The Scout Report - June 22, 2001

June 22, 2001

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/2001/se-010606.html
The final issue of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates nine resources on the recently discovered Martian meteorite.
[Back to Contents]

Research and Education

getCITED
http://www.getcited.org/
This site is an ambitious project to facilitate searches for book chapters, working papers, conference papers, and other types of publications and academic research not commonly indexed. The project is off to a running start with over 315,000 identities and 3,250,000 publications indexed, but the site creators are requesting the cooperation of "the entire academic community." Scholars are encouraged to register with the site (for free) and enter in the details of their publications. Anyone may search the database for publications, identities, institutions, or departments, but only registered members may add or edit content. A free database created solely by and for researchers and scholars is an attractive idea and deserves support. It must be noted, however, that like so many other free online services, getCITED is searching for advertisers and sponsors and does not appear to have long-term guaranteed funding. A strong showing of support and interest from the academic community may make this task easier. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

EarthTrends [.pdf]
http://earthtrends.wri.org/
Provided by the World Resources Institute (WRI) with assistance from several sponsors, EarthTrends is an environmental information portal, offering searchable databases, data tables, country profiles, maps, and feature articles in ten topical sections. These include Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, Climate and Atmosphere, Agriculture and Food, and Forests and Grasslands, among others. The databases may be searched by country, region, variable, and year. Data tables and country profiles are provided in .pdf format. This slick-looking and fast-loading site is an excellent source of authoritative environmental information for teachers, students, and interested users. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Molecular Universe
http://www.molecularuniverse.com/
This fantastic resource for college-level students of chemistry provides abundant images and explanatory text on molecules and molecular systems. The site's main provider is Richard Catlow, Director of the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Molecular Universe presents a collection of lessons, arranged into categories such as Building in Three Dimensions, Boundaries and Barriers, and The Molecules of Life. The sleek color illustrations demonstrate everything from diamond structure to a DNA molecule. Highlights of the site include a detailed look at protein folding, how molecules taste, and molecules and computers. Both students and professors should journey to the Molecular Universe. [HCS]
[Back to Contents]

"Teenage Life Online: The rise of the instant-message generation and the Internet's impact on friendships and family relationships" -- PIP [.pdf]
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=36
The latest report from the Pew Internet Project (PIP) explores how American teens (ages 12-17) use the Internet. Among other things, it finds that the Internet has come to play a major role in teens' lives and their relationships with friends and family members. Of particular interest to the authors is how teens have embraced instant messaging technologies to a much larger degree than adults, thoroughly integrating it into their daily lives. The full text of the report is available in HTML and .pdf formats at the site. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Organic Chemistry Resources Worldwide [.pdf]
http://www.organicworldwide.net/
Organic Chemistry Worldwide is an excellent organic chemistry metasite that is not to be missed. Geared toward synthetic organic chemists involved in academic or industrial research, Organic Chemistry Resources Worldwide has a mission to collect and independently annotate "all useful organic chemistry sites and to present them in an intuitive way." This extensive metasite is divided into sections on literature, laboratory resources, spectroscopy and spectrometry, nomenclature and teaching, and conferences and organizations. The Literature section contains links to over 75 journals (some restricted access), 14 free databases (and many more commercial), dissertation collections, reviews, guides, patents, and current awareness sources. Examples of resources for laboratory work include links to chemical product databases, laboratory safety bulletins (.pdf), products and services, etc. Highlights of the site are an in-depth section on mass spectrometry, with links to publications and databases, and a plethora of links to organic chemistry labs worldwide, from Armenia to Uruguay. [HCS]
[Back to Contents]

National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education (NCPSE)
http://www.specialedcareers.org/
NCPSE is a government-sponsored organization "that is committed to enhancing the nation's capacity to recruit, prepare, and retain well qualified diverse educators and related service personnel for children with disabilities." Their Website offers a number of resources for those involved in or considering a career in special education. These include an overview of what special educators do, the steps that would-be special educators should take, links to employment resources, and financial aid information. The site additionally contains a research library with publications and information on teacher recruitment initiatives. A collection of related links, What's New listing, and free mailing list are also provided. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Boondocks.net
http://www.boondocksnet.com/
Edited by Jim Zwick, a scholar who has written on the Phillipines, anti-Imperialism, and Mark Twain, this site hosts a number of exhibits and primary document collections concerned with the history of anti-imperialism in the United States and some related topics. In addition to a large number of political cartoons and images, the site offers essays and contemporary texts, full-text books, verse, editorials, and many other items, totalling over 2,000 pages. Also included are an internal search engine and a directory of online resources on World's Fairs and Expositions held in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This is a great resource for researchers, teachers, and students. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe
http://members.aol.com/heroicage1/homepage.html
Published since 1998, this free, peer-reviewed online journal is "dedicated to the study of Northwestern Europe from the Late Roman Empire to the advent of the Norman Empire." To date, four issues have been published, all of which are available online. In addition to articles, each issue contains a forum, Website and book reviews, and a digest of recent archaeological news. The main site also offers a collection of related links. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

General Interest

with these hands: Lives that Shaped the Land [QuickTime]
http://www.with-these-hands.org/
Produced by MediaVia and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, this attractive site explores the stories of four family farms in the Lelanau County and Old Mission Peninsula areas of Northwest Michigan. These are presented in several formats: a QuickTime movie, four slideshow presentations, and audio clips from a ten-part radio series. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

VOANews [RealPlayer]
http://www.voanews.com/
The Voice of America (VOA) began broadcasting in 1942, with the expressed object of providing accurate, objective, and reliable news to people in closed or war-torn societies. VOA has continued to evolve through the postwar, Cold War, and now post-Cold War eras, and presently produces and broadcasts over 900 hours of news and information programs each week in 53 languages to a worldwide audience of 91 million. In addition to shortwave, AM, and FM radio and satellite television, VOA news is available online at the VOANews site. Here visitors will find the top international stories as well as the lead stories in seven regions of the world. Correspondent reports and feature stories by topic are also available. In addition, the site links to live news Webcasts and information pages for the myriad VOA language services. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Our Nation's Album: The Library's First 100 Years
http://www.nla.gov.au/history/index.html
In honor of its 100th anniversary, the National Library of Australia showcases the history of its people, services, and buildings at this Website. From its founding in 1901, library milestones include the purchase of Dewey Decimal Classification in 1905, the launch of Australian Public Affairs Information Service (APAIS) in 1945, which went online in 1976, and the institution of later services for Australian libraries, such as the Australian Bibliographical Network, a system to connect computer catalogs around Australia to the National Bibliographic Database at the National Library, now replaced by a more modern service called Kinetica. Major Library acquisitions, such as Captain Cook's Endeavor journal or the Rex Nan Kivell collection (much of which has now been digitized), are noted on the site's timeline and accompanied by illustrations. The National Library began providing Web services in 1994; these now include the Australian Library Gateway, a directory of over 5,000 libraries; Pandora, a project to archive Australian Websites; and PictureAustralia, online access to half a million digital images. [DS]
[Back to Contents]

Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words
http://www.lineone.net/dictionaryof/difficultwords/index.html
Spotted by ResearchBuzz, this site is both fun and useful: an A-Z index of difficult words, nearly 14,000 in all. A keyword search engine is also provided. Use this site as a vocabulary builder or for quick definitions of unusual words. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Action Agenda for Electoral Reform
http://www.ips-dc.org/electoral/
A collaborative project of Progressive Challenge, Institute for Policy Studies, and The Nation, this site is a clearinghouse for information and "a springboard for action" on electoral reform. Visitors to the site can find electronic resources related to a number of electoral reform issues, locate voters' rights groups in their area, learn about upcoming conferences and rallies, read archived pieces from The Nation, track electoral reform legislation, and browse the Electoral Reform Speakers Bureau, among other things. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

s e a e k [Flash]
http://www.226-design.com/seaek/
This attractive site is the product of Eugene Kuo's journey through Southeast Asia in the latter half of 2000. The site is essentially a photographic travelogue, accompanied by diary entries. The images, however, are no mere tourist snapshots, as many of them are beautifully composed and feature interesting subjects and very scenic locales. An extremely worthwhile diversion for anyone who appreciates good photography or has an interest in Southeast Asia. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Wimbledon 2001 Official Site
http://www.wimbledon.com/
BBc News - Wimbledon 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/tennis/2001/wimbledon/default.stm
Probably the most famous of all the professional tennis tournaments, Wimbledon begins on June 25. With these two sites, users can keep on top of the latest scores, learn more about their favorite players, and look up background information. The official site, created by IBM, offers breaking news and analysis, scores, player profiles and interviews, photo galleries, and wallpaper downloads, among other content. The BBC's Wimbledon site includes a venue guide, recent news and scores, profiles, and video clips from some classic matches. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Network Tools

Teoma Search
http://www.teoma.com/
This interesting new keyword search engine sets itself apart by offering three types of returns at once. In addition to the usual individual sites ranked by relevance, Teoma Search also returns topic groups and directory pages, giving users the option to pursue their search on several fronts. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Fetch 4.0
http://fetchsoftworks.com/
Version 4.0 of award-winning Fetch brings many new features to the Mac's most popular FTP client. Improved continuously since it was introduced at Dartmouth College in 1989, the program is now offered by creator Jim Matthews' Fetch Softworks. Version 4.0 sports a completely updated interface, borrowed largely from the Macintosh Finder, that Mac users will find intuitive from the first use. The interface fully supports Mac OS conventions such as drag-and-drop, contextual menus, and balloon help. Dozens of other new features were also added to this version including support for eleven types of proxy servers and remote folder mirroring capabilities. Security conscious users will be pleased to know that the new version supports Kerberos, challenge/ response password authentication, and the Mac OS keychain; secure FTP support is planned for a future version. Fetch also integrates with BBEdit, Graphic Converter, and QuickTime allowing users to view and edit files on the FTP server. Fetch runs on any version of the Mac OS from System 7.0 to Mac OS X. A fifteen-day trial is available for free at the Fetch Softworks Website. A single user license costs $25; quantity discounts are available. Free licenses are available to users in education and charitable organizations (details on the Website). [PC]
[Back to Contents]

In The News

Belfast Rioting Continues
"RUC chief attacks riot 'scum'" -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/northern_ireland/newsid_1400000/1400380.stm
Special Report : Northern Ireland -- Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/0,2759,446746,00.html
"A crying shame: Ardoyne stand-offs continue as crowds block roads" -- Belfast Telegraph
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/today/jun21/News/1front.shtml
"Police guarantee 'safe passage 'for children" -- Irish News
http://www.irishnews.com/current/topstory.html
"Dozen police hurt as North street fighting intensifies" -- Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=457342&issue_id=4704
"Shots fired at RUC in second night of riots" -- Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/0622/north1.htm
"Sectarian rioting spreads through Northern Ireland's capital" -- CBC
http://cbc.ca/cp/world/010622/w062213.html
"Second night of rioting hits Belfast" -- Toronto Globe and Mail
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/International/20010622/UIRELM.html
"Fresh violence flares in Belfast" -- CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/20/belfast.riot/index.html
For the second straight evening, Belfast was hit by sectarian riots and violent clashes with police, further destabilizing Northern Ireland and threatening the already shaky 1998 peace accord. The trouble started on Tuesday, when a Protestant mob began throwing rocks and prevented Catholic school girls from leaving Holy Cross Girls' Primary School. The school is located on one of the few remaining Protestant streets in Ardoyne, North Belfast. The two communities live in very close proximity in the area, which has a history of sectarian tension. This tension has erupted into violent clashes, mainly between the police and British soldiers and petrol-bomb-throwing youths, both loyalist and nationalist. These latest disturbances are a reflection of the taut political climate in Ulster. First Minister David Trimble has pledged to resign on July 1 if the IRA fails to decommission its weapons. It seems almost certain that the IRA will not do so and that the republican movement will then wait to see who succeeds Trimble as head of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) before deciding its next step. In the meantime, however, the summer marching season approaches.

The BBC's latest on the riots includes links to additional articles and analysis and archived stories. The Guardian's special report offers interactive features, breaking news, analysis, a press review, and an audio report. Reporting from the Belfast press can be found in the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, while the view from Dublin is represented by the Irish Independent and Irish Times. Additional coverage is available from the CBC, Toronto Globe and Mail, and CNN. [MD]
[Back to Contents]


Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.

The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:

Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2001. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.

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
Michael de Nie
Susan Calcari
Rachael Bower
Travis Koplow
David Charbonneau
Emily Missner
Laura X. Payne
Debra Shapiro
Scott Watkins
Ed Almasy
Hilary C. Sanders
Manoj Ananthapadmanabhan
David Sleasman
Barry Wiegan
Pat Coulthard
Andy Yaco-Mink
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Editor
Executive Director
Director
Managing Editor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Technical Specialist
Website Designer

For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page:
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/about/team.html


Scout Report and Scout Report HTML Subscription Instructions

To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report each week, join the SCOUT-REPORT mailing list. This is the only mail you will receive from this list.

To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report in HTML format, subscribe to the SCOUT-REPORT-HTML mailing list. This is the only mail you will receive from this list.

[Back to Contents]


Internet Scout
A Publication of the Internet Scout Project

Comments, Suggestions, Feedback
Use our feedback form or send email to scout@cs.wisc.edu.

© 2001 Internet Scout Project
Information on reproducing any publication is available on our copyright page.