List Review Service v1n10, "IPCT-L" (June 22, 1992)
URL: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/pub/stacks/lrs/lrs-v1n10


                     LIST REVIEW SERVICE         ISSN: 1060-8192

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vol. 1, No. 10    IPCT-L (Interpers. Comp. & Tech)    22 JUN 1992
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Published bi-weekly, when school is in session, by The University
of Missouri, St. Louis Libraries. Raleigh C. Muns, editor.
.................................

REVIEW -
.................................

Under the aegis of Georgetown University's Center for Teaching and
Technology (CTT), owner Zane Berge describes the purpose of the
Interpersonal Computing and Technology List (IPCT-L) as "a forum
for the discussion of computing and other technology that can be
used to promote learning."

Janet Whitaker, a subscriber to IPCT-L referred to some of the
other participants (in jest?) as "high fallutin' doctors of
whatever." (Janet Whitaker, IPCT-L@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU, 19 June
1992). Indeed! Intellectual warfare at its ivory tower best rages
merrily, seriously, and always with great vigor across the face of
this issues oriented list. James M. Downey of Salem State College
regularly duels Speech Communications Professor Emeritus Gerald M.
Phillips of Pennsylvania State University (regularly reduced to
"GMP" in postings) over issues of copyright, the role of
e-publications in tenure, and whether attempts to regulate the
networks constitute implementation of thought police on our still
new frontier. I have dubbed them both "Idea and Word Smiths
Emeriti" for the quality of their dialogue.

Having monitored a growing number of lists, their specific dialogue
could serve as a model for how to disagree civilly on the net.
Overall, I find a surprising amount of disagreement NOT leading to
bitter "but I meant ... be kind ... e-mail is such a difficult way
to communicate ideas ..." which is the more common pattern in my
cyberspace travels. Dear and gentle readers, read this list to see
how "it" is done.

The technical details discussed on IPCT-L are philosophical,
legal, and sociological in nature, rather than the more typical
"Where can I get a copy of MSCDEX for my humanist PC?" This is the
place to where I would recommend non-technical discussions of the
role of e-communications relocate.  Too many other lists degenerate
into lesser discussions of "how to discuss what we are discussing."
Since this list, in practice, is devoting itself to such matters,
a clearer understanding of such issues, either through dialogue or
unashamed lurking, can be had by participating.

This list does NOT lack in hard nuggets of information. During the
week I monitored the list I gleaned specifics on copyright law
applied to electronic information, sources covering formats for
citing e-mail, and the most outrageous copyright statement I've
ever read (Doughbelly Price as cited by John Unsworth, editor of e-
journal POSTMODERN CULTURE, in IPCT-L@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU, 17 June
1992).

By subscribing to this list, you will have the opportunity to either
support or attack GMP's statement, "I am enough of a Jungian to
understand that there is a dark side to all of us and we need law
and law enforcement to impose civilization on our natural tendency to
sybaritism." (Gerald M. Phillips, IPCT-L@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU, 19 June
1992).

Sybaritically yours,

-R. Muns


.................................

SYNOPSIS OF ONE WEEK'S ACTIVITY-
.................................

Name of List Reviewed:        IPCT-L
Location:                     LISTSERV@GUVM (Bitnet)
                              LISTSERV@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU
                                            (Internet)

Listowners:                   Zane Berge, Ph.D.
                              BERGE@GUVAX.GEORGETOWN.EDU (Internet)


Number of Subscribers:        566 users in 33 countries

Period Monitored:             15 JUN 92 - 22 JUN 92 (inclusive)

No. Messages Week Monitored:  75
No. Queries Posted:           04  (03 % of total activity)
No. Non-queries Posted:       71  (97 % of total activity)

Lines Sent (w/o headers):     3148 (app. 137 screens of 23 lines)

Msgs. Posted Prev. 3 Months:  1244

Searchable Archives:          Yes

.................................

SUGGESTED USES FOR LIST -
.................................

        1)     A good place to give ideas rigorous scrutiny.

        2)     A salon.

        3)     Exploration of communications issues in the network
               environment.

.................................

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION -
.................................

Send an e-mail message with blank subject line to:

     LISTSERV@GUVM                   (Bitnet address)
                        or

     LISTSERV@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU    (Internet address)

Message should consist solely of:

     SUBSCRIBE IPCT-L your_name

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = END REVIEW = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized bulletin
board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries.
Libraries are authorized to add these reviews to their collections
at no cost.  This message must appear on copied material.  All
commercial use requires permission.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer and do not
represent the views of the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

Copyright 1992. Raleigh C. Muns (Reference Librarian)
Thomas Jefferson Library, University of Missouri, St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121 (ph:(314) 553-5059)

BITNET ADDRESS: SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA