915 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
915 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
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Date: Thu, 3 Feb 1994 23:13:51 -0500 (EST)
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From: Nancy Ammerman <emoryu1!phoenix.Princeton.EDU!nancyamm>
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To: Jackie Ammerman <emory!emoryu1!awwe!root@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
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Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9402032333.B3501-0100000@flagstaff.Princeton.EDU>
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Mime-Version: 1.0
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Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
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Chapter 1: SETTING UP AND JACKING IN
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1.1 READY, SET ...
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The world is just a phone call away. With a computer and modem,
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you'll be able to connect to the Internet, the world's largest computer
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network (and if you're lucky, you won't even need the modem; many
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colleges and companies now give their students or employees direct access
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to the Internet).
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The phone line can be your existing voice line -- just remember
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that if you have any extensions, you (and everybody else in the house
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or office) won't be able to use them for voice calls while connected
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to the Net.
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A modem is a sort of translator between computers and the phone
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system. It's needed because computers and the phone system process and
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transmit data, or information, in two different, and incompatible
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ways. Computers "talk" digitally; that is, they store and process
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information as a series of discrete numbers. The phone network relies
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on analog signals, which on an oscilloscope would look like a series
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of waves. When your computer is ready to transmit data to another
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computer over a phone line, your modem converts the computer numbers
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into these waves (which sound like a lot of screeching) -- it
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"modulates" them. In turn, when information waves come into your
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modem, it converts them into numbers your computer can process, by
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"demodulating" them.
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Increasingly, computers come with modems already installed. If
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yours didn't, you'll have to decide what speed modem to get. Modem
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speeds are judged in "bps rate" or bits per second. One bps means
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the modem can transfer roughly one bit per second; the greater the
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bps rate, the more quickly a modem can send and receive information.
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A letter or character is made up of eight bits.
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You can now buy a 2400-bps modem for well under $60 -- and most now
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come with the ability to handle fax messages as well. At prices that now
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start around $150, you can buy a modem that can transfer data at 14,400
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bps (and often even faster, when using special compression techniques).
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If you think you might be using the Net to transfer large numbers of
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files, a faster modem is always worth the price. It will dramatically
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reduce the amount of time your modem or computer is tied up transferring
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files and, if you are paying for Net access by the hour, save you quite a
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bit in online charges.
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Like the computer to which it attaches, a modem is useless
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without software to tell it how to work. Most modems today come with
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easy-to-install software. Try the program out. If you find it
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difficult to use or understand, consider a trip to the local software
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store to find a better program. You can spend several hundred dollars
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on a communications program, but unless you have very specialized
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needs, this will be a waste of money, as there are a host of excellent
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programs available for around $100 or less. Among the basic features you
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want to look for are a choice of different "protocols" (more on them in a
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bit) for transferring files to and from the Net and the ability to write
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"script" or "command" files that let you automate such steps as logging
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into a host system.
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When you buy a modem and the software, ask the dealer how to
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install and use them. Try out the software if you can. If the dealer
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can't help you, find another dealer. You'll not only save yourself a
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lot of frustration, you'll also have practiced the a prime Internet
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directive: "Ask. People Know."
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To fully take advantage of the Net, you must spend a few minutes
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going over the manuals or documentation that comes with your software.
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There are a few things you should pay special attention to: uploading
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and downloading; screen capturing (sometimes called "screen dumping");
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logging; how to change protocols; and terminal emulation. It is also
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essential to know how to convert a file created with your word
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processing program into "ASCII" or "text" format, which will let you
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share your thoughts with others across the Net.
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Uploading is the process of sending a file from your computer to a
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system on the Net. Downloading is retrieving a file from somewhere on
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the Net to your computer. In general, things in cyberspace go "up" to
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the Net and come "down" to you.
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Chances are your software will come with a choice of several
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"protocols" to use for these transfers. These protocols are systems
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designed to ensure that line noise or static does not cause errors that
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could ruin whatever information you are trying to transfer.
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Essentially, when using a protocol, you are transferring a file in a
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series of pieces. After each piece is sent or received, your computer
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and the Net system compare it. If the two pieces don't match exactly,
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they transfer it again, until they agree that the information they both
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have is identical. If, after several tries, the information just
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doesn't make it across, you'll either get an error message or your
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screen will freeze. In that case, try it again. If, after five tries,
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you are still stymied, something is wrong with a) the file; b) the
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telephone line; c) the system you're connected to; or d) your own
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computer.
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From time to time, you will likely see messages on the Net that
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you want to save for later viewing -- a recipe, a particularly witty
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remark, something you want to write your Congressman about, whatever.
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This is where screen capturing and logging come in.
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When you tell your communications software to capture a screen, it
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opens a file in your computer (usually in the same directory or folder
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used by the software) and "dumps" an image of whatever happens to be
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on your screen at the time.
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Logging works a bit differently. When you issue a logging
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command, you tell the software to open a file (again, usually in the
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same directory or folder as used by the software) and then give it a
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name. Then, until you turn off the logging command, everything that
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scrolls on your screen is copied into that file, sort of like
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recording on video tape. This is useful for capturing long documents
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that scroll for several pages -- using screen capture, you would have
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to repeat the same command for each new screen.
