PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE: TWO SNAPSHOTS
Two new documents about online privacy are in the news. "Surfer Beware:
Personal Privacy and the Internet" documents the EPIC survey of 100
high-profile sites that investigated whether they collected personal
information, had privacy policies, made use of cookies, and allowed people
to visit anonymously. Sadly, only 17 had explicit privacy policies and none
met "basic standards for privacy protection". "Communications Privacy in
the Digital Age" is a more meaty report from the Center for Democracy and
Technology. While written in typical governmentspeak, the doc positively
brims with excellent links and citations of legal sources. We recommend
this excellent overview of the US privacy debate in law and legislature,
particularly the documentation of blatant attempts by law enforcement to
push the envelope of existing US wiretap laws. And no, Netsurfer never
gives out its subscriber list to anyone.
Surfer: <http://www.epic.org/reports/surfer-beware.html>
Communications: <http://www.cdt.org/digi_tele/9706rpt.html>
EVENT SEEKER: NEAT IDEA, BUT WILL THEY COME?
Noting that interesting offline events are not catalogued by their URL, the
folks behind Event Seeker decided to create a search engine specifically
devoted to doing so. Since events are generally advertised by date,
location, and event type, site searches also use those criteria. Broad
categories let you browse for events in areas such as Arts and
Entertainment, Business, News and Media, Recreation, and Sports. Since the
site just launched, the content is still woefully thin, but the well
designed site could be a real moneymaker and a boon to event promoters. Now
if they'd only include Beer and Pizza Parties, Quake Tournaments, and Coup
D'Etats as categories, they'd really have something....
<http://www.eventseeker.com/>
PR: <http://w3.eventseeker.com/news.asp>
THE JET REPORT: SATAN, SHEEP, CENSORSHIP, AND THE NET
It's 1987 and a family in Nottinghamshire is accused of satanic abuse
complete with the usual charges of eaten babies and sheep killed by hand.
An inquiry by the authorities results in a 600-page report thoroughly
documenting the monumentally bungled investigation by social service
workers and psychiatrists. The report is banned and, as the report
predicts, irrational satanic abuse witch hunts periodically sweep England
over the next few years. Fast forward to this month: three journalists post
the report on the Net and risk jail as the British government tries to
prevent the it from leaking. A Canadian citizen carrying links to the
report is threatened with legal action while the report merrily spawns
copies all over the Net in defiance of British law and official paranoia.
Great story. CNet has two articles which tell it all, and the report is
right here too for your reading pleasure.
CNet1:
<http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,11209,00.html>
CNet2:
<http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,11355,00.html>
Report: <http://samsara.law.cwru.edu/comp_law/jetrep.htm>
Report: <http://www.double-barrel.be/mirrors/dlheb/>
A Canadian company, VirTech, is following in the footsteps of Swedish
company Infinit Information AB and has offered a Mac up in sacrifice to the
finest hackers the Net has to offer. The first evildoer to change a phrase
on the designated Web page and grab a credit card number wins CAD $10,000.
The server is a mere Power Macintosh 7200/120 running MacOS 7.5.3, Open
Transport 1.1.2, and the WebSTAR 1.3.2 Web server. It's connected via
ethernet to 10Base-T LAN which is connected to the Internet with no
filtering. No firewalls isolate the server from the Net. Good luck.
<http://www.vanhacking.com/>
US GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL E-MAIL SPAM?
Two attempts are underway. Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) has
introduced legislature (S.771) to establish rules for e-mail advertisements
on the Net. Basically, S.771 calls for the inclusion of an identifiable
header and verifiable information identifying the source of the message,
and mandatory compliance with any request to be removed from a mailing
list. Taking another tack, the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial
Email (CAUCE) wants to amend 47 USC 227, which makes it illegal to fax
unsolicited advertising. Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) has offered
legislation that would include e-mail under that restriction as well. You
can read about both congressional efforts at InterGov's site.
