A. My preference is the local access providers. I have tried America Online and now am using Connect International, a service in San Antonio which also has "rural" numbers to be able to connect without a long distance charge. At the moment, I have unlimited access to the Internet in terms of hours that I can be online. It mostly depends on your needs as to if you should go with a service like AOL or a local provider.
Q.What is a "browser?" What does it do? Where can I get one?
A.A browser is software that helps you to "navigate" the World Wide Web or Internet. You can access your e-mail or newsgroups in most good browsers. The 2 that I consider the best right now are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. You can usually obtain one of the browsers when you sign up for Internet Service, most providers of that service send you the software you need to get started.
Q.What is e-mail?
A.Email is a means of communicating almost instantly with anyone in the world, you can type a letter, send files in many cases, send important information (though you have to be aware that it's not for anything classified as "secret") and it gets where it"s going very quickly. A friend has a cousin in Australia and we sent him a short note and it was there and a reply was back the next day, though it could have been much sooner depending on how often a person checks their e-mail. This article was written and sent to Gloria via e-mail from my home. All you need is an "address". Mine is daugh@connecti.com and it has to be exact when you address the mail to someone, there are so many people using the e-mail feature these days. If you have access to the Internet already and have any questions that I can help with, I'll be happy to try and answer whatever I can, just "e-mail" me anytime.
Q.What can I expect to find in "chat areas on the Internet?
A.You can find people discussing almost any subject you can imagine. For instance, my experience with the chat area has been using software called "Netscape Chat" which is available for downloading for free from the Netscape home page. Netscape Navigator is also available there and you will need it in order to use the Chat Software. Netscape Chat is what is known as a "plug-in" which just means it's something that will work with other software. I have been in the chat areas for only a short time and have already had discussions with people from all over the world, such as Singapore, Okinawa, Hawaii, Canada and many other places. People take turns typing in their comments or questions on whatever the topic of discussion is. In Netscape Chat, there is usually a limit to the number of people that can enter a "room" at one time, usually around 30 people. The rooms are identified by subject such as "adult chat," "movies," "net-pals," "world wide chat" and several others. Once inside the room, you can see a list of all the people in there and much like the days of CB radio, you can use a "handle" if you choose, or your real name. Usually the best thing to do is when you are first getting into the chat areas, just observe what the topic of discussion is and then put in your 2 cents worth if you feel that you want to participate. You can also have a chat with one individual at a time if you want to. You are connected to these areas by "servers" which are set up to handle the connections and have rules to follow, which you can read when you first lot on to the server.
Q.What about Newsgroups? What kind of information is available there?
A.Literally thousands of newsgroups exist today, somewhere around 19,000+ covering all kinds of subjects. People "post" questions and answers in these areas of interest to them. I use the respiratory therapy newsgroup, the nursing group and the group related to Q&A about Texas concealed handguns. You do need to be aware that in these groups are some very explicit sexually oriented material available, so it's best to monitor young children's exploration of these Newsgroups areas. Again when first joining a group, it's best to read what others have written and that way, you get an idea of how things are done in each group, the all pretty much work the same way. JUST SO YOU KNOW, if you type in all capital letters, that is considered "shouting" on the Internet and may result in some rude comments being directed at you if you do it regularly. You can access the newsgroups with various software, such as "Free Agent" or in Netscape Navigator, which is a "browser" that helps you navigate you way around in the World Wide Web.
Q. What about online applications at the Hospital?
A. The Internet contains
a lot of resources that are useful to us at the Hospital, there are newsgroups
related to medicine, nursing, and respiratory care just to name a few. In these
groups we can share ideas, common problems, and solutions. It is a useful way
to find out right now what is happening around the country and the world. Also
available on the World Wide Web, many sites dedicated to the medical field contain
up to date information relating to procedures, medicines, and other related
topics. You can find specific information about almost any subject in a very
short time. We can access articles about almost any thing for no extra cost
almost as fast as it can be entered in the computer. One recent use of the Internet,
allowed me to communicate with Doctors around the world regarding breathing
treatments for asthmatics and the protocols that they are using, and it has
been helpful for us here.
Donald Daugherty
daugh@connecti.com
http://www.connecti.com/~daugh
Next week, part two, "A typical day at the Internet", by Donald Daugherty