Computer underground Digest Sun 14 Mar, 1999 Volume 11 : Issue 17
ISSN 1004-042X
Editor: Jim Thomas (cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu)
News Editor: Gordon Meyer (gmeyer@sun.soci.niu.edu)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
Copy Erritor: Etaion Shrdlu, Mssr.
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Cu Digest Homepage: http://www.soci.niu.edu/~cudigest
CONTENTS, #11.17 (Sun, 10 Mar, 1999)
File 1--REVIEW: "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carrol
File 2--REVIEW: "Implementing Elliptic Curve Cryptography", Michael Rosi
File 3--REVIEW: "Field Guide to Microsoft Windows 95", Stephen L. Nelson
File 4--REVIEW: "Starswarm", Jerry Pournelle
File 5--REVIEW: "Poser's Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web", Jame
File 6--REVIEW: "The Race for Bandwidth", Cary Lu
File 7--REVIEW: "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carrol
File 8--REVIEW: "How to Get a College Degree Via the Internet", Sam Atie
File 9--REVIEW: "Public Access to the Internet", Brian Kahin/James Kelle
File 10--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 10 Jan, 1999)
CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 08:28:58 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 1--REVIEW: "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carrol
BKCAINUH.RVW 990123
"1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carroll/Rick
Broadhead, 1998, 0-13-974957-8, C$16.95
%A Jim Carroll jcarroll@jimcarroll.com www.jimcarroll.com
%A Rick Broadhead rickb@sympatico.ca www.rickbroadhead.com
%C Scarborough, Ontario
%D 1998
%G 0-13-974957-8
%I Prentice Hall Canada
%O C$16.95 800-576-3800 416-293-3621 www.phcanada.com
%P 246 p.
%T "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook"
As rabidly and chauvinistically patriotic as I am, I find it difficult
to recommend this book.
Chapter one is basically a sales pitch for the net, although, at the
same time, it suggests that media hype has distorted perceptions of
the Internet. The material does not address specific deceptions but
does mention a few minor examples of how the net can be used. The
obligatory list of Web sites is given in chapter two. Rather oddly,
the specific URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are not given in the
individual writeups (and, in one case, seem to have been deliberately
expunged from screen shots) although they are collected at the end of
the chapter. Some items that *do* have their URLs included are the
tips, but a number of those in this chapter are not Canadian. Despite
the promise of the title, there is no real explanation of the net in
chapter three, which simply contains a few more examples of things you
can do (if you know how) as a kind of addition to chapter one.
Chapter four seems to make the same commitment, but the most telling
statement is the first of the "Understanding the Internet in 10 Easy
Steps" at the end: "You do not need to know how the Internet works
behind the scenes in order to use it." There is a minor exposition on
the hierarchical naming convention of the Domain Name Service (DNS),
but that is about it.
Chapter five talks about getting connected to the net, but only really
says to buy the right (unspecified) hardware and the right
(unspecified) service. The actual connection is left as an exercise
to the reader. (There is a list of Web sites of national service
providers that can be very helpful--if you are already on the net and
don't need it.) The Web, email, and news are introduced in chapter
six--but only barely. I am glad to see that the issue of etiquette
gets some space in regard to email and news, although the points are
brief and relatively simple, and mailing list etiquette is not dealt
with at all. Searching the Web is generally covered very badly in
most books: Carroll and Broadhead at least note the difference between
directories and search engines in chapter seven. Building a Web site
is a serious undertaking, and chapter eight's coverage only scratches
the surface. Chapter nine concludes with a quick precis of the book,
and yet another iteration of chapter one (a few more things you can do
on the net).
Even as a quick starting guide to the net, this book does not have
anywhere near the basic information of, say, "Zen and the Art of the
Internet" (cf. BKZENINT.RVW), let alone the depth of understanding
that the slightly longer "Internet Book" (cf. BKINTBOK.RVW) is able to
provide. As for Canadian material, while there are a number of
Canadian sites listed by way of example, the CRTC might have
difficulty in allowing this as CanCon.
