Chapter 6). In the list that follows,

systems that let you access services through menus are noted; otherwise assume that when you connect, you'll be dumped right into Unix (a.k.a. MS-DOS with a college degree). 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 for modem number. $35 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. $10 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). 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 United States. 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 the voice number. $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 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 choose 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. 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.

DELAWARE

Middletown. Systems Solutions, (302) 378-1881. $20 setup fee; $25 a month for full Internet access. Voice: (800) 331-1386

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.

GEORGIA

Atlanta. Netcom, (303) 758-0101. See under Los Angeles, California, for information on rates.

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

Bedford. The Internet Access Company, (617) 275-0331. To log on, follow on-line prompts. $20 setup fee; $19.50 a month. Voice: (617) 275-2221.

Brookline. The World, (617) 739-9753. "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. Call voice number 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

Manchester. 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). Offers graphical interface for Windows for $90. 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

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. $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.

UNITED KINGDOM

London. Demon Internet Systems, 44 (0)81 343 4848. 12.50 setup fee; 10 a month or 132.50 a year. Voice: 44 (0)81 349 0063

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 services offer access through national data networks such as the CompuServe Packet Network and SprintNet, 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. Four 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 Online -- only it now offers subscribers access to Internet services. Delphi 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. NovX Systems Integration, based in Seattle, Washington, offers full Internet access through an 800 number reachable across the United States. There is a $24.95 setup fee, in addition to a monthly fee of $19.95 and a $10.5 hourly charge. For more information, call (206) 447-0800.

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 recognized 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 choose 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. You'll find numerous documents about the Internet, its history and its resources in the pub/Net_info directory on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's FTP server (see chapter 7 to decipher this).