Approved-By:  EDTECH Moderator <21765EDT@MSU.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.edtech
Date:         Fri, 11 Dec 1992 23:20:19 EST
From:         Gleason Sackman <sackman@plains.nodak.edu>
Subject:      Review of "Internet: Getting Started" (from NETTRAIN)

Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 10:21:00 CST
From: "Jim Milles, SLU Law Library" <MILLESJG@SLUVCA.SLU.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list NETTRAIN <NETTRAIN@ubvm.bitnet>
Subject: Review of "Internet: Getting Started"

(1) REVIEW OF: Marine, April; Kirkpatric, Susan; Neou, Vivian;
and Ward, Carol. Internet: Getting Started. Menlo Park, California:
SRI International, 1992.

ISBN 0-944604-15-3
$39 plus $5 shipping and handling
Network Information Systems Center, EJ291, SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493
Telephone:(415) 859-6387; FAX (415) 859-6028

(2) REVIEWED BY: Ermel Stepp, Marshall University <estepp@wvnvm>

(3) TARGET AUDIENCE: beginning and experienced users.

(4) RATING: **** (essential reading)

(5) Number of lines in review: 99

(6) SUMMARY:

     Internet: Getting Started is a general resource of
368 pages organized into two major parts on accessing and
understanding the Internet, a bibliography, and eleven
appendices. Selected networking resources are identified
to facilitate getting started, learning, and connectivity

(7) TEXT OF REVIEW:

     Part I defines the Internet and discusses types of
of access to the network and steps to initiate access to
the network. It gives information on providers/vendors the
services for research, education, commerce, and individual use.
Approximate costs are discussed in terms of such factors as
services desired, hardware used, dedicated lines vs dialup,
distance from host, frequency of use, peak vs non-peak charges,
and telephone charges. Acceptable use is discussed, explained,
and illustrated. The seven chapters in Part I are:
- Introduction to the Internet (what it is, who is in charge,
  what is and is not a part of it, kinds of networks)
- How to Join the Internet (MX, dialup, individual access,
  connecting networks)
- Costs (determining factors, network and individual examples)
- Service Providers (vendors of network connections, dialup
  vendors, providers of services within states)
- Military Access (by each branch of the military)
- NSFNET Acceptable Use Policy
- Non-U.S. Sites (European cooperation and contacts, Baltic
  and Nordic countries, Caribbean Basin, the Pacific Rim, 30
  specific countries, U.S. providers of international connections)
     Part II explains the concepts of the Internet, such as the
hierarchial Domain Name System (DNS) and addressing, protocols
(the TCP/IP suite, the telnet protocol, file transfer protocal
(FTP), requests for comments (RFCs), for your information (FYI),
and standards (STDs). The six chapters in Part II are:
- The Internet--More Information (historical, physical, and
  growth)
- Basic Internet Concepts (RFCs, FYIs, and STDs; security,
  protocols, addressing, the Domain Name System, directory
  services)
- Applications (electronic mail, mailing lists and news groups,
  file transfer protocol, telnet, and information servers
  such as archie, Prospero, WWW, WAIS, and the Internet gopher)
- Internet Organizations (network associations, network
  administrative organizations, administrative bodies,
  standards organizations, security response centers, network
  information centers, and user groups)
- Internet Resources (NNSC internet resource guide, NNSC
  tour of the Internet, TCP/IP CD, network reading list, online
  libraries, network seminars, and supercomputer centers)
- Further Reading (general introductory references, technical
  introductions, Domain Name System, network security, and some
  GOSIP documentation)
     The Bibliography and References contains 30 references and
27 bibliographic citations. The eleven appendices are:
- Acronym List (six pages of acronyms from AARNet to YUNAC)
- All Providers Alphabetically (24 pages, with postal addresses,
  telephone numbers, FAX numbers, electronic addresses, area
  served, and services)
- SRI Network Information Systems Center (Internet Information
  Series, Internet: Getting Started and Internet Mailing Lists;
  Internet Technology Handbook, TCP/IP CD, Internet Technology
  Series, hardcopy RFCs, RFC Subscription Service, FYI Collection
- Registration Templates (IP Address Template, Domain Template,
  with retrieval instructions)
- RFC Index (list of 365 RFCs, from 1365 to 1000 in 22 pages,
  with retrieval instructions)
- FYI Index (list of 16 FYI, with retrieval instructions)
- STD Index (list of 34 STDs, with retrieval instructions)
- ISI's RFC Information Retrieval Information (list of 8 primary
  and 10 secondary sites from which RFCs may be retrieved, with
  instructions)
- RFC Sets (topical list of related RFCs in six volumes)
- International Connectivity (list of 107 entities with
  international connectivity via BITNET, Internet,UUCP, FIDONET,
  and/or OSI)
- GOSIP Document Information (eight pages of information)
     Internet: Getting Started is concerned with joining and
understanding the Internet. It is neither a manual for particular
systems and tools, nor a catalog of networking resources.

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