<Chapter 1> The Past and Future of Internetworking
There is an old fashioned way to connect with other computers and share information and there is a modern way. It is helpful to compare the two methods briefly in order to make contact with methods you may already know and to show off the advantages of using the Internet.
The old fashioned (ca. 1980) method of making contact with other computers is through a bulletin board service (BBS). Bulletin board services grew up in the late 70s as a method for sharing software, talking, playing games, etc. with a personal computer. They range in size from small special interest Bulletin Boards with a local following to giant national boards like CompuServe, GEnie, and The Source. You access a bulletin board with a modem and communication software by dialing a telephone number. Of course, if you don't live in the local area of the BBS you have to use a long distance carrier. This may add a couple dollars per hour to the connect fee.
The basic services offered by a Bulletin Board and by the Internet are similar:
(1) Access to a host computer (Internet TELNET command)
(2) File transfer capability (Internet FTP command)
(3) The ability to contact other BBS members individually (Internet
E-mail)
(4) The ability to post messages for general consumption in any of
several catagories. (Usenet Newsgroups)
The difference is that whereas each BBS has its own dialup procedure, menu interface, file transfer methods, billing policies, and so on, THE INTERNET USES ONE METHOD FOR ALL COMPUTERS IN THE WORLD. The savings in terms of the "learning curve" is staggering. Once you know how to use anonymous FTP you know how to get information from *hundreds* of providers. It is like the difference between using the postal service or using a special courier for each person you write a letter to. Once you know how to address the envelope and put the stamp on, you can write anyone.
The Internet has the added savings that any communications software you buy for it works with all providers. You do not have to buy (or customize) special software for each information provider. Thus you can use one familiar graphical user interface ("windows" program) to connect with any computer. The usual situation where you have to buy a special "client" program to connect to each kind of "server" is replaced with a situation in which you have a single program that any "server" out there has to comply with. This standardization is the main advantage of using the Internet.