1. Chemistry Newsgroups and Discussion Lists

The objective of this session is to introduce students to some of the new techniques that the Internet and World Wide Web have enabled. In particular, the ability to communicate with people with similar interests and the ability to visually depict molecular structures and other chemical objects on the Web are stressed. We are in a transition state from paper to electronic. It is very important to understand that not all information found in printed materials is also on the Web, nor is all of the material on the Web available for free.

I. INTERNET LISTSERVES

• All provide a channel to discuss various issues with a potentially large group of people.
• Some unmoderated; others private, with submissions only by the listowner
• Digests: allow one message per day to be received; the single message contains all messages sent to the list the previous day
• Lurkers: subscribers who are not active participants in the discussion topics
• Spamming: sending unwanted e-mail to a group of users on a list.

B. The Original LISTSERV Program

• Program for very efficient redistribution of e-mail
• Maintains the subscriber list
• Searchable Web archives possible:
  • Listserves archived at IUPUI
  • Listserves archived at Indiana University Bloomington
• There are many chemistry-related listserv-type lists.

C. Joining a LISTSERV list.

• Best to join through the Web archive site if one is available.
• Commands can be transmitted by e-mail: one command/line
• Basic commands:
  • SUBscribe listname yourfirstname yourlastname
    For example: SUB CHMINF-L Ned Tykomka
  • SIGNOFF listname
    (Must be sent from the same e-mail address from which you subscribed.)
  • SET various options
    For example: SET CHMINF-L DIGEST
    results in one e-mail message containing everything sent to the list the previous day.
• Listserv commands are cASE inSENSiTIVe.
• For a list of commands, send the message: Get LISTSERV REFCARD to: listserv@listserv.indiana.edu or listserv@listserv.iupui.edu

• CICOURSE archives
• CHMINF-L archives

E. Other LISTSERV-type PROGRAMS

• Majordomo
• Mailbase

II. THE CHEMICAL INFORMATION SOURCES DISCUSSION LIST, CHMINF-L

• PURPOSES:
  • Forum for discussion of chemical information sources since May 1991
  • Information source for chemistry reference questions
  • Sponsored by major chemical information professional societies, 1998-

• TYPICAL TOPICS AND INQUIRIES:
  • News about existing or new sources
  • Prices and availability
  • Search hints
  • Surveys on various topics
  • Sources of chemicals
  • Reference questions

• Typical postings:
  • "The American Chemical Society and DIALOG Information Services Settle Litigation" (11/1/93)
  • "Where can I find information on polymer structure and data storage standards?"
  • "Current Contents now available on CD-ROM"
  • "ORBIT and BRS sold to Questel" (2/5/94)
  • "CAS and DIALOG Agree to Publish New Standard (9/30/94)
  • "Where can I find a reference to the Pkheidzhe and Gagnaudze Reaction?"

• HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:

  Send the e-mail message:
  SUBSCRIBE CHMINF-L yourfirstname yourlastname
  (substituting your first and last names, of course)
  to: listserv@listserv.indiana.edu

  OR

• Join or Leave CHMINF-L via the Web

III. CICOURSE

• PURPOSES:
  • Moderated, private list limited to students enrolled in C471, chemical information course instructors anywhere in the world, and by request of those instructors, their students.
  • To facilitate communication among C471 and other students
  • To provide a global teaching mechanism for chemical information

• HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO CICOURSE (restricted to C471 students):

  Send the e-mail message:
  SUSBSCRIBE CICOURSE yourfirstname yourlastname
  (substituting your first and last names, of course)
  to: listserv@listserv.indiana.edu

• Join or Leave CICOURSE via the Web

IV. USENET NEWSGROUPS

• Thousands in existence
• Distributed through network newsfeeds to computer sites (Therefore, you may have to request that a subscription be added.)
• Read by newsreader client software such as: trn, rn, nn, tin, etc. or newsreaders included with network browsers.

  OR

• Use a Web service such as Deja's Usenet Discussion Service
  http://groups.google.com/

B. MAJOR NEWSGROUPS

• comp. - computer science and similar topics examples: comp.software.testing comp.os.linux
• news. - news about Usenet itself
• rec. - recreation, hobbies, the arts examples: rec.bicycles rec.heraldry
• sci. - scientific research and applications, including many scientific, engineering, and social sciences disciplines examples: sci.chem sci.polymers
• soc. - social issues (loosely interpreted) example: soc.religion
• misc. - materials that do not fit anywhere else
• alt. - alternative ways of looking at things; discussion groups range from relatively ordinary topics to the bizarre. Not all systems carry these Newsgroups. examples: alt.cd-rom alt.feminism alt.horror
• biz. - business-related issues example: biz.jobs

Link to supplemental readings
Link to Internet resources on this topic

Return to C471 Home Page

Copyright
Gary Wiggins
24 August 1997