%%%---BEGIN---Part 1 of 2---MaasInfo.TopIndex
MaasInfo.TopIndex = Toplevel index to all major InterNet indexes,
nicknamed "the Index of Indexes", copyright 1993 by Robert Elton Maas,
all rights reserved. From previous beta-reader Version 0.19
(1993.Apr.01) this is Version 0.20 (1993.Apr.02), containing pointers
to approximately 80 machine-readable internet-accessible online
indexes.


%% Change history (only recent or major/significant changes included here)

% Changes from version 0.19 to 0.20

I sent each entry by e-mail to the corresponding author (except where
the author wasn't known) for proofreading, got back a lot of
corrections, folded most of them into this document, but there are
still lots of loose ends that will need fixups later.

% Changes from version 0.18 to 0.19

Some minor changes and author's new e-mail address rem@BTR.Com. Since I
now have genuine Usenet access for the first time in my life, I might
start including more Usenet information-pointers here and in
MaasInfo.DocIndex even if the files pointed-at are accessible ONLY via
archives of Netnews (or via e-mail from the author), not via FTP or
fileserver. ... Now lots of new information included and updated.

% Changes from version 0.17 to 0.18 (interim version never posted)

Slight changes in locations where this file can be gotten by anonymous
FTP. Marked which interest-group databases can now be searched remotely
via e-mail rather than having to copy the whole file and search
locally.

% Changes from version 0.16 to 0.17

Moved TopNode and other toplevel meta-indexes to special section.
Removed pointer to a list of Macintosh-specific FTP sites as being not
of general enough interest for this toplevel index. Cleaned up
shareware and introductory sections a little. Included additional FTP
sites for UseNet FAQ files.

% Changes from version 0.15 to 0.16

Started including indexes of local collections that are heavy in
documents about how to use the network. Also some general cleanup.


%% Copyright notice and "trivial shareware" policy

Although the information that was assimilated into this index is mostly
public domain, and a few segments of description were copied verbatim
or with slight edit from other online indexes or from how-to documents
themselves, this particular collection selection and organization of
the information, as well as most of the descriptive wording, is
original work by Robert Elton Maas. Accordingly this document is
Copyright 1991 & 1992 & 1993 by Robert Elton Maas, all rights reserved.
Any commercial resale requires prior approval from the author.

This file is distributed for personal (non-resale) use as "trivial
shareware". You may obtain this index of indexes for free and examine
it for as long as you want. If it is worth more than a dollar to you,
you should contact the author to arrange payment by giving the author
some other information of comparable value the author wants, unless you
have already provided such information or have compiled one of the
major indexes listed here or written of the major documents listed in
MaasInfo.DocIndex or have been maintaining one of the major network
services listed directly or indirectly in the MaasInfo files or if you
have been maintaining an archive site where these files are posted for
anonymous access. Your "payment" to the author or major contribution to
the InterNet public also entitles you to obtain newer versions from an
anonymous FTP site or BitNet server and to use those newer versions
yourself (not for resale) without further "payment".

Additional ways to "pay" the author are to answer some of the questions
in MaasInfo.SQWA (Specific Questions Waiting for Answers), or to submit
to this author an index of worthwhile information you have for barter
(don't send the information itself initially, just the index) that I
don't already have, and let me pick some information I'd be interested
in receiving as your shareware payment.

But the very best way to pay me for all this work I've done is to help
me find employment. As of this date (1993.Apr.02) I've been unemployed
a year and a half and am deep in debt and going deeper each month to
pay the rent. I have two little children (ages 3.0 and 1.2) who would
be in terrible hardship if I remained unemployed until my credit ran
out and then couldn't pay the rent and we all had to live in the
streets. So please anyone with money to hire me, or who knows somebody
in the SF Bay Area who might hire me, won't you help us before it's too
late?

The author can be contacted on the voice telephone: 415-969-2958
and via e-mail: rem@BTR.Com


%% What you need to know before you can make much use of MaasInfo files

It is assumed that you know how to send and receive electronic mail,
including saving a message into a disk file and downloading that disk
file to your personal computer if you have one. It is also assumed you
know how to run the FTP program if you are on InterNet, or have a
friend to do it for you and put the file(s) on a diskette for you if
you are not on InterNet. If you want to contact online services such as
NIC's WHOIS, the 'Archie' file-finder, and various online public-access
catalogs for libraries, you'll need to be on InterNet with TCP/IP
TELNET capability, and you'll need to know how to use TELNET from your
system. In summary, you should have general knowledge of these three
major classes of programs, and also you should know the particularities
of the versions of these programs on your particular host. If you don't
yet know how to run those programs from your account, have somebody
help you to get MaasInfo.DocIndex and to then get some of the
introductory tutorials about how to use these programs.

