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Introduction to bit.*, last revised 1 July 1991

Bit.* is an alternate hierarchy of newsgroups carried over the usenet
news transport system, originating and gatewayed back to Bitnet mailing
lists.  In addition to sites with Bitnet access, there are over four
hundred sites without Bitnet access receiving some part of the bit.*
hierarchy.

There are some bit.* newsgroups for administrative/general announcements,
but the hierarchy was created for sites that are swamped by their Bitnet
mailing-list volume.  With news software+ installed on their system, they
they can receive one copy of an article, rather than one copy for each
each recipient of the list.  Most popular or high-volume lists are gate-
wayed in.

For ease of recognition, the newsgroup name is designated by:
   bit. = hierarchy
   listserv. = listserv-based mailing list
   <listname> = the mailing list name a person would subscribe to.

For example, bit.listserv.win3-l is the win3-l@uicvm mailing list,
managed by LISTSERV++, mailing-list and file server software for VM
systems.

Bit.* is transferred by Bitnet (NJE protocol - RSCS, JNET, and UREP),
as well as by NNTP and UUCP throughout usenet.  It is available by NNTP
and UUCP from UUNET and other sites.

A list of mailing lists gatewayed into bit.* and the guidelines for
creating a bit.* newsgroup and gatewaying a LISTSERV mailing list into
usenet are periodically posted to bit.admin. If you'd like a copy by
e-mail, write to Jim McIntosh (jim@auvm.bitnet/auvm.american.edu).

Since the Bitnet mailing lists developed independently of the usenet
newsgroups, there may be some overlap.  In these cases it might be
desirable to merge a Bitnet mailing list with a traditional-hierarchy
newsgroup.  For example, the cems-l@vm.marist.edu mailing list is
gatewayed into misc.emerg-services, which also is gatewayed into Fidonet.
Particularly for already-existing newsgroups and mailing lists, this
may not always work out well - hence the guidelines mentioned above.
Some reasons are for not merging two existing newsgroups are excessive
volume, significant difference in charter, moderated status of one side,
and 'culture clash'.

Sometimes it works the other way - a Bitnet mailing list is created to
redistribute either a usenet newsgroup or an internet mailing list built
from newsgroup postings. The amine-l@vtvm1.bitnet mailing list redis-
tributes rec.arts.amine, for example.  These may or may not be listed in
the periodic postings to bit.admin.

If you have any questions about bit.*, write to either myself (doug@ysub.
bitnet/ysub.ysu.edu) or Jim McIntosh (jim@auvm.bitnet/auvm.american.edu)
and we'll try to help you out.

+PSU NetNews for VM and ANU-News for VMS are both capable of accepting
 and sending usenet newsfeed, including bit.*, over Bitnet/NJE networks.
 Unix sites connected to Bitnet via UREP can also feed news to B or C
 news software.  PSU NetNews is maintained by Linda Littleton, lrl@
 psuvm.bitnet/psuvm.psu.edu.

++The LISTSERV software was developed by Eric Thomas, eric@searn.bitnet/
  searn.sunet.se.  Sites on EARN - a cooperating NJE network in Europe -
  may be running LISTEARN, an EARN-supported variant maintained by Turgut
  Kalfaoglu - turgut@trearn.bitnet

Doug
--
Doug Sewell, Tech Support, Computer Center,         doug@ysub.bitnet
Youngstown State University, Youngstown,  OH 44555  doug@ysub.ysu.edu
You are hereby sentenced to life at 300 baud.