The Scout Report - August 4, 2000

August 4, 2000

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.


In This Issue:

Subject Specific Reports

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

In The News


Subject Specific Reports

Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/2000/se-000802.html
Volume 3, Number 24 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates twelve resources on outbreaks of the West Nile Virus in the United States. [MD]
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Research and Education

Tobacco Company Strategies to Undermine Tobacco Control Activities at the World Health Organization -- WHO [.pdf]
http://filestore.who.int/~who/home/tobacco/tobacco.pdf
Released on August 2 by the World Health Organization (WHO), this 248-page report charges that leading tobacco companies undertook a long-running, sophisticated, and comprehensive effort to undermine the WHO's anti-smoking efforts worldwide. Based on industry documents that date back a decade, the report contends that tobacco companies attempted to use front organizations and groups to block the WHO, and even placed individuals with industry ties within WHO-affiliated groups. For the most part, the tobacco companies have not disputed the contents of the report, but claim that they no longer use such tactics. [MD]
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LC21: A Digital Strategy For the Library of Congress
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309071445/html/
This report, commissioned by the National Research Council and made available by the National Academy Press (last mentioned in the February 6, 1999 Scout Report) takes a hard look at the impact of digital information on the Library of Congress's traditional mission (and by implication, the mission of all US libraries) to collect, preserve, and make accessible the intellectual work of the American people. Even though the American Memory Website created by the Library of Congress is hugely successful and a national model for digitizing historical collections, the report points out that the problem of collecting and preserving materials that are "born digital" is far more urgent. New digital information is being created at a rapid pace, and much of it is more ephemeral than the paper-based materials now become digital at American Memory. The report not only outlines the problem clearly, but makes recommendations for action. For example, the report urges the Library to immediately define policies for collecting Websites created in the US, and to form a high-level planning group to develop digital preservation strategies. LC21 is fascinating reading for all crystal ball gazers concerned with the future of libraries. [DS]
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The Comprehensive Microbial Resource (CMR) Home Page -- TIGR
http://www.tigr.org/tigr-scripts/CMR2/CMRHomePage.spl
The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) has launched the searchable Comprehensive Microbial Resource (CMR), offering access to data from all (TIGR) genome sequences completed to date. From the Aeropyrum pernix K1 genome through Vibrio cholerae El Tor N16961, all genomes or subsets of each may be queried. The CMR includes the Omniome database containing sequences, annotations, and associated information "such as taxon and gram stain pattern, the structure and composition of their DNA molecules . . . and many attributes of the protein sequences predicted from the DNA sequence (such as pI and molecular weight)." Genome researchers will find this new CMR tool useful, as it allows users to mine completed genomes in ways not previously possible. [LXP]
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EurasiaNet
http://www.eurasianet.org/
Provided by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute, EurasiaNet is a new daily news and analytic service covering Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as developments in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia that bear on this region. Features include Today's Wires, which consolidates numerous stories from various outside sources and groups by them by nation; Eurasia Insight, Environment, and Business & Economics, three collections of analytical articles on various issues in the region; a regional datebook; and resource pages for each of the countries covered, which include basic facts, the latest news, and related links. EurasiaNet also offers book reviews, interviews, human rights articles, election watch, and a discussion forum. In addition, users can sign up to receive a weekly bulletin by email. Well-designed and quite comprehensive, this impressive site should find ready use among scholars, students, and journalists interested in Central Asia and the Caucasus. [MD]
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On-Line Survey of Audio-Visual Resources for Classics
http://www.drjclassics.com/
Created and maintained by Dr. Janice Siegel of the Intellectual Heritage Program at Temple University, this handy site helps teachers and students find a wide variety of audio-visual resources for classics instruction and learning. These include Websites, CD-ROMs, audio CDs, films, slides, lectures on video, maps, posters, and transparencies, among others. The site indexes resources from both nonprofit and commercial entities, offers brief descriptions (including price), and whenever possible, links users to the appropriate online catalogs or order forms. The resources are organized under ten major topics with numerous subcategories. The amount and type of resources available under each category will, of course, vary widely. Though very few of the items listed here are free, the site is still a helpful resource, listing AV teaching tools for a wide variety of courses that focus on or involve Classical literature and history. [MD]
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Adaptive Technology for the Internet: Making Electronic Resources Available to All
http://www.ala.org/editions/openstacks/insidethecovers/mates/mates_toc.html
On July 24, the American Library Association (ALA) announced that the full text of Barbara Mates's best-selling book is now online and free to all users. Geared toward librarians planning for the accessibility of electronic resources, the book lays out how to "become ADA compliant, publicize efforts and welcome a new community of users to the library." Technologies covered include HTML coding for accessibility, screen readers, voice recognition systems, and hearing assistance devices. Offered by chapter in HTML format, this book is an invaluable resource for library staff and anyone interested in accessibility issues and electronic resources. [MD]
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TransHub - The Encyclopedia of Terminology
http://transhub.cjb.net/
Created and maintained by Michael Molin, this metasite and mailing list indexes a very large number of glossaries, dictionaries, and encyclopedias in a wide variety of disciplines. Aimed at translators, TransHub has considerable potential for almost any user. The index is navigated via a pull-down menu at the bottom of the browser window, which lists resources by category (General, Legal, Business, Computer, Technical, Science, Medical, and Social) and topic. After selecting a topic, users must click on the pull-down menu again to select individual resources. The front page also offers a number of links to major search engines. Clicking on the Enter graphic on the main page leads users to the archive of the TransHub mailing list, which apparently lists all the new additions to the site on a monthly basis. Here users can read the logs, subscribe, or perform a keyword search of the archives. Free registration is required to use this section, but not the index on the main site. [MD]
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General Interest

