The Internet and the IIAS

In IIASN-4 I wrote a general introduction to Internet and all its wonders. This time I want to tell you about how Internet has effected the IIAS (part one) and give you an introductory directory of interesting URLs for Asian Studies. Uniform Resource Locators are the addresses of sites on the Internet where information can be found and accessed. (Part two)

By Annelies de Deugd

In January of this year it was decided that the IIAS should have its own computer server. To put it simply, this is a powerful computer with a huge memory capacity. First, the machine can be used to create a local network at the Institute for internal exchange of information and access to computer applications and the database on Asian Studies in Europe that the IIAS is compiling. The work on this database will be considerably easier by using a network since several people can work at the database simultaneously. Secondly, as part of the information providing side of the Institute the server also offers the means to operate a World Wide Web (www) site and make the database accessible for consultation from outside the IIAS.
A web server or site is a local collection of hypertext documents which can be accessed from outside. The (World Wide) Web, with a capital, is the name for all hypertext publicly available on computer servers worldwide connected through Internet. Now you might wonder what hypertext is. Hypertext is a concept that involves using a computer's storage and searching capacity to link documents together: texts linked across a potentially unlimited number of information sources. One link takes the user to another document that can contain links to other documents and so forth. These documents can be anywhere in the world on hypertext capable servers. Hypertext is the basis of WWW.
How does one create hypertext documents? For this you need to use Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML is a coding mechanism used to author web pages. It works with codes like the codes in word processing for showing text features like hard returns, paragraphs etc. HTML is not as comprehensive as word processing but more and more features are becoming available. However, this is not the only thing HTML can do. You can insert codes to show image files, to play audio files and even video images, as well as links to other documents locally and worldwide or to places within the same document. It is also possible to create form files so people can interact and fill in order forms or send comments by e-mail. Another advantage is that the user can download the information on his or her computer. We are now talking about hypermedia: hypertext with incorporated multimedia. CD-ROMs are multimedia and there are similarities between WWW and CD-ROMs but CD-ROMs are static where as www sites are not. Once a CD-ROM is made, it stays the same whereas WWW sites can easily be changed and updated.
However, how and what the user gets to see depends on the WWW browser he/she is using, the settings he/she has chosen in those browsers, and additional viewers and soundcards installed. A document made up in HTML could have all the latest facilities but if your computer cannot handle them, you will not see them. The most used browsers at the moment are Netscape and NCSA's Mosaic for Windows for DOS, and MacWeb for Apple Macintosh. WWW as a means of providing information is a growing area. It is rapidly becoming extremely popular. What started as a new toy for a select few is becoming a serious tool in the world of information technology.


The IIAS WWW server

The IIAS web server will provide the Institute with another face to the outside world. It contains general information about the Institute and its staff and fellows, the electronic version of the Newsletter issues, information about conferences and seminars, vacancies, and gives access to the database on Asian Studies in Europe. You can find us on the Web using the following URL:

http://www.iias.nl


Next I want to present you with an introductory directory of sites concerning Asian Studies on the Web. This directory does not pretend to be complete. The Internet is a changing environment. Therefore do not get upset if a site mentioned here has changed or disappeared. There are several kinds of information to be found on the Internet: 1. newsgroups, 2. mailing lists, 3. WWW sites, 4. gopher sites, FTP sites, and telnet sites. For the moment I have only looked at newsgroups, mailing lists and WWW sites. These are the most freely accessible kinds of information on the Internet. However, through links in WWW sites many gopher and FTP sites are available as well.


These are documents where you can find answers to almost anything. Although not a category like newsgroups or www sites, FAQs are worth mentioning because they are a good source for quick information about many different subjects. For most Newsgroups, mailing lists and www sites FAQ files exists. A few examples: 

http://gn.sdsc.edu:70/1/SDSC/Geninfo/Internet/internet
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/


Newsgroups are discussion groups that come from USENET, a system for disseminating a synchronous text discussion among cooperating computer hosts. It is part of the Internet but it is still an independent system that can be used on all networks that can exchange electronic mail. Not everyone connected to the Internet has access to USENET. You need an Internet host that carries Net News and a News reader program installed on your computer to read and join the newsgroups. A good News program lets you see and read all the groups without having to subscribe to them. The ones you do subscribe to, it manages for you, keeps track of what you have read, and lets you answer to articles sent to the groups. There are seven official categories of USENET Newsgroups: 

comp      Newsgroups dealing with computer-related topics. (software, hardware, freeware 
          and shareware applications etc.)
misc      Not easily classified under one heading.
news      Discussions related to Net News distribution and software.
rec       Groups discussing recreational activities; arts, sports etc.
sci       Discussions related to topics in the sciences.
soc       Discussion groups for social issues.
talk      Groups providing an opportunity for open-ended debate.