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Terminal emulation is a way for your computer to mimic, or
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emulate, the way other computers put information on the screen and
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accept commands from a keyboard. In general, most systems on the Net
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use a system called VT100. Fortunately, almost all communications
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programs now on the market support this system as well -- make sure
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yours does.
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You'll also have to know about protocols. There are several
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different ways for computers to transmit characters. Fortunately,
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there are only two protocols that you're likely to run across: 8-1-N
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(which stands for "8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity" -- yikes!) and 7-1-E
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(7 bits, 1 stop bit, even parity).
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In general, Unix-based systems use 7-1-E, while MS-DOS-based
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systems use 8-1-N. What if you don't know what kind of system you're
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connecting to? Try one of the settings. If you get what looks like
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gobbledygook when you connect, you may need the other setting.
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If so, you can either change the setting while connected, and then hit
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enter, or hang up and try again with the other setting. It's also
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possible your modem and the modem at the other end can't agree on the
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right bps rate. If changing the protocols doesn't work, try using
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another bps rate (but no faster than the one listed for your modem).
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Again, remember, you can't break anything! If something looks wrong,
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it probably is wrong. Change your settings and try again. Nothing is
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learned without trial, error and effort.
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There are the basics. Now on to the Net!
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1.2 GO!
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Once, only people who studied or worked at an institution
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directly tied to the Net could connect to the world. Today, though,
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an ever-growing number of "public-access" systems provide access for
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everybody. These systems can now be found in several states, and there
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are a couple of sites that can provide access across the country.
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There are two basic kinds of these host systems. The more common
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one is known as a UUCP site (UUCP being a common way to transfer
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information among computers using the Unix operating system) and
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offers access to international electronic mail and conferences.
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However, recent years have seen the growth of more powerful sites
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that let you tap into the full power of the Net. These Internet sites
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not only give you access to electronic mail and conferences but to
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such services as databases, libraries and huge file and program
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collections around the world. They are also fast -- as soon as you
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finish writing a message, it gets zapped out to its destination.
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Some sites are run by for-profit companies; others by non-profit
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organizations. Some of these public-access, or host, systems, are
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free of charge. Others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited
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access. And a few charge by the hour. Systems that charge for access
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will usually let you sign up online with a credit card. Some also let
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you set up a billing system.
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But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host
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system, especially if you live in an area with more than one provider.
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Most systems let you look around before you sign up. What is the range
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of their services? How easy is it to use? What kind of support or help
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can you get from the system administrators?
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The last two questions are particularly important because many
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systems provide no user interface at all; when you connect, you are
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dumped right into the Unix operating system. If you're already
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familiar with Unix, or you want to learn how to use it, these systems
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offer phenomenal power -- in addition to Net access, most also let you
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tap into the power of Unix to do everything from compiling your own
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programs to playing online games.
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But if you don't want to have to learn Unix, there are other
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public-access systems that work through menus (just like the ones in
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restaurants; you are shown a list of choices and then you make your
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selection of what you want), or which provide a "user interface" that
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is easier to figure out than the ever cryptic Unix.
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If you don't want or need access to the full range of Internet
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services, a UUCP site makes good financial sense. They tend to charge
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less than commercial Internet providers, although their messages may
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not go out as quickly.
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Some systems also have their own unique local services, which can
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range from extensive conferences to large file libraries.
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1.3 PUBLIC-ACCESS INTERNET PROVIDERS
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When you have your communications program dial one of these host
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systems, one of two things will happen when you connect. You'll
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either see a lot of gibberish on your screen, or you'll be asked to
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log in. If you see gibberish, chances are you have to change your
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software's parameters (to 7-1-E or 8-1-N as the case may be). Hang
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up, make the change and then dial in again.
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When you've connected, chances are you'll see something like
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this:
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Welcome to THE WORLD
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Public Access UNIX for the '90s
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Login as 'new' if you do not have an account
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login:
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That last line is a prompt asking you to do something. Since
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this is your first call, type
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new
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and hit enter. Often, when you're asked to type something by a host
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system, you'll be told what to type in quotation marks (for example,
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the 'new' above). Don't include the quotation marks. Repeat: Don't
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include the quotation marks.
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What you see next depends on the system, but will generally
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consist of information about its costs and services (you might want to
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turn on your communication software's logging function, to save this
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information). You'll likely be asked if you want to establish an
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account now or just look around the system.
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You'll also likely be asked for your "user name." This is not
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your full name, but a one-word name you want to use while online. It
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can be any combination of letters or numbers, all in lower case. Many
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people use their first initial and last name (for example,
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"jdoe"); their first name and the first letter of their last name
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(for example, "johnd"); or their initials ("jxd"). Others use a
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nickname. You might want to think about this for a second, because this
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user name will become part of your electronic-mail address (see chapter
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2 for more on that). The one exception are the various Free-Net
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systems, all of which assign you a user name consisting of an arbitrary
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sequence of letters and numbers.
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You are now on the Net. Look around the system. See if there
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are any help files for you to read. If it's a menu-based host system, chose
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different options just to see what happens. Remember: you can't break
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anything. The more you play, the more comfortable you'll be.
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What follows is a list of public-access Internet sites, which are
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computer systems that offer access to the Net. All offer international
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e-mail and Usenet (international conferences). In addition, they offer:
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FTP: File-transfer protocol -- access to hundreds of file
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libraries (everything from computer software to historical
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documents to song lyrics). You'll be able to transfer
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these files from the Net to your own computer.
