Strategies for Telecommunication Programs (for Bulletin Boards,
online services and the Internet):

     There are several popular programs that are used for
communication with Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's), online services
and the Internet, that are quite useable with screen access
programs such as ScreenPower. 

     Procomm and Procomm Plus. The shareware version of Procomm,
version 2.4.3, had the advantage of having a straightforward
setting in the general setup menu called "ScreenWrite Method:
Direct/BIOS." When BIOS is selected, access responds
quite well. However, Procomm 2.4.3 is now out-of-date and does not
include ZModem, one of the best file transfer protocols.
     Procomm's successor from DataStorm Technology is Procomm Plus,
or PCPlus, a commercially available program. The first version
had the direct/BIOS choice, although it was disguised as "snow
removal on/off" (the name comes from the fact that in some
environments, the screen is snowy and you can combat
this condition by having the program write screens through BIOS).
PCPlus version 2.1, still has the snow removal option, but it does
not cause everything to be written through BIOS anymore. However,if
you patch PCPlus with a patch available from DataStorm called
CURSBIOS, the performance with access will be greatly improved.
(CURSBIOS and several other Procomm patch programs are
on our BBS as PATCHES.ZIP).

     Telix. Another telecommunication program that generally works
well with access is Telix, published by Deltacomm Development of
Cary, North Carolina. It has both shareware and commercial
versions. You need to experiment with two of the three screen write
choices: 2 (direct with port check) works like PCPlus, that is, the
information from the line is spoken, but nothing else; and 3
(BIOS), where everthing is spoken.
     Commo.  We understand that the author of Commo explicitly
placed in the software a switch to set it to be speech and braille
friendly.
     
Notes on the Internet

     You should have no problem accessing the Internet with any of
the telecommunication packages we've discussed above, as long as
your Net server gives you text-based access.  This is usually done
through a UNIX shell account (such as Netcom, Eskimo, CRL, UUnet). 
Service providers charge a fee for the service; those of you who
are staff or faculty at a college or university may find access to
free or low-cost accounts. Although there are many Internet
browsing tools available through Windows, DOS access is quite easy
and may be less expensive. 

     Internet Resources
     There are some excellent Internet resources available.  Check
with the National Braille Press about their Books on Disk (all are
ASCII text files on 3.5" disks). They include some classics and new
materials, such as: "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet," "Zen and
the Art of the Internet", "The Incomplete Guide to the Internet and
Other Telecommunications Opportunities....","Surfing the Internet",
"The Electronic Foundation's Guide to the Internet" (formerly "The
Big Dummy's Guide"), "E- Mail 101", "Elements of E-Text Style", and
a reference disk with lessons from the online Internet training
workshop by Patrick Crisp. You can reach NBP at 617-266-6160.
     Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic also has tape and disk-
based books on the Net. "Hands-on Internet", for novice computer
users, is free on tape from RFB.  A more advanced look at the
Internet can be found in "Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog"
available free on tape and on disk for a charge.  You can contact
RFBD at 800-221-4792.

