The Scout Report - July 7, 2000

July 7, 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-000705.html
Volume 3, Number 22 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates five resources on the recent re-discovery of a small, feathered animal that may well be the world's oldest known bird. [MD]
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Research and Education

Axis - For Information on Visual Artists [Blaxxun Contact]
http://www.axisartists.org.uk/
Funded by the Arts Councils of England, Wales and Scotland, and seven regional arts boards, Axis is "the largest interactive database of contemporary British art on the Internet." Created to provide information about artists and makers living/working in Britain to a national and international audience, the database curently offers over 12,500 images from 3,300 artists and makers. Users can search the database by artist name; browse by artwork type, material, and/or region; or conduct a free-text quick search. Initial returns include a thumbnail image with the work title and date and artist's name. Clicking on the image launches a new window with more detailed information, including dimensions, materials, techniques, characteristics, artistic approach, and a brief description, often written by the artist. Additional resources at the site include a collection of categorized links to other art sites, and CyberAxis, "a 3-D Virtual Gallery Space for debate, presentation and interaction" (Blaxxun Contact plug-in [Win 95/98/NT/2000] and free registration required). [MD]
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Cultivate Interactive
http://www.cultivate-int.org/
Launched on July 3, this new pan-European Web magazine is aimed at all wired members of the European cultural heritage community. Funded under the European Commission's DIGICULT program, the magazine will include feature articles on an impressive number of electronic cultural heritage projects in Europe, regular reports on DIGICULT projects and metadata developments, and news and events. Although they are written for a European audience, the detailed behind-the-scenes reports will appeal to anyone involved in digital projects. In addition, the magazine is highly recommended to librarians and other users who are interested in new and ongoing European digital projects and tools in a variety of disciplines. Users can register for email notification of new issues. [MD]
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The Open Science Project: Molecule Viewers and Editors
http://www.openscience.org/links/Chemistry/Molecule_Viewers_and_Editors/
This metasite is an excellent resource for chemical researchers and educators. It provides links to three free software programs: JchemPaint, Jmol, and OpenChem. JchemPaint, developed at the Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, is a Java program for drawing 2-D chemical structures. Jmol, primarily authored by J. Daniel Gezelter of Notre Dame University, is a Java/Swing program for viewing molecular visualization and measurement. OpenChem, a large collaborative effort, is a Python-based program for investigating nanotechnology, machines and molecular structures. All three of the programs are still under construction, but each page contains helpful troubleshooting information and discussion lists. [HCS]
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Forest Resources of Europe, CIS, North America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand (TBFRA 2000) -- ECE/FAO
http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/fra/pdf/contents.htm
Temperate and Boreal Forest Resources Assessment Homepage
http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/fra/welcome.htm
Published jointly by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), this new 445-page report, known as the Temperate and Boreal Forest Resource Assessment or TBFRA 2000, has been described as "the most comprehensive set of internationally comparable data on the temperate and boreal forests ever issued." Unlike previous reports, which focused on forest area and wood supply, this report "expands to provide information on practically all aspects of the forest." Its findings include some good news, namely that temperate and boreal forests in nearly 55 countries are expanding, including those in Europe, where timberland is increasing by 500,000 hectares a year, while only 60 percent of the growth is harvested annually. The full text of the report may be downloaded by chapter in .pdf format. The main TBFRA 2000 page offers background information, a list of tables, the executive summary, and some key figures. [MD]
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Tower Hamlets History On Line
http://www.davidric.dircon.co.uk/
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is considered by some to be the heart of the East End, the sometimes infamous section of London that fascinated journalists, novelists, and social scientists through the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. This site offers an excellent collection of both contemporary writings and historical essays, all taken from the Tower Hamlets' Local History Library and Archives, that provide a fascinating look at life in the East End in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Especially useful to scholars and students in British or urban history or literature, the texts can be browsed by title, author, or subject. Separate listings of eyewitness accounts and images are also available, as is a keyword search engine. [MD]
