenet, ftp, chat, listservers and more. This first column
features my favorite resource, namely misc.invest.
MISC.INVEST
There are thousands of usenet groups or bulletin boards. Each focuses
on a more or less specific topic. The topics range from tropical fish
keeping (rec.aquaria), Rush Limbaugh (alt.fan.rush. limbaugh) and particle
physics (sci.physics.particle). A most popular usenet group on investing
and personal finance is misc.invest. My usual way of getting there is
through the Youngstown freenet (TELNET yfn2.ysu.edu). You can get to the
usenet groups from your favorite usenet reader or go through a gopher (such
as at UPENN). On the Youngstown freenet, anyone can logon as visitor, but
you have to register to read and post (or send messages) on usenet. The
misc.invest group is unmoderated - no one censors the postings. There are
usually more than 100 postings a day. More postings appear when the stock
market is going up then when it goes down. It seems that a down day is a
downer for the regulars of misc.invest.
Some recent "threads" or continuing discussions on this group have
included rise of interest rates, pros and cons of term insurance, where
best to put $1,000, and asset allocation issues. Some real good
discussions are held on a rather high plane. Other threads include how
Jupiter affects the market and some offers regarding real estate in the
former Soviet Union. There are discussions of individual stocks and mutual
funds. In addition there are chain letter offerings (send a dollar and in
a month you'll get millions) and offers of "opportunities" for
castles-in-the-sky where the first investors will make money on the later
investments (otherwise known as Ponzi schemes). In summary, there is lots
of worthwhile information along with fluff and even somewhat illegal
schemes.
Beside the threads of discourse, there are some regular features. HOLTZ
has 3 daily reports which appear each workday a little after 5PM. These
include closing numbers for the U.S. markets (the DOW 30, S&P, AMEX, NYSE,
Russell 2000 and other indexes) as well as foreign markets. Also included
are the highs, lows, closing numbers and volumes for the most active stocks
on a variety of exchanges and more. A second regular feature, ClariNews,
lists on a daily basis, the highs, lows and final prices of a number of
computer and telecommunication stocks. In addition, there are daily and
weekly market reviews by a number of newsletter editors and services.
There are surveys on investment styles and a contest to guess the DOW on
December 31. These regular features have changed over time as their
compilers move on to other things. A feature I looked forward to and has
since stopped was a test (I looked forward to being tested!) on personal
finance. Well I guess that it wasn't so much the testing that I liked, but
the well thought out and authoritative answers that appeared the following
week. Sample questions and answers follows:
1: What are pork bellies?
Pork bellies are, obviously, from the underside of
pigs/hogs. They are used predominately to make bacon.
2: What does it mean when a stock is trading ex-dividend?
The seller not the buyer, is entitled to the recently
declared dividend.
The series consisted of 3 "tests" which appeared about once a week.
Why am I mentioning this defunct feature? For one, although it ended
perhaps, with some encouragement, it will start up again. In addition, I
wanted to point out to you the variety that appears here. Also, the
expectation I have that next week a new and even more worthwhile feature
will be available. So I continue to browse.
I feel that the wide variety of information and views on misc.invest is
of tremendous value. People interested in investing and personal finance
read magazines, newspapers, listen to talk shows on TV and radio on the
various issues involving investing and personal finances. Misc.invest
gives one an avenue for discussion on just the issues raised in those other
media. The big difference here is that you can join right into the
conversation. Even the flaky views and the "opportunities" for investing
are worthwhile, as long as you think first. Reading those views and
reading the "flames" that get thrown at them makes one a more wily investor
and ready for the next new scheme.
The next issue will feature the 3 FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions
that are associated with this group.
SUE'S VIEWS
I was recently asked by an editor of Money magazine what my one single
piece of advice to new and experienced money handlers would be -- My
answer was, Don't forget to THINK for yourself. Whether it's an urging from
unknowns on misc.invest, TV info- commercials to BUY ME, cold telephone
calls or offers in the mail, it is vital to think before acting -- think
about your goals, the relevance and merits of the solicitation, the
credibility of the source. Think! You and only you are responsible for
the consequences of your actions. Think before acting!! At an early age,
as we watch TV or go to the super market we are barraged with BUY ME
signals. From the bright red on the cereal boxes, to the latest in
clothes, from the special offer for a new credit card or a bridge in
Brooklyn, we are urged to spend our money. We all need new clothes and the
latest features on a new telephone are valuable, but THINK before you sign
on. After that, the rest of investing and personal finance is a piece of
cake.
