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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc2150.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc2150.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8eca8f2 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc2150.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3475 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group J. Max +Request for Comments: 2150 W. Stickle +FYI: 31 Rainfarm +Category: Informational October 1997 + + + Humanities and Arts: Sharing Center Stage on the Internet + + +Status of this Memo + + This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does + not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this + memo is unlimited. + +Abstract + + This document is designed primarily for individuals who have limited + knowledge of, or experience with, the Internet. + + The purpose of this document is to provide members of the Arts and + Humanities communities with an introduction to the Internet as a + valuable tool, resource, and medium for the creation, presentation, + and preservation of Arts and Humanities-based content. + + The intended audience is practicing artists, scholars, related + professionals, and others whose knowledge, expertise and support is + important to ensuring that the Arts and Humanities are well-placed in + the global information infrastructure. + +Table of Contents + + 1. Introduction............................................... 3 + 1.1 Definition of Arts and Humanities......................... 3 + 2. What does the Internet mean to the "Artist?"............... 4 + 2.1 Access to the Global Community............................ 5 + 2.2 Sharing Your Work and Collaborating with Others........... 6 + 2.3 Freely Available Software, and Other Information.......... 8 + + 3. What is the Internet?...................................... 8 + 3.1 What is the World Wide Web?............................... 9 + + 4. How does the Internet Work?................................ 10 + 4.1 Internet Addresses........................................ 11 + 4.1.1 Computer Addresses and Hostnames......................... 12 + 4.1.2 Addresses of People on the Internet...................... 12 + 4.1.3 Information Addresses, Locators, URLs.................... 13 + 4.2 How Does the World Wide Web Work?......................... 14 + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 1] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + 4.3 Other, Higher Level Protocols on the Internet............. 15 + + 5. Forums..................................................... 16 + 5.1 Message Based Communications.............................. 16 + 5.1.1 Electronic Mail - email.................................. 17 + 5.1.2 Newsgroups............................................... 17 + 5.1.3 Electronic Bulletin Board System - BBS .................. 18 + 5.2 Real-Time Communications.................................. 19 + 5.2.1 Chat - IRC............................................... 19 + 5.2.2 Multicasting............................................. 20 + 5.2.3 MUD - Multi-User Dungeon................................. 20 + 5.2.4 Audio/Video Conferencing................................. 21 + 5.3 Archives.................................................. 22 + 5.3.1 Searching................................................ 22 + + 6. Accessing the Internet..................................... 25 + 6.1 Internet Service Providers................................ 26 + 6.2 Computer Hardware and Software Tools...................... 26 + 6.3 Multimedia................................................ 31 + + 7. Creating Content........................................... 32 + 7.1 Getting Help.............................................. 33 + 7.2 About File Formats........................................ 34 + 7.3 Creating Text and Hypertext Documents..................... 35 + 7.4 Creating Graphic and Moving Images........................ 35 + 7.4.1 Bitmap Image Formats..................................... 36 + 7.4.2 Vector Image Formats..................................... 37 + 7.4.3 Video Formats............................................ 37 + 7.5 Creating Music and Sound Files............................ 38 + 7.6 Content Design Issues..................................... 40 + 7.7 Publicizing Your Work..................................... 41 + + 8. Issues and Challenges...................................... 42 + 8.1 Security Issues........................................... 43 + 8.2 Viruses................................................... 44 + 8.3 The Standard Disclaimer................................... 44 + 8.4 Copyrights and Intellectual Property Issues............... 45 + 8.4.1 Copyright................................................ 45 + 8.4.2 Trademark................................................ 46 + 8.4.3 Privacy.................................................. 47 + 8.4.4 Seek Professional Advice................................. 47 + 8.5 Conducting Business over the Internet..................... 47 + 8.6 Netiquette................................................ 48 + + 9. Glossary................................................... 49 + + 10. Resources, References, etc................................. 51 + 10.1 RFCs and Internet-Drafts.................................. 51 + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 2] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + 10.2 Internet Documents........................................ 52 + 10.3 Other Sources............................................. 53 + 10.4 Freely Available Web Browser Software..................... 54 + 10.5 The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority................... 54 + + 11. Security Considerations.................................... 55 + 11.1 Formulate a security policy............................... 55 + 11.1.1 Talk to your Internet Service Provider................... 56 + 11.1.2 Make sure your systems are up to date.................... 56 + 11.1.3 Use the tools available.................................. 56 + 12. Acknowledgments............................................ 57 + 13. Authors' Addresses......................................... 57 + + Appendix A. Internet Projects of Interest to the + Arts and Humanities Communities..................... 58 + Appendix B. Starting Points; A brief list of related sites...... 60 + Appendix C. Examples for using the RFC server RFC-INFO@ISI.EDU.. 62 + +1. Introduction + + This document has been structured to provide information about, and + examples of, the wide range of functions and capabilities available + on the Internet today. It is intended to illustrate the potential of + current networking technologies for personal and cultural growth. + + Some basic functions of the Internet are described, along with their + applications and forums for building online communities of interest, + such as the World Wide Web, Email, and Network News. + + This is followed by discussion and examples of hardware and software + being used to support the creation and presentation of artistic and + literary works, along with examples of how Arts and Humanities + content is being represented, stored, and retrieved on the Internet. + + In addition to illustrating the great potential of the Internet, this + document provides a brief introduction to the issues and challenges + that affect the development and presentation of Arts and Humanities + content online, such as privacy and property rights. + + Included is a brief Glossary, and a number of Appedices which provide + pointers to other sources of information about the Internet. + +1.1 Definitions of Arts and Humanities + + For purposes of this document the term "Arts" includes, but is not + limited to, dance, design arts, folk arts, literary arts, media and + film arts, music, theater, and visual arts. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 3] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + The term "Humanities" includes, but is not limited to, the study of + the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; + literature; history; jurisprudence philosophy; archaeology; + comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of + the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic + content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application + of the humanities to the human environment. + + For purposes of simplicity this document will use the word "Artist" + to mean both Artist and Humanist: "all practitioners who work in the + fields of the visual, performance, and literary arts, as well as + museum curators, librarians, and others who are involved in the + research, restoration, and presentation of that which comprises our + cultural heritage." + +2. What does the Internet mean to the Artist? + + The Internet is exerting a profound influence on our society. Even + now in its infancy, the effects of the Internet can be easily seen in + popular media as well as in the way we do business. But the most + dramatic influences are in the children who are now growing up with + the net. Many parents are aware of the influence television has over + their children. With the advent of WEB-TV, the Internet has begun to + assimilate Television, transforming it into something more powerful. + This coming integration of information, communication and + entertainment will play a major role in teaching and shaping the + minds of those who live and grow up with it. + + Because of this power, it is critical that the best parts of human + culture are represented on the Internet. If we raise the Internet + right, it will return the favor by nurturing a generation that may + well grow up wiser than ourselves. + + This is where artists are needed. Because the net is primarily built + and run by Scientists and Engineers who are creatures of mind, it is + the heart and soul of the Internet that is weak. Artists are the + heart and soul of human culture, and must bring the fruits of their + efforts to the net to give the net culture, and future generations + their essence of humanity. + + If that does not convince you, we will also introduce you to some of + the many tools artists may use to exploit the net for their own + personal gain. As the online culture becomes a more balanced + representation of humanity, the net will become an essential tool for + collaboration, communication, and distribution of art and humanities + content. The day is coming where those who are not on the net will + be greatly handicapped in the expression and distribution of their + works. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 4] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + The net is the new frontier for the growth of humanity. Can you + afford not to be involved? + +2.1 Access to the Global Community + + In the past, artist's audiences and collaborators were limited to the + people around them. Improvements in transportation and communication + have allowed these associations to expand, but even today few members + of the artistic community have gone global. The Internet changes all + this by allowing anyone access to a global community. + + A great many arts institutions and organizations have now established + sites on the World Wide Web and a significant number of online + discussion groups focus on the arts and humanities. Consortiums of + museums and libraries are now using networking technologies to + support research and projects involving more effective ways to + collect, store, and disseminate objects of antiquity and other non- + textual primary sources, as well as textual sources. + + Sites are also created by individuals and for institutions, + organizations, and businesses for reasons ranging from commerce to + simple self-expression. The Internet connects hundreds of countries, + thousands of cities, and countless groups and individuals around the + globe. + + On the Internet today you can find information on topics ranging from + art and music to guns and ammunition; among which are astronomy, + news, astrology, agriculture, acupuncture, botany, biology, zoology, + food, psychology, medicine, space exploration, genetics, media, + chemistry, microbreweries, aeronautics, scuba diving, meteorology, + neurology, artificial intelligence, mathematics, literature, wine + tasting, law, painting, photography, dance, history, social sciences, + politics, crafts, clothing, economics, genealogy, pets, sports, + languages, dictionaries, encyclopedias, technical manuals, schools, + shops, entertainment, furniture, flowers, software, hardware, + computers and the Internet, just to name a few. Whatever your work + requires, whatever your whim desires, you can find it on the net. + + People all around the world will be looking for what they want on the + net, and if you have what they want, then through the magic of the + Internet, you are their next door neighbor. + + With access to the Internet, the world is at your fingertips. Bring + your questions on health, the environment, government, and religion, + and look though volumes of documentation on your concerns, or discuss + your questions with others electronically. Once you get used to it, + you will even be downloading more information and tools to assist you + further. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 5] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + The Internet provides a forum in which diverse cultures can merge, + and allows people to visit faraway places from the privacy and safety + of their own computer. The Internet explorer will also find that + many sites are multilingual. + + Once you have the basic tools for using the Internet you will begin + to understand how easy, helpful, informative, and exciting it can be. + With a few quick strokes you have accessed a great library, museum, + or gallery, toured a faraway city, or looked up an old friend. You + might find an out of print book you have always wanted, then either + read it on your computer screen, or print it out on your printer. If + you do not have a printer, simply save it to your floppy disk and + bring that to a printshop or friend with a printer. It really is + that easy. + + You could spend the afternoon at the Smithsonian, or the Louvre + without ever leaving your chair. For a more athletic adventure, you + could put your computer in front of your treadmill, and jog through + the online Olympics site. + + When you are ready, you can explore deeper. Follow other links to + smaller sites, lesser known writers, artists, poets, and thinkers, + and discover the emerging world they are creating. With the proper + tools you can even view moving pictures, and listen to music and + other audio. + + Perhaps you would like to locate a rare album, or debate one + musicians merit over anothers. Perhaps you prefer to discuss and + compare the works of others with producers, collectors, gallery + owners or other professionals in your field, or related fields. You + might want to find out who's hot and why. You could also find out + where, and when shows, showings, benefits, conferences, releases, + signings, and performances are taking place, or announce your own. + + They say that for every artist, there is a critic, and you could meet + one, or be one, on the Internet. + +2.2 Sharing Your Work and Collaborating with Others + + Artists often want to share their work with other artists so that + they can get peer comments and recognition. The Internet is a great + place to explore new ideas with other artists as well. + + Perhaps you are a painter who has developed a method for keeping + acrylics moist during long sessions, or a photographer who has + discovered a new lighting technique. You could make the information + available over the Internet to enlighten others, or to get their + feedback. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 6] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Perhaps you've had difficulty in some aspect of your work, and you'd + like to talk to others who have had similar experiences to find out + how they solved them. + + There are many types of content that artists can share. Including: + + - text: stories, poetry, historic accounts, transcripts, etc. + - images of their visual work: paintings, photographs, + sculpture, etc. + - images of themselves: photographs, self-portraits, etc. + - sound files of their audio works or voice presentations of + their works: books on tape, speeches, tutorials, music, etc. + - moving pictures: video arts, performance arts, etc. + - a description of their art process and works of art + - resumes and biographical data + - contact information in the form of electronic mail address, + postal mail address, phone, etc. Electronic mail is most + popular because it allows people to respond spontaneously. + + After you've met some of the global critics, and compared your work + with others, you may feel so bold as to share your work with others. + Perhaps emailing a manuscript to a publisher, or putting up scans of + your art will entice a buyer. Perhaps it will entice a critic to say + wonderful things about your work. + + Perhaps putting your work on the Internet will bring fortune and + fame, or perhaps it will encourage others to put their work up. + Increasing the cultural content of the Internet will have profound + results in all areas of the Arts. + + There are many ways of collaborating over the Internet. As mentioned + in previous sections it is easy to see how to communicate and + exchange work with other artists from anywhere in the world. In + addition, there are art and literature projects which explore the + Internet by asking people to submit their feelings, thoughts, and + ideas through the Internet. Some of these projects will allow + interested people to come to them, others may be distributed in + various ways to actively seek out people interested in participation. + + There are also games which are played over the Internet, by players + all over the planet. These types of games, which are described in + greater detail in Section 5, can be both entertaining and + educational. Some games offer players the opportunity to alter the + environment, so that ideas and information contained in the game + evolve over time into a jointly constructed experience. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 7] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +2.3 Freely Available Software, and Other Information + + There is a world of useful software available to you via the + Internet. Known as Shareware, Public Domain, or Freely Copyable, you + can find many software programs you may download and use on your own + machine, often completely free, occasionally for a small and/or + optional fee which helps the author to afford to create more software + for general use. There are also libraries, stores, and news groups + you can peruse in search of just the tool or information you want. + + As you explore the Internet, you will begin to find information that + is beyond your reach without the right tools for viewing, listening, + etc. For example, someone may have put up a sound file using a + format which cannot be recognized by the software you have installed. + In these cases, that person will often have included a pointer to the + exact tool necessary to recognize their format, or convert the + format, and you can download, install, and use this tool right away. + More information on file formats is provided throughout the document. + + Using the basic tools acquired to access the Internet, you can begin + to add to your collection software tools, both for accessing the + information already on the Internet, and for creating your own + content. After reading this document you will have the tools + necessary to find and use this information. + + Appendix B provides a list of Internet sites, where communication + about the arts, and freely copyable software tools and art, among + other things, can be found. + + There are many people both like, and unlike, yourself with whom you + can meet, communicate, and share ideas. Some like to just talk, you + can listen if you like. Others like to just listen, so you and + others can talk. + + There are also many forms that communication can take, from private + electronic mail, to group video conferencing, to moderated + newsgroups, to public bulletin boards. See Section 5 for additional + information on Electronic Forums. + +3. What is the Internet? + + As new users, the first question that probably comes to mind is: + "What is the Internet?" A good answer is: "People, computers and + information electronically linked around the world by a common + protocol for communicating with each other." + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 8] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was founded in the late + 1960s. Among its many projects, ARPA created a network of computers + called the ARPANET. As other networks were created, most were + connected to the ARPANET, and the resulting network that + interconnected many networks was named, "The Internet". At last + count, this "Information Superhighway" connects several million + computers and over 40 million users from all over the world. + + The Internet should not be confused with America OnLine (AOL), + CompuServe, Prodigy, and other type service providers, which may use + their own, often proprietary protocols and are sites unto themselves + but may also have connections to the Internet. The Internet should + also not be confused with the World Wide Web which is the topic of + the next section. + +3.1 What is the World Wide Web? + + The World Wide Web, generally referred to as simply, The Web, is + comprised of a subset of the computers on the Internet. + + You can visualize the World Wide Web as a giant magazine stand with a + vast web of strings connecting various words pictures and ideas. + Like a magazine rack, you may quickly select a chosen magazine, or + you may browse, following the strings from magazine to magazine. + + More formally, the Web is vast multimedia "document" distributed + among a large number of the computers on the Internet. + + There is no central hierarchy that organizes the Web. Instead, the + information is distributed among many "Web Sites" created and used by + the many people on the Internet. Each Web Site is much like a + magazine in that it has a Cover Page, called the Home Page, and other + pages of related information that can be connected in whatever way + the author wishes. This "document" is in a format called "hypertext" + which allows information in the web to be linked by words or pictures + viewed on the computer. + + The Web is broken up into a large set of pages, called "Web Pages", + of information connected by hypertext "links" which let you click on + a highlighted word or picture to call up a page of related + information. This is what differentiates hyper-text from "normal" + text. In "normal" text, each idea, sentence or paragraph is + connected in a sequence or "train of thought", from beginning to end. + In hypertext however, tracks of ideas branch out through "Links", so + that each idea may be connected to many different "trains of + thought". This ability to follow an idea to many different + destinations allows you to read hypertext documents in a way more + naturally resembling human thought. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 9] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + For example, you might create a "Cool Music" Web Page and place it on + a "Web Server", which is any computer somewhere on the Internet + running the software needed to provide access to the resident Web + Pages. Anyone on the Internet could then use a piece of software + called a "Web Browser" to ask the Web Server to view your Home Page. + + This Home Page could be a striking artwork featuring a list of your + favorite albums and a few labeled buttons. While your music plays + from their speakers they might choose to click on any album that + catches their eye, or go to lists of information sorted by Artist, + Label, or Genre. Once they get to the page for a particular album, + they might see the artwork, a song list, and other links to follow. + Clicking on a song might pull up the song lyrics, or perhaps even + download the song. Or they could follow a link you provided from + your page to the HomePage of the artists record company, or to a + magazine interview of the band. If the information is out there, + your page could link to it. + + At last check there were hundreds of thousands of web sites, home + pages, and hosts on the Web. The contents of those sites are almost + as varied. Some pages are personal pages containing photos of family + members, lists of hobbies, or the sharing of collections such as song + lyrics. Some pages are strictly business, selling everything from + abalone to zymoscopes. Still other pages provide services such as + information searches, and weather reports. + + Human culture is based on communication, and the widespread + availability of information and the thought-like constructions of + hypertext are the most powerful new ideas in communication since the + invention of writing. A glance back at history will easily show how + written language has shaped our societies. These results are only a + foreshadowing of the things to come. + +4. How Does the Internet Work? + + While it is not necessary to understand how the Internet works in + order to use it, a brief technical overview will introduce you to + some concepts and terms that will be used in the sections ahead. + + As we go into more detail here, we are assuming that you, the reader, + have at least a passing familiarity with computers. Section 6.2 + provides more information on computer hardware and software. + + On one level, networks are built out of wires, phone lines, and other + pieces of hardware, and the Internet is indeed built of all these + things. The essence of the Internet however is built out of an idea + called the Internet Protocol. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 10] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + There are many different kinds of computers. Most of them work by + encoding information into ones and zeroes, which they can manipulate + at incredible speeds. Unfortunately, there are many different ways + of encoding information. Computers that use different methods can be + said to speak different languages. In order for computers to talk to + each other there must be a thing called a "Communication Protocol" + that provides a set of procedures for talking and a common language + to use. + + The Internet Protocol, or IP, is the Communication Protocol that all + computers on the Internet must use and understand. It allows + computers to find each other, and to send packages, or "packets", of + information back and forth. Much like the Postal service reads your + country code, city code, etc., but not the contents of your letter, + the Internet Protocol does not care what is inside most of these + packets of information. This is a great thing because it means that + other, higher level protocols may transmit any possible kind of + information simply by stuffing it into a packet and handing it off to + the software responsible for speaking IP. + + Another important protocol upon which the Internet is built is the + Transmission Control Protocol, or TCP. IP by itself provides a way + of sending a message to another computer, but no guarantee that it + will get through. Since reliable communication is a necessity, the + TCP protocol was invented which uses IP to send packets and + guarantees their delivery by requiring the receiver to acknowledge + the information received. TCP and IP form the heart of a group of + protocols aptly named the TCP/IP protocol suite. This suite of + protocols provides most of the functionality of the Internet. + + We will be mentioning these protocols throughout the rest of the + document. Information on IP and other Internet Protocols can be + obtained through the resources referenced in Section 10. + +4.1 Internet Addresses + + There are many things we would like to be able to find on the net, + including people, information, and the computers themselves. An + important part of IP and other protocols is the way they label things + so that the computers can find and identify them. The U.S. Post + Office finds people by their Postal Address, which is just a label + containing information about who you are, and where you live. + Likewise, the various protocols of the Internet have given computers, + people, and information, addresses which can be used to find them. + The following sections will describe several different kinds of + addresses. + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 11] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +4.1.1 Computer Addresses and Hostnames + + When speaking IP, computers locate each other using a thing called + their IP Address. Each computer on the Internet must have a unique + IP Address. Some programs allow or require you to use the IP Address + directly, if so, it will appear as four groups of numbers separated + by dots. (i.e., 123.123.123.123) Most of the time though, you will + not need to worry about the actual IP Address number, because all + computers have a "Host Name" to which the number is mapped. + + A computers hostname also comes in parts, separated by dots. The + first part is the name of the machine, and the second part is the + name of the "domain" in which that computer is registered. + + For example, if I had a machine named "foo" registered in the + commercial domain known as "com", my machine's hostname would be + "foo.com". When speaking out loud, this machine's address would be + spoken as "foo dot com". + + A domain is just an abstract category to which machines and networks + may be registered into in order to organize them. Domains are + organized in a hierarchy of top level domains and their subdomains. + Top Level Domains include, + + .edu for educational institutions + .gov for government sites + .com for commercial companies + .org for other organizations + .net for network infrastructure sites + .us for sites in the United States + .ca for sites in Canada + .nl for sites in the Netherlands + .jp for sites in Japan + + to name a few. Domain names may be further subdivided by inserting + one or more subdomain names before the top level domain, still + separating everything with dots. For example, "law.harvard.edu", for + the Law School at Harvard University, and "la.ca.us" for computers in + Los Angeles, California in the United States. + + More information about the Domain Naming System can be found in the + documents referenced in Section 10. + +4.1.2 Addresses of People on the Internet + + Every human being has a given name, or full name with which we + address them. When you begin to use a computer, you will be + introduced to your "username". Your username, sometimes called your + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 12] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + user i.d., may be your initials, your last name and first initial, + your nickname, a number, or anything else that is just normal letter + or number characters. (Your username usually cannot contain + "special" characters such as "&", or "%".) Sometimes you get to + choose your own username, and sometimes your service provider or + system administrator will choose one for you. + + Your username is used when you connect to other computers, and to + identify you in electronic mail. Your electronic mail, or Email + Address, will consist of your username followed by the symbol "@", + followed by your computers hostname. + + So, for Joe Cool, who has the username "jcool", and gets his Internet + service from Dirigible Online, his email address might be + "jcool@dirigible.com". When spoken out loud, the "@" symbol is + pronounced simply "at" so this would typically be spoken as "jcool at + dirigible dot com". + + Email is moved around on the Internet using the Simple Mail Transfer + Protocol, SMTP, over IP. Information on SMTP can be found in the + documents listed in Section 10. + +4.1.3 Information Addresses, Uniform Resource Locators, or URLs. + + In order to retrieve information from the Internet, you need to be + able to find it and know how to ask for it. This is the job of the + Uniform Resource Locator, or URL which functions as an address for + information. Every file or document intended to be accessible + through the Internet has a URL. + + URLs (or simplified versions of them) are now appearing frequently in + TV, billboard, and magazine advertising as a company's Internet + Address; basically the hostname of their web site. + + In previous sections we've identified IP Addresses, hostnames and + email addresses; a URL contains more information. Not only does it + tell you what the information is, and where to find it, it also tells + you precisely which protocol you need to use to retrieve it. + + A URL is a machine readable, and hence somewhat cryptic, text string, + in a form such as "http://www.something.com/location/filename.ext". + This string can be broken down into the following pieces. + + http is the name of the communications protocol which can be used + to access the information. In this case, it identifies the + HyperText Transfer Protocol, which is used in the World Wide + Web, and will be described later. Other protocols are + described in Section 4.3. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 13] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + : separates the protocol from the hostname + + // indicates that what is to follow is the hostname + + www.something.com is the hostname of the computer on which the + document resides. In this case, the "www" indicates that + it is a machine named for the fact that it is running a + World Wide Web server. "something.com" is the domain in + which that server is registered. Typically the "something" + part is the name of the organization running the server. + + / separates the hostname from directory on the machine in + which the information resides. + + location is the location of the information on the machine + something.com. + + filename is the first part of the file name of the information you + are retrieving. + + . a dot separates the filename from its extension + + ext the extension, or file "type" actually says a great deal + about the file, how to handle it, and how to present it. + + The URLs you see will usually be simpler than this. The people at + something.com assume you are going to use a modern web browser to + access the information, so they may leave off the protocol + information, "http://", because this is probably your web browsers + default protocol. Also, if they configure their server to have a + default homepage to display, they can leave off everything after the + hostname part of the URL. This puts it into the form that is most + commonly seen, www.something.com. + + URLs can specify any file and most protocols. In this example, the + URL is using the protocol for moving HyperText, the HyperText + Transfer Protocol, HTTP, over IP. More information on HyperText and + HTTP can be found in the next section, and in the Resources section. + +4.2 How Does the World Wide Web Work? + + Web pages are computer files written in a format called HTML, the + HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the protocol for putting specific + strings of letters and symbols (such as parentheses) into an ordinary + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 14] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + text document which can specify that words link to other pages, or be + viewed in a particular type font, or display images, or many other + things when viewed with the appropriate software. The appropriate + software would generally be a web browser. More information about + software tools is provided in Section 6.2. + + HTML is simple enough that most people can learn to use it, but rich + enough in possibility that there will always be a thriving community + of people making web pages for others. + + Links within a hypertext documented are implemented using references + to the URL of the information to be linked to. + + In order to download information from distant places in the web, your + computer will typically be using a protocol called HTTP, the + HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP was designed to allow web browser + software to connect to web server software on other machines and + request the transmission of a web page in the form of an HTML + document and any associated images, audio, video, etc. The latest + version of the HTTP can actually tell what type of browser is + connecting and the server is now able to better customize its default + homepage to its audience. + + More information on HTML, HTTP, and hypertext can be found in Section + 7.3, and through the references listed in the Resources section. + +4.3 Other Higher Level Protocols on the Internet. + + There are many other higher level protocols built on top of IP. + We've provide examples throughout the document, but we'll mention a + few here to make you more familiar with them. + + telnet: a protocol for providing remote terminal service. Telnet + software allows you to log in to remote computers across the + net by giving you a virtual terminal on that computer. + + ftp: the File Transfer Protocol. FTP allows diverse machines to + send simple files back and forth. FTP is usually used by + archive sites to allow multiple users to download files + simultaneously. + + smtp: the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP specification + allows electronic mail to be sent, stored, and forwarded, + around the Internet. SMTP does not specify how a mail + "reader" operates, just the transmission of email. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 15] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + nntp: the Network News Transfer Protocol. NNTP specifies how + Internet News is passed, stored and forwarded around the + Internet. + + gopher: the Gopher protocol creates linkages, much like the web, + which is called, "gopherspace". The specification allows + a gopher server to serve files in a text rather than graphic + format. + + Many other protocols function on the Internet, and are specified in + technical documents, such as are referenced in the Resources section. + +5. Forums + + Websters defines a forum as "A public meeting place for open + discussion." In the world that could be a park or an auditorium. In + the Internet, a forum will be electronic, but it may still feel like + a roomful of people. + + Many forums exist on the Internet. There are interactive forums + where you can share information in real-time and carry on discussions + with others. There are message-based forums where you send or + receive a message and others involved in that forum can respond + later, and there are archived forums where information is stored, and + may be retrieved by anyone but modified only by its owner. + + While we have attempted to list and describe a few of the more + popular forums, we have not created an exhaustive, complete, or up- + to-the-minute list here. You can find information on forums, lists + and sites in many magazines and books today. + +5.1 Message-based Communications + + In Message-based communication, a message is sent by one user, and + can be received by one or many. For example, you might send a dinner + invitation to an individual, a couple, or a group. In the same way, + you send electronic messages to individuals or groups. Just like a + postal service for physical mail, there are electronic mail servers + for electronic mail. Just like you have a physical address to which + your physical mail is sent, there is an electronic mail address to + which your electronic mail is sent. + + Message-based Communications includes electronic mail, newsgroups, + and bulletin boards. + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 16] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +5.1.1 Email + + Electronic mail, called EMAIL, is a system whereby a computer user + can exchange messages with other computer users, or groups of users + via a communications network. This can be the Internet, or a smaller + internal office network. + + Typical use of email consists of downloading messages as received + from a mailbox or mail server, then reading and replying to them + solely electronically using a mail program which behaves much like a + word processor for the most part. The user can send mail to, or + receive mail from, any other user with Internet access. Electronic + mail is much like paper mail, in that it is sent, delivered, and + contains information. That information is usually textual, but new + innovations allow for graphics, and even sound to sent in email. + + Email is superior to paper mail in that it can arrive at its + destination within minutes of being sent, and it can be replied to, + appended to, forwarded, formatted, saved, or deleted just as quickly. + + Some sites on the Internet run a type of file server which can + respond with a file automatically, for those who have email but not + web or ftp access. + + An email address consists of a username, and the address of the + machine to which the mail should be delivered for that user. + + Reviewing Section 4.1.2, email addresses take the form + "username"@"site"."domain" For example, if your name is Joe Cool and + you get your Internet service from Dirigible Online, where you login + as "jcool", your email address might be "jcool@dirigible.com". + + You will usually get your Email address from your System + Administrator, in a work or school environment, or from your Internet + Service Provider. Section 6 provides more information on Internet + Service Providers. + +5.1.2 Newsgroups + + Someday everyone will be able to get their news electronically, + saving paper, money, time, and the environment. + + A Newsgroup is an electronic bulletin board system created originally + by the Unix community and which is accessible via the Internet. + Usenet News forms a discussion forum accessible by millions of users + in almost every country in the world. Usenet News consists of + thousands of topics arranged in a hierarchical form. Major topics + include "comp" for computer topics, "rec" for recreational topics, + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 17] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + "soc" for social topics, "sci" for science topics, and there are many + others we will not list here. Within the major topics are subtopics, + such as "rec.music" for general music content, and + "rec.music.classical" for classical music, or "sci.med.physics" for + discussions relating to the physics of medical science. + + If you have access to newsgroups, it would be wise to read any + postings on the newsgroup "news.announce.newusers" first. This + newsgroup provides detailed information on newsgroups, such as + finding the right place to post, and information on newsgroup writing + style. + + Local newsgroups are those that are accessible through your + organization or company which contain news that is relevant only to + your organization. For example, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, + GSFC, has many internal newsgroups that are of interest only to GSFC + employees and none of the other NASA centers. Therefore, newsgroups + have been formed to provide internal information to NASA GSFC + employees only and no one else. Some examples are: gsfc.carpool, + gsfc.dialup or gsfc.220.civil.servants. + + Another example of a local newsgroup is news that is posted regarding + your community or the vicinity in which you live. For example, if + you lived in the Washington D.C. area some of the local newsgroups + might be: dc.biking, dc.jobs or dc.smithsonian. + + Many newsreaders are available, and many web browsers now also + support news. The URL to use for a newsgroup will have the protocol + news: followed by the group name, as in news:dc.smithsonian. A + domain address is not necessary, as the browser would be configured + to know which host you will get news from. + +5.1.3 Electronic Bulletin Board System - BBS + + An Electronic Bulletin Board System, or BBS, consists of a computer, + and associated software, typically providing electronic messaging + services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of + interest to the bulletin board systems' operator. + + Typically a BBS user must dial into the BBS via their modem and + telephone line, and select from a hierarchy of lists, files, + subdirectories, or other data maintained by the operator. Once + connected, the user can often send messages to other BBS users within + the system. + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 18] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Although BBSs have traditionally been the domain of hobbyists, an + increasing number of BBSs are connected directly to the Internet, and + many BBSs are currently operated by government, educational, + research, and commercial institutions. + + BBSs usually advertise their services in the backs of magazines and + newspapers and by word of mouth. Many companies now offer a BBS via + which their customers can retrieve their latest technical support + documents and product literature. + +5.2 Real-Time Communications + + The communications methods described in Section 5.1 involve delays + between when you send a message and when you receive a response, with + the result that both parties are not involved simultaneously. The + net can also be used to communicate in "Real-Time" by making the sure + the delays are short enough that both parties can be involved + simultaneously in a "conversation". + + Typically this is done in a text based format where each user has two + special regions on their screen: One that they type in, and another + that the other users type is displayed in. The delay between when + one user types and the other sees it on their screen is called "net- + lag" and usually ranges from "too short to be aware of" to about 30 + seconds. Lag can occur due to network congestion or a variety of + bottlenecks including link speed, processor speed, and typing speed. + + Although it is still rather expensive, it is also possible to use + both audio and video in "Real-Time". However the reasons for it's + expense are temporary, and you should expect to see more and more of + this in the future. + + Forums which communicate in real-time are the Internet Relay Chat + (IRC), the Multi-User Dungeon (MUD), Audio-Video Conferencing (AVC), + and WhiteBoard Systems (WBS). + +5.2.1 IRC - Internet Relay Chat, WebChat + + Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, provides a text-based mechanism for + communication with multiple participants. IRC is an interactive + forum set up in virtual rooms that you can move between, and where + others can virtually "hang out". Chat rooms can be used to discuss + common ideas or topics, or as part of a collaborative process. The + connection method used will be specific to each IRC site. IRC sites + can be found using search tools, as outlined in Section 5.3.1. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 19] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Web chat is like IRC but it is done via a web browser, and it is not + a text only forum. Section 6.2 provides more information on web + browser software. + + Many webchat sites require the user to register before being able to + participate in the activity. If any additional software is needed + based on your particular software and PC configuration the site will + point you in the right direction so you can download the necessary + software. + + Some sites will provide you with chat etiquette guidelines. Please + be sure to read the directions before you participate in the chat + session. + + Once you begin to chat you may find that there are some abbreviations + used with which you are not familiar. These abbreviations are for + various actions or phrases. Some very common ones are: by the way + (btw), in my humble/honest opinion (imho), and ta ta for now (ttfn). + + Appendix B provides a few Chat sites to start you off. + +5.2.2 Multicasting + + Multicasting is a technical term that means that you can send pieces + of data, called "packets", to multiple sites simultaneously. How big + a packet is depends on the protocols involved and it may range from a + few bytes to a few thousand. The usual way of moving information + around the Internet is by using unicast protocols, which send packets + to one site at a time. + + You can think of multicasting as the Internet's version of + broadcasting. A site that multicasts information is similar in many + ways to a television station that broadcasts its signal. The signal + originates from one source, but it can reach everyone in the + station's signal area. The signal takes up some of the finite + available bandwidth, and anyone who has the right equipment can tune + it in. The information passes on by those who don't want to catch the + signal or don't have the right equipment. + +5.2.3 MUD - Multi-User Dungeon + + A MUD is an interactive game environment where both real other + players and virtual other players exist and with whom you can + communicate to share ideas or solve puzzles, etc. + + The word "Dungeon" refers to the setting of many of the original + games of this sort, in which you, our hero, must escape from a + dungeon-like environment where evil goblins, demons, and other "bad- + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 20] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + guys" are wandering around ready to kill you. Generally the goal, in + order to win the game, is to find and retrieve some treasure, or + reach some hidden place, and find the way out. + + MUDs have applications in education, as for problem solving and + leadership skills, as well as in building teamwork to share ideas and + to enhance creativity. Having a virtual world in which people from + diverse backgrounds and cultures can come, again and again, to work + on a common project, allows ideas to accrue and cultures to grow over + time. + + For more information on MUDs, and other collaborative environments, + explore the references in the appendices. + +5.2.4 Audio Video Conferencing + + Audio Video Conferencing has many applications in the arts as well as + in business. Using the Internet, teachers can reach students who + cannot get to their schools, doctors can give medical consultations + from around the world, and artists can perform in front an audience + they would never have otherwise. + + CU-SeeMe is a freeware desktop videoconferencing software tool. CU- + SeeMe allows Macintosh and Windows users with an Internet connection + and a desktop camera (some go for as little as $100) to see, hear and + speak with other CU-SeeMe users across the world. This program was + developed at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, USA and is + freely available. + + CU-SeeMe allows the user to have a one-to-one communication. It is + also possible to have a one-to-many or many-to-many communication by + installing a reflector on another machine running the appropriate + software. The reflector software must be installed on a Unix + machine. The software can be obtained from Cornell University's CU- + SeeMe page listed in Appendix B. + + Whiteboard systems also enhance audio visual conferencing. A + Whiteboard, which is analogous to a chalkboard, is physically quite + similar. Using a write-on wipe-off style of whiteboard, which has + been electronically enhanced, allows people on the Internet to share + text, drawings, and other graphic information which is being written + in real-time. + + Software exists which allows connections between two sites, or + hundreds, over the Internet, the Web, or your telephone. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 21] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +5.3 Archives + + Archive is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as: + n. 1 a) a place where public records, documents, etc. are kept b) a + place where material having documentary interest, as private papers, + institutional records, memorabilia, or photographs, is kept. + + Archives on the Internet are pretty much the exact same thing. The + motivation and much of the content is the same, but the media changes + (from paper files, to electronic files), and as such allows for a + much greater diversity of content. + + Archives on the Internet also allow many people access to their files + simultaneously, and from all over the world. Many archives on the + Internet still reside on Anonymous FTP Servers, which allow users to + log in without a user i.d. or password. When connecting to these + servers the protocol used is "ftp" the File Transfer Protocol, as + mentioned previously in Section 4.3. + + Any and all information that people want to make available on the + Internet can be. This means there is a truly vast amount of + information out there, with more being added every day. In fact + there is so much information that it is sometimes difficult and + confusing to find the information you want. This is the topic of our + next section. + + Some anonymous ftp sites are provided in Appendix B. + +5.3.1 Searching + + One of the great challenges facing the Internet is how to organize + the vast amounts of information in ways that allow most people to + find what they want. In theory, there may be a "perfect" + organization, but in practice, we will never achieve it. This means + that finding the information you want on the net may require some + skill on your part. Fortunately there are many tools and strategies + that may be helpful. + + One of the all time great ideas for finding the information you want + is a thing called a search engine. A search engine is a computer + program usually living on a remote computer that spends its time + downloading information from other computers and building an index of + what lives where. This behavior has given them the nickname of Web + Crawlers. What this means to you, is that you can call up the Search + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 22] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Engine's home page, and enter in a subject, name, title, or random + string pattern, which is then used to search the engines index for + stuff out on the net that seems related. This can lead to both a + large volume of information, and some rather startling discoveries of + information from unsuspected sources. + + Some of the available Searchers and Indices