Daily Digest for 94-04-28
Table of Contents
WHAT'S NEW . . .
#01-28 Apr 94 GLOSAS NEWS article on Friends and Partners
WHAT'S COMING . . .
#01-28 Apr 94 Russian "Business Week" magazine coming . . .
#02-28 Apr 94 New database of listserv postings
#03-28 Apr 94 Updated "What's New" section on F&P server
RECENT EMAIL . . .
#01-28 Apr 94 Sender: mac@maine.maine.edu (Dennis McConnell)
Subject: Business School Advisors Needed in Russia
#02-28 Apr 94 Sender: (LOTTEE@library.lib.rmit.EDU.AU)
Subject: setting for nomail
#03-28 Apr 94 From: Carl Wagner (hkcw@odin.cc.pdx.edu)
Subject: Information request
#04-28 Apr 94 From: agj@cldc.howard.edu
Subject: Information on Medical Equipment Support
APPENDIX: LISTSERV address & basic procedures
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S NEW . . .
The following article was published recently in GLOSAS NEWS. We've had a
few folks request this information and thought that others (and
particularly new subscribers) might find the information in this article of
interest so we are republishing this in today's issue of the Digest.
GLOSAS News is the electronic bulletin of the GLObal Systems Analysis and
Simulation Association in the USA (GLOSAS/USA). It is distributed free of
charge by fax and electronic mail.
***************************************************************************
WWW: "Friends and Partners"
***************************************************************************
From Russia and America comes a new information service called "Friends
and Partners" -- one of the first such information systems jointly developed
by citizens of these two nations.
Its purpose is to help facilitate the creation of a "human network"
across cultural and political boundaries by utilizing resources of the
increasingly global Internet computer network. A special emphasis is placed
on building relationships between people of the United States and people of
the former Soviet Union -- countries and cultures isolated from each other
for most of the 20th century.
This new service was 'born' with an announcement on the Internet on
Wednesday, January 19, 1994. It is only 3 months old but growing up
rather quickly. With almost 700 regular subscribers to its daily mailing list
service and over 90,000 file retrievals from people representing over 40
countries, it has become a quite active service. But it is best considered
for the moment as a very new and immature creation -- a 'framework' for an
information system with more 'heart' than substance -- but with lots of
promise.
The task at hand is to help others build upon the framework -- to create
and link together information on our nation's histories; our art, music,
literature, and religion; our educational and scientific resources; our
business and economic opportunities; our geography and natural resources, our
languages; and our opportunities for communicating, travelling, and working
together. The 'end product' should be an evolving and continually changing
information resource that will hopefully help bridge the gulf of
understanding that exists between our nations and that will provide a
common 'meeting place'.
What are the practical uses of this service? Scientists should be able
to use the service to find information about funding opportunities and
exchange programs, access various databases and library resources, and locate
potential colleagues and co-workers. Teachers and educators at all levels
should be able to find and contribute interesting and up-to-date material to
assist in their instruction -- making their courses more 'alive' and more
pertinent to real world issues. Business people should be able to learn
about the economic environments and opportunities in both countries as well
as the rules and laws pertaining to conducting business. Artists (and their
patrons) should be able to learn about, meet and work with each other.
This effort hopes to build upon the excellent work already being
accomplished by our governments and by the various groups, centers,
institutes and individuals who have been working for so many years towards
the same goal of building cooperation and friendship.
Perhaps the main difference from other efforts is the use of the World
Wide Web on the Internet as the method of communicating information. The
World Wide Web was chosen because of its ability to handle mixed media (text,
graphics, audio, and, someday soon, video), the excellent graphic and
non-graphic browsers available for free on the Internet, and its ability to
'integrate' information from all of the best Internet-based tools and
utilities -- Usenet news, Gophers, WAIS indexes, FTP archives, telnet
sessions, etc. The Friends and Partners server already makes use of some
of the multi-media capabilities -- with several graphic images and maps
available for display and at least one example of music which can be played
by computers connected to the Internet (much more digitized music will be
available soon).
