Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Bitnet,FTP,TCPIP
Message-ID: <125286@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 26 Sep 89 09:56:34 GMT
References: <8909260648.AA04504@jade.berkeley.edu>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 45

Concerning BITNET and FTP and anonymous FTP etc.

Networks are funny things and WorldNet is funniest of all. WorldNet,
what a lot of people think of when they say "The Net" is a collection
of dissimilar networks joined by *Mail* gateways. Withing segments 
of the net, such as The Internet, additional services such as FTP,
remote logins, spacewars, what have you, may be available. There are
two big "chunks" of WorldNet in the USA called "The Internet" and 
"Usenet." All computers that are part of "The Internet" run TCP/IP
software and are connected to each other via NSFnet/Milnet/Arpanet.
Most of those machines are either made by DEC (Vaxen) or Sun. TCP/IP
software includes facilities for remote execution, process to process
communication, and Mail. All of the computers that are connected to 
"Usenet" are running the UUCP software. (and most often some form of
"news" software.) The UUCP software provides facilities for limited
remote execution, and Mail. UUCP software runs on most anything these
days (except CP/M-80). "BITNET" is a collection of IBM machines with
facilities for some remote execution and Mail. 

Some machines, such as the Mail machine at Sun or UUnet, are on two 
networks "The Internet" and "Usenet". And they forward mail but not 
remote execution or any other services from one side to the other. Thus,
mail can be sent from a Usenet host to an Internet host by simply
informing the mail program how to get from here to there. 

Some machines such as cunyvm are on BITNET and "The Internet." and forward
mail from one to the other. 

When "anonymous FTP" is mentioned in this newsgroup it refers to machines
that are on the Internet. When references are made to "LIST-SERVERS" those
machines are usually on BITNET, and when references are made to 
"archive servers" they can be on any net with the right software. (File
transfer is accomplished using a protocol layered on top of the protocol
of "mail"). 

Hope that clears up some of the confusion. Remember, you have to have
both the write protocol software *and* be on the right network segment to 
use something like FTP. To send Mail you generally just have to figure
out an address that will explain to your mailer where you want it to
go.

--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"If I were driving a Macintosh, I'd have to stop before I could turn the wheel."