A letter from the CEO of America On Line last month described their intention
to establish a somewhat enhanced gateway between AOL and the Internet that
would give AOL subscribers access to "internet-based" functions such as
telnet and ftp, and would even include an AOL gopher client.  I would assume
that AOL's goal is to give its subscribers access to the rest of the net,
rather than other netters access to the resources of AOL; i.e., regular
net users probably won't be able to telnet into AOL.  (IMHO, subscription
fees to AOL are quite reasonable; something like $10 for 10 hrs/mo, and no
surcharge for 9600 bd).
 
NMAA could reach a wider community (ultimately), by putting up their own
WWW server.  (I can't speak to their longer-range plans.)  In the near-term,
however, the AOL-NMAA collaboration appears to be an excellent out-reach
vehicle.
 
Stan Blum (ex-NMNH)