See you on the Information Highway.
Happy Computing and Happy Investing!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
___ __ The _
|_ _|_ __ / _| ___ _ __ _ __ ___ ___ __| |
| || '_ \| |_ / _ \| '__| '_ ` _ \ / _ \/ _` |
| || | | | _| (_) | | | | | | | | __/ (_| |
|___|_| |_|_| \___/|_| |_| |_| |_|\___|\__,_|
___ _
|_ _|_ ____ _____ ___| |_ ___ _ __
| || '_ \ \ / / _ \/ __| __/ _ \| '__|
| || | | \ V / __/\__ \ || (_) | |
|___|_| |_|\_/ \___||___/\__\___/|_|
by
D o u g l a s M a r t i n
Risk, Risk, and More Risk
Risk is that four letter word that usually sends many investors
scurrying for safety. Risk is inevitable when it comes to investing, no
matter where you invest your money, whether it be a savings account or junk
bonds. But how many people really understand what risk means in relation
to their investments, and how many people actually take into consideration
all of the risks that an investment may have before committing their hard
earned money to that investment?
People tend to confuse their uncertainty about an investment with the
risks associated with an investment. Risk is really a measurable
possibility of an investment losing or not gaining value. This is
distinctly different from uncertainty, which is not measurable. In order
to quantify the overall risk of an investment we need to know what its
different types of risk are. So let's go through some of the commonly
encountered types of risk that need to be considered when selecting an
investment.
Inflation risk is the biggest and surest risk that we face when
investing our money. This is simply the risk that your invested dollar
will not grow at the same pace as overall inflation. In other words, your
principal plus returns will actually buy less over time. It is no mystery
that every currency in existence has less purchasing power today than it
did 20 years ago. Remember in 1974 when a first-class postage stamp cost
10 cents? Inflation is what caused the price of that stamp to triple in 20
years. As inflation affects all types of investments, there is no escaping
it. So the person who says he abhors risk and invests his money in a
savings account for the long term because it is "safe", is really assuming
all of the risk associated with inflation without even knowing or
considering it.
Market Risk is the risk that your investment will fluctuate in value
based on changes in the overall market, regardless of the fundamentals of
the investment itself. If the market as a whole has a major correction in
response to news, the risk of your investment correcting along with the
market exists. Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are the most affected by
market risk, whereas an investment where the principal is fixed, such as a
CD, is not affected at all. The risk associated with the market is enormous
because of the possibility of losing your entire investment, but it can
largely be offset by investing for the long term. In addition, the
potential for higher returns will compensate for the higher level of risk.
Interest Rate risk is the risk that a fixed-rate debt instrument, such
as a bond, will decline in value as a result of a rise in interest rates.
As an example, let's say you purchase a bond with a face value of $1000 and
it pays a fixed rate of interest of 7% or $70 a year. Now if interest
rates in the market suddenly increase from 7% to 8%, the value of your
bond in the market place will decline to about $875, so, the $70 interest
payment will represent an 8% yield to a new investor. As you can see, a 1%
increase in interest rates resulted in a 12.5% decline in the value of your
investment. This is the type of risk you definitely want to avoid, if at
all possible. Bonds with longer maturities are more susceptible to
interest rate risk, so one way of reducing this risk is to keep the
maturity of the bond you buy short. Many people will buy a bond with the
intention of holding it until maturity so they are not affected by changes
in interest rates. Really, they are just giving up the opportunity to
reinvest their money at higher interest rates, and if interest rates are
moving up, so is inflation. So, they really assumed all of the inflation
risk instead.
Another important risk to consider is liquidity risk. This is the
risk that you will not be able to buy or sell an investment when you need
or want to. This usually occurs when a security is thinly traded, either
because the total number of shares outstanding is small or the shares are
closely held. Low volume or a large spread between bid and ask prices can
be good indicators of liquidity risk. Bonds are very susceptible to
liquidity risk, especially for an individual investor that is trading a
small number of bonds. One investment that many people do not relate with
high liquidity risk is a bank Certificate of Deposit or CD. If you need the
money before the maturity of the CD, there are usually substantial
penalties for early withdrawal, which equates to very high liquidity risk.
