Poultry on-line - The internet as a resource for the poultry
industry
Martin Zuidhof
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
#204 7000
- 113 Street
Edmonton, AB T6H 5T6
This presentation is interactive. Use your browser's "BACK" button
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Introduction
The internet started in 1969, at the peak of the cold war. The
interconnection of four US military computers was their solution to the problem
of both protecting and ensuring access to vital information in the case of a
nuclear attack on any one location. Growth of the internet has been exponential
since that time, with around 200 computers linked together in 1980, 80,000 in
1990, and 3,212,000 in 1994. This phenomenal rate of growth shows little sign
of letting up, at least for the near future.
The past 18 months have seen a tremendous increase in the volume of
valuable information available in ready to use form on the internet. Although
there are some valuable answers to questions out there, the most valuable tool
of the internet for obtaining technical (poultry) information currently remains
electronic mail or "e-mail". Through mailing lists (see agriculture related mailing lists) and newsgroups
(such as sci.agriculture.poultry or sci.agriculture.ratites) you can query literally hundreds of poultry technical
experts and enthusiasts. It is not uncommon for the first reply to a question
to arrive within hours of it being posed, and answers can trickle back for
weeks, depending on the nature of the query. Lists of experts available for
query by e-mail are also readily available from university and government listings of
faculty and staff.
User beware.
In contrast to technical journals such as Poultry Science or the Journal of Animal
Sciences, most of the information available on the internet is not
refereed, that is, it has not been reviewed for technical accuracy by a panel
of experts in the area. As such, the quality of the information available on
the internet must not be assumed. Don't be fooled by fancy graphics and
colorful formatting. As always, use your discretion. Contrary to popular
belief, not everything out there is the truth!!!
Some internet lingo:
- Archie is a service which helps users to
locate files and directories on anonymous FTP servers anywhere on the Internet.
- Veronica is a service which helps users to
locate files and directories in gopherspace.
- telnet - a text based method of signing on to
a remote computer (e.g. FBMInet). You'll need a helper application in most cases
(see below).
- e-mail - electronic mail - data (text or
binary or both) which is sent over the internet as opposed to "snail mail" or
courier, etc.
- emoticon - a way of adding emotion to an
otherwise emotionless medium (these must be looked at from the side)
- :) A happy face
8-( A long face, with glasses
- mailing list - an e-mail based discussion
group (passive). Individuals sign up to have everything that comes across the
group sent out to their computer via e-mail. The discussion is sent to you as
it happens.
- newsgroup - a discussion group which must be
physically accessed in order to obtain information (active). You go there when
you wish to access the discussion.
- WWW - Abbreviation for World Wide Web. This
is the "point and click" environment which has made the internet so popular and
easy to use.
- HTML - HyperText Marked-up Language. This is
the coded language of the WWW which allows you to link to any document on any
site on the internet (provided you are authorized). Don't worry. Only HTML
programmers need to know that it's code.
- HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. The first
part of the WWW address which indicates to the computer that the document is in
HTML format.
- FTP - File Transfer Protocol. A means of
transferring files between computers on the internet.
- URL - Unique Resource Locater. This is the
address or specific location of a document on the internet. Every page on the
internet has a unique or different URL.
- FAQ : Frequently Asked Questions...
Always read these before bothering someone with general
questions. The answers are out there!!
Software requirements
- Sockets - Software applications which act as
your computer's interface with the internet. The socket serves as the
"pipeline" which channels information from the internet to your other internet
software applications.
- Mail Readers - Software applications which
allow you to write and read e-mail, usually "off-line" so as to reduce your
costs, as well as send and receive mail when connected to the internet.
- File Transfer Protocol - Software
applications which allow the user to transfer files between computers
- Web browsers - Software applications which
allow the user to "surf" the world wide web in a point and click manner.
- Helper Applications - A variety of types of
software applications which allow the user to do about as much as the user can
imagine, from viewing graphics or video, to listening to audio or real-time
radio broadcasts, to taking part in audio or video conferencing, to logging in
to remote computers.
- Search Engines - Applications which allow the
user to search internet indices for specific information using key words.
Getting connected
Current list of Alberta Internet Service Providers
Getting the Information you know must be out there!!!
- Poultry Science
- USDA Cooperative Extension Servers
- Poultry Industry Information
- Ratites
- Other sites with poultry related information