Approved-By:  Diane Kovacs <DKOVACS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Mon, 7 Sep 1992 22:04:20 EDT
From:         "Raleigh C. Muns" <SRCMUNS%UMSLVMA.BITNET@Kentvm.Kent.edu>
Subject:      List Review Service (MassComm/Comserve)
Comments: To: libref-l@kentvm.kent.edu

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
                     LIST REVIEW SERVICE         ISSN: 1060-8192

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Issue No. 14           MassComm (Comserve)            07 SEP 1992
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Published periodically by The University of Missouri, St. Louis
Libraries. Raleigh C. Muns (SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA.BITNET), editor.

CONTENTS:       REVIEW                   (44 lines)
                SYNOPSIS OF ACTIVITY     (23 lines)
                SUGGESTED USES           (06 lines)
                SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION (10 lines)
                ANNOUNCEMENTS            (07 lines)

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REVIEW -
.................................

In Italy, "ferragosto" refers to the month of August when the entire
population simultaneously goes on vacation. Computer network discussion
lists can be italian in this manner, thus this review is less about
the Comserve "Hotline" MassComm, and its paltry August activities,
than of Comserve itself.

The non-profit Communication Institute for Online Study (CIOS) has set
up a LISTSERV-like server which administers, among other things, Hotlines,
or what most readers of this review would recognize as LISTSERV discussion
groups (e.g., LIBREF-L). Comserve Hotlines cover various facets of the
field of communications studies, of which MassComm (Mass Communications)
is but one. This segmentation into subfields of communications studies
effectively cuts down on the noise common in discussion lists of more
general natures. Though "Rhetoric" and "Mass Communications" overlap,
discussions specific to those areas tend to be cleaner than would happen
in a monolithic communications studies group.

Don't let the Comserve Octopus scare you.

        1.  You can send an e-mail message to SUPPORT@RPIECS
            (Bitnet) or SUPPORT@RPIECS.VM.ECS.RPI.EDU (Internet)
            asking for help from humans at the outset.

        2.  You can send the message SHOW HOTLINES to COMSERVE@RPIECS
            (Bitnet) or COMSERVE@RPIECS.VM.ECS.RPI.EDU (Internet) to get
            both a list of Hotlines as well as instructions on how to
            access them.

You can send lots of messages and get lots of help. In practice, I've
found that Comserve tends to deliver pretty good end-user documentation
automatically to clients trying out a section of the service for the first
time.

In addition to the Hotlines, Comserve offers database searching of
communications journals, a large body of curriculum oriented files
(LOTS of bibliographies), a nice NewBooks service notifying
subscribers of new publications in the field, and much, much more.

Last and MOST DEFINITELY NOT LEAST: If your computer account is on a CMS
or VAX machine you can get a menu shell called EASYCOM which makes all of
the "where-did-I-put-that-list-of-hotlines-and-just-who-do-I-send-this-
request-to-and-by-the-way-what's-the-syntax-for-the-message?" questions
disappear. Non-VAXen or CMSters will face nothing worse than what they
currently must deal with in the LISTSERV environment.

-R. Muns

....................................

SYNOPSIS OF ONE WEEK'S ACTIVITY -
....................................

Name of List Reviewed:        MassComm
Location:                     COMSERVE@RPIECS           (Bitnet)
                              COMSERVE@VM.ECS.RPI.EDU   (Internet)

Listowner:                    Timothy Stephen
                                STEPHEN@RPIECS          (Bitnet)

                              Teresa Harrison
                                HARRISON@RPIECS         (Bitnet)

Number of Subscribers:        320

Period Monitored:              29 JUL 1992 - 03 SEP 1992

No. Messages Period Monitored: 17
No. Queries Posted:            12 (70 % of total activity)
No. Non-queries Posted:        05 (30 % of total activity)

Lines Sent (w/o headers):     458 (app. 20 screens of 23 lines)

Msgs. Posted Last 01 Months:   17

Searchable Archives:          Yes

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SUGGESTED USES FOR LIST -
.................................

Actually, uses for Comserve ...

        1)      Library collection development (see NewBooks Hotline)

        2)      Curriculum development (bibliographies, new resources)

        3)      The usual connections and networking opportunities

.................................

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION -
.................................

Send an e-mail message with blank subject line (or Bitnet TELL) to:

     COMSERVE@RPIECS                (Bitnet address)
or
     COMSERVE@RPIECS.VM.ECS.RPI.EDU (Internet address)

Message should consist solely of:

     JOIN MASSCOMM your_name

.................................

ANNOUNCEMENTS
.................................

The LIST REVIEW SERVICE can no longer claim to be bi-weekly as announced
in previous issues. Periodicity should be approximately every three weeks.

The numbering of the LIST REVIEW SERVICE has also changed from
Volume/No. format to sequential numbering beginning with this issue.
Volume 1 consisted of Volume 1, no. 1 through Vol. 1, no. 13, hence the
current issue's numbering as Issue No. 14.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = END REVIEW = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized bulletin
board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries.
Libraries are authorized to add these reviews to their collections
at no cost.  This message must appear on copied material.  All
commercial use requires permission.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer and do not
represent the views of the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

Copyright 1992. Raleigh C. Muns (Reference Librarian)
Thomas Jefferson Library, University of Missouri, St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121 (ph:(314) 553-5059)

BITNET ADDRESS: SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU