Stanford University's Overseas Center in Kyoto, Japan, has received an internetwork router from Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco donated the router and two additional units in recognition of the firm's roots at Stanford and of the university's role in the development of internetworking technology. A new network based on two Cisco Model 3103 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) routers and one Model 500-CS Communication Server will replace the center's original slow-speed networking facilities.
"The Center has outgrown these facilities, and Cisco's donations will help provide full Internet connectivity for faculty and students who have been suffering from Internet deprivation," said William Yundt, Stanford's director of networking and communication systems. The Stanford Overseas Center, founded in 1989, encompasses programs in Japanese language, history, culture, and politics. It also incorporates the Stanford Center for Technology and Innovations which focuses on technology and economic development. The programs are designed for faculty and student scholars from Stanford and other major universities, including Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, and Michigan. Cisco technology is used to build enterprise-wide networks linking an unlimited number of geographically dispersed LANs, WANs, and IBM SNA (systems network architecture) networks. For more information, contact Jeffrey Paine, Cisco Systems, 1525 O'Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94026, phone: (415) 903-7191.
Future of Humanities Scholarship Outlined in New Report
The creation of a ten-million volume digital library is among the actions advocated by leaders of the scholarly community in the "Summary of Proceedings of Technology, Scholarship, and the Humanities: The Implications of Electronic Information," recently released by the Getty Art History Information Program (AHIP). The report highlights the results of a national conference organized by AHIP and the American Council of Learned Societies and cosponsored by the Coalition for Networked Information, the Council on Library Resources, and the Research Libraries Group. The conference was held last year at Irvine, California, and convened a group of scholars, administrators, librarians, and technologists from across the nation. The report calls for humanities scholars to participate more aggressively in information technology developments that bear upon education and research.
The report promotes, as a national priority, the creation of a ten-million volume digital library, broadly conceived to encompass the full spectrum of humanities research collections. The report backs collaborative programs that demonstrate the effective creation and sharing of electronic information among institutions and organizations in the humanities and suggests that the current definition of scholarly research be adjusted to reward innovative uses of electronic information. The proceedings also encourage humanities scholars to interpret the impact of information technology on society and to sponsor workshops, institutes, and fellowships that provide opportunities for training in information and the humanities. The "Summary of Proceedings" also includes excerpts from the keynote address delivered by Vartan Gregorian, president of Brown University, summary reports from conference working groups, and resumes of position papers. For more information, or to order the summary, contact Susan Siegfried, Getty/Art History Information Program, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1100, Santa Monica, CA 90401, phone: (310) 451-6366, fax: (310) 451-5570.
Carnegie Mellon and NOTIS Share Technologies
In related news, NOTIS has announced that Carnegie Mellon University will be the Alpha test site for NOTIS's new client/server information management system, NOTIS Horizon. As part of the relationship, Carnegie Mellon and NOTIS Systems have signed a Technology Trnsfer Agreement. This allows NOTIS to take advantage of technologies developed during Carnegie Mellon's Mercury Electronic Library Project.
The Mercury Project began at Carnegie Mellon in 1989 with the goal of developing a practical system, using modern distributed computing, to deliver information electronically. The technologies and consulting from the Mercury project that Carnegie Mellon will share with NOTIS are in the areas of image transfer and display, database building software, network authentication and database authorization, multiple server operations, and scanning technologies. For more information, contact Linda Sullivan, NOTIS Systems, 1007 Church Street, Evanston, IL 60201, phone: (708) 866-0150, fax: (708) 866-0178.
E-Mail Without LANs
AmerComm, Inc. has developed Personal-E Mailbox version 1.5, an e- mail program that allows PC users to exchange e-mail over ordinary phone lines without interfering with normal voice calls. The program's use of dial-up phone lines makes unlimited wide-area e- mail possible and allows its users to form their own e-mail networks. Personal-E was designed for non-technical users and requires neither knowledge of communications protocols nor the purchase of special hardware. E-mail can be exchanged directly with other users (point-to-point) or through a PC chosen as a hub or server. Traveling laptop users can use any phone line to pick up and send messages, either directly to other users or to a hub. The transaction takes less than thirty seconds and with messages composed and read offline, long-distance charges are kept to a minimum.
A typical two-page message can be sent from Los Angeles to New York during a business day for about seventeen cents. In many calling areas, local messages are free and with Personal-E there are no subscription charges. Personal-E intelligently shares a single phone line with voice calls, faxes, and answering machines. Calls for people or machines are handled normally while e-mail messages are recognized and stored. No dedicated line is required. Personal-E is portable and capable of running from a single floppy disk. A traveler can insert a disk in any compatible machine to check for e-mail without installing on the hard disk. Any machine with a Hayes- compatible 2400 baud or faster modem and DOS can run Personal-E. This includes older PCs and XTs, palmtop, laptop, and new computers. Personal-E Mailbox has a suggested list price of $49.95 for single copies. For more information, contact AmerCom, Inc., P.O. Box 19868, Portland, OR 97280, phone: (503) 452-8196, fax: (503) 452-8190.
Eureka Now Available from Research Libraries Group
Eureka, the new patron-oriented search system from the Research Libraries Group, is now available to interested institutions. The system, designed for novice as well as sophisticated online searchers, provides access to the resources of the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN) bibliographic files and CitaDel article citation and document delivery service. Eureka was designed for easy integration into existing local online library and campus-wide information networks. It is accessible from any terminal or personal computer with VT100 terminal emulation. Telecommunication options include the Internet, SprintNet, and direct dial. Eureka was previewed by fifteen institutions between January and August 1993, with users logging over 60,000 Eureka searches during that time. Institutions that participated in the preview include Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Emory University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pennsylvania. With Eureka users can select from a variety of display formats, get online help at any time, download results in a variety of display and bibliographic formats, send search results to an e-mail account, and order CitaDel documents with a simple command. Eureka is available by annual subscription. With a subscription, institutions can provide their users with unlimited access to the RLIN bibliographic files. Subscribing institutions also automatically receive free access to the newest CitaDel file, Inside Information, the table-of-contents database just introduced by the British Library, and a free copy of Ariel, RLG's document transmission software for the Internet. For more information about Eureka, contact the RLIN Information Center, 1 (800) 537-7545; e-mail bl.ric@rlg.bitnet or bl.ric@rlg.stanford.edu (Internet); fax: (415) 964-0943.
The University Library in the Information Age
The evolution of the university library in the information age is the focus of a new report for college and university presidents published by the Higher Education Information Resources Alliance. The HEIRAlliance was formed in 1990 by the Association of Research Libraries, CAUSE, and EDUCOM to bring together higher education's information technology and library communities on issues of shared interest. The second "HEIRAlliance Executive Strategies Report" summarizes a recent report published by the Andrew Mellon Foundation on the operations and economics of research libraries as vehicles for scholarly communication, with special attention to the impact of new information technologies. The four-page HEIRAlliance report outlines the sensitive financial pressure points for university libraries and offers several possibilities for addressing those challenges through a significant increase in electronic text distribution and storage. The report also summarizes some of the issues requiring resolution in the transition from printed formats to alternative types of scholarly communication. This report was mailed to presidents and chancellors of all U.S. colleges and universities. "University Libraries and Scholarly Communication," the 205-page study that is the foundation of the four-page summary, is available from the ARL Office of Management Services, Publications Office, 21 Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036. The publication is priced at $8.00. For more information, contact Leslie Lea, CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301, phone: (303) 449-4430, fax: (303) 440-0461.
UCLA and Stanford Join UnCover as Contributor Libraries
The University of California at Los Angeles Biomedical and Physical Science and Technology libraries and Lane Medical Library at Stanford University have contracted with the UnCover company to provide table of contents information to the UnCover database. The libraries will also serve as supply sites for the UnCover article delivery service. The addition of these collections will boost UnCover's periodical title holdings to close to 20,000 within the next several months. The UCLA Library, with 95,000 current serial titles, responds to about 80,000 interlibrary loan requests per year. Lane Medical Library's research collections cover clinical medicine, public health, and related fields. Lane's periodical holdings number over 3,000. The UnCover database was created in 1988 to provide a multi-disciplinary index to English language periodical literature. The database can be searched by topical keyword or by periodical title. Users can re-create issue tables of contents online. The database is updated daily as issues are received by contributor libraries. Articles cited in UnCover can be ordered online and delivered to the requester's fax machine within twenty-four hours. For more information, contact Martha Whittaker, UnCover Company, 3801 East Florida, Denver, CO 80210, phone: (303) 758- 3030, fax: (303) 758-5946.
Survey Finds Growth in Electronic Research
According to a survey conducted by Information Access Company, the trend towards electronic libraries is accelerating, incorporating more than 80 percent of all public libraries and 99 percent of all academic libraries. "Growth in electronic research is especially dramatic in the use of Online Public Access Catalogs for third-party data. The number of public libraries mounting electronic databases on their OPAC terminals will triple over the next eighteen months, and the number of academic libraries mounting tapes will double," said Sean Devine, vice president, Information Access Company. The company's survey also showed accelerating trends toward networking databases delivered on CD-ROMs. Networks of CD-ROMs in public libraries are growing at a rate of 50 percent a year, and at a rate of 65 percent annually in academic libraries. Information Access Company commissioned the study from Opinion Technology, an independent research firm in Palo Alto, California. More than 1,300 librarians were polled by phone. For more information, contact Celeste Alleyne, Information Access Company, 362 Lakeside Drive, Foster City, CA 94404, phone: (415) 378-5249.