After each description (usually of some lower-level index) I try to
provide access information (how to get a copy of the file).
- If you see a line starting with "To:" what follows is an e-mail
address, and following indented lines are what you send to that address
(but not indented when you send them). E-mail can be sent from all the
networks (InterNet BitNet UseNet; FidoNet CompuServe etc.).
- If you see a line starting with "ftp", what follows is the name and
internet number of the host you must connect to using the FTP program.
Then on the same line or a following indented line is the directory or
Unix path and the name of the file. The syntax is always given in Unix
format, that is directoryname/subdirectorynames/filename. Most FTP
programs operate with that syntax, but your program at your site may
vary. You may find it necessary to use one or more explicit cd (i.e.
Change Directory) command(s) then specify the filename as a separate
command, rather than specifying the full path and filename within a
single command. Be aware that some directory names (such as on
nic.ddn.mil) actually contain a colon within the directory name. You
must include that colon where shown here. Note that most FTP sites are
Unix which are case sensitive. To avoid possible problems, always type
the directory name(s) and filename in the same case as given here.
Live (interactive) FTP is available only on InterNet, but can be used
indirectly from the other nets via FTP-mail servers.
- If you see a line starting with "telnet", what follows is the name
and internet number of the host you must connect to using the TELNET or
TN3270 program (which one depends on complicated matters I can't
discuss here, try TELNET first). Following lines (indented) contain
exactly what you must type to get started (don't indent when typing
them). Mostly TELNET is used to connect to online servers rather than
to obtain files, so most of these are in MaasInfo.HowNet rather than
here. TELNET is available on InterNet only.
- "ftp" and "telnet" lines include the Internet number in parentheses
after the domain-style name, but these numbers change much more
frequently than the name, so you should use them with caution.

Note on electronic mail (e-mail) addresses in this document: Any
address with an atsign followed by words separated by periods, such as
REM@Suwatson.Stanford.Edu, are InterNet domain-style addresses which
can be used from most places, perhaps with slight modification.
Any address with atsign followed by a single word, such as
REM@SUWATSON, are BitNet addresses which can be used only on BitNet.
Outsiders wishing to e-mail to a BitNet address must indirect their
mail via some BitNet/InterNet gateway. For example, to mail to the
BitNet address REM@SUWATSON, try REM%SUWATSON@Forsythe.Stanford.Edu.
From some hosts you can simply append .BITNET, for example:
REM@SUWATSON.BITNET.
Any address consisting only of words separated by exclamation marks,
possibly preceded by three dots, such as ...!uunet!lgnp1!phil, are
UseNet paths and probably need to be modified to work from your
particular location. Get the Inter-Network Mail Guide if you need help
sending e-mail from where you are to some address you see here.

When connecting via anonymous FTP, the remote system will request a login
account and then a password. The official convention is that the login
account is ANONYMOUS and the password can be anything at all. But most
systems now require the password to be your true InterNet mailbox. Some
systems even check that you are calling from the same place you claimed
in your password, and refuse to give you service if the host name you
give is different from the host name your host identifies itself to be.
There's a new convention for anonymous FTP access sweeping the net,
namely that the login account is FTP instead of ANONYMOUS. The rest is
all the same. Some hosts will let you use either account, while some will
insist on one or the other only. I haven't bothered to include in this
index the fact of which convention is used at each site, so you should
try both and see which works with a particular FTP site (for the second
attempt if the first failed, use the QUIT command to disconnect, then
reconnect; or issue the LOGIN command without disconnecting). At least
one FTP host requires the password be GUEST instead of your e-mail
address, but it tells you in the initial banner so you should read that
banner before proceeding to send the password.

When requesting files from a BitNet server, sometimes you will get a
nasty-sounding message back saying that server isn't the one closest to
you, or isn't the one assigned to your country. You should jot down the
name it suggests as the one closer to you, and use it in all future
requests to the same class of server (NETSERV, LISTSERV, FILESERV etc.).
Before requesting a large file from any BitNet server, it might be a good
idea to first send a HELP query. That sends you back documentation for
the current software on that server (in case you get stuck) and also
tells you if you're using some inappropriate server. BitNet users not in
North America should be especially careful not to request a large file
from a North America server unless there is no other way to get it. If
you discover BitNet servers in different continents from any that I have
listed here, that have the same files listed here, please tell me which
files you found on which server so that I can include that information in
a later version of this index.

BitNet users may sometimes prefer to send their requests via RSCS instead
of via SMTP (e-mail). For example, if you see an entry that says:
To: NETSERV@BITNIC
 GET BITNET USERHELP
if you are on VM/CMS you can: TELL NETSERV AT BITNIC GET BITNET USERHELP
on VAX\VMS you can: SEND NETSERV@BITNIC "GET BITNET USERHELP"

This file contains pointers to indexes&lists only, not to tutorial
documents (those pointers can be found in MaasInfo.DocIndex and some of
the bibliographies listed here; in addition, some special services not
documented anywhere else are briefly introduced in MaasInfo.HowNet).
Beware, the filenames at the start of each entry might not exactly
match the online filenames, for various reasons not worth mentionning.

