tools for creating subject specific search engine
Lloyd Davidson
Ldavids at nwu.edu
Fri Aug 6 11:58:55 EDT 1999
From the latest FreePint, #44 (attached below in its entirety - an
excellent publication) try these sites. From "Interview: Reva Basch, Super
Searcher" by Marylaine Block:
Of course I subscribe to Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Report; and
that reminds me periodically to go take a look at Greg Notess' site
<http://www.notess.com>, and occasionally I go back to Danny's Search
Engine Watch site for more detailed information on something he's
written about <http://www.searchenginewatch.com/>. I also read
Outsell's e-Brief <http://www.outsellinc.com/> for news about the
online industry.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Free Pint No.44
Free Pint
"Helping 24,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.co.uk/
ISSN 1460-7239 5th August 1999 #44
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
"Interview: Reva Basch, Super Searcher"
by Marylaine Block
BOOKSHELF
"Net Worth"
Reviewed by Phil Bradley
FEATURE ARTICLE
"How will we survive Information Overload?"
By Dr. Pita Enriquez Harris
FREE PINT FEEDBACK AND BAR
"What's happening at the Free Pint Bar?"
"Smart card Web search"
"Web catalogue data protection enquiry"
"Dialup versus LAN use of email"
"Alternative to Net2Phone for India"
FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/050899.htm
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THE BRITISH LIBRARY'S EVENINGS WITH THE EDITORS - 29.38 PER SESSION
August 18th - `Promoting your Web Site' (on a budget!) with William
Hann, Managing Editor of Free Pint. September 1st - `It's never too
late to start: The Internet for Beginners' with Danny Sullivan, Editor
of Search Engine Watch. The British Library, St Pancras, central
London. Contact Peter Sherwood, tel. 0171-412 7471, e-mail
peter.sherwood at bl.uk Web http://www.bl.uk/services/stb/seminars.html
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EDITORIAL
If you ask for help, then you'll generally get it ... especially if
you're a member of the Free Pint readership. This is what I've learnt
by watching the development of the Free Pint Bar on the Web site
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>. It is proving to be a very popular
haunt for all your tricky Web-related questions, and I do encourage
you to continue making the most of it ... it's your resource for
tapping into the wealth of knowledge of our 24,000+ readers.
Remember, if you want a summary of new postings sent to you by email
every other weekday then send a blank email to <digest at freepint.co.uk>.
In this issue we have our first ever interview with a true super
searcher ... and I've picked up some great new research tools from it.
I think the idea of an interview works really well in Free Pint and
so I'm keen to bring you more in the future.
The feature article examines information overload and the future of
information literacy. The feedback section includes a summary of some
of the many postings to the Bar, and a handful of your letters from
around the world.
If you'd like to make a proposal to Free Pint (perhaps for an article,
interview, advertising, or whatever) then please do drop me a line.
I'm always keen to hear new ideas for continually improving the
usefulness of Free Pint to our community of readers.
As usual, we're having a summer break next issue but will return
revitalised on the 9th of the 9th '99!
Kind regards,
William
William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Managing Editor
e: william at freepint.co.uk
w: http://www.freepint.co.uk/
t: +44 (0)1784 455435
f: +44 (0)1784 455436
"Free Pint" is a trademark of
Willco Limited http://www.willco.co.uk/
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A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF THE UK IT INDUSTRY ? CSS ONLINE 2000
Computer Services & Software Online, produced in association with
The British Computer Society, is a fully searchable database of over
5,500 software companies, 3,700 IT service providers and 12,000
software products. For further details, subscription information and
to conduct free test searches, visit http://www.cssonline.co.uk/
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>>> VISIT THE FREE PINT WEB SITE TODAY <<<
Bar - http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar
Guide - http://www.freepint.co.uk/guide
Search - http://www.freepint.co.uk/search
Bookshelf - http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf
Issue archive - http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/issues.htm
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TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
"Interview: Reva Basch, Super Searcher"
by Marylaine Block
[Reva Basch is the author of Secrets of the Super Net Searchers and
Researching Online For Dummies, and is the (W)rap Columnist for
ONLINE magazine.]
Marylaine
---------
How do you stay current with new developments in research and
technology? What do you read, what sites do you routinely visit,
what list serves or discussion groups, etc.?
Reva
----
I subscribe to several e-newsletters and daily or semi-weekly news
updates. Years ago, I signed up for half a dozen or so publications
in HTML through Netscape's Inbox Direct. I've dropped some of them,
but I'm still getting Wired News and C|Net News, as well as the New
York Times' Technology update. I also get half a dozen or so
newsletters in ASCII, including Edupage, NewsScan (a spinoff by the
former editors of Edupage), Bob Seidman's Online Insider, and a very
interesting one called The Rapidly Changing Face of Computing, put
out by a fellow named Jeff Harrow (I think; I don't have a copy at
hand to verify) at Compaq.
Of course I subscribe to Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Report; and
that reminds me periodically to go take a look at Greg Notess' site
<http://www.notess.com>, and occasionally I go back to Danny's Search
Engine Watch site for more detailed information on something he's
written about <http://www.searchenginewatch.com/>. I also read
Outsell's e-Brief <http://www.outsellinc.com/> for news about the
online industry.
One pub that I enjoy just for fun is Netsurfer Digest
<http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/index.html>; it covers some weird and/or
interesting sites in an intelligent, funny, and non-hyped way. I
used to subscribe to Net-Happenings, but I just couldn't keep up.
Same thing with BUSLIB-L; the volume is just so great that it quickly
gets out of hand. I actually don't follow many listservs anymore; the
signal-to-noise ratio is so low on many of them. I do subscribe to a
computer book writers list, and to my professional association's
listserv, AIIP-L, which is restricted to members of the Association
of Independent Information Professionals <http://www.aiip.org/>.
I pick up a lot of information about new sources and technologies on
The WELL <http://www.well.com/>, an online community I've been a part
of since 1988. Folks there are exceedingly well informed about both
current technologies and emerging trends; in fact, a lot of
trend-MAKERS hang out there, and you can eavesdrop on their
conversations, so to speak, or pick their brains informally.
As for print pubs, I read Online, Database (now eContent)
<http://www.onlineinc.com>, Searcher, and Information Today
<http://www.infotoday.com/>, and the CyberSkeptic's Guide to Internet
Research <http://www.bibliodata.com/skeptic/skepdata.html>, as well as
PriceWatcher, Bibliodata's new newsletter about online pricing
<http://www.bibliodata.com/pw/pwdata.html>. I look at The Information
Advisor newsletter <http://www.findsvp.com/publications/infoadvisor/>;
I used to be a contributing editor. I still read WIRED
<http://www.wired.com/>, though it no longer feels, to me, like it's
on the bleeding edge of technology. I look at Upside
<http://www.upside.com/> for the Silicon Valley business perspective,
and Brill's Content, which covers media issues in general but devotes
a considerable chunk of space to the web and electronic content. I
used to subscribe to Fast Company and The Industry Standard, but
dropped them both -- information overload. I also look at the Special
Libraries Association's monthly Information Outlook
<http://www.sla.org/>, and at a Canadian journal called Information
Highways <http://www.flexnet.com/~infohiwy/>. I'm sure I'm
forgetting something!
Marylaine
---------
In overseeing your new series of Super Searcher books, what are
the most interesting things you've learned from the Super Searchers?
Reva
----
It's hard to summarize. The first book in the new series, Super
Searchers Do Business, by Mary Ellen Bates, is about business
searching and was just published in June. The second one, by
T.R. Halvorson, an attorney and legal researcher, is called Law of
the Super Searchers and will be out in the fall. We have titles
on finance and investment, medical and healthcare information, and
news and current events lined up after that. Information Today, Inc.
is the publisher, and they're very excited about and extremely
supportive of the series.
I'd say that the single most interesting thing I've learned from the
"new" super searchers so far is that -- despite the rise of the web
and all the other technological changes that the web has brought
about, not to mention the tremendous expansion in content and in our
options for accessing that content -- the skills required to be a
successful researcher really have not changed. It still takes
creativity, above all, a flexible approach to problem-solving, a good
command of language, the ability to discern subtle connections and to
make intuitive leaps instead of just proceeding down an orderly,
linear path. Those skills -- or maybe they're characteristics one is
born with -- still define a virtuoso searcher, as they did when I
published the original Secrets of the Super Searchers in 1993, and
Secrets of the Super Net Searchers in 1996. I feel strongly that they
will continue to do so. Yes, you can take training and learn on the
job, but to be more than a merely competent researcher -- to be an
INSPIRED one -- you really have to have it inside you. It isn't
something you learn.
Marylaine
---------
Of all the new developments in search technologies, which ones
do you think librarians need to pay most attention to?
Reva
----
Natural language querying and search processing, XML and other
meta-data schemes, and whatever enhancements the next generation of
search engines comes up with. We're seeing a lot of differentiation
among search engines today, especially in how they present the data
to us. Northern Lights with its Custom Folders is just one example.
I'm also interested in new algorithms for retrieving and ranking
search results. With Boolean searching, we usually defaulted to date,
most recent first. Web engines generally rank by relevance. Now we
see experiments in collaborative filtering, where the position of an
item on your hit list is determined by what other people thought of
that resource, or how many other sites (especially sites generally
regarded as important or authoritative) link to it, or its popularity
as measured by the amount of traffic to it. It's a fascinating idea,
and worth keeping an eye on.
Marylaine
---------
In a world where patrons want and expect full-text when they sit down
at a computer, what do you think will happen with traditional
databases which have only citations and abstracts?
Reva
----
And indexing, too, I assume. That's such an interesting question,
because abstract-and-index databases add so much control and
precision to searching, and do so much to streamline the evaluation
of search results. I started life -- my professional life,
anyway -- as an engineering librarian. I loved to search Ei
Compendex, NTIS, Inspec, all those technology databases. But if a
database record you're interested in stops with a cite and an
abstract, you're faced with the document delivery problem. As your
question implies, that's archaic. I think the solution lies in hybrid
databases where you can elect to do a controlled vocabulary search or
confine your search to the abstract where the most important concepts
are likely to appear, then search the full text if you haven't found
what you want. In any event, the full text should be there, or a
hyperlink away, whether on the web or on a CD-ROM or wherever.
Marylaine
---------
Do you think publishers will continue to offer small, highly targeted
databases, or do you think the future belongs to large aggregated
databases?
Reva
----
Your questions are so good! I still mourn the demise of Coffeeline
on Dialog. If small, highly targeted databases die out, it won't be
for lack of interest or utility, but because of economics and the
fiercely competitive struggle for attention in today's information
marketplace. Important, research-intensive segments of the
economy -- biomedical researchers, chemists, financial analysts and
investment bankers, for example -- are well served by specialized
information providers using systems and software that no general
vendor of aggregated databases could possibly match. For now, at
least, although there are signs of aggregation on the web, the nature
of the beast is working against it. What I think MIGHT happen is that
search engines -- or maybe bots, software entities that we program to
keep abreast of our research interests -- will become so
sophisticated that we can present them with our research request and
they'll go out and check all the appropriate databases, small and
large, aggregated and un-, using whatever query language each
individual database understands, and taking advantage of all the
special features they offer, and return to us with the answer or data
sets we need: Voila! But then, I've always been a technology
optimist.
Marylaine
---------
Thanks Reva. I learned so much from you in your presentations
at Nylink and Internet Librarians that I was delighted to have the
chance to pass it on to Free Pint's readers.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Marylaine Block is a writer, Internet trainer, and librarian without
walls (formerly a librarian at St. Ambrose University where she
created a web site called Best Information on the Net). Find out
more at <http://marylaine.com/>.
Marylaine produces ExLibris: a weekly e-zine for librarians and other
information junkies, which poses questions, issues, and possible
solutions or directions, for librarians and other users of
information technologies.
Reva Basch, Aubergine Information Services, is the author of Secrets
of the Super Net Searchers and Researching Online For Dummies, and
is the (W)rap Columnist for ONLINE magazine. Reva can be contacted by
email <reva at well.com> or at <http://www.well.com/user/reva>.
> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Admission to the new seminar and case study programmes at
e-business (99) is free if you pre-register before the end of August.
Highlights include e-commerce development case studies from Heinz,
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FREE PINT BOOKSHELF
http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf
"Net Worth"
Reviewed by Phil Bradley
Net Worth is a follow-up title to Net Gain: Expanding markets through
Virtual Communities. The emphasis of this particular title is on ways
in which the customer or buyer of products over the Internet is going
to be able to exert considerable control over the organisations
attempting to sell products to them. Both this title and the previous
one concentrate on the potential to build new business models using
virtual communities, rather than simply attempting to do the same
thing faster and cheaper. Consequently the title will be of
considerable interest to large corporations who are, or wish to
become, involved with Internet commerce. At first glance, it appears
to have less immediate relevance to information professionals, but it
is not difficult to extrapolate the authors arguments into a model
relating to the provision of information ... [continued]
... read Phil's full review on the Web site at ...
http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf/networth.htm
Find out about the other great Web-related books we're reading at
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
"How will we survive Information Overload?"
By Dr. Pita Enriquez Harris
Northern Light has a new advertisement, which makes ample use of white
space, stating simply, in the centre of an almost empty page: "You're
a corporate librarian. Obviously, you're in it for the glory."
