[778] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
What's going on here?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fun Fun Cheng)
Tue Jul 21 09:17:24 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 08:12:05 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
From: Fun Fun Cheng <ffcheng@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I agree with Brendan Kehoe's assessment that having a published version of
Zen will attract more people to the Internet. If I had known Zen existed
at all, I would have started using Internet sooner. Instead, I waited until
I had time to play around, figure it out, etc. I've been going at it for
about a month and a half (decided to plunge in without a guide). Finally
found out a guide called Zen was out there in electronic form. Didn't do
me much good though since I had no clue as to what was anonymous ftp, not
to mention how to use it. I guess I'm proof that knowing something is
available free in electronic form isn't going to help much if you don't
know how to access it. (Not to mention if you don't own or have access to
a computer, modem, and printer.) Meanwhile, I found out my university's
computer center has a hard copy of Zen. Guess where I'm headed next.
I'd also like to comment on David Tyckoson's view that having PACS-L Review
in print will undermine the electronic nature of the journal, and that it
does not need to be in print form "to authenticate its status as aleading journa
audience, not just the people who own computers. Furthermore, isn't the
whole point of having the journal to distribute information to people who can
use it? What's all this about status? I'm sure that libraries that can
get the journal in electronic form will do so. But those that can't should
not be penalized.