Note that I include only files available by InterNet FTP or e-mail
daemon, not files available only within UseNet newsgroups nor files
available only on special information retrieval systems such as WAIS or
dialup bulletin boards. Also I generally restrict my coverage to plain
text (ASCII) files, not specially formatted such as TeX or PostScript
or word-processors. All this applies also to MaasInfo.DocIndex.

One major item of how-to documentation that really should be in this
toplevel index is preliminary instructions for accessing BitNet
listservers and fileservers: The general convention is to send a
one-line e-mail message (with no Subject: line), containing the word
'HELP' (no quotes), to the listserver at the host if you are on BitNet,
for example LISTSERV@SLACVM, or if an InterNet address is listed, such
as listserv@bitnic.educom.edu, or via some known InterNet/BitNet
mailbridge if you are not on BitNet, for example
LISTSERV%SLACVM@Forsythe.Stanford.Edu. For example, if this index
mentions NETSERV@BITNIC in some other context, you can assume that
sending HELP to that address will result in your receiving introductory
documentation for the NETSERV service on host BITNIC, which may be
useful for exploring other files and services available on this same
server and other similar NETSERVs on other hosts.

I use the convention that major sections start with double-percent, and
sub-sections start with single-percent. This means that in XEDIT on
VM/CMS you can get an outline by saying ALL/%%/, and in virtually any
text editor you can skip from one major section to the next by
repeatedly searching for the string '%%'. Each description of a single
document is terminated by a single blank line, and each section by a
second blank line.


%% InterNet Resource Guide

The InterNet Resource Guide was the official attempt at a toplevel
index to the InterNet, but is so grossly deficient as to be unworthy of
the title. But it does contain some references to obscure network
resources that I haven't seen listed anywhere else. I will summarize
the chapters here and describe the ways it can be accessed if you
really want to look at some parts of it.

Chapter 1: Computational Resources -- Mostly these are special-purpose
supercomputers. If you need such computational facilities, this is the
place to find out about them them. Otherwise this chapter is of no value
to you.

Chapter 2: Library Catalogs -- This is a list of online public-access
library catalogs (replacements for card catalogs) which happen to be
accessible directly from the InterNet. Only 21 such catalogs are
described here. You would do better to look at INTERNET.LIBS and
LIBRARIES.TXT (described later in this index) each of which contains a
larger listing and is updated frequently.

Chapter 3: Archives -- This is a list of some of the anonymous-FTP
archives on the InterNet. Unfortunately it deliberately omits all the
archives related directly to any InterNet BitNet or UseNet interest group
(any direct-mail distribution, digest, conference or newsgroup), covering
instead only those few obscure archives that are not only stand-alone but
which also have some exceptional kind or size of archives. Accordingly
this chapter is quite small. Consider it only as a supplement to the
vastly larger amount of information obtainable in regard to UseNet
newsgroups (see USENET.PERIODIC which indexes the files in the
PIT-MANAGER.MIT.EDU archive) BitNet (check out the list of BitNet LISTs
and query relevant LISTSERV to get more info, and check out the other
BitNet servers) and InterNet (check out the List of Lists = INTEREST
GROUPS and query relevant -REQUEST addresses to find out about archives
if not explicitly mentionned in INTEREST GROUPS), and also check out the
Archie file-finder service (see MaasInfo.DocIndex for pointers to info).

Chapter 4: White Pages -- This is a list of three special-locality
online address books (for NASA Ames Research Center, DDN Network
Information Center WHOIS Service, and CREN/CSNET User Name Server
``ns''), plus an ongoing NYSERNet/PSI project to provide an
InterNet-wide white-pages (but that project hasn't gotten anything of
value yet), plus a "Knowbot Information Service" which is supposed to
automatically interface you to the other services. Unless you need to
know specially about people who work for NASA Ames, or you need to use
the CREN/CSNET User Name Server, you don't need this chapter. See also
the White Pages server, introduced in MaasInfo.HowNet.

Chapter 5: Networks -- Describes in general the many networks connected
to InterNet by TCP/IP or by SMTP mail bridges. It's pretty good for
understanding all the nets, but if you just want to send e-mail between
nets the Inter-Network Mail Guide is more direct and useful.

Chapter 6: Network Information Centers -- This tells you about the various
Network Information Centers on the various networks. Each has special
information capabilities particular to its net. If you want to know where
the official information sources for a particular network are, this is
the place to start. In particular, power@stan.mit.edu recommends the
NSI-DECnet node database, documented in Section 5.

