Essay/Term paper: America online: is it for me?

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Information Technology

America Online: Is It For Me?


You have probably heard of the Internet, but you weren't really sure if
it was for you. You thought about it, but after all it costs so much and
things like pornography and improper language are used everywhere, right?
Wrong! Perhaps, I can convince you that America Online will be worth your time
and money.
One of the main reasons that people don't go online is that they think
that it costs too much. America Online or AOL doesn't really cost all that much.
When you sign on you get from 10 to 50 hours free, depending on the software
that you download. Once you run out of free hours you may choose to stay online
with a monthly fee. This monthly fee can be either $9.95 or $19.95 depending on
how many hours you plan on using. If you are concerned that your children
will visit web pages you prefer that they don't, then you can put parental
guards on that don't allow them to visit those web pages. If you aren't
familiar with web pages, they are basically ads that you look at containing
information about the company, person, or product. Also you can sign your child
on as a child or teen which keeps them out of restricted areas. Perhaps
your main concern is people finding out things that you don't want them to.
They only know as much as you tell them. If they ask for your password, credit
card number, or any other personal info, you don't have to tell them that
information. When you first sign on AOL staff will ask for things like name,
age, address, phone number, and your credit card or checking account number.
These things remain confidential and are used only for billing purposes.
If anyone ask for personal information you can easily report them to AOL.
When someone is reported they are either warned or kicked off the Internet.
You can also report people that swear or use any kind of offensive words.
Many of the chat rooms are guarded by "online hosts" or people that belong to
AOL. These "guards" make sure nothing bad happens in chat rooms. You can be
sure that there are AOL staff in the romance rooms, especially, because that is
where the most foul and vulgar language takes place. If you are too young to be
in the room, they will tell you to leave and go to a room where people your age
belong.
The world "online" also offers thousands of Reference sources like
Groliers Multimedia Encyclopedia and over 100 magazines. These Magazines alone
are of great value to anyone who enjoys reading magazines. These References
will tell you almost anything, but if you wanted to know about something that
was not in these sources, then you can leave the New York Public Library's
librarian a message. This person will respond within the week to your question.
Finally, with your America Online subscription you get unlimited E-Mail.
What is E-Mail you ask? Well E-Mail stands for electronic mail. It is a way
to send letters to anyone in the world that is hooked up to The Internet or
other online services. This mail is received almost instantly, within a few
seconds. This way you could send letters to a pen pal in Egypt. Instead of
waiting up to a month or more, he will receive it the same day.
Having America Online opens you up to a whole new world of information
and people. America Online provides an inexpensive yet secure place for work,
education, and recreation. A family has so much to gain and little to lose by
signing on today.