bOING-bOING
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May, 1994
Reproduction permission pending

Okay, so you're all hooked up and ready to have fun on the Internet.  You
send e-mail to some of your friends, lurk through a few chat rooms, and
even toot your own horn in one of the bOING bOING topics on the WELL.
You're having a blast, but after a few weeks you want more. You've gotten
comfy on your computer-friendly chair, and besides, it's too cold to do
any out- door activities. Well, you still might have to leave your
domicile to go to work, or to talk your way out of a traffic ticket, but
if all you want to do is cruise around for neat books and toys and music
and clothes and stuff, stay put. Let your fin- gers do the cruising. You
can do just about anything on the Internet. Tons of online services,
"stores," and games are popping up, and it's really easy to get involved. 
  The trouble is, most people don't know where these digital sites are a.
But this won't be a problem anymore, thanks to Michael Wolff and Company.
Wolff has just put out the Net Guide Book (Random House, $19.00) which
lists over 3,000 places to go on the Net, and it's a lot eas- ier to read
than one of those fluorescent maps you have to use at the mall. 
  Everything from online shopping to news groups, music discussions, bird
watching hotlines and dissertation abstracts are in this directory. You
can get updates on the newest online hot spots bye-mailing info@go-net-
guide.com or calling (Boo) NET-1133. 
  As thorough as Net Guide is, I still found several interesting online
sites that aren't in my copy. Fire up your modem and check these out. 


Internet Undeground
Music Archive

This is going to get some record com- panies real mad! Robert Lord and
Jeff Patterson have come up with something that may revolutionize music
distribution. They set up IUMA in October 1993 as a way for people on the
Internet to access music from independent bands and artists. This means
that if you have a PC with a sound board, you can listen to hard-to-find
music free of charge. Mac users can download the melodies, but will have
to steal a friend's PC to listen to the stuff (at least for now). 
  IUMA accepts music from anybody. whether it's a garage band, an opera
singer, or someone with a strong knack for the kazoo. The bigwigs at IUMA
look at music as shareware, which means the music in their archives will
be interna- tionally distributed free of charge. Each band or artist will
be in charge of their own shareware negotiations. Some will give all of
their cuts away for free, just to seek exposure. while others might tease
you with a song or two, and then ask for a few bucks for a full collection
of their tunes. This would take out the middle folk, aka the record
companies. So music would be cheaper to purchase. 
   IUMA currently has almost 30 bands. including Ugly Mugs, who play
"carnival freak music," a bluegrass group called Whistle Pigs, folk singer
Marguerite Conti. and a techno band from Germany. You can also get a free
catalog of avail- able tunes from Bedazzled Records (rob@bedazzled.com),
the first record company to be carried by IUMA. 
   Right now IUMA doesn't charge the musicians or the recipients. They
just take donations. For more information. e- mail them at
(ian@sunsite.unc.edu). or (mugly@cats.ucsc.edu). v