This week we'll step back a few clicks and review some real basics. Although it may seem daunting, the Internet is nothing more than a bunch of computers that can communicate with each other (in other words, a network). These computers are located throughout the globe. The Internet is used to exchange information. This information may be in the form of: written words graphics sounds video To get access to this information, in most cases you'll need: A computer with a modem. You also need to find a company that provides access to the Internet. There are three major types of companies that provide this access service: On-Line Services Commercial Services Local Internet Service Providers (or ISP's) Examples of ononline services are: (Such as AOL, Prodigy, and Compuserve) Examples of commercial services are: (Such as AT&T, MCI, and Netcom) Examples of Local Internet Service Providers are: LunaWeb, ICS, or WorldSpice These used to be called IAP's or Internet Access Providers Some people call them Local Access Providers When you get access, this lets you browse (A.K.A. "surf") the Internet's World Wide Web. I say Internet's WWW because remember the Internet has many parts, or layers (actually protocols). One of those "layers" is the WWW. It's the newest layer (or protocol) that everybody is talking about. Most companies that provide access also provide you with an email account and access to newsgroups. Some companies also provide you with disk space on their computers for building your own personal webpage. But, this is not a given. If you're out shopping around for access, be sure to ask these specifics. Thanks for tunin' in ! Dave

InternetTalk