Supply Tech Offers Communications Log-ons
Supply Tech, Inc. has developed a library of more than 150 Communications Log-ons for its STX for the Microcomputer electronic data interchange (EDI) software, allowing easy connection to most public value added networks (VANs) and private EDI networks. The Communications Log-ons allow the STX software to communicate with a network quickly and easily without additional set-up. Communications are fully integrated into the STX system, with push button, audio-dial operation. There is no need for complex dialing alternatives for trading partners with different network arrangements. STX is VAN-independent, allowing users to change networks if desired. STX for the Microcomputer is a general purpose EDI software package designed for IBM and compatible PCs. It supports the ANSI ASC X12, EDIFACT, TDCC, and UCS standards and all industry conventions. An unlimited number of EDI message types and formats can be developed and maintained. Additional features include unattended operation document turnaround, X.400 interface support, and local area network (LAN) compatibility. For more information, contact Supply Tech, Inc., 1000 Campus Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, phone: (313) 998-4800, fax: (313) 998-4099.
User-Friendly Campus at Ball State
Ball State University has developed an interactive video kiosk network that utilizes state-of-the-art information technology coupled with original software and hardware. The interactive kiosks display maps, dining information, entertainment schedules, and sports events on a touch screen. The 19-inch color monitor is encased in a 5-foot, 6-inch tall box. Each machine is linked by miles of fiber-optic cable to a central "brain" that sends the pictures and sound instantaneously to the user. "We've also gone steps further by incorporating real-time video to give people more than just a still picture," said Robert Yadon, codirector of Ball State's Applied Research Institute. The kiosks are painted bright red, for Ball State, and display the universityUs cardinal logo. Each unit has arcade game sounds that prompt users to select from several screen menus. "Our kiosks take advantage of the 750 miles of wiring and fiber optics already spanning Ball State's campus," Yadon said. "What we've done with units in place today is lay groundwork to make a user-friendly campus friendlier." Ten units placed in high traffic locations represent the pilot project for the campus network. Eventually units could be placed in most buildings on the 1,000-acre campus. Optical disc players, connected to AT&T 386 processor computers drive the images for each unit. These computer disc player combos are stacked in racks at a central campus location. Fiber-optic cables feed the sights and sounds to the campus kiosk units. The next phase in the kiosk project is to install magnetic card readers, thermal printers, and membrane keyboards. The kiosks, hooked into the university's computing network, can one day be used by students for class registration and campus voting. For more information, contact Public Information Services, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, phone: (317) 285-1560, fax: (317) 285-5442.
VTLS Workstation Offers Linkup to the Internet
VTLS Inc. has added a new optional feature to its product, the Intelligent Workstation (VTLS-IW), that allows staff and patrons at a VTLS library to connect to the database of another VTLS library across the Internet. The linkup via the Internet uses TCP/IP protocol and is transparent to the user. To connect to a remote VTLS database, library patrons choose a menu item within the Intelligent Workstation, which serves as a front end to a library's online public access catalog, to open a new database connection. After patrons type in the name of the system they want to search, a built-in script, which may be unique to each workstation, executes to allow automatic log-in. The library determines which automatic log-in scripts are available. A later development will allow patrons using the VTLS-IW to choose the desired database from a pull-down menu, which individual libraries will be able to configure to suit their needs. Once the connection is made to a database, the patron can use the normal VTLS and IW commands to navigate the catalog. After accessing one database, library users can either choose another database connection from the menu or return to their local database.
Future plans for the IW/Internet connection call for multiple, simultaneous Internet connections so that a patron can request a search on several databases at the same time and check the results of each by switching between screens. At present, the IW/Internet connection also lets users take advantage of other Internet capabilities from within VTLS software. For example, a librarian at a VTLS library can access the database of a non-VTLS library on the Internet or telnet to a remote machine. When used in this way, the VTLS-IW would act as a dumb terminal rather than a workstation, requiring the user to know the passwords and commands of the library system or remote machine being accessed. For more information, contact Gail Gulbenkian, VTLS Inc., 1800 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, phone: (703) 231-3605, fax: (703) 231-3648.
