UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
African Studies Computer Resources
Patricia S. Kuntz (Curriculum & Instruction) University of Wisconsin - Madison
UW African Studies BBS (608) 262-9689 8,N,1 14,400 - kuntz
Bitnet -
This article argues that the U.S. Department of Education funded
Higher Education Act Title VI African Studies Centers (ASC) should be on
the "cutting edge" of contemporary electronic communication. In
particular the knowledge and use of computer networks should be a
fundamental aspect of their computerized communication system and
education program. As federally funded research centers, charged with
the promotion of teaching, research, and dissemination of African
content to the public, these ASCs have a pre-eminent role in African
studies computer resources.
Given the above assumption, this paper will focus on African
studies computer resources readily available in the U.S. with linkages
to Africa. Africanists can utilize four fundamental computer systems:
Internet/Bitnet, Fidonet, Usenet, and dial-up bulletin board services
(BBS). An updated summary of these network services is available from
Arthur McGee. For a complete list of files, contact:
Internet:
AFRIMAIL.MSG = Internet/BITnet Mailing Lists
AFRISITE.MSG = Online Information Sites
AFRINEWS.MSG = Usenet Newsgroups
BLACKBBS.MSG = BBS List
I. INTERNET/BITNET
The most common network systems throughout the world are Internet
or Bitnet and the various compatible networks.
INTERNET Nearly all American universities subscribe to the
Internet network. Users on the Internet can access Listserver, File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet, described below. Most Internet
sites also have access to Usenet newsgroups.
BITNET Bitnet's main feature is the automatic mailing program
called Listserv.
A. Electronic Mail
Both Internet/Bitnet networks provide electronic mail (E-mail) for
sending public and private messages. Contacts to Africanists and
African scholars and inquiries concerning African studies can be made
through the following organizations:
African Studies Association (ASA)
* HEA Title VI African Studies Resource Universities *
Boston University: NA
Univ. of California-Berkeley:
Commercial companies can also provide E-mail connections, in
addition to a wide variety of other services such as on-line news,
weather reports, and so forth. The largest commercial company is
CompuServe which provides CompuServe Africa for the growing African
demand for network connections especially from southern Africa. Another
commercial service for African news is NewsNet. This company has the
following products among others:
AFRICA NEWS
ANGOLA PEACE MONITOR
ASP DIPLOMAT
MIDEAST MARKETS
SOUTH AFRICAN FOCUS
SOUTHSCAN -- SOUTHERN AFRICA
B. Distribution Lists
Another Internet/Bitnet feature is the option of creating
distribution lists. These lists consist of frequently used addresses
which form an identifiable interest group.
Public Distribution Lists
One type of distribution list can be developed and maintained as a
private list; however, subscribers have access to the list. Michigan
State University's African Studies Center distributes their bi-weekly
newsletter electronically. <21248yf@msu.edu>
Users of these public list must request a subscription which
enables them to receive all the messages automatically to their address.
Their replies, unless specified to another user, are distributed to all
the members. Unlike other services, these public distribution lists do
not provide archives of messages or automatic updates of lists. Rather,
a systems operator must retain messages manually and update the list.
The following list is a sample of several public distribution lists
which carry African-related discussions:
aajn@catcc.bitnet Burkina Faso
afriqnews@athena.mit.edu African news service
algeria-net-request@monte.svec.uh.edu Algeria
algnews@gwuvm.bitnet Algeria News List-French
amazight-net@engcd.bu.edu Berber
arabic-l@byu.edu AATA service
ASA-NET@sfu.ca African Students' Association
camnet@icnucevm.cnuce.cnr.it Cameroon
CAMEROON- | unpublished Cameroonian Students Union in UK
egypt-net-request@das.harvard.edu Egypt
ETHIOPIA | tesh@cleo.eng.sun.com Ethiopia
eritrea-net-request@eritrea.ci.net Eritrea
euro-naija-request@lists.funet.fi Nigerians in Europe
geez-cev@eritrea.ci.net Eritrea
kenya-net-request@ftp.com (for Kenyans only)
kci-net-request@sml1.ecs.umass.edu Kenyan/East African Tech
maghreb-group@bailey.pcpac.washington.edu North Africa
mes@athena.mit.edu Middle East Students
msa-request@eleceng.ee.queensu.ca Muslim Student Assn.
naijanet@athena.mit.edu (for Nigerians only)
okyeame-request@athena.mit.edu (for Ghanaians only)
saf@athena.mit.edu African students
sierranet@athena.mit.edu Sierra Leone discussion
SNU | antbh@strix.udac.uu.se Somalia News Update
usasa-l@afrex.mcws.fidonet.org US-South African
ZIMNET | dsaburi@athena.mit.edu (for Zimbabweans only)
C. Listserv/Listserver
The list service system is a feature which some universities
provide for automating the distribution lists. Special software
provides additional attributes. This service customarily requires a
minimum of 100 users before a computer center will accept responsibility
for posting new users, archiving messages, and maintaining the list.
Some examples of lists and their contents available through Listserv
(Bitnet) or Listserver (Internet) are:
AFRICA-L | listserv@vtvm1.bitnet African-related news
AFRICA-N | listserv@utoronto.ca African News & Information
AFRICANA | listserv@wmvm1.bitnet Info Technology and Africa
ALGNEWS | listserv@gwuvm.gwu.edu Algeria News List (French)
ASA-L | listerv@tamvm1.bitnet African-American Students
Association
CAMNET | listserv@icinucevm.cnuce.cnr.it Cameroon Technology
ITISALAT | listserv@guvm.bitnet Computer Tech. for Arabic
MSA-L | listserv@psuvm.psu.edu Muslim Student Association
MUSLIMS | listserv@asuvm.inre.asu.edu Islamic Information & News
RINAF-L | listserv@icinucevm.cnuce.cnr.it Regional Informatics Net for
Africa
SA-DROUGH | listserv@devcan.ca Southern Africa (Region)
Drought
SWAHILI-L | listserver@realy.adp.wisc.edu Discussion in Swahili
TSSNEWS | listserv@psuvm.psu.edu Tunisian Info Office,
Washington D.C.
