From another forum...Abrms file is now gone from USIA. That file really does a lot of moving. Wonder why? Did anyone ever get a translation from an earlier thread concerning the file in Spanish?

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), January 12, 1999

Answers

Since the teleconference was with Italy, you might be able to find a version in Italian...

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@anonymous.com), January 12, 1999.

I thought that too. But it's stil available. I think it's simply an address change.

Go to http://pdq2.usia.gov/.

Enter Y2K in the Search window, and [Enter]. (Log-in isn't required.)

The Abram transcript is now No. 2 in the list. Looking it over, it seems to be unchanged.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 12, 1999.

Tom,

I keep trying to get over there, even correcting your hotlink, but the system just hangs. Anyone else have that problem?

http://pdq2.usia.gov/

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 12, 1999.

What can I say? I just tried it, using the corrected link (oops!), went to the PDQ page, entered Y2K ---- and the browser timed out before anything happened. This can happen when a site is too busy, or when it's down for maintenance. I do know that I had no problem opening that link just before I made my last post. But I took the liberty of saving the html file this time!

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 12, 1999.

Diane,

Yes, I get the same result. A little investigation shows that after bouncing across the whole country, my packets end up stalled at Verio, Inc., which is listed as being HQ'd in Englewood, Colorado. Since I'm betting that USIA's hardware is in Pueblo, that's probably their ISP. I haven't a clue what the problem is, but it'll likely be fixed soon ($$$$ , dontcha know?)

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), January 12, 1999.

Thanks for trying Tom.

Hardliner, glad to know it's not just me 'n my 'puter. $$$ Bummer.

BTW, "how" does one do that "little investigation" showing that after bouncing across the whole country, the packets end up...??

You can "e" me if you prefer, or post here.

Thanks, Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 12, 1999.

Just found an alternate way to do a USIA search but it still hangs me up. Sent USIA an e-mail.

USIA Washington File Archives

http:// www.usia.gov/products/pdq/wfarchive.htm

Also DO check out Current Issues and Events compiled by the United States Information Agency Good stuff.

http:// www.usia.gov/products/washfile.htm

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 12, 1999.

Diane,

If I recall correctly, you're running some flavor of Mac and to be truthful, my knowledge of Apple flavored software is so close to zero as to be indistinguishable therefrom.

I can answer you conceptually, and since it's almost a certainty that the comparable software exists, you'll at least know what you're looking for.

You need some Internet Utility Programs to do the investigations in question.

There is one, called Ping, that, like the submarine sonar that it's named after, sends a query to a specific URL that asks only for a response which indicates that a complete path for message traffic is present and available between you and the destination URL. Ping exists in many, many incarnations for lots of different operating systems, so I have to believe that it's available for Macs too.

A utility from Microsoft that's bundled with Windows 95 called Tracert (trace route), another from Trumpet Software called TrumpHop, and I'd bet there are others, send a packet to each server in the path (for example, the path found by Ping) and determine and display on your screen such information as how long it took for the packet to get there and return, the fastest, slowest, etc., the URL of each server and whatever other information the author of the utility decided to provide.

Once you've determined this much, you look up the URL(s) in question in a database and draw such conclusions as you're able.

I seem to remember that you're aware of how to access the various domain registration databases ( American Registry for Internet Numbers - whois.arin.net, European IP Address Allocations - whois.ripe.net, Asia Pacific IP Address Allocations - whois.apnic.net, US Military - whois.nic.mil, US Government - whois.nic.gov, etc.) from the Web in http format, but there is also a utility named Whois that exists in probably as many incarnations as Ping, and is standalone (no browser needed).

BTW, all of this stuff should be available without charge somewhere on the 'net. Probably some Mac poweruser on the forum could point you to the right place.

Hope that helps you some. . .

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), January 12, 1999.

Thanks Hardliner.

Received an e-mail. Could be just a computer crash -- could be more. Hummm. -- Diane

Subject: Washington File Archive Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 15:57:52 -0500 From: "Kidd, Jeanette" Organization: USIA

Hello,

I received your email. The PDQ server crashed. We are now temporarily replacing the server with a backup. We hope that the replacement server will be up and running on 1/13/99. A message was placed on our International home page. I had requested that our Internet Service Provider put up a message at the pdq.usia.gov address. I am sorry that this was not done.

There is nothing wrong with the internet address. It should work by tomorrow evening.

Jeannette Kidd I/TEM - PDQ E-mail: jkidd@usia.gov

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 12, 1999.