Professional Sites
AMIA WWW Home Page
The American Medical Informatics Association is a professional group whose page is clearly meant for insiders -- it�s hard work to find a definition of �informatics� anywhere. I did eventually learn that the association has 3,700 members who develop clinical information systems. They might also be academics studying computer applications for clinical care or other health care information systems professionals. Members include doctors, nurses, professors, computer and information scientists, biomedical engineers, medical librarians, and academic researchers. Similar to other professional associations, the AMIA organizational structure includes a board, staff, committees, and working groups, and it publishes proceedings, newsletters, and conferences. Those already in the field, or interested in it, will learn a lot about AMIA here. There are also links to training programs, legislation affecting the profession, and eventually, other medical informatics sites. T2, A2, C3
Content: 5
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Actor's World Link
Actor's World Link provides a forum for actors to be discovered by casting agents on the Internet. For $75.00 a year (shorter time periods are also available) actors get a head shot and brief resume on the Web. The idea seems intriguing, but at this point there aren't very many actors represented, and there's no information offered describing success rates, no client testimonials, nor any other proof that it works. I don't know what the exact odds of being discovered on the Internet are, but it sure seems like a long shot.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Rachel Saidman
Ad-van-tage Staffing Services
For anyone seeking employment in the northeastern Unites States, this site is a no-brainer. C'mere, kid, wanna job? Golly, mister, sure! This is a temp agency specializing in three general occupational categories: legal, financial and creative. Full-time and part-time positions are available in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and (strangely out of place) Texas. Job listings are updated regularly. The pages are on the bland side of attractive, and nothing about this site really sets these folks apart from their competition. Apparently they're just run-of-the-mill. Content=2, Design=1, Technical Savvy=2
Content: NULL
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: NULL
Author: Gary Barker
Advertising World
This site from the University of Texas at Austin's Advertising Department, features advertising-related links and lots of 'em. With 72 index categories, and numerous links in each, there must be thousands of sites hot-listed here. Advertising enthusiasts take note: They've done a lot of work so you won't have to. The index is extremely comprehensive, and could only be improved by adding a search engine (there is so much information here it is almost overwhelming).
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Rachel Saidman
American Association of Zoo Keepers
No self-respecting zoo lover should miss this page. It has lots of wild animal and bird GIFs (collect `em all!), links to animal sanctuaries as well as pointers to zoological and conservation resources. If you want to contact a zoo keeper, there's even a searchable database of professionals that you can browse. When you've learned all about zoo keeping, just head on over to the Elephant Manager's Association (yes, really).
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
American Bar Association
With 370,000 members and a $100 million annual budget, the American Bar Association is a major player in the world of professional associations. It is the national voice of U.S. attorneys, and its page reflects its mission to offer scores of programs, forums, publications, and meetings relating to legal education, public policy, and professional advocacy. The home page offers links to member information, news, Lawlink (an excellent page of federal, state, local, and Internet legal info), and various association activities. For a law site, the amount of text doesn't overwhelm, and graphics and links are serviceable.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 3
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
American Brewers Guild
Longing to open a microbrewery? Better check out the ABG page, where Dr. Michael Lewis, a professor emeritus of brewing sciences at U. Cal (Davis) offers a wide variety of diploma and certificate programs for hobbyists and professionals. Course descriptions, student comments, and a very thoroughgoing FAQ on ABG training programs are all here. There's also a list of breweries around the US that participate in the apprenticeship program. The only thing missing here is a page of links to other brewski sites, which would have rounded out the useful reading.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
American Institute of Biological Sciences
AIBS is a membership organization of some 5000 professionals working in the life sciences, and, as you might expect, their site covers their publications, programs and meetings. Issues such as biodiversity, biological research, medicine, agriculture, and the environment are all within the purview of *BioSciences*, the AIBS journal. The publication provides a few sample articles and tables of contents from the most recent issues. With links to the "member societies" of AIBS, such as the Poultry Science Association, this is a good start for someone interested in the field of biology.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
American Journalism Review
Since 1977 AJR has reported on media trends and news coverage. The online version is partly an enticement to subscribe, with glimpses of the table of contents and back issues. The AJR Web Resource Guide offers substantial links to journalism schools, First Amendment sites, all kinds of publications, networks and broadcast stations on the web, and some media watchdog sites. Worth a look for those in the business.
Content: NULL
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: NULL
Author: Karen Wickre
Annals of Saudi Medicine
The Annals of Saudi Medicine is a good resource for health care professionals interested in geographically focused medical studies. Original articles, case reports, letters to the editor, editorials, and review articles deal with all aspects of clinical, academic, and investigative medicine and research. Papers are written in English, and include studies with appropriately convoluted titles and obscure subject-matter, like the one detailing a 10-year retrospective review of patients with scorpion stings at the Emergency Department of the King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Riyadh.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Lauren Guzak
Association of Women Industrial Designers
Perhaps it's not my place to say so, but it does seem a little unfortunate that AWID, a professional society for women, should choose a kitchen motif for its interface. It's nice enough, I suppose, with it's sherbet-colored cabinets and its fresh from the oven icons. It just seemed out of place a little. No matter; although the cupboards are a little bare in my most spots when I looked, its a promising start, with ingredients for female designers like job listings, online portfolios, resume postings, newsletters, etc. Young women interested in a career in industrial design should check out the FAQ, located just under the plate of donuts, in the "chat" cupboard.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
BMI.com
If you're a songwriter by trade, you already know about BMI, a non-profit organization representing more than 160,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. BMI controls the rights to some 3 million titles, collects royalties, and grants permission for use. If you're a music lover, the BMI page is a terrific place to check on lyrics, composers, and song titles. You can also get the latest on how to work with BMI for permission to license its property. The What's New page provides new royalty agreements, announcements about awards, and links to other professional music sites. Cool beans.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 3
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre
CEO RESOURCE
