🚀 go-pugleaf

Laura Agustin wrote:
"How can I solve the issue of connection to service providers? I am
poor, I will be staying wherever I can and sometimes that will be a
place with no place to plug in a telephone. Even if I can plug in the
machine I won't have accounts with service providers in every country I
visit. I will want Web access as well. I don't have connections in
universities.
Does anyone see how this can work concretely? Europe of course is filled
with access, but how can outsiders plug into it?"

Reply:
1) One solution is access to Internet Cafes which have sprung up all
over Europe.  These usually charge a fee, but perhaps you could convince
an owner that you're working for a good cause.

2) Another solution is to make arrangements with local universities,
libraries, student associations, etc., etc.  You might be surprised at
what you can get if you ask.

3) One method I've used in Europe is to find a University library with
networked computers and telnet from there.  When the computer looks like
it is for local user access only, if you hit the "alt" and "a" keys at
the same time, you can more often than not open a telnet session to
check your mail at home (best to do this descretely).

When telneting, you have text only access to your service at home.  You
can, however, access the www in text only mode.  Your current service
probably supports a great program called lynx.  Ask your sysop about it,
or if you know how to use your computer in text-only, just try typing
lynx or www at the prompt line, instead of pine or mail.

4) To use your own laptop, you will have to get access to a phone line
and either a service like Compuserve (global access, but expensive) or
cut deals with local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that offer access
in each location you are in.  I've had some luck with the latter method,
especially with the small ISPs run by young people - you can sometimes
get guest accounts on a week by week basis and pay a reasonable fee.  If
you are running Winsock and a graphical browser like Netscape, then all
you need from the ISP are the dialup numbers and the Domain Name number
to plug into Winsock.

5) Young university students seem to always know how and where to get
on-line.  Go to the local university and ask around.  With some luck you
may even make friends with someone who has Net access and is willing to
let you share their account.

It's probably about time someone put together a traveller's guide to
getting on-line!  Laura - maybe your work could form the basic research
for that in Europe :-)