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CONTENTS

1. PikeNet Beta Launched at http://www.pike.net
2. Loop Network
3. Internet Traffic and ISDN Speed

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1. PikeNet Launched (http://www.pike.net). On Thursday morning I completed my final changes to the database and resource screens of the PikeNet Directory and "unofficially" launched the program for beta testing to friends and colleagues. It feels so great to have completed this initial step. We have 500 reviews done, the database sorts these into over 200 market areas and 20 different categories. The text search allows you to short circuit this process, if you know the name you are looking for and the exact spelling. Internet Business Solutions has done an outstanding job in building the database, but please hammer away and let me know your thoughts!

2. Loop Network. Our first "Pikeline" Headline story is on the Loop Network, created by Dennis DeAndre. This investment and leasing listing service already features thousands of listings around the country. Click the headline, read our four-paragraph story and hyperlink directly to Loop to check it out.

3. A few people have asked me about ISDN service, and by next week I'll have a longer article at the site as a PikeNet "Report." Bottom line, the hardware costs between $400 and $900 and the connection fee is about $200. Monthly costs are estimated at $75 for 30 hours. Theoretically ISDN can go up to 128k using the two "B" channels. Realistically it normally runs at 64k which is just fine. However, speed on the net is dependent upon so many things out of your control. For example, this afternoon San Francisco Bay Area sites seemed slow, and sure enough my ISP (Internet Service Provider) said that "MCI is experiencing a problem in their San Francisco packet switching operation." In these circumstances AOL can be faster than ISDN!

Cheers, Peter