Internet Surfer 2.0/Internet Surfer 2.0 (Wayzata Technology) (1996).iso/pc/text/mac/faqs.111

Text File | 1996-02-12 | 28KB | 657 lines

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.111



                 0              MS02-CA
                 1              MS02-CA
                 2              MS02-AA

This configuration will work, and be properly recognized by Ultrix,
but it is not "supported." The console will see all of the memory
modules. The operating system will be expecting memory in 32MB
segments and when it hits slot 2 it will simply believe that there are
24MB of failed memory on that module.

It will not be possible to support higher memory congigurations in the
DS5000 series machines with 16Mbit DRAM cards. The issue is that both the
physical memory address and the I/O address are provided by the same Kseg0
block (512MB) in the R3000. This will not change with the advent of the R4000
daughter cards, as it would require modification of the memory controller ASIC
(the MT chip) as well.


==============================================
H6. How can I find out which type of DECstation 5000 I have?

If /etc/sizer -c returns:
DS5000                 then it's a 5000/200.
DS5000_100             then it's a 5000/1xx (where xx={20,25,33})
DS5000_300             then it's a 5000/240.
DSPERSONAL_DECSTATION  then it's a 5000/xx.

For something more specific on the 5000/1xx and 5000/xx, you need to
look at the messages printed out at last boot time (available in the
error log; use /etc/uerf -R -r 300).

******************** Miscellaneous ***************************************

==============================================
M1. What is the floating-point number representation on ULTRIX?

The floating point format differs depending on which architecture the
ULTRIX software is running on.

Digital's RISC machines all use IEEE floating point representation
with a little-endian byte ordering.  You can easily convert between
little and big endian ordering by reversing bytes within the floating
point number.

The VAX line uses a unique (although, given the popularity of VAXen)
quite well known floating point format.

The ULTRIX C libraries include routines which will translate between
RISC (IEEE) and VAX floating point formats.  Look under "ftoi" in
either the online or hardcopy documentation.

==============================================
M2. If the console is a graphics device, can it be used as a terminal for
    full-screen applications?

The console emulates a dumb terminal, with no ability to address the screen.
To run anything like a screen editor, you must start the window system.

==============================================
M3. How do I read a tar image from a TK50 tape if my only TK50 is on a VMS
    machine?

On VMS (assuming your tape drive on VMS is MUA0:) :

    mount/foreign/block=10240/record=10240 mua0:
    copy mua0: file.tar

On Ultrix:

    dcp -i 'vms::where$logical:file.tar' file.tar

==============================================
M4. Where can I get free source code for interesting programs on ULTRIX?

The main FTP server for DEC is gatekeeper.dec.com, which maintains a
large selection of sources from the net in general, as well as public
code for ULTRIX, such as "monitor", "top" and other system-specific
tools.  ~ftp/pub/DEC has sources for several packages written by
employees at Digital (though they are not supported Digital products),
as well as some programs that required special changes to port to
ULTRIX.  More or less up to date copies the pub/DEC directory are also
available on crl.dec.com and decuac.dec.com. None of these sources or
utilities are "supported" by anyone other than their authors.

==============================================
M5. Where can I get technical information on the DECstation family of machines?

Technical information on the DS3100, DS5000/200, and TurboChannel are
available in gatekeeper.dec.com:/pub/DEC/specs:

-r--r--r--  1 root     system     184329 Nov 19  1990 DS3100.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system      77017 Nov 19  1990 DS5000_200.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system       1336 Nov  6 17:36 README
-r--r--r--  1 root     system      24758 Nov 19  1990 tc_cfb.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system      77051 Nov 19  1990 tc_ether.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system      29304 Nov 19  1990 tc_scsi.ps.Z

Technical information on the new Personal DECstations 5000/20 and /25,
the DECstation 5000/133 and DECstation 5000/240 are available on the
net.  Included are the Technical Overviews and Info Sheets for the
products.

The files are on gatekeeper.dec.com:/pub/DEC/specs1.