It is meant ironically. (I'm guessing.)
Would you believe it if I told you I think it's true?
Think about it. On the one hand we've got management gurus like Peter
Drucker telling us that because of the massive shift from manual work
to knowledge work, information challenges and the productivity of the
knowledge worker will be the key indicators of future economic
success. On the other hand, we have those surveys from Reuters that
warn of the dire consequences of an executive workforce suffering from
information overload, not to mention regular articles in the
broadsheets making the same point (only, more stridently).
How we deal with issues of information overload and information
literacy therefore, has become one of the chief challenges of economic
growth. And information professionals, including corporate
librarians, have an opportunity to lead the way.
We tend to think of machines as being good at processing information.
This is true for processes that can be expressed as a mathematical
algorithm and which are repetitive. What machines aren't yet very
good at is mimicking the human power of making the types of complex
decisions like "Is this relevant" and "Why?" and "Who should know
this, and why?" and "Who would know more about this?" and "What
information is missing here?" Human brains are relatively amazing at
processing information in this way. It'll be a very long time before
a computer can write "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." But
we can't parallel-process or multi-task the way computers can. And
we get tired after a few hours and need to nap and watch "Star Trek"
to get our minds off the information.
Learning and processing information are, like any human function,
grounded in physiological processes. If we knew exactly what these
were, we might be able to manipulate them with drugs. There is
already some indication that the nicotine in cigarettes can aid
learning - you learn faster when you're taking a drag! But there
would probably be a cost to manipulating the brain in this way - you
might get tired faster, for example.
If we want to get better quickly at handling information overload in
the near future, we have only two realistic options. One is to get
better at producing information. The second is to use software
intelligently, without expecting that it alone will solve all the
problems.
You could argue that contrary to popular opinion, we are not, in fact,
demonstrating the limits of our ability to process information. That
'information overload' is caused primarily by an abundance of
unusable, irrelevant information. We can plan to tackle this problem
by investing millions to develop software that can filter out the
trash. We could also tackle the problem at the other end, improving
the quality of the information we produce so that there isn't so much
trash, and teaching people from an early age how to do information
research efficiently.
Noreen Mac Morrow of Strathclyde Business School, agrees that
information overload is as much a cultural as technological issue.
"We gather more and more information but allow ourselves less and less
time to actually absorb it. Part of the problem is finding that
reflective time to be able to put the pieces together in a way that is
meaningful."
Dr. Michael Stein, a Commissioning Editor with Blackwell Science tells
me; "The problem with information overload is that people are unable
to make a coherent story out of it. They try to bring in all this
disparate information but what really makes a good story, or a good
textbook, is a distillation of wisdom. All our best teachers have the
story-telling skill."
If the transfer of the written word from the page to the screen is
relatively non-revolutionary, the invention of hypertext is. It
introduces a whole new perspective to the story-telling paradigm of
human communication - the story that is bifurcating, labyrinthine, and
always unique.
Dr. Stein reflects on the implications of this. "The problem with the
Internet is all the amazing amounts of information. Certain people
have the ability to navigate through that and create their own story.
But most people aren't actually that creative. They want to be told,
they want to hear stories."
Now, even Big Business seems to be embracing this idea. In his paper
to the 1999 Knowledge Management Conference and Exhibition (held in
London, March 1999), David Snowden of IBM Global Services spoke about
a new KM practice of collecting and storing the kind of anecdotes
about the business and using this database of stories to the advantage
of the company. If adopted generally as a 'KM Technique', this will
represent a realistic, duplicable approach to the problem of how to
capitalize on the tacit knowledge within an organization. As Thomas
Stewart writes in an article for Fortune, "Nothing serves a leader
better than a knack for narrative. Stories anoint role models, impart
values, and show how to execute indescribably complex tasks."
Free Pint is using this technique also. William Hann has facilitated
the creation of a virtual community, with storytellers at the heart
of the movement. The Free Pint writers weave stories around a
handful of carefully chosen Web addresses, picked for their ability
to add value to the experience of going onto the Web. Without the
story, we'd be left with fragmentary information, and little evidence
of the human mind behind the plan.
Finally, here's some ammunition to use to persuade your managers to
take information overload seriously and plan for training and software
solutions.
