Roadmap96 Introduction
Roadmap96 Introduction
WELCOME TO THE ROADMAP96 WORKSHOP! I'd be willing to bet that you have a few questions about this workshop, so let's see if I can answer those questions right now.
WHAT IS ROADMAP96?
Roadmap96 is a text-based, 27-lesson, Internet training workshop designed to teach new "Net travelers" how to travel around the rapidly expanding (and often-times confusing) "Information Superhighway" without getting lost. The original Roadmap workshop, which debuted in the Fall of 1994, rapidly became the most popular on-line Internet training workshop in history. Roadmap96 is a completely revised and updated version of the original Roadmap workshop. Roadmap96's lessons are primarily written for people with accounts on command-line systems (like UNIX, VAX, and VM), but EVERYONE is welcome to participate in the workshop!
Using the latest information available, coupled with guest lectures from some of today's most respected Internet leaders, Roadmap96 is one of the most talked-about Internet training workshops in history ... and, best of all, Roadmap96 is absolutely FREE!!!!!
WHAT SORT OF INTERNET ACCESS DO I NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN ROADMAP96?
All you need is e-mail (although it would be nice if you also had telnet access). Since a substantial number of Roadmap96 participants only have e-mail access, the Roadmap96 workshop sessions will teach you how to use the tools of the Internet directly and also how to use these same tools using nothing but e-mail.
HOW LONG DOES ROADMAP96 LAST?
The e-mail version of the Roadmap96 workshop -- the version where you subscribe to a LISTSERV list and then receive one e-mail lesson a day -- lasts about six weeks. However, the workshop (especially this Web version of this workshop) is entirely self-paced so you can go through the workshop in as little or as much time as you want!
CAN I SHARE THE ROADMAP96 LESSONS WITH MY FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS?
SURE! While the workshop lessons are Copyrighted, I have absolutely no problem with you sharing the workshop lessons with anyone that you want -- provided that you do not make any money from my lessons (I can't make any money from this workshop, so neither can you).
I also ask that you tell your friends and co-workers that the lessons are being redistributed by you and not by me, and that you give credit where credit is due (and if you have time to correct some of the typos, that would be even better!).
CAN I ARCHIVE THE ROADMAP96 LESSONS ON MY SITE'S FTP, GOPHER, OR WEB SERVER?
As long as you are able to meet the requirements listed above, I would be honored if you did this. I do have one additional request if you plan to do this, though: please archive the ENTIRE workshop on your site, and rewrite the lessons so that your users are using *your* archive.
CAN I REWRITE THE ROADMAP96 LESSONS SO THAT THEY MEET THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF MY SITE OR MY SITE'S USERS?
Absolutely.
A FINAL NOTE FROM PATRICK DOUGLAS CRISPEN:
WELCOME TO ROADMAP96! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that over 500,000 people would participate in the original version of the Roadmap workshop. I guess there may be some truth to the "Roadmap is the Woodstock of the Internet" comment that someone recently sent me. :)
My goal for the Roadmap96 workshop is not only to teach you some of the basic skills that you will need to travel on the Information Superhighway, but also to teach you to whom you can turn for help if you ever get lost. So, I guess it's time for your first dreaded HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT ("oh nooooooo!!!")!
I want you to find the name and telephone number of your local Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your local ISP is the school, company, or organization that is giving you access to the Internet (or, for some of you, access to e-mail).
I also want you to find the telephone number and e-mail address of some person (or group of people) at your local ISP who will be there to answer your questions. If you are lucky, your local ISP will even have a "Help Desk" staffed with people paid to answer your questions.
That's your first assignment. Find the name and telephone number of your local Internet Service Provider, and find the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of either your local Internet Service Provider's help desk or someone who works for your local Internet provider who can help you if you ever have any questions.
Now, what do I want you to do with this information? Well, DO NOT send your answers to me! We'll talk about "mail bombs" during the second week of the course, but suffice it to say that if all of you sent me your responses the results to my poor little e-mailbox would be quite comical. DO NOT -- REPEAT DO NOT -- SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO ME. Besides, what good would the name and phone number of YOUR local Internet Service Provider do me?
I want you to write your answers down on a small card and put that card in your wallet or purse. In a few days, I'm going to ask you to pull out your card and ... well, we'll get to that later. :)
Start Lesson One | Go to the Roadmap96 Syllabus | Go to the Roadmap96 Homepage
Originally written by Patrick Douglas Crispen
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