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:
»The basic principles
»Systems based on electronic mail
»Communicating by using Usenet newsgroups
• 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
? Question ?
Computer
network
interest group
system
! 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
****
!! Task - Assignment !!
You
Youcan
canlearn
learnabout
about
discussion/interest
discussion/interestgroups
groups==message
messageboards
boards
online
onlinethrough
throughthe
theInternet
Internetand
andthe
theWWW
WWWstarting
startingfrom
from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/coursemenu.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/coursemenu.shtml
7
****
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.
8
****
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
• ...
9
***-
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)
10
***-
Computer-network interest groups:
various types
• Worldwide versus limited (local or regional) groups.
• Open (public access), versus closed groups.
11
***-
Computer-network interest groups:
number of interest groups
• More than 80 000 interest groups have been listed in
directories (in 1998).
12
****
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.
13
****
Computer-network interest groups
E-mail - based interest groups
14
****
E-mail - based interest groups:
synonyms
E-mail (based)
conferences
Computer (based)
(discussion) lists
Network (based)
discussion groups
forums
interest groups
Listservs
Reflectors
Aliases
15
***-
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 tailormade 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.
16
****
?? Question ??
AAgroup
groupof
ofpeople
people
can
cancommunicate
communicatesimply
simplyby
bye-mail,
e-mail,
using
usingaalist
listof
ofeach
eachother’s
other’saddresses.
addresses.
Why
Whyisisthis
thisnot
notideal?
ideal?
Why
do
we
want
a
more
efficient
Why do we want a more efficientsystem?
system?
How
would
that
work?
How would that work?
17
****
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
18
***-
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
»...
19
****
E-mail - based interest groups:
How to subscribe?
• By sending an e-mail message, in many cases: to
listserv@computer-address
Subject: DO NOT FILL IN
in body: sub[scribe] listname
Your_first_name Name
• Through a gateway system on WWW
20
****
?? Question ??
Can
Canyou
yougive
givean
anexample
example
of
an
e-mail
based
interest
of an e-mail - based interestgroup?
group?
21
***-Example
E-mail - based interest groups:
examples (Part 1)
• listserv@hearn.bitnet
CDS-ISIS@hearn.bitnet
(for subscribing)
(for posting)
devoted to the information 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
**--Example
E-mail - based interest groups:
examples (Part 2)
• You can subscribe to some groups through a user
interface on the WWW.
Examples:
»http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coralreefsdegradation/
»http://groups.yahoo.com/group/easa/
For EASA (European Assembly of Students of
Architecture)
»http://groups.yahoo.com/group/talkinaboutarchitecture/
For students, architects and people interested in
architecture.
22
23
****
?? Question ??
Why
Whyare
are22e-mail
e-mailaddresses
addressesassociated
associated
with
each
e-mail
interest
group?
with each e-mail interest group?
24
****
E-mail - based interest groups
with one or more moderators
**--
25
***-
26
E-mail - based journals:
moderator >>> editor
27
**--
Electronic mail - based
journals and newsletters
• Equivalent to a paper journal, but online.
• They range from the purely lightweight and possibly not
very reliable, through to serious refereed academic
journals.
• As with paper journals, they may be subscribed to, and in
some cases, subscriptions are charged for.
28
****
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://lists.topica.com/
29
****
E-mail - based interest groups:
screenshot of Yahoo! Groups start
30
****
E-mail - based interest groups:
screenshot of Yahoo! Groups Science
31
**--
E-mail - based interest groups:
screenshot of topica
32
****
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Identify
Identify
an
e-mail
based
an e-mail - basedinterest
interestgroup
group
which
is
interesting
for
you.
which is interesting for you.
33
****
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Subscribe
Subscribeto
to
an
e-mail
based
interest
an e-mail - based interestgroup.
group.
34
**--
E-mail - based interest groups:
filters in the e-mail client program
• Advanced e-mail client programs allow filtering of e-mail
messages based on rules specified by the user.
• This simplifies reading and managing e-mail.