Surveys on information overload:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Subway/7854/abs.htm
The Implementation of Intranet Technology as a Solution to Information
Overload in the Top 100 Commercial Organisations in the United Kingdom
by Steve Parker of Queen Mary University College, Edinburgh.
http://www.reuters.com/rbb/research/overloadframe.htm
http://www.reuters.com/rbb/research/newresframe.htm
"Dying for information" and "Out of the Abyss" - the
Reuters-commissioned survey which sparked the furore and the follow-up
which shows that although there are improvements, we still have a way
to go. Also useful is the Reuters Guide to Good Information Strategy
at http://www.reuters.com/rbb/research/gisframe.htm
Why search engines aren't good enough:
http://www.anchordesk.com/a/adt0708ba/3594
"Search Stinks! But you don't have to take it"
Jesse Berst's comments on the latest research findings (published in
Nature) of search engines and how well (or not) they cover the Web.
Learn about upcoming software tools that use visualization to help
make sense of huge volumes of information: The Information Refinery
(http://tir.tasc.com/) I2 (http://www.i2.co.uk) Harlequin
(http://www.harlequin.co.uk)
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dr. Pita Enriquez Harris is one of the founders of The Oxford
Knowledge Company, which is dedicated to helping companies tackle
information overload. They offer training, software and custom
research and current awareness services to assist people to make the
best use of external information. A more comprehensive version of
this article will be published in ASLIB's Millenium book; "i in the
sky: Visions of the Information Future" edited by Alison Scammell.
Publication date is December, orders via Portland Press,
Tel 01206 796 351, email <sales at portlandpress.co.uk>.
Other articles by Dr. Harris can be found on the company Web site at:
http://www.oxford-knowledge.co.uk/ You can also download a trial copy
of award-winning Web search software BullsEye from
http://www.oxford-knowledge.co.uk/bullseye.htm
Email: pita at oxford-knowledge.com
[Chat to the author now at the Bar <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>]
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***e-business (99) THE FUSION OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY***
Redman Media's e-business event will mark its 5th anniversary at the
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FREE PINT FEEDBACK AND BAR
This issue's feedback subject index:
* What's happening at the Free Pint Bar?
* RE: Smart card Web search (Free Pint No.43)
* RE: Web catalogue data protection enquiry (Free Pint No.43)
* RE: Dialup versus LAN use of email (Free Pint No.43)
* Alternative to Net2Phone for India
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: What's happening at the Free Pint Bar?
The Free Pint Bar is really flying now with so many different
discussions and requests for information. It's great just sit back
watch how requests for information prompt immediate replies with
links to invaluable Web sites.
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>
Hundreds of you have now signed up for the Bar Digest - an email
summary of the latest postings sent every other day. If you would
like to receive this then simply send a blank email to
<digest at freepint.co.uk>.
I've summarised below links to some of the major themes at the Bar,
but please do visit today to access the many other interesting
subjects being covered or to post your own comments or questions.
William
New requests for information and discussions ...
UK jobs
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=308
Request and discussion regarding UK job Web sites
Calling cultural sector consultants and freelances
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=310
Where does these people meet online?
Chat within web site
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=319
Information request and discussion regarding implementation of chat
Editor required for Web newsletter
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=339
Request for the above, followed by suggestions
Smart card technology for government applications
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=347
Request for information, and pointer to a knowledgeable source
Locating people in the UK
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=358
Request and suggestions for finding addresses and telephone numbers
Article contributions welcomed
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=289
Call to potential authors for contributions to Free Pint
Developing and interesting discussions following the last issue ...
Communities and links for the broadcast and film industry
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=214
A selection of good replies which should make a starting point
R&D and IP
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=232
Some super discussion around how to link the Research and
Development functions with those of Intellectual Property.
Free education for adults
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=268
Some starting points suggested
E-journals and tables of content
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=272
A whole range of suggestions on this topic
Distance volunteering
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=280
Useful links to begin looking
Recruitment industry sites (Scientific and/or healthcare particularly)
http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=286
Lots of links and suggestions coming forth
If you have something to discuss or have a request for information
then post your message now ...
http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar
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Subject: RE: Smart card Web search (Free Pint No.43)
From: Various
"It would be unusual for companies putting smart card requirements out
to tender directly. They are more likely to use a brokerage service
such as the OJEC or Contrax Weekly or others. These publications can
cost approximately 500 pounds per year to subscribe to. Specialist
agencies such as ours offer a bureau service which builds a profile
of your requirements. Because we are constantly seeking out tenders
and export sales opportunities & JVs, it is likely that the cost of
subscribing to the service (average cost 50 pounds per month) is paid
back in double time.
