nearest switching station) should be a priority.
Computer networks will eventually become ubiquitous around the world. We
should therefore be concerned with the impact on society that they have, the
opportunities to improve society, and the dangers that they pose.
Fundamentally, we are optimists who believe in the potential of networks to
enhance democratic values of openness, diversity, and innovation.
Because the medium is so new, it is important now to develop policies at
the national and international level that help achieve the potential of
computer networks for society as a whole. By the time television was
recognized as a vast wasteland it was already too late to change. There is a
rare opportunity to develop policies in advance of a technologically and
economically mature system which would be hard to change.
*"As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in
this world is connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks
that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is
mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up of a series
of interconnected meshes, and each mesh has its place and
responsibility in relation to other meshes."*
- Buddha
*******
By *Adam Gaffin*
Senior Reporter, Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass.
This book will help you join the global village known as Cyberspace or the
Net. Millions of people around the world already spend parts of their lives
in this land without frontiers. With this book, you will be able to use the
Net to:
* Stay in touch with friends, relatives and colleagues around the world,
at a fraction of the cost of phone calls or even air mail.
* Discuss everything from archaeology to zoology with people from around
the world.
* Tap into hundreds of information databases and libraries worldwide.
* Retrieve any of thousands of documents, journals, books and computer
programs.
* Stay up to date with wire-service news and sports, and government
weather reports.
* Play live, "real time" games with dozens of other people at once.
And you will have become the newest member of this ever growing community.
If you stay and contribute, the Net will be richer for it - and so will you.
But it will take a sense of adventure, a willingness to learn and an
ability to take a deep breath every once in awhile.
Visiting the Net today is a lot like journeying to a foreign country. You
know there are many things to see and do, but everything at first will seem
so, well, foreign.
When you first arrive, you won't be able to read the street signs. You'll
get lost. If you're unlucky, you may even run into some natives who'd just
as soon you went back to where you came from. If this weren't enough, the
entire country is constantly under construction; every day, it seems like
there's something new for you to figure out.
Here's where you take a deep breath. Fortunately, most of the natives are
actually friendly. In fact, the Net actually has a rich tradition of helping
out visitors and newcomers. With few written guides for ordinary people, the
Net has grown in large part one person at a time - if somebody helps you
learn your way around, it's almost expected you'll repay the favor some day
by helping somebody else.
So when you connect, don't be afraid to ask for help. You'll be surprised
at how many people will try to direct you around. And that leads to another
fundamental thing to remember:
You can't break the Net!
As you travel the Net, your computer may freeze, your screen may erupt
into a mass of gibberish. You may think you've just disabled a
million-dollar computer somewhere - or even your own personal computer.
Sooner or later, this feeling happens to everyone - and likely more than
once. But the Net and your computer are hardier than you think, so relax.
You can no more break the Net than you can the phone system. You are always
in the driver's seat. If something goes wrong, try again. If nothing at all
happens, you can always disconnect. If worse comes to worse, you can turn
off your computer. Then take a deep breath. And dial right back 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.
===========
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, which had the promise of
letting several users share just one communications line. Previous computer
networking efforts had required a line between each computer on the network,
sort of like a train track on which only one train can travel at a time. 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.
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 grows 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 1.5
million 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 45 million bits per second. Even before the Net was able to
reach that 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.
============
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 user 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 2400 bits per second). This internetworking
"protocol" lets network users connect to computers around the world.
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.
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.
There is no one central computer or even group of 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.
But thousands of connected computers can also make it difficult to navigate
the Net and find what you want. 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.
The vast number of computers and links between them ensure that the
network as a whole will likely never crash and means that network users have
ready access to vast amounts of information. But because resources are split
among so many different sites, finding that information can prove to be a
difficult task - especially because each computer might have its own unique
set of commands for bringing up that information.
While the Internet was growing, parallel networks developed. Large
commercial services such as CompuServe and GEnie began to offer network
services to individuals. Phone companies developed their own electronic-mail
services. Some universities started their own international network.
Hobbyists began networks such as Fidonet for MS-DOS computers and UUCP for
Unix machines.
Today, almost all of these parallel networks are becoming connected. It
is now possible to send electronic mail from CompuServe to MCIMail, from
Internet to Fidonet, from Bitnet to CompuServe. In some cases, users of one
network can now even participate in some of the public conferences of another.
But 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 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 "inhaibit"
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 "citizen of Cyberspace." It will seem like
the most natural thing in the world.
===============
The following people, whether they know it or not, helped put this
together. My thanks, especially to Nancy!
Rhonda Chapman, Jim Cocks, Tom Czarnik, Christopher Davis, David DeSimone,
Jeanne deVoto, Phil Eschallier, Nico Garcia, Joe Granrose, Joe Ilacqua,
Jonathan Kamens, Peter Kaminski, Thomas A. Kreeger, Leanne Phillips, Nancy
Reynolds, Helen Trillian Rose, Barry Shein, Jennifer "Moira" Smith, Gerard
van der Leun, Scott Yanoff.
====
Steven Levy, "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, "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' (*note FTP::. for
information on getting documents through FTP).
Another Glitch in the Call
------ ----- - -- ---
We don't need no indirection
We don't need no flow control
No data typing or declarations
Did you leave the lists alone?
Hey! Hacker! Leave those lists alone!
Chorus: All in all, it's just a pure-LISP function call.
All in all, it's just a pure-LISP function call.
-- Anonymous Lisp Guru
"Sung to the tune of `Another Brick in the Wall' by Pink Floyd"
********************************************
==========
Connecting to the Net depends on where you are. If you're a college
student or work at a company with its own Net connections, chances are you
can gain access simply by asking your organization's computing center or
data-processing department - they will then give you instructions on how to
connect your already networked computer to the Internet.
Otherwise, you'll need four things: a computer, telecommunications
software, a modem and a phone line to connect to the modem.
The phone line can be your existing voice line - just remember that if you
have any extensions, you (and everybody else in the house or office) won't be
able to use them for voice calls while connected to the Net.
A modem is a sort of translator between computers and the phone system.
It's needed because computers and the phone system process and transmit data,
or information, in two different, and incompatible ways. Computers "talk"
digitally; that is, they store and process information as a series of
discrete numbers. The phone network relies on analog signals, which on an
oscilloscope would look like a series of waves. When your computer is ready
to transmit data to another computer over a phone line, your modem converts
the computer numbers into these waves (which sound like a lot of screeching)
- it "modulates" them. In turn, when information waves come into your modem,
it converts them into numbers your computer can process, by "demodulating"
them.
