It seems there is never enough room on my computer to keep all the files that I would like to since I have a small hard drive. I'm constantly "cleaning house" to make room for things I really want to keep.
Anyway, back to Juno for a second, it only requires that you have a modem, a computer running at least Windows 3.1 and 4 to 8 megabytes of RAM (Random Access Memory). No catch except you have to put up with some advertisements while you read your mail. I have a metro line, so connecting doesn't cost me anything, so the service is paid for by the advertisers.
It may be a good way to go for email if that's all you are interested in, the price is right, it just takes a while to get the software, which is also free, so you can imagine the demand is pretty high. I like it though because if you have mail to send, it connects, sends your mail, then disconnects after downloading any mail you have, so you really aren't online for long.
If you sign up with an Internet provider, you will most likely get software that should include a "browser" in order to find your way around the Net. You can then download whichever browser you like to try out. They are available online and you just have to decide for yourself which one you like. I have tried several and I am currently using Microsoft Internet Explorer as a Web Browser, and so far I like it just fine.
A browser is software that helps you "navigate" your way around the Internet. A good one should be able to handle file transfers in order to send and receive files, it should also be capable of supporting internet mail. It also has to be capable of supporting the newer technology on the net in order to get the most out of the experience. If you don't have a browser that supports the new technology, you won't see scrolling text, moving pictures, sounds and assorted other really neat things.
I like Microsoft Explorer , but it can only be used with Windows 95 which I am using. Other versions of Explorer are available to use with other operating systems if you want to try them out, though I would recommend Netscape Navigator if you don't have Windows 95, just because of the features available. I gave Netscape Navigator a good long trial period and
it works great too. I want to give this one a good hard trial as well to see which one I will use. You can put both on your machine if you choose. Navigator costs, and Explorer is free.
If you are interested in computers, you have probably heard about the competition between the 2 browsers already. I just want to use one that meets all my needs on the net. I am currently typing this article using the Microsoft Mail program, and it works fine too. You can be online "surfing the net" and set your mail program to check your mail for you automatically however often you want it to.
I just got home, checked my Email and sat down to write this. I found some interesting sites earlier related to weather so I could check up on the progress of the hurricane and found some really good pictures from a satellite that showed the storm pretty clearly. You can find some of the weather information by going to any of the search engines, such as Lycos and typing in the word "weather". My favorite search engines are located at http://www.search.com, you can access many of them from there.
In order to move around the Net, you "click" on various
links that are indicated usually by being underlined, or sometimes
by "clicking" on a picture. You will be able to tell
if an area onscreen can take you somewhere because the "cursor"
changes usually to something like a finger pointing somewhere.
Donald E. Daugherty
daugh@connecti.com
daugherty1@juno.com
URL; http://www.connecti.com/~daugh
Donald Daugherty is a member of the Seguin Internet Club and a
regular contributor to the column Internet Beat. He is a Respiratory
Therapist at the Guadalupe Valley Hospital. As offered, he answers
as follows, questions posed by members of the Seguin Internet
Club at the last meeting.
Q. Does Connect International support talk mode? I would like
interactive "speech" with others. (Harold Kraus)
Ans. Yes, you can use Internet phone, or one of the other software
programs to "talk" to other people on the Net with Connect International.
Or you can alternately "type" to others in real time, using a IRC
(Inter relay chat program).
Q. How to set up a home page? (Clarice Baggett)
Ans. To set up a home page, contact your provider and find out
how to set it up. There are several tutorial programs available to help you
learn how to make one, or there are a lot of "HTML editors" which
pretty much will do it for you.
Q. Tell me about Telnet. (Gary Tiggett)
Ans. Telnet is out of my area, I don't know anything about that,
but you should be able to find info about it, using any of the search engines.
The Seguin Internet Club will hold its September meeting this
Saturday September 21 at Century 21 D&D, at 10 am.
In order to meet the widely diverse needs of the members, the meeting will be unstructured so that during the entire meeting, everyone can be involved in the discussion of Internet topics, problems and questions related to its use. There will be on-line capability, to facilitate the answers to Internet questions and the sharing of information, helpful hints and web sites.
If you are able to attend, please bring cards containing information that might be helpful to other members, specially those new to the Internet; and favorite sites. The cards will be posted for everyone to see.
Members of the club include young students, home users and commercial users, who have in common, enthusiasm for the Internet. There are no dues involved. Anyone can be a member, regardless of Internet proficiency or Internet provider. Club members are invited to contribute to column Internet Beat.
To offer ideas for topics of articles, or to write articles for the Internet Beat column, contact Gloria Rivera at 303-4764, riverag@connecti.com. The articles need to be useful to the Internet user and understandable to the non-user. The purpose of the column is to contribute to the Internet literacy of the community. All the past articles published in this column are available in the Internet at the Seguin Internet Club web page at: http://lonestar.texas.net/~weersjt/club/home.html
To join the club, contact Jerry Weers or Gloria Rivera or Alton Hierholzer, at 303-0818 or 303-4764 or 303-9260; weersjt@texas.net or riverag@connecti.com or altonh@connecti.com The purpose of the club is to facilitate the communication and support between Internet enthusiasts.