| Serious Windows E-Mail Security Problem: Fixes, More Fixes, and Workarounds |
| Bandon, Oregon - the Greatest Place in the World |
| Shagging Flies - Innocent Pastime or Entomological Porn? |
| Let's Go2Orlando |
| Once Upon a Time... |
| With a Little Sun and Soil |
| The Java Run-Around |
| Bomber Jack-In |
| With this Page, I Thee Web |
| Apple a Day in Your Mailbox |
| Web Site Awards Index |
| PocketStuffer Freebies |
| Virtual Personalities for Sale |
| BOOK REVIEWS |
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
| Contact and Subscription Information |
| Credits |
BREAKING SURF
Serious Windows E-Mail Security Problem: Fixes, More Fixes, and Workarounds
Windows e-mail programs from Microsoft and Netscape have been discovered to be vulnerable to a serious security problem. Malicious users can send e-mail attachments with very long file names, causing a text buffer to overflow, and leading either to a crash or to the execution of malicious code on your PC. Microsoft has posted a fix to their Outlook Express program and to Explorer 4.x. It has since found another hole and employees are working on another fix. Netscape has yet to release a patch for Communicator but offers a simple workaround which will protect you in the meantime. This severe breach could lead to erasure of your hard drive, so keep on top of it and install patches as soon as they are available. Only Windows platforms are affected.Netscape: http://home.netscape.com/products/security/resources/bugs/longfile.html
Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/ms98-008TEXT.htm
SURFING SITES
The result, eBlast, marries editorial and end-users' minds in a useful, eminently impressive Net guide. At first glance, this site appears to be but a classy portal site; the initial page links to familiar categories such as computers and the Internet, kids, shopping, travel and tourism, etc. But start with top feature "Bookmarks of the Smart and Famous" and you'll see right away how Encyclopedia Britannica has embraced and extended the concept of Web directory with tasteful selectivity. Leading writers and other thinkers contribute essays and guest columns to enrich exploration with articulate guidance. At every level, thumbnail reviews and ratings of Web sites make discovery quick and easy. Site of the Day, Net Events, New to the Net and other features will keep you coming back regularly for enlightenment. All in all, it's an intellectual blast.http://www.eblast.com/
http://members.xoom.com/mspong/
Few subjects are so innately benign and so universally taboo as menstruation. In our culture, invisibility is the greatest virtue in its commercialization. Some years ago, fascinated by the marketing of secrecy, ad designer Harry Finley began collecting ads for the euphemistically labelled feminine hygiene products. Today, he's curator of the Museum of Menstruation (MUM), which looks light-heartedly at how societies treat this taboo with jokes, euphemism, and coy marketing. Finley also looks at the price of taboo: inordinate fear of "discovery"; ritualized shunning; deaths from toxic shock; lack of research or corporate responsibility; and a deplorable record of meaningful regulation. Don't dismiss MUM because its subject seems unusual - societies have few such pervasive and powerful taboos - or for its friendly and good-humored presentation. The page offers a serious study of a significant women's health issue and its sociological dimensions.
http://www.mum.org/
Idea Central for the Electronic Policy Network
Here's a site so full of ideas and information that it's quite impossible to summarize. Text-heavy but content-rich, the pages are crisply presented and easily navigable. On the subject of content, we'll say only this: If you have a passionate political sense - whatever your stripe - you could hardly find a more stimulating starting point than this site jam-packed with ideas and issues pertaining to United States policy. Affiliates include the Brookings Institute, the Children's Defense Fund, Citizens for Tax Justice, the Commonwealth Fund, the Packard Foundation, and Second Harvest. And, yes, the Electronic Policy Network does call itself "a journal for the liberal imagination". Deal with it.http://epn.org/idea/
Now Showing - Gerardo San Diego
Meet Gerardo San Diego: writer, Web developer, graphic artist, Internet evangelist - in short, digital-age Renaissance man extraordinaire. Thrill to his online portfolio of Web sites, complete with accounts of how and why they ended up the way they did. Be inspired by the simple design of his own Web site. Gasp at the exactness of the Anal-Retentive Bachelor's Guide to Efficiency. (Betcha didn't know to go to the barber at 1:30 on Wednesday.) Marvel at his grasp of the subtle art of writing e-mail, something most of us take for granted. Wonder at his seemingly impenetrable bachelor status, despite his heartfelt poetry. Visit his Web page.http://www.interknight.com/
If you're a Gen-Xer, you've undoubtedly seen Pop-Up Video. The staff of Spin the Bottle, Inc. take music videos and add little-known facts to them along with irreverent witticisms and a mesmerizing sound effect. Their eponymous site does not require the kissing of strangers at parties, but we suspect the company staff would nevertheless condone such activity. Although the show airdates haven't been updated for a while, there's a complete list of all the videos they've popped on their episode log. A playable online bloo-oo-oop (the aforementioned sound effect) more than compensates. The travel section, though small, is priceless, if only for their dubious account of a man whose calling is to be a "gym teacher for the Lord". We most liked Pops They Stopped, which reveals which of your favorite pop stars have fragile million-dollar egos.
