With so much hoopla in the press about the Internet, and the Information Highway, perhaps you have wondered just what is needed to get online, what can you find there and how hard it is.
You can get online for under $100. All you need is a really simple computer, even an old PC-XT clone, a modem, the software to make them work and an online account. You should be able to find an XT with everything you need in the $50 to $75 range. Online accounts are in the $10 to $25 per month range for Internet providers, and many of the local bulletin board systems (BBSs) are free.
Of course, some account providers charge a base fee plus an hourly charge, so if you sign up with that type and you really like the Internet, it could be expensive. There are several local "flat fee" providers, which means you can hook your computer, via the modem, to the phone line, and, using the telecommunications software, dial a local number and read until your eyes drop out if that is what you want to do.
Alternate Access, at 230-8732, costs $17.50 per month for a plain account, or $25 per month for a graphical user interface (GIF) if you have a newer machine that runs Windows and you want the pictures. You can get two free weeks to try it out. Many World Wide Web (WWW) sites are being created that have everything from reproductions of art, cartoons, music, catalogs of merchandise to buy, maps and more to come. You need a GIF interface to see the pictures; you can read the text without one.
Alternate Access, and many other live Internet providers, use the UNIX operating system, so you will need to learn a bit about UNIX. It is worth the struggle, however. You can get around adequately by the time you memorize 20 to 30 commands. XTs will not run the software (Windows) needed for a GIF account, or for America Online (AOL). You will need at least a 386 PC for that. I am not knowledgeable about Macintosh computers, so I do not know which Macs will work. AOL is not the real Internet anyhow, so I do not recommend it. They censor which newsgroups you can read (to protect you and your children, of course), plus AOL has a monthly charge plus a per hour charge.
On the Internet, you will find several newsgroups of interest _ alt.pagan, alt.religion.wicca, alt religion.caw, alt.tarot, alt.magick, alt.shamanism, alt.magick.sex just to start. There are also listservs (this is the correct spelling -a listserv is like a newsgroup, but is restricted to subscribers) which happen through e-mail, and tend to be attacked less by weirdoes shouting You are all going to burn in hell for your sins!, which does happen in the open newsgroups fairly often.
However, remember they are just words on the screen, and over time you will become more and more adept at simply ignoring the few socially challenged folks who post. In alt.religion.wicca. You might want to begin with a local BBS such as Sidhe Male (pronounced Shee Mail) at 241- 7899. There is no charge, although donations are welcome, and this board nets many nationwide pagan, Wicca, magick, etc. news conferences.
It is really fun to look around, and, after you learn about the environment, even post to a few of the conferences. You also can download the "FAQ" (frequently asked questions) v2.4, follow a thread like "Witch vs. Shaman", or help someone out who is "Looking for Information". Practice first, though, and remember you can cancel your own posts, so go back and read them and see if they came out all right before you log off. Most people recommend not posting for a few months while you are learning. There is also information online to teach you how to post. Pick up a copy of the Puget Sound Computer User and look in the back for the phone numbers of several hundred local BBSs. It is available free at many grocery and computer stores.
If you are comfortable in a gay/lesbian/bi space, give 28 Barbary Lane a call at 525-2828. They have several user levels, with the lower ones being free, and they have a pagan room that gets quite a bit of traffic.
Within a few years electronic communication will be as common as using the phone is today. The government is thinking of trying to control the Internet, and that is all the more reason to jump aboard soon while it is still kinda wild and chaotic.
If you sign on with any of the places mentioned here, please tell them where you heard about it. If you need help, feel free to leave me a message at 998-6958.
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