One of the attractions of the Internet is the IRC (Internet Relay Chat), which offers the chance to chat in real time to Amiga users around the globe.I would be surprised if there is anybody in the known universe who has not heard of the Internet. Sometimes referred to as the information superhighway, this global network of computers has recently been the subject of a media feeding frenzy. Even News At Ten has had a few stories about how this network is going to change the entire nature of human existence.
The origins of the Internet go way back to the late Sixties, the US Department Of Defence decided they wanted to set up their own network, which should be capable of surviving minor problems such as a nuclear attack. The resulting network (DARPANet) quickly grew, and American universities and colleges were included.
In the mid Seventies, the Defence Department decided to build another network for themselves, so they handed over the old one to the universities and colleges. This quickly incorporated several new networks and became known as the Internet.
This is now the biggest network ever, with something in the region of 16 million people around the world with access to it. There is a vast amount of stuff on it, ranging from information on the history of the abacus to discussion groups on zoology.
Many universities have placed the information on their database on line, so if you need information, you can probably find it somewhere. Many companies are also beginning to realise the potential of the Internet. For instance, Paramount recently set up a site where you can download images and sound samples from the latest Star Trek film. There are also a number of places on the Internet which hold several gigabytes of Amiga PD and Shareware, all of which can be easily downloaded.
However, there is a price to pay. Getting connected to the Internet is not simply a question of dialling another computer with your modem. While connecting to a local BBS is free (except for the phone bill) you have to pay access charges to get on to the Internet. The only possible exception to this is students, because many colleges give them some form of Internet access. Several of the commercial E-mail services offer different levels of Internet access which include the ability to send and receive messages from Internet users around the globe.
There are several companies which offer a full Internet connection, but only a few offer support for Amiga users. To get fully connected to the Internet, you also need some software to enable your Amiga to talk to the other computers which form the Internet. This requires that every computer sends data in a certain form, called the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Software to do this on the Amiga is easily available, thanks to some nice chaps at a Finnish university. They have produced AmiTCP, which allows any Amiga running Workbench 2 to access the Internet. This software should be available from any good BBS or PD library.
