rdthomps@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Robert D. Thompson) (09/12/90)
A quick question about world/national information networks, I have used Unix on the Internet for the last five years while in school. I have found the resources on the Internet to be extremely informative and valuable. Specifically, unix-news, ftp-archives, e-mail, ... However, could some one please enlighten me on the characteristics (and relationship to the Internet) of the other major networks, UUCP BITNET BIX (and probably others that I am not aware of) What are these? What do they offer? How does one access them? - I would greatly appreciate a response from someone - Thanks in advance
sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) (09/12/90)
In article <2975@vela.acs.oakland.edu> rdthomps@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Robert D. Thompson) writes: > However, could some one please enlighten me on the > characteristics (and relationship to the Internet) of > the other major networks, > UUCP > BITNET > BIX > What are these? > What do they offer? > How does one access them? I'll let others Wiser than Myself deal with the UUCP and Bitnet part, but Bix is a network sponsored by Byte Magazine. (Byte Information eXchange is the acronym.) One accesses it through Tymnet. It features proprietary software (that is, not rn or nn or anything like that), and has a great many groups on technical and non-technical subjects (has a *wonderful* animation section, for example, and is probably the best around for computer journalists to chew the fat together). As to its connection to the Internet, I have heard various rumors at times about a Secret gateway. However, when I have occasion to send net stuff to Byte editors, who presumably would know about such a gateway, I do it by sending a copy using Unix mail to a staff member of Unix World, who then manually moves the message to Bix (presumably with cut and paste or something). They offer a flat fee usage, but you still have to pay telecomm costs. Any issue of Byte should have all sorts of information on how to join. -- "Drive carefully." "What is it with women and 'drive carefully'? 'No, I'm going to steer with my feet and read the comic paper.'"
thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp) (09/14/90)
rdthomps@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Robert D. Thompson) writes: > However, could some one please enlighten me on the > characteristics (and relationship to the Internet) of > the other major networks, > > UUCP > BITNET > BIX > (and probably others that I am not aware of) > > What are these? > What do they offer? > How does one access them? The definitive answer for these can be found in a book by John Quartermann, called "The Matrix" and available from Digital Press for about $50. Let's see if I can give a $0.02 version. Unix machines typically have UUCP available, even if you don't use it. It stands for Unix to Unix Copy, and was set up so that in addition to cp /filea /fileb, you could do a number like uucp /filea hostb!/fileb and transfer from one machine to another, rather than just one directory to another. Connection is made by switched telephone line and modem (usually) and these connections can be made either on demand, on a timer, or both. UUCP offers mail and Usenet capability (with the right Usenet software). One accesses UUCP via a UUCP machine. BITNET, Because It's Time Network, was originally a network of IBM VM machines. It used RSCS (the communications portion of VM) to send mail messages and short interactive messages from one node to another. It is a store and forward system, and typically used 9.6Kbps leased line circuits. It is for academic sites only (as far as I know). BITNET sites offer e-mail and interactive messages (via the TELL command of VM). BIX is a commercial system and runs on a cluster of machines. It is really only a single site network as everyone dials into one site to get to it. BIX was covered in another post, so I won't repeat things here. As far as I am aware, BIX is not connected to other networks (unless they go through DASnet, which is a commercial service which gateways mail between systems and networks). BITNET is gatewayed to the Internet at many sites. UUCP is gatewayed to Internet through many sites, and is gatewayed to BITNET via BITNET node PSUVAX1. - tom -- internet : mvac23!thomas@udel.edu or thomas%mvac23@udel.edu (home) : 4398613@mcimail.com (work) uucp : {ucbvax,mcvax,psuvax1,uunet}!udel!mvac23!thomas Location : Newark, DE, USA Quote : I know how to spell banana, I just don't know when to stop -- The UUCP Mailer
sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) (09/14/90)
In article <352.UUL1.3#5131@mvac23.UUCP> thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp) writes: >As far as I am aware, BIX is not connected to other networks (unless >they go through DASnet, which is a commercial service which gateways >mail between systems and networks). A good point that I'd forgotten. Bix is indeed linked up through DASnet. -- "Drive carefully." "What is it with women and 'drive carefully'? 'No, I'm going to steer with my feet and read the comic paper.'"