Chapter M: Miscellaneous -- This has brief information about each of
these services: Linotype Postscript Typesetter, Department of Energy
Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC), Geographic Name Server,
MOSIS Chip Fabrication Server, Nest - A Network Simulation Testbed,
PROPHET, Computer Network Broker for Standard Electronic Parts, Vax Book.
I don't think I'll ever want to use any of those services, except
possibly the Geographic Name Server which is supposed to be able to give
latitude and longitude of nearly any city I can name.

Access to this document as a whole is quite difficult in my opinion.
The document is broken into chapters (as given above) and the chapters
are broken into sections (one for each resource described). Each
section of each chapter is a separate file, a rather tiny file by
current-day standards, about a page or less of text except in a few
cases that extend to a second page, and at most of the sites where
these can be found each file is compressed using Unix's
compress/decompress utility. Thus you can't get these files at all from
most sites unless you are logged into a Unix machine and set your FTP
program in binary mode. You can get a whole chapter in one tar.Z file,
but then when you uncompress and untar it you find each section is a
separate file again, and the table of contents of each chapter has
exactly the same name as the table of contents of any other chapter, so
really you have to put each tar.Z file in a separate directory before
untarring them to avoid losing all but one of the tables of contents.

But if you are on a Unix system, and really want some of the chapters:
ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)
 login: anonymous
 (May need hyphen as first character of password to avoid ABEND)
 cd info/resource-guide
 get toc.txt (master table of contents, plain ASCII text file)
 get chapter*-txt.tar.Z (compressed tar for one chapter, *=1,2,3,4,5,6,M)

Now back in your Unix shell, as I said, put each of those files in a
separate directory, one per chapter, then in each such directory:
uncompress chapter*-txt.tar.Z (yields chapter*-txt.tar)
tar xvf chapter*-txt.tar (prints name of each section-file as it is
  unarchived, which goes as fast as your modem will run since the sections
  are so very tiny).
You now have intro.txt (the table of contents for the particular chapter)
plus a bunch of individual section files in each Unix directory.

It's also available, each section a separate file:
ftp nnsc.nsf.net (192.31.103.6, 128.89.1.178) resource-guide/Chapter*/**
ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)
 login: anonymous
 (May need hyphen as first character of password to avoid ABEND)
   info/resource-guide/chapter.*/section*-*.txt
ftp ftp.jvnc.net (aka jvnc.net nisc.jvnc.net) (128.121.50.7)
      pub/resource-guide/chapter.1 ... chapter.m/section1-1.txt ...

It's also available, each section a separate file, via e-mail. To
receive the help file with instructions for using the Info-Server and a
list of the Guide's sections and chapters:
To: info-server@nnsc.nsf.net
 Request: resource-guide
 Topic:   resource-guide-help
 Request: end

The text of the Internet Resource Guide is now available in two parts
totaling 440K. Unfortunately these files contain embedded TAB and
FORMFEED characters which appear as semicolon and doublequotes
respectively when displayed on VM/CMS instead of their intended functions
of indentation and pagination. Because the two files total more than 256k
so you have to wait 24 hours after ordering one part before you can order
the other part.
To: LISTSERV@WUVMD
 GET IRG1 DOC
 GET IRG2 DOC

Also it's available as ONE single file totalling 500k, but contains
backspace (control-H) characters to accomplish overstriking on
printers, which screws up viewing online such as with a text editor:
ftp ftp.sura.net pub/nic/wholeguide.txt

It's also available as a HyperCard 2 stack (won't run in HyperCard
1.x.x and can't be converted to run), which requires Macintosh system
6.0.5 or higher. Also needs these fonts: Palatino (18 14 12 10),
Helvetica (14 12), Courier (12). Note, since I don't run HyperCard 2 on
my machine, I haven't been able to verify whether this stack works at
all, much less whether it's any good, caveat emptor.
ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) /mirrors2/info-mac/Old/card/
  internet-tour-40.hqx (655k)
ftp plaza.aarnet.edu.au (139.130.4.6) /micros/mac/info-mac/card/
  internet-tour-40.hqx (655k)
ftp tupac-amaru.informatik.rwth-aachen.de (137.226.112.31)
  /pub/rz.archiv/simtel/info-mac/card/internet-tour-40.hqx (655k)
ftp nnsc.nsf.net (128.89.1.178) internet-tour/
  Internet-Tour-README (8k)
  Internet-Tour4.0.2.sit.hqx (629k)


%% Other toplevel meta-indexes/lists

I don't know any other document that so completely points to all the
major indexes as this (MaasInfo.TopIndex) does, but there are some
other attempts in addition to the InterNet Resource Guide that might be
worth perusing:

TopNode (9k) -- Somewhat similar in purpose to this TopIndex, and to
the InterNet Resource Guide; in this case nicknamed the "Catalog of
catalogs". TopNode points to some indexes and to the InterNet Resource
Guide, but has additional references to printed (published) documents
describing InterNet, to online database search software and info-finder
services, and to other network resources. On the other hand TopNode
contains very little actual information about how to obtain the various
indexes and other documents and services it mentions. It's a little bit
too diverse for me to outline&evaluate it like I did for the Internet
Resource Guide. By the Coalition for Networked Information, not yet
available by anonymous FTP or other automatic means, contact George
Brett <ghb@ecsvax> for more info about when it might be released.
Update: The authors said 1991.Aug they are fleshing it out now, so
it'll be more than just an outline by the end of that month, but as far
as I know it's still not fleshed out or posted as of 1992.Feb.27.

The AARNet Resource Guide (Australian local version of Internet Resource
Guide) -- Info from Steven.Bittinger@cc.utas.edu.au
ftp aarnet.edu.au (139.130.204.4) pub/resource-guide/
      resource_guide_archives.txt <44k (mostly shadows of internat.arch.)
      resource_guide_compresources.txt <16k
      resource_guide_directories.txt <8k (WHOIS, X.500)
      resource_guide_libraries.txt <24k (OPACs in Australia)
      resource_guide_netmembers.txt <60k
Unfortunately these files are filled with ASCII TAB characters, which on
VM/CMS merely display as semicolons.
ftp ftp.unt.edu (129.120.1.4) LIBRARY/AARNET.GUIDE (107k)

LISTSOF.LISTS (6k) -- Some General Lists of Lists -- Points to lists of
interest groups and to specific interest groups for helping beginners.
Directly contains instructions for searching the interest-group
database. Updated 1993.Feb.18, compiled by Marty Hoag
<nu021172@vm1.nodak.edu>
ftp vm1.nodak.edu new-list/listsof.lists
To: LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU  (BitNet: LISTSERV@NDSUVM1)
 GET LISTSOF LISTS  (** Note plural 'LISTSOF', *not* 'listof lists')
To: LISTSERV@TEMPLEVM
 GET GLOBAL LISTS  (gone, or obsolete version??) &&E


%% Lists of interest groups (mailing lists, newsgroups, digests, etc.)

WARNING to persons planning to subscribe or submit articles to a group:
(1) NEVER send subscription orders to the group itself or a lot of people
will get mad at you. Instead send subscription orders to the person or
process responsible for maintaining the subscription information for that
particular group. Requests to an automated server such as LISTSERV must
be exactly in the correct format. Requests to a person can be worded any
way you want, but try to keep them brief and polite.
(2) It is often best to browse the archives of a group, or become a
member and just-listen for a while, before submitting any articles, both
to learn whether posting on the group would really reach people
interested in your article, and to become familiar with the customs and
guidelines/rules pecular to that group.
(3) Avoid submitting very large messages, especially source code that
hardly anybody will be able to use, except to those few interest groups
that are set up specifically for that.
(4) Don't repeat the same questions that have been asked and answered
many times before. For many UseNet newsgroups there are files of FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions, with answers) available in the newsgroup
server and/or by FTP at PIT-MANAGER.MIT.EDU (see USENET.PERIODIC). These
FAQ files contain a wealth of useful information! If you have a question
you think might already have been asked by others, consult the FAQ file
first, and post only if you don't see the question with answer in the FAQ
file. If the interest group doesn't have a FAQ file that you can find,
ask somebody already in the group, perhaps the person in charge, if there
is such a file for that group.
(5...) See the network ettiquette documents for further advice along
these lines.

ATTENTION maintainers of these indexes, and other network experts: Please
tell me if there are any alternate sites for the larger of these indexes
in other continents, so that I can post those alternates here and readers
can then use them where appropriate to reduce intercontinental bulk.

% Comprehensive

INTEREST.GROUPS (800k) -- The famous "List of Lists", every known open
mailing list and digest on the InterNet and BitNet, in alphabetical
order. (Mail to interest-groups-request@nisc.sri.com to add or delete
an entry to that list.) (Bad news from nisc@NISC.SRI.COM (Steven, for
the SRI NISC): INTEREST GROUPS is not updated with any great frequency
at this time.) Note: In many cases it's more efficient to submit a
remote query rather than obtain a complete copy of this LARGE file
yourself; see MaasInfo.HowNet for how.
To: LISTSERV@NDSUVM1
 GET INTEREST PACKAGE (511k, old version?, split into eleven pieces)
To: mail-server@nisc.sri.com
 Send netinfo/interest-groups (817k, split into 23 pieces)
ftp ftp.nisc.sri.com = phoebus.nisc.sri.com (192.33.33.22)
  netinfo/interest-groups (800k)
ftp noc.sura.net (192.80.214.100) nic/interest.groups (800k)
ftp csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (134.115.4.1) pub/library/listof.lists (800k)
  (** Note singular 'listof', *not* 'listsof.lists')