As a gesture to Free Pint, if Sarah Garcia contacts us direct, we
will give her all the contacts we have on our books for smartcards
free of charge."
Stuart Finch <sdfassist at btinternet.com>
SDF-ASSIST, Tender Search Service
"You might like to try the identification, smart card and security
division of the company I work for. I'm sorry, I know nothing about
the issues. Their site is <http://www.and.com/> I hope this is
of some help.
I do work with information retrieval and internet search tools, so if
you give me more details about the type of searches you wish to carry
out, I might be able to help there."
Simon Collery, <S.Collery at andtech.co.uk>
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Send your letter to <feedback at freepint.co.uk>
or discuss it online at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>
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Subject: RE: Web catalogue data protection enquiry (Free Pint No.43)
From: Dorren Broom, Data Administrator, Scottish Borders Council
Date: Friday 23rd July 1999
I note you refer to the Data Protection Act applying in England and
Wales - it does in Scotland too. The only thing which differs in
Scotland is our implementation of the Freedom of Information Bill
which I believe is to be different. Under the English system - DPA
takes precedence over the Freedom of Information Act but whether that
will be the case in Scotland I am not quite sure.
While we are on this topic - I wrote to the Home Office Website three
months ago to ask if the Crime and Disorder Act affected Scotland
too - to date I have not received a reply. My view is that any Act
is an Act which affects the whole of the UK - the only difference
with the Crime and Disorder Act is that the law in Scotland is
slightly different to that of England and Wales - can anyone
clarify for me please?
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Send your letter to <feedback at freepint.co.uk>
or discuss it online at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>
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Subject: RE: Dialup versus LAN use of email (Free Pint No.43)
From: Jennie Farnell
Date: Friday 23rd July 1999
In response to Matt Hurst's letter regarding netiquette, I must agree
with his observation. I find that those correspondents with a LAN
based connection use their e-mail as a conversation tool, almost as
if you were speaking on the telephone. Those with a dial up seem to
perceive it more like a fax communication - a one way transmission
meant to communicate information only.
I rely heavily on e-mail correspondence throughout the day, but have
learned to distinguish between those contacts with a dial up network
versus a LAN. I will tend to call those with a dial up if I have an
urgent question or a time sensitive issue, so I am assured a quick
response.
It appears to me that e-mail is not a truly efficient means of
communication without a LAN; although it is often more convenient for
the sender, it is not for the user who must dial up, and is therefore
utilized less frequently.
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Subject: Alternative to Net2Phone for India
From: Neeraj Batra, India
Date: 30th July 1999
I want to find out about a company similar to Net2Phone for making
long distance PC-to-phone calls from India. I came across it once but
have forgotten now, and can't find it after searching for many hours.
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DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COMMENT OR REPLY?
Let us know your feedback or favourite site by sending an email to
the Free Pint team now to <feedback at freepint.co.uk> or post your
message at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>.
[NOTE: Remember to include your name, title and company or
organisation, and let us know if you wish your contact details to
be withheld. Please note, if you write to us we may publish your
letter in whole or part for the interest of our subscribers unless
you request otherwise at the time of writing.]
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As you can see below, we have a whole range of exciting articles
coming soon to Free Pint. In the meantime I hope you can join us at
the Web site, and continue to spread the word to your contacts.
See you in four weeks!
Kind regards,
William Hann, Managing Editor
william at freepint.co.uk
http://www.freepint.co.uk/
(c) Willco Limited 1999
http://www.willco.co.uk/
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FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
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[Provisional]
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CONTACT INFORMATION
William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Managing Editor
e: william at freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436
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e: rex at freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436
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Address (no stamp needed)
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Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239 is a free newsletter written by information
professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information
on the Internet. Useful to anyone who uses the Web for their work, it
is published every two weeks by email.
To subscribe, unsubscribe, find details about contributing,
advertising or to see past issues, please visit the Web site at
http://www.freepint.co.uk/ or call +44 (0)1784 455 435.
Please note: Free Pint is a trademark of, and published by, the
Internet consultancy Willco Limited <http://www.willco.co.uk/>,
providers of consultancy, training and publishing services. The
publishers will NEVER make the subscriber list available to any
other company or organisation.
The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the
sole responsibility of the contributors. Whilst all reasonable care
has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, the
publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.
This publication may be freely copied and/or distributed in its
entirety. However, individual sections MAY NOT be copied and/or
distributed without the prior written agreement of the publishers.
Product names used in Free Pint are for identification purposes only,
and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Free Pint disclaims
any and all rights in those marks. All rights reserved.
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