Last week, US District Judge Thomas Jackson rejected the $1 million per day
fine the US Justice Department sought to levy against Microsoft, but ruled
the company could not require computer makers to bundle Internet Explorer
with Windows. "Microsoft will remain free to market and promote (Internet
Explorer 4.0) just as it presently does - or in any other manner it sees
fit - so long as (computer makers) are given the choice of whether or not
to accept the product," Jackson wrote. While the interim ruling may or may
not hold in the long run, it calls into question Microsoft's planned
strategy for integrating the desktop and browser in Windows 98. CNNfn:
<http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/9712/11/microsoft/>
Microsoft: <http://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/doj/12-11response.htm>
As you probably know by now, hackers nailed our friends at Yahoo a few days
ago, albeit briefly. Yahoo's monitoring software caught the problem within
minutes, but not before someone grabbed a copy of the page and posted it
for viewing. It's mostly badly formatted adolescent chest beating, with
some silly threats served up as garnish for the gullible. You could see it
for yourself, were it not already removed due to excessive hits. Yahoo, as
they say, is conducting an investigation. Yahoo: <http://www.yahoo.com/>
Better graphics, better weapons, nastier nasties, easy setup for
multiplayer deathmatches, and more lovingly rendered death scenes. Need we
say more?
<http://www.idsoftware.com/quake2/>
DEJA NEWS DOUBLES SIZE OF NEWS FEED, FILTERS USENET SPAM
Deja News, the Usenet search engine company, has obtained several new
newsgroup feeds and now archives over 50,000 newsgroups. Most
significantly, many of the new newsgroups are local groups from across the
globe. Deja News has also begun not only to filter out spam from its feeds,
but also to remove spam from their 300 GB of news dating back to March
1995. The company says their spam filters incorporate "technology from such
stalwart spam fighters as Cancelmoose and Zippo News Service. This is
supplemented by proprietary artificial intelligence spam filtering
techniques." Deja News estimates that about two-thirds of Usenet messages
are spam. New Groups:
<http://emarket.dejanews.com/emarket/about/pr/dnpr_971208b.shtml>
Spam: <http://emarket.dejanews.com/emarket/about/pr/dnpr_971208.shtml>
NETWORK ASSOCIATES WITHDRAWS FROM KEY RECOVERY ALLIANCE
Last week, we reported the sale of PGP, the crypto software company, to
Network Associates (a.k.a. McAffee Associates). The sale created some
interesting political fallout, as most PGP consumers are virulently opposed
to key recovery. Trying to contain the damage, Network Associates issued a
terse statement that it was withdrawing from the Key Recovery Alliance
(KRA) since "NAI believes that although the KRA is not in itself a
political organization, membership in it has unintended political
consequences that outweigh any technical benefits we may receive."
<http://www.mcafee.com/main.asp>
VRML CONSORTIUM SPONSORS VRML DESIGN CONTEST
The VRML Consortium announced that it is sponsoring a VRML contest in
collaboration with 3D Design Magazine. The contest will encourage and
showcase the latest Web content using VRML to bring interactive 3-d
graphics to the Web. The contest will be divided into five categories: best
business VRML; most artistic VRML; most innovative VRML; best architecture;
and best visualization. Prizes consist of hardware and software. The
deadline is January 16, 1998. <http://www.3d-design.com/vrmlcontest.html>
This week's Letters to the Editor features the same ranting, raving, and
warm fuzzies you've become accustomed to.
<http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/letters/letter.03.40.html>
THE MOSCOW SHOW TRIALS OF 1936
The Soviet Union under Stalin, decidedly bloody and repressive, saw the
heroes of Bolshevism put on trial and executed for their ideological
stances - not to mention their threat to Stalin's power. The Art Bin, a
history/literature Web site we covered in NSD 1.28, has devoted its current
issue to the 1936 Moscow Show Trials, in which the accused confessed to
crimes fabricated by the state and were executed for their trouble. Why
these men would confess to trumped-up conspiracies and what pressures were
applied to make them change testimonies from one day to the next may never
be known, but excerpts from court documents do shed some light on those
horrible purges. <http://www.nisus.se/artbin/>
Although it sounds like a horror B-movie, Southerners will know instantly
we're talking about that bane and blessing of the plant world, kudzu. Based
on a documentary, the Amazing Story of Kudzu is a fascinating look into how
the weed has entwined itself in people's lives, from medicinal and craft
uses to the history of its growth. Ironically, the Civilian Conservation
Corps were paid to plant the vine in the '30s to help prevent erosion.
Since the Japanese plant was introduced without its native insect
predators, it grew much more heartily in the southern states than it did in
its native habitat. Moral of the story? Think twice before you sneak
seedlings through customs. <http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu.htm>
TWISTED GORY WRECKAGE FOR TWISTED GORY MINDS
Much like an actual crash site, the CrashSite Web page is full of debris
and it's pretty darned gory. When a site starts off with Ask Satan, a kind
of advice for the demon-possessed, and goes on to a Butchering the Human
Carcass page that describes how to prepare humans for consumption, the tone
is pretty much set. After reviewing the site's offerings, we were forced to
go towel off our extremities, but this is, to say the least, a fascinating
look into somebody's psyche, if not your own. <http://www.crashsite.com/>
THE NET AIN'T A HIGHWAY, IT'S A SUBWAY
The NYC subway system, with its faceless masses and blaring advertisements,
represents the movement of the Web to the creators of Webway. Their site is
an attempt to give back the Web to the individuals. The philosophy is
touching, if a bit naive. "Giving the Internet back to the people" implies
both that the people have the resources to pay for its explosive growth and
that there was some point in time when the Internet was "pure" in allowing
individual expression. In any case, Webway is an eclectic blend of poetry
and performance art, from the creators' feelings about police brutality to
some amazing pictures of fire-eaters. <http://www.taggin.com/Webway.html>
TRUE TECH SUPPORT TALES OF THE WEEK
Tech support must get it all. We often feel sorry for them, until we're
left on hold for three hours. TechTales is a collection of the dumbest
computer mistakes, with audio re-enactments and the exclusive TechTales
Tech Supporter, something every tech genius needs. From the woman who
thought her computer was beeping (it was the office smoke alarm) to the
demon that interupts e-mail, the tales reveal the sorry underside of the
technological revolution. <http://www.techtales.com/>
MAKING A FEDERAL CASE OF IT, AND A FOOL OF YOURSELF
So you think the folks who visit TV's Judge Judy and The People's Court are
insane? At this site, you can read very brief legal excerpts on the top 100
strange-but-true court cases as compiled by your hostess, Barbara Rush. From
a plaintiff trying to sue Satan to a celebrity out to protect her name
from an evil robot, you'll find some true nut cases. Hint: the "Next"
button located way at the bottom of the page will take you through the
entire series. <http://www.webzone.net/ber/page21.html>
WE LIKE THE WAY YOU WEB, SUSIE Q
Susie "Q" Ehrenfeld's home page tops a lot of corporate Web sites backed
with hundreds of thousands of dollars and that bodes well for her fledgling
Web design company. She's full of smarts (she's even gotten through to the
last chapter of "Ulysses"), creative, and, most of all, perceptive. Her
observations and stories keep the page engaging and the links to her
favorite games, sites, and music are revealing. Heck, some of the sites
even we hadn't seen before. <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Susieq/>
Janet is looking for Mr. Right, and for some reason she thought the
Internet would boast a plethora of such creatures. She's currently wading
through replies, still looking for that one special mensch (nice Jewish
guy) who responds to her questions correctly and lives either in LA or New
York. She's a 37-year-old systems analyst with a smile to die for, and she
obviously wants someone patient, if the huge sound file means anything.
