Ruhaniya
2009-01-29 10:21:48 UTC
http://www.bahai-library.org/resources/bcca.html
[Note: the BCCA--Baha'i Computer and Communications Association--
is a volunteer organizing and overseeing committee for Baha'i
involvement in the internet and other computer applications. They
offer many FAQ sheets on Baha'i computer activities, which can be
requested by sending a blank email to get-***@bcca.org, or get-
***@bcca.org, where X is a number between 1-9. (Some of these contain
addresses and other information of interest to Baha'is only which is
not to be disseminated. Such information has been removed from this
edited version of this FAQ.)
This document, a summary of Baha'i activities on the internet, has
not been updated for some time, and many of the addresses or groups
listed here may now be defunct. Further, numerous newer BBSes and
listservs haven't yet been added to this FAQ. I include it just to
give the reader an idea of what is available and how to find it. -
J.W.]
From: BCCA FAQ Server <***@BCCA.Org>
Subject: BCCA faq1 file you requested. Use get-***@bcca.org for
index
SUMMARY OF BAHA'I ACTIVITIES ON WORLDWIDE COMPUTER NETWORKS
(Frequently Asked Questions #1 or FAQ1)
There are over a thousand Baha'is active on many worldwide and local
computer and communication networks. Their activities range from
teaching to discussions of Baha'i principles, to exchanging news, and
to consulting on technical issues for the Baha'i community. There are
large amounts of information and resources related to the Baha'i Faith
available on various archives, collections and the World Wide Web. The
activities here are listed by sponsoring organization, so it may be
worth browsing the whole list to find items of interest. A large
number of these activities are discussion groups or forums. A brief
description of how some of these work, and how to get connected to the
networks is at the end of this document.
Most of the activities described here are coordinated, managed and
sponsored by individual volunteers through donations of their time,
equipment and services. I've tried to list the individuals associated
with each activity to acknowledge this. Often responsibility for these
activities switches from one person to another so there may be
inaccuracies. You should always use the official address listed here
for correspondence rather than the personal addresses.
Last Updated October 11, 1995
THE BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE
Pilgrimage Information - Internet and other We are glad to announce
that we now have an automatic e-mail facility established to provide
information on how to apply for pilgrimage as well as the current
guidelines. If you would like to receive this information, send a
blank message to the following address: "pilgrimage-***@bwc.org". The
information will immediately be e-mailed to you automatically. Please
note that any message you send to this account will NOT be read and
will be deleted; therefore, should you have any specific questions
about your application for pilgrimage you should direct your e-mail,
not to the above address, but to: "***@bwc.org".
Sacred Writings FTP Server - Internet The Baha'i World Centre has a
large set (11Mb total) of the Baha'i Writings available on-line. They
are in plain text format with a special notation for diacritical
marks. They may be obtained using Internet FTP at "ftp.bwc.org". Login
with the user name "ftp". (or "ftp://ftp.bwc.org/bahai" on the Web)
The Writings are listed by title, author, language and other. These
files may also be obtained via e-mail using ftp-mail. See the BCCA
FAQ6 for details. Also mirror copies are available at some sites in
the US that often easier to access. See mention in the other Web sites
listed here.
THE UNITED STATES BAHA'I NATIONAL CENTER
Baha'i National Center Bulletin Board System (BNCBBS) - Dial-up, US-
only Operated by the NSA of the US, this bulletin board provides a
large number of services. There are over 40 categories of files that
may be downloaded including the Baha'i International News Service
(BINS), community newsletters, Association for Baha'i Studies
information, a list of Baha'i oriented BBS's and authenticated
electronic copies of the Sacred Texts. There are discussion groups,
and you may interact with the administrative offices to change ones
address and such. Aside from dialing into the BBS, you can contact
Anita Jacobson, the system operator on the Internet at
"***@USBNC.Org" (e-mail only).
To join, have your US Baha'i ID number and dial in with a modem to
708-869-0389 with settings 8-1-N, full-duplex at up to 28.8Kbps. V.32
and V.42bis are supported.
Bosch Baha'i School - Internet The Bosch Baha'i School web page at
"http://www.bosch.org/~bosch" provides a schedule of events,
registration rates and information and general information. You may
also may view a catalog of books available at the book store and place
orders on-line! To contact Bosch via e-mail use "***@USBNC.Org". The
web pages are maintained by Carl Fravel.
Baha'i Services for the Blind - AOL, Internet and other The Baha'i
Services for the Blind may be contacted at "***@aol.com"
BAHA'I COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION
Bahai-announce - Internet and other Baha'is only Bahai-Announce is a
mailing list whose primary purpose is the rapid dissemination of news
and information to Baha'is throughout the world. There are currently
over 900 subscribers. All Baha'is with e-mail are encouraged to join
as it is used to tie all of our on-line forums together, and often is
one of the quickest paths for news distribution. It is used for
announcements, press releases, important and timely news and short
questions. It is accessible from networks beyond the Internet. To join
the list, send Internet e-mail with your Baha'i ID number (or, if your
country does not issue them, some other proof you are a Baha'i, e.g.,
a personal reference) to "Bahai-Announce- ***@BCCA.Org". It
usually takes some time to process the request.
The list is moderated in order to balance the needs of the sender
wishing to reach the largest possible audience and the receiver who
may lack the desire or resources to receive long or frequent mail. The
moderation policy will ensure that messages are kept to a length and
frequency acceptable to all. Messages posted to Baha'i Announce must
be of potential interest to Baha'is anywhere in the world. It must
also be as brief as possible. Messages longer than a screen (50 lines)
will usually be returned with a request that they be shortened. (The
moderators currently include Dean Martineau, Jeffery Brown, Mark
Foster, Mark Lustig, Don Davis and a few others)
The BCCA's Baha'i Faith Web Site - Internet/WWW Open to public The
Baha'i Computer and Communication Association's Web Site is available
at "http://www.BCCA.Org/". It is our sincerest hope that this Web site
will provide an effective means of distributing Baha'i related
materials to Baha'is and to humanity at large in an efficient,
reverent, and Baha'i manner fulfilling Shoghi Effendi's vision of
"...a mechanism of world inter-communication... embracing the whole
planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and
functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity..."
The site is host to several unique pages written by individual BCCA
members in addition to the main pages. These main pages are an attempt
at comprehensively organizing the Baha'i resources available on-line.
They are oriented towards non- Baha'is, but should serve as a useful
resource for everyone. The main features include Baha'i community and
Baha'i organization hierarchies, public event listings, a topic list
of on-line texts, and a listing of other resources available both on-
line and off-line. Baha'i pictures have a modest presence throughout.
The server also contains extensive search functions. We are always
looking for new material and suggestions on how to serve humanity
better. The BCCA Web Site administrator is available at
"***@www.BCCA.Org". The web pages are maintained by Justin
Nevill.
Soc.religion.bahai - USENET/Internet All are welcome
Soc.religion.bahai is a "newsgroup" for teaching the Baha'i Faith. It
is publicly accessible at many sites with an estimated readership of
tens of thousands. Baha'is and non-Bahai's post messages here. This
group is moderated by a panel of Baha'is who approve each posting. How
you subscribe depends on how your local access works. The
soc.religion.bahai home page is available on the web at "http://
www.bcca.org/srb/". It includes an introduction to the Baha'i Faith,
an archive of past discussions and pointers to other Baha'i pages on
the web. You may also subscribe in the form of an Internet mailing
list by sending a message to "Bahai-Faith-***@BCCA.Org". The
subscriptions are managed by Tom Hodges and it is moderated by Michael
Kalantar, Richard Detweiler, and Pete Hellmann.
Bahai-Discuss - Internet Baha'is Only Discussions, consultations and
questions/answers are conducted here amongst a worldwide group of
Baha'is on a wide variety of topics. You may receive over ten messages
a day. To subscribe send a request with your Baha'i ID number to
"Bahai-Discuss- ***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Janet Walker.
Bahai-Campus-Forum - Internet and other Baha'is only The "BCF" carries
news and announcements from the US national Baha'i offices,
discussions relating to college and university activities, and
discussions with peers. Youth are welcome to join and all college
clubs are encouraged to join in an attempt to reduce the cost of mass
mailings. The Campus Forum is sponsored in part by the National
Teaching Committee of the US National Spiritual Assembly. To join,
send an Internet message to "Bahai-Campus-Forum-***@BCCA.Org". It
is managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Development Forum - Internet and other All are welcome The
Development Forum focuses on social and economic development issues,
ideas and projects. It is open to all and especially oriented for
professionals working in the field. To join, send an Internet message
to "Noble-Creation-***@BCCA.Org". The address, "noble-creation"
hopes to set the tone of the discussion, where the basic noble and
spiritual nature of humanity will be recognized. An archive of
development-related documents is available at "ftp://ftp.bcca.org/pub/
lists/noble-creation". It is managed by Laurence Lundblade.
Baha'i Women Converse - Internet and other Baha'i women only "Baha'i
Women Converse," is a discussion for Baha'i women to meet and share
their perspectives, dreams and challenges in a supportive encouraging
environment. It endeavors to validate and strengthen women in finding
and using their own "voices", in e- mail forums and their own lives.
To join send an Internet message to "Bahai-Women-***@BCCA.Org". It
is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Readings - Internet All are welcome Subscribers to this mailing
list receive a "quote of the day" roughly once a day. This list is
open to non-Baha'is. To subscribe send an Internet message to "Bahai-
Readings-***@BCCA.Org". It is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Teachers - Internet Baha'is only The teachers list is an
Internet based mailing list for discussion of on-line teaching
techniques, and opportunities. It is an appropriate forum for
discussion of difficult teaching questions. To subscribe, send an
Internet message to "Bahai- Teachers-***@BCCA.Org". This is
managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Tech - Internet and other Baha'is only This is the discussion
forum for the Baha'i Computer and Communications Association (The
BCCA), a group of Baha'is that provide technical services to the
worldwide Baha'i community. To subscribe send an Internet message to
"Bahai-Tech-***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Charles Cooper.
Bahai-Sysops - Internet and other Baha'is only This mailing list
carries technical discussion about the creation, maintenance and
operation of the various Baha'i BBS and e-mail systems. To subscribe,
send an Internet message to "Bahai-Sysops-***@BCCA.Org". This is
managed by Charles Cooper.
Baha'i Youth Workshops - Internet and other Baha'is only The Baha'i
Youth Workshop mailing list is available to Baha'is and non-Baha'is
alike, anyone interested in or involved with BYWs. The list provides
access to many resources including many Workshop members and
coordinators around the world, the US National BYW Office, and other
people willing to assist in all aspects of BYWs. To join, send and
Internet message to "byw-***@bcca.org". The BYW Online Archive
Site is also associated with the list and available on the WWW at
"ftp://ftp.bcca.org/pub/lists/byw/" or via direct FTP to
"ftp.bcca.org". The BYW forum is managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Exchange UK - Internet and other Baha'is only BX-UK caters for
United Kingdom Baha'is, UK pioneers abroad and others with a
particular interest in the UK community; it is not moderated. As the
list grows in size, it is becoming increasingly useful as a medium for
communication with the UK Baha'i community and has already proved to
be a vehicle for stimulating on-line activities. However, many
subscribers do not have a high level of Internet (or even computer)
experience, and most postings are of general interest. Subscription
requests should be mailed to "bahai-exchange-uk-***@BCCA.Org". The
list is managed by Nicholas Sanders.
Baha'i Singles - Internet and other Baha'is only Bahai-singles was set
up to act as a vehicle to assist networking among the single Baha'is
in our worldwide community. This mailbox can be used to raise and
discuss issues of concern and interest to single Baha'is. To join send
an Internet message to "bahai-singles-***@bcca.org". The list is
managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Hawaii - Internet and other Baha'is only Use this address to
make announcements, inquiries, etc. throughout the Hawaii Baha'i
Community. To join, send and Internet e-mail message to "bahai-hawaii-
***@BCCA.Org" This is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Baha'i International News - Internet and other Baha'is only The Baha'i
International News is available via Internet e-mail. To subscribe send
a message to "BINS-***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Interlang - Internet and other Baha'is only List for discussion of
issues and aspects of the future International Auxiliary Language,
including Baha'i teachings on the subject, as well as linguistic,
cultural, educational, economic, language policy, and spiritual
considerations that must inform the eventual international decision
making process leading to its adoption. To join sent Internet e- mail
to "interlang-***@BCCA.Org". Interlang is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-WWW Internet Baha'is only This list is a working group for
Baha'i related Web pages. To subscribe send a message to "bahai-www-
***@BCCA.Org".
BCCA file archive - Internet The BCCA FTP archive includes graphics,
Baha'i- related documents, and a complete mirror of the Sacred Writing
archive from the Baha'i World Centre. You can either FTP to
ftp.bcca.org, and log in as "ftp", or access it on the Web at "ftp://
ftp.bcca.org/".
Oneworld file archive - Internet The Oneworld archive contains BCCA
related files, such as this document, other FAQ's and the BCCA
Monthly's. There is also a small collection of images, and a duplicate
copy of the Sacred Writings available from the Baha'i World Centre
archive. On the Internet use FTP to get to "oneworld.wa.com", login as
"ftp", and give your e-mail address as the password. On the World Wide
Web, use the URL "ftp://oneworld.wa.com". This is managed by Charles
Cooper.
FAQ Server - Internet and other Baha'i Only This service provides an
easy way to obtain on-line copies of BCCA documents. This includes
FAQ5 - About the BCCA, FAQ3 - Nettiquette, and this document FAQ1. To
get an index and instructions send an Internet message to "Get-
***@BCCA.Org".
INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I NETWORK (BahaiNet)
Zone 109 International Baha'i Network - FidoNet Technology Compatible
The International Baha'i Network provides echo conferences for
discussions, echo mail for private communications and a large archive
of documents. The large collection of Sacred Writings available at the
Baha'i World Centre is included. The conference topics are:
Baha'i International Echo Baha'i Net Chat Echo
Baha'i History
Baha'i Covenant
Baha'i Mysticism
Baha'i Administrative Order
Baha'i Children's Echo Baha'i Youth Echo
Baha'i Science
Baha'i Equality: Men &Women
Baha'i Health & Well-Being Baha'i Music & Entertainment
Study of the Kitab-i-Aqdas Association for Baha'i Studies
Baha'is on Reservations Baha'i Answers (Prophecy)
Peace Forum
Spiritual Parenting
Baha'i Marriage
Race Unity
BahaiNet Technical Help Baha'i ANSI & BBS Ads
Baha'i E-Pubs
Study of the Holy Qur'an
(others are added on a regular basis)
Access is available from the following BBS nodes. All conferences and
file archives are not available at all nodes.
