TIME, PORNOGRAPHY, AND THE FAILURE OF JOURNALISM
A recent Time magazine cover story splashed cyberporn all over the front page, featuring a recent study entitled "Marketing Pornography on the Information Superhighway". The document was gleefully seized upon by conservative special interest groups, and used to slam the Internet as nothing more then a networked sewer. Donna Hoffman and Thomas Novak of Project 2000, in addition to providing an excellent dissection of the flawed study, have assembled the definitive set of documents on their page devoted to this controversy. The other essential resource devoted to this topic is an article on HotWired which, in its usual modest opinion, "...destroys both story and study". We highly recommend that you take a look at this particular media circus. Project 2000: "http://www2000.ogsm.vanderbilt.edu/cyberporn.debate.cgi" HotWired: "http://www.hotwired.com/special/pornscare/"
UC-Berkeley's Center for Community Economic Research has created a slick game that allows visitors to take Congress's place and attempt to balance the American federal budget. Users increase or decrease government spending in key economic areas, then receive a calculation of the resulting state of the federal deficit and a description of the chaos they've created by tinkering with economic concepts they know nothing about. Ignorance of terms such as "leading economic indicators" and "deficit spending" is no obstacle, as the site provides a short explanation of exactly what disappears when you increase spending on space research while eliminating the entire budget for the administration of justice. Most visitors will no longer envy the President's, and Congress's, daunting task. "http://garnet.berkeley.edu:3333/budget/budget.html"
The AirPage, a WWW site dedicated to showcasing the world's aircraft, is a compendium of statistics, images, and weapons capabilities of military and commercial aircraft. This site will provide information in abundance to those interested in anything from aviation history to the specs of the Harrier VTOL Jump Jet. In addition, the AirPage has links to other aircraft-related resources, including manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed, and Rockwell, the last of which is developing a new space station with NASA. The site's a good layover for those interested in aviation or for those who are just flying through. "http://trex.smoky.ccsd.k12.co.us/~dlevin/air/air.html"
Clairvoyants, psychics, and assorted loons have often pointed to the year 2000 as the point when time, Earth, and everything we know will suffer some kind of cataclysm. From a computer perspective, they may not be that far off. When the the year 2000 begins, all kinds of havoc will be reaped on information systems worldwide as they try to click over to the new date, according to the Year 2000 Information Center. But all is not lost. The Center provides simple tests to determine if your PC is 2000-friendly, and offers links to several vendors who specialize in century-change preparedness. The end of the world may not be nigh, but this may be a site to check out for safety's sake. "http://arganet.tenagra.com/cgi-bin/clock.cgi"
"H"OW "T"O "M"AKE "L"OUSY HOME PAGES
Jeffrey Glover has put into writing what we all know - at least subconsciously: the blink attribute of Netscaped pages is the most annoying thing in the universe since Pogs. Glover's page is the "Top Ten Ways to Know If You Have a Sucky Home Page", and it's certain he isn't alone in most of his complaints. After all, why do people put those irritating "Men at Work" pictures to denote that said page is under construction? Every baboon knows that pretty much EVERY page on the WWW is currently under construction, and will be until 20 minutes past Armageddon. In addition to providing a valuable public service, Glover's page also contains bits of common sense regarding the design and implementation of home pages. Visit this page, or else. "http://www.winternet.com/~jmg/topten.html"
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COOL ZONE
The Cool Zone is a place of discussion, ideas, and the intersection of cultural barriers and gateways. It's a place where people can view the soul of African-American culture laid bare for all the world to see. It's a place for African-Americans to view the history of the struggle for equality, and to get to know the people and organizations that made success possible. The Cool Zone will not coddle or candycoat the realities of life as a minority, but it lets those directly affected know that they will have a place in the future as the information superhighway grows and evolves. The Cool Zone is all this, and much, much more, but above all, it's not a place for the timid. "http://drum.ncsc.org/~bowen/zone0.html"