Some other types of risk to consider are exchange risk, where there is
a chance of loss on foreign currency exchange, and political risk, where
governmental action may affect the value of an investment. These risks are
becoming even more important as many people start looking around the world
for investments and as we move toward a more global economy.
After all this, is there really any investment that could be
considered risk-free. Actually there is. The three month U.S. Treasury
bill is considered a risk-free investment because it is a direct obligation
of the U.S. government and its term is short enough to minimize the risks
of inflation and interest rate changes. But for the most part, every
investment is going to have some measure of risk involved with it. The
idea is to understand what these risks are, how they affect your investment
and how to minimize them, while still getting the best possible return on
your money. Investment risk shouldn't scare you away as long as you
understand it.
Doug Martin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____ _ the _ _ __ __ _
| ____| | ___ ___| |_ _ __(_) ___ \ \ / /__ _ __ __| |
| _| | |/ _ \/ __| __| '__| |/ __| \ \ /\ / / _ \| '__/ _` |
| |___| | __/ (__| |_| | | | (__ \ V V / (_) | | | (_| |
|_____|_|\___|\___|\__|_| |_|\___| \_/\_/ \___/|_| \__,_|
by G a r y G a c h
Introduction & welcome
________________________
THInk of it.
The technology of the word -- ("A"-"B"-"C" ..., etc.) -- is one of the
most ancient foundations of human civilization. Over millennia, it has
undergone modifications. In Tell el Amaran, Egypt, for instance, about
3500 years ago, the world's first library was established. More recently,
Gutenberg brought movable type to the West, and now desktop publishing
makes everyone his or her own Gutenberg. The words you are reading right
now represent an equally significant transformation the technology of
writing.
These words are appearing via a medium whose vistas and applications
we're only beginning to grasp -- as it grows exponentially, hither and yon,
in form and function. For one thing, this medium practically transcends
time and space, appearing in cyberspace e- mail boxes way earlier than
postmen and inktrunks arrive at our doors. For another thing, it creates a
virtual community, linking people and enabling them to communicate
point-to-point, point-to-mass, and mass-to- point, (as in the various
e-mail), and mass-within-mass, (as in mailing lists and conferences).
For our purposes, a key element of this medium is its revival of the
written word. In a tv/film-saturated world, millions of people are
rediscovering, and reinventing, the joys of applying the A-B-C, the
technology of written communication. True, people don't always use their
spell-checkers before posting an epistle, and the _emphases_ and
typographic *inflections* ARE different. Moreover, it's paperless!
To be sure, just as the typewriter was instrumental in the revolution
known as modern literature, so is the Internet working its own
transformations today. In the Information Revolution, as in any
revolution, there exist three strata simultaneously: those who don't quite
yet "get it," those who are clueing in and acting upon it, and those whose
world is already transformed into something else. This monthly section of
The Informer is aimed at all three.
The Electric Word is for writers (fiction, non-, poetry, children's,
journalism, screen-, technical, etc.), editors, publishers, and imaginative
readers. In coming months we'll bring you cyberspace tidbits and compass
points, news of events and Internet sites of interest to the virtual
writing community ... plus editorials and forums on relevant issues and
themes, such as copyright, decentralization, and commercial uses. If
you've discovered a tidbit or site you wish to share with other readers, or
have a topic you'd like to see aired, please don't hesitate to contact us
directly, at our address, below.
So -----: welcome!
--------------------------------------------------------
The <misc.writing> FAQ & The Internet Writer Resource
Guide
________________________________________________________
FOR this inaugural number of The Electric Word, we'll spotlight a pair
of basic online resources for writers. To fill in some background, many
telecommunications networks host conferences -- (aka forums, chats,
discussion groups, caucases, mass-within-mass communication) -- particular
to that system, (e.g., America Online, the Well, PeaceNet, etc., to name a
few, common, big ones). The largest site for conferences held across the
entire Internet itself is Usenet. Usenet generically refers to its
conferences to as "newsgroups," but I tend to avoid that term, as it can be
easily confused with the news as tv and newspapers report.) Each
conference represents a special interest group (SIG), and often a moderator
will create, usually cxollaborating with other group members, a document
that lists and answers Frequently Asked Questions (abbreviated FAQs).
A FAQ is usually re-posted once a month, often updated and revised.
