1996 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
Connecting Yourself to the Internet - ISP, WWW, and other TLA's to Get You Started
Steven B. Nelson, MS, RRT Wednesday, November 6, 1996
The Internet is something that everyone has been told that they need, but few have figured out why. There is a lot of confusion about what the Internet actually comprises. It is simply a network of computers connected together, each containing information available to the public. Four things are required to get access to the Internet: a computer, a modem, an access provider, and software. The minimum requirements include a computer with a graphical user interface, 4 megabytes of memory, a modem capable of at least 19k bits/sec and a software package commonly called a browser. The connection from your computer to the network is done through an access/service provider. Providers include commercial services like CompuServe and Prodigy, local services like Unicom and UUNet, and community-based Freenets like Columbia, MO and Tallahassee, FL. Once connected, there are a number of services to help locate information anywhere in the world. Additional features include electronic mail, network news, software repositories and hypertext links using protocols like Lynx, Gopher and WWW.