NET-LETTER GUIDE A newshound's guide to newsy periodicals available through the Internet. Compiled by John M. Higgins (higgins@dorsai.dorsai.org) Updated May 5, 1994 Introduction: My favorite things on the Internet are informative, high- quality newsletters. The quality of info contributed to what Mitch Kapor describes as the Net's "gift economy" is amazing. Despite some excellent e-pub guides, tracking down good NEWSY letters can be frustrating, partly because they get lost in the flood of zines and very technical pubs. So this list aims to point people to the news-oriented net-letters with somewhat broader appeal. It's not intended to be as comprehensive as other guides, but helpful nevertheless. Very technical and fanzine newsletters are not included because they are well covered by other guides. GIMME FEEDBACK!! This is just an initial stab, just a dozen or so I've seen and like (including one I edit!). Some are well-known, others are not. Send me your favorite net-letters, particularly if you're the editor. Include any subscription information plus a copy. HOW TO GET THE NET-LETTER GUIDE: For now, it will be available by e-mailing higgins@dorsai.dorsai.org, plus Usenet groups alt.zines, alt.etext, misc.writing, rec.mag, alt.internet.services, alt.answers, misc.answers, rec.answers, news.answers. If folks like it, other arrangements will be made. (Far more exhaustive lists of electronic publications include John Labovitz's e-zine-list {FTP to ftp.netcom.com:/pub/johnl/zines/e-zine-list or http //www.ora.com:8080/johnl/e-zine-list/} or the giant e-pub archive, by FTP and Gopher {etext.archive.umich.edu}) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDUPAGE: Tip sheet on information technology and media issued three times weekly. Quickie summaries primarily of newspaper articles, primarily from the majors. How to get it. E-Mail (listproc@educom.edu, SUB EDUPAGE YOUR NAME). FITZ'S SHOPTALK: Daily dispatches on the TV business, both networks and local stations by media headhunter Don FitzPatrick. Primarily summaries of wire-service and major newspapers, but also includes some full-text reprints. How to get it: E-mail (shoptalk-request@gremlin.clark.net, SUBSCRIBE YOUR@ADDRESS). LATE SHOW NEWS: A guy who obviously stays up way too late puts out a weekly newsletter on the late-night talk show wars. It's biased toward Letterman but contains surprisingly good industry dirt on Leno, Conan, etc. (even for those of us writing about television for a living). How to get it: E-mail (letterman@mcs.net), Usenet (alt.fan.letterman and rec.arts.tv), FTP (ftp.mcs.net:/mcsnet.users/barnhart/letterman). HICNet MEDICAL NEWS DIGEST: Something painless from a dentist. Broad bi-weekly newsletter on medicine by Health Info-Com Network, put together by dentist David Dodell. One week featured sleep apnea and snoring plus hemlock! Also carries excerpts of the Center for Disease Control's AIDS Daily Summary. The downside is conference announcements (OK, on things like techniques for identifying corpses, but they're still conference announcements!). How To Get It: E-Mail (mednews@asuvm.inre.asu.edu); FTP:(vm1.nodak.edu) NETWORKS & COMMUNITY: The emphasis here is on "community" in Internet-land. Less techie than you might expect. How To Get It: E-Mail (rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu; SUBSCRIBE YOUR NAME) Gopher: (gopher.well.sf.ca.us or gopher.nlc-bnc.ca) CABLE REGULATION DIGEST: Weekly summary of news on cable regulation published by Multichannel News. How to get it: E-Mail, distributed to the TELECOMREG mailing list. (listserver@relay.adp.wisc.edu, SUBSCRIBE TELECOMREG); FTP (ftp.vortex.com:pub/tv-film-video/cable-reg); Gopher (gopher.vortex.com) SCIENCE BEAT: A tip sheet for science journalists from the National Institute for Standards and Technologies. Maybe not too newsy, but short, sweet and interesting. How to get it: GOPHER (gopher-server.nist.gov). HOTT: HOTT -- Hot Off The Tree -- has re-emerged as a giant pub culling the latest advances in computer, communications, and electronics technologies from over trade magazines, newspapers and net resources. Great stuff, but why they're gathering so much material for a huge monthly rather than a smaller weekly or something is beyond me. How to get it: E-mail (listserv@ucsd.edu,SUBSCRIBE HOTT-LIST) PRIVACY Forum: Tidbits about threats to privacy from government snoops to credit agencies. How to get it: E-Mail(privacy-request@vortex.com); FTP (ftp.vortex.com); Gopher (gopher.vortex.com). ALAWON: An electronic newsletter distributed by the Washington Office of the American Library Association that covers federal legislation, regulations, policy, and grant opportunities of interest to libraries. How to get it: E-mail: (listserv@uicvm {Bitnet} or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu {Internet} SUBSCRIBE ALA-WOFirstName LastName). CURRENT CITES: A monthly letter for library technology, composed of pointers from magazine articles. A little on the dry side, partly because of its format. How to get it: E-mail (listserv@library.berkeley.edu; SUB CITES YOUR NAME); FTP: (ftp.lib.berkeley.edu:/pub/Current.Cites) COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST: The latest news on cyberspace issues. CUD's coolest when screaming about the latest hacker or BBS raid, good when picking apart government policy issues. But CUD will occasionally reprint the ENTIRE AGENDA for some upcoming computer conference. (YAWN!!!) How to get it: E-Mail (listserv@uiucvmd.bitnet or listserv@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu, SUB CUDIGEST YOUR NAME); Usenet (comp.society.cu-digest); FTP (etext.archive.umich.edu:/pub/eff) plus lots of other places. EFFECTOR: The Electronic Frontier Foundation's membership newsletter, great for telecom policy updates. How to get it: E-mail: send request to brown@eff.org; FTP (ftp.eff.org); Usenet: {preferred!~} (comp.org.eff); Gopher (gopher.eff.org) RISKS Forum: Tidbits about the risks computers present in society. One edition touched on industrial espionage, data escape from prison, and a strange tale of e-mail stalking. How to get it: E-mail (risks-request@csl.sri.com); Usenet {preferred!} (comp.risks); FTP (crvax.sri.com). --30--