Twigg to Join EDUCOM's Teaching and Learning Initiative
Robert Heterick, Jr., president of EDUCOM, has announced that Carol Twigg will join the organization to assume a leading role in its new Teaching and Learning Initiative. The initiative will invite the participation of a range of institutions and individuals in activities designed to demonstrate increases in educational effectiveness and efficiency through technology-mediated learning. Twigg has most recently served as associate vice-chancellor for Learning Technologies for the State University of New York and as director of the SUNY-Empire State College Center for Learning and Technology. She has published and given presentations on such topics as the impact of telecommunications on restructuring higher education and managing academic computing systems in a dispersed environment. For more information, contact John Gehl, EDUCOM, 1112 16th Street N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036, phone: (202) 872-4200, fax: (202) 872-4318.
by Dennis J. Reynolds President, CAPCON Library Network Washington, D.C. dreynold@capcon.net voice (202)331-5771 fax (202)797-7719
(This article originally appeared in Internet Librarian, a monthly section of Computers in Libraries magazine, September, 1993, pp. 86-93.) ______________________________________________________
Librarians and information specialists in all types of settings are using the Internet to expand the array of information resources available to them. The telnet capability makes accessible at no charge the online catalogs of several hundred libraries, and online searchers can use the telnet function to reduce their telecommunications costs for accessing certain information retrieval services like DIALOG and OCLC's EPIC. Full- text databases, numerical files, and even software programs can be transferred to one's own computer through an Internet feature known as File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The e-mail capability has not only become a popular avenue for correspondence, but also is the foundation for new patterns of professional learning and communication through electronic discussion groups and listservs.(1)
While interest in the Internet now cuts across all types of libraries and information centers, readily available options for access to it have been slow to evolve. Those with direct hook-ups traditionally have been federal agencies, major universities, and some of the larger corporations engaged in high-tech research. Organizations wanting Internet access for their employees and constituents have needed specialized equipment in place and have had to pay ongoing annual fees ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. For a large university or a major corporation committed to providing its staff with access to the Internet, this magnitude of cost is fairly minor. But for the library whose parent organization has not yet bought into the value of the Internet, no matter how large or small, start-up costs of $5,000 to $25,000 and annual costs equal to or even greater than that are serious impediments.
Fortunately, the landscape has started to change with the availability of dial-up Internet access options. In the future, more parent organizations of libraries will no doubt become dedicated nodes on the Internet. But until such time, dial-up access is a solution that is affordable and convenient and technically quite adequate for most libraries and information centers. In a paper in 1992 in Online,(2) Greg Notess described the increasing number of lower-cost, primarily dial-up options to the Internet that afford libraries and small organizations access for usually a few hundred dollars per year, and without requiring them to have dedicated equipment in- house.
Providers of dial-up Internet access generally fall into one of six categories. These categories are listed in Table 1, along with a few comments about each. A detailed list of organizations and companies offering dial-up Internet access is outside the scope of this paper. A list of many of the early entrants appeared in the Notess paper cited above, and more recent lists can be found on the Internet itself.(3) The focus of this article is on the criteria that should be employed in evaluating and comparing dial-up Internet access options. While there is still not an overabundance of options available by any means, the number of providers has in fact grown to a sufficient extent that some libraries are now finding themselves in a position of actually having a choice from among several providers.
COMPARING COSTS OF INTERNET ACCESS
One set of criteria for comparing dial-up Internet access providers is cost. Many university computer centers that make dial-up access available to the non-university community charge on the basis of use of computer resources. The pricing schemes can be rather complex and not very clear to the non-specialist. For example, one university in the Washington, D.C., area charges outside users according to a two-factor formula based on how many "VAXcluster CPU minutes" and "Disk Kilo-block days" they use.
Fortunately, most dial-up Internet access providers in the other categories listed in Table 1 have avoided pricing formulas based overtly on the amount of computer resources used. There are two common approaches among these providers to pricing dial-up Internet access. One is connect-hour pricing, on a strict pay-as- you- go basis. Connect-hour charges usually range from $1.00 to $5.00 per hour, plus long distance charges when applicable between the user's site and the provider's computers. The second common pricing approach is "base level" pricing, whereby there is a set monthly fee which covers a certain number of access hours per month, beyond which there are additional charges. Though the method of charging differs, the average rate under this pricing scheme normally also calculates out to anywhere between $1.00 and $5.00 per hour as well. Flat rate pricing, in the sense of virtually unlimited access for a set monthly rate, is still relatively uncommon among dial-up Internet access providers.
While both the connect-hour and base level pricing schemes sound straightforward, there are often cost factors in addition to the basic hourly rate or monthly fee that one must consider in looking at pricing. Especially for purposes of comparing costs of Internet access through different providers, it is important to be aware of all price elements and cost considerations for the options being compared. Discussed below are the most common cost variables that the information specialist should explore when shopping for an Internet access service.
Base Level Minimums and Number of Connect Hours Included
Of the pricing methods identified above, the most prevalent at this time is the monthly base fee that includes up to a specified number of connect hours per month. The typical monthly base rate ranges anywhere from $20 to $40, and covers between ten and twenty hours of access per month. For any amount of use above the number of hours covered by the minimum during any given month, there is an additional charge, customarily levied on straight connect-hour pricing for the overage. In some cases, the per-hour overage charge is the same as the hourly average covered by the base fee; in other cases, it is less or more. The two main factors to consider in base level pricing are therefore the monthly minimum charge and how many hours it covers, and the charge for connect hours used in excess of those covered by the monthly fee. In projecting the anticipated overall costs of Internet access, both must be considered in light of how much monthly volume a user projects.
