********** 11/25/96 10:12 PM Begin logging The Patio. Alexis | what is going on inhere this evening..... Mike | Hi Mike | Tonignts Conference is... Mike | is on the Internet: Choosing an Access Provider Alexis | oh i see... Alexis | well i guess it will be helpful to many... Mike | I'm here to answer questions,comments,etc. Mike | Yes Mike | Many providers offer a host of services Alexis | are you a new appointed staff member....? Alexis | well.. i hope you all have fun.. here this evening. Mike | Yes a newly appointed Alexis | good for you... Mike | thanks Stephanie | good evening. Mike | There seems to be an Internet Access battle among | many Internet Providers Alexis | well.. i better go work out. before it gets to | late... this is good having conferences to Alexis | help others select an iinternet provider.. Mike | Hello Stephanie! Tonight topic: The Internet: | Choosing an Access Provider Alexis | bye...... Mike | Thanks Alexis Mike | bye Stephanie | hi MIKE. Lorenzo222 | Hello all Mike | I was saying that choosing an Access Provider can | be a tough Decision. Hi Mike | Lorenzo! Mike | Tonight's topic: The Internet: Choosing an Access | Provider. Mike | Most provider provide many of the KEY Elements of | the Internet.. Mike | Electronic Mail can be found everywhere... Mike | Compuserve Mike | America Online Mike | Prodigy Mike | The World Wide Web can also be found on these... Mike | services as well as NEW services springing up... Mike | The Microsoft Network... Mike | AT&T Worldnet.. Mike | MCI,etc. Mike | The Price?... Mike | It's almost the same as the following has | happened... Mike | The services are realizing that... Mike | People want their Internet Access... Mike | Now... Mike | and they don't want to have to look at the clock... Mike | every minute... Mike | so you have... Mike | UNLIMITED Internet Access... Mike | With this you can use the Internet all you want for | ... Mike | on set price.. Mike | The average is $20 per month Mike | Compuserve's Sprynet Division handles the Internet | Access here... Mike | Here you will pay I believe a fixed price just for | Internet Accesss Mike | tot he web,etc. Mike | As your Internet needs grow... Mike | for example you want to CREATE... Mike | World Wide Web Pages... Mike | You will need to examine closely what the... Mike | Internet Provider is offering... Mike | BEFORE you signup you'll need to ask... Mike | Yes, I know you offer $20 for unlimited access.. Mike | BUT, can I create my own World Mike | Wide Web Pages? Mike | On Compuserve... Mike | You'll need to use... Mike | the Home Page Wizard.. Mike | GO HPWIZ... Mike | this will give you the software needed for Web | Creation... Mike | On America Online... Mike | You'll need to KEYWORD: MYPLACE... Mike | This will allow you to upload documents for | creating a World Wide Web Page... Mike | NOTICE I said UPLOAD... Mike | AOL is changing it's format... Mike | You will need to know to use... Mike | Their Home Page Pulisher... Mike | just as you would use Compuserv's Home Page | Wizard... Mike | to create Pages... Mike | to be displayed on the Web... Mike | by UPLOADING them to either Compuserve or AOL... Mike | Some Internet Service Providers... Mike | differ from Compuserve & AOL in that... Mike | their is no "in house" Home Page Creation Tool... Lorenzo222 | Mike is there a file size limitation for either AOL | or CompuServe? Mike | You'll need to create the pages... Mike | using your own. Mike | Yes Lorezo Good Question (Feel free all to jump in | at any point)... Mike | Lorenzo.. Mike | On AOL you have... Mike | 2 megs PER screen name Mike | On CIS I believe it's 1 or 2 meg Mike | Once you GO HPWIZ on CIS... Mike | you'll be given the exact amount of space in the | Questions area I believe. Mike | So when choosing a provider... Mike | You'll need to decide if you want to just... Mike | Suft the Web or... Mike | Surf AND Create your own Web Pages... Mike | The former can be found... Mike | amongst most providers.. Stephanie | i have a question....why do you think CIS haven't | gone Stephanie | unlimited...will they be able to survive now that | AOL is Stephanie | offering unlimited access? Mike | CIS,AOL,Prodigy,AT&T,MCI,etc. Mike | While the latter causes AT&T, MCI and others to | drop out of the race. Good Mike | Question Stephanie... Mike | CIS has given the unlimited access to their Sprynet | Division... Mike | So you'll need to get the Unlimited via Sprynet | which is owned by CIS. Here is Mike | what I think about that... Lorenzo222 | From what I hear CIS is now gearing their operation | toward the business market Mike | I believe CIS is doing like MSN... Mike | Their are gradually moving to a service that can be | totally accessed via the Mike | Internet. So eventually Sprynet will give you full | CIS Access. Mike | Agreed Lorenzo Mike | If you are using CIS 3.0... Stephanie | sorry i am confused. Mike | You will notice that many of the areas are already | on the Web... Mike | When you try to access the Chat Areas here on CIS | you are actually taken to web Mike | locations Stephanie | what do you mean by moving to a service that can be Stephanie | totally accessed via the net? Mike | No prob Stephanie, just ask away.. Mike | I mean this... Mike | Let's look at MSN.... Stephanie | how does that affect the cost? Mike | MSN is currently accessed just as you access CIS, | BUT... Mike | If you can NOW access MSN using any Internet | Connection... Mike | It will save cost wise... Mike | If you already have an Internet Access provider. | AOL is doing the same thing Mike | like this... Mike | AOL in December will over $20 unlimted access.. Mike | BUT if you already have an Internet Access | Provider... Mike | You can still log into AOL via their special plan | of $9.95 unlimited... Mike | The outside access works like this... Mike | here on CIS you really access the NET... Mike | when you click on the GLOBE Turning... Mike | to get Web Sites... Mike | This takes you to the Global Internet Area... Mike | You are now connected (after clicking the globe)... Mike | to Web Sites and other places via the special CIS | Internet Connection.. Mike | a term is used called (TCP/IP)... Mike | With the special access via CIS's TCP/IP you will... Mike | be able to access AOL, while using the Compuserve | account... Lorenzo222 | Now that would be great ! Mike | You would click on the Globe for Web Access.. Mike | and then choose http://AOL/ or similar Mike | For users in this case.... Mike | AOL is saying... Mike | OK you already have a Compuserve Account and can... Mike | click on a globe to get to the outside Internet | (TCP/IP).. Mike | so you don't need to pay... Mike | AOL's unlimted $20 for Net access... Lorenzo222 | Mike how do you think IRC will effect the online | services? Mike | You really on need access to AOL's services NOT on | the Global Net. For that you Mike | need only pay AOL $9.95 per month. Mike | IRC will do wonders Lonrenzo... Mike | it will allow for Worldwide CHAT Conferences. Mike | Stephanie does it make a "little" more sense now? Mike | IRC allow for Chatting with persons all over , | BUT... Mike | again, in Choosing an Access Provider you MUST | ASK... Mike | "Do you provide IRC Access", unfortunately.. Mike | a lot of the Major Provider don't have IRC... Mike | Not AOL, Not CIS,etc... Mike | For IRC you need to go to an ... Stephanie | well MIKE to be honest no...LOL...but i will keep | reading. Lorenzo222 | LOL Mike | Internet Provider giving basically just Internet | Access and again inquire. Ok Mike | Steph... Mike | LOL I'm learning MUCH myself still. Mike | Most important Steph is this... Mike | Many Online Services Provide services that... Mike | are unique to themselves... Mike | You can't GO AFRO on AOL or MSN. Only on CIS... Mike | You can Keyword NetNoir on CIS or MSN only on AOL... Mike | BUT when it comes to certain Web Sites..like Black | Enterpise... Stephanie | okay i know that. MIKE Mike | You go use the Web Browswer of either services and | get there... Mike | The Services AOL,MSN and CIS are trying to move | their regular "in house" Mike | services... Mike | like our GO AFRO etc.. into Internet Based | services.. Stephanie | oh okay didn't know that....but why should one want | CIS if Stephanie | you can have unlimited time on AOL ? Mike | so no mattter where you are you key in something | like "http:CIS:afro" or Mike | "http:AOL:netoir"... Mike | thus making it accessible all over the Internet Mike | It's a preference thing Steph... Mike | Some just like the services of one over the other. | Or just certain features... Stephanie | okay...so why would one even want CIS at all if you | can Stephanie | access areas, like AFRO, from the net? Mike | I can't download Forum messages on AOL, but I can | on CIS. One example Lorenzo222 | Steph you cant download the message boards on AOL | which is what I like about CompServe Mike | Steph, that's it you can't access them from the Net | yet. That's where I believe Mike | we are moving. We're NOT there yet. Lorenzo222 | I think the users here are a little more mature also Stephanie | oh okay Mike | I suspect one day we will be there Stephanie | i agree LORENZO. Lorenzo222 | yes I mean *old* Steph : ) Mike | MSN has changed their Forum areas to be accessible | via the Interenet very Mike | uniquely... Mike | The have made them UseNet News groups... Mike | So you can access them just like reading | Newsgroups, BUT... Mike | when you go to access the Forums via Newsgroups, | you are asked for your... Mike | MSN Account I.D. so there is a limit still.... Lorenzo222 | are they monitored Mike? Mike | again only sort of moving into the global arena. Mike | Yes the MSN forums that are now UseNet Newsgroups | are monitored by the same Mike | people who monitored the MSN Forum BEFORE it | converted to a Newsgroup Stephanie | LOL..LORENZO Mike | eventually the BEFORE part of the Forum will | disappear completely and there Mike | will only be the Newsgroup Mike | As mentioned choosing an Access provider depends | much on the type of Internet Mike | Access you want.... Mike | Wether Email, Web, Web & Designs, IRC,etc. ... Mike | you must ASK Mike | Their are other "tools of the Net".... Mike | GOPHER, WHOIS,etc.... Lorenzo222 | Mike I have a question Darren | ??? Mike | These are what are called often, "Clients" that can | GET info from the bigger Mike | Net machines who "dish it out" and are called | "Servers" hence the term Mike | Client/Server Mike | Sure ask away. Hi Darren! Lorenzo222 | Can you explain telnet, I see the term often but | don't know what it means Mike | Topic: Internet: Access Providers Darren | what is the typical access Darren | or service Darren | provided by isp's outside of cis Darren | and aol Mike | Good Question Lorenzo.... (Darrent typical is: | Email & Web Surfing)... Mike | ah.... Mike | typica by other isp's... Mike | out side of CIS & AOL get to my answer to Lorenzo | coming up... Mike | Typical is actually a whole lot... Mike | Email,Web,Creation,IRC, and Telnet... Mike | Telnet Allows.. Mike | you to access other online services... Mike | lets look at an "outside" provider widely known | called Netcom... Mike | Netcom will most likely use Telnet which is another | Client (program used to GET Mike | info).. Mike | You can on Netcom use the Telnet Client and type in | an address where you want Mike | to go... Mike | With Telnet you are actually logging into another | service or site... Mike | You can Telnet to Compuserve... Mike | When you type Telnet on say Netcom's Service and | choose.. Mike | Compuserve you are presented with the... Mike | Enter User I.D. and Password you are accustomed to | seeing here on CIS... Mike | after validation you can surf CIS just as if you | had dialed into your local Mike | phone line. Mike | Telnet is powerful! Darren | quite Lorenzo222 | do you get graphics also or just text?? Mike | A powerful Client that is but AGAIN.. you must ASK | does the ISP (Internet Mike | Service Provider) have is part of the Unlimited | Access Mike | Telnet is mostly TEXT... Mike | you will only see text from what I have seen... Darren | From my office during the day.... Lorenzo222 | okay, but you have access to the information if I'm | understanding you Mike | So telnet to CIS will only get you services that | are accessible the CIS ASCII Mike | area which as you know are disappearing. Darren | i often telnet to compuserve and my isp Mike | Yes and those areas that are accessed via telnet... | such as... Mike | The governements Info database called FED World Mike | Good Darren. It's very useful. I've telnetted to | CIS as well. Lorenzo222 | Is that how hackers access system? Lorenzo222 | systems Darren | Well sometimes it is the only way Mike | I would think so Lorenzo. It being text based I | think has a little to do with Mike | it. Not much though. Darren | i can access CIS Mike... Mike | You need to know from an Information Provider not | only the Email & Web but the Mike | Clients (etc. Telnet,Gopher,IRC) Mike | Well we're about to wrap up. I would hope that this | session has be informative Mike | to all. Next week (Monday Night) we'll tackle | another Net topic Lorenzo222 | okay thanks again Mike Mike | Sure Lorenzo. Glad to assist Mike | Check Section 12 here in the Forum for more info Mike | Nite all! Darren | mike i will have to get you to do some of my | training sessions in NJ! Mike | Hehehehehe! Of course! Darren | Lorenzo I am going to be online for a little while | longer ********** 11/25/96 11:13 PM End logging The Patio.