CDA RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL: RULING TEXT ON THE WEB
"Any content-based regulation of the Internet, no matter how benign the purpose, could burn the global village to roast the pig." So says Justice Stewart Dalzell in an eloquent defense of free speech on the Internet as part of a US District Court ruling which granted a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). We highly recommend reading this particular ruling, especially the "Conclusions of Law" section, available at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) site below. It provides a great, readable overview of the issues that impact freedom of speech at its limits in this country and of First Amendment constitutional law. Even more is available at the plaintiffs' CIEC site. Justice Dalzell goes on: "The Internet may fairly be regarded as a never-ending worldwide conversation. The Government may not, through the CDA, interrupt that conversation." The government has already announced its intention to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. EFF: "http://www.eff.org/Alerts/HTML/960612_aclu_v_reno_decision.html" CIEC: "http://www.cdt.org/ciec/"
Internet newbies may wonder whence sprung all these cool/hot/moist site of the day/week/millennium awards/sites/pages. Did they pop spontaneously into existence or was there a creator-force behind them? The answer is Glenn Davis, innovator of the "Cool Site" genre, and his latest and greatest is called Project Cool. Along with lists of Web sites that meet the necessary coolness level, Project Cool also offers "The Developer Zone", which all Web developers should more than glance at. The section is essentially an HTML tutorial for Web page designers from beginner to advanced, and boasts a section on how to create low-bandwidth pages. This is very helpful material from one of the Web's pioneers. "http://www.projectcool.com/"
Is everyone out to get you? The folks at Parascope think they are. Parascope is a collection of the bizarre, odd, and downright weird conspiracies that governments and agencies around the world are planning to dull, brainwash, and ultimately enslave the human race - and we're not talking about daytime talk shows. The Kennedy assassination, the Loch Ness monster, aliens among us and other such paranormal or evil phenomena are among the topics covered at the site. On first examination, it's easy to dismiss this site as mere fluff; however, the authors are quite serious and dedicated to rooting out "information on the unexplained and unexplainable." Just be careful. The covert government surveillance team sitting in the white van outside your door is monitoring your every HTTP access. "http://www.parascope.com/index.htm"
SURF'S UP AT PHIL DIRT'S SURF MUSIC E-ZINE
One of the joys of living in the San Francisco Bay area, aside from access to great surfing beaches, is Phil Dirt's weekly "Surf's Up!" program on the legendary Foothill College KFJC radio station. His newly reorganized site almost overwhelms with its bounty of surf music lore. The May issue has south-of-the-border esoterica in "Surf a la Mexicana", "Surf News" delivers the latest on surf CD releases, while "Surf Heavies" reviews surf bands in heavy radio rotation. In "Ask Mr. Dirt", Phil bandies surf minutiae with his fans, and the "Chowabunga" section serves up a recipe for caramelized brussels sprouts. Yum! Also absolutely not to be missed is the encyclopedic, seven-part "What Is Surf Music?" series that began last July. RealAudio files of Phil's weekly surf show should show up shortly. If you're into surf, nothing else even comes close. "http://www.cygnus.com/misc/kfjc/surf/"
I GO, YOU GO, WE ALL GO FOR BINGO
Compelling Web page? Well, you won't find fancy graphics here, nor Java, and no Shockwave either. Come to the BingoZone to play (with your forms-capable browser) live Bingo against other players on the Net. And we're not talking just for fun, friends. Courtesy of friendly advertisers, each game awards between $5 and $20. Registration is required, but play is free. Games begin every 30 minutes mostly around the clock. A players' area promising promotions and merchandise is empty now, but there's a forum with players' comments and webmaster responses. This may be the ultimate model of an Internet game - all the fun and excitement of a real-life event with none of the social interaction. The site is attractively designed and, admittedly, while Bingo isn't exactly challenging, playing for cash is a kick. "http://www.bingozone.com/TBC_home.htm"
What's hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and comes in more flavors than you can possibly imagine? No, not Sly Stallone - it's Jelly Belly jelly beans, of course, those small but potent delicacies that gained fame in the '80s as Ronald Reagan's candy of choice. You can find out all about them at Jelly Belly Online, a site loaded with information on the history of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Participate in the Jelly Belly survey, and you could receive a complimentary sampling of the tasty little treats (500 samples are given away each day). Take a tour of the factory. Be sure to stop by the art gallery. And enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth recipes. Sweet! "http://www.jellybelly.com/"
