Date   : Mon, 21 Jan 1985 16:42:20 GMT
From   : King Ables <ables%cyb-eng.uucp@BRL-TGR.ARPA>
Subject: Re: What is Simtel20

<Here we go again>

Simtel20 is a site on the Arpanet which happens to be run by nice
guys who keep sources to many, many different kinds of micros, 
especially MS-DOS and CP/M machines.  Unless you are on the Arpanet
you can't access them directly (since it's a military-connected
machine, I wonder if they have/publicize their dial-up lines??).
On the arpanet, you can telnet to them an login as anonymous and
ftp the files you need (I believe they like you to do this at
off-peak hours).

When I worked at U.T. I could grab things (they are on the Arpanet
which is overseen or sponsored or somehow otherwise connected with
the DOD).  Now I'm at a uucp only site, so I no longer have access
either (not that this should make you feel any better, it just appears
to me that this is the boat most people on Usenet are in).  People
who won't be able to access Simtel20 keep seeing postings from Arpa
people who can and they get confused -- especially new ones like
yourself.  Don't feel bad, this question comes up all the time.

Keith (or somebody):  maybe when someone makes a posting about new
sources being updated, it might pay to have a short (paragraph) blurb
at the end about Simtel and who can access.  If it was kept around
and posted every now and again and at the end of all your announcements,
maybe these questions would be fewer and farther between.  

Or maybe you have a form letter you send people when they ask and I'm
sitting here being redundant.
-King
ARPA: ables%cyb-eng.UUCP@ut-sally.ARPA
UUCP: ...{ctvax,gatech,ihnp4,nbires,seismo,ucb-vax}!ut-sally!cyb-eng!ables