The Scout Report

April 10, 1998

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

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). 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.

Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics, KIDS Report
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/
K.I.D.S Report
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/KIDS/
The fourteenth issues of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. Each Report annotates over twenty new and newly-discovered Internet resources. The In the News section of the Social Science Report annotates five resources on the political shake-up In Russia. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section annotates nine resources related to the US credit union vs. bank controversy. The latest KIDS report, produced by students of Nederland Elementary School in the Boulder Valley School District, located in Nederland, Colorado, annotates seven resources pertaining to Amazing Animals. [JS]
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NBER Working Paper Access
http://papers.nber.org/
Latest Working Papers
http://www.nber.org/new.html
The National Bureau of Economic Research (discussed in the September 22, 1995 Scout Report) has recently begun to make its working papers available via the Internet. Papers are available from September 1994 on in either Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format (scanned page images--print quality varies), or page images at various resolutions. Note that there can be a delay between the time of publication and availability. Papers can be accessed via Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification, any of seventeen NBER topical programs, or a search interface. During this "test period" (ending in Summer 1998), papers are free to subscribers to the print series and everyone else except residents of countries that are members of OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development--as of 1991) or OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). Note that interested users must have reverse name lookup enabled on their network. [JS]
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Federal Resources for Educational Excellence--US Dept. of Education
http://www.ed.gov/free/
FREE is a new US Department of Education meta-site that acts as a gateway to US government sites that can be used as teaching tools or resources. It is highlighted by a searchable and browsable (ten subjects from arts to vocational education) interface to hundreds of government resources. For example, the science section points to resources from the US Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and US Geological Survey, among others. Arts contains educational resources from the Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, National Archives and Records Administration, and Smithsonian Institution, among others. FREE is a handy way for teachers to quickly find useful government sites that can be put to work in the classroom. [JS]
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RAND Classics
http://www.rand.org/publications/classics/
The RAND Corporation has recently added selections from the writings of Albert Wohlstetter to its well known RAND Classics site. Wohlstetter "was a mathematical logician and senior staff member at RAND in the 1950s and 1960s.... His studies led to the 'second-strike' and 'Fail-Safe' concepts for deterring nuclear war. These and other methods reduced the probability of accidental war." At present, 24 selections are available, ranging from 1952 to 1970. More are forthcoming. In addition to Wohlstetter's writings, RAND Classics contains eleven of Paul Baran et al's twelve volume On Distributed Communications (1968), RAND's A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates (1955), and Toward an Ethics and Etiquette for Electronic Mail (1985), by Norman Z. Shapiro and Robert H. Anderson. [JS]
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DELTA (DEscription Language for TAxonomy)
http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/
The DELTA format is a flexible method for encoding taxonomic descriptions for computer processing. DELTA format data can be used to produce natural-language descriptions, keys, classifications (cladistic and phenetic), and systems for interactive identification and information retrieval. The site, a compendium of information about the topic, including links to programs and documentation, is supported by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's (CSIRO) Entomology Program. [JS]
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SYMBOLS.com--Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms
http://www.SYMBOLS.com/
Provided by HME Media, this site is an online version of Carl G. Liungman's Thought Signs (1975), an encyclopedia of graphic symbols. The site contains more than 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. Ranging from Cro-Magnon carvings in mammoth teeth to hobo signs and subway graffiti, the signs are explained and examined in 1,600 articles. Users may search for the meaning or history of a sign in the Graphic Index or use the Word Index to find an ideogram with a certain meaning. [MD]
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Lexicon--Semiconductor Terms Dictionary
http://rel.semi.harris.com:80/docs/lexicon/
From acceptor to Zener diode, this dictionary, provided by Harris Semiconductor, allows quick access to brief definitions of semiconductor terms. Along with definitions, explanations are given of the meanings of acronyms. Hyperlinked cross references are available. Unfortunately, no search engine is provided. [JS]
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Social Research Update
http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/About_sru.html
Social Research Update is a quarterly publication of the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey, UK. Its purpose is to help social researchers keep up to date with developments in their field. Each issue covers developments in one specific topic. Past Updates have covered such issues as focus groups, correspondence analysis, visual research methods, archiving qualitative research data, and analyzing qualitative data by computer, among others. Each issue is accompanied by a bibliography for further research. [JS]
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NCTE Readers Club
http://www.ncte.org/chat/readclub.html
Other NCTE Mailing Lists
http://www.ncte.org/lists/
The US National Council of Teachers of English provides this site, which is a web interface to its Readclub-l mailing list. Readclub-l is a general mailing list about books and reading. The selection of books is wide open, and so are the discussions. Participants should "feel free to suggest works of fiction, poetry, criticism, philosophy, social commentary, [or] theory." Academic or popular books are welcome. Books are a source of discussion, but articles and even web sites will be also. NCTE also hosts eleven other mailing lists of interest to English teachers. [JS]
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General Interest

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians--PBS [Javascript, RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/
This PBS Frontline site, a complement to the series that recently aired on that network, contains a wealth of information about the contemporary world of Jesus. The site attempts to analyze a very religious topic in a very historical way, looking at how well archaeological evidence supports well known stories, and the historical accuracy of the gospels, among other features. It also examines the ultimate success of Christianity as a religion. Content is mostly in the form of interviews with religious and historical scholars. In addition, there are maps, a chronology, and a primary source collection. Selected audio segments of the show are available via RealPlayer and the entire transcript is forthcoming. [JS]
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Time 100: Choosing the Century's Most Influential People [Frames, RealPlayer]
http://www.pathfinder.com/time/time100/
This Time Warner Pathfinder (discussed in the November 11, 1994 Scout Report) Time Magazine site, released to coincide with a Time cover story of the same title, is the first in what is to be a five part site that will eventually cover 100 of the 20th Century's most influential people. At present the site contains profiles of 20 of the century's most influential "leaders & revolutionaries," including Margaret Sanger, Vladimir Lenin, Winston Churchill, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ayatolla Ruholla Khomeini, and the anonymous Chinese protester who blocked the tank in the Tienanmen Square protest in 1989. Stories about the personalities by such authors as Gloria Steinem, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Salman Rushdie, Elie Wiesel, and Stanley Karnow, among others, highlight the site. There is also a timeline of each personality, as well as a timeline of the century. For the personalities who were covered by Time, an original in-depth story from the Time archives is available. Forthcoming throughout 1998 and 1999 are sections on "entertainers & artists, builders & titans, scientists & thinkers, and heroes and inspirations." The site is also available in a Shockwave Flash version. [JS]
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United Nations Investigator Calls on United States to Halt Executions Until it Can Ensure Fairness and Impartiality in Use [of] Capital Punishment
http://www.unog.ch/news/documents/newsen/hr9821e.html
Commission on Human Rights Report
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu4/chrrep/98chr68a3.htm
54th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
http://www.unhchr.ch/news/chr98/54chr.htm
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (Bacre Waly Ndiaye of Senegal), in a report to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights 54th Session, has recommended that "the United States stop executions until it can ensure that death penalty cases are administered fairly and impartially, in accordance with due process." The recommendation is the result of an investigation that culminated in a visit by the Rapporteur to the US in September and October 1997. A press release explains the rationale behind the recommendation. Full text of the report the press release is based on is available at the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights site, along with other information about the Session, including a large number of documents about the status of human rights around the world. [JS]
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The Top 500 Corporations in America
Forbes 500
http://www.forbes.com/tool/toolbox/forbes500s/
Fortune 500
http://www.pathfinder.com/fortune/fortune500/
For those interested in top business lists, both Forbes and Fortune magazines have recently released their 1998 lists, based on 1997 performance, of the largest corporations in America. The Forbes site contains a "super 100" list, based on an aggregate of sales, net profits, assets, and market value ranking. In addition, users can retrieve a company list sorted by any of those individual rankings, or search by name, state, or industry type. There is also a link to a relevant Forbes story. The Fortune 500 ranking is based on annual revenue. In addition, it contains industry medians, top performers, and a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) list, among other features. Each company in each listing is hyperlinked to more information about that company. [JS]
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Books on the Social Aspects of Computing, 1996-1997
http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/recent-books.html
Philip E. Agre, Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, San Diego, and moderator of the Red Rock Eater (RRE) News Service (discussed in the November 15, 1996 Scout Report), maintains a giant bibliography of recent books on the "social, cultural, political, economic, business, literary, legal, and religious aspects of networking and computing." The bibliography has recently been updated to cover English language books published in 1996-97. It is a spare, un-annotated bibliography, but its power lies in the quality and number (over 300 at present) of books it covers. Note that the bibliography is not meant to be comprehensive, does not cover "technical books or directories," and is admittedly biased towards the maintainer's interests. [JS]
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CNCurrency.com
http://www.cncurrency.com/
CNCurrency.com is a new personal finance site developed by Conde Nast. The site moves beyond providing financial information into the realm of a lifestyle advisory service. Visitors seeking personal finance advice will find interesting articles in the Taking Stock section. The Net Worth section examines "how money defines us and how we express ourselves through our pocket books." Another section discusses how money affects relationships. Other features available at the site include several financial calculators and a glossary of financial terms. [THN]
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Swinging Through Time: The Graystone Museum and the Story of Detroit Jazz--IPL [RealPlayer, QuickTime]
http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/detjazz/
The well known Internet Public Library has recently added this site to its Exhibit Hall. The Graystone Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan was "a luxurious '20s temple to nightlife and that new music sweeping America -- jazz." The Graystone was demolished in 1980, but this site helps bring it, and the Detroit jazz scene, alive. The site contains the Detroit Jazz reading room, with five essays about the history of both Detroit jazz and the Graystone; four slide shows depicting the Detroit jazz scene from the 1920s to 1990s; selected RealPlayer cuts from six present day Detroit jazz artists; selected QuickTime videos of "drummist" Roy Brooks (accessible from About Swinging Through Time); a hyperlinked index to the names of bands and artists discussed or highlighted in various parts of the site; and information about the Graystone Museum in Detroit. [JS]
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The World Wide Web Consortium Issues MathML as a W3C Recommendation
http://www.w3.org/Press/1998/MathML-REC
MathML Specification
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-MathML/
On April 7, 1998 the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announced the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) specification as a W3C recommendation. MathML is a specification that is designed to aid in transmitting mathematical knowledge on the Internet. It is also "the first application of XML (Extensible Markup Language--discussed in the April 3, 1998 Scout Report) to be issued as a W3C Recommendation. The site contains the announcement of the recommendation, as well as information about MathML and a link to the specification itself. [JS]
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Chaffing and Winnowing: Confidentiality without Encryption
http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/~rivest/chaffing.txt
This paper, provided by Ronald L. Rivest, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, proposes a new method of computer message security. The method is called "chaffing and winnowing." Messages are broken up into packets and each packet is appended with a "message authentication code" (MAC). Then "chaff," fake packets with fake MACs, is intermingled with the true packets. The receiver of the message uses a secret code (shared with the sender) to "winnow" the chaff in order to receive the true message. Since this process does not involve encryption, it is proposed that it will circumvent "attempts by law enforcement to regulate confidentiality by regulating encryption." [JS]
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Digital Watermarks: New Tools for Copyright Owners and Webmasters
http://www.webreference.com/content/watermarks/
Concerned about copyright issues on the Internet? This article, geared toward webmasters, discusses and offers some solutions in the way of digital watermarking and tracking. Although universal standards have not yet been set for digital watermarking, software is currently provided by several companies which protects audio files and graphic images from piracy. Since this technology is relatively new, there are still many questions to be answered. Can digital watermarks survive alteration? What about tracking images within password protected websites? The article concludes by discussing the relationship of the US Copyright Law, the Internet, and digital watermarking. This article was written by Doug Isenberg, an attorney practicing intellectual property law at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta, and provided by webreference.com (discussed in the April 19, 1996 Scout Report). [TB]
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-1998. 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 Internet Scout Project provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. 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 or the National Science Foundation.

The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout

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The Scout Report - April 10, 1998

The Scout Report

April 10, 1998

New From Internet Scout

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

General Interest

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