Increasingly, computers come with modems already installed. If yours
didn't, you'll have to decide what speed modem to get. Modem speeds are
judged in "baud rate" or bits per second. One baud means the modem can
transfer roughly one bit per second; the greater the baud rate, the more
quickly a modem can send and receive information. A letter or character is
made up of eight bits.
You can now buy a 2400-baud modem for well under $70 - and most now come
with the ability to handle fax messages as well. For $200 and up, you can
buy a modem that can transfer data at 9600 baud (and often even faster, when
using special compression techniques). If you think you might be using the
Net to transfer large numbers of files, a faster modem is always worth the
price. It will dramatically reduce the amount of time your modem or computer
is tied up transferring files and, if you are paying for Net access by the
hour, save you quite a bit in online charges.
Like the computer to which it attaches, a modem is useless without
software to tell it how to work. Most modems today come with easy-to-install
software. Try the program out. If you find it difficult to use or
understand, consider a trip to the local software store to find a better
program. You can spend several hundred dollars on a communications program,
but unless you have very specialized needs, this will be a waste of money, as
there are a host of excellent programs available for around $100 or sometimes
even less. Among the basic features you want to look for are a choice of
different "protocols" (more on them in a bit) for transferring files to and
from the Net and the ability to write "script" or "command" files that let
you automate such steps as logging into a host system.
When you buy a modem and the software, ask the dealer how to install and
use them. Try out the software if you can. If the dealer can't help you,
find another dealer. You'll not only save yourself a lot of frustration,
you'll also have practiced the second Net Commandment: *"Ask. People Know."*
To fully take advantage of the Net, you must spend a few minutes going
over the manuals or documentation that comes with your software. There are a
few things you should pay special attention to: uploading and downloading;
screen capturing (sometimes called "screen dumping"); logging; how to change
protocols; and terminal emulation. It is also essential to know how to
convert a file created with your word processing program into "ASCII" or
"text" format, which will let you share your thoughts with others across the
Net.
Uploading is the process of sending a file from your computer to a system
on the Net. Downloading is retrieving a file from somewhere on the Net to
your computer. In general, things in cyberspace go "up" to the Net and "down"
to you.
Chances are your software will come with a choice of several "protocols"
to use for these transfers. These protocols are systems designed to ensure
that line noise or static does not cause errors that could ruin whatever
information you are trying to transfer. Essentially, when using a protocol,
you are transferring a file in a series of pieces. After each piece is sent
or received, your computer and the Net system compare it. If the two pieces
don't match exactly, they transfer it again, until they agree that the
information they both have is identical. If, after several tries, the
information just doesn't make it across, you'll either get an error message
or your screen will freeze. In that case, try it again. If, after five
tries, you are still stymied, something is wrong with a) the file; b) the
telephone line; c) the system you're connected to; or d) you own computer.
From time to time, you will likely see messages on the Net that you want
to save for later viewing - a recipe, a particularly witty remark, something
you want to write your Congressman about, whatever. This is where screen
capturing and logging come in.
When you tell your communications software to capture a screen, it opens a
file in your computer (usually in the same directory or folder used by the
software) and "dumps" an image of whatever happens to be on your screen at
the time.
Logging works a bit differently. When you issue a logging command, you
tell the software to open a file (again, usually in the same directory or
folder as used by the software) and then give it a name. Then, until you turn
off the logging command, everything that scrolls on your screen is copied
into that file, sort of like recording on video tape. This is useful for
capturing long documents that scroll for several pages - using screen
capture, you would have to repeat the same command for each new screen.
Terminal emulation is a way for your computer to mimic, or emulate, the
way other computers put information on the screen and accept commands from a
keyboard. In general, most systems on the Net use a system called VT100.
Fortunately, almost all communications programs now on the market support
this system as well - make sure yours does.
You'll also have to know about protocols. There are several different
ways for computers to transmit characters. Fortunately, there are only two
protocols that you're likely to run across: 8-1-N (which stands for "8 bits,
1 stop bit, no parity" - yikes!) and 7-1-E (7 bits, 1 stop bit, even parity).
In general, Unix-based systems use 7-1-E, while MS-DOS-based systems use
8-1-N. What if you don't know what kind of system you're connecting to? Try
one of the settings. If you get what looks like gobbledygook when you
connect, you may need the other setting. If so, you can either change the
setting while connected, and then hit enter, or hang up and try again with
the other setting. It's also possible your modem and the modem at the other
end can't agree on the right baud rate. If changing the protocols doesn't
work, try using another baud rate (but no faster than the one listed for your
modem). Again, remember, you can't break anything.! If something looks
wrong, it probably is wrong. Change your settings and try again. Nothing is
learned without trial, error and effort. Those are the basics. Now onto the
Net!
==========
Once, only people who studied or worked at an institution directly tied to
the Net could connect to the world. Today, though, an ever-growing number of
"public-access" systems provide access for everybody. These systems can now
be found in several states, and there are a couple of sites that can provide
access across the country.
There are two basic kinds of these host systems. The more common one is
known as a UUCP site (UUCP being a common way to transfer information among
computers using the Unix operating system) and offers access to international
electronic mail and conferences.
However, recent years have seen the growth of more powerful sites that let
you tap into the full power of the Net. These Internet sites not only give
you access to electronic mail and conferences but to such services as
databases, libraries and huge file and program collections around the world.
They are also fast - as soon as you finish writing a message, it gets zapped
out to its destination.
Some sites are run by for-profit companies; others by non-profit
organizations. Some of these public-access, or host, systems, are free of
charge. Others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited access. And a
few charge by the hour.
But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host system. Most
systems let you look around before you sign up. What is the range of their
services? How easy is it to use? What kind of support or help can you get
from the system administrators?
The last two questions are particularly important because some systems
provide no user interface at all; when you connect, you are dumped right into
the Unix operating system. If you're already familiar with Unix, or you want
to learn how to use it, these systems offer phenomenal power - in addition to
Net access, most also let you tap into the power of Unix to do everything
from compiling your own programs to playing online games.
But if you don't want to have to learn Unix, there are other public-access
systems that work through menus (just like the ones in restaurants; you are
shown a list of choices and then you make your selection of what you want),
or which provide a "user interface" that is easier to figure out than the
ever cryptic Unix.
If you don't want or need access to the full range of Internet services, a
UUCP site makes good financial sense. They tend to charge less than
commercial Internet providers, although their messages may not go out as
quickly.
Some systems also have their own unique local services, which can range
from extensive conferences to large file libraries.
Fortunately, almost all public-access systems let you look around for
awhile before you have to decide whether to sign up. Systems that charge for
access will usually let you sign up online with a credit card. Some also let
you set up a billing system. *Note Telnet:: for a list of public-access
Internet sites.
==========
When you have your communications program dial one of these host systems,
one of two things will happen when you connect. You'll either see a lot of
gibberish on your screen, or you'll be asked to log in. If you see
gibberish, chances are you have to change your software's parameters (to
7-1-E or 8-1-N as the case may be). Hang up, make the change and then dial
in again.
When you've connected, chances are you'll see something like this:
Welcome to THE WORLD
Public Access UNIX for the '90s
Login as 'new' if you do not have an account
login:
That last line is a prompt asking you to do something. Since this is your
first call, type
new
and hit enter. Often, when you're asked to type something by a host
system, you'll be told what to type in quotation marks (for example, the
`new' above). Don't include the quotation marks. Repeat: Don't include the
quotation marks.
What you see next depends on the system, but will generally consist of
information about its costs and services (you might want to turn on your
communication software's logging function, to save this information). You'll
likely be asked if you want to establish an account now or just look around
the system.
You'll also likely be asked for your "user name." This is not your full
name, but a one-word name you want to use while online. It can be any
combination of letters or numbers, all in lower case. Many people use their
first initial and last name (for example, "jdoe"); their first name and the
first letter of their last name (for example, "johnd"); or their initials
("jxd"). Others use a nickname. You might want to think about this for a
second, because this user name will become part of your electronic-mail
address (see chapter 3 for more on that). The one exception are the various
Free-Net systems, all of which assign you a user name consisting of an
arbitrary sequence of letters and numbers.
You are now on the Net. Look around the system. See if there are any
help files for you to read. If it's a menu-based host system, chose
different options just to see what happens. Remember: you can't break
anything. The more you play, the more comfortable you'll be.
============================
What follows is a list of public-access Internet sites, which are computer
systems that offer access to the Net. All offer international e-mail and
Usenet (international conferences). In addition, they offer:
FTP
File-transfer protocol - access to scores of file libraries (everything
from computer software to historical documents to song lyrics). You'll
be able to transfer these files from the Net to your own computer.
Telnet
Access to databases, computerized library card catalogs, weather reports
and other information services, as well as live, online games that let
you compete with players from around the world.
Additional services that may be offered include:
WAIS
Wide-area Information Server; a program that can search dozens of
databases in one search.
Gopher
A program that gives you easy access to dozens of other online databases
and services by making selections on a menu. You'll also be able to use
these to copy text files and some programs to your mailbox.
IRC
Internet Relay Chat, a CB simulator that lets you have live keyboard
chats with people around the world.
Clarinet
News, sports, feature stories and columns from Universal Press
International; Newsbytes computer news.
However, even on systems that do not provide these services directly, you
will be able to use a number of them through telnet (*note Telnet::. for more
information on telnet). Systems marked "Unix" dump you right into Unix
(a.k.a. "DOS with a college degree"). In most cases, this means you can also
use the host system's various Unix functions. The other systems use menus,
which are generally much easier for beginners to navigate - they are just
like menus in restaurants, in which you decide what you want from a list of
options. Any unique features of a given system are noted. Some of these
systems require you to use parameters of 7-1-E, so if you get gibberish when
you connect, try that. Most let you look around for awhile before you have to
sign up.
Several of these sites are available nationwide through national data
networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and PC-Pursuit.
Please note that all listed charges are subject to change.
Alberta
-------
Edmonton. PUCNet Computer Connections, (403) 484-5640. Unix. Log on as:
guest. Charges: $20 a month for 20 hours of connect time, plus $5 an hour
for access to ftp and telnet; $10 sign-up fee. Voice help: (403) 448-1901.
California
----------
Berkeley. Holonet. For free trial, modem number is (510) 704-1058.
Boardwatch online news, USA Today. For information or local numbers, call
number below. Charges: $60 a year for local access, $2 an hour during offpeak
hours. Voice help: (510) 704-0160.
Cupertino. Portal. Both Unix and menus. (408) 725-0561, 725-1724 or
(408) 973-8091. Charges: $19.95 set-up fee, $19.95 a month. Voice help:
(408) 973-9111.
Encinitas. Cyber Station, (619) 634-1376. Unix. Log on as: guest.
Charges: $20 a month for one hour a day; $10 setup fee.
Irvine. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
Los Angeles. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
Oakland. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
San Diego. Dial N' CERF USA, run by the California Education and Research
Federation. Provides local dial-up numbers in San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland
and Irvine. For more information, call voice (800) 876-CERF or (619)
534-5087. Charges: $20 a month plus $10 an hour, with a one-time
installation fee of $50.
San Jose. Netcom, (510) 865-9004 or 426-6860; (408) 241-9760; (415)
424-0131, up to 9600 baud. Unix. Maintains archives of Usenet postings. Log
on as: guest. New users get a written guide to using Netcom and the Net in
general. However, access to Net services beyond Usenet requires signature on
a written "Network Agreement Form." Charges: $15 start-up fee and then $17.50
a month for unlimited use if you agree to automatic billing of your
credit-card account (otherwise $19.50 a month for a monthly invoice). Voice
help: (408) 554-UNIX.
San Jose. A2i, (408) 293-9010. Unix. Log on as: guest. Charges: $20 a
month; $45 for three months; $72 for six months.
Sausalito. The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), (415) 332-6106, up to
2400 baud. Uses moderately difficult Picospan software, which is sort of a
cross between Unix and a menu system. New users get a written manual. More
than 200 WELL-only conferences. Log on as: newuser. Charges: $15 a month
plus $2 an hour. Access through the nationwide CompuServe Packet Network
available for another $4.50 an hour. Voice help: (415) 332-4335. Recorded
message about the system's current status: (800) 326-8354 (continental U.S.
only).
Colorado
--------
Colorado Springs. CNS, (719) 570-1700. Local calendar listings and ski
and stock reports. USA Today. Users can chose between menus or Unix. Log on
as: new. Charges: $1 an hour (minimum fee of $10 a month); one-time $35
set-up fee. Voice help: (719) 579-9120.
Golden. Colorado SuperNet. Unix. E-mail to fax service. Available only
to Colorado residents. Local dial-in numbers currently available in Ft.
Collins, Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs. For dial-in numbers, call the
number below. Charges: $2 an hour ($1 an hour between midnight and 6 a.m.);
one-time $20 sign-up fee. Voice help: 303-273-3471.
Illinois
--------
Chicago. MCSNet, (312) 248-0900. Unix. Charges: $25/month or $65 for
three months of unlimited access; $30 for three months of access at 15 hours
a month. Voice help: (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. Charges: None. Voice help: (309) 677-2544.
Maryland
--------
Baltimore. Express Access, (410) 220-0462 or (301) 220-0462. Unix. Log
on as: new. Charges: $15 a month or $150 a year for e-mail and Usenet; $25 a
month or $250 a year for complete Internet services (FTP, telnet, IRC, etc.).
This allows unlimited use between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. and one hour between 3
p.m. and 3 a.m. Access to Usenet, e-mail and Unix shell only is $15 a
month/$150 a year. Voice help: (301) 220-2020.
Massachusetts
-------------
Brookline. The World, (617) 739-9753. Unix, but with a large number of
understandable online help files. Huge collection of MS-DOS files, "Online
Book Initiative" collection of electronic books, poetry and other text files.
Charges: $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 help: (617) 739-0202.
Lynn. North Shore Access, (617) 593-5774. Unix. Log on as: guest.
Charges: $10 for a month for 10 hours; $1 an hour after that. Voice help:
(617) 593-3110.
Worcester. NovaLink, (508) 754-4009. Unix. Log on as: info. Charges:
$12.95 sign-up (includes first two hours); $9.95 a month (includes five
daytime hours), $1.80 an hour after that. Voice help: (800) 274-2814.
Michigan
--------
Ann Arbor. MSEN. Contact number below for dial-in number. Unix.
Charges: $5 a month and $2 an hour, or $20 a month for 20 hours. Voice help:
(313) 741-1120.
Ann Arbor. Michnet. Unix. Has local dial-in numbers in several Michigan
numbers. For local numbers, call voice number below. Charges: $35 a month
plus one-time $40 sign-up fee. Additional network fees for access through
non-Michnet numbers. Voice help: (313) 764-9430.
New Hampshire
-------------
MV Communications, Inc. For local dial-up numbers call voice line below.
Unix. Charges: $5 a month mininum plus variable hourly rates depending on
services used. Voice help: (603) 429-2223.
New York
--------
New York. Echo, (212) 989-8411. Unix and conferencing. Log on as:
newuser. Local conferences. Charges: $19.95 ($13.75 students and seniors).
Voice help: (212) 255-3839.
New York. MindVox, (212) 988-5030. Log on as: guest. Local conferences.
Charges: $15 a month; $10 set-up fee for non-credit card accounts. Voice
help: (212) 988-5987.
New York. Panix, (212) 787-3100. Unix or menus. Log on as: newuser.
Charges: $10 a month or $100 a year; one-time $40 fee. Voice help: (212)
877-4854.
North Carolina
--------------
Charlotte. Vnet Internet Access, (704) 347-8839. Unix. Log on as: new.
Charges: $25 a month or $259 a year. Voice help: (704) 374-0779.
Triangle Research Park. Rock Concert Net. Call number below for modem
number. Unix. Charges: $30 a month; one-time $50 sign-up fee. Voice help:
(919) 248-1999.
Ohio
----
Cleveland. Cleveland Free-Net, (216) 368-3888. IRC. USA Today, Ohio and
US Supreme Court decisions, historical documents, many local conferences.
Full access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
application. Charges: None. Voice help: (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. Charges: None.
Cleveland. Wariat, (216) 481-9436 (2400 baud); (216) 481-9425 (higher
speeds). Unix, menus. Charges: $35 a month or $200 for six months; $20
sign-up fee. Voice help: (216) 481-9428.
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. Charges: None. Voice help: (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.
Charges: None.
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. Charges:
None.
Ontario
-------
Toronto. UUNorth. Call voice number below for local dial-in numbers.
Unix. Charges: $25 for 20 hours a month of offpeak use. Voice help: (416)
225-8649.
Oregon
------
Beaverton. Techbook, (503) 220-0636 (2400 baud); (503) 220-1016 (higher
speeds). Unix. Charges: $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 baud), (503) 293-2059 (9600 baud).
Unix. Log on as: apply Charges: $6 a month for one hour per day.
Beaverton. Techbook, (503) 220-0636. Charges: $90 a year.
Pennsylvania
------------
Pittsburgh. Telerama, (412) 481-5302. Unix. Charges: $6 for 10 hours a
month, 60 cents for each additional hour.
Quebec
------
Montreal. Communications Accessibles Montreal, (514) 281-5601. Unix.
Charges: $25 a month. Voice help: (514) 923-2102.
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.
Charges: $10 a month; $50 for six months; $100 for a year.
Virginia
--------
Norfolk. Wyvern Technologies, (804) 627-1828 (Norfolk); (804-0662
(Peninsula). Unix. Charges: $15 a month or $144 a year; $10 sign-up fee.
Voice help: (804) 622-4289.
Washington, DC
--------------
The Meta Network. Call voice number below for local dial-in numbers.
Caucus conferencing, menus. Charges: $20 a month plus $15 sign-up fee.
Voice help: (703) 243-6622.
See also: listing under Baltimore, MD for Express Access.
Washington State
----------------
Seattle. Eskimo North, (206) 367-3837 (2400 baud), (206) 362-6731
(9600/14.4K baud). Charges: $10 a month or $96 a year. Voice help: (206)
367-7457.
Seattle. Halcyon, (206) 382-6245. Users can choose between menus and
Unix. Log on as: bbs. Charges: $10 a month for Usenet and e-mail; $15 a
month or $150 a year for these and other Internet services (FTP, IRC, telnet,
etc.). Voice help: (206) 426-9298
=================
If you don't live in a city 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.
Two 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.
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.
=========================
* Your computer connects with a public-access site and get gibberish on
your screen. If you are using parameters of 8-1-N, try 7-1-e (or
vice-versa). If that doesn't work, try another modem speed.
* 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 do 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.
* 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.
* Always remember, if you have a problem that just doesn't go away, ask!
Ask your system administrator, ask a friend, but ask. Somebody will
know what to do.
FYI:
====
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, *note Global Watering Hole::.).
*"Ah! Dear Watson, now we enter the mystic room of wizardry,
where even the most brilliant of all logic minds might fail."*
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
*"Welcome to the Pleasure Dome!"*
-- Frankie goes to Hollywood
***************
Electronic mail, or e-mail, is your personal connection to the world of
the Net.
Every one of the millions of people around the world who use the Net have
their own e-mail address. A growing number of "gateways" tie more and more
people to the Net every day. When you logged onto the host system you are
now using, it automatically generated an address for you, as well.
The basic concepts behind e-mail parallel those of regular mail. You send
mail to people at their particular addresses. In turn, they write to you at
your e-mailbox address. You can subscribe to the electronic equivalent of
magazines and newspapers. There is even electronic junk mail.
E-mail has two distinct advantages over regular mail. The most obvious is
speed. Instead of several days, your message can reach the other side of the
world in hours or even minutes (depending on where you drop off your mail and
Computer networks will eventually become ubiquitous around the world. We
should therefore be concerned with the impact on society that they have, the
opportunities to improve society, and the dangers that they pose.