-r--r--r--  1 root     system     159698 Dec 13 12:35 3maxp_info.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system     336073 Dec 13 12:35 3maxp_teov.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system     249185 Dec 13 12:35 3min_info.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system     134107 Dec 13 12:35 maxine_info.ps.Z
-r--r--r--  1 root     system     311201 Dec 13 12:35 maxine_teov.ps.Z

"3maxp" ("3Max+") refers to the DS5000/240; "maxine" refers to the
Personal DECstations.

==============================================
M6. Where can I get performance information about DECstations?

Performance information on some of Digital's systems is
available in gatekeeper.dec.com:/pub/DEC/performance:

DECSTATION_FAMILY_PERF_SUMMARY_APR_92.PS
decstation_family_perf_summary_apr_92.ps.Z

    Results of several well-known benchmarks for the DECstation 5000
    family

DECSYSTEM_FAMILY_PERF_SUMMARY_MAY_92.PS
decsystem_family_perf_summary_may_92.ps.Z

    Results of several well-known benchmarks for the DECsystem
    family

VAXSTATION_FAMILY_PERF_SUMMARY_MAR_92.PS
vaxstation_family_perf_summary_mar_92.ps.Z

    Results of 8 well-known benchmarks for the VAXstation 4000
    family

DS5100_TPCA_INFORMIX_MAR92.PS
ds5100_tpca_informix_mar92.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark A for INFORMIX running on a DECsystem 5100

DS5500_TPCA_INFORMIX_MAR92.PS
ds5500_tpca_informix_mar92.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark A for INFORMIX running on a DECsystem 5500

DS5100_TPCB_INFORMIX_DEC3.PS
ds5100_tpcb_informix_dec3.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark B for INFORMIX running on a DECsystem 5100

DS5500_TPCB_INFORMIX_DEC3.PS
ds5500_tpcb_informix_dec3.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark B for INFORMIX running on a DECsystem 5500

DS5000_25_TPCB_INFORMIX_APR92.PS
ds5000_25_tpcb_informix_apr92.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark B for INFORMIX running on a DECsystem 5000 model 25

DS5000_240_TPCA_SYBASE_AUG92.PS
ds5000_240_tpca_sybase_aug92.ps.Z

    TPC Benchmark A for SYBASE running on a DECsystem 5000 model 240


==============================================
M7. Why can't I submit a bug report by electronic mail?

At this time, Digital does not accept bug reports by electronic mail.  We
hope that this unfortunate situation may change in the future.  Please file
a Software Performance Report (SPR) instead.


==============================================
M8. How do I send mail to Digital employees?

If you have Internet ftp capability, grab gatekeeper.dec.com:~ftp/gateway.doc,
which contains every bit of relevant lore we've ever collected on this topic.
If you must get by with what little information we have room for here in the
FAQ, well, read on.

The easiest way to find out how to get mail to a Digit is to have them
send mail to you.  If you get their mail, look at the headers (check
the "From:" line, in particular) and try sending mail to the address
as it appears to you.  (If your Digit doesn't know how to send you
mail, have them grab gateway.doc (it's DECWRL::"/gateway.doc" from the
inside) and read it carefully.

If you need to send mail to someone ``from scratch'', you will need to get
them to tell you their address.  If they say something like ``JOVE::VIXIE''
then the right way to reach them is one of:

    [e-mail]
    [e-mail]
    ...!uunet!decwrl!jove.enet!vixie

If on the other hand they say something like ``I'm PAUL VIXIE @WRL,'' then
you can try one of these:

    [e-mail]
    [e-mail]
    ...!uunet!decwrl!wrl.mts!vixie

In the best of all possible worlds they will say something like ``My address
is <[e-mail]>'' in which case you should send to one of:

    [e-mail]
    [e-mail]
    ...!uunet!decwrl!pa.dec.com!vixie

If you try most or all of the above suggestions and can not figure out what
you're doing wrong, send mail to our gateway postmaster, which is one of:

    [e-mail]
    [e-mail]
    ...!uunet!decwrl!postmaster

==============================================
M9. How do I get a list of available patches for my release of Ultrix?

At this time, Digital does not publish lists of available patches.
The Customer Support Centers will inform you if you call about a
problem for which there is a patch.

