Subject: Book Review: "Internet: Mailing Lists" by Hardie/Neou
From: Rob Slade <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 22 May 1994 15:17:56 MDT

BKINTMLS.RVW  940217
 
Prentice Hall
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(515) 284-6751   FAX (515) 284-2607
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or
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[email-masked] - Phyllis Eve Bregman is postmaster
[email-masked] Alan Apt
Beth Mullen-Hespe [email-masked]
"Internet:  Mailing Lists", Hardie/Neou, 1994, 0-13-289661-3
 
"What are you writing?"
 
"Another book review ... "
 
"Figures.  What's it on?"
 
"The Internet."
 
"Now, there's a surprise!  I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from
*not* being ..."
 
"That's getting old."
 
"Hummph.  So this is another Internet guide?"
 
"Nope.  It's about mailing lists or distribution lists."
 
"Like in junk mail?  'You may already be a winner' type of thing?"
 
"Well, if it's an unmoderated list, junk mail comes close.  Basically
these are mail programs assigned to a certain topic.  Everyone who is
interested in a topic can join a list.  When they send a message to
the list, it goes out to everyone who is signed up.  And everyone
signed up gets a copy of all mail sent to the list.  However, since it
is on the Internet, rather than done through the postal system, it can
run fast enough to seem almost like a conversation."
 
"So these guys explain all about it?"
 
"Well, not in a lot of detail.  They give a brief idea of the concept,
and the different programs like requesters, BITNET LISTSERVs, mail
servers and MAILBASE.  They even mention Usenet, which does the same
type of thing in a different way, even though it isn't really covered.
They don't give a lot of detail, but you can always get help from
these systems, anyway.  One of the big irritations in mailing lists is
people who send administrative messages, like when they want to join
or quit, to the list itself, rather than the controlling program.
They don't belabour the fact, but they do mention it.  Twice."
 
"So this is a short book?"
 
"Almost 600 pages."
 
"?"
 
"Most of the book is a listing of a number of mailing lists.  You can
get similar lists on the net, but this includes lists from a number of
sources, as well as more detail than you might get from a simple
listing.  They also have probably done some editing to get rid of some
deadwood.  More than deadwood, actually.  NETTRAIN doesn't make it."
 
"So you could get all this free?  Why buy the book?"
 
"Oh, you could get all the info, and more up to date stuff as well.
But you'd have to grab yourself three or four huge files.  Even then,
you wouldn't have all the info that is listed here.  You'd also have
to check it out different ways, search all the synonyms for what you
want, and that sort of thing.  If you are just a hobby user, maybe you
don't want this, but if you are serious about the Internet, then you
probably do.  If you are acting as an Internet resource or trainer you
*definitely* want this book."
 
"Good index, then?"
 
"Not perfect.  If you want to find the DOROTHYL mystery writing list,
it isn't listed under mystery, writing, fiction, or even Sayers.  BEN,
which deals with botany and ecology of the Pacific coast isn't listed
under either botany or ecology.  The index could certainly use some
work, but it's a start."
 
"Hmmm.  Sounds interesting.  Can I borrow it?"
 
"No."
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994   BKINTMLS.RVW  940217. Distribution 
permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.

DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [email-masked], [email-masked], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '95, Toronto, ON, February 13-17, 1995, contact: [email-masked]

      ----   A reply from a Digest reader about this review ----

From: [email-masked] (Nick Sayer)
Subject: Re: Book Review: "Internet: Mailing Lists" by Hardie/Neou
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
Date: 31 May 1994 18:02:40 UTC

Rob Slade <[email-masked]> writes:

> "Most of the book is a listing of a number of mailing lists.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

It's bad enough that electronic sources for lists of mailing lists are
so out of date. Now we have it all carved in stone so that generations
of newbies yet to come will send mail to obsolete addresses that died
eons ago.

I don't suppose the authors asked before they put lists in their book.
I don't suppose they _even_ _checked_ _up_ to see if the list was
still alive. Will someone who has the book please look and see if
[email-masked]' or [email-masked]' is in there and please
put a contract out on the author(s) if so?

> You can get similar lists on the net, but this includes lists from a
> number of sources, as well as more detail than you might get from a
> simple listing.  They also have probably done some editing to get rid
> of some deadwood.  More than deadwood, actually.  NETTRAIN doesn't
> make it."

> "So you could get all this free?  Why buy the book?"

> "Oh, you could get all the info, and more up to date stuff as well.

That's the understatement of the year. I bet the rough draft was
obsolete before it even got to the editor's.

> But you'd have to grab yourself three or four huge files.  Even then,
> you wouldn't have all the info that is listed here.  You'd also have
> to check it out different ways, search all the synonyms for what you
> want, and that sort of thing.  If you are just a hobby user, maybe you
> don't want this, but if you are serious about the Internet, then you
> probably do.  If you are acting as an Internet resource or trainer you
> *definitely* want this book."

NOT! They really want us to believe that a book is easier to search
than a file? Barnum was right.

Nick Sayer <[email-masked]>    N6QQQ @ N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM   
+1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'   PGP 2.2 key and geek code via finger