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Computer-network interest groups

Computer-network interest groups. Introduction. Computer-network interest groups: summary. The following gives an overview of systems to communicate in a group by using computer networks. These systems can be seen as sources of information, besides many others.

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Computer-network interest groups

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  1. Computer-network interest groups Introduction

  2. Computer-network interest groups: summary • The following gives an overview of systems to communicate in a group by using computer networks. • These systems can be seen as sources of information, besides many others.

  3. Computer-network interest groups: prerequisites Before using systems to communicate in groups through computer networks, you should ideally have some knowledge and skills related to • computer hardware • computer software • the Internet • the WWW • electronic mail

  4. Computer-network interest groups:the basic scheme Computernetwork interest group system ? Question ? ! Answer ! E-mail

  5. Computer-network interest groups as information resources • Computer-network-based interest groups are a means for information exchange between people with a common interest or concern. • They enable their members to keep abreast of new developments, and to tap into the expertise of the community represented by the group.

  6. Computer-network interest groups:various existing systems • “Conferences” on computer-services like AOL, CompuServe, Dialog, Data-Star, many Bulletin Board Systems, • E-mail lists ! • Usenet News ! • Furthermore, since the 1990s, the WWW has become a gateway to these and a basis for similar systems.

  7. Computer-network interest groups:aims and applications • Searching and finding (up to date) information ! • Developing your network of professional contacts • Developing your network of personal contacts • Telling others about your experience • Expanding your customer base • Bargain hunting • Finding a job • Voicing your opinion • ...

  8. Computer-network interest groups: passive and active participation Subscribers can participate • passively ( = only read incoming messages) • actively ( = read incoming messages + reply to incoming messages + create and send new messages)

  9. Computer-network interest groups:various types • Worldwideversus limited (local or regional) groups. • Open (public access), versus closed groups.

  10. Computer-network interest groups:number of interest groups • More than 80 000 interest groups have been listed in directories (in 1998).

  11. Computer-network interest groups:searchable archives • Past messages to many interest groups are kept in online archives. • These may be browsed and searched. • They provide a useful source of up-to-date information in various subject areas.

  12. Computer-network interest groups E-mail - based interest groups

  13. E-mail - based interest groups: synonyms E-mail (based) conferences Computer (based) (discussion) lists Network (based) discussion groups forums interest groups Listservs Reflectors Aliases

  14. E-mail - based interest groups: description • When you are an e-mail user, you can correspond not only with individuals, but also with groups of people who share your interests. The electronic mailing list is tailor-made for doing just this. • The basis of the electronic mailing list is the distribution of a message to many people simultaneously. In this case, the ‘many people’ are the subscribers to the list, who have joined because they have an interest in the subject of the list. They can all contribute messages to the list, and they all receive every message sent to the list.

  15. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? A group of people can communicate simply by e-mail, using a list of each other’s addresses. Why is this not ideal? Why do we want a more efficient system? How would that work?

  16. E-mail - based interest groups:computers and addresses involved • One central server computer for the group/list • Two electronic mail addresses for each group/list: • One for subscribing, unsubscribing, etc… • One for posting your messages • Often an electronic archive available at the same or at another server computer

  17. E-mail - based interest groups: role of the server computer system The e-mail list server computer system takes care of • membership • distribution of messages • record-keeping • ...

  18. E-mail - based interest groups:How to subscribe? • By sending an e-mail message, in many cases: tolistserv@computer-addressSubject: DO NOT FILL INin body: sub[scribe] listname Your_first_name Name • Through a gateway system on WWW

  19. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Can you give an example of an e-mail - based interest group?

  20. Example E-mail - based interest groups: examples • listserv@hearn.bitnet (for subscribing, …)CDS-ISIS@hearn.bitnet (for posting) devoted to the retrieval software package CDS/ISIS • listserv@sunsite.berkeley.edu(for subscribing, …)web4lib@ sunsite.berkeley.edu (for posting) devoted to World Wide Web applications in libraries

  21. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Why are there 2 addresses associated with each e-mail interest group?

  22. E-mail - based interest groups with one or more moderators

  23. E-mail - based journals:moderator >>> editor

  24. E-mail - based interest groups: How to find relevant groups? You can • (use printed directories of interest groups) • use subject-oriented indexes and directories to search for Internet-based sources in general • search directory files concerning interest groups online!Examples: • http://groups.yahoo.com/ • http://www.forumone.com/ • http://www.liszt.com/

  25. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Identify an e-mail - based interest groupwhich is interesting for you.