on the Internet include: + + Yahoo - Index of WWW sites, with search capabilities + http://www.yahoo.com/ + DejaNews - USENET (news groups) search engine + http://www.dejanews.com/ + WebCrawler - http://query.webcrawler.com/ + Lycos - http://www.lycos.com/ + AltaVista - WWW and USENET search engine + http://www.altavista.digital.com/ + Magellan - Index of reviewed and rated Internet sites, with + search capabilities + http://www.mckinley.com/ + + Yahoo, for example, has a high-level category called "Arts", which + has a multitude of subcategories below it, most of which have further + subdivision, each of which can contain lists of lists. + + For example, to find information on Modern Dance, from a starting + point of http://www.yahoo.com/, you can follow the links to + http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Dance/Modern/Groups or simply type + "Modern Dance" into the search field and choose from a list of + selections returned. + + On a typical attempt on March 25, 1997, Yahoo returned 4 major + categories of Modern Dance, and offered 82 other links to related + pages around the web. Statistics, however, can be changing by the + moment. + + There are many other Searchers and Indices on the Internet, and a + good way to find them, is to do a search for them in one of the + services above, or others you encounter in your travels. The + resources in Appendix B may also be helpful. + + After experimenting with the available search engines, it quickly + becomes clear that searching on a broad category can result in too + much information. For example, a recent search at AltaVista for the + subject "Rembrandt" matched over 8500 individual items, including + information on the famous artist (Rembrandt von Rijn (1606-1669)), + His Self-Portrait, a hotel in Thailand (Rembrandt Hotel and Plaza, + Bangkok), and a pizza restaurant in California. (The URLs for these + sites are listed under Rembrandt in Appendix B.) + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 23] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + To be more particular in what you find, all of the available search + engines allow you to do compound searches, in which multiple keywords + are used, possibly in combination with Boolean logic operators such + as AND, OR, and NOT. For example, to focus in on Rembrandt the + artist, at the exclusion of pizza cafes, try the following advanced + search in Magellan: + + Rembrandt AND artist AND portrait NOT pizza + + Note that the method of entering search items differs slightly from + service to service. When trying a new service, check the available + help topic before searching. And as with any new skill, practice, + practice, practice! + + Test of search scope: + Lycos: rembrandt. 1837 relevant documents + Lycos: rembrandt and artist and portrait 6 relevant documents + Yahoo: rembrandt 2 Category and 39 site matches + Yahoo: rembrandt and artist 2 Category and 11 site matches + AltaVista: rembrandt about "10000" documents + AltaVista: rembrandt +artist +museum about "100" documents + WebCrawler: rembrandt. 347 matching "rembrandt" + WebCrawler: rembrandt and artist and portrait 21 matching documents + Magellan: rembrandt 666 results + Magellan: rembrandt and artist and portrait 39379 results + + You will notice, in the above statistics, that the numbers for + Magellan are quite different from the others. This is because + different search engines may function differently. When you do a + this+that search on Magellan, it looks for all instances of This AND + all instances of That rather than the standard response of Only + documents which contain both This AND That. On almost all the sites + I have explored, there is an explanation of how the search process + works on that site. You should read that explanation if you are + having trouble or need further information. + + You will also begin to see patterns in the way people name, or file, + their information, which will help you find more information. Some + may list their links to ART, while others list their links to + PAINTINGS. Also many people put links to related pages in their + pages, so one page you find that does not have what you are looking + for, may have a pointer to another page that does have what you are + looking for. Searching is an iterative process, keep going from one + search key to another, and continue down multiple levels to see what + is out there. Its known as Exploring, or Surfing the Net, and it is + a major part of the joy of the Internet. + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 24] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +6. Accessing the Internet + + Having decided to explore the Internet, you will need some tools and + information to get you started. + + Accessing the Internet in terms of simply receiving, downloading, and + viewing files, uses most of the same tools (software and hardware) + needed to create files and make them available on the Internet. + Sections 6 and 7 overlap a great deal in the areas of basic hardware + and software. + + The Internet can be accessed in many comfortable ways: at school, at + home, at work, and even at trendy CyberCoffeeHouses. Accessing the + Internet is not synonymous with publishing and displaying on the + Internet, however. You may need different equipment for creating + content, then you need for retrieving content. Section 6 focuses on + the specific needs of those who wish to create content and publish on + the Internet. + + If you live near a major metropolitan area you may have already begun + to see advertising for Internet access from your local telephone + company, or cable TV provider. Contact them to get information on + equipment needed, services provided, access restrictions and costs + involved. + + Local libraries and schools may now offer both Internet Access, and + instruction on Internet related subjects, including getting + connected. Check the Internet sections of your bookstore and + magazine stands. + + Do not be dissuaded if you find limited access. The Internet will + soon be everywhere, but if you do not want to wait, then you might + consider taking matters into your own hands as these enterprising + youths did... + + When several students from large universities returned home to + Taos, NM, a few summers ago, they left behind their Internet + connections. Missing their connectivity, they approached the + owner of a local bakery and suggested he start an Internet room + where he could charge people by the hour to use the Internet. The + entrepreneurial baker applied for a government grant and received + a few computers with high speed modems. + + You may be able to find a place like this, often called a CyberCafe, + rather than having to create one. Try your local magazine stand for + the latest periodicals, or your public library or bookstore for + pointers to other people who will know more. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 25] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Once you have some Internet access, you can find out more about + Cybercafes, InternetCafes, and other physical Internet access points, + by searching as described in Section 5.3.1. and in the newsgroup + alt.cybercafes. + +6.1 Internet Service Providers + + Being an Internet Service Provider (ISP) these days is pretty easy + and can be financially worthwhile, so there are alot of them, and + they are starting and failing every day. In addition to the + information and pointers you will find in this document, many + organizations exist to help you locate, and choose a service + provider. + + As with any service, be sure to get references, and get their + features and terms in writing. Some ISPs provide access only to + their site, others may provide email only, or provide access to the + web but charge by the minute for access. Have some idea of what you + want to do and what the vendor provides before making any deals. + + Many Internet Service Providers offer free instruction to get you + started in accessing the Internet as well as creating content. With + the competition of Internet providers, you should be able to find one + or two that offer the instruction you need. + + Some organizations exist solely to recommend those who pay them. + Most Internet related magazines these days will contain extensive + advertising by ISPs in your area. + + As discussed in Section 4.1, every machine on the Internet needs an + address by which it is accessed. Even machines which are only + browsing need an address to which the browsed information is + returned. This is actually called your IP address. The address is + the number with which your hostname is associated. Usually you will + get your IP address from your work, school, or ISP when you get your + configuration information for your Internet connection. If you were + trying to get an IP Address on your own, you would go to the Internet + Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). + + More information about IANA, IP addresses, and domain names can be + found in the information referenced in the Resources section. + +6.2 Computer Hardware and Software Tools + + A basic computer system consists of a box containing a Central + Processor Unit (CPU), main controller (motherboard), and Floppy + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 26] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Drive. It will also come with a keyboard, and you will need a Hard + Drive, Memory, and a Video Monitor. How much memory, how large a + hard drive, and how fabulous a monitor, will vary with your needs and + experience. To connect to an ISP you will usually also need a modem. + + This is simply an overview to familiarize you with some basic terms. + There are many current magazines devoted to computer and Internet + related subjects now available in most bookstores and magazine stands + which provide much better and more timely information on computers, + operating systems, software, and peripherals. + + There are many types of computers available including Personal + Computers (PCs), Apple Macintosh Computers (Macs), and various Unix + based Workstations. The most affordable systems are generally PCs + and Macs. + + You may also need to choose an Operating System (OS) for the machine + you choose. PCs can run a version of "DOS", anything from Microsoft + (Windows, NT, Windows95, etc.), or a version of Unix (BSDI, FreeBSD, + Linux, etc.) Macs can run the common Mac Windows, or Apples version + of Unix. Workstations generally run a Unix derived OS, but there are + also quite a few machines available which run their own proprietary + OS. + + Each type of system has its features, functions, and drawbacks, as + well as its proponents and opponents. Each system has different + costs associated with it. You will need to understand much of this + before you are ready to buy your first computer. Much of the free + software available on the Internet, for example, was written for the + Unix operating system because that has been the main OS of the + Internet for many years. That, of course, doesn't mean there isn't + alot of free software available for other OSs, Windows software, for + example, is becoming quite popular. The system of choice for most + musicians is the Mac because of the variety and quality of the music + software available for them. Windows users will need a pc to run + their software. Now, actually, there are many operating systems + available for personal computers. + + Common operating systems come in two basic types; single tasking and + multi-tasking. This is a reference to how many different things or + "tasks" the computer "seems" to be doing at once. The earliest + computers were single tasking. They did only one thing at a time, + and could be used by only one person at a time. DOS is a modern + example of a single tasking operating system. Since people rarely do + more than a few things every second, this often left the computer + simply waiting around for the next keystroke. + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 27] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Even back then, computers could do all the work needed to listen to a + human in a few milliseconds every second, so time-slicing was + invented to get more use out of computers. + + A time-slicing operating system is said to be Multi-tasking. It + executes programs in little slices of time, typically shorter than 25 + milliseconds (or 1/40 of a second) and switches to another task for + each new slice. If you remember that most video runs at 25 or 30 + discrete frames per second, and yet humans perceive it as continuous, + you can see how time-slicing can provide a convincing illusion of + doing many things at the same time. + + Multi-tasking operating systems have the option of being set up as + single-user or Multi-user machines Windows 95 and the MacOS are + modern examples of multi-tasking operating systems that were designed + to be used by a single user most of the time. Other operating + systems, such as UNIX, VMS, NT, and others are more prepared to be + set up as multiuser machines. Multiuser machines are typically + connected to a network, or a network of terminals, so that more than + one person can use the processor and other peripherals at the same + time. + + Some operating systems can also take advantage of Parallel Processing + hardware that actually does more than one thing at a time. However + as of this writing, this hardware is somewhat rare and expensive, so + we won't go into the details here. + + Different OSs also have different File Systems. The File System is + the way in which your programs and other computer files are stored + and displayed. Different Operating Systems also have different "User + Interface"s. The User Interface is the way in which you interact + with the computers OS. Some use "Text" interfaces, which require the + user to type all commands using a keyboard. Others use a "Graphical" + user interface, which provides graphical images of buttons and icons + which the user "clicks" on to start programs and perform save and + delete functions among other things. + + In order for the software to run on the computer, the software must + be written specifically for the operating system. Just like Internet + traffic must use the Internet Protocol, software must speak the OS + language of the computer on which it wants to run. Translation + programs exist, but there are still problems. + + One of the problems is with file"names". The DOS Operating System, + for example, supports names that consist of an 8-character filename, + and a 3-character "extension", separated by a ".". For example + "foo.txt", and "myprog.exe" are valid DOS filenames, but sadly, + "foo.html" is not. This means that HTML files on a dos system must + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 28] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + use the extension ".htm" rather than the ".html" extension used on + many other systems. This problem also affects many other common + extensions such as ".jpeg", ".mpeg" and others. + + A filename's extension is very important in that it tells not only + you, but your software, the kind of file it is, and what it needs in + order to be understood. For example, when your web browser + encounters a file with a .html or .htm extension, it will assume it + is hypertext, and will know how to display it and follow its links. + When it gets a .txt file, it knows to display it, and that it will + have no links. Your browser can also be configured to understand + other file formats which can be made to be displayed with the + browser, or another program, or saved to disk, etc. For example, you + might configure your browser to start up Word when it encounters a + .doc file. + + File extensions indicate file format. Just as there are different + file extensions for different text file formats, there are different + extensions for different graphic file formats. That goes for sound + file formats, video file formats, data base files, and others. + + Different software understands different file formats and will create + and display only those formats it understands. For this reason, + software which translates a file from one format to another is often + necessary. + + For example, if you create a file with Microsoft Word you will + usually save it in Word's native format as a ".doc" file. You can + also choose the "save as" option to save it as plain text in the .txt + file format. Although some format information will be lost in the + translation, words and numbers should remain unchanged. If you + wanted to give others access to the file, and you couldn't assume + that they all have Word, you would want to present it in .txt format. + Note that a .txt file is also easily formatted into .html. + + File formats and extensions are discussed throughout the following + sections. + + After you've resolved to some extent, what it is you want to do, and + what hardware and OS you'll need, there are a great deal of software + packages available to help you with all sorts of things on the + computer. + + Software designed to make your life easier by using your computer, + include dictionaries and other reference materials, accounting, + bookkeeping desktop publishing and other business needs software, as + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 29] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + well as landscape and architectural planning software, health and + nutrition software, educational and entertainment software, and much, + much more. Your computer need not only be your link to the world, + but also a major organizational tool in your life. + + For accessing the Internet, you'll need communication software. + There are a few different pieces to this part of the puzzle. There + is the software which communicates between the operating system and + the modem or network card, there's the software which speaks IP and + allows communication over the Internet, and there's the software + which you use which is called the "user interface", or application + program. For accessing the web, your application will be a "web + browser". + + Web browsers are available in stores that sell software packages, and + are also available