One Usenet conference, <news.answers>, is devoted just for the posting
FAQs. This is a landmine of information, for any writer wishing to quickly
get up to speed on a wise range of topics.
(As L. Detweiler points out, the FAQ is one instance of a new form of
writing proper to the Internet: diverse, collaborative, evolving, elegant,
informative. And it often reaches an audience of tens of thousands -- as
much as one could hope with paper!)
The <misc.writers> FAQ answers the following: What format to use for a
manuscript, how to get a children's book manuscript illustrated, how to
find a market for a manuscript, how to submit a manuscript, whether agents
are necessary, how to get an agent, what do agents charge, electronic
publication vs. paper publication (posting online counts as publication and
can dilute interest in secondary rights) and what are useful professional
groups for writers. (The latter includes two electronic conferences which
work via e-mail -- mailing lists -- Writers and Fiction Writers Workshop.
Note: this FAQ is also available from <ftp.apple.com>, in the path:
-=-
Where the FAQ to the <misc.writing> Usenet conference is primarily
paper-oriented, The Internet Writing Resource Guide is electronic. It
begins as a list of magazines and various outlets accepting submissions by
email, then branches out into Internet resources for the writer in general.
While not exhaustive, it's an excellent beginning resource directory.
Somewhere around the middle, the primary author, L Detweiler, inserts a
futurist vision:
> I think we are entering an age where *everyone*
> will be able to run their own publishing stations
> at home (sort of like FTP sites but far less
> complicated!) -- they will become perhaps as
> common as answering machines. ... I seek to
> advance this vision of the future where everyone
> who can type can `publish'.
This invaluable resource guide is available a number of ways. It can
be found in the ftp archive for FAQs: <rtfm.mit.edu>, via path:
to the following Usenet groups: <misc.writing>, <rec.arts. prose>,
<rec.arts.sf.written>, <misc.answers>, <rec. answers>, and <news.answers>.
If you only have e-mail, send a message "help," (leaving the subject line
blank), to <mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu>, to learn how to pry it loose via
e-mail only.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The thought for the month is:
______________
Keep writing!
--------------
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
GARY GACH teaches Internet for Writers at the Learning Annex and UC
Extension, in the San Francisco Bay area. When not teaching, scouting, or
consulting in, on, and about the Internet, he writes. His work has been
published in The American Poetry Review, AsianWeek, New Asia Review,
Renditions, Shambhala Sun, Transpacific, Zyzzva, as well as such newer,
paperless magazines as RIF/T, Grist, and Connect. His addresses in
cyberspace are <ggach@path.net> and <Gary_Gach@wwire.net>.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_ _ _
| \ | | ___| |_
| \| |/ _ \ __| "amongst friends..."
| |\ | __/ |_
|_| \_|\___|\__|
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
| \ | | ___(_) __ _| |__ | |__ ___ _ __| |__ ___ ___ __| |___
| \| |/ _ \ |/ _` | '_ \| '_ \ / _ \| '__| '_ \ / _ \ / _ \ / _` / __|
| |\ | __/ | (_| | | | | |_) | (_) | | | | | | (_) | (_) | (_| \__ \
|_| \_|\___|_|\__, |_| |_|_.__/ \___/|_| |_| |_|\___/ \___/ \__,_|___/
|___/ by K a t h l e e n C r i e g h t o n
NET NEIGHBORHOODS...reporting from around the net, telnettable
pockets of virtual community
by Kathleen Creighton (casey@well.sf.ca.us)
ECHO (East Coast Hang Out)
New York City residents and ex-patriates are gathering around, talking
about "da neighborhood", Brooklyn (is there any other?) on ECHO. Hurry on
over--the New York conference is due for an overhaul in a few weeks.
--> To get there, j newyork, item 7.
The Whitney Museum of American Art has made itself at home in the
virtual world. "Art and National Identity: What's American About American
Art?" is a rousing discussion for art lovers and cultural analysts.
--> To get there, j whitney, item 5.
For ECHO subscription information, send email to info@echonyc.com or
telnet echonyc.com and log on as "guest".
*****
WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link)
The newest addition to the WELL archives is reports live from Woodstock
II. WELL staff set up five terminals at the event and the result is candid
views of the weekend, along with remininescences from WELL users.
--> To get there, g woodstock.
In the "some things had better never change" department, Berkeleyites
are discussing coffee in the topic "Peet's vs. Starbuck's: Who wins? Who
loses?", in which they rant and rave about the intrusion of Starbuck's, a
national coffee chain which would be considered stunningly gourmet in
Wichita, into the sacred territory of Berkeley's own local brew.
--> To get there, g berkeley, topic 459.
Should a 16-year-old be living on her own? Follow the story of a
father who's having to make some difficult decisions about his daughter's
future.
--> To get there, g parenting, topic 632.
For WELL subscription information, send email to info@well.sf.ca.us or
telnet well.sf.ca.us (or well.com) and log on as "guest".
*****
If you know of an active virtual community, commercial or Freenet,
available by telnet, which would welcome participants from all around the
net, please send email with information to casey@well.sf.ca.us.
Kathleen Creighton is the BBS/online service columnist for MicroTimes, a
computer newspaper in the San Francisco Bay Area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a
__ ___ _ _ __ ___ _ _ __ __ _
\ \ / (_) | __| | \ \ / (_) | __| | \ \ / /__| |__
\ \ /\ / /| | |/ _` | \ \ /\ / /| | |/ _` | \ \ /\ / / _ \ '_ \
\ V V / | | | (_| | \ V V / | | | (_| | \ V V / __/ |_) |
\_/\_/ |_|_|\__,_| \_/\_/ |_|_|\__,_| \_/\_/ \___|_.__/
by C h a r l e s D e e m e r
The "Best of the Web '94" Contest winners have been announced, and
the novice to the World Wide Web can do worse than to explore the Home
Pages of the winners. The "Best Entertainment Site" winner was a
still-growing site maintained by Eric Richard of MIT for sports
enthusiasts, called the "WWW Sports Information Server."
You'll find Richard's good work at:
http://www.mit.edu:8001/services/sis/sports.html
Although the new visitor may be disappointed to discover on the
2-page Home Page that only two sports - professional basketball and
football - are served by Richard, each sport is covered in enough detail
to satisfy most enthusiasts, and Richard says he does plan to add more
sports, such as baseball, in the future.
Once connected to the Home Page, then, you have two choices:
linking to the Professional Basketball Server or to the Professional
Football Server.
Each of these servers is organized the same. For example, linking
to the Professional Basketball Server provides new links organized in
sections.
"The NBA at a Glance" provides a 1994 Playoff Chart, as well as
daily game summaries. Information about any team or player is available in
the somewhat misnamed "Daily Coverage," as are schedules, statistics and
rosters (including some visuals for those linking with Mosaic or something
similar). "Basketball Archives" cover the drafts from 1976-92, as well as
payroll statistics and individual team histories. Year-by-year awards, such
as MVP and Rookie of the Year, are also provided.
The same information is available on the Professional Football
Server, although this link is less developed (the team histories are not
yet written, for example). But with football season coming fast upon us,
this server is a fine addition to the sports pages of your newspaper,
providing schedules by date or team, reviews of games updated weekly, draft
selection histories, and so on, much the same as the basketball server.
The football server also includes the four proposals for a 1995
realignment of teams. Super Bowl histories and awards are included in the
archives section.
There is an FAQ (frequently asked questions) in the Basketball
Server that properly belongs on the Home Page, in which Richard discusses
future expansion of his WWW Sports Information Server. It's a great chore
of voluntary work to keep this current, and my guess is that when football
season gets underway he's going to need some help.
Richard can be reached at erichard@mit.edu. His server well
deserves the Best Entertain Site of 1994 award for its completeness in two
sports, its clear organization and its informative service.
______________________________________________________________
Charles Deemer | cdeemer@teleport.com | (503) 227-5030
Home Page: http://www.teleport.com/deemer/index.html
**Electronic screenwriting workshop info: see home page**
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are
__ __ ____ _____ _ __ __ ____
| \/ |_ _| _ \ |_ _(_) \/ | ___/ ___|
| |\/| | | | | | | | | | | | |\/| |/ _ \___ \
| | | | |_| | |_| | | | | | | | | __/___) |
|_| |_|\__,_|____/ |_| |_|_| |_|\___|____/
by R . J . L a R o e
" News you can MUSE "
1. Commentary: Virtual Harrassment R. J. LaRoe
2. News: Fresh New MuD list
3. Press Release: MediaMOO Announcement
4. Feature: England Invades France!
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1
MOOs Arm Users Against Harassment
The most widely reported bad news coming out of the MOO metroplex since
it emerged on the virtual lanscape was the cyberspace rape(*) that occurred
this past year in LambdaMOO. Four players were violated by a VooDoo doll
controlled by a character named Mr. Bungle. Virtual charges were preferred
against Mr. Bungle and that character was toaded (virtually executed).