  26. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Subscribe to an e-mail - based interest group.

  27. Computer-network interest groups Usenet News

  28. Usenet News:what it is • Usenet is a worldwide computer-network conferencing system. • Usenet is the set of people who exchange articles tagged with one or more universally recognized labels, called “newsgroups” (or “groups” for short). • Usenet ó Usenet server computers ó Usenet clients

  29. Usenet News:what it is NOT • Usenet is NOT a network for universities only. • Usenet is NOT a UUCP network. • Usenet is NOT a network of UNIX computers. • Usenet is NOT the Internet. • Usenet is NOT software.

  30. Network server computers receiving a Usenet newsfeed Network server computersin the Internet Usenet News and Internet

  31. Usenet newsgroups form a hierarchical structure • Newsgroups are organized by subject area into a multi-layered hierarchy ( = tree-structure). • This helps the users to find the “right” newsgroups.

  32. Example Usenet newsgroups form a hierarchical structure: an example ... alt comp rec sci soc talk ... ... binaries infosystems lang os ... ... gopher kiosks wais www ... ... misc providers users ...

  33. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Can you give an example of a Usenet newsgroup that is interesting for you?

  34. Usenet News:reading newsgroups • To read the messages on Usenet, subscribers use a suitable client program, a “newsreader”. • Most newsreaders keep track of what articles subscribers have seen and which they have not. • Newsreaders allow users to be selective about which newsgroups to look at regularly. • Newsreaders are available for Unix, VMS, VM/CMS, DOS, various Windows, Macintosh, and other platforms.

  35. Usenet News client programs for Windows You can read and/or post News messages using a News client program (“newsreader”) on your microcomputer running with • DOS, • Microsoft Windows up to 3.11, Windows 95, 98,... • Microsoft Windows NT 4 Workstation, Windows 2000, ... • ...

  36. Examples Usenet News client programs for Windows: examples • (Newsreaders in network software packages) • Shareware newsreaders: WINQVT, WinVN, Wintrumpet, NewsXpress, (Free) Agent,… • Commercial specialised newsreaders: Agent, Gravity,... • WWW browsers including a news reader: • Netscape • Microsoft Internet Explorer with Outlook Express,...

  37. Archive of Usenet newsgroups searchable online • A partial archive of Usenet News is available through the WWW. • Searchable online. • Usage is free of charge.

  38. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Try to find relevant information, using a searchable Usenet archive database.

  39. Computer-network interest groups E-mail groups and Usenet News considered together

  40. Computer-network interest groups: How to find relevant groups? You can • (use printed directories of interest groups) • use subject-oriented indexes and directories to search for Internet-based sources in general • search directory files concerning interest groups online • search Usenet archives and identify those newsgroups from which relevant messages are retrieved ! • (subscribe to a Usenet current awareness service, and identify those newsgroups which yield relevant messages)

  41. Examples Computer-network interest groups: online searchable directories (1) • About e-mail groups • http://groups.yahoo.com/ • http://www.forumone.com/ • About e-mail groups based on listserv server software: CataList: • http://www.lsoft.com/lists/listref.html

  42. Examples Computer-network interest groups: online searchable directories (2) • About both e-mail groups and Usenet newsgroups • http://paml.alastra.com/ • http://tile.net/ • http://www.liszt.com/ • http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/kovacs/ • http://www.meta-list.net/

  43. !? Question !? Task !? Problem !? Find one or more newsgroupswhich may be relevant for you.

  44. Interest groups in the networks: problems for the user (Part 1) • Yet another type of information source and medium to study and to use: • takes some time to learn • costs time to use • Variations in the methods to use the systems: • Great differences in method between e-mail - based groups and Usenet News, in spite of the same aims • Subtle differences in method between various e-mail - based groups due to variations in the server software L

  45. Interest groups in the networks: problems for the user (Part 2) • Low precision: low ratio of relevant items to noise, due to • Low quality of subject descriptions • Low quality of message contents • ... • It is difficult to identify relevant Usenet groups in a systematic way, and even more so in the case of e-mail - based groups. L

  46. Interest groups in the networks form good information resources • Complementary to other information sources • A lot of information offered in the groups • Not only text information, but also other data types • Growing amount of information offered in this way • Relatively cheap type of information source • Extra hardware not required to use the resource • E-mail en Usenet client programs available free of charge • Relatively easy to use • Refreshing, dynamic, developing systems L

  47. Future trends in computer-network interest groups: usage • Increasing number of interest groups • Increasing number of readers / users

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