Internet Channel

The Internet Channel does not sell nor publish anyone's email or mailing address. This information is used only for our billing purposes. The most likely reason that your email address appears in a directory is just from your varied use of the internet. When posting to a newsgroup, sending an email to a company, or subscribing to anything via email, this information is made public. If you would like your name removed from a directory, there are usually instructions on the site on how to remove your name.

You can IM an AOL user without being an AOL member. First, go to http://www.aol.com and follow the links to Instant Messanger. There they will have more information about it, including a link to software you can download which will let you "IM" people on AOL.

As far as the standard goes in terms of web audio, there are three in current usage. They are:

- RealAudio
- MPEG I Layer III
- Liquid Audio

If you do not have the equipment to produce these files or set this up, then try using the various search engines on the web to look for web audio resources. You may want to also check out www.realaudio.com, www.liquidaudio.com, and www.mpeg.org for various pointers.

Audio file sizes vary, depending on compression methods. Raw CD-quality files are typically 60 megabytes for a normal-length song. With MPEG I Layer III compression, for example, files are compressed about 12:1 for a 5MB file with CD-quality sound. RealAudio files are typically compressed to the same degree, as are LiquidAudio files.

Keep in mind that a personal shell account only has 5 megs of storage to it, and additional space can be added in 10 megabyte blocks for $1 per megabyte.

What are the differences between "bits and bytes"?
Graphs are in bytes, lines are usually measured in bits. A byte is eight bits. For example, a T1 is 1.54 Megabits divide that by eight to get bytes, and you've got roughly 193 KiloBytes.

Why the bytes?
That's what your browser shows when you download things... Same applies to modems. A 28.8 Kilobit modem equates to about 3600 bytes or 3.6 KiloBytes. All of these measurements are expressed over time, ie: this many bytes can go over the circuit PER second.

Why the two ways of measuring the speed?
Well, the Bytes/sec is easier to express, you wouldn't sit there and say "Wow, I'm downloading at 28,800 kilobits here!", it's easier to say 3.6 K (short for KiloByte generally). But if you are selling a modem or a leased line the bits/sec number is bigger so it sounds more impressive. Who'd want a 193 KiloByte/sec T1 when they could have a 1.54 Megabit T1? ;)

Domain Name Service (DNS) is a protocol which provides a mechanism to correlate all the domain names to the fundamental identification system on the Internet, IP addresses.

IP addresses are like telephone numbers. Each provides unique identification anywhere in the world.

DNS is like a telephone book. You know someone's name, so you use the telephone book to find out what their number is, then use that information to reach them.

With domain names like www.yahoo.com, you type them into your browser (Netscape or IE), then the browser uses DNS like a phone book to look up with the IP address of the domain name is, then connects you to the server with that identity.