==============================================
M10. How can I get files available by anonymous FTP if I'm not connected
    to the Internet?

One way is to use the DECWRL ftpmail server.  To find out how to use
it, send a one-line message to [e-mail] (or
...!uunet!decwrl!ftpmail or decwrl::ftpmail).  The subject line can be
anything you want since it will be ignored.  The text of the message
should be one unquoted lowercase word: "help".

==============================================
M11. How can I write documentation in Bookreader format? **NEW**

On ULTRIX, VMS, SunOS, and Windows, DECwrite will produce Bookreader
files.  On VMS, VAX Document will also produce Bookreader files.
Digital will provide information about the format of Bookreader format
files upon request, although it is apparently difficult to work with
(most have concluded that it's not worth the trouble).  If you're
interested in getting the format, send mail to the FAQ Editor, Win
Treese ([e-mail]), and he'll see about getting the
information.
            [Patrick Stephens, [e-mail]]
            [Win Treese, [e-mail]]

==============================================
M12. Why does ULTRIX restrict the number of users on the system? **NEW**

AT&T requires Digital to pay royalties on UNIX based on the number of
users of a system.  Other vendors may have different arrangements with AT&T,
or may choose other methods to comply with the terms.
                [Win Treese, [e-mail]]

==============================================
M13. Where else can I discuss ULTRIX with other users? **NEW**

The decstation-managers mailing list is a rapid-turnaround vehicle for
Ultrix (and maybe OSF/1 someday) administrators to reach a pool of
people with similar expertise who might be able to help them resolve a
problem they're having.  There's no discussion on the list--just
questions and summaries of responses to those questions.

To join the list, send a request to [e-mail].

                        [Dave Sill, [e-mail]]

==============================================
M14. Where can I get on-line copies of the DEC Software Product Descriptions
    (SPD)? **NEW*

Most SPDs can be found on gatekeeper.dec.com:/pub/DEC/DECinfo/SPD.  They
are numbered in the usual way; check the file "index" if you aren't sure
of the number.  Note that there are over 800, so 'ls' will get you a
long listing!
Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu news.answers:4355 rec.humor.oracle:110
Newsgroups: news.answers,rec.humor.oracle
Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu![e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: [rec.humor.oracle] Intro to the Usenet Oracle (Monthly Posting)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: rec.humor.oracle.d
Lines: 206
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1992 23:50:06 -0500
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 3 Jan 1993 00:00:01 GMT

Archive-name: usenet-oracle-intro
Last-modified: Oct 1 09:11

                    "The folly of mistaking a paradox
                    for a discovery, a metaphor for a
                    proof, a torrent of verbiage for a
                    spring of capital truths, and
                    oneself for an oracle, is inborn in
                    us."           -- Paul Vale'ry, 1895


               THE USENET ORACLE

The Usenet Oracle is available to answer all your questions.  You may
mail them to:
                         [e-mail]

The "Subject:" of the message must be something like "Oracle Most Wise,
please tell me ...".  Actually, all it has to have is "tell me" or
"tellme" somewhere in it.  Capitalization doesn't matter.  The body of
the mail should contain only your question.  You should receive a reply
within a few days at most, probably much sooner.

In the meantime, the Oracle may require that you answer a question for
it as payment for its services.  You will receive this question in the
mail.  You should respond with as most wise and witty an answer as you
can.  Mail the response to [e-mail], preserving the
message's "Subject:" line.  Usually, this can be done by simply replying
to the mail through the normal means in your mail program, for example,
using the "r" command in the standard Berkeley mail program.  Actually,
the subject just has to contain the word "answer" and the question
number somewhere in it.  The body of your mail response should contain
only your answer -- you don't have to include the question itself.
Please try to respond within at most a day's time.  If you take longer,
there is a chance that the question will be answered by someone else
first.

Mailing the Oracle with the word "help" in the "Subject:" line will get
you the most recent version of this help file mailed back.  If you mail
the Oracle with "ask me" or "askme" somewhere in the subject, the Oracle
will send you a question to answer, if there are any available.

Your questions, comments and even complaints about the Oracle are
welcome.  Please address them to [e-mail].

