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In Around and Online 95 01 20
In, Around and Online- Issue 2.3 -- Week Ending 1/20/95
=======================================================
Copyright (C) 1995 Robert Seidman. All rights reserved. May be
reproduced in any medium for non-commercial purposes.
In This Issue...
================
- The Internet Postman Rings Late for America Online Members
- One Stop Point and Click Access to the Internet Is Already Here
- HotWIRED's Gossipy Take on the Europe Online Deal
- Newsworthy Notes
- Short Takes
- Stock Watch
- Our Thanks To...
The Internet Postman Rings Late for America Online Members
==========================================================
Local mail on America Online is working fine. If you're an America
Online Member and you don't receive any mail from the Internet, you don't
have to worry. Sending mail from AOL to the Internet seems to be working
well also. But inbound mail FROM the Internet TO AOL is sometimes no
faster than snail mail (the kind you have to put a 32 cent stamp on).
Tests revealed delay times in receiving mail from the Internet on AOL to
be between 12-60 hours. To quote a posting from the AOL Mail Gateway
Staff: "Too many cars, not enough road." We wonder if some of this may
be caused due to mail bombing where someone deliberately generates a ton
of mail in hopes of crashing a system or at least irritating an AOL member.
Patient users can accept growing pains, but when it comes to e-mail, some
users will not be tolerant. Fortunately for America Online, to
know how long the mail actually sat around one must be able to decipher
the mail header. On AOL the Internet mail header is actually a footer
and to most people doesn't look like anything worth reading. Usually, it
isn't.
All the great things like the World Wide Web, Business Week Online,
Newsweek Interactive and US News and World Report are really nice, but
e-mail is the most utilized "tool" on the net. It is also the one that
people most rely on.
Oh sure they're working hard at fixing the delays, but we went through
this last year. They made subscribing to mailing lists so easy and then
under estimated the volume of mail? We sent our query to AOL about this
too late in the week to receive an official response, but we expect to
hear something next week. Perhaps it is a minority viewpoint to view two
day delays as unsatisfactory. But shouldn't they let their customers
know? Oh sure, there is a message from a staff person buried in the
Internet Mail Gateway message area, but most users wouldn't think to
check there. Put it up on the welcome screen.
We'd hate to think of a couple of lovers separated by great distances
communicating via e-mail where one is on AOL and one has other Internet
mail access. "What mail? I never received your mail. No, honest!
Really, I didn't!" That may sound pretty funny. But what if you're
abroad doing some research and regularly communicate with friends and
loved ones via Internet mail. Then all the sudden you're the survivor of
a tragic earthquake. Long distance calls won't go through but amazingly,
your net connection still works. So you send an e-mail Two days of
senseless worrying. No, we're not saying anything such as this actually
happened. We're trying to paint the ugliest picture possible. Why?
Because it could happen.
One Stop Point and Click Access To the Internet is Already Here
===============================================================
Last week, we talked about the "point and click" and click Internet
access that Microsoft plans to incorporate into their Windows '95
Platform. We mentioned how easy OS/2's Internet access is long as you
use it with the network it is preconfigured for.
Well, we got a few notes asking, "What about Internet Chameleon by
NetManage," including a note from someone at NetManage. Well, we sort of
have a history with NetManage. We'd already been using NetManage
Chameleon to connect to UNIX machines over an office LAN. It is very
much "point and click". However, when we attempted to configure
Chameleon for Windows for use with our SLIP/PPP account we had to toil
quite a long time to get it to work. Once configured, it worked quite
nicely, but we didn't think the average user would want to go through all
the trouble we went through to make it work.
When NetManage wrote us saying, "Hey! You want point and click, we have
point and click," our reply was, "Hey! We use your stuff and it ain't
point and click until you actually get the connection configured
properly!" Then they asked us if we'd tried the "Instant Internet"
service that comes with the "Internet Chameleon" version of the
software. We hadn't. So we did.
