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What Good is the Net?
``` I received fifty replies to my request for stories about the usefulness of the net. They were just terrific, really interesting, and I very much appreciate the time and thought that everyone invested in the project. Fortunately or unfortunately the messages totaled about 98Kbytes, too large to send out to the whole list, and so I have put them in the RRE Archives. You can retrieve the complete set by sending a message to the server that looks like this:
To: rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: archive send net
Those whose mailers cannot digest such a large message can retrieve the file in pieces by sending a series of three messages that look like this:
To: rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: archive send net-1
To: rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: archive send net-2
To: rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: archive send net-3
Just to give you an idea, I've enclosed a selection of messages here. But I definitely encourage you to send away for the complete set. You might find some of the pointers to specific net resources useful. Perhaps more importantly, though, I think it's time for us to conceptualize much more clearly for ourselves and others what we mean when we say that someone has found the net "useful". How does the net fit into people's lives? That is, how does the net fit into the relatively stable patterns of activities and relationships in someone's life? Perhaps this question has no single answer, or no ten answers. On the other hand, perhaps the stories can provide precedents that sharpen our awareness of other situations and explode some of the simplistic ideas that flourish in the absence of actual evidence.
Phil
Encl:
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 00:11:05 -0800
From: Jonathan Grudin
I use the free search engine at http://www.opentext.com:8080/omw-comp.html almost daily. It usually gets me what I want, in part because I have some sense what not to expect from it. I have used it to find email addresses, to locate long-lost friends or colleagues, to find documentation, and to get conference information, as well as to start research on specific topics. For example, when I decided it was time to look into Java and OpenDoc, I typed in these and "HotJava" and immediately got key documents and some interesting reviews. Junk is usually very easy to sort out, and the highest-ranked hits are usually what I want. For me it was the most revolutionary step since the Mosaic browser. The search engine has improved dramatically over the six months I've used it. Reportedly Lycos has more coverage but I haven't used it. The speed of the search engine means that there is no penalty for initially scoping the search too narrowly or too broadly. The interface isn't perfect but is nice. I've also used the somewhat notorious DejaNews server at http://dejanews.com/ and found it a potentially useful research tool, and given them minor help with the interface. But I've recently found it to be overwhelmed or otherwise inaccessible during the working day.
Jonathan Grudin grudin@ics.uci.edu
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 16:13:58 -0200 (GRNLNDDT)
From: Marcos Silva Palacios
Dear Phil, In response to your invitation, I would like to indicate three sites which for me ( as a journalist and university lecturer in Brazil) proved to be very useful: a) The first one is the Newslink: From there I can have access to over 500 online newspaper around the world. The URL is: http://www.newslink.com b)another one is a source for journalistic links (associations, courses, texts, etc). The URL is: http://www.cais.com/makulow/vlj.htmlnn c) and lastly I must mention Lycos, which I still think is one of the best search engines available, as it gives you, with each result in the search , a short abstract which helps to decide if it is worth paying a visit to that site or not. I do regard it as a very useful resource, specially when you are beginning a search and have no clues. The URL is: http://lycos.cs.cmu.edu
All the best.
Um grande abraco, Marcos Palacios Universidade Federal da Bahia- Brazil
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 95 17:08:41 EST
From: Caroline Wagner
I use the net every day for several hours for my work, but the most important use so far for me has ben a personal one: my daughter developed a strange skin condition last year, and the doctors we saw said there was nothing we could do about it. Just leave it alone. He gave us a thin pamphlet of information...so, I got on the net. I found a homepage with ther reference name of a listserver on this condition. Since then, I have gained deep insight into this condition, possible alternative treatments and nutritional approaches, and I have read stories that bring tears to my eyes for the courage and humanity they show. The group gathers at vitiligo@sjuvm.stjohns.edu. The people on the listserver write from all over the world, but as someone goes in for an experimental treatment, everyone wishes him/her well. We keep up with each other's children as the parents' try and deal with different treatments, and we discuss scientific research. It is most enlightening and enlarging. I would never have guessed that the net could do this, but I deeply appreciate this capability more than any other aspect of the net.