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Telnet: Access to databases, computerized library card
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catalogs, weather reports and other information services,
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as well as live, online games that let you compete with
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players from around the world.
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Additional services that may be offered include:
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WAIS: Wide-area Information Server; a program that
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can search dozens of databases in one search.
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Gopher: A program that gives you easy access to dozens
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of other online databases and services by making
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selections on a menu. You'll also be able to use these
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to copy text files and some programs to your mailbox.
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IRC: Internet Relay Chat, a CB simulator that lets
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you have live keyboard chats with people around the
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world.
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However, even on systems that do not provide these services
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directly, you will be able to use a number of them through telnet (see
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Chapter 6 for more information on telnet). In the list that follows,
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systems that let you access services through menus (similar to those in
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restaurants -- you pick what you want from a list) are noted; otherwise
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assume that when you connect, you'll be dumped right into Unix (a.k.a.
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MS-DOS with a college degree). Any unique features of a given system are
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noted. Several of these sites are available nationwide through national
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data networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and SprintNet.
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Please note that all listed charges are subject to change. Many
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sites require new or prospective users to log on a particular way on
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their first call; this list provides the name you'll use in such cases.
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ALABAMA
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Huntsville. Nuance. Call voice number below for modem number.
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setup; $25 a month.
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Voice: (205) 533-4296.
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ALASKA
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Anchorage. University of Alaska Southeast, Tundra Services, (907)
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789-1314; has local dial-in service in several other cities. $20 a month.
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Voice: (907) 465-6453.
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ALBERTA
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Edmonton. PUCNet Computer Connections, (403) 484-5640. Log
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on as: guest. $0 setup fee; $25 for 20 hours a month plus $6.25 an hour
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for access to ftp and telnet.
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Voice: (403) 448-1901.
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ARIZONA
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Tucson. Data Basics, (602) 721-5887. $25 a month or $180 a year.
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Voice: (602) 721-1988.
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Phoenix/Tucson. Internet Direct, (602) 274-9600 (Phoenix); (602)
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321-9600 (Tucson). QWK offline reader. Log on as: guest. $20 a month.
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Voice: (602) 274-0100 (Phoenix); (602) 324-0100 (Tucson).
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
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Victoria Victoria Free-Net, (604) 595-2300. Menus. Access to all
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features requires completion of a written form. Users can "link" to
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other Free-Net systems in Canada and the U.S. Free. Log on as: guest
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Voice: (604) 389-6026.
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CALIFORNIA
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Berkeley. Holonet. Menus. For free trial, modem number is (510)
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704-1058. For information or local numbers, call number below. $60 a year
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for local access, $2 an hour during offpeak hours.
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Voice: (510) 704-0160.
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Cupertino. Portal. Both Unix and menus. (408) 725-0561 (2400
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bps); (408) 973-8091 (9600/14,400 bps). $19.95 setup fee, $19.95 a month.
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Voice: (408) 973-9111.
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Irvine. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
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Los Angeles/Orange County. Kaiwan Public Access Internet, (714)
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539-5726; (310) 527-7358. $15 signup; $11 a month (credit card).
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Voice: (714) 638-2139.
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Los Angeles. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
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Oakland. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
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Pasadena. Dial N' CERF See under San Diego.
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Palo Alto. Institute for Global Communications., (415) 322-0284.
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Unix. Local conferences on environmental/peace issues. Log on as: new.
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$10 a month and $3 an hour after first hour.
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Voice: (415) 442-0220.
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San Diego. Dial N' CERF USA, run by the California Education and
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Research Federation. Provides local dial-up numbers in San Diego, Los
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Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena and Irvine. For more information, call voice
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(800) 876-CERF or (619) 534-5087. $50 setup fee; $20 a month plus $5 an
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hour ($3 on weekends).
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Voice: (800) 876-2373.
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San Diego. CTS Network Services, (619) 637-3660. Log on as:
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help. $15 set-up fee, monthly fee of $10 to $23 depending on services
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used.
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Voice: (619) 637-3637.
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San Diego. Cyberspace Station, (619) 634-1376. Unix. Log on as:
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guest.
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Charges: $10 sign-up fee; $15 a month or $60 for six months.
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San Francisco. Pathways, call voice number below for number.
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Menus. $25 setup fee; $8 a month and $3 an hour.
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Voice: (415) 346-4188.
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San Jose. Netcom, (510) 865-9004 or 426-6610; (408) 241-9760;
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(415) 424-0131, up to 9600 bps. Unix. Maintains archives of Usenet
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postings. Log on as: guest. $15 startup fee and then $17.50 a month for
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unlimited use if you agree to automatic billing of your credit-card
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account (otherwise $19.50 a month for a monthly invoice).
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Voice: (408) 554-UNIX.
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San Jose. A2i, (408) 293-9010. Log on as: guest. $20 a month; $45
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for three months; $72 for six months.
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Sausalito. The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), (415) 332-
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6106. Uses moderately difficult Picospan software, which is sort of a
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cross between Unix and a menu system. New users get a written manual.
