NETSURFER DIGEST

Friday, January 19, 1996 - Volume 02, Issue 02

"More Signal, Less Noise"

OUR SPONSORS: Netsurfer Marketplace

The best places to netsurf this week
IF: THE INTERACTIVE FANTASY NETWORK
The Interactive Fantasy Network is a place to let your imagination run wild. Become a registered guest by selecting a fantasy name and answering a few questions. Then explore the place and meet the regulars at various real-time chat "tables". Enter contests. Play games. Search for new friends, adventure - hey, you might even find your soulmate (sorry, no guarantees). If this is starting to sound like IRC (Internet Relay Chat) or commercial service chat rooms, you're right. It is essentially that, but chat is only forwarded to you when you choose to reload the table page. Some of the nifty graphics are a bit slow to load. But it's definitely worth stopping by. "http://www.ifnet.com/"
ALTA VISTA THE LATEST, GREATEST SEARCH ENGINE
It's easy. It's fast. It's great. Really! Thanks to sponsor Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), the Alta Vista search site is instant competition for Yahoo, Inktomi, and the ilk. It's easy to believe DEC's claim that it has indexed more than 16 million Web pages, along with postings from 13,000 Usenet groups "updated in real-time". Click on "Surprise" for random fun. Addictive? You bet! This is the latest word in free industrial-strength Web searching. Brief descriptions accompany hits. If you only add one search engine to your hotlist, add this one. It's a light year ahead of the others. "http://altavista.digital.com/"
MENTOS, THE FRESHMAKER
This is one of the most devoted tongue in cheek sites we've seen. Obsessively detailed and maddeningly descriptive, the Mentos site examines everything from the jingle to the international packaging to the opinions of consumers (includes their web addreses) to the horror of Mint Chews, the fake Mentos that are "not sufficently fresh nor full of life". Special care is taken to deconstruct the commercials, possibly the worst of all time. Mentos Lingo, called "Fresh Speak", details such terms as "Momentos", which are Mentos from overseas bought as souveniers. Very refreshing, and concludes for all time what the plural is. "http://www.mentos.com/"
INTERNET CRIME ARCHIVE
The Internet Crime Archive is a reference page for surfers interested in the history and psychology of mass murderers, serial killers, and other assorted sociopaths. The site nicely uses Netscape 2.0's frames to keep the index of depravity visible at all times. The complete News Flash and Crime Archives sections offer links to more detailed descriptions of the murderers, their victims, and their crime sprees. The only real complaint we have is the cavalier attitude with which the murderous rampages of the selected killers are depicted. The descriptions of the criminals and their crimes are graphic, and those with easily offended sensibilities may want to steer clear. "http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/"
THE JAVAED INFINITE UNKNOWN
You're greeted with a beautiful blue image that brings to mind an oceanic vortex. The image is framed with a border of hieroglyphic-like characters. How to proceed? There's no text or help to guide you and the peculiar electronic animal soundtrack that prompted a co-worker to ask "Are there pelicans in here?" offers no help. With any luck you're using a Java-enabled browser (or an older version of Netscape with a fast net connection) to play this curious game. Click a glyph: the characters rotate and flash; what does it mean? Solving the puzzle may mean access to another mystery or may link you to a science fiction site. Warning: If you play the Java version and get the bomb screen, it will crash Netscape 2.0b4. How's that for high drama? "http://www.zorg.com/"
MIKE ROSOFF DOORS 96
The Mike Rosoff Network is a reasonably good-humored poke at the Microsoft Network. The site is nothing but satire, dripping with special irony when addressing any aspect of Microsoft's monopoly-creation tactics, such as refusing access to a document because the user's hard drive has been examined and a determination has been made that the user didn't really need to see that document anyway. The "Kitty Porn" and "Sports and Drugs" sections are completely odd. All in all, this site is a good break from the seriousness and sheer bloody-minded marketing that is taking hold on the internet. All hail Mike Rosoff! "http://www.c3f.com/mikrosof.html"
