This paper provides an overview on the current state of art in the field of Distance learning for mobile users. It mentions a large range of technologies, services and approaches that may be used to bring distance learning to mobile internet users. These technologies are supposed to considerably increase innovative e-learning solutions for the…

The EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force consulted with IT security professionals on campus about concerns with the current state of security in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. From these conversations, it was clear that security issues generally fell into one of two areas: (1) It has become extremely difficult…

Discusses network denial-of-service attacks which have become a security threat to the Internet community and suggests the need for reliable authentication protocols in client-server applications. Presents a public-key based authentication and key establishment protocol coupled with a client puzzle protocol and validates it through formal logic…

Discussion of the Internet 2 Initiative, which is based on collaboration among universities, businesses, and government, focuses on the Access Grid, a Computational Grid that includes interactive multimedia within high-speed networks to provide resources to enable remote collaboration among the research community. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of a task-based framework for providing learning within the workplace using networked multimedia. Builds on the recognition that tasks must reflect the social process of learning as considered by Vygotsky and takes into account the role of dialogue in the building of knowledge for an individual and for a group.…

Discusses six factors to consider when getting onto a computer network: (1) evaluate each situation; (2) contact each network; (3) develop a financial plan; (4) investigate the school's phone system; (5) get other advisers' opinions; and (6) plan how the network will be used. (MS)

Provides information on commercial connections to the Internet via gateways as opposed to direct connection or through a modem. Hardware and software requirements are described; and commercial online services offering an Internet gateway are discussed, including America Online, CompuServe, Delphi, GEnie, and Prodigy. (LRW)

Discussion of Internet Gopher databases highlights the Gopher developed for AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology). Highlights include access information; guide to the AECT Gopher; access statistics, including international contacts; and future plans. (LRW)

Loss of funding for NSFNet and the likelihood of deregulation may lead to endusers paying for operation of the national telecommunications infrastructure and decreased levels of service. Sources for additional funding include increased fees to information providers/third-party access resellers; increased fees to user institutions; and grant or…

Presents the second and final part of a selected glossary of terms commonly used in discussions relating to the Internet and the National Research and Education Network (NREN). Highlights include various network names; organizations; acronyms; user interfaces; network research testbeds; various protocols; remote login; and Wide Area Information…

Reviews four key Internet sites that offer environmental health research data, grant programs, environmental education resources, networking, and other environmental information. Provides addresses and brief descriptions of the resources. Discusses methods for making queries. (LZ)

Identifies key network indicators that enable the provider of telecommunications service to track and monitor daily network performance and its impact on network users. Network response time, including host- and device-based conditions, circuit and hardware conditions, and CRC (cyclic redundancy check)/link errors; indicator measurements and…

Advantages of using online systems are described, and specific techniques for successfully transmitting computer text files are described. Topics covered include Microsoft's Rich TextFile, WordPerfect encoding, text compression, and especially encoding and decoding with UNIX programs. (LB)

Discusses error messages in computing support services as an example of the opportunities technical communicators have to help establish reasonable expectations with users. (SR)

This discussion of computer viruses explains how these viruses may be transmitted, describes their effects on data and/or computer application programs, and identifies three groups that propagate them. Ten major viruses are listed and described, and measures to deal with them are discussed. Nineteen antiviral programs are also listed and…