1. Online Information Services and Bulleting Board Services (BBS)

2. ONLINE SERVICES Before the use of the internet became common and before the world wide web was developed, computer users used online information services to access many sources of information and services An online information service provides access, for a fee, to all kinds of databases and electronic meeting places to subscribers equipped with telephone-linked microcomputers.

3. ONLINE SERVICES There are several online services. They are America Online (AOL), Compuserve, Microsoft Network (MSN), Prodigy. There are also about a million subscribers enrolled in small online services, which measure their membership in the hundreds rather than the millions. Examples are The WELL, ECHO (east coast hang out). They are huge collections of databases.

4. Getting Access to Online Services One need a computer and printer to download (transfer) and print an online materials. Modem is also needed as well as a communications software so your computer can communicate via modem and interact with the online service’s computers. America Online, Compuserve, and other mainstream services provide subscribers with their own software for going online, but one can also buy communications programs separately, such as ProComm Plus.

5. Getting Access to Online Services Opening an account with an online service requires a credit card, and billing policies resemble those used by cable-TV and telephone companies. As with cable TV, a fee is charged for basic service with additional fees for specialized services. In addition, the online service may charge you for the time spent while on the line.. The telephone company will also charge for the time on the line just as when making a regular phone call. Most information services offer local access numbers.

6. The offerings of Online Services Although the internet offers the same information as online services, many users still prefer online services because the information is packaged-organized, filtered, and put in user-friendly form. Services – People connections-email, message boards, chat rooms: message boards allow the posting and reading of messages on any of thousands of special topics.

7. The offerings of Online Services Research and news: the only restriction on the amount of research one can do online is the limit on whatever credit card one is charging the time to, if not a free database. Games, entertainment, and clubs Free software: download freeware, shareware. Travel services Shopping Financial management: to invest money, stock market

8. Bulleting Board Services (BBS)