NetBITS Issues

NetBITS was a free, weekly, electronic publication that provided practical Internet information from September of 1997 through February of 1998. Its content now appears in TidBITS, the flagship newsletter of TidBITS Electronic Publishing. A postmortem appeared in TidBITS 479.

Welcome to the back issues page for NetBITS. Recent issues are summarized below.

Recent Issues

NetBITS 018, 05-May-99

Remember us? No, you haven't been dreaming - we haven't published an issue of NetBITS since February of 1998. Read on for an explanation of what happened and why we're finally absorbing NetBITS back into TidBITS. Also, to make up for our long absence, we present a selection of TidBITS articles that would have run in NetBITS over the past year. We hope you enjoy this final issue of NetBITS, and if so, consider subscribing to TidBITS by sending email to <tidbits-on@tidbits.com>.

NetBITS 017, 05-Feb-98

An impressive Who's Who of computer and telephone industry players recently gathered to endorse Universal ADSL, a lightning fast method of accessing the Internet that might cost only slightly more than regular phone service. In this double-sized issue, NetBITS publisher Adam Engst examines the technology behind the hype. We also look at the cable-modem based @Home Network, explore the inner workings of browsers' bookmark files, field more comments about Adobe Acrobat, and sadly announce a temporary NetBITS hiatus.

NetBITS 016, 29-Jan-98

Speed kills - but so does boredom. What can we do about decreasing the latency in modems to make our surfing sessions more productive? In this week's issue, Stuart Cheshire finishes his two-part series on latency by offering some solutions for the future. We also report on recent changes to the major Web browsers, explain why email file attachments are often difficult, and offer more options for multiple email accounts.

NetBITS 015, 22-Jan-98

You bought the fastest modem available - why is it still so slow? One word: latency. In this issue, Stuart Cheshire explains why the little-discussed factor of latency makes such a big difference in the perceived speed of the Internet. We also talk more about Adobe Acrobat, investigate how to get multiple email addresses without using AOL, take a quick look at Webrings, and offer a JavaScript solution for thwarting email address grabbing Web robots.

NetBITS 014, 15-Jan-98

You wouldn't guess it from today's image-intensive sites, but the Web was never intended to be a medium for graphic designers. In this issue, guest writer Mike Lee explains why Adobe's Acrobat PDF technology is making the Web a friendlier place for readers and designers. Also, we revisit the shelf-life of WebTV, demystify Windows 95's long filenames, explain how Internet servers handle data speeds, and caution against choosing inappropriate placeholder URLs.

NetBITS 013, 08-Jan-98

Is there an old computer gathering dust in the back of your closet? Now's the time to dig it out: guest writer Charles Fleishman looks at ways to donate, reuse, and recycle older machines. Also this week, we examine the injunction preventing Microsoft from requiring manufacturers to bundle Internet Explorer, ponder HTML file suffixes and the potential lifetime of WebTV set-top units, and look at ways to both steal and protect your email address.

NetBITS 012, 18-Dec-97

Tired of the "browser bloat" afflicting Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer? Check out Opera, a slimmed-down Web browser offering the functionality of its heftier siblings at a fraction of their system requirements. Also, David Strom explains how to keep up with email on the road without lugging a laptop; we clarify searching techniques; and FAQtoids answers questions about converting email nicknames and tracking IP numbers.

NetBITS 011, 11-Dec-97

Want to run Web scripts for guest books or form processing - but don't have a server? Peter Kent explains how even AOL users can access free or cheap pre-built CGIs or have their own hosted elsewhere in part 2 of his Plug-and-Play Net article. Also, editor in chief Glenn Fleishman briefly examines the instant message fad, and in FAQtoids, we explain why the Web is one thing and the Internet another, and how a site-specific search system does its job.

NetBITS 010, 04-Dec-97

Want to add snazzy features like chat rooms and shopping carts to your Web site... for free? In the first of a two-part article, Peter Kent explains how anyone can do this, even if you can't install CGIs or if your Web site is on AOL. We also provide phone numbers for testing your 56K modem, offer additional reader suggestions for ways of saving Web pages for later viewing or printing, and in our FAQtoids column, explain who pays for the Internet.

NetBITS 009, 20-Nov-97

Many people don't associate cutting-edge technology with small towns and rural communities - in this issue, however, Jim Heid reports from the road that the Internet is not only appearing in remote areas, it's fulfilling the promise of bringing people closer together. We update last week's article on 56K modems, report that Netscape now supports PNG, explore the bandwidth capabilities of residential phone lines, and reveal options for viewing the Web offline.

NetBITS 008, 13-Nov-97

Thinking about burning up the Internet with a blazing-fast 56 Kbps modem? In this issue, NetBITS Managing Editor Jeff Carlson looks at how 56K modems work, and why the competing K56Flex and X2 standards may be burning users instead. Also, we test real-world spam blocking, talk about image compression methods, lament the absence of Internet Gophers, and catch a wave with the originator of the idea of Net surfing.

NetBITS 007, 06-Nov-97

Ever wondered about all those graphics you see on the Web? NetBITS editor in chief Glenn Fleishman compares and contrasts the two main types of graphics on the Web, GIF and JPEG, and introduces PNG, a newcomer you'll see more of soon. In other articles we update our coverage of spam, debunk a rumor floating around via email, present a bit more information about telephone systems, and explain what happens when you address email incorrectly.

NetBITS 006, 30-Oct-97

Tired of trying to explain to your co-workers why their Web browsers keep alerting them to the presence of baked goods? For this issue of NetBITS, we've cooked up a batch of information about Web cookies, those sometimes annoying, often confusing morsels of data used to store unique information about your Web explorations. We also cover email address verification, responses to Net legislation issues, and a brief tour of the United Kingdom phone system.

NetBITS 005, 23-Oct-97

Spam continues to be a hot topic for NetBITS readers, and this week we bring you updates on a reversal of Netcom's spam policies, ways around relay filters for legitimate users, and the complexities of MIME and QP encoding. Talk of legislative approaches to thwarting spammers raises the question of defining and reacting to crime on the Internet, so in this issue we also bring you Computer Crime 101, discussing just what is and is not illegal online.

NetBITS 004, 16-Oct-97

If you have an email address, you're no doubt the unwilling recipient of floods of unsolicited commercial email. This week, our focus on dealing with spam email continues with a look at how Internet service providers can take measures to stem the unwelcome tide at the server level. We also discuss options for setting up a small-office ISDN connection and find time to explain how you can tick with the precision of an atomic clock using the Network Time Protocol.

NetBITS 003, 09-Oct-97

Every day you wake up and find a new case of spam - Unsolicited Commercial Email - in your electronic mailbox. Can you prevent this early morning indigestion? Adam Engst examines anti-spam techniques and ideas - including some pending legislation. In FAQtoids, we travel through time and space and blow the cover on TCP, and in NettersLetters we learn about the flip side of spam filters and the - allegedly - canonical pronunciation of GIF.

NetBITS 002, 02-Oct-97

On the Web, nearly anyone can create a page that reflects who they are - but what happens to those pages when people die? David Blatner looks at the search for an electronic AfterLife. Also, Editor in chief Glenn Fleishman explains exactly how you came to view this issue on the Internet by examining how bits and bytes travel across the Internet. We also share readers' responses in NettersLetters and attempt to answer the question: How do you pronounce GIF?

NetBITS 001, 25-Sep-97

Welcome to the first issue of NetBITS! This week we bring you advice from NetBITS Publisher Adam Engst for kids (or those who just feel young on the Net) using the Internet. Editor-in-chief Glenn Fleishman weighs in with Part 1 of an extensive look at how computers talk to one another, both on local area networks and over the Internet. And finally, we introduce our Q&A column, FAQtoids, and our letters to the editor column, NettersLetters.