[Prev| Next| Index] 2/14/96, frantz@netcom.com, Los Gatos, CA USA

My Use of the Internet

     By Bill Frantz, frantz@netcom.com.

     My name is Bill Frantz. I am a 51 year old computer consultant,
     and I live in Los Gatos, California.

     I use the Internet both for my business and for my personal
     activities. I communicate with clients, and keep up with advances
     in the state of computer technology. I use PGP when my clients
     require confidentiality because it is the only system I have
     available which provides at least 90 bits in its symmetric key
     encryption.

     As part of my personal activities, I participate regularly in
     several on line forums, covering public policy, environmental
     issues, and speleology. These forums allow me to communicate with
     people around the world who share my interests. Freedom of speech
     on the Internet allows us to discuss the direction of scientific
     research, debate the merits of public policies, support
     candidates, plan meetings, and develop new cave rescue protocols,
     to name just a small sample. Internet communication allows us to
     overcome the barriers of time zone and space, and create an
     online community.

     I also use email to communicate with my family. My sons are a
     long distance away, and it is far easier to reach them through
     email than it is to catch them at home on the telephone. With the
     distances separating us, it is easier to develop family plans
     through email than it is over the telephone. For exchanges
     requiring confidentiality , PGP encrypted email is the safest
     long distance option.

     All in all, the Internet is a tool which enhances my life and
     allows me to be a better citizen. Bill