As per Relevance of the word response, we have this rfc below:
Network Working Group K. Harrenstien (SRI
Request for Comments: 954 M. Stahl (SRI
Obsoletes: RFC 812 E. Feinler (SRI
October 1985
NICNAME/
STATUS OF THIS
This RFC is the official specification of the NICNAME/WHOIS protocol
This memo describes the protocol and the service. This is an
of RFC 812. Distribution of this memo is unlimited
The NICNAME/WHOIS Server is a TCP transaction based query/
server, running on the SRI-NIC machine (26.0.0.73 or 10.0.0.51),
provides netwide directory service to internet users. It is one of
series of internet name services maintained by the DDN
Information Center (NIC) at SRI International on behalf of
Defense Communications Agency (DCA). The server is accessible
the Internet from user programs running on local hosts, and
delivers the full name, U.S. mailing address, telephone number,
network mailbox for DDN users who are registered in the NIC database
This server, together with the corresponding WHOIS Database can
deliver online look-up of individuals or their online mailboxes
network organizations, DDN nodes and associated hosts, and
telephone numbers. The service is designed to be user-friendly
the information is delivered in human-readable format. DCA
encourages network hosts to provide their users with access to
network service
WHO SHOULD BE IN THE
DCA requests that each individual with a directory on an ARPANET
MILNET host, who is capable of passing traffic across the
Internet, be registered in the NIC WHOIS Database. MILNET TAC
must be registered in the database. To register, send via
mail to REGISTRAR@SRI-NIC.ARPA your full name, middle initial, U.S
mailing address (including mail stop and full explanation
abbreviations and acronyms), ZIP code, telephone (including
and FTS, if available), and one network mailbox. Contact the
Network Information Center, REGISTRAR@SRI-NIC.ARPA or (800) 235-3155,
for assistance with registration
Harrenstien & Stahl & Feinler [Page 1]
RFC 954 October 1985
NICNAME/
To access the NICNAME/WHOIS server
Connect to the SRI-NIC service host at TCP service port 43
(decimal).
Send a single "command line", ending with (ASCII CR
LF).
Receive information in response to the command line. The
closes its connection as soon as the output is finished
EXISTING USER
NICNAME is the global name for the user program, although many
have chosen to use the more familiar name of "WHOIS". There
versions of the NICNAME user program for TENEX, TOPS-20, and UNIX
The TENEX and TOPS-20 programs are written in assembly
(FAIL/MACRO), and the UNIX version is written in C. They are easy
invoke, taking one argument which is passed directly to the
server at SRI-NIC. Contact NIC@SRI-NIC.ARPA for copies of
program
COMMAND LINES AND
A command line is normally a single name specification. Note
the specification formats will evolve with time; the best way
obtain the most recent documentation on name specifications is
give the server a command line consisting of "?" (that is,
question-mark alone as the name specification). The response
the NICNAME server will list all possible formats that can be used
The responses are not currently intended to be machine-readable;
information is meant to be passed back directly to a human user.
following three examples illustrate the use of NICNAME as of
1985.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Command line: ?
Response
Please enter a name or a NIC handle, such as "Smith" or "SRI-NIC".
Starting with a period forces a name-only search; starting
exclamation point forces handle-only. Examples
Harrenstien & Stahl & Feinler [Page 2]
RFC 954 October 1985
NICNAME/
Smith [looks for name or handle SMITH
!SRI-NIC [looks for handle SRI-NIC only
.Smith,
[looks for name JOHN SMITH only
Adding "..." to the argument will match anything from that point
e.g. "ZU..." will match ZUL, ZUM, etc
To search for mailboxes, use one of these forms
Smith@ [looks for mailboxes with username SMITH
@Host [looks for mailboxes on HOST
Smith@
[Looks for mailboxes with username SMITH on HOST
To obtain the entire membership list of a group or organization
or a list of all authorized users of a host, precede the name
the host or organization by an asterisk, i.e. *SRI-NIC. [CAUTION
If there are a lot of members, this will take a long time!]
may use exclamation point and asterisk, or a period and
together
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Command line:
Response
Fischer, Charles (CF17) fischer@UWISC (608) 262-1204
Fischer, Herman (HF) HFischer@USC-ECLB (818) 902-5139
Fischer, Jeffery H. (JHF1) FISCHER@LL-XN (617) 863-5500
ext 4403 or 4689
Fischer, Kenneth (KF8) SAC.SIUBO@USC-ISIE (402) 294-5161
(AV) 271-5161
Fischer, Marty (MF28) MFISCHER@DCA-EMS (703) 437-2344
Fischer, Michael J. (MJF) FISCHER@YALE (203) 436-0744
Fischer, Nancy C. (NANCY) FISCHER@SRI-NIC (415) 859-2539
Fischer, Richard A. (RAF4) Fisher Richa@LLL-MFE (415) 422-5032
To single out any individual entry, repeat the command using
argument "!HANDLE" instead of "NAME", where the handle is
parentheses following the name
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Command line: !
Response
Harrenstien & Stahl & Feinler [Page 3]
RFC 954 October 1985
NICNAME/
Fischer, Nancy C. (NANCY) FISCHER@SRI-NIC SRI
Telecommunication Sciences
333 Ravenswood Avenue, EJ289
Menlo Park, California 94025
Phone: (415) 859-2539
MILNET TAC
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Harrenstien, K., and White, V., "NICNAME/WHOIS," RFC-812,
Information Center, SRI International, March 1982.
2. Harrenstien, K., "NAME/FINGER," RFC-742, Network
Center, SRI International, December 1977.
Harrenstien & Stahl & Feinler [Page 4]
if you see any problems within the linking, don't worry be happy,
this is version 0.1 of the Relevance System and you gotta expect some crappy subroutines sometimes,
just be content we did not write this in Java, which would have made this "bigger and better" HAHAHHA.
RFC documents can be found at I.E.T.F.
Relevance System Copyright © 2002 Spectrum WorldResearch
other technical nosh by ServerMasters Corporation
collaboration of BobX
