ONLINE INFORMATION SERVICES

ONLINE INFORMATION SERVICES

In this report, we will tell you about some of the popular online

services available. The services act as a "Super BBS" that allows

you to exchange messages and information, chat among users,

participate in several conferences, shop online for just about

anything (the computer version of "Home Shopping Club"), as well

as make airline reservations and do several other things.

Online Information Service Advantages

There are several things that online information services all have in

common with each other.

* Large Database of files for downloading

* Extensive mail files for downloading

* Numerous conferences, forums, and discussions available

* One information database, AT LEAST!

* Several games available for one player or multiple players.

* A wide variety of user-friendly services

Many of these features can be found online at no charge. Since they

charge access fees, you might be wondering why anyone would pay

for access to an online information service when they can call local

BBSes for free. Well, the reason should be obvious. To put it simply,

it is because they are BIG! There are literally tens of thousands of

people around the world who tap into an online service.

You can find information on just about anything that you are

interested in.

What? You like studying the life cycle of fish that live on the bottom of

the ocean? Well, you probably can find information about that topic

some where on an online information service. Interested in the latest

political nonsense? Yes, you can find information about politics. Just

a general question about what is available online? You can find it all

on online information services.

Many of the online information services will offer a continuous chat

conference known as "CB" or "Citizen's Band" conference. It works

much like CB Radio operates. You talk to people by typing on the

computer.

There are hundreds of online games that you can play either by

yourself or you can play against another user. The advantage of

online games is that you can play against someone else who is

online at the same time.

You don't have to make a play, and then wait a week for the next

person to log on and then play. You can play an entire game in just a

few minutes or an hour, however long it takes to play a complete

game.

You might play a game where you get into a WWII airplane and do

battle against the NAZIs, (all the other players are the NAZIs, or vice

versa). You might play a game where you and al of your teammates

are in a dungeon, and you will use your own knowledge and

expertise to navigate the team through the dungeon without being

killed. This will be an exciting game to play because each player has

different ideas, so the game will be different each time you play.

Even though these are all common on most online information

services, most of them offer databases for specific informaiton to

users.

You may also use online information services to do your shopping.

Many companies offer items for sale in a service area usually called

something like: "The Electronic Mall," "The Mall," or "Electronic

Shoppers Club" (ESC). You shop by selecting an item that you want

and selecting the quantity, and then they bill you and send you the

product.

Several of the online services offer what is called "Check-Free

Transaction Processing" from the CheckFree Processing Center.

This allows you to pay your bills electronically by debiting your

checking account and crediting the payee's account. This makes it

so you don't have to write and mail a check, and it takes care of a lot

of paperwork you would otherwise have to do. This service also

provides you with updated registers showing your account status.

Many software companies are offering online help for users, as well

as customer support. You can find conferences available that will talk

about almost any Microsoft product. These conferences are almost

always moderated by a person representing the software company

being discussed.

In general, these online information services are a good place to go

for help on a specific matter or topic; or to get involved in a quick

game of chess or checkers, etc.; or to pick up on a good buy in the

"mall".