M squared C BBS/Mark Adams Aberdare, Wales, UK [44]-685-882849
The Beer Hunter II/Bob Butcher London, UK [44]-716393002
Friday The Thirteenth/John Whitney Middlesbrough, UK [44]-642224833
The Dark Knight Returns/Daren Lancaster
St. Neots, UK [44]-480-403104
Converse/Dylan Harris Cambridge, UK [44]-933-460744
Virgil BBS/Alexander Langen Pulheim, Germany [49]-22385810
Star of the West BBS/D Dumaresq Richmond, BC, Canada [1]-604-520-3621
The Crystal Cave/A WIllis Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada [1]-604-752-2914
Toronto Baha'i BBS Toronto, Canada [1]-416-502-8962
The Clavis Concourse/Jwu Jiun Tan Singapore [65]-4442376
TeeCee's place New Zealand [64]-7-847-6860
UNITED STATES:
Infinite Diversity Tuscaloosa, Al 205-554-0622
The Desert Reed/Eric Gay Arizona 602-624-6386
Daystar/Peter Merritt Arizona 602-623-5643
Homogenous BBS San Diego, Ca 619-281-1926
Crystal Works Arroyo Grande, Ca 805-473-4707
TNOL Online/Tim Sawchuck Californiat 805-438-4242
TNOL Online 2/Johnna Hartz California 805-544-3539
Resistance is Futile/Kym Taborn California 805-588-9349
Luminance/Eric Rasmussen Alameda, Ca 510-814-7352
Body Dharma Online/Barry Kapke Oakland, Ca 510-836-4717
Camphor Fountain/Z Richmond Oakland, Ca 510-439-0712
Kalimat-al-Zaphir/M Banister California 510-945-1867
Romeo's Bar Colorado 719-685-1371
Eagle's Nest Trading Post/J. Eagle Eyes St.Petersburg, Fl 813-528-8256
PeaceKauai Kauai, Hi 808-338-9971
Hawaii Online/Liz Hahn-Morin Kauai, Hi 808-246-8887
The Magic Castle/Bill Arrington Oahu, Hi 808-732-6909
Unity BBS/Adrian McKee Illinois 708-752-1909
Science of Reality Kansas 913-768-1133
InfoStations/Perry Alexander Kentucky 606-269-7128
DaySpring BBS/Ed Harman Pittsville, Md 410-835-8899
Peace Lamp BBS/R.Borseth Minnesota 612-935-1641
EMail Connections/G.Cunningham New Hampshire 603-740-9166
Cynosure/Gregory Holt New Jersey 201-623-4163
Birds Nest BBS Las Vegas, Nv 702-437-1250
RipCity/Marian Samules New York 516-243-1698
World Citizen BBS/Dan Wold City Island, NY 718-885-2346
New Cherokee Phoenix BBS/H Lambert Cherokee, NC 704-497-5898
Xen North Carolina 919-787-0047
The Other End/Jan Simonds Dublin, Oh 614-764-8687
Out-In-Space Connect/Mike Foshee Columbus, Oh 614-497-3543
The Corsair/S Ricciardelli Pendleton, Or 503-276-8950
The Homeport/S Ricciardelli Pendelton, Or 503-276-8957
Harmony BBS/D. Beall Alexandria, Tn 615-529-2878
Ancient Trail/M. McDonald Tennessee 615-264-2640
Dragon's Den McAllen,Tx 210-631-5841
The Hummingbird/Melody Dodd Texas 214-271-4484
Oak Lawn Online/Jim Rash Dallas, Tx 214-358-5192
Dallas ManDate/Mark Taylor Dallas, Tx 214-528-1816
Dallas ManDate II/Mark Taylor Dallas, Tx 214-520-0676
The E-Link BBS/Kevin Martin Dallas, Tx 214-680-8119
The Priceless Pearl/Mark Clark Fort Worth, Tx 817-232-0044
Night Owl BBS/Mike Mycek Texas 915-676-4558
Bahai-D.C./Darrel Rodgers Washington DC 703-450-4719
The Fireside/Pam Cammack Tumwater, Wa 206-352-2782
The BAHAI echo and PEACE_FO.RUM are also available on non-Baha'i
FidoNet nodes that carry it. See next item.
BAHAI and PEACE_FO.RUM - FidoNet Technology Compatible Two echo
conferences from Zone 109 (above) are distributed on FidoNet, a large
international network linking BBS's and potentially reaching thousands
of people. Baha'is and non-Baha'is participate. The echoes are in
private distribution at this time and a link may be set up through
FidoNet node "1:352/19". The BAHAI echo is also available on the WWIV
and GT- Power BBS networks. To participate you may join any FidoNet,
WWIV or GT-Power BBS that carries the conference.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Glen Little's Baha'i Page - Internet/WWW Open to the public This set
of web pages provides one of the largest indexes of other Baha'i
related Web pages. It indexes over 100 other pages including Baha'i
institutions and organizations, information about the Baha'i Faith,
and other individuals Baha'i Web pages and in addition provides
valuable items itself. It is also updated very frequently. It is
accessible at "http://www.bcca.org/~glittle" on the World Wide Web. It
is maintained by Glen Little who can be reached at
"***@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca".
Sacred Writings on the Web - Internet/WWW Open to the public Michael
Kalanatar has converted a very large percentage of the Sacred Writings
to be suitable for viewing on the Web. Included are the Writings of
the Bab, Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal
House of Justice. They are accessible at "http://www.bcca.org/
~kalantar/writings". Address questions and comments to
"***@bounty.bcca.org". Michael is currently in China, but Justin
is responding to comments.
China Forum - Internet and other Baha'is only The China Forum's
primary goal is to encourage friends who are interested in traveling
to or living in the People's Republic of China and to create interest
in China throughout the Baha'i World Community. It serves as a means
of diffusing information about such matters as business, job, and
study opportunities, formalities of entering the country, the
appropriate institutions of the Faith with which one should be in
contact, life in China, Chinese culture, and so on. This forum is
moderated and follows guidelines laid down by the Universal House of
Justice. To subscribe, please send an Internet message to
"***@larc.info.uqam.ca".
The European Baha'i Student Association Network (EBSAN) Baha'is only
EBSAN is for Baha'i university students in Europe. To join send a
message to "ebsan- ***@cc.joensuu.fi". It is managed by Jarmo
Karvonen and Jenny Semple.
German Baha'i Mailing List - FidoNet, Internet and other Baha'is only
This is a German-speaking Baha'i mailing list. The language of the
discussion is German. To subscribe send message to
"***@razalruh.artinet.de". It is also reachable on
FidoNet at "2:2487/805.4". This is managed by Sam Razialruh.
Malaysian Baha'i Mailing List - Internet and other This is available
for Malaysians inside or outside Malaysia. Contact Raj for further
information at "***@pop.jaring.my".
Nordic Baha'i Mailing List - Internet and other We are pleased to
announce the opening of a new Nordic Bahai Mailing List. It is our
hope that this list can be an important channel of information and
communication between the Nordic countries in the years to come. All
Bahai's from all the Nordic countries are invited to subscribe, and
exchange news, ideas, questions, comments, material and more. The
language will primarily be English. To join, send an Internet message
to "***@nvg.unit.no". The list is managed by Ramez Rafat and Per-
Willy Schulz.
Korero, The New Zealand Mailing List - Internet and other It's open to
anyone who has a connection with New Zealand and has an affinity for
Baha'i topics and themes. To get further information or to subscribe,
contact Alison and Steve Marshall, "***@es.co.nz".
Freenets Baha'is have set up forums on Freenets that include
introductions to the Baha'i Faith, views on current issues, questions
and answers, prayers, announcements and meetings. The Baha'i sections
often includes a large volume of Baha'i writings on various subjects,
and a list of local Spiritual Assemblies, phone numbers, and
activities. There are Freenets in many major cities throughout the
world, some with active Baha'is, some without. The following lists
those with known activities, and the e-mail addresses of people to
contact: Gainsville, FL, US Sue Blythe ***@freenet.ufl.edu Seflin -
Southern Florida, US Greg Woods ***@bcfreenet.seflib.lib.fl.us
Cleveland, OH, US Vicki Schmotzer ***@cleveland.freenet.edu Calgary,
Canada Gordon Lane ***@freenet.calgary.ab.ca Ottawa, Canada Farid
Shodjaee ***@freenet.carleton.ca Ed Gordon ***@freenet.carleton.ca
Victora, Canada Keith Andres ***@freenet.victora.bc.ca Virgin
Islands Cathy Von Gonten ***@virgin.uvi.edu
WWIV (World War Four Nets) Baha'i discussion groups exist on various
WWIV type networks as well. If the following link is not on your local
system, get your Sysop to subscribe! The "echo type" is Baha'i (or
Bahai). CyberNet: @2938 WWIVNet: @11138 TARDISNet, IceNet, TERRANet
and EBLiSLink: @2939
Religion & Philosophy conferences - RIME, Uninet, Ilink, Annex, City-
to-city... Baha'is are participating in religious conferences, echoes,
sigs..., conducting open firesides, and discussions on these BBS's.
The conferences are open and potentially read by a large number of
people. An archive of responses to questions about the Faith has been
compiled. To participate, you place a call to a BBS in your area that
carries the Religion conference. You may consult FAQ #2, mentioned
above, to help locate such a BBS.
Religion Forum - Compuserve As many as 70 Baha'is participate in the
Compuserve Religion Forum. Discussions include economics and
interfaith dialog, among others. To access the Baha'i discussion, "Go
Religion" and then select section 19. There is also a live on-line
fireside on Tuesday nights in conference room 19. Documents like the
Peace Statement are available at Library 19. Mark Foster coordinates
the activities and can be reached at 72642,3105 on Compuserve.