http://www.spinthebottle.com/
The Corporation: Satire at its Best
The Corporation satirizes Microsoft and other power archons who would have us, above all, buy into the System and along the way produces profound laughter. It pokes in the eye those who chirp that because we have computers and the Internet, the world will be a wonderful place. It pokes those who squawk that because we have computers and the Internet, the world will be a terrible place. Visit the modern computer art gallery, COMA, a spoof of art-with-no-balls, an exhibit fatuously extolling the human male... emasculated. Read the Kitty Porn link, a send up of hackneyed crusading journalism. One thing: don't let your kids read the Cyberbear messages; they may be deadly funny for adults who can face the inherent evil in the world, but they're way too disturbing for young minds.http://www.thecorporation.com/
Are you a hapless Net newbie somewhat clueless about the early days of the online frontier? Mosey on down to Net Gems take a gander at some of the humor that once zipped from geek to geek around the world. Feel the bard has left out some poignant moments? Take a look at some additional scenes written for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that could be called "Titillating Titania". Or sing "Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear" to the tune of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland". Get the picture?
http://www.acme.com/~jef/netgems/
Piano on the Net is a little bit busy and loudly self-promoting but it does deliver what it advertises: piano lessons from a beginner's look at the keyboard to advanced discussion of jazz dynamics. You need to have a keyboard physically nearby to get the most out of this, but it makes for informative reading even without one. And not a note of "Chopsticks" in sight!
http://www.artdsm.com/music.html
Do you have skeletons in your family closet? Did cousin Charlie carve a symbol in his forehead? The International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG) wants you to never again be reticent about your pig-stealing great-great-grandfather or the bank-robber four generations back. Instead, join other IBSSGers at this site - an outgrowth of a mailing list - and share your genetic infamy with the world. The anecdotes and tales posted here, of everything from crooked politicians to mass murderers, make fascinating and highly entertaining reading. Some of it may even be true.
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~blksheep/
Secret Admirers' Clearinghouse
If you've ever been in love but too shy to admit it, you'll understand the appeal of this site. If there's someone special that you can't get out of your mind, register your interest here. Should the apple of your eye do the same, a free e-mail notification will be sent to both of you, after which you two are expected to take it upon yourselves to do something. It beats burning down a house, no? Just make sure you update regularly if you're inclined towards the fickle crush or you could find yourself being wooed by ancient history.http://cyrano.hypermart.net/
Much of the recent hoohah surrounding "Saving Private Ryan" seems to center on the movie's realistic portrayal of combat. Fortunately, we feel unqualified to judge such a portrayal, but non-fictional accounts of situations just as hairy as the fictional lurk in the corners of cyberspace. This one tells the tale of a C-130 in South Vietnam hit on take-off near the Cambodian border and its harrowing trip to safety with a wing on fire thw whole way.
http://www.xpertweb.com/Katum/
Net Based Consumer Product Reviews
Savvy tech shoppers hit the Web before they buy. Product reviews abound, but they can be hard to find. Save time with the index at ReviewFinder, which links to thousands of reviews of thousands of products. Most reviews cover computer hardware, but photographers and production folk will quickly find a wealth of reviews of digital cameras posted on popular sites. Need software? Do a keyword search or browse the categories. The navigation bar makes it easy to submit a link or review of your own. You may want to start at ReviewFinder if you're looking to techshop.http://www.reviewfinder.com/
Priceline.com Adds Name-Your-Price Cars
Priceline.com created a stir with the success of its name-your-price online purchase of airline tickets. Now, it helps customers in New York City, and soon the whole US, buy a new car or truck at the price of their choice. Participating dealers commit to a price in writing within one business day; customers pay $25 and dealers pay $75 to Priceline if the deal goes through. The service claims it never gives your name or phone number to a car salesman. Aversion to car dealers is so widespread - and our fingers are crossed so tightly - it seems likely that this venture will succeed.http://www.priceline.com/
These pages cover American First Amendment rights and censorship of the written word and art on the Internet. The site includes a weekly censorship survey, a censorship store, and a censorship mailing list. In addition to many links to articles and speeches, the site hosts discussion groups and posts considerable information on banned books. We are told that the developers plan to expand the focus of the Censorship Files to include visual art, music, and drama.
