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…

Discussion of networked information retrieval and the interoperability of heterogeneous information-retrieval systems shows how differences concerning search operators and database schemas can be handled by applying data-abstraction concepts in combination with uncertain inference. Highlights include data types, data independence, schema…

Discusses how the Internet can be used to support learning and teaching and the motivation behind its adoption. Presents an analysis of feedback gained from 45 honors undergraduates' experiences using network technology. Outlines issues raised, including the need for culture change. (Author/JOW)

Discusses how colleges are struggling with an increasing number of attacks on their computer systems; as attacks increase, they face tough, expensive challenges in keeping intruders out. (EV)

The number of companies offering computer, soft skills, and management training has exploded in the last decade. The Internet has fragmented the training marketing, creating ne niches and reducing barriers to access. (JOW)

Networked computers and collaborative learning can best serve as catalysts for rethinking designs of new distributed learning situations and better quality of education. The long tradition of Soviet and Soviet-inspired psychology provides insights for theories explaining distributed and computer-mediated collaborative learning. (JOW)

Examines the need for power reliability when educational facilities incorporate communications infrastructures. Telecommunications equipment placement and environmental conditions are addressed, as are the integrating of cable trays and conduit systems, developing surge-suppression, and building grounding systems. (GR)

Discusses the need for a clear understanding of electronic networks for the effective use of online and Internet resources; describes some of the obstacles to effective learning inherent in these systems and in the conceptual tools users bring to their understanding; and considers metaphorical explanations and possible applications to Internet…