Fundamentally, we are optimists who believe in the potential of networks to
enhance democratic values of openness, diversity, and innovation.
Because the medium is so new, it is important now to develop policies at
the national and international level that help achieve the potential of
computer networks for society as a whole. By the time television was
recognized as a vast wasteland it was already too late to change. There is a
rare opportunity to develop policies in advance of a technologically and
economically mature system which would be hard to change.
*"As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in
this world is connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks
that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is
mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up of a series
of interconnected meshes, and each mesh has its place and
responsibility in relation to other meshes."*
- Buddha
*******
By *Adam Gaffin*
Senior Reporter, Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass.
This book will help you join the global village known as Cyberspace or the
Net. Millions of people around the world already spend parts of their lives
in this land without frontiers. With this book, you will be able to use the
Net to:
* Stay in touch with friends, relatives and colleagues around the world,
at a fraction of the cost of phone calls or even air mail.
* Discuss everything from archaeology to zoology with people from around
the world.
* Tap into hundreds of information databases and libraries worldwide.
* Retrieve any of thousands of documents, journals, books and computer
programs.
* Stay up to date with wire-service news and sports, and government
weather reports.
* Play live, "real time" games with dozens of other people at once.
And you will have become the newest member of this ever growing community.
If you stay and contribute, the Net will be richer for it - and so will you.
But it will take a sense of adventure, a willingness to learn and an
ability to take a deep breath every once in awhile.
Visiting the Net today is a lot like journeying to a foreign country. You
know there are many things to see and do, but everything at first will seem
so, well, foreign.
When you first arrive, you won't be able to read the street signs. You'll
get lost. If you're unlucky, you may even run into some natives who'd just
as soon you went back to where you came from. If this weren't enough, the
entire country is constantly under construction; every day, it seems like
there's something new for you to figure out.
Here's where you take a deep breath. Fortunately, most of the natives are
actually friendly. In fact, the Net actually has a rich tradition of helping
out visitors and newcomers. With few written guides for ordinary people, the
Net has grown in large part one person at a time - if somebody helps you
learn your way around, it's almost expected you'll repay the favor some day
by helping somebody else.
So when you connect, don't be afraid to ask for help. You'll be surprised
at how many people will try to direct you around. And that leads to another
fundamental thing to remember:
You can't break the Net!
As you travel the Net, your computer may freeze, your screen may erupt
into a mass of gibberish. You may think you've just disabled a
million-dollar computer somewhere - or even your own personal computer.
Sooner or later, this feeling happens to everyone - and likely more than
once. But the Net and your computer are hardier than you think, so relax.
You can no more break the Net than you can the phone system. You are always
in the driver's seat. If something goes wrong, try again. If nothing at all
happens, you can always disconnect. If worse comes to worse, you can turn
off your computer. Then take a deep breath. And dial right back 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.
===========
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, which had the promise of
letting several users share just one communications line. Previous computer
networking efforts had required a line between each computer on the network,
sort of like a train track on which only one train can travel at a time. 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.
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 grows 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 1.5
million 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 45 million bits per second. Even before the Net was able to
reach that 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.
============
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 user 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 2400 bits per second). This internetworking
"protocol" lets network users connect to computers around the world.
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.
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.
There is no one central computer or even group of 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.
But thousands of connected computers can also make it difficult to navigate
the Net and find what you want. 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.
The vast number of computers and links between them ensure that the
network as a whole will likely never crash and means that network users have
ready access to vast amounts of information. But because resources are split
among so many different sites, finding that information can prove to be a
difficult task - especially because each computer might have its own unique
set of commands for bringing up that information.
While the Internet was growing, parallel networks developed. Large
commercial services such as CompuServe and GEnie began to offer network
services to individuals. Phone companies developed their own electronic-mail
services. Some universities started their own international network.
Hobbyists began networks such as Fidonet for MS-DOS computers and UUCP for
Unix machines.
Today, almost all of these parallel networks are becoming connected. It
is now possible to send electronic mail from CompuServe to MCIMail, from
Internet to Fidonet, from Bitnet to CompuServe. In some cases, users of one
network can now even participate in some of the public conferences of another.
But 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 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 "inhaibit"
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 "citizen of Cyberspace." It will seem like
the most natural thing in the world.
===============
The following people, whether they know it or not, helped put this
together. My thanks, especially to Nancy!
Rhonda Chapman, Jim Cocks, Tom Czarnik, Christopher Davis, David DeSimone,
Jeanne deVoto, Phil Eschallier, Nico Garcia, Joe Granrose, Joe Ilacqua,
Jonathan Kamens, Peter Kaminski, Thomas A. Kreeger, Leanne Phillips, Nancy
Reynolds, Helen Trillian Rose, Barry Shein, Jennifer "Moira" Smith, Gerard
van der Leun, Scott Yanoff.
====
Steven Levy, "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, "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' (*note FTP::. for
information on getting documents through FTP).
Another Glitch in the Call
------ ----- - -- ---
We don't need no indirection
We don't need no flow control
No data typing or declarations
Did you leave the lists alone?
Hey! Hacker! Leave those lists alone!
Chorus: All in all, it's just a pure-LISP function call.
All in all, it's just a pure-LISP function call.
-- Anonymous Lisp Guru
"Sung to the tune of `Another Brick in the Wall' by Pink Floyd"
********************************************
==========
Connecting to the Net depends on where you are. If you're a college
student or work at a company with its own Net connections, chances are you
can gain access simply by asking your organization's computing center or
data-processing department - they will then give you instructions on how to
connect your already networked computer to the Internet.
Otherwise, you'll need four things: a computer, telecommunications
software, a modem and a phone line to connect to the modem.
The phone line can be your existing voice line - just remember that if you
have any extensions, you (and everybody else in the house or office) won't be
able to use them for voice calls while connected to the Net.
A modem is a sort of translator between computers and the phone system.
It's needed because computers and the phone system process and transmit data,
or information, in two different, and incompatible ways. Computers "talk"
digitally; that is, they store and process information as a series of
discrete numbers. The phone network relies on analog signals, which on an
oscilloscope would look like a series of waves. When your computer is ready
to transmit data to another computer over a phone line, your modem converts
the computer numbers into these waves (which sound like a lot of screeching)
- it "modulates" them. In turn, when information waves come into your modem,
it converts them into numbers your computer can process, by "demodulating"
them.
Increasingly, computers come with modems already installed. If yours
didn't, you'll have to decide what speed modem to get. Modem speeds are
judged in "baud rate" or bits per second. One baud means the modem can
transfer roughly one bit per second; the greater the baud rate, the more
quickly a modem can send and receive information. A letter or character is
made up of eight bits.
