Network differences

[George R. Boyce]

In article <174 at bnl.UUCP> myers at bnl.UUCP (Eric Myers) writes:
>> In article <560 at brl-sem.ARPA> ron at brl-sem.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) writes:
>>> BITNET:  BITNET is to the IBM world what UUCP is to the UNIX world.
>
>This is not an accurate characterization.  There are all sorts of
>machines on Bitnet, running VM/CMS, MVS, and UNIX.  I'm on a Unix
>machine right now.  What is true is that the protocols for Bitnet
>(RSCS) were designed by IBM, and Bitnet originally consisted of
>just IBM machines.  I think that most of the machines on that net
>are still IBM.
>
>The best description of Bitnet is that it is a network of University
>and Research lab computers linked together using the RSCS protocols.

There is also support for "mail-only" bitnet sites which do not know rscs
but which are connected to machines which do use rscs protocols. Alas,
a good number of people do not know this and the support has been going
downhill ever since it was created. I know because my tops-20 machine,
CRNL20A, is connected to CORNELLC which forwards files via a rje interface.
More and more systems are joining bitnet which are not smart enough to
forward mail via my CORNELLC gateway. Sigh.

George Boyce, Cornell Computer Services, george at cornell (george at crnl20a.bitnet)