We told ourselves to forget everything we knew and act as dumb as
possible. Okay, this feat isn't likely to win us an Oscar, but we wanted
to go at this as a newbie would. We installed the software without any
problems. Then we clicked on the "Instant Internet" icon. Doing so
brought up a "point and click" application that allowed us to select one
of 5 preconfigured providers or set up our own. Even setting up your own
provider is made much easier with "Instant Internet", but we wanted to
get on without doing any configuring at all. We chose PSI's "InterRamp"
service because Internet Chameleon came with a FREE seven day trial to
InterRamp.
Regular readers of this newsletter know that anything with the word FREE
on it jumps right out at us. We clicked on InterRamp and plugged in our
name, address, and phone number, and yes, our credit card# too. Then we
clicked "send". The modem started dialing and connected. To be honest
we don't think that InterRamp actually took the credit card, but the
NetManage software required that we enter it. After connecting with
InterRamp we had the option to sign up for a regular account or to use
the 7 day free trial. Well, you all know which one we took. Then it
started sending packets. The next thing we knew it was finished.
According to the message on our screen everything was ready to go. All
we needed to do now was bring up the Custom application and click on
Connect. We didn't really believe it would work, but we crossed our
fingers and did what we were told. Then we were connected.
Once connected, we brought up NetManage's WWW browser -- it's not as
feature rich as Netscape, but it isn't bad at all. We were now connected
to the InterRamp home page. It looked as if it worked, but we're
cynics. So, we pointed the browser to OUR home page on ClarkNet. It
worked! We couldn't believe it. Then we brought up the e-mail client,
and tried to send our ClarkNet account an e-mail. Next we brought up the
Telnet client so we could Telnet over to ClarkNet and see if the mail
made it. It had. We replied to the message via our Telnet session on
ClarkNet to see if the Chameleon e-mail client would automatically
receive the reply at InterRamp. It did. Everything worked as advertised
and it was all "point and click". Yeah, we know Bill Gates isn't losing
any sleep over this, but it is about as easy as you could ask for.
We're not advocating that anyone use NetManage just because we use it.
But, we are impressed. It comes with every tool you need to take maximum
advantage of the net right out of the box -- over a dozen applications.
We're also not advocating using PSI's InterRamp service. We'll
definitely stick with ClarkNet. We like 28.8 access and the ability to
create our own WWW page. InterRamp currently doesn't have either and
based on the amount of time we spend connected to the net, it would be
much more expensive for us. But, it's a great way to get up and running
for FREE for a week of Internet exploration. "Instant Internet" also
comes with preconfigured access to AlterNet, CERFnet, IBM Internet (We
guess this is what they are calling Advantis these days), and even
Portal! Or you can configure it on your own.
Internet Chameleon has a street price of around US$130. To some, the
price may sound steep. If you're not a natural born hacker, but just
want something to work without having to understand why, then this is a
great way to go.
Note for Internet purists who will say, "If they don't understand how and
why it all works, they shouldn't be here." We used the telephone
successfully for years before we had a full understanding of how it all
worked.
HotWIRED's Gossipy Take on the Europe Online Deal
=================================================
If you're familiar with reading
text that is printed in this
format then you're probably
familiar with HotWIRED's FLUX
page on the HotWIRED World Wide
Web Site.
It's annoying, isn't it? Well, Ned Brainard probably doesn't want you to
know this, but we'll tell you anyway. Ned is quickly becoming the
reigning monarch of National Inquirer style cyber reporting. Has Ned
grown too infatuated with his idol, New York Time's reporter Peter
Lewis? He seems to be taking on the same tendencies that he often
accuses Mr. Lewis of -- relying on sources without any data (well, he's
insinuated worse of Lewis, but I don't want to get into that). Of
course, since Flux seems intended as a gossip column, Ned's style seems
perfect.
