RFC 1578
FYI on Questions and Answers - Answers to Commonly Asked "Primary and Secondary School Internet User" Questions
FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly Asked "Primary and Secondary School Internet User" Questions 💖
Okay bestie, let's start with the title block 🎀. This is RFC 1578, which is also FYI 22 (so the RFC number and the FYI number are two different things, and yes, it's confusing 🙈). It's called FYI on Questions and Answers, with the subtitle Answers to Commonly Asked "Primary and Secondary School Internet User" Questions. J. Sellers wrote it while at NASA NREN/Sterling Software, it's dated February 1994, and it's in the Informational category under the Network Working Group. The title block doesn't list any RFC that it obsoletes or updates, so there's no drama there ✨.
Status of This Memo ✨
So this memo is here to give info to the Internet community 🫶. It is not an Internet standard of any kind, so don't go treating it like one. Distribution is unlimited, so share it with everyone who needs it 🌈.
Abstract 🌸
Okay, so the goal of this FYI RFC is to document the questions people in the primary and secondary school community ask most about the Internet, and then point them to sources that answer those questions 🍓. It was produced by the Internet School Networking (ISN) group in the User Services Area of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It's written for educators, school media specialists, and school administrators who are newly connected to the Internet, who are getting on through dial-up or some other means that isn't a direct connection, or who are thinking about an Internet connection as a resource for their schools 💅.
Table of Contents 🧚
1. Introduction................................................... 2
2. Acknowledgments................................................ 2
3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting......... 3
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection...... 5
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical Options.......... 10
6. Questions About Security and Ethics............................12
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and
Resources..................................................... 15
8. Suggested Reading............................................. 18
9. Resources and Contacts........................................ 21
10. References.................................................... 35
11. Security Considerations....................................... 35
12. Author's Address.............................................. 35
Appendix A: Examples of Projects Using the Internet.......... 36
Appendix B: How To Get Documents Electronically.............. 43
Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Used in This Document.......... 471. Introduction 🦋
Okay, so the elementary and secondary school crowd (teachers, media specialists, administrators, and students) is a growing population on the Internet 📚. Honestly, this group comes in with less data network experience and fewer technical and user support resources than other Internet user groups, so their questions are a mix. Some are about the special needs of their community, and some are things any new user would ask 🙈. This document goes first for the most frequently asked questions about using the Internet in pre-university education, and then gives answers plus pointers to more info ✨.
For new user questions that are more general, go check out FYI 4, "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly Asked 'New Internet User' Questions" [1]. And if you want to know how to grab this document, see Appendix B 🎀.
It's really important to keep in mind that the Internet is a volatile and changing virtual environment 🌪️. I've tried to include only the most stable network services when listing resources and groups to contact. That's a good solution to the problem of changing offerings online, but it is by no means foolproof 💀. Since everything keeps changing, there's also a lot out there that you'll discover on your own as you start exploring, and honestly, that's the fun part 🌈.
Future updates of this document will come out as Internet School Networking working group members hear about new questions and about information in the document that is insufficient or inaccurate 🔥. The RFC number of this document will change with each update, but the FYI number (22) will stay the same 💜.
2. Acknowledgments 🫶
The author wants to thank the members of the Consortium for School Networking, Kidsphere, and Ednet electronic mailing lists for their help and contributions to this document 💖. Thank you also to Ronald Elliott of the Science and Technology Center; Klaus Fueller of the Institute for Teacher Training of the German federal state of Hesia (HILF), and an educator; Ellen Hoffman of Merit Network, Inc.; William Manning of Rice University; and Anthony Rutkowski of CNRI ✨.
Special thanks go to Raymond Harder, Microcomputer Consultant, and Michael Newell of NASA Advanced Network Applications, who not only contributed but also kept a steady stream of feedback flowing 👑. Extra special thanks go to the remarkable Ms. April Marine of the NASA Network Applications and Information Center, for her contributions to the document, her expert advice, and her unparalleled support 😭🔥.
3. Questions About the Internet in an Educational Setting 🎓
3.1. What is the Internet?
Okay, so the Internet is a collection of more than 10,000 interconnected computer networks around the world that make it possible to share information almost instantly 🌍. The networks are owned by countless commercial, research, governmental, and educational organizations and individuals 🏫. The Internet lets more than 1.5 million computers and 10 millions users collaborate easily and quickly through messaging, discussion groups, and conferencing 💬. People can discover and access other people and information, distribute information, and experiment with new technologies and services ✨. The Internet has become a major global infrastructure for education, research, professional learning, public service, and business, and it is currently growing at the rate of about ten percent per month 📈. Iconic, honestly 👑.
The Internet Society is the international organization for Internet cooperation and coordination 🦋. See Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
For a more complete basic introduction to the Internet, check out FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" [2]. Instructions for retrieving FYI documents are in Appendix B 🎀.
3.2. What are the benefits of using the Internet in the classroom?
The Internet expands classroom resources dramatically 🚀. It makes many resources from all over the world available to students, teachers, and media specialists, including original source materials 🌸. It brings information, data, images, and even computer software into the classroom from places that would otherwise be impossible to reach, and it does all of this almost instantly ⚡. That access can lead to individual and group projects, collaboration, curriculum materials, and idea sharing that schools without Internet access just don't get 💅.
Internet access also makes contact with people all over the world possible 🌏. That brings experts in every content area, new and old friends, and colleagues in education right into the classroom 🫶. With Internet access, your site can become a valuable source of information too, so think about the expertise in your school that could be shared with others around the world 🍓.
The isolation that comes with teaching is well known among educators 😔. But when educators can reach colleagues in other parts of the world, as well as people who work outside of classrooms, they are not as isolated 💜.
Networks are a hands-on classroom tool, and they can be a motivator for students all on their own 🔥. Using them also encourages the kind of independence and autonomy that many educators agree students need to reach in their learning process 🦋. Since class, race, ability, and disability are removed as factors in communication while using the Internet, it's a natural tool for addressing the needs of all students 🌈. Exactly how this gets done will vary from district to district, as schools empower individual teachers and students 👑.
School reform is on the minds of many educators today, and the Internet can support it as one of many educational tools ✨. See the answer to Question 4.1 for more specifics 💖.
3.3. How can educators incorporate this resource into their busy schedules?
Most educators learn about the Internet during the time they use to learn about any new teaching tool or resource 📚. Realistically, though, this means they "steal" time at lunch, on week-ends, and before and after school to explore resources and build relationships via the Internet 😭. Those who do it say it's totally worth the rich rewards 💅. It's important that the computers used to access the Internet are readily available and not so far away physically that using the resource becomes impossible for educators and others 🙈.
Lowkey, lots of Internet features, like online library catalogs and information articles, will end up saving a ton of time once an instructor learns to use them ⏰. There are also new tools being developed all the time to make Internet resources easier to access 🚀.
As the value of the Internet as an educational resource becomes more obvious, school systems will need to build time to use it into educators' schedules 🎀.
3.4. I'm already using the National Geographic Kids Network (or PBS Learning Link or FrEdMail or ______). Does this have anything to do with the Internet? Is the Internet different from what I'm already using?
Since the Internet is a network of many different networks, you may already be using one of the networks that's connected to the Internet 🧚. Some commercial programs for schools use networks and provide value-added services, like curriculum software, technical support, and project organization and coordination 💼. Some provide value-added services but don't allow for all basic Internet services 🤔. Networks like FrEdMail (Free Educational Electronic Mail), FidoNet, and K12Net are bulletin board and conferencing systems linked via the Internet, and they give you inexpensive access to some Internet services 💌.
If you can use interactive computer access (Telnet) and electronic file transfer (FTP), as well as electronic mail, you are probably "on" the Internet 💻. If you have questions about the specific service you're using, ask its support personnel whether you have Internet access, or call the InterNIC 📞. See Section 9, "Resources and Contacts", for how to reach the InterNIC, FrEdMail, FidoNet, and K12Net 🫶.
4. Questions About School Support for an Internet Connection 💰
4.1. Where does my school get the money for connecting to the Internet?
Okay, real talk: school budgets are impossibly tight in most cases 😭. Still, the cost of an Internet connection can be squeezed out of the budget once its value becomes obvious 💅. Costs for a low-end connection can be pretty reasonable ✨. (See the next question.)
Honestly, the challenge for people pushing for an Internet connection sometimes has less to do with the actual cost and more to do with convincing administrators to spend money on an unfamiliar resource 🙈💖.
In order to move the Internet connection closer to the top of your school's priority list 📋✨, consider at least two possibilities. First, your school might be in the middle of reform, and honestly so are a lot of schools rn 🏫💅. Because using the Internet shifts focus away from a teacher-as-expert model and toward shared responsibility for learning, it can be a seriously vital part of school reform 🔥. Most reform is trying to move away from teacher isolation and toward teacher collaboration 🫶, away from learning only inside school walls and toward learning in a real-life context 🌍, away from an emphasis on knowing and toward an emphasis on learning 📚, and away from a focus on content and toward a focus on concepts 🧠 [3]. The Internet can play an integral part in helping to make those shifts happen. It's giving main character energy for school 👑.
Second, to demonstrate the value of a connection, actual Internet access is more useful than words 🙈. While this may sound like a chicken-and-egg situation (I have to have Internet access to get Internet access 💀), some organizations will provide guest accounts on an Internet-connected computer for people in schools who are trying to convince others of the value of an Internet connection 🦋.
