wmartin (07/30/82)
The ARPANET , being somewhat centrally controlled, has a facility called the Network Information Center, which does quite a few useful things, including maintaining databases of users and publications, and publishing documents. One of these documents is the "ARPANET Directory", which is a list of all hosts and all official users. This is a handy publicaton, even though the printed copies rapidly obsolesce [Hmm... that sounds more like a Haigism than a real word...], but theres an on-line updated version. Anyway, I cannot see anything like this being compiled for the USENET -- there is too much variability and decentralization and no real "network control". However, I could see an organization-oriented directory being compiled, and maintained in net.sources as a handy reference. This would list organizations by name, and give one or more net addresses to which mail directed toward that organization should be sent. It is assumed that the readers of that mailbox would know how to direct specific items to other addressees within their organizations or convert the electronic mail to hardcopy output and transfer it to local mail-routing facilities. The kinds of organizations I envision range from universities (or departments within universities, depending on the amount of network connections at a site), through government agencies, companies, and divisions of large corporations, to associations and groups (like USENIX and similar users' groups, or private associations and clubs whose officials or administration has net access). I'm not sure as to the best methodology for setting such a thing up. One simple method that comes to mind is using a new newsgroup (I hear the flames crackling now!) to which anyone who wants to be listed would send a simply formatted submission, giving the organization and the net address(es) for it. It would be best if only one representative from an organization did this, so it would require prior local discussion and coordination. Anybody have any ides on the desirability of such a service/utility/ featurewhatever? ^a [oops!] Without laying the responsibility on someone to maintain such a database, it would be difficult to keep current and purge the obsolete entries, and I don't know enough about USENET to know if there are any automated facilities for maintaining a net-wide master database that could be used for this purpose. Discussion on net.general about this topic may be rewarding. Has something similar been discussed before? (For that matter, does it already exist, and I just am ignorant of it?) Regards, Will Martin USArmy DARCOM ALMSA