You can now buy a 2400-baud modem for well under $70 - and most now come
with the ability to handle fax messages as well. For $200 and up, you can
buy a modem that can transfer data at 9600 baud (and often even faster, when
using special compression techniques). If you think you might be using the
Net to transfer large numbers of files, a faster modem is always worth the
price. It will dramatically reduce the amount of time your modem or computer
is tied up transferring files and, if you are paying for Net access by the
hour, save you quite a bit in online charges.
Like the computer to which it attaches, a modem is useless without
software to tell it how to work. Most modems today come with easy-to-install
software. Try the program out. If you find it difficult to use or
understand, consider a trip to the local software store to find a better
program. You can spend several hundred dollars on a communications program,
but unless you have very specialized needs, this will be a waste of money, as
there are a host of excellent programs available for around $100 or sometimes
even less. Among the basic features you want to look for are a choice of
different "protocols" (more on them in a bit) for transferring files to and
from the Net and the ability to write "script" or "command" files that let
you automate such steps as logging into a host system.
When you buy a modem and the software, ask the dealer how to install and
use them. Try out the software if you can. If the dealer can't help you,
find another dealer. You'll not only save yourself a lot of frustration,
you'll also have practiced the second Net Commandment: *"Ask. People Know."*
To fully take advantage of the Net, you must spend a few minutes going
over the manuals or documentation that comes with your software. There are a
few things you should pay special attention to: uploading and downloading;
screen capturing (sometimes called "screen dumping"); logging; how to change
protocols; and terminal emulation. It is also essential to know how to
convert a file created with your word processing program into "ASCII" or
"text" format, which will let you share your thoughts with others across the
Net.
Uploading is the process of sending a file from your computer to a system
on the Net. Downloading is retrieving a file from somewhere on the Net to
your computer. In general, things in cyberspace go "up" to the Net and "down"
to you.
Chances are your software will come with a choice of several "protocols"
to use for these transfers. These protocols are systems designed to ensure
that line noise or static does not cause errors that could ruin whatever
information you are trying to transfer. Essentially, when using a protocol,
you are transferring a file in a series of pieces. After each piece is sent
or received, your computer and the Net system compare it. If the two pieces
don't match exactly, they transfer it again, until they agree that the
information they both have is identical. If, after several tries, the
information just doesn't make it across, you'll either get an error message
or your screen will freeze. In that case, try it again. If, after five
tries, you are still stymied, something is wrong with a) the file; b) the
telephone line; c) the system you're connected to; or d) you own computer.
From time to time, you will likely see messages on the Net that you want
to save for later viewing - a recipe, a particularly witty remark, something
you want to write your Congressman about, whatever. This is where screen
capturing and logging come in.
When you tell your communications software to capture a screen, it opens a
file in your computer (usually in the same directory or folder used by the
software) and "dumps" an image of whatever happens to be on your screen at
the time.
Logging works a bit differently. When you issue a logging command, you
tell the software to open a file (again, usually in the same directory or
folder as used by the software) and then give it a name. Then, until you turn
off the logging command, everything that scrolls on your screen is copied
into that file, sort of like recording on video tape. This is useful for
capturing long documents that scroll for several pages - using screen
capture, you would have to repeat the same command for each new screen.
Terminal emulation is a way for your computer to mimic, or emulate, the
way other computers put information on the screen and accept commands from a
keyboard. In general, most systems on the Net use a system called VT100.
Fortunately, almost all communications programs now on the market support
this system as well - make sure yours does.
You'll also have to know about protocols. There are several different
ways for computers to transmit characters. Fortunately, there are only two
protocols that you're likely to run across: 8-1-N (which stands for "8 bits,
1 stop bit, no parity" - yikes!) and 7-1-E (7 bits, 1 stop bit, even parity).
In general, Unix-based systems use 7-1-E, while MS-DOS-based systems use
8-1-N. What if you don't know what kind of system you're connecting to? Try
one of the settings. If you get what looks like gobbledygook when you
connect, you may need the other setting. If so, you can either change the
setting while connected, and then hit enter, or hang up and try again with
the other setting. It's also possible your modem and the modem at the other
end can't agree on the right baud rate. If changing the protocols doesn't
work, try using another baud rate (but no faster than the one listed for your
modem). Again, remember, you can't break anything.! If something looks
wrong, it probably is wrong. Change your settings and try again. Nothing is
learned without trial, error and effort. Those are the basics. Now onto the
Net!
==========
Once, only people who studied or worked at an institution directly tied to
the Net could connect to the world. Today, though, an ever-growing number of
"public-access" systems provide access for everybody. These systems can now
be found in several states, and there are a couple of sites that can provide
access across the country.
There are two basic kinds of these host systems. The more common one is
known as a UUCP site (UUCP being a common way to transfer information among
computers using the Unix operating system) and offers access to international
electronic mail and conferences.
However, recent years have seen the growth of more powerful sites that let
you tap into the full power of the Net. These Internet sites not only give
you access to electronic mail and conferences but to such services as
databases, libraries and huge file and program collections around the world.
They are also fast - as soon as you finish writing a message, it gets zapped
out to its destination.
Some sites are run by for-profit companies; others by non-profit
organizations. Some of these public-access, or host, systems, are free of
charge. Others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited access. And a
few charge by the hour.
But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host system. Most
systems let you look around before you sign up. What is the range of their
services? How easy is it to use? What kind of support or help can you get
from the system administrators?
The last two questions are particularly important because some systems
provide no user interface at all; when you connect, you are dumped right into
the Unix operating system. If you're already familiar with Unix, or you want
to learn how to use it, these systems offer phenomenal power - in addition to
Net access, most also let you tap into the power of Unix to do everything
from compiling your own programs to playing online games.
But if you don't want to have to learn Unix, there are other public-access
systems that work through menus (just like the ones in restaurants; you are
shown a list of choices and then you make your selection of what you want),
or which provide a "user interface" that is easier to figure out than the
ever cryptic Unix.
If you don't want or need access to the full range of Internet services, a
UUCP site makes good financial sense. They tend to charge less than
commercial Internet providers, although their messages may not go out as
quickly.
Some systems also have their own unique local services, which can range
from extensive conferences to large file libraries.
Fortunately, almost all public-access systems let you look around for
awhile before you have to decide whether to sign up. Systems that charge for
access will usually let you sign up online with a credit card. Some also let
you set up a billing system. *Note Telnet:: for a list of public-access
Internet sites.