% UseNet specific

ACTNEWS.NEWUSEN (All PubGps) (41k) -- List of Active Newsgroups (with
appx. half-line descriptions of each), also includes cross-reference to
InterNet names of linked newsgroups, posted to newsgroups news.lists,
news.groups, news.announce.newusers, by Gene Spafford
<spaf@cs.purdue.EDU>
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58)
      pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/List_of_Active_Newsgroups

list-of-newsgroups (<40k) -- This is a substantial revision of a list
originally maintained by Gene Spafford. It is not complete. By Edward
Vielmetti <emv@msen.com>
ftp ftp.cs.toronto.edu (128.100.3.6)
      pub/emv/news-archives/list-of-newsgroups

ALTNEWS.NEWUSEN (49k) -- Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, describes the
following alternate hierarchies: alt, bionet, bit, biz, clarinet, gnu,
ieee, inet/ddn, K12, u3b, vmsnet; posted on newsgroups news.lists,
news.groups, news.announce.newusers by spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene
Spafford).
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58)
      pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/Alternative_Newsgroup_Hierarchies

PUBMAIL1&2&3.NEWUSEN (110k, in 3 parts 37k&35k&38k respectively) --
Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists (259 mailing lists described here),
posted to newsgroups news.lists, news.announce.newusers, by
arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva), alphabetical by name of
group, this is a list of mailing lists available primarily on the UUCP
network.
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58) pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/
     Publicly_Accessible_Mailing_Lists,_Part_I
     Publicly_Accessible_Mailing_Lists,_Part_II
     Publicly_Accessible_Mailing_Lists,_Part_III

REGHEIR.NEWUSEN (All RegGps) (71k) -- Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies (128
UseNet newsgroups that are geographically restricted/local), posted to
newsgroups news.lists, news.groups, news.announce.newusers by
asp@uunet.uu.net (Andrew Partan).
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58)
     pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/Regional_Newsgroup_Hierarchies

USENET.SOCIALGP (12k) -- A Guide to Social Newsgroups and Mailing Lists
on the Usenet, from taylor@intuitive.com, posted to newsgroups:
news.announce.newusers, news.groups.
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58) pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/
     A_Guide_to_Social_Newsgroups_and_Mailing_Lists

% BitNet specific

LISTSERV.GROUPS (50k) -- List of BITNET discussion groups, also
referred to as LISTSERV lists, and ARPANET SIGs. Note: In some cases
it's more efficient to submit a remote query rather than obtain a
complete copy of this file yourself; see MaasInfo.HowNet for how.
To: LISTSERV@bitnic.educom.edu  (BitNet: LISTSERV@BITNIC)
 GET LISTSERV GROUPS

LISTSERV.LISTS#1 (was 366k when I downloaded it, now 440k) -- There is
no header or description, just very long lines, longest 610 chars, each
divided into fields by TAB characters. It lists each interest group
together with the e-mail address for posting mail and the e-mail address
for sending requests to the server, then lots of extra information such
as description. (Beware, different file from LISTSERV.LISTS#2.)
To: LISTSERV@DARTCMS1
 SEND LISTSERV LISTS
ftp DARTCMS1.DARTMOUTH.EDU (129.170.16.19) SIGLISTS/LISTSERV.LISTS

LISTSERV.LISTS#2 (169K in May, 184k now in August) -- List of all
LISTSERV lists known to LISTSERV@UCBCMSA on the day you ask for the
file. Three neat columns: Network-wide ID, Full address, List title.
Lines truncated at a particular column (about 80 or 100). Many of the
interest groups have additional lines saying (Peered). (Beware,
different file from LISTSERV.LISTS#1.)
To: LISTSERV@NCSUVM  (or any other LISTSERV?)
 LIST GLOBAL
ftp utarlvm1.uta.edu (129.107.1.6) BITNET/LISTSERV.LISTS

% Special kinds or limited topics

LISTMOD.NEWUSEN (19k) -- List of Moderators, i.e. this is a list of all
known digests and other moderated interest groups, posted to newsgroups
news.lists, news.groups, news.announce.newusers, by Gene Spafford
<spaf@cs.purdue.EDU>.
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.72.1.58)
      pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/List_of_Moderators

