AMERICA ONLINE DARES YOU TO E-MAIL
In what must be the "Quote of the Year", America Online vice president Jean Villanueva responded to allegations that AOL E-Mail sent through the Internet was being delayed or lost with the following gem: "We invite you or any member to flood the system, see how much mail you can send.... We're quite confident no mail is being lost." If this issue is delayed, it's because some of our staff are still hysterical with laughter. Naturally, the imminent death of America Online is predicted. (SF Chronicle, 10/29/94 D2)
WINDOWS 95 AND OS/2 PIRATE COPIES ON THE NET
The Wall Street Journal (10/31/94 B4) reports that pirates who broke into systems at Florida State University posted copies of Windows 95 and IBM's new OS/2 software to the Net (no, we won't tell you where). Needless to say, the software executive types are pissed. A Microsoft executive said, "We have taken steps to find the party responsible for this crap." Was he talking about Windows 95?
BIGGER NETSCAPE FONTS AND NETSCAPE HTML
Netscape is all the rage as the latest thing in browsers. However, Ed Kubaitis finds the default X Windows fonts (that's UNIX) too hard on his eyes, and so generously gives us some alternatives at his Web site. Also, if you're curious about which HTML extensions Netscape implements, you can find details at the second URL below. "http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~ejk/bigfonts.html" "http://home.mcom.com/home/services_docs/html-extensions.html"
O'REILLY TO TAKE OVER NCSA "WHAT'S NEW" PAGE
NCSA just announced that O'Reilly and Associates Inc. (they bring you GNN) will publish, maintain, and update that hyper-popular if somewhat uneven source of netsurfing info. One hopes they'll clean it up a bit and get it out more often. Quite a coup for them since that site is one of the most popular sites on the Web. "http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/whats-new.html"
COMMERCIAL ONLINE SERVICES PILING ON INTERNET FEATURES.
Reality is catching up to the commercial online services. America Online is shipping new software with a spiffed up user interface (lots of marbling) and offline mail capabilities. Still no auto-quoting, though. They have a new FTP service up (keyword FTP) and a WWW site is coming soon. Compuserve just demonstrated their FTP service at PC Expo, with full debut expected in 4-6 weeks. GEnie will be offering Internet services including FTP, newsgroups, outbound Telnet, Gopher, and WAIS (no WWW) by the end of the year. Finally, Prodigy just dropped their prices, though they still have a byzantine pricing structure (too big to digest: try 1-800-PRODIGY if you're feeling masochistic).
SPRY, Inc., the makers of the commercial version of Mosaic and "Internet in a Box", have announced they are joining the CommerceNet business consortium to "help guide the organization through such issues as security and encryption, as well as lending its support to creating greater awareness of online commerce." They will become one of four associate members on the group's sponsor steering committee. This is important since their support will be crucial to developing standards for secure communications over the Internet, something which CommerceNet is actively trying to promote.
AND THE COMMERCIAL NET KEEPS GROWING
Commercial domains grew by 7.6% in September to 21,777 unique sites, according to Internet Info. You can get complete details of domains added by category, as well as tables showing the breakdown by area code and by Internet Service Provider from OpenMarket or First Virtual for $10. "http://directory.net/netinfo" "http://www.fv.com/access/by-seller/Internet_Info"
PRINCETON REVIEW GIVES UP KAPLAN.COM
Those kooky guys at the Princeton Review applied for and got the domain name KAPLAN.COM in order to tweak (a.k.a. annoy) their competitors at Kaplan Test Prep. They're both in the college test preparation business. This wound up being a big deal which, along with the celebrated MTV.COM appropriation by Adam Curry, got InterNIC to finally face the question of how domain names will be allocated (no real resolution on that by the way). An arbitration court has now ruled that the Princeton Review has to give up KAPLAN.COM. To quote John Katzman of Princeton Review: "We *did* offer to sell Kaplan Test Prep the name for a case of beer (imported or domestic). Unfortunately, these guys have no sense of humor, no vision, and no beer.... We did *not* mean to make InterNIC's life a living hell (by the way, has anyone registered InterNIC.COM yet?)."
