Subject: Re: Update FYI 7

From: Walter Houser <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:23:01 -0500

Our deadline of Jan 15 has passed, and I have not seen contributions
from Ray or Gary.  Minneapolis is rapidly coming upon us and I'd like to
see FYI 7 in
ID by then.   So I am posting what I wrote as my initial assignment to
see if it stimulates some discussion.

Section 1  Doing Things on the Internet or "How Does It Work?"  [Walt]

1.1. How does email work?

Electronic mail is a lot like regular mail (also called snail mail).
Your email message has a greeting to the addressee (or “to” line), a
subject, a body,
a closing (or “from” line), enclosures (also called attachments), carbon
copies (cc), and blind carbon copies (bcc). After you write your
message, your
email software puts all this into an envelop with addressing information
that repeats some of these same elements on the envelop. It then looks
for a
computer with a mail service called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP), which serves like a mail box outside your local post office. 
The SMTP service
passes your message to nearby SMTP computers (or servers) who know the
destination computer (or domain) for your addressee. If any of these
SMTP servers
have trouble delivering your message, you will receive a delivery notice
explaining the nature of the problem. Because email can be misunderstood
or
abused, users should be familiar with email netiquette.  For more
information see Netiquette Guidelines [FYI 28, RFC 1855].

1.2 What is a Mailing List?

A mailing list is a collection of email addresses of people interested
in a topic like hobbies, product updates, work projects, and electronic
newsletters.
Announcement lists go one way from the owner to the members. Discussion
lists are two-way. Members send their messages to the list name at the
mail list
server (e.g. [email-masked]), which in turn distributes it to
all members of a list. Messages sent to a moderated discussion list are
reviewed by
the list owner before going out. Messages to unmoderated discussion
lists are not reviewed. You subscribe and unsubscribe using a separate
email address
for list maintenance, not the list address. Mail lists often have
descriptions and procedures you should review before joining. Please
stick to the list
topic and use the list maintenance address to leave the list.

1.3. How does the World Wide Web work?

Your web browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.) displays web pages
located on various computers operating web servers. These web pages are
written in
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) or extensible Markup Language (XML).
The web server sends the web pages and images to your PC using the
Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP). Your web browser “renders” the page, placing images and
other page elements in their designated positions in the browser window.
As you
move your cursor across the page, you should notice the cursor changes
shape over what are called “hyperlinks.” Typically underlined and in
blue,
hyperlinks will take you to other web pages, on the same server or on
any web server in the world. Pressing the hyperlink tells your browser
to contact
that destination web server for the next web page.

1.4 What is Instant Messaging?

Many Internet service providers offer Instant messaging (IM) this
popular tool for friends to keep in touch using the Internet. You
announce your presence
by entering your IM “handle” or nickname into the IM pop-up window. You
can use the same window to see your friends are online. Unlike chat (see
below), IM
is one-to-one; some chatters will have side conversations using IM. Many
of the current IM protocols are not yet standardized so you may not be
able to IM
with someone on another service provider.

1.5 What is Chat and how does it work?

Chat is an electronic conversation between folks on the Internet. Just
as people congregate in small groups and discuss things, chatters meet
in chat rooms
to discuss a topic. Chat rooms are generally sponsored by an
organization with an interest in the topic area, like an online news
organization holding a
chat room on current events.  To chat one person writes a message which
is read, as it is written, by the others who reply (or not) in turn. 
First time
chatters should be aware that there may be people in the room who are
just listening, just like a face to face party.  Also, just like at a
party, some
people may portray themselves to be someone different than whom they
really are.  Lastly, remember that chatters come and go to chat rooms
the same way
people move about at a party.

1.6 How does File transfer work?

Companies that distribute documents or software via the Internet usually
use the file transfer protocol (FTP) to send files to each other or to
you, the
customer. FTP is designed to move large amounts of data from one point
to another without breaking the file. FTP can be invoked in your browser
by clicking
on an FTP link on a web page.