ACADLIST (split into four general catagories, then the liberal arts
category is further split into four files alphabetically) -- "Directory
of Scholarly Electronic Conferences", a subject-organized index of
interest groups (mostly BitNet, some InterNet) that are of
academic/scholarly interest. It overlaps considerably with
INTEREST.GROUPS but has shorter less-technical descriptions which may
be easier for beginning network users to comprehend on first reading.
By Diane K. Kovacs <DKOVACS@KENTVM> <LIBRK329@ksuvxa.kent.edu>.
ftp ksuvxa.kent.edu (131.123.1.1) ACADLIST.FILEn (n = 1,2,3,4,5,6) etc.
ftp csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (134.115.4.1) pub/library/acadlist.*
To: LISTSERV@KENTVM (or LISTSERV@BROWNVM or LISTSERV@UOTTAWA)
 GET ACADLIST README  (Explanatory notes for the Directory, with an index)
 GET ACADLIST FILE1   (LibArts: anthropology ... education)
 GET ACADLIST FILE2   (LibArts: futurology ... latin american studies)
 GET ACADLIST FILE3   (LibArts: library and information science ... music)
 GET ACADLIST FILE4   (LibArts: political science ... writing)
 GET ACADLIST FILE5   (Biological sciences)
 GET ACADLIST FILE6   (Physical sciences)
 GET ACADLIST FILE7   (Business and general academia)
 GET ACADLIST CHANGES (all the major additions, deletions and alterations)
On JANET (in UK), connect telnet-style to host UK.AC.GLASGOW.BUBL (note
this is word-reversed from InterNet which would be BUBL.GLASGOW.AC.UK),
from the main menu select D--Directories and from sub-menu select
D9--Kovacs(8.91)

EJOURNL1&2.DIRECTRY (76k&122k respectively) -- Directory of Electronic
Journals and Newsletters (over 500 scholarly lists, over 200 electronic
newsletters, all Internet accessible, and also about 50 journals and 15
"other" titles), by Michael Strangelove <441495@Acadvm1.UOttawa.CA>
4-177 Goulburn Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 8E3; Network Research
Facilitator, University of Ottawa.
To: listserv@acadvm1.uottawa.ca (bitnet: LISTSERV@UOTTAWA)
 GET EJOURNL1 DIRECTRY
 GET EJOURNL2 DIRECTRY
ftp csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (134.115.4.1) pub/library/e-journals.dir (200k)
ftp panda1.uottawa.ca (137.122.6.16) pub/religion/
  electronic-serials-directory.txt

INFO-SERVERS (7.5k) -- Library-Oriented Computer Conferences and
Electronic Serials, by Charles W. Bailey, Jr.
ftp noc.sura.net (192.80.214.100) nic/info-servers
ftp hydra.uwo.ca (129.100.2.13) LIBSOFT/LIBCONFERS.TXT


%% Lists of FTP sites, servers, public-access hosts

WARNING for using FTP sites and servers:  The transatlantic and
transpacific links are low-bandwidth and overloaded, so you should try to
connect to a site within your own continent if you plan to transfer any
file(s) of considerable size. This applies both to obtaining files from
sites&servers you find listed in these indexes, and to obtaining some of
the larger indexes themselves. (Any file over 30k might be considered
"too large" for some circuits.)

ATTENTION maintainers of these indexes, and other network experts: Please
tell me if there are any alternate sites for the larger of these indexes
in other continents, so that I can post those alternates here and readers
can then use them where apropriate to reduce intercontinental bulk.

ODIN.FTPLIST (163k) -- List of all known anonymous-FTP sites, with a
general description of archive topics for each. Same as ODIN.SITES except
in expanded white-delimited fields format, by odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon
Granrose). Posted to: comp.misc, comp.sources.wanted
ftp pilot.njin.net (128.6.7.38) pub/ftp-list/ftp.list (148k)
ftp syr.edu (aka ftp.syr.edu) (128.230.1.49)
      networks/doc/ftplist.txt (151k)
Info from Deidre E Stanton <stanton@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au> not yet
verified:  &E-IP-93.4.02
To: odin@pilot.njin.net
 Subject: listserv-request
 SEND FTP.LIST

ODIN.SITES (90k) -- Same as ODIN.FTPLIST except in compact "::"-delimited
fields format, by odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon Granrose).
ftp pilot.njin.net (128.6.7.38) pub/ftp-list/sites

(See also Chapter 3: of the InterNet Resource Guide for FTP sites.)

