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Chapter 1:  SETTING UP AND JACKING IN




1.1  READY, SET ...

     The world is just a phone call away.  With a computer and modem, 
you'll be able to connect to the Internet, the world's largest computer 
network (and if you're lucky, you won't even need the modem; many 
colleges and companies now give their students or employees direct access 
to the Internet).
     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 "bps rate" or bits per second.  One bps means 
the modem can transfer roughly one bit per second; the greater the 
bps 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-bps modem for well under $60 -- and most now 
come with the ability to handle fax messages as well.  At prices that now 
start around $150, you can buy a modem that can transfer data at 14,400 
bps (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 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 a prime Internet 
directive:  "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 come "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) your 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 bps rate.  If changing the protocols doesn't work, try using 
another bps 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. 
     There are the basics.  Now on to the Net!


1.2 GO!

 
     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. 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. 
     But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host 
system, especially if you live in an area with more than one provider.  
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 many     
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. 


1.3  PUBLIC-ACCESS INTERNET PROVIDERS

 
     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 
2 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 hundreds 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. 
 
     However, even on systems that do not provide these services 
directly, you will be able to use a number of them through telnet (see 
Chapter 6 for more information on telnet).   In the list that follows, 
systems that let you access services through menus (similar to those in 
restaurants -- you pick what you want from a list) are noted; otherwise 
assume that when you connect, you'll be dumped right into Unix (a.k.a. 
MS-DOS with a college degree).  Any unique features of a given system are 
noted. Several of these sites are available nationwide through national 
data networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and SprintNet. 
     Please note that all listed charges are subject to change.  Many 
sites require new or prospective users to log on a particular way on 
their first call; this list provides the name you'll use in such cases.

ALABAMA

     Huntsville.  Nuance.  Call voice number below for modem number. 
setup; $25 a month. 
     Voice: (205) 533-4296.
      
ALASKA

     Anchorage.  University of Alaska Southeast, Tundra Services, (907) 
789-1314; has local dial-in service in several other cities. $20 a month. 
     Voice: (907) 465-6453. 

ALBERTA
 
     Edmonton.  PUCNet Computer Connections, (403) 484-5640. Log 
on as: guest. $0 setup fee; $25 for 20 hours a month plus $6.25 an hour 
for access to ftp and telnet.
     Voice: (403) 448-1901.
 
ARIZONA

     Tucson.  Data Basics, (602) 721-5887. $25 a month or $180 a year.  
     Voice: (602) 721-1988. 

     Phoenix/Tucson.  Internet Direct, (602) 274-9600 (Phoenix); (602) 
321-9600 (Tucson).  QWK offline reader. Log on as: guest. $20 a month. 
     Voice: (602) 274-0100 (Phoenix); (602) 324-0100 (Tucson). 

BRITISH COLUMBIA

     Victoria  Victoria Free-Net, (604) 595-2300.  Menus.  Access to all 
features requires completion of a written form.  Users can "link" to 
other Free-Net systems in Canada and the U.S. Free. Log on as: guest
     Voice: (604) 389-6026.

CALIFORNIA            
 
     Berkeley.  Holonet. Menus. For free trial, modem number is (510) 
704-1058. For information or local numbers, call number below. $60 a year 
for local access, $2 an hour during offpeak hours. 
     Voice:  (510) 704-0160. 
 
     Cupertino.  Portal.  Both Unix and menus.  (408) 725-0561 (2400 
bps); (408) 973-8091 (9600/14,400 bps). $19.95 setup fee, $19.95 a month.
     Voice: (408) 973-9111.
                                                                
     Irvine. Dial N' CERF.  See under San Diego.
 
     Los Angeles/Orange County.  Kaiwan Public Access Internet, (714) 
539-5726; (310) 527-7358.  $15 signup; $11 a month (credit card).
     Voice: (714) 638-2139.

     Los Angeles. Dial N' CERF.  See under San Diego.
 
     Oakland. Dial N' CERF.  See under San Diego.

     Pasadena. Dial N' CERF  See under San Diego.

     Palo Alto.  Institute for Global Communications., (415) 322-0284.  
Unix.  Local conferences on environmental/peace issues. Log on as: new. 
$10 a month and $3 an hour after first hour. 
     Voice: (415) 442-0220.

     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, Pasadena  and Irvine.  For more information, call voice 
(800) 876-CERF or (619) 534-5087.  $50 setup fee; $20 a month plus $5 an 
hour ($3 on weekends).
     Voice: (800) 876-2373.

     San Diego.  CTS Network Services, (619) 637-3660. Log on as: 
help. $15 set-up fee, monthly fee of $10 to $23 depending on services 
used. 
     Voice: (619) 637-3637.
     
     San Diego.  Cyberspace Station, (619) 634-1376.  Unix.  Log on as: 
guest.
     Charges: $10 sign-up fee; $15 a month or $60 for six months.

     San Francisco.  Pathways, call voice number below for number. 
Menus. $25 setup fee; $8 a month and $3 an hour.       
     Voice: (415) 346-4188.

     San Jose. Netcom, (510) 865-9004 or 426-6610; (408) 241-9760; 
(415) 424-0131, up to 9600 bps. Unix.  Maintains archives of Usenet 
postings.  Log on as: guest. $15 startup 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: (408) 554-UNIX.                           
 
     San Jose.  A2i, (408) 293-9010. Log on as: guest. $20 a month; $45 
for three months; $72 for six months. 
 
     Sausalito.  The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), (415) 332-
6106. 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. $15 a month 
plus $2 an hour.  Access through the nationwide CompuServe Packet Network 
available for another $4.50 an hour. 
     Voice: (415) 332-4335.  Recorded message about the system's 
current status: (800) 326-8354 (continental U.S. only).
 
COLORADO
 
     Colorado Springs/Denver. CNS, (719) 570-1700 (Colorado Springs); 
(303) 758-2656 (Denver).  Local calendar listings and ski and stock 
reports. Users can chose between menus or Unix. Log on as: new.  $35 
setup fee; $2.75 an hour (minimum fee of $10 a month). 
     Voice: (719) 592-1240

     Colorado Springs.  Old Colorado City Communications, (719) 632-
4111.  Log on as: newuser. $25 a month.
     Voice: (719) 632-4848.

     Denver.  Denver Free-Net, (303) 270-4865.  Menus.  Access to all 
services requires completion of a written form.  Users can "link" to 
other Free-Net systems across the country.  Free.  Log on as: guest. 

     Golden.  Colorado SuperNet.  Unix.  E-mail to fax service. 
Available only to Colorado residents. Local dial-in numbers available in 
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 
"citizen of Cyberspace."  It will seem like the most natural thing in 
the world.   
     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.  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.  
     Stay and contribute.  The Net will be richer for it -- and so will 
you.        


1.7  WHEN THINGS GO WRONG 
 
     * 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 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.  
     * 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.


1.8  FYI


     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 
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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