Baha'i: The Emerging Global Religion (Cat. 7) - GEnie Religion &
Ethics RT Many Baha'is and non-Baha'is participate in GEnie's Religion
& Ethics Round Table BBS categories, found on page 390;1. The Baha'i
Category 7 is open to all GEnie users. Most Topics in the Baha'i Cat
are open. Only a few topics are moderated. Live RT firesides can be
held. Many files are available in the R&E Library including the large
collection of Sacred Writings from the Baha'i World Centre. Our own
Hank Mudge (e-mail address H.MUDGE, Internet "***@GEnie.Geis.Com")
is the Category Leader.
Baha'is On America On Line - America On Line Baha'is can be found in
AOL's Lifestyles and Interests Department under the Religion and
Ethics Section. Keyword: Religion An alphabetical list of the various
religions will be listed. Click on Baha'i and you will see four
entries: Baha'i Board, Baha'i Library, Baha'i Art Exhibit and Baha'i
Web Link.
The host for the Baha'i Board is Ed Ordaz, known as "Vahid19" on-line.
The Board's content ranges from Baha'i Youth, Baha'i Singles,
questions regarding Biblical prophecies, deepenings on various Baha'i
subjects, as well as announcements and other interesting matters.
The Baha'i Library contains almost 200 items for downloading,
including all of the basic Baha'i books (several that are out of
print), compilations, introductory materials, graphics and
photographs.
The Baha'i Art Exhibit contains photographs of the early days of the
Faith in the Holy Land which were contributed by Duane Troxel.
The Baha'i Web Link goes directly to Yahoo's Baha'i list.
Also on America Online are two scheduled live firesides weekly which
are held in People Connection. To get there you press Create Room and
type the word Bahai (without the apostrophe) and you will be brought
directly into the room. These are held on Mondays at 8 p.m. E.T. and
Thursdays at 9 p.m. E.T. These firesides can go on for some one to two
hours, depending on the interest of the seekers. The Monday night
fireside is hosted by Ed. Ordaz ("Edmund5169") and usually the
Thursday night fireside is hosted by Shirley Macias, "Gata", George
Lord Jr., "GLordJr" and others who participate from time to time.
In addition, there is an open fireside in The Front Porch, which was
established at the request of the AOL representative of the Religion
and Ethics Section. This is accessed from the opening screen of the
Religion and Ethics Section and is held on Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30
p.m. E.T. This weekly scheduled Baha'i Chat has been ongoing since
December 1994. It is hosted by Mark Foster "TFP Mark", George Lord,
Jr. "TFP George" and Shirley Macias "GataTFP". Although this scheduled
chat is one hour, the hosts often go to a private room after the
scheduled chat to continue discussing the Baha'i Faith with interested
seekers. This AOL activity is announced in the Religion and Ethics'
Front Porch Schedule. There is also a photograph of Shirley Macias
under AOL staff.
As a side note, since the Baha'is have been active on AOL, there have
been a number of declarations, including one person who, after hearing
about the Faith on-line, found the Baha'is in his city, enrolled in
the Faith, and then shortly after went to the Eastern Bloc as a
traveling teacher.
The Peace Institute and Peace Chautauqua - America On line Opening
soon in AOL's Electronic University Network, The Peace Institute will
offer forums, resources, activities and courses for and by peacemakers
- including Baha'is. "Gift of Peace Education for UN50" - your "piece
of peace" might be a Baha'i or UN50 experience, an identified problem
or a possible solution. Contact Sue Blythe for more information and
Peace Education Now, "***@aol.com".
PRODIGY Prodigy has graciously provided the Baha'is with a permanent
"chat room" in the religion area of Prodigy Chat. It's called "Baha'i
Fireside". A regular and well-attended fireside is held every Sunday
evening at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Other Firesides are held by the
friends on an impromptu basis throughout the week. The Baha'i section
of the Religion Concourse 1 bulletin board on Prodigy remains very
active with Baha'is and seekers.
Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) - Internet and other This BBS
carries a Baha'i discussion available on the Internet. To join sent an
Internet message to "***@intuition.org" with the contents of the
message being "subscribe bahai ***@domain.xx" (be sure to replace
***@domain.xxx with your address).
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES
US, Pacific Northwest activities ***@Oneworld.Wa.COM (Internet)
US, Boston area activities Bahai-Announce-***@Justice.Medford.Ma.US US,
Boston Baha'i Colleges ***@mit.edu (Internet) US, Texas/Mexico
border teaching ***@rgfn.epcc.edu (Internet) Australian list
***@qut.edu.au (Internet) Canada, Quebec activities
***@facl.lan.mcgill.ca (Internet)
HOW TO GET CONNECTED
Most of the activities are in the form of a discussion group, also
known as a "bulletin board," "orum," "echo" or "mailing list." In
short, they operate by individuals posting messages to the discussion
group. That message is then distributed to all the other members of
the discussion group, usually in a matter of hours to nearly anywhere
in the world at a very low cost. Some of these groups are Baha'i
operated, some are private, but many are public with audiences of
thousands. Some of the Baha'i only groups are restricted to Baha'is in
good standing.
A separate document called "FAQ #2," (see FAQ Server in BCCA section
above) describes in detail how to get connected to one of the
networks. There are roughly three groups: community bulletin boards
systems/networks (FidoNet, RIME, WWIV...), commercial services
(Compuserve, America On Line, GEnie...) and The Internet. Access to
bulletin boards (BBS's) is usually free and requires a computer (i.e.
a PC), a modem and a local phone call to your nearest BBS. Commercial
services usually charge a small monthly fee, but provide user support,
some access to the Internet and other services. Direct access to the
Internet is available for free in many companies and colleges. It may
also be purchased from a growing number of Internet service providers.
Most discussion groups center about a particular computer network or
service e.g. FidoNet, Internet, Compuserve... In many, cases the
discussion groups reach many networks aside from the one they happen
to be based on.
NOTES
In general it doesn't matter if e-mail addresses are upper or lower
case, or mixed. Many of the addresses here are capitalized as normal
English is capitalized, but you may usually type the address all in
lower case or upper case. If in doubt, use the capitalization exactly
at it is shown here.
My original intent for this version of the FAQ was to provide an index
of Baha'i-related web pages. With over 100 of them available and easy
ways to use the Web itself to locate them I've decided to include only
a few here - those that are associated with services already in FAQ 1
and those that provide indexes and starting points for discovering the
rest of them. I also recommend using Web search services such as those
provided by Infoseek, Lycos and WebCrawler, all accessible from
"http://home.netscape.com/home/internet-search.html".
Web pages are located by addresses called a "URL" (uniform resource
locator). Sometimes it doesn't matter if they are upper or lower
cased, but very often it does. Web pages are generally highly inter-
linked hence the name "world wide web". From one web page you can
generally get to other web pages. They are generally accessible from a
direct Internet connection using a web browser, but many on-line
services such as America On Line now provide access to the web.
Most of these services are operated by volunteers using their own time
and money and endeavor to bring the best service possible. We are
always in need of other individuals willing to assist, most
specifically with systems of their own to run mailing lists or to
assist with other tasks such as mailing list moderation and
information gathering. Contact the BCCA coordinating committee if
you'd like to help!
The document should be distributed only to Baha'is in good standing.
Consent to include many of the activities and addresses here is given
only on that condition.
This document is sponsored by the Baha'i Computer and Communications
Association, a group of volunteers around the globe. The BCCA provides
a pool of technical volunteers, on-line discussion forums and other
services. It is currently seeking institutional sponsorship in the
Baha'i administration. For more information see FAQ5 (see FAQ Server
in BCCA section above).
This document is available on the US National BBS system, or by
sending an Internet message to "Get-***@BCCA.Org", or
"***@BCCA.Org". (It doesn't matter what the subject or text of the
message is.) It is also posted periodically to some of the forums
listed above and available in paper and other formats from the editor.
It is currently edited by Laurence Lundblade. Please pardon any
omissions or inaccuracies and send updates to "***@Island-Resort.Com".