Contact local colleges, universities, technology companies, service providers, community networks, and government agencies for both guest accounts and funding ideas 💖. For alternatives to your own school's budget, or for supplements to it, look for funding in federal, state, and district budgets as well as from private grants 💸. Work with equipment vendors to provide the hardware needed at low or no cost to your school 🖥️, and consider forming a School/Community Technology Committee, or a joint School District/School/Community Technology Committee 🎀.
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has information on grants and funding 📖. Ask for the AskERIC InfoGuide called "Grants and Funding Sources" 🌸. Two network services, one maintained by the United States Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and one maintained by the US National Science Foundation, also have information about grants and funding 🧚. Grants can be a way for you to acquire the initial money to demonstrate the value of telecommunications in the classroom, and since these monies are often awarded on a short-term basis, they should probably be looked at as temporary means of funding your activities ⏳. For information on these organizations and their services, see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts". (Note: The funding services mentioned are primarily US based.) 🇺🇸
4.2. How much does it cost to connect to the Internet, and what kind of equipment (hardware, software, etc.) does my school need in order to support an Internet connection? 💸
The cost of an Internet connection varies tremendously with the location of your site and the kind of connection that is appropriate to your needs 🗺️. To figure out the cost for your school, you'll need to answer a number of questions 📝. For help learning what the questions are and getting answers to them, begin asking at local colleges, universities, technology companies, government agencies, community networks (often called "freenets"), local electronic bulletin board systems (BBS), network access providers, or technology consultants 🙋♀️.
To give you an idea of possible equipment needs, here are three sample scenarios, based on possible solutions found in the United States 🇺🇸. Keep in mind that these are very general examples and that there are many solutions at each level. See also the answer to Question 5.5 💡.
- Low-end: You could subscribe to some kind of Internet dial-up service. This may be provided by a vendor at a cost, by a local university gratis, or as a part of a public access service like a community network. You will need a computer which allows terminal emulation, terminal emulation software, and a modem which is compatible with your dial-up service. The approximate cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is US $100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $30. 📞
- Mid-range: You could subscribe to a dial-up service that provides Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or Point to Point Protocol (PPP), allowing your computer to effectively become a host on the Internet. You will need a computer with SLIP or PPP software, telecommunications applications software (to allow you to use telnet and FTP - File Transfer Protocol), and a modem which is compatible with your dial-up service. The approximate cost, not including the PC or the cost of the phone call, is US $100 to US $800 plus a monthly fee of approximately US $60. 🌈
- High-end: Your school or department could subscribe to a service that provides a full Internet connection to the school or department's local area network. This allows all the computers on the local area network access to the Internet. You will need a router and a connection to a network access provider's router. Typically the connection is a leased line with a CSU/DSU (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit). A leased line is a permanent high speed telephone connection between two points; this allows you to have a high quality permanent Internet connection at all times. A local area network, which may consist only of the router and a PC, Macintosh, or other computer system, is also needed, and your computer(s) will need some special software: a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack, as well as TCP/IP based communications software such as Telnet and FTP. The approximate cost, not including the computers, is US $2,000 to US $3,000 plus a monthly fee of at least US $200. 🚀
4.3. What is required in terms of personnel to support an Internet connection? (Will it require extra staff, training, more time of teachers and librarians?) 🧑🏫
Any plan for implementing technology in schools must consider staff development 🎓. Training is often the most neglected aspect of a technology plan, and a lack of training can lead to failure of the plan 😭. With the Internet, all users will need some kind of training, whether they are teachers, librarians, students, administrators, or people fulfilling other roles in the school 💜.
The train-the-trainer model, in which a group of people are trained in a subject or tool and each individual in turn trains other groups, is a good model for Internet training 🧚♀️. A small group of motivated teachers can be provided with training and can then educate their colleagues. One advantage is that the initial group is able to target the specific needs of the other teachers in the school 🎯.
Depending on the hardware involved, there may be a need for technical support 🔧. Finding this kind of support, which schools will certainly need because it is not usually in place, may be tricky 🙃. Some districts are beginning to provide it at the district level. Some schools are able to use volunteers from business, industry, or government agencies. Much of this type of support can be done over the network itself, which makes it possible for someone located off-site to maintain the equipment with only occasional trips to the school 🌐. Additionally, vendors often provide some support, perhaps a help desk for basic questions 💁♀️.
4.4. How do I convince the people who do the purchasing in our school system to spend money on this? 🤑
Most people become convinced with exposure 👀. One excited individual in the school who is able to show proof of concept by starting a pilot program can be the catalyst for a school or an entire district ⚡. If you can get an Internet account (as suggested above) and use it for instruction in your classroom, you can make presentations at faculty, school/community, and school board meetings 🎤.
The National Center for Education Statistics in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement at the United States Department of Education has released a 17-minute video targeted at school administrators entitled "Experience the Power: Network Technology for Education" 🎬. It uses interview clips of students, teachers, and policy makers in the United States to educate about what the Internet is and to encourage support for the use of telecommunications in primary and secondary schools. The NASA NREN (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Research and Education Network) K-12 Initiative has produced an 11-minute video describing the benefits to schools in using the Internet. The video is entitled, "Global Quest: The Internet in the Classroom", and it tells the story through interview clips with students and teachers who have experienced the power of computer networking 🛰️. For further information on the two videos, see "National Center for Education Statistics", and "NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators" under "Organizations" in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 📚.
4.5. Where do I go for technical support and training? 🛠️
Much technical support and training can be found by using the Internet itself 🌍. You can send questions to people in the know and join discussion lists and news groups that discuss and answer questions about support and training 💬. One such list is Tipsheet, the Computer Help and Tip Exchange, the purpose of which is to provide a supportive setting where people can ask questions or discuss products 🍓. Other lists are the education-related lists mentioned in Question 7.2. All of these are listed in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 💜.
Network News, or Usenet News, is a world-wide bulletin board system with discussion groups on various topics, including computer science, general science, social and cultural themes, recreational interests, etc. 🌸 By sending questions to an appropriate news group, you can receive answers from people experienced with your particular problem 🙌. Specific news groups to look for are those beginning with "comp", for "computer", and followed by the type of operating system, hardware, or software you have a question about. For example, comp.os.unix or comp.os.msdos.apps. To understand the culture and etiquette of Usenet News, read the group news.announce.newusers 📜.
Your local community may also have resources that you can tap 🏘️. These are again colleges and universities, businesses, computer clubs and user groups, technology consultants, and government agencies 🤝.
Your network access provider may offer training and support for technical issues, and other groups also offer formal classes and seminars 🎓. For those schools who have designated technical people, they are good candidates for classes and seminars 🫶.
There are some documents for further reading and exploration that you may want to peruse. See Section 8, "Suggested Reading" 📖. There are books on almost every specific subject in the computing world that may answer your questions 🧃. For new books, check your local library, bookstore, or booksellers' catalogs 🦋.
5. Questions About Implementation and Technical Options ✨
5.1 How do I learn about options for getting my school connected? 🔍
Okay so, in the US there are a bunch of state-wide educational networks, and most of them have Internet access 🌈 To see if your area has one that gives accounts to educators and/or students, reach out to the Consortium for School Networking. The InterNIC keeps a list of regional and national network providers. Both the Consortium for School Networking and the InterNIC are listed in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 📇
The global regional NICs, like the RIPE NCC in Europe, can also hand you a list of service providers. The APNIC in the Pacific Rim will have a similar list in the near future 🌏
You can sometimes find a person who's hyped about using networks in schools and willing to help. They might be an independent consultant, or work at a local college or university, a technology company, a network access provider, a community network, or a government agency. Main character energy for real 🙌
There are a ton of books about the Internet and how to get connected to it. A few are listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading", and more come out every month 📚 Check libraries, bookstores, and booksellers' catalogs!
5.2 How many of our computers should we put on the Internet? 💻
You'll probably want Internet access for as many of your school's computers as possible 💖 If you're using dial-up, you might want a few shared accounts throughout the school. And if your school has a Local Area Network (LAN) with several computers on it, one dedicated Internet connection should be able to serve the whole school 🫶
If you're connecting a lot of computers, you need to make sure your line speed is up to it. Most dial-up systems today support speeds up to 14.4 Kbs (kilobits per second), which is adequate for no more than a couple of network users, depending on the network utilities (FTP, etc.) they're using 🙈 If you're planning to connect a large number of users, you should probably consider a dedicated line of 56 Kbs or higher ✨
5.3 Should we set up a telecommunications lab or put networked computers in each classroom? 🖥️
Here's the tea: a computer lab is an easier maintenance set-up for whoever keeps the equipment running, and it lets each individual (or pair) in an entire class use a computer at the same time 🧑💻 A computer in the classroom is more convenient for both the teacher and the class though 🍓 If you go with the lab option, you'll probably want a commitment from specific teachers or media specialists to use it in their teaching. You could also check out the other labs around your school. For example, if you have a science or language lab, it may be the best place for your school to start using the Internet. And finally, remember that the library is a natural place for people to access network resources! 📖🌸
Networking all computers campus-wide can be expensive, bestie 💸 You'll need to look at the options (dial-up access, a dedicated line, or some other possibility) and weigh them against your school's needs and priorities. You might want to look into having one lab, the library, and a few classrooms with modem access, assuming phone lines are available. As Internet use catches on, it'll be more effective to create a campus-wide local area network that's routed to the Internet through a dedicated line than to keep adding modems in classrooms 🦋 Or you may want to consider the other options discussed in question 5.5 below.
5.4 Can people get on the Internet from home? 🏠
This depends on your network access provider 💅 It's definitely a possibility, and it's probably desirable for the educators at your school if they happen to have the necessary equipment at home. You'll need to discuss whether you want to make this option available to students even if it's possible technically. This is best talked through with the community your school serves, in a public forum like a school/community meeting 🗣️ The big issue is the shared responsibility of educators and parents to monitor student Internet use. (See also Question 6.2.)
