the Pipeline

{{short description|American Internet service provider}}

{{about|the Internet service provider|the oil pipeline|Trans-Alaska Pipeline System|the surfing location|Banzai Pipeline|other uses|Pipeline (disambiguation)}}

The Pipeline was one of the earliest American Internet service providers. It was founded in December 1993 in New York City by the science and technology writer James Gleick and computer programmer Uday Ivatury, who had met at the Manhattan Bridge Club and shared an interest in online bridge. Both men believed that a graphical user interface would make the Internet more widely accessible than the command-line Unix commands that were then generally necessary.

When the Pipeline was established, the major online services of the day—America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy—provided their users with no access or very limited access to the internet.{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/112252 |title=Putting It All in the Pipeline |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Hafner |first=Kathie |date=November 7, 1994 |work=Newsweek }}{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/01/magazine/the-information-future-out-of-control-and-it-s-a-good-thing-too.html |title=The Information Future Out of Control |last=Gleick |first=James |date=May 1, 1994 |work=The New York Times Magazine |accessdate=June 8, 2009 |authorlink=James Gleick }} Many users welcomed Pipeline as "AOL for the Internet". The software was distributed in the then-popular Book + CD format.

The Pipeline was noted for its point-and-click user interface, which made e-mail, chat, Usenet, the World Wide Web, FTP, and other Internet features easily accessible to users.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LMIBAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |title=Boot up and See Me Sometime |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Goodell |first=Jeff |date=June 13, 1994 |work=New York }} Gleick and Ivatury licensed the Pipeline software through InterCon Systems Corporation to more than 15 other Internet service providers, including Ireland On-Line and Caltech.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.11/gleik.html |title=Pipeline |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Batelle |first=John |date=November 1994 |magazine=Wired }}{{cite web |url=http://cachefly.oreilly.com/radar/r1/01-94.pdf |title=Pipeline: Not Just Another Pretty Face |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Michalski |first=Jerry |authorlink=Jerry Michalski |date=January 31, 1994 |work=Release 1.0 |pages=9–11 }}

The Pipeline was purchased in February 1995 by PSINet,{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/11/business/company-news-performance-systems-buys-pipeline-network.html |title=Performance Systems Buys Pipeline Network |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |date=February 11, 1995 |work=The New York Times }} which expanded Pipeline service nationwide.{{cite web |url=http://www.techmarcom.com/samples/vcity.html |title=Pipeline Offers Virtual Neighborhoods Throughout The US |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Sherman |first=Howard |date=October 3, 1995 |publisher=PSINet }} Another feature introduced by PSInet was flat pricing for unlimited Internet usage.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/New+York+City's+Largest+Internet+Service+Provider%3B+Reduces+Prices...-a016793136 |title=New York City's Largest Internet Service Provider Reduces Prices with Flat Rate Pricing Plan |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Sherman |first=Howard |date=April 10, 1995 |publisher=Pipeline New York }}

In July 1996, PSINet sold its consumer Internet operations, including the Pipeline, to MindSpring.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/02/business/psinet-to-sell-consumer-internet-division.html |title=Psinet to Sell Consumer Internet Division |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |date=July 2, 1996 |work=The New York Times }} MindSpring discontinued the use of the Pipeline brand, although former Pipeline customers could continue to use their e-mail addresses in the Pipeline domain. Three years later, MindSpring merged with EarthLink.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/24/business/2-providers-of-net-access-set-to-merge.html |title=2 Providers of Net Access Set to Merge |accessdate=March 23, 2009 |last=Richtel |first=Matt |date=September 24, 1999 |work=The New York Times }} Earthlink, too, allows former Pipeline customers to use their Pipeline e-mail addresses.