> Assuming this is true, I think the difference is:
- the Web / Internet are open systems without clear boundaries. As they don't have boundaries, I cannot be 'in' or 'out',
so I go for 'on' and 'off'.
- the company network has a clear boundary. It is possible to be 'inside' this boundary and logging 'in' is the process
whereby I get inside.

Excellent answer, Bridget. Just a few notes from this techie. A company network has a clear boundary within the company but this network may expand as a LAN outside the divisional department of a company to share other LANs with other departments of the same company or even other companies! This would broaden the boundary of the 'company' network whilst allowing you access with just your simple username and password. Then we would have to redefine this 'clear' boundary as being infinite or, at least, flexible.

The first computer network (non-military) was the Berkeley Unix network at Berkeley University. Users would log-in to the terminals with their usernames and passwords to carry out research work or programming. This is turn would allow them to log-on to the system to allow the transfer of information between their terminal and central servers and other users. That was in the '60s.

In today's parlance log-in can mean a number of things but the most common would be to gain access to your PC or terminal by way of a unique identifier. This grants you user privileges for that machine and access to any software that has been made available to you such as a web browser or email. Logging in is done only once and lasts until the session is finished (log-out) or the PC is shut down.

Logging-on takes place when one accesses a network or activates a session within one of the available software applications. The session can be temporary and does not affect the overall running of your computer. It may (or may not) be private but involves your identity (or nom-de-plume) being made available to all other users. Unix systems work in this way (see above).

I could continue in this vein for quite a long time but I can picture Jackie getting apoplexy so I'll leave it at that. I think everyone's got the gist of it.

For those of you who work from home you log-in to your ISP (AOL etc.) and you log-on to AWAD. Logging-off from AWAD does not affect your network connection BUT logging out of AOL does! and you lose your AWAD connection. QED.