Get your modem running,
   Head out on the highway...
  
The information highway, that is. With apologies to
Steppenwolf, you will hopefully recognize those
lyrics as a reference to the Internet, the
much-vaunted information superhighway -- on which
GEnie has announced its intention of acting as your
driver.
  
According to the press release, "The GEnie Internet
Access Service will enable subscribers to access the
wealth of information and numerous discussion groups
available on the Internet from GEnie."
  
Internet Access will come in phases. Phase I, the one
planned by the end of the year, will include:
  
 *  The FTP Service, which provides users with
    interactive access to any of the millions of
    files available for public access on the
    Internet.
  
 *  Usenet Newsgroups Service, which allows users to
    participate in the global discussion areas
    collectively known as USENET.
  
 *  Outbound Telnet Service, which enables users to
    connect to other host computers through the
    Internet.
  
 *  Gopher Service, which is a set of menus designed
    to help you access files, discussion groups and
    other host computers in a more orderly and
    logical fashion.
  
 *  Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) Database
    Service, which provides users with access to "no
    cost databases" across the Internet.
  
Make It Happen
  
GEnie members do not need to worry about becoming
road-kill on the fast lanes of the Internet; GEnie
will act as their guide.
  
But this is only the beginning. "Services not offered
in the first phase haven't been specifically
excluded," say Andrea Duda, an assistant in the
Internet RoundTable. "Phase I services are merely the
core that we are concentrating on providing
initially. We're doing this to ensure that the Phase
I services are provided with the maximum possible
quality, in a reasonable time frame."
  
She also says additional services are under
consideration for future expansion, and that
developers welcome suggestions from members.
  
KISS Formula
  
Says Mike Nolan, one of the gateway's designers: "We
see the real potential of the GEnie Internet Gateway
as making that vast storehouse of information
available and useable by the average person." Because
of that, "there are no plans to offer PPP/SLIP access
through GEnie at this time." The idea is to keep the
system easy to use and provide access for everybody.
  
Along those lines, the developers have emphasized
that no special software will be needed to access the
Internet. "Aladdin can continue to be used, but
probably not to its fullest capacity," says Duda. She
thinks the software used to access the Internet will
need to be able to do VT100 emulation or ANSI to work
the Internet fully.
  
"There are LOTS of programs that can do these
things," she says. "At this point I wouldn't go out
and get anything new. Wait until GEnie's Internet
access is closer and the requirements for using it
are firmed up a bit more."
  
Direct Internet access may very well affect
operations on other areas of GEnie as well. For
instance, newsgroup digests have been routinely
posted in various places around GEnie. Ed Perrone,
sysop of the Astrology RoundTable, says, "It will
mean the end of them in the Astrology Library."
  
Keeping Up With Change
  
Other effects will become apparent as full Internet
access is realized. Probably the best place to keep
up with the coming implementation is the Internet
RoundTable (type M1405 or the keyword INTERNET-RT at
any GEnie prompt to get there). Category 9 on the
Bulletin Board is dedicated to discussing the GEnie
Internet Access Service.
  
  
So crank up your cybermotors, even if you weren't
"Born To Be Wild." GEnie will handle the tough work
on the Internet -- you can just ride along.