************************************************************** * * * CYBERSPACE * * A biweekly column on net culture appearing * * in the Toronto Sunday Sun * * * * Copyright 1999 Karl Mamer * * Free for online distribution * * All Rights Reserved * * Direct comments and questions to: * * * * * ************************************************************** We all know about the net's major apps like web browsers, news readers, and FTP software, but there are a host of smaller, obscure utilities that can provide important information and a bit of amusement. Most of the apps listed below are Unix-based (which probably explains why they're so obscure) but have web or Winsock equivalents. Finger Finger is one of those obscure but useful utilities that got lost in the rush to the web. If you have access to the Unix shell, you can type in finger (finger kjm@netizen.org) and if the ISP on the other end is running a finger server it will spit out all sorts of interesting information about the fingered user. For example, you can find out the person's last log-in time and when the person last read email. If you don't have access to the Unix shell, you can use a Web-based finger gateway. Try entering my Netizen email address at www-bprc.mps.ohio- state.edu/cgi-bin/finger.pl. At the bottom of finger's report on my account you'll notice it says "No Plan." While that may describe my life's ambition, it really means it didn't find a file in my home directory called ".plan". The plan file was created so Unix users could finger each other and know their upcoming schedules. It's a simple text file and really accepts any information. It's rarely used these days for schedule planning and more as repository for favorite jokes. Ping Does a web site you're trying to access seem incredibly slow or vanished altogether? If so, try pinging it. It might still be there. Ping can be run from the Unix shell by typing in ping (for example ping netizen.org) or you can download one of a number of ping utilities from The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software archive (www.tucows.com). Ping will show you how many milliseconds it takes for a site to return a packet of information as well if any packets are lost along the way. If packets are being lost, you can email the ping report to your ISP's support department and, with luck, maybe they'll be able to clear the upstream congestion. Whois Get an email spam? Want to complain to someone? The Whois utility can help. You can type in whois from the Unix command line or access Whois with your web browser at from rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois. Whois searches Internic's registry of major domain names (com, net, etc.) and lets you know the email address and phone number of the people in charge. More or less. Internic has been criticized for not having the most up-to-date information and lacking anything more than a rudimentary system for verifying the veracity of information provided. Hey, as long as the check cashes. Whois can also tell you if a domain you might be interested in registering is available. Want music.com? Well, you're out of luck. That's taken. But you can do pattern searches on "music", find out all domains with music in the URL and then construct one that's not taken. As of this writing, "music-fan.com" is still available. Hurry.