47 USC 227: <http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/47/227.html>
InterGOV: <http://www.intergov.org/>
CAUCE: <http://www.cauce.org/>
This Web site is devoted to the ever-entrancing topic of squirrels. If
you've ever wondered why spring brings us squirrels "racing in front of
cars, squirrels taunting cats, squirrels chasing dogs, and squirrels
stuffing their faces until their cheeks are on the verge of exploding", now
you can get an answer. Well, kind of. The authors of this site claim that
squirrels who act, well, squirrely in the spring are performing "ritualized
hazing". Yup, really. For details, check out the site. Just as an aside, a
big bravo to whoever publicized this site. It's appeared just about
everywhere. <http://web.wt.net/~psherr/squirrel_hazing.htm>
VIRUS SCARE HOAXES AND URBAN E-LEGENDS
Have you ever received e-mail from a well-meaning friend warning you of a
computer virus being spread by e-mail? It goes something like, "If you
receive an e-mail with xyz in the subject line, delete it immediately...."
This site explains some of the widely circulated virus hoaxes and
misconceptions, along with some sites where you can read bogus warnings
about viruses. You can read all about the Computer Virus Hysteria awards
and see a list of virus hoaxes from A to Z. It's a well done site.
<http://kumite.com/myths/home.htm>
Infoseek, Excite, Lycos, Alta Vista, and now - Hasta La Vista. The latest
twist on Net search engines relies on six retired Minnetonka, Minn. postal
employees (seven, if Norm Huiska's wife can give him a ride into town).
With their collective wisdom and a stack of periodicals, the site's
information detectives will try to answer your query as best they can. Yes,
the page is a parody, and basically a one-trick pony, but it'll provide a
few chuckles. One upcoming feature we look forward to: free downloadable
gouda. Mmmmmmmm. <http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/7028/hasta.htm>
Ahh, beer. While collecting cans is a legitimate cover for a bacchanal of
indulgence, these guys seem to be quite serious. Dedicated to "furthering
the collecting of beer cans and other Brewerania", the Beer Can Collecters
of America has 4,000 members and links to similar pages around the world
(our Oz-writer was dazzled to find one based just around the corner). From
the latest releases to rare collectibles, the predominant theme of can
images seems to be sports, which explains the Talkin' Sports page.
Intriguing if you're into it. <http://www.zianet.com/spencer/>
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Let us not forget, though, that alcohol existed as a cultural phenomenon
long before beer cans, as this extraordinarily thorough look at the process
of making all sorts of wines, beers, and spirits attests. With recipes
(check local laws before brewing up a batch of whiskey or brandy), history,
bibliography and index, this info in hard copy would be a handy and very
heavy book, covering all from how to taste wines and what to look for in a
quality vintage ("The tongue will sense lightness... while the nose is
still dwelling on the bouquet.") to making your own sake, liqueurs,
cordials, and even vinegar. An excellent resource for enthusiasts or just
ordinary drinkers. <http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1265/calcohol.html>
Our triplex of alcohol sites ends with the Swank-O-Rama: The Cocktail
Revolution Homepage, a simply charming location, dahling, where you who
seek the "international jet-set cocktail lifestyle" can lounge among your
too sweet swank chums. Swirl through cocktail lounges, dress to the teeth,
and gulp down those martinis. Be sure to bring your cigarette holder and
false eyelashes. <http://www.cyborganic.com/People/jpmckay/>
Look out, Jerry Seinfeld and Andy Rooney - the Stupid Page offers an
impressive collection of those stupid little things we do and say in the
course of living our lives. You'll find stupid product instructions like
"Warning: Suffocation may cause death", stupid signs, stupid places, stupid
people - stupid everything. And if you have something stupid of your own to
contribute, there's a stupid submission form just waiting for you.
<http://edge.edge.net/~lynns/stupid/STUPID.html>
Shame on you, Shosh, maintainer of "Shosh Forbes' Cream of the Crop", for
entertaining us with your wee-hour, sometimes poorly written but credible
complaints about anonymous end-users without a clue. There's probably raw
material aplenty here for a great sitcom. (If only techies had time and
talent to write for Hollywood!) Folks, if you've ever had to help someone
use software or hardware, you'll get a kick out of "Shift awards",
first-person accounts by Shosh, who works "as tech support at an internet
company." Poor Shosh gets weird requests, wacky bug reports, and newbie
nightmares, apparently on a regular basis. Shosh must keep busy: Some new
pages were inaccessible at last visit, apparently because Shosh is
redesigning the site, which "will be moving soon." Check here from time to
time to find out whether Shosh survives, because sooner or later, Shosh
could be you. <http://www.angelfire.com/il/sforbes/>
First, they brought you a variety of wholesome dog chows (and rat chows,
and goat chows, etc.). Now, the folks at Purina present a neat interactive
dog breed selector site. Here, you can learn about a full range of dogs.
