November 9th is the birthday anniversary of the Parkinsn List. On November 9th, 1993, the first messages distributed by the listserv at the University of Toronto arrived in mail boxes. The world wide web didn't exist yet as we know it today. Our first members were mainly folks that were involved with universities or professionals who used computers in connection with their work but they all shared the dream of Barbara Patterson, sharing information about Parkinson's around the world.
A little over a year ago Barbara and I took the next step in the progression of the Parkinsn List by making some of the most recent Parkinsn messages available over the web as they were distributed by the listserv to mailboxes around the world.
Since November 9th, 1993 and now, list message volume has increased from a few messages a day to many. This increase in volume distressed many in coping with so many messages. Mail management was difficult since it required interacting with a listserv computer program using cryptic commands.
The evolution of Parkinsn from purely email to a web-based medium required some creative planning and execution to simplify message reading and interacting with the listserv for mail management. Barbara Patterson, the list owner suggested that we name the website Parkinsons Information Exchange Network which is what was the official name of the Parkinsn List. Online was added to the name to indicate that it was online.
The listserv program in 1993 required that mailing lists have a name that was limited to 8 letters. The o was left out of parkinson which became Parkinsn.
To cope with a large number of messages some list members migrated from single message deliveries from the listserv to the digest form of delivery that bundled a days or part of a days messages into one mailing. What happens today on the mailing list is not available to digest subscribers until tomorrow. Time sensitive messages are many times stale before digest readers get to see them.
SEARCHING P-I-E-N-O OR THE WORLD
P-I-E-N-O (Parkinsons-Information-Exchange-Network-Online) has changed the way many people use their Parkinsn List subscription. Every page of the P-I-E-N-O site has a search box which matches words or phrases you type with all or part of P-I-E-N-O. The entire site is reindexed every few days so the searches are current. Words that are underlined below the search boxes are shown below and explained.
Home - The Web - Message Board - Parkinson's News
Clicking on Home takes you to the entry page of P-I-E-N-O, The Parkinsn Archive Treasures page.
Clicking on The Web takes you to the Open Directory Project home page which is the basis of the web directories on many search engines. Our own Janet Paterson does an admirable job keeping the Parkinson's part of the directory up to date.
Clicking on Message Board takes you to the Message boards where folks can ask questions or respond to questions asked. If you wish to post a message, registering is painless.
Clicking on Parkinson's News shows you the up to the minute news stories that are about Parkinson's from around the world.
The search boxes are configured in such a way that words entered search ALL of P-I-E-N-O. The box to the right of the search button allows you to limit your search and works similar to the underlined links I have explained above. Searches are not limited to Parkinson's words but can find anything. Since the last 500 messages to Parkinsn are searchable and the P-I-E-N-O site is reindexed every few days perhaps some messages that are returned as a result of your search are not there anymore. You will be taken to the notfound page if you try to view them. On that page you will be notified that the message which had the words you searched for are in the archive and you will have the opportunity to enter the same search words in the Simon Coles search box on that page.
P-I-E-N-O has a calendar where you can enter your group's seminars, conferences or fundraising events. The calendar is available on the Parkinsn List Online mail page and the Archive Treasures page.
http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com
The calendar is on the left side of the page. Put the mouse on a highlighted date and click and you will see the event or events for that day.
READING YOUR PARKINSN MAIL ONLINE MINI-PRIMER
Parkinsn List Online messages can be accessed two ways:
You can go directly to the page if ALL of the address is transferred to your browser by clicking on it. Some email programs will break a URL into two lines if the display font setting in the email program is set to a too large setting.
http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com/parkmail/maillist.html
If you can't get that one to work use this address and when you arrive there click on the Parkinsn List Online messages link.
http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com
The 500 newest messages are always online sorted two ways. The link that gets you to the Parkinsn List Online messages takes you to the messages that are sorted by date with the newest at the top. You will see a section above the messages like this:
Last updated: Thu Nov 02 02:27:35 2000
500 messages listed newest first
Parkinsn's List Thread Index (Grouped by Subject)
Listing format is the following:
Subject (# of follow-ups) From
On the page you will see Parkinsn's List Thread Index (Grouped by Subject)
is underlined. If you click that you will be taken to the Threads list with the original message Subject
and indented below the replies or Threads to that message listed below it.
On either form of display you choose, you click on an underlined Subject and that message will be displayed on your monitor.
I haven't explained the navigation bar at the top of the individual message page so I will briefly do so.
Across the top of each message you will see the below:
[Message Prev][Message Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Message Index][Thread Index]
The keywords to the above links are Message and Thread.
Message applies to the type of list you are presented on arriving at the Parkinsn List Online page where the messages are sorted by date. Message Prev means the next message below the message you were reading and like wise, Message Next is the next newer message. Clicking on Message Index takes you back to the Messages sorted by date.
Threads applies the same way but they refer to messages sorted by subject and the replies or Threads. Clicking on Thread Index takes you back to the Messages sorted by subject.
MANAGING YOUR LIST MAIL ONLINE
Regardless whether you receive your Parkinsn List mail through email or read the messages online, you can interact with the listserv to manage your Parkinsn List mail online at P-I-E-N-O.
http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com
On the bottom left column, there are the words Parkinsn List Mail Management Options. Click on that.
The famous P-I-E-N-O Mail Management Buttons appear on your screen. Run your mouse over them and a description will appear identifying their function. When you click on one of the buttons, your email program will open and a message will be preaddressed to the listserv with the proper commands already entered in the body of the message. All you have to do is click on Send in your email program and it will be sent. What could be more easier than that?
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Search the parkinsn archive online at:
http://james.parkinsons.org.uk
Catch the Parkinsn's List Online messages at:
http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com
Click the link for Parkinsn's List Online
John Cottingham
