Subject: Free Pint No.70 - Aerospace, Mental Health and Customer Service Free Pint "Helping 31,000 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.co.uk/ ISSN 1460-7239 7th September 2000 No.70 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Holly Ellson FREE PINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "A Web of Mental Health" By Sam Vaknin BOOKSHELF "Customer Service on the Internet" 2nd Edition Reviewed by Diana Nutting FEATURE ARTICLE "Top Sites on the Web for Aeronautics and Aerospace Science and Technology" By Emma Turner and Karyn Meaden PORTAL, EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/070900.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TARGETED BUSINESS CONTENT ON YOUR INTRANET Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters company, introduces Factiva Publisher, a news feed and server application that enables you to display strategic news alongside internally-generated content on your intranet. With Factiva Publisher, employees receive their own personal page, which increases both intranet traffic and intranet value. Find out more. Visit http://www.factiva.com/integration > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fa701] >>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<< Free Pint is a community of business professionals who use the Web for their work. Members receive this free newsletter every two weeks packed with tips and articles by information professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. Sign up at for free access to the substantial archive of articles, book reviews, industry news and events, and have your research questions answered at the "Free Pint Bar". This newsletter is best read when printed out and viewed in a Courier font. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EDITORIAL It's tricky choosing a name for something. Sometimes it comes to you in a flash (like "Free Pint" did for me) or you have to pay consultants significant sums to come up with something suitable. I dread to think how much BP just paid consultants to come up with the idea that "BP" should now no longer stand for British Petroleum but instead should stand for, er, whatever you want it to. That will certainly make all the employees in the merged companies (Amoco, Burmah Castrol) feel like they work for one company. Hmm. And to change the familiar green and yellow shield - which after all only appears on some 29,000 service stations around the world - makes perfect sense to me. Err ... Anyway, I was therefore sure that we were in for some fun yesterday at the Institute of Information Scientists' (IIS) Member's Day at which I gave a talk about building portals. As you are no doubt aware, an implementation group is working on creating a new organisation from the merger of the IIS and the Library Association. The main issue for debate however did not appear to be the workings or offerings of the organisation, but the newly proposed name: "the Library and Information Society" Since this is a consultation period, I would ask you to seriously consider these questions: What type of membership organisation do you wish to belong to? Should the main purpose of such an organisation be to enhance your employability (not my words)? What industry do you think you work in? Do the current membership organisations give you what you want and expect? Since the name obviously is very important then what concepts should be the most prominent in the new name? Should the name give greater or equal preference to keeping current membership happy or to attracting new members and increasing the profession's respect outside of traditional fields? Would charitable status be desirable and/or appropriate? These are all very important questions in the development of an exciting new organisation which we hope will enhance and expand the reputation of our profession. You must think carefully about these points and make your thoughts known either directly to the working party or at the Free Pint Bar. The debate is not about the name (although this is important) but about our individual professional responsibility to take this opportunity to make sure that the new organisation is set up to best serve both ourselves and the profession as a whole. Anyway, since unification is the order of the day everywhere else then you can rest assured that the content in today's Free Pint will be as diverse as usual. Today we take a look at mental health Web sites, resources for aeronautics and aerospace and another book by popular author Jim Sterne. It's been a particularly busy time lately at the Free Pint Bar and so Simon once again provides his invaluable roundup. By the way, I've just decided to change the name Free Pint to "FP". These new initials will stand for, er, whatever you want them to. Kind regards, WH (previously, William) William Hann BSc MIInfSc Founder and Managing Editor, Free Pint e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Free Pint is a trademark of Free Pint Limited http://www.freepint.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ***A TRADING PLACE FOR ALL YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS*** eBay - the world's largest person to person online trading community brings you a new way to buy and sell business equipment. With listings in computers to catering equipment the Business Exchange has something for all your business needs. Whether you're starting up or expanding your business, there's bound to be something for you. Registration is FREE so click here for more information on eBay's Business Exchange . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [eb702] >>> FREE PINT UPDATE FOR ADVERTISERS <<< If you've ever considered advertising here or on the Web site then you need the "Free Pint Update" - a brief monthly email with the latest special offers, demographics, etc. Sign up today at > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Holly Ellson * Fundraising.co.uk - For professional fundraisers this site gives advice, taxation and policy info, international news, access to services, jobs pages, book reviews. * BBC Webwise - the BBC's guide to using the internet is a great coaching aid for beginners. The design is a bit fiddly but the content and tone of instruction is really excellent. * Rail.ch - Oh, if only all train scheduling was done by the Swiss! This speedy website runs as smoothly as the trains, with ticket sales and perfectly presented information for routes throughout Europe. * Emailthis.com - free gadget to organise and share the good stuff you find online. Just click and drag the buttons to add to your browser toolbar. * Why don't people use capital letters in a web address? It usually looks better and greatly helps readability (and recall). Eg makes more sense written as Holly Ellson does online marketing and fundraising for WWF, the conservation organisation . Contact Holly with any good e-fundraising schemes you find up your sleeve! - . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To submit your top five favourite tipples see the guidelines at or email > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ****THE FACTIVA INFOPRO ALLIANCE**** Become a member of the InfoPro Alliance and keep up with the latest enhancements to Reuters Business Briefing, Dow Jones Interactive and Factiva's content integration via periodic email messages. You'll also receive Advisor, Factiva's quarterly newsletter that covers industry trends, added content and profiles of innovative professionals. Visit http://www.factiva.com/infopro to join. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fa703] >>> LOGIN FOR HANDY NEW FEATURES <<< Visit the Free Pint Web site today and log in to activate the many member-only features of the site. You can easily send a posting to a friend from the Free Pint Bar, store your viewing preferences for your next visit, have past issues of Free Pint immediately emailed to you or modify your subscriptions online. All members have been given a password and if you don't know yours then we'll email it to you. Why not give it a go now: http://www.freepint.co.uk/sessions/preregister.php3 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/070900.htm#bar How do I search thee? Let me count the ways. For a start, one of our customers noticed the number of queries that ask how to do certain things and he recommended a great directory of online tutorials (4711), a very welcome suggestion. This followed queries about how to start up a Web newsletter (4583) and how to create help pages (4709). Indeed, we get lots of 'how to' questions relating to the likes of creating an internal communications programme (4538), creating forms using MS Outlook (4555), designing a multimedia training project (4680), taking care of online security (4536, 4631), dealing with metatags (4575) and search engine submissions (4692), Web page design (4640), marketing to law firms (4578) and picking up dead links automatically (4670). As well as 'how tos', we hear from lots of people searching for specific things, such as information on the Bluetooth standard (4539), domain registration details (4715, 4686), conferences (4673), content syndicators (4723), copyright information (4702), business grants (4509), the cost of advertising on Web sites (4699), where to advertise for free (4532) and SIC codes with their UK equivalents (4625). And then there are those searching for collected data, especially statistical or quantitative data, such as details of the children's PC market (4529), the number of computers in the UK (4636), the number of home PCs in the UK (4632), the size of the European popular science market (4703), IT graduate statistics (4599), email lists for direct marketing campaigns (4610), UK healthcare data (4734), and the top UK B2B portals (4674). Company information is much in demand and there are plenty of relevant sites available, but it can be hard to keep track of what sort of information can be found where. Queries on the Bar have included ones about partnership information (4521), Latin American private companies (4623), share price information (4731), European private companies (4614) and free company financial information (4666). A lot of searching is best carried out from a good starting point, such as a specialist search facility, and we have examined some excellent facilities in the Bar over the past three weeks, what with history timelines (4525), genealogy sites (4526), advertising resources (4554), an aerospace and aviation portal (4571), an agriculture search engine (4624), an architecture directory (4649), a site on the automotive industry (4655), a banking portal (4704), a defence information site (4710) and an excellent site on the late JS Bach (4544). It didn't stop there either. We also looked at distance calculators (4518), news sources (4566), news tickers (4576), National Geographic online (4585) and Time Magazine online (4748). And we found out where to go if we want official looking email addresses (4586), any kind of information on search engines (4637), help with computing and Web problems (4693) or the latest on ebusiness (4735). There were a few job related postings too in the last few weeks. Teaching exchanges in Australia (4648), IT lectureships in Bangladesh (4564) and freelance information research jobs (4745) are available. And there are people searching for jobs in information (4698, 4744) and environmental management (4721). And we mustn't forget the miscellaneous things that people search the Web for. These included requests for style guides for food writing (4739), shipping company contacts (4546), licensing requirements for radio transmission (4527) and motorway information (4565). Also, information on franchise valuation (4612), health food and vitamin shops (4689), building regulations (4570), seminar venues (4701) and a 1960s musical called 'Time' with Laurence Olivier (4639). There seems to be no end to the number of things you can search for and no end to the number of ways you can search the Web. That's not even the depth and breath and height of it. That's just the last three week's worth. Simon Collery, Content Developer To read threads, view this summary online with activated hyperlinks at , visit the Bar itself or add the message number to the end of , e.g. . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do you have a research question? Could you help other members? It's easy to post a message at . Visit daily for "Today's Tipple" - a different Web site reviewed every working day at the Bar. Access the Portal archive of Tipples at . To have the latest Free Pint Bar postings sent to you every other day, send a blank email to . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = GET FREE E-BUSINESS ADVICE AND INFORMATION Experience the Economist Intelligence Unit's new website EBUSINESSFORUM.COM. You will find FREE information on critical e-business issues, case studies of innovative digital strategies, timely analysis and research on worldwide market trends and more. If you want to transform your company into a successful e-business, register now at : http://www.freepint.co.uk/eiu.html > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [ei704] >>> WE DON'T ASK MUCH - JUST A BIT OF MARKETING? <<< If you enjoy Free Pint then the best way you can show your support is by spreading the word to your colleagues and friends. Feel free to forward this issue to them or we can send them a brief note on your behalf if you enter their details confidentially at: http://www.freepint.co.uk/reco.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS AND TECHNIQUES http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/070900.htm#tips "A Web of Mental Health" By Sam Vaknin Never before was such a wealth of material about mental health available to the public. Whole libraries are placed on line daily. It is a blessing - yet, in the disguise of clutter. In 6 years of constant daily surfing, I discovered that I much prefer directories to search engines. The bigger the subject - the better a web directory is as a starting point. I am an editor of mental health categories in a few directories but my favourite is the Open Directory Project: Click on "Health" and then "Mental Health". Thousands of web sites are arranged in categories from "Addiction and Recovery" to "Web Directories and Indices". The "Disorders" category (of which I am the editor) contains listings on mental health disorders. Rare conditions are listed in "Other Disorders". Another favourite of mine is Snap.com: . Web directories differ in their editorial content and quality of links - rather than in hierarchical structure. Another up and coming directory is Go.com . Yahoo!, surprisingly, has very poor and out of date mental health content . Looksmart is, as usual, superb, though much more selective than the Open Directory: . A few enterprising mental health professionals have created their own directories. These are often professionally and editorially superior to all-purpose directories. These sites usually include the diagnostic criteria of mental health disorders, resources regarding various treatment modalities, links to other content web sites, chat and discussion areas organized in communities, recommended reading and, sometimes, therapist directories. Among the most notable: Internet Mental Health , Mental Help Net , PsychCentral - Dr. John Grohol's Mental Health Page - , Self-Help and Psychology Magazine . Similar "private" directories are maintained by dot.coms or mental health clinics. Some of them are commercially oriented - though this by no means affects the high quality of the contents. Among the more conspicuous: HealthyPlace , Mental Health Ask the Expert Archive , Mental Health InfoSource , At Health , drkoop - which might fold later this year due to lack of financing , Mental Health Matters , Psyche Matters . Though, in my view at least, inferior to the what the cream of the private sector has to offer, one cannot ignore sites maintained by various associations and organizations. The American Psychological Association maintains a public access resources area which includes a not-too-thrilling search engine . NAMI - the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - maintains its own databases . In the UK, there is PsychNet UK . Each mental health disorder and each subject in normal (as opposed to abnormal) psychology have their dedicated following and web sites. While it is impossible to describe even the contours of these veritable galaxies, some web sites are clustered in "communities". Thus, for instance, Suite101 has a "Mental Health" category with some priceless web sites with content not found anywhere else: . The same goes for Geocities and Tripod and . But their search engines are awful. Better browse the relevant neighbourhoods for hidden treasures. Finally, don't miss the superb mental health online libraries offered in such rich and free abundance: Online texts The archives of the "Journal of Psychiatry" The famous Merck Manual Medscape Psychiatry Resources > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sam Vaknin, an economic and political columnist and a published and awarded author of short fiction and reference, is currently economic advisor to the government of Macedonia. He has collaborated with Israeli psychologists and criminologists in the study of personality disorders and is the author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the East". He is the editor of the Mental Health Disorders category in the Open Directory Project and of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder topic in Suite101. Web address: Email address: or > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Healthcare and Medicine" links in the Free Pint Portal * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks * Discuss this article with the author now at the Free Pint Bar * Access the entire archive of Free Pint content > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 31 October Conference: Information Sources in Complementary Medicine. Organised by the British Library and the Foundation for Integrated Medicine. Aimed at information providers/health service workers/academics, journalists/doctors/complementary therapy practitioners and anyone else with an interest. It will focus on the range of information sources available, including internet sources. For further details go to http://www.bl.uk/services/stb/comp_med.html or telephone Tony Catarinicchia on 020 7412 7915. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [bl705] >>> FREE PINT FACT <<< For the first two years, Free Pint received 500 new members a month. As we near the end of our third year we're now welcoming over 1,000 new members a month. At this rate we should easily hit the million- member-mark by the time I'm due a telegram from the Queen. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BOOKSHELF http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf "Customer Service on the Internet" 2nd Edition Reviewed by Diana Nutting This is not just another book on building your own website; it aims to take the issue of e-commerce one stage further, by discussing how Internet companies can use the available technology to give themselves a competitive edge in excellent customer service. The first half of the book is focussed on the need for good communication with lots of examples from real life of what can happen if it goes wrong. The second half deals more with new developments in web technology that more and more companies are harnessing for improving customer communications. The book is well laid out and clear. It consists mainly of anecdotal evidence with frequent illustrations and several case studies of each point made, which makes it an easy, if repetitive read, with an understandably American bias. Jim Sterne gives many examples of companies that have got it wrong, and some that have pushed back the frontiers. Some of the tools outlined to improve customer service are simple to put into place and require only an imaginative outlook from companies that already have an Internet presence. These include: making the site easy to use and navigate, and including a FAQs section and learning from it. The management of email and newsgroups is one of the most interesting sections in this book. Sterne suggests that companies should regularly monitor newsgroups to discover what people are saying about them, but also should participate proactively. He also recommends that companies should host their own newsgroups, bulletin boards and closed discussion lists, all of which give companies valuable product and service information. Newer developments are also mentioned, such as dynamic services and extranets, all of which can be harnessed to improve customer communication. Much of this book is common sense. It reiterates constantly the message that it is important to communicate with customers; to encourage them to communicate with you, and to respond promptly and efficiently when they do so. What is different is that the author takes those tried and tested marketing principles of two way communication with customers, and puts them into an Internet context, arguing that it is vital to keep up with technological changes that allow new ways of interacting with the customer. The book does not set out to be a technical manual of how to put these concepts into place. It simply suggests and exemplifies useful tools. There is a great deal of padding in this book, and huge chunks are little more than extended advertising for the author's consultancy, but the basic premise is sound; the Internet is a great opportunity to interact, and it is all too easy to get it wrong. Most of the ideas can and should be put easily into place by companies with any sort of Internet presence. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Diana Nutting initially qualified as a librarian. She spent her early career in academic libraries, including that of the Polytechnic of North London, then moved to Unilever where she worked in market intelligence. After managing the market intelligence units of JP Morgan and Parcelforce, she became Head of Marketing at the London East Training and Enterprise Council. Two years ago she set up her own marketing and market intelligence consultancy, which concentrates on providing hands on marketing advice and help to small but growing companies. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read about other Internet strategy books on the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com * Details: ISBN 0471382582 published by John Wiley and Sons; written by Jim Sterne * Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Bookshelf To propose a business-Web-related book for review, send details to . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = WORLDWIDE ANSWERS TO YOUR INFORMATION NEEDS BOOK YOUR SEAT TODAY! www.online-information.co.uk Online Information 2000; 5-7 December 2000 This year's conference is a vital forum for anyone working within, or reliant upon, the information industry to explore the major issues, determine key trends and predict future developments. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li706] >>> FREE PINT PORTAL - YOUR WINDOW TO BUSINESS INFORMATION <<< http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/070900.htm#feature "Top Sites on the Web for Aeronautics and Aerospace Science and Technology" By Emma Turner and Karyn Meaden The aeronautics and space science and technology fields are particularly well covered on the Internet, and