From: Grover.Partee@f58.n343.z1.fidonet.org (Grover Partee)
Newsgroups: k12.ed.science
Subject: Mars
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 92 14:50:13 PST
Organization: FidoNet node 1:343/58 - Silver Lake, Everett WA

===========================================================================
 BBS: Silver Lake BBS
Date: 10-01-92 (20:09)             Number: 12802
From: SHAWN WYANT                  Refer#: 12797
  To: JAMES AITCHISON               Recvd: NO
Subj: MARS                           Conf: (63) K12_SCI_ED
SW> What is internet and how
SW> could I get to use it?
Internet is a network of computers - primarily "big iron" - VAX &
such.  It was originally and still is primarily funded by universities
(& research institutes) and some government agencies - principally the
Dept of Defense.  However, lots of private companies are in the net as
well because of their grants or contracts and/or with "gateways."

Where/how to best get access depends upon what you want to do.
Internet has three "flavors" or functionalities: email, remote log-in
and ftp.  "ftp" is Internet's way of saying file download; it stands
for "file transfer protocol."  Email is the easiest as lots of
commercial operations provide an Internet gateway. The problem with a
gateway is that email is *all* you get.  To get the remote log-in and
ftp functions you have to be connected to a "genuine" internet site.
The easiest (and cheapest!) way to do that is through a nearby
university.  Try the School of Education first (if you are a teacher.)
If that gets you nowhere, you can get access from a commercial
service.  You appear to be dialing in from near Muskegon, MI, since
your "origin line" is:

SW> * Origin: K12 Educator, Muskegon, MI, 616-722-8200 (1:228/65)

Boy, are you lucky; you have choices!  If you can't get a free account
at a university and don't like Compuserve, AT&T Mail, MCI Mail or
Sprintmail (formerly Telemail), you might contact MSEN (Michigan State
Enterprise Network), 628 Brooks Ave, Ann Arbor 48103, phone
313-741-1120 offers email for $20/mo for up to 20 hrs or $5/mo + $2/hr
USENET (discussion groups - like Fidonet echos) feeds cost $30/mo +
$1/hr. Or you can try MICHNET (Merit Network), 1901 Hubbard, Pod G,
Ann Arbor 48109-2016, phone 313-936-3000.  They offer unlimited email
for $35/mo but cannot give you USENET feeds.

Even without USENET feeds, there are on the Internet a lot (and I do
mean a *lot*) of discussion groups operating as "lists."  A list is a
file of email addresses.  When a message is sent to the list, a Unix
program called LISTSERV makes copies of the message and emails it to
everyone in the list!  You can get in on this fun and games by simply
sending a message consisting of the word SUBSCRIBE to the list.
LISTSERV looks at the message header, pulls out your email address and
adds it to the list.

BTW, Fidonet is accessible from Internet.  Your Internet/Fidonet
address would be SHAWN WYANT@f65.n228.z1@fidonet.org  (Look at the
Fidonet address at the end of the origin line I quoted above and
you'll see how I derived that address.  Clever, huh?)  I think it's
also possible to email from a Fidonet board into the Internet, but
it's probably not the sort of thing your sysop wants everybody to do
... or even to think about. :)

I hope this helps you with at least your preliminary explorations.  I
know *some* of it but I have to admit I stole much of it from an
excellent article in the October 92 "Puget Sound Computer User" by
Steven M. Deyo.  The paper is free and they will probably mail you a
copy if you ask nicely.  Their address is:
   KFH Publications, Inc.
   3530 Bagley Ave N
   Seattle, WA  98103
Or, you could call their Bulletin Board at 206-547-2393 and download
the article.  Good luck!


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