OVI'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Anyone who has seen the Ripley's Believe It or Not television show, or read any Ripley's books will be interested in a new Web entry: Ovi's World of the Bizarre. This site contains a virtual library of tales that deal with the more surreal aspects of everyday life, taken from news services and publications throughout the world. Expect to find high levels of oddness as you read the tales of the "Roach that would not die" or the more gruesome "Man kills wife over argument about pasta", which ends as the angry husband impales his wife's lungs and heart on a stake in the garden. Gruesome, but at times entertaining. "http://netmar.com/users/ovigher/ovi.htm"
ROOT OF ADVENTURE
Root is a Web site depicting the tale of the self-proclaimed "oldest, snottiest artificial life form." This multimedia tour allows the viewer to follow the exploits of Root, a robotic entity that has existed for four millennia, as he finds his way to Seattle for the purpose of finding the "Specialist", an engineer who will finally release him from his robotic form and give him access to the next level of artificial consciousness. The art found at this site is above par, with various QuickTime movies and sound clips interspersed with the narrative of Root's journey. Netsurfers should prepare themselves for a taste of the surreal before clicking on this link. "http://www.libertynet.org:80/~openeye/"
HERE RESIDES THE TRUTH (DON'T BELIEVE IT)
You might not have to love, but you ought to at least be intrigued by someone with the moniker Dead Addict. Dead has authored Underground Propaganda, a.k.a. the truth told in the guise of deception. "Oh, one of those sites," you might think, and yes, you'd be right, except Mr./Ms. Addict has filled the Underground with a good deal of entertaining essays, thoughts, compelling nonsense, and "first drafts of deep thoughts." The Computer Underground section is definitely worth the visit for a spirited defense of software piracy, intriguing tales of incompetent busts, and hacking humor and fashion. Underground Propaganda is slick but carries an edge you could cut a diamond with. Dead's got a lively page. "http://www.l5.com/daddict/"
LET THE WEB FANTASY GAMES BEGIN
Now you can manage world-class athletes in basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and golf on the Web. It's fantasy, of course, but cerebral: no arcade action here. Budding MBAs should check it out. Small World Software has created an elaborate system of credit and exchange. You can compare athletes with customizable graphs, much as brokers compare stocks and mutual funds, then trade to advantage. These market-based games of strategy take time to understand and master, although they appear to be well designed. If you want to hone your trading skills with play money, you might find a stock-market game more likely to pay off in the long run, but if you want to trade for a hot left-winger, this is a better bet. "http://www.smallworld.com/games/sports_games.html"
THOSE INCREDIBLE REPLACEABLE SEA MONKEYS
In this day of bizarre rites and rituals, it's rather soothing to contemplate a sect who worship so simple an object as a sea monkey. The Sea Monkey Worship Page invites the uninitiated to "begin a NEW amazing hobby" by raising the "portable, active, disposable" sea monkey (the kit includes a replacement guarantee for the post-disposal phase). Don't miss the Sea Monkey Birth Announcements Page, Bad Poetry Page, and the FAQ. Sample Question: "How should I feed my Sea Monkeys?" Answer: "The official guide suggests that you only feed them once per week! They aren't very big and you could kill them with all that food!" God forbid. "http://haven.uniserve.com/~sbarclay/seamonk.htm"
GOT A SECRET?
If you're secretive when it comes to your personal secrets, skip this site. The sponsors of the Secrets home page want to research such topics as family and personal secrets and "illicit activities". Claiming that your data will be handled "safely" and "will add to our overall understanding of human behavior", they invite you to complete an online form (anonymity is an option). Results will be reported in a book and articles, with "certain responses" to be borrowed for dialogue in a movie. Survey questions range from your present occupation to whether you believe in God to the number of children that you've had born out of wedlock. "http://www.northcoast.com/~secrets/"
FULL OF FELIX
He's a wonderful, wonderful cat, and he has his own site. A history (biography?) of Felix the Cat, as well as extensive filmographies of both the 1950s television version of Felix and the current version are included. There are also literary critiques of Felix related works, posters from the early years, and links to other Felix fans. There's more info here than Felix has lives.... Curious? "http://wso.williams.edu/faculty/psci335/gerstein/felix.html"

