TOASTERNETS
Tom Jennings
16 Apr 93
UTTERLY INCOMPLETE

INTRODUCTION

"Toasternet" is the generic term for Internet-connected computer
networks built out of the computing equivelant of "toasters" -- off the
shelf and low cost. Generally speaking, most Toasternets exist to meet
an existing groups communications needs, rather than profit as a motive.

Traditionally (well, starting in 1980 or so) computer networks were the
realm of universities, large corporations, and governmental agencies.
The computing machinery required was expensive and the "brain trust"
needed to build and operate computer networks was relatively rare.

In 1980, individuals using computers for non-computer-science purposes
was rare, and were considered oddities; by 1990 those not using
computers for such mundane tasks as writing text and basic business
mechanics were considered somewhat slow.

Computer networking is more or less at that point now. Computer
networking is already proving to be far more revolutionary as the 
1980's wave of computer text-writing and business applications 
were in 1980.


I.

Many clusters of computers, such as within a school or business, are
already connected together in adequate ways; the most common method is
called a "Local area network". This is not the topic of this paper.

What is more intersting and of critical importance is inter-networking.
Local networks give rise to small, effiecient, self-contained
"commumities", using the word loosely. Inter-networking connects those
isolated islands in ways that has far greater effect than just "a bigger
local area network" -- it enables for the first time isolated groups of
people to communicate


What internetworking is vs. local (area) networking
	greater than the sum of its parts
	examples of that
		big sky
		fidonet specific echos

HGow internetworking is done (ONE/TWO PARAGRAPH)
	phone lines
	IP "service providers"


TLG (ONE PARAGRAPH)
	topology (20 words)
	constituency (WE'RE SO SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WE CANT STAND IT)
	history
		how it started

RAINnet (TWO PARAGRAPHS)
	topology (20 words)
	constituency (WERE SO RIGHTEOUS WE CANT STAND IT EITHER)
	Randy brags here (yes Randy)
	history
		how it started

IP suppliers:
	how they came to exist
	our troubles with (in context)

-- CONCLUSION
What we are doing now. (ONE PARAGRAPH)
Where we're headed.