From News to Views, Professor Keeps 'Interesting People' Informed -- an article from T H E I N T E

[David Farber <>]

[ see end for infomation on getting a sample copy etc. djf




                     T H E   I N T E R N E T   L E T T E R


         On Corporate Users, Internetworking and Information Services
==============================================================================
Vol 1, No. 5            A Net Week Inc. Publication           February 1, 1994


> From News to Views, Professor Keeps 'Interesting People' Informed


    When news breaks on the Internet, Prof. Dave Farber of the University
of Pennsylvania puts it together. About five times a day or five times a
week, Farber compiles and filters the goings-on of the Internet for his
"Interesting People" (IP) list. He s tarted IP two years ago, and today it
has more than 1,000 subscribers, including senior White House officials
and corporate leaders.
    In an e-mail interview with Internet Letter Editor Jayne Levin, Farber
discussed how he keeps his pulse on the best of the Net.


Internet Letter: David, tell our readers exactly what is the "Interesting
People" list?


Farber: "Interesting People" is a mailing list (almost an electronic
newspaper that comes in pieces when ready) that concentrates on
computer-related issues such as the Clipper chip and cryptography, NII
(National Information Infrastructure), HPCC (High-Performance Computing
and Communications) and the like, but also picks up issues/items with more
general societal impact. All information comes from my reading of the
network news and mailing lists I am on, as well as things people send me
for possible distribution, but I determine what goes out. So if my
readers like my selection of items then they subscribe, [or] else they
don't.


Internet Letter: What was its genesis? Why did you start it?


Farber: I started it because I found there was a population of key people
I knew well who would like to keep their eyes on what is new and what the
pulse of the network community (and the outside world as reflected in
network mail and news) but did not have the time and energy and sometimes
mechanisms to monitor things themselves. So I started sending them items
which I found interesting (part of the origin of the name). It also turned
out that the people I was sending things to were also an "interesting" set
of people.


Internet Letter: How many people are on the list?


Farber: Probably over a thousand I know of. Growth comes from people who
are told they should subscribe to the list and send me mail. A few of the
people I know well are authorized to run redistribution lists. Part of the
sign up "price" is things I send out should not be redistributed to
massive network lists without my consent. I want to make it possible for
people to send me things they think the IP readers would find valuable but
which would be awkward if it got plastered on a big Usenet News list.


Internet Letter: Who are these interesting people?  Farber: I keep names
confidential to avoid grandstanding. But it goes into the White House, the
highest levels of many of our high-tech corporations as well as "decision"
makers in the press.


Internet Letter: What kind of information do you send to these interesting
people?


Farber: Largely non-technical pulse of the computer communications world
centering on far-out technology and international competitiveness issues.
Sometimes there are special ALERTS. Much of the interest is in the NII and
International Information Infras tructure. Also export policy,
specifically crypto. IP tends to ride with the current winds and
interests.


Internet Letter: How does one subscribe to IP?


Farber: People hear about IP by word of mouth and usually send me e-mail
(farber () cis upenn edu). I filter to assure real people who are reasonably
intellectually mature.


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EDITOR: Jayne Levin
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THE INTERNET LETTER
FEBRUARY 1994
ISSN 1070-9851


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THE END