Home Box Office hits the Net with a site worthy of its status as an entertainment giant. Shockwave enhanced "framed" pages abound with stylish graphics. The list of services is too long for this space. You'll find a complete programming grid with search capability, features on individual shows, contests, film reviews, and merchandise, to name just a few. There's a spot for feedback and questions, and - uncharacteristically for a big corporation - responses. Other featured shows include "Dennis Miller Live" which offers transcripts of Miller's monologues, and "Taxicab Confessions" which curiously presents both riders' secrets and historical photos of taxis within the same section. The kids will love the "Tales From the Crypt" area. "http://www.hbo.com/"
Tech Support Tales (TST) is not about morals but morons, those customers and salespeople who just haven't quite gotten up to speed in the Information Age. Each issue of TST ("The Publication Which Proves That Stupidity Breeds Humor") features jokes and letters, but the heart and soul are tales of true imbecility supplied by readers and fans. Examples range from advice on what antenna might work best with a computer monitor to the appropriate response upon seeing a Macintosh system bomb alert (clear the house?). While the stories do afford an occasional giggle, they're not likely to make you fall out of your chair unless you happen to be a tech support type or a disgruntled customer. And, sadly, morons won't see the humor in any of this. You gotta remember - no matter how long ago, we were all there once ourselves. E-mail: tektales@aol.com "http://www.nanothinc.com/Auricular/TST/"
"It's a search engine." "No, it's a review/rating service for Web sites." Settle down, kids - CyberHound is both, and it's in a three-month free trial run. If you have 56 kbps or better access you won't mind the cute, high byte-count graphics. With a 28.8 modem you may want to pass or maybe sample the good concept, medium execution, and good data presentation. The company behind CyberHound is Gale Research, an information provider with over 600 databases. "http://www.cyberhound.com/"
The site is called iMusic and contemporary music is its business. With interviews and audio samples from artists like Smashing Pumpkins, Elvis Costello, and the Presidents of the USA, the site blankets the modern scene. Of course, there are news and reviews, but the live concerts the site broadcasts over the Web make iMusic special. You'll need RealAudio to hear the likes of Soundgarden and Garbage (supply your own witty pun), and, more commonly, bands of lesser fame broadcast from iMusic's setup in MOE, a Seattle alternative club. "http://imusic.com/"
It's the sequel... of a scary family. Not again! Yes, it's true. The Brady Bunch is back this summer in a new (though not necessarily improved) movie version of that fabulous '70s sitcom. If you liked the first Brady movie - and at least one of us really did - chances are you'll love the second, which promises more of the same madcap humor and inside jokes. Cast members Shelley Long and Gary Cole return as the wacky Carol and Mike. Learn about the movie, the cast, and all that really neat stuff. "http://www.thebradybunch.com/"
If you're one of the 40 million people who saw an eight-story-high IMAX film last year, you might be interested in a behind-the-scenes look offered by of one of the IMAX cameramen, Barry Brisley. Barry's home page presents portions from his personal journal which details the filming of the Rolling Stones "At the Max" and a feature on Monarch butterflies, "Flowers in the Sky". A proud parent, Barry also showcases his son Ross and includes some useful tips and links for new parents. While not necessarily a site for your bookmarks, the pages are well designed and worth checking out if the subject matter appeals to you. And if you've never IMAXed, do it. It even beats the Web. Imagine that. "http://web.idirect.com/~baryzone/"
ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE TOURING
Wanted: spiritually inclined bikers to join a five-month road trip on Enfield motorcycles around India with stops at spiritual centers. Better yet, spiritually inclined Net travelers willing to invest in "Hell's Buddhas", the planned film of the road trip led by West German massage, yoga, and meditation teacher (and lead singer for the German punk band Mass Murder) Asokananda, nee Harald Brust. For those unwilling to either ride or invest, the Web site features the plans for the trip and the film, the T-shirts, the CD.... You get the idea. Dispatches from Anne Cushman, script consultant, have a light touch and in themselves are worth a visit. With engines ready to rumble in July, it appears that it might be too late to sign up for the road ride, though the cyber ride is just getting underway. "http://www.hellsbuddhas.com/"
The somewhat misnamed Virtual Jerusalem contains much that is Israeli and little specifically pertaining to the capital itself. The page is heavy on news and Jewish links, but we were disappointed to find the promised virtual tour of the city not yet operational. A neat feature is the ability to send a prayer for insertion into the cracks of the Western Wall. All in all, the pages here are packed with nice images and information, half-assed attempts, and empty promises, all held together with a convoluted design. It reminds us of the real Israel, except here there's no Arab presence. If you can stand to pick through the chaff for the wheat, by all means visit - patience has its rewards. "http://www.virtual.co.il/"
