sree.net > tips > newsletters > July 2001

Sree Tips
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From Sreenath Sreenivasan
Columbia University journalism professor
WABC-TV's "Tech Guru" on Thursday mornings in NYC area
[ Tech Guru text archives at http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/technology/ ]

http://www.sree.net/ * mailto:sreetipsreax@sree.net

Sree Tips Newsletter
July 2001: http://www.sree.net/tips/2001july.html

A free monthly newsletter of tips and tricks about useful and/or fun Web sites.
Archive: http://www.sree.net/tips

Subscribe: sreetips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (just one message a month)
 Feedback: sreetipsreax@sree.net

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Greetings, and welcome to the latest issue of the "Sree Tips" newsletter. As you may know, the newsletter started as an offshoot of the "Smarter Surfing: Better Use of Your Web Time" workshops I teach around the U.S. and abroad: http://www.sree.net/web

This month's newsletter has been delayed by a few days as I have been traveling in Europe. I am writing from Vienna where my wife and I are on holiday in between teaching stints at the Centers for Independent Journalism in Hungary and Slovakia: http://www.sree.net/teaching/cij

Browse the links and tips below -- they are a little less U.S.-centric than usual (there's also a link that parents might find unsuitable for young children). As always, I look forward to YOUR tips, feedback and suggestions: sreetipsreax@sree.net Among this month's tipsters: Mervin Block, Bob Drudge, Mindy McAdams and Barney Southin.

Why wait a month for the next newsletter? Visit the constantly updated "Smarter Surfing" links at http://www.sree.net/tips/web.html

{Cheers, Sree}

NEW-ISH USEFUL SITES...
(sites I find useful in some way)

  • Internet Public Library's Pathfinders -- research guides
    http://www.ipl.org/ref/QUE/PF/
    These are guides for various topics from staff of the University of Michigan's Internet Public Library (IPL). Subjects range from "how things work" to "beginner's guide to mutual funds" to "budget travel." They provide annotated suggestions for each subject, both Internet resources and -- gasp! -- books from your local li    brary. If you haven't checked out other parts of the IPL yet, this is a good time to do so. I wish I had visited the Mozart section of its "Guide to Western Composers and their Music" before coming to Vienna -- http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/mushist/

  • The Economist's Country Guides -- information on various nations
    http://www.economist.com/countries/
    The site of The Economist magazine (sorry, "newspaper," as it likes to call itself) offers briefings on 60 countries. The backgrounders include profiles, financial statistics, news updates and suggested Internet resources for each country -- all from the unique viewpoint of this respected British publication. Most of the information is available free of charge, with premium content marked with a E+.

  • HistoryWorld -- explaining history
    http://www.historyworld.net/
    This British Web site says it is helping to "make history make sense." And that it does quite well, providing articles, both short and in-depth, on world history. I especially liked the interactive nature of the timelines and the virtual tours through various events.

ENCORE: Last month's NEW-ISH USEFUL SITES
from http://www.sree.net/tips/2001june.html

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NEW-ISH FUN sites...
(proof "fun" is a subjective word)

  • Naked News -- anchors who bare all (MATURE CONTENT; not for readers under 18)
    http://www.nakednews.com/
    The fact that such a site exists shouldn't come as too much of a surprise: TV-style news delivered by nude newscasters. That's right, the anchors bring you the world as they strip on camera. This is no news parody: they are reading the same sort of serious international news items you might hear on your local network, but the presenters just happen to be completely nude (the microphones are placed strategically on necklaces and scarves). Even if you don't visit it -- my description may suffice for most of you -- the site is another example of how weird parts of the Web can be. I was awaiting the arrival of male anchors to write about the site. Now both genders are represented for some equal-opportunity debasement of the news business. [I didn't take lightly the decision to highlight a site that many may find offensive (and this newsletter does have some young-ish readers). Only after talking to some high school students who seemed to know all about this site anyway did I think it was all right to put it here. Besides, Naked News has been featured in various other media outlets. I can't imagine I will be doing something similar anytime soon.]

  • I Go U Go -- travel journals from around the world
    http://www.igougo.com
    This site contains international travel journals by leisure travelers. Some of the journals are surprisingly well-written and engrossing. There is plenty of practical information here in addition to the musings. Check out the resources section for travel checklists, cybercafe locators and weather information.

