Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site im4u.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!im4u!jsq From: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) Newsgroups: net.mail Subject: Re: Understanding mail addresses? Message-ID: <604@im4u.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 13:24:40 EST Article-I.D.: im4u.604 Posted: Tue Oct 29 13:24:40 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 01:18:59 EST References: <639@ecsvax.UUCP> Reply-To: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 49 In article <639@ecsvax.UUCP> hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) writes: >I've seen a rash of multipart addresses recently, with the parts >separated by ".", and usually ending in EDU, e.g. >jsq@IM42.UTEXAS.EDU >userid@uiucuxa.CSU.UIUC.EDU >The first also said something about The ARPA INTERNET, while the >second appeared to be on usenet. >From left to right (after the "@") the format seems to be something >like cpu.department.university.EDU >A brief explanation of this format would be appreciated. Also, what >is EDU? >--henry schaffer n c state univ Presumably part of what you are referring to is my signature (see below). First of all, it's not IM42, it's IM4U. IM4U is an alien robot butler. Think of that and say IM4U out loud a few times and it will be obvious.... Someone else has explained in a followup about the top level domains EDU, COM, ORG, GOV, etc., which are replacing the old single top level domain ARPA in the ARPA Internet. (Perhaps it is time to post RFC883, which is the detailed explanation of domains, to net.sources again.) Doubtless many people are still in the dark as to what the ARPA Internet is, though. The ARPANET was the original long-haul packet switching network, and it started in 1969. ARPA is an acronym for the Advanced Research Projects Agency, now more accurately known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an arm of the Department of Defense of the U.S. Government. This is the agency which has been largely responsible for funding much research in many major areas of computer science in the States. The ARPANET, for instance, was the proof of concept for packet switching networks and a testbed for protocol development. In 1983, the ARPANET split into two parts, ARPANET (research) and MILNET (military). Both these networks run the TCP/IP protocol suite, as do some hundreds of others (Ethernets, token rings, and broadbands at universties, companies, and government agencies, long-haul satellite nets, packet radio nets) which are connected to them. Because of the nature of addressing, the whole collection of networks looks like one big network to the user. The whole thing is called the ARPA Internet. End of history lesson. John Quarterman, UUCP: {ihnp4,seismo,harvard,gatech}!ut-sally!jsq ARPA Internet and CSNET: jsq@sally.UTEXAS.EDU, formerly jsq@ut-sally.ARPA -- John Quarterman, UUCP: {ihnp4,seismo,harvard,gatech}!ut-sally!jsq ARPA Internet and CSNET: jsq@sally.UTEXAS.EDU, formerly jsq@ut-sally.ARPA