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americanpeoplelink [03/10/2025 06:32:36 UTC] – silent700americanpeoplelink [03/12/2025 06:00:13 UTC] (current) – [Advertising] silent700
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 ======American People/Link====== ======American People/Link======
 {{ :apl_logo.png?&200|}} {{ :apl_logo.png?&200|}}
 +{{ :apl_logo2.jpg?100|}}
 ====Background==== ====Background====
-American People Link (or PEOPLE/LINK) was an online service headquartered in the Chicago suburbs and operated by American Home Network , Inc (Elizabeth McGinnis, President).  Little information is available regarding the services it provided or years of service.  It was accessible via the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telenet|Telenet]] PC Pursuit packet-switched network, but it is not known whether it had dial-in numbers of its own (the rate plan showing different connect charges for non-PCP logins suggests that there was). The service offered [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotex|Videotex]] graphics as well as text data.+American People Link (often rendered as PEOPLE/LINK) was an online service headquartered in the Chicago suburbs and operated by American Home Network, Inc (Elizabeth McGinnis, President).  It was accessible via the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telenet|Telenet]] PC Pursuit packet-switched network, but it is not known whether it had dial-in numbers of its own (the rate plan showing different connect charges for non-PCP logins suggests that it did). The service offered [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotex|Videotex]] graphics as well as text data.
  
 Users were known to each other as "Plinkers", according to a [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/plinkers|Facebook group]] dedicated to former members of the service. Users were known to each other as "Plinkers", according to a [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/plinkers|Facebook group]] dedicated to former members of the service.
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 Customer service phone numbers shown in advertising were ''(800) 524-0100'', or ''(312) 870-5200'' for Illinois callers. Customer service phone numbers shown in advertising were ''(800) 524-0100'', or ''(312) 870-5200'' for Illinois callers.
 +
 +Users received a print newsletter called the "LinkLetter" ((https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Compute!_Nov86.txt))
  
 ====Timeline==== ====Timeline====
-An article titled __Simpler Network on the Horizon__ in the [[https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews094-12Jan1985/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater|January 12, 1985 issue]] of the UK magazine ''Personal Computer News'' mentions the service and notes that it will go online on or around April 1, 1985:+An article titled __Simpler Network on the Horizon__ in the [[https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews/PersonalComputerNews094-12Jan1985/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater|January 12, 1985 issue]] of the UK magazine [[https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputerNews|Personal Computer News]] mentions the service and notes that it will go online on or around April 1, 1985:
  
 {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_PCN01.png?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_PCN02.png?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_PCN01.png?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_PCN02.png?150}}
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 The September 1989 issue of the [[https://vtda.org/pubs/SW99ers/sw99ers8909.pdf|Southwest Ninety-Niners]] newsletter mentions a rate restructuring at APL on page 3.  The hourly rate for 300, 1200 or 2400 baud service during non-prime hours was reduced from $4.95/hr to $4.50/hr. Prime-time connections were billed at $7.95/hr for 300 and 1200 baud, with 2400 baud service during prime hours incurring a $9.95/hr charge. The new addition to the rate plan was a per-kilobyte //download// charge (uploads with the XModem protocol remained free): The September 1989 issue of the [[https://vtda.org/pubs/SW99ers/sw99ers8909.pdf|Southwest Ninety-Niners]] newsletter mentions a rate restructuring at APL on page 3.  The hourly rate for 300, 1200 or 2400 baud service during non-prime hours was reduced from $4.95/hr to $4.50/hr. Prime-time connections were billed at $7.95/hr for 300 and 1200 baud, with 2400 baud service during prime hours incurring a $9.95/hr charge. The new addition to the rate plan was a per-kilobyte //download// charge (uploads with the XModem protocol remained free):
  
-{{:sw99ers_sep89_apl.png?400|}}+{{:sw99ers_sep89_apl_rates.png?400|}} 
  
 ====Services==== ====Services====
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   *PEOPLE-SCAN - bulletin board system   *PEOPLE-SCAN - bulletin board system
   *Games - poker, blackjack, checkers, chess, backgammon and bridge. Service name is not known.   *Games - poker, blackjack, checkers, chess, backgammon and bridge. Service name is not known.
 +
 +
 +====Hardware====
 +Nothing has been found yet regarding what hardware or software the AP/L service used.
  
 ====Advertising=== ====Advertising===
 {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad01.png?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad01.png?150}}
 +{{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad01b.jpg?100}}
 {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad02.jpg?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad02.jpg?150}}
 +
 {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad03.jpg?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad03.jpg?150}}
 {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad04.jpg?150}} {{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad04.jpg?150}}
 +{{https://vtda.org/docs/computing/AmericanPeopleLink/APL_Ad05.jpg?150}}
 {{tag>business}} {{tag>business}}

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