A more apt name might be �The Entrepreneur�s Resource,� as Bob Goodman, the business consultant who created the page is focusing on small business owners who are constantly putting out fires, wearing too many hats, and need Big-Picture help to move ahead. Goodman wants you to hire his firm for $350/month as �fiscal trainer,� much as you might pay a physical trainer to push you forward. If you�re immersed in business already, take any of several pop quizzes to see where you stand in the maelstrom of supply and demand. Goodman poses provocative questions for anyone who has ambitions and dreams beyond their current gig. T2, A2, C3
Content: 6
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
CPSR
Take note: for good links about computer privacy, encryption, Internet censorship, and responsible computing practices, come to the CPSR page. The (US-based) group is a "public-interest alliance" of computer scientists and others who watch the impact of computer technology on society. Public policy development and legislative watchdogging are the group's main activities. You can find articles, newsgroups, and other web sites related to encryption, the Communications Decency Act, gender and computing, Caller ID and assorted other issues which affect the online community. Membership info too. A deceptively simple site that goes down deep.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
CSUWEB: RTFM Web Style
I didn't want to go in there. The glare from the gray standard browser background would burn my eyes, my throat would be parched from the dryness of the content, and, not knowing the terrain, I would be lost. Send me to the new Disney site I cried. But the story was in there, and I had to get it. Software manuals, a whole library of online software manuals. But these aren't your latest Microsoft products, these are the hardcore, the pure stuff: GNU programs for Unix. I feel faint.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Wayne Cunningham
California Avocado Commission Online
In 1958, 4.9% of US households bought avocados; in 1995, 40.9% did. This may explain how it is that the California Avo Commission has such built an attractive, fun page to promote the American/West Indian fruit. There are recipes here for every taste: kids, guacamole fans, diabetics, dieters, and gourmets. There's info on nutrition, crop size, how to ripen and peel them. Trade statistics and industry factoids share space with an avo fan club, news for growers, and lots more. The page can be viewed in English or Spanish, with graphics or without. Would that all trade commissions touted their products this well.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre
Canada Net Pages Stocks and Bonds
NOTE: URL has changed to http://www.cyberion.com/canadanet/stocksbonds/ Following the Canadian stock market isn�t made any easier by this promise of a page that provides end-of-day stock quotes from the Toronto, Vancouver, Alberta and Montreal exchanges. The database of quotes is archived daily, and historical quotes date from July 1995. But accessing the info requires a very strong desire to discover, and the patience of Job. Why? Because you have to know on which of these four exchanges a stock trades, or you�ll get an error message. You can search by symbol, price change or volume traded, and having keyed in the correct and acceptable fields, you will get a chart of highs, lows, dividends, yields and so on. But Canadian stock-watchers really have to work hard here to glean a little data, which shouldn�t be the case for a site that wants recognition � as the most comprehensive resource of Canadian business and finance data available� on the Web. It has a long way to go to get there. T3, A3, C1.5
Content: 6
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Career Toolbox
A page from scotch distillers, Chivas Regal, this is another prime example of corporations having to give Web surfers to point the browser their way. In this case the target group is young go-getters bounding up the corporate ladder. No surprise, then, that I couldn't relate to it. Not only am I uninterested in the notion of "getting ahead" and "success" as Chivas Regal defines it, but I can't stand scotch. Still, they've gone to a lot of trouble to put this together, the career and finance tips cleverly presented in interactive scenarios that give the whole exercise the feel of a game. It's an effective approach, especially in the Test Your Smarts segment. There's an impressive amount of information here, as well as a potentially worthwhile CD-ROM offer and an online Tool of the Day. While none of it is earth-shattering, it is free, and unless you purposefully connect to Chivas's home page (chivas.com), remarkably free of ad material.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Patrick Joseph
CareerSite
CareerSite is a job seeking/posting web site for both employers and prospective employees. As a "non-member" you can either search their database for specific job titles or browse current openings at a number of companies. You can become a member (for free) which involves about an hour's work to complete the necessary forms and submit your resume. Members can then respond easily to job postings and their resumes are available to be browsed by prospective employers. While probably best not to limit your search to CareerSite, it's a nice free service for job seekers who don't mind a small investment of time and energy.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Rachel Saidman
Centre for Design at RMIT
Despite the pretentious spelling of "center," this would appear to be a hard-nosed organization devoted to sustainable architecture and industrial design. The pages are a little bare, despite some pretty startling color, but it appears to be meant as a brochure/bulletin board only, advising interested parties of design contests, like the Green Heating Quest, and conferences like the one on "life cycle assessment." Even the links are no-nonsense and profession-oriented. Not much here for the idly curious.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
Chorus Reviews & Resources for Real World Computing
This is a very helpful page for academics - those folks who need special software to ease the pain of academic papers, bibliographic programs, computer-assisted language learning, and the like. Chorus offers book and software reviews of interest to humanities scholars - especially those specializing in language, literature, and Biblical studies. There are reviews of relevant books and software programs, links to humanities sites, and links to other areas for professionals - like doctors. A nicely organized page that any humanities grad student or researcher needing software tools for formal papers and so on will appreciate.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
City Hall
A simple idea that hasn't taken off yet, the City Hall page is meant to provide an online forum for municipal employees everywhere. As of this review the Q&A pages for the various sections -- City Officials, Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments -- were empty except for a short news item of some relevance to professionals in that category. So if you collect your pay from the community chest, go here and help out. Your ideas and input are in demand.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
Contractor Network
An impressive facade greets you at the Contractor Network, intended to be a national listing of both residential and commercial general contractors as well as electricians, architects, plumbers, heating/AC specialists, roofers, and so on. It's well organized and graphics-intensive, but because the listings are fee-based, and the site is fairly new, you're out of luck unless you live near Philadelphia, where the few present listings are from. There are also areas for Q&A by topic, articles and home improvement tips - but again, precious few items are present here. One currently useful page is the state-by-state listing of contractors' licensing agencies. T3, A3, C2
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Court TV Home Page
You can't be serious. A television-related site chosen as Professional Site of the Month? We Internet-users are far superior to television watchers, right? We can't denigrate the interactive and information packed Internet by judging it on the basis of a television product that happens to have a Web site. Television is the opiate of the masses! The Internet will save the world! (And we all know that the Internet was really invented by dolphins using extraterrestrial technology.) Court TV's Internet entrant, the Court TV Law Center, is not only a good source of law information, it also manages to redeem television, as much as that is possible. The site's basic utilities are a search engine and a glossary of legal terms. The glossary isn't comprehensive, but it does cover enough ground to clarify any of the cases presented here. The search engine is a good shortcut for finding a particular case without going through any indexes. The home page, like any good table of contents, organizes the site by departments and features. When I was there, O.J.'s face adorned the feature section, with a hyper-link to his deposition in the civil suit brought against him by the Goldmans. Can we ever escape O.J.? Also featured was a special area on the Telecom bill which had recently passed, containing many articles about various aspects of the legislation and what it would mean to Internet users. The 20-plus articles here provided more depth and clarification than you would get from reading the actual text of the bill. The departments include case files, a library, games, a kids section, and a store. Of course, Court TV's idea of games isn't the typical puzzle or maze a lot of other sites offer. It has various historical cases in which you are invited to identify the facts, make arguments, and decide the case. This is the kind of stuff that law students live for. The library section isn't Harvard Law, you couldn't use it as a substitute for Lexis, but it does have articles and files on cases that would be of interest to casual users. Under the Newsmakers reference, you can find out the legal gossip on your favorite stars. Call it pop law, but it is good for really understanding the big cases in the papers, and looking really smart at cocktail parties as you offer your informed commentary.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Wayne Cunningham
DEADMAN'S ISLAND
An enthusiastic financial kind of guy named Brent created a site laden with a pirate theme: backgrounds, icons, and ship dialect we could all live without. Here�s a sample: � Ye found the treasure, man-dog. But if this location ever crosses your lips in front of man or beast, yer bones'll be bleachin' on a hot, cracked region of the web. Ya sea hag!� (See?) He�s taken the trouble of reprinting some Barron�s stock picks, prints a calendar of financial indicators for different industries, and has compiled a very nice page of links to all things related to finance, business, and the stock market. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm does not signal timeliness, one of the most critical elements in the financial world. The page was put up on January 1, 1996, and nary a sea-hag -- or landlubber -- has been spotted since. Avast, ye man-dog! T2.5, A2, C2
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Dealmakers
Somewhere in the grayed out fringes of corporate America is a realm called commercial real estate. Those Taco Bells and Marshall's don't just come with prefabricated buildings, you know, an agent has to find store space to colonize. And if that agent is smart, they probably already subscribe to the print version of Dealmakers. The online version is just as massive a compendium of available commercial space as the print version, plus it has the best list of links to real estate related sites on the Web. While an attempt has been made at graphics, I found them ugly, and all these listings could use a little computerized database wizardry.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Design Architecture
To get the most from this site, you'll want to plug in your Real Audio Player, and your VRML viewer. Featured prominently here are interviews with renowned architects regarding their latest work, VRML models and other digital media showcasing architectural design. At this viewing there is still a lot of construction underway at the site, and although the links page boasts 700 entries, it has a lot of room to grow. Those in the field will be especially interested to in the call for submissions. The site's own design architecture could also use some work; the logo banner may be its finest touch.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Patrick Joseph
Design Sphere Online
The Design Sphere is a pretty good resource for those working in communications or the graphic arts. There's a glossary, HTML and web page design tutorials, a business-to-business directory, and the, by now, traditional resume and want ad postings. Less successful are the Community and Way Hot areas, which don't offer many contacts or enough information. A design firm/web site is showcased monthly, and you can see the portfolios of numerous firms and consultants here. There are useful links to tips for Quark XPress, and the like.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre
Designlink Online Resource for Creative Professions
This site, which includes brief sketches of designers, up to 15 thumbnails of their digital work, and contact info, charges fees for listings and graphics files. To date, the San Francisco Bay area dominates listings. How to entice more diverse listings that attract clients, and how to convince prospects that it will lead to new jobs for them? This is the challenge Designlink faces on the Web. If it can be overcome, Designlink's Online Portfolio could well be a handy place to scout for illustrators, graphic designers, multimedia and other artists.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Desktop Publisher Journal
Everything you need to know about the latest developments in desktop publishing technology is here, including tips on trends, the lowdown on copyright issues, multimedia project management, and more. The Technique section helps desktop publishers beef-up their bag o' tricks, discussing how-to's and which software to use for a given effect. Vendor Lists offer the specs on a multitude of products, and you'll find reviews of the newest in hardware and multimedia in the Technology section. Desktop publishing-related articles are found in the DTP Forum. Desktop publishing wizards and neophytes alike are sure to find something useful here.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Emily Soares
Detroit Auto Dealers Association Home Page
Since 1907, the Motor City has been home to DADA, which is both a member organization for area car dealers and a sponsor of the North American International Auto Show. NAIAS takes place each January in Detroit (brrr!), and some 700,000 dealers, analysts, journalists, suppliers and consumers take in new models, attend press briefings, and generally demonstrate characteristics of the great American love affair with all things automotive. This page is mostly useful for learning about the show and reading the results of last year�s audience survey on car preferences and buying habits. There is a page of links to DADA members (all in the Detroit area, natch), which offer addresses and phone numbers, nothing more. This page would be a natural place to link to many other kinds of car sites, but DADA doesn�t. T2, A2.5, C2
Content: 4
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Directors Guild of America
Movie buffs, take note of this site! DGA has put together an excellent film and TV resource here, featuring lengthy, well-written interviews with directors (from the group's magazine), info on various Guild programs (membership, speakers' bureau, awards, Artists Rights Foundation), and a FAQ on DGA. Most useful is a page which features links to film/TV studios and distributors, and a long list of film companies, publications, and associations. A terrific and well-organized, if somewhat plain -- bookmark for the cinephile.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre
Doctor's Guide to the Internet
Despite the numerous awards this site has garnered and proudly displays, there are only a handful of fresh topics covered; hardly a comprehensive list. It does provide a good set of links to other sites of medical relevance -- conferences, specific disease categories, and some lifestyle topics (financial and leisure pages). Turn off your blinkies and put on your pharmaceutical-ad blinders before entering. I'd rate this more useful as a launching pad than a major bookmark entry -- there are better sites out there that try the same trick.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Steve LeVine
Enter Magazine Survival Guide
This zine is a career guide and consumer resource aimed at college students and recent graduates. Well-designed and stylishly written, Enter Magazine Survival Guide delivers sound advice and interesting reading without that irksome self-consciousness so common to youth-focused media. Get the goods on how to buy a car without getting taken, the best ways to beat the job interview shakes, and how to get serious cash for old clothes. Not many graphics, but the quality of the text is such that they're not missed. The Survival Guide has lots of useful info if you're striking out on your own for the first time, or you'd just like to brush up on those so-called survival skills.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Emily Soares
Fairplay
Fairplay, a weekly shipping magazine published in Great Britain, has gone online with Electronic Fairplay. Information on ships can be searched for in the Database by the name of the company or a particular vessel. The Fairplay Daily News service provides worldwide news flashes of shipping events of the past 24 hours and beyond. Products are also available through the site, such as the PC Ships Register, and CD Exports (both shipping information databases). The site makes good us of frames and is easy to navigate, but the information is, of course, esoteric and only of interest to those directly Global involved in shipping and/or import/export.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Rachel Saidman
Footwear Industries of America
Footwear: we gotta have it! The FIA page touts its services to members ranging from small family-owned operations to large scale manufacturing conglomerates -- the people who make your shoes. FIA is an established trade organization and as such has certain public policy interests and lobbying efforts which you can look into here. There's an industry resource directory, called Solesource, and information pertaining to importing and exporting. If you're in shoe biz already, or just interested in a what a pervasive industry offers to its professionals, ankle over to the FIA page.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Fresh Cup
In the old days of snail mail it was a lot easier to keep a secret. Various cliques, cabals, and professional associations had their own journals, catalogs and house organs that, when sent to the wrong person, provided an unexpected and intriguing glimpse into an unknown world. In these changeful days of cyberspace, journals are being published online, so getting information an inside look at one of these secret societies is no longer confined to happenstance. A little idle surfing and, suddenly, you're immersed in the arcane world of animal husbandry, say, or salvage diving, or, in this case, the specialty coffee business. For a trade publication that has migrated to the Web, Fresh Cup looks great. Usually people don't take the time to design such a clean, crisp presentation, but coffee sellers probably have a little more energy, and waste a lot less time sleeping than the majority. (Actually, to give credit where credit's due, the site was designed by Siprelle & Associates). Fresh Cup doesn't break any new ground in online publishing, mind you, but it does transfer the print publication paradigm very well, handsomely interspersing text and graphics. In other words, a Java or Shockwave enabled browser isn't necessary. The content is written for people in the business of buying and selling specialty coffees; Ethiopian Roast, Kona Gold, Sumatra Blend, etc., as opposed to Maxwell's, or Folger's. And, of course, Fresh Cup is based in the Pacific Northwest, where gourmet coffee is as common as water. The site not only publishes articles from the print publication, such as a monthly list of movers and shakers in the coffee world, but also gives information on trade shows and -- something coffee enthusiasts should appreciate -- recipes. The concept of coffee recipes was new to me too (you just put the coffee in the filter and run hot water through it, right?), but every cafe and espresso stand, is competing to come up with the ultimate mix that will keep the customers coming back. To wit, the Mocha Frost, which combines espresso, chocolate milk, and licorice, among other things, to add a little frosting to the caffeine experience. Fresh Cup adds a new dimension to the offers a look at a world few of us knew was out there, but that most of us appreciate, especially in the morning.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Global Job Services
For $75.00 a month, Global Job Search will comb the Internet for job leads based on your personal profile and notify you of any via e-mail. The advantage here -- potentially great -- is that this method will save you the time and trouble of searching through all the different employment resources on the Internet. However, the site is a bit sketchy on information, like, how long does this service last? Has this really worked for anyone? What is the success rate of matching people to jobs? Investigate this one further before investing your hard-earned clams; there are a lot of sites out there matching people to jobs for nothin'.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Rachel Saidman
HOT STOCKS REVIEW
George Chelekis is made for the Web, and vice versa. This entrepreneurial gent touts his newsletter, Hot Stocks Review, here, entreating would-be buyers with a slew of republished articles and trading tips, recent stock prices for some of his picks (he doesn�t pretend to offer current quotes). Here�s a taste of Hot Stocks wisdom: �Don't bet on just one company. I don't care how great the stock looks or how wonderful its prospects are. Discipline yourself to invest in at least FIVE companies, if possible. Never, ever bet on just one company.That is suicidal.� One drawback is Mr. C�s apparent aversion to dating his material, or to providing even a postal address. Of all the resources available on the Web, few require more timeliness than stock market news, or more confidence in the choice of an advisor. He�d be well advised to date material and offer people ways to reach him besides e-mail. If you do subscribe to HSR ($195/year), Chelekis promises timely e-mail updates and access to his archive of newsletters and tips. T1, A2, C2
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 1
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
HomeScout
Welcome to the next big thing on the Web: �umbrella� locations that search all the resources for you by topic, in this case residential real estate - sort of an online version of the Multiple Listing Service. Compiled by a group of Internet marketers and developers, HomeScout opens by asking you to give location, house size, and approximate price in order to search and list what you want. As part of their service, HomeScout also offers links to real estate agents, mortgage bankers, insurance agents, contractors, and anyone else related to the home-buying and selling business. Of course, listings for any of these only include firms already on the Web. But so far the site works well, offers multiple listings, and generally walks you through what can be a daunting process. Using this tool, your search will be more informed -- and maybe even tolerable. Happy hunting! T3, A4, C4 BLUE LIGHT
Content: 4
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Independence Life and Annuity Company
Whether you�re of a certain age or aren�t yet, it pays to learn about annuities, which are long-term retirement savings programs. Independence sells several in a program it calls �Websaver.� Savings presumably occur because you send in a short application form by e-mail for an information package on the annuity plan of your choice (they differ by which withdrawal features you choose). The site is organized into �marketplace,� where you can read about the various plans offered, and how to trade your current annuity for theirs; the �education center,� where FAQs reside; and a �communication center,� the place to reach customer service. Caveat emptor: these particular annuity plans are available now in about half of the states in the US (the company offers a list). But even if you�re prevented from buying, or aren�t in the market, you�re bound to learn something about annuities here. T3, A4, C 3
Content: 6
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Industrial Designers' Society of America: Chicago Chapter
Industrial designers are the folks who make everyday products more functional and, often, more beautiful. The IDSA is the organization that fulfills some of their professional needs. IDSA Chicago members are early out the gate with their own Web page (there seems to be no national online resource), but their site is content-light, offering nice clean lines, but not enough news, listings, or cross references to make it very useful. A monthly print newsletter would do a better job.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Inkspot
Inkspot and it's print offshoot, Inklings, are resources for professional writers. With an incomplete but growing list of paying and non-paying zines and newsstand rags, plus a free classified section, the site will be of special interest to freelancers. Also valuable are postings concerning online copyright issues, updated information on contest deadlines, and links to other genre-specific journals (Inkspot slightly favors writers specializing in children's literature). It's no competition for the hardcover standard, *The Writer's Market *, yet -- not even close -- but give it time.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Pat
IntelliMatch
The Internet's answer to the classifieds, IntelliMatch matches online resumes with online employer requisitions, simple as that. Pretty nifty though, eh? This is a great resource for people pursuing employment, whether you enter your resume into the system (it takes about an hour and involves some work), or just browse through "Hot Jobs" for listings and descriptions of a wide variety of jobs indexed by category. There seems to be a particular emphasis on the Bay Area computer industry -- 8 of the 9 featured company banners hail from San Francisco and environs.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Rachel Saidman
International Map Trade Association
If you travel too far into this site about maps, you'll fall off the edge of the earth. Or you'll fall off your chair, asleep. Want a list of every store in 23 countries where you can buy maps? Want a list of 55 map-making and cartography firms? Want information about upcoming map industry trade shows? (Want to understand what compels someone to attend a map industry trade show?) Want to shell out $150 to become One Of Them? Maps are actually sort of interesting, but you'd never know it from this comb-over crowd. Here there be monsters.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Gary Barker
Internet Law Library
I'm pretty certain that this site could in no way be duller or blander in appearance than it already is. We're talking the most basic of basic Netscape gray and hyperlink a la blue, which may be fine for a law library... You'll find 11 copies of the US constitution (one in Spanish), every other country on the planet's constitution, attorney and legal directory links, reviews of law books, and a few measly icons (mostly US flag variations). It's great as a stockpile of information, which is what it's all about. Outstanding for lawyers and legal wanna-be's.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Shel Kimen
Investment News Online
One of the most promising and useful areas on the Web is in the area of business finance, and Investment News Online is worth a look for those who follow this realm. INO calls itself �the Web center for futures and options.� Eventually, you�ll be able to get current market quotes for not only futures and options, but also commodities, stocks, global investments and more (this was one of the few �coming soon� areas I saw). INO provides an easy and attractive front door for financial organizations just establishing a Web site, and for selling newsletters, tapes, books, training courses about specific industries, markets, and exchanges. Users can read articles or hear audio updates from market analysts, learn about discount brokerages (there�s just one, Lind-Waldock, featured now; presumably others will appear), follow market developments via an online MarketZine, follow the performance of Commodity Trading Advisors. Information appears to be timely and fairly current, and the site is well organized and attractive. T4, A5, C5 BLUE LIGHT
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 3
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Jonathan Tward's Multimedia Medical Reference Library
This ambitious site is aimed at the Medical professional, student and perhaps the interested afflicted. It fully utilizes the multimedia capacity of the Internet (at a significant bandwidth cost). Comes in framed and non-framed flavors. Extensively linked, it would take days to clamber through this reticulum of information. The site lives up its name, providing search engines for its own and other major medical databases. Nice index to images, movies, sounds and text sources. Only drawback is an ubiquitous and annoying advert panel, which can be quickly scrolled past to get to the meat and bone. Recommended.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Steve LeVine
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Casual passers-by and armchair scientists will be thoroughly mystified by the boldly obscure nomenclature at this site, which only proves its worth to the bona fide bio chemist. If, for instance, you're into carbohydrates, lipids, and other natural products, you can peruse full articles or abstracts on topics like "Investigation of the Calcium-mediated Association between the Carbohydrate Head Groups of Galactosylceramide and Galactosylceramide...." And, as even the most brilliant science maven might sometimes have trouble navigating the Web, a convenient online handbook helps you waltz through everything at the site, from keyword searches to downloading related charts.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Lauren Guzak
Law Journal Extra!
Using the magazine model for organizing info, LJE, puvlisshed by the National Law Journal, is an excellent bookmark for legal professionals. The Table of Contents is really a meta-page of links to legal business development resources, legal technology tools, firm management, legal classifieds, pertinent newsgroups, and more. Even better, LJE seems to be regularly maintained and updated. LJE also provides extensive links to decisions and court rulings, relevant government documents, and the EDGAR and THOMAS databases, as well as as a humor page called "Non-Billable Hours" This is one of the best legal sites out there.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Lawyers Cooperative Publishing
LCP is one of the oldest legal publishers, and this impressive page testifies to its expertise. The info here mostly describes the many law texts (state and federal) LCP sells, and features painstaking tables of contents for each title. The best reference page is The Legal List (http://www.lcp.com/The-Legal-List/TLL-home.htm), which enumerates a host of Internet-based legal resources you can find. There's a very helpful list of law-related BBSs, newsgroups, and listservs, for example. There are also links to info on law schools, corporations, and non-U.S. resources.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Legal Information Institute
Another information dump on the over-used superhighway metaphor, this one contains articles on legal topics and the entire U.S. Code in HTML format. This digital-communication-age-wealth-of-information still amazes me, but the poor organization of these pages makes the amount seem overwhelming. One of the first paragraphs on the home page has some of the major resources linked within the text, such as the index of recent supreme court decisions, but these links aren't in the index at the bottom of the page, which looks like a table of contents for the site.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Medical Illustrators' Home Page
A well-drawn anatomical image can mean the difference between a vague notion and crystalline understanding for med students as well as patients. We've come a long way from the days when the legendary Frank Netter, MD, monopolized the field. This site is both a professional resource for medical illustrators and a showcase for the groups and individuals whose art is nicely displayed here. All of the pictures offered for browsing are two dimensional, but for advanced imaging techniques which really make use of a computer, try the links to 3D-reconstruction sites.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Steve LeVine
Medicine Online
Medicine Online could be the start of something useful. It's a commercial resource which offers medical articles and links for both professionals and consumers. Since its launch in May �95 the available files - articles, FAQs and links to relevant newsgroups - have focused on cancer (albeit only certain forms of the disease), but the makers claim that they'll soon include similar resources on other diseases as well as treatments and how-to's on treating depression and headaches, pain management, and infant care. There's also a link to the National Library of Medicine's searchable database.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Medstuff
Beware the site that promises personal services but reveals neither the locations nor the names of the people who are to provide them. Beware Medstuff, in particular, allegedly founded by doctors and lawyers for the public out of indignation over of the enormous amount of misinformation given to patients. But looking through the few pages here yields only some text that's meant to encourage us to reveal our medical problems or medical-legal problems. All via e-mail. Surely there are online medical referrals that are useful. This just isn't one of them, not by a long shot.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
National Logistics Web
The National Logistics Web has gotten just a little ahead of itself. As of this writing, the site's City Web is only functioning in two spots: Baltimore and Mobile. Other cities are "pending," all on the Eastern Seaboard or Gulf Coast except for Seattle, the lone Western locale. Okay, lest I get ahead of myself, logistics in this case refers to shipping cargo, by land, sea, and air. The site has directory listings for shipping companies, Dept. of Transportation protocol info, container info (as in Sealand, etc.), and schedules. It's a good idea with much potential -- I should think -- but even by its own schedule the site is presently lagging.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
National Press Club
This comprehensive site features all types of journalistic links, from CNN to reporters.org and six different search engines. Extremely well put together resources allow for access to every major news site, and a slew of lesser-kowns like The Beat Page, not to mention wire services galore. This is *the* place for news junkies and investigators.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Emily Soares
National Press Photographer's Association
This is a sober, straightforward place for photographers interested in the latest conferences, congresses and workshops pertinent to the trade, as well as summaries of the year's past meetings that one may have missed. Astonishingly uncontaminated by actual photographs, it offers little to the casual image-hungry surfer. Not a recruitment tool by any means, this page assumes you're already in the fold. If so, worth a moment.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Steve LeVine
National Writers Union
A grassroots organization, NWU is open to those who have published, or are attempting to publish, books, short stories, poems, plays, newsletters, publicity material, and so on. The union is based in New York, and has chapters around the country that develop policies about legal agreements and publishing rights for writers. NWU has been early to study electronic and online publishing, and here you'll find texts of two position papers on the subjects. But that's about all that's here, save a membership form. NWU could be a very rich resource for writers, with lots of research, policies and educational information. Until that happy day, the NWU page is not useful or compelling.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 1
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
New Faces Talent
Feeling photogenic? Then you can be one of the �New Faces� touted here. Though still underpopulated (with precious few photos of models, actors, and child talent), NFT may be a useful resource for those in the business of getting or giving glowing good looks. The outfit is an online repository for talent listings. They charge a fee for scanning your photos and posting your listings, but any work you get as a result is all yours. Right now, it�s a bit amateurish: poor quality photos that don�t enlarge well, skimpy listings, an iffy casting call area. But as a resource for newcomers, or yet another outlet to promote yourself, it�s probably the start of a good thing. T2, A2.5, C2
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 3
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Nolo Press Self-Help Law Center
God bless the folks at Nolo, an organization devoted to providing legal info on the cheap. A straightforward site with FAQ's that are pointed and informative, it allows you to zoom in on your problem via the index, and if the information there doesn't cover all the bases, you can order the book on the subject (printable order forms are available online). While NOLO is in the publishing business, there's still beau coup info here for free as well as some pointers to books and products from other publishers. It's an enlightened approach to business. May their tribe increase.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
Occupational Therapy Talk Back
Hats off to one Tami Whitson, who wins today's "Spirit of the Web" award. You won't find advertising or any pitches here; Ms. Whitson is an occupational therapist who has made a site useful to occupational therapists, those in OT programs, or considering OT as a career. There's a lot of Q&A here, info on schools offering the degree; relevant links to sites and newsgroups; news on professional and technical developments (dated, thank you); and archives of articles and past correspondence with readers.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
PCL Map Collection
Map devotees know that the charting of any terrae incognitae is much more than simple diagramming: it's art. The Perry-Casta-eda Library Map Collection Online is an incredible resource for those seeking practical guidance (like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps) to the aesthetically inspiring (the early 20th century city map of Antakya in the Levant). With more than 230,000 maps covering every area of the world - including some nine thousand city street maps, as well as current road maps for each US state and Canadian province - this site's URL is sure to remain at the top of just about everybody's bookmark list.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Lauren Guzak
PEDINFO
Not for pedophiles, this is a no-nonsense database for the pediatric professional. The opening page offers a somewhat cumbersome index to pediatric subspecialities and disease categories, followed by hospitals, practices, and professional organizations. Contains a how-to manual for setting up one's own pediatric mailing list or Web page. Offers menus of medical software, links to other pediatric sites, e-journals, mailing lists. Although largely an academic site, it does provide some data digestible by the parent of an ill child, such as a demo of the Pediatric HouseCall. Almost entirely text-based, it could use a graphic makeover.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Steve LeVine
PawSafe
"Making a difference, one pet at a time." Hmmm. Hope my pet is first in line! Actually though, this site is about pets that need to be rescued - dogs and cats to adopt (with pictures as a super bonus). PawSafe also lists ways you can help -a wish list and volunteer opportunities. Check out the organizations mission (yawn) or trot over to the store for pet purchases. Woof. The layout is ok, with some nifty Table construction, but overall it's pretty dry.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Shel Kimen
PawSafe
"Making a difference, one pet at a time." Hmmm. Hope my pet is first in line! Actually though, this site is about pets that need to be rescued - dogs and cats to adopt (with pictures as a super bonus). PawSafe also lists ways you can help -a wish list and volunteer opportunities. Check out the organizations mission (yawn) or trot over to the store for pet purchases. Woof. The layout is ok, with some nifty Table construction, but overall it's pretty dry.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Shel Kimen
Peace Corps Crossroads
This site is dedicated to helping prospective Peace Corps volunteers find each other and allows returned or current volunteers to hook up with their compatriots and swap "reentry" stories. A large part of the site consists of a list, in alphabetical order by country, which provides basic info about the available sites and individuals and includes hotlinked e-mail addresses on soon-to-be departing volunteers, as well as returned (or current) volunteers willing to act as "mentors." There are more Peace Corps-related sites here than you can shake a walking stick at. Also, a great place for links to a multitude of international pages.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Emily Soares
Pear Pages
A handsome page from the hardworking folks at The Oregon Washington California Pear Bureau -- what do you think, they grow on trees? -- this is the place to come for the lowdown on the more 3,000 varieties out there. This month's featured pear is the Seckel, a roundish, diminutive little number that hits markets in mid-August. Recipes are included. Grocers and suppliers can contact the Pear Bureau via email, and parents wishing to tempt their lil'uns away from the Sugar Pops might pay a visit to the PearBear Healthy Kids section.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Patrick Joseph
Professional Photographers of Houston
You won't learn much about photography or Houston at this site. It's apparently an abridged version of the group's (paper) newsletter, with one photo and technical legend per issue, along with, oh, the president's remarks at the last meeting, a membership form, a roster of members, and -- coming soon -- a sampler page of members' work. To their credit, the group links to a different photographer's association, the ASMP, as well as to the Professional Photographers' Association (national). I have to wonder, though, why they took the trouble to put up the page in the first place.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Professionals Online Home Page
This is what I call an "eager-beaver" page. Someone has fallen in love with the Web, and in this case with NetCruiser, and created a page geared to small business folks. The only problem is that the links to a variety of travel, sports, news, job, and career sites are standard and few in number, and they're built into very mundane, text-heavy pages. The Jobs page is probably the richest of the bunch, with brief annotations.Pros Online needs to focus in order to get ahead of the Web fan club and be of greater use to business types.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 1
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Psychlink Professional
For those who follow "behavioral healthcare," including psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, Psychlink has some useful aspects. The site provides links to a good number of medical journals and publications, and a wide variety of related professional associations. The conferences and news links are less useful: no contact info for any of the upcoming meetings, and the news is just compiled from newsletters, without dates. Instead, check out the Articles, Organizations and Resources pages: those are the high points of Psychlink.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
Public Relations Society of America
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals. The odd thing is, this site is as visually interesting as a cardboard box. I mean, isn't public relations about selling an image, a product, a service, and making it seem appealing? Wouldn't you think a site from the PRSA would try to integrate a little flash and color? What you do get here is Tactics, their monthly newspaper, updates on seminars, locations of PRSA chapters, and lists of available resources. It's hard to get excited about any of it. Maybe the PRSA needs a little PR of its own.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Emily Soares
Screenwriters and Playwrights
A site made up entirely of links to other sites, it does a pretty good job as a resource for screenwriters, playwrights, and other writers as well. While not plentiful, the links are meaty (I detest wading through dozens of links searching for substance, anyway). You'll find pointers to writing samples, tips from the pros, personal stories and experiences, reviews, and Strunk and White's *The Elements of Style.* One particularly interesting link is "Writers on the Net," an organization offering online writing classes. C-2 A-2 T-2
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Rachel Saidman
Seamless Website Law and Legal Resources
The name says it all. Seamless is seamless, and a joy to navigate. This site could easily become a significant online resource for legal issues. It has an excellent organizational structure that's bound to grow. Main areas include Chambers (announcements, new developments, updates); Commons (a Webchat-based discussion area); Shingle (attorney and legal service advertising); and Crossroads (pointers to other legal sites). Go here to make contacts, post resumcs, list job openings, and locate resources by subject area (r.e., cyberspace, malpractice and consumer law). Worth a bookmark for legal eagles.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 2
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre
SignWeb
Doubtless a lot of fetishists are accidental visitors to this one. The word "vinyl" is in the HTML source for the splash page a whopping 14 times, not to mention repetitions of "hot" and "tricks." What a disappointment it must be. SignWeb is a site for the folks who make banners and business signage. As such, it provides industry tips, articles on the biz and adverts for things like neon transformers and ballast, estimating software, and vinyl sources. Hmm, ... maybe not so disappointing after all.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Gary Barker
SingleFile
SingleFile is a fee-based Web site for interior designers, decorators, buyers, and architects. There's a cap on what individuals pay ($30/hour, with $100/week max, and/or a $300/mo. maximum charge). For that, you get access to a searchable database of "thousands" of pieces of furniture, lighting and so on, presumably from a variety of manufacturers. The free sample data isn't much to go on, and the images (unless you're content with thumbnails) require precious download time. Still, if you want to find designer showroom listings, an industry calendar of events, info on accredited programs or showroom samples, this is a good stop, with a clean design and easy navigation.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
Small Office
A very attractive site from the editors of the magazines Home Office Computing and Small Business Computing. Useful information on a variety of subjects is never more than two clicks away. Practical tips and techniques, more than 50 external links, and even a contest are available. There's also the lowdown on purchasing printers, fax machines and cellular phone service, and the like. A Boolean search allows you to rummage through past editions of the magazine. To test your financial well-being, go to http://www.smalloffice.com/hoc-bin/play.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Gary Barker
The Air Crew Home Page
The wild blue yonder calling? For flying enthusiasts - especially those who want to make a profession of it - here's a meta-page of links to aviation, aerospace, weather and travel pages, as well as a few newsgroups and a flight attendants' site. You can head out from here to NASA, the FAA, and other aviation sites. These folks don't just bring you the fun stuff, either -- you can get to the Aviation Accident Summary page from here, or the High Altitude Radiation Measurement Study.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Karen Wickre
The Airline Employment Assistance Corps
Between the Java enhancements and the animated GIF files, this whole site appears to twitch and squirm. It's annoying and difficult to look at. Add to that the itty-bittiness of the exceedingly long scrolls of text on every page and you've got a prime example of what to avoid in website design. For a web-surfer, this is Dead Man's Curve. Too bad. For its target audience there's useful information hidden amidst the tiny type and jerky movements. And if you pay them $10 monthly, they'll give you access to more of the same. No, really.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Gary Barker
The Environmental Careers Organization
The Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) provides placement, career planning, product information, and research resources for people interested in careers in the environmental field. The cornerstone of their efforts is the Environmental Placement Service, a program that matches recent grads with internships across the country. The program is explained in great detail and is definitely worth exploring for environmentally conscious youths in the job market. You can request an application to the program and jump to useful links like the Environmental Internship Clearinghouse, and the Science Global Career Network. Key information is presented succinctly, and organized intuitively.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Rachel Saidman
The Internet Society
Welcome to The Internet Society. Sounds good. What the hell is it? I still don't really know. There was a section devoted to answering exactly that question, but I still couldn't make heads nor tails of it. It all sounded impossibly vague and bland. Item number two in a list of "specific goals and purposes read": "growth and evolution of the Internet architecture." That's specific?? All I can say is, if the home page is any indication, this is a dull group. The only real sign of life was this quote from the Internet Engineering Task Force Credo: "We reject kings, presidents, and voting. We believe in rough consensus and running code." Sounds like a libertarian approach to computing.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 4
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Patrick Joseph
Totem
This Italian architectural zine is an eye-catcher that makes good use of the latest in new media, while at the same time keeping its design clean and simple. The table of contents is laid out on a colorful checkerboard image-map with shockwave elements built-in. News headlines and alternating images flash on and off in the squares. Be prepared to wait for the show however; on any connection slower than a 28.8 the table will drip down your screen like cold honey. Still, the wait is worth it for Web design enthusiasts. The calendar is laid out in horizontal frames, so that you can browse the competition timeline, say, then tabulate over to the events schedule with a click on the menu. No changing screens; the navigation is built into one page. This feature saves time while expertly managing the information. At this writing, interviews with architects are the mainstay of Totem's original material. Downloadable audio files allow you to listen to them when you please. Two features that will be operational by press time should be of special interest to architects and designers. The Forum will be a platform for discussing ideas online and the Archive will store back issues; note, however, that "a nominal fee will be charged for contributions retrieved from the Archive." I have to wonder, though, if anyone will want to retrieve anything from this resource? For in the end, the downfall of Totem is its content. The reviews are short to the point of near-uselessness and the writing is in sore need of editing (preferably by someone with proficient English, but for whom "archi-talk" is Greek). The editorial in this premiere issue reads like a manifesto for clarity but is itself mired in words like "homologation" and a general morass of excess verbiage. Architects will probably take issue with the slur on their lingo, in which case they may find a home here. That's not so bad. Totem has a good foundation and the potential to be a master work.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Patrick Joseph
Web Promote
Web Promote provides assistance with registering your site with some of the major search engines on the Internet. Services offered consist of: links to ten popular search engines, and "Promote Assist," which ostensibly submits your URL to some of the more popular indices, catalogs, and "what's new" lists on the net. Unfortunately, when I attempted to use "Promote Assist" (on two separate days), the server was not functioning. While the design is visually pleasing, and the service is free, I suspect there are a number of sites providing a similar service more effectively. C-2 A-2 T-2
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Rachel Saidman
Who's Marketing Online
The million dollar question these days is, How do you successfully market on the Internet? Of course, the more fundamental question is: Can anyone make any money marketing on the net, period? Who's Marketing Online - which describes itself as "The Magazine of Internet Marketing" - works hard on this question and provides a weekly rundown on its discoveries. Offering critiques of existing business sites and a series of feature articles on such topics as whether ad banners are really worth it, the site provides a critical analytical voice about what's happening in business online. It has a lot of useful advice for would-be online marketers; be warned, though: you'll have to wade through a liberal sprinkling of typos to get it. A particularly helpful section is Ratings & Reviews. Courtesy of the Frames tag, you embark on a critical and thorough tour of various business sites on the Web, chosen according to the "marketing lessons they offer." One frame shows the site in question, while another contains Who's Marketing Online's commentary/critique. The scrutiny is divided into four parts: First Impressions gives you a sense of how an "average" net surfer (whatever that is) would see the site; Online Bottomline is "an analysis of the site's marketing effectiveness"; What We'd Like to See, a list of recommended site enhancements; and Online Ratings offers a breakdown according to eight aspects of the site (home page, access time, page design, conceptual design, navigational design, graphics, interactivity, forms & scripting, site benefits, and an overall rating). When I visited, sites being reviewed included 475 Madison Avenue, Benchin, Adoption Network, Leggs Online, The Daily Muse, and Baked Lays. The site also includes a BiZ Tip of the Day (learn JavaScript and utilize it to keep your site fresh); feature articles; a list of five Web marketing resources that's updated weekly; and a Web Makeovers section, which gives the visitor a chance to "share your insights, opinions, and the �how-to's' you used to improve the overall quality of your Web site." The site's creator says he will choose selected submissions either for an upcoming book he's writing, called*Web Makeovers*, or for the site itself. (Nothing like using your Web site to promote your book.) If you're not sure if this is worth your time, consider some of these kernels of wisdom, plucked from the site: "The Web itself may be a technology-driven medium, but Web marketing is still driven by product and customer. That means you have to know who you're selling to and design the site accordingly," or "How do we define success? We don't. Because every site has its own definition. Whether it's generating online sales, improving customer service, conducting targeted online market research, strengthening your corporate image or boosting product recognition, your definition of success is the only one that counts." Tell that to your boss.
Content: NULL
Aesthetic: NULL
TechnoSmart: NULL
Author: Minda Sandler
WorldNet In-Between
WorldNet Online claims to have a resource page listing architects and interior designers (U.S.? world? they don't say), but even the plain-alpha listing only gives you the text, not hotlinks or any company names. Nor are there cities, client listings, or firm size info. When I checked, you could only find listings by firm name; the index by specialty brought me the dreaded "404 Not Found" message. The folks who made this are in desperate need of Web architects and interior designers before they hang out their shingle.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 1
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Karen Wickre
douglas gerlach's invest-o-rama
Who is Doug Gerlach? Don't know, but his appealing and useful personal investment site is a boon to anyone who plays the market or is just getting started on a portfolio. Mysteriously, there isn't any info on Doug's credentials, but the guy seems on target. Excellent organization takes you to a monthly growth stock to watch, a variety of feature articles, an "Ask Doug" Q&A, lots of topical meta-links, info on dividend reinvestment plans, and a place to add your own links. Doug, tell us who you are so we can thank you properly.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Karen Wickre