5.5 What are some of the options for using Internet services without paying for a full, dedicated-line Internet connection? 💸
Okay, this one is lowkey iconic 🔥 You can create a local, store-and-forward network using various implementations of the Unix to Unix Copy (UUCP) software suite. It's public domain (free) or shareware (a small fee, which is often optional), and it can run on lots of different platforms, including Amiga, IBM, and Macintosh 👾 The connections happen over dial-up phone lines using local phone numbers. Usenet News and email get "stored" on a computer until the time appointed for that computer to contact the next one along the path to the final destination, and then they get "forwarded" along their way 📨 Most computers are set up to process outgoing requests at least every 30 minutes. With this kind of system you'll have access to as many Usenet News groups as your site agrees to carry, plus email, which includes access to mailing lists and listservs such as those listed in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts". Many file servers also offer file transfer and other services via email 🧚
There are a couple of important advantages here. First, it's way more affordable, since these networks make more efficient use of telephone lines by only making a connection while data is actually being transferred 🤑 Second, it allows for filtering, which gives a school some control over what kind of information is available to its students 🛡️
The disadvantage is that you may be limited regarding the range of Internet applications you can use 🥲
FrEdMail, FidoNet, and K12Net are store-and-forward systems. FidoNet, for example, is a network of amateurs and hobbyists that operates on personal computers and is publicly accessible by anyone with a microcomputer and a modem 📟 Contact information for all three organizations can be found in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts".
6. Questions About Security and Ethics 🔐
6.1 Who should have access in the school, the teachers or the students? 🎓
Clearly the answer is that all educators, including administrators and media specialists or librarians, AND students should have access to the Internet 🫶 There's no reason why support staff shouldn't also have access. In elementary schools, access for students may be more supervised than in the upper grades 🌈
6.2 I've heard that there are files on the Internet that parents would not like their children to get. How can students be kept from accessing this objectionable material? 🙈
If your school has a direct Internet connection, and often even if it doesn't, a technical solution can't stop students from accessing objectionable material 😭 Everyone on the network, students included, is able to download files from public electronic repositories, and some of those contain stuff that just about anyone would consider objectionable for school-age children. The store-and-forward scenario from Question 5.5 is one way to filter the information students can reach, but if students are allowed to use email, then someone can still send them objectionable material 💀
For this reason, it's important that schools develop clear policies to guide students' use of the Internet and establish rules, and consequences for breaking them, that govern behavior on the Internet 📋 Schools should also consider integrating issues around technology and ethics into the curriculum [4].
Another option is to control the times and opportunities students have to access the Internet, and only allow access under supervision. This is a less desirable option than teaching the ethics of Internet access as a matter of course, but it may be used in combination with other methods to ensure the integrity of the school, its students, and its educators 🧚
Real talk: schools need to exercise reasonable oversight, but it's almost impossible to absolutely guarantee that students won't be able to access objectionable material. Keep that expectation realistic, bestie 🫠
6.3 How do we keep our own and other people's computers safe from student "hackers"? 🛡️
In computer-folk language, a "hacker" is someone who is excellent at understanding and manipulating computer systems 🧠 A "cracker" is someone who maliciously and/or illegally enters, or attempts to enter, someone else's computer system 🚫
Computer security is unquestionably important, both for keeping the school's computers secure and for making sure the school's students (and others who use the network) behave properly 🔒 In this area, not only school policy but also state and national laws may apply. Two sources of information you can read to help sort through security issues are:
- "Site Security Handbook" (FYI 8)
- "Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education" (Sivin & Bialo)
The full references for these documents can be found in Section 8, "Suggested Reading". The pamphlet "Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education" is more applicable to the laws of the United States than to those of other countries, but several of the ideas are shared in various cultures 🌍
6.4 How do we keep viruses from attacking all our computers if we get connected to the Internet? 🦠
If you use the Internet to exchange data (like text or pictures), virus infection is generally not a problem 💜 The real concern is when you download software programs and run them on your own computer. Any program you download over the network and run could have a virus. For that matter, any program, whether on tape or a disk, even commercial software still in its original packaging, might possibly have a virus. For this reason, all computers should have virus protection software running on them 🛡️
Virus checking software is available free over the Internet via Anonymous FTP from the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), which is run by the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). The Anonymous FTP host computer is ftp.cert.org. (For information on using Anonymous FTP, see Appendix B.) Your hardware or software vendor, your network access provider, your technical support resources, or your colleagues on network mailing lists should be able to provide more specific information applicable to your site 🤓
To help reduce the risk of downloading a virus with your program, try to use trusted sources. Ask someone you know, or send the question to a mailing list or news group, to find the most reliable sites for software access 🫶
6.5 What are the rules for using the Internet? 📜
When your Internet connection is up and running, your access provider should totally walk you through their Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) 📜. This is basically the rulebook for what you can and can't do on your connection 💅. For example, using the network for illegal purposes is unacceptable in every case 🚫. Using it for commercial purposes may also be unacceptable in some cases 🤔. If nobody mentions a policy, ask for it!! Everyone is expected to know what counts as acceptable and unacceptable use of their network 🫶. And remember, it is essential to set up a school-wide policy on top of the provider's AUP 🎀.
7. Questions About Educational Collaboration, Projects, and Resources ✨
7.1. How can I find specific projects using the Internet that are already developed?
Okay so there are several resources on the Internet aimed specifically at the primary and secondary school crowd, and the number keeps growing 🌱. The InterNIC gopher server has a section on K-12 (Kindergarten through 12th grade) Education 🍎, the Consortium for School Networking runs its own gopher server 🖥️, and NASA's Spacelink is made for primary and secondary school educators 🚀. NYSERNet's Empire Internet Schoolhouse is an extension of its Bridging the Gap program 🌉. To get access to these and others, check out Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 📚.
Lots of people on electronic mailing lists like Ednet, Kidsphere, and the Consortium for School Networking Discussion List (cosndisc) post their projects and look for partners and collaborators 💌. The K12 hierarchy of Usenet News has several groups where educators post these invitations too 📰. For subscriptions to these lists and others, plus the names of newsgroups, see Section 9, "Resources and Contacts". For newsgroups and mailing lists of special interest to educators, see the "Ednet Guide to Usenet Newsgroups" and "An Educator's Guide to E-Mail Lists", both listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading" 🤓.
As you explore, some tools will help you find projects that are already developed 🔍. A super helpful overview of many of these resource discovery tools is the "Guide to Network Resource Tools" written by the European Academic Research Networks (EARN) Association 🧭. It explains the basics of tools like Gopher, Veronica, WAIS, Archie, and the World Wide Web, plus others, and points you toward more info about these useful tools. It's listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading" 💜.
7.2. Where do I go to find colleagues who support networking and schools willing to participate in projects?
The mailing lists and Usenet News groups in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" are absolutely stacked with people who want to collaborate on Internet projects 🫂✨.
There are also a bunch of conferences you may want to look into 🎟️. The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) is held annually, and so is Tel-Ed, a conference sponsored by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 👑. ISTE maintains an online server with a calendar of telecommunications-in-education conferences all over the world 🗓️. The INET conference is the annual conference for the Internet Society 🌐. See Section 9, "Resources and Contacts", for contact info on these organizations and for info on getting access to ISTE's online server 🦋.
7.3. What are some examples of how the Internet is being used in classrooms now?
Projects that use the Internet often ask sites from all over the world to contribute data from their local area, then compile that data so everyone can use it 🌍. Weather patterns, pollutants in water or air, and Monarch butterfly migration are some of the data that's been collected over the Internet 🦋. In Appendix A you'll find several examples from the Kidsphere electronic mailing list, each from a different content area and showing different ways of using the Internet 📖.
There are a bunch of specific projects you might find super interesting 🧚. KIDS-94 (and subsequent years), managed by the non-profit KIDLINK Society, is one 🧒. It currently includes ten discussion lists and services, and some of them are only for people who are ten through fifteen years old 🎀. Another place to look is Academy One of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN), which usually has between 5 and 10 projects running at a time 🌈. The International Education and Research Network (I*EARN), a project of the non-profit Copen Family Fund, helps make telecommunications happen in schools around the world 🌏. Chatback Trust was started to provide email for schools in the United Kingdom and around the world, with students who have mental or physical difficulty communicating 💌. Chatback International, which is directed at any school on the Internet, also maintains a network server that you may want to investigate 🔍. The European Schools Project involves about 200 schools in 20 countries, and its goal is building a support system for secondary school educators 🇪🇺. For contact info on these groups and server access, refer to Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 📚.
7.4. Is there a manual that lists sites on the Internet particularly useful for class exploration?
There are a number of resource guides, and so far only a couple are aimed specifically at an education audience 📚. "An Incomplete Guide to the Internet and Other Telecommunications Opportunities Especially for Teachers and Students K-12" is compiled by the NCSA Education Group and is available online 💻. The "Internet Resource Directory for Educators, Version 2" is also available online 🌸. It was prepared by a team of 46 teachers in Nebraska and Texas who were enrolled in telecomputing courses at two universities in 1992 and 1993 🙌. Ednet's "Educator's Guide to Email Lists" is available electronically, and so is the "Ednet Guide to Usenet News Groups" 📬. ERIC offers several documents about telecommunications and education, including the ERIC Digest "Internet Basics", the ERIC Review "K-12 Networking", "Instructional Development for Distance Education", and "Strategies for Teaching at a Distance" 🗂️. Complete bibliographic info for these documents is listed in Section 8, "Suggested Reading". For help retrieving them electronically, see Appendix B 💅.
