Free-net

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A free-net^[1] was originally meant to mean a computer system which provides public access to a large number of resources including community information through text-based dialup. Once registered, users can typically access e-mail, Usenet newsgroups, chat rooms (typically IRC), telnet, and often other services.

In 1989 a non-profit organization called the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN) was founded to promote the creation of free-nets. It distributed the FreePort software from Case Western Reserve University.

Unlike most modern ISPs, free-nets originally provided direct terminal-based dialup instead of PPP. The increased availability/affordability of PPP dialup connections, and more recently cable and DSL has largely obsoleted the original free-net community, and so a number of the free-nets, including the original Cleveland Free-Net, have shut down or changed their focus. Free-nets have always been locally governed, so interpretation of their mission to remove barriers to access and provide a forum for community information, as well as services offered, can vary widely. As text-based Internet became less popular, some of the original free-nets have made available PPP dialup and more recently DSL services (as a revenue generating mechanism) with some now transitioning into the community wireless movement. The most comprehensive (unfortunately out of date--some are still functioning) list of free-nets is found here.

Several free-net systems continue under new mission statements. Rochester Free-Net (Rochester, New York), for instance, focuses on hosting community service organizations (over 500 to date) as well as seminars about Internet use to the community at no charge.

See also

• Community network
• Community informatics
• National Capital Freenet

Notes

1. ^ The hyphenated word Free-Net is a registered Trademark of the National Public Telecomputing Network. The status of this word as trademark has always been controversial--see Trademark of Free-Net.

External links

• FastFreeDialup.com is a completely free, dial-up Internet Service Provider with coverage for nearly the entire state of California that launched in 2008.
• The NPTN Blue Book (1993) is a manual on how to create a free-net and also describes the history of community networking.
• A Critical Study of Three Free-Net Community Networks (1996)
• An example of an existing Free-net is the Los Angeles Free-Net.
• National Capital FreeNet is the second oldest freenet.
• Genesee FreeNet community computer network serving all of Michigan. It has been in continuous operation since May 1994.
• Tallahassee Freenet has been in continuous operation since 1993.
• Hamilton Community Net one of the original Free-Nets, was an early contributor to an alternative to the Freeport software providing a web/text interface to community information. It has been in continuous operation since 1994.
• Ocean State Free-Net has been in continuous operation since 1994 - expired? June 2006.
• Toronto Free-Net has been in continuous operation since 1994.
• Rochester Free-Net (a/k/a The Genesee Gateway) has been in continuous operation since 1995.
• German Free-Net the second Free-Net in Europe
• Miami Valley Community Network The Miami Valley Community Network in Dayton, Ohio. Preceded by the Dayton Area Free-Net.