Last year I purchased a multi-media computer for my kids. The fact that it had a fax-modem was inconsequential at the time. Educational programs, encyclopedias and skill development were uppermost in my mind. However these high-minded pursuits quickly gave way to fast-paced action-adventure games. When my turn on the computer came, I was able to bide my time with word processing and Quicken, but I wondered if there was more I could do. Thus, when I became a fellow at the Yale Divinity School and had the opportunity to have an account with Yale's Computing & Information Systems, I decided to see if my fax-modem actually worked.
At first the language was difficult. Minerva, I thought, was the Roman goddess of wisdom. Kermit - isn't he a frog? I had no idea what to think about Eunuchs. I was beginning to wonder what strange rituals were in store. Fortunately, I soon discovered that Eunuchs was really "UNIX," an operating system. Kermit was the communications software which allowed my computer at home to access my account on the Minerva machine at Yale, and there would be no frogs turning into goddesses.
The good people at the Internet Information Center put the Kermit program on my floppy disk so that I could install it at home. I selected my login and password with the assistance of the User Accounts administrator. After a few furtive moments on the home computer, the agonizing screeches of the modem told me I was up and running. What would I do now with this valuable connection?
E-mail was the first part of the on-line experience. Exchanging thoughts and information, but mainly pleasantries, with folks across campus as well as across the country is a fun pastime. Though a bit impersonal, the ease of use for e-mail means that at least contact is made (I never seem to have the time to actually put pen to paper). The rudimentary Pine program allows me to send someone a :-) smiley.
My board affiliation with Dwight Hall enables me to receive updates about student volunteer opportunities in New Haven. These daily e-mails also help me to better understand the workings of "The Hall" between quarterly board meetings. Access to the Yale information and calendar page provides other valuable campus updates. Access to Orbis, the University library system, is a real joy for my limited research efforts. Topic searches produce book titles, periodical briefs and a more efficient use of time - all from the comforts of home. Knowing if resources will be available in the stacks before I leave home is a great bonus.
I don't know yet if I'm ready for Netscape Navigator and the World Wide Web. There is enough to occupy me simply with the tasks I have described. Now my children are trying to figure out how it is that I bought this computer for them, but I'm the one on it all the time. Oh well, I am hopeful that the University can begin a junior fellowship program to enable them to enjoy the boundless benefits of the computer world.
Campbell Lovett