Listservs for Laymen: Accessing Theatre Information Through the Internet

COMMENTS ON PROCESS Listservs for Laymen: Accessing Theatre Information Through the Internet Anne L. Fliotsos As we approach the end of the millennium, scholars in theatre and the performing arts are finding computer technology increasingly prevalent in the field. In academic theatres as well as commercial theatres, one of the best kept secrets of the computer age is finally leaking out: access to the Internet. The Internet is profoundly baffling and complex to those of us who do not normally concern ourselves with automation; the definition of the Internet is nebulous at best. In the simplest terms, the Internet can be thought of as a gigantic computer network. It offers access to electronic mail communications (e-mail), electronic journals, electronic bulletin boards, and numerous other online resources worldwide. Although the joys of the Internet are certainly worthy of discussion , the complexity and vastness of the subject require book-length study (see bibliography of sources). This article will concern itself with one small but important aspect of Internet communications: listservs. Listservs can most easily be thought of as discussion forums using email as a means of communication. There are hundreds of listserv topics available on the Internet, ranging from aeronautics to zymurgy. Once computer users join a listserv, they receive e-mail messages that have been posted to all group members; they can read the messages without responding, respond by posting a message to all listserv members, or respond with a private e-mail message to the original sender. When a controversial subject is brought up on a listserv, debate can continue for weeks. Directories of listservs are available online but are often hard to find in print due to the ever-changing state of listserv addresses. New listservs can appear and old listservs disappear with little notice. Two online directories are The University of Michigan's "Guide to Theater Resources on the Internet" and Ken McCoy's "Guide to Internet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies ." (See the end of this article for complete information on accessing these 81 82 Anne L Fliotsos lists.) Unfortunately, both require some Internet expertise to consult online. One of the few Internet guides to include a listserv directory is Ed Krol's The Whole Internet: User's Guide and Catalog.* Although statistics on membership are not readily available, theatre listservs seem to be growing in both number and popularity as Internet activity increases. Topics within the field range from the general (The Theatre Discussion List) to the specific (Hispanic Classic Theatre). Some theatre organizations have their own listservs; for example, the American Society for Theatre Research runs a theatre history discussion listserv called ASTR-L. Scholars and nonacademics alike contribute news, questions, suggestions, conference information , calls for papers, etcetera, all in one forum. Increasingly, theatre faculty and teaching assistants are compiling listserv directories for their theatre research classes. Even the computer illiterate are beginning to admit that without access to this technology, they risk becoming the text-bound dinosaurs of yesterday. Those unfamiliar with computers and computer networks are usually hesitant to begin learning about the Internet. What steps are necessary to get on the Internet and join a listserv? Connecting to an Internet or Bitnet listserv requires a computer workstation, a modem, and a gateway for the connection. For most university faculty and students, the gateway is the university's mainframe computer; in most cases the connection is free of charge to the computer user (hereafter enduser).2 Those unfortunate enough not to have free access can subscribe to a commercial service such as CompuServe.3 Most academic institutions have a computing center which offers support and training for new network users; consult the local computing center for instruction on sending and receiving e-mail. Once endusers establish their e-mail accounts and learn the basics of sending and receiving mail messages, they are ready to connect to a listserv. Joining a listserv is as easy as e-mailing a subscription message to the listserv address.4 To understand this concept, consider the following e-mail address, divided into two sections: THEATRE@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU List name: THEATRE (everything left of the @) Host: PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU (everything right of the @) "THEATRE@PUCC.PRINCETON...