In the January 16th edition of FLUX, Mr. Brainard alleges that America
Online head honcho Steve Case dropped the ball by not getting AOL the
Europe Online licensing agreement recently awarded to Interchange. Ned
or his sources figured that Steve had been so successful in his recent
deal making, that he lost the deal because he thought it was in his back
pocket. Ned paints a picture that leads one to believe AOL blew it at
the last moment. In Ned's defense, it does make a nice lead in to a
juicy premise. The two primary investors of Europe Online just happen to
be two of the original America Online investors. They made a killing on
their America Online investment and tales of cold blooded executives
definitely make for good reading. We at "In, Around and Online" worry
that Ned is spending too much time reading Peter Lewis articles and
thinking up ways to attack them. As a result Ned may not be able to stay
fully tuned into the online services industry.
America Online hadn't been on the Europe Online radar screen for several
months. The wind was a-buzz for weeks with rumors that Europe Online was
going to abandoned any closed proprietary system in favor of the World
Wide Web. That they didn't choose the web is an interesting story, but
it is understandable why Mr. Brainard might not have wanted to talk about
that. After all, his column is distributed via the web.
Still, we wondered what DID go on between America Online and Europe
Online. We asked America Online President and chief executive Steve Case
for his point of view. "The HotWIRED story is not true," according to
Case.
Mr. Case explained that Europe Online was primarily interested in a
software licensing agreement. America Online was interested in
participating on a broader level that included a significant equity
stake. Mr. Case noted that AOL ended discussions with Europe Online
several months ago. "When it became clear that we were on different
wavelengths, we decided to pursue other alternatives, and suggested they
do so as well," according to Case, who added, "Therefore, the
announcement of their licensing pact with Interchange didn't surprise us
at all. And they won't be surprised when we announce our plans for the
European market."
Many have speculated that America Online is scrambling due to upcoming
competition from the likes of Interchange and the Microsoft Network.
We're sure the competition concerns them, but that competition is good
for all of us consumers! We think secretly AOL is probably jumping for
joy that investors are still shelling out bucks to invest on the closed
proprietary systems. Well Ned, video didn't kill the rock star, and the
World Wide Web isn't going to kill the online services...or is
it? Well, not anytime soon.
A recent story in the Investors Business Daily predicted that by 1998,
WWW usage will outpace Online Service usage with 22 million users. There
are just over 6 million users of online services now, and all of them
will have access to the WWW by 1998. We think these numbers look pretty
good for the online services too. If content on the WWW becomes totally
subsidized by advertising, look for the online services to take the same
route, but strengthen their position by providing better tools for
managing the vast amounts of information.
Even if you're a BIG FAN of Peter Lewis, you'll want to read Ned
Brainard's FLUX columns. While it is gossipy and at times excessively
critical in nature, it is a heck of a lot of fun to read and one of our
top 15 things to read on the Web. Maybe HotWIRED will consider taking
advantage of the technology the WWW allows. Then they could have links
from gossipy items in Flux to either more thorough and balanced coverage
of the items or an opposing viewpoint. Then Ned could have a real
Saturday Night Live "Point/Counterpoint" discussion with someone.
Ned you ignorant sl...
If you have WWW access (this means you too Prodigy!) check out HotWIRED
at: http://www.hotwired.com . New users will have to register, but its
FREE! The FLUX page is accessible via the "Signal" area. You may not
like everything there, but there is just about something for everyone!
NEWSWORTHY NOTES
================
MICROSOFT ANTITRUST revisited. According to a story from Reuters, after
a day long hearing, U.S. District Judge Stanley Sporkin said that he was
troubled by the Microsoft consent decree, but took no immediate action on
it. Assistant Attorney General Anne Bingaman said the antitrust
settlement should be approved immediately. She labeled last-minute
objections by computer and communications companies as "outrageous" and
said that any complaints should be brought to the Justice Department for
investigations or that companies with objections could sue Microsoft on
their own. Judge Sporkin said he needed a few days to review the case.
According to Bingaman, if Sporkin rejects the consent decree it would
force the Justice Department to try the case in court...for years.
