http://tpin.okcu.edu/mailman/listinfo/tpin
There is a UseNet Newsgroup dedicated to the TRUMPET. It requires a mail reader. Commonly used readers include Microsoft Outlook Express (email client which includes a news reader) and Free Agent (dedicated--and free). Both are easy to use. Once you get a reader, you must configure it by providing nearly all the same information required for your email client, plus the address of your ISP's news server (usually "news.your ISP's_server.netorcom"). Then you connect, download all the news channels that presently exist through the server connection, search for the trumpet channel -- rec.music.makers.trumpet . Subscribe to it (free and instantaneous), then download the messages. Familiarize yourself with the capabilities of your reader. This can make browsing through the messages easier. To reply to a message, you click on that message, reply to it, then send it. Be careful to reply to the newsgroup, not the poster of the message.
Members of TPIN also converse on a Internet Relay Channel (IRC). This is much more static (real-time) than the mailing list or the newsgroup. There is a little delay, but it's almost like "talking live" through your computer's keyboard. It's similar to being in a room full of people, all holding discussions about, in this case, trumpet-related topics (but not always). You need a program (of course). I understand there are several out there, but the most popular, and easy to use, is mIRC, and it's free, too (shareware -- but if you don't register it for the mere pittance requested by the programmer, you are still left with a very good program you can still use). You will need to configure it (what else is new?) with identification info about yourself, your connection (ISP), and your email address. This is all necessary info for the IRC servers to identify you and your connection. You also need to provide two (2) "handles" (nicknames), a primary and alternate, you wish to use in the "Chat Room". Then you connect to a IRC server. mIRC provides a vast array of servers to choose from, among them EFNET servers. The "tpin" (case-sensitive) channel that all the tpin list members go to can only be found on a EFNET server. You can choose any EFNET server because they all share the same channel connections, but it is wise to choose one closer, geographically, to your location, thereby reducing delays in your specific connection. Like any other software program, I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with its capabilities. There are many IRC channels on all IRC servers dedicated to program instruction. Check them out for a world of knowledge. The more you know, the easier it gets. In the world of computers and computer programs, particularly when the internet is concerned, knowledge is directly proportional to the fun you can have.