A group of people can share information and have a conversation by posting messages and information to a host computer which acts as a kind of clearing house. This is called a computer conference. The conference may work on-line, in which case participants can connect to the host computer to observe or participate. The conference may also work off-line. In this case, in which case, messages and information, once posted by a participant, are automatically mailed out electronically to other participants.
A computer conference may also be known as a bulletin board, a Usenet newsgroup, a forum, or an e-mail mailing list.
Computer conferences:
How do I participate in a computer conference?
If the conference is being held on-line at the host computer to which you connect, you can probably join in by selecting the conference option when you connect to the host computer. If the conference is private, you might need to ask the support staff of the host computer how to receive permission to take part. If the conference is off-line, you may need to subscribe to it by sending a subscription request to its e-mail address. Examples of subscriptions to a mailing list (DEVEL-L and ACTIV-L) are given in the section on 'Access to Information for NGOs.'
Given the costs of receiving e-mail which uses off-line systems, off-line conferences can be expensive. Accessing on-line conferences, however, involves no extra costs beyond those related to the longer time spent connected to the host computer, while browsing through the conferences.
Are mailing lists different from other computer conferences?
Yes, in part. Mailing lists are off-line versions of computer conferences. They can be subscribed to off-line by e-mail. They often focus on topics of specific interest to NGOs.
To use a mailing list, send an e-mail message to the list's address. That same message is then automatically sent as e-mail to all e-mail addresses on the mailing list. Mailing lists can be set up as public fora to which anyone can subscribe, or as private groups which can help coordinate the activities of organizations working in partnership.
Mailing lists are powerful tools for coordination and information sharing. A mailing list can be set up on any host computer (where your e-mail account is situated) if it has the appropriate software (with the approval of the network administrators). Depending on your software, a mailing list can also be run from your own computer (for instance, this is possible when using the off-line software package Pegasus Mail).
They are computerized stores of information (or libraries) which you can access through the host computer. You can sometimes also access them across computer networks, if they are not located at your local host computer. They contain structured information on specific subjects, and though they vary greatly in format, all on-line databases are designed to facilitate remote retrieval of information.
On-line databases are:
In what form is the information found in databases?
Generally, databases tend to offer two types of information: full text information (which means access to complete, and sometimes long, documents), or bibliographic information (bibliographical references, usually with an abstract and a note on the availability of the document).
What is the difference between searching databases on-line and off-line?
To access information on-line, you must remain connected by telephone line to the conference or remote database at the host computer for the entire time you are using it. As a result, on-line databases are almost always extremely expensive to access, especially from developing countries. This can be due to high access costs or fees paid to the database provider. Searching an on-line database is more convenient than off-line searching, however, when you are unsure of what you are looking for, since you can browse through information relatively quickly.
Off-line access to information is one solution to these limitations. Most of the same data sources are available off-line, in which case all information is exchanged via electronic mail. You simply send an e-mail message to a host computer, requesting information (using keywords). That information is then sent back to your computer automatically as an e-mail message. It is also possible to get information or to search a database remotely from databases stored on remote computers. In this case, the system provider may have to make arrangements with database information providers.
For users in developing countries, the off-line option may be the best way to do research, since accessing databases on-line can be very expensive. The off-line option does not require you to maintain a telephone connection while you make your requests or while the host computer finds your information. Off-line access may be a bit slower, but it is a lot cheaper. An example of accessing a remote computer's database (Ngonet) is given in the section on 'Access to Information for NGOs.'
Gopher is an Internet tool or program which offers a user-friendly way to access databases via the Internet (defined in Section III). On-line, it allows you to explore the Internet's data sources through easy-to-use visual menus. Gopher is available wherever you have full Internet access. Although on-line access to Gopher is not common in developing countries, there is an alternative: Gopher by e-mail offers a useful off-line option, providing similar, but slightly less user-friendly access to information.
Here, the Gopher is used by 'mail order.' To do this, you send a message to a computer which supports Gopher by e-mail. This computer then sends you back an 'order form.' You mark the items you want with a cross, and send the whole thing back to the same e-mail address. Shortly, the information you requested arrives as a new message in your mailbox. These services are free, and enable you to search for information on computers around the world. An example of using Gopher by e-mail is given in the section on 'Access to Information for NGOs.'
The Internet can be searched for information in similar ways. For instance, you can also retrieve information from computers using 'FTPMail.' For further details on using these kinds of services, ask your network provider.
Can I transfer useful information from a computer conference or an on-line database from the host computer to my own computer?
Yes. You can do this using a procedure known as downloading. Once you have located the on-line item you want to download, you instruct the host computer to send the item (perhaps an official document, or a useful press release) to your computer. You can also download messages from an on-line e-mail account using this technique.
There are various ways you can download from host computers. To find out how to do this, we suggest you check the instructions given to you by your service provider, as well as the instructions for your communications software.
Back to Section I: Some Practical Information on Computer Communications
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