I apologize for my imprecision -- I should have written, Compuserve (and
AOL etc) are not -freely- accessible via the Internet.  Compuserve forums
are open only to paying members/susbscribers of Compuserve, whether they
telnet to their C'serve  accounts or dial in.   I could dial in to my
eniac account at Penn (free account, but it costs long-distance phone
$$), and telnet to delphi -- but I would still have to pay delphi's
charges for all the time I'm logged on to its system.
 
Loren Pigniolo asserts that the service he uses is available throughout
the country, by local dial-up: if he means netcom, that is simply not the
case here in Palm Beach County, Florida.
 
The cable tv analogy is a good one.  Some of us are privileged to live in
areas where broadcast signals are easily received; some must pay for
'basic cable' to bring the signals to our homes.  In addition, there are
'premium channels' that anyone must pay for in order to view them.  On
top of that, there's 'pay per view'.
 
The ASTC exclusivity on C'serve is comparable to being a 'pay per view,
every month, with no pre-selection of what you'll see onscreen.'  While
that my be appropriate for once-in-a-lifetime entertainment events, is it
the proper route for a professional organization?  Particularly one whose
members are noted (famous? infamous?) for being eclectic in their
interests and responsible for maintaining expertise in a large number of
professional disciplines at once.
 
--bayla (not whining, just laying out the facts)