IN AN EFFORT to assuage angry customers and developers and avoid
royalties to Unisys, CompuServe announced the desire to create a new GIF
standard. In the announcement CompuServe asks for cooperation among
developers and others in the creation of a new standard. The most
difficult issue at this point appears to be developing a standard that
would be backwards compatible with all the existing GIFs that are out
there and still not infringe on any patent.
COMPUSERVE is preparing to launch additional services for users of Lotus
Notes. Beginning next week companies using the Lotus Notes workgroup
software will be able to integrate via CompuServe to get access to
special CD-ROM CD; CompuServe forum file libraries; Internet USENET
Newsgroups; Computergram International news via APT Data Service; the
Comtex newswire service (includes over 25 news providers coming from
hundreds of sources); and news and publications services via Lexis-Nexis.
AS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK (Issue 2.2, January 13, 1995), PRODIGY unveiled
their WWW browser to the public. Well, it is sort of public. Anyone can
get there to download the software and use it at JUMP: WWW . But on our
visits to Prodigy, we didn't see it announced on the main pages
anywhere. The slow roll...
SAN JOSE MERCURY News announced their WWW page. Well, earlier in this
newsletter we said, that the WWW won't kill the online services- at least
not yet. The SJMN web page makes a pretty compelling argument against
us! We've been reading the SJMN on America Online since it stated there,
but it looks REALLY COOL on the web. Adding insult to injury for America
Online, PRODIGY has a hotlink to the Mercury page on their brand spanking
new WWW browser. Ouch! Subsidized by ADVERTISING and FREE to users,
check it out at: http://www.sjmercury.com . The Netscape browser is
recommended and downloadable from the Mercury site. And people said we
were crazy when we said, "advertising can be good..."
AMERICA ONLINE announced open testing of the new AOLNET access method.
AOLNET will allow access speeds up to 28.8 Kbps. Currently AOLNET isonly
available in about 12 cities, with many more planned over the next few
months. America Online users can find out more at Keyword: HIGH SPEED .
Additional 14.4 access provided via SprintNet was also announced. Though
even 14.4 users with a SprintNet access number might want to see if their
city is available for use with AOLNET as AOLNET is billed as a faster and
more reliable connection method.
BURDA PUBLICATIONS of Germany announced plans to launch an online service
in the US called "Metro Connect" that will compete directly with the New
York Times Co. (@Times on America Online) and Times Mirror (Newsday
Interactive on Prodigy). According to the story that appeared in "Inside
Media" the service will be fully supported by advertising and free to end
users. The service is expected to debut in New York City and then expand
to other cities. You'll be able to order carry out food (why is THIS a
big deal to anyone?) and peruse things like real estate listings. Well,
free is free.
GENERAL ELECTRIC'S GE Capital Retailer Financial Services, announced an
agreement with California based eSHOP Inc. ESHOP Inc. develops online
shopping software. GE Capital is acquiring a minority stake in eSHOP.
ESHOP has recently formed alliances with several companies, including
AT&T and Intel.
SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER was the guest of honor on the recent IRC
Roundtable. Participants hounded Specter on whether he was going to make
a run for the Presidency. He didn't actually use a keyboard- he was on
the phone and someone typed in his responses and relayed the questions.
Twice he asked for contributions. In case he does run he needs to be
prepared. How would you all react if we used the Internet as a forum to
ask for contributions? It was a rhetorical question, no e-mail
necessary!
SHORT TAKES
===========
SUPER BOWL MANIA- On America Online, check out keyword: SUPER BOWL to get
to ABC's SUPER BOWL area, find out how to play QB-1 during the Super
Bowl. Or check out the Miami Herald's Super Bowl page at:
http://herald.kri.com/ . It has Dave Barry's tourist guide to the Super
Bowl. We love Dave Barry. We're still seething that someone mass mailed
a Dave Barry article from Clarinet to a ton of people. Unfortunately
someone on the list worked for Knight-Ridder Tribune. KRT owns the
syndication rights to Dave Barry. No more Dave Barry via the Clarinet
newsgroups. Yeah, we can read it in the Chicago Tribune on Sundays on
America Online, but they seem to run a couple of weeks behind. What?
