Your Internet Consultant - The FAQs of Life Online
Finding the right access may mean one quick phone call to a nearby friend who's "in the know," or it could mean hours of phone calls and research. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Getting on the Internet is like buying a house or planning a vacation: there are options to consider, choices to make and in the end, a worthwhile prize.
No matter which method of access you want, you need to know specific things about service providers before making the decision as to which one to use. Arm yourself with the information in this section and then begin contacting promising service providers and ask questions--lots of questions.
If you know people who have Internet access, ask them how they get access. If those people live near you and are happy with their service, chances are that service will be right for you, too.
Note: I hope you will be able to stick with one service
for a long time. Staying with one service means you won't have to keep learning
new interfaces and commands, because no two services are exactly alike, and
you'll have a stable electronic mail address so that your corespondents can
find you. Internet service providers vary wildly in services and prices. Be
sure to check all your options before you sign on the dotted line.
Then again, don't worry too much about finding the perfect Internet service
provider the first time around. Getting online the first time is usually the
most difficult; once you're online, you'll find a wealth of information about
other--possibly better--ways to connect to the Internet. You can change your
service provider at any time. Although it's cumbersome to set up a new account,
tell your associates your new e-mail address and so on. You shouldn't feel
locked in to a particular service provider or type of
service.