SYNERGY-NET on http://www.wiredbrain.com/~pflaump Small, stable, smart and convenient : THE SPOT for PARTICIPATION ON THE WEB: RE: Internet Technology: the learning curve Complex systems have counter-intuitive We are plugging for SYNERGY SCHOOLS an on-line facility to get advice, and help when and how you need it. While the Internet market will grow, most of the growth will be in business Intranets not the more public mass media applications because Internet is too hard for most people. They can handle AOL but that's not where it's at. The Internet is a new technology unlike any that has come before. The big difference is that it contains its own technology transfer and support system. There needs to be programs for easy entry and educational and support for users. The system is changing from the few million who like new technology - experts, then hobbyist, now consumers who can't set the time on a VCR and have negative attitudes.. Synergy Schools are using, Net Meeting, from Microsoft, Cool Talk from Netscape, IRC chat, and the new forum at AltaVista will Open Sept 23th - We are on floor 503 PUBLIC and 504 PRIVATE synergy forum at http://www.altavista.forum.digital.com/ GO TO FLOOR 503 SYNERGY. Each floor of the ForumForum office tower has an absolutely free area for its occupants' discussions and document-sharing forums. Private floors have the capabilities of e-mail, a newspaper, and IRC-based chat rooms. SEE http://partners.altavista.software.digital.com/documents/What_is_ ForumForum.htm for "What is Forum." North American Web Publishers (NAWP) could develop one package that installs Internet, set's up the browsers, gives easy access to ftp ( with f1 help that helps ), IRC, sound and video plug ins and ALL WORKS. I think POINTCAST and PATHFINDER http://pathfinder.com/@@vfVCLAQAnx6VFdTl/welcome are close, including automatic updates. The idea is just to install along with POINTCAST, a little program ( which allready exists ) which does the dial up connection for you to your server ( ATT, MCI, Sprint, MSN etc) downloads the new Netscape, and has FTP, IRC chat, newsgroups, news letters, directory and search and very simple to use. Better than AOL, Compuserve, the whole Internet and upgrades plug ins as needed, audio and video, java etc. There have been many studies about the adaption of new technologies. International Development Agencies learned slowly but thoroughly that technologies can't just be plucked out of one society and dropped into a different social context. In order for technologies to work there has to be a physical and social infrastructure ( literally - building underneath ) such as human resources, roads, credit, minimum standards of efficiency and honesty, and an interest in trying new better ways. The Internet ( WEB publishing, audio, video, Intranets between business applications, search and library, marketing, direct and indirect services, banking, travel, accounting, publishing, software - ) requires infrastructure - physical band width and social - HUMAN RESOURCES. The major part of development is a state of mind, a level of objective awareness, an ability to learn, a positive self image. If people believe it's too hard, are not interested in learning new skills, and feel negative about technology in general - the social infrastructure will be much slower in coming. After two years we still have not found a good "Internet User Friendly interface" or instruction or help that is current, only what is needed, and fun. The stuff out there is like IBM manuals. We could develop one package that installs Internet, set's up the browsers, gives easy access to ftp ( with f1 help that helps ), IRC, sound and video plug ins and ALL WORKS. I think POINTCAST and PATHFINDER http://pathfinder.com/@@vfVCLAQAnx6VFdTl/welcome are close, including automatic updates. The idea is just to install POINTCAST which does the dial up connection for you to your server ( ATT, MCI, Sprint, MSN etc) downloads the new Netscape, and has FTP, IRC chat, newsgroups, directory and search and very simple to use. Better than AOL, Compuserve, the whole Internet and upgrades plug ins as needed, audio and video, java etc. Copies of the SYNERGY JOURNAL sent by request: pflaump@wiredbrain.com SYNERGY-NET on http://www.wiredbrain.com/ Peter E. Pflaum Ph.D. , Headmaster GLOBAL_VILLAGE_SCHOOLHOUSE 225 Robinson Road, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169-2176 (904) 428-9609 pflaump@wiredbrain.com http://www.wiredbrain.com/ We are on being on line from GMT 14:00 to 18:00 ( Florida is -4 GMT) - in on the hour =+/- .05 minutes at http://forum.trevista.com/talk/ join #synergy on IRC and I will help you use Microsoft's NETMEETINGS or Netscape's COOL TALK I will post my IP # on the index page on turnpike or trevista above.