The Scout Report - March 29, 1996

March 29, 1996

A Publication of Internet Scout
Computer Science Department, University of Wisconsin

A Project of the InterNIC

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators, the InterNIC's primary audience. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists (plain text or HTML) or visit the Web version of the Scout Report. Subscription instructions are included at the end of each report.
http://rs.internic.net/scout/report

Send comments and contributions to: scout@cs.wisc.edu

National Science Foundation grants available
The National Science Foundation has announced a new "Connections to the Internet" program. The new grant program will encourage U.S. research and education institutions and facilities to connect to the Internet and to establish high performance connections to support selected meritorious applications. It updates and revises NSF 90-7, Connections to NSFNET, and includes three connections categories: a) connections for K-12 institutions, libraries, and museums that utilize innovative technologies for Internet access; b) new connections for higher education institutions; c) connections for research and education institutions and facilities that have meritorious applications with special network requirements (such as high bandwidth and/or bounded latency) that cannot readily be met through commodity network service providers. Grantees will be expected to collaborate with their campus, regional and national providers on these issues and may or may not make use of the vBNS as part of their connection. The first round of proposals is due at NSF by May 15, 1996. After that, grant rounds will take place twice a year, on Jan. 31 and July 31. For details see the Web site below for the full announcement offered in multiple formats, and a Frequently Asked Questions document. Or contact Mark Luker, NSF, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1175, Arlington, VA 22230, telephone 703 306-1949, or at mluker@nsf.gov, and ask for instructions to submit a proposal for the Internet Connection Grants.
http://www.cise.nsf.gov/ncri/connect96.html
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Colorado River Flooding in the Grand Canyon
The controlled flood of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon can be monitored in real time on the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Web site. Starting on March 26 and continuing for seven days, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is releasing approximately 45,000 cubic feet of water per second from Glen Canyon Dam. Line graphs of provisional stream flow data at 15 sites in Arizona are being made available in real time on the Internet via satellite telemetry technology. "This controlled flood will provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the usefulness of the real-time network during flooding conditions." Historical stream flow data is also available, as are calculated hydrographs, channel sand data, and detailed fact sheets on the rationale of the study and data collection methods.
http://wwwdaztcn.wr.usgs.gov/flood.html
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Mad Scientist Network
The Mad Scientist Network, provided by Washington University at St. Louis Medical School, is a Web based "ask a scientist" forum. You ask a question, and a scientist answers it. Answers are usually concise. The expert scientists include high school teachers, university faculty, and others. Both questions and answers are submitted via Web forms. A browsable and searchable question and answer archive is maintained. Scientists interested in joining the Mad Scientist Network will find information at the site. The Mad Scientist Network is part of the St. Louis Science Education Network.
http://medinfo.wustl.edu/~ysp/MSN/
Scientists interested in participating:
http://medicine.wustl.edu/~ysp/MSN/join/
List of "Mad Scientists":
http://medicine.wustl.edu/cgi/cgiwrap.cgi/~ysp/mad/mad.scilist
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Opportunity Alert, from the Federal Information Exchange
Opportunity Alert is a free e-mail service that delivers items about research and education funding opportunities within a user's areas of interest. A forms based questionnaire is provided that allows the user to customize the items received by choosing keywords from among thirteen subject categories. Once this registration procedure is completed, announcements of funding opportunities are automatically delivered via e-mail. The announcement includes information about the funding and a pointer to the FEDIX URL with complete information. A service of the Federal Information Exchange, Opportunity Alert is an excellent way to keep appraised of FEDIX's funding opportunities for research and education.
http://www.sciencewise.com/foa/
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Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences, Revised
The "10th Revision Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences," by Diane K. Kovacs and the Directory Team, is now available. "E-conference" is the umbrella term that includes discussion lists, Internet interest groups, Usenet newsgroups, forums, and other networked conferencing methods. New in the 10th Revision are the text-based virtual reality systems known as MUDS, MOO'S, Muck's, Mushes, etc. that are used primarily for scholarly, pedagogical or professional activities. " Scholarly e-conferences in over 50 subjects, from agriculture to women's studies, are available. Discussion names, topics, and access instructions are provided in each citation.