FTP_SITES.TXT (142k) -- This is the last edition of the Anonymous FTP
list. Management of the ftp list will be take over by Tom Czarnik
(aftp-list@netcom.com). -- by Jon Granrose, December 24, 1991 -- In
three columns: (1) Host name repeated on each line; (2) Internet host
numbers with date last updated on last line of group; (3) Topics and
newsgroups with anonymous login info on last line of group.
ftp hydra.uwo.ca (129.100.2.13) LIBSOFT/FTP_SITES.TXT;1

sites* -- List of archive sites for various groups (Usenet newsgroups
only ??) (Both "HELP" and personal query IP 1992.Oct.26) -- Info from
jaapjl@tab00.larc.nasa.gov (J Lee Jaap) not yet verified.
ftp rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet/news.answers/
  ftp-list/sites2.Z
  ftp-list/sites3.Z
  ftp-list/faq.Z
  ftp-list/files2.Z
  ftp-list/sites1.Z
  ftp-list/files1.Z

Documentation on how to use the mail server for the FAQs:
To: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
 help

techrep-sites-list (32k) -- index of archive sites for technical
reports, mostly for computer science (info from Rik Harris
<rik.harris@fcit.monash.edu.au>, possibly the author??) -- A list of
about 180 records, each containing the following fields: name, ftp
hostname directory/path & filename, email address for mailserver,
contact email address, description, orgcode.
ftp daneel.rdt.monash.edu.au pub/techreports/sites/sites-list-data

moder20.zip (7k) -- Small list of 2nd-party fileserver hosts (the same
host with the FTP archive provides the fileserver) (Info from
ts@uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi))
ftp garbo.uwasa.fi /pc/pd2/moder20.zip &BF-Verify&Get&UnZip&GetAuthor
(No good, taking forever to connect, I give up, sent complaint 1993.Mar.30)

NixPub.Long (55k) -- Annotated listing of public-access UNIX hosts,
computers you can dial directly from your home using a modem and
read/post UseNet newsgroups, either for free or for some reasonable
rate such as $15/month. Format of the entry for each host is a single
summary line followed by additional descriptive text of a few lines.
Sorted by telephone area code or international dialing code. The
summary line shows the date this entry was last updated, telephone
number, host name, location (city and state or province or country),
modem baud rates supported, and hours open. Posted to newsgroups:
comp.misc, alt.bbs, alt.bbs.lists. From Phil Eschallier <phil@bts.com>
(No! That address doesn't work, any current Internet e-mail address?
Meanwhile use:) (UUCP: ...!uunet!lgnp1!phil) (CIS: 71076,1576)
ftp archive.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.52) pub/netinfo/nixpub.long
ftp gvls1.VFL.Paramax.COM (128.126.220.104) pub/nixpub/long
ftp ashley.cs.widener.edu (147.31.254.132) pub/nixpub/long  (unreliable)
To: mail-server@bts.com
 get PUB nixpub.long   (in the message body)
To: archive-server@cs.widener.edu  (unreliable)
 send nixpub long

NixPub.Short (12k) -- Similar to NixPub.Long except each host entry is
condensed to a single line using lots of abbreviations, and all
information from NixPub.Long that doesn't fit into that format has been
omitted. Sorted by telephone area code or international dialing code.
ftp archive.cis.ohio-state.edu (128.146.8.52) pub/netinfo/nixpub.short
ftp gvls1.VFL.Paramax.COM (128.126.220.104) pub/nixpub/short
ftp ashley.cs.widener.edu (147.31.254.132) pub/nixpub/short
To: archive-server@cs.widener.edu
 send nixpub short

PDIAL (33k) -- "Public Dialup Internet Access List" -- Public access
service providers offering outgoing FTP or telnet, by
kaminski@netcom.com (Peter Kaminski) -- Many fine public access
news/mail sites aren't listed because they don't offer outgoing IP
services, and those need to be found in other lists. -- Posted to
newsgroups alt.internet.access.wanted alt.bbs.lists ba.internet
news.answers. Contents:
  -1- Summary: Providers With Wide Area Access
  -2- Summary: Area Codes For US Dialins
  -3- Summary: Phone Prefixes For International Dialins
  -4- What *Is* The Internet?
  -5- What The PDIAL Is
  -6- List of Providers
  -7- How People Can Get The PDIAL (This List)
  -8- Appendix A: Finding Public Data Network (PDN) Access Numbers
  -9- Copyright and Distribution Of The PDIAL; Other Notices
ftp ftp.netcom.com (192.100.81.100) /pub/info-deli/public-access/pdial
ftp VFL.Paramax.COM (128.126.220.104) /pub/pubnet/pdial (33k)
ftp pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) pub/usenet/news.answers/pdial.Z (16k)
  (And other news.answers echo sites, see other section)
ftp nic.merit.edu = nis.nsf.net (35.1.1.48) /internet/pdial
ftp grasp1.univ-lyon1.fr /pub/faq-by-newsgroup/alt/alt.bbs.lists/pdial
ftp uts.mcc.ac.uk /gopher-data/justforfun/faq/alternative/pdial
To: info-deli-server@netcom.com
 Send PDIAL  (to get the current file as-is)
 Subscribe PDIAL  (to received new editions when available)
To: mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu
 send usenet/news.answers/pdial
(Also available as part 1 of the 5-part internet.access, see below:)

%%%---END---Part 1 of 2---MaasInfo.TopIndex