It is said that storytelling is the heart of Tarot. Indeed, the story of the Tarot cards themselves is quite engrossing, as evidenced by the many resources on this site put together by dt king. This is one of those fun eclectic sites which make Netsurfing so much fun and full of pleasant surprises. Want to take a correspondence course in the Tarot? Find out how here. Need Tarot images for your web pages? Several decks await you. Need to find a fortuneteller? Here is some sound advice. PC Programs, newsletters, Tarot societies, all have links on this neat page. There's even an Internet occult superstore. Lot's of links to explore, both for casual browsers and serious Tarot students. "http://www.iii.net/users/dtking/tarot.html"
Egyptologists take note! Duke University's Special Collections Library has made its collection of ancient papyri available to the masses on the WWW. Samples of the university's large collection are available as GIFs. An online catalogue of Duke's collection is also located at this site. This is an excellent source of information for anyone studying ancient Egypt or the history of the written word, and kind of cool for the rest of us. "http://odyssey.lib.duke.edu/papyrus/"
Generation X's been-there/jumped-off-that school of thought has been concentrated into a Web page. The site, X Avenue, does not simply offer new and interesting means of becoming street pizza, but also supplies comprehensive (Xhaustive, one might say) links to the activities and interests of today's Gen X crowd. There's an emphasis on the recreational activities one tends to see in beverage commercials (skydiving, inline skating, rock climbing, etc.), but the site also devotes considerable space to safer entertainment, including some engaging trivia games, making it a worthwhile browse for all. "http://www.nicoh.com/the/x.html"
IT HAD TO HAPPEN: A SEARCHABLE INDEX OF SEARCHABLE INDEXES
At a site called the Internet Sleuth, you can do keyword searches for over 500 keyword search engines on the Net. You can search by word, string, Perl regular expression, alphabetically, or by 37 different defined categories. All of the links enable immediate searching or lead to documents containing links to searchable interfaces. Keep in mind that many of the sites require a forms-capable browser. "http://www.charm.net/~ibc.sleuth/"
IF YOU LOVE E-MAIL, THIS IS FOR YOU
The E-Mail Pen Pal Connection is a free educational service designed to unite native English speakers with English students from around the world. The Connection is sponsored by the Virtual English Language Center, an online resource of materials, services, and products for those studying English as a second or foreign language. The home page provides a form for you to complete, and you must state your level of "English proficiency". Levels range from Native to Advanced to Beginner - but, like, what about Valley Girl talk, y'know? C'mo-on. "http://www.interport.net/~comenius/penpal.html"
Sponsored by Project Gutenberg, "Ask Dr. Internet" responds to Rick Gates' "Internet Hunt". "Ask Dr. Internet" wants to address questions from both newbies and more experienced users. Dr. Internet, represented by a group of Project Gutenberg volunteers, will answer ten questions each month. The group wants your questions (and answers if you know them) about any topic of general interest to Internet users. mail:internet@jg.cso.uiuc.edu
THINK BEFORE YOU ASK MR. BAD ADVICE
So, you have a problem. If you want it to get worse, try asking Mr. Bad Advice. Mr. Advice urges you to e-mail your problems to him - "and he'll answer them as worst he can!" The columnist's home page includes an e-mail address, and he promises that your questions will appear there, complete with bad answers, of course. We should warn you before you click on the link to his column: the answers (and questions) sound as if written by high school boys who've watched "Animal House" too many times. "http://www.echonyc.com/~spingo/Mr.BA/"
If you've always wanted to visit Jerusalem, now's your chance to travel inexpensively - at least virtually so. The Jerusalem Mosaic page at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem adopts a primarily historical perspective, as befits a city over 4,000 years old. Links to the song "Jerusalem of Gold" and a view of Jerusalem from the sky anchor the welcome page, but true fulfillment is found elsewhere. The different "gates" are links to sub-pages full of wonderful sights - historic and contemporary - of people and places. Unlike most geographic Web sites, this is not a what-to-do list, but a what-it-is exposition. Even the inline tapestry-like graphics are beautiful. "http://www1.cc.huji.ac.il/jeru/"
DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE?
