Re: Online and Offline

[Paul Pham <pham@xmission.com>]

hi,

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, Aiviet Nguyen wrote:

> 
> Hi,
>   Can anybody clarify the use of the words offline and online for 
> Internet Service Providers.

online means you connect to the ISP and remain so during your
session.
off-line means connect to the ISP, get what you want, logoff then
logon again.

example: if you use the AUDORA mail reader, then it's a offline.
you connect to the ISP, download all the mails, logoff
read your mail, compose new mails etc, when finish composing
you logon to the ISP again and send your mail out.

reason for offline: there're a limited number of telephone lines &
modems at ISP, so to be fair, one should not stay on the line too long :))
(btw, a recommending number is about 9 person/1phone line).

online may be mean they have more phone lines and modems, better
computing resources, so 
we don't experience much of busy signals.



>   Vnmese Internet Service Providers like to claim themself as Online and
> classify others as Offline. I don't know what that means and why they 
> like to be Online better than Offline and what is the criteria for the truth.
> 
> Sorry about my Ignorance.
> 
> Thanks in Advance
> 
> Aiviet
>