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More than 200 WELL-only conferences. Log on as: newuser. $15 a month
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plus $2 an hour. Access through the nationwide CompuServe Packet Network
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available for another $4.50 an hour.
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Voice: (415) 332-4335. Recorded message about the system's
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current status: (800) 326-8354 (continental U.S. only).
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COLORADO
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Colorado Springs/Denver. CNS, (719) 570-1700 (Colorado Springs);
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(303) 758-2656 (Denver). Local calendar listings and ski and stock
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reports. Users can chose between menus or Unix. Log on as: new. $35
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setup fee; $2.75 an hour (minimum fee of $10 a month).
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Voice: (719) 592-1240
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Colorado Springs. Old Colorado City Communications, (719) 632-
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4111. Log on as: newuser. $25 a month.
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Voice: (719) 632-4848.
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Denver. Denver Free-Net, (303) 270-4865. Menus. Access to all
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services requires completion of a written form. Users can "link" to
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other Free-Net systems across the country. Free. Log on as: guest.
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Golden. Colorado SuperNet. Unix. E-mail to fax service.
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Available only to Colorado residents. Local dial-in numbers available in
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several Colorado cities. For dial-in numbers, call the number below. $3
|
|
an hour ($1 an hour between midnight and 6 a.m.); one-time $20 sign-up
|
|
fee.
|
|
Voice: (303) 273-3471.
|
|
|
|
FLORIDA
|
|
|
|
Talahassee. Talahassee Free-Net, (904) 488-5056. Menus. Full access
|
|
requires completion of a registration form. Can "link" to other Free-Net
|
|
systems around the country.
|
|
Voice: (904) 488-5056.
|
|
|
|
ILLINOIS
|
|
|
|
Champaign. Prarienet Free-Net, (217) 255-9000. Menus. Log on as:
|
|
visitor. Free for Illinois residents; $25 a year for others.
|
|
Voice: (217) 244-1962.
|
|
|
|
Chicago. MCSNet, (312) 248-0900. $25/month or $65 for three months
|
|
of unlimited access; $30 for three months of access at 15 hours a month.
|
|
Voice: (312) 248-UNIX.
|
|
|
|
Peoria. Peoria Free-Net, (309) 674-1100. Similar to Cleveland
|
|
Free-Net (see Ohio, below). Users can "link" to the larger Cleveland
|
|
system for access to Usenet and other services. There are also Peoria
|
|
Free-Net public-access terminals in numerous area libraries,
|
|
other government buildings and senior-citizen centers. Contact the
|
|
number below for specific locations. Full access (including access to
|
|
e-mail) requires completion of a written application. Free.
|
|
Voice: (309) 677-2544.
|
|
|
|
MARYLAND
|
|
|
|
Baltimore. Express Access, (410) 766-1855; (301) 220-0462; (714)
|
|
377-9784. Log on as: new. $20 setup fee; $25 a month or $250 a year
|
|
Voice: (800 969-9090.
|
|
|
|
Baltimore. Clarknet, (410) 730-9786; (410) 995-0271; (301) 596-
|
|
1626; (301) 854-0446. Log on as: guest. $23 a month, $126 for six months
|
|
or $228 a year.
|
|
Voice: (410) 730-9765.
|
|
|
|
MASSACHUSETTS
|
|
|
|
Brookline. The World, (617) 739-9753. Huge collection of MS-DOS
|
|
files, "Online Book Initiative" collection of electronic books, poetry
|
|
and other text files. Log on as: new. $5 a month plus $2 an hour or $20
|
|
for 20 hours a month. Available nationwide through the CompuServe Packet
|
|
Network for another $5.60 an hour.
|
|
Voice: (617) 739-0202.
|
|
|
|
Lynn. North Shore Access, (617) 593-4557. Log on as: new. $10 for
|
|
10 hours a month; $1 an hour after that.
|
|
Voice: (617) 593-3110.
|
|
|
|
Worcester. NovaLink, (508) 754-4009. Log on as: info. $12.95 sign-
|
|
up (includes first two hours); $9.95 a month (includes five daytime
|
|
hours), $1.80 an hour after that.
|
|
Voice: (800) 274-2814.
|
|
|
|
MICHIGAN
|
|
|
|
Ann Arbor. MSEN. Contact number below for dial-in number.
|
|
Unix.
|
|
Charges: $20 setup; $20 a month.
|
|
Voice: (313) 998-4562.
|
|
|
|
Ann Arbor. Michnet. Has local dial-in numbers in several Michigan
|
|
numbers. For local numbers, call voice number below. $35 a month plus
|
|
one-time $40 sign-up fee. Additional network fees for access through
|
|
non-Michnet numbers.
|
|
Voice: (313) 764-9430.
|
|
|
|
NEW HAMPSHIRE
|
|
|
|
MV Communications, Inc. For local dial-up numbers call voice line
|
|
below. $5 a month mininum plus variable hourly rates depending on
|
|
services used.
|
|
Voice: (603) 429-2223.
|
|
|
|
NEW JERSEY
|
|
|
|
New Brunswick. Digital Express, (908) 937-9481. Log on as: new.
|
|
$20 setup fee; $25 a month or $250 a year.
|
|
Voice: (800) 969-9090.
