Web Guide for Launching Apps w/Browsers

[Larry Schankman]

Cross-Posted to Web4lib, Pacs-l, Govdoc-l, Nettrain and libref-l (sorry for
the huge overkill)

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, many listservs have discussed launching CDs and other programs
from web browsers. Now, for the longest time I've wanted to use Netscape as
our library's default menu, rather than Program manager (for Windows), or a
DOS-based menu, such as Menu Works or Automenu. Finally, my quest has been
realized, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Jon Maber and Will Sandler
(software) and Peter Gorman and Robert Joachim (web guides). Besides one
common menu, the menu (Netscape in our case) provides far better security
and consistency (it drives me crazy when students constantly minimize and
resize program groups, which led me to reduce Program Manager to just one
program group and remove the option to move icons within the group using
progman.ini restrictions).

Rather than waste bandwidth describing my application of everyone's
collective wisdom, I've created a web page which describes the process,
using Jon's W3Launch freeware program (I haven't tried Will's Launcher yet),
and illustrates the various screens and scripts. Please feel free to check
out all of these pages (starting with Peter's and Rob's, linked from mine)
and send me any suggestions or comments for improving this work in progress.

The URL is:

   http://www.clark.net/pub/lschank/web/launch.html

Though I still need to work on the security angle (eventually I'll master
WinBatch and write some scripts to enhance security), I do firmly believe
that using Netscape (or whatever browser) as the ONLY windows program vastly
simplifies reference use of computers (networked or not). The web page
briefly discusses security, though this part still needs a lot of work
(suggestions welcome).

Cheers, and Happy Spring,

   +------------------------------+-------------------------------+
   | Larry Schankman              | Main Library                  |
   | Mansfield University         | Mansfield, PA 16933           |
   | lschank at clark.net            | 717-662-4684 (voice)          |
   | lschankm at wheat.mnsfld.edu    | 717-662-4993 (fax)            |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|  Home Page:     http://www.clark.net/pub/lschank/home.html         |
|  Library Page:  http://www.clark.net/pub/lschank/web/library.html  |
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------+