ONLINE TRAVEL

Click your mouse and see the world
CELTS IN CYBERSPACE (CABERSPACE?)
Knowing no boundaries, cyberspace can be home to the dispossessed, the diaspora of the world. That's the ruling principle at the Great Irish Story, where a virtual community of Irish culture is slowly developing. Dagda, the good god, acts as interlocutor as you wander through his tales of Ireland. Though there's a great deal of sweet reading in Dagda's tales, the most entrancing pages belong to the voices of locals from Roslea, county Fermanagh. The rhythm of the language and the stories told will have you wishing for a Guinness, a peat fire, and a mist in the air in no time. (Be sure not to miss Mick Cassidy, Bill Clinton's closest Irish relative and Roslea resident, on his relation's ascent to the presidency.) This is one of those rare spots that promises to grow better and better with time as the Emerald Isle's people and her lost children share their stories. "http://www.nua.ie:80/dagda/"
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
A traveler takes to the American road along with his Powerbook. This Web page spotlights Matt Krasner's circuitous journey, as he spends three months relocating from Maryland to be with his girlfriend in Seattle. An employee of PSINet, a nationwide Internet service provider, he stops at their local offices along the way to post his notebook pages, pictures, and voice and video clips in an attempt to give us "vicarious reality". There is something nice about following the progress of a cross-country trip, not unlike the pleasure of watching the soaps, but the self-important overlay of this drive being a quest for the ultimate meaning of truth makes the site just another Generation X rambling. "http://roadsigns.inter.net/roadsigns/"
FAST WIRE TO HONG KONG
Seems that the day of traveling around the world in 80 clicks is approaching ever faster. One of the latest stops for virtual globetrotters is the Hong Kong Wonder Net, a site established by the Hong Kong Tourist Association. It boasts all the now-standard features of virtual touring spots: walking tours, decent maps, hotel and restaurant guides, entertainment calendars and the like. It does manage to distance itself from the rest of the pack with its Interactive Tour Guide. Fill out a form with the amount of time you'll be in Hong Kong, the month, and some general interests, and the guide bounces back with a list of recommended activities. Now, if you could only _really_ get to Hong Kong.... "http://www.hkta.org/"
BUMMED ABOUT BAD WEATHER? TRY THE ISRAELI MEDITERRANEAN
When the weather outside is frightful, it's delightful to contemplate a tour of the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Travel & Tourism home page features links to information about hotels, events, travel magazines, shopping, and travel agents. Featured at the Israeli site is Jerusalem 3000, celebrating "Jerusalem's primacy among cities of the world for the past 3,000 years." If shopping and vacation are synonymous for you, check out the Jerusalem Mall, which includes 200 stores. There's also a link to Holyland Magazine, billed as "Israel's international tourism magazine," with topics ranging from archaeology and history to modern Israeli life. "http://www.jer1.co.il/tourism/travel/"
KEEP WARM WHILE VISITING ANTARCTICA
You won't need your arctic gear to visit, but you may get a chill just looking at the ice, in case there's not already enough where you are. Over 40 pages about Antarctica with images, audio and video clips, and lots of descriptive text. There are photos and facts about the environment, wildlife, and the exploration of Antarctica along with details about how you can have the actual adventure yourself. Great browsing and very educational. "http://www.terraquest.com/"
THERE'S MORE THAN JUST LANDMASS DOWN UNDER
We hope it's easier to navigate Australia than Global Passage's Netstop Web site. Mucho cool graphics, but what do they mean? Even with a key to the icons (which was hard to find), it's still guess and click, then wait for the new page to download. Suddenly you're at a full-page ad with testimonials for used car sales (buying your own is de rigeur for travelling the outback). Next you're at Surfworld, where everyone's a surfer deep inside. Here's tips on avoiding robbery while travelling. There's the homepage of the local radio station. Even the text-based list is hard to figure. But persevere! There's tons of good stuff here for both the prospective visitor and the merely curious. The travel articles are witty and well written. The photos are lovely too. "http://www.globalpassage.com/"
PHOTOS FROM AN AUSSIE BICYCLIST
They say good marketing begins with knowing your audience. Here is a site only a die-hard bike touring fan could love. Against some lovely backgrounds, one woman has compiled a photo album of her bicycling trips around Melbourne and Victoria in Australia. Six or eight simply captioned pics per trip should take no time at all to glance through, if you're curious. "http://werple.mira.net.au/~margaret/cycle.htm"

FLOTSAM & JETSAM

Random acts of online reality
NIP AND TUCK
It was bound to happen. Someone decided that we really need to see his nipple... daily. A panel of judges rates Greg's nipple. Past highlights include his pre-wedding nipple of September 28 and his Holiday Nipple of December 23. "http://www.thoughtport.com/spinnwebe-cgi-bin/nippleserver.cgi"
BEARD RESEARCH
Does a beard keep you warmer in winter? Have any readers seen this beard-bisected geek on the streets of Ottawa? Oh, the sacrifices performed for science.... "http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/beard.html"
EERILY ACCURATE MIND READER PAGE
As you might have guessed, we here at Netsurfer look askance at claims of the bizarre and supernatural, much preferring the bizzare and natural. But this page blows us away. "http://nlu.nl.edu/ben/mind/"
THE DO-IT-YOURSELF PENSION GAME
If your scared you're going to end up eating catfood when you retire,the pension Sweetener is a game which will calculate your income at retirement based on your savings, pensions, life insurance cash value, social security benefits, etc. "http://www.mony.com/"
THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FREE LAUNCH
A Free Launch, a frequently updated collection of bookmarks, chooses 25 sites in five categories for richness in content and ease of navigation. They must also offer enduring value, either as a reference or as an entertainment resource. "http://www.netline.net/~kathy/launch.html"
RADIO FREE EUROPE
The page offers background information on the areas served by its 19 broadcast services, in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on Russia. Radio Free Europe survives even after the Cold War becomes the Warm Fuzzies War. "http://www.rferl.org/"

SOFTWARE

Online related software notices and mini-reviews
THE MOAN AND GROAN PAGE
Time to upgrade your aging system? Before forking over cash for the latest gizmos, visit this page for a plethora of horror stories that detail unfortunate experiences with computer hardware and software. Gripes are sorted by company name and product type. Details range from short quotes bordering on innuendo to strongly documented cases of retail fraud. Don't fret if you find your own software or hardware listed here - many of the items contain links to pages describing fixes or work-arounds. "http://www.olemiss.edu/~dkirk/moan.html"
WINDOWS USERS, CHECK OUT THE DOGZ ADOPTION KIT
There's something addictive about a puppy dog, and this software lets you try out five different desktop dogz before you adopt one as your own. The program is entertaining and very well thought out. Beware if you start playing with the dogz too much, however, because it will cost you $19.95 if you become attached enough to adopt one of them. Great fun for kids up through the age of 101 or so. "http://www.pfmagic.com/dogz/"

CORRECTIONS

What can we say? We goofed...
THE BAARD AND THE STICK, AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
NSD 1.38 featured "Buddy, Can You Spare a Graphic Arts Scholarship?" about Baard Edlund, and 2.1 had an article on the Stick e-zine. The URLs have changed. In addition, we were sent an incorrect URL (which once worked...) by Neuropsychology Central. Try this one. Baard: "http://home.sol.no/edlund/portfolio/" Stick: "http://www.netzone.com/~tti/stick.html" Neuropsychology: "http://www.premier.net/~cogito/neuropsy.html"

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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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