Reflections of a ModemJunkie by Leonard Grossman Those of you who missed Bob Kastigar's discussion of the Internet at the May CACHE meeting missed an excellent talk. Bob's talk was intuitive rather than technical. He is an inspired teacher. The resources available through that anarchic "system" are amazing. How can one decide what to do? What to access? Which lists to subscribe to? Which brings up a problem. Last month I promised to write about discipline, but I never made the time. Actually, I guess this is it--and rather that providing answers, this month I am asking for your suggestions. With the amazing wealth of resources available at our fingertips, how can we become masters of the technology, rather than its slaves? Each day I wake up and log on to at least two local BBS's and one national service. I repeat the process almost every night. Each has a myriad of conferences and services and I have forced myself to limit the services I use and conferences I join. Even if there are only one or personal two messages in each, it takes substantial time to read and respond, and of course logon again to send the replies (and If there are no messages, I am disappointed). Where can I find the time (much less the ability to pay the phone bill). One solution is to set absolute limits. Using the phone company's rate structure as a guide, I repeatedly promise myself not to log on after 8:00 a.m. or before 9:00 p.m. but when there is an interesting debate or hot topic on one of the boards it difficult not to log on every hour or so to catch the latest update. It becomes a never ending cycle. It may also help to define exactly what you are looking for online: information, relaxation, conversation, just plain company. Carefully defining these purposes may help you structure your access. (But it hasn't worked yet for me, although I have begun to merely scan certain echoes rather than read everything. I refuse to even read messages about Waco anymore). The fact is modem communication is addictive. It is the world's biggest interactive game. Every time you write a letter and receive a response its a deeper hook (remember those letters you wrote in sixth grade to Aunt Helen, then she wrote back and then you wrote back...or were supposed to) only this is nearly instant gratification. (I used to feel a moral obligation to play certain games on Syslink every day. Even logged on from my hotel room when I was travelling, that's when I knew I was sick. Maybe this should be called Confessions of aModem Junkie.) Is there a twelve step program for modemjunkies...and can I access it online?. Your suggestions please. Actually, one inspiration to cut down may be the increasing cost of the major services. Just as hoards of Prodigy users were flocking to GEnie, GEnie announced elimination of its Basic Services plan, which is creating an uproar among its users. As a response, a friend of mine has conducted an informal survey on national services and their fee structures. I caution that isinformal and may not be 100% accurate, but you may find it interesting: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NVN : National Videotex voice # 1-800-336-9096 Rates: $5.95 @ month, (Basic Service) which includes 60 e-mail @ month then $.20 per e-mail; you may be online 24 hours per day at the $5.95 rate; has a large number of free access numbers so there are few surcharged lines; it includes bb's, e-mail, etc. Prime service i.e. download files, chat, etc. are higher rates. You have to have a communications program to access and it is hard to get around in unless you are familiar with this type of communicating, but they are working on it and they seem to listen to what the customer wants. Their hours are 24 hours a day, no prime time. COMPUSERVE : CompuServe voice # 1-800-848-8990 Rates: $8.95 @ month (Basic Service) plus $8.00 @ hour. E- mail is unlimited; bb's, chat, e-mail, etc. are at the $8.00 @ hr rate. Prime time and non-prime time hours with nights and weekends as non-prime time. PC-LINK : PC-LINK voice # 1-800-827-8532 Rates: $9.95 @ month (10 free hours the first month, then 5 free hours @ month thereafter) plus $3.50 per hour (these rates start 7/1/93) They have their own communications program that will be sent to you when you sign up OR they will send you a booklet and free disk to start up) The hourly rate applies to everything...downloads, chat, etc. (like GEnie plans to do) Prime time and non-prime time hours with nights and weekends as non-prime time. DELPHI : DELPHI Voice: 1-800-695-4005,computer # 1-800-695-4002, [set comm program to 2400 baud, N81] with your comm program call the above number and when online, then type "info" (without the quotation marks) A friend tells me she got on using the computer number "Child's play!!, she said. All the rates, things about the system etc. are right there and you just read it] (There is a "one time" sign up fee of $39.00 which includes the first month"s $20.00 charge...so the sign up fee is $19.00) Rates: They have 2 options..... 1. $10.00 @ month with 4 free hours each month and each hour thereafter is billed at $4.00 per hour. This plan is the 10/4 PLAN. 2. $20.00 @ month with 20 free hours each month, then each hour thereafter is $1.80 per hour. This is called 20/20 ADVANTAGE. This includes everything, unlimited e-mail, bb's, chat, download files, etc. They appear to have the _most_ unsurcharged lines of available. They also offer 5 free hours to "play" and see if you like their system, all you have to do is tell them while you are on-line and they will direct you as to how to do this. They have a front-end program called D-LIGHT (?) (it is similar to Aladdin and I understand that they have it for IBM and MAC) and that maybe downloaded for free. Prime and non-prime hours with nights and weekends being non-prime time. The hours vary from 6:00 p.m - 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. depending on if you access through Tymenet or Sprintnet. (Sprintnet offers the extra hour [6:00 p.m, - 6 a.m.]) [Btw, DELPHI also offers "vanity" ID's at no extra charge, so you do NOT have to use your real name if you choose not to. They also offer PRIVATE categories. AOL : America On Line voice # 1-800-827-6364 Rates: $9.95 @ month with 5 hours each month free and $3.50 per hour thereafter. They have their own front-end program (like Aladdin). Unlimited e-mail and the hourly rate applies to everything. 24 hours daily, no prime or non-prime hours. GEnie GEnie voice # 1-800-638-9636 At GEnie the new monthly fee (within the U.S.) will be $8.95 (up from $4.95). Included in this amount is 4 hours of non-prime time connect time. After you use your 4 hours for the month, all other connect non prime usage will be charged at $3.00/hour. These charges will apply to GEnie mail and Internet mail. The current $2.00/month surcharge for Internet access will be eliminated. There is no per message charge for E-mail within the system. It is not clear at press time whether the current 30 cent charge for each incoming or out going Internet message will continue). There are additional more costly professional services available. If you have to ask how much prime time (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) costs, you cant afford it (I think its $12/hr. It used to be $18.) With the new rates, their free front end, Aladdin, is essential, available currently only for IBM. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I suggest You call the services to verify the foregoing prices, if you are interested. These new charges may force me to solve my problem. My biggest fear is that I may find the free institutional access to Internet I have been looking for and then I'll lose the only restraint I have. Next month: Procrastination..If I get around to it. Copyright 1993 Leoanrd Grossman