It is important to understand base level charges when comparing Internet access options, but most users will find that differences among providers in costs for this basic element in the pricing equation are actually less significant to overall costs than are differences in other pricing elements described below, like long distance charges when applicable, membership fees, and discounts for additional users from the same organization.
The Long-Distance Factor
In terms of overall costs of dial-up Internet access, often the most significant single variable is where the provider's computer is located. As mentioned above, whether on a connect-hour or base level pricing basis, the provider's charge for Internet access -- once the user has reached the provider's computer -- is likely to average anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 per hour. If both the user and the provider are in the same local calling area, the user-to-provider dial- in will be a local call, and thus will cost but a few cents. If, on the other hand, a user has to make a long distance call to reach the provider's connection, the user will incur long distance telephone charges. The user will have to absorb the cost of that call on his or her own phone bill, or will haveto pay the supplier an additional hourly charge for the use of in-WATS lines or other means used to connect from outside the local calling area. In either case, the user will likely have to pay between $6 and $15 per hour additional for the long distance connection, depending on the specific options available.
Given the proportionally high cost of long distance charges in the overall pricing equation, dial-up users will almost invariably fare better financially if their Internet access is through a local provider than if they have to go through a provider to which a long distance call is required. If there is no local option available, the prospective subscriber to an Internet access service must be especially careful to include long distance costs in the equation when comparing providers. It is possible that one provider charging slightly more than another for the actual Internet connection may have long distance add-on charges that are sufficiently less to make its overall costs appreciably lower than those of the other provider.
Additional Fees
In addition to long distance charges, there are a few other factors that commonly figure into the overall fee structure of dial-up Internet access providers. Some of the more important of these additional considerations are described below.
Start-up fees. Most providers charge a nominal one-time initial set- up fee for each user account, usually less than $50.
Membership and annual fees. Some providers require that users be members; in these cases, there is usually an institution-based annual membership fee, normally $200 or less. Some providers levy an annual user account fee, also usually less than $200 per user per year. Some providers apply one of these types of fees but not the other; some apply both, and quite a few apply neither.
Functionality pricing. Some providers price Internet access by functionality. For example, a provider's basic connect hour or monthly fee might include only e-mail functionality, with telnet and FTP capabilities priced as add-ons. Given the range of uses typical to libraries and information centers, the information specialist will probably want full Internet functionality, and should view pricing accordingly.
Storage charges. While most Internet providers do not base their pricing directly on the amount of computer resources used, some do have limitations on, or additional costs for, storage of files. The charge is usually only about $1.00 or $2.00 per Megabyte, and often is incurred only after the first Megabyte or two. Most prospective dial-up users will not find storage limitations or fees to be a major issue. Only if a user intends to regularly transfer files of one megabyte or larger, or intends to store files for long periods of time, will storage limitations or fees become a notable issue.
Pricing for multiple users. If Internet users in an organization will be using e-mail and participating in electronic discussion groups, it is almost imperative for each user to have his or her own Internet account. The pricing structures of dial-up Internet access providers accommodate multiple users from a single institution in different ways. Some make no special recognition in their fee structure, but others offer discounted annual or monthly base level fees for additional accounts within an organization. And while some providers are pretty intransigent about staying with uniform "one user, one account" pricing, others will be willing to consider the specific circumstances of an organization that can bring a large numer of accounts to the table, and may be willing to work out something with institution-based group pricing levels.
Baud Rates, Units of Measurement for Connect Time, and SLIP/PPP.
A final potential cost consideration concerns the relationship between communication speed and the method of measuring connect time. For those who use overwhelmingly e-mail and telnet and very little FTP, the implications of this relationship will probably be relatively minor. But for those who anticipate using FTP frequently to download large files to their own computers, this factor can be of considerable importance.
The transfer of a file from a remote host on the Internet to a user's computer is a two-step process in standard dial-up Internet access. The file first travels from the remote FTP site to the provider's computer. Most providers have a 56 Kbps or higher connection to the Internet, and this is the speed at which the file travels between the remote FTP site and the provider's computer. The second step is the transfer of the file from the provider's computer to the user's computer. The speed at which this happens depends on the baud rate at which the user is communicating with the provider's computer. For this user-to- provider connection, most Internet dial- up access providers can accommodate a variety of baud rates, but users typically have 9600 baud or lower modems. So while it may take only a few minutes or even a matter of seconds for a file to travel between an FTP site and the provider's computer, it will take considerably longer for the file to travel the second leg of the journey from the provider's computer to the user.
