Several of our number have informed me that they can't get EFnet access, and in any case it would be good to have a communications method that works for _everyone_ on the Internet, including any distinguished guests that we might manage to invite. So what I suggest is that we all establish accounts on a Freenet that supports a local chat program.

So, sometime during the week, please do the following:

1. Telnet to m-net.arbornet.org

2. Establish a new account by logging in as "newuser". This will take only a few minutes, and as long as you use it at least once a month, it's yours for free, for life. So I think this is independently worth your while.

3. When your account is established, run the program "party".

4. When you're in the program "party," type the command ":join sundaygroup".

Please experiment with "party" until you are comfortable with typing things into the channel. You may want to talk on the existing channels with the other users on m-net for this purpose.

Please email me with your userid on m-net when you have done this. I'm sorry if this causes anyone inconvenience, but we'll have a larger, more vibrant group if everyone who is interested in participating is able to do so.

Note: It is sometimes difficult to log into m-net, because all ports are in use. Keep trying. I have always found that the blockage clears up within 10 minutes if I am persistent. Once you are in, m-net provides very fast service. This is a good reason to try logging in early if possible. Early arrivals to the channel can chat socially and get to know each other better.

See you on Sunday!

Andrew