From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!uwvax!solomon Newsgroups: net.news,net.mail Title: Re: The USENET corporation, a whole new way to run usenet Article-I.D.: crystal.149 Posted: Thu Dec 30 09:18:57 1982 Received: Sat Jan 1 02:38:08 1983 References: watmath.4138 Your idea of a USENET corporation is excellent. In fact, it's so good, it already exists! It's called CSNET. In fact, CSNET is more like a uucp corporation plus more. One component of CSNET is PhoneNet, which is very much like uucp except that all connections are made to/from one of two PhoneNet relays--one at the University of Deleware, and one at the Rand corporation in Santa Monica, CA. Another component is ARPANET. Mail is relayed between ARPANET and the rest of CSNET with the full consent and cooperation of ARPA. A third component is development of software to allow host to host connection over Telenet. Prototype implementations are now in service between the University of Wisconsin, Purdue University and the University of Deleware. When this software is released sites that are willing to pay the cost of connecting to Telenet will have all the services of PhoneNet and more: A high-bandwidth real-time connection to any other CSNET/Telenet site that can be used for file transfer and for remote login. CSNET is developing this software for VAX UNIX systems. A related project funded by IBM is developing similar software for 4300 VM systems. A fourth component of CSNET is the Name Server. This is a directory of users maintained at Wisconsin. Users of CSNET member hosts can register themselves in this directory and edit their own entries to include descriptive information (such as USNAIL address, phone number, and descriptive keywords). Anyone who can communicate with the CSNET Service Host (including all CSNET members) can send queries containing lists of keywords to the Service Host and get back copies of the entries that match. Additional software currently being developed will allow you to send mail using such keyword queries. For example, CSNET members will be able to send mail to "Marvin Solomon" and let the system figure out how to get it to me. An organization called the CSNET Coordination and Information Center (CIC) with administrative, technical, and clerical staff has been established at BBN in Cambridge, MA. The CIC oversees day-to-day operations of CSNET. What about netnews? Obviously a mail network like this is capable of supporting netnews on top of it without any special arrangements. Bstempleton points out improvements in service that would be possible with the more centralized organization of CSNET. Right now, the organizers of CSNET are more concerned with setting up the basic services outlined above, but added services, such as discussion groups and mailing lists are foreseen. All your suggestions about how to proceed are very much appreciated. For more information about CSNET, send mail to The CSNET Coordination and Information Center Bolt, Beranek, and Newman 10 Moulton St. Cambridge MA 02238 CIC@CSNET-SH ...!ucbvax!uwvax!cic ...!seismo!uwvax!cic (617) 497-2777 That phone number is a 24-hour hotline. Marvin Solomon solomon@uwisc uwvax!solomon