>Hi from down under
>I am using CompuServe because not only professionals but amateurs around the
>world can have access.
>It is not so expensive, if you learn to run properly. And it friendly and very
>easy to operate. If you try to have your private access into INTERNET, you have
>to pay too.
>regards
>
Hello Vratislav,
 
I don't know what internet connections are like down under, but here in the
US we have a whole bunch of different "online services" in addition to
regular internet links.
 
I live in a fair - sized city: Tucson, Arizona. We have a number of
"botique" online services: America Online, Compuserve, Delphi, Prodigy,
e-world and others I cannot think of at the moment. Each of these services
offer special little goodies to entice you to subscribe, and charge a
monthly base fee.  America Online which is the other service I suscribe to
(for access to service bulletin boards from various software and hardware
companies), charges $10 (US) a month plus $3 per hour - this is in
comparison to the $24.50 per month for 150 hours of PPP connection that I
receive from internet direct, a small, conventional internet access
company. My PPP connection gives me full access to the internet, while
these other services offer only partial access and can be much more
expensive if I am online more than 5 hrs. a month. And I am ! What I am
afraid of is that each of these "botique" services will carry different
discussion groups that I would like to participate in and I would need to
spend $50 a month or more just for basic fees to these "botique" services.
 
I think the "botiques" are fine for social services and games and hobbies
and pen pals,etc.; but I feel that there is a distinct advantage for those
of us in the museum profession and other associated fields, whether we are
FP or NFP, to communicate in a more publicly accessible forum.
 
Vrat, I'm going to post this on museum-l, because I think others might be
interested and want to comment.
 
All the best,
        Robert
 
 
Robert O. Dahl
Interpretive Designer
8421 N. Via Tioga
Tucson, AZ 85704 Ph:(602) 797-4752
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