Concise and close to this format is appreciated. Updated Oct 11, 1995
[Note: the BCCA--Baha'i Computer and Communications Association--
is a volunteer organizing and overseeing committee for Baha'i
involvement in the internet and other computer applications. They
offer many FAQ sheets on Baha'i computer activities, which can be
requested by sending a blank email to get-***@bcca.org, or get-
***@bcca.org, where X is a number between 1-9. (Some of these contain
addresses and other information of interest to Baha'is only which is
not to be disseminated. Such information has been removed from this
edited version of this FAQ.)
This document, a summary of Baha'i activities on the internet, has
not been updated for some time, and many of the addresses or groups
listed here may now be defunct. Further, numerous newer BBSes and
listservs haven't yet been added to this FAQ. I include it just to
give the reader an idea of what is available and how to find it. -
J.W.]
From: BCCA FAQ Server <***@BCCA.Org>
Subject: BCCA faq1 file you requested. Use get-***@bcca.org for
index
SUMMARY OF BAHA'I ACTIVITIES ON WORLDWIDE COMPUTER NETWORKS
(Frequently Asked Questions #1 or FAQ1)
There are over a thousand Baha'is active on many worldwide and local
computer and communication networks. Their activities range from
teaching to discussions of Baha'i principles, to exchanging news, and
to consulting on technical issues for the Baha'i community. There are
large amounts of information and resources related to the Baha'i Faith
available on various archives, collections and the World Wide Web. The
activities here are listed by sponsoring organization, so it may be
worth browsing the whole list to find items of interest. A large
number of these activities are discussion groups or forums. A brief
description of how some of these work, and how to get connected to the
networks is at the end of this document.
Most of the activities described here are coordinated, managed and
sponsored by individual volunteers through donations of their time,
equipment and services. I've tried to list the individuals associated
with each activity to acknowledge this. Often responsibility for these
activities switches from one person to another so there may be
inaccuracies. You should always use the official address listed here
for correspondence rather than the personal addresses.
Last Updated October 11, 1995
THE BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE
Pilgrimage Information - Internet and other We are glad to announce
that we now have an automatic e-mail facility established to provide
information on how to apply for pilgrimage as well as the current
guidelines. If you would like to receive this information, send a
blank message to the following address: "pilgrimage-***@bwc.org". The
information will immediately be e-mailed to you automatically. Please
note that any message you send to this account will NOT be read and
will be deleted; therefore, should you have any specific questions
about your application for pilgrimage you should direct your e-mail,
not to the above address, but to: "***@bwc.org".
Sacred Writings FTP Server - Internet The Baha'i World Centre has a
large set (11Mb total) of the Baha'i Writings available on-line. They
are in plain text format with a special notation for diacritical
marks. They may be obtained using Internet FTP at "ftp.bwc.org". Login
with the user name "ftp". (or "ftp://ftp.bwc.org/bahai" on the Web)
The Writings are listed by title, author, language and other. These
files may also be obtained via e-mail using ftp-mail. See the BCCA
FAQ6 for details. Also mirror copies are available at some sites in
the US that often easier to access. See mention in the other Web sites
listed here.
THE UNITED STATES BAHA'I NATIONAL CENTER
Baha'i National Center Bulletin Board System (BNCBBS) - Dial-up, US-
only Operated by the NSA of the US, this bulletin board provides a
large number of services. There are over 40 categories of files that
may be downloaded including the Baha'i International News Service
(BINS), community newsletters, Association for Baha'i Studies
information, a list of Baha'i oriented BBS's and authenticated
electronic copies of the Sacred Texts. There are discussion groups,
and you may interact with the administrative offices to change ones
address and such. Aside from dialing into the BBS, you can contact
Anita Jacobson, the system operator on the Internet at
"***@USBNC.Org" (e-mail only).
To join, have your US Baha'i ID number and dial in with a modem to
708-869-0389 with settings 8-1-N, full-duplex at up to 28.8Kbps. V.32
and V.42bis are supported.
Bosch Baha'i School - Internet The Bosch Baha'i School web page at
"http://www.bosch.org/~bosch" provides a schedule of events,
registration rates and information and general information. You may
also may view a catalog of books available at the book store and place
orders on-line! To contact Bosch via e-mail use "***@USBNC.Org". The
web pages are maintained by Carl Fravel.
Baha'i Services for the Blind - AOL, Internet and other The Baha'i
Services for the Blind may be contacted at "***@aol.com"
BAHA'I COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION
Bahai-announce - Internet and other Baha'is only Bahai-Announce is a
mailing list whose primary purpose is the rapid dissemination of news
and information to Baha'is throughout the world. There are currently
over 900 subscribers. All Baha'is with e-mail are encouraged to join
as it is used to tie all of our on-line forums together, and often is
one of the quickest paths for news distribution. It is used for
announcements, press releases, important and timely news and short
questions. It is accessible from networks beyond the Internet. To join
the list, send Internet e-mail with your Baha'i ID number (or, if your
country does not issue them, some other proof you are a Baha'i, e.g.,
a personal reference) to "Bahai-Announce- ***@BCCA.Org". It
usually takes some time to process the request.
The list is moderated in order to balance the needs of the sender
wishing to reach the largest possible audience and the receiver who
may lack the desire or resources to receive long or frequent mail. The
moderation policy will ensure that messages are kept to a length and
frequency acceptable to all. Messages posted to Baha'i Announce must
be of potential interest to Baha'is anywhere in the world. It must
also be as brief as possible. Messages longer than a screen (50 lines)
will usually be returned with a request that they be shortened. (The
moderators currently include Dean Martineau, Jeffery Brown, Mark
Foster, Mark Lustig, Don Davis and a few others)
The BCCA's Baha'i Faith Web Site - Internet/WWW Open to public The
Baha'i Computer and Communication Association's Web Site is available
at "http://www.BCCA.Org/". It is our sincerest hope that this Web site
will provide an effective means of distributing Baha'i related
materials to Baha'is and to humanity at large in an efficient,
reverent, and Baha'i manner fulfilling Shoghi Effendi's vision of
"...a mechanism of world inter-communication... embracing the whole
planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and
functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity..."
The site is host to several unique pages written by individual BCCA
members in addition to the main pages. These main pages are an attempt
at comprehensively organizing the Baha'i resources available on-line.
They are oriented towards non- Baha'is, but should serve as a useful
resource for everyone. The main features include Baha'i community and
Baha'i organization hierarchies, public event listings, a topic list
of on-line texts, and a listing of other resources available both on-
line and off-line. Baha'i pictures have a modest presence throughout.
The server also contains extensive search functions. We are always
looking for new material and suggestions on how to serve humanity
better. The BCCA Web Site administrator is available at
"***@www.BCCA.Org". The web pages are maintained by Justin
Nevill.
Soc.religion.bahai - USENET/Internet All are welcome
Soc.religion.bahai is a "newsgroup" for teaching the Baha'i Faith. It
is publicly accessible at many sites with an estimated readership of
tens of thousands. Baha'is and non-Bahai's post messages here. This
group is moderated by a panel of Baha'is who approve each posting. How
you subscribe depends on how your local access works. The
soc.religion.bahai home page is available on the web at "http://
www.bcca.org/srb/". It includes an introduction to the Baha'i Faith,
an archive of past discussions and pointers to other Baha'i pages on
the web. You may also subscribe in the form of an Internet mailing
list by sending a message to "Bahai-Faith-***@BCCA.Org". The
subscriptions are managed by Tom Hodges and it is moderated by Michael
Kalantar, Richard Detweiler, and Pete Hellmann.
Bahai-Discuss - Internet Baha'is Only Discussions, consultations and
questions/answers are conducted here amongst a worldwide group of
Baha'is on a wide variety of topics. You may receive over ten messages
a day. To subscribe send a request with your Baha'i ID number to
"Bahai-Discuss- ***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Janet Walker.