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK
|
|
|
|
New York. Panix, (212) 787-3100. Unix or menus. Log on as:
|
|
newuser. $40 setup fee; $19 a month or $208 a year.
|
|
Voice: (212) 877-4854.
|
|
|
|
New York. Echo, (212) 989-8411. Unix, but with local
|
|
conferencing software. Log on as: newuser. $19.95 ($13.75 students and
|
|
seniors) a month.
|
|
Voice: (212) 255-3839.
|
|
|
|
New York. MindVox, (212) 989-4141. Local conferences. Log on as:
|
|
guest. $10 setup fee for non-credit-card accounts; $15 a month.
|
|
Voice: (212) 989-2418.
|
|
|
|
New York. Pipeline, (212) 267-8606 (9600 bps and higher); (212)
|
|
267-7341 (2400 bps). Has graphical interface for Windows. Log on as:
|
|
guest. $20 a month and $2 an hour after first 20 hours or $35 a
|
|
month unlimited hours.
|
|
Voice: (212) 267-3636.
|
|
|
|
New York. Maestro, (212) 240-9700. Log on as: newuser. $12 a month
|
|
or $140 a year.
|
|
Voice: (212) 240-9600.
|
|
|
|
|
|
NORTH CAROLINA
|
|
|
|
Charlotte. Vnet Internet Access, (704) 347-8839; (919) 406-1544.
|
|
Log on as: new. $25 a month.
|
|
Voice: (704) 374-0779.
|
|
|
|
Triangle Research Park. Rock Concert Net. Call number below for
|
|
local modem numbers in various North Carolina cities. $30 a month; one-
|
|
time $50 sign-up fee.
|
|
Voice: (919) 248-1999.
|
|
|
|
OHIO
|
|
|
|
Cleveland. Cleveland Free-Net, (216) 368-3888. Ohio and US Supreme
|
|
Court decisions, historical documents, many local conferences. Full
|
|
access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
|
|
application. Free.
|
|
Voice: (216) 368-8737.
|
|
|
|
Cincinnati. Tri-State Free-Net, (513) 579-1990. Similar to
|
|
Cleveland Free-Net. Full access (including access to e-mail) requires
|
|
completion of a written application. Free.
|
|
|
|
Cleveland. Wariat, (216) 481-9436. Unix or menus. $20 setup fee;
|
|
$35 a month.
|
|
Voice: (216) 481-9428.
|
|
|
|
Dayton. Freelance Systems Programming, (513) 258-7745. $20 setup
|
|
fee; $1 an hour.
|
|
Voice: (513) 254-7246.
|
|
|
|
Lorain. Lorain County Free-Net, (216) 277-2359 or 366-9753.
|
|
Similar to Cleveland Free-Net. Users can "link" to the larger
|
|
Cleveland system for additional services. Full access (including
|
|
access to e-mail) requires completion of a written application. Free.
|
|
Voice: (216) 366-4200.
|
|
|
|
Medina. Medina Free-Net, (216) 723-6732, 225-6732 or 335-6732.
|
|
Users can "link" to the larger Cleveland Free-Net for additional
|
|
services. Full access (including access to e-mail) requires
|
|
completion of a written application. Free.
|
|
|
|
Youngstown. Youngstown Free-Net, (216) 742-3072. Users can
|
|
"link" to the Cleveland system for services not found locally. Full
|
|
access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
|
|
application. Free.
|
|
|
|
ONTARIO
|
|
|
|
Ottawa. National Capital FreeNet, (613) 780-3733 or (613) 564-3600.
|
|
Free, but requires completion of a written form for access to all
|
|
services.
|
|
|
|
Toronto. UUNorth. Call voice number below for local dial-in
|
|
numbers. $20 startup fee; $25 for 20 hours a month of offpeak use.
|
|
Voice: (416) 225-8649.
|
|
|
|
Toronto. Internex Online, (416) 363-3783. Both Unix and menus. $40
|
|
a year for one hour a day.
|
|
Voice: (416) 363-8676.
|
|
|
|
OREGON
|
|
|
|
Beaverton. Techbook, (503) 220-0636 (2400 bps); (503) 220-1016
|
|
(higher speeds). $10 a month for 30 hours of "basic" Internet access or
|
|
$90 a year; $15 a month for 30 hours of "deluxe" access or $150 a year.
|
|
$10 sign-up fee for monthly accounts.
|
|
|
|
Portland. Agora, (503) 293-1772 (2400 bps), (503) 293-2059 (9600
|
|
bps or higher). Log on as: apply. $6 a month for one hour per day.
|
|
|
|
Portland. Teleport, (503) 220-0636 (2400 bps); (503) 220-1016
|
|
(9600 and higher). Log on as: new. $10 a month for one hour per day.
|
|
Voice: (503) 223-4245.
|
|
|
|
PENNSYLVANIA
|
|
|
|
Pittsburgh. Telerama, (412) 481-5302. $6 for 10 hours a month, 60
|
|
cents for each additional hour.
|
|
Voice: (412) 481-3505.
|
|
|
|
QUEBEC
|
|
|
|
Montreal. Communications Accessibles Montreal, (514) 931-7178 (9600
|
|
bps); (514) 931-2333 (2400 bps). $25 a month.
|
|
Voice: (514) 931-0749.