There are also printed guides to the Internet that show up alongside the new Internet books 📕. The problem with paper resource guides is that the Internet is a changing environment, so they go outdated really quickly 💀. Check libraries, bookstores, and booksellers' catalogs for these guides 🛍️.
One answer to the printed-guide problem is the newsletter 🗞️. NetTEACH NEWS is a newsletter made specifically for primary and secondary school educators who are into networking 🫶. It has info on new Internet services that interest educators, collaboration projects, conferences, new books and publications, and "The Instruction Corner", which gives practical tutorials on using network tools and services 🎓. NetTEACH NEWS is published ten times a year and is available both in hardcopy and via email 📨. Subscription info can be found in Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" 🫧.
7.5. How can I add my own contributions to the Internet?
The network server operated by the Consortium for School Networking exists expressly for sharing ideas within the elementary and secondary school community 🤝. Educators are encouraged to submit projects, lesson plans, and ideas 💡. A gopher server maintained by PSGnet and RAINet also accepts educator submissions for its many menu sections devoted to elementary and secondary school interests 🌟. See Section 9, "Resources and Contacts" for info on reaching CoSN or submitting materials, and for access to the server maintained by PSGnet and RAINet 🔗. It's really important to remember that anything you create should be updated for others as you make changes yourself while you're learning by doing 🌱.
The mailing lists and news groups mentioned above are also places to share your knowledge and yourself as a resource 🫶. As you gain experience, you may find you have what it takes to put up an electronic server at your own site 👑. A group of schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States shares one such server, and there you could recently find and download photographs and notes from an exhibit on the architecture of one of the elementary schools to your own computer 📸🏫.
8. Suggested Reading
Those items marked with an asterisk (*) are available free online 💖. For info on retrieving documents electronically, see Appendix B 📥.
Dearn, D. The Internet Guide for New Users.
Washington, DC: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
*"Ednet Guide to Usenet Newsgroups"
online:
nic.umass.edu
pub/ednet/edusenet.gde
*"Educator's Guide to E-Mail Lists"
online:
nic.umass.edu
pub/ednet/educatrs.lst
Fraase, M. The Mac Internet Tour Guide. Chapel Hill, NC:
Ventana Press, 1993.
*FYI 4 "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly asked "New
Internet User" Questions", Malkin, G.S. and A. Marine.
(fyi4.txt or rfc1325.txt)
*FYI 5 "Choosing a Name for Your Computer", Libes, D.
(fyi5.txt or rfc1178.txt)
*FYI 8 "Site Security Handbook", Holbrook, J.P. and J.K.
Reynolds. (fyi8.txt or rfc1244.txt)
*FYI 16 "Connecting to the Internet: What Connecting Institutions
Should Anticipate", ACM SIGUCCS Networking Task Force.
(fyi16.txt or rfc1359.txt)
*FYI 18 "Internet Users' Glossary", LaQuey Parker, T. and G. Malkin.
(fyi18.txt or rfc1392.txt)
*FYI 19 "Introducing the Internet--A Short Bibliography of
Introductory Internetworking Reading for the Network Novice",
Hoffman, E. and L. Jackson. (fyi19.txt or rfc1463.txt)
*FYI 20, "What is the Internet?" Krol, E. and E. Hoffman.
(fyi20.txt or rfc1462.txt)The FYI series is online in the following locations 🗺️. Pick the site nearest you to download the files from 🫧:
United States
ds.internic.net (198.49.45.10)
fyi/fyi##.txt
Pacific Rim
munnari.oz.au (128.250.1.21)
fyi/fyi##.txt
Europe
nic.nordu.net (192.36.148.17)
fyi/fyi##.txt*"Guide to Network Resource Tools", EARN Association. May 1993.
64 pp.
online:
naic.nasa.gov
files/general_info/earn-resource-tool-guide.ps and
earn-resource-tool-guide.txt
ftp.earn.net
pub/doc/resource-tool-guide.ps and
resource-tool-guide.txt
ns.ripe.net
earn/earn-resource-tool-guide.ps and
earn-resource-tool-guide.txt
ds.internic.net
pub/internet-doc/EARN.nettools.ps and
EARN.nettools.txtokay so the NETTOOLS file can be grabbed by email, and you get to pick between plain text or PostScript 📬
via email:
send a message to...
...LISTSERV@EARNCC.BITNET
leave the subject blank and in the first line of the body,
enter...
...GET NETTOOLS TXT
for the plain ASCII text format, or
...GET NETTOOLS PS
for the PostScript version- "Incomplete Guide to the Internet and Other Telecommunications Opportunities Especially for Teachers and Students K-12", NCSA Education Group. July, 1993. 🎀
- online:
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.eduEducation/Education_Resources/Incomplete_Guide
- to order a hardcopy, contact these two lovely people 💌
- online:
Valerie Sheehan
NCSA Education Group
605 E. Springfield Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820
vsheehan@ncsa.uiuc.eduor:
Lisa Bievenue
NCSA Education Group
605 E. Springfield Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820
bievenue@ncsa.uiuc.edu- Internet Resource Directory for Educators 🦋
- online:
tcet.unt.edupub/telecomputing-info/IRD/IRD-telnet-sites.txt,IRD-ftp-archives.txt,IRD-listservs.txt, andIRD-infusion-ideas.txt
- online:
- Kehoe, Brendan. Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1992. 📖
- Krol, E. The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992. 📖
- LaQuey, T. The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1992. 📖
- Marine, A., S. Kirkpatrick, V. Neou, and C. Ward. Internet: Getting Started. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1993. 📖
- Sivin, J.P. and Bialo, E.R. "Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education", 1992. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. 🧠
- to order, call 800-851-3420 from within the United States or 301-251-5500 from outside of the United States
- or write to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
National Institute of Justice
Washington, DC 20531- RFC 1480 "The US Domain", Cooper, A. and J. Postel. June 1993. (
rfc1480.txt) 🌈
This one's handy for people outside the United States too! Check the sites listed under the FYI documents for the spot closest to you to download the file 🌍
9. Resources and Contacts ✨
CONFERENCES 🎀
NECC and Tel-Ed 💖
International Society for Technology in Education
1787 Agate Street
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1923
USA
phone: 503-346-4414 or 1-800-336-5191
fax: 503-346-5890
email: iste@oregon.uoregon.edu
(Compuserve: 70014,2117)
(AppleLink: ISTE)Electronic access to a calendar of conferences all over the world, plus other info, lives on the ISTE server. Peek at "Network Servers" in this section for the details 🗓️
INET 🌸
Internet Society
1895 Preston White Drive
Suite 100
Reston, Virginia 22091
USA
Phone: 703-648-9888
Fax: 703-620-0913
Email: isoc@isoc.orgELECTRONIC MAIL LISTS 💌
- Cosndisc (Consortium for School Networking Discussion List) 🫶
- to subscribe, send a message to
listproc@yukon.cren.org. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe cosndisc YourFirstName YourLastName - to post, send a message to
cosndisc@yukon.cren.org
- to subscribe, send a message to
- Ednet 🧚
- to subscribe, send a message to
listserv@nic.umass.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe ednet YourFirstName YourLastName - to post, send a message to
ednet@nic.umass.edu
- to subscribe, send a message to
- Kidsphere 🌈
- to subscribe, send a message to
kidsphere-request@vms.cis.pitt.eduand type any message asking to be added to the list - to post, send a message to
kidsphere@vms.cis.pitt.edu
- to subscribe, send a message to
- KIDS-95/KIDLINK 👑
- to learn about KIDLINK projects, subscribe to the news service by sending a message to
listserv@vm1.nodak.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe KIDLINK YourFirstName YourLastName - to receive a file of general information on KIDLINK, send email to the same listserv address, leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body enter
get kidlink general
- to learn about KIDLINK projects, subscribe to the news service by sending a message to
- K12admin (a list for K-12 educators interested in educational administration) 💅
- to subscribe, send a message to
listserv@suvm.syr.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe k12admin YourFirstName YourLastName - to post, send a message to
k12admin@suvm.syr.edu
- to subscribe, send a message to
- LM_NET (a list for school library media specialists worldwide) 📚
- to subscribe, send a message to
listserv@suvm.syr.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe LM_NET YourFirstName YourLastName - to post, send a message to
LM_NET@suvm.syr.edu
- to subscribe, send a message to
- SIGTEL-L (a list for the Special Interest Group for Telecommunications, a service of the International Society for Technology in Education) 💜
- to subscribe, send a message to
SIGTEL-L@unmvma.unm.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe SIGTEL-L YourFirstName YourLastName - to post, send a message to
SIGTEL-L@unmvma.unm.edu
- to subscribe, send a message to
- Tipsheet (Computer Help and Tip Exchange) 🍓
- to subscribe, send a message to
listserv@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu. Leave the Subject field blank, and in the first line of the body entersubscribe tipsheet YourFirstName YourLastName
- to subscribe, send a message to
NETWORK SERVERS 🖥️
- Chatback Trust and Chatback International network server 💬
- via telnet:
telnet rdz.stjohns.edu, then log in asstudentand follow the instructions on screen - via gopher:
