These days, it's a rare person who hasn't heard of the Internet, the global network based on the TCP/IP networking protocols. The Internet offers worldwide services such as electronic mail, Usenet news, file transfer via ftp, remote login to thousands of databases and collections of data, and innovative search services like WAIS, Gopher and the World Wide Web.

Unlike other networks, though, the Internet is not managed by a single organization, with a single access point and a single set of rules. It is truly a "network of networks" made up of hundreds of cooperating organizations. This is the only up-to-date directory that charts the networks that make up the Internet, provides contact names and addresses, and describes the services each network provides.

It includes all of the major Internet-based networks, as well as various commercial networks such as CompuServe, Delphi, and America Online that are "gatewayed" to the Internet for transfer of electronic mail and other services. If you are someone who wants to connect to the Internet, or someone who already is connected but wants concise, up-to-date information on many of the world's networks, check out this book. Topics covered include:

• An introduction to email for beginners.
• For over 180 major networks: a description of the network, the services it provides, and the format of the email addresses needed to reach users on that network.
• Index to networks by network name, country or area name, and country code.
• Index to second and third level domains and many sites within each network.

This is the third edition of this directory, in a simplified format designed to allow more frequent updates.