Bahai-Campus-Forum - Internet and other Baha'is only The "BCF" carries
news and announcements from the US national Baha'i offices,
discussions relating to college and university activities, and
discussions with peers. Youth are welcome to join and all college
clubs are encouraged to join in an attempt to reduce the cost of mass
mailings. The Campus Forum is sponsored in part by the National
Teaching Committee of the US National Spiritual Assembly. To join,
send an Internet message to "Bahai-Campus-Forum-***@BCCA.Org". It
is managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Development Forum - Internet and other All are welcome The
Development Forum focuses on social and economic development issues,
ideas and projects. It is open to all and especially oriented for
professionals working in the field. To join, send an Internet message
to "Noble-Creation-***@BCCA.Org". The address, "noble-creation"
hopes to set the tone of the discussion, where the basic noble and
spiritual nature of humanity will be recognized. An archive of
development-related documents is available at "ftp://ftp.bcca.org/pub/
lists/noble-creation". It is managed by Laurence Lundblade.
Baha'i Women Converse - Internet and other Baha'i women only "Baha'i
Women Converse," is a discussion for Baha'i women to meet and share
their perspectives, dreams and challenges in a supportive encouraging
environment. It endeavors to validate and strengthen women in finding
and using their own "voices", in e- mail forums and their own lives.
To join send an Internet message to "Bahai-Women-***@BCCA.Org". It
is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Readings - Internet All are welcome Subscribers to this mailing
list receive a "quote of the day" roughly once a day. This list is
open to non-Baha'is. To subscribe send an Internet message to "Bahai-
Readings-***@BCCA.Org". It is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Teachers - Internet Baha'is only The teachers list is an
Internet based mailing list for discussion of on-line teaching
techniques, and opportunities. It is an appropriate forum for
discussion of difficult teaching questions. To subscribe, send an
Internet message to "Bahai- Teachers-***@BCCA.Org". This is
managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-Tech - Internet and other Baha'is only This is the discussion
forum for the Baha'i Computer and Communications Association (The
BCCA), a group of Baha'is that provide technical services to the
worldwide Baha'i community. To subscribe send an Internet message to
"Bahai-Tech-***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Charles Cooper.
Bahai-Sysops - Internet and other Baha'is only This mailing list
carries technical discussion about the creation, maintenance and
operation of the various Baha'i BBS and e-mail systems. To subscribe,
send an Internet message to "Bahai-Sysops-***@BCCA.Org". This is
managed by Charles Cooper.
Baha'i Youth Workshops - Internet and other Baha'is only The Baha'i
Youth Workshop mailing list is available to Baha'is and non-Baha'is
alike, anyone interested in or involved with BYWs. The list provides
access to many resources including many Workshop members and
coordinators around the world, the US National BYW Office, and other
people willing to assist in all aspects of BYWs. To join, send and
Internet message to "byw-***@bcca.org". The BYW Online Archive
Site is also associated with the list and available on the WWW at
"ftp://ftp.bcca.org/pub/lists/byw/" or via direct FTP to
"ftp.bcca.org". The BYW forum is managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Exchange UK - Internet and other Baha'is only BX-UK caters for
United Kingdom Baha'is, UK pioneers abroad and others with a
particular interest in the UK community; it is not moderated. As the
list grows in size, it is becoming increasingly useful as a medium for
communication with the UK Baha'i community and has already proved to
be a vehicle for stimulating on-line activities. However, many
subscribers do not have a high level of Internet (or even computer)
experience, and most postings are of general interest. Subscription
requests should be mailed to "bahai-exchange-uk-***@BCCA.Org". The
list is managed by Nicholas Sanders.
Baha'i Singles - Internet and other Baha'is only Bahai-singles was set
up to act as a vehicle to assist networking among the single Baha'is
in our worldwide community. This mailbox can be used to raise and
discuss issues of concern and interest to single Baha'is. To join send
an Internet message to "bahai-singles-***@bcca.org". The list is
managed by Justin Nevill.
Baha'i Hawaii - Internet and other Baha'is only Use this address to
make announcements, inquiries, etc. throughout the Hawaii Baha'i
Community. To join, send and Internet e-mail message to "bahai-hawaii-
***@BCCA.Org" This is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Baha'i International News - Internet and other Baha'is only The Baha'i
International News is available via Internet e-mail. To subscribe send
a message to "BINS-***@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Interlang - Internet and other Baha'is only List for discussion of
issues and aspects of the future International Auxiliary Language,
including Baha'i teachings on the subject, as well as linguistic,
cultural, educational, economic, language policy, and spiritual
considerations that must inform the eventual international decision
making process leading to its adoption. To join sent Internet e- mail
to "interlang-***@BCCA.Org". Interlang is managed by Mark Towfiq.
Bahai-WWW Internet Baha'is only This list is a working group for
Baha'i related Web pages. To subscribe send a message to "bahai-www-
***@BCCA.Org".
BCCA file archive - Internet The BCCA FTP archive includes graphics,
Baha'i- related documents, and a complete mirror of the Sacred Writing
archive from the Baha'i World Centre. You can either FTP to
ftp.bcca.org, and log in as "ftp", or access it on the Web at "ftp://
ftp.bcca.org/".
Oneworld file archive - Internet The Oneworld archive contains BCCA
related files, such as this document, other FAQ's and the BCCA
Monthly's. There is also a small collection of images, and a duplicate
copy of the Sacred Writings available from the Baha'i World Centre
archive. On the Internet use FTP to get to "oneworld.wa.com", login as
"ftp", and give your e-mail address as the password. On the World Wide
Web, use the URL "ftp://oneworld.wa.com". This is managed by Charles
Cooper.
FAQ Server - Internet and other Baha'i Only This service provides an
easy way to obtain on-line copies of BCCA documents. This includes
FAQ5 - About the BCCA, FAQ3 - Nettiquette, and this document FAQ1. To
get an index and instructions send an Internet message to "Get-
***@BCCA.Org".
INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I NETWORK (BahaiNet)
Zone 109 International Baha'i Network - FidoNet Technology Compatible
The International Baha'i Network provides echo conferences for
discussions, echo mail for private communications and a large archive
of documents. The large collection of Sacred Writings available at the
Baha'i World Centre is included. The conference topics are:
Baha'i International Echo Baha'i Net Chat Echo
Baha'i History
Baha'i Covenant
Baha'i Mysticism
Baha'i Administrative Order
Baha'i Children's Echo Baha'i Youth Echo
Baha'i Science
Baha'i Equality: Men &Women
Baha'i Health & Well-Being Baha'i Music & Entertainment
Study of the Kitab-i-Aqdas Association for Baha'i Studies
Baha'is on Reservations Baha'i Answers (Prophecy)
Peace Forum
Spiritual Parenting
Baha'i Marriage
Race Unity
BahaiNet Technical Help Baha'i ANSI & BBS Ads
Baha'i E-Pubs
Study of the Holy Qur'an
(others are added on a regular basis)
Access is available from the following BBS nodes. All conferences and
file archives are not available at all nodes.