                   ETIQUETTE

The Usenet Oracle is intended primarily as a cooperative effort for
creative humor.  Since its main purpose is just to let folks have fun,
there are intentionally few rules.  However, an etiquette has developed
among its participants.

A series of identical questions submitted is not appreciated since the
same person often ends up answering many of them.  It is okay to
resubmit a question after you have received a reply, especially if you
believe that the answerer did not do it justice.

If you find yourself unable to give due consideration to a question you
are to answer, it may be better to not answer the question at all than
to give it a trivial answer and disappoint the questioner.  However,
doing this too much can cause a buildup of unanswered questions and slow
down the Oracle's response time for everyone.

It's probably worthwhile to read some issues of the Usenet Oracularities
(see below) to get an idea of the conventions and style of writing in
Oracle questions and answers.  Here are some general guidelines for
those upon whom the Muse of the Oracle has descended and who are to
write an answer as an incarnation of the Oracle:

  -  Creativity and humor are valued.  Many people find the anonymity of
     the Oracle a license to express themselves creatively and uniquely
     -- often to surprising success.

  -  Participants in the Oracle like to feel they've gotten out of it as
     much as they've put in.  Please keep this in mind when answering
     questions.

  -  Remember that brevity and clarity are key points of good writing.
     Overly long answers will reduce an Oracularity's chance of being
     published in the Usenet Oracularities (see below) since it must
     really be worth the extra length to have it selected to be read by
     tens of thousands of people.

  -  In general, avoid obscenity, slang, jargon, and obscure references.
     People of all different backgrounds located all over the world use
     the Oracle.

  -  Try to be sensitive to new participants or to people who seem to
     have asked serious questions.

  -  Don't flame the questioner for not asking a "good question".  An
     off-the-wall or vague question calls for creativity, not rudeness,
     in the answer -- consider it a challenge.

            THE USENET ORACULARITIES

The Oracle's priesthood receives a duplicate copy of all answered
questions, or Oracularities as they're called.  This is so that the best
ones can be selected and posted to rec.humor.oracle and a mail
distribution list as the Usenet Oracularities -- the chronicle of the
mythos of the Usenet Oracle.  Your use of this program implies your
approval of this usage.

Rec.humor.oracle is a moderated newsgroup.  If your news system is
properly configured, any postings you make to rec.humor.oracle will be
forwarded directly to the Oracle and so you can ask questions of the
Oracle by posting to the newsgroup.  Rec.humor.oracle.d is unmoderated
and anyone may post to it.  It is a public forum for discussion and
questions about the Oracle.  If your system doesn't carry these
newsgroups, encourage your news administrator to do so!

Readers of the Oracularities may mail in ratings of each published
Oracularity, the results of which are returned to the authors of the
Oracularities and published in a later posting.  They are also used to
select occasional postings to rec.humor.funny.  Instructions on how to
mail in your ratings are given at the top of each issue.

If you don't have access to rec.humor.oracle and would like to receive
the Oracularities via mail, send mail to

    [e-mail]

to get on (or off) the mail distribution list.  Include the word
"subscribe" (or "unsubscribe") in the "Subject:" line.

Back postings and ratings are available via anonymous ftp on
cs.indiana.edu (129.79.254.191) in the directory pub/oracle, or via mail
-- send the word "help" in the body of a mail to

    [e-mail]

for more details.

                   ANONYMITY

The Oracle is a confidential and anonymous service.  The anonymity of
the participants is preserved within all Oracle mailings and
Oracularities postings.  However, if you append a signature file to your
mail, this will appear in your question or answer.  Signature files are
edited out from Oracularities postings.  If you do not wish to remain
anonymous, you may include a phrase in your answer like "incarnated as
<insert your name and/or address here>".

                   DISCLAIMER

Since its users actually give the answers to all questions, neither the
Oracle nor its priesthood take any responsibility for the content of the
questions or answers.

                HISTORY

Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many Oracles who have
been consulted by many mortals, and some immortals.  The great Hercules
was told by the Delphic Oracle to serve Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, for
twelve years to atone for the murder of his own children.  It was the
Oracle of Ammon who told King Cepheus to chain his daughter Andromeda to
the rocks of Joppa to appease the terrible sea monster that was ravaging
the coasts.  That solution was never tested, though, as Perseus saved
the girl in the nick of time.