http://www.clairescorner.com/censorship
It's time for another installment of NSD's Letters to the Editor, which you either crave or ignore utterly. There just isn't any middle ground here. The highlights this go-around include what NSD can do for you, the great swaths of porn we review, and the usual fawning adoration.
http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/letters/letter.04.23.html
ONLINE TRAVEL
Bandon, Oregon - the Greatest Place in the World
Or so thought our editor, at least for a few hours. He spent a week there and lost his wallet hours before he was to leave. Luckily, he still had his passport, so he could return to the maple republic in which he lives. After cancelling a credit card or two, he decided to call the Bandon police. Maybe it was kindness, maybe it was pity, but some anonymous Bandonian turned in the wallet with all its paltry cash intact. To top it off, the Bandon police mailed the wallet to our editor via registered, insured mail free of charge. Above and beyond the call, boys and girls. We don't often ask for personal favors, but go visit online Bandon in appreciation of their kindness. Oh, and if you're in Bandon and a thin, black model rocket washes up on shore, gives us a buzz, OK?http://www.el.com/to/bandon/
http://www.harborside.com/home/r/richlite/bandon.htm
Shagging Flies - Innocent Pastime or Entomological Porn?
So, you're watching Prime Suspect or the real Cracker. As if the accents aren't tough enough to penetrate, the language seems faintly foreign. Grassing? Shagging? Nick? Here's an English-to-English lexicon for you. Written mostly from the Brit perspective, it helps those of you Stateside to decipher rumpty, bumf, on the job, git, table, knock up, and about 200 other words and phrases.http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dgl3djb/ukus/ukus_frames.html
Go2orlando.com has the sprawl of Orlando under fine informational control. It's one of the best city guides we've seen, in part because it's a travel guide without brochureware. You get the meat and potatoes - where to stay, things to do, places to shop, where to eat - in an attractive layout low on graphics and quick to load but the extras, too, are nice. You can search each major topic by keyword. Refreshingly, not all background articles gush with enthusiasm about potential advertisers - an article on the "tourism news" page suggests that too many new hotels are going up too fast around town. A message board serves up guidance and advice from other site visitors. Overviews, tips, and an abundance of addresses, phone numbers, and other listings may lead you to take your modem to, say, the golf course or Universal Studios. If only you could download the weather!
http://www.go2orlando.com
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
Are fairy tales good or bad for children? Check out the History of Education to learn more about this 1903 debate and other topics. You'll find multiple Web links, and the site definitely has an international flavor (it's located at Nijmegen University, in the Netherlands).http://www.socsci.kun.nl/ped/whp/histeduc/
Virtually Gardening, part of Suite 101, warms the sometimes cold and impersonal Web with small personal articles about plants and gardening. Many links lead to other personal and commercial pages as well as active discussion areas. It makes you want to go walk barefoot through the grass.
http://www.suite101.com/topics/page.cfm/75/
We sent a reviewer to check out this site but we're still waiting for a report. If anyone sees her at this site whilst checking it out, do let us know.
http://junior.apk.net/~jbarta/idiot/idiot.html
The B-17 Flying Fortress helped pave the way for D-Day but few remain in flying condition. This site takes the visitor on a 3-D tour of Thunderbird, a Fort based at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Tex. Be sure to have the latest version of QuickTime installed before visiting.
http://www.b-17.com/
Modest but beautiful, Wedding Ideas makes a good first stop for bits of sage wedding advice, but keep in mind that some writers have a bias - the authors of an article about getting married in Scotland make their money planning traditional Scottish weddings.
http://www.weddingideas.com/
MacCentral Direct brings the latest Mac news to the faithful. While a full HTML newsletter every single weekday might be overkill, the information is cogent, varied and interesting.
http://www.maccentral.com/
A lot of Web sites dole out awards. According to this site, over 600 perform the service. Should you want to pollute your own site with awards, this site provides a handy index and worksheet for all you deserving webmasters.
http://www.resoluteinc.com/cyberonline/600awards.htm
Go here to fill your non-virtual mailbox with all kinds of free stuff - mostly samples, but you may find a treasure. Areas include: baby, books, cash, CDs, food, garden, gifts, magazines, pet stuff, phonecards, stickers, wearables....
http://www.pocketstuffer.com
SOFTWARE
Virtual Personalities for Sale
Not that you need a new personality, but this software fascinated us as its built-in characters responded using artificial intelligence. You can download a free sample (3.7 MB) of Sylvie, a Verbot, here. According to the site, a Verbot is "a Verbal Software Robot in a computerized world with an artificial personality. They have a finite ability to understand and speak English... through Natural Language technology." In other words, each is a functional personality, a talking head. Cool, check it out - if you have a 166 MHz Pentium or better (insert pro-Mac joke here).http://www.vperson.com/