Date   : Wed, 28 Aug 1985 13:45:33-EDT
From   : Gern <GUBBINS@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Bitnet and Arpanet

BITnet is a store and forward 'mailnet'.  I do not know of the design
configuration, but it may very well be like USENET, which is a 1200
baud dial-the-next-computer-down-the-line-and-ram-the-messages-to-it.
The systems may be hardwired together.  Anyhow, a LOT of colleges and
universities are (almost overnight) now on it and they can all send
user mail to/from each other.   The farthest I have seen BITnet go
is to a medical school in Germany.

The DDN (ArpaNet/MilNet) 'feeder' is a host called WISCVM.ARPA that
is both on the DDN and BITnet which acts as a mail gateway.

The problem with BITnet and the other mailnets is that it is ONLY
a mail message system.  The mailnetters constantly want to know
how to access/FTP (DDN/INTERNET TCP/IP Host-to-host File Transfer)/etc
like they read about the DDNers cross logging into other systems
(TELNET) and transfering files from the public domain program 
directories and such.  It can't be done.   Mailing the programs
is greatly frowned apon also due to the loading it causes on the
mailnets.

Well, I hope this info might be what you are looking for.

Cheers,
Gern