Will it be the Mariachi Festival along the Guadalupe River or the symphony at the Center for the Arts? Maybe catch a hockey game at the arena or ride a roller coaster at the amusement park? Where? It's San Jose, Calif., and the San Jose Living page proves this city has a lot of justifiable hometown pride, or at least a lot to offer. Scan through the events calender or download the 3-D animation played at the start of every Sharks hockey game. Current and thorough from kid's events to markets to cultural events, this page is an unexpected winner in every way. "http://www.acoates.com/sjliving"
"Singapore By The Back Door" is a charming and easy-to-navigate rest stop on the Information Superhighway. The colorfully appealing photos wonderfully blend the old with the new, and beyond them you'll find a rather complete resource for Singapore recreation, business and economics, and career opportunities, as well as links to other Asia-related sites. "http://www.sg/infomap/scene/sbbd/dip.html"
If you need proof that the wild western sector of cyberspace has finally been conquered, stop by "Peaks", a friendly online magazine featuring the state of Montana and its inhabitants. It's a little quirky, with essays on wolves and on TV violence, a prizewinning chili recipe, and a photo of the Whitehall Homecoming Queen, but it's true to the independent spirit of the western frontier. Other features include maps and weather, accommodations, a "click tour", and more. This is not an all-out salute to the American western frontier with log cabin graphics and hokey text. It's a well organized site with sophisticated (if not trendy) visuals. "http://www.cyberport.net/peaks"
AROUND THE WORLD IN SIX MONTHS OR SO
If you have any desire to relive your unfettered youth and wild, unsupervised travels of yore, you might want to visit Luke's Hippy Dippy World Trip Travelogue. Luke shares his seemingly endless - and sometimes reckless - encounters as a young American abroad in Europe and southern Asia. "http://www.engr.scarolina.edu/~luker/trip/"
Palm trees, warm weather, friendly people, an intriguing culture - Thailand is one hot spot you should definitely include in your travel plans. Wonder if phad thai, satay, and peanut sauce are as wildly popular there as they are in the U.S.? General Thailand tourist information can be obtained at the following sites: "http://www.cs.ait.ac.th/tat" "http://www.mahidol.ac.th/Thailand/Thailand-main.html"
This site will help you send e-mail supposedly from another real or fake address. Be prudent, though - it has reportedly been blacklisted by some system administrators. "http://www.netcreations.com/fakemail/index.html"
The Information Supercollider draws several random Web pages from a database of 100000 high-quality URLs, and collides them to produce a new random Web page. A new twist on an old idea. "http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/collider.html"
TERRORISM WATCH REPORT LISTSERV
Worried about a neighbor with the Anarchist Cookbook and an odd-smelling basement? This listserv sends ads and info about counterterrorism products and services. Contact mail:BenVenzke@delphi.com and specify the TWR P&S listserv in your message to subscribe.
This page enumerates the current world population with an analog odometer when accessed. It uses client-pull to continually update the number. "http://sunsite.unc.edu/lunarbin/worldpop"
Pollstar has quite a comprehensive listing of upcoming American concerts. It is searchable by artist, city, or venue. "http://www.pollstar.com"
LatinoLink is a new weekly Web publication aimed at Hispanics and those interested in Latin American culture. "http://www.latinolink.com/"
TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE INFORMATION
EXPOguideis an online source of trade show and conference information, with close to 4000 listings. Shows can be found utilizing alphabetical, date, and location indices, or by keyword search. "http://www.expoguide.com"
We don't advise investing based purely on Net info, but this may be useful. Research certificate of deposit rates across the U.S. It's free, so why not? "http://www.wimsey.com/~emandel/"
MIND YOUR PS AND QS, AND YOUR URLS
A free Web service called the URL-minder is like having your own personal Web robot. It retrieves URLs you register with them on a regular basis and reports back to you by e-mail if and when they change. It will also run regular searches on Web databases and let you know when anything new that matches your search criteria shows up. Ugly, in-your-face, white and yellow type on a black background harms the look of this site, but they deserve credit for a cool idea. Free registration requires only a URL and an e-mail address. "http://www.netmind.com/URL-minder/URL-minder.html"
REMINDER: NETSURFER DIGEST EDITORS ON AMERICA ONLINE JULY 16
Just a final reminder that Arthur Bebak, publisher and founder of Netsurfer, and Lawrence Nyveen, current editor of Netsurfer Digest, will appear in the Center Stage (Keyword: CENTER STAGE) conference on Sunday, July 16, at 22:00 ET.
OUR EDITOR HANGS HIS HEAD IN SHAME
This is a personal note of apology to all of you who noticed how badly I mauled the kg/lb conversion in the Cat House article in last issue. Of course, 7 to 700 lbs should be 3.2 to 320 kg (roughly). I have no excuse; I grew up using the metric system. And to those who didn't notice: shame on you. - LN
Those little gremlins are at it again. The real URL for the SF e-mag Dream Watch is as follows. "http://www.pavilion.co.uk/UniversalFlavour/DreamWatch"
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