sjuvm.stjohns.edu(port 70). Choose "Rehabilitation Resource Center" from the first menu, then choose "SJU Unibase Bulletin Board and Conference System" from the menu that comes up
- via telnet:
- Consortium for School Networking gopher server 🌸
- via gopher:
cosn.org(port 70) - via telnet:
telnet cosn.org, logingopher, no password
- via gopher:
- Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Digests Archives are available 📚
- via telnet:
telnet bbs.oit.unc.edu, loginlaunch. Follow the on-screen directions to register. At the main menu, choose number 4, "Topical Document Search (WAIS)", and move toeric-digests. For help in WAIS, type a question mark - via FTP:
ftp ericir.syr.edu, loginanonymous, passwordyour_email_address, thencd pub - via email:
mail askeric@ericir.syr.edu. In your message, ask for the topic you're interested in, and a human will answer you 🥰 - via gopher:
ericir.syr.edu(port 70)
- via telnet:
- Empire Internet Schoolhouse 🏫
- via gopher:
nysernet.org(port 70) - via telnet:
telnet nysernet.org, loginempire, no password
- via gopher:
- International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) gopher server 🎓
- via gopher:
gopher.uoregon.edu(port 70) - via telnet:
telnet gopher.uoregon.edu, logingopher, no password - once connected by either method, use the menu item "Search Titles in This Gopher Server" and enter
ISTEwhen asked what to search for
- via gopher:
- InterNIC gopher server 🔍
- via gopher:
is.internic.net(port 70) - via telnet:
telnet is.internic.net, logingopher, no password
- via gopher:
- KIDS Gopher, a KIDLINK service 🧸
- via gopher:
kids.duq.edu(port 70) - via telnet:
telnet kids.duq.edu, logingopher, no password
- via gopher:
- NASA Spacelink 🚀
- via telnet:
telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov, loginnewuser, passwordnewuser. Follow the registration instructions on screen - to find info on the NASA Teacher Resource Center Network, or a NASA Select television schedule, enter
gfor GO TO, then enter eitherTRCorNASA Select - via FTP:
ftp spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
- via telnet:
- National Science Foundation's (United States) Science and Technology Information System (STIS) 🔬
- via telnet:
telnet stis.nsf.gov, loginpublic. Follow the instructions on screen - via gopher:
stis.nsf.gov(port 70)
- via telnet:
- Office of Educational Research and Improvement (US Department of Education) gopher server 📊
- via gopher:
gopher.ed.gov(port 70) - the OERI gopher server has educational research and statistics, plus info about the United States Department of Education and its programs
- via gopher:
- PSGnet and RAINet gopher server 🌷
- via telnet:
telnet gopher.psg.com, logingopher, no password - via gopher:
gopher.psg.com(port 70)
- via telnet:
NEWS GROUPS 📰
alt.education.distancealt.kids-talkcomp.security.announcek12.chat.elementaryk12.chat.juniork12.chat.seniork12.chat.teacherk12.ed.artk12.ed.businessk12.ed.comp.literacyk12.ed.health-pek12.ed.life-skillsk12.ed.mathk12.ed.musick12.ed.sciencek12.ed.soc-studiesk12.ed.specialk12.ed.tagk12.ed.techk12.edu.life-skills(especially for school counselors)k12.euro.teachers(in Europe)k12.lang.artk12.lang.deutsch-engk12.lang.esp-engk12.lang.francaisk12.lang.russiank12.libraryk12.sys.projectsmisc.educationmisc.education.language.englishmisc.kidsmisc.kids.computernews.announce.newuserspubnet.nixpub(where a list of open access Unix sites is often posted, for those looking for access to Usenet News and email only)
NEWSLETTER 🗞️
NetTEACH NEWS 💖
NetTEACH NEWS comes out monthly from August to March, and bi-monthly in April/May and June/July. It's written for both the novice and the experienced networking teacher 🌟
Annual hardcopy subscription prices:
US $22.00for individuals in the USUS $25.00for individuals in CanadaUS $30.00for individuals outside the US and CanadaUS $30.00for institutions
Annual ASCII electronic copy price:
US $15.00for individuals
Want both ASCII and hardcopy? Add $5.00 to the hardcopy cost 💅
Site licensing is available for public primary and secondary education networks, and school districts can get discounts on multiple subscriptions 🏫
For a subscription form, questions, or to submit materials, contact:
Kathy Rutkowski, Editor
Chaos Publications
13102 Weather Vane Way
Herndon, VA 22071
USA
Phone: 703-471-0593
EMail: info@netteach.chaos.comORGANIZATIONS 🏛️
AskERIC
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources
Center for Science and Technology
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York 13244-4100
USA
Phone: 315-443-9114
Fax: 315-443-5448
EMail: askeric@ericir.syr.eduThat's the whole resource round-up, bestie! 🌈✨
According to a recent electronic brochure, "The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a federally-funded national information system that provides access to an extensive body of education-related literature. ERIC provides a variety of services and products at all education levels." So ERIC is a big national info system 📚
Then there's AskERIC, which the same brochure describes as: "AskERIC is an Internet-based question-answering service for teachers, library media specialists, and administrators. Anyone involved with K-12 education can send an e-mail message to AskERIC. Drawing on the extensive resources of the ERIC system, AskERIC staff will respond with an answer within 48 working hours." Educators can ask about primary and secondary education, learning, teaching, information technology, or educational administration, and AskERIC can answer. 🦋
Parents, there's a new AskERIC service for you too 🫶 It's for parents looking for information to better facilitate their children's developmental and educational experiences. Use the email address listed above.
Now for the rest of the contact list, bestie 💅
Chatback International
Chatback International
Dr. R. Zenhausern, Executive Director
Psychology Department
St. Johns University
SB 15, Marillac
Jamaica, NY 11439
USA
Phone: 718-990-6447
Fax: 718-990-6705
EMail: drz@sjuvm.stjohns.eduThe Chatback Trust
The Chatback Trust
Tom Holloway, UK Director
25 Clemens Street
Royal Leamington Spa
Warwickshire, CV31 2DP
Phone: +44-926-888333
Fax: +44-926-420204
EMail: t.holloway@warwick.ac.ukQuick history lesson 🌸 The Chatback Trust started out focused mainly on school children with various types of language disorder. Chatback International is that same project expanded onto the Internet, using networks to educate all children.
Consortium for School Networking
Consortium for School Networking
P.O. Box 65193
Washington, DC 20035-5193
USA
Phone: 202-466-6296
Fax: 202-872-4318
EMail: info@cosn.orgAccording to a recent brochure, "The Consortium for School Networking is a membership organization of institutions formed to further the development and use of computer network technology in K-12 education." To join CoSN, request an application at the above address. Want to share your ideas, lesson plans, projects, etc. so others can access them over the Internet? Send email to: ferdi@digital.cosn.org ✨
European Schools Project
European Schools Project
University of Amsterdam
CICT/SCO
Grote Bickerrsstraat 72
1013 KS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Contact: Dr. Pauline Meijer or Dr. Henk Sligte
Phone: +31-20-5251248
Fax: +31-20-5251211
EMail: risc@esp.educ.uva.nlThe European Schools Project is "a support system for secondary schools to explore applications of educational telematics." 🌈
FidoNet
FidoNet
1151 SW Vermont Street
Portland, OR 97219
USA
Contact: Janet Murray
Phone: 503-280-5280
EMail: jmurray@psg.comFidoNet is a dial-up, store-and-forward messaging system. It takes advantage of late night phone rates to send and receive email and conferences. Night owl energy 🌙
FrEdMail Foundation
FrEdMail Foundation
P.O. Box 243,
Bonita, CA 91908
USA
Contact: Al Rogers
Phone: 619-475-4852
EMail: arogers@bonita.cerf.fred.orgInternational Education and Research Network (I*EARN)
International Education and Research Network (I*EARN)
c/o Copen Family Fund
345 Kear Street
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
USA
Contact: Dr. Edwin H. Gragert
Phone: 914-962-5864
Fax: 914-962-6472
EMail: ed1@copenfund.igc.apc.orgAccording to Dr. Gragert, "The purpose of the I*EARN Network is to create low-cost telecommunications models to demonstrate that elementary and secondary students can make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of people and the planet. We want to see students go beyond simply being "pen-pals" to use telecommunications in joint student projects as part of the educational process." The I*EARN crew works with international service and youth organizations to add telecommunications to existing partnerships. 🌍
KIDLINK Society
KIDLINK Society
4815 Saltrod
Norway
Phone: +47-370-31204
Fax: +47-370-27111
EMail: opresno@extern.uio.no
Contact: Odd de PresnoKIDLINK is the organization that runs the yearly KIDS projects, KIDS-94, KIDS-95, etc. For info on getting files related to KIDS-NN/KIDLINK, see "Electronic Mail Lists" in this section. For access to the KIDS Gopher, see "Network Servers" in this section. 🧚
K12Net
K12Net
1151 SW Vermont Street
Portland, OR 97219
USA
Phone: 503-280-5280
Contact: Janet Murray
EMail: jmurray@psg.comK12Net is a collection of conferences devoted to curriculum, language exchanges with native speakers, and classroom-to-classroom projects designed by teachers in K-12 education. The conferences are privately distributed among FidoNet-compatible bulletin board systems on five continents, and they're also available as Usenet Newsgroups in the hierarchy "k12." More info about K12Net is available from gopher.psg.com. Here's how to get there 👑
via telnet...
telnet gopher.psg.com
login: gopher
via gopher...