  • Guardian Unlimited's Books Top 10s -- unique book lists
    http://books.guardian.co.uk/top10s
    This is different from other lists of "top 10" books you might have seen. England's Guardian newspaper has put together on its site (known as Guardian Unlimited) a collection of favorite-book lists by experts and celebrities. Each person provides a list of 10 books on a certain subject and insight into why they chose those books. There's Jeffrey Archer, the novelist turned politician, and his 10 favorite political books; Simon Schama, the celebrated historian, and his 10 favorite history books; and Malcom Gluck, the Guardian's wine writer, and his 10 favorite wine books. Who would have guessed that Mohamed al Fayed, the father of Princess Diana's boyfriend (and chairman of Harrods), would be featured here and that he would have three books dealing with Thomas Paine, the 18th-Century political writer, among his 10 favorites? 

ENCORE: Last month's NEW-ISH FUN SITES
from http://www.sree.net/tips/2001june.html

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MY DEFAULT SUCH & SUCH...
(my starting points for various things; may change monthly)

Search Engine:
Google
http://www.google.com/
The best search engine out there. 'Nuff said. But here's Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal on Google: "...simply the best search site I've ever used." If you know Walt's work -- and you should be following it religiously at http://ptech.wsj.com/ -- you know that he doesn't hand out such praise often. Be sure to download the free Google toolbar; it will change the way you search: http://toolbar.google.com/

Reference Site:
Refdesk
http://www.refdesk.com/
Excellent reference site. Don't just take my word for it. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told The New York Times this is his favorite Web site. Run by Bob Drudge, Matt's dad (though Refdesk doesn't run rumors).

Encyclopedia:
Britannica.com
http://www.britannica.com/
Yep, the Encyclopedia Britannica on the Web (as well as selected articles from 70 major magazines), free of charge. For now.

Atlas:
National Geographic's Map Machine
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
Leave it to National Geographic to make the best online atlas with these dynamic maps that will take you to any spot you choose and allow you to change what kind of map you see, on the fly. Did you know there are three towns named Santa Claus in the U.S. or that my grandfather's village in India is an easy find? (For U.S. driving directions, MapQuest <http://www.mapquest.com/> remains the best site.)

Dictionary:
Merriam-Webster
http://www.m-w.com/
In offices, dictionaries grow legs and walk. Hence an online dictionary is a must. This one addresses a major problem I have had with traditional dictionaries: You need to know how to spell a word before you look it up. Not here. Just punch in an approximation, and it will give you a suggested list. And nice etymology.

Media Goings-on:
Jim Romenesko's Media News
http://www.medianews.org/
Hosted by Poynter.org, this is news-junkie heaven. I read it more often and more closely than any other site.

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SELF-PROMOTION...

Must-Sree TV
http://www.7online.com/technology
My "Tech Guru" segments on WABC-7 in the New York City area run every Thursday morning on Channel 7 at 6:45 (yes, that's the a.m.). This is a link to archived Web versions of my segments, and includes various "sites of the week."

Sree Tips -- the Web page
http://www.sree.net/tips
Links to my tips and thoughts on various items, including digital cameras, Web production and more.

"Smarter Surfing" Workshops
http://www.sree.net/web
Smarter surfing for people of all skill levels. Interested in scheduling a class for you and your colleagues? Learn more.

Sree Talks
http://www.sree.net/talks
List of forthcoming talks and presentations in various cities.

Content is Still King: Lesson from the Online Journalism Awards
http://www.sree.net/talks/c&w.html
A keynote speech I gave at the "Computers & Writing" conference in May at Ball State University.

Info Overload & Moi
http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/columnists/mediasavvy/savvy1.htm
An essay for USAToday.com on dealing with information overload (yes, I am a major info polluter).

[Reprint requests: reprints@sree.net]

That's it for now.

Remember, you can track my "Smarter Surfing" links at http://www.sree.net/tips/web.html

See you (your inbox, actually) next month.

Cheers, Sree
http://www.sree.net/

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Copyright 2001 Sree.net

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sree.net > tips > newsletters > July 2001



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