A brief history of the Internet is presented followed by a description of how one gains access to the Internet. A special Focus on the Internet section discusses how the Long Term Ecological Research Program is using the Internet to foster collaboration between program researchers. If you're connecting from a school or business, ask your computer system administrator how you get your office computer connected to the Internet. If you're connecting from home, you'll need to find an Internet service provider. Internet service providers are popping up all over the place.
Most large communities have an Internet provider.
Check in from time to time as new resources are being added. The Earth Online Web site has one of the most extensive lists of online geoscience references on the Internet, and we're adding more each month. Offline browsing can pay big dividends in finding online resources. Peruse the professional journals in your area of interest to see what others are doing on the Internet. Some journals routinely publish articles about new online resources.