NETSURFER DIGEST

Thursday, December 07, 1995 - Volume 01, Issue 38

"More Signal, Less Noise"

OUR SPONSORS: Netsurfer Marketplace

Latest news from the online frontier
JUMPIN' JUPITER
NASA's latest spaceprobe extravaganza, and sadly one of its last, comes this month as the Galileo spacecraft wheezes into orbit around Jupiter with an ailing antenna and a jittery on-board tape recorder for a two-year peek at the gas giant. As the spacecraft drifts into orbit, a descent probe slams into Jupiter's atmosphere at more than 100,000 mph. If it's not burned to a crisp, it should return the first-ever direct readings of the Jovian atmosphere. You can follow mission progress at the Project Galileo home page. Photos snapped by the orbiter will be available once it settles down to business. Check out the "Online From Jupiter" link. Designed for students and teachers, this has all the Galileo and Jupiter basics, but also carries some intriguing journal entries from Galileo researchers that put a passionately human face on an otherworldly mission. By the way, gift givers, CD-ROMs of Galileo images are available. Galileo: "http://www.jpl.nasa.gov:80/galileo/" Online: "http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/jupiter.html" Project: "http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/galileo.html"
JAVASCRIPT ANNOUNCED, ALSO A NEW JAVA PROGRAMMING CONTEST
Netscape, Sun, and a bunch of other companies have announced support for something called JavaScript. Distinct from the Java language, which is used by programmers to create new objects and applets, JavaScript is designed for HTML page authors to dynamically script the behavior of objects running on either the client or the server. Think of it as analogous to Visual Basic, with which you can quickly construct complex applications without an advanced degree in widget engineering. JavaScript is available as part of Netscape 2.0 beta. In other news, Sun has announced the Java Cup International, a contest for creating innovative and creative Java applets. It ends March 31, 1996. Full press releases at the Sun Java site. Sun Java site: "http://java.sun.com/new.html" Contest: "http://javacontest.sun.com/"
THE HOLIDAY PAGES
Yep, it's that time again. It's Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and probably some decadent pagan fertility holiday somewhere (send invites!). Tons of Web sites as usual, so rather than tell you where to go, we'll tell you where to go to find out where to go. Got that? Two holiday link compilation sites stand out above the rest. Santa's Holiday Bookmarks has it all, including the riotous Holiday Humor of the Weird Kind section. Then, head on over to "Holly and Sara's Christmas Page" where you'll find even more links amidst a riot of colorful holiday design. Now you have all you need to go on a holiday netsurfing binge, quite in keeping with the spirit of holiday excess. Holly and Sara: "http://www.logicnet.com/melanie.mccluskey/index.htm" Santa: "http://www.america.net/christmas/christmas.html"
THE ANTI-HOLIDAY PAGES
Well there's only one. It's kind of, sort of, maybe anti-holiday. As the page says, "Dedicated to the celebration of grinchiness around the world". 'Nuff said. "http://lamar.colostate.edu/~ddave/grinchnet.html"
MORE LEGAL SETBACKS FOR CHURCH IN SCIENTOLOGY VS. THE NET
The Church of Scientology has recently suffered a couple of major setbacks to its legal war against the Net. Its lawsuit against the Washington Post, for allegedly conspiring with "lawless elements on the Internet" to harm the church, has been dismissed with court costs charged to the Post. Scientology had also been suing Netcom because one of its subscribers posted some of their copyrighted internal documents. The judge ruled Netcom is not liable for direct copyright infringement, but left the issue of contributory infringement to a trial. The whole weird story is superbly documented on the "The Church of Scientology vs. the Net" page. We urge you to visit for proof that truth is stranger then fiction. "http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/home.html"
COMPUSERVE EDGES AWAY FROM PROPRIETARY BROWSERS
In an interesting strategic move, the giant online service has announced it will allow subscribers to use any browser they choose to access the Web via their network. They'll even make it easy by creating a special area called WebCentral, where they will stash most leading browsers, including beta versions. You'll be able to download them, most for free, and use any one with the CompuServe network. The area will also feature such services as technical support, chat, news, and the inevitable contests and prizes. Rollout is slated for the first quarter of 1996. The inevitable question: Will this force AOL to follow suit and liberate its users from the limited capabilities of its software? One can only hope. "http://www.compuserve.com/"

ONLINE CULTURE

Online society in the spotlight
NET DEMOGRAPHICS: DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
Another study on Internet users has yielded statistics that lead one to conclude that most of us are young male professionals without kids. The average age of survey participants is 34, although respondents range from 13 to 75, and but one in three live with kids. Of the respondents, 18% are female, which is still higher than past surveys, which have often pegged a mere 10% of Net users as female. Students compose 12% of respondents, 14% are self-employed, and 27% work for academic, non-profit or government groups. The Netscape Web browser is used by 72% of us and 64% have more than one e-mail address. For more info, contact: bhersey@the-hermes.net

