Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) is hoping a high-powered campus information system will help diversify its student body and provide innovative education. A new optical-fiber network will connect computers in dormitory rooms, faculty and staff offices, classrooms, libraries, and laboratories and be linked with local, national, and…

Continues a description of the Usenet computer network that began in the previous issue. The effective use of Usenet is discussed, including how to screen out unwanted information, the most helpful newsgroups to access, and setting up news reader software. Ideas for library outreach services via Usenet are also suggested. (LRW)

Discusses the possibilities of linking elementary and secondary schools to the INTERNET. The use of technology to improve education by gaining access to greater amounts of information is described; costs associated with joining INTERNET are considered; and possible sources of funding for joining are suggested. (LRW)

Defines information infrastructures; discusses their development; and identifies their characteristics, including the technological base and the social context, benefits, costs, governance issues, and needs for future research. Information management literature is reviewed, and the National Research and Education Network is discussed. (Contains 67…

Examines First Amendment, privacy, and intellectual property issues of communication on the Internet. Discusses developments in communications policy related to the proposed communication superhighway. Suggests ways in which communication scholars can secure fundamental legal protections necessary for full, free, and effective communication in the…

Contains student papers and abstracts of panel discussions on the following topics: (1) social impact of networked communications; (2) text authenticity issues; (3) geographic information systems; (4) the dilemma of open networks versus information accuracy and personal rights; and (5) empowering medical applications via the network. (KRN)

Provides an overview of the Internet's World-Wide Web (Web), a hypertext system. Highlights include the client/server model; Uniform Resource Locator; examples of software; Web servers versus Gopher servers; HyperText Markup Language (HTML); converting files; Common Gateway Interface; organizing Web information; and the role of librarians in…

An online system designed to help global environmental research, the electronic research system called Eco-Link draws data from various electronic sources including online catalogs and databases, CD-ROMs, electronic news sources, and electronic data subscription services to produce briefing booklets on environmental issues. It can be accessed by…

Explains light-wave communication and optical fibers. The impact of fiber optics on communication is discussed; uses of fiber optic technology in elementary, secondary, and higher education are described; and possible futures of light-wave communication are considered, including Integrated Services Digital Networks and the National Research and…

Discusses the development and impact of broadband ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) on global telecommunications and society. Issues covered include regulatory policies, ownership and control, content regulation, home access, rural versus urban access, pricing, user groups, barriers, and privacy. The need for greater public involvement is…

Describes the proposed Blacksburg Electronic Village project, a prototype community telecommunications network which delivers network services to an entire Virginia town. Possible educational, business and professional, civic, and quality of life uses are suggested. The importance of concentrating on applications and user services instead of…

Outlines the development of an independent, nonprofit online community information network. Governance, information services, Internet access, development and funding, and partnerships are discussed. Community networks as local platforms for pilot projects and their value as local coalitions are explored. Sample menus and screens are included.…

Offers a tutorial on telecommunications that covers the basic concepts, types, techniques, and protocols of data communications. Current scenarios for computer communications networks, their connectivity to global telecommunication environments, and global online retrieval services are discussed. Ten data communication networks and seven online…

Includes "Older Learners" (Tyler); "Bridging the Gap at Strathclyde University" (Hart, Bissland); "Learning Later" (Harrison); "Looking back and Looking Forward" (Carter); "Is This the End for Older Learners?" (Schuller); "Producer or Dependent?" (Cooper); "Imaginations and…

Provides an overview and comparison of the historical trends in information policy-making and recent proposals for the information infrastructure in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, and Canada. The role of the private sector, including transnational corporations, is also considered. (MES)