For the Internet user who plans on frequently transferring large files via FTP, doing so at 9600 baud can seem interminably slow. In addition to the factor of time for its own sake, the baud speed at which files are be downloaded can have important cost implications as well. Normally, the unit of time measurement used by dial-up Internet providers is the time a user is connected to the provider's computers, not just to the Internet itself. The time required for both segments of a dial-up file transfer -- from the FTP site to the provider's computer and from the provider's computer to the user's -- will likely both be included as connect time within a provider's pricing scheme. Thus, both parts will be fully subject to connect- hour charges under a straight connect-hour pricing scheme, or both will apply toward the monthly usage amount under a base level pricing scheme. Under such a scenario, a large volume of file transfers at 9600 baud not only can be annoying slow, but expensive as well.
While 9600 baud is a typical baud rate right now in dial-up Internet access, this limit can be stretched if the user has certain modem capabilities or software. On the latter score, some Internet providers offer what are known as SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point to Point Protocol) connections that allow a dial-up user to emulate a dedicated line user in many ways, including allowing for higher speed communications. This capability usually carries with it higher fees than standard dial- up. For the Internet user who will not be using FTP very frequently, the means to communicate at faster than 9600 baud will not be crucial. But if there will be a need to frequently transfer large files, the prospective user may want to consider what might be gained by selecting a provider offering a SLIP or PPP approach.
The cost elements described above should all be considered by the information specialist who is shopping among dial-up Internet access alternatives. Even when there is only one clearly convenient option and the comparative angle is not a consideration, it is important for the prospective user to understand the cost elements that can be important in approaching a provider and in planning for access to the Internet. But while costs are obviously important, they are not the only factors that should be considered in selecting or evaluating a provider, and the remainder of this article will take a look at some of those other factors.
SYSTEM PERFORMANCE FACTORS
The least expensive service is not the best solution if it does not meet the specific needs of a user. Conversely, there is no assurance that the most expensive service will be the most suitable, either. In the long run, costs will probably draw into closer correlation with quality of performance and service, but the business of providing Internet access is simply too new to yet assume so rational a pattern. At least for now, one should not anticipate that the cost of a service will necessarily be predictive of the quality of performance or support. Rather, one needs to examine performance and support criteria on their own merit. Several of the more important of these are discussed below.
Level of Functionality
Not all three of the main Internet functions -- e-mail, telnet, and FTP -- are available on all Internet access services. Many smaller, local providers offer only e-mail functionality, as do some of the larger commercial providers. While more limited in function, these providers typically are among the easiest with which to establish an account, so that a user needing only e-mail access may find them an attractive option. More and more, FTP and particularly telnet are seen as integral functions for libraries and information centers, and the prospective Internet user should be versed in what these functions have to offer before opting for only e-mail access.
Ease and Sophistication of Use
User interfaces in systems providing Internet access are not standardized, and there are many different electronic mail systems and other components in use. Not surprisingly, there is great variation in the degree of "user friendliness" among these and in the breadth and sophistication of features available on them. In evaluating what Internet access providers have to offer, there are some user interface features one can examine that usually are indicative of how easy a system is to use and how sophisticated its user features are.
Structure of basic user interface. The first system feature to look at is the basic user interface. There are still some Internet access providers who cater to an audience with a considerable amount of computer expertise, like a working knowledge of Unix. These systems are usually fully or nearly fully command- driven, and are difficult to maneuver without some fairly high- level training. Providers with a more general user population in mind, on the other hand, have incorporated menus that make the task of getting out onto the Internet over their system fairly straightforward. As with any category of automated systems, some user interfaces are better designed than others. The best ones provide clear paths to select the functionality one wants to evoke -- e-mail, telnet, or ftp -- and enumerate options and supply prompts along the way.
Electronic mail component. In addition to the general user interface, another telltale feature of the ease of use of a system is the e-mail component. This component usually consists of two parts: a mail manager that handles outgoing and incoming messages, and an editor on which one composes messages to send out -- essentially, a word processing system. A prospective user may notice a significant difference in the sophistication and ease of use of these e-mail managers and editors from one provider to another. Some editors, for example, have full-screen, very straightforward editing capabilities, while others have only line- by-line editing or require switching from one command mode to another in order to make changes during the course of typing a message. Different message handling software packages also vary in features like the sequence in which messages in a mail file are listed, the procedures for replying to messages, the availability of broadcast capabilities for sending a message simultaneously to more than one person, and so on.
