How does the 'Net work?

On June 24th, 1994, Ms Sue Steele of the Monash University Library presented under the title How does the 'Net work? The Internet and you!. (At short notice, Sue substituted for her colleague Ms Deidre Schutz, who was unwell on that day.) In the first part of the presentation, Sue outlined some of the services which are available via the Internet. Illustrating this visually by means of computer projection from a captured display, (using PowerPoint presentation software), she painted a picture of the Internet as a world wide network of networks, with AARNet as the Australian component. Sue extolled the virtues of the network, which include

easy communication with colleagues via e-mail
electronic conferencing via `computer conferences
enhanced availability of information from databases, bulletin boards and membership of lists,
keeping abreast with current research (before available in print)
checking the holdings of specialised libraries,
ability to transfer files between sites
access to super-computing facilities, and so on.

Sue then connected live to the network, with her PC acting as a Gopher client, using the CWIS as her on-line gateway to the world. Selecting Access to Other Information Services, she demonstrated how to access and subscribe to electronic lists, and how to telnet to other sites, including those which provide hypertext links via the World Wide Web. Connecting to a machine in Colorado, USA, she called up a list of US libraries whose holdings may be searched on-line. Back `home', we looked into UseNet News to see what new books are on display in the Hargrave Library... Monash has access to about 3000 groups whose latest news is accessible by this means.

To round off her presentation, Sue connected to the experimental World Wide Web server at Monash, and showed some of the information which is accessible via the Medical Informatics server at the Monash Medical Centre at Moorabbin, once again highlighting the superior display and linkability afforded by WWW in comparison with Gopher.

For further information, please contact Ms Deidre Schutz direct.
Phone (03) 905 5292; FAX 905 2610; E-mail deidre.schutz@lib.monash.edu.au

Summaries of past presentations

HEPCIT Home Page

Monash University Home Page