M squared C BBS/Mark Adams Aberdare, Wales, UK [44]-685-882849
The Beer Hunter II/Bob Butcher London, UK [44]-716393002
Friday The Thirteenth/John Whitney Middlesbrough, UK [44]-642224833
The Dark Knight Returns/Daren Lancaster
St. Neots, UK [44]-480-403104
Converse/Dylan Harris Cambridge, UK [44]-933-460744
Virgil BBS/Alexander Langen Pulheim, Germany [49]-22385810
Star of the West BBS/D Dumaresq Richmond, BC, Canada [1]-604-520-3621
The Crystal Cave/A WIllis Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada [1]-604-752-2914
Toronto Baha'i BBS Toronto, Canada [1]-416-502-8962
The Clavis Concourse/Jwu Jiun Tan Singapore [65]-4442376
TeeCee's place New Zealand [64]-7-847-6860
UNITED STATES:
Infinite Diversity Tuscaloosa, Al 205-554-0622
The Desert Reed/Eric Gay Arizona 602-624-6386
Daystar/Peter Merritt Arizona 602-623-5643
Homogenous BBS San Diego, Ca 619-281-1926
Crystal Works Arroyo Grande, Ca 805-473-4707
TNOL Online/Tim Sawchuck Californiat 805-438-4242
TNOL Online 2/Johnna Hartz California 805-544-3539
Resistance is Futile/Kym Taborn California 805-588-9349
Luminance/Eric Rasmussen Alameda, Ca 510-814-7352
Body Dharma Online/Barry Kapke Oakland, Ca 510-836-4717
Camphor Fountain/Z Richmond Oakland, Ca 510-439-0712
Kalimat-al-Zaphir/M Banister California 510-945-1867
Romeo's Bar Colorado 719-685-1371
Eagle's Nest Trading Post/J. Eagle Eyes St.Petersburg, Fl 813-528-8256
PeaceKauai Kauai, Hi 808-338-9971
Hawaii Online/Liz Hahn-Morin Kauai, Hi 808-246-8887
The Magic Castle/Bill Arrington Oahu, Hi 808-732-6909
Unity BBS/Adrian McKee Illinois 708-752-1909
Science of Reality Kansas 913-768-1133
InfoStations/Perry Alexander Kentucky 606-269-7128
DaySpring BBS/Ed Harman Pittsville, Md 410-835-8899
Peace Lamp BBS/R.Borseth Minnesota 612-935-1641
EMail Connections/G.Cunningham New Hampshire 603-740-9166
Cynosure/Gregory Holt New Jersey 201-623-4163
Birds Nest BBS Las Vegas, Nv 702-437-1250
RipCity/Marian Samules New York 516-243-1698
World Citizen BBS/Dan Wold City Island, NY 718-885-2346
New Cherokee Phoenix BBS/H Lambert Cherokee, NC 704-497-5898
Xen North Carolina 919-787-0047
The Other End/Jan Simonds Dublin, Oh 614-764-8687
Out-In-Space Connect/Mike Foshee Columbus, Oh 614-497-3543
The Corsair/S Ricciardelli Pendleton, Or 503-276-8950
The Homeport/S Ricciardelli Pendelton, Or 503-276-8957
Harmony BBS/D. Beall Alexandria, Tn 615-529-2878
Ancient Trail/M. McDonald Tennessee 615-264-2640
Dragon's Den McAllen,Tx 210-631-5841
The Hummingbird/Melody Dodd Texas 214-271-4484
Oak Lawn Online/Jim Rash Dallas, Tx 214-358-5192
Dallas ManDate/Mark Taylor Dallas, Tx 214-528-1816
Dallas ManDate II/Mark Taylor Dallas, Tx 214-520-0676
The E-Link BBS/Kevin Martin Dallas, Tx 214-680-8119
The Priceless Pearl/Mark Clark Fort Worth, Tx 817-232-0044
Night Owl BBS/Mike Mycek Texas 915-676-4558
Bahai-D.C./Darrel Rodgers Washington DC 703-450-4719
The Fireside/Pam Cammack Tumwater, Wa 206-352-2782
The BAHAI echo and PEACE_FO.RUM are also available on non-Baha'i
FidoNet nodes that carry it. See next item.
BAHAI and PEACE_FO.RUM - FidoNet Technology Compatible Two echo
conferences from Zone 109 (above) are distributed on FidoNet, a large
international network linking BBS's and potentially reaching thousands
of people. Baha'is and non-Baha'is participate. The echoes are in
private distribution at this time and a link may be set up through
FidoNet node "1:352/19". The BAHAI echo is also available on the WWIV
and GT- Power BBS networks. To participate you may join any FidoNet,
WWIV or GT-Power BBS that carries the conference.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Glen Little's Baha'i Page - Internet/WWW Open to the public This set
of web pages provides one of the largest indexes of other Baha'i
related Web pages. It indexes over 100 other pages including Baha'i
institutions and organizations, information about the Baha'i Faith,
and other individuals Baha'i Web pages and in addition provides
valuable items itself. It is also updated very frequently. It is
accessible at "http://www.bcca.org/~glittle" on the World Wide Web. It
is maintained by Glen Little who can be reached at
"***@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca".
Sacred Writings on the Web - Internet/WWW Open to the public Michael
Kalanatar has converted a very large percentage of the Sacred Writings
to be suitable for viewing on the Web. Included are the Writings of
the Bab, Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal
House of Justice. They are accessible at "http://www.bcca.org/
~kalantar/writings". Address questions and comments to
"***@bounty.bcca.org". Michael is currently in China, but Justin
is responding to comments.
China Forum - Internet and other Baha'is only The China Forum's
primary goal is to encourage friends who are interested in traveling
to or living in the People's Republic of China and to create interest
in China throughout the Baha'i World Community. It serves as a means
of diffusing information about such matters as business, job, and
study opportunities, formalities of entering the country, the
appropriate institutions of the Faith with which one should be in
contact, life in China, Chinese culture, and so on. This forum is
moderated and follows guidelines laid down by the Universal House of
Justice. To subscribe, please send an Internet message to
"***@larc.info.uqam.ca".
The European Baha'i Student Association Network (EBSAN) Baha'is only
EBSAN is for Baha'i university students in Europe. To join send a
message to "ebsan- ***@cc.joensuu.fi". It is managed by Jarmo
Karvonen and Jenny Semple.
German Baha'i Mailing List - FidoNet, Internet and other Baha'is only
This is a German-speaking Baha'i mailing list. The language of the
discussion is German. To subscribe send message to
"***@razalruh.artinet.de". It is also reachable on
FidoNet at "2:2487/805.4". This is managed by Sam Razialruh.
Malaysian Baha'i Mailing List - Internet and other This is available
for Malaysians inside or outside Malaysia. Contact Raj for further
information at "***@pop.jaring.my".
Nordic Baha'i Mailing List - Internet and other We are pleased to
announce the opening of a new Nordic Bahai Mailing List. It is our
hope that this list can be an important channel of information and
communication between the Nordic countries in the years to come. All
Bahai's from all the Nordic countries are invited to subscribe, and
exchange news, ideas, questions, comments, material and more. The
language will primarily be English. To join, send an Internet message
to "***@nvg.unit.no". The list is managed by Ramez Rafat and Per-
Willy Schulz.
Korero, The New Zealand Mailing List - Internet and other It's open to
anyone who has a connection with New Zealand and has an affinity for
Baha'i topics and themes. To get further information or to subscribe,
contact Alison and Steve Marshall, "***@es.co.nz".
Freenets Baha'is have set up forums on Freenets that include
introductions to the Baha'i Faith, views on current issues, questions
and answers, prayers, announcements and meetings. The Baha'i sections
often includes a large volume of Baha'i writings on various subjects,
and a list of local Spiritual Assemblies, phone numbers, and
activities. There are Freenets in many major cities throughout the
world, some with active Baha'is, some without. The following lists
those with known activities, and the e-mail addresses of people to
contact: Gainsville, FL, US Sue Blythe ***@freenet.ufl.edu Seflin -
Southern Florida, US Greg Woods ***@bcfreenet.seflib.lib.fl.us
Cleveland, OH, US Vicki Schmotzer ***@cleveland.freenet.edu Calgary,
Canada Gordon Lane ***@freenet.calgary.ab.ca Ottawa, Canada Farid
Shodjaee ***@freenet.carleton.ca Ed Gordon ***@freenet.carleton.ca
Victora, Canada Keith Andres ***@freenet.victora.bc.ca Virgin
Islands Cathy Von Gonten ***@virgin.uvi.edu
WWIV (World War Four Nets) Baha'i discussion groups exist on various
WWIV type networks as well. If the following link is not on your local
system, get your Sysop to subscribe! The "echo type" is Baha'i (or
Bahai). CyberNet: @2938 WWIVNet: @11138 TARDISNet, IceNet, TERRANet
and EBLiSLink: @2939
Religion & Philosophy conferences - RIME, Uninet, Ilink, Annex, City-
to-city... Baha'is are participating in religious conferences, echoes,
sigs..., conducting open firesides, and discussions on these BBS's.
The conferences are open and potentially read by a large number of
people. An archive of responses to questions about the Faith has been
compiled. To participate, you place a call to a BBS in your area that
carries the Religion conference. You may consult FAQ #2, mentioned
above, to help locate such a BBS.
Religion Forum - Compuserve As many as 70 Baha'is participate in the
Compuserve Religion Forum. Discussions include economics and
interfaith dialog, among others. To access the Baha'i discussion, "Go
Religion" and then select section 19. There is also a live on-line
fireside on Tuesday nights in conference room 19. Documents like the
Peace Statement are available at Library 19. Mark Foster coordinates
the activities and can be reached at 72642,3105 on Compuserve.
