                    Accessing The Internet By E-Mail
                     A Special "Doctor Bob" Report
                Copyright (c) 1994, "Doctor Bob" Rankin
 All rights reserved. Permission is granted to repost this document in
                   complete and unaltered form only.

HOW TO ACCESS INTERNET SERVICES BY E-MAIL
    If your only access to the Internet is via e-mail, you don't have to
miss out on all the fun! Maybe you've heard of FTP, Gopher, Archie,
Veronica, and WAIS, but thought they were out of your reach because your
online service does not provide those tools. Not so! And even if you do
have full Internet access, using E-mail servers can save you time and
money.
    This special report will show you how to retrieve files from FTP
sites, explore the Internet via Gopher, search for information with
Archie or Veronica and query hundreds of WAIS databases using E-MAIL AS
YOUR ONLY TOOL.
    If you can send a note to an Internet address, you're in the game!
This is great news for users of popular online services such as
CompuServe, Prodigy and America Online where there is partial or no
direct Internet access.
    I encourage you to read this entire report first and then go back
and try out the techniques that are covered. This way, you will gain a
broader perspective of the information resources that are available, an
introduction to the tools you can work with, and the best methods for
finding the information you want.

A SHORT ASIDE... "WHAT IS THE INTERNET?"

    Many introductory texts on the Internet go into excruciating detail
on the history, composition and protocol of the Internet. If you were
looking for that you won't find it here, because this is a "how to"
lesson, not a history book.
    When you buy a new car, they don't make you read "The Life and Times
of Henry Ford" before you can turn the top down & squeal off the lot.
And when you get a new computer, nobody forces you to read a text on
logic design before you fire up Leisure Suit Larry or WordPerfect.
    So if you're the type that wants to short-circuit the preliminaries
and just dig in, you've come to the right place. I'm not going to bore
you with the gory details. Instead, I'll just offer up my Reader's
Digest condensed definition of the Internet, and encourage you to read
more about the Internet in one of the many fine Internet books & guides
listed in the Appendix. Some of them are even free, and accessible
directly from the Internet!
    Internet (noun)  - A sprawling collection of computer networks that
spans the globe, connecting government, military, educational &
commercial institutions, as well as private citizens to a wide range of
computer services, resources, and information. A set of network
conventions and common tools are employed to give the appearance of a
single large network, even though the computers that are linked together
use many different hardware and software platforms.

FTP BY E-MAIL
    FTP stands for "file transfer protocol", and is a means of accessing
files that are stored on remote computer systems. Files are stored in a
hierarchical "tree" of directories, each of which pertains to a
different subject. Using FTP by e-mail can be nice even for those with
full Internet access, because some FTP servers are heavily loaded and
interactive response can be very sluggish. So it makes sense not to
waste time and connect charges in these cases.
    To access FTP by e-mail, you first need a list of FTP "sites" which
are the addresses of the remote computer systems that allow you to
retrieve files anonymously (with having a userid and password on that
system). To get this list, send an e-mail note to:
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu

without a subject and include these lines in the body of the note.

        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part1
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part2
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part3
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part4
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part5
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part6
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part7
        send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/sitelist/part8

    You will then receive (by e-mail) 8 files which comprise the "FTP
Site List". Print them out or store them in a place where you can
reference the list handily. Another file you might want to retrieve is
"FTP Frequently Asked Questions", so add this line to your note as well.
This file contains lots more info on using FTP services.

           send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/faq

    If you find an interesting FTP site in the list, send e-mail to one
of these addresses (in order of preference):

              bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
              ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu
              ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com

   And in the body of the note, include these lines:

               open <name of site>
               dir
               quit

    This will return to you a list of the files stored in the root
directory at that site. In your next mail message you can navigate to
other directories by inserting (for example)

                   cd pub

    before the dir command. ("pub" is a common directory name, and
usually a good place to start.) Once you determine the name of a file
you want to retrieve, use

                get <name of file>

    in your note instead of the dir command. If the file you want to
retrieve is plain text, this will suffice. If it's a binary file (a
program, etc.) you'll need to insert the binary command in your note
before the get command.
    So to summarize, here's the e-mail message you would send to the
address "bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu" in order to retrieve the text of The
Declaration of Independence from a remote FTP site:

                open ftp.eff.org
                cd pub/CAF/civics
                get dec_of_ind
                quit