Three from American Memory -- LOC
History of the American West, 1860-1920
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/codhtml/
Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections, 1937-42 [RealPlayer, .mp3]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/flwpahtml/
Band Music from the Civil War Era [RealPlayer, .mp3]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwmhtml/cwmhome.html
The first of these three new releases from the Library of Congress (LOC) American Memory collection features over 30,000 photographs from the holdings of the Western History and Genealogy Department at Denver Public Library. Taken mostly between 1860 and 1920, the photos document multiple facets of American western history. The collection may be searched by keyword or browsed by subject or name. Special features include exhibits on Native American Women; L.C. McLure and Denver, the City Beautiful; and the 10th Mountain Division, ski and mountain troops trained in Colorado who saw action in Italy. The second new collection showcases an ethnographic field collection gathered in conjunction with the Florida Federal Writers's Project, the Florida Music Project, and the Joint Committee on Folk Arts of the Work Projects Administration (WPA). Included are 376 sound recordings (in several formats); 106 accompanying materials, including recording logs, song text transcriptions, and correspondence between Florida WPA workers and Library of Congress personnel from 1937 to 1942; and an essay on Florida folklife by Zora Neale Hurston. The collection may be keyword searched or browsed by performers, audio titles, manuscript titles, or geographic location. Additional resources include a sizable bibliography, related links, and a brief cross-referenced guide to the ethnic and language groups of Florida. The final offering consists of musical scores, recordings, photographs, and essays documenting American brass band music in the second half of the nineteenth century. It includes over 700 musical compositions, a photo gallery, eight full-score modern editions, and a recording of a 1974 concert of mid-nineteenth-century brass band music. Users may search by keyword or browse by subject or title. [MD]
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Canadian Architect and Builder Online
http://imago.library.mcgill.ca/cab/
Its third phase now complete, this online project produced for the Canadian Digital Collections Program has been much improved and now constitutes a fine resource for architects, architecture students, historians, curators, building restorers, and others. The Canadian Architect and Builder was the first Canadian architecture periodical, published between 1888 and 1908. At the site, visitors can browse digital page images of the journal's full run, indexed by volume and issue. A keyword and advanced search are also available, the latter including options for author, title, document type, and volumes. On the whole, the page images are of very good quality and easily navigated. [MD]
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National Gallery of Australia Collection Database Search
http://www.nga.gov.au/Search/
National Gallery of Australia
http://www.nga.gov.au/
Using this site, users can search the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, located in Canberra. Basic search options include artist or culture, title or keyword, collection area, and record type (all or just those with images). Advanced search options include media general (e.g., sculpture, painting), media category (e.g., leatherwork, costume accessory), place made, and technique. Initial returns are listed on the right-hand side of the browser, with artist, title, material, and availability of the image. Selecting one brings up the full record in the center frame, which includes title, date, alternative title, origin, medium, credit, accession number, and an image if available. The main National Gallery site offers general information about the museum and its current exhibitions. [MD]
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@central park
http://www.centralparknyc.org/
The Central Park Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring, improving, and managing Central Park's grounds and facilities, offers this "official" site, which contains a wealth of information about what is arguably the world's most famous city park. Each of the site's sections contains useful or interesting information; the Then & Now section, for instance, offers an overview of Central Park's history, a bibliography with 43 entries for those seeking further information, and a list of movies with scenes set in the park. Another highlight of the site is the Virtual Park, which consists of a set of clickable maps through which users can explore 72 points of interest, each described in the affectionate style of a travel guidebook. The site's other sections include such features as events schedules, press releases, information on when and where particular varieties of flowers bloom, and a section devoted entirely to activities for families and children. This site will be especially useful to those who are planning a visit to Central Park, but other users will likely find it informative and entertaining as well. [SW]
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Oxford Companion to Wine
http://www1.wine.com/oxford/index.shtml
Edited by Jancis Robinson, this book "won every major wine book award when it was published in 1994." The second edition, which includes 500 new entries and updates almost half of the original 3,000, has now been placed online in its entirety, by Wine.com. The book is browsed alphabetically, with entries naturally varying considerably in length. [MD]
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Sherlockian.net
http://www.sherlockian.net/
Maintained as a labor of love since 1994 by Chris Redmond, a Director of Internal Communications at the University of Waterloo, this venerable yet active metasite offers comprehensive links to everything in 221B Baker Street and beyond. Categories include the original Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle, major Sherlockian sites, actors and films, books and libraries, parodies, and Victorian Britain. Put on your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass, and pay a social call. [MD]
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Network Tools