<http://www.pacificnet.net/~jmh/>
ONE CONSUMER FIGHTS ALLSTATE...
In the world of big business, the power of the bottom line often overrides
the needs of the individual consumer. It becomes easy to reduce living,
breathing, feeling human beings to percentages and numbers in profit and
loss columns. One consumer, treated shoddily by Allstate, has taken the
fight against that firm to the Internet, armed with some disturbing
examples of alleged cynical, emotionless treatment provided to paying
clients. If the corporate practices held up to the light at this site are
any indication of what's going on in the insurance industry, this is a Web
site netsurfers cannot afford to do without.
<http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Floor/7056/>
...WHILE ANOTHER BATTLES BANKS
Free speech, often lauded as the Internet's greatest feature, is exercised
beautifully at this site. A story that previously could only be told
through mass mailings and amateur press releases can now be seen by anyone
interested in complaints against big business. This site documents one
man's efforts to force a bank to live up to its promise that interest rates
would not change, hopefully with results soon.
<http://www.netcom.com/~wiseowl/>
HOW TO PRESERVE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
"Preserve and Protect" covers historical preservation and environmental
protection issues. It features a good sampling of architectural works and
buildings currently at risk, as well as examples of sites that have managed
to dodge demolition. While locations all over the United States are
featured, the site offers a nice set of links to related Web pages
specifically about the New York area. <http://www.preserve.org/>
Shopping, children, and health are not the main interests of women, judging
by the content at Women's Connection Online. (Don't write - that's
sarcasm.) While a few links lead to these topics, they are but a small part
of a whole which includes news archives, threaded discussions, and
political, business, and technology information. The news archive
concentrates on issues relevant to the female of the species, but the
business and careers advice will be useful to anyone trying to earn a
living whatever their hormonal bias. We're thankful the site avoids the
usual pretty pastels or aggressively black and Shocked layout and instead
comes equipped with an efficient navigational system that delivers
interesting and informative content aimed primarily at American
businesswomen. <http://www.womenconnect.com/>
GULLAH HISTORY, LANGUAGE, AND CUISINE
Forbidden their own languages, the 17th-century slaves of South Carolina's
coastal lowlands used the English forced on them and the remnants of their
own tongues to fashion an entirely unique and localized language and
culture. This tiny but very attractive site celebrates Gullah, that
language and culture. It's unfortunate no sound files accompany the story
because spoken Gullah echoes the melodic cadences and elisions of better
known Caribbean and Louisiana Creole patois. Everything sounds so familiar,
yet just beyond our ken. At its core, this is a commercial site for
low-country foods and books. Still, design of both the site and the
products takes full advantage of the Gullah spirit, and you'll want to look
at the catalogue to really appreciate it. <http://www.evolink.com/gullah/>
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Be careful, or you can browse this site and feed your fantasies of carefree
island vacations for a very long time. It has everything from beautiful
color photographs to maps of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota islands with all
points of interest. Beyond the usual tourist info, you'll find many other
items of interest, including the geographic history of the islands,
business and government info, and links to other Pacific sites.
<http://www.cnmi.net/>
India is vast, diverse and colorful - and so is this site. Stop by to take
in the very latest news, learn about the culture, and see what's hot on the
travel front. Essence of India will take you where you want to go with
respect to government policies, local companies, history, and much more.
<http://www.cyberindian.com/india/index.htm>
ChinaVista looks at one of the world's most interesting emerging markets.
The site aims "to help expand business and social ties between China and
the rest of the world through the development of an online community." A
point to note: ChinaVista is sponsored by China's first publicly listed
information technology company. <http://www.chinavista.com/>
This colorful and reasonably well designed site offers all the usual
touristy information like where to stay and eat, nightlife, climate, and
top ten things to do. If you search, you can also find some interesting
photographs. Advance information about this site claimed voice, animation,
and Java but they must be well hidden. The page loads slowly, mostly
because of the traffic soundtrack. How many travel pages take pride in
traffic jams? <http://www.inet.fi/m2/hongkong.html>
This professional site compiles daily news stories from the International
Herald Tribune, London Times, Associated Press, and other prominent sources
and throws in original reporting and commentary. A must see for news
addicts. <http://www.worldnetdaily.com/>
ZDNET'S COMPUTER MAGAZINE ARCHIVE
ZDNet's computer magazine archive is extensive: the magazines range
literally from A to Z (AnchorDesk to ZD Labs) and there's a complete search
engine. The site charges subscription fees, but offers free access for two
weeks. <http://cma.zdnet.com/>
Looking for the next Trekker gathering? Searching for a particular SF book,
a specialist magazine, or Outer Limits webzine? Then beam over to the
SCI-Finder search engine on the Hologram Tales site. Check out the
excellent Bucchino illustrations while you're there.
<http://www.sf-fantasy.com/>
IDEAS ACADEMIC ECONOMIC SEARCH ENGINE
IDEAS provides information about working papers in economics. The name is
an acronym for Internet Documents in Economics Access Service. Check it
out, but bring your textbooks. <http://ideas.uqam.ca/>
Remember when a kiss came at the end of the film, not the beginning? And
dancing meant touching, men looked handsome in uniform, and women wore hats
and made munitions? Wallow in musical nostalgia at this MIDI archive - and
make a little whoopee. <http://members.aol.com/brenkohn/Jbrenner/JoeSr.htm>
Looking for a cool guitar/general music site? Evil Bob's Music Planet will
please the future Zappas and Hendrices out there. Of particular interest is
the music theory page, all about staffs and scales ("those little squiggly
things") scripted in very blunt and basic terms by the site's author.
<http://www.music-planet.com/>
This concept is so simple, yet so well implemented here. Short poems subtly
(if at all) describe a Web page. Click on the poem, and off you go on a
random - but usually intriguing - trip 'round the Web.
<http://www.stephen.com/haiku/>
LIVE PSYCHOLOGY INTERNET TALK SHOW
Think "Frasier". Now, exchange TV for reality, radio for the Web,
psychiatrist for psychologist, and male for female to get what's happening
here. <http://www.follow-reason.com/>
If that phrase is more than a pick-up line to you, the Naval Air Online
site is waiting. This tongue-in-cheek look at Naval pilots comes with
pictures of ships and humor lists like 30 Ways to Simulate the Navy when at
Home. <http://www.navalair.com/>
If your marine tendencies lean to the miniature rather than the floating
city, you might appreciate this look at vintage model yachting, a hobby
that uses older methods to build miniatures of older boats.
<http://www.swcp.com/usvmyg/>
QUALCOMM ANNOUNCES NEW EUDORA SOFTWARE, FREE WEB-BASED E-MAIL
Eudora is quite likely the most popular e-mail client on the planet and a
favorite of certain eminent Netsurfers. Qualcomm has just released version
4.0 of Eudora Pro, as well as something called Eudora Pro CommCenter,
basically a communications suite. Aside from e-mail you also get voice
messaging, chat, paging, various utilities, and a boatload of new features
and enhancements. One hopes this is not the first step onto a slippery
slope to bloatware. But hey, Qualcomm has a good track record. In other
news, it also announced a new Web based e-mail service which will open for
business on January 1. <http://www.eudora.com/>
FORGET HIT COUNTERS, NOW THERE'S A TIMER
This new service enhances Web page, ad banner, and content viewing
statistics by supplying total viewing time and and total hits to develop an
average hit time. It is available free with conditions, or on a
subscription basis for personal or business use. The company claims to have
solved many common problems related to the counting of viewers on the Web.
<http://www.mytimer.com/>
Ezekiel Krahlin's gay activist site, reviewed in NSD 3.23, has a new Web
home. <http://ezekielk.simplenet.com/>
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