SUMMARY OF BAHA'I ACTIVITIES ON WORLDWIDE COMPUTER NETWORKS

(Frequently Asked Questions #1 or FAQ1)

There are over a thousand Bahá'ís active on many worldwide and local computer and communication networks. Their activities range from teaching to discussions of Bahá'í principles, to exchanging news, and to consulting on technical issues for the Bahá'í community. There are large amounts of information and resources related to the Bahá'í 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-info@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: "pilgrimage@bwc.org".

Sacred Writings FTP Server - Internet
The Bahá'í World Centre has a large set (11Mb total) of the Bahá'í 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

Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í International News Service (BINS), community newsletters, Association for Bahá'í Studies information, a list of Bahá'í 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 "ajacobson@USBNC.Org" (e-mail only).

To join, have your US Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í School - Internet The Bosch Bahá'í 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 "Bosch@USBNC.Org". The web pages are maintained by Carl Fravel.

Bahá'í Services for the Blind - AOL, Internet and other The Bahá'í Services for the Blind may be contacted at "WDPeary@aol.com"

BAHA'I COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION

Bahai-announce - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
Bahai-Announce is a mailing list whose primary purpose is the rapid dissemination of news and information to Bahá'ís throughout the world. There are currently over 900 subscribers. All Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í ID number (or, if your country does not issue them, some other proof you are a Bahá'í, e.g., a personal reference) to "Bahai-Announce- Request@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 Bahá'í Announce must be of potential interest to Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í Faith Web Site - Internet/WWW Open to public
The Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í related materials to Bahá'ís and to humanity at large in an efficient, reverent, and Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í resources available on-line. They are oriented towards non- Bahá'ís, but should serve as a useful resource for everyone. The main features include Bahá'í community and Bahá'í 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. Bahá'í 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 "webmaster@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 Bahá'í Faith. It is publicly accessible at many sites with an estimated readership of tens of thousands. Bahá'ís and non-Bahai's post messages here. This group is moderated by a panel of Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í Faith, an archive of past discussions and pointers to other Bahá'í pages on the web. You may also subscribe in the form of an Internet mailing list by sending a message to "Bahai-Faith-Request@BCCA.Org". The subscriptions are managed by Tom Hodges and it is moderated by Michael Kalantar, Richard Detweiler, and Pete Hellmann.

Bahai-Discuss - Internet Bahá'ís Only
Discussions, consultations and questions/answers are conducted here amongst a worldwide group of Bahá'ís on a wide variety of topics. You may receive over ten messages a day. To subscribe send a request with your Bahá'í ID number to "Bahai-Discuss- Request@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Janet Walker.

Bahai-Campus-Forum - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
The "BCF" carries news and announcements from the US national Bahá'í 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-Request@BCCA.Org". It is managed by Justin Nevill.

Bahá'í 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-Request@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.

Bahá'í Women Converse - Internet and other Bahá'í women only
"Bahá'í Women Converse," is a discussion for Bahá'í 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-Request@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-Bahá'ís. To subscribe send an Internet message to "Bahai-Readings-Request@BCCA.Org". It is managed by Mark Towfiq.

Bahai-Teachers - Internet Bahá'ís 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-Request@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Mark Towfiq.

Bahai-Tech - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
This is the discussion forum for the Bahá'í Computer and Communications Association (The BCCA), a group of Bahá'ís that provide technical services to the worldwide Bahá'í community. To subscribe send an Internet message to "Bahai-Tech-Request@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Charles Cooper.

Bahai-Sysops - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
This mailing list carries technical discussion about the creation, maintenance and operation of the various Bahá'í BBS and e-mail systems. To subscribe, send an Internet message to "Bahai-Sysops-Request@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Charles Cooper.

Bahá'í Youth Workshops - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
The Bahá'í Youth Workshop mailing list is available to Bahá'ís and non-Bahá'ís 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-request@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.

Bahá'í Exchange UK - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
BX-UK caters for United Kingdom Bahá'ís, 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 Bahá'í 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-request@BCCA.Org". The list is managed by Nicholas Sanders.

Bahá'í Singles - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
Bahai-singles was set up to act as a vehicle to assist networking among the single Bahá'ís in our worldwide community. This mailbox can be used to raise and discuss issues of concern and interest to single Bahá'ís. To join send an Internet message to "bahai-singles-request@bcca.org". The list is managed by Justin Nevill.

Bahá'í Hawaii - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
Use this address to make announcements, inquiries, etc. throughout the Hawaii Bahá'í Community. To join, send and Internet e-mail message to "bahai-hawaii-request@BCCA.Org" This is managed by Mark Towfiq.

Bahá'í International News - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
The Bahá'í International News is available via Internet e-mail. To subscribe send a message to "BINS-Request@BCCA.Org". This is managed by Mark Towfiq.

Interlang - Internet and other Bahá'ís only
List for discussion of issues and aspects of the future International Auxiliary Language, including Bahá'í 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-request@BCCA.Org". Interlang is managed by Mark Towfiq.

Bahai-WWW Internet Bahá'ís only
This list is a working group for Bahá'í related Web pages. To subscribe send a message to "bahai-www-request@BCCA.Org".

BCCA file archive - Internet
The BCCA FTP archive includes graphics, Bahá'í- related documents, and a complete mirror of the Sacred Writing archive from the Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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-Index@BCCA.Org".

INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I NETWORK (BahaiNet)

Zone 109 International Bahá'í Network - FidoNet Technology Compatible The International Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í World Centre is included. The conference topics are:

Bahá'í International Echo     Bahá'í Net Chat Echo
Bahá'í History     Bahá'í Covenant
Bahá'í Mysticism     Bahá'í Administrative Order
Bahá'í Children's Echo     Bahá'í Youth Echo
Bahá'í Science     Bahá'í Equality: Men &Women
Bahá'í Health & Well-Being     Bahá'í Music & Entertainment
Study of the Kitab-i-Aqdas     Association for Bahá'í Studies
Bahá'ís on Reservations     Bahá'í Answers (Prophecy)
Peace Forum     Spiritual Parenting
Bahá'í Marriage     Race Unity
BahaiNet Technical Help     Bahá'í ANSI & BBS Ads
Bahá'í 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.

The BAHAI echo and PEACE_FO.RUM are also available on non-Bahá'í 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. Bahá'ís and non-Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í Page - Internet/WWW Open to the public
This set of web pages provides one of the largest indexes of other Bahá'í related Web pages. It indexes over 100 other pages including Bahá'í institutions and organizations, information about the Bahá'í Faith, and other individuals Bahá'í 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 "glittle@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, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. They are accessible at "http://www.bcca.org/~kalantar/writings". Address questions and comments to "kalantar@bounty.bcca.org". Michael is currently in China, but Justin is responding to comments.

China Forum - Internet and other Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í 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 "finley@larc.info.uqam.ca".

The European Bahá'í Student Association Network (EBSAN) Bahá'ís only
EBSAN is for Bahá'í university students in Europe. To join send a message to "ebsan- request@cc.joensuu.fi". It is managed by Jarmo Karvonen and Jenny Semple.

German Bahá'í Mailing List - FidoNet, Internet and other Bahá'ís only
This is a German-speaking Bahá'í mailing list. The language of the discussion is German. To subscribe send message to "Baha.German.Request@razalruh.artinet.de". It is also reachable on FidoNet at "2:2487/805.4". This is managed by Sam Razialruh.

Malaysian Bahá'í Mailing List - Internet and other
This is available for Malaysians inside or outside Malaysia. Contact Raj for further information at "raj@pop.jaring.my".

Nordic Bahá'í 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 "rafat@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 Bahá'í topics and themes. To get further information or to subscribe, contact Alison and Steve Marshall, "forumbahai@es.co.nz".

Freenets
Bahá'ís have set up forums on Freenets that include introductions to the Bahá'í Faith, views on current issues, questions and answers, prayers, announcements and meetings. The Bahá'í sections often includes a large volume of Bahá'í 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 Bahá'ís, some without. The following lists those with known activities, and the e-mail addresses of people to contact:

Religion & Philosophy conferences - RIME, Uninet, Ilink, Annex, City-to-city...
Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'ís participate in the Compuserve Religion Forum. Discussions include economics and interfaith dialog, among others. To access the Bahá'í 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.

Bahá'í: The Emerging Global Religion (Cat. 7) - GEnie Religion & Ethics RT
Many Bahá'ís and non-Bahá'ís participate in GEnie's Religion & Ethics Round Table BBS categories, found on page 390;1. The Bahá'í Category 7 is open to all GEnie users. Most Topics in the Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í World Centre. Our own Hank Mudge (e-mail address H.MUDGE, Internet "H.MUDGE@GEnie.Geis.Com") is the Category Leader.

Bahá'ís On America On Line - America On Line
Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í and you will see four entries: Bahá'í Board, Bahá'í Library, Bahá'í Art Exhibit and Bahá'í Web Link.

The host for the Bahá'í Board is Ed Ordaz, known as "Vahid19" on-line. The Board's content ranges from Bahá'í Youth, Bahá'í Singles, questions regarding Biblical prophecies, deepenings on various Bahá'í subjects, as well as announcements and other interesting matters.

The Bahá'í Library contains almost 200 items for downloading, including all of the basic Bahá'í books (several that are out of print), compilations, introductory materials, graphics and photographs.

The Bahá'í Art Exhibit contains photographs of the early days of the Faith in the Holy Land which were contributed by Duane Troxel.

The Bahá'í Web Link goes directly to Yahoo's Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'ís. "Gift of Peace Education for UN50" - your "piece of peace" might be a Bahá'í or UN50 experience, an identified problem or a possible solution. Contact Sue Blythe for more information and Peace Education Now, "peacednow@aol.com".

PRODIGY
Prodigy has graciously provided the Bahá'ís with a permanent "chat room" in the religion area of Prodigy Chat. It's called "Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í section of the Religion Concourse 1 bulletin board on Prodigy remains very active with Bahá'ís and seekers.

Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) - Internet and other This BBS carries a Bahá'í discussion available on the Internet. To join sent an Internet message to "listserv@intuition.org" with the contents of the message being "subscribe bahai name@domain.xx" (be sure to replace name@domain.xxx with your address).

REGIONAL ACTIVITIES

US, Pacific Northwest activities Norwebnet@Oneworld.Wa.COM (Internet)
US, Boston area activities Bahai-Announce-Ma@Justice.Medford.Ma.US
US, Boston Bahá'í Colleges bahai@mit.edu (Internet)
US, Texas/Mexico border teaching af479@rgfn.epcc.edu (Internet)
Australian list b.mohajerin@qut.edu.au (Internet)
Canada, Quebec activities Yersh@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 Bahá'í operated, some are private, but many are public with audiences of thousands. Some of the Bahá'í only groups are restricted to Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í-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 Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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-FAQ1@BCCA.Org", or "FAQ1@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 "LGL@Island-Resort.Com". Concise and close to this format is appreciated.

Updated Oct 11, 1995. [See newer information at bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5482.]