Approved-By:  Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.pacs-l
Date:         Tue, 25 Aug 1992 11:51:28 CDT
From:         Gleason Sackman <sackman@plains.nodak.edu>
Subject:      announcing a new mailing list (fwd)

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

---------- Text of forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:35:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Susan Calcari <calcaris@nic.cerf.net>
Subject: announcing a new mailing list


To network information service providers, end users, and others:

CERFnet has announced the establishment of a new mailing list to serve
network information service providers and end users. The CERFnet News
article describing the new mailing list in detail is attached, but the main
points are summarized below. (Apologies for any repeats of this message.)

In a nutshell, the nis@cerf.net list will be a group effort (in true
Internet style) to concentrate network information services (nis)
announcements onto one list for everyone's use. A dozen or more individuals
around the Internet will each be monitoring a specific source (mailing
list, news group, list serve) and sending the information to CERFnet. We
will serve as the moderator, forwarding pertinent submissions to the entire
readership of the list, omitting duplicates.

In this way, individuals can receive succinct nis information even if they
choose not to read discussion lists. This should prove especially valuable
to end users who are not in the networking business, but are actually using
the network as a tool and a resource.

Advantages:

* everyone doesn't have to read every mailing list to stay current
* volume will stay low (it won't be a discussion list)
* pointers will be provided for more info and discussion
* when you go on vacation, turn off all lists except nis!

What you should do:

* to subscribe: send mail to nis-request@cerf.net
* to volunteer to monitor a source: send mail to nis@cerf.net
* to submit an item of interest to the moderator: send mail to nis@cerf.net
* comments, suggestions, helpful hints, etc.: send mail to nis@cerf.net

CERFnet members and other interested parties: Let me know if there is a
list you read regularly which you would like to "monitor" for us, which
simply means you will forward interesting items to nis@cerf.net.

Thanks, and see you on the net!

Susan

Susan Calcari                                        (619) 455-3904
Director, Network Information Services               fax: (619)455-3990
CERFnet                                              P.O. Box 85608
calcaris@cerf.net                                     San Diego, CA 92186-9784
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

CERFnet Services Keep You Current
---------------------------------
Introducing two new CERFnet Services which will keep you up-to-date on
available Internet resources.

New resources and applications are constantly becoming available on the
Internet - a new database, an especially useful e-mail list, or a new
online tool for uncovering your own items of interest. Staying current on
what's out there can be a time-consuming task in itself, so to help with
this task CERFnet's newly formed Network Information Services department is
introducing two services: a moderated electronic mailing list and a new
column in the CERFnet News.

The mailing list will be called nis@cerf.net  (for network information
services at CERFnet) devoted solely to the announcement of new resources,
services, and applications being offered over CERFnet and the Internet.
Those who subscribe to this list will receive a limited number of messages
containing the latest news on Information Services from around the Internet
without having to read hundreds of messages a week on various existing
mailing lists and news groups.

The way the list will work is that individuals who see an item related to
Internet resources which they feel may be of interest to others will send
that item to the moderator of the nis mailing list. These individuals can
be from the CERFnet staff, the CERFnet User Group, the subscribers of the
nis  list, or anyone else. The moderator of the list will then forward
selected items to all subscribers after duplicate and non-relevant messages
have been discarded. In this way the amount of traffic on the list will
stay very low while offering subscribers an efficient way to stay informed
of new resources.

The moderator of the list will initially be a member of CERFnet's Network
Information Services staff, but may rotate to members of the CERFnet User
Group or others as appropriate. Several existing mailing lists and news
groups will be identified and volunteers chosen who will monitor a given
list and forward pertinent items to the moderator of nis. This will
eliminate the need for all subscribers to read each of these mailing lists.
Items posted to the list will be archived so that new subscribers can
retrieve and browse information previously seen by the group.

The goal of the nis mailing list is to be simply a mechanism for
distributing brief, newsy items about what's available on the Internet and
how things can be more easily accessed. It is not meant to be a discussion
list, as this would immediately do away with its most appealing feature -
low volume! Besides, discussion lists are already available on dozens of
topics, from Archie to K-12. New items sent to the nis list will include
where to get more information on the item and the addresses of any existing
discussion lists on the topic.

A second new service was introduced in the current issue of the CERFnet News
- a  column called NIS News. This column will provide a quick hardcopy
sampling of Network Information Services news items such as upcoming
conferences, publications of special interest, and new online services. NIS
News  is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to inform our readers
of a variety of selected  items of interest. Submissions to this column are
welcome; please send mail to nis@cerf.net.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gleason Sackman                           BBS:       sackman@sendit.nodak.edu
Coordinator                               Internet:  sackman@plains.nodak.edu
SENDIT - NoDak's K-12 Telcom Network      Bitnet:    sackman@plains.bitnet
BOX 5164,  NDSU Computer Center           Voice: (701)237-8109
Fargo, ND  58105                          Fax:   (701)237-8541
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU