<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Celiac on the Internet ---------------------- by Jim Lyles At our April meeting, I gave a presentation on how to find celiac-related information on the internet, including some tips for getting online. The entire presentation is itself available online at either <http://www.tir.com/~lyles/slideshow.html> or <http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/slideshow.html>. If you already have internet access then I'd advise you to visit one of these web sites, as you will be able to directly "click" on links to all the web pages in the presentation. For those that do not already have internet access, I will share with you the first part of the presentation. Hopefully this will give you enough information to get started at the library, a friend's house, or on a new computer of your own. Getting Online -------------- 1. You can "borrow" access: * Many libraries now have internet access available for their patrons. * College students nearly always have internet access. * Many businesses have internet access, and some allow personal use during lunch breaks and after hours. (But check first--many don't!) * Borrow some time on a friend or relative's computer (and perhaps some of their help in getting started). 2. From your home: * Computers have come down in cost. You can now get an "internet- ready" computer for $1000. Check out: -- Computer superstores such as CompUSA <http://www.compusa.com/>. The "Store Locator" feature is useful for finding the nearest store. -- Discount electronics and appliance stores such as Circuit City <http://www.circuitcity.com/>, Best Buy <http://www.bestbuy.com/>, and Radio Shack <http://www.radioshack.com/>. Many of these web sites also have a "Store Locator" feature. -- Mail order computer companies such as Gateway <http://www.gw2k.com/>, Quantex <http://www.quantex.com/>, Micron <http://www.micron.com/>, and Dell <http://www.dell.com/>. * What about all those "free" computers you are seeing ads for? Well, "free" is a little misleading. They all require you to commit to 36 months of an internet service provider, at about $22 per month. Plus, the computers are lower-end models that may not have all the features you'll want. Still, if the computer and the 36 month commitment suit your needs, you may want to take advantage of one of these offers. * Your computer needs to have a modem. Most new computers come with a 56k modem, but even a 33.6K modem will do the job. You may also want to consider installing a second phone line for the modem, though you don't have to. (I use one phone line for both internet access and regular phone calls.) * For full web access, you'll need to find an Internet Service Provider (ISP): -- National online services such as AOL <http://www.aol.com/>, Compuserve <http://www.compuserve.com/>, and Prodigy <http://www.prodigy.com/> provide full internet services as well as their own services for $20-22 per month. -- National ISPs such as A+Net <http://www.aplus.net/>, AT&T <http://www.att.com/home/>, EarthLink <http://www.earthlink.net/>, Eisa.com <http://www.eisa.com/>, GTE <http://www.gte.net/>, Spire <http://www.spire.com/>, and RCA World Net <http://www.rcaworldnet.com/> allow you to connect throughout the USA for $15-25 per month. -- Local providers are typically $15-20 per month. To find a provider in your area, visit <http://www.thelist.com/>. -- FREE ISPs are now available, but you have to put up with ads. Some are more obnoxious than others. Juno <http://www.juno.com/> is one that I have tried, and I did not find it too objectionable. (Plus, they offer a "premium" service, without ads, for less money than the other national ISPs.) Another new free ISP is FreeLane <http://freelane.excite.com/>. A list of many of the other known free ISP providers in the USA can be found at <http://freeisps.4mg.com/usa.html>, along with the two or three they currently recommend. * Whichever ISP you choose, make sure that there is a local access number so that you will not have to pay long distance charges each time you go online. If you live in or near a major city, this will not be a problem; but if you are isolated out in the boonies somewhere (like I am) then you may have fewer ISPs to choose from. Can You Believe What You Read? ------------------------------ As you find information on the internet, keep these points in mind: 1. Anyone can say anything. It is easy to make things look slick and "official" on the web. 2. There is a lot of "stuff" out there on the internet; how do you sort the good from the bad? When reading something on the internet, ask yourself some questions: * Does the article include references to other sources, and/or links to other internet sites? * Are professional credentials included? * Does the article exclusively tout a single company or its products? * There are no silver bullets or cure-alls. Be leery of any web page that claims otherwise. 3. Before acting on any information, verify it with other sources. And make sure those sources are actually independent, not connected in some way. The remainder of the online presentation contains information about celiac-related e-mail lists and web pages, medical web pages, finding resources for other medical conditions, and some web pages of general interest. For example, there is a web page that lists celiac-friendly inns <http://www.innseekers.com/feature.htm>. So once you get started on the web, head over to <http://www.tir.com/~lyles/slideshow.html> or <http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/slideshow.html> and check out the rest of the presentation.