free on the Internet. Since you would not be able + to reference the online material without a browser, and since most + available periodicals will be likely to focus on commercial browsers, + the Resources section provides a pointer to a free browser available + by mail for the cost of postage, or over the Internet using the File + Transfer Protocol, FTP. + + Ftp software is available both free and commercially. Other Internet + communication software, referenced throughout this document, are + email, news, gopher, and telnet among others. + + With any system, you should ensure that it contains the software and + hardware necessary to maintain both itself and your data. While + computer data is not particularly fragile, it is still sometimes lost + due to hardware or software problems or simple human error. For this + reason it is considered important to "back up" your system by making + extra copies of important data. While simply copying data onto + floppy disks could work, the small storage size of the disks makes it + both time consuming and prone to human error. Many large capacity + disk and tape drives are available with special software specifically + for doing backups. It is highly recommended that you purchase a + backup solution along with your computer. + + It is also important to protect your data from being damaged by + computer viruses. When you connect to the net and move data back and + forth, it is possible that there can be a small piece of software + called a "virus" that could hide in some of the data and infect your + system, possibly then using your system to infect other machines that + you connect to. These viruses are often created by misguided people + as a sort of computer prank, and can accidentally or maliciously + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 30] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + damage your data. Fortunately it is possible to obtain virus + checking software that can regularly scan your system to see if it + has been infected. This software is important whether you are + downloading information from the net, or using other peoples floppy + disks. See Section 8.2 for more information on viruses. + + Determining your ideal hardware and software configuration will take + some time and patience. You need an understanding of what you want + to do, and how, and whether you wish to simply view, or create. + + You'll also want to know the limitations and expandability potential + of the system, so you can determine if it will have a useful + lifespan. If the machine cannot grow for the foreseeable few years, + it will become obsolete before its given you its fullest value. + +6.3 Multimedia + + When one media is not enough. + + Depending upon your needs, you may require special hardware installed + in the machine, or attached externally by cables. These additional + pieces of hardware are known as peripherals. + + The peripherals needed for accessing information on the Internet + might include the following: + + - a sound card and speakers to hear sounds, music, speech, etc. + - a CD-ROM player to read commercially available computer CDs + - midi equipment for audio artists + - video equipment + - a printer to make hardcopy of files, or images + - Other equipment for creating content See Section 7. + + Most of these peripherals will also require specialized software. If + you plan to purchase all the hardware and software at once, find a + vendor who will connect and test all the hardware, software, and + peripherals for you. Due to the complexity of these systems, they + can be difficult to configure for the inexperienced user. + + Also, verify that the vendor will stand behind their equipment, and + this configuration in the event that it doesn't work the way you want + it to. Hook the system up, and test it extensively right away, so as + to determine any problems before your warrantee period expires. + + Many of the Internet related periodicals available run articles on + choosing a computer, as well as the latest software and hardware news + and reviews. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 31] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + You can also explore the pointers in Appendix B for the information + you need. + +7. Creating Content + + As the hardware and software of the net becomes cheaper and better + understood, the technology itself will become less important than the + content which lives on the net. Many of the rewards of the Internet + will go to the people who create such content. + + There are different ways to add content to the Internet. One may + start with pre-existing content, such as paintings or stories, and + find a place for it, or one may create content specifically for the + computer such as web pages, graphics, video and audio files, etc. + + Let us for the moment assume that you have already created something + which you would like to make available on the net. There are many + ways in which you could do this. You could deal with agencies who + provide this service professionally, find friends or others willing + to do it for free or barter, or get yourself on the net in some + fashion, learn, and create a place for it yourself. + + If you chose to do it yourself, you will need your own computer and + some form of Internet access from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) + or Web Space Provider (WSP). + + Once you have a place to put your content, you will need to + understand a little more about file formats. Images may have to be + digitized, audio may have to be recorded into computer files, etc. + + While hardware, such as image scanners, are readily available, there + are also many other options available. For example, most print, or + copy shops today can do high quality image scans and some photolabs + now provide photos-on-disk as one of their services. + + If you are placing your content on the Web, a web page must be + created for it in the form of an HTML document. While this is easy + enough to do yourself, many WSPs also offer this service, and there + are also independent web page designers who may be able to do a + better job. + + Creating online content involves moving your art into an electronic + form and then perhaps, re-formatting it for the Internet. For some + art forms, the initial electronic step is fairly painless: typing a + short story, poem, novel, or other text into HTML is fairly + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 32] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + straight forward. Moving a computer graphic to the Internet may + require a conversion program to make it useful to others. Performing + arts, sculpture, and other pieces may be more difficult to capture on + a computer disk, and may require more work and creative thinking. + + Much of the information needed to help you think creatively about + publicizing your work online is available in classes, books, local + Internet cafes, and on the Internet itself. Many Internet magazines + are available for subscriptions or individual issues can help get you + started. Most new bookstores and, to some extent, used bookstores + provide numerous volumes of Internet information. However, even the + most recently published books may contain outdated information. The + latest 'standards' can be obtained directly from the Internet + Engineering Task Force, or IETF, at http://www.ietf.org/. The + document you are reading now is a product of that organization. The + documents of the IETF are collected and maintained on anonymous ftp + sites, as well as in the web. These sites are referenced in the + Resources section, and Appendix B. + + A really good way to learn how to write html documents is to look at + the source code of html files already available. Just use your + browser to look for pages you like, and then use your browsers "view + source" feature to see how it was done. + + If however, you learn better by having someone teach you, you may be + interested in taking a HTML or Internet Introduction course at a + local college. Most larger metropolitan area schools provide classes + for the basics, which can also expose you to other artists. Make + sure you read the course description; some courses may only cover + accessing the Internet while you may want to actually be creating + documents. If no colleges in your area offer classes, contact the + computer science department or the continuing education office and + suggest a topic. If the school can obtain enough support, they may + offer a class the following semester. + + Artists in smaller communities may need to rely more heavily upon + online sources of information. Appendix B provides some useful sites + to get you started. + +7.1 Getting Help + + Once you are connected to the Internet, there are many more ways of + getting help with it. Try the forums, listed in Section 5, such as + Newsgroups, Bulletin Boards, and Chat rooms. If you have checked the + local netiquette guidelines, and behave accordingly, the Internet + community will usually be very helpful toward new arrivals. + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 33] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + When looking for good consultants and web page designers, start with + the sites you like, and find out who did their pages. Discuss your + needs with other artists, or check the phone book, library, books, + magazines and other periodicals for artist collectives and groups who + may be available to assist you. Look for groups whose cause is + artistically motivated, rather than trusting people who are paid to + point you at a particular consultant or assistant. + + Know what you want. If it takes you a while to figure out what you + want, take that time. This should not be something you are rushed + into. The Internet is not going to go away. Whatever you decide to + do, do not be afraid to ask for references. A good provider of + services will always be happy to provide you with a list of happy + customers. + +7.2 About File Formats + + As described in Section 6.2, there are many file formats available on + the Internet. You'll need to understand a bit more about the formats + you'll want to present, in order to create them for others to see. + Some formats are called Public Domain, and are freely copyable, and + the software tools used to create this content is available for you + and others to download off the net. Other formats are called + "proprietary", and are only readable and creatable using software + that must be purchased from the vendor who created it, or their + authorized reseller. + + Some formats, and their associated formatting tools, come along with + other software packages. For example, Microsoft Windows comes with a + Sound Recorder, which makes and plays back .wav files. Apple also + offers Quicktime free for their OS, as well as Windows and others, + which also records and plays back .wav files. So many Internet + explorers already have access to tools which will allow them to hear + your .wav file, if you were so inclined. They may not, however, have + a player for a proprietary format for which they would need special + software. + + When creating content for the Internet, its important to consider the + format most likely to be understood by your target audience. + + More information on file formats can be found at: + http://www.matisse.net/files/formats.html and + http://rodent.lib.rochester.edu/multimed/contents.htm + + Some artists are actually using html as an artform in itself and are + helping to push the boundaries of this exciting new medium. The + current HTML specification can be found in the RFCs referenced in the + Resources section. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 34] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +7.3 Creating Text and Hypertext Documents + + Text files are stored on a computer by encoding the text in ASCII, + "American Standard Code for Information Interchange", which + substitutes a distinct number for each character of text, and stores + the result in a file. Text files are often given the file extension + ".txt". + + Text files can be created in many ways. The two most common types of + programs used are called "text editors" and "word processors". + Actually both types of programs are similar. They both allow you to + move around within the document, and add, delete, and otherwise + modify text, as well as create and save text files. Word processors + differ from text editors in that they usually also have a great deal + of options for formatting and printing text, and may support + alternative file formats, such as ".doc" which inserts many + formatting commands that are understood by printers, but not always + by browsers. + + Since HTML formatting is simply ASCII text with special formatting + commands, you may use either text editors or word processors to + create a ".html" file. Alternatively, there are many Web authoring + tools that will allow you to use a graphical interface to specify how + you want your page to look, and will automatically generate the HTML + formatting commands and output an ".html" file directly. + + Text editors, Word Processors, and other document creation tools are + available both freely and commercially for all operating systems. + + Look to currently available computer related books and periodicals to + provide sources of information about text editors, word processors, + and document and web page authoring tools. + + HTML is a technical specification of the Internet Engineering Task + Force, and the most current documents can be found on the IETF + site(s) listed in the Resources Section. + +7.4 Creating Graphic and Moving Images + + Whether you want to put your existing images on the Internet, or + create new images using electronic creation tools, there are a few + basic pieces of information which will be useful. The following two + sub-sections provide an overview of image formats, and creation + tools. + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 35] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +7.4.1 Bitmap Image Formats + + Pictures may be stored on computers in many different ways. One of + the most common, is a simple bitmap consisting of a list of pixel + colors, and header information describing how to map this list of + pixels back into the image. Bitmap formats are .bmp in windows, and + + Bitmap images may be created by scanning in existing images, or by + creating images directly on the computer, using programs such as + Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo Paint, Windows Paintbrush, and many + others available both freely and commercially. + + A scanner works very much like a copy machine, or fax machine, in + that it "scans" your artwork or text and "encodes" it into a machine + readable format of numbers and formulas. A scanner is a hardware + tool, and usually comes with at least some of the software you need + to use it. Generally it will connect to your computer and you will + either place your work on it, or run the scanner slowly over your + work, depending on the type of scanner you select. Scanners are only + available commercially, and come in a variety of sizes and styles + with a variety of features and prices. As with all computer tools, + understanding what you want to accomplish will help you decide what + you need to purchase. + + Since it can take a lot of data to encode an image, there are many + different kinds of file formats that contain compressed versions of + the file data. These formats vary greatly in how they compress the + data. Two of the most popular compressed image formats on the net + are .gif and .jpg. + + GIF, short for Graphic Image Format, compresses an image by reducing + the number of colors in the palette the image is reconstructed from, + allowing them to shrink down the size of the color specification for + each pixel. Even if you only save a few bits per pixel, there are + typically enough pixels that the savings are significant. Under + extreme amounts of compression, images start to look like childrens + coloring books, but it is possible to get great looking images with + moderate amounts. GIF files typically use the extension ".gif". + + The JPEG format uses complex mathematics to approximate the whole + image. Under extreme amounts of compression, images start to look + like bizarre cubist interpretations of the original image, but + because everything about the image is compressed, it is still + possible to get dramatic reductions in file size while retaining + acceptable image quality. JPEG files typically use the extensions + ".jpeg" or ".jpg" + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 36] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Both of these formats are what is known as "lossy" compression + because they actually lose information from the original image, thus + degrading (hopefully by a negligible amount) the image quality. + There are also "lossless" compression schemes that offer smaller + reductions in file size, but allow perfect reconstruction of the + image. + +7.4.2 Vector Image Formats + + Another way images may be stored is in "vector" format. This format + is useful because of one of the techniques for creating images on a + computer. There are programs that allow you to create images by + creating shapes like circles and polygons, and specifying colors for + them. If the entire image is constructed this way, it is possible to + encode the list of information describing each polygon using only a + fraction of the information it would take to describe each pixel. + + Vector images also have the wonderful quality that they may be scaled + without loss of image quality. For example, if you were to enlarge a + bitmap image of a circle large enough to see individual pixels, you + will find that pixels are actually square dots, and if enlarged + enough, the circle will have very jagged edges. However if you + enlarge a vector image of a circle, it remains perfect down to the + limit of resolution of the screen or printer, because it is stored as + the mathematical representation of a circle which is independent of + scale. + + For this reason, much commercial art and layout is often done in + vector formats. + + Vector formats may be created using many commercially available + software packages, and many freely copyable conversion tools are also + available. + +7.4.3 Video Formats + + Images received by the retina of the eye persist for a short period + of time, and then fade. A sequence of images or "frames", with small + changes, sufficiently close together, will give the illusion of a + moving picture. How much of the picture changes between one image + and the next affects how smoothly or jerkily the movement will + appear. Frame rates of 10 per second and above are enough to give a + reasonably realistic rendition of natural scenes. In fact, the way + that motion is perceived by the human brain means that less detail is + required in fast moving segments of a picture. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 37] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Video on your television, or Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), is + formatted quite differently from video formatted for viewing, + storage, and transmission over the Internet. Disk space and + bandwidth being constantly at a premium, methods of compressing video + data have been developed to shrink the size these video files might + otherwise be. + + Just as described in Section 7.4.1. regarding compression of static + images, there are different compression utilities and formats for + video images. There are many video compression formats, and we have + provided information on two here. + + MPEG (pronounced M-peg), stands for Moving Picture Experts Group. + The mpeg format creates files with a .mpg or .mpeg extension. Mpeg + players are freely available on the Internet. Mpeg files can be + created using a number of commercially available products. More + information on mpeg can be found by following the links available in + Appendix B under Video Resources. + + Quicktime was created by Apple, and is currently available for both + Macintosh and Windows systems. Quicktime files have a .wav extension + and can be played with many freely available viewers. Quicktime + creation and viewing tools can be found via the links in Appendix B. + + There are other video formats being created all the time. + +7.5 Music and Sound + + The World Wide Web supports audio data as well as visual data. The + most obvious way to send audio across the net would be to use digital + audio like that used for the Compact Disc or "CD". However, CD + format digital audio requires 44,100 16 bit words per second for a + mono signal, and twice that for a stereo signal. While there are + many places where one can find digital audio in Windows ".wav", or + the Macintosh ".au" format, these files typically take a very long + time to download even a few seconds of audio. The size of these + formats makes them too inefficient for widespread use on the net + today. + + It is however possible to do "useful" audio over the net. The + emerging "de facto" standard seems to be _RealAudio_, based on the + freely distributable server/player application, _RealAudio_ version + 2.0, developed by the Seattle based company Progressive Networks. + First released in 1995, RealAudio allows useable digital audio in + realtime over a 28.8 kB line, and has already been put into service + on the home pages of most major record companies as well as in many + niche applications. In addition, RealAudio provides a "Voice mode" + optimized for understandable speech transmission over a 14.4kB line. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 38] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Unfortunately the quality of _RealAudio_ leaves much to be desired. + In particular, the sample rate in Music Mode is only 8Khz (as + compared to CD quality 44.1 Khz), meaning that all high frequencies + above 4khz are simply missing. The resulting audio is still pleasing + to listen to, but sounds very dull and dark. + + More information about RealAudio can be found at www.RealAudio.com. + + Clearly Digital Audio is the way of the future, but until more + bandwidth is available to the average person, it may not be the way + of the present. Fortunately, at least in the area of music, there is + an interesting alternative. + + MIDI (the Musical Instrument Digital Interface), as developed for + electronic musical instruments (keyboards, samplers, drum machines, + etc.) works well for certain kinds of music over the net. It + involves sending no sound sources at all, just the description of the + music -- kind of like the score, without the instruments. If the + receiver has the right instruments on their computer (such as the + sounds defined in the General Midi soundset found on many + soundcards), they can play back the musical score. + + The big disadvantage to using MIDI is that other than the limited + selection of sounds in the General Midi set, it is extremely + difficult to make sure the music sounds more than approximately like + the original. And there is no way to handle non-MIDI instruments + such as guitar or voice, so it is useless to hear the new song by + your favorite rock and roll band. + + The big advantage to MIDI is how fast it works over slow net + connections. For example, five minutes of music, fits in a mere 30k + file, and usually will not take more than a few seconds even on the + slowest of dialup connections! This makes it ideal for applications + such as networked games, or music to go along with a web page. + + There are many ways of embedding MIDI files into HTML documents, for + Internet distribution. + + Anyone who wants to add MIDI to a page can choose to use existing + public access MIDI file banks, of which there are many, or to produce + new MIDI themselves. + + Crescendo is one package available for embedding MIDI files in HTML + http://www.liveupdate.com Crescendo works for both Macintosh and + Windows. + + Helpful Links: Publicly Available Audio and Music Applications + http://reality.sgi.com/employees/cook/audio.apps/public.html + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 39] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Music of J.S. Bach for keyboard + ftp://ftp.cs.ruu.nl/pub/MIDI/SONGS/CLASSICAL/BACH/HARPSICHORD/ + + RISM (repertoire of manuscript sources), plus other access to online + scholarly music resources. http://rism.harvard.edu/RISM/ + + Crescendo is used in the web pages at http://mcentury.citi.doc.ca + along with a growing number of others. One very interesting use of + Crescendo occurs on the Music Theory Online publication, a serious + scholarly site for publishing and debating musicology and music + theory. Articles there now routinely include short musical examples, + a great sign of the future of scholarly publishing in the age of + dynamic, interactive content. + http://boethius.music.ucsb.edu/mto/issues/mto.96.2.4/ + + Formerly, debate on musical form and structure occurred in the pages + of journals, referring usually to music examples in terms of its + visual notation. This notation requires a certain degree of training + to decode, effectively restricting the potential readership to those + with this professional training. With sound examples embedded + directly in the text, at least the aural effect of the music comes + across, even to those unable to read the notation accurately. This + shift is appropriate to the newer trends in music scholarship, which + talk about music in terms of its social and cultural context, instead + of only in formal terms. + +7.6 Content Design Issues + + Know your intended audience. If you want more people to see your + work, you'll need to make it more accessible. + + Many sites are very careful about what content they will allow access + to. If you want all audiences to be able to view your work, make + sure you are careful about your content and language. + + Another content design issue is tool friendliness. Some machines + have limitations which will not allow them to see or hear what you'd + like them to. For example, older or less expensive models of + monitors may have monochrome, or one-color displays, or display only + 16 colors, or 256 colors. If you create and view images which look + fabulous with a 64,000 color display, you may want to test them using + a 16 color display to see what the effect is. Sometimes you can + modify your image slightly to get a wider audience while only having + a minor impact on the effect. + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 40] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + The following sites give you pointers on what to consider when + designing a web page that is content- rich: + + - Sun's Guide to Web Style - http://www.sun.com/styleguide/ + - Yale C/AIM Web Style Guide - http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/ + - Web Development - http://www.december.com/web/develop.html + - A Guide to Creating a Successful Web Site = + http://www.hooked.net/~larrylin/web.htm + - Bandwidth Conservation Society - http://www.infohiway.com/faster/ + This is resource for web developers with an interest in optimizing + performance. + + See Section 8 for other issues and challenges relating to content. + + Artists should post how they want their art treated on the web, and + how it may be used and post their copyright notice there. + + For example, some artists allow their work to be used freely as long + as it is not used for financial gain, and request that people contact + them for permission if they wish to use their works for a commercial + purpose. + + Artists need to be aware that when people view their works from the + web, their art is downloaded to the viewers computer as that is how + browsers work. + +7.7 Publicizing your work + + The fastest way to publicize your work on the Internet, is to have + the most popular sites link to your pages. There are many sites on + the net, such as the search sites mentioned earlier, that are + interested in listing a pointer to your site for their own purposes. + + It is also helpful to have other artists link to your site and it is + great to have other art sites link to you as well. "Art on the Net", + Art.net, offers free linking to artist sites and provides this as a + service to the artist community on the Internet. There are also + other art related sites which do this. + + It can also be helpful to put your URL on your business card. + + The Internet's origins in the Research and Education communities + played an important role in the foundation and formation of Internet + culture. This culture defined rules for network etiquette + (netiquette), and communication based on the Internet's being + relatively off-limits to commercial enterprise. + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 41] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Certain styles of marketing and advertising will therefore not be + effective on the Internet, and mass mailings or inappropriate + postings to newsgroups, will most likely do more harm to your + enterprise than good. If you intend to do marketing on the Internet, + please read the Netiquette Guidelines document RFC 1855 listed in the + Resources section. + +8. Issues and Challenges + + The Internet has many issues and challenges, among which are + security, privacy, property rights, copyrights and freedom of speech. + Security issues involve both the security of your data, as well as + your image. Viruses can be transmitted easily over the net, and + precautions should always be taken. If you choose to keep your own + information available on the net it can be the subject of vandalism + and theft. You may also find yourself being persecuted for the + information you provide as more and more people join the Internet + community and feel the need to impose their morality upon it. + + This is no different from any society. We must draw our own lines, + and our own conclusions. This section is terribly brief, and + entirely summary in nature, and is in no way intended to be + comprehensive. It is intended to warn you and advise you. If you + have real concerns about your property rights, copyrights, and/or + personal rights, please do your own research. Internet laws are in + such a state of flux that they are changing as I write this, and they + will be changing as you read it. + + At last check, however, freedom of speech was prevailing in the + United States, and so far the government has not upheld any laws + prohibiting the exhibition of anything on the Internet. Support your + local constitutional rights. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 42] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +8.1 Security Issues + + There are three major security areas of which the Internet user + should be aware; Security of content, Site security, and Security of + ownership. + + Security of Content, ensures that that which you put on the Internet + is not altered, or vandalized. Some Web Servers are inadequately + secured, allowing vandals to modify your pages on your web sites, + without your knowledge or permission. If your pages are your + business, you can imagine the problems this might cause. Your words, + art, and other work could be changed, your image tarnished. If you + cannot ensure that the content of your site cannot be corrupted, at + least check it frequently to ensure that it has not been. Keep + frequent back-ups and periodically verify that you can retrieve data + from them. + + Site security, will protect your data from viruses, worms, and sneak + piracy. Some software pirates, on the Internet, use unsuspecting + sites to run their schemes. Anonymous FTP servers which have write + permission are most vulnerable. Pirates can upload software onto + your machine using cryptic filenames you may not even see in standard + directory listings, and then publish the softwares whereabouts for + others to download. Not only will this compromise your reputation on + the Internet for responsible system administration, it may make you + liable for damages. Learn what you need to learn to secure your + system, or hire some security muscle to tighten down your site for + you. Section 11 provides some good information to get you started. + + Security of Ownership, involves copyrights and intellectual property + laws. If your work is your livelihood, having your rights + compromised could be disastrous. Section 8.4 provides an + introduction to copyrights. + + This document only intends to bring the issues to your attention, and + does not aspire to thoroughly cover these subjects. + + Please read another project of the IETF, the Site Security Handbook + (FYI 8, RFC 2196), ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2196. + + The Handbook is a guide to developing computer security policies and + procedures for sites that have systems on the Internet. The purpose + of this handbook is to provide practical guidance to administrators + trying to secure their information and services. The subjects + covered include policy content and formation, a broad range of + technical system and network security topics, and security incident + response. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 43] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Section 11 provides more information on site security. + +8.2 Viruses + + A "virus" is a program that modifies other programs by placing a copy + of itself inside them. It cannot run independently. It requires + that its host program be run to activate it. + + The damage caused by a virus may consist of the deletion of data or + programs, maybe even reformatting of the hard disk, but more subtle + damage is also possible. Some viruses may modify data or introduce + typing errors into text. Other viruses may have no intentional + effects other than replicating itself. + + Viruses can be transmitted over the Internet inside other programs, + but usually they are transmitted by floppy disk. Your best bet is to + purchase a really versatile and up-to-date virus checking program + from your local software retailer, and run it over every floppy you + plan to read, and every program you plan to run, as well as + periodically over the entire machine. + + Computer viruses are enough like organic viruses that many of the + same precautions apply. Early detection is key. Diligence will + mitigate potential damage, but frequent incremental backups are your + best strategy for recovery. + +8.3 The Standard Disclaimer + + As you have observed throughout the document, it is not common for + you to get Internet access without having a provider of that access. + Some Providers, such as universities and business, often require that + you provide a disclaimer on every page stating that your opinions are + your own, and not necessarily those of your affiliation. What + follows is a sample Standard Disclaimer: + + This information is provided as-is. No warranty as to the accuracy + is guaranteed. Opinions expressed are entirely those of myself + and/or my colleagues and cannot be taken to represent views of our + employer. If you notice something incorrect or have any comments, + feel free to mail me. + + Other examples of disclaimers can be found via the search links + listed in Appendix B. + + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 44] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +8.4 Copyrights and Intellectual Property Issues + + The arrival of the Information Age has emphasized many questions that + human society must answer. One of the most important of these is the + question of "Intellectual Property", which asks: "when and where is + it appropriate to allow people to own information?" + + Copyright, Trademark, and Patent law are some of society's responses + to earlier versions of this question. They support the idea of + ownership of ideas, or information, which can be used to assist the + creators of the information in making a living from its creation. + This is good for society. + + It is also good for society for information to flow freely. Our + technology, and even our society are built on a growing pool of + shared information. If we restrict the flow of information into that + pool, then we restrict the rate at which society grows and becomes + wiser. + + These two opposing drives have been highlighted by our newfound + ability to distill many