From ERIK%BROCK1P.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu Thu May 9 00:49:18 1991 Date: Wed, 27 Feb 91 12:44:42 -0500 From: Erik L Seielstad To: harelb@cabot.dartmouth.edu (Harel Barzilai) Subject: About ACTIV-L > Dear Erik, > > Enclosed below is information on how to join ACTIV-L (free), and who > we are and a bit about our working relationship with PeaceNet. I am > emailing you separately a copy of PeaceNet's brochure. thanks again... > Could you tell me a bit about Fidonet, Fidonet is a worldwide network of home computers (over 10,000 as of last week) which works much like usenet...basically mail is passed all around the world from computer to computer in the middle of the night. In addition to the mail passed between the fidonet machines, some people run gateways to usenet or the internet...where mail to/from usenet newsgroups, and listserv mailing lists can be passed between the two networks. > the "Fidonet ANEWS echo" Fidonet mail is usually lumped together in groups (like usenet newsgroups), when passed from machine to machine. Since a message posted on one computer gets 'echoed' to other machines receiving that 'newsgroup', the name 'echomail' was coined. the ANEWS echo claims to be an 'Alternate News' echo...providing news from around the world. For the breif period I was reading the mail in the ANEWS (Alternate News) echo often had postings from PeaceNet. > and clue me in about "BBS" (I know roughly what they are; I've yet > to hear what exactly they are and how they work and their > relationship/links to the UseNet, internet, and other more familiar > things) a BBS (bulletin board system) is a home computer (usually) with a modem and phone line which someone has made accessible to the public. (similar to the mainframes there at dartmouth, which provide students access to various campus services -- like the card catalog). People call the BBS, and can send mail to other people who call that BBS, or they can post mail in newsgroup which is public (much like usenet.) As I said, in the case of Fidonet -- this BBS has an arangement > and clue me in about "BBS" (I know roughly what they are; I've yet > to hear what exactly they are and how they work and their > relationship/links to the UseNet, internet, and other more familiar > things) a BBS (bulletin board system) is a home computer (usually) with a modem and phone line which someone has made accessible to the public. (similar to the mainframes there at dartmouth, which provide students access to various campus services -- like the card catalog). People call the BBS, and can send mail to other people who call that BBS, or they can post mail in newsgroup which is public (much like usenet.) As I said, in the case of Fidonet -- this BBS has an arangement to send all new mail entered throughout the day to another computer in the middle of the night, and the messages posted in the 'echos' get passed all over the world. > and "1:260/231"? Thanks. This is the way fidonet specifies the address of my home computers address. you don't need to understand it...but you might see people posting in usenet newsgroups with addresses written like: 'f231.n260.z1.fidonet.org'. the fidonet<-->usenet gateways translate these addresses. > Harel > > [This is being sent to "ERIK%BROCK1P.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu" > which is the address my mailer is showing; I'm assuming "erik@brock1p" > is not a complete address I can use] hmm...last time I spoke with the postmaster there at dartmouth, I think he said 'Erik@brock1p.bitnet' will work...but "ERIK%BROCK1P.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu" will DEFINATELY work. anyhow...thanks for sending me the information.