PENN PRINTOUT
The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine

PENN PRINTOUT February 1993 - Volume 9:4

[Printout | Contents | Search ]


PennInfo one year later

By Alfred C. D'Souza

In just over a year, PennInfo has become a valuable resource for the Penn community and an important medium through which Schools and offices communicate with their constituencies. The University's easy- to-use online campus-wide information system (CWIS) covers a wide range of topics of interest to the Penn community--from information about grants, fellowhips, and reseach resources; to the entire Penn course register; to an eclectic array of offerings from Penn's 14 libraries; to local weather. More than 3,000 documents have already been posted to the system by 70 information providers, representing 5 of the 12 Schools and more than 20 offices. In a typical month (December, 1992), there were 10,373 PennInfo "sessions" from both on and off campus.


Many ways to access PennInfo

PennInfo can be accessed free of charge via terminals and computers connected to PennNet, including most computers in student labs and dedicated PennInfo kiosks in many campus buildings. Off-campus users can reach PennInfo via the dial-in modem pool and via the Internet. Any device that can emulate a VT100 terminal is compatible with PennInfo's standard interface; examples of software providing VT100 terminal emulation are ProComm and MicroPhone II.

To access PennInfo from the annex: prompt, type t penninfo . From the DIAL: prompt, type penninfo . Those with IP-connected Macintoshes can use PennInfo "client" software to interact with PennInfo in a "point and click" manner. This software is available via FTP from the host computer ftp.upenn.edu. The path is pub/mac/penninfo.hqx.

Note that many staff members at Penn have specially written PC scripts that facilitate access to the systems they use most often. One potential risk of using scripts is that they can bypass new network services such as PennInfo. If you can't access PennInfo, or can't get to either an annex: or a DIAL: prompt, contact your local computer support person.


New release of PennInfo

PennInfo's software is enhanced periodically to meet the changing needs of end users and information providers. A capsule summary of key new features released in mid-January is provided below. For more details, see "Highlights of the New PennInfo Release" in the "About PennInfo" section of PennInfo. Quick reference cards for the new PennInfo release are available at the Computing Resource Center and the PennNet Services Center.

  • The "What's New" feature provides a menu of documents that have been posted or modified subsequent to a user-specified date.

  • The "Worldwide" command provides access to other CWISs on the Internet that use MIT's TechInfo protocol.

  • The modified keyword search feature allows users to restrict keyword searches to the current folder rather than searching every folder in PennInfo.

  • The "Kiosk" function permits use of an IP-connected Macintosh as an exclusive PennInfo access machine.

  • The "Owner" command lets users search for documents by the name of the source organization.

  • The "Email" command, available only to those using the VT100 interface, lets users send PennInfo documents to themselves or to colleagues via electronic mail.

  • The "Email Directory" command, available only to those using Macintosh client software, allows users to find the e-mail addresses of faculty and staff members at Penn.

  • Graphic images (in GIF89 format only) can now be displayed on systems that have the Macintosh client software installed.


Beyond the CWIS

PennInfo is just one of hundreds of CWISs, general and scholarly databases, and information systems available to the Penn community over the worldwide Internet. Quite recently, a set of navigational and indexing tools integrating these resources has emerged, of which the most popular are Archie, Gopher, Wide Area Information Service (WAIS), and World-wide Web (WWW). (See "Navigating the Internet" on page 1 and PennInfo's "Network Navigation" section under Computing/PennNet.)

To integrate PennInfo with these "de facto standard" Internet tools, Data Communications and Computing Services (DCCS) has developed experimental "gateways" that enable both Gopher and WWW client software to access menus and documents in PennInfo, in addition to the resources already available in their respective Gopher and WWW "spaces." This "best of both worlds" approach makes PennInfo's 3,000-plus documents directly available to users, both at Penn and on the Internet, for whom Gopher or WWW provides the preferred user interface. For details on access and use of these gateways, see the "Network Navigation" section in PennInfo.


Join the PennInfo team!

PennInfo administrator Gayle Belford continues to recruit information providers who can add to PennInfo's ever-increasing collection of useful documents. Call 898-3424 or send e-mail to penninfo-admin@dccs if you are interested in participating in this important program.

Sidebar: PennInfo kiosk locations

The following are the current PennInfo kiosk locations. See PennInfo's "About PennInfo" section for updates.

  • Benjamin Franklin Scholars office, 310 Hayden Hall, 240 S. 33rd St.

  • Bookstore, 3729 Locust Walk.

  • College of General Studies, front office counter, 3440 Market St.

  • College Office, Mezzanine, 133 S. 36th St.

  • Computing Resource Center, Locust Walk at 38th St.

  • Data Communications and Computing Services, Suite 221A, 3401 Walnut St.

  • Engineering Undergraduate Education Office, 109 Towne Building, 220 S. 33rd St.

  • Faculty Club, 200 S. 36th St.

  • Greenfield Intercultural Center library, 3708 Chestnut St.

  • Hill College House, 3333 Walnut St.

  • Houston Hall lobby, 3417 Spruce St.

  • McClelland Hall, center lobby, The Quad, 3700 Spruce St.

  • Office of International Programs, 133 Bennett Hall, 3340 Walnut St.

  • PennCard Center, Suite 323A, 3401 Walnut St.

  • Penntrex Office, street level, 3606B Chestnut St.

  • Student Financial Information Center, 100 Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut St.

  • Student Health Service, basement of Penn Tower, 34th & Civic Center Blvd.

ALFRED C. D'SOUZA is Director of Program Management for Data Communications and Computing Services and the Office of Information Systems and Computing.