Date: Sat, 25 Jun 1994 07:00:35 -1000 From: crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) Message-Id: <2uhnrj$djn@kelly.teleport.com> Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 Subject: Digital Kite v2.0 Thank you everyone for your input on the article that I posted on Internet access for Kite Flyers. I have rewritten the article using many, if not all of your suggestions. For those of you that requested an updated copy, please email me at: crowell@teleport.com Ask for _The Digital Kite 2.0_, I will email a copy back. carl -- crowell@teleport.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-14400, N81) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 26 Jun 1994 13:45:13 -1000 From: crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) Message-Id: <2ul3u9$e57@kelly.teleport.com> Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 Subject: Re: Digital Kite v2.0 As I looked though the pages of requests.. I decided that I would go ahead and post the article. If you would like to use this in your newsletter, email me with a request. Include the name of the nesletter and the nature. Here goes, as always, feel free to critique: The Digital Kite As we go along the highways and the byways of America, and the world for that matter, more and more the traffic is not on the roads that crisscross our landscape, but in the sky, at the speed of light, often beyond our very comprehension. We see it in the newspapers, and we see it on T.V. live at five. People careening down the information superhighway, no speed limits, not even the shell of a car to protect our fragile minds, a phone, and a computer, loose upon the world, what have we come to. Kicking and screaming, I found myself sucked into the vortex of email, networking and something called telnet. But my mind is put at ease, because through all of the blinking lights, and hype, I have found a new place and way to fly my kite. A digital kite that floats on a binary breeze 186,000 miles per second. It is called _rec.kites_, and it is a place for people from all over the world to meet, as often as they wish, and they all share a passion for kites. But getting there can be a problem. If you want to go East in America, you simply get on an interstate highway that ends in an odd number and drive to the sunrise. Road signs abound. Anytime you are hungry, there are plenty, some would say too many, signs not only telling you where you can eat, but why you should eat there. You can drive for years, but you will never see an exit or sign post that reads, _Information Superhighway, Five Miles_. The town of _rec.kites_, where everyone loves a breeze, is not on a map, and you do not drive your car to get there. You _dial up_ and _log on_, you _chat_ and _post_, and your world will never be the same. Poetics aside, rec.kites can be found on a small part of what is called The Internet. The Internet is a giant web of networked networks that reaches all corners of the globe. To join it, your computer will need to join with a network that is on the Internet. You will need a computer and a modem, or access to a computer and a modem. If you use a computer at work, you may already have access. Find out if your company is on the Internet, most companies are, all should be. If you are in college, most colleges provide their students free access to the Internet. Talk to your college computer department and see what it would take for you to get on the Internet. If you cannot gain access though work, or school, you will probably have to buy access. Having access to the Internet is not always cheap and easy. It can run $10.00 to $20.00 per month, and in some areas more. It will depend on the type of service you want and are willing to pay for. Like cable T.V., you may pay extra for the really good channels, but if you just want a clear picture, you can often get by with minimal charge. In North America, two major providers of Internet access are Delphi and America Online. To reach Delphi, use your modem to call 1.800.365.4636 and when asked for your name, type: JoinDelphi, for your password type: AMS46. Follow the instructions, and you well be provided with a 5 hour trial. Look around and see how you like it. Another nation wide service provider is America Online. To reach them, dial 1.800.827.6364 voice. They will send you a free trial membership and 10 hours of time on line to see if it is something that you are interested in. For beginners, this may be the best option. Many people do not like the limitations of the America Online service, but they are the most user friendly service provider that I have found, and a good place to start. Yet another option is to gain access through an independent provider. Most metropolitan areas of size have a provider. It may take some effort to find them, they don't usually run adds on T.V. Ask your computer store and friends if they know of a local provider. Plug in, dial up, and log on. Once you are on the Internet, you will need to look for Usenet, or the area with news groups. Kites do not have any special place in the digital world, we share it with everyone else. _rec.kites_ is one of over 7000 areas where topics are discussed. It may seem daunting, but it is not that hard a place to find. Look for the word KITE, and you will not have to look long. Like moving to a new neighborhood, it will be strange and at times difficult. Internet is a very unique community, and not all of it is easy to understand. But in time you will settle in, make friends, and become a comfortable citizen of rec.kites, and your life before moving in will fade and become a memory and you will wonder how you were able to live anywhere else. Either way, when you get there, look me up, I live at: crowell@teleport.com Remember, when your at rec.kites, you always know where your @. Recommended reading for more information: _Connecting To The Internet_, by Susan Estrada. O'Reilly & Associates. _The Whole Internet_, Ed Krol. O'Reilly & Associates. _The Internet Complete Reference_, Harley Hahn & Rick Stout. Osborne McGraw Hill carl ________________ Leader: Flying a digital kite on a binary breeze in the community of rec.kites. The Internet is the linking of computers all over the world, and you can be a part of it, and rec.kites, if you use your computer to access a service that provides access to the Internet. This may seem confusing, but it really doesnUt have to be. ________________ For local redistribution, it would be nice to include local providers of service. Copyright 1994 by Carl Crowell 2620 S.W. Moss Portland, OR 97219 U.S.A. 503.452.7403 email: crowell@teleport.com enjoy -- crowell@teleport.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-14400, N81) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 08:01:03 -1000 From: bugjon@aol.com (BUGJON) Message-Id: <2un44v$lpb@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Digital Kite v2.0 In article <2ul3u9$e57@kelly.teleport.com>, crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) writes: Nice Carl, Why don't you send a copy of Digital Kite 2.0 to Daniel Prentiss for publication in American Kite. I'm sure that he would love to have it. Jon = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =