Through Dartmouth's computer network, students can tap into computer systems all around the world, talk to their friends at other colleges from their computers, and search libraries across the country for research materials.
The Internet, an interconnected computer network that will form the basis for the "information superhighway" that the Clinton administration espouses, allows students to connect to computers around the world from the comfort of their dormitory room. "Internet is a gigantic, sprawling network made up of networks," according to Andy Williams, who directs the College's Computer Resource Center.
Internet members include corporations, schools and foreign companies. Students send electronic mail to their friends at other colleges through the Internet, which processes and sorts messages on their way to the correct mailbox.
If both parties know how to use Internet, students can actually "talk" to their friends in real-time through the computer network. If each of you logs on to the Internet system and asks to be connected with each other's e-mail addresses, then one student can enter "Talk (e-mail address)" to start a conversation.
The screen then splits into two parts and friends can simultaneously type and the conversation appears on both monitors.
In order to "talk" to friends at other schools, College students must establish an account on a mailserver called "Coos" (pronounced CO-os). Coos is Dartmouth's UNIX computer system, which is the College's Internet connection.
Coos accounts are free. To sign up, open the application "DarTerminal" and connect to Coos. When the logon prompt appears, type "new user" and hit return. Coos then provides on-line instructions on how to set up an account.
Internet can also be a powerful global access to database information. Students can access libraries at Harvard University, University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University through Internet.
In addition, pop song lyrics, a weather service, an electronic Bible and an electronic listing of every book ever published are just a sampling of what is available over Internet.
Connecting to the Internet databases is extremely easy at Dartmouth, thanks to some clever programmers at Kiewit Computation Center who designed a program called DCIS Navigator that indexes the available databases on the College's network. Double-click on the database and it will appear on the screen momentarily. The computer handles all the access codes.
DCIS Navigator was issued to the Class of 1996 in the "Tools" folder on their computers. Upperclassmen can get a copy by signing onto the Public File Server and going into the "Network Services" folder in the "Macintosh Software" folder.