An extension of Kurt Dahl's weekly "2020world" newspaper column in the Seattle Times, this moderated discussion list will explore life as it will be when our lives have been changed by the "broadband, fully switched, ubiquitous network". The discussions will not be about technology, but about lives. Ideas will be put into play in the list and expanded upon by the group. The best, we are told, will be published in the paper. Subscribe with E-Mail to: "majordomo@seatimes.com" (no subject) with message: "SUBSCRIBE 2020WORLD".
"STAR TREK GENERATIONS" HOME PAGE
Paramount Pictures and Viacom Online have just put up the STG site with pictures, sounds, QuickTime previews of the movie, and behind-the-scenes information. As a marketing gimmick, if you respond in their "Your Input" section, they'll send you a digital version of the Star Trek Generations movie poster. It's a commercial effort and it shows, but crucial for Trekkies looking for "Generations" content. Keep trying, it's tough to connect. "http://generations.viacom.com/"
This Pittsburgh-based site includes a virtual tour of the Andy Warhol museum, a few samples of the artist's work, directions to the museum, times, admission fees and other stuff. Fans of pop art will find this interesting. "http://fridge.antaire.com:80/warhol/"
WINNERS OF DIGIT ART COMPETITION POSTED
There are five pictures here, the four runners up and the winner of this Finnish (but really global Internet based) contest. The site is all pictures so you'll have to be patient if you're looking with a modem hookup. Nice ray-traced pictures, if you're into this kind of thing. "http://katto.kaapeli.fi/~hybrid/digit.html"
The University of Geneva's Web server is home to some interesting explorations into the wacky world of multimedia. Besides technical papers on time-based image modeling and video widgets, there is a nicely polished virtual museum and a collection of images called Filter Art reminiscent of LSD-influenced fingerpaint paintings. But of course, these are scientific. "http://cui_www.unige.ch/OSG/Research.html/OSG/MultimediaResearch/"
ARE YOU A KID? IT'S "SHOW-N-TELL" TIME!
This juried Web exhibition of kids' artwork and stories opens November 15 and will include cool stories, drawings, photos, and video clips. If you want to contribute, put your artwork on a world-readable WWW or FTP site and mail the URL to "show-n-tell@manymedia.com". For more info contact David Newman at "david@telenaut.com". Someone call Bill Watterson to make sure Calvin and Hobbes have an entry ("And now, a bowl of phlegm..."). "http://www.manymedia.com/show-n-tell/"
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP OFFERS ART POSTERS
The Earth Pledge Foundation, a non-profit organization focusing on sustainable development, is offering posters of art by Robert Rauschenberg. The art was donated by the Robert Rauschenerg Foundation in support of the United Nation's International Conference on Population and Development and the United Nation's Conference on Environment and Development. Graphics of the posters and ordering information are available at the URL. "http://mmink.cts.com/mmink/dossiers/earthpledge.html"
LIBIDO, THE JOURNAL OF SEX AND SENSIBILITY
This is sure to become a hot site. The journal "is geared toward an enlightened audience of adult men and women and is designed to turn on both mind and body." Several photographs, two erotic fiction pieces, some erotic art, non-fiction ("Curing Sexual Maladies the American Way, ca. 1900"), humor (whatever you do, don't miss "The Notebooks of Gatling Wessex"), reviews, newsbytes ("The Case of the No-Quit Clit") and, of course, subscription information. This is not some sleazy porn site but a mature try at good erotica, sexual art, literature, and reporting. The site is entertaining, humorous, rich in content, and - obvious jokes notwithstanding - deserving of a good hard read. "http://www.mcs.net/~rune/home.html"
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND/THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS
We originally reported on this site back in August when only samples of the delightful original illustrations for these books by Sir John Tenniel were available. The wait has been worth it. This full text edition contains all the great images in 72 dpi resolutions suitable for use in WWW pages. Work is in progress on 400 dpi scans. The third installment of the trilogy, "The Hunting of the Snark", will be available sometime next year. You can get the books in Texinfo sources, preformatted DVI, PostScript, GNU Info, or as the HTML pages. "http://www.Germany.EU.net/books/carroll/alice.html" "ftp://ftp.Germany.EU.net/pub/books/carroll/README"
PROJECT GUTENBERG CELEBRATES 24TH YEAR
Entering its 24th year, Project Gutenberg plans to double its production of E-Texts to 16 per month, including an encyclopedia and an E-Text of Shakespeare. Books recently released (paper copies costing $25-$50 have been replaced for classes by floppies costing 25-50 cents) include "Summer" by Edith Wharton; "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne; and "The Awakening & Other Short Stories," by Kate Chopin. To request books or for information on volunteering, E-Mail "almanac@oes.orst.edu" or "sechrest@cs.orst.edu".