|
|
|
|
RHODE ISLAND
|
|
|
|
East Greenwich. IDS World Network, (401) 884-9002. In addition
|
|
to Usenet, has conferences from the Fidonet and RIME networks.
|
|
Supports QMAIL offline reader, which lets you read and respond to
|
|
messages while not online. $10 a month; $50 for six months; $100 for a
|
|
year.
|
|
|
|
Providence/Seekonk. Anomaly, (401) 331-3706. $125 for six months
|
|
or $200 a year. Educational rate of $75 for six months or $125 a year.
|
|
Voice: (401) 273-4669.
|
|
|
|
TEXAS
|
|
|
|
Austin. RealTime Communications, (512) 459-4391. Log on as: new.
|
|
$75 a year.
|
|
Voice: (512) 451-0046.
|
|
|
|
Dallas. Texas Metronet, (214) 705-2901; (817) 261-1127. Log on as:
|
|
info or signup. $10 to $35 setup fee, depending on service; $10 to $45 a
|
|
month, depending on service.
|
|
Voice: (214) 705-2900 or (817) 543-8756.
|
|
|
|
Houston. The Black Box, (713) 480-2686. $21.65 a month.
|
|
Voice: (713) 480-2684.
|
|
|
|
VIRGINIA
|
|
|
|
Norfolk/Peninsula. Wyvern Technologies, (804) 627-1828 (Norfolk);
|
|
(804) 886-0662 (Peninsula). $10 startup fee; $15 a month or $144 a year.
|
|
Voice: (804) 622-4289.
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON, DC
|
|
|
|
The Meta Network. Call voice number below for local dial-in
|
|
numbers. Caucus conferencing, menus. $15 setup fee; $20 a month.
|
|
Voice: (703) 243-6622.
|
|
|
|
CapAccess, (202), 784-1523. Log on as guest with a password of
|
|
visitor. A Free-Net system (see under Cleveland, Ohio, for information).
|
|
Free.
|
|
Voice: (202) 994-4245.
|
|
|
|
See also: listing under Baltimore, MD for Express Access and
|
|
Clarknet.
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON STATE
|
|
|
|
Seattle. Halcyon, (206) 382-6245. Users can choose between menus
|
|
and Unix. Log on as: new. $10 setup fee; $60 a quarter or $200 a year.
|
|
Voice: (206) 955-1050.
|
|
|
|
Seattle. Eskimo North, (206) 367-3837 (all speeds), (206) 362-6731
|
|
(9600/14.4K bps). $10 a month or $96 a year.
|
|
Voice: (206) 367-7457.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.4 IF YOUR TOWN HAS NO DIRECT ACCESS
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you don't live in an area with a public-access site, you'll still
|
|
be able to connect to the Net. Several of these services offer access
|
|
through national data networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and
|
|
PC-Pursuit, which have dozens, even hundreds of local dial-in numbers
|
|
across the country. These include Holonet in Berkeley, Calf., Portal in
|
|
Cupertino, Calf., the WELL in Sausalito, Calf., Dial 'N CERF in San
|
|
Diego, Calf., the World in Brookline, Mass., and Michnet in Ann Arbor,
|
|
Mich. Dial 'N CERF offers access through an 800 number. Expect to pay
|
|
from $2 to $12 an hour to use these networks, above each provider's basic
|
|
charges. The exact amount depends on the network, time of day and type
|
|
of modem you use. For more information, contact the above services.
|
|
Three other providers deliver Net access to users across the
|
|
country:
|
|
Delphi, based in Cambridge, Mass., is a consumer-oriented network
|
|
much like CompuServe or America On-Line -- only it now offers
|
|
subscribers access to Internet services.
|
|
Charges: $3 a month for Internet access, in addition to standard
|
|
charges. These are $10 a month for four hours of off-peak (non-working
|
|
hours) access a month and $4 an hour for each additional hour or $20 for
|
|
20 hours of access a month and $1.80 an hour for each additional hour.
|
|
For more information, call (800) 695-4005.
|
|
BIX (the Byte Information Exchange) offers FTP, Telnet and e-mail
|
|
access to the Internet as part of their basic service. Owned by the same
|
|
company as Delphi, it also offers 20 hours of access a month for $20.
|
|
For more information, call (800) 695-4775.
|
|
PSI, based in Reston, Va., provides nationwide access to Internet
|
|
services through scores of local dial-in numbers to owners of IBM and
|
|
compatible computers. PSILink. which includes access to e-mail,
|
|
Usenet and ftp, costs $29 a month, plus a one-time $19 registration
|
|
fee. Special software is required, but is available free from PSI.
|
|
PSI's Global Dialup Service provides access to telnet for $39 a month
|
|
plus a one-time $39 set-up fee. For more information, call (800)
|
|
82PSI82 or (703) 620-6651.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.5 NET ORIGINS
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the 1960s, researchers began experimenting with linking computers
|
|
to each other and to people through telephone hook-ups, using funds from
|
|
the U.S Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
|
|
ARPA wanted to see if computers in different locations could be
|
|
linked using a new technology known as packet switching. This technology,
|
|
in which data meant for another location is broken up into little pieces,
|
|
each with its own "forwarding address" had the promise of letting several
|
|
users share just one communications line. Just as important, from ARPA's
|
|
viewpoint, was that this allowed for creation of networks that could
|
|
automatically route data around downed circuits or computers. ARPA's
|
|
goal was not the creation of today's international computer-using
|
|
community, but development of a data network that could survive a nuclear
|
|
attack.