• Filters allow the transfer of the messages
concerning different interest groups
from the general in-box
to corresponding mailboxes.
35
**--Example
E-mail: filters in a client program
36
****
Computer-network interest groups
Usenet News
37
****
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 !
Usenet server computers !
Usenet clients
38
***-
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.
39
***-
Usenet News
and Internet
Network
server computers
receiving
a Usenet newsfeed
Network
server computers
in the Internet
40
**--
Usenet News:
some quantitative data
• More than 20 000 newsgroups exist (in 1997).
• The authors/senders generate/send/post about 500 MB of
information per day (in 1997).
41
****
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.
42
****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
...
...
...
43
**--Examples
Usenet: examples of newsgroups
related to libraries
• fr.doc.biblio
• bit.listserv.cdromlan
• bit.listserv.asis-l
• comp.internet.libraries
• bit.listserv.libref-l
• bit.listserv.libres
• soc.talk.libraries
• bit.listserv.medlib-l
• bit.listserv.pacs-l
• bit.listserv.web4lib
**--Examples
Usenet: examples of newsgroups
related to literature
• alt.hypertext
(devoted to hyperfiction and hypertext)
• rec.arts.int-fiction
(devoted to interactive literature and computer games)
• humanities.*
44
45
**--Example
Usenet: examples of newsgroups
related to fisheries
• Sci.bio.net
46
****
?? Question ??
Can
Canyou
yougive
givean
anexample
example
of
a
Usenet
newsgroup
of a Usenet newsgroup
that
thatisisinteresting
interestingfor
foryou?
you?
47
*---
Usenet: moderation and creation
of newsgroups
• Although any user may post to a newsgroup,
some require messages to be sent to a group moderator
before they are broadcast across the network.
• Some newsgroups are created democratically:
someone suggests the formation of a new group,
users discuss the option,
and then they vote.
48
**--
Usenet News:
advice for new users
The best source of information for new Usenet users is the
newsgroup
news.announce.newusers
This newsgroup contains messages such as
»What is Usenet?
»Rules for posting to Usenet
»Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
»Descriptions of available newsgroups
49
**--
Usenet News:
best methods for online access
1. using a Usenet News client software connected to
the Usenet server of your own institute
2. using a Usenet News client software connected to
the Usenet server of your Internet service provider
3. using a Usenet News client software connected to
one of the remote, public access Usenet servers
50
**--
Usenet News:
access through WWW to a public site
4. using a (gopher or) WWW client connected to
one of the (gopher or) WWW servers that offer Usenet
newsgroups
51
*---
Usenet News:
access by telnet to a public site
5. using a telnet client connected to
one of the public-access bulletin board systems that offer
Usenet newsgroups
52
****
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.
53
****
?? Question ??
Can
Canyou
yougive
givean
anexample
example
of
ofaaUsenet
Usenetclient
clientprogram?
program?
54
**--
Usenet News client programs
for Unix computers
• You can read and/or post News messages from a terminal
or from a microcomputer emulating a terminal, using a
client program on the Unix-based server computer:
»(Line-oriented:
readnews, …)
»Screen-oriented:
—vnews,
—rn, trn (= threaded rn),
—nn,
—tin,...
**--Example
55
Usenet News client programs
for Unix computers: Tin
56
****
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, ...
»...
****Examples
57
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,...
*---Example
Usenet News client programs
for MS Windows: Trumpet
58
**--Example
59
Usenet client programs for Windows:
Agent
*---Example
Usenet client programs for Windows:
Netscape Navigator (Part 1)
60
*---Example
61
Usenet client programs for Windows:
Netscape Navigator (Part 2)
****Example
Usenet client programs for Windows:
Netscape Communicator 4
62
63
***-
?? Question ??
Which
WhichUsenet
UsenetNews
Newsclient
clientprogram
program
do
you
use?
do you use?
64
**--
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Have
Haveaalook
lookat
at
Usenet
News
Usenet News
that
is
that isavailable
availableto
toyou.
you.
