-4- 
* 
COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION NETWORKS 
Volume 4 of the Annual Review of Information Science and 
Technology has been published by the American Society for Infor¬ 
mation Science (Britannica, Chicago, 1969, pp. 1-547). It includes 
an article on "Information Networks" by Carl F. J. Overhage (pp. 
3 39-37 8) that summarizes computer network exchanges up to and 
including 1968. The idea that a network connecting museums and 
universities to facilitate exchange of data, programs and infor¬ 
mation would be useful has always been the motive force in MUDPIE, 
so this article is particularly pertinent. After reading this 
article I think perhaps we are close r to achieving such a network 
th an I had though t. 
Overhage cites one reference that estimates the number of 
computing systems providing access from remote terminals at over 
1000. He mentions examples of various kinds of computer-communi¬ 
cations systems, saying "it is the combination of computers, data 
circuits, and user terminals that constitutes an information 
network in the modern sense." Some of the existing or developing 
networks are; a network of 35 interconnected computers at 16 
locations organized by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of 
the Department of Defense, and "controlled by research groups 
that have agreed to accept a single network protocol in order to 
participate in network experiments;" a regional ne twork in we s tern 
Pennsylvania and West Virginia for 10 colleges and universities, 
established by Carnegie-Mellon University j a ne twork "designed 
to stimulate computer use in research" involving the University 
of Iowa and 10 area colleges; the Triangle Universities Computer 
Center, which serves Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State 
and about 35 smaller colleges; three different networks involving 
SUNY in various combinations with other New York institutions; a 
ne twork centered at the University of Georgia, which, among other 
things, "takes data on this week's football-playing pe rformance 
of next week' s opponents and produces a report on [their] strengths 
and weaknesses...;" and so on. Overhage refers to a ne twork direc¬ 
tory being assembled by EDUCOM that will list over 50 university 
based inf orma tion networks. Perhaps the next step for MUDPIE 
is to see what is involved in getting representatives together 
with the hopes of beginning interchange be tween a few of these 
already established networks.—JAP 
COMPUTERS REVIEWED 
The October, 19 7 0, issue of Science J ournal (London) is 
almost entirely devoted to computers and computing, and pro¬ 
vides a lot of interesting reading. MUDPIE readers will find 
the following of specific value; 
Living with Computers [pp. 35-38]. By A. S. Douglas. 
The Intelligent Machine, [pp. 50 — 54 ] . By Donald Michie. 
