BKINTCMP.RVW 930818 Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1 Jacob Way Reading, MA 01867-9984 800-527-5210 617-944-3700 5851 Guion Road Indianapolis, IN 46254 800-447-2226 "The Internet Companion", LaQuey/Ryer, 1993, U$10.95/C$13.95 internet-companion@world.std.com tracy@cs.utexas.edu tracy@mojo.ots.utexas.edu tparker@cisco.com It is difficult to know what is supposed to be "companionable" about this volume. Physically, it would be easy to carry it along with you. You probably wouldn't want to, though. This is not a guide for explorations, either. It does give one some background on the Internet, but it is not in a step-by-step fashion. (How to access the Internet is the *last* topic to be covered.) The newcomer to the Internet will more likely want to read it all (possibly at one sitting; it's small enough) and look at the network gestalt. Chapter one, entitled "Why You Should Know About the Internet", would seem to have the idea of "selling" the Internet. The text is interesting--but it is *what* you might want to know about the Internet. The "why" is mostly confined to sidebars scattered throughout the text. Unfortunately these, if believed, might cause some disappointment when newcomers actually confront the realities of the Internet. One example given is that of a medical researcher in Africa using satellite communications and the Internet to support his work. Most people in remote locations, however, are cut off from the Internet if they do not have dependable phone links: the Internet depends on the phone rather than replacing it. Another example used comes from education where students are supposed to become enthused by the information resources on the net. All too often, however, the enthusiasm is generated by commercial services which most educational budgets cannot support. Some fascinating data is out there but, as the preface states, learning the Internet requires some commitment. The second chapter purports to give you "the lowdown". Again, there is interesting background information, but most of it can be skipped by those who actually want to *use* the net. Even the section on "acceptable use" deals only with the "commercialism" policy; a policy which the authors admit is highly questionable in view of the actual traffic on the Internet. There is no attempt, at this point, to even raise the issues of ethics or etiquette. Chapter three brings up the various types of interpersonal communication, such as email, distribution lists, Usenet news and "talk". Again, there is a lot of detail here that isn't really needed, and some aspects that are left out. The organization of information follows no apparent logical progression. It would be difficult for a novice to discern between generic and system specific information: distribution lists are first discussed with "topic-request" Internet servers, and then all over again with BITNET LISTSERVs. Again, there may be some disappointments for some explorers, as when the authors state that Usenet keeps all messages, not mentioning that many sites now "expire" news after a week or less. The last part of the chapter, dealing with "Netiquette", is a great improvement. Not merely a list of rules, it tells the reader *why* a short reply might be offensive. Chapter four raises issues associated with finding information. Again, there is a lack of organization, and some confusion between generic functions, such as ftp and telnet; specific services, such as archive and WAIS; and sites such as a specific Freenet or a supercomputer centre. The listings are quite brief: most will only get you to a site. From there on, "HELP" help you. Chapter five is supposed to deal with advanced Internet topics. In fact, it is a loose amalgam of urban legends, security, Internet related organizations and other topics. The security isn't bad; even the few paragraphs on viral programs are realistic. There is a reprise on how to find someone's email address. This might have some advantages over the "Whole Internet" guide: the authors include some information not listed in Krol's work. On the other hand, I have found that the usenet-addresses server at MIT is far the most useful of all the services mentioned. Note also that they err in saying that partial names can be used with it. Whenever I give a "beginner's guide to the nets" seminar, the one invariable question is "how do I get access?" This is what chapter six tries to address, with limited success. It's a difficult question, certainly, but once again the lack of organization, and the additional trivia added in, don't make the answer any easier. It is actually answered far better in the appendix. The appendix is the one section that you might want to keep handy for reference. It's quite short, which is good, because--you guessed it--it could stand some logical order to it. Yes, there *are* topical divisions, but it is sometimes hard to figure out from their headings what you might need. This work is somewhat less technical than the UNIX biased "Whole Internet Guide". However, it goes too far in the opposite direction. The authors boast that it was finished in less than two months. It shows. Companies which are getting into the Internet in a big way might make this the introductory volume for new users: it is generally upbeat and non-threatening. However, help should be on hand when people actually start using the net. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKINTCMP.RVW 930818