65
**--
Usenet News:
threads
• Within 1 newsgroup, various articles can discuss 1
particular subject by replying to the original posting.
• Usenet keeps these articles together in a “thread”.
• Most client programs to read Usenet News present these
articles to the user together in the thread.
• This makes it easy to follow various discussions within 1
newsgroup.
66
**--
Usenet News:
filters in the client program
• Advanced client programs for Usenet News allow
“filtering” of messages based on rules specified by the
user.
• This simplifies reading and managing messages.
• Filters can be applied to work in 2 directions:
»“kill” filters
help to eliminate noise messages
»“watch” filters
help to reveal important messages
**--Example
67
Usenet News: a filter in a client
68
****
Archive of Usenet newsgroups
searchable online
• A partial archive of Usenet News is available through the
WWW.
• Searchable online.
• Usage is free of charge.
69
*---
Archive of Usenet newsgroups
searchable online: Deja
From 1995 until 2001, an archive was available through
http://www.deja.com/
70
***-
Archive of Usenet newsgroups
searchable online: Google
• Since 2001, the archive that was started by Deja is
available with a different user interface through
http://groups.google.com/
• It is confusing that both
the recent “Google groups”
that are managed on the Google computers,
as well as the more classical Usenet groups,
are available since 2004
more or less mixed and integrated through the same
WWW site http://groups.google.com/
71
***-
Archive of Usenet newsgroups
searchable online: Google: screenshot
72
**--
Archives of Usenet newsgroups
searchable online: overviews
• Some archives of the messages posted in Usenet
newsgroups are available.
• There exist
overviews
= collections of links to
= meta - search tools
to choose a suitable archive.
• Example:
» http://www.nic.surfnet.nl/zoeken/wegwijzers/zoektools.html#usenet
73
****
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Try
Tryto
tofind
findrelevant
relevantinformation,
information,
using
using
aasearchable
Usenet
searchable Usenetarchive
archivedatabase.
database.
74
****
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
How
Howcan
canwe
wefind
findand
anduse
useUsenet
Usenetnews
newsmessages,
messages,
even
without
installing,
learning,
and
even without installing, learning, andusing
using
aadedicated
client
program
for
the
Usenet
News
dedicated client program for the Usenet Newsprotocol?
protocol?
75
***-
A current awareness service that
covers groups: introduction
• A current awareness service covering Usenet newsgroups
and Internet groups
sends you an e-mail message
with information about each message that matches an
interest profile which you have submitted to the system.
76
***-
A current awareness service that
covers groups: Google Alerts
• Since 2005, a current awareness service = alerting service
is offered by Google.
• http://www.google.com/alerts/
• Free of charge.
• This covers not only the messages in groups,
but also
»WWW pages
»News pages on the WWW
77
**--
Usenet News:
the flow of information
Local servers
Usenet client
Usenet
News
Archive databases
User
WWW client
E-mail client
Filtering service
78
**--
Information sources about
Usenet News
• Portals with links
to WWW sites related to Usenet:
»http://www.usenetportal.com/
»http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Usenet/
• Usenet is one of the best sources of information about
Usenet:
»news: alt.usenet.*
»news: news.*
79
****
Computer-network interest groups
E-mail groups and Usenet News
considered together
80
***-
E-mail lists versus Usenet News:
the information flow
The messages on a Usenet group are stored on an
institutions mainframe / server in a way that allows them
to be accessed by all users,
rather than being sent to the e-mail account of individual
users as is the case with an Internet e-mail list.
81
****
E-mail lists versus Usenet News:
the information flow (table)
E-mail - based lists
Each message is sent
to the mailbox of each user
who requested a subscription
Usenet News
All the News is transmitted
only once
to each Usenet site / institute
82
****
E-mail lists versus Usenet News:
the information flow (scheme)
e-mail
Inbox Inbox Inbox
Program
to read
e-mail
Usenet
Usenet server computer
Program
to read
Usenet News
83
****
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)
***-Examples
Computer-network interest groups:
online searchable directories
• About e-mail groups on Yahoo! Groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/ [cited 2004]
• About e-mail groups that are based on listserv server
software: CataList:
http://www.lsoft.com/lists/listref.html [cited 2004]
• About both e-mail groups and Usenet newsgroups
http://tile.net/ [cited 2004]
84
85
***-
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Search
Searchfor
forgroups
groupson
on
for
forinstance
instance
contemporary
contemporaryceramic
ceramicart
art
creation,
creation,appreciation,
appreciation,teaching...
teaching...
