The British Science Museum has opened an Internet Exhibition to introduce Joe Public to the delights of net surfing. The exhibition, which will run for three months, is sponsored by British Telecommunications Plc and Oracle Corp with Hewlett-Packard Co pro viding eight 80486DX personal computers for visitors to explore the Internet. Internet access will be provided through the Imperial College of Science & Technology Janet Joint Academic Network via fibre optic links to the Museum’s own fibre optic backbone network. Access will be free, total and uncontrolled, say the organisers, who dismiss fears that the exhibition will provide schoolboys with the opportunity to download pornography or hack into the Museum’s own computer networks. Information explaining how to navigate the World Wide Web, access Newsgroups and send electronic mail are provided by touch screen personal computers. The exhibition also gives visitors the opportunity to experience Interactive television services via a set-top box provided by Online Media Ltd. But demonstrations won’t be live, the set top box has a hard drive which simulates an Internet connection and users will see video clips demonstrating applications. These included excerpts of services being tested in the Cambridge Video-On-Demand trials. Philips Electronics NV, keen to plug its slow-selling CD-I player, has loaned the museum one such machine complete with Compton’s Interactive Encylopaedia.