Caroline Wagner Alexandria, Virginia
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 12:46:54 -0500
From: Dina Luciano
Useful sites on the web...what a great question. I often ask this question when I make presentations to graduate students/educators.. the most frequest response is "webcrawler" or (fill in your own web search engine.) I'm always surprised because this indicates to me that after they've searched, there are few sites that they return more than once.
Web sites that I find particularly useful are:
1) event-based sites in NYC that help me locate performances, shows, movies, etc. Example is 777-Film (http://www.movielink.com/) or something similar for NYC which hasn't been created yet..it must be comprehensive, like the new TimeOut (print), or it won't work. In addition, sites that review events, movies, CD's etc are very useful
2) educational theory and design collections - I especially like Jamie McKenzie's site for Bellingham Public Schools (http://www.bham.wednet.edu/default.htm.) I visit this site when I want to collect information and forumulate ideas about designing collaborative and educational web-based activities.
3) the ultimate band list (http://american.recordings.com/wwwofmusic/ubl/ubl.shtml). This URL was not working this am when I tired, but I think this is one of the most useful sites for people who are into music and playing it. I have printed many songs from this site to learn on the guitar. Note also, I find sites with comprehensive lists of CD-Reviews also useful.
4) career.com (http://www.careerpath.com/) very, very helpful for someone looking for a job that would be advertised in newspaper. It would be better if companies (small and large) could post advertisements to the site as well, i.e., if it were not only big newspaper ads, since very few of total available jobs appear in newspapers.
5) Electronic Postcards (http://postcards.www.media.mit.edu/postcards/) With email as the most frequent use of online, it's been nice to add graphic elements. These engines need more work (postcard should be delivered right to the mailbox, instead of sitting a a web pick-up window.)
That's it. Looking forward to hearing what others have to say. In general, I find very, very little out there to go back to.
Dina Luciano
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 16:06:44 CST6CDT
From: "Larry A. Etkin"
The most valuable Internet resource for me right now is a
trouble-shooting listserv ( at "Majordomo@binc.net" SUBSCRIBE PDF-L
Your name
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Larry A. Etkin
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 13:40:42 -0500 From: rstuart@moose.uvm.edu (Ralph Stuart, University of Vermont) To: rre-maintainers@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: Re: The Next RRE Project: What Good is the Net?
Besides for some of the resources I have had a hand in developing on the Internet, the single most useful site on the net for me is the OSHA technical services site in Salt Lake City http://www.osha-slc.gov. This site includes most of the contents of the internal OSHA databases that include the text of the OSHA regulations, standard interpretations of these regulations and data on OSHA activities. I use this site frequently to research various regulatory issues that arise in my job and I am usually pleasantly surprised to find more information there than at my last visit. I hope that the rest of the government's web offerings are as helpful to interested professionals as this site is to safety professionals.
Ralph Stuart Chemical Safety Coordinator University of Vermont 655 Spear St. Burlington, VT 05405
rstuart@moose.uvm.edu
Owner: SAFETY list lepc list
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 95 10:14:00 GMT
From: "Rust, Chris"
Phil,
My favourite and most useful net resource is the IDFORUM industrial design mail list. This is a very specific interest group in that virtually everybody in it is a practising and/or teaching designer, there is a high signal to noise ratio and virtually no computer content. Discussion is always interesting, thoughtful and generally non-technical and there is a clear sense of colleague-ship amongst the members, even when they come to (virtual) blows. It is exactly what a discussion list should be.
Although it is self-sustaining today, I feel that the list owner, Maurice Barnwell, put a lot of work in early on, acknowledging and encouraging contributions, which fostered an active culture as opposed to some other design lists which are more technical and passive in their operation. The IDFORUM list is particularly helpful in such a small and scattered profession, it is my first port of call for professional contacts and it is a dull day when I don't get at least one or two thought-provoking messages.
Subscription message to:
listserv@yorku.ca
message: subscribe idforum
Chris Rust (c.rust@shu.ac.uk) ```
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