gopher.psg.com (port 70)NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE)
NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE)
Lorain County Joint Vocational School
15181 Route 58 South
Oberlin, OH 44074
USA
Phone: 216-774-1051, x293/294
Fax: 216-774-2144For a copy of the video "Global Quest: The Internet in the Classroom" released by the NASA NREN K-12 Initiative, contact the address above. The fee for the video is cost plus shipping and handling. You can also make a copy yourself by taking a blank copy to the nearest NASA Teacher Resource Center or by taping from NASA Select television. For info on the NASA Teacher Resource Center Network or on NASA Select, contact your nearest NASA facility or log in to NASA Spacelink. (See NASA Spacelink in "Network Servers".) 🚀
National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
555 New Jersey Ave N.W., R.410 C
Washington DC 20208-5651
USA
Phone: 202-219-1364
Contact: Jerry Malitz
EMail: ncesinfo@inet.ed.gov
Fax: 219-1728For a copy of the video "Experience the Power: Network Technology for Education" released by NCES, contact the address above. If you contact them via email to order a video, be sure to send your mailing address. 🎀
InterNIC Information Services
InterNIC Information Services
General Atomics
P.O. Box 85608
San Diego, California 92186-9784
USA
Phone: 800-444-4345
619-455-4600
Fax: 619-455-3990
EMail: info@internic.netThe InterNIC is a (United States) National Science Foundation funded group tasked with providing information services to the United States research and education networking community. The Reference Desk is in operation Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. ⏰
Internet Society
Internet Society
1895 Preston White Drive
Suite 100
Reston, Virginia 22091
USA
Phone: 703-648-9888
Fax: 703-620-0913
EMail: isoc@isoc.orgThe Internet Society is an international membership organization for individuals and organizations that support its goals of promoting the use of the Internet:
- A. To facilitate and support the technical evolution of the Internet as a research and education infrastructure, and to stimulate the involvement of the scientific community, industry, government and others in the evolution of the Internet;
- B. To educate the scientific community, industry and the public at large concerning the technology, use and application of the Internet;
- C. To promote educational applications of Internet technology for the benefit of government, colleges and universities, industry, and the public at large;
- D. To provide a forum for exploration of new Internet applications, and to stimulate collaboration among organizations in their operational use of the global Internet.
Reseaux IP Europeens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC)
Reseaux IP Europeens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC)
Kruislaan 409
NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 592 5065
Fax: +31 20 592 5090
EMail: ncc@ripe.netThe RIPE NCC assists European Internet operators and refers users to appropriate operators. Its services include:
- delegated registry for network and Autonomous System numbers
- whois database at whois.ripe.net
- document store at ftp.ripe.net (also accessible via gopher and wais)
- interactive information service (via telnet at info.ripe.net)
Asia Pacific Network Information Center
Asia Pacific Network Information Center
c/o University of Tokyo, Computer Center
2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113
Japan
Phone: +81-3-5684-7747
Fax: +81-3-5684-7256
EMail: hostmaster@apnic.netThe APNIC is a cooperative organization of national network information centers in the Asia Pacific region, operating under the auspices of the Asia Pacific Coordinating Committee for Intercontinental Research Networks. APNIC is tasked with providing information and registration services to networking organizations throughout the Asia and Pacific Rim regions. 🌏
10. References 📚
[1] Malkin, G., and A. Marine, "FYI on Questions and Answers: Answers to Commonly Asked 'New Internet User' Questions", FYI 4, RFC 1325, Xylogics, SRI, May 1992.
[2] Krol, E., and E. Hoffman, "What is the Internet?" FYI 20, RFC 1462, University of Illinois, Merit Network, Inc., May 1993.
[3] "Restructuring Schools: A Systematic View" in Action Line, the newsletter of the Maryland State Teachers Association, a National Education Association Affiliate. R. Kuhn, Editor. No. 93-6. June, 1993.
[4] Sivin, J. P. and E. R. Bialo (1992) "Ethical Uses of Information Technologies in Education." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
[5] Hoffman, E. and L. Jackson, "Introducing the Internet--A Short Bibliography of Introductory Internetworking Reading for the Network Novice", FYI 19, RFC 1463, Merit Network, Inc., NASA, May 1993.
11. Security Considerations 🔒
Okay, important bestie moment 💀 General security considerations are discussed in Section 6 of this document. Go read that section before you do anything else, no skipping!
12. Author's Address 🖊️
Jennifer Sellers
NASA NREN
700 13th Street, NW
Suite 950
Washington, DC 20005
USA
Phone: 202-434-8954
EMail: sellers@quest.arc.nasa.govAPPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS USING THE INTERNET 🌈
The following examples of projects using the Internet appeared on the Kidsphere electronic mailing list during the 1992-93 school year 🍓 The messages have been edited in the interest of space, and because many of the details about how to participate are dated, but the information presented can give you a feel for the types and range of projects that happen today.
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Example One, "Middle School Math Project"
=========================================This is the official invitation to participate in "Puzzle Now!" "Puzzle Now!" is an interdisciplinary project using educational technology as a tool to integrate the curriculum. "Puzzle Now!" provides teams of mathematics and language arts teachers and students with thematic puzzle problems via VA.PEN. 🧩
PROJECT : Puzzle Now!
SUBJECT AREA : Mathematics/Language Arts
GRADE LEVEL : 6 - 8The puzzle project runs for eight one-week cycles 🧩✨
Its goals are giving main character energy 💅:
- to increase student motivation for math problem solving 💖
- to emphasize the importance of addressing problems in a clear, concise, and logical manner 🧠
- to provide students with opportunities for developing skills in written expression ✍️
- to familiarize students with computer and modem as tools for problem solving projects 💻
Honestly, these puzzles are no mere entertainment 🙈 They help you reason logically, build your thinking skills, and understand practical subjects like geometry 📐
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to remember that getting the correct answer isn't as important as figuring out how to find it 🫶
DO THE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED IN A PARTICULAR FASHION? Yes! Your group, team, or solo self has to first:
- restate the puzzle or problem,
- explain the strategy, or strategies, you used to find the answer,
- state the answer.
Your team or class can only turn in one solution, so you'll need to work together to build one solution for the "Puzzlemeister" to examine 🤝
Example Two, "Poetry Contest, Grades 9-12" 🪶
National Public Telecomputing Network
--
Academy One Project Announcement
FIRST ANNUAL INTERNET POETRY CONTEST
FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS GRADES 9-12
***FEATURED FORM: THE SONNET***
***First Place Award: $50.00***
***Second Place Award: $25.00***
***Honorable Mentions: $10.00***Poets in grades 9-12, this one's for you 💜 The first annual Internet Poetry Contest wants original sonnets written within the last 3 years. The whole point is to practice writing in a specific poetic form, and this year that form is the sonnet 🌸 (The sonnet gets defined and shown with examples below.) You can submit any recognized sonnet form, including Petrarchan, Shakespearean, Miltonic, or Spenserian ✨
Every entry needs a form (included below) certifying that each sonnet is original and was written within the last 3 years 📝 Entries need to be mailed by April 30, 1993 📬 Winners will be notified individually, and winning entries will also be announced via Academy I on the Internet 🏆
The judges are current or retired English instructors from all over the United States 👑
Example Three, "Tracking Monarch Butterflies" 🦋
Our school has started studying monarchs using Nova's Animal Pathfinders 🧡 Once we finish these lessons, which will give us the background info we need, we'll design the format for collecting data on monarch sightings. We'll send the format to any school that wants to join in 💌
Our fifth grade students are kicking this off, and we really hope students from kindergarten through twelfth grade get involved too 🙌 We're hoping schools from south to north along the migratory flyways will join in and collect data on first sightings and population counts 🌍
We still haven't found the lepidopterists who did the initial research, but we're not giving up 🔍 Hope to hear from you soon 💛
Example Four, "Simulated Space Mission" 🚀
National Public Telecomputing Network
--
Academy One Program Announcement
SPECIAL EVENT: NESPUT 24-HOUR CENTENNIAL SPACE SHUTTLE
SIMULATED MISSION ON APRIL 27, 1993Attention, schools, teachers, students, and space enthusiasts 🛰️ The April 27 simulated and telecommunicated space shuttle mission is a mostly real-time, 24-hour mission with lots of activities happening in space ✨ Your school can join for the full 24 hours, or for a much smaller slice, like just your school day or even a few hours ⏰ During that time, schools will link up to share info over telecommunications, and there'll be a bunch of activities happening both online and in the classroom. Most of them will be created by the schools and students who take part 🎀
The space shuttle Centennial at University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio is a real, permanent simulator 🛸 It will act as itself and use its mission control area as Houston 🤩 Reports on the progress of the real student astronauts will be posted on the listserv and through the menus on NPTN affiliate systems carrying Academy One 📡
Your school can act as any one of the following:
- A second American shuttle.
- A second Russian shuttle.
- A weather reporting station for your area.
- One of NASA's alternate landing sites.
- A science station posing questions and problems for all astronauts in simulated space.
- An information station, posting interesting information of interest about the space shuttle and the space program.
- A graphics station, sending GIF files to other schools (especially good if you have a scanner for your computer).
- Any other type of space related station or activity you can imagine. 🌌
Example Five, "Equinox Experiment and Calculation" 🌞
ATTENTION - MARCH 20, l993 IS THE EQUINOX
A WORLDWIDE SCIENCE AND MATH EXPERIMENT
ERATOSTHENES EXPERIMENTOkay, this one is a whole vibe 🤯 Eratosthenes, a Greek geographer (about 276 to 194 B.C.), made a surprisingly accurate estimate of the earth's circumference 🌍 While he was in the great library in Alexandria, he read that a deep vertical well near Syene, in southern Egypt, was lit up entirely by the sun at noon once a year ☀️ Eratosthenes figured that at that moment the sun must be directly overhead, with its rays shining straight down the well. In Alexandria, which is almost due north of Syene, he knew the sun wasn't directly overhead at noon on that same day, because a vertical object cast a shadow 🫣
So Eratosthenes could measure the circumference of the earth (sorry Columbus) using two assumptions: that the earth is round, and that the sun's rays are essentially parallel 😌 He set up a vertical post at Alexandria and measured the angle of its shadow when the well at Syene was completely sunlit. From geometry, Eratosthenes knew that the size of the measured angle equaled the size of the angle at the earth's center between Syene and Alexandria 📐 He also knew that an arc of an angle this size was 1/50 of a circle, and that the distance between Syene and Alexandria was 5000 stadia. So he multiplied 5000 by 50 to find the earth's circumference 🧮 His result, 250,000 stadia (about 46,250 km), is quite close to modern measurements 🔥
Source: Investigating the Earth, AGI, l970, Chapter 3, p. 66.