Rich in history and provincial mystique, Lodeve is a charming town that stands between the Lergue and Soulondres rivers in the south of France. To view the city and its sights, choose the French or the (slightly broken) English version and browse away. Pardon our lack of accents, the HTML munger chokes on them. "http://www.tycar.com/lodeve/"
Ah, the palms. The beaches. The relaxing bars and restaurants. Key West Paradise is a great place to start planning your trip to Key West, Florida, with places to stay, restaurants to frequent, and things to do day and night. Even Ernest Hemmingway would approve. Did you know they've declared themselves independent? "http://www.keywestparadise.com/"
E-MAIL A FAX, AND FAX AN E-MAIL
Ya know, this Internet thing might be here for good. JFAX takes incoming old-fashioned faxes and converts them to that newfangled e-mail for you. You can also send e-mail to be converted into paper faxes, if you deal with cavepeople. Voice mail conversion is expected soon. "http://www.jfax.net/"
Major league baseball has seen an increase in offense. Is it statistically valid? Yup. Why is it happening? Go to the Silly Ball link at this SABRmetric dream page to find out. "http://www.scruznet.com/~ewalker/MAINPAGE.HTML"
No memory for dates? This free service will remember up to 20 dates for you and will e-mail reminders when they arrive. You can specify how often and early you're to be reminded. "http://www.dunnsys.com/flowers/remind.htm"
FREEway's got information on free sample offers, free internet services, free magazines, free catalogues, free trial offers, etc. The operative word is "free". All offers are available via the WWW or e-mail. "http://www.vivanet.com/~woodj/money-mart/freeway/index.html"
WE BABBLE ABOUT FREE WEB PAGES
We'll offer a free Web page to the first person who guesses what "Sites That Offer Free Web Pages" contains a list of. Does that mean we make the list? Oops - gave it away. "http://members.tripod.com/~jpsp1/sites.html"
This Dutch page alphabetizes and links to dozens, hundreds, or thousands (we didn't count) of patches, updates, and cheats for computer games. "http://www1.tip.nl/users/t850232/"
If you like home pages with multiple links, Hot Sheet is the home page for you. It contains numerous links, grouped under topics such as Search, News, Reference, and Sports. It's not fancy, but it's definitely a lot of info. Updated weekly. "http://www.tstimpreso.com/hotsheet/"
We didn't know you could surf off the shores of Brittania. You can, though perhaps not as comfortably as in Hawaii. "http://www.brad.ac.uk/~dmabbott/surfgr.html"
Hype abounds, as usual, when a site claims to have the most complete white pages information for the United States. They may have, but you may never find it with their search form. But Four11 is reputable, and an industry standard, so here it is. "http://www.four11.com/"
The GTE SuperPages is basically an electronic Yellow Pages directory for the US with a search function. "http://superpages.GTE.net"
COOL AND USEFUL TOP TEN WINSOCK APPS SITE
There are several top-ten sites, and in general, they're good. This one, no exception, offers informative descriptions of recommended Windows applications and even offers an editorial opinion or two. The information is current; you may even find an application you didn't even know existed. Better yet, a least a couple of recommendations are free for non-commercial use. What a splendid way for a commercial enterprise to give back to the Net. "http://www.deerfield.com/top10/"
If you're looking for yet another tie to bind you to your Mac, Knot may do the trick. The aptly named shareware allows you to create color TIFFs and animations of abstract knot designs. An accompanying manual leads you through some of the more daunting characteristics of parametric equations, but the friendly interface invites lots of pre-manual experimentation and messing about. Knot will create knots for you and can create a simple animation of your knot spinning. Knot can also handle more complex animations of evolving knots, exploding knots, morphing knots, and whatnot. To view the final products, you'll need software capable of displaying 24-bit TIFF files (JPEGView does nicely), and QuickTime for the animations. The Knot site explains the program's capabilities and offers links to other knotable sites on the Web. This is one piece of shareware that should tie you up for hours of gainfully wasted time. "http://ccn.cs.dal.ca/~aa731/knot.html"
JOURNALIST SEEKS WEBMASTER STORIES
The euphoniously named Bronwyn Fryer is a journalist who is looking for owner/managers of small companies or self-employed professionals who have put up Web sites and had stories to tell about their trials, successes, or failures. If you think you have an interesting tale write her directly at bronwyn_fryer@PCWorld.com.
To quote Sung Chang, the Columbia University architecture student we featured in NSD2.16: "Graduation was a success... and so was the loss of space on this server. Such are the repercussions of post-schooling." He's now here, and yes, he's a he: "http://www.inch.com/~contempt/"
READIN', WRITIN', AND COPY-EDITIN'
We'd like to thank all who wrote to point out the their/they're error in the Arch Deluxe article in the last issue, but we want to know how you missed the mistakes in the Java, Temple of Dumb, and Tesler correction articles. Shame, shame.
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