Heriot-Watt University Library
_INTERNET RESOURCES_ Newsletter
Issue 13 - October 1995
Edited by:
Roddy MacLeod
(libram@bonaly.hw.ac.uk)
and
Gordon Andrew (libgra@bonaly.hw.ac.uk)
Edited by:
Roddy MacLeod
(libram@bonaly.hw.ac.uk)
and
Gordon Andrew (libgra@bonaly.hw.ac.uk)
It is now a year since the first issue of the _INTERNET RESOURCES_ Newsletter appeared on the Web, and I would like to thank Gordon Andrew and Roddy MacLeod, the editors, for all their hard work over the last twelve months.
The Newsletter now receives over 600 accesses a week, and has been mentioned in various printed publications (The Times Higher Education Supplement, and Internet). Its aim is to inform about the Internet, and to identify resources of interest to higher education in science, social science, engineering, languages and some humanities subjects.
October sees the arrival of new students at Heriot-Watt University, and to introduce them to the benefits of the Internet, Gordon Andrew has prepared an item on online tutorials and courses which allow you to learn about the Internet as you use it.
To follow this, Roddy MacLeod has noted some of the UK Web indexes which are currently available. These indexes can be excellent starting points for excursions into the World Wide Web.
The most popular section of the Newsletter follows, with lists of new and recent resources of interest.
Finally, there are notes about some new printed (and CD-ROM) Internet publications, and a list of new Internet books received by the Library here at Heriot-Watt. As they say on many postings - 'enjoy'.
Michael Breaks,
University Librarian
(libmlb@bonaly.hw.ac.uk)
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This month sees a new intake of students at Heriot-Watt University. The editors of _INTERNET RESOURCES_ would like to welcome these new students, and anyone else who is beginning to explore the Internet to see what it has to offer.
Although the Internet is becoming increasingly easy and intuitive to use, it is helpful to have a general overview of how things work. Luckily there are several online tutorials and training courses freely available which allow you to learn about the Internet while you are using it. Below, listed in no particular order, are links to some of the best tutorials and courses I have come across.
This extremely well-written and designed self-paced learning package has been produced by the Netskills project. It is the only online Internet course I am aware of which approaches the Internet from the perspective of the UK academic community, and as such it is especially relevant to many of our readers.
TONIC is a modular course which aims to introduce users to the Internet and to the major tools used to access information across computer networks. Once you have registered for the course, you can work through the modules at your own pace, returning to where you left off at any time. The course covers the technological background to the Internet, before homing in on specific tools used for accessing information, such as FTP, Telnet, E-Mail and Mailing Lists, Gopher and the World-Wide Web. Short tests and quizzes at the end of each section help you gauge how much you have learned. Another nice feature of the course is the way it encourages you go out and explore various Internet resources, returning to the appropriate part of the course when you have finished.
URL: http://www.netskills.ac.uk/TONIC/
This short tutorial from Global Village Communication, Inc. is geared towards helping business users of the Internet find information. The user is guided through a series of worked examples showing, for example, how the Internet can be used to check stock market reports and keep up to date with news. At the end of the tour the user has the option of exploring the various sites mentioned for himself. Although there is not much in the way of background to how the Internet actually works, this tour is nevertheless valuable in showing how the Internet can be used to find useful information.
URL: http://www.globalcenter.net/gcweb/tour.html
This is a World-Wide Web version of the popular Internet Roadmap course which was originally available by E-Mail. The course has been converted for the Web by Neil Enns. The course is "designed to teach new "Net travellers" how to travel around the rapidly expanding (and often times confusing) "Information Superhighway" without getting lost".
The six week course, comprising 27 individual lessons, provides a comprehensive guide to the Internet and the tools used to access the information available on it. Although you are encouraged to follow the course from beginning to end, it is possible to dip into specific sections that interest you. Each lesson comes with "homework", designed to encourage you to explore the Internet for yourself.
URL: http://www.brandonu.ca/~ennsnr/Resources/Roadmap/
This course, by Mark Ziebell of the University of Sidney, limits its coverage to the World-Wide Web, arguably the most useful and user-friendly tool for accessing information on the Internet. The course is modular, with the earlier sections explaining how the Web works and how to use it, while the later sections deal with how to go about publishing your own information on the Web. Each section contains links to suggested further reading, as well as a short quiz.
URL: http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/course/
This guide, by Kevin Hughes of Enterprise Integration Technologies, also covers only the World-Wide Web. The site provides useful background information about the Web, and links to more detailed information and " Interesting Places" are also included. Although already slightly out-of-date, the site is nevertheless worth a visit for those seeking a brief introduction to the Web.
URL: http://www.eit.com/web/www.guide/
Gordon Andrew
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As well as the popular Regional Information lists of resources such as those provided by Yahoo, which in turn links to lists of resources for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, there are several UK-based Web indexes.
A guide to Scotland on the Internet, and a starting point for exploring the wide range of Scottish Internet sites. Currently under construction.
URL: http://www.scotnet.co.uk/scotweb/
The author, Gordon Dick, of this site says that "Future Publishing Ltd. publishers of ".net" as well as the new '.net Directory' (UK Internet magazines) saw fit to call these pages 'a total hoot' in the ".net Directory" August 1995". You can see for yourself whether they were right at:
URL: http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk:80/~gjed/Scotland/index.html
More a travel and commercial guide, this has links under the following sections:
New This Week ~ Maps ~ Transport ~ Leisure ~ Culture ~ External Web Links ~ Scotland Travels ~ Accommodations ~ Tartan Shopping Mall ~ Business Exchange ~ Readers Section.
URL: http://www.ibmpcug.co.uk/~ecs/
Contains links to many Welsh resources.
URL: http://alife1.cs.man.ac.uk/welsh/
A-Z index of commercial and social resources in Wales.
URL: http://www.grossi.co.uk/wales/indexa.htm
Has links to resources under the following headings:
Geography & Environment ~ Political ~ Language ~ Currency ~ Communications ~ Driving & Road Rules ~ Speed limits ~ Principal cities ~ Belfast ~ Londonderry ~ Armagh (virtual visit) ~ Counties ~ Holiday / historic towns ~ Statistics ~ NI Civil Service & Government Information ~ Visitor Information ~ Marketplace Business Directory ~ Business Showcase.
URL: http://www.iol.ie/~nova/nova1/pages/overview.htm
An extremely patriotic site. Some people may be put off by Winston's Links to Winston Churchill related sites on the Net, or the Winston Churchill wallpaper. Many of the sites listed have been found with the help of various UK Internet magazines.
URL: http://www.amraf.co.uk/a_amnet/
A large index of sites with good search facilities. Includes (or is about to include) an email updating service!
URL: http://www.ukindex.co.uk/index.html
Over 2,000 sites are indexed at this site under the following headings:
URL: http://www.ukdirectory.com/
Has lists of sites under the following headings:
URL: http://www.vnu.co.uk/hc/pcw/bob.htm
A hot spot map of the UK with links to information about towns in the UK. Also has links to News and Weather service, etc. Not an index to UK Web resources as such, but one place to start.
URL: http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/misc/uk/intro.html
The catalogue is organised using the Dewey Decimal Classification. The site allows you to:
[ The old list was Experimental UK Web Pages Classified Listing - URL: http://scitsc.wlv.ac.uk/miscellany/ukyp.html ]
URL: http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/wwlib/newclass.html
From iCOM-Net Solutions, a directory of "Useful, Interesting and Fun Internet sites" in the UK.
URL: http://www.icom-net.com/solutiot.htm
A database (under construction) of UK sites under the following headings:
URL: http://194.72.60.96/www/webentity/linktank/index.htm
Another patriotic index of UK Web pages under the following headings:
URL: http://www.neosoft.com/~dlgates/uk/ukindex.html
This site gives extensive listings, shown on Union Jack wallpaper.
URL: http://www.u-net.com/develop/intdev/ukweb/ukweb.html
Roddy MacLeod
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Subject-oriented resources are organized in the following sections by access method. Many of the resources have been gleaned from various listserv and mailbase lists, and no special claims are made for accuracy or originality.
The main aim of the list is to encourage discussion between researchers involved in the study of fatigue life and fatigue crack growth in short and long fibre mmc's. Both Engineers and Mathematicians would be most welcome to join the list.
As well as queries and open discussion, subscribers are encouraged to send summaries of there research interest and longer unpublished papers. However the list is not moderated, so subscribers should not send personal messages to the general list and they should make themselves aware of the laws of copy write.
Whist it is hoped that most posting would be about fatigue other interrelated topics that may be of interest to the group may be submitted.
For information on how to subscribe to Mailbase lists, please see Issue 1 of _INTERNET RESOURCES_ . More detailed information about Mailbase lists is always available from the Mailbase WWW Server ( URL: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/ ).
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Useful General Links:
Creativity: Pure and Applied
This is a listserv for a course from York University. The course has a Web site (see below under 'New World Wide Web, Gopher and telnet sites' for more information). To subscribe send a message containing in the body: SUBSCRIBE CreativityCourse [your name] requests@creativity.psych.yorku.ca
NETLIBS
NETLIBS is specifically aimed at Librarian Internet Trainers and has 500 members around the world. To subscribe send the following message to mailserv@qut.edu.au subscribe netlibs
SCITECHLIBS
SCITECHLIBS was launched recently from Australia. A list for Librarians and other Information Professionals working in science and technology environments. It has an Asia Pacific focus. There are currently members in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, USA, and the UK. To subscribe send the following message to mailserv@qut.edu.au subscribe scitechlibs
Web Virtual Newsletter
It is a monthly hypertext (html) document about news-related sites on both sides of the ocean. It is published in english by a Washington-based Swiss TV Journalist. The first issue is now ready and you can get it free by e-mail. This month: Bosnia, Mexico, U.S.Politics, Cyberwomen, etc. Explore some selected sites by just clicking on their title, like from a Web page. And send your own comments for the next issue. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to: 75777.3446@compuserve.com It is free !!!
WIN95 Discussion group
To subscribe: e-mail to listserv@ruger.ucdavis.edu and in the body of your message put the words: subscribe win95
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