Surfing in circles and loving it; friends of cats, fractals and tractors link Web pages in homespun rings

Article Abstract:

As a high school student in Ashland, Oregon, Sage Weil wrote the code needed to link Web sites, or Web site pages, in a ring. That was in 1995. Now, in 1999, in excess of 60,000 Web rings can be searched via web.ring.org, a site belonging to Geocities. The ring structure enables people sharing common interests to link their sites together in a circle. The effort required to search out the sites using a search engine, by contrast, would be prohibitive, requiring the user to pick the sites out of the potentially huge number of hits generated by the specific search criteria. In a ring, the user is able to access the related sites simply by clicking the forward and backward buttons. The sites are usually structured so that if a user goes through all of them in sequence, he will eventually end up at his starting point. Ring sites tend to be passionately devoted to specific areas of interest. Examples are the Fans of Redheads ring and the Australian Patch Collectors ring.

Innovations, GeoCities, GCTY, Weil, Sage

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Whales in the Minnesota River? Only on the Web, where skepticism is a required navigational aid

Article Abstract:

The World Wide Web provides an open forum for individuals to publish information via Web sites and pages. By using search engines or surfing around, users can usually find somebody has said something about almost any topic. The difficulty lies in discerning whether this information is reliable or not. Information professionals, such as journalists and librarians, are encouraging users to be skeptical, and spend some time identifying the source(s) of such information. Problematic sites often give the appearance of objectivity, but are in fact backed by groups or individuals with a specific agenda or commercial end. Sites that offer credible information generally feature well written edited content, by authors affiliated with universities or established organizations. Research should be verified against other resources, such as books or experts.

Services information, Online information services, Internet/Web overview, Online information service

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Only disconnect (for a while, anyway); a few of the well-connected who take time off from E-mail, and survive

Article Abstract:

Electronic communications have become ever-present and ubiquitous, causing many people to consider it unimaginable to do without them, but other people purposely turn away from the technologies, even if only temporarily, and they say they benefit by doing so. In fact, research reveals that being too plugged in can be counterproductive or even harmful. Too much e-mail slows productivity, and too many matches on a Web search translate into 'information overload.' Cellular phones have become commonplace, which means people are never out of touch and are never certain about experiencing times of undisturbed peace. Microsoft Chmn Bill Gates is among those who takes some time away. He regularly takes a 'think week' in which he spends little time online, preferring activities such as reading or discussion instead.

Specialized Telecom Services, Wired Telecommunications Carriers, Electronic Mail Services, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Electronic mail systems, E-mail, Email, Technology overview

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