TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: On-line Service Provider From:Janet Valade <jvalade -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 27 Nov 1995 16:01:21 -0800
>I'm curious to find out from other independent tech writers what you use.
> And
>can you give me any pros and cons on using one service over another? And
>if you've used America Online, can you give me any reasons to stay with
>aol?
There is a web site which lists the on-line service providers with info
about them and comments from users. http://thelist.com/
I use Netcom which has its own software, NetCruiser. The software is pretty
good--not perfect. You get a lot of hours for your $20, but not quite
unlimited. Overall, I like them. But, they are getting busy, some times
the response time is not too good. And a call to ask a question is long
distance unless you live in San Jose.
One thing to keep in mind is whether you can reach the service without it
being a toll call. Another is how difficult it is to set up. Netcom loads
with a windows setup, just like any windows software. You don't have to
deal with WINSOCK and WIN32S or that other stuff. The cheapest service I
have seen is called "The Loop". It is on the web at http://www.loop.com.
But I have heard that you need to know what you are doing to set it up.