THREAD WATCH

Random threads to follow and know about
THE SCIENCE IN SCIENCE FICTION
Visit any local bookstore and ask to see their science fiction section. Chances are, every other book will have either a dragon or a sword on the cover. It's a far cry from those glorious days of yesteryear when giant robot monsters menaced clothing-challanged maidens in the pages of pulp magazines. It might be hard to sift the science from the current SF crop, but the rec.arts.sf.science newsgroup can surely help. A recent visit turned up threads on "Moon's effect on Earth", discussing what lack of that orb would do to us; discussions of "Alien Translation"; Dyson spheres; and the ever popular "Sex in Space" ("...send up some teen-agers. They'll figure out something."). The busiest thread appeared to be a dialogue on the possibility of tourism in space to save what is rapidly becoming an extinct manned space program ("Space Tourism"). Never a dull moment.

ART ONLINE

Art and art resources online
INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL
Professor Ferncase's Infrared Window displays some striking photographs taken with monochrome infrared film and printed in large format. The thumbnails are interesting, and you can have a copy of the real 16" x 20" photos for only US$175 each. Pointers to a tech page on IR photography, the Chapman University Department of Film and Television, and mindless diversions round out the site. "http://www.chapman.edu/comm/ftv/ferncase.html"
BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A GRAPHIC ARTS SCHOLARSHIP?
Norwegian teen Bard Edlund wants to come to America to study. He offers his portfolio of computer graphics with explanations of both his intended meaning for each piece as well as how it was created. The page is one of very few Web sites without external links. Philanthropists, start your engines. "http://www.powertech.no/~baarde/portfolio/"
GALLERY OF RUST
Noted portrait artist and illustrator Donald Rust has an online gallery filled with extensive examples of his widely varied work. His portraits hang in the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, and he's produced over 14,000 paintings over his career. Don't worry, only a few dozen are located at this site. "http://netmar.com/~rust-art/"
JOURNEY TO NOWHERE
Someone went to a lot of trouble to produce this site, which is a collection of black-and-white image maps. Most are rendered versions of photos that seem to be of London. Using Myst-like investigatory skills, you may somewhat uncover a visual thread regarding a dumpster, but even that doesn't lead anywhere except back to itself. If you consider this a kind of graphic performance art or visual poem, then you may enjoy the experience. If you're curious, be sure to have a fast Web connection or your patience will run out rather quickly. "http://www.irational.org/skip/"

BOOKS & E-ZINES

Book info, 'Zine info, E-Journal info
SUCK DOESN'T
Suck is a friendly source for reports on lows in Web sites. Catalogues which pass themselves off as objective information and writers who expound on their non-commericalism whilst adding their 1-800 number and order form details in the text earn Suck's animosity. Aimed at humiliating those "amusingly shady practices tying together jourmalism and sales." Cool stuff, great idea, great product, pity about the mass scrolling you have to do to read the text. Worth checking out for that superior snigger. "http://www.suck.com/"
EXQUISITE DESIGN FROM INK TO ELECTRONS
Communication Arts, the prestigious professional journal for art directors, multimedia professionals, illustrators, and photographers, has come aboard the Web with a complete and effective package. True to its reputation for presenting the finest examples of uniquely and creatively transmitted information, this site showcases print-based art as well as multimedia and interactive pieces. Its Web pages smartly balance the need for quick page-loading with its unavoidably graphics-heavy content with inline images that can be individually viewed at the size of your choice. And what is lost from the print edition is made up for with Web resources for the design community, from forums and reviews to competitions and job listings. Go see how the pros do it. "http://www.commarts.com/"
INFOMERCIAL-STYLE ARTY COMMENTARY
This page provides an odd little bawdy tale and other obscure stuff, such as the "Admit you've been born into Fat" page. There's also a bit on how to be unattractive by not developing your body into a Darwinist theory prototype and other obscure but sometimes strangely appealing information. If dada means rocking horse, we fell off a while back, but this could be just what you're looking for in surrealism. "http://www-bioc.rice.edu/~clarage/clickme/"
GNN'S WEB REVIEW
Web Review is an extraordinarily slick e-zine that covers the WWW as a communications medium. Each issue hops onto the Web resembling the locally produced color magazine that comes with your weekend newspaper - you know the one, it has three or four features, some gossip, and maybe a recipe or two. Web Review is similar in style, but of course it deals strictly with the Net. A recent issue had a nice piece of fluff on Java's potential effect on the Web. Instead of recipes, there's a Webmaster's Corner. Web Review deals more with issues than sites, and a little glossy glitz makes a pleasant change once in a while. "http://gnn.com/wr/"
NEWS SUMMARIES AND POINTERS FOR WEB WEENIES
Concept One is putting out a free weekly summary of articles about the Web called Netrepreneur News. It is compiled from mainstream media and trade magazines, and covers the Internet and commercial online services. Good, informative and concise writing combine with live links and Web links that you can see as well as click on. Also pointers to marketing sites and sponsor info. And don't all you weenies write into complain. We're weenies too. "http://www.conceptone.com/"
FREE E-BOOKS! (KIND OF)
Now that we have your attention, you really can get free samples of e-books at the electronic e-book store, OmniMedia. It works kinda like a book store in that you can browse through the books, except here you don't feel guilty rifling through pages then leaving without a purchase. All the texts are Windows 3.1 help files, which can probably function in other Windows environments, too. Part of each book requires a SoftLock password in order to be read; authors receive royalties from password sales. Browse the titles, read short descriptions, download e-books, and buy passwords if you want. We previewed The Devil's Dictionary, and Ananga-Ranga, the Hindu Art of Love. "http://www.awa.com/library/omnimedia/"

