+ Page 1 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review Volume 4, Number 1 (1993) ISSN 1048-6542 ----------------------------------------------------------------- To retrieve an article file as an e-mail message, send the GET command given after the article information to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet). To retrieve the article as a file, omit "F=MAIL" from the end of the GET command. CONTENTS COMMUNICATIONS The University of Pennsylvania's PennInfo Campus-Wide Information System By Alfred C. D'Souza (pp. 5-12) To retrieve this file: GET DSOUZA PRV4N1 F=MAIL While there has been an interest in campus-wide information systems and videotext applications at the University of Pennsylvania for quite some time, it was in the Summer of 1991 that the University's Department of Data Communications and Computing Services (DCCS) led a formal campus-wide effort to determine the best approach for implementing a campus-wide information system (CWIS) for Penn. After evaluating three systems as well as local development, MIT's TechInfo CWIS was chosen. TechInfo was customized for the Penn environment to create PennInfo, which runs on a dedicated 24 MIP DECstation 5000/200 with two (RZ57) 1.3 gigabyte disk drives under Ultrix v4.2. A critically important feature of the system design is its client/server architecture. This client/server architecture enables Penn to distribute the responsibility for posting information on the system, and it reduces the potential for performance bottlenecks by utilizing the computing power of end-users' desktop workstations. + Page 2 + COLUMNS Casting the Net USMARC Format Integration, Part II: Implications for Local Systems By Priscilla Caplan (pp. 13-17) To retrieve this file: GET CAPLAN PRV4N1 F=MAIL Recursive Reviews The Challenge of Multimedia Networking By Martin Halbert (pp. 18-23) To retrieve this file: GET HALBERT PRV4N1 F=MAIL REVIEWS The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking, by Tracy LaQuey (with Jeanne C. Ryer). Reviewed by David F. W. Robison (pp. 24-28) To retrieve this file: GET ROBISON PRV4N1 F=MAIL + Page 3 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review ----------------------------------------------------------------- Editor-in-Chief Charles W. Bailey, Jr. University Libraries University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-2091 (713) 743-9804 LIB3@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LIB3@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) Associate Editors Columns: Leslie Pearse, OCLC Communications: Dana Rooks, University of Houston Reviews: Roy Tennant, University of California, Berkeley Editorial Board Ralph Alberico, University of Texas, Austin George H. Brett II, Clearinghouse for Networked Information Discovery and Retrieval Steve Cisler, Apple Computer, Inc. Walt Crawford, Research Libraries Group Lorcan Dempsey, University of Bath Nancy Evans, Pennsylvania State University, Ogontz Charles Hildreth, University of Washington Ronald Larsen, University of Maryland Clifford Lynch, Division of Library Automation, University of California David R. McDonald, Tufts University R. Bruce Miller, University of California, San Diego Paul Evan Peters, Coalition for Networked Information Mike Ridley, University of Waterloo Peggy Seiden, Skidmore College Peter Stone, University of Sussex John E. Ulmschneider, North Carolina State University Publication Information Published on an irregular basis by the University Libraries, University of Houston. Technical support is provided by the Information Technology Division, University of Houston. Circulation: 6,125 subscribers in 52 countries (PACS-L) and 1,242 subscribers in 42 countries (PACS-P). + Page 4 + Back issues are available from LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet). To obtain a list of all available files, send the following e-mail message to the LISTSERV: INDEX PACS-L. The name of each issue's table of contents file begins with the word "CONTENTS." ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two electronic newsletters: Current Cites and Public- Access Computer Systems News. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Page 13 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- Casting the Net ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Caplan, Priscilla. "USMARC Format Integration, Part II: Implications for Local Systems." The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 4, no. 1 (1993): 13-17. To retrieve this file, send the following e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: GET CAPLAN PRV4N1 F=MAIL. ----------------------------------------------------------------- When we last left USMARC format integration (see "USMARC Format Integration, Part I: What, Why, and When?" The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 3, no. 5 (1992): 33-36; GET CAPLAN PRV3N5 F=MAIL), it was defined, approved, and in imminent danger of being implemented. We concluded then that format integration would have to offer substantial benefits to the end users of our public catalogs to be worth the bother. Before going on to consider what some of those benefits might be, it's worth spending a little time belaboring the bother. Impact on Catalogers For most catalogers, the burden of change caused by format integration should not be too great. Most of the impact occurs in a few specific areas: items with accompanying materials, multimedia, and non-textual serials. Monographic catalogers will see relatively little change, and catalogers of textual serials will see the least change, since most conflicts in usage between the old formats were resolved in favor of serial practices. Cataloging staff should not fear that they will now have to learn vast numbers of field tags that they never used before, since chances are good that fields not previously defined for a particular type of material aren't ordinarily relevant to it. Catalogers who never before needed a 306 (playing time) or 586 (exhibitions note) are unlikely to need one now. + Page 14 + Of course, catalogers will need an overview of the purpose and major effects of format integration as well as specific training in those changes affecting the materials with which they work. Cataloging departments will need to spend some time determining their own policies in areas where choice is allowed, including how to select a primary format, when to create an 006, and whether to use very specific note fields when applicable. Catalogers will also need to get used to new documentation from the bibliographic utilities and to the changes both the utilities and their own local systems have made in response to format integration. Impact on Local Systems The impact on local systems will be significant although not radical. The Library of Congress and the bibliographic utilities are coordinating their implementation plans so that these systems will be able to exchange data with each other from "Day 1" (currently scheduled for January 1, 1994). This means that every library receiving cataloging from LC or any of the utilities will have to be able to accept post-format-integration data from Day 1. The extent to which software changes are required will vary from one local system to another. Some functions likely to be affected include data validation, data entry for the new 006 field, the import and export of USMARC records, duplicate detection and resolution for imported records, and reporting. (Staff who receive reports like "acquisitions expenditures by format of material" may also want to reconsider how they define format information.) Systems that have format-dependent functionality, particularly functionality specific to AMC (archives and manuscript control) records, could require some reprogramming. Vendors may or may not decide to require full- or partial-file conversion. An advantage of converting is that it is easier for a system to handle a consistent bibliographic file, particularly in the leader and fixed fields. The disadvantage is that, since the older content designation is still valid in older records, all records from the utilities or other sources would need to be examined and converted at the time of import to maintain consistency. Unless, of course, the utilities decide to convert their own files. Conversion in general is one of the messier issues, but my suspicion is we'll be living with pre-format-integration content designation for at least as long as we have lived with pre-AACR2 cataloging. Longer than it takes a whale to gestate, anyway. + Page 15 + Whatever their vendors decide to do, systems librarians and others responsible for managing local systems will need to have the changes installed, tested, and ready sufficiently in advance of Day 1 to provide local training and updated documentation. The big question here is whether one's vendor will require its customers to be using the current version of its software in order to install the format integration release. Bringing software up to the current level will doubtless be a non-trivial task for many installations. Impact on Public Services Reference and public services staff should escape relatively unscathed. Certainly, they will see some changes, especially if vendors take full advantage of the power of format integration to improve searching and display, as noted below. Still, as a reference librarian recently told me, "Every time we get a new CD-ROM, I'm expected to learn a completely new set of data, new search software, and a new user interface. So I'm supposed to get excited over a few changes to our online catalog?" Now for the Good Stuff! These "few changes" to the online catalog, however, should contribute to helping patrons get what they want and know what they've got. For starters, systems can take advantage of format integration to eliminate an existing problem with search qualification. Many library systems allow patrons to limit or qualify their search results by format--to say in effect, "I want to see only maps," or "I want to see only serials." Today, such a qualified search is likely to exclude relevant items. A map issued serially, for example, if cataloged as a serial in accordance with CONSER rules, would not be retrieved in any search limited to maps. After format integration, since both the map-like and serial aspects of this publication can be represented in the fixed fields, a local system could let the record be retrieved by searches limited to maps as well as searches limited to serials. While this will be a helpful fix, it won't exactly revolutionize online retrieval. At my institution, transaction logs indicate that less than one percent of OPAC searches are limited by format, and I suspect a healthy subset of these are done by library staff. + Page 16 + A more pervasive, if more subtle, improvement will come from the simple ability to record and thus to display any relevant information about a publication--regardless of its USMARC format. Trying to describe a mixed or multimedia publication in a single format has always been a problem--you're likely to leave out something important. This, in turn, is reflected in OPAC displays, which can be cryptic, confusing, or even misleading. Along the same lines, an incidental effect of format integration could be that vendors will rethink and redesign their OPAC displays. Hopefully, more systems will explicitly label and display format information instead of requiring the patron to infer it from clues in the bibliographic description. The greatest benefit of format integration, however, isn't in simplifying USMARC rules or enhancing our catalogs. The real benefit is that format integration allows us to describe and thus give our patrons access to things that exist in the world. How could we catalog electronic journals like The Public-Access Computer Systems Review if we had to describe it as either a computer file or a serial but not as both? How would we cope with digitized maps or slides? Are you planning a project to scan and store images of sheet music or architectural drawings? The fact is that information resources are increasingly in electronic forms, and electronic materials are increasingly multimedia in content. It makes no more sense to try to describe these in terms of a single USMARC format than it does to describe yourself only as a staff member and not also as a mother/father, sister/brother, church-goer, bridge-player, etc. Which of these aspects is most important at any particular time may depend on the context, but in the case of library materials, our patrons' needs should define the context and not cataloging rules, system limitations, or the USMARC format specifications. About the Author Priscilla Caplan, Head, Systems Development Division, Office for Information Services, Harvard University Library. Internet: COTTON@HARVARDA.HARVARD.EDU. + Page 17 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two electronic newsletters: Current Cites and Public- Access Computer Systems News. This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Priscilla Caplan. All Rights Reserved. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Page 5 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- D'Souza, Alfred C. "The University of Pennsylvania's PennInfo Campus-Wide Information System." The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 4, no. 1 (1993): 5-12. To retrieve this file, send the following e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: GET DSOUZA PRV4N1 F=MAIL. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 Introduction While there has been an interest in campus-wide information systems and videotext applications at the University of Pennsylvania for quite some time, it was in the Summer of 1991 that the University's Department of Data Communications and Computing Services (DCCS) led a formal campus-wide effort to determine the best approach for implementing a campus-wide information system (CWIS) for Penn. Penn's CWIS project team used a requirements-based process to determine the best approach to implement the system. One of the most important criteria was that it should support the decentralized organizational structure at Penn, permitting a wide range of information providers throughout the University to post their information to the system with minimal effort, training, or prerequisite computing expertise. A fundamental decision to be made was whether we should develop our own CWIS, utilize a public-domain system developed at another university (use it "as is" or modify it to meet our needs), or purchase a commercially available product. After a brief investigation of available systems, we narrowed our choices to three public-domain systems (Cornell's CUINFO, MIT's TechInfo, and Princeton's PNN) and a fourth system, which would be developed through an in-house effort. These choices were, in part, prompted by our knowledge that the developers of these three systems were pioneers in introducing CWIS systems to the Internet community (through conferences such as EDUCOM and CAUSE), and they were also collaborating on the development of a new protocol, CWIS-P, which would permit the "seamless" sharing of information between heterogeneous CWIS systems. + Page 6 + The result of these deliberations was a decision to use MIT's CWIS, TechInfo. [1] A critically important feature of the system design is its client/server architecture, which is consistent with the strategic direction for computing at Penn as articulated by the Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing, Dr. Peter Patton. This client/server architecture enables us to distribute the responsibility for posting information on the system, and it reduces the potential for performance bottlenecks, which occur in traditional terminal to host systems, by utilizing the computing power of end-users' desktop workstations. Macintosh and VT100 implementations of the client software are the only ones currently available, but others are forthcoming. We made our decision while realizing that some effort would be necessary to customize TechInfo for our environment. 2.0 Implementation DCCS engineers, Linda Murphy and Jerzy Sliwinski, customized TechInfo, as follows: o Linda changed the way the system is configured to permit automatic start-up via "crontab," a UNIX daemon. This provides unattended recovery from a system crash, minimizing the downtime that follows any such event. o Linda modified some text strings in the UNIX code, as required. For instance, during start up, the message "PennInfo initializing" replaces "TechInfo initializing." o Linda wrote a program to capture local weather information, several times a day, by running the NNTP weather daemon. The source of the weather information is the University of Michigan, which permits noncommercial use. o Linda wrote several programs to generate usage statistics from system log files. Thus, we are able to tell information providers how often their documents are read (we have no way to determine by whom, but we would not want to do so because of privacy considerations). We also have access to gross usage statistics for the PennInfo system. + Page 7 + o Linda also wrote programs to generate both a document index and a series of keyword lists for each information provider's files. o Jerzy used ResEdit, a Macintosh programming tool/resource editor, to customize text strings, create new icons (such as the PennInfo icon that is used to fire up the PennInfo application from the end-user's Macintosh), and set certain default configurations for use in the Macintosh environment. The document, Site Specific Macintosh TechInfo Customization, provided by MIT, was useful in this process. The Penn-specific version, PennInfo, was successfully launched as a supported service in November 1991, and it has since grown to include approximately 3,000 documents, posted by over 70 information providers from various schools and offices at Penn. Recruitment of new information providers remains a critical activity that is necessary for the continued success of PennInfo as a network service that is widely used by members of the Penn community. 3.0 Description PennInfo is a menu-driven system that includes information on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the University Calendar of Events to information about counseling and support services for staff and students. The first-time reader may want to traverse up and down the hierarchy of menus and read many of the documents available in the system. However, prior to moving through the menu hierarchy, an "Outline" feature is provided to indicate the type of documents that are available under the various menu headings. This enables the user to see a "road map" of the document structure before actually traversing it. A "Path" feature tells the user how he or she got to a given document in the hierarchy, which is a useful "navigational" tool. One of TechInfo's strengths is that, compared to other CWIS systems, it provides many more "traversal" aids to users. Help screens are also available to assist the novice user. + Page 8 + While traversal through the hierarchy of menus and documents is useful in giving the user a sense of the breadth and depth of the information content of PennInfo, an easier way to find information on any given topic is to use the keyword search feature, which produces a dynamically generated menu of all items (e.g., folders, documents, or other menus) that have been assigned that keyword by any information provider. Since the base TechInfo software does not currently include a full-text search engine, the effectiveness of search efforts by end-users is limited by the thoroughness and experience of the many information providers who are responsible for deciding how many and which keywords are assigned to the various documents. Recognizing that choosing the right set of keywords for a document is an art, we have worked with experts from Penn's University Library to train information providers on appropriate techniques. An e-mail feedback mechanism has also been set up to provide us with the details of unsuccessful searches by end-users. 4.0 Technical Features One of the design goals of TechInfo was to provide ubiquitous access from any computer. Thus, access from dial-up, Telnet, UNIX character-based (curses), and Macintosh environments is provided. PennInfo runs on a dedicated 24 MIP DECstation 5000/200 with two (RZ57) 1.3 gigabyte disk drives. The operating system is Ultrix v4.2. We also run a customized version of MIT's VT100 (curses) "client" software program to provide access for Telnet-based connections to the PennInfo server. A "point and click" interface is also provided via MIT's Macintosh "client" software package, which we have customized for the Penn environment and distribute to the growing number of end-users that use Ethernet-connected Macintoshes as their desktop devices. A key benefit of this Macintosh software is that it enables the user to print documents on locally attached LAN (AppleTalk) printers. + Page 9 + 5.0 Operational Support We can provide operational support for PennInfo with existing staff because of their depth of experience in the UNIX and TCP/IP environments. The DCCS Operations staff also creates POI (Provider of Information) accounts, with password control, for the many information providers that have joined the PennInfo program. Over 70 individuals from about 30 offices (called "Sources" in TechInfo jargon) participate as information providers. End-user support has been provided primarily by existing staff at Penn's Computing Resource Center, but demand has been minimal. We distribute a Quick Reference Card, which explains the various features of PennInfo. Training and ongoing support of over 70 information providers, however, is a very time-consuming undertaking in Penn's decentralized environment, and it requires a dedicated staff person. Our PennInfo Administrator, Gayle Belford, trains these persons in the use of the TechInfo "Provider" software (which, at the moment, requires the use of a TCP/IP-connected Macintosh), and she also provides guidance in the areas of planning the menu structure, screen presentation, and keyword selection techniques. This care and feeding of providers is facilitated by the use of an e-mail mailing list, which is augmented with occasional, well attended meetings of the POI SIG (Provider of Information Special Interest Group). As with many UNIX-based systems, there have been problems related to the number of simultaneous users that can be supported with PennInfo. Specifically, the number of "pseudo-ttys" that can exist on an Ultrix system, as shipped by the vendor, defaults to 32. The number of "open file descriptors" per process, on Ultrix systems, likewise defaults to 64. To resolve these problems, Linda Murphy of our engineering staff has made some modifications that effectively permit up to 170 simultaneous accesses to the system. These changes are particularly useful during course registration periods each semester, when many students use PennInfo to obtain course information posted by the Registrar's Office. Another important aspect of the PennInfo program is the need for kiosks to provide access to those in the Penn community that do not have connections to the network. We have accomplished this by providing free connections to qualifying offices (preferably located in public-access areas with high traffic). Additional work remains to be done, however, to develop an integrated PennInfo Kiosk application for this purpose. We have been working with MIT on this matter. + Page 10 + 6.0 Future Plans We have recently upgraded to version 3.1 of MIT's server (along with version 3.9 of the Mac client), and we are excited about new features that have either been released or will be forthcoming. Of particular interest are: o Worldwide TechInfo, which gives the user access to other systems on the Internet that use the TechInfo protocol. o GIF support for TechInfo desktop clients with graphics capability, which will permit the display of GIF images such as campus maps. o Built-in full-text search capability using the WAIS search engine. o A "What's New" function that will allow the end-user to enter a date and find all documents that have been created or modified since the date entered. o An X-TechInfo application (minus provider functions) and a DOS/Windows client software package. o A kiosk-mode function. o A feature, to be available on the VT100 client only, that will enable users to automatically send a PennInfo document to anyone via e-mail. Because of the tremendous Internet-wide success of the University of Minnesota's CWIS and "navigational" system, Gopher, we have recently adopted a "best of both worlds" strategy and set up a central Penn Gopher server (gopher.upenn.edu) along with two bidirectional gateways, which were developed by DCCS engineer, Linda Murphy. [2] These new additions to the PennNet infrastructure effectively enable end-users at Penn to use the CWIS client software of their choice to get to both PennInfo and worldwide Gopher information. + Page 11 + 7.0 Conclusion In summary, the PennInfo project has been very successful, both as a key network service to the Penn community and as a working partnership between the developers at MIT and the project team at Penn. We invite readers to browse through PennInfo and to enjoy reading the many interesting documents found there, including Zen and the Art of the Internet, The BITNET List of Lists, and the CIA World Fact Book. [3] We look forward to getting feedback and comments from our users. Notes 1. Information and documents about MIT's TechInfo are available via FTP from MIT's server, net-dist.mit.edu, in the /pub/techinfo directory. 2. To access Penn's central Gopher server, Telnet to gopher.upenn.edu (or "point" your Gopher client to gopher.upenn.edu, port 70). DCCS has put up some of the better Gopher clients (preconfigured to point to our Gopher server where possible) on our FTP server, ftp.upenn.edu, in directory pub/gopher. 3. To access PennInfo, Telnet to penninfo.upenn.edu. If you have the MacTCP software (developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc.), use FTP to obtain pub/mac/penninfo.hqx from ftp.upenn.edu. Acknowledgements The author wishes to express thanks to Gayle Belford, Linda Murphy, Jerzy Sliwinski, and Dan Updegrove of DCCS, and to Steve Neiterman Wade of MIT for reviewing and providing useful suggestions for this article. + Page 12 + About the Author Alfred C. D'Souza has led the efforts to select, deploy, and provide ongoing support for Penn's PennInfo CWIS. His address is: Alfred C. D'Souza, Director of Program Management, Data Communications and Computing Services, University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Walnut Street, Suite 221A, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Internet: DSOUZA@DCCS.UPENN.EDU. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two electronic newsletters: Current Cites and Public- Access Computer Systems News. This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Alfred C. D'Souza. All Rights Reserved. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Page 18 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- Recursive Reviews ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Halbert, Martin. "The Challenge of Multimedia Networking." The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 4, no. 1 (1993): 18-23. To retrieve this file, send the following e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: GET HALBERT PRV4N1 F=MAIL. ----------------------------------------------------------------- There is no question that computer applications such as word processing, electronic mail, and desktop publishing have changed the way people work. These computer applications have enhanced users' capacity for communication and have improved their productivity. The success of these applications has prompted both vendors and researchers to continue to seek new ways to further advance the information technology revolution. Enter the latest innovation: networked multimedia systems. Networked multimedia systems convey information in multiple formats: text, graphics, video, audio, numerical data, computer simulations, and so forth. Advocates of these systems argue that they are the next logical step in human communication; however, modifying our current networks to accommodate the variety of proposed media formats will present significant technical difficulties. The articles reviewed in this column examine both the promise and the peril of developing networked multimedia systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Koffman, Gail. "Strike Up The Bandwidth." LAN Magazine 7, no. 11 (November 1992): 38-54. (ISSN 0898-0012) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The technology of multimedia is proceeding along a familiar path: applications developed initially for stand-alone systems are now being networked. Koffman traces the recent developments from the MPC (Multimedia Personal Computer) standard to efforts by vendors to network MPC software. + Page 19 + The big problem, of course, is LAN bottlenecks. Networks that link local groups of personal computers are typically designed around the concept of breaking transmissions into small chunks (or "packets"), sending these packets to the destination as network traffic permits, and, at the destination, reconstituting the transmission from the packets. The problem is that individual packets may be temporarily delayed on the way by network "traffic jams." If the transmission is a live video image, the result is a choppy, halting movie that is completely unsatisfactory for viewing. Some method of providing direct, dedicated video feeds or improving the network bandwidth is needed to solve this problem. Koffman gives an excellent overview of the issues, the industry standards, and the current thinking on possible solutions, especially ATM technology, which is discussed later in this column (see the review of the article from PC Magazine). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Polilli, Steve. "Coming to Networks Near You: Multimedia Moves Toward Mainstream with Server Hosting Video, Sound." Software Magazine 12, no. 13 (September 15, 1992): 40-45. (ISSN 0897-8085) ----------------------------------------------------------------- While many technical questions about how multimedia can effectively be incorporated into networks continue to plague the industry, there is no question about whether vendors are interested in trying. Virtually all of them are attempting to solve the technical problems of networked multimedia through new products. Polilli reviews the issues from several different perspectives, including the technical problems and the potential for improving instruction in the educational setting. Examples of networked multimedia use in colleges are also given. + Page 20 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- McQuillan, John M. "Multimedia Networking: An Applications Portfolio." Data Communications 21, no. 12 (September 1992): 85-94. (ISSN 0363-6399) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Into what categories do the many applications of networked multimedia fall? McQuillan sets out to organize the numerous current networked multimedia projects into broad classes, such as desktop publishing, videoconferencing, self-directed learning, and so on. The recurring problem with each of these applications is the cost of solving network bandwidth difficulties. Multimedia technology has a wide variety of promising uses in any organization, but right now the cost of implementation is the major barrier. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FitzGerald, Michael, and Henry Olsen. "Genesis of a Multimedia Social Sciences Curriculum." EDUCOM Review 28, no. 1 (January/February 1993): 36-41. (ISSN 1045-9146) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Even if technical problems are solved, development of useful multimedia resources is daunting. FitzGerald and Olsen's article (part of a special issue of the EDUCOM Review focusing on multimedia) provides a good picture of the challenges involved in working multimedia into the college curriculum. While the applications discussed are largely not networked, they still require a significant effort to fund and develop. The difficulties associated with a similar effort involving the increased complexity and expense of networked resources are easy to imagine. ----------------------------------------------------------------- McHale, John. "The Hub of the Future." LAN Technology 8, no. 11 (October 15, 1992): 23-24. (ISSN 8750-9482) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The next generation of networking systems is being developed now for use in the mid- to late 1990s. These systems are being designed around the needs of multimedia and other high-bandwidth LAN applications. + Page 21 + McHale provides an excellent commentary on the requirements that multimedia applications will place on LAN hubs. Hubs must become much more than simple wiring concentration points. They must be able to intelligently manage heterogenous networks that incorporate demanding new applications like multimedia systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Greenfield, David. "Empire Builders: Six Enterprise Hubs." PC Magazine 11, no. 19 (November 10, 1992): 291-358. (ISSN 0888-8507) ----------------------------------------------------------------- This article samples some of the newer network hubs that try to address the demands of new network applications like multimedia. These hubs provide support for Ethernet, FDDI, Token-Ring and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol); they possess a modular chassis; and they have an internetworking module. Unfortunately, none of them can really guarantee isochronous (uninterrupted) delivery of real-time, high-bandwidth data like video feeds. FDDI is currently the best of the available network technologies, but it requires upgrading to the FDDI II standard (now under development but unavailable) to approach isochronous transmission capabilities. ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network technology, currently being developed by most major network vendors, will provide the switched isochronous high-bandwidth capabilities needed for serious multimedia networking applications. ATM technology will probably be available for (somewhat) reasonable prices around 1995. Until then, the so-called enterprise hubs may be the best technology available for multimedia experiments. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Bly, Sara A., Steve R. Harrison, and Susan Irwin. "Media Spaces: Bringing People Together in a Video, Audio, and Computing Environment." Communications of the ACM 36, no. 1 (January 1993): 28-47. (ISSN 0001-0782) ----------------------------------------------------------------- What will it be like when all this multimedia technology shows up on our networks? The January 1993 issue of the Communications of the ACM focuses on examples of multimedia in the workplace, and it includes an article on a networked environment created at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). + Page 22 + Research in advanced workgroup applications at Xerox PARC resulted in a project called Media Spaces. This project was designed to completely integrate videoconferencing technology into the working environments of geographically separated members of a research group. The project proposed to study how videoconferencing technology could support collaboration. The project came to many unexpected conclusions about what networked multimedia technology was good for and what it was not good for. In order to be successful, the project design had to be shaped by the collaboration style of the study group. Unanticipated problems cropped up related to equipment control, interface design, and system scaling. Despite these problems, however, the Media Spaces project was perceived as a great success in exploring remote collaboration through technology. The project provides a foretaste of the kinds of working environments that will emerge when networked multimedia applications become commonplace. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arfman, Josina M., and Peter Roden. "Project Athena: Supporting Distributed Computing at MIT." IBM Systems Journal 31, no. 3 (September 1992): 550-564. (ISSN 0018-8670) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The eight-year Project Athena effort at MIT was probably the most influential experiment in distributed computing technology during the last decade. This extensive review of the project includes a perspective on the issues of networking multimedia during the development of X Windows and Athena MUSE. The technology developed in the course of Project Athena continues to heavily influence work on distributed computing and will contribute significantly to the shape of networked multimedia systems in the future. + Page 23 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- Freed, Ned. "MIME Speaks Out." LAN Magazine 7, no. 7 (July 1992): 67-74. (ISSN 0898-0012) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of the MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) protocol is to enable Internet electronic mail messages to contain multiple component parts and media formats. Electronic mail sent over the Internet is currently limited to straight text. Binary files can be sent only by first encoding them as text files (using many nonstandard methods) and then decoding them after receipt. MIME enables the routine transmission of multimedia messages containing video, audio, PostScript, and other formats. Broad access to networked multimedia will occur when MIME becomes widely used; however, it may be years before this happens. About the Author Martin Halbert, Head, Networked Systems, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251-1892. Internet: HALBERT@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two electronic newsletters: Current Cites and Public- Access Computer Systems News. This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Martin Halbert. All Rights Reserved. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Page 24 + ----------------------------------------------------------------- David F. W. Robison. Review of The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking, by Tracy LaQuey (with Jeanne C. Ryer). In The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 4, no. 1 (1993): 24-28. To retrieve this file, send the following e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU: GET ROBISON PRV4N1 F=MAIL. ----------------------------------------------------------------- LaQuey and Ryer and have put together a guide to networking that almost reads like a novel. The text, written in nontechnical language, is organized to create and sustain interest in networking on the part of the user. Included are simple, somewhat comical diagrams that clarify concepts and systems while making a neophyte feel comfortable with terms like "Serial Line Internet Protocol." Helping to convey the authors' own excitement over networking are numerous sidebars with text taken from various sources that provide anecdotal evidence of the richness and power of the virtual culture. The book begins with a foreword written by Vice President Al Gore, the leading government proponent of the development of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) and, when he was in the Senate, the author of two pieces of legislation designed to establish the NREN. Gore's foreword helps establish for the reader the crucial importance of networking, both now and even more so in the future. In the preface, LaQuey argues that "If you want to stay current in the nineties, and even into the next century, you need to learn about the Internet. Futurists predict that information and access to it will be the basis for personal, business, and political advancement in the next century." Having declared the importance of the network, LaQuey explains what the book covers and how to use the examples in the book; that is, how the typography lets the user know what they are supposed to type and what the machine will answer back. The book is divided into six chapters: "Why You Should Know About the Internet," "Internet: The Lowdown," "Communicating with People," "Finding Information," "Internet In-the-Know Guide," and "Getting Connected." There are, in addition to these chapters, a bibliography, an appendix of resources, and an index. + Page 25 + The first chapter begins by putting the Internet in its historical context, comparing it to other innovations of communication, and giving a brief history of the Net itself. Right away, though, there is a sidebar that demonstrates how the Net played a crucial and exciting role in the dissemination of information during the attempted coup in the final days of the Soviet Union in August of 1991. It is this kind of illustration of the role the network can play in important events that captures the reader's attention. This is especially important if LaQuey's purpose is to motivate new or potential network users to jump into the fray, as I think it is. Beyond the events of global importance and newsworthiness, LaQuey also describes in broad brush strokes the network community of today and traces the plans for the development of the NREN, including the role it will play in K-12 education and the commercialization of the network. At the end of the first chapter, LaQuey recognizes that she has only whetted the reader's appetite and writes: At this point, you're probably less concerned about the future of the Internet than you are about your own immediate future on the Internet. So stay with us as we explain a bit about how it works and some concepts you need to know before we take you to this electronic world. Onward to Chapter 2, for the "lowdown" on the Internet. Once again working to put the new user at ease, LaQuey states at the beginning of Chapter 2 that the most important principle of the Internet is that "You don't have to fully understand how the Internet works to use it." This point is important. It helps users get over their initial fear that they don't know enough, and that they will break something in their ignorance. While it is possible to break something, most activities on the Internet are set up to be protected from both intentionally and unintentionally destructive behavior. LaQuey does not believe, however, that users should be blissful in their ignorance, for as with most things, "the more you know, the more doors are open to you." + Page 26 + Chapter 2 covers the basics of how the network is "organized," how the various subnets are able to communicate through a common set of protocols and sending data in packets, the three primary applications available on the Internet (e-mail, remote login, and file transfer), how addressing works, gateways to other networks (e.g., CompuServe and BITNET), and the NSFNET Acceptable Use Policy. In one section, LaQuey deciphers a bit of technojargon that many of us take for granted: "dot speak." Where others might read an IP address as "128 period 32 period. . . ." computer types say, "128 dot 32 dot. . . . ." This is a minor point, but to the neophyte trying to establish a connection it can be quite confusing. In the next chapter, readers learn about communicating with other people on the network, perhaps the most important part of networking. Starting with simple e-mail, LaQuey explains the difference between asynchronous communication and real-time "talking," how e-mail is and is not like fax, the construction of a user's address, and how to read a message (what's the header and what's the body). Included here is a list of gateway suffixes to enable Internet users to send mail to non-Internet sites. From person-to-person mail we move on to e-mail conferencing. LaQuey tells readers how lists and USENET News work, the types of lists one can subscribe to, and how to find out about the lists and groups available. In addition to asynchronous communication, readers also learn about "talk" and the Internet Chat Relay system. Appropriately, the last six pages of this chapter are devoted to "Netiquette, Ethics, and Digital Tricks of the Trade." LaQuey educates readers on how they can be more effective communicators in the network environment (neatness counts!). She also covers signatures and how to avoid high emotions on the Net, where misunderstandings are common. Interestingly, in a section on common acronyms, perhaps in deference to the "settling" of the Internet, LaQuey translates RTFM as "read the friendly manual." From personal communication, LaQuey shifts to one of the more difficult areas of internetworking: resource discovery, or finding information. While describing the Internet and its resources as a virtual library, LaQuey admits that "this electronic library is not as well organized as a real library." In this section, LaQuey combines description of resources and the methods for access. Picking exemplary sites, users are walked through using Telnet and anonymous FTP to find resources. Readers learn about campus-wide information systems, archives, file types, client/server architecture, Gopher, WAIS, World-Wide Web, and archie. + Page 27 + Chapter 5 is the "Internet In-the-Know Guide" which offers examples of Internet legends, including one which made me laugh out loud, and a description of some of the interactive multiplayer games that are played on the Net. There is a list of basic UNIX commands, although I'm not sure what knowing the command for invoking vi (the visual editor) will do for anyone without further instruction. There is a section devoted to security and privacy which includes advice on passwords, a warning that e-mail is not secure, and information on organizations involved in network policy issues (although only the Internet Society and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are listed in this section, others are listed in the Appendix). There is also further information on locating e-mail addresses through servers and special commands as well as sources of more detailed and technical information on the network and its resources. The final chapter is devoted to helping users get a connection. As the network grows more popular and more "lay people" become interested in joining the community, access to the network becomes a crucial issue, and the number of opportunities grows. LaQuey does an excellent job explaining the different types of connections that are available, what ranges of functionality are available through these connections, and the costs involved. Diagrams help the reader to understand the difference between the various connections. The information in this section is directed to both personal and business users and includes options that may be available to specific user groups. The author seems to have covered all bases on this topic, which is a subject that really needs it. The appendix that follows the wide-ranging bibliography includes source information (e-mail addresses, "snail-mail" addresses, telephone numbers, and archive sites), further reading, and software. There is also a list of Internet service providers organized by area code as well as an alphabetical list. Unfortunately, the alphabetical list with detailed contact information is a bit difficult to read. + Page 28 + In the end, it is amazing that the authors have been able to cram so much into such a small book. They do this by not getting bogged down in details and by covering topics concisely. This format is ideal for new users since it is unlikely to intimidate. Almost in spite of this, the reader is provided with crucial pieces of information so that they can begin to explore the network on their own; or rather, with this companion. Further Information on the Reviewed Book LaQuey, Tracy (with Jeanne C. Ryer). The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1993. 196 pp. $10.95. ISBN: 0-201-62224-6. About the Author David F. W. Robison, Information Systems Instruction & Support, 130 Doe, University of California, Berkeley, 94720. Internet: DROBISON@LIBRARY.BERKELEY.EDU. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is an electronic journal that is distributed on BITNET, Internet, and other computer networks. There is no subscription fee. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (BITNET) or LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU (Internet) that says: SUBSCRIBE PACS-P First Name Last Name. PACS-P subscribers also receive two electronic newsletters: Current Cites and Public- Access Computer Systems News. This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by David F. W. Robison. All Rights Reserved. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by the University Libraries, University of Houston. All Rights Reserved. Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by academic computer centers, computer conferences, individual scholars, and libraries. Libraries are authorized to add the journal to their collection, in electronic or printed form, at no charge. This message must appear on all copied material. All commercial use requires permission. -----------------------------------------------------------------