Original URL: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/pub/stacks/libres/libres-v4n01-muns-internic
LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal
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ISSN 1058-6768 February 28, 1994 Volume 4 Issue 1
Quarterly LIBRE4N1 MUNS
GENERIC NETWORK RESOURCE REVIEWS
by Raleigh C. Muns, MLS
INTERNIC - Internet Network Information Center
"What is the Internet?" and "how do I get connected to the
Internet?" are two commonly asked questions which information
professionals will recognize as being more complex than the
uninitiated normally realize. Simplification of those two questions
in the popular media (i.e., those questions seem to never be
addressed), coupled with advertising campaigns unrelated to
reality, create an environment where prospective travelers of the
information superhighway assume that one merely needs to be told
where to sign up and where to buy the software in order to, as in
a current AT&T advertising effort, send faxes from the beach and
tuck babies in by telephone. The National Science Foundation (NSF)
funded InterNIC, the subject of this review, has become my
preferred resource for dealing with the real complexity of the two
initial questions above.
Experienced Internet users are familiar with the amateurish
feel of a large number of online Internet resources. The InterNIC,
as a product of three nationally recognized corporations awarded an
NSF contract "to provide and/or coordinate services for the NSFNET
community" has a professional and polished appearance and feel. The
obvious goal is to sell the Internet, which dovetails nicely into
the activities of those of us who are doing just that.
The InterNIC is reachable by gopher client software, telnet
software, and even by dialing a toll-free telephone number. If you
have a gopher client and know how to point it, point it to Internet
address RS.INTERNIC.NET; if you have the capability to use the
fairly ubiquitous remote login TELNET command from your local
system or computer, TELNET to RS.INTERNIC.NET, then type GOPHER (a
good way to check out gopher if you don't have access to it in any
other form); if you are savvy with, and have access to, File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) software, you can FTP to RS.INTERNIC.NET
(not recommended); or, if you're not embarrassed at being totally
confused, you can personally phone 1-800-444-4345, navigate the
obligatory touch tone menus, and talk to real human beings about
accessing the Internet.
The explication below assumes gopher access, either
directly, or by use of the TELNET command (see above).
INTERNIC INFORMATION SERVICES - GENERAL ATOMICS
The InterNIC is divided into three distinct pieces, one for
each of the members of the corporate troika. First up, General
Atomics which maintains the "InterNIC Information Services" portion
of the InterNIC. This is the part of the InterNIC which really does
tell the user what the Internet is and points to a myriad of ways
of accessing it. Areas of value here are found under the gopher
menu choices:
Internet Information for Everybody
Getting Started on the Internet
Getting Connected to the Internet
Under "Internet Information for Everybody" one can find a
plethora of statistics on Internet growth in a number of formats.
Postscript versions of graphs reside next to ASCII versions of the
same data, thus allowing a wide range of accessors. For example,
this is where one can find an ASCII graph of the increase in the
number of Internet hosts from 213 in 1983 to 1,776,000 in 1993.
Under "Getting Started on the Internet" one can find the
1st edition of Brendan Kehoe's ZEN AND THE ART OF THE INTERNET, and
a modified version of a chapter from Ed Krol's THE WHOLE INTERNET
USERS GUIDE AND CATALOG titled "FYI on 'What is the Internet'."
Both Krol's and Kehoe's works, in their commercially published
forms, are staples in my own Internet instruction activities.
Under "Getting Connected to the Internet," the latest
version of Peter Kamiski's "PDIAL: Public Dialup Internet Access
List" (December 9, 1993) can be found. This is the best resource
available for connecting individuals, as opposed to institutions,
to the Internet.
Most of the resources in this area are scattered throughout
the Internet, but the InterNIC archive provides commercial quality
stability, coherence, and flexible means of access to these
materials.
DIRECTORY AND DATABASE SERVICES - AT&T
Second up is AT&T which handles "Directory and Database
Services." The most interesting item maintained by AT&T is its
"Directory of Directories" which points to products and services
accessible through the Internet, including FTP, gopher, and library
catalog sites. This directory is small compared to some of the
sources familiar to Internet veterans, such as Diane Kovac's
excellent compilations of listservs, electronic journals, and
newsletters found in various incarnations on the Internet. By
reading the document "How to list a resource" one is given the
procedures for registering a "free" entry in the Directory. There
exists the option to pay for an "expanded" entry ($100 per month
for a minimum of three months). Entries in this directory are
apparently not actively sought by the maintainers. Rather,
the means by which the number of entries, and thus the size and
utility of the directory, will increase will be by contributing
individuals and organizations. AT&T institutes an ongoing
verification process where contributors must continually verify the
status of their resource.
REGISTRATION SERVICES - NSI
Finally, NSI handles the "Registration Services" area which
consists of assigning asn's and IP numbers, and registering
domains. I found this area to be of limited use, especially for
beginners. Frankly, such information is beyond my ken and
interests, but it should be noted for those with the background to
appreciate it.
Raleigh C. Muns / Reference Librarian / Thomas Jefferson Library
University of Missouri - St. Louis / SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU
Opinions published are exclusive to the author and do not
represent, nor intend to represent, opinions and stances of the
University of Missouri.
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