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D. Anthony Storm's Site on Kierkegaard
http://home.pacbell.net/newcov/sk/
Created and maintained by D. Anthony Storm, a Web designer by trade but philosophy scholar at heart, this attractive and informative site on the nineteenth century existentialist philosopher Soren Aabye Kierkegaard makes use of both interests. The heart of the site is a collection of commentaries on all of Kierkegaard's works, browseable via a collection of abstracts or directly by the title of the work. Also included are a helpful Primer on Kierkegaardian Motifs, an introduction to his method of authorship, a biographical essay, a small image gallery, a select bibliography, and a collection of related links. [MD]
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The Researching Librarian
http://www2.msstate.edu/~kerjsmit/trl/index.html
Created by Kerry Smith, Assistant Professor and Library Instruction Services Coordinator, Mississippi State University Libraries, this new metasite gathers a modest but carefully selected group of sites that may be useful to librarians conducting research. The sites are organized in five categories: databases, funding, journals, statistics, and tools. Each link is briefly annotated or includes a block quote from the title page of the site being linked to. While many of the sites listed will be familiar to experienced online researchers, the site is worth a look, and newer users will certainly find a number of useful resources. [MD]
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General Interest

ClassicBookshelf.com
http://www.classicbookshelf.com/
While there are any number of sites featuring public domain e-texts, this site stands out not so much for its content, but for its innovative Java reading applet. Visitors reading e-texts at this site do not have to settle for a sometimes difficult-to-read default display. Using the applet at the bottom of the viewing window, users can control the text size, font, and background color, picking a combination that makes reading easiest. The works featured at the site are listed by author name (best accessed via the site map link at the top right corner of the page), and include a number of classic works of (primarily) British and American literature, with an especially large collection of works by Charles Dickens. Entries for each author include several related sites (including webrings). From the site map page users can also perform keyword searches of the site's title and author listings, and access bookmarks, a helpful feature that allows readers to save their place in books between visits and return to where they left off. [MD]
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Te Waimano: Waters of the Millennium
http://www.tewaimano.govt.nz
Fully bilingual in English and Maori, this site from the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, uses the end of the millenium as a starting point back into the history of New Zealand. Author Malcolm McKinnon, New Zealand historian and editor of the New Zealand Historical Atlas, sampled material from the Library collections at 50-year intervals from the year 2000 back to 1750. Currently there over 1,000 photographs and other graphic materials, such as drawings, paintings, maps, and prints; textual materials such as manuscripts, excerpts from rare books, and newspaper clippings; 28 sound recordings; and 9 video clips at the site. Users can enter the site using the broad categories Time, Place or Knowledge, then can select more specific themes, geographic locations and time periods. One test search we performed returned images of a broad range of artifacts, including maps; illustrations from children's books; a 1795 cookbook called The Practice of Cookery by "Mrs. Frazer"; color engravings of butterflies and insects; tapa textile fragments; and 13 pages from Information respecting New Zealand and its inhabitants communicated by Governor King, a letterpress book by David Collins published in 1798. [DS]
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Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Sensation -- NLC [RealPlayer]
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/oscarpeterson/
Launched on July 1, this new site from the National Library of Canada (NLC) celebrates the life and work of legendary Canadian jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson. Both the Web site and the physical exhibition launched the same day draw from the Oscar Peterson archive, which Dr. Peterson has been depositing at the National Library since 1991. At the site, visitors can learn about Oscar Peterson the man and the legend through a biographical essay, photos, articles, and memorabilia. Users can also browse a listing of Peterson's albums by decade, from the 1940s to the present. Each includes a list of tracks, some with links to audio clips in RealPlayer format. While one wishes that the exhibit might have included the full-length pieces instead of 30-second snippets, this is still a nice site for learning about Canada's musical ambassador to the world. [MD]
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Subway University
http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/digital/2000/subway/
This new addition to the digital collections at Newman Library, Baruch College (last discussed in the April 6, 1999 Scout Report for the Social Sciences) sketches the history of available transportation to Baruch College, one of the City Colleges of New York (CCNY), from 1847 to the 1950s. The exhibit uses a variety of visual materials from several sources, including the New York Transit Museum and CCNY Archives. Some highlights are Hagstrom's Complete Map of the New York City Subways, early views of the city from the 1840s and '60s, and pictures of students and their hangouts. The exhibition starts with memoirs by James Rich Steers, a student in 1849, and ends with memoirs from two 1950s City College students, Colin Powell and Vivian Gornick. [DS]
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Destination Guide -- National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/
Summer is the traveling season, and this new site from National Geographic may well come in handy. The site offers informative briefs on a number of popular tourist destinations in the US and Canada, including national parks and major cities. These are selected via geographic pull-down menus or alphabetical/ state listings. Each guide offers an overview of the park or city, highlights, driving tours, bird-watching tips, nearby attractions, the best time to go, lodging and travel tips, and statistics, among other information. At present the Destination Guide covers about 30 spots, but more will be added on a continual basis. [MD]
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Movieflix.com [RealPlayer]
http://www.movieflix.com
While it's not yet a sure thing that "someday we'll all watch movies this way," users with a fast connection can get a peek into the possible future of online movie viewing at this site. Movieflix.com offers a large number of movies, in their entirety, for free in RealPlayer format. The movies are grouped in categories, including action, drama, comedy, film noir, literature, black culture, classic TV, mystery, and romance, among many others. While many of the present selections are lesser-known or perhaps underappreciated films (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians comes to mind), there are also some jewels to be found, including His Girl Friday, M, and Of Human Bondage. Please note that users must register to view all the selections, though it is not required to watch the featured movies for each category. Whereas older versions of RealPlayer still left a great deal to be desired in streaming video performance, the most recent version has markedly improved, and most of the movies proved fairly watchable, with little skipping or freezing. Although a smaller-screen narrowband option is available, a broadband connection and the latest RealPlayer should be regarded as musts for getting the most out of the site. [MD]
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Network Tools

Simpli.com
http://www.simpli.com/
No matter how the Web transforms and evolves, relevance will remain the central issue for search engines and users. While different engines have used any number of strategies for ranking and displaying the most likely returns to search queries, they are sometimes easily misled by words with multiple meanings. SimpliFind cuts through the potential confusion by first trying to establish the real concept of your query before it begins the search. For instance, a query for "drive" produces ten concepts, including device, computer drive, road, journey, and golf stroke, among others, allowing users searching for golf tips to receive more relevant returns than those interested in hard drives. If none of the concepts match the query you have in mind, you can enter your own to generate more precise returns. In searching for "drivers," I found several related concepts, including utility program, software, and hardware, but I was looking for video card drivers in particular. After adding video cards to the concepts, I received much more relevant returns. After free registration, users can even customize SimpliFind, as it will store all their new concepts and search queries for future use. An excellent idea packaged in a clean and easy-to-use interface, SimpliFind certainly warrants a spot in any user's bookmarks. [MD]
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GraphicConverter 3.9.1 [Mac OS]
http://www.lemkesoft.de/
GraphicConverter is a must-have utility for any Mac user working with graphics. The program can open graphics in 130 file formats and save in 40 file formats. The program is indispensible for cross platform work. GraphicConverter also offers batch file conversion, image editing features, slide show functionality, and an image browser. The image editing features are not as comprehensive as those offered by a professional package dedicated to image editing, but GraphicConverter does support Photoshop compatible plug-ins. The program excels as the requisite tool for any type of graphic conversion. GraphicConverter is offered under a shareware license and is available in nine languages. The registration fee is $30 in Europe, $35 elsewhere. [PC]
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Digital Photography Center - CNET [RealPlayer, Windows Media Player]
http://photo.cnet.com/
Both newer and more experienced digital camera owners should find plenty of interest at this new site from CNET. Like most of CNET's consumer-oriented sites, the Digital Photography Center offers several pages of instructive tips and how-to essays (Find the Right Digital Camera, Perfect Your Images, Take Great Pictures, Print & Share Photos). Product reviews, prices, and help are also provided, along with a collection of related downloads and a link to auctions. In addition, this site offers a weekly column and some Video Spotlights in RealPlayer or Windows Media Player formats. [MD]
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In The News

Marching Season Brings Unrest in Northern Ireland
Path to Peace -- Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/special/peace/
Belfast Telegraph
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/
Northern Ireland Special Report -- Guardian [Flash]
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/
The Search For Peace -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/northern_ireland/understanding/default.stm
"Security forces prepare for worst scenario" -- Irish Examiner
http://ted.examiner.ie/archives/2000/july/7/current/ipage_21.htm
"Parade ban points to tense weekend" -- Irish Independent
http://www.independent.ie/2000/188/d08a.shtml
"Marchers bring life to standstill" -- Times
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/07/07/timnwsnws01011.html
"Protestants split over Drumcree march riots" -- Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/UK/Ulster/2000-07/drumcree070700.shtml
"Protestant ire boils as parade panel bans procession" -- Boston Herald
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/nire07072000.htm
Northern Ireland Parades Commission
http://www.paradescommission.org/
Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition
http://www.garvaghyroad.org/
Portadown District Orange Lodge No. 1
http://www.orangenet.org/civilrights/
"Drumcree and Duty" -- Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/opinion/2000/0707/edi.htm
"The Orange Order alone can end Drumcree farce" -- Irish News
http://www.irishnews.com/current/view2.html
"The Misery of the Marching Season" -- Chicago Tribune
http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/article/0,2669,SAV-0007070239,FF.html
"Ulster Flashpoint" -- Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/189/editorials/Ulster_flashpoint+.shtml
The "Marching Season" denotes the mid-summer period in which the Protestant Orange Order holds a number of parades to commemorate seventeenth-century Protestant victories over Catholics. Although some of these parades have been held for over a hundred years, the demographics of Northern Ireland have changed considerably. Parade routes which once wound down country lanes or through solidly Protestant neighborhoods now traverse Catholic housing estates, where the marchers are not welcome. Members of the Orange Order and fellow travelers argue that the parades are simply an expression of their cultural heritage, but Catholics, especially Nationalists, counter that they constitute sectarian triumphalism. Eager to spur on the peace process in Northern Ireland, the British government in recent years has instituted a number of compromise measures and has even banned certain portions of marches. The latest outbreak of violence and civil unrest, the worst in several years, was precipitated by the Parade Commision's decision to once again order members of the Loyal Orange Lodge of Portadown to re-route their parade, held this Sunday, which traditionally passes through the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road after services at the Drumcree Parish Church. For the past five nights Protestant youths in Belfast and Drumcree have clashed with the police, throwing stones, gasoline bombs, and fireworks. As a result, the Northern Ireland Army is patrolling the streets of Belfast for the first time in two years and water cannons were used against protestors for the first time in decades. Tensions will likely rise through the weekend to July 12, the highpoint of the marching season and the anniversary of William of Orange's victory over the Catholic King James II in 1690. The protests and violence demonstrate resentment in some circles at recent decisions to ban marches, but they are also a reflection of popular distate or opposition to the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland among sectors of the Loyalist population. While the parade protests will likely die down in a week or so, this opposition will not. The impact of both on the peace process remains to be seen.

Numerous pieces on the situation can be found in the News section of the Irish Times special on the peace process, as well as a wealth of background material. Even more current stories will be found in the Today's News section at the Belfast Telegraph. The Guardian's special report includes breaking news, analysis, and an interactive guide to Drumcree. More background information as well as breaking news (Latest NI News at top of page) is available at the special report from the BBC. Additional coverage is provided by the Irish Examiner,Irish Independent,Times,Independent, and Boston Herald. More information on the Parades Commission and its decisions can be found at the Commission's official site, while commentary on the Drumcree conflict from both sides is available at the sites for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition and Portadown District Orange Lodge No. 1. Finally, opinion pieces on Drumcree and the marching season have been placed online by the Irish Times,Irish News,Chicago Tribune, and the Boston Globe.[MD]
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