A prospective user may also want to look at e-mail components in terms of the procedures required for uploading and downloading messages. Particularly for longer and more formal communications, the user may not want to type a message "live" on the host system, but rather to compose it locally on disk and then upload it to send over the Internet. Similarly, many users also routinely download at least certain incoming mail messages to local disk. There can be quite a bit of variation in how different providers' systems work in this regard, and a prospective user may want to inquire about this in some detail.
Search aids. Another area that is useful for evaluating ease and sophistication of use is the extent to which various Internet search aids are available on a provider's system. Some of the more popular programs that assist users in locating and handling the myriad of resources available over the Internet include Gopher, WAIS, and Archie. Many Internet providers have these mounted on their hosts for direct access by subscribers. When they are not available on a provider's host, a user has to telnet to another site where they are mounted in order to use them. Thus, while it is usually still possible to make use of these aids, not having them locally available adds an inconvenient intermediate step.
The features described above -- the general user interface, the e- mail system, and availability of Internet search aids on the host -- by no means comprises an exhaustive list of the features that make one system easier to use or more sophisticated than another. But these three features do provide the prospective user with a frame of reference for comparing different Internet access providers. Armed with these three points of evaluation, the prospective subscriber will be able to get a pretty good idea as to the ease and sophistication of a system.
System Restrictions
The prospective Internet user should ascertain whether a provider has any applicable restrictions as to whom service is available. For example, some providers might work only with not- for-profit organizations, or only with libraries located within a particular state, county, or city. There are also some technical aspects one should inquire about. Chief among these are hours of availability, storage space limitations, and communications software requirements.
While in most cases none of these will prove to be a problem, it is prudent to check. Most providers make access available 24 hours per day, but some have regularly scheduled periods of downtime for maintenance or other purposes. Some providers impose upper limits on the amount of storage space available to a subscriber, or charge for storage space beyond a certain level. The prospective user will generally find the upper limits to be adequate, or any additional charges beyond the limits to be acceptable. Most providers can handle any of the more popular communications packages and a lot of others as well; this will seldom be a problem, but it is worth confirming compatibility ahead of time.
Safeguards
In addition to understanding any limitations like the above, it is also important to know whether an Internet provider has taken any precautions against misuses of the system that could have negative repercussions for its users. Three of the major points in this regard include protection against computer viruses, general system security, and measures to insure user confidentiality.
It may be difficult to protect all traffic into and out of a system against viruses, but at minimum the provider should run virus detection routines against any systems operations software it imports. On a broader scale, a prospective user may also want to inquire as to the measures a provider takes to build security into the system and how often files are backed up. No systems that cater to external use like those of Internet providers will be totally secure from intrusion by unauthorized users, but the potential for harm can be minimized by a provider's having taken full advantage of security-minded measures that are available for most systems. And thirdly, the prospective user may want to question the provider about policy regarding confidentiality of files and messages. The provider should have a clearly stated policy regarding under what circumstances any of a user's files or messages may be read by anyone other than the user or consulted by any outside party, without the express, situation-specific consent of the user.
USER SUPPORT AND RESPONSIVENESS
An area in which there is great variation among Internet providers is in the level and quality of the user support they offer. This can be a very important consideration in choosing among providers. There is nothing more frustrating in using a system than encountering a problem, being focussed on finding the solution, and then running into a brick wall because there is no one available to help. Some Internet access providers offer little in the way of customer support other than a recorded message on an answering machine and an eventual call-back. On the other end of the spectrum, there are full- service providers who have a customer assistance hotline and which offer proactive support like sponsoring users meetings, holding workshops, publishing newsletters, and so on.
In looking at a support structure, there are at least five basic areas that a prospective subscriber should look at:
* User Documentation -- does the provider have a user manual for its system? is it written in standard English or computerese? does it adequately explain how to use all the functionalities (e-mal, telnet, FTP) that you are planning to use?
* Telephone Support -- is there someone to call if you run into problems or have questions? what hours are telephone support available? is there any additional charge for it?
* Training and Workshops -- few providers' front-end interfaces are so simple that a new user cannot benefit from some initial training, and learning about resources available through the Internet is facilitated through educational opportunities. Does the provider offer start-up training? advanced training? general and specialized workshops focussing on resources available on the Internet?
* Ongoing Communication -- does the provider publish an ongoing newsletter and/or memos that discuss the use of the system? that include information about new resources on the Internet? does the provider sponsor users meetings?
* Technical Enhancements -- does the provider have a track record of making enhancements to its system that make it easier to use? When changes are made, how are users kept informed? Does the provider act on users' suggestions for improvements?
As with any complex electronic information system or service, a strong support structure can make an enormous qualitative difference. And Internet access through providers with high quality support in place is not necessarily more expensive right now than access through providers that do not have strong support structures in place. This may change over time as providers are better able to assess their overall costs and more accurately price their services, but at least right now, users in most areas will find that one does not necessarily pay a high premium for quality support.