SKEPTIC MAGAZINE UPLOADS SAMPLE ARTICLES
If people who deny the Holocaust make you vomit, or you're tired of watching homeopathy devotees drop dead of cancer, this is for you. Skeptic magazine has uploaded a few articles in quest for subscribers. It's nice to know somebody in this age is grounded in reality. They offer a special Internet user's subscription rate. Don't skip this if you're a fan of James "The Amazing" Randi. "http://www.primenet.com/~lippard/skeptics-society.html"
GOOSEBUMPS FOREVER!! R.L. STINE HOME PAGE
As fallout from Halloween, the Scholastic Network Web server is presenting a page devoted to the author of such classics as "Say Cheese and Die!", "Monster Blood", and "Night of the Living Dummy". You get a bio, a transcript of Stine's live Scholastic Network chats from April 1994 and this Halloween, and a sample chapter from "Deep Trouble", the 19th book of his enormously popular Goosebumps series. "http://scholastic.com:2005/public/Stine-Home.html"
Depth Probe calls itself a collection of modern culture reviews, dreams, and commentary. What you get is one moderately smart man's musings about everything philosophical. Along with book reviews on "Discourse on Inequality", "Life Without God", and "Lolita", you get notes from his girlfriend, his random dreams and diary entries, and Monty Python quotes. If you have lots of time to kill, take a look at what happens when one man with access to a terminal desperately needs a life. "http://www.lighthouse.com/~ake/DepthProbe/index/home.html"
For the youthful reader in your life, the Personalized Children's Books home page offers a choice of five volumes that will include your child's name up to 10 times. Illustrated in color, the personalized text also includes your child's age, city, and up to three friends' names. Sample title: "When I Grow Up", in which "your child takes a magical voyage with Moogie, the elf. By placing your child's photo inside the book, he or she changes, as if by magic, into characters ranging from an artist to even the President of the United States!" Moogie, the elf? Sheeesh! "http://mmink.cts.com/mmink/dossiers/pi.html"
WISECRACKING ELVES, SANTA, AND CHARITIES ON THE WEB
The Christmas Cyberspace Campaign asks corporations to bring the spirit of giving to cyberspace. A machine, with the domain name of "north.pole.org" will be set up on the Net, and will open on Thanksgiving with wisecracking elves (Moogie?), digital Christmas trees, and an interactive Santa Claus. Corporations are asked to adopt local charities and put them on the machine, and each time somebody in cyberspace "visits" the exhibit describing the charity, the corporation donates ten cents. All those dimes will add up to a hefty contribution. For info, E-Mail "santa@north.pole.org".
SKI REPORT SERVER COULD USE YOUR HELP
Mark Bixby has just completed the interactive ski report submit/browse functionality of his Southland Ski Server, specializing in Southern California ski resorts plus Mammoth and June. He's looking for some test submissions to check out the forms. Even if you don't care about the resorts covered, help him out because he will make the underlying Perl code available via public-domain anonymous FTP to anybody who wishes to start a similar ski report server for their local region. Kudos to Mark. "http://www.cccd.edu/ski.html"
SOMETHING MORAL THIS WAY COMES
ReliefRock for Rwanda is a good example of how two hot commodities - multimedia and the Internet - can be used in a socially responsible way. This virtual benefit concert allows you to download music samples from artists like (the ex) Prince, Eric Clapton, and Laurie Anderson, while pledging money to help people hurting in Rwanda. All of your donation goes to the relief effort with no middleperson taking a cut. ReliefNet is a non-profit group providing Net access to information about various aid projects around the world that routes online relief donations to various organizations, including Oxfam, CARE, and Doctors Without Borders. "http://www.earthweb.com:2800/reliefnet.html"
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