I did not want to mention the self-promotional tone of the book, since
to do so is to sail dangerously close to making an ad hominem attack.
However, the fact that the book opens with eight pages of advertising
for the authors, and closes with seven more, is one of the lesser
examples. The stream of overinflated quotes of congratulatory hype
(with no apparent relation to the topic at hand) and claims to
specialist expertise seemingly solely on the basis that one is famous
is extremely annoying, and, well, not very Canadian.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKCAINUH.RVW 990123
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 08:34:09 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 2--REVIEW: "Implementing Elliptic Curve Cryptography", Michael Rosi
BKIMPECC.RVW 990115
"Implementing Elliptic Curve Cryptography", Michael Rosing, 1999,
1-884777-69-4, U$47.95/C$67.95
%A Michael Rosing cryptech@mcs.com
%C 32 Lafayette Place, Greenwich, CT 06830
%D 1999
%G 1-884777-69-4
%I Manning Publications Co.
%O U$47.95/C$67.95 hetr@manning.com 516-887-9747
%P 313 p.
%T "Implementing Elliptic Curve Cryptography"
Modern asymmetric (or "public") key cryptography uses mathematical
operations that are fairly easy to do in one direction, but extremely
hard to do in reverse. The standard example used (indeed, the one
that is almost synonymous with public key encryption) is that of
factoring. Given two large prime numbers, it is a straightforward
task to multiply them together and find the resulting multiplicand.
However, given a large number that is a product of two large prime
factors, it is extremely difficult to find those two primes.
Elliptic curves have a similar property. A characteristic of an
elliptic curve is that any two points on the curve can be "added," and
the resulting point will also be on the curve. However, it is
difficult, given only the final point, to find the original two that
were added. Thus, this attribute can be used as the basis of an
asymmetric encryption system.
Rosing doesn't get around to explaining what an elliptic curve is
until chapter five, so you have to take a fair amount on faith. In
spite of the comments in the first few pages of the book promoting the
advantages of understanding the fundamentals, it is quite easy to
believe that the text was written to explain some sample code, since
there is far more emphasis on dealing with carry bits than there is in
the background explanations. He starts in chapter one by talking
about exponential curves (as in, a good crypto system is one where the
work done to encrypt a message grows more slowly than the work
required to crack it) and the enormous magnitude of address spaces.
Chapter two doesn't really deal with number theory until halfway
through, concentrating on coding for arithmetic with large integers,
and rushing through conceptual explanations in order to get into yet
more programming. Polynomials are introduced in chapter three, but,
again, I couldn't say that the subject is really covered. At one
point a new term, undefined, is introduced. The comment, "If you
don't know what that means, just remember that it works!" is not
terribly helpful when we have no idea what it works for. Normal basis
is given a mathematical definition, but almost no explanation, in
chapter four. The explanation of elliptic curves, in chapter five, is
much better, but, relying as it does on some understanding of
polynomial and normal basis, still leaves a lot to be desired.
It is interesting to note, in chapter six, that the basics of
cryptology is treated every bit as cavalierly as the math. The
explanation of public key cryptography is extremely terse, and, in
fact, contains several minor errors. Chapter seven looks at some
practical building blocks like random number generation and
"handshaking" protocols. The elliptic curve encryption scheme and
IEEE P1363 standard mask and hash functions are reviewed in chapter
eight. Chapters nine and ten discuss advanced topics in key exchange
and digital signatures respectively. Fine details for performance
enhancement in specific sections of code are covered in chapter
eleven. A sample analysis and design is given in chapter twelve.
Now, granted, Rosing's purpose is engineering and implementation and
not math tutorials. And, to be fair, he does provide information on a
number of points of programming not often dealt with in the more
academic texts. However, as he points out, you cannot simply use the
sample code in the book and expect it to work in all cases and for all
purposes. Therefore, if the programmer does not understand, to some
extent, how the system works, the eventual system may have flaws and
weaknesses. However helpful the programming pointers handed out in
every chapter, design must be based on concepts, and these are very
poorly provided. If, on the other hand, you learned UNIX by studying
the source code, you might do reasonably well with this book.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKIMPECC.RVW 990115
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1999 08:31:48 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 3--REVIEW: "Field Guide to Microsoft Windows 95", Stephen L. Nelson
BKFGWN95.RVW 990129
"Field Guide to Microsoft Windows 95", Stephen L. Nelson, 1995,
1-55615-675-8, U$9.95/C$12.95/UK#9.49
%A Stephen L. Nelson
%C 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
%D 1995
%G 1-55615-675-8
%I Microsoft Press
%O U$9.95/C$12.95/UK#9.49 800-MSPRESS fax: 206-936-7329
%P 187 p.
%S Field Guide
%T "Field Guide to Microsoft Windows 95"
The title suggests a type of quick reference, along the lines of what
bug have we found now? Ah, it's not a bug at all, but a Red-Faced
Coronary Inducing Feature! However, of course, what we really want in
the computer world is fast access to straightforward directions on how
to accomplish what we need to get done.
The first of four sections in the book, called "Environment," gives a
quick introduction to Windows operations. The graphical arrangement
of the book is quite appropriate for the Windows interface, but the
material misses a lot of areas that may be new to users, such as
clicking, dragging, and other "commands." There are also some
misleading items, such as the statement that applications run until
stopped (some terminate by themselves).
Part two is the largest, an alphabetic listing of commands, programs,
and terms. The "applets" of Win95, such as the calculator, backup,
and Paint, have enough explanation to get started with. Terminology
is not always crystal clear, such as the assertion that folders have
"replaced" directories. (It might now be evident that folders *are*
directories, by any other name.) When looking for functions, there is
a listing for starting programs, but nothing under "stop" or "quit."
(You have to know that MS calls this "exiting.") Also, I really don't
now that novices need to know that the technology Windows uses to cut
and paste stuff is called OLE (Object Linking and Embedding).
Part three calls itself "Troubleshooting," but most of the entries
deal with commonly used functions. Useful, yes, but the book might
have been strengthened by including these tips in appropriate areas of
the reference in part two. Of the listings that do deal with problem
issues, I am not sure that I would rely on them.
Part four is a reference to the menu items under the Start Menu,
Windows Explorer, and the Printer Folder.
When compared with a book like Nelson's "The Little Windows 95 Book"
(cf. BKLTLW95.RVW) this text has serious shortcomings. However, it
can probably stand with any other of the Windows 95 introductions.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKFGWN95.RVW 990129
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
As American as apple pie.
As Canadian as possible under the circumstances. - E. Heather Scott
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 08:23:28 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 4--REVIEW: "Starswarm", Jerry Pournelle
BKSTRSWM.RVW 990110
"Starswarm", Jerry Pournelle, 1998, 0-312-86183-4, U$23.95/C$33.95
%A Jerry Pournelle
%C 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
%D 1998
%G 0-312-86183-4
%I Tor Books/Tom Doherty Assoc.
%O U$23.95/C$33.95 pnh@tor.com www.tor.com
%P 349 p.
%T "Starswarm"
"Starswarm" is a book of juvenile science fiction. As can be
expected, the plotting is fairly simplistic, the ending abrupt, and
the characterizations pretty much glossed over. However, in the
introduction, Pournelle notes, and attributes to Robert Heinlein, the
idea that in juvenile fiction one can do more teaching than in adult
fiction.
The book postulates an ecology based around, and run by, intelligent
entities formed of aggregate creatures. An interesting means of
communication is proposed between individual creatures. (It makes
sense in the case of those confined to lakes, but less so in the case
of ocean based forms of the same ... species?) Environmentalism is a
weak subsidiary theme. Some explanation of the complexity of
ecological interactions is given, but a number of opportunities for
fuller development are abandoned.
Most of the plot turns on the existence of an artificially intelligent
program, and on communications. In these areas, the book is extremely
weak.
First there is data security. The AI program has presumably been
designed by a very able computer scientist. However, once running, it
manages to evade detection for at least ten years. True, it is hiding
in plain sight, as it were, masquerading as a virus protection
program. (You don't update your antiviral in more than ten years?)
Then again, having successfully hidden for ten years, the first time
anyone suspects something is wrong, the program is identified almost
instantly. There is a backup on earth, but in ten years the program
has not managed either to penetrate security monitors (which it must
have had access to at a fairly high level originally) not copied
itself to other local machines as a backup or for greater protection
against detection.
Ultimately the detection is made because of a single transmission,
picked out of what have to be an enormous number. While this
detection is improbable in itself, there is no recognition of
differences in bandwidth that could have allowed the transmission to
be made with almost no chance of detection at all.
Dealing with the alien entities is also problematic. While the
entities have been under intense scrutiny for more than ten years, a
chance observation of flashing lights not only reveals their nature,
but also provides a translation of their language, all in one go. The
aliens themselves are phenomenally intelligent, being able to dissect
an object to the molecular level, understand its purpose, and
replicate an improved version within hours.
As everyone reading this series knows, it is unrealistic to expect
technical accuracy from fictional works, let alone juvenile fiction.
However, it seems that Heinlein and Pournelle's thesis is equally
divorced from reality.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKSTRSWM.RVW 990110
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 07:58:40 -0800
Subject: File 5--REVIEW: "Poser's Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web", Jame
BKPSRSGD.RVW 990126
"Poser's Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web", James Gaskin,
1998, 0-9665370-3-3, U$9.95/C$12.95
%A James Gaskin author@posersguide.com
%C 3817 Yellowstone, Irving, TX 75062
%D 1998
%G 0-9665370-3-3
%I Ruby Moon Press
%O U$9.95/C$12.95 rubybooks@aol.com
%P 111 p.
%T "Poser's Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web"
The computer world spawns more "instant experts" than any other field
of human endeavour with the possible exception of child-rearing, and
most such posers are intensely irritating to those who do know what's
going on. So why do I applaud Gaskin's reference work for them?
For one thing, as the title would suggest, it's funny. Mostly the
rolling eyes muttering "how true, how true" variety of funny, but very
funny nonetheless.
To go further, I have to explain the book. This volume is actually a
dictionary. A dictionary is funny? Yes, when each definition (one to
a page) is defined, in turn, by a guru, a "cheerleader," and a cynic.
(These "experts" have been graphically personified by Randy Jones, and
I was please to see, however briefly, the return of Karl's
konsultees.) The guru, as the front cover states, gives you the facts
that are nice, but rarely helpful. For the cheerleader, the net and
all its works are wonderful. But it is the cynics who tell you what
these bits of technobabble and manajargon mean. Gaskin casts and
informed, and generally jaundiced, eye on the technical "hot buttons"
of the day. In fact, while there is a lot of fun in the text, there
is a lot of information as well, and you *can* learn a lot very
quickly, if you want to be a poser. In fact, I can think of a lot of
executives who I wish would spend about an hour with this volume.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKPSRSGD.RVW 990126
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 10:12:58 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 6--REVIEW: "The Race for Bandwidth", Cary Lu
BKRFBUDT.RVW 990131
"The Race for Bandwidth", Cary Lu, 1998, 1-57231-513-X,
U$19.99/C$26.99/UK#18.49
%A Cary Lu
%C 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
%D 1998
%G 1-57231-513-X
%I Microsoft Press
%O U$19.99/C$26.99/UK#18.49 800-MSPRESS (6777377) fax: 206-936-7329
%P 199 p.
%T "The Race for Bandwidth: Understanding Data Transmission"
There is no statement of purpose or audience for this book, which
makes a critique of it somewhat difficult.
Chapter one provides a somewhat-simpler-than-layman's level
explanation of bandwidth as a measure of information transmission.
There is a scanty overview of the range of bandwidth requirements for
different technologies, with a few mistakes (one comparison is off by
a factor of fifty). However, there is also some social analysis of
what the increase in bandwidth availability means, that may be missing
from some purely technical discussions of the topic. The history of
communications given in chapter two is simple, though probably
interesting to the neophyte. There are still a number of minor
errors, such as the dates of the first inception of the Internet, and
the first fax transmission, that make other details sometimes suspect.
Various ways of looking at bandwidth, and the tradeoffs to be made
(with an interesting variation on "never underestimate the bandwidth
of a station wagon full of mag tapes") comprise chapter three. There
is also a good discussion of analogue and digital information. This
is extended in chapter four with some comparisons of analogue
bandwidths for various media, although it is unfortunate that the
comparisons are not fully carried over into the digital realm. This
is the more untoward since chapters five and six move into specifics
of the audio and video standards for North America and Europe, and
quickly become more technical than the prior background really
supports. (It is also unclear what the point of these two chapter
is.) The same holds true for chapter seven, which looks at the Public
Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), cellular, and modem technologies,
as opposed to the broadcast concentrations in five and six. Chapter
eight reviews a number of very important aspects of packet data
networks such as the Internet, although, again, some of the
significance of the discussion will be lost on some readers because of
sections missing from the background information. An afterword closes
out the book by noting that we will continue to want more bandwidth,
more will become available, and that not every piece of information
that we want is or will be available for transmission or access.
Clearly, this book is not suitable for professionals. Too much is
missing for those who really have to make informed decisions. For the
amateur, wanting to start to get a handle on communications
technology, the book holds much greater promise. It does not get
bogged down in technical details, and it does stop to look at social
and political issues along the way. While not always completely
reliable in its presentation of the technology, it is certainly
readable and entertaining. For those wanting to get a "feel," rather
than a working knowledge, this is worth consideration.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKRFBUDT.RVW 990131
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 08:28:58 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 7--REVIEW: "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carrol
BKCAINUH.RVW 990123
"1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook", Jim Carroll/Rick
Broadhead, 1998, 0-13-974957-8, C$16.95
%A Jim Carroll jcarroll@jimcarroll.com www.jimcarroll.com
%A Rick Broadhead rickb@sympatico.ca www.rickbroadhead.com
%C Scarborough, Ontario
%D 1998
%G 0-13-974957-8
%I Prentice Hall Canada
%O C$16.95 800-576-3800 416-293-3621 www.phcanada.com
%P 246 p.
%T "1999 Canadian Internet New User's Handbook"
As rabidly and chauvinistically patriotic as I am, I find it difficult
to recommend this book.
Chapter one is basically a sales pitch for the net, although, at the
same time, it suggests that media hype has distorted perceptions of
the Internet. The material does not address specific deceptions but
does mention a few minor examples of how the net can be used. The
obligatory list of Web sites is given in chapter two. Rather oddly,
the specific URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are not given in the
individual writeups (and, in one case, seem to have been deliberately
expunged from screen shots) although they are collected at the end of
the chapter. Some items that *do* have their URLs included are the
tips, but a number of those in this chapter are not Canadian. Despite
the promise of the title, there is no real explanation of the net in
chapter three, which simply contains a few more examples of things you
can do (if you know how) as a kind of addition to chapter one.
Chapter four seems to make the same commitment, but the most telling
statement is the first of the "Understanding the Internet in 10 Easy
Steps" at the end: "You do not need to know how the Internet works
behind the scenes in order to use it." There is a minor exposition on
the hierarchical naming convention of the Domain Name Service (DNS),
but that is about it.
Chapter five talks about getting connected to the net, but only really
says to buy the right (unspecified) hardware and the right
(unspecified) service. The actual connection is left as an exercise
to the reader. (There is a list of Web sites of national service
providers that can be very helpful--if you are already on the net and
don't need it.) The Web, email, and news are introduced in chapter
six--but only barely. I am glad to see that the issue of etiquette
gets some space in regard to email and news, although the points are
brief and relatively simple, and mailing list etiquette is not dealt
with at all. Searching the Web is generally covered very badly in
most books: Carroll and Broadhead at least note the difference between
directories and search engines in chapter seven. Building a Web site
is a serious undertaking, and chapter eight's coverage only scratches
the surface. Chapter nine concludes with a quick precis of the book,
and yet another iteration of chapter one (a few more things you can do
on the net).
Even as a quick starting guide to the net, this book does not have
anywhere near the basic information of, say, "Zen and the Art of the
Internet" (cf. BKZENINT.RVW), let alone the depth of understanding
that the slightly longer "Internet Book" (cf. BKINTBOK.RVW) is able to
provide. As for Canadian material, while there are a number of
Canadian sites listed by way of example, the CRTC might have
difficulty in allowing this as CanCon.
I did not want to mention the self-promotional tone of the book, since
to do so is to sail dangerously close to making an ad hominem attack.
However, the fact that the book opens with eight pages of advertising
for the authors, and closes with seven more, is one of the lesser
examples. The stream of overinflated quotes of congratulatory hype
(with no apparent relation to the topic at hand) and claims to
specialist expertise seemingly solely on the basis that one is famous
is extremely annoying, and, well, not very Canadian.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKCAINUH.RVW 990123
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 08:40:23 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 8--REVIEW: "How to Get a College Degree Via the Internet", Sam Atie
BKHGCDVI.RVW 990129
"How to Get a College Degree Via the Internet", Sam Atieh, 1998,
0-7615-1370-1, U$16.00/C$21.95
%A Sam Atieh saleh@ccp.com
%C 3875 Atherton Road, Rocklin, CA 95765-3716
%D 1998
%G 0-7615-1370-1
%I Prima Publishing
%O U$16.00/C$21.95 800-632-8676 916-632-4400 fax: 916-632-1232
%P 204 p.
%T "How to Get a College Degree Via the Internet"
At about the same time that the author was looking for a distance
education program I was running a rather oddball experiment in
networked training delivery and researching what else was going on, so
I was interested to see something of how the field had developed.
This book didn't tell me much.
Part one is a set of very short, and mostly uninformative chapters.
Chapter one presents the selling points of online education: the high
direct costs of traditional education, plus the indirect costs that
are a barrier to those already engaged in life and not willing to go
back to student life. Distance education has existed, and the
Internet exists, we are told by chapter two, and when the two meet,
something wonderful happens. (There are a lot of generalities, and
not many details.) A very short set of questions and answers,
intended to determine whether you are the type of person to benefit
from online education, is given in chapter three. Not only is the
material exceedingly terse, but I began to become more distinctly
aware of a factor that had been bothering me from the beginning of the
book: there was a lot of emphasis on the career, and specifically
monetary, value of an online diploma or degree, but almost no
discussion of educational values themselves. Chapter four runs
through a generic "what you need to get online" list, but very
quickly. Most of the entries are sketchy in the extreme, a few are
helpful, and some, like the recommendation to have a dress code for
"class" and a few of the software suggestions, are a little odd. The
advice for choosing a school, in chapter five, is fairly standard, but
some pointers for non-US students checking on American accreditation
is helpful. Common application and prerequisite requirements are
listed, along with useful contacts for standard placement exams, are
mentioned in chapter six. Chapter seven briefly looks at financial
matters such as scholarships and student loans. A few informational
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are given in chapter eight. The
advice to foreign students, in chapter nine, is basically a high speed
rehash of the prior content. Chapter ten discusses online job
searching, mostly in terms of creating your own Web page and using
generic search engines.
Part two has most of the value of the book. Seventy two institutions
are listed, with some brief description, online and postal contact
information, and a short description of offerings. Most are from the
US, one from the UK, and two from Canada. I know that the listings
are not complete, since two universities, at least one community
college, a special educational agency, and a theological school run
distance programs in my locale alone, none of which are listed. I had
a quick look at the doctoral programs, and noted two that might merit
further research, so the pickings, as the author tacitly admits in the
introduction, are a little thin.