Baha'i: The Emerging Global Religion (Cat. 7) - GEnie Religion &
Ethics RT Many Baha'is and non-Baha'is participate in GEnie's Religion
& Ethics Round Table BBS categories, found on page 390;1. The Baha'i
Category 7 is open to all GEnie users. Most Topics in the Baha'i Cat
are open. Only a few topics are moderated. Live RT firesides can be
held. Many files are available in the R&E Library including the large
collection of Sacred Writings from the Baha'i World Centre. Our own
Hank Mudge (e-mail address H.MUDGE, Internet "***@GEnie.Geis.Com")
is the Category Leader.
Baha'is On America On Line - America On Line Baha'is can be found in
AOL's Lifestyles and Interests Department under the Religion and
Ethics Section. Keyword: Religion An alphabetical list of the various
religions will be listed. Click on Baha'i and you will see four
entries: Baha'i Board, Baha'i Library, Baha'i Art Exhibit and Baha'i
Web Link.
The host for the Baha'i Board is Ed Ordaz, known as "Vahid19" on-line.
The Board's content ranges from Baha'i Youth, Baha'i Singles,
questions regarding Biblical prophecies, deepenings on various Baha'i
subjects, as well as announcements and other interesting matters.
The Baha'i Library contains almost 200 items for downloading,
including all of the basic Baha'i books (several that are out of
print), compilations, introductory materials, graphics and
photographs.
The Baha'i Art Exhibit contains photographs of the early days of the
Faith in the Holy Land which were contributed by Duane Troxel.
The Baha'i Web Link goes directly to Yahoo's Baha'i list.
Also on America Online are two scheduled live firesides weekly which
are held in People Connection. To get there you press Create Room and
type the word Bahai (without the apostrophe) and you will be brought
directly into the room. These are held on Mondays at 8 p.m. E.T. and
Thursdays at 9 p.m. E.T. These firesides can go on for some one to two
hours, depending on the interest of the seekers. The Monday night
fireside is hosted by Ed. Ordaz ("Edmund5169") and usually the
Thursday night fireside is hosted by Shirley Macias, "Gata", George
Lord Jr., "GLordJr" and others who participate from time to time.
In addition, there is an open fireside in The Front Porch, which was
established at the request of the AOL representative of the Religion
and Ethics Section. This is accessed from the opening screen of the
Religion and Ethics Section and is held on Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30
p.m. E.T. This weekly scheduled Baha'i Chat has been ongoing since
December 1994. It is hosted by Mark Foster "TFP Mark", George Lord,
Jr. "TFP George" and Shirley Macias "GataTFP". Although this scheduled
chat is one hour, the hosts often go to a private room after the
scheduled chat to continue discussing the Baha'i Faith with interested
seekers. This AOL activity is announced in the Religion and Ethics'
Front Porch Schedule. There is also a photograph of Shirley Macias
under AOL staff.
As a side note, since the Baha'is have been active on AOL, there have
been a number of declarations, including one person who, after hearing
about the Faith on-line, found the Baha'is in his city, enrolled in
the Faith, and then shortly after went to the Eastern Bloc as a
traveling teacher.
The Peace Institute and Peace Chautauqua - America On line Opening
soon in AOL's Electronic University Network, The Peace Institute will
offer forums, resources, activities and courses for and by peacemakers
- including Baha'is. "Gift of Peace Education for UN50" - your "piece
of peace" might be a Baha'i or UN50 experience, an identified problem
or a possible solution. Contact Sue Blythe for more information and
Peace Education Now, "***@aol.com".
PRODIGY Prodigy has graciously provided the Baha'is with a permanent
"chat room" in the religion area of Prodigy Chat. It's called "Baha'i
Fireside". A regular and well-attended fireside is held every Sunday
evening at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Other Firesides are held by the
friends on an impromptu basis throughout the week. The Baha'i section
of the Religion Concourse 1 bulletin board on Prodigy remains very
active with Baha'is and seekers.
Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) - Internet and other This BBS
carries a Baha'i discussion available on the Internet. To join sent an
Internet message to "***@intuition.org" with the contents of the
message being "subscribe bahai ***@domain.xx" (be sure to replace
***@domain.xxx with your address).
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES
US, Pacific Northwest activities ***@Oneworld.Wa.COM (Internet)
US, Boston area activities Bahai-Announce-***@Justice.Medford.Ma.US US,
Boston Baha'i Colleges ***@mit.edu (Internet) US, Texas/Mexico
border teaching ***@rgfn.epcc.edu (Internet) Australian list
***@qut.edu.au (Internet) Canada, Quebec activities
***@facl.lan.mcgill.ca (Internet)
HOW TO GET CONNECTED
Most of the activities are in the form of a discussion group, also
known as a "bulletin board," "orum," "echo" or "mailing list." In
short, they operate by individuals posting messages to the discussion
group. That message is then distributed to all the other members of
the discussion group, usually in a matter of hours to nearly anywhere
in the world at a very low cost. Some of these groups are Baha'i
operated, some are private, but many are public with audiences of
thousands. Some of the Baha'i only groups are restricted to Baha'is in
good standing.
A separate document called "FAQ #2," (see FAQ Server in BCCA section
above) describes in detail how to get connected to one of the
networks. There are roughly three groups: community bulletin boards
systems/networks (FidoNet, RIME, WWIV...), commercial services
(Compuserve, America On Line, GEnie...) and The Internet. Access to
bulletin boards (BBS's) is usually free and requires a computer (i.e.
a PC), a modem and a local phone call to your nearest BBS. Commercial
services usually charge a small monthly fee, but provide user support,
some access to the Internet and other services. Direct access to the
Internet is available for free in many companies and colleges. It may
also be purchased from a growing number of Internet service providers.
Most discussion groups center about a particular computer network or
service e.g. FidoNet, Internet, Compuserve... In many, cases the
discussion groups reach many networks aside from the one they happen
to be based on.
NOTES
In general it doesn't matter if e-mail addresses are upper or lower
case, or mixed. Many of the addresses here are capitalized as normal
English is capitalized, but you may usually type the address all in
lower case or upper case. If in doubt, use the capitalization exactly
at it is shown here.
My original intent for this version of the FAQ was to provide an index
of Baha'i-related web pages. With over 100 of them available and easy
ways to use the Web itself to locate them I've decided to include only
a few here - those that are associated with services already in FAQ 1
and those that provide indexes and starting points for discovering the
rest of them. I also recommend using Web search services such as those
provided by Infoseek, Lycos and WebCrawler, all accessible from
"http://home.netscape.com/home/internet-search.html".
Web pages are located by addresses called a "URL" (uniform resource
locator). Sometimes it doesn't matter if they are upper or lower
cased, but very often it does. Web pages are generally highly inter-
linked hence the name "world wide web". From one web page you can
generally get to other web pages. They are generally accessible from a
direct Internet connection using a web browser, but many on-line
services such as America On Line now provide access to the web.
Most of these services are operated by volunteers using their own time
and money and endeavor to bring the best service possible. We are
always in need of other individuals willing to assist, most
specifically with systems of their own to run mailing lists or to
assist with other tasks such as mailing list moderation and
information gathering. Contact the BCCA coordinating committee if
you'd like to help!
The document should be distributed only to Baha'is in good standing.
Consent to include many of the activities and addresses here is given
only on that condition.
This document is sponsored by the Baha'i Computer and Communications
Association, a group of volunteers around the globe. The BCCA provides
a pool of technical volunteers, on-line discussion forums and other
services. It is currently seeking institutional sponsorship in the
Baha'i administration. For more information see FAQ5 (see FAQ Server
in BCCA section above).
This document is available on the US National BBS system, or by
sending an Internet message to "Get-***@BCCA.Org", or
"***@BCCA.Org". (It doesn't matter what the subject or text of the
message is.) It is also posted periodically to some of the forums
listed above and available in paper and other formats from the editor.
It is currently edited by Laurence Lundblade. Please pardon any
omissions or inaccuracies and send updates to "***@Island-Resort.Com".
Concise and close to this format is appreciated. Updated Oct 11, 1995