SURFING SCIENCE

Knowledge is Good
BETTING ON THE FUTURE
If you're more comfortable betting on Pentium chips than pork bellies, Idea Futures is the spot for you. Instead of trading in commodities futures, the Idea Futures marketplace trades in ideas and the likelihood that scientific and other claims or projections will come to pass. Think the Microsoft Network will have 9 million subscribers by the time the big ball drops in the Big Apple (Ha!)? That the universe is more than 13 billion years old? That George Burns will be dead by 2005? An e-mail address and a name will get you a spot on the trading floor and fifty "credibills" to start putting your money (well, not really) where your mouth is. With nearly 2,000 traders, an intriguing premise, and a host of notions to trade on, this site promises to become one of the most interesting spots on the Web. You can bet on it. "http://if.arc.ab.ca/IF.shtml"
NEW SCIENTIST LANDS ON PLANET SCIENCE
New Scientist magazine has long been the S&T magazine of choice for folks who'd snatch last week's issue of the Economist over this week's issue of Time. Now it's vying for a spot on the electronic newsstand with the kind of global coverage, British cheek, and great reporting that it's long been known for. Planet Science offers science news from around the world, book reviews, Net news, commentaries, and features in grand Web style. Interactive bits allow readers to comment or contribute their own rants and raves. While visitors can root around various sections of the site, full access requires a fairly innocuous and not too nosy registration form. Giving up an e-mail address for the pleasure of reading some New Scientist's reports is an easy enough trade. "http://www.newscientist.com/"
BUGS, PICTURES OF BUGS, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF BUGS
Having run out of frog sites, we've turned our attention to insects. You may have noticed. The living kind of bugs are only slightly more (or less) desirable than the software kind. If you're a bug fan, you'll probably enjoy these images and descriptions of several kinds of insects. The pics are big, and the site seems to be under construction with "-sponsors" and "-weblinks" missing, so perhaps more can be expected later. "http://cnj.digex.net/~lgbrossa/"
NATURE ON THE NET
Nature, The International Journal of Science, is now on the Web with weekly updated information to complement its printed magazine. The site has two primary destinations, Nature News Network, a roundup of the week in science, and a virtual rack of the latest and back-issue magazines, each with the standard intriguing cover and article summaries. The site also includes a free user's database of worldwide science jobs. "http://www.nature.com/"
AMERICAN TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
If scientific research is in your stars, or you're simply curious about street maps of the mind, visit the National Science Foundation (NSF) Metacenter, which describes with text and images many projects that have used NSF supercomputers. This site is a fine tribute to pure (non-commercial) research in many fields. Science teachers and students, take note. "http://www.sdsc.edu/MetaScience/welcome.html"

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Help your fellow netsurfers
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL HOLIDAY GREETING CARD
The Christmas-inclined who have yet to buy Christmas cards might want to check out this page. Each year, Children's Hospital in New Orleans sells a holiday greeting card. Now it's on a Web page, too. The card this year was designed by 16-year-old Michael Dufour, a patient of the hospital, in cooperation with the Music Therapy, Recreation Therapy and Child Life Department. Packets of 12 cards cost US$9 (which includes shipping). Proceeds will benefit the hospital's Art Education program. "http://www.satchmo.com/holiday/"

CORRECTIONS

What can we say? We goofed...
CANDYMAN, CANDYMAN, WHERE CAN YOU BE?
In our last issue, under the headline "The Anarchist Web Page", we wrote, "This is the kind of site that is likely to close as censorship paranoia rises amongst Internet providers. If you need any of this information, not that we endorse such activity, get it while you can." Bob Southwell wrote back, "Wow, I never realised how prophetic your newsletter really was." Who'da thunk? We check the link to our lead story Sunday, we start mailing Monday, and by Wednesday it's gone. Coincidence? We hope so.

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CREDITS

Publisher

Arthur Bebak

Editor

Lawrence Nyveen

Production Manager

Bill Woodcock

Writers and Netsurfers

Peter Barnes
Kirsty Brooks
Joanne Eglash
Lisa Hamilton
Caroll Houser
Rebecca Kuchar
Jay Mills
Kenneth Schulze
Richard Wagner
James Weissman

Netsurfer Communications, Inc.

President: Arthur Bebak
Vice President: S. M. Lieu

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