For those interested in getting a degree via the net, the inexpensive
price would probably repay the buyer in terms or time saved finding
programs. (On the other hand, a decent Web search might do the same
thing, and possibly with more complete coverage.) The initial
chapters may help some, but don't contain enough information for most
of those interested in getting online and researching the
possibilities.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKHGCDVI.RVW 990129
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Find virus, book info http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm
Mirrored at http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/rms.htm
Linked to bookstore at http://www97.pair.com/robslade/
Comp Sec Weekly: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/computer_security
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 08:29:36 -0800
From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor"
Subject: File 9--REVIEW: "Public Access to the Internet", Brian Kahin/James Kelle
BKPBACIN.RVW 990207
"Public Access to the Internet", Brian Kahin/James Keller, 1995,
0-262-61118-X, U$20.00
%E Brian Kahin kahin@harvard.edu
%E James Keller keller@ksgrsch.harvard.edu
%C 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1399
%D 1995
%G 0-262-61118-X
%I MIT Press
%O U$20.00 800-356-0343 fax: 617-625-6660 www-mitpress.mit.edu
%P 390 p.
%T "Public Access to the Internet"
Perhaps not quite addressing the current discussion of "public
access," with it's heavy emphasis on subsidized access for the poor
and those in rural communities, the papers in this book were written
at a time of initial reaction to the commercialization of what had, up
until then, been primarily an academic and research network.
The first part looks at the US public access agenda of the day. Brian
Kahin's paper starts off by noting that the National Information
Infrastructure plans misunderstood the nature of the value of the
Internet by seeing it as some kind of inexpensive carrier, when it
was, instead, the access to information that was of value, in the
model of the public library. The tension between commercial and
public access interests is noted by Lewis Branscomb, with the poignant
metaphor of television pointing to past failures. A number of public
access issues are raised, but not addressed in detail, by James
Keller.
Sociology and culture are unfortunately not dealt with well in part
two. The WELL is an interesting success in online history, but Cliff
Figallo's paper does not relate closely to public access overall. (As
only one example, the essay cites numerous cases where direct public
meetings with participants helped resolve problems.) Sproul and Faraj
try to look at the social technology of the net but do not present any
significant findings.
Part three tries to look at the establishment of network communities.
Beverly Hunter presents a lot of educational theory, a few limited
anecdotes, and not much relation to public access. Using Big Sky
Telegraph as an example, Frank Odasz makes a good case for low cost,
efficient, BBS based community networking models of public access, and
presents one of the high points in the book. George Baldwin's look at
public access for Native Americans is unfocussed. A look at the
provision of service through libraries, by Carol Henderson and
Frederick King, is anecdotal and lacks analysis.
Part four discusses new classes of users. Richard Civille uses
statistics to show that the gap between rich and poor is widening, and
infers that the poor will be increasingly disadvantaged, but cannot
either strongly support his position or articulate remedial actions.
A list of what people "want" from Internet access is Daniel Dern's
contribution. Miles Fidelman looks briefly at various technologies
for "local loop" access. Although it purports to look at
architectural and policy implications of the variety of new users on
the net, Terrence McGarty and Carole Haywood produce only a confused
overview of telecommunications uses.
The final section deals with pricing and service. Jeffrey MacKie-
Mason and Hal Varian use tables of prices and graphs and economic
formulae to support a middle of the road non-recommendation that
everyone be involved. Scott Shenker at least provides one new factor,
quality of service, for his limited proposal. A telephone network
model is the basis of Michael Einhorn's paper. Hans-Werner Braun and
Kimberley Claffy call for more study and data.
What is most disappointing is to see how little progress has been made
in the past four years.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999 BKPBACIN.RVW 990207
======================
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca robertslade@usa.net p1@canada.com
Freebie Mags: http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/magazine.htm
Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses, 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 22:51:01 CST
From: CuD Moderators
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