Chapter 2: E-Main (4 of 6) -- E-MAIL TO OTHER NETWORKS
Chapter 2: E-Main (4 of 6) -- E-MAIL TO OTHER NETWORKS
There are a number of computer networks that are not directly tied
to the Net, but to which you can still send e-mail messages. Here's a
list of some of the larger networks, how to send mail to them and how
their users can send mail to you:
America Online
Remove any spaces from a user's name and append "aol.com," to get
user@aol.com
America Online users who want to send mail to you need only put your
Net address in the "to:" field before composing a message.
ATTMail
Address your message to user@attmail.com.
From ATTMail, a user would send mail to you in this form:
internet!domain!user
So if your address were nancy@world.std.com, your correspondent
would send a message to you at
internet!world.std.com!nancy
Bitnet
Users of Bitnet (and NetNorth in Canada and EARN in Europe) often
have addresses in this form: IZZY@INDVMS. If you're lucky, all you'll
have to do to mail to that address is add "bitnet" at the end, to get
izzy@indvms.bitnet. Sometimes, however, mail to such an address will
bounce back to you, because Bitnet addresses do not always translate well
into an Internet form. If this happens, you can send mail through one of
two Internet/Bitnet gateways. First, change the @ in the address to a %,
so that you get username%site.bitnet. Then add either @vm.marist.edu or
@cunyvm.cuny.edu, so that, with the above example, you would get
izzy%indyvms.bitnet@vm.marist.edu or izzy%indvyvms.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Bitnet users have it a little easier: They can usually send mail
directly to your e-mail address without fooling around with it at all. So
send them your address and they should be OK.
CompuServe
CompuServe users have numerical addresses in this form: 73727,545.
To send mail to a CompuServe user, change the comma to a period and add
"@compuserve.com"; for example: 73727.545@compuserve.com.
If you know CompuServe users who want to send you mail, tell them to
GO MAIL and create a mail message. In the address area, instead of typing
in a CompuServe number, have them type your address in this form:
>INTERNET:YourID@YourAddress.
For example, >INTERNET:adamg@world.std.com. Note that both the ">"
and the ":" are required.
Delphi
To send mail to a Delphi user, the form is username@delphi.com.
Fidonet
To send mail to somebody who uses a Fidonet BBS, you need the name
they use to log onto that system and its "node number.'' Fidonet node
numbers or addresses consist of three numbers, in this form: 1:322/190.
The first number tells which of three broad geographic zones the BBS is
in (1 represents the U.S. and Canada, 2 Europe and Israel, 3 Pacific
Asia, 4 South America). The second number represents the BBS's network,
while the final number is the BBS's "FidoNode'' number in that network.
If your correspondent only gives you two numbers (for example, 322/190),
it means the system is in zone 1.
Now comes the tricky part. You have to reverse the numbers and add
to them the letters f, n and z (which stand for "FidoNode,''"network,''
and "zone'). For example, the address above would become
f190.n322.z1.
Now add "fidonet.org'' at the end, to get f190.n322.z1.fidonet.org.
Then add "FirstName.LastName@', to get
FirstName.LastName@f190.n322.z1.fidonet.org.
Note the period between the first and last names.
Whew!
The reverse process is totally different. First, the person has to
have access to his or her BBS's "net mail" area and know the Fidonet
address of his or her local Fidonet/UUCP gateway (often their system
operator will know it). Your Fidonet correspondent should address a
net-mail message to UUCP (not your name) in the "to:" field. In the
node-number field, they should type in the node number of the
Fidonet/UUCP gateway (if the gateway system is in the same regional
network as their system, they need only type the last number, for
example, 390 instead of 322/390). Then, the first line of the message
has to be your Internet address, followed by a blank line. After that,
the person can write the message and send it.
Because of the way Fidonet moves mail, it could take a day or two
for a message to be delivered in either direction. Also, because many
Fidonet systems are run as hobbies, it is considered good form to ask the
gateway sysop's permission if you intend to pass large amounts of mail
back and forth. Messages of a commercial nature are strictly forbidden
(even if it's something the other person asked for). Also, consider it
very likely that somebody other than the recipient will read your
messages.
GEnie
To send mail to a GEnie user, add "@genie.geis.com" to the end of
their GEnie user name, for example: walt@genie.geis.com.
If you know GEnie users who want to send you mail, tell them to go
the the mail menu and create a mail message as they normally would. At
the TO: prompt they can enter your address in this form:
YourID@YourAddress#INET
For example, adamg@world.std.com#INET.
MCIMail
To send mail to somebody with an MCIMail account, add "@mcimail.com
to the end of their name or numerical address. For example:
555-1212@mcimail.com
or
jsmith@mcimail.com
Note that if there is more than one MCIMail subscriber with that
name, you will get a mail message back from MCI giving you their names
and numerical addresses. You'll then have to figure out which one you
want and re-send the message.
From MCI, a user would type
Your Name (EMS)
at the "To:" prompt. At the EMS prompt, he or she would type
internet
followed by your Net address at the "Mbx:" prompt.
Peacenet
To send mail to a Peacenet user, use this form:
username@igc.org
Peacenet subscribers can use your regular address to send you mail.
Prodigy
UserID@prodigy.com. Note that Prodigy users must pay extra for
Internet e-mail.