Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!ames!indri!uflorida!novavax!twwells!comparc
From: comparc@twwells.uucp (comp.archives)
Newsgroups: comp.archives
Subject: Welcome to comp.archives
Message-ID: <1014@twwells.uucp>
Date: 5 Jun 89 08:57:21 GMT
Expires: 1 Jul 89 00:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: comparc@twwells.UUCP (comp.archives)
Organization: None, Ft. Lauderdale
Lines: 128
Approved: bill@twwells.uucp (T. William Wells)

INTRODUCTION

Comp.archives is a place to look to find out where freely
distributable and electronically available software, databases,
documents, or what have you, can be had. "Freely distributable"
means that, if you have a copy of the item, you can (at least)
make exact copies and give them away, and you don't have to tell
the owner of the item (if any) that you have done so. "Available
electronically" means, for my purposes, that it is obtainable
through a publicly accessible network. Also included may be things
which can be had by other means, so long as this does not involve
paying a fee to the distributor. This information is provided as a
free service and there is *no one* guaranteeing that any of it is
accurate or useful. Use it your own risk.

Most things relating to archives are welcome here. There are
articles from various archive sites which describe their archives,
postings describing how to use the networks for archive access,
and discussions relating to archives, archiving, and archive
access. Postings announcing availability of new programs and data
are also welcome, so long as there is at least one archive site
mentioned in the posting.


E-MAIL ADDRESSES

There are a number of addresses that you can use for e-mailing. If
you want to post an article, and your newsreader doesn't
automatically forward postings to moderated groups, you can mail
the article to:

	{ uunet | novavax } !twwells!comp-archives

If you have comp.archives related mail and don't necessarily want
it posted, send it to:

	{ uunet | novavax } !twwells!!comp-archives-request

I have been asked what the address comparc@twwells.uucp is. It is
the address from which I run comp.archives. Some of you may be
unable to use the longer addresses; if so, feel free to send to
this address. Replies to comp.archives postings which I am the
author of also get sent to this address. I will treat messages
sent to this address as if the were sent to comp-archives-request
unless you specifically ask me to post the message or ask me to
send it to the server.

I may summarize and post messages sent to comp-archives-request.
If you don't want your message posted, or don't want to have your
name posted, you must tell me so in your message.

Personal messages, not related to comp.archives, go to:

	{ uunet | novavax } !twwells!bill

Server requests go to:

	{ uunet | novavax } !twwells!!comp-archives-server

[I now have an MX record with uunet. If you are on the Internet
and your site can handle MX records, you can mail to
user@twwells.com instead of twwells!user. If you are on the
Internet and your site does not understand MX records, you can use
user%twwells.com@uunet.uu.net.]


THE COMP.ARCHIVES SERVER

I maintain a server from which you can get things relating to
comp.archives. Among the things available through it are my
database of archives, a form you can fill out and send me to get
your archive added to my database, a complete description of the
format of my archive database, and some of the software related to
comp.archives

The latest information on using the server is available by sending
a message containing:

	path path-from-me-to-you
	send help

to twwells!comp-archives-server. If you would like your archive to
be added to the archive database, you can get a form to register
it by sending:

	path path-from-me-to-you
	send sitereg

The server sends its reply to "path-from-me-to-you" and I run a
smart mailer, so you can start your path at any site which is in
the comp.mail.maps database or use the user@site form. Note: I
discard all bounce messages and invalid server requests; if you
don't get a reply, try starting your path at uunet; I'm directly
connected to them. If all else fails, you can send me e-mail at
comp-archives-request and explain your problem. Please do not send
server requests to that address unless they contain an explanation
of why the server wouldn't work for you; since that would cause me
to spend time that I don't have forwarding them to the server, I
will discard all such.


THE COMP.ARCHIVES DATABASE

An additional purpose of comp.archives is to enable people to
maintain a database on archive sites and their contents. Postings
whose subject lines start with DB: may be used for that purpose.
These articles contain specially formatted text which is intended
to be interpreted by a program and may contain additional
descriptive text. Even if you are not interested in maintaining
the database, you might be interested in the description that is
sometimes contained in these messages. I make this database
available through my mail server.

If you want a complete description of the contents of the
comp.archives database you can get it from my server. Send the
following to twwells!comp-archives-server:

	path path-from-me-to-you
	send format

---
Bill
{ uunet | novavax } !twwells!bill

send comp.archives postings to twwells!comp-archives
send comp.archives related mail to twwells!comp-archives-request