Free-net
A free-net[1] was originally meant to mean a computer system which provides public access to a large number of resources including community information through text-based dialup. Once registered, users can typically access e-mail, Usenet newsgroups, chat rooms (typically IRC), telnet, and often other services.
In 1989 a non-profit organization called the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN) was founded to promote the creation of free-nets. It distributed the FreePort software from Case Western Reserve University.
Unlike most modern ISPs, free-nets originally provided direct terminal-based dialup instead of PPP. The increased availability/affordability of PPP dialup connections, and more recently cable and DSL has largely obsoleted the original free-net community, and so a number of the free-nets, including the original Cleveland Free-Net, have shut down or changed their focus. Free-nets have always been locally governed, so interpretation of their mission to remove barriers to access and provide a forum for community information, as well as services offered, can vary widely. As text-based Internet became less popular, some of the original free-nets have made available PPP dialup and more recently DSL services (as a revenue generating mechanism) with some now transitioning into the community wireless movement.
Several free-net systems continue under new mission statements. Rochester Free-Net (Rochester, New York), for instance, focuses on hosting community service organizations (over 500 to date) as well as seminars about Internet use to the community at no charge.
See also
Notes
- ^ The hyphenated word Free-Net is a registered Trademark of the National Public Telecomputing Network. The status of this word as trademark has always been controversial--see Trademark of Free-Net.
External links
- Archived 2005-05-08 at the Wayback Machine - A manual on how to create a free-net and also describes the history of community networking.
- Template:Dmoz
- Freenets & Community Networks - International list of freenets
- ISPbargains.com - A comprehensive updated list of free dial-up Internet service providers.
- Freedomlist ISP directory