From: flt@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Frank L. Topping)
Subject: Astro-spelunkin' - let's get 'em _out_ there!
Reply-To: flt@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US (Frank L. Topping)
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix, Sacramento, Ca.
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 20:31:40 GMT


It's not like they have to be "trolled for" or "dredged up - more like
they're looking for a "life-line"...

In many cases I'm experiencing (literally) frantic expression of desire
from the "not-as-yet-connected" colleague to be able to join you online
on the internet for the obvious benefits those here already enjoy.

Odds are, if you're reading this, that you have a long-lost friend from
your college days or "some such" that you wish you could bring online to
share the thrill of international research and collaborative opportunity.

Maybe this will help - it's an attempt at an outreach beyond the internet
to your colleagues that have computers and modems but no internet access.

Peter Kaminski's PDIAL - Public Access Unix List is a fantastic job as a
"micro-introduction" to the tremendous resource pool here with a real
and tangible "ok, now you can do THIS to connect: ...here's who and where"
listing of USA (global in some cases) Wide Area access numbers of providers
offering FTP and Telnet outbound.  (the list is limited to such sites).

Zen and the Art of the Internet - a Beginner's Guide to the Internet
(the legendary effort by Brendan P. Kehoe) is also now available in ascii
text for those of us not able to make use of the "Encapsulated Post Script"
version right away (I suspect this includes most of us accessing from the
den, bedroom or living room couch at home).

...these were both posted to "OERI" for download and have just now been made
available "ahead of official listing" as a similar p(U)blic message left in
the (M)ain conference on "OERI" for users to view would suggest.

To: SYSOP Re: ZEN & P-DIAL - NOW HERE!

    [----------------------------------------------------------------------]
 1: 
 2: Hi Joyce!   ...Re: PDIA0892.ZIP, the Public Access Unix System List
 3:  and the "sought after":  Zen & The Art of the Internet!: (ZEN&THE.ZIP)
 4:  
 5: > The files are now available to be downloaded but they are
 6: > not listed in the directory yet.  Normally, files uploaded
 7: > to the bulletin board are made available for downloading
 8: > during the beginning of each month.  However, I put the 2 files
 9: > you wanted in the area so they can be downloaded but I
10: > have not put the information into the directory yet to
11: > let people know they can be downloaded.
12: > --Joyce
13:  
14: I've tested them out - they _ARE_ able to be retrieved as you say.
15:   
16: THANKS!   ...users should be aware that they can download them 
17: "straight-away" as:   ZEN&THE.ZIP  and  PDIA0892.ZIP  from the
18: (F)iles areas.
19:  
20: Simply issue the download command - don't search for them; don't try
21: to build a "personal download group" - ...just download 'em.
22:  
23: The Yanoff guides (SUN SPOTS - a pun on the SUN oper. system I think)
24: and others will be made available soon as well.  ...These are absolutely
25: _thrilling_ astro-spelunking guides that introduce new users to the 
26: "nooks and crannies" of the vast GLOBAL internet and how educators can
27: "ditty bop" happily to universities and authoritative government machines
28: AROUND THE WORLD in "REAL TIME" to chat, collaborate, actively search
29: databases (or find them) - literally at SUPER COMPUTER SPEED.  ...yep, 
30: you can logon live to the San Diego Super Computer Center just as easily 
31: as you are logged onto "OERI".  ...a year and a half ago I was made 
32: aware of an announcement on a "counseling related" NewsList heralding 
33: the fact that foreign students now have easy access to their "counseling 
34: staff to be" in their prospective "American university home-to-be".
35:  
36: _THAT_ simply makes this a matter of national defense - to think that 
37: kids from foreign lands can access our university counseling system and 
38: the vast majority of our OWN inner-city kids can't is unconscionable!
39:    ...besides that;  why should they HAVE ALL THE FUN?  <smile>
40: Go get 'em users! - PDIA0892.ZIP  &  ZEN&THE.ZIP - Thanks, Joyce!  -ft

Edit Sub-function <A,C,D,E,I,L,M,R,S,?>? s
Adding new msg # 5778.
Receiver will be notified of new mail

(This was, of course, in response back to the following message header which
held the sysop's message quoted above.  -ft)

Msg #: *5759                      MAIN
 From:  SYSOP                     Sent: 09-28-92 18:23
   To:  FRANK TOPPING             Rcvd: 09-29-92 06:45
   Re:  (R)ZEN & P-DIAL


 0 min left for next call today
FRANK, Thanks and please call again!

  ============================

<smile>  ...odds are that I will, but in the meantime:

...have your friend call (800) 222-4922 (set an auto-dialer to "crash")
from their "dining room table" and it's possible they could be online with
you in a week.   ...I'll be trying to locate individual "free" or "low cost"
sites for those that need them on an individual basis from the "maps" of
systems that don't necessarily offer FTP or Telnet as time permits.

If you are interested in staying abreast of the opportunities to be able to
help as well, please e-mail me for brief instructions on how to "subscribe"
to P-DIAL (it's free) and locations that the ascii version of Zen and the Art
of the Internet might currently be obtained from by FTP or I'll E-Mail copies
to those not having FTP access when need be.

Kehoe, Kaminski & Yanoff have put alot of work into these guides - lets make
sure that the educator out there with a Sears' Prodigy kit gets a crack at
getting their hands on some good shareware comm programs and the information
on how to "get out here".

...let's get rid of that Couch Potatoes' "last excuse" and get 'em into some
real calorie burning "astro-spelunking" adventure!  <grin>

...and bring a new friend (or an old one)!

   Frank Topping, Sacramento                        (916)455-5154 (voice)

                             conference moderator:

     "The Educational Exchange Conference",  "OERI" BBS,  (800)222-4922

              The Office of Educational Research and Improvement,
                         U.S. Department of Education
                               Washington, D.C.

   Disclaimer: ...I don't work for USDOE, I moderate the XCHANGE area for
   international education discussion. Opinions expressed would be my own.
-- 
 
Frank L. Topping, Sacramento     flt@sactoh0.sac.ca.us    (916)455-5154
 
Newsgroups: misc.education