CONCLUSION
Prospective Internet users who find themselves in the position of having more than one readily available access option to choose from can compare the alternatives from a variety of angles. Cost is certainly one important consideration, and there are a number of different factors that should be taken into account in understanding cost. The range of performance and support factors is equally broad. Even criteria like allegiance can play a major role. For example, some users may tolerate initially less sophisticated features, particularly in a start-up mode, if the provider is a local consortium or company that in the long run may be more willing than others to cater to the interests of libraries and information centers or to a particular area of business concern. Thus, there are many criteria for a prospective dial-up Internet user to consider in evaluating access options. The relative weighting of these will be a highly individual matter, but the most important thing is for prospective users to be aware of what to look for so they can make a selection that will best meet their specific needs.
NOTES
1. Those wanting more in-depth descriptions of Internet capabilities will find a number of excellent guides available, among them: Ed Krol, The Whole Internet: User's Guide & Catalog, Sebastopol, Cal.: O'Reilly & Associates, 1992; Brendan P. Kehoe, Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide to the Internet, 2nd ed., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1993; Roy Tennant, John Ober, and Anne G. Lipow, Crossing the Internet Threshold: An Instructional Handbook, Berkeley, Cal.: Library Solutions Press, 1993; and Tracy L. LaQuey, The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking, Reading, Mass.: Addison- Wesley, 1992.
2. Notess, Greg. "Gaining Access to the Internet" Online, 17(September, 1992): 27-34.
3. One such list on the Internet is Peter Kaminski's Public Dialup Internet Access List, which may be obtained at kaminski@netcom.com with an e-mail message Send PDIAL. Lists available only on the Internet obviously are not of the greatest utility to those who do not yet have Internet access. Some of the sources listed in the first footnote above contain lists of Internet access providers as well. Because of the pace at which new, especially local, providers are appearing on the scene, any list of this nature is far from all-inclusive.
TABLE 1. SOURCES OF LOW-COST, DIAL-UP ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
1. University Computer Centers. The traditional avenue for those not affiliated with a large university that was a node on the Internet was to know someone who was. Many universities used to be fairly liberal about giving out courtesy passwords to people not affiliated with the university, and usually at no charge. There is a clear trend away from this practice, however. More and more, universities are either limiting access strictly to their own community of scholars and students, or are making guest accounts available to outside users for a fee.
2. Mid-Level Regional Networks. The traditional service centers for the National Science Foundation's NSFnet which is so integral to the Internet are commonly referred to as regional mid- level networks. These networks have been responsible for installing and maintaining dedicated Internet connections in many institutions of higher education. There is considerable variation among these networks in the degree to which they are responsive to the non-academic community, and in the roles they have assumed in providing low end dial-up Internet access. Thus, the extent to which a mid-level regional network is a realistic alternative for dial-up access depends on where one lives.
3. Nationwide Commercial Firms. A few companies in the commercial sector have seen electronic networking as a phenomenon with great market potential. The largest commercial provider of Internet access in the United States today is Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI). PSI has done for commercial firms what the mid-level regional networks have done for academic institutions. There are additional vendors like CompuServe that offer varying levels of Internet access through more popular, low- priced dial-up services. Some offer the full complement of Internet functions -- e-mail, telnet, and FTP -- while others offer e-mail only.
4. Local Commercial Ventures. The rise in popularity of electronic mail and bulletin boards has given rise to a proliferation of small- scale local commercial ventures into providing dial-up Internet access. Most efforts like these at least right now are located in major metropolitan areas. Because of their limited budgets, most of these entrepreneurs spend very little on advertising or marketing, and are sometimes hard to find out about. Many of them offer e- mail only at this time, though some are beginning to provide telnet and FTP functionality as well.
5. Free-Nets. Community bulletin boards are being founded in an increasing number of cities in the United States. One of the earliest, the Cleveland Free-Net, serves as a model for a number of these efforts. Some community boards include, as one feature, a capability to connect to the Internet.
6. Library Networks and State Libraries. Many regional library networks in the U.S. are offering dial-in Internet access. A number of state libraries are also beginning to provide Internet access, and many more have it under consideration. As with most other options mentioned here, the extent to which these alternatives are available depends in large part on where a library is located.
Don M. Avedon Internet Research: Electronic Networking, Applications and Policy
Charles McClure, Syracuse University
Ann Bishop, University of Illinois
Michael Breaks, Heriot-Watts University
Philip Doty, University of Texas at Austin
Joe Ryan, Syracuse University Internet World
Daniel Dern Library Software Review
Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University OCLC Systems and Services
Dan Marmion, Oklahoma State University Virtual Reality Review
Sandra Kay Helsel, Infinite Media Virtual Reality World
Sandra Kay Helsel, Infinite Media ______________________________________________________
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