Following the execution, Haakon, Lambda's archwizard, established a
"New Direction" for Lambda and a milestone in MUD history. He instituted,
albeit by fiat, a free-form sort of democracy for Lambda in which virtually
anyone may propose, in petition form, laws for the MOO society.
LambdaMOO residents used the system over the next several months to
forge tools for protecting and avenging themselves: creating an @boot
command, which they may use to eject offending "guest" characters from
their virtual spaces and establishing an arbitration system in which
mutually acceptable ad hoc judges settle behavioral disputes between
registered users. These judges, it should be noted, may invoke a broad
range of wizardly punishments -- including toading.
The New Direction continues, as does the debate over just what should
be done about what. How, for example, does a virtual society distinguish
between regulation of behavior and the free expression of thought? This
past summer, for instance, Lambda players considered, discussed and voted
on a petition/ballot which would have distinguished between virtual rape
and merely offensive speech.
Had the ballot been approved, "MOOrape" would have been defined as a
"sexually-related act of a violent or acutely debasing or profoundly
humiliating nature against a character who has not explicitly consented to
the interaction" using "'emote' (locally or remotely), a spoof, or ...
another verb performing the equivalent presentation." Using "say," "page,"
"whisper," or other functions which provide "an equivalent sense of
quotation," however, would have been considered speech -- unless that
speech "explicitly and provokingly reference[d] a character performing the
actions associated with rape."
Perpetrators of rapes would have been subject, following the first
offense, to "@toading ... and @recycling of their character[s] and any
secondary characters and refusal of additional character registration
requests known to originate" from them. But the petition explicitly stated
that it "should not be interpreted to abridge freedom of speech within
LambdaMOO."
Five hundred forty-one (541) Lambda residents voted in favor of the
ballot, and 379 against. But since Lambda ballots must receive twice as
many approving as disapproving votes, the measure failed.
Sexual and general harassment, especially on the part of "guest
characters," remain issues at Lambda and other mu*s, however. Lambda
players should expect to see a new ballot in their mailboxes soon (if they
have not seen one already) which, if passed, will establish guest
registration.
In response to similarly anti-social behavior on their virtual campus,
registered characters at Diversity University MOO were armed this past
month with two new verbs that DU's wizards hope will provide "an effective
defense:" @witness and @banish. After the behavior of an abusive guest has
been @witness-ed, which initiates a logging procedure, it can be @banished
from the MOO and (as with @boot at Lambda) guest connections from the
ex-guest's domain will be disabled for one hour thereafter.
Both DU and Lambda permit ejected guests to protest their ejections and
both MOOs hold their characters accountable for the usage of @boot or
@banish. Lambda's @boot requires a second "confirming @boot request" from
another Lambda player, within two minutes of the original @boot, before
ejecting the guest.
DU also initiated an @tag-ging system this past month to counter
harassment on the part of registered users of the MOO. Characters who feel
they're being harassed by other characters may now @tag the offender. "A
tag," according to DU's help message on the subject, "consists of a little
chunk of information" recorded against the tagged character.
But it's a powerful little chunk. In it are the tagger's name, the
time and date of the tag and the "rationale for the tag." The DU wizards
are notified when a character has been tagged three times and they, at that
point, in the words of the help file, "will have a word with the person and
decide ... his/her fate." So be nice!
end note:
(*) Both the rape and the toading (virtual execution) of the
sociopathic Mr. Bungle were thoroughly reported by Julian Dibbell
(Lambda's Dr. Bombay) in "A Rape in Cyberspace" in the December 21,
1993 issue of *The Village Voice*, available in e-text via gopher at
actlab.rtf.utexas.edu 70 under "Virtual Spaces: MUD/".
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2
Fresh MUD(s)
Administrators and players of the following MUDs proclaimed their
presence in Usenet News' "rec.games.mud.announce" over the past several
weeks.