86
***-
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Find
Findone
oneor
ormore
morenewsgroups
newsgroups
which
may
be
relevant
which may be relevantfor
foryou.
you.
87
***-
?? Question ??
Which
Whichadvantages
advantagesoffers
offersUsenet
UsenetNews
News
compared
with
compared with
e-mail
e-mail -based
basedinterest
interestgroups?
groups?
88
***-
Advantages of Usenet News,
compared with e-mail lists (Part 1)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• The hierarchical tree• E-mail interest groups live
structure of newsgroups is and die individually in
clear for the users.
anarchy, confusing their
users.
• Subscribing to a
newsgroup is easy.
• To subscribe, you must
know the name of the list
server computer and of the
procedure to subscribe.
89
***-
Advantages of Usenet News,
compared with e-mail lists (Part 2)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• Incoming messages wait to • Incoming messages from
be read in their respective
various groups arrive mixed
newsgroups.
in your e-mail in-box.
• Incoming messages do not
intrude into your personal
e-mail in-box.
• Incoming messages arrive
among more urgent and
personal messages in your
e-mail in-box.
90
***-
Advantages of Usenet News,
compared with e-mail lists (Part 3)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• The incoming messages do • The incoming messages
not cause overflow of your
may cause overflow of your
e-mail in-box.
e-mail in-box in many
systems.
• “Threading” of incoming
messages by your Usenet
client presents related
messages together to you.
• Grouping of related
incoming messages is not
well implemented
(e.g. by subject-sorting).
91
***-
Advantages of Usenet News,
compared with e-mail lists (Part 4)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• Unsubscribing is easy.
• To unsubscribe, you should
send an e-mail message
(from the same account that
you used to subscribe)
92
***-
?? Question ??
Which
Whichadvantages
advantagesoffer
offer
e-mail
based
interest
e-mail - based interestgroups
groups
compared
with
compared with
Usenet
UsenetNews?
News?
93
***-
Advantages of e-mail lists,
compared with Usenet News (Part 1)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• Normal, traditional usage
requires an additional
program, a “newsreader”.
• An e-mail client program
should be installed and
learned anyway.
• Many open, public
newsgroups can be
unavailable from your
server.
• You can subscribe to all
interesting, open groups.
94
***-
Advantages of e-mail lists,
compared with Usenet News (Part 2)
Usenet News
E-mail interest groups
• Messages can be missed
• All messages are received
when they are deleted from and are only deleted when
your News server before
you want this.
you read them.
95
**--
Computer-network interest groups:
managing messages off-line
Off-line = using only a microcomputer, NOT on-line linked
to the server, after downloading messages from the server
to read and manage those messages, using one of the
following types of programs
»a more general program, for instance, a program for text
editing /word processing
»an e-mail or Usenet News client program which can be
used on-line connected to the server, as well as off-line !
»(a dedicated off-line mail and / or News reading program)
96
*---
Computer-network interest groups:
programs to manage messages off-line
• Examples of programs dedicated to reading and managing
messages off-line:
»For e-mail
Readmail (for DOS)
»For Usenet News
UNOR = Usenet News Off-line Reader (for Windows)
• Problems: requires acquiring, installing, storing, and
learning additional programs
97
**--
E-mail lists equivalent
to Usenet newsgroups
• Some e-mail conferences are routed to a Usenet
newsgroup
(and vice-versa).
• Reactions / messages from the Usenet news readers are
then sent to the e-mail conference.