Techtarget.com
http://www.techtarget.com/
Database Central
http://www.databasecentral.com/
Though designed and promoted as a business-to-business resource for IT professionals, this site hosts numerous IT-specific search engines that Scout readers might find useful. These search engines are accessed via a pull-down menu on the main page and include SearchDatabase, SearchHP, SearchDomino, SearchSolaris, and SearchWin2000, among others. Each engine features a keyword search, daily related news, a collection of sites selected by the editor, a HelpDesk, and other resources. Registered users can save their searches for future reference, receive free daily email updates, and obtain free access to chats with experts and other users in that field. The company also produces Database Central, a large metasite with thousands of database resources, news, jobs, and more. [MD]
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New Top-Level Domain Names on the Way
New TLD Application Process
http://www.icann.com/tlds/application-process-03aug00.htm
ICANN
http://www.icann.com/
"New Domain Names Coming" - Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/sereport/00/08-domains.html
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the body that has overseen the domain name system since 1998, has announced that it will very soon begin to accept applications/suggestions for new domain names. For a modest $50,000 fee, anyone can submit their proposal, though it won't necessarily be accepted. The deadline for applications will be October 2, and the new domain names will most likely appear at the beginning of the new year. The ultimate effect of these new domains on the Internet, trademarks, and online culture remains to be seen. Users can read about the application and proposal process for themselves at the first URL or learn more about the body and its activities from the main page. Danny Sullivan, editor of the inestimable Search Engine Watch (see the June 20, 1997 Scout Report), offers a brief skeptical analysis and an excellent collection of related links for more information on the new domain names and ICANN. [MD]
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In The News

Kashmir Peace Talks Continue Despite Massacres
Flashpoint Kashmir: Special Report -- BBC [RealPlayer]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_355000/355280.stm
India Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Kargil
http://www.meadev.gov.in/opn/kargil/kargil.htm
Kashmir -- Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.forisb.org/kashmir.html
Kashmir Global Network
http://net.indra.com/~kgn/main.htm
Kashmir Information Network
http://www.kashmir-information.com/
"Indian military heightens security in Kashmir" -- CNN ASIANOW
http://www.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/south/08/04/india.kashmir.massacres/index.html
"PM invites militant groups to join talks" -- India Times
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/04indu1.htm
"Centre, Hizbul commanders hold talks" -- The Hindu
http://www.the-hindu.com/stories/01040001.htm
"No Pak involvement in peace talks: Vajpay" -- The Asian Age
http://www.asianage.com/asianage/04082000/detind01.htm
"Ceasefire is neither out of fear nor defeat or surrender: Hizbul leader" -- India Today
http://www.india-today.com/ntoday/newsarchives/100/8/4/n61.shtml
"Committee set up for accord on Kashmir ceasefire" -- Pakistan Observer
http://www.pakobserver.com/august2000/04/front/news01.htm
"New Delhi to be responsible for all consequences_Hizb sets Aug 8 as last date for Indian response" -- PAKNEWS.com
http://www.paknews.com/cgi-paknews/paknews.cgi?news=1&key=hizbulmujahideen+kashmirtalks
Kashmir Times
http://www.kashmirtimes.com/
Greater Kashmir
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/
Kashmir Monitor
http://www.myasa.com/kashmirmonitor/
Despite a wave of violence on Tuesday and Wednesday that left more than 100 people dead, the Indian Government and the leading Kashmiri separatist group, Hizbul Mujahideen, have reported progress after their first formal ceasefire talks in over eleven years of conflict. As the talks got underway, the Indian army launched a major offensive against other militants in the hotly disputed region, who are believed to be responsible for the massacres in an attempt to derail the peace process. The peace talks were arranged after Hizbul Mujahideen offered a three-month ceasefire last week. Other Islamic insurgents groups, however, have condemned the offer and vowed to continue their operations. While some newspapers and officials in both India and Pakistan have reacted to the massacres by blaming each other, the consensus seems to be that any movement towards a peaceful resolution in Kashmir must be supported, if somewhat warily. In the meantime, the first issue to be addressed is the Hizbul Mujahideen's demand that India agree to expand negotiations into tripartite peace talks involving Pakistan by August 8. So far, Indian officials have steadfastly refused to include their rival.

An excellent starting point for readers is the BBC's special report, which contains a guide to the conflict, related stories and links, and a 50-minute special video report. Commentary as well as news reports and maps from Indian and Pakistani perspectives are available from each nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Kashmir Global Network and the Kashmir Information Network feature news and other information from the Kashmiri Muslim and Pandit perspectives, respectively. In addition to their own coverage, CNN offers links to related stories and sites. Readers looking for reportage from Indian newspapers should consult India Times,The Hindu,The Asian Age, and India Today. Pakistani resources include Pakistan Observer and PAKNEWs.com, while reports from Kashmir itself can be found in the Kashmir Times, Greater Kashmir, and the Kashmor Monitor[MD]
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The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
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