   Some other interesting FTP sites you may want to "visit" are listed below:

ocf.berkeley.edu	try: pub/Library for documents, bible, lyrics, etc.
rtfm.mit.edu		try: pub/usenet/news.answers for USENET FAQs & archives
oak.oakland.edu	try: pub/msdos for a huge DOS software library
ftp.sura.net		try: pub/nic for Internet how-to documents
quartz.rutgers.edu 	try: pub/humor for lots of humor files

    You should note that FTP mail servers tend to be quite busy so your
reply may not arrive for several minutes, hours, or days, depending on
when and where you send your request. Also, some large files may be
split into smaller pieces and returned to you as multiple messages.
    If the file that is returned to you ends up looking something like what
you see below, (the word "begin" with a number and the filename on one
line, followed by a bunch of 61-character lines) it has been uuencoded
by the sender. You'll need to scrounge up a version of the uudecode
program for your operating system (UNIX, DOS, OS/2, VM, etc.) in order
to unscramble the file. Most likely you'll find a copy in your service
provider's download library.

     begin 001 sample.zip
     M4$L#!`H`!#`&`/6H?18<$-Z$F#P```#?```,````5$5,25@S,34N5%A480I[
     M!P8;!KL,2P,)!PL)"PD'%#<(!#4&!P8%-#<6%PL*!#@*"P4&%00&%P4*"`4&
     M%08*)08(!Q#*!PH("P<+!"4$)00*!@0%%`4)-`<&%PD:*_S\_/O[^PP++`LL

	Another point to consider... If your online service charges you to store e-mail files that are sent to you and you plan to receive some large files via FTP, it would be wise to handle your "inbasket" expeditiously to avoid storage costs!

ARCHIE BY E-MAIL
    Let's say you know the name of a file, but you have no idea at which
what FTP site it might be lurking. Or maybe you're curious to know if a
file matching a certain naming criteria is available via FTP. Archie is
the tool you can use to find out!
    Archie servers can be thought of as a database of all the anonymous
FTP sites in the world, allowing you to find the site and/or name of a
file to be retrieved. And using Archie by e-mail can be convenient
because some Archie searches take a while to complete, leaving you to
tap your toes in the meantime.
    To use Archie by e-mail, simply send an e-mail message to one of the
following addresses:

              archie@archie.unl.edu
              archie@archie.rutgers.edu
              archie@archie.internic.net
              archie@archie.sura.net

	To obtain detailed help for using Archie by mail, put the word

                   help

    in the subject of the note and just send it off. You'll receive
e-mail explaining how to use archie services.

    If you're the "just do it" type, then leave the subject blank and
enter

                 find foo.bar

    where "foo.bar" is the name of the file to search for, in the body
(not the subject) of the note.
    This will search for files that match your criteria exactly. If you
want to find files that contain your search criteria anywhere in their
name, insert the line set search sub   before the "find" command. Some
other useful archie commands you might want to use are:

 	set maxhits 20      		limit amount of output , default 100 files
	set match_domain usa   	(restrict output to FTP sites in USA)
	set output_format terse 	(return output in condensed form)

    When you get the results from your Archie query, it will contain the
names of various sites at which the desired file is located. Use one of
these site names and the exact filename listed for your next FTP file
retrieval request.
                
Gopher By E-Mail
    Gopher is an excellent tool for exploring the Internet and is the
best way to find a resource if you know what you want, but not where to
find it. A gopher system is menu-based, and provides a user-friendly
"front-end" to Internet resources, searches and information retrieval.
    Without a tool like Gopher, you'd have to wander aimlessly through
the Internet jungles and swamps to find the treasures you seek. Gopher
"knows where things are" and guides you to the good stuff.
    Gopher takes the rough edges off of the Internet by automating
remote logins, hiding the sometimes-cryptic command sequences, and
offers powerful search capabilities in as well. And of course you can
use Gopher by e-mail!
    Although not every item on every menu will be accessible by "gopher
mail", you'll still find plenty of interesting things using this
technique. Down to brass tacks... let's send e-mail to one of these
addresses: gopher@earn.net  or  gophermail@calvin.edu
    Leave the subject blank, enter help in the body of the note, and let
it rip. You'll soon receive by e-mail the text of the main menu at the
gopher site you selected. To proceed to one of the selections on the
menu just e-mail the whole text of the note (from the menu downwards)
back to the gopher server, placing an "x" next to the items(s) you want
to explore. You'll then receive the next level of the gopher menu by
e-mail. Some menu choices lead to other menus, some lead to text files,
and some lead to arch facilities. To perform a search, select that menu
item with an "x" and supply your search words in the Subject: of your
next reply. Note that your search criteria can be a single word or a
boolean expression such as:

          document and (historical or government)

    Each of the results (the "hits") of your search will be displayed as
an entry on yet another gopher menu!
    Just remember, you must return the entire gopher menu and all the
routing info that follows it each time you reply to the gopher-mail
server, marking your selection(s) with an "x", and specifying search
words (if appropriate) in the Subject of the e-mail message.