|
|
Previous computer networking efforts had required a line between
|
|
each computer on the network, sort of like a one-track train route. The
|
|
packet system allowed for creation of a data highway, in which large
|
|
numbers of vehicles could essentially share the same lane. Each packet
|
|
was given the computer equivalent of a map and a time stamp, so that it
|
|
could be sent to the right destination, where it would then be
|
|
reassembled into a message the computer or a human could use.
|
|
This system allowed computers to share data and the researchers to
|
|
exchange electronic mail, or e-mail. In itself, e-mail was something
|
|
of a revolution, offering the ability to send detailed letters at the
|
|
speed of a phone call.
|
|
As this system, known as ARPANet, grew, some enterprising college
|
|
students (and one in high school) developed a way to use it to conduct
|
|
online conferences. These started as science-oriented discussions, but
|
|
they soon branched out into virtually every other field, as people
|
|
realized the power of being able to "talk" to hundreds, or even
|
|
thousands, of people around the country.
|
|
In the 1970s, ARPA helped support the development of rules, or
|
|
protocols, for transferring data between different types of computer
|
|
networks. These "internet" (from "internetworking") protocols made it
|
|
possible to develop the worldwide Net we have today that links all sorts
|
|
of computers across national boundaries.
|
|
By the close of the 1970s, links developed between ARPANet and
|
|
counterparts in other countries. The world was now tied together in a
|
|
computer web.
|
|
In the 1980s, this network of networks, which became known
|
|
collectively as the Internet, expanded at a phenomenal rate. Hundreds,
|
|
then thousands, of colleges, research companies and government agencies
|
|
began to connect their computers to this worldwide Net. Some
|
|
enterprising hobbyists and companies unwilling to pay the high costs of
|
|
Internet access (or unable to meet stringent government regulations for
|
|
access) learned how to link their own systems to the Internet, even if
|
|
"only" for e-mail and conferences. Some of these systems began
|
|
offering access to the public. Now anybody with a computer and modem --
|
|
and persistence -- could tap into the world.
|
|
In the 1990s, the Net continues to grow at exponential rates. Some
|
|
estimates are that the volume of messages transferred through the Net
|
|
grows 20 percent a month. In response, government and other users have
|
|
tried in recent years to expand the Net itself. Once, the main Net
|
|
"backbone" in the U.S. moved data at 56,000 bits per second. That proved
|
|
too slow for the ever increasing amounts of data being sent over it, and
|
|
in recent years the maximum speed was increased to 1.5 million and then
|
|
45 million bits per second. Even before the Net was able to reach that
|
|
latter speed, however, Net experts were already figuring out ways to pump
|
|
data at speeds of up to 2 billion bits per second -- fast enough to send
|
|
the entire Encyclopedia Britannica across the country in just one or two
|
|
seconds. Another major change has been the development of commercial
|
|
services that provide internetworking services at speeds comparable to
|
|
those of the government system. In fact, by mid-1994, the U.S.
|
|
government will remove itself from any day-to-day control over the
|
|
workings of the Net, as regional and national providers continue to
|
|
expand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.6 HOW IT WORKS
|
|
|
|
|
|
The worldwide Net is actually a complex web of smaller regional
|
|
networks.
|
|
To understand it, picture a modern road network of trans-
|
|
continental superhighways connecting large cities. From these large
|
|
cities come smaller freeways and parkways to link together small
|
|
towns, whose residents travel on slower, narrow residential ways.
|
|
The Net superhighway is the high-speed Internet. Connected to
|
|
this are computers that use a particular system of transferring data
|
|
at high speeds. In the U.S., the major Internet "backbone"
|
|
theoretically can move data at rates of 45 million bits per second
|
|
(compare this to the average home modem, which has a top speed of roughly
|
|
9,600 to 14,400 bits per second).
|
|
Connected to the backbone computers are smaller networks serving
|
|
particular geographic regions, which generally move data at speeds
|
|
around 1.5 million bits per second.
|
|
Feeding off these in turn are even smaller networks or individual
|
|
computers.
|
|
Unlike with commercial networks such as CompuServe or Prodigy, there
|
|
is no one central computer or computers running the Internet -- its
|
|
resources are to be found among thousands of individual computers. This
|
|
is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The approach
|
|
means it is virtually impossible for the entire Net to crash at once --
|
|
even if one computer shuts down, the rest of the network stays up. The
|
|
design also reduces the costs for an individual or organization to get
|
|
onto the network. But thousands of connected computers can also make it
|
|
difficult to navigate the Net and find what you want -- especially as
|
|
different computers may have different commands for plumbing their
|
|
resources. It is only recently that Net users have begun to develop the
|
|
sorts of navigational tools and "maps" that will let neophytes get around
|
|
without getting lost.
|
|
Nobody really knows how many computers and networks actually make
|
|
up this Net. Some estimates say there are now as many as 5,000
|
|
networks connecting nearly 2 million computers and more than 15 million
|
|
people around the world. Whatever the actual numbers, however, it is
|
|
clear they are only increasing.