==========
When you have your communications program dial one of these host systems,
one of two things will happen when you connect. You'll either see a lot of
gibberish on your screen, or you'll be asked to log in. If you see
gibberish, chances are you have to change your software's parameters (to
7-1-E or 8-1-N as the case may be). Hang up, make the change and then dial
in again.
When you've connected, chances are you'll see something like this:
Welcome to THE WORLD
Public Access UNIX for the '90s
Login as 'new' if you do not have an account
login:
That last line is a prompt asking you to do something. Since this is your
first call, type
new
and hit enter. Often, when you're asked to type something by a host
system, you'll be told what to type in quotation marks (for example, the
`new' above). Don't include the quotation marks. Repeat: Don't include the
quotation marks.
What you see next depends on the system, but will generally consist of
information about its costs and services (you might want to turn on your
communication software's logging function, to save this information). You'll
likely be asked if you want to establish an account now or just look around
the system.
You'll also likely be asked for your "user name." This is not your full
name, but a one-word name you want to use while online. It can be any
combination of letters or numbers, all in lower case. Many people use their
first initial and last name (for example, "jdoe"); their first name and the
first letter of their last name (for example, "johnd"); or their initials
("jxd"). Others use a nickname. You might want to think about this for a
second, because this user name will become part of your electronic-mail
address (see chapter 3 for more on that). The one exception are the various
Free-Net systems, all of which assign you a user name consisting of an
arbitrary sequence of letters and numbers.
You are now on the Net. Look around the system. See if there are any
help files for you to read. If it's a menu-based host system, chose
different options just to see what happens. Remember: you can't break
anything. The more you play, the more comfortable you'll be.
============================
What follows is a list of public-access Internet sites, which are computer
systems that offer access to the Net. All offer international e-mail and
Usenet (international conferences). In addition, they offer:
FTP
File-transfer protocol - access to scores of file libraries (everything
from computer software to historical documents to song lyrics). You'll
be able to transfer these files from the Net to your own computer.
Telnet
Access to databases, computerized library card catalogs, weather reports
and other information services, as well as live, online games that let
you compete with players from around the world.
Additional services that may be offered include:
WAIS
Wide-area Information Server; a program that can search dozens of
databases in one search.
Gopher
A program that gives you easy access to dozens of other online databases
and services by making selections on a menu. You'll also be able to use
these to copy text files and some programs to your mailbox.
IRC
Internet Relay Chat, a CB simulator that lets you have live keyboard
chats with people around the world.
Clarinet
News, sports, feature stories and columns from Universal Press
International; Newsbytes computer news.
However, even on systems that do not provide these services directly, you
will be able to use a number of them through telnet (*note Telnet::. for more
information on telnet). Systems marked "Unix" dump you right into Unix
(a.k.a. "DOS with a college degree"). In most cases, this means you can also
use the host system's various Unix functions. The other systems use menus,
which are generally much easier for beginners to navigate - they are just
like menus in restaurants, in which you decide what you want from a list of
options. Any unique features of a given system are noted. Some of these
systems require you to use parameters of 7-1-E, so if you get gibberish when
you connect, try that. Most let you look around for awhile before you have to
sign up.
Several of these sites are available nationwide through national data
networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and PC-Pursuit.
Please note that all listed charges are subject to change.
Alberta
-------
Edmonton. PUCNet Computer Connections, (403) 484-5640. Unix. Log on as:
guest. Charges: $20 a month for 20 hours of connect time, plus $5 an hour
for access to ftp and telnet; $10 sign-up fee. Voice help: (403) 448-1901.
California
----------
Berkeley. Holonet. For free trial, modem number is (510) 704-1058.
Boardwatch online news, USA Today. For information or local numbers, call
number below. Charges: $60 a year for local access, $2 an hour during offpeak
hours. Voice help: (510) 704-0160.
Cupertino. Portal. Both Unix and menus. (408) 725-0561, 725-1724 or
(408) 973-8091. Charges: $19.95 set-up fee, $19.95 a month. Voice help:
(408) 973-9111.
Encinitas. Cyber Station, (619) 634-1376. Unix. Log on as: guest.
Charges: $20 a month for one hour a day; $10 setup fee.
Irvine. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
Los Angeles. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
Oakland. Dial N' CERF. See under San Diego.
San Diego. Dial N' CERF USA, run by the California Education and Research
Federation. Provides local dial-up numbers in San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland
and Irvine. For more information, call voice (800) 876-CERF or (619)
534-5087. Charges: $20 a month plus $10 an hour, with a one-time
installation fee of $50.
San Jose. Netcom, (510) 865-9004 or 426-6860; (408) 241-9760; (415)
424-0131, up to 9600 baud. Unix. Maintains archives of Usenet postings. Log
on as: guest. New users get a written guide to using Netcom and the Net in
general. However, access to Net services beyond Usenet requires signature on
a written "Network Agreement Form." Charges: $15 start-up fee and then $17.50
a month for unlimited use if you agree to automatic billing of your
credit-card account (otherwise $19.50 a month for a monthly invoice). Voice
help: (408) 554-UNIX.
San Jose. A2i, (408) 293-9010. Unix. Log on as: guest. Charges: $20 a
month; $45 for three months; $72 for six months.
Sausalito. The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), (415) 332-6106, up to
2400 baud. Uses moderately difficult Picospan software, which is sort of a
cross between Unix and a menu system. New users get a written manual. More
than 200 WELL-only conferences. Log on as: newuser. Charges: $15 a month
plus $2 an hour. Access through the nationwide CompuServe Packet Network
available for another $4.50 an hour. Voice help: (415) 332-4335. Recorded
message about the system's current status: (800) 326-8354 (continental U.S.
only).
Colorado
--------
Colorado Springs. CNS, (719) 570-1700. Local calendar listings and ski
and stock reports. USA Today. Users can chose between menus or Unix. Log on
as: new. Charges: $1 an hour (minimum fee of $10 a month); one-time $35
set-up fee. Voice help: (719) 579-9120.
Golden. Colorado SuperNet. Unix. E-mail to fax service. Available only
to Colorado residents. Local dial-in numbers currently available in Ft.
Collins, Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs. For dial-in numbers, call the
number below. Charges: $2 an hour ($1 an hour between midnight and 6 a.m.);
one-time $20 sign-up fee. Voice help: 303-273-3471.
Illinois
--------
Chicago. MCSNet, (312) 248-0900. Unix. Charges: $25/month or $65 for
three months of unlimited access; $30 for three months of access at 15 hours
a month. Voice help: (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. Charges: None. Voice help: (309) 677-2544.
Maryland
--------
Baltimore. Express Access, (410) 220-0462 or (301) 220-0462. Unix. Log
on as: new. Charges: $15 a month or $150 a year for e-mail and Usenet; $25 a
month or $250 a year for complete Internet services (FTP, telnet, IRC, etc.).
This allows unlimited use between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. and one hour between 3
p.m. and 3 a.m. Access to Usenet, e-mail and Unix shell only is $15 a
month/$150 a year. Voice help: (301) 220-2020.
Massachusetts
-------------
Brookline. The World, (617) 739-9753. Unix, but with a large number of
understandable online help files. Huge collection of MS-DOS files, "Online
Book Initiative" collection of electronic books, poetry and other text files.
Charges: $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 help: (617) 739-0202.
Lynn. North Shore Access, (617) 593-5774. Unix. Log on as: guest.
Charges: $10 for a month for 10 hours; $1 an hour after that. Voice help:
(617) 593-3110.
Worcester. NovaLink, (508) 754-4009. Unix. Log on as: info. Charges:
$12.95 sign-up (includes first two hours); $9.95 a month (includes five
daytime hours), $1.80 an hour after that. Voice help: (800) 274-2814.
Michigan
--------
Ann Arbor. MSEN. Contact number below for dial-in number. Unix.
Charges: $5 a month and $2 an hour, or $20 a month for 20 hours. Voice help:
(313) 741-1120.
Ann Arbor. Michnet. Unix. Has local dial-in numbers in several Michigan
numbers. For local numbers, call voice number below. Charges: $35 a month
plus one-time $40 sign-up fee. Additional network fees for access through
non-Michnet numbers. Voice help: (313) 764-9430.
New Hampshire
-------------
MV Communications, Inc. For local dial-up numbers call voice line below.
Unix. Charges: $5 a month mininum plus variable hourly rates depending on
services used. Voice help: (603) 429-2223.
New York
--------
New York. Echo, (212) 989-8411. Unix and conferencing. Log on as:
newuser. Local conferences. Charges: $19.95 ($13.75 students and seniors).
Voice help: (212) 255-3839.
New York. MindVox, (212) 988-5030. Log on as: guest. Local conferences.
Charges: $15 a month; $10 set-up fee for non-credit card accounts. Voice
help: (212) 988-5987.
New York. Panix, (212) 787-3100. Unix or menus. Log on as: newuser.
Charges: $10 a month or $100 a year; one-time $40 fee. Voice help: (212)
877-4854.
North Carolina
--------------
Charlotte. Vnet Internet Access, (704) 347-8839. Unix. Log on as: new.
Charges: $25 a month or $259 a year. Voice help: (704) 374-0779.
Triangle Research Park. Rock Concert Net. Call number below for modem
number. Unix. Charges: $30 a month; one-time $50 sign-up fee. Voice help:
(919) 248-1999.
Ohio
----
Cleveland. Cleveland Free-Net, (216) 368-3888. IRC. USA Today, Ohio and
US Supreme Court decisions, historical documents, many local conferences.
Full access (including access to e-mail) requires completion of a written
application. Charges: None. Voice help: (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. Charges: None.
Cleveland. Wariat, (216) 481-9436 (2400 baud); (216) 481-9425 (higher
speeds). Unix, menus. Charges: $35 a month or $200 for six months; $20
sign-up fee. Voice help: (216) 481-9428.
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. Charges: None. Voice help: (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.
Charges: None.
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. Charges:
None.
Ontario
-------
Toronto. UUNorth. Call voice number below for local dial-in numbers.
Unix. Charges: $25 for 20 hours a month of offpeak use. Voice help: (416)
225-8649.
Oregon
------
Beaverton. Techbook, (503) 220-0636 (2400 baud); (503) 220-1016 (higher
speeds). Unix. Charges: $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 baud), (503) 293-2059 (9600 baud).
Unix. Log on as: apply Charges: $6 a month for one hour per day.
Beaverton. Techbook, (503) 220-0636. Charges: $90 a year.
Pennsylvania
------------
Pittsburgh. Telerama, (412) 481-5302. Unix. Charges: $6 for 10 hours a
month, 60 cents for each additional hour.
Quebec
------
Montreal. Communications Accessibles Montreal, (514) 281-5601. Unix.
Charges: $25 a month. Voice help: (514) 923-2102.
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.
Charges: $10 a month; $50 for six months; $100 for a year.
Virginia
--------
Norfolk. Wyvern Technologies, (804) 627-1828 (Norfolk); (804-0662
(Peninsula). Unix. Charges: $15 a month or $144 a year; $10 sign-up fee.
Voice help: (804) 622-4289.
Washington, DC
--------------
The Meta Network. Call voice number below for local dial-in numbers.
Caucus conferencing, menus. Charges: $20 a month plus $15 sign-up fee.
Voice help: (703) 243-6622.
See also: listing under Baltimore, MD for Express Access.
Washington State
----------------
Seattle. Eskimo North, (206) 367-3837 (2400 baud), (206) 362-6731
(9600/14.4K baud). Charges: $10 a month or $96 a year. Voice help: (206)
367-7457.
Seattle. Halcyon, (206) 382-6245. Users can choose between menus and
Unix. Log on as: bbs. Charges: $10 a month for Usenet and e-mail; $15 a
month or $150 a year for these and other Internet services (FTP, IRC, telnet,
etc.). Voice help: (206) 426-9298
=================
If you don't live in a city 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.
Two 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.
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.
=========================
* Your computer connects with a public-access site and get gibberish on
your screen. If you are using parameters of 8-1-N, try 7-1-e (or
vice-versa). If that doesn't work, try another modem speed.
* 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 do 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.
* 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.
* Always remember, if you have a problem that just doesn't go away, ask!
Ask your system administrator, ask a friend, but ask. Somebody will
know what to do.
FYI:
====
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, *note Global Watering Hole::.).
*"Ah! Dear Watson, now we enter the mystic room of wizardry,
where even the most brilliant of all logic minds might fail."*
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
*"Welcome to the Pleasure Dome!"*
-- Frankie goes to Hollywood
***************
Electronic mail, or e-mail, is your personal connection to the world of
the Net.
Every one of the millions of people around the world who use the Net have
their own e-mail address. A growing number of "gateways" tie more and more
people to the Net every day. When you logged onto the host system you are
now using, it automatically generated an address for you, as well.
The basic concepts behind e-mail parallel those of regular mail. You send
mail to people at their particular addresses. In turn, they write to you at
your e-mailbox address. You can subscribe to the electronic equivalent of
magazines and newspapers. There is even electronic junk mail.
E-mail has two distinct advantages over regular mail. The most obvious is
speed. Instead of several days, your message can reach the other side of the
world in hours or even minutes (depending on where you drop off your mail and