TUNINFO | listserv@psuvm.psu.edu Tunisian Info Office,
Washington D.C.
TUNISNET | listserv@psuvm.psu.edu The Tunisia Network
D. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
The Anonymous FTP provides free access for file upload and
download. African studies file sites are listed at several directory
nodes around the world.
E. Telnet
Telnet is a service which allows remote access to computers.
Gopher/CWIS/WAIS/WWW
Telnet provides connections to campus wide information services
(CWIS) also known as "Gopher," or wide area information service (WAIS).
In addition to providing E-mail addresses, course lists, weekly
announcements, and faculty addresses; this connection accesses
computerized library catalog systems around the world. For instance, the
U.S. Department of State "Handbook for Somalia" is available at the
University of Missouri-St. Louis gopher of
World Wide Web (WWW) is technology which provides an information
retrieval system to give access to a large universe of documents. WWW
is similar to Gopher; however, it is more powerful by allowing full
advantage of desktop formated texts including hypercard/stack and
graphics. It links texts, images, sound, and movies (motion). Unlike
Gopher, WWW permits single consistent user-interfact to information of
oter services such as gopher, FTP, and Usenet News.
II. Fidonet
Fidonet is an international, decentralized, cooperative, voluntary
system in which participants serve one another by relaying messages
through a routing system. A list of all Fidonet bulletin board systems
(BBSs) (known as the "nodelist") is updated weekly from a central point
(node 1:1/0) and is distributed throughout the network. Since this
network has no central computers, Fidonet is organized in a branching
system with six geographically designated zones:
1 = USA/Canada/Mexico - North America
2 = Europe
3 = Australia, New Zealand (Oceana)
4 = Latin America
* 5 = Africa
6 = Asia
Fidonet nodes may be established by individuals using only
personal computers, international speed-modems, and free software. There
are no overhead costs. Consequently, this process permits access to
developing areas by users of the international hosts. Gateways or links
have reduced the cost of transmission.
Echomail is a specific public forum, conference group or
newsgroup. Currently, there are four Echomail conferences of interest
to Africanists:
Africa Link Peace Corps,
South Africa Southern Africa Drought
III. Usenet News
Usenet is a third worldwide network that provides one main service
-- news. Usenet newsgroups are largely unavailable to Bitnet sites.
While most of Usenet's sites are commercial, advertising is strictly
forbidden on the Usenet network. Although some 300 newsgroups are
available, not all sites carry all newsgroups. No files are associated
with this service, and messages are automatically deleted on a regular
basis; consequently, it provides no archiving characteristics of the
Bitnet listserv. African-related Usenet message areas are:
soc.culture.maghreb soc.culture.southafrica
soc.culture.arabic soc.culture.african
soc.culture.egyptian rec.music.afro-latin
soc.religion.islam rec.travel
talk.politics.mideast
IV. Bulletin Board System
The bulletin board system (BBS) connects personal computers
directly through a telephone connection. Since these boards cost the
user a telephone call, unlike the academic networks (Internet/Bitnet), a
long distance log-in can be expensive.
Presently, few BBSs exist for strictly African-related content.
Two members of the African Studies Association have promoted the use of
electronic communications in Africa and the Americas.
African Studies (1989) Patricia Kuntz (608) 262-9689 8 N 1 14,400 modem
Fidonet connections 1:121/25.3 and 1:109/151.42
Internet connections @p3.f25.n121.z1.fidonet.org
Baobab (1989) Bob Barad (202) 296-9790 8 N 1 14,400 modem
Fidonet connections 1:109/151
Internet connections @f151.n109.z1.fidonet.org
African Linkages
For Africanists seeking direct contacts in Africa, at least 33
African countries offer network connections. Larry Landweber at
Wisconsin provides a bi-annual update of the five network options for
each African country. This information is available through the
Internet Society
--u-- DZ Algeria ---f- AO Angola ---f- BW Botswana
--u-- BF Burkina Faso --u-- CM Cameroon --u-- CG Congo
--u-- CI Cote d'Ivoire bIU-- EG Egypt ---F- ET Ethiopia
---f- GM Gambia ---F- GH Ghana ---f- KE Kenya
--u-- LS Lesotho -- f- MG Madagascar ---f- MW Malawi
--u-- ML Mali ---f- MU Mauritius --u-- MR Morocco
--u-- MZ Mozambique --u-- NA Namibia --u-- NE Niger
--uf- NG Nigeria --u-- RE Reunion --Uf- SN Senegal
--u-- SC Seychelles -IUFO ZA South Africa --u-- SZ Swaziland
---f- TZ Tanzania --u-- TG Togo bIUfo TN Tunisia
---f- UG Uganda --uf- ZM Zambia --uf- ZW Zimbabwe
For those francophone countries having UUCP (U/u) service, contact the
director of ORSTOM Paul Renaud.
Conclusion
The four computer networks briefly described above and the variety
of services which they provide are fundamental tools for Africanists.
As such, these networks should be readily available and used by
administrators, faculty, students, librarians, and outreach personnel in
connecting with others interested in Africa. Proficiency in computer
technology, including the manipulation computer networks has become a
requirement for Africanists in research, teaching, administration, and
extension.
9 March 1994
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