The Scout Report - November 20, 1998

The Scout Report

November 20, 1998

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists (plain text or HTML). Subscription instructions are included at the end of each report.

An Acrobat .pdf version of this report is available for printing and distributing locally. For information on Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe site.

In This Issue:

Subject Specific Reports

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

Where Are They Now

Subject Specific Reports

Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/socsci/
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/bus-econ/
The fifth issues of the second volumes of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. The In the News section of the Social Sciences Report annotates nine resources on Indonesia's Struggle for Democracy. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section annotates twelve resources on the recent Tobacco Settlement Proposal. [MD]
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Research and Education

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics -- 25th Anniversary Edition [.pdf]
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/
Hosted by the University of Albany, the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (described in the November 29, 1996 Scout Report) contains more than 600 tables from over 100 sources on all aspects of criminal justice in the US. The data, which reflect the latest published edition, Sourcebook 1997, are organized in six sections, each of which is prefaced by an introduction written by a guest author. Each section may be downloaded in its entirety (in .pdf format), or users can call up individual tables via a keyword search. An additional resource at the site is an essay on the past and future of criminal justice information written by Christopher S. Dunn, Director of the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the University of Michigan. The Sourcebook is an annual publication, but updates are continually made throughout the year, and they will be added to the site and announced in the What's New section, which also points to new data sources available elsewhere on the Internet. [MD]
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United Nations Human Rights Website -- Treaty Bodies Database
http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf
This database was created "to meet the growing interest in the committees established to monitor the implementation of the principal international human rights treaties (also referred as 'treaty monitoring bodies' or 'treaty bodies')" such as the Human Rights Committee, the Committee Against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child. These committees are responsible for examining the "State reports" submitted by signatories to the various treaties to demonstrate their compliance. These reports and the concluding observations by the committees form the core of the database, which also contains a number of other related documents and data. Users may search the database by keyword and view results by relevance or date or browse by a variety of parameters, such as country, date, language, treaty, reporting status, or status of ratification. Documents may be in English, French, or Spanish. [MD]
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World War I History Commission Questionnaires [.tif]
http://eagle.vsla.edu/wwi/
In 1928, the Library of Virginia inherited a mass of materials from the Virginia War History Commission, which had spent the previous eight years gathering information on Virginia's participation in World War I. Included in this material were over 14,900 four-page questionnaires from a survey of WWI veterans in Virginia. The Library of Virginia has digitized these survey forms and created a free, fully-searchable database. Users have three search options: by word or phrase, combination, and expert/boolean. Search returns offer basic information on each individual, and users must follow the link at the bottom of the page to download the digitized images (in .tif format) of the questionnaire forms. In some cases, respondents submitted photos or additional pages with their forms and these are included in the database. [MD]
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American Memory: Background Papers and Content Information
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ftpfiles.html
With this site, newly updated and reorganized, the Library of Congress continues to share its experience in the digitization of images, text, maps, sound files, and movies. In addition to American Memory White papers (some previously described in the August 7, 1998 Scout Report), which are technical papers based on the experience gained during the American Memory Pilot Project, the site also includes a variety of resources to help any library or institution embarking on a digitizing project, such as sample Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for scanning and text conversion services, the National Digital Library Project Planning checklist, final reports, workshop proceedings, and recommendations. Also included are some background readings produced outside the Library of Congress on the concept of creating digital library collections. [DS]
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The Journal for MultiMedia History [RealPlayer]
http://www.albany.edu/jmmh/
The Department of History at the State University of New York at Albany has recently released the inaugural issue of The Journal for MultiMedia History, "the first peer-reviewed electronic journal that presents, evaluates, and disseminates multimedia scholarship." This new journal is an ambitious and much-welcomed departure from traditional academic historical publishing. The first issue explores three different intersections of multimedia and history scholarship and pedagogy. The feature articles, scholarly and engaging in themselves, make full use of the format by including numerous images and RealPlayer audio selections. The second section includes two articles exploring the impact and potential of the Internet in the history classroom, offering numerous links to examples. The third section of the issue consists of detailed and illustrated reviews of multimedia resources from the Internet, film, and video. Finally, the issue offers a selective collection of annotated links to related sites. [MD]
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Sustainable Development/Economics Homepage
http://www.colby.edu/personal/thtieten/sustain.html
Tradable Permits Bibliography
http://www.colby.edu/personal/thtieten/tradable_permits.htm
Compiled by Tom Tietenberg, Professor of Economics, Colby College, this page offers an extensive bibliography of works on ecological economics and sustainable development. Bibliography headings include Economic Incentives Policies, Population, Energy and Global Warming, and Biodiversity and Wildlife Management, among others. Student case study assignments are also available with references to additional texts, and a list of sustainable development links completes the site. Interested parties may also view Professor Tietenberg's Tradable Permits Bibliography at a separate address for review and comment. [MW]
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Art Images for College Teaching (AICT)
http://www.mcad.edu/AICT/html/index.html
Allan T. Kohl of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design presents Art Images for College Teaching (AICT), "a royalty-free image exchange resource for the educational community." AICT images may be downloaded, and making derivative copies is permitted, as long as the images will be used for educational or personal purposes, not commercial. AICT on the Web consists of selections from a more extensive image collection on CD, arranged in five broad chronological sections: Ancient, Medieval Era, Renaissance & Baroque, 18th - 20th Century, and Non-Western cultures. AICT is still in development; for example, the 18th - 20th Century section currently contains several messages informing users "there is nothing here." Educational institutions and individuals who find this too limiting can rent entire image CDs. Already, AICT includes a great many of the images necessary for teaching art history courses. One helpful feature is a concordance to about a dozen standard art history textbooks, allowing users to cross-reference AICT images to these books. [DS]
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TeleCampus [Frames, Java]
http://telecampus.edu/
TeleCampus is an outstanding online resource center for Internet-based distance education, serving the needs of students and instructors worldwide. The heart of this progressive site is the Online Course Database, which currently contains information on over 9,000 online courses offered by higher education institutions. The online courses are cataloged and indexed using IMS metadata (see the April 3, 1998 Scout Report), hence detailed, organized information is provided for every course in the database. Learners may link directly from a database record to a course Webpage at the corresponding educational institution for additional information. TeleCampus also maintains an administrative system that allows learners to apply, register, and pay for select courses through the TeleCampus Website. For educators, TeleCampus provides hundreds of helpful distance education links and several guides to online course development and instruction, including an online course template, enabling educators to construct course Websites quickly. TeleCampus is supported by the Canada/New Brunswick Regional Economic Development Agreement and sponsored by several agencies in both the public and private sectors. [AO]
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Population Profile of the United States: 1997 -- US Census [.pdf, 66p.]
http://www.census.gov/prod/3/98pubs/p23-194.pdf
On November 19, the Census Bureau released a report that combines "a wide range of sample survey and census data on demographic, social and economic trends for the nation." The report draws on a variety of recent Census Bureau reports, including the Current Population Survey, the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the Housing Vacancy Survey, and independent population estimates and projections. Contents include "sections on national and state population trends and projections; geographical mobility; school enrollment, educational attainment and post-secondary school financing; households and families; marital status and living arrangements; fertility, child care arrangements and child support; disability, program participation and health insurance; labor force and occupation; money income and poverty; race and Hispanic-origin populations; and the elderly population." The report is available for download in .pdf format only. [MD]
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General Interest

Tobacco Settlement Proposal
http://www.naag.org/tob2.htm
Provided by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), this site (mentioned in the November 19, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics) offers the full text of the recent historic tobacco settlement proposal. Negotiated by a team selected by the state Attorneys General and described by NAAG as mandating "the most significant legal reform in the tobacco industry and the largest financial recovery in the nation's history," this proposal would result in major reductions in tobacco advertising, especially ads aimed at children, fund a $1.5 billion anti-smoking campaign, grant access to previously hidden industry documents, and disband tobacco industry trade groups. In addition to the text of the proposal, the site contains a NAAG news release, overviews of the agreement and state dollars, a detailed breakdown of state dollars, and the text of the smokeless tobacco settlement agreement. [MD]
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Society for Underwater Exploration: Secrets of the Seas [JavaScript, RealPlayer]
http://www.underwaterdiscovery.org/
The Society for Underwater Exploration is a newly founded organization that sponsors the investigation and excavation of subaqueous archaeological sites worldwide. The society has recently launched a stunning Website that provides information about the society and chronicles the expeditions of Franck Goddio and his team of archaeologists. Currently, the site features the exploration and discoveries of the underwater ruins of the ancient city of Alexandria, submerged 1600 years ago by earthquake-induced tidal waves. The current expedition has uncovered the Palace of Cleopatra and many valuable artifacts, and has also led to the discovery of shipwrecks near Aboukir, Egypt. The sunken French ships, part of Napoleon Bonaparte's fleet, were destroyed in 1798 by Admiral Nelson's British fleet, during the battle of the Nile. The society has just begun excavating the wrecks, and will document the work. The society's site also includes video clips demonstrating the archaeological techniques used by their team, as well as an archive of past expeditions. [AO]
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Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present
http://bioguide.congress.gov/
First published in 1859 and most recently in 1989, this biographical guide to the more than 13,000 individuals who have served in the national legislature and Continental Congress has been updated through the 105th Congress and released online. The work of the Senate Historical Office and the Legislative Resource Center of the House of Representatives, under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House, this database will be continually updated as necessary. The new online version offers resources not available in previous editions, including images and information previously published in separate volumes. Users may search the database by name, position, and state. Planned additions to the site include additional search options, "links to repositories listed in the Guide to Research Collections," and links to related Websites. [MD]
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International Year of Older Persons
International Year of Older Persons (IYOP) 1999 -- United Nations (UN)
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/iyop/index.html
International Plan of Action on Ageing
gopher://gopher.un.org/00/ga/recs/46/91
Active Aging: A Lifetime of Good Health -- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
http://www.fda.gov/oc/olderpersons/
The UN has declared 1999 the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP), in recognition of the fact that the world's population is aging at an unprecedented rate. The UN hopes to encourage government policies and initiatives that address the associated issues. Throughout the world, more people are living longer; one projection is that by the year 2030, one-third of all adults in countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will be over the age of 60. The UN site is available in English, Spanish, and French and includes information on the current situation of older adults; UN Principles; International Plan of Action on Ageing; listing of IYOP activities and meetings planned by UN member countries, governments, and organizations; a conference calendar; statistics; and practical ideas that local and national governments can implement to improve the situation of older adults. The gopher site includes the full-text versions of the International Plan of Action on Ageing and UN Principles for Older Persons. As their contribution in the IYOP, the US FDA provides Active Aging: A Lifetime of Good Health, which contains over 30 articles for older adults that offer practical advice on how to maintain health as well as cope with age-related medical problems. Topics include Arthritis, Cancer, Nutrition, Food Safety, Medical Treatments, Osteoporosis, and Women's Health. Most articles are reprints, with revisions, from the FDA Consumer and include links to organizations and other related FDA publications. A few of the articles are available in Spanish. [GW]
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The United States of America: Rights for All Fatal Flaws: Innocence and the Death Penalty -- Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aipub/1998/AMR/25106998.htm
Amnesty International, which "unconditionally opposes the death penalty under all circumstances," has recently issued this report on the execution of wrongfully convicted and innocent people in the US. Since 1972, more than 75 men and women have been released from death rows, but serious questions have been raised about the guilt of a number of convicted and executed prisoners. In addition to the factors widely regarded as prejudicial to the defendant in any criminal trial, such as racism, poverty, or lack of education, death row inmates often find appeals particularly difficult because of the nature of the crimes involved. This report offers an overview of the main questions and problems related to sentencing the innocent to death row and offers several case histories and a set of recommendations. [MD]
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All About Jazz
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/
Self-described as "a magazine by jazz fans for jazz fans," this site offers a large number of resources for jazz lovers of any persuasion: straight ahead jazz, big band, fusion, acid, or latin. Users will find CD reviews and releases, recent concert information, interviews, topical articles, biographies, interviews, information on jazz's unsung heroes, a free email newsletter, discussion groups, and more. The site is strongest on musicians presently working and recording, and avid jazz fans will find the site and newsletter very valuable in keeping abreast of new artists and music. [MD]
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Three for Thanksgiving
ThanksgivingRecipe.com
http://www.ThanksgivingRecipe.com/
Thanksgiving with Reader's Digest
http://www.readersdigest.com/features/thanksgiving/
Club Yucky -- Have a Yucky Thanksgiving!
http://www.yucky.com/yuckykids/
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and these three sites offer a number of resources to help users cook, decorate, and keep the kids busy. Provided by Emergent Media, ThanksgivingRecipe.com features a database of recipes, searchable by keyword or ingredient and browseable by category or alphabetically. Additional resources include a Recipe Glossary, Recipe Exchange, Top Ten, Recipe Roulette, and links to Emergent Media's similar sites for cookie, cake, pie, and bread recipes. The Reader's Digest site contains 80 classic Thanksgiving recipes, vegetarian and breakfast ideas, tips on hosting, and some holiday projects and crafts. Club Yucky, a section of the Yuckiest Site on the Internet (described in the October 23, 1998 Scout Report), offers a number of holiday crafts and games and tasty recipes for kids. Users can also send a yucky e-card to friends. [MD]
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Network Tools

WS_FTP Pro v6.0
http://www.ipswitch.com/
WS_FTP Pro v6.0, from Ipswitch, Inc., is the latest version of the venerable WS_FTP client. WS_FTP Pro is one of the best and most well-known FTP clients available, and version 6.0 should only enhance its reputation. Outstanding among the improvements is the "Explorer Interface," which allows navigation and use of FTP sites via the familiar Windows file interface; sites are arranged as folders and icons, and remote files can be seamlessly drag-and-dropped onto the local hard drive. Other enhancements include new utilities that allow scripting, file synchronization, and file finding; a bookmark-like FTP site manager to organize frequently used FTP sites; and several other improvements. For anyone needing more advanced FTP capabilities than current browsers provide, WS_FTP Pro v6.0 is an excellent choice. WS_FTP Pro v6.0 is free to download and use for 30 days, after which time it can be purchased for $37.50 (previous users may upgrade for $9.95). [CL]
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Three Graphic Creation/Editing Programs for the Mac
http://www.microfrontier.com/products/index.html
It doesn't take a Photoshop expert to create attractive graphics for the Web. To prove this, the folks at MicroFrontier have released three graphic creation/editing packages for the Macintosh, each aimed at a different user level. All three applications support Photoshop 3.0 compatible plug-ins and basic features such as scanner support, image and resolution scaling, and basic image enhancement. Digital Darkroom (also available for Windows), aimed at graphic novices, has a number of features specifically geared for Web graphics. These include one-step extrusions, soft-edge drop shadows, and automatic image adjustment/enhancement. While file support is limited to JPEG, TIFF, BMP, and PICT, Digital Darkroom supports a built-in browser technology that allows users to view entire directories of graphics as a series of thumbnails. Color It! adds the ability to create animated GIFs, PNG, and progressive JPEG files, and client- and server-side image maps. It also supports an enhanced set of filters, fills, and imaging tools. Enhance, aimed at the graphics professionals, adds even more features, including multiple layers, opacity control, sixteen levels of undo, convolution filter effects, and CYMK support. A save-disabled demo version of each application is available at the MicroFrontier Website. Prices are $39.95, $49.95, and $100 respectively. [PMS]
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Netscape Open Directory
http://dmoz.org/
NewHoo!, a community-maintained search engine started in June, has just been purchased by Netscape and is now dubbed the Netscape Open Directory. While Web surfers already have an abundance of search engine options, Open Directory distinguishes itself through its method more than its content. That is, sites are selected, categorized, and annotated by over 4,500 "volunteer editors." NewHoo! contained over 100,000 categorized Websites when acquired by Netscape, and content will surely grow. The site also offers information on volunteering as an editor and using copies of the directory. "Netscape will offer a special license, similar to the mozilla.org open source code development license, to allow individuals and organizations to take advantage of and use copies of the directory that they can crawl, archive and reuse on their machines." [TK]
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Where Are They Now

Volume 2, Number 29, November 17, 1995
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/.html
Jumbo! Download Network
http://www.jumbo.com/
When first reviewed, the Jumbo! site contained approximately 24,000 shareware and freeware programs in a variety of categories. The site now boasts over 300,000 freeware and shareware titles in sixteen different categories, including Desktop Publishing, Games, Fonts, Internet, Music, Developer City, and Multimedia. Users can browse by category or search a selected category or the entire site by keyword. Brief descriptions of programs and their file size are provided, as well as additional documentation when available. Additional resources include a New Content Gallery and a daily mailing list. [MD]
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From the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1998.
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