• Examples:
»Mail list CDROM-L = Newsgroup alt.cdrom
»Mail lists in BITNET = newsgroup hierarchy BIT.*
98
*---
Sending e-mail messages
to Usenet newsgroups
• If you send e-mail to
some-news-group@cs.utexas.edu
it will be gatewayed into some.news.group.
• Crossposting is supported by sending a single mail
message with the above style addresses listed on either the
To: or Cc: headers.
• This system carries the main seven Usenet hierarchies,
plus most of the useful alt groups. Newsgroups which are
not carried should generate a bounce message.
99
**--
Computer-network interest groups:
Frequently Asked Questions = FAQ
• Documents that list questions that are frequently asked in
a computer-network interest group
+ answers to these questions
are referred to as FAQs.
• These form a useful repository of information.
• Read the FAQ of the group, before posting to the group.
100
**--
Usenet News:
How to read the FAQ of a group?
• The FAQ is regularly posted as a message to the group.
• Most FAQs of Usenet News are periodically posted to the
newsgroup news.answers.
• The FAQ can be found in the archive of the group.
• The FAQ can be found on the Internet in the form of a
file, accessible through WWW or anonymous ftp.
101
**--
Interest groups on the WWW:
BoardReader to find messages
• Since 2002, a system is available to search and find with
one search action relevant, specific messages, even though
these are located/stored/hidden in some of the many
existing distributed WWW-based interest groups.
• Usage is free of charge.
• The search interface is available online through
http://www.boardreader.com/
• This retrieval system is a useful addition to the many
other existing retrieval systems to find specific
information sources.
102
**--
Interest groups on the WWW:
BoardReader to find messages
“ BoardReader was developed to address the shortcomings
of current search engine technology to accurately find
and display information contained on the Web's forums
and message boards.
Founded in May 2000 by engineers and students from the
University of Michigan, Boardreader uses proprietary
software that allows users to search multiple message
boards simultaneously, allowing users to share
information in a truly global sense.”
103
**--
Interest groups on the WWW:
BoardReader to find messages
“Boardreader is focused on creating the largest repository
of searchable information for our users. We also strive to
increase traffic and exposure for the individual forum
and message board.
By creating an interface that corresponds with multiple
boards simultaneously, users can find answers to their
questions from others who share similar interests. Our
goal is to allow our users to search the ‘human to human’
discussions that exist on the Internet.”
104
**--
!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!
Try
Tryto
tofind
findinteresting
interestingmessages
messagesand
andgroups
groups
using
Boardreader.
using Boardreader.
105
****
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
106
****
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.
"
107
****
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
108
*---
Interest groups in the networks:
their place in study programs
• In view of all the positive properties of computer-network
based interest groups, they deserve a place in most study
programs.
• Tested and suggested teaching and learning method:
»required skills: other applications of microcomputers
»short overview of the topic (by a teacher)
»demonstration (by a student guided by a teacher)
»hands-on practical exercises (guided by a teacher)
»individual case study, written report, discussion
109
***-
Future trends in computer-network
interest groups: software
• Movement from
»proprietary, closed systems of computer services,
»to e-mail based systems and Usenet,
»back to more closed systems based on the WWW
• Further development of programs
to read and manage messages.
• Integration of programs to read messages in other
network software like programs
for email and web browsing.
110
***-
Future trends in computer-network
interest groups: usage
• Increasing number of interest groups
• Increasing number of readers / users
111
***-
?? Question ??
Usenet
Usenetand
ande-mail
e-maillists
listson
onone
onehand,
hand,
and
andthe
theWWW
WWWon
onthe
theother
otherhand
hand
are
areboth
bothsystems
systems
totomake
makeinformation
informationaccessible
accessiblethrough
throughcomputer
computernetworks.
networks.
Which
Whichsystem
systemisisolder
olderthan
thanthe
theother?
other?
IsIsthis
thisdifference
differencein
inage
agereflected
reflectedin
inthe
thedifferences
differences
ininthe
basic
way
that
both
systems
the basic way that both systemswork?
work?
112
****
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