Internet - What is it?   by Gary McGhee   <> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <>  Internet is a world-wide computer network that is used by Universities, Government organisations and many of the worlds largest computer and technology-based companies. Network News (also known as Usenet) is a continously-updated news service with nearly 900 newsgroups, each covering a different subject. Of interest to Amiga users are the following Newsgroups: aus.computers.amiga (general Australian) comp.sys.amiga.advocacy (Amiga Vs Mac Vs NeXT) comp.sys.amiga.announce (product announcements) comp.sys.amiga.applications (general software) comp.sys.amiga.audio (music, MIDI, sound etc) comp.sys.amiga.datacom (telecommunications) comp.sys.amiga.emulations (Mac, PC emulation) comp.sys.amiga.games (games hints, cheats, opinions) comp.sys.amiga.graphics (graphics hard/software) comp.sys.amiga.hardware (hardware hacks, opinions etc) comp.sys.amiga.introduction (for new users) comp.sys.amiga.misc (general Amiga discussion) comp.sys.amiga.multimedia (MultiMedia tips, discussion) comp.sys.amiga.programmer (programming tips, Q's & A's) comp.sys.amiga.reviews (thorough reviews of products) comp.sys.amiga.tech (hard/soft/firmware discussion) comp.sys.amiga.unix (using UNIX on the Amiga) If there is a specific problem you have with your Amiga, or some information you need that the club cannot provide, we may post a message for you, then give you the replies. Due to the way the News software is organised, it is easiest to reply to a question the moment you read it, so most questions are answered within a few days of being asked. We can also send private mail to other people on the 'Net. If your message is fairly simple, ring me on 457 0730. If it is not so simple, or long, give it to me on a disk in plain ASCII format. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list before asking, as it may answer your question. SOFTWARE  Our access to the 'Net involves more than news. FTP gives us access to vast amounts of software straight from anywhere in the World (mainly the US). This software includes more than just programs. Some examples are: - fonts (screen & Postscript) - pictures in virtually every format from C64 to 16M colour Graphics workstation formats and of course Amiga IFF format. - source code for AmigaVision, AMOS, and the more conventional languages. - 3D objects for the popular Ray-tracing programs. - Demo versions of Commercial software - Amiga Club Newsletters in Postscript format. - Animations - Demos - Source code - And of course the usual utilities, games, applications etc Occasionally included on this disk is a list of all uploaded files a major Amiga FTP site such as amiga.physik.unizh.ch. This is only one of hundreds of sites however. Other sites are dedicated to various other computers and areas of interest, often depending on the organisation. eg some Uni's specialise in graphics, astronomy, image-processing, etc. The file list is sorted by the path name, which means the files are roughly sorted by subject. You can now use the text viewer to search for say, 'util' and find a list of utilities. Note that the very latest stuff is in the 'incoming' directory, and may not be sorted by subject. Also note that the file is crunched using PowerPacker. The text reader can print or save in normal ASCII, so you shouldn't need PowerPacker. This list is based on files uploaded, but the system moderator may re- organise the files, and possibly delete some. Unfortunately, deleted files will still appear in the file list, so be warned !  --------------------- AN INTRO TO NETIQUETTE ----------------------------  As with any technical area, there is a 'language of assumptions' (to quote Bill) associated with Network News. Here I shall try to make more sense of the conventions used in the News you will be reading. PUNCTUATION  To make electronic communication more personal, and to convey subtle 'tones of speech', there are a series 'smilies' used. To understand them you need to rotate them 90 degrees to the right, either in your mind or by tilting yer 'ead. :-) : the standard smiley. Means humorous intent, and enables the writer to get away with blue murder, dodge law suites etc. :) 8-) 8) :^) : some variations of the above. :-( : sad smiley (frowny ?). > : When this character appears on the left edge of a line of text, it means that that whole line is a quote from a previous message. >> : Means this line is a quote of a quote etc. ^^^^^ : Often used to highlight a word or phrase above it when the writer is commenting on a previous message. ~ : means approximately. ABBREVIATIONS  IMHO : In My Humble Opinion. FAQ : Nothing rude. Stands for Frequently Asked Questions list. It is on this disk. BTW : By The Way. RSN : Real Soon Now. RTFM : Read The darn Manual. Meant with emphasis. AFAIK : As Far As I Know JARGON  Aminet : Aminet is a group of 12 Archive Sites (see below) that "mirror" each others files. When a user uploads a file to one of the sites, it is mirrored by another, and then another, and so on, until all sites have the file. A file is usually on all sites by a few days, often under 24 hours. Archive Site : A large computer connected to the Internet that is used as a central storage place for software. This software can be accessed by anybody on the 'Net with FTP priveledges (as we have). FTP : File Transfer Protocol. This is a program and a data transfer standard that is used for transferring software between computers across the Network. physik and : The main Amiga archive sites. wuarchive signature : This is the last few lines of a message that is set up or .sig by the writer and is automatically tacked on the end of every message they send. It usually identifies the company they work for, gives their electronic address(es) and perhaps a includes a witty remark. UUCP : UNIX to UNIX Copying Protocol. An older, superceded networking standard. kill file : A list of users whose messages you do not wish to read. INTERNET ELECTRONIC ADDRESSES  Each user on the Internet has a unique address, just like a normal postal address. An example is our own : amuser@marsh.cs.curtin.edu.au amuser : is our username on the computer we are using. @ : separates our username from the computer we are using. marsh : Curtin's Maths & Comp Silicon Graphics Indigo Workstation. The name of the computer we are using. cs : Computer Science. A division within Curtin. edu : Indicates that Curtin is an EDUcational institution. Other examples are GOVernment, COMmercial, MILitary etc. au or oz: We are in AUstralia. Other examples are FInland, DEnmark, SwEden, United Kingdom, New Zealand, CAnada, GErmany etc. If no country is identified, then it is assumed to be the USA (typical American attitude !) THE HEADER  The first few lines at the top of each message are known as the header, and they tell you about the message and its writer. The header is automatically generated by the computer the writer is using. Below is an example : From: peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) Date: 16 Jul 91 07:31:13 GMT Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: Do companies care about Users Groups? The From: line gives the electronic address and the full name of the person sending the message. The date line gives the date and time it was sent in Greenwich Mean Time (24 hour). The newsgroups line tells us the groups the message appeared in (there can be many, known as 'cross-posting'). The Subject line tells us the subject of the message, as typed by the writer.  <> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <%> 34 <>