VERONICA BY E-MAIL
    Speaking of searches, this is a good time to mention Veronica. Just
like Archie provides a searchable index of FTP sites, Veronica provides
this function for "gopherspace". Veronica will ask you what you want to
look for (your search words) and then display another menu listing all
the gopher menu items that match your search. In typical gopher fashion,
you can then select one of these items and "go-pher it"!
    To try Veronica by e-mail, retrieve the main menu from
gopher@earn.net using the method just described. Then try the choice
labelled "Other Gopher and Information Servers". This menu will have an
entry for Veronica.
    You'll have to select one (or more) Veronica servers to handle your
query,  specifying the search words in the Subject of your reply. Here's
another example of where using e-mail servers can save time and money.
Often the Veronica servers are very busy and tell you to "try again
later". So select 2 or 3 servers, and chances are one of them will be
able to handle your request the first time around.

WAIS Searches By E-Mail
    WAIS stands for Wide Area Information Service, and is a means of
searching a set of over 500 indexed databases. The range of topics is
too broad to mention, and besides, you'll soon learn how to get the
topic list for yourself!
    To try WAIS by e-mail, retrieve the main menu from gopher@earn.net
using the method just described. Then try the choice labelled "Other
Gopher and Information Servers". This menu will have an entry for "WAIS
Based Information".
    There are several paths to follow from here. You might choose one of:

	List of all WAIS databases
	WAIS databases sorted by letter
	WAIS databases sorted by Subject

    A good path for beginners would be the last entry, followed up by
"Subject Tree". After 1 or 2 more levels you'll select the database you
want to search, specifying the search words as before in the Subject of
your reply.

    Note: The path to some resources, files or databases can be a bit
tedious, requiring several e-mail messages to the gopher-mail server.
But here's the good news... If you've done it once, you can re-use any
of the e-mail messages previously sent in, changing it to suit your
current needs. (This applies to all gopher-mail services.)

USENET BY E-MAIL
    Usenet is a collection of over 5000 discussion groups on every topic
imaginable. In order to get a proper start and avoid embarrasing
yourself needlessly, you must read the Usenet new users intro document,
which can be obtained  by sending an e-mail note to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu without a subject and including this line in
the body of the note:

         send usenet/news.answers/news-newusers-intro

    Once you've handled the preliminaries, you'll need to know to read
and contribute to Usenet newsgroups by e-mail. To read a newsgroup, you
will use the gophermail service discussed earlier in this guide.
    Send the following file by e-mail to gophermail@Calvin.EDU (or
another GopherMail Server) to obtain a list of recent postings to a
particular newsgroup. (You must replace "<groupname>" below with the
name of the Usenet  newsgroup  you  wish  to  access.  eg:  alt.answers,
biz.comp.services, news.newusers.questions, etc.)

   ---start here---
     x 1. <groupname>/

    You may edit the following two numbers to set the maximum sizes
after which GopherMail should send output as multiple email messages:

    Split=27K bytes/message <- For text, bin, HQX messages (0 = No split)
    Menu=100 items/message <- For menus and query responses (0 = No split)

   #
   Name=<groupname>
   Numb=1
   Type=1
   Port=4320
   Path=news group <groupname>
   Host=saturn.wwc.edu
   ---end here---

    The gophermail server will mail you a typical gopher menu on which
you may select the individual postings you wish to read. If you decide
to make a post of your own, mail the text you wish to post to:

           newsgroup.name.usenet@decwrl.dec.com

or example, to post to news.newusers.questions, you would send your
message to news.newusers.questions.usenet@decwrl.dec.com. Be sure to
include an appropriate Subject: line, and to include your real name and
e-mail address at the close of your note.

A FEW NET-GOODIES
    There are some other interesting things you can do by e-mail. Some
of them are accessible only by e-mail!

FINGER BY E-MAIL

    "Finger" is a utility that returns information about another user.
Usually it's just boring stuff like last logon, etc., but sometimes
people put fun or useful information in their finger replies. To try out
finger, send e-mail with

  Subject: FINGER jtchern@headcrash.berkeley.edu.
  To: infobot@infomania.com

    You'll receive some current sports standings! (The general form is
FINGER user@site.)

WEBSTER BY E-MAIL
    Don't have your dictionary handy? Send e-mail to
infobot@infomania.com again, but this time make the subject WEBSTER TEST
and you'll get a definition of the word "test" in reply.

ALMANAC, WEATHER & THE SWEDISH CHEF
    Infomania offers a bunch of other services by e-mail! Almanac (daily
updates), Weather, CD Music Catalog, etc. Send e-mail to
infobot@infomania.com with subject HELP for full details.

CONGRESS email
    Find out if your congressman has an electronic address! Just send
mail to the address congress@hr.house.gov and you'll get a listing of
congressional e-mail addresses.

MAILING LISTS
    There are literally thousands of discussion groups that stay in
touch using e-mail based  systems known as  "mailing lists". People
interested in a topic "subscribe" to a "list" and then send & receive
postings by e-mail. For a good introduction to this topic, send mail to
listserv@vm1.nodak.edu with GET NEW-LIST WOUTERS as the first line.

USENET Searches
    A new service at Stanford University makes it possible to search
USENET newsgroups for postings that contain keywords of interest to you.
You can even "subscribe" and receive a daily list of newsgroups posting
that  match  your  search  criteria.  Send  mail  to
netnews@db.stanford.edu with no subject and help in the body of note for
full details.

MOVIE Info
    To learn how to get tons of info on movies, actors, directors, etc.
send mail to movie@ibmpcug.co.uk with no subject and help in the body of
note for full details.

STOCK MARKET
    Send  e-mail   with  subject  Stock   Market  Quotes  to
martin.wong@eng.sun.com and you'll receive a stock market report.
(updated daily)

SUGGESTED READING
    There are lots of good books and guides to help you get started on
the Internet, and here are some that I recommend. The first three are
free via anonymous FTP, and the others can be found in most bookstores
that carry computer-related books.

   "Zen and the Art of the Internet", by Brendan Kehoe
       Via ftp site: ftp.cs.widener.edu; directory: pub/zen

   "There's Gold in them thar Networks", by Jerry Martin
       Via ftp site: nic.ddn.mil; directory: rfc; filename: rfc1402.txt

   "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet", by Ed Krol
       Via ftp site: nic.ddn.mil; directory: rfc; filename: rfc1118.txt

   "The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog", by Ed Krol
      ISBN: 1-56592-063-5
       Price $24.95

   "The Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet", by Adam Gaffin
       Publisher: MIT Press
       ISBN: 0-262-57105-6
       Price: $14.95

   "The Internet for Dummies", by John Levine & Carol Baroudi
       Publisher: IDG Books
       ISBN: 1-56884-024-1
       Price: $19.95

CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
    "Doctor Bob", also known as Bob Rankin, welcomes your feedback on
this guide & can be reached at the following addresses. Send
corrections, ideas, suggestions and comments by e-mail. I'll try to
include any new e-mail services in future editions of this guide.

    Delphi:         BobRankin@Delphi.com
	AmericaOnline: 	BobRankin@AOL.com
	US Mail:		Doctor Bob / PO Box 39 / Tillson, NY / 12486

"100 COOL THINGS TO DO ON THE INTERNET!"
Doctor Bob's Internet Tour Guide
Over 100 places you *must* visit in cyberspace
    There's a goldmine of information, software and services out there
    just waiting to be discovered! It can be yours, but it ain't easy...
    That's why you MUST have this informative report which gives you the
    lowdown on:

	* Online databases     	* Electronic Library Catalogs
	* Shopping in Cyberspace  	* Job Postings
	* Vast software libraries  	* ALL FREE!

    You'll learn the basics of TELNETing, FTPing and GOPHERing to the
    information you want, with specific instructions and the "secret
    keys" you need to unlock all the doors on the way! This information
    could save you money, hours of valuable time, or lead you to a new
    career. And best of all, THIS 12-PAGE REPORT COSTS ONLY $5.00 !!! To
    get your printed copy of "100 COOL THINGS TO DO ON THE INTERNET!"
    send just $5 (cash, check or money order) plus a self-addressed,
    stamped envelope to:

   --> DOCTOR BOB
   --> PO BOX 39, DEPT NL3
   --> TILLSON, NY 12486 (USA)
