Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!uunet!bionet!CSC.FI!HARPER
From: HARPER@CSC.FI ("Robert Harper  Finland", CSC)
Newsgroups: bionet.users.addresses
Subject: BITFTP, TRICKLE, BIONAUTS
Message-ID: <DCB1EE7242DF002CA7@CSC.FI>
Date: 4 Jan 91 13:11:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@genbank.bio.net
Lines: 52


   Concerning the recent discussion about BITFTP, if I remember correctly
   this topic was discussed on the Genbank list a few months ago.  To
   summarize the thread of the discussion:
 
     1) BITFTP could be used for retrieval of small files within the
        BITNET limits.
     2) It should not be used for the transfer of megabytes of data.

   At one time I thought about writing a BioBit on how to use BITFTP but I
   thought better of it since I was afraid that some one would test it out
   on GenBank to download megabytes of info. 

   One of the problems I often run up against is that subscribers to the
   BioSci lists often have small DISK QUOTAS, and if they do not regularly
   clean out their mail boxes then I begin to see bounced mail... can you 
   imagine what would happen if someone ordered megabytes of info, and did
   not have the storage space to receive it?  Don't write a cheque that
   your tail can't cash!!!

   Regarding TRICKLE in Europe. If you order binaries from a RED server
   you can choose to have them delivered either UUENCODED or UXXENCODED.
   In either case if the original binary file is LARGE then the TRICKLE
   server will split the file into small sections suitable for transport
   over BITNET. This is much the same as the way NETSERV@EMBL works.

Now about the purpose of BioNaut. Brian Foley writes: 

   That other lists would be more appropriate for discussion of general
   networking topics, and gives a list of VERY GOOD lists. But then the
   biologist has to know which LISTSERV the lists are kept at... and how
   to SUBSCRIBE, and then once the FLOOD of messages begins to come in,
   often  completely unrelated to biology... say from high volume lists
   like INFONETS... how to SIGNOFF:-) 

   Personally I could not stand the hassle of being subscribed to too many
   lists just because of the information overload. (I use ANU NEWS so I
   can be selective about what I read, and it does not put a stain on my
   personal MAILBOX.)

   So I would say that BioNauts can be used to encourage other biologists
   to experiment with networking and Biocomputing. If you have something
   to say then share it. If you have some hint or tip that makes life easy
   for you then let others into the secret. Remember all the the messages to
   BioNauts are logged at LISTSERV@IRLEARN, and this makes it a valuable
   information resource. I would rather run a search on ONE list than 
   MANY when I want to recover information about networking. Bionauts
   is for biologists who know something about networking and want to share 
   that information, or for those who want to learn what services are 
   available and how to put them to good use.

Rob "everybody should shine sometime... even if it's only shoes" Harper