The service currently consists of several primary 'sections' including:
(1) History ; (2) Geography; (3) Art and music; (4) Literature; (5) Language;
(6) Related Internet Resources; (7) Education; (8) Science; (9) Funding and
Exchange Opportunities; (10) Economics and Business; (11) Tourism and Travel;
(12) "Life" (includes health and medical issues, cuisine, etc.); (13) News
and Weather; (14) USA Demographics; (15) Russia Demographics. These sections
point to information all over the world. This 'hypertext' capability makes
it very simple for the user to access information globally but from a single,
easy-to-use environment.
While we hope that, over the coming weeks and months, all of these areas
will be developed by those with appropriate interest, there are several areas
on which we are currently focusing attention. These include: (1) development
of a computer searchable "annotated white pages" directory which will focus
on people and organizations within the Former Soviet Union and on people and
organizations elsewhere who are working or wish to work in this area. We are
hoping to work with the IREX organization on this and have just recently
received approval by the Citizen's Democracy Corps (CDC) to place their NIS
email directory on-line; (2) creation of a vast collection of information
resources dealing with business and economics -- including material to help
business-people in the FSU create and manage successful business enterprise
and to help others who wish to conduct business in the FSU; (3) further
development of a top-notch news service; (4) development of a comprehensive
base of funding opportunity information; (5) development of a medical /
health issues forum; (6) creation of a network for the exchange of research
and education information. Our primary development emphasis during the time
since the server was announced has been to collect ideas and correspond with
the many people who have offered to help with this effort. The outpouring of
support from around the world has been quite remarkable and most encouraging.
The project demonstrates the potential for good that exists with this
wonderfully chaotic, global resource we call the Internet -- which makes
possible and simple the communication of information anywhere within its vast
reach throughout our world. This information resource is at least as
significant a development as the printing press was several centures ago --
the creation of global 'virtual communities' will undoubtedly prove to be one
of the most significant events of human history.
It has been asked "why do this?". The authors had a discussion several
months ago about experiences growing up in the 1960s, about fears both had
regarding the potential both countries had to destroy each other, and about
how effectively our nations had planned and allocated resources to help
create weapons of destruction that could realistically eliminate life in our
world. Given the immensity of this effort and the success with which it was
carried out, we both agreed (perhaps naively) to help focus attention on the
enormous good our nations could do if they applied even a fraction of the
resources to more constructive work together.
We feel that creating a joint information service could be a useful aid in
furthering the often invisible but very real infrastructure which supports
cooperative and constructive endeavor.
To visit the WWW server using the Mosaic software, use the URL:
http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/friends/home.html . If you cannot use Mosaic, just
telnet to solar.rtd.utk.edu and enter 'friends' at the login: prompt (in
all lowercase and without the quotes). To join the listserv with which we
post email and notices of new developments on the server, just send a one
line e-mail message to listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu consisting of:
SUBSCRIBE FRIENDS firstname lastname
We are 'rank amateurs' -- currently unfunded, untrained in political
theory or economics. But both authors are experienced with the collection and
dissemination of information and the construction of tools to enable more
effective use of information. With the active participation and assistance
of others, we believe we can further the cooperative infrastructure that
already exists between our nations. This is our hope and our ambition for
this effort.
Natasha Bulashova, Pushchino, Russia
Email: natasha@ibpm.serpukhov.su
Greg Cole, Research Services, The University of Tennessee
211 Hoskins Library, Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: (615) 974-2908; Fax: (615) 974-6508
Email: gcole@solar.rtd.utk.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S COMING . . .
* Natasha is continuing work to make the Russian Business Week
publication available on the F&P server. Should have good news to
share regarding this important resource soon.
* New organization for listserv postings. We are currently working on a new
database of all F&P listserv postings. These will be retrievable by
keywords but also will be organized hierarchically by subject areas. We are
discovering that the listserv postings comprise a very useful set of
information that we would like to organize and make easily accessible on
the server. Thanks to Nina Petrov of the UT Knoxville Graduate School of
Library and Information Science for setting this project in motion
(and for continued ideas and help!) and to Ellee Margileth who is
currently working on gathering and organizing the material.
* We are just beginning work to update the "What's New" page on
the F&P server to incorporate all changes and new information
sources by date. We will then try to maintain this page on a
daily basis so visitors to the service can see new developments
on the server. We will try to have this completely up-to-date
by the end of next week.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL POSTINGS . . .
Please continue to send your e-mail to friends@solar.rtd.utk.edu.
**********************************************************************
Sender: mac@maine.maine.edu (Dennis McConnell)
Subject: Business School Advisors Needed in Russia
The CDC has recently announced an interesting service
opportunity for business school professors. The announcement
is presented below.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The Citizens Democracy Corps is seeking business professors
with administrative experience to assist the International
Academy of Business and Banking in Togliatti, Russia.
Togliatti is located in the Samara Oblast, approximately 450
miles east of Moscow. The Academy has requested assistance
in curriculum development and university administration.
CDC is seeking 5-10 advisors to assist the Academy this
summer. Assignments are for an 8-week period. The CDC and
the Academy will provide airfare, housing, local transporta-
tion and translation services. Advisors are responsible for
their meals.
Interested candidates should fax their resumes to Jon Fitch
at [202] 872-0923. For further information, please feel
free to contact Jon at [800] 394-1945 or [202] 872-0933.
CDC is a non-profit organization providing volunteer advi-
sors to Central and Eastern European and Russian small and
medium-sized business, and to institutions that support
business development.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
**************************************************************
* DR. DENNIS MCCONNELL * TEL: +1.207.581.1988 *
* EASTERN EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE NETWORK * FAX: +1.207.581.1956 *
* COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION * TLX: 62955628 *
* UNIVERSITY OF MAINE * *
* ORONO, MAINE 04469-5723 U.S.A. * MAC@MAINE.MAINE.EDU *
**************************************************************
**********************************************************************
Sender: (LOTTEE@library.lib.rmit.EDU.AU)
Subject: setting for nomail
I am going away on leave and I wish to set 'Friends' for nomail. But
I dont seem to be able to do so. Could you help me please
Lotte Evans
-----------
NOTE: The following message (#1) sent to listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu will
allow you to temporarily postpone your friends mail. The second
item sent to listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu allows you to resume
friends mail.
1) set friends mail postpone
2) set friends mail ack
**********************************************************************
)From: Carl Wagner (hkcw@odin.cc.pdx.edu)
Subject: Returned mail: Host unknown
Hello!
I would like to know more about your WWW server and "Friends and
Partners" which I think I have signed up for. I am a U.S. volunteer with
the Peace Corps, to be based in Alma-Ata and I am trying to learn, also,
how to get email access in that city.
Thanks,
Carl Wagner
Portland, Oregon, USA
-----------
NOTE: Information was forwarded to Carl regarding the F&P service.
**********************************************************************
)From: agj@cldc.howard.edu
Subject: Information on Medical Equipment Support
We have been working with other countries in providing help in
maintenance and repair of medical equipment. We are very much interested
in identifying biomedical/clinical engineers who have the
responsibility for maintenance and upkeep of medical equipment.
We would like to find out if they can be reached by e-mail on internet.
Mr. Alfred Jakniunas
Chief, Biomedical Engineer
Howard University Hospital
e-mail: agj@cldc.howard.edu
---------------- END FRIENDS April 28, 1994 -----------------------
APPENDIX
FRIENDS is a free service started by friends in Russia and the United
States. This Listserv is one element of that service.
To subscribe to FRIENDS (if someone has passed you a copy of this
announcement), just send an email message to:
listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu
consisting of *one line* of the following format:
SUBSCRIBE FRIENDS firstname lastname
and substitute your first and last names for 'firstname lastname'
To unsubscribe from FRIENDS, send the message UNSUBSCRIBE FRIENDS to:
listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu
To post a message to FRIENDS, send it to: friends@solar.rtd.utk.edu.
To visit the FRIENDS WWW server, use the following URL if you have
a World Wide Web browser: http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/friends/home.html
If you don't have a WWW browser, just telnet to solar.rtd.utk.edu
and enter 'friends' (in lower case and without the quotes) at the
login prompt.
For those who need it, the IP address of our computer is 128.169.112.24.
Please address any comments, questions, or suggestions to your friendly
moderators:
Natasha Bulashova, natasha@ibpm.serpukhov.su
Greg Cole, gcole@solar.rtd.utk.edu