🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <8704171752.AA06429@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> goertzel@DCA-EMS.ARPA (Herbert Goertzel) writes:
> In reading the digests I come across USENET, BITNET,
> CSNet, UUCP, BIX, etc.  I have no idea what all these nets are, who controls
> them, how I can connect to them, what they are.  There are many references to
> UH-INFO at UHUPVM1 ATARINET.  Is this another net? Is it on one of the nets
> mentioned above?  Can I get to it from ARPANET?
>
> Thanks for any help, I'm lost.

Well, here's my stab...  Please forgive my inaccuracies.  I'd be interested 
in knowing if and where I have erred...

USENET	- Sometimes refered to as the 'UUCP network'.  Anarchistic network
	  with no central authority.  UUCP started years ago when a couple
	  of Unix using universities in the States decided that they wanted
	  to transfer some data/programs back and forth.  Someone put
	  together a set of programs and protocals, called UUCP, that would 
	  automatically transfer data from one Unix machine to another 
	  using modems and phone lines.  Soon many universities wanted
	  to get in on act, and so the 'network' grew, each site paying
	  their own share of long-distance phone charges.  It wasn't long
	  before someone decided to write up an electronic mail
	  program to use the UUCP protocals, and then news programs.
	  Since its beginning, the UUCP network has grown to an estimated
	  6500 sites spread throughout the world, with an estimated
	  820,000 people being connected to UUCP via their Unix machines.
	  The thing that I find the most remarkable about USENET is that
	  there *is* no central authority,  the network has been 'managed'
	  via distributed volunteer effort.  To use USENET, you generally
	  must have a login on some Unix machine that is connected to any
	  UUCP site.

	  Couple of notes: UUCP is a store and forward network operating
	  mostly over public phone lines at relatively low baud rates.  So
	  an e-mail message going from North America to Japan may take
	  a few days, and travel thorough a dozen machines.


BITNET	- Don't know too much about the organization of this network,
	  except that it is a network of mainframe IBM type machines.
	  It is an interactive network with fast response times, single
	  line messages may be shuttled around the world in a matter of
	  seconds to minutes.   I think this too is a store and forward
	  network, but don't quote me on this.  Again, to use BITNET
	  I think you'd have to be logged onto a mainframe IBM type
	  computer.  Note that BITNET is refered as NETNORTH in Canada,
	  and EARN (I think) in Europe.  

	  UH-INFO at ATARINET and stuff refers to a BITNET site.  I think
	  you'll have to be using BITNET to access the information
	  contained there.

CSNET 	- Don't know about this one...

BIX	- The "Byte Information eXchange".  Anyone can access this network.
	  via Tymnet in the US, Datapac in Canada or some other dial up
	  packet switching network elsewhere in the world.  The only catch
	  for this one is that you pay $$.  You pay some money to Byte
	  to use the exchange, and some money to the packet network to 
	  access the exchange.  Note that BIX isn't really a network,
	  just a large bulletin board: ie it is centralized, all people
	  'logon' to a central set of computers.

FIDONET	- A network of bulletin board systems.  e-mail is supported
	  within the network, and so is some form of news, or mailing
	  lists.   Again, a store and forward type of network operating
	  over phone lines.

ARPANET	- This is the grandfather of all large networks.  It is run
	  centrally by the Dept. of Defense in the US, and as such
	  only US sites are allowed on the ARPANET.  ARPANET is a fast
	  store and forward network using dedicated communication lines.
	  It has and does serve at least two purposes that I know of.
	  First it's a great testbed for discovering and implementing
	  new algorithms for wide area network management.  Second
	  it provides users with rapid communications with all other
	  ARPA users via electronic mail and mailing lists.

Gateways and such...

Most of these networks are gatewayed to each other.  That is, you can
access one network from another.  Unfortunately I don't know too
much about the current state of all the gateways... maybe someone
who did could post a summary of possible access from one network
to another, both for news and e-mail?

I've probably not mentioned some other networks, so consider this a
partial list.

Hope this helps...
-- 
Phil Trubey      
pgtrubey@watlion.UUCP  !{allegra,clyde,decvax,ihnp4}!watmath!watlion!pgtrubey
pgtrubey%watlion%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA
pgtrubey%watlion@waterloo.CSNET      pgtrubey@watlion.waterloo.EDU