|
|
The Net is more than just a technological marvel. It is human
|
|
communication at its most fundamental level. The pace may be a little
|
|
quicker when the messages race around the world in a few seconds, but
|
|
it's not much different from a large and interesting party. You'll see
|
|
things in cyberspace that will make you laugh; you'll see things that
|
|
will anger you. You'll read silly little snippets and new ideas that
|
|
make you think. You'll make new friends and meet people you wish would
|
|
just go away.
|
|
Major network providers continue to work on ways to make it
|
|
easier for users of one network to communicate with those of another.
|
|
Work is underway on a system for providing a universal "white pages"
|
|
in which you could look up somebody's electronic-mail address, for
|
|
example. This connectivity trend will likely speed up in coming years
|
|
as users begin to demand seamless network access, much as telephone
|
|
users can now dial almost anywhere in the world without worrying about
|
|
how many phone companies actually have to connect their calls.
|
|
And today, the links grow ever closer between the Internet and such
|
|
commercial networks as CompuServe and Prodigy, whose users can now
|
|
exchange electronic mail with their Internet friends. Some commercial
|
|
providers, such as Delphi and America Online, are working to bring their
|
|
subscribers direct access to Internet services.
|
|
And as it becomes easier to use, more and more people will join
|
|
this worldwide community we call the Net.
|
|
Being connected to the Net takes more than just reading
|
|
conferences and logging messages to your computer; it takes asking and
|
|
answering questions, exchanging opinions -- getting involved.
|
|
If you chose to go forward, to use and contribute, you will become
|
|
a citizen of Cyberspace. If you're reading these words for the first
|
|
time, this may seem like an amusing but unlikely notion -- that one
|
|
could "inhabit" a place without physical space. But put a mark beside
|
|
these words. Join the Net and actively participate for a year. Then
|
|
re-read this passage. It will no longer seem so strange to be a
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"citizen of Cyberspace." It will seem like the most natural thing in
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the world.
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And that leads to another fundamental thing to remember:
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You can't break the Net!
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As you travel the Net, your computer may freeze, your screen may
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erupt into a mass of gibberish. You may think you've just disabled a
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million-dollar computer somewhere -- or even your own personal
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|
computer. Sooner or later, this feeling happens to everyone -- and
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|
likely more than once. But the Net and your computer are hardier than
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|
you think, so relax. You can no more break the Net than you can the
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|
phone system. If something goes wrong, try again. If nothing at all
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|
happens, you can always disconnect. If worse comes to worse, you can
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|
turn off your computer. Then take a deep breath. And dial right back
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|
in. Leave a note for the person who runs the computer to which you've
|
|
connected to ask for advice. Try it again. Persistence pays.
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|
Stay and contribute. The Net will be richer for it -- and so will
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you.
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1.7 WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
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* Your computer connects with a public-access site and get gibberish
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|
on your screen. If you are using parameters of 8-1-N, try 7-1-e (or
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|
vice-versa). If that doesn't work, try another modem speed.
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|
* You have your computer dial a public-access site, but nothing
|
|
happens. Check the phone number you typed in. If correct, turn on your
|
|
modem's speaker (on Hayes-compatible modems, you can usually do this by
|
|
typing ATM1 in your communications software's "terminal mode"). If the
|
|
phone just rings and rings, the public-access site could be down for
|
|
maintenance or due to a crash or some other problem. If you get a
|
|
"connect" message, but nothing else, try hitting enter or escape a
|
|
couple of times.
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|
* You try to log in, but after you type your password, nothing
|
|
happens, or you get a "timed out" message followed by a disconnect.
|
|
Re-dial the number and try it again.
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|
* Always remember, if you have a problem that just doesn't go away,
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|
ask! Ask your system administrator, ask a friend, but ask. Somebody will
|
|
know what to do.
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1.8 FYI
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The Net grows so fast that even the best guide to its resources
|
|
would be somewhat outdated the day it was printed. At the end of each
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|
chapter, however, you'll find FYI pointers to places on the Net where you
|
|
can go for more information or to keep updated on new resources and
|
|
services.
|
|
Peter Kaminski maintains a list of systems that provide public
|
|
access to Internet services. It's availble on the network itself, which
|
|
obviously does you little good if you currently have no access, but which
|
|
can prove invaluable should you move or want to find a new system. Look
|
|
for his "PDIAL" file in the alt.bbs.lists or news.answers newsgroups in
|
|
Usenet (for information on accessing Usenet, see Chapter 3).
|
|
Steven Levy's book, "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution,"
|
|
(Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1984). describes the early culture and ethos
|
|
that ultimately resulted in the Internet and Usenet.
|
|
John Quarterman's "The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing
|
|
Systems Worldwide" (Digital Press, 1990) is an exhaustive look at
|
|
computer networks and how they connect with each other.
|
|
"FYI on Where to Start - A Bibliography of Internetworking
|
|
Information," by Tracy LaQuey, Joyce K. Reynolds, Karen Roubicek, Mary
|
|
Stahl and Aileen Yuan (August, 1990), is an excellent list of articles,
|
|
books, newsletters and other sources of information about the Internet.
|
|
It's available via ftp from nic.ddn.mil in the rfc directory as
|
|
rfc1175.txt (see chapter 7 for information on how to retrieve such
|
|
files).
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Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
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