CCNEWS: an online forum for newsletter editors

On April 8, 1988, EDUCOM sent the first issue of CCNEWS, an electronic newsletter, to 78 subscribers. Two weeks later the subscription list had nearly doubled, and within three months it exceeded 450 subscribers. Although CCNEWS is still evolving, this experiment in information sharing offers valuable insight into the future of networking and information dissemination.

Developed by EDUCOM as a membership service, CCNEWS combines an online weekly newsletter for campus computing newsletter editors with an articles database. Thus CCNEWS provides both a forum for editors to discuss design, writing, editing, production, and distribution of newsletters (Appendix 1) and a database from which relevant articles can be retrieved for research or reprinting (Appendix 2). The newsletter is distributed and the archive is accessed via BITNET, the academic network which now connects over 700 campuses in 30 countries.

CCNEWS is based on the “moderated list” format of LISTSERV, the mailing list/file server software available on many BITNET host computers (Appendix 3). Moderated lists enable an editor to intercept and filter messages intended for a group; many editors assemble the messages into occasional digests or regular newsletters. Unmoderated lists, on the other hand, tend to be more freewheeling, since every message is sent to the group immediately, without editing or selection; although subscribers may appreciate the immediacy of an unmoderated list, they risk an onslaught of irrelevant messages (each with its own lengthy mail header).

Subscribers are encouraged to send questions, comments, and suggestions, which are compiled by the EDUCOM Publications staff into the weekly newsletter, as well as complete newsletter articles and other materials, which are archived for possible retrieval. A brief abstract of each archived entry is included in the newsletter, but the full text is sent only on demand. In addition to newsletter articles, the archive includes sample stylesheets, book reviews, and a calendar of national events related to campus computing. Claudia Lynch from University of North Texas envisions, “CCNEWS serving as a vehicle from which I can gather articles for reprinting in my newsletter and from which I can gain inspiration on research topics I might otherwise have ignored.”

Discussions in CCNEWS have ranged from desktop publishing, graphic design, and electronic publishing, to computer viruses, microcomputer support, and strategic planning. Typical queries relate to attribution policies, documentation, and software usage; one subscriber even asked the group what journals they find most relevant. Readers have responded to questions, offered expertise and experience, and helped fellow editors avoid pitfalls. To facilitate the exchange, all contributions include bylines with electronic mail addresses to subscribers can contact authors directly.

CCNEWS is open to anyone who has access to BITNET, either directly or via gateways from other networks. Subscribers include editors, writers, graphic artists, networking specialists, and a variety of computing facility managers and staff. Mary Peterson, from the University of New Hampshire, wrote, “I am not a campus newsletter editor, but I do assist with our computing newsletter, On-Line, and I find CCNEWS interesting, relevant, and helpful.”

CCNEWS has also attracted international subscribers. A recent count totaled 22 individuals from Europe and Asia, and the number is growing steadily. Since hardcopy newsletters rarely find their way to foreign institutions, CCNEWS promises to be an effective medium of international information exchange.