different things down to information that can + be stored on a computer. One of the computers greatest virtues is + that once you network them together, the information they hold + becomes more fluid, more easily moved, changed or copied. This is + great for society, but may not be so great if you spent your life + creating that "information", and would like compensation. + + Because Copyright, Trademark, and Patent law were never designed for + an economy built out of information, understanding how they apply to + your information can be a tricky thing. Since these laws vary from + place to place, it is also difficult to know how to apply them to the + Internet which has no definite location. Worse yet, most of these + laws are in the process of being rewritten today, a state that will + continue for a long time because no one seems to know what to do + about it. + + With that in mind though, here is how things stand today... + +8.4.1 Copyright + + A Copyright is first established when a work is "set in media", which + extends from paper to the Internet. A work, once published in a web + page, for example, is said to be "owned" by its owner. However, + applying for, and being granted, a copyright on your work by The + Copyright Office of the Library of Congress will give your rights + more legal weight. Whether you plan to put your own works on the + Internet, or simply download the works of others, you may want to + familiarize yourself with the rights granted by "Copyright" as well + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 45] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + as The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic + Works. + + Sample Copyright Notice + + Permission is granted to transfer this document electronically + only for the purposes of viewing it on the world wide web. Subject + to fair use provisions, the right to print this document or to + make electronic copies of this document available to others is + expressly retained although direct requests will be considered. + +8.4.2 Trademark + + A Trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or the combination + of words, phrases, symbols or designs, used to identify and + distinguish the goods or services of one party from those of others. + + Trademark issues include both Trademarks which you own, and + Trademarks which are owned by others. If you own your own Trademark, + you may want to familiarize yourself with legal ways of protecting + it. Some of the pointers in Appendix B provide that information, but + we recommend retaining your own legal council. + + Trademark Infringement occurs when there is a "likelihood that + consumers will be mislead or confused as to the source or origin of + the goods or services. This is the basic test used under both common + law, and U.S. Federal Law. + + One issue regarding Trademarks on the Internet, is that of Domain + Names which resemble, or infringe upon registered Trademarks. Each + case is being handled individually, and the text of cases can be + found on many Internet sites. The short version is that if a Domain + Name is registered in good faith, "innocent registrations", the + register can often keep the name, however, if the domain name is + being used by a competitor, or to "force the trademark owner to pay a + sum of money to acquire the name", the courts will generally not + allow the register to keep the name, or profit from it. + + Trademark Dilution occurs when unauthorized use of a mark on + dissimilar products or for dissimilar services causes the mark to + cease functioning as a unique identifier, or becomes consciously or + unconsciously linked with poor quality goods or services. The + Federal Trademark Dilution Act covers these issues. If you may put + trademarks on your web page, be sure you do not infringe upon the + rights of the owner of the trademark. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 46] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + A good rule of thumb, offered by one company with concerns for their + trademark, is that, if you mean a tissue, you should say "tissue", if + you use the Kleenex(R) name, use its Registration mark "(R)". + +8.4.3 Privacy + + The concept of trademarks extends to personal names or likenesses, in + that you can infringe on their rights, including their right to + privacy. This issue has both legal and ethical implications. + + U.S law currently recognizes four types of invasions of privacy: + intrusion, appropriation of name or likeness, unreasonable publicity + and false light. In most states people have a "Right of Publicity" + which gives individuals the exclusive right to license the use of his + identity. You will want familiarize yourself with privacy law if you + want to make other peoples likeness, name, address, or others + personal information available on the Internet. + + Rights vary from state to state and country to country and many + international, and U.S. sites are provided in the Law section of + Appendix B. + +8.4.4 Seek Professional Advice + + A number of organizations exist which can be of assistance in + ascertaining the appropriate legal status, law, statute, or standing, + of your particular issue and helping you understand your rights and + responsibilities. + + One of these is The Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition, CIEC. + CIEC is a large and diverse group of Internet users, businesses, + non-profit groups, and civil liberties advocates, who share the + common goal of protecting the First Amendment and the viability of + the Internet as a means of free expression, education, and commerce. + + The CIEC homepage URL is listed and a number of sites in the U.S. and + other countries are represented in Appendix B, under the heading + "Law". + +8.5 Conducting Business over the Internet + + Since people are doing business over the Internet, they want to + ensure that their personal information, credit card number, etc. is + not used or compromised in any way. Since the Internet is a public + place, the only way to get information across it without anyone being + able to retrieve it, is to encrypt it. Encryption, is a process for + scrambling access codes to prevent illicit entry into a system. The + study and work for people creating these system is called + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 47] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + Cryptography. + + Secure HTTP (S-HTTP) provides secure communication mechanisms between + an HTTP client-server pair in order to enable spontaneous commercial + transactions for a wide range of applications. SHTTP and SHTML are + Internet-Drafts, which are "works in progress" of the Internet + Engineering Task Force WTS working group. The Resources section + provides information on retrieving Internet-Drafts. + + You should be aware that encrypted communications are illegal in some + parts of the world. You should check your local laws regarding legal + uses of encryption. + + Before you begin installing any encryption software, back up your + files and make sure your computer is not needed for any deadline + tasks in the next few minutes or hours. If you mess up the + installation or forget some password along the way, your files will + be protected from everyone, including you. + +8.6 Netiquette + + Like any community, the Internet has a code of conduct, for which the + users have created the term "Netiquette". Much of it will probably + seem like common sense, but since the Internet spans many cultures' + ideas of "common sense", its worth paying attention. Remember, when + you put something onto the Internet, you're publishing it in front of + a very large audience. + + What follows is a few short ideas to start out with. If you wish to + behave well on the Internet, you really should read: + + FYI 28 "Netiquette Guidelines", (Also RFC 1855), October 1995. + available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1855.txt + + First of all, most forums have their own guidelines posted near the + door for new arrivals. For Usenet News, for example, read + news.announce.newusers. It never hurts to keep silent until you know + your audience better. Once you join a forum, see how others behave + before making too much of an impression. Also, try not to jump to + conclusions about others. Internet media conveys attitudes and + emotions differently than face-to-face, or even telephone + communication. You are also dealing with more cultural diversity on + the Internet than you are likely familiar with. Realize that many + things have very different meanings in other cultures than they might + in yours. Try not to take things too personally. Avoid attributing + to malice what might be adequately explained by ignorance. And hope + others will do the same. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 48] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +9. Glossary + + This glossary contains a few of the words used in this document, + which were least likely to appear in any common dictionary. If there + are other words in the document which are not in your dictionary, + some other glossaries are referenced in the Resources section which + follows. + + + Boolean: adj. Of or relating to an algebraic combinatorial + system treating variables, as propositions and + computer logic elements through the operators AND, OR, + NOT, IF, THEN, and EXCEPT. + + access: n. 1. A means of approaching, passage; 2. The right to + enter or use. v. To gain access. e.g., computer + information. + + bandwidth: Technically, the difference, in Hertz (Hz), between + the highest and lowest frequencies of a transmission + channel. However, as typically used, the amount of + data that can be sent through a given communications + circuit. + + bit: n. (From "Binary digIT") 1. A single character of a + language having just two characters, as either of the + binary digits 0 or 1. 2. a unit of information + storage capacity, as of computer memory. + + bitmap: A graphic image format which consists of a list of + pixel colors, or shades of gray, and header + information describing how to map this list of pixels + back into the image. Bitmap formats are .bmp in + Windows, .pict on a Macintosh, and .anm and .btm on + Unix. + + broadcast: A special type of multicast packet which all nodes on + the network are always willing to receive. See also: + multicast, unicast. + + btw: By The Way + + byte: 8 bits + + encryption: The manipulation of a packet's data in order to + prevent any but the intended recipient from reading + that data. There are many types of data encryption, + and they are the basis of network security. + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 49] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + fyi: For Your Information + + html: HyperText Markup Language: + The language used to create hypertext documents. It + is a subset of SGML and includes the mechanisms to + establish hyperlinks to other documents. + + http: HyperText Transfer Protocol: + The protocol used by WWW to transfer HTML files. A + formal standard is still under development in the + IETF. + + hyperlink: A pointer within a hypertext document which points + (links) to another document, which may or may not also + be a hypertext document + + hypertext: A document format which contains "hyperlinks" to + other documents. + + imho: In My Humble/Honest Opinion + + interactive: Capable of acting on, or influencing each other. + + lag: The failing behind or retardation of one phenomenon + with respect to another to which it is closely + related; time delay. + + multicast: A packet with a special destination address which + multiple nodes on the network may be willing to + receive. See also: broadcast, unicast. + + multimedia: Transmission that combine media of communication (text + an graphics and sound etc.) + + netlag: time delay over the Internet. See also: lag. + + packet: The unit of data sent across a network. + + proprietary:Manufactured articles which some person or persons + have exclusive right to make and sell. [from + U.S.Statutes] + + protocol: A formal description of message formats and the rules + two computers must follow to exchange those messages. + Protocols can describe low-level details of machine- + to-machine interfaces (e.g., the order in which bits + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 50] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + and bytes are sent across a wire) or high-level + exchanges between allocation programs (e.g., the way + in which two programs transfer a file across the + Internet). + + realtime: occuring at and in the present time + + reflector: A file server whose purpose is to receive packets from + a source site and forward it to other sites. + + ttfn: ta ta for now - a colloquialism for goodbye. + + unicast: An address which only one host will recognize. See + also: broadcast, multicast. + + url: Uniform Resource Locator: + A URL is a compact string representation for a + resource available on the Internet. The syntax and + semantics for URLs are defined in RFC 1738. + + virtual: Not real, but similar in relevant ways. + +10. Resources, References, etc. + + The information in this document has been gleaned from the minds of + its authors and contributors, and from some of the following sources. + More information on the topics discussed can be found in these + sources, and in the information referenced in Appendix B. + +10.1 RFCs and Internet-Drafts + + One of the most important collections of informational documents + about the Internet are written as Requests for Comment by the + Internet Engineering Task Force, IETF. The name Request for Comment + is historical, as these documents are submitted by their authors' for + the approval of the Internet community as Internet Standards, and + valid Informational RFCs called FYIs, of which this document is one. + + Basically, if the IETF collective uses a tool or resource, they + document its use in an RFC so that there is no mystery to its + functionality, uses, designations, specifications, or purposes. + + More information on RFCs, FYIs, the IETF, and its organizations, + documents, policies and purposes can be found in the RFCs themselves, + or at http://www.ietf.org/ and http://www.isi.edu/rfc-editor/ + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 51] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + There are many way to get copies of RFCs over the Internet (see + ConneXions, Vol.6, No.1, January 1992). Most of these simply access + a directory of files where each RFC is in a file. The searching + capability is generally limited to the filename recognition features + of that system. + + The ISI RFC-INFO server is a system through which you can search for + an RFC by author, date, or keyword (all title words are automatically + keywords). + + RFC-INFO is an e-mail based service to help in locating and retrieval + of RFCs and FYIs. Users can ask for "lists" of all RFCs and FYIs + having certain attributes ("filters") such as their ID, keywords, + title, author, issuing organization, and date. Once an RFC is + uniquely identified (e.g., by its RFC number) it may also be + retrieved. + + To use the service send e-mail to RFC-INFO@ISI.EDU with your requests + in the body of the message. Feel free to put anything in the + SUBJECT, the system ignores it. This service is case independent. + Appendix C provides examples for using the RFC server. + +10.2 Internet Documents + + FYI 18 "Internet Users' Glossary", (Also RFC 1983), August 1996. + Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1983.txt + + FYI 22 "Frequently Asked Questions for Schools", (Also RFC 1941), May + 1996. Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1941.txt + + FYI 28 "Netiquette Guidelines", (Also RFC 1855), October 1995. + Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1855.txt + + FYI 29 "Catalogue of Network Training Materials", (Also RFC 2007), + October 1996. Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2007.txt + + RFC 1866 "Hypertext Markup Language - 2.0", November 1995. Available + at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1866.txt + + RFC 1942 "HTML Tables", May 1996. Available at + ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1942.txt + + RFC 2070 "Internationalization of the Hypertext Markup Language", + January 1997. Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2070.txt + + RFC 2068 "Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1", January 1997. + Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2068.txt + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 52] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + RFC 2084 "Considerations for Web Transaction Security", January 1997. + Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2084.txt + + RFC 1738 "Uniform Resource Locators", December 1994. Available at + ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1738.txt + + RFC 977 "Network News Transfer Protocol", February 1986. Available + at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc977.txt + + RFC 821 "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol", STD 10, August 1982. + Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc821.txt + + RFC 959 "The File Transfer Protocol", STD 9, October 1985. Available + at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc959.txt + + RFC 1034 "Domain Names - Concepts and Facilities", STD 13, November + 1987. Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1034.txt + + RFC 1035 "Domain Names - Implementation and Specification", STD 13, + November 1987. Available at ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1035.txt + + RFC 791 "Internet Protocol", STD 5, September 1981. Available at + ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc760.txt + +Internet Drafts + + The Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol, SHTTP. + ftp://ds.internic.net/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-wts-shttp-04.txt + +10.3 Other Sources + + The Getty Research Institute for the history of art and the + humanities is one of six independent entities of the J. Paul Getty + Trust. Its goals as a research institute are to promote innovative + scholarship in the arts and the humanities, cross traditional + academic boundaries, and provide a unique environment for research, + critical inquiry, and debate. You can contact the institute at: + + The Getty Research Institute + 401 Wilshire Blvd. + Santa Monica, CA 90401 + PHONE: (310) 458-9811, FAX: (310) 458-6661 + + The National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH) + is a broad coalition of arts, humanities and social science + organizations formed to assure the fullest possible participation of + the cultural sector in the new digitally networked environment. + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 53] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH) + 21 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036 + Tel: 202/296-5346 http://www-ninch.cni.org Fax: 202/872-0886 + +10.4 Freely Available Web Browser Software + + The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, National Center for + Supercomputing Applications, NCSA, developed the first Mosaic + Browser, and continues to maintain and update it, as well as making + it freely available over the Internet at http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/. + Hardcopy manuals and software disks and tapes can be ordered through + the NCSA Technical Resources Catalog for postage and handling charges + only. Postage and handling on all orders must be prepaid. For a + copy of the catalog, contact NCSA Orders by email at + orders@ncsa.uiuc.edu, by phone at 217-244-4130, or by U.S. mail at: + + NCSA Orders, 152 Computing Applications Building, 605 E. Springfield + Avenue, Champaign, IL 61820-5518 + +10.5 The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority + + The IANA coordinates the assignment and use of various Internet + protocol parameters, manages the Internet address space, and manages + domain names. See: http://www.iana.org/iana/ + + You should get your IP address (a 32bit number) from your + network service provider. + + Your network service provider works with a regional registry + to manage these addresses. The regional registry for the US + is the Internic, for Europe is RIPE, for the Asia and Pacific + region is the AP-NIC, and parts of the world not otherwise + covered are managed by the Internic. + + If for some reason your network service provider does not + provide you with an IP address, you can contact the your + regional registry at one of the following addresses: + + Internic <hostmaster@internic.net> + RIPE <ncc@ripe.net> + AP-NIC <admin@apnic.net> + + Please do contact your network service provider first, though. The + regional registry will want to know all the gory details about why + that didn't work out before they allocate you an address directly. + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 54] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +11. Security Considerations + + There are a wide variety of ways in which systems can be violated, + some intentional, some accidental. Of the intentional attacks, a + portion may be exploratory, others simply abusive of your resources + (using up your CPU time) but many are actively malicious. No system + is 100% safe, but there are steps you can take to protect against + misconfigured devices spraying packets, casual intruders, and a + variety of focused assaults. + + Your best defense is to educate yourself on the subject of security. + There are places on the net devoted to teaching users about security + - most prominently, the CERT Coordination Center located at the + Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon university. You + can point your web browser (or direct your ftp connection) to + ftp://info.cert.org/pub/cert_faq to start. This is a frequently + asked questions guide and general overview on CERT. It includes a + bibliography of suggested reading and a variety of sources to find + more information. + + Next, you should probably read + + ftp://info.cert.org/pub/tech_tips/security_info + + which contains a (primarily based on the UNIX operating system) + checklist to help you determine whether your site has suffered a + security breach. You can use it to guide you through handling a + specific incident if you think your system has been compromised or + you can use it as a list of common vulnerabilities. CERT also + maintains a wide variety of bulletins, software patches, and tools to + help you keep up to date and secure. + + Before you are even online, you should consider some basic steps: + +11.1 Formulate a security policy. + + It should include policies regarding physical access procedures, + security incident response, online privileges and back-up media. Put + a message at the login to establish your policy clearly. + + An example: + + "This system is for the use of authorized users only. It may be + monitored in the course of routine operation to detect unauthorized + use. Evidence of unauthorized use or criminal activity may result in + legal prosecution." + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 55] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +11.1.1. Talk to your Internet Service Provider. + + Depending upon your provider and router management situation, there + are a number of things your ISP should be able to do for you to make + your site more secure. Foremost, packet filtering on the router that + connects you to the Internet. You will want to consider IP filters + to allow specific types of traffic (web, ftp, mail, etc.) to certain + machines (the mailhost, the web server, etc.) and no others. Other + filters can block certain types of IP spoofing where the intruder + masks his or her identity using an IP address from inside your + network to defeat your filters. Discuss your concerns and questions + with your provider - the company may have standards or tools they can + recommend. + +11.1.2. Make sure your systems are up to date. + + A significant number of incidents happen because older versions of + software have well-known weaknesses that can be exploited from almost + anywhere on the Internet. CERT provides a depository for software + patches designed by concerned net.citizens, CERT's engineers, and by + the vendors themselves. + +11.1.3. Use the tools available. + + Consider recording MD5 checksums on read-only media (the MD5-digest + algorithm determines an electronic "fingerprint" for files to + indicate their uniqueness -comparing more recent checksums to older + ones can alert you to changes in important system files), installing + tripwire on your systems (notes size and MD5 checksum changes, among + other sanity checks), and periodically testing the integrity of your + machines with programs an intruder might use, like SATAN and crack. + [Details on MD5 are contained in RFC 1321.] + + Most files and fixes go through the basics before leaving you to + figure things out on your own, but security can be a complicated + issue, both technically and morally. When good security is + implemented, no one really notices. Unfortunately, no one notices + when it's not taken care of either. That is until the system + crashes, your data gets corrupted, or you get a phone call from an + irate company whose site was cracked from your machines. It doesn't + matter if you carry only public information. It doesn't matter if + you think you're too small or unimportant to be noticed. No one is + too small or too big, no site is immune. Take precautions and be + prepared. + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 56] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +12. Acknowledgments + + The following people are being acknowledged for their contributions + to this document. + + Joseph Aiuto + Sepideh Boroumand + Michael Century + Kelly Cooper + Lile Elam + Sally Hambridge + Dan Harrington + Julie Jensen + Scott Stoner + + Thank you all for your help. + +13. Authors' Addresses + + Janet Max + Rainfarm + + EMail: jlm@rainfarm.com + + + Walter Stickle + Rainfarm + EMail: wls@rainfarm.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 57] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + +Appendix A. Internet Projects of Interest to the Arts and Humanities + Communities + + The commonplace insight about the web as a new distribution channel + for cultural products is that it effaces the traditional border + between producer and consumer. Publishers exploit two-way + interactivity by re-designing the editorial mix to include reader + response. What follows are some examples of the way creative artists + attempt to design structures flexible enough for significant viewer + input. + + RENGA (http://renga.ntticc.or.jp) - An inspired transposition of a + traditional collaborative writing practice into the realm of + digital media supported by the NTT InterCommunication Centre in + Tokyo. Renga means linked-image or linked-poem, and draws on the + Japanese tradition of collaboration which effaces the unique + notion of original author. + + PING (http://www.artcom.de/ping/mapper) - by Art+Com, a Berlin + based media centre and thinktank. Art+Com is a leader in + producing high-end net visualization projects. Ping lets the + browser add a link, which then becomes a part of the ongoing + visual structure. It is similar, in this sense, to the Toronto + Centre for Landscape Architecture's OASIS site. + + Art+Com's T-Vision project (http://www.artcom.de/projects/terra) + which uses satellites and networked VR computers to permit an + astonishing fly-in to earth from space: acclaimed as one of the + most imaginative realizations of the potential of networked + computing. + + OASIS(Image)INTERNET-DRAFT Toronto Centre for Landscape + Architecture's OASIS site requires a specialized browser, but from + a standard Netscape connection, you can view stills that give a + sense of the beautiful images produced by the collaborative + "design process". It is introduced by its designers as follows: + + Oasis is a shared 3-Dimensional navigational environment for the + world wide web. This virtual landscape allows one to bury their + own information links throughout the terrain or to discover and + connect to new information left by others. + + TechnoSphere (http://www.lond-inst.ac.uk/TechnoSphere/) + Is TechnoSphere a Game? + Yes and no. It's an experiment on a global scale, a chance to + develop complex artificial life on digital networks. TechnoSphere + is interactive like a game, but transgresses the linear boundaries + of branching and hierarchical games narrative to enable freer + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 58] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + movement. TechnoSphere is designed to encourage a non-linear + experiential exploration. + + Body Missing (http://yorku.ca/BodyMissing/index.html) + Toronto artist Vera Frenkel created this richly evocative site on + the disappearance of art and memory as an extension of her Transit + Bar installation. It is conceived as a site open to new + 'reconstructions' of the artworks confiscated during the Third + Reich. First opened to the public as part of the ISEA95 + exhibition in Montreal, it has since earned widespread critical + comment and praise. + + Molecular Clinic 1.0 + (http://sc_web.cnds.canon.co.jp/molecular_clinic/artlab_bionet) + Molecular Clinic 1.0 ' is an art project realized through a + collaboration between ARTLAB and Seiko Mikami, and is one of the + most elaborate custom designed art projects yet created for the + Web. During their initial visit users should download the + MOLECULAR ENGINE VIEWER, which is a type of molecular laboratory + for their computer. What they will see on the web site after this + initial download is a virtual space containing a three dimensional + computer generated Spider and Monolith object. The user will be + able to navigate through and into this virtual space and can zoom + into the spider all the way to the molecular level. + + File Room (http://fileroom.aaup.uic.edu/FILEROOM.html) - + Cumulative database info on Censorship, hosted in Chicago but + conceived by Spanish artist Antoni Muntadas. + + Idea Futures (http://if.arc.ab.ca/~jamesm/IF/IF.html) - + Winner of the grand prize at the 1995 Ars Electronica competition + for Web Sites, Idea Futures is a stock market of ideas, based on + the theories of mathematical economist Robin Hanson. The 'truth' + of any claim is assigned a weight calculated by the amount of + virtual cash which members of the exchange are willing to bet. + The scheme leads might lead toward a radical democratization of + academic discourse, but just as easily, toward the trivialization + of thought. See the following for a philosophical critique of the + system. (http://merzbau.citi.doc.ca/~henry/Matrix/Erewhon.html) + + Firefly (http://www.agents-inc.com/) also a prize winner at Ars + Electronica in 1995, Firefly is an prototypical example of what + enthusiasts call a "personal music recommendation agent", which + makes suggestions for what you might like to listen to, based on a + stored profile of your own likes and dislikes, and the evolving + ratings submitted to the system by other members. Worth visiting, + if only to understand what all the fashionable hype about + 'intelligent agents' is all about; skeptics should know that even + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 59] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + the promoters of these services admit the circularity of their + systems: they're capable of reinforcing existing taste, but little + else. + +Appendix B: Some other URL's of interest + + Art + http://www.louvre.fr/ + http://www.art.net/ + http://www.artnoir.com/ + http://www.artincontext.com/ + Art Education + http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/art/art.html + Artists + http://www.yoko.com/ + http://www.thinkage.on.ca/~dmowbray/botticelli.html + Artist Memorials + http://www.cascade.net/kahlo.html + Audio Video Conferencing + http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/workshops/pedagogy/audiovideo.html + http://cu-seeme.cornell.edu/ + http://www.indstate.edu/msattler/sci-tech/comp/CU-SeeMe/ + Building Arts Audiences on the Web + http://www.artswire.org/spiderschool + Chat Forums + http://pages.wbs.net/ + http://acm.ewu.edu/homepage/wmundell/chathole.htm + Cryptography + http://www.ftech.net/~monark/crypto/index.htm + http://www.pgp.com/ + Frequently Asked Questions, pointers to lists + http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/top.html + Filtering Software + http://www.surfwatch.com/ + http://www.solidoak.com/cysitter.htm + http://www.cyberpatrol.com/ + FTP Archives + ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub + ftp://athos.rutgers.edu/pub + http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ftp/ + Gopher Sites + gopher://peg.cwis.uci.edu:7000/11/gopher.welcome/peg/GOPHERS/gov + Law + http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/10cyberspace/index.html + http://www.ciec.org/ + http://www.netlaw.com/ + http://www.law.cornell.edu/ + http://www.fplc.edu/tfield/order.htm + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 60] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + http://w3.gwis.com/~sarbar/ + http://www.eff.org/ + http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/IP/Welcome.html + http://www.yorku.ca/faculty/osgoode/uc.htm + http://www.lawsoc.org.uk/ + http://www.jurisnet.com.mx/jurisweb2.html + http://www.iupui.edu/it/copyinfo/intelect.html + http://law.house.gov/105.htm + http://www.ipcenter.com/ + http://www.intellectual-property.co.uk + http://www.blueriver.net/~wyrm/tele.html + http://www.fplc.edu/tfield/ipbasics.htm + Libraries + http://www.ipl.org/ + MUDs + http://lamar.ColoState.EDU/~mojo/kevpage/mud/ + http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/ + http://www.godlike.com/muds/ + Music Production + http://www.ebb.ele.tue.nl/midi/index.html + Musical Groups + http://www.dead.net/ + http://www.netspace.org/phish/ + News + http://www.w3.org/pub/DataSources/News/Groups/Overview.html + http://www.duke.edu/~mg/usenet/ + Other Standards Organizations + http://www.iso.ch/ + http://www.ansi.org/ + Photography + http://www.nyip.com/ + Reference + http://www.ipl.org/ref/RR/ + gopher://gopher.uiuc.edu/11/Libraries/writers + http://www.ex.ac.uk/~ftapson/dictunit.html + http://www.learn2.com/ + http://www.ipl.org/classroom/userdocs/internet/citing.html + http://www.theslot.com/contents.html + http://www.bsdi.com/date + Rembrandt + http://www.bod.net/CJackson/rembrand/rembrand.htm + http://found.cs.nyu.edu/fox/art/rembrandt/self1660.html + http://www.siam.net/rembrandt/index.html + http://www.lososos.com/Rembrandt'sCafe/ + Search Sites + http://www.yahoo.com/ + http://www.altavista.digital.com/ + http://www.lycos.com/ + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 61] + +RFC 2150 Humanities and Arts on the Internet October 1997 + + + http://www.dejanews.com/ + http://query.webcrawler.com/ + http://www.mckinley.com/ + Video Resources + http://www.mpeg.org/ + http://www.maxibyte.com/mpeg_samples.htm + http://www-plateau.cs.berkeley.edu:80/mpeg/ + ftp://sokaris.ee.upenn.edu/pub/MPEG2Tool/ + Writers + http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ + http://www.rain.org/~da5e/tom_robbins.html + +Appendix C: Examples for using the RFC server RFC-INFO@ISI.EDU + + To get started you may send a message to RFC-INFO@ISI.EDU with + requests such as in the following examples (without the explanation + between []): + + Help: Help [to get this information] + + List: FYI [list the FYI notes] + List: RFC [list RFCs with window as keyword or + in title] + keywords: window + List: FYI [list FYIs about windows] + Keywords: window + List: * [list both RFCs and FYIs about windows] + Keywords: window + List: RFC [list RFCs about ARPANET, ARPA + NETWORK, etc.] + title: ARPA*NET + List: RFC [list RFCs issued by MITRE, dated + 1989-1991] + Organization: MITRE + Dated-after: Jan-01-1989 + Dated-before: Dec-31-1991 + List: RFC [list RFCs obsoleting a given RFC] + Obsoletes: RFC0010 + List: RFC [list RFCs by authors starting with + "Bracken"] + Author: Bracken* [* is a wild card matches everything] + List: RFC [list RFCs by both Postel and Gillman] + Authors: J. Postel [note, the "filters" are ANDed] + Authors: R. Gillman + List: RFC [list RFCs by any Crocker] + Authors: Crocker + + + + + +Max & Stickle Informational [Page 62] + |