**Texas Twilight MUSH**
Theme: Roleplaying is the emphasis but a +stats system and judges are
available. Via Telnet: Krynn.solace.mh.se 6250 (193.10.118.130 6250)
**PARANOIA MUSH**
Theme: Self-described as similar to the movie *Logan's Run* "except
more silly." Via Telnet: nomadd.fiu.edu 6969
**Northern Lights**
Theme: Games and puzzles. Via Telnet: aber.ludd.luth.se 6715
(130.240.16.29 6715)
*SlothMUD II**
Theme: DikuMUD- Via Telnet: ai.cs.ukans.edu 6101
**LegendMUD**
Theme: Offers "thoroughly researched areas that are accurately
representative of actual historic periods, legendary eras, or literary
frameworks." Via Telnet: moraff.austin.com 9999
**ANGREAL**
Theme: Roleplay in a fantasy setting based on Robert Jordan's works.
Via Telnet: SARCAZM.RESNET.CORNELL.EDU 9000 (128.253.150.10 9000)
**ChromeMUSH**
Theme: Cyberpunk. Set in a "dark future" in which "Megacorps run most
of the world, the government is powerless, and people struggle to survive
in a world that simply doesn't need or want them anymore." Cheery, eh? Via
Telnet: colossus.acusd.edu 4444 (192.195.155.200 4444)
**House of Wax**
Theme: Surreal. Self-described as "small, ... a social mud with
role-playing elements - sort of like attending a Dinner Murder Mystery
Theater." Via Telnet: gojira.monsta.com 7777
**Wayne's World**
Theme: Boasts, if this is boasting: "We have a small (too small, in
our opinion!) populace, (obviously) no overcrowding problems, friendly (if
occasionally drunk) implementors ("big kahunas"), and a generally cool
atmosphere." A DikuMUD. Via Telnet: Drake.eushc.org 9000
**Tazmania**
Theme: CircleMUD with "no Pkilling" and lots of "social fun." Via
Telnet: Ukko.Rowan.Edu 5000
**Eternal Twilight**
Theme: Self-described as "Based on ROM (2.3) by Alander." Via Telnet:
eews11.usask.ca 9000
**ToonMUSH ]I[**
Theme: Toons, silly. Sheesh, can't you take a hint. "Boink!" Via
Telnet: brahe.phys.unm.edu 9999
**Blue Facial Mud**
Theme: Self-described as "a clan/pkill mud" which tries "to emphasize
role playing and characer developement." Via Telnet: dallet.channel1.com
1234
**FoxMUD**
Theme: Reportedly "a fun place to hang." <gulp> Via Telnet:
mud.eskimo.com 4848
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3
Netoric Gets Gopher Site
Tari and GregS of MediaMOO announced in mid-August that Netoric, the
sponsor of MediaMOO's Tuesday Cafe series, now has its own gopher space.
Available documents include logs of recent Netoric events and announcements
of upcoming events. Gopher: daedalus.com:/Alliance for Computers and
Writing/NETORIC/ Ftp: daedalus.com:/ACW/NETORIC/ MediaMOO's Tuesday Cafe
regularly attracts a national gathering of writing teachers who use MOO
programming in their curricula. It's interesting. Honest.
_
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4
War Declared! England Invades France!
Exclusive Front Line Report
R.J. LaRoe
Outside the city of Calais: a mangy peasant, wearing a broadcloth shirt
and pants cinched with a hemp belt, drops an archer's longbow, stake and
brigandine as a similarly clad, ragged peasant watches. The archer's
equipment is followed by a poleaxe (once the property of Thomas Camoys,
Lord of Camoys), a dagger (once the property of Sir Thomas Erpingham,
Steward of the King's Household) and a great helm (previously owned by none
other than Henry V, King of England).
The ragged peasant comments through yellow, broken teeth, "you did
quite a bit of stealing in there."
The mangy peasant drops a sword (once the property of Thomas Morestede,
physician to the King) and smiles, revealing his own broken, yellow teeth.
Mangy_Peasant looks innocent. "Who me?"
His disingenuous ploy is unnecessary. He's not really in trouble, even
though the accusatory ragged peasant is, in virtual reality, Jeanne,
Archwizardess of DUmoo, in disguise. You see, Jeanne and this mangy
peasant have just finished a tour of Mogue(iRL: Bill Kretz)'s
sim-MOO-lation of scenes from the 100 Years War, where players are