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USING INTERNET-CMC
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John December

DRAFT February 11, 1994 --Please do not redistribute (you can read this
online copy or print it for your personal use, but do not repost or
redistribute on the net.)

Copyright (c) 1994 by John December.  You may use this document for any 
personal or educational purpose. For-profit distribution requires my 
permission.  Provided ``as is'' without expressed or implied warranty.

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This is an informational file to help users of my "Information
Sources:  the Internet and Computer-Mediated Communication"
(internet-cmc) file.

The internet-cmc file is available via anonymous ftp:  from the host
ftp.rpi.edu in the pub/communications directory.
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PREFACE
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When I began the internet-cmc information list in May 1992, I had fewer
than forty items in the file, all of which were resources accessible
via anonymous ftp, email, or paper.  Today, the internet-cmc file has 
hundreds of entries, with access through many Internet tools.  The 
information sources range widely in purpose, audience, format, access 
methods, accuracy, and value.   A new user might become bewildered by 
this catalog---there is so much information, it might be difficult to 
tell what to use.  I believe a catalog of information sources
about the Internet and computer-mediated communication is valuable;
However, I understand this exhaustiveness increases the information's
complexity and difficulty of use.


PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
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I've written this file to describe my view of internet information and
give the user of my internet-cmc list some guidance.  In this file, I
begin with a discussion of information on the Internet.  In part I,
I describe a vocabulary and a way of thinking about Internet
information.  Using this vocabulary, I then describe, in part II, 
specific ways to put the internet-cmc information to use.  I give 
some tips on how to use the internet-cmc information, as well as some 
general ideas about finding information about the Internet.


I.   A WAY OF DESCRIBING INTERNET INFORMATION
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[-- This section will be added later --]


II.  PUTTING THE INTERNET-CMC INFORMATION TO USE
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[-- This section will be expanded --]

Look at the internet-tools.use file (at anonymous ftp host ftp.rpi.edu,
file: pub/communications/internet-tools.use) for instructions on how 
to use access methods used in the internet-cmc and internet-tools 
files.

Some ways to Use internet-cmc:
[-- This section will be expanded --]

   1.  As a catalog of possibilities for learning

       * If you are a trainer, you might select material from the
       list that would interest your students. 

   2.  As a reference source

       * Use online file search capabilities to scan the document
       for key words or phrases.

       I keep a copy of the internet-cmc.dat file in a directory
       and a Unix script called icmc that does a case-insensitive 
       search in this file:

       Contents of icmc script:
           egrep -i "$1" ~/cmc/icmc/internet-cmc.dat

       When I'm trying to remember a resource (for example Pretty
       Good Privacy (PGP) email), I then enter at the Unix
       prompt:
		$ icmc nptn

   3.  As a "what's out there" document

       * You can show a paper version of the internet-cmc file to 
       someone as a way of showing the extent of online (and paper-based)
       Internet information.

   4.  As a research tool 
       I originally wrote this document as a way of keeping track of 
       Internet information and communication as part of my own 
       research work.  You can use this document to find online
       information and communication communities to study.