The formula Eratosthenes used is:
D A d=distance between Syene and Alexandria
_____ = _____ A=360 degrees assumption of round earth
a=shadow angle of vertical stick
d a D=to be determined (circumference)Are you interested in participating? 🙋♀️ All you need to do is place a vertical stick (shaft) into the ground at your school. When the sun reaches its highest vertical point for the day (solar noon), measure the angle of the stick's shadow 📏
-\
- \
stick -> - \
- a \ a=shadow angle
- \
- \
ground___________________-______\_____________________________By doing this experiment on the equinox, we know the sun's vertical rays are directly over the equator, just like the well at Syene 🌞 With a globe or an atlas, you can figure out the distance between your location and the equator, and then calculate the circumference 🌏
*****************************************************************
But how about sharing your shadow angle measurement with others
around the real globe.
******************************************************************Send us your info using these blanks 💌
Send your measurement of the shadow angle____________degrees
Send your location city ____________________________________
Send your location country _________________________________
Send your latitude _________________________________________
Send your longitude ________________________________________We'll compile all the data and send you a copy for your classroom so you can compare the different locations and angles 🫶 If you're interested, send us your data, and we'll compile it and send it back to you 🎁
Example Six, "Famous Black Americans" 🌟
Project Name: Who Am I?: Famous Black Americans
Subject Area: Social Studies, Research Skills
Grade Level: Grades 4-12This project is all about helping students grow their knowledge of American Black history 📚 Every Monday morning, a set of three or four clues will be sent to your account. The same thing happens on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings 🗓️ Any time through the end of the day on Friday, your students can send their answer (the name of the famous American described by the clues) to this online address:
whoami@radford.vak12ed.eduA class should only send one answer each week 🙅♀️ If two get sent, the sponsors will assume the first one is the answer that was meant to be submitted.
The sponsor will collect all the answers and compile a list of the classes that sent correct answers. Then they'll email that list to all participants by early on the following Monday morning 📬 That same morning, the sponsor will also send all classes a new problem 🧠
This project lasts five weeks, and each week features clues for a different famous person in American history 🎀
Project Length: Five Weeks Awards: Every Monday morning, participating classes
will receive an online message from the
sponsor congratulating those who have sent
correct answers during the previous week. At
the end of the five weeks, attractive
certificates will be awarded to all
participating classes (sent by way of the
Postal Service). In addition, classes which
have participated in each of the five weeks
will receive a separate style of certificate
for their school or class.Okay, and the prizes are honestly the best part 🏆💖 Every Monday morning, participating classes get an online message from the sponsor shouting out everyone who sent correct answers the week before 📬. After the five weeks, everyone gets cute certificates mailed through the Postal Service 💌. Classes that showed up all five weeks also get a separate, special certificate for their school or class 🎀.
APPENDIX B: HOW TO GET DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY 💾✨
Okay so the traditional way to grab files that live online is with a program based on the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) 📂. Lots of information sites have hosts that allow "anonymous" FTP, which basically means you don't need an account on the host to get the files it makes public 🫶. This appendix walks you through getting files with anonymous FTP and getting them with the Internet Gopher program 🧚.
The online files cited in Suggested Reading can all be retrieved with anonymous FTP (most can be retrieved with Gopher too 💅). Usually when you see a reference to a file available by FTP, it gives you both a computer hostname and a pathname. So, for example, the ASCII text version of the EARN Resource Tool Guide is on the host naic.nasa.gov in the /files/general_info directory as earn-resource-tool-guide.txt.
Many online files are mirrored on more than one host. RFC files are so popular that several hosts act as repositories for them, so when they get cited, a hostname is rarely given 🔥. To find out all about getting RFCs and FYIs, send a message to rfc-info@isi.edu and, in the body of the message, type help: ways_to_get_rfcs. RFCs are available via electronic mail, via Anonymous FTP, and via many Gophers 🌈.
Anonymous FTP 📡
Some of this information about transferring files is based on text from the access.guide file referenced in FYI 19 [5], written by Ellen Hoffman and Lenore Jackson 📝.
If you're on a computer connected to the Internet and can use FTP, you can access files online 🌐. If your VM/CMS, VAX/VMS, UNIX, DOS, Macintosh, or other computer system has FTP capability, you can probably use the sample commands exactly as they're listed. If your computer doesn't work with the sample commands, you may still have FTP access. You'll need to ask your system administrator or local network consultant 🙋. If you don't have FTP, you may be able to get files via electronic mail 💌.
If you're using a UNIX machine, you can use FTP directly from a system prompt. For other computers, there are commercial and public domain programs that let you use FTP. (For example, there's a very easy-to-use shareware program called "Fetch" for the Macintosh 🍎.)
Once you've established that you have FTP access, you'll need to send a series of commands to reach the host computer with the file you want, connect to the right directory, and have the file transferred to your computer 🚀. A typical FTP session is described here, but not all software is exactly alike. If you run into problems, check your software's documentation ('man' page) or contact your local help-desk 🆘.
This session uses the EARN Guide to Network Resource Tools on its naic.nasa.gov home as the example file to be transferred 🎯.
Here's what you can do:
- Tell your computer what host you're trying to reach:
ftp naic.nasa.gov - Log in to the computer with the username "anonymous". You'll be prompted for a password; most often it's preferred that you use your complete email address as your password 🔐.
- Navigate through the directory to find the file you need. Two useful commands for doing so are the one to change directories (
cd), which you can use to step through more than one directory at a time:
cd files/general_infoand the command that shows you the files and subdirectories within a directory:
dir- Give a command to have the file sent to your computer:
get earn-resource-tools.txt - Quit FTP:
quit👋
RFC Repositories: 🗂️
Following is a list of hosts that are primary repositories for RFCs, along with the pathname to the directory that houses these files for each host:
ds.internic.netrfcnis.nsf.netinternet/documents/rfcnisc.jvnc.netrfcvenera.isi.eduin-noteswuarchive.wustl.eduinfo/rfcsrc.doc.ic.ac.ukrfcftp.concert.net/rfc
RFCs are in the file format you see in the Suggested Readings section, e.g., rfc####.txt, where #### is the number of the RFC 📄. To retrieve an RFC, you'd FTP to one of the hosts above, log in as anonymous, cd to the directory noted, and retrieve the RFC you want 💅. The file ways_to_get_rfcs, mentioned above, explains which sites make RFCs available for electronic mail retrieval and gives directions for doing so 📬.
Remember that FYI documents, like this one, are also RFCs, so the information about RFCs applies to FYIs as well 🦋. You can usually retrieve FYIs either by their RFC number or by their FYI number. FYI numbers are in the format fyi##.txt, where ## is the number of the FYI 🌸.
Gopher 🧚♀️
A relatively new method of viewing and retrieving information is the Internet Gopher 🕳️. A Gopher server presents information to users through a series of menus. By choosing menu items, the user is led to files or to other services available on the Internet. Gopher can also retrieve files for the user because it has an interface to the File Transfer Protocol, so you can use Gopher to obtain files rather than FTP. Once you've located a file you want, you also have the option of mailing it electronically 💌.
Several Gopher servers are listed in the Network Servers portion of Section 9 "Resources and Contacts". The InterNIC gopher, for example, is one that provides access to the RFCs 🙌.
Normally, the best way to access a Gopher server is by running a Gopher client on your own host or network. However, if you don't have that software, many Gophers are accessible via Telnet (see the addresses in Section 9). To Telnet to a host, you'd most often give the command "telnet" and the hostname, for example: telnet naic.nasa.gov 💻.
Unlike FTP repositories, which are accessible over the network but which you have to access one at a time, many Gophers are linked together over the Internet 🔗. So if you have access to one Gopher, you usually have access to hundreds more. This huge network of gophers and the vast amount of information they serve is referred to as "gopherspace" 🌍✨. You can use a service within Gopher called "Veronica" to search gopherspace and see if there's more information out there on a particular topic you're interested in 🔍. From within Gopher, look for a menu item such as "Search Gopherspace Using Veronica" to find out more about using the Veronica service 💜.
APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT 📖🎀
The following is a short glossary of terms used in this document. For a more complete glossary of Internet terms, refer to FYI 18 (RFC 1392), "Internet Users' Glossary". These definitions are largely excerpted from that glossary. (See Section 8, "Suggested Reading", above.) 🫶
Anonymous FTP 🔑
Accessing data via the File Transfer Protocol using the special username "anonymous". This was devised as a method to provide a relatively secure way of providing restricted access to public data. Users who want to acquire data from a public source may use FTP to connect to the source, then use the special username "anonymous" and their email address as the password to log into a public data area 📂.
Cracker 💀
A person who uses computer knowledge to attempt to gain access to computer systems and/or maliciously damage those systems or data. Not it 🙅♀️.
Dial-in (also dial-up) ☎️
A connection, usually made via modems, between two computers (or servers) over standard voice grade telephone lines 📞.
