>>I think most museums who use ASTC's services could work out a similar
>>collaboration [with a university] to get Internet access if they need it.
>
>> So, explain again what the advantage of ASTC being on Compuserve.
>
>I am not an ASTC rep so I do not speak for them, but as I understand it, the
>goal is to reach the majority of ASTC members who are _not_ connected in any
>way.  It is largely an audience question.  Ultimately, we all want full
>Internet access, but commercial services offer many of us "on ramps" which
>will help us get to full access.
>
>A commercial service offers:
>
>1) a single 800 number for enrollment, software, and support
>2) graphical software for multiple platforms to access the service
>   with a single, consisten user interface
>3) technical assistance provided by the service
>4) 30 days or a number of hours of free enrollment to "try before you buy"
>5) technical support for the organization setting up the forum
>6) local dial in numbers in almost every part of the country
>   even areas away from big cities (like ours)
>7) all of this in one comprehensive package
>
>For the brand new user this is a very attractive package.  There are ways to
>get most of these things for some users by using Internet services, but the
>myriad options for service providers, software pacakges, and dial in options
>plus the necessity of then supporting those many options from ASTC
>headquarters makes it  a much more complex packge simply to _explain_ to
>brand new users.  For that audience, Compuserve offers a good compromise.
>
>Those with good, cheap, fast, easy, Internet connections are in the
>minority. I certainly have not been as lucky in getting access. We are not
>near a big ciy with a cheap SLIP or PPP server so we pay $14/hour for long
>distance charges to get that access
>SNIP
>>I am looking at a CompuServe rate chart and these are the charges @ 9600
>>baud: $8.95/ month for some very basic services, plus $16.00 per hour (plus
>>whatever phone charges incurred) to take part in a forum, which is classed as
>>an extended service, as are most CompuServe offerings in my booklet.
Regards,
        Robert
 
 
 
Robert O. Dahl
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