Date: Thu, 12 Jan 95 17:17:45 -0500
From: Linda Long <llong@pubs.ota.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <otanews@media.ota.gov>
Subject: OTA Online



OTA ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS TO
PUBLICATIONS


In line with current efforts to open up the congressional
process to the public, the congressional Office of
Technology Assessment (OTA) today announced the inauguration
of OTA Online, a collection of electronic information
resources offered by the agency.

OTA Online provides general information about OTA and
allows users to access OTA publications delivered to
Congress.  For example, users can access the full text of
recent reports, background papers, and report briefs.  Also
on line are press releases, the annual report, and
publications catalog.

Additional features are a graphic outline of OTA's
assessment process, biographies and photographs of the
members of the congressional Technology Assessment Board,
descriptions of OTA programs and details of all assessments
now in progress.

OTA is a nonpartisan congressional agency charged with
advising the Congress on a wide range of critical issues
involving science and technology.  These issues include
telecommunications, health, defense, space, education,
environment, energy, and others.  OTA has delivered reports
on these topics to the standing committees of Congress, who
request most of the agency's work.

OTA Online includes many common Internet features such as a
World Wide Web (WWW) home page, an FTP collection of OTA
report files and other information, and an  electronic
bulletin board (BBS) accessible via WWW or Telnet that
permits file text searches.  OTA Online is accessible
through the following standard Internet tools:

WWW:     http://www.ota.gov

FTP:     otabbs.ota.gov; login as anonymous, password
            is your email address; publications are
            located in the /pub directory

Telnet:  otabbs.ota.gov; login as public, password is
            public

Additional features of the BBS are available through client
software with a graphical user interface for Microsoft
Windows.  This software is available free through the WWW
home page or by contacting the OTA Telecommunications and
Information Systems Office, (202) 228-6000, or email
sysop@ota.gov.  Soon the BBS will also be available via
telephone dial-in access.  Questions or comments on Internet
services should be directed by email to netsupport@ota.gov

OTA also maintains a free electronic mailing list known as
OTANEWS which allows anyone with access to electronic mail
on the Internet to receive notices of all OTA reports upon
their release.  To subscribe to OTANEWS, address an
electronic mail message to listserv@ota.gov.  Leave the
subject line blank.  In the text of the message, type:
subscribe otanews [your name]. For example, Jane Smith would
type the following:

          SUBSCRIBE OTANEWS JANE SMITH

After you have sent the message, you will receive
confirmation that your subscription has been entered.  If
you encounter difficulties, send an email message to
postmaster@ota.gov