Download ⬇️
To copy data from a remote computer to a local computer. The opposite of upload.
DSU/CSU (Data Service Unit/Channel Service Unit) 🔌
The digital equivalent of a modem. A Channel Service Unit connects to a telephone company-provided digital data circuit, and a Data Service Unit provides the electronics required to connect digital equipment to the CSU. Paired together, a DSU/CSU allows computer equipment to be connected into the telephone digital service for highly conditioned, high speed data communications ⚡.
Electronic Bulletin Board System (BBS) 📋
A computer, and associated software, which typically provides electronic messaging services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin board system's operator. Although BBSs have traditionally been the domain of hobbyists, an increasing number of BBSs are connected directly to the Internet, and many BBSs are currently operated by government, educational, and research institutions 🏫.
EMail (Electronic Mail) 💌
A system whereby a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users (or groups of users) via a communications network.
FidoNet 🐶
A network of computers interconnected using the FIDO dial-up protocols. The FIDO protocol provides a means of "store and forward" file transfer similar to UUCP 🐾.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) 📁
A protocol which allows a user on one host to access, and transfer files to and from, another host over a network. Also, FTP is usually the name of the program the user invokes to execute the protocol 🚚.
FYI (For Your Information) 🌟
A subseries of RFCs that are not technical standards or descriptions of protocols. FYIs convey general information about topics related to TCP/IP or the Internet. See also: RFC (Request for Comments) 🦋.
Gopher 🕳️
A distributed information service that links many types of information from all around the Internet and presents it to the user in a series of menus. Because hundreds of Gopher servers cooperate in providing access to information and services, the user sees a single, uniform interface to information that actually resides on different host computers. The Gopher interface is very easy to use, and public domain versions of the clients and servers are available 🧁.
Hacker 🕶️
A person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a system, computers and computer networks in particular. The popular media has corrupted this term to give it the pejorative connotation of a person who maliciously uses computer knowledge to cause damage to computers and data. The proper term for this type of person is "cracker" 🙄.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) 🛠️✨
The IETF is a large, open community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers 🫶. Their whole thing is coordinating the operation, management, and evolution of the Internet, and resolving short-range and mid-range protocol and architectural issues ✨. The IETF is a major source of protocol proposals and standards, so it's basically the main character of Internet standards 👑.
InterNIC 🧚
A Network Information Center (NIC), funded by the National Science Foundation, that provides information about the Internet 💖. The InterNIC is a team of three contractors, and each one focuses on a particular network support task. The three tasks are:
- Information Services (the task most often cited in this document) 💅
- Registration Services
- Directory and Database Services
Kbs (Kilo-Bits per Second) 🌸
A data transmission rate expressed in 1000 bit per second units. For example, 56Kbs is 56*1000=56,000 bits per second.
LAN (Local Area Network) 🏡
A data network meant to serve an area of only a few square kilometers or less. Since these networks are relatively small, they can usually be directly controlled by the users and operate at relatively high speeds (up to 100Mb/s [10 million bits per second]) over inexpensive wiring 🔥.
Leased line 🎀
A leased line is a special phone company permanent connection between two locations. Leased lines are generally used where high-speed data (usually 960 characters per second and higher) is continually exchanged between two computers (in the Internet, generally between routers) ✨. A leased line is billed at the same rate per month no matter how much the line is used, and it can be cheaper than using dial modems depending on the usage. Leased lines may also be used where higher data rates are needed beyond what a dial modem can provide 🦋.
Listserv (mailing list server) 💌
An automated program that accepts mail messages from users and performs basic operations on mailing lists for those users. On the Internet, listservs are usually accessed as listname@host. For example, the list server for the hypothetical list newsreports@acme.org would be called listserv@acme.org. Sending email to newsreports@acme.org causes the message to be sent to all the list subscribers, while sending a message (to subscribe or unsubscribe, for example) to listserv@acme.org sends the message only to the list server 🙈. Not all mailing lists use list servers to handle list administration duties.
Mailing Lists 📬
A list of email addresses. Generally, a mailing list is used to discuss a certain set of topics, and different mailing lists discuss different topics. A mailing list may be moderated, which means messages sent to the list are actually sent to a moderator who determines whether or not to send the messages on to everyone else 👀. Many mailing lists are maintained by a "listserv" (list server) program that automatically handles operations such as adding new people to the list. (See above.) On the Internet, for mailing lists maintained by a human rather than by a listserv, you can generally subscribe to a list by sending a mail message to listname-REQUEST@host and entering a request to subscribe in the body of the message 💜. To send messages to other subscribers, you will then use the address listname@host.
Modem (MODulator/DEModulator) 📞
A device that converts the digital signals used by computers into the analog signals needed by voice telephone systems. Modems can be "dial" or "leased line" type. Dial type modems are used on normal telephone lines to call remote computers, and they usually operate at speeds between 120 to 1,920 characters per second 🌈.
Network Access Provider (Network Service Provider) 🌐
Any organization that provides network connectivity or dial-up access. Service providers may be corporations, government agencies, universities, or other organizations 🫶.
Network News 📰
Another name for "Usenet News" ✨.
NIC (Network Information Center) 🧚
A central place where information about a network within the Internet is maintained. NICs are usually staffed by personnel who answer user telephone calls and electronic mail, and who provide general network usage information and referrals, among other possible tasks 💁. Most network service providers also provide a NIC for their users.
Port 🚪
TCP/IP assigns at least one address to a host computer, but applications such as FTP must talk to a corresponding server application on the host. The "port" is the way TCP/IP designates the remote application 🎯. Most common Internet servers have specific port numbers associated with them. For example, Telnet uses port number 23. These are known as "well known ports," and they let application programmers write standard applications (such as Telnet, FTP, etc.) that "know" where the corresponding server is on a particular host 🦋.
PPP (Point to Point Protocol) 🔌
A protocol used to establish TCP/IP connections over serial lines such as dial-up telephone lines. Similar to SLIP (see below), PPP is a later standard that includes features such as demand dial-up, compression, better flow control, etc. 💖
Protocol 📜
A formal description of message formats and the rules two computers must follow to exchange those messages. Protocols can describe low-level details of machine-to-machine interfaces (e.g., the order in which bits and bytes are sent across a wire) or high-level exchanges between allocation programs (e.g., the way in which two programs transfer a file across the Internet) 🧠.
Protocol Stack 🥞
A series of protocols linked together to provide an end-to-end service. For example, the File Transfer Protocol uses the Transmission Control Protocol, which uses the Internet Protocol, which may use the Point to Point protocol, to transfer a file from one computer to another. The series FTP->TCP->IP->PPP is called a protocol stack 💅.
RFC (Request for Comments) 📚
The document series, begun in 1969, which describes the Internet suite of protocols and related experiments. Not all RFCs (in fact very few) describe Internet standards, but all Internet standards are written up as RFCs. The RFCs include the documentary record of the Internet standards process 🌸.
Router 🛣️
A computer which forwards traffic between networks. The forwarding decision is based on network layer information and routing tables, which are often constructed by routing protocols 🚦.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) 🐚
A protocol used to establish TCP/IP connections over serial lines such as dial-up telephone lines. Small computers, such as PCs and Macintoshes, can use SLIP to dial up to servers, which then allow the computer to act as a full Internet node. SLIP is generally used at sites with a few users as a cheaper alternative to a full Internet connection. SLIP is being replaced by PPP at many sites 😭.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) 🏗️
TCP/IP is named for two of the major communications protocols used within the Internet (TCP and IP). These protocols, along with several others, provide the basic foundation for communications between hosts on the Internet. All of the service protocols, such as FTP, Telnet, and Gopher, use TCP/IP to transfer information 💜.
Telnet 💻
Telnet is the Internet standard protocol for remote terminal connection service. The name "telnet" is also used to refer to programs that allow interactive access to remote computers, as well as the action of using those programs. For example, the phrase Telnet to host xyzzy. means to interactively log into host "xyzzy" from some other host on the Internet 🫠.
Upload ⬆️
To copy data from a local computer to a remote computer. The opposite of download ✨.
Usenet News 🗞️
An electronic bulletin board system originally created by the Unix community, and accessible via the Internet. Usenet News forms a discussion forum accessible by millions of users in almost every country in the world. Usenet News consists of thousands of topics arranged in a hierarchical form. Major topics include comp for computer topics, rec for recreational topics, soc for social topics, sci for science topics, etc. Within the major topics are subtopics, such as rec.music.classical for classical music, or sci.med.physics for discussions relating to the physics of medical science 🎶.
UUCP (Unix-to-Unix CoPy) 🐧
This was initially a program run under the UNIX operating system that allowed one UNIX system to send files to another UNIX system via dial-up phone lines. Today, the term is more commonly used to describe the large international network which uses the UUCP protocol to pass news and electronic mail 🌍.
Virus 🦠
A program which replicates itself on computer systems by incorporating itself into other programs that are shared among computer systems. Dangerous behaviour, no cap 💀.
WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) 🔎
A distributed information service which offers simple natural language input, indexed searching for fast retrieval, and a "relevance feedback" mechanism which allows the results of initial searches to influence future searches. Public domain implementations are available 🧁.
WWW (World Wide Web) 🕸️
A hypertext-based, distributed information system created by researchers at CERN in Switzerland. Users may create, edit or browse hypertext documents, and the clients and servers are freely available. The WWW servers are interconnected to allow a user to traverse the Web from any starting point. In addition, many other servers such as WAIS and Gopher have been incorporated into the WWW servers 🌈✨💖
📦 where this page comes from
- ietf: rfc1578 1994-02
- 💖 girlified by claude-haiku-5-5 on : a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms