The Internet, Information Age, and Inventors. The first step: Email
"Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. - Knowledge itself is power." - F. Bacon.
If Bacons observation is true, then the Internet's vast growing web of knowledge is a tremendously powerful resource, and computers are rapidly becoming the power brokers of our future.
There are many sources of useful information available on the Internet, both free and at a cost, for the inventor who can access it personally or through friends or family. In this article, I will discuss some of the sources, locations, and benefits of invention related online information available via Email. Email accounts are by far the most widely used and popular means to connect to and interact with the Internet and its resources.
First of all, if you are not familiar with the Internet and all of its details, I recommend either buying a book, or having a internet savvy friend print one of the many free online guides to the Internet. Don't buy several overpriced, trendy books with "Internet" or "Superinformation Highway" in the title, since the 'Net', as it is called, is constantly changing, and many of these books become outdated before they are even on the bookstore shelves. Find one comprehensive book and peruse it before hand to make sure it is well written and entertaining. If you are really committed to becoming an "Internaut" subscribe to a magazine or have a Internet savvy friend help you start. Once you have begun, there are many prepared aids available, and helpful, friendly people online to help you on your quest. A gratis source of Internet information is available from Adea Communications, who publish and freely distribute an Internet Yellow pages called 'Net Pages'. Call 619-943-0101 or Email info@aldea.com for more information.
The first step most people take on their journey on the Information Highway is via Email. If you are not familiar with Email, it is an electronic typewritten form of letter writing, that can be transmitted anywhere in the world, to single or multiple other email addresses, in seconds, and at a cost of pennies. It is a unique and powerful form of communication that is growing rapidly, and has several valuable features for the inventor.
One of the most basic uses of email are listserve news groups. These include thousands of special interest Email newsgroups (or 'discussion groups') that cater to every conceivable topic of interest. Books, magazines, and online catalogues provide lists of the various subjects available, and hundred of new groups created each year. Each newsgroup has an 'Email address', such as 'ULTRALIGHT-FLIGHT@ms.uky.edu' (a list that discusses ultralight aviation) Other examples of lists (server request addresses) are SD3D@MAILSERVER.SDSC.EDU, a 3D imaging technology group, and LISTSERV@TRITU.BITNET, a discussion forum for SCUBA diving. To learn more about these email this adresses with the message 'help', 'info', or 'subscribe'. These user lists serve as a sort of public forum or bulletin board. When one person sends a message to a listserver address, everyone who "subscribes" to this newslist receives the message via Email, and can respond if with an answer, or opinion. All posters are identified by an address which they can be personally reached, and they usually indicate their name and profession by an identifying "signature". The subscribers who make up these newslists discuss among themselves the latest news, products, technology, methods, theory, and personal opinions involving their interest. From Aeronautics to Zookeeping, professionals and amateurs alike create a kind of evolving, lively combination of a magazine and group forum that reaches across multiple national borders and time zones. If a news group doesn't exist for your field of interest, it is inexpensive and relatively easy to create your own. New ones are being added constantly. Besides being able to discuss your ideas with others who might have unique insights, these lists often have business professionals in influential positions who might be useful contact when marketing your idea. Just be careful to learn and follow proper Internet etiquette, and not harass individuals or blatantly advertise via these lists, as this invites retribution, including expulsion from the lists. There are also Usenet newsgroups of interest to inventors which are similar to Email listserver newslists, but differ in important ways. I will discuss these in a future article.
Another resource available via Email are News Services. These are dedicated individuals or professional publishers who provide news updates involving specific subjects. These are generally a one way concise, well edited communications, and closely resemble a newsletter or magazine subscription, without the ads. Again, some are free, and some cost money. One that is free and of particular interest to inventors is Greg Aharonian's - Internet Patent News Service. This newserver provides the latest news and events concerning patents, copyright, legal issues, and general information of significance to inventors and industry alike. The subscription address is srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian) or patents@world.std.com. Another fee-based news service is Information Law Alert (ISSN-1068-8129). This is published 20 times a year by Voorhees Reports. Subscription rates for E-mail are $195 a year. It is also available at $550 a year for print newsletter. For information, call 718-369-0906 or 800-369-4840, or fax 718-369-3250. E-mail address: markvoor@phantom.com. On line: Information Law Alert is available electronically to subscribers of NewsNet (800-952-0122); Dialog (800-334-2564); and Dow Jones News Retrieval (800-522-3567).
A unique type of fee based patent searching is available via Email now from the EDS SPO E-Mail Patent Search System. To access this service address an electronic mail message requesting help or information to the Internet address: spo_patent@spo.eds.com. They accept up to a thousand word description of your invention in a "natural language" format. This means you aren't necessarily limited to confusing and esoteric 'keyword' searches and logic statements commonly used with other computer searching services. They also provide a wide range of services at fair prices.
Finally some university libraries and large bookstores now provide useful information via Email. A large, popular Berkeley bookstore called Moe's books will perform free booksearches of their stock and send monthly updates of available new and used books in specific categories. You might even find a copy of the classic, out of print book about invention - called "From Immigrant to Inventor". Their Email address is MOESBOOKS@delphi.com. Contact your local community library or college library to see if they provide subject or title searches of their library stocks via Email. These are excellent resources for technical research and for finding out about the state of the art in many fields.
If you want information on books that relate to invention you can send a request for a catalog of invention related books to Aspen Books & Software, (email address = aspenbks@delphi.com), and they will send you the INNOVATORS' BOOKSOURCE(tm) Catalog.
The E-Mail Discussion Group Homepage has a huge searchable index of all known Listserve Email Discussion Groups, as well as guides to what they are and how they work.
