Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!uunet!wuarchive!usc!apple!genbank!kristoff From: kristoff@genbank.BIO.NET (David Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.molbio.genbank Subject: Re: Distributing GenBank over the Internet Message-ID: Date: 13 Dec 89 18:32:22 GMT References: <1989Dec7.213027.8591@phri.nyu.edu> <1364@uvm-gen.UUCP> <30.25862b68@bio.embnet.se> Organization: GenBank Online Service Lines: 57 > Distributing per demand does not nessecarily lower the network traffic. > A distribution scheeme with redistribution like NNTP will spread the database > around the world without multiple distributions through the same link as is the > case with FTP. > > Mats Sundvall, > University of Uppsala > Sweden Yes, Mats, but as you and I both know from our joint efforts the biological community is unfortunately often on the trailing edge of the information technology revolution. Here it is going on the 21st century and one still hears talk of moving into the 20th century 8-)! Too many people still have access only to BITNET capabilities and would never receive the information through the scheme that you proposed without auxiliary mailing lists. As it is, I have had queries about using the BITNET FTP servers to try and retrieve the massive GenBank files and the thought of people attempting this on a large scale resulting in massive network congestion brings tears to my eyes 8-(. When is the academic community going to wake up to the need for better computing and networking facilities for biology? In my former incarnation as BIONET manager I have spoke to heads of departments who expressed the attitude, "There is always some guy in every lab who would rather ____-around with a computer than work." (Guess I always was rather lazy 8-)!! I think that this attitude is more widespread than many would like to admit. Perhaps, to distort Max Planck's famous dictum about scientific progress, there will be hope for the next generation???!!! In my humble opinion every biology department in any self-respecting university should have a department committee on computing and networking. They should be actively investigating setting up local networks, connecting these to larger scale, high speed networks like the Internet, getting access to electronic communications capabilities particularly newsreading software (which is in the public domain), etc. I've been on this soapbox for going on four years now, and I must admit that things are starting to change. However, the goal is still a long way off and was set back somewhat with the hit taken by BIONET. Nonetheless both you and I are still smiling and forging onward 8-)! Just think of the stories we'll be able to tell our grandkids... "What grandpa??? You mean that people used to work at 1200 baud???????????" "Yes, Virginia, but let me tell you about a group that I knew who only used 300 baud!!!!!" "Clunk" (sound of fainting little body hitting the floor) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!!! -- Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson GenBank On-line Service Manager kristoff@genbank.bio.net