Michael,

Good morning!

It is now Monday in California, too, and half, 50%, of my staff
are out with one malady or another.

N. B. -- Read the article about the great influenza pandemic of
1918 in NewYorker (9-29-97, p. 52 ff.)  It has nothing to do with

your question about "push" (sent to you) v. "pull" (go get it)
strategies for information dissemination.  It is a very
interesting piece and, it should not go unnoticed,  a classic
example
of "push" technology (if you subscribe) or "pull" (if you do not)
at the
level of paper.

Disestablishment of the NIH Guide listserv is a startling
change,  I will admit.  In fairness to the powers who came up
with the idea it should be said that listservs do not run
themselves.  Witness the odd messages you get every so often from

exasperated folks trying to retire from this one.  Maintaining
any distribution list is a headache worthy of the N I M H.  USPHS

probably has only so much budget to commit to distribution.
They had to make a decision.  It was wrong, of course.

What worries me is that they are going to use the money they will

save to establish an NIH Fastlane.  What shall we call it?
Fastvein?  Parklane?  Bosnia-Herzegovina?   Please NIH guys,
tell us it isn't so.

But, Michael, there is some justice (or Zen) in the world.
Consider this
statement from the web site:  (and I quote)

"If you are using the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser you

will have difficulties accessing the Guide articles on Gopher,
especially when linking from a Guide search menu. Clients using
the Netscape browser will not have problems."

Does this sound like Bill Gates slept in Lincoln's bed?

--
James R. Brett, Ph.D., Director
Office of University Research
California State University, Long Beach
562-985-5314 or fax 562-985-8665
http://www.csulb.edu/~research