1.7 How do I send a lot of data across the Internet?

Although you can send files or documents as attachments using email,
most SMTP services limit the size or number of attachments. You can use
compression
software to combine your documents into one attachment and reduce the
total size significantly. The free software pkzip is readily available
on web sites
specializing in internet utility software. If you routinely have to send
a lot of files or a number of large files, you may want to contact you
internet
service provider to gain access to an HTTP or FTP server. You can then
send your addressees the location of the HTTP or FTP server, and they
can download
these files using FTP instead of clogging up email services with
messages with large attachments.

1.8 How can I have fun on the Internet?

People on the Internet like to play games. These games can be role
playing games, action/adventure games, or online versions of old
standbys like chess.
Some games require the user to purchase and install game software on
their computer, while others are played by going to a game site.  Just
like other
forms of game playing, Internet game playing can be challenging,
entertaining, and an enjoyable social experience.  Don't be afraid to
have fun.

1.9 How do I protect my personal information when I surf the Internet?
The ubiquitous nature of the Internet has resulted in widespread concern
for the loss of personal privacy. Once your privacy is compromised, you
cannot get
it back. The US Federal Trade Commission http://WWW.FTC.GOV has
established voluntary Fair Information Practices covering notice,
consent, access and
security.  The FTC surveyed over 300 web sites that collect personal
information and found that only 20 percent discussed all four elements.
In a sample of
more popular web sites, only 42 percent covered all four elements of
privacy protection.  The FTC found that the bankrupt eCommerce vendor
Toysmart
violated the FTC Act by attempting to sell customer data after claiming
that this data would never be disclosed to a third party. Criminals can
use your
personal data to steal your identity and credit rating. California
Public Interest Research Group found that victims spent between two and
four years
removing an average of $18,000 in fraudulent card charges charges.
Reputable sites should tell you how they are protecting your information
by adhering to the FTC’s recommended practices. If any of their
statements make
you uncomfortable, leave the items blank or enter imaginary data. If you
do enter your data, print the notice for your files in case it is
violated.
1.10 What steps should I take to protect myself when shopping on the
Internet?

Know the vendor you are dealing with. Only enter credit card information
when suing a secure connection to the merchant; look for the little
padlock at the
bottom of your web browser. US citizens should use a credit card because
US law limits your liability for unauthorized charges to $50 dollars.
Debit cards
do not have such a limit. Use a credit card with a low credit limit.
Check your credit history periodically with credit bureaus; thieves can
open new
accounts using your stolen personal data unbeknownst to you. The US
Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov offers valuable additional
suggestions for
online shoppers.

Walter Houser wrote:

> At Pittsburgh I volunteered to help on updating FYI 7. Roy said there was a
> draft update on the list, but I could not get into the archive at
> ftp://ftp.near.net/mail-archives/us-wg  (550 no such directory)  Help!?
>
> "Susan R. Harris" wrote:
>
> > -----------------------
> > OK, it's time to sign on the dotted line.  Which parts of the new doc
> > would you like to work on?  I'll coordinate the edits and submit a new
> > draft early this fall.
> > Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> Walt Houser, VA Webmaster http://www.va.gov/
> VA Privacy Notice for Information Collected from E-mails and Web Forms
> http://www.va.gov/privacy/email.asp
>

--
Walt Houser, VA Webmaster http://www.va.gov/
VA Privacy Notice for Information Collected from E-mails and Web Forms
http://www.va.gov/privacy/email.asp

---

From: "Ray Plzak" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:38:26 -0500

I have received both yours and Gary's input and am in the process of merging
them with mine and doing the editorial cleanup so that an ID can be
published.  Will have the ID out soon.

Ray

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Walter Houser [mailto:[email-masked]]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 9:23 AM
> To: USWG
> Cc: Ray Plzak; Gary Malkin
> Subject: Re: Update FYI 7
>
>