The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine
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September 1993 - Volume 10:1 [Printout | Contents | Search ]
By Gayle Belford PennInfo, the University's campus-wide information system, and Gopher, a tool for searching and retrieving information from hundreds of sources on the worldwide Internet, are sophisticated resources that complement traditional means of accessing information at Penn. We invite you to explore these state-of-the-art systems and discover their usefulness in all spheres of activity, from research to recreation.
What's in PennInfo for me?PennInfo contains a wealth of information for students, faculty, staff, and alumni, all keyword searchable. More than 50 Schools, organizations, and departments at Penn provide information to the system. As of July 1993, the number of items in PennInfo was nearly 4,000.Here's just a sample of what's available:
How do I use PennInfo?PennInfo's menu hierarchy invites browsing: Simply select a topic of interest from the main menu, then explore the subtopics beneath. Once you're hooked on PennInfo, however, you'll probably want to find information faster. A quick way to locate information is to search on a logical keyword, which, in turn, produces a menu of items that have been assigned that keyword. For example, searching on the keyword "labs" produces listings of campus computing labs. Search instructions can be found under the "About PennInfo" main menu topic, or in PennInfo Quick Guides, available from the CRC. For additional commands to help you navigate PennInfo, search on the keyword "help" or refer to the list of commands in the Quick Guides.PennInfo's Worldwide command takes you outside of PennInfo to a menu listing sites that use software similar to PennInfo--and to the PennInfo->Gopher Gateway, which links the PennInfo and Gopher systems. Traversing the menus beneath "PennInfo->Gopher Gateway" ultimately leads you to various network navigation tools and to information repositories on campus and around the world.
What's in Gopher for me?The Internet Gopher is a document delivery service and network navigational tool that connects hundreds of information sites worldwide. Once in Gopher, you can search, access, and retrieve data residing on six continents in such a manner that everything appears to come from the same source.Gopher has the potential to provide information on any conceivable topic--from a recipe for African stew to references on the greenhouse effect to United Nations press releases. If your computer has the right graphics capabilities, you can access graphic images through Gopher. Many of the images in PennInfo came from Gopher sites around the world. Here are some examples of what Gopher offers:
How do I use Gopher?For a sense of the richness and sheer volume of information available via Gopher, start out by exploring the menus of Gopher servers at Penn and around the world. You can also search for specific information you need by using one of several resources available via Gopher. For more information on searching, refer to PennInfo's Network Navigation menu, under Computing/PennNet.The office of Data Communications and Computing Services welcomes suggestions for new topics of interest to the Penn community that are appropriate for posting in PennInfo or Gopher. Send suggestions via electronic mail to penninfo-admin@dccs.upenn.edu, or call 898-3424.
GAYLE BELFORD is a Technical Writer for the Office of Data Communications and Computing Services and Administrator of PennInfo. Sidebar: Accessing PennInfo and Gopher PennInfo
Most people will access PennInfo from a computer with a VT100
interface (usually an IBM PC/compatible running ProComm or an
asynchronously connected Macintosh running MicroPhone). At the PennNet
annex: prompt, type t penninfo and press
Those with Ethernet/IP-connected Macintoshes, including Macs that
use SLIP protocol, can get PennInfo "client" software via FTP from
ftp.upenn.edu (/pub/mac/penninfo). If you don't know how to use FTP,
obtain the PennInfo software from the CRC (take two formatted disks with
you). PennInfo Quick Guides with complete access instructions are also
available from the CRC.
Those who don't have PennNet access from their desktop can visit
one of the computing labs listed on page 14, or a PennInfo kiosk on
campus.
Gopher
To access Gopher from a computer with a VT100 interface, type t
gopher and press
Those with Ethernet/IP-connected computers, including Macs that
use the SLIP protocol, can get Gopher client software via FTP from
ftp.upenn.edu. Clients for Mac, NeXT, and Unix appear under
/pub/gopher. If you don't know how to use FTP, ask your local computer
support provider.
NOTE: Gopher servers are distributed worldwide and individually
maintained and controlled. Therefore, Gopher response can occasionally
be slow or non-existent. However, patience and perseverance pay off:
If you don't receive a response initially, try again later.
PennInfo/Gopher from kiosks
If you don't have access to a computer, drop by one of the
following kiosks equipped with PCs or Macs that provide access to
PennInfo and to Gopher (via the Worldwide command). Those locations
using the point-and-click Macintosh PennInfo software are marked with an
asterisk (*). Check PennInfo for updated kiosk locations.
Bennett Hall, Room 133, 3340 Walnut
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