1.2 GO!

 
Once, only people who studied or worked at an institution directly tied 
to the Net could connect to the world.  Today, though, an ever-growing 
number of "public-access" systems provide access for everybody.  These 
systems can now be found in most metropolitan areas (at least in North 
America) several states, and there are several companies a couple of 
sites that can provide access across the country. 
     There are two basic kinds of these host systems.  One provides what 
is known as a dial-up account.  You'll need a basic communications 
program (the kind that typically comes with your modem) to connect.  Once 
on, your computer's brain essentially goes to sleep -- virtually all of 
your interaction with the Internet will be via programs on your host 
system.

The other is known as a SLIP or PPP provider (SLIP and PPP are two types 
of communications standards for connecting to the Internet).  This sort 
of host acts mainly as a gateway to your own computer.  it passes 
information (e-mail, say, or graphics) to your computer, which then has 
to figure out what to do with it.  This is where the all-in-one programs 
mentioned earlier come in (and we'll talk a bit more about them in 
chapter 9). 

Some sites are run by for-profit companies; others by non-profit 
organizations.  Some of these public-access, or host, systems, are free 
of charge.  Others charge a monthly or yearly fee for unlimited access.  
And a few charge by the hour. Systems that charge for access will usually 
let you sign up online with a credit card.  Some also let you set up a 
billing system if you'd rather pay by check. 

But cost should be only one consideration in choosing a host system, 
especially if you live in an area with more than one provider.  Most 
systems let you look around before you sign up.  What is the range of 
each of their services?  How easy is each to use? What kind of support or 
help can you get from the system administrators? 

The last two questions are particularly important because many     
systems provide no user interface at all; when you connect, you are 
dumped right into the Unix operating system.  If you're already familiar 
with Unix, or you want to learn how to use it, these systems offer 
phenomenal power -- in addition to Net access, most also let you tap into 
the power of Unix to do everything from compiling your own programs to 
playing online games. 

But if you don't want to have to learn Unix, there are other public-
access systems that work through menus (just like the ones in 
restaurants; you are shown a list of choices and then you make your 
selection of what you want), or which provide a "user interface" that is 
easier to figure out than the ever cryptic Unix (and fortunately, even on 
unix systems, there are ways to minimize your exposure to its commands, 
as we'll see in later chapters). Some systems also have their own unique 
local services, ranging from extensive conferences to large file 
libraries.