BITNET
\bˈɪtnɪt], \bˈɪtnɪt], \b_ˈɪ_t_n_ɪ_t]\
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/bit'net/ (Because It's Time NETwork) An academicand research computer network connecting approximately 2500computers. BITNET provides interactive, electronic mail andfile transfer services, using a store and forwardprotocol, based on IBM Network Job Entry protocols.Bitnet-II encapsulates the Bitnet protocol within IPpackets and depends on the Internet to route them. BITNETtraffic and Internet traffic are exchanged via severalgateway hosts.BITNET is now operated by CREN.BITNET is everybody's least favourite piece of the network.The BITNET hosts are a collection of IBM dinosaurs,VAXen (with lobotomised communications hardware), and PrimeComputer supermini computers. They communicate using80-character EBCDIC card images (see eighty-column mind);thus, they tend to mangle the headers and text ofthird-party traffic from the rest of the ASCII/RFC 822world with annoying regularity. BITNET is also notorious asthe apparent home of BIFF.
By Denis Howe
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