Buy a paper? How plebeian, get real! Okay, we confess, we do buy the
paper, but only on Sundays for Dave Barry.
MICHAEL PALIN a member of Britain's famed Monty Python comedy troupe,
will accept questions between now and 1/30, with answers expected on
2/7. He is promoting his new book, Around the World in 80 Days, a
chronicle of his own circumnavigational adventure. On Prodigy in the
Comedy Bulletin Board.
GOOD CAUSES- CompuServe members can get information on the United Way
at GO UW . Find out how to contribute and more about the United Way. It
is in the basic services area on CompuServe
TALK TO ONE of our favorite guys, Vic Sussman, during the 1/25
installment of the IRC Roundtable (he won't ask you for money, we
promise!). Mr. Sussman is the Sr. Editor, Technology for US News & World
Report. He recently did a great cover story: "Is Anything Safe in
Cyberspace?" in the January 23 issue. CompuServe members can check it
out at GO USN. Mr. Sussman will be discussing how the media covers
cyberspace. Vic isn't just a media guy, he's one of us! When he's not
surfing the net, he's surfing the waves. In the IRC's #podium in the
UNDERNET section of the IRC. If you're not familiar with IRC check out:
http://www.IRsociety.com or gopher://gopher.IRsociety.com for more
information.
AGENT 99! Wow, we loved her as kids, but that was a long time ago. Get
Smart's Agent 99, Barbara Feldon will chat with members live in the
America's Talking chat area on Prodigy.
CATCH JONI MITCHELL in a special version of Warner Record's Cyber-Talk
on January 26 at 10:30 p.m. EST, immediately following a special one hour
concert that will be aired on 150 radio stations nationally. We were
bummed to find out in the Playboy Interview with David Geffen that Joni
wasn't actually AT Woodstock. See, we DO read the articles!. We still
like her anyway. Keyword: WARNER on America Online.
FREE STUFF ON THE NET! A lot of it all in one place. COOL, right?
Well sort of, they want actually want you to pay for the right to be told
about the free stuff! Someone making money on free stuff. Hmmmmmm.
Hey, we're not saying there's anything wrong with this. It just makes us
wonder where the heck WE went wrong. It's a flagrant advertisement for
books and a service via the WWW, but what the heck, they do GIVE away a
free issue that has a boatload of free stuff in it. We didn't see our
newsletter listed in the free stuff, and we did not intend to pay to see
if we were in the pay section. But we already know where we are.
Here's where they are: http://power.globalnews.com:80/freestuff .
Stock Watch
===========
Last This
Week's Week's
Company Ticker Close Close
------- ------ ------ ------
America Online AMER $50.00 $56.63
Apple* AAPL $44.88 $42.63
Netcom NETC $22.25 $23.75
AT&T T $49.00 $48.75
General Electric GE $52.00 $51.00
H&R Block HRB $35.24 $34.00
IBM IBM $76.37 $75.38
MCI MCIC $18.25 $18.25
Microsoft MSFT $62.75 $61.63
Sears S $47.88 $45.13
OUR THANKS TO...
================
Sony Music- for a slew of music CD's! Alice In Chains; The Goats;
Stompbox, Stabbing Westward and lots more.
NetManage- for the review copy of the software. We'll have to give
equal time to Spry, FTP, etc., as soon as they send copies.
Apple Computer- They're loaning us a color Powerbook so we can check out
eWorld!!! It isn't a PowerPC, but we don't have any place to put one
anyway.
See you next week.
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"In, Around and Online"-A Weekly Summary of Consumer Online Services
Robert Seidman http://www.clark.net:80/pub/robert/home.html
robert@clark.net Anon FTP: ftp.clark.net pub/robert
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