http://www.n2h2.com/KOVACS/
gopher://gopher.usask.ca:70/11/Computing/Internet%20 Information/Directory%20of%20Scholarly%20Electronic%20Conferences
gopher to: gopher.usask.ca
Select: Computing/Internet Information/Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences
Email access instructions to the Directory can be found in the "What is Directory" file at the Web site (under "How to Access"), or under the "Read Me" menu at the gopher site.
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University Wire
University Wire is a daily Internet news service for college newspapers. Included are a story of the day, a large list of pointers to Internet resources in topics such as current headlines, politics, medicine and health, and women's resources; a "Kopyedit Korner," with pointers to writing reference materials; a placement center with job openings lists for college journalists; a large selection of pointers to college newspapers; and pointers to general circulation newspapers. Pointers to student and professional journalism organizations, as well as a calendar of journalism related events, are also provided. University Wire is a service of The Main Quad.
http://www.uwire.com/
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The Psychology of the Internet: Research & Theory discussion list
http://mentalhelp.net/mlists/research/about.htm
Archives
http://mentalhelp.net/mlists/research/
The Psychology of the Internet: Research & Theory discussion list will discuss research and theory on the psychology of the Internet. The topics that are appropriate to this list are broadly defined, but can include such things as: how to conduct psychological research via the Internet; theory behind virtual support groups; on-line psychotherapy; "Internet Addiction Disorder"; and the psychology of various on-line phenomenon, such as flame wars, relationships, etc. All who are interested in participating in this type of discussion are encouraged to subscribe. It is polite to send an introductory message to the list introducing yourself, a little bit about your background, and what you might hope to gain from participation on the list. Subscription information and archives are available at the above URLs.
Send email to:LISTPROC@CMHC.COM
In the body of the message type:
SUBSCRIBE RESEARCH yourfirstname yourlastname
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The Global Library exhibit at the New York Public Library
The Global Library, a New York Public Library real and virtual exhibit in honor of the library's centennial, is underway now and until August 17. In the words of the exhibit's curator, Paul Evan Peters of the Coalition for Networked Information, "...it presents the digital revolution within the context of a 5,000 year history of communications... and a timeline of seminal moments in the history of humankind's collective memory of accumulated knowledge and received wisdom." The virtual exhibit features an explanation of the Web site, "Collective Memory", a multimedia exhibit that covers such subjects as "Leaving a Mark," "Honoring Ideas," "Books," "Moveable Type," "Technology and Culture," and "Promoting Creativity," among others; an eclectic tour of over 100 Web sites from A to Z; and a "Questions about the Future" section, featuring interactive bulletin boards on six topics. Suggested reading lists are available in both the "Collective Memory" and "Questions About the Future" sections. For those who will be in New York between now and August 17, 1996, exhibit hours and information are available.
http://globallib.nypl.org/
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Life on the Internet (PBS)
The "Age of the Internet" has arrived and already it touches virtually every aspect of life - from medicine and religion to entertainment and publishing. It has affected the way people communicate and how they relate to one another, and has raised sensitive issues of privacy and national security. In April 1996 (check local listings), PBS presents LIFE ON THE INTERNET, a new 13-part series about the World Wide Web and the millions of people who use it every day. Each half-hour episode centers on a single topic, approaching it with depth and focus. Scott Simon of National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Saturday" hosts.
http://www.pbs.org/internet/
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Partnerships Against Violence (PAVNET)
Pavnet Online, the Web site of Partnerships Against Violence, is a U.S. government interagency resource created to provide information about effective violence prevention initiatives. Included are 100 federal and foundation funding sources, 500 program descriptions and contact sources, and 300 consultation and training programs. Also provided are resource and curriculum guides, pointers to other criminal justice sites, and violence resources. In addition, PAVNET sponsors an email discussion group to help determine its future direction. The Pavnet Online Web site is an enhancement to an existing, searchable Pavnet gopher site.
http://www.pavnet.org/
Pavnet discussion list: http://www.nalusda.gov:8001/cgi/bin/lwgate/pavnet
Or send email to: majordomo@nalusda.gov
In the body of the message type:
subscribe pavnet
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Mad Cow Disease
Mark Varner, Extension Dairy Scientist at the University of Maryland, is providing a Web page of links on bSE, Spongiform Encephalopathies -- Mad Cow Disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human brain disease that has been linked to Mad Cow disease. The page consists of resources organized by country -- UK, US, and Canada -- and scientific background on bSE and CJD.
http://dairy.umd.edu/varner/bse.html
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High Bandwidth Page
The High Bandwidth Page is a good starting point for those who have decided it's time they learn more about all the hoopla surrounding high-bandwidth Internet access, especially to the home. The page provides links to extensive information about cable modems, ISDN, and the newest group of letters to hit the Net: ADSL. Also provided are sections on video telephones and general articles related to high bandwidth. A good individual effort by Gary Zaret.
http://www.specialty.com/hiband/
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The Masters Tournament
Masters96.com, presented by the Augusta Chronicle and Sports Illustrated Online, lets the user virtually follow this year's Masters Golf Tournament and provides extensive information about golf as well. When the Masters gets underway on April 11, updated leaderboards will be provided. At present it provides leaderboards from tournaments currently underway. A photo and video archive of past Masters tournaments is available, as well as a hole by hole course tour of Augusta National Golf Course. During the tournament daily RealAudio interviews will be available. The latest golf news is available as well as PGA statistics and Masters scoring records; a history of the tournament with stories from the Augusta Chronicle from 1934-1995 and from Sports Illustrated from 1955-1995; and stories on "legends of golf" such as Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. The site is accessible from any of three URL's.
http://www.masters96.com/
http://masters96.com/
http://pathfinder.com/@@Nk14ebJltwIAQAmu/si/masters96/
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The Whole Internet... By E-Mail
"Dr. Bob" Rankin has recently updated "The Whole Internet... By E-Mail," a comprehensive guide for using email to access all types of Internet sites. The guide provides examples of email access to information available on FTP, Gopher, WWW, Usenet, WAIS, Listserv, Finger, and "Directory Assistance" (Whois and Netfind) sites. If a user lacks full Internet connectivity but wishes to take advantage of the complete array of Internet resources, this guide is for them. It also provides instructions for accessing several miscellaneous Internet information sources via email, including dictionary lookup, sending a fax, sources of U.S. government information, Internet patent news service, currency conversion, virus protection software, and Internet Service Providers by area code. "The Whole Internet...By E-Mail" has been translated into over 25 languages. Foreign language access instructions are in the guide.
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-emailT
http://www.Austria.Eu.Net/iic/mailguid.htm
>Via email from the North or South America:
Send email to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
In the body of the message type:
send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email
>From Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia:
Send email to: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
In the body of the message type:
send lis-iis e-access-inet.tx
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NYNEX Interactive Yellow Pages
BigYellow, provided by NYNEX Information Technologies, is a U.S. national yellow pages phone directory of over 16 million businesses. The user can search by city, state, address, business category, and business name. Results provide name, address, and phone number. BigYellow is a work in progress, and some of its features, such as the business category feature, are not yet mature.
http://www.bigyellow.com/
Text only:http://s15.bigyellow.com/t_service/t_home.html
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New in the Scout Toolkit:
search.com--A "meta searcher" that allows you to search any of over 250 searching engines based on subject interest. Can be found under "Search Tools," "Searchable Indexes."
http://rs.internic.net/scout/toolkit/3b1-9.html

Four11--An email directory with over five million listings. Can be found under "Search Tools," "Specialized Directories."
http://rs.internic.net/scout/toolkit/3b4-13.html

Switchboard--An online national directory of 90 million residential and 10 million business phone numbers. Can be Found under "Search Tools," "Specialized Directories."
http://rs.internic.net/scout/toolkit/3b4-14.html

"The Whole Internet... By E-Mail"--See above. Can be found under "Specialized Tools."
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Copyright Susan Calcari, 1996. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the Scout Report provided the copyright notice and this paragraph is preserved on all copies. The InterNIC provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation: NCR-9218742. The Government has certain rights in this material.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, the National Science Foundation, AT&T, or Network Solutions, Inc.

The Scout Report - March 29, 1996

March 29, 1996

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

Scout Report and Scout Report HTML Subscription Instructions