In addition some alternative categories developed: 

alt       A collection of "alternative" Newsgroups. Voluntarily distributed, not supported by
          USENET.
bit       Newsgroups redistributing discussions from popular Bitnet Listserv mailing lists.


Newsgroups are not academic discussions. Their quality can be a lot lower. Nonetheless they are certainly worth looking at and can be very entertaining and informative as well. On how to subscribe you must check your News program. The WWW browser Netscape has a facility to read Newsgroups as well but you will have to know the name of the Newsgroup and then subscribe to it. Here is an example of how a News program ran under Windows looks like:



For a list of asia-related newsgroups, click on Below are several lists you cannot subscribe to using the LISTSERV@LISTSERV.NET address. This time you will have to use the address given behind the name of the mailing list. To subscribe, send an e-mail with the following command in the text (not the subject) of your message:

SUBSCRIBE listname 'yourownname'

Replace 'listname' with the name of the list and replace 'yourownname' with your own name. 
ANIME-L        LISTSERV@VTVM1.BITNET
               Japanese Animation
               
BIOVEST        BIOVEST@SIVM.BITNET
               Environmental Investment Priorities in Asia

CCNET-L        LISTSERV@UGA.BITNET
               Chinese computing network
               
CENASIA        CENASIA@MCGILL1.BITNET
               Former Soviet Republic- Central Asia Political Discussion list

CHINA-T        CHINA-T@UMINN1.BITNET
               Teachers of Chinese Languages

EASIANTH       EASIANTH@TEMPLEVM.BITNET
               East Asia Anthropologists' discussion

EASTASIA       LISTSERV@UNIVSCVM.BITNET
               Japan, China, North- and South-Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong

EFJ            MAJORDOMO@LISTS.TWICS.COM
               Communications infrastructure, science and technology policies, and
               media's role in Japan

JMCB-A         MAJORDOMO@IIJNET.OR.JP
               Japan Academic MCB Discussion group
               
JMCB-L         MAJORDOMO@IIJNET.OR.JP
               Japan librarians MCB Discussion Group
               
JMR-MCB        MAJORDOMO@IIJNET.OR.JP
               Japan Management Discussion group

JPOP           MAJORDOMO@TCP.COM
               Japanese pop and rock music
               
JTEM-L         LISTSERV@UGA.BITNET
               Japanese through Electronic Media
               
JTIT-L         LISTSERV@PSUVM.BITNET
               Japanese Teachers and Instructional Technology
               
KANSAI-NET     VINZ@PCLSP2.KUICR.KYOTO-U.AC.JP
               Discussion and information related to Kansai
               
KIDCAFEJ       LISTSERV@NDSUVM1.BITNET
               Japanese Youth Dialog
               
SEASIA-L       LISTSERV@MSU.EDU
               Southeast Asia Studies list I

SEANET-L       LISTSERV@NUSVM.NUS.SG
               Southeast Asia Studies list II
     
TAIWAN-L       TAIWAN-L@VTVM1.BITNET
               Taiwan discussion list

TW-ENV         TW-ENV@SUVM.BITNET
               Taiwan Environment

WEIMING        LISTSERV@ULKYVM.BITNET
               Chinese Newsletter distribution list

WCSSSS         WCSSSS@ASUACAD.BITNET
               Washington Center for China Studies

YLOPEARL       YLOPEARL@SUVM.BITNET
               Asian Pacific American Law Professors Discussion Group
Then there are several Asia related subsections of THINK.NET. To subscribe, again send an e-mail to the addresse of the list, not to the LISTSERV@LISTSERV.NET address. To subscribe, send an e-mail to: LISTSERV@THINK.NET with the following command in the text (not the subject) of your message:

SUBSCRIBE listname 'yourownname'

Replace 'listname' with the name of the list and replace 'yourownname' with your own name. Lists: Buddhist-philosophy, Chinese-philosophy, Taoism, Zen 

MOOGOONGHWA    LISTSERV@UCSD.EDU
               Korean politics, economics and miscellanea
To subscribe to this one send the message 'ADD MOOGOONGHWA' in the main text of your e-mail to the address behind the name of the list.

Some the above mention lists have posting in their own languages. You might not be able to read these if your computer does not support the fonts.

Some tips: When subscribing to mailing lists, remember to check the size of your mailbox to see if it can handle the amount of messages. Ten lists with an average of five messages per day give an awful lot of mail. Check your mail every day to prevent a pile up. Most mailing lists have a set of commands you can send to them. A few good examples are: HELP, INFO, and SET 'listname' NOMAIL (very useful when you go on holiday) and SET 'listname' MAIL (for when you come back). UNSUBSCRIBE / SIGN OFF is very helpful as well. Most lists will send you a message with instructions of this kind when you subscribe to them.