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In April, I applied for a Bellingcat Tech Fellowship, an opportunity to build open source search tools useful to journalists and OSINT (open source intelligence) investigators. As I prepared my [...]

I played with RSS. I learned the idea behind it and the structure. I read a lot. I slowly realized how useful RSS would be, and in the years since, [...]

If you use the Instagram app, or read about Instagram in the news, you probably have a fair idea of what it's all about: beautiful people doing beautiful things in [...]

The cultural side of the web initially evolved in a straightforward way. First, educational and artistic institutions got websites. Then they got better websites. Then they started putting information about [...]

Blogging isn't quite as old as the web, but it's close. Blogs, short for 'weblogs,' started as simple lists of content and a little bit of commentary, sorted by date. [...]

The Dag Hammarskjold Library and the United Nations Office at Geneva Library announced on May 19, 2017, that they had coordinated to launch the United Nations Digital Library (UNDL; un.int/news/united-nations-digital-library-here). [...]

For the past several months I've been working on a book called Real Time Research: Automated Internet Searching (Prentice Hall, coming soon to a bookstore near you, yadda yadda yadda). […]

Ah, the North Carolina State Fair. In 2003, it celebrated its 150th anniversary with more than 830,000 visitors over a 9-day period. The 300+ acres of the fairgrounds accommodated rides, […]

Once there was the neighborhood newspaper. It came to our doorsteps once a day and provided a limited amount of information about the world. And it was good. Sure, you [...]

Popular lore has it that the first banner ad appeared on HotWired in October 1994. It was from AT&T and though it was a little longer than today's banner ad, […]

'Morning Mrs Gorilla.' 'Morning Mrs Non-Gorilla.' 'Have you been shopping?' 'No ... been shopping.' That, of course, is from Monty Python. It's a sketch called 'Piston Engine (A Bargin),' and […]

If you're a semi-techie or anyone involved in the Weblogging scene, you've probably heard of RSS. RSS is an XML format designed to make it easier to deliver content. (There […]

When you think of content providers on the Net, you're probably thinking about the big guys: Ancestry. corn. Gale. The Wall Street Journal. As paid content has nudged its way […]

Once inescapable, now pop-up advertising is more and more being loudly abandoned by Web sites Why? And is there something more insidious coming to take its place? The Web started […]

In the beginning, there were eyeballs. Back at the start of the Internet craze, the revenue model seemed simple: Get as many people to visit your site as possible--accumulate eyeballs. […]

The article focuses on how to make most digital maps. Topics include using maps to explore music is entertaining, using maps to display government policy and drill down into that policy on a nationwide level is illuminating, and the information that might come across as downright stultifying in a report is easy to explore and compare when put on a map.

Being an independent researcher can be lonely sometimes, especially when you're interested in an online information service and you discover that it only offers institutional subscriptions, meaning you're going to […]

For searchers, there have been attempts to make search services available to those trying to navigate the Internet. Some reference services are linked to search engines: Ask Yahoo!, for example, […]

The article focuses on the available blogging networks and some blog search engines including ResearchBuzz (researchbuzz.me). It mentions about the creating own HTML or using some kind of HTML tool used to be popular options. It's states about Medium (medium.com), which is a new kid on the blogging block.

First Google started an advice service with Google Answers [see the NewsBreak on page 50]. Now Yahoo! has stepped into the arena with Yahoo! Advice (http://advice.yahoo.com), which is offered through […]

Talks about holiday shopping online. Advantages of shopping through the Internet; Comments on the service and attention given to customers online; Examples of some good deals to be found online. INSETS: Web shopping is safe--so why don't people buy it?.;Seek and ye shall find...what?..

Presents the top 250 Web sites in 30 categories where people can find products and services for free. Ask Fortuna; Bibliomania--The Network Library; America's Job Bank; Migraine Boys; Action Pack's Yellow Pages Free-Online Coupons; Net Address; Entertainment Drive; Salon Magazine; Department of Education, The Student Guide; Freeware23.com.

This article examines Resources Description Framework Site Summary (RSS), an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format for delivering Web content. RSS has gone from fairly modest beginnings to being spread all over the Web. Movable Type, the content management system, generates it automatically, and more and more news outlets are making it available. Even state and national government sites deliver news through RSS feeds. But as it has gotten more popular, the usefulness of RSS has begun to evolve. An increasing number of sites are taking this format, which heretofore has been a pure content delivery service and monetizing it. Some news outlets are embedding advertisements in the feeds and other sites advertise their own products or services. Third-party tools have sprung up to support tracking RSS feed items. RSS is very simple. This XML application is a metadata description and syndication format. Like Hypertext Markup Language, RSS just refers to a text file formatted in a certain way. Special software programs, called Feed Readers, can translate the text file into a readable format. Desktop feed readers include AmphetaDesk and Feedreader. Each RSS file consists of some essential information, such as the name of the content generator, the language and the appropriate contacts. The meat of the RSS file, though, is the content. Each story gets its own listing that is formatted to delineate the content, date and headline.

Focuses on the services offered by content providers and how they expand into the online information market. Overview of the Web sites of Chris Pirillo, Webmaster of the Lockergnome content provider; Services of AsktheBuilder.com home building and remodeling content Web site; Advantages of the QuickBrowse and OnlineHomeBase.com database searching tools.

Provides information on various Web sites that implement text-based advertising system. google.com; daypop.com; metalfilter.com.

The article focuses on a book entitled "Web Search Garage," by Tara Callishain. The author warns that this book is not for rank beginners. Much of the first section, or Part 1, of the book deals with just two search engines as an introduction to search engines. She describes search engines as two types, full text and subject indexes, but doesn't describe fully the various ways some search engines proceed to search, or the way results are presented. While the author suggests that one needs to continue to search for or be aware of new search engines, she fails to mention Danny Sullivan's Search Engine. Part I also features information about browsers and plug-ins, the tools of Internet searching. She recommends turning off Java and images and other things like blocking pop-up windows for a faster experience and for security, but doesn't warn of the consequences. The exceptional part of this book is in the treatment of the search process in the second section of the book. While the third section of the book is about techniques, it is also about the process of using techniques to do research and process. Process determines the results, just as how a question is constructed determines the possible answers.

Evaluates software for personal finance management. Functions of the Microsoft Money 99 software allowing customization; Home Page motif of Quicken 99.

Reviews the computer software WordPerfect Suite 8 from Corel Corp.

Reviews the computer software, SmartSuite Millennium by Lotus Development.

Reviews the computer software Nuts & Bolts 98 from Network Associates company.

Evaluates the computer peripheral Laplink 7.5 from Travelling Software. Specification; Key features; Pros and cons; Cost.

Evaluates the computer software Goldmine 4.0 from Goldmine. Specifications; Key features; Pros and cons; Cost.