November '95 Meeting Report

Making Your Way Online
Speaker: Whitney Quesenbery

by Craig Cardimon, Data Analyst
Knowledge Express Data Systems (Berwyn, Pennsylvania)

At the November meeting, Whitney Quesenbery, a technical projects manager at Cognetics Corp. in Princeton Junction, NJ, discussed online services--especially the issues involved in choosing an online service provider.

Why You Should Be Online

Being online gives you access to all sorts of wonderful things--including e-mail, entertainment and news, children's education and entertainment sites, hobbies and special interest sites, your own web site, software support, and professional networking and information. You can also use it to do research, using Telnet to access library catalogs and other databases.

Types of Online Services

• Independent services with gateways to the Internet include CompuServe, America Online, Prodigy, GEnie (which GE is selling), Microsoft Network, Delphi, and eWorld (Mac only).
• Large, national Internet service providers (ISPs), which include Netcom, PSI, Concentric Research (UUNet), and GNN.
• Regional Internet services providers, including VoiceNet in the Delaware Valley area, New Jersey Computer Connection (NJCC) in the Trenton area, and Pipeline in the New York City area.

Access Software

All you really need to connect to the Internet is a TCP/IP package and a dialer. To surf the World-Wide Web and e-mail your friends, however, you do need other software. This software is available in three ways:

• As a proprietary tool unique to the private service that offers it, such as America Online or Compuserve
• As an integrated suite, giving you the advantages of a single access program, but useful on many different services
• As individual components, each used for just one purpose, such as the Netscape Navigator Web Browser and Eudora mail program

Special Features

Each of the large service providers offers different things to get you to sign on. Issues to consider can include special content, access software, automatic access, offline services, WinSock compliance (for Windows users), and a way to create a personal Web page.

Costs

Most services have startup fees, which range from just the price of the software to a $100+ processing fee. And before you switch services, remember that e-mail is not forwarded--your e-mail address changes every time you switch.

Chapter Business

• Marian Shoaf, STC-PMC Treasurer, said she is trying to gain tax-exempt status for the chapter.
• Questions were raised about the status of the Job Hotline. Its listings are, apparently, somewhat out of date, and the immediacy of this information is sorely missed, especially by freelancers and independent contractors.
• Member Joe Broderick is asking to hear from anyone interested in FrameMaker. You can contact Joe by phone at (215) 233-8916, or by e-mail at joe@cellerity.com.

Copyright 1995 STC Philadelphia Metro Chapter
The Meeting Reports editor is Emily Skarzenski.

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