See what they look like. And coolest of all, take a test that will help you
choose a breed that suits your personality and lifestyle. How do you feel,
after all, about shedding? What about dominance? You've got to think about
this stuff before you pick out a pup, don't you know.
<http://www.purina.com/breed/>
Local information is a hot commodity on the Web, as Yahoo!, Microsoft, and
others well know. There's another kid on the block: DiveIn. The difference:
Local end-users (surfers like you) contribute a considerable amount of its
content. Once you've customized your cookie and selected a city, you can
dive into event calendars, articles, and more. We appreciated the abundance
of mini-reviews of local Web sites in several major categories. It's also
neat to generate maps of your neighborhood, and you may find travel tidbits
here that the larger travel sites on the Web might skip. You can also get
quotes on local stocks, look for a job, pull up local news and weather, and
other mainstream freebies. DiveIn has partnered with CBS Sportline, The
Weather Channel, Movie Link, US West, and other information providers to
give you quick access to local lowdown. <http://www.divein.com/>
Do you still enjoy the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"? Go
here to learn the lyrics and sing along to such hits as "Charlie's Blues"
("C'mon Charlie/No need to frown./Deep down you know the world is still
your toy.") and the four Oompa Loompa songs. Try the harrassment of Violet
(as sung by small orange loud people) to really impress your friends: "Gum
chewing's fine when it's once in a while./It stops you from smoking and
brightens your smile./But it's repulsive, revolting, and wrong,/Chewing and
chewing all day long./The way that a cow does." This subpage of the Willy
Wonka Web Factory could hold some fascination... if you like singing.
<http://condor.stcloud.msus.edu/~triskm01/hazel/wonka/lyrics.htm>
BE LIKE GATES: HOME AUTOMATION
Control freaks, entrepreneurs, security consultants, and technotoy lovers,
this site's for you. In some ways, it's the Web equivalent of Radio Shack.
Scope out electronic gadgets such as HomeVision, a TV system for couch
potatoes who want to monitor their entire house with a handheld remote:
"Imagine changing your lighting schedule without getting up from your
chair." Get the picture? If residential coupling and home jukeboxes get you
hot, stay tuned. The HTI News section has more than enough to keep you
busy: articles; interviews; announcements; columns; press releases;
feedback; a contest. If you still have energy to click, visit the pages
with shareware, shopping (books and software), classified ads, and a
growing product and service directory, along with links to FAQs,
publications, organizations, consultants, manufacturers, personal sites -
so much you'd think the entire site were automated. Apparently it is not,
since you're asked to report broken links "so we can keep this resource
fresh." What, no robowebmaster on staff? Shocking! <http://www.hometoys.com/>
A LIVELY SITE TRAVELS TO THE DEAD SEA
Traveling journalist Jim Malusa was intent on biking to the Dead Sea. He
did it. Discovery Online presented the more or less real-time journal of
his trip, but we only found out about it after it ended. Still, we
recommend you take a look. The content, though reminiscent of National
Geographic features, is less reverential. Jim is not a man easily
overwhelmed by grandeur, especially when it's diminished by tourists and
the tacky traps or cranky locals awaiting them. That's not to say this site
is inferior to a National Geographic version; it's just that the ambiance
is different - more personal, less calculated. You can e-mail best wishes
and questions to Jim (we don't know if he'll answer now), and a panel of
Discovery Online experts has commented on the culture, religion and history
that Jim encountered.
<http://www.discovery.com/area/specials/deadsea/deadsea1.html>
PLAN TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Nunavut (which was almost called Bob), part of a Native land claims
settlement between the Canadian government and Inuit groups, won't
officially exist until 1999. Carved out of the Northwest Territories and
arching over Hudson Bay, it's composed largely of polar desert and
encompasses the true North Pole. Fledgling it may be, but Nunavut has rich
history and lore, and enduring allure for those of us in gentler climes. It
also has marketing savvy, and here launches what promises to be one of the
most massive sites anywhere, the virtual version of a 400-page "complete
planner for arctic adventure". The pages detail Nunavut's archeology and
history, culture and arts, geography and environment, politics and
commerce. The Nunavut Handbook isn't yet fully operational, but already
it's content-rich. We hope, though, that more photographs will pepper the
site as it develops. <http://www.arctic-travel.com/>
DIARIES CHRONICLE HONG KONG HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Six million souls are about to share an experience that has many of the
rest of us holding our collective breath. On July 1, Britain's 99-year
lease on Hong Kong expires, returning that bastion of capitalism to China's
rule. In Lives in Transition, PBS explores the impact of the change on the
lives of 15 Hong Kong residents - teenagers and seniors, artists and
factory workers, foreign residents and citizens of Hong Kong, teachers and
students, union activists and entrepreneurs. Each person's posted journal
entries chronicle their feelings and observations from now until at least
this fall. Dispatches are sparse yet, but these front-line diarists all
speak with the eloquence of people who have something to say. They have a
curious and common tone, though, somewhere between cautious optimism and
composed vigilance. This site can only become more compelling as events
unfold. <http://www.pbs.org/hongkong/>
Certainly this site presents a complete picture of the beautiful Caribbean
island of Puerto Rico. And the search engine will point you where you want
to go. Looking for the Bacardi Rum factory? Done. Want to know more about
surfing? It's all here. <http://escape.topuertorico.com/>
ALL THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT NEW YORK CITY
Axis New York will have your head spinning with great things to see and do
in the Big Apple. From the super cultural to the super chic, the site even
tells you what's hot - and perhaps more importantly, what's not - in NYC.
Topics include restaurants, bars, mass transit, sports, galleries, theatres
and museums. And that's just scratching the surface. <http://www.axisny.com/>
A spork is not the animal Spam comes from, but the most modern
plate-to-mouth utensil known to man. Read the FAQ, the haiku poetry, and
song lyrics here. <http://www.sonic.net/~ian/Spork/>
If filling out endless forms for a chance to win endless free stuff is your
bag, crack your knuckles and head here for the most comprehensive rundown
on Web contests we've yet seen. <http://www.contestguide.com/>
OPEN SESAME OPENS THE ENTERTAINMENT DOOR
The magic of Open Sesame is that it creates personalized entertainment
pages on each visit. And you don't have to download or install yet another
application. You can learn about the latest books, music, films, and so
forth by completing an interest profile. <http://www.opensesame.com/>
HUNDREDS OF WEB CAMS IN 33 COUNTRIES
Everything you ever wanted to see live or almost live on the Net, from
midday in Antarctica (it's dark at noon there now) to sunny beaches.
Whatever you're looking for in cameras on the web, it's probably linked on
this site. <http://www.montecristo.com/cams1.htm>
ClickTV carries local television listings for more than 100 US cities.
While a newspaper's easier to tote over to the tube, ClickTV lets you
search each local lineup by day, time, channel, program type, and keywords.
<http://www.clicktv.com/>
The WeatherPost site is what every weather junkie dreams about. It has easy
to use weather info, current and historic, for areas from Washington, D.C.
to the farthest reaches of our planet. You get maps, satellite images, and
much more. <http://www.weatherpost.com/>
Mushroom Heaven is just one of the spots you'll find at the International
Society for Mushroom Science. Dedicated to the cultivation and consumption
of mushrooms, this spot lets you get a toehold on every fungus among us.
<http://www.hri.ac.uk/isms/page1a.htm>
BANNER MANIA AS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION
Pacho's Multi Archive and Resources page is aimed at stepping beginners
through Web page construction. For Windows users, it's not a bad source but
as a design example, it's scary. We've never seen so many large, flashing,
banners at once. <http://home.keyworld.net/pacho/>
IF YOU KNOW WHAT AN RPG IS, READ THIS
For hardcore gamers of the role-playing variety, RPGNet has industry news,
game reviews, an impressive Gamemaster's encyclopedia of source material
sites, forums focused on getting RPGs to market, and the Industry
Directory. A nice site that hits its target niche with good info.
<http://www.rpg.net/>
The Texas A&M Agricultural Program's site carries stories about things like
new seedless watermelons, when to plant and water your cotton, and getting
children involved with school gardens. if it grows in Texas, you'll find
info here. <http://agnews.tamu.edu/>
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