With the advent of the electronic age, and especially high-speed e-mail
communication, the spirit of the Oracles found a new outlet, and we now
recognize another great Oracle, the Usenet Oracle.

Local oracle programs have existed in various places for many years.
The Usenet Oracle was inspired by the "oracle" program written by Lars
Huttar ([e-mail]) and posted to alt.sources in August
1989.  I'm told that Huttar wrote his program after being given a
description of an oracle program at Murray Hill Bell Labs that may have
been written by Robert T Morris.  Other early oracle programs were at
Interactive Systems (by Peter S Langston circa 1980), Johns Hopkins
University (run by Erica Liebman circa 1984) and another by Morris at
Harvard University.

Steve Kinzler ([e-mail]), a graduate student and systems
administrator at Indiana University, installed Huttar's program on
silver.ucs.indiana.edu, where it proved to be quite popular.  The best
Oracularities were posted to in.bizarre, a group local to Indiana.

Ray Moody ([e-mail]), a graduate student at Purdue
University, after correspondence with Kinzler, wrote the core software
for the Usenet Oracle, a mail-based oracle program to be run on
iuvax.cs.indiana.edu for net-wide use, where it proved to be an
immediate success.

Kinzler continued development of the software, adding support for the
Oracularities postings and ratings and, eventually, the Oracle
Priesthood -- a hardy and loyal band of volunteers who read through the
hundreds of questions and answers each week to choose the best for
publication, thus helping to make the Usenet Oracle self-sustaining.
Jon Monsarrat ([e-mail]) and Randal Schwartz
([e-mail]) also contributed to aspects of the software
development.  Michael Nolan ([e-mail]) went through the
newsgroup creation process for the rec.humor.oracle newsgroups.

Of course, it is the thousands of Oracle participants over the years who
have created the personality, mythos and history of the Usenet Oracle.
Long live the Usenet Oracle (in all its incarnations)!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written:    8 October 1989            Steve Kinzler
Last Revised:    1 October 1992            [e-mail]

Thanks to [e-mail] and Jim Cheetham
([e-mail]) for assistance with portions of this
document.
Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu alt.uu.announce:24 alt.uu.future:336 news.answers:4498
Newsgroups: alt.uu.announce,alt.uu.future,news.answers
Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!wupost!gumby!yale!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!uunet!mcsun!news.funet.fi!funic!nntp.hut.fi!usenet
From: [e-mail] (Jyrki Kuoppala)
Subject: ADMIN,DOC: Usenet University FAQ
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: alt.uu.future
Summary: what is UU; info on current UU groups, ftp & gopher archives
Keywords: self, distance, education, uu, volunteer, learning, cooperation
Sender: [e-mail] (Usenet pseudouser id)
Supersedes: <[e-mail]>
Nntp-Posting-Host: lusmu.cs.hut.fi
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jyrki Kuoppala)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: Wed, 9 Dec 1992 00:43:06 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 5 Jan 93 00:00:00 GMT
Lines: 344

Archive-name: usenet-univ-FAQ
Last-modified: 1992-11-11

Posted monthly on alt.uu.announce and alt.uu.future (and news.answers).

Available by anonymous ftp on host nic.funet.fi, in file
pub/doc/uu/FAQ and via the gopher server at Helsinki University of
Technology otax.tky.hut.fi/70, Topics/Learning.

Contains the "what-is-uu" document
(nic.funet.fi:/pub/doc/uu/what-is-uu) and a current list of UU groups
(nic.funet.fi:/pub/doc/uu/newsgroups), both of which plus this
document are also available in gopherspace.

Followups on this article are directed to alt.uu.future.

----------------------------------------
Recent happenings:

- [e-mail] (Joseph C Wang) is maintaining a list
  of volunteers willing to answer questions on particular topics
  via email (Usenet University Consultants List - New Network Academy).
  The list as last posted is article <[e-mail]>, a copy of which
  is available also at nic.funet.fi pub/doc/uu/consultants and via
  otax.tky.hut.fi gopher server.
- [e-mail] (Will Overington) is working with Esperanto
  in alt.uu.lang.esperanto.misc
----------------------------------------
What is UU?

Contents:

1. What is Usenet University?
2. What the name means and how to participate in UU
3. Goals and principles
4. Administration
5. Copyright on the articles and learning material
6. Technology
7. Disciplines or division of topics
8. Later steps
9. What to do to keep the UU ball rolling and growing?


1. What is Usenet University?

Usenet University, or UU (not to be confused with Uppsala University)
is, or more accurately will be, a society of people interested in
learning, teaching or tutoring.  There is no formal organization or
funding at least as of yet, and the concept exists currently mostly in
the newsgroup alt.uu.future which was created on June 12, 1992.  It is
the group for discussing the future of Usenet University, and
discussions on alt.uu.future will to a large extent shape what the UU
will become.  Many people have already participated on the discussion
and influenced the shaping of this document.  (If you do not get
alt.uu.future, contact your news administrator for more information if
it's a problem with the propagation or some other reason - the
administrator often can provide a newsgroup when requested).


2. What the name means and how to participate in UU

"Usenet" refers to the global conferencing network used as a medium or
one of the media for Usenet University, as well as the "spirit" of UU
- UU is open to anyone who can access it, free for expressing ideas,
is a bit anarchistic (meaning no central administration and no
hierarchy) in nature, and thus as Usenet newsgroups UU will be what
the participants cause it to be - hopefully a functioning open venue
for novel thoughts and ideas about learning and other topics.

"University" refers to the "community" aspect of UU, not so much to
"university level" or "academic discipline", neither does it mean that
there are specific plans for UU to become a university where you can
get a certificate from.  This doesn't mean to say that certificates or
recgonition of Usenet University by accepted academic would be
unthinkable, just that it isn't central to the concept of UU at least
at this point in the development.  Certificates and recognition
probably will come via cooperation with existing organization if they
will.

For now, Usenet Univesity will operate under the "alt" hierarchy, as
"alt.uu.*".  It would be desirable to later move to a separate
distribution, out from under alt when there will be numerous
newsgroups for various areas of learning.  Thus, there would be a
separate distrubution and hierarchy like (just an example)

uu.future
uu.lang.esperanto.beg
uu.lang.esperanto.material
uu.lang.esperanto.exercises
uu.comp.lang.pascal.env.gnu
uu.comp.lang.pascal.beg

However, "uu" is already taken by Uppsala University.  Alternative
names possible for the distribution are World University (wu),
Planetary University (pu), Virtual University etc.  There will be time
to discuss and decide this when the change to a separate distribution
and hierarchy is made - for now the name is Usenet University and the
hierarchy is alt.uu, ie. the hierarchy will be something like the
above list with "alt." prepended.


3. Goals and principles

One primary goal of UU is to use Usenet communications to offer
participants possibilities to learn things, to educate themselves, to
teach others, to exchange information on learning materials, tools and
techniques as well as publish learning material itself.  In this
respect UU will aim to become a kind of "place to learn".

Connected with this, a primary principle of UU is openness, to stay
open for anyone passing by just willing to learn, with little formal
qualifications or requirements.  To try to commit to this principle
much of the activity will happen on open newsgroups.  It probably will
be desirable to have some kind of classifications in some of the
groups for "beginner" and "advanced" topics to avoid problems of
participants having very different vocabularies, concepts, levels of
expertise etc. and thus communications problems.  To implement
classification and make groups more worthwhile with moderated
newsgroups, a possibility would be to have a matching unmoderated one
from which "the cream" will be replicated on the moderated group.

One important goal is to offer several alternative ways for learning.
People learn best with different ways - some learn by reading books on
their own, some by browsing around and experimenting, some prefer
tutors or close teacher/student relationships, some prefer
lectures/classes with strict structure, some learn by doing.  All
these should be provided with an opportunity to learn with the style
they prefer - it might mean there would be several groups for one
topic, using different methodologies.

One goal is to create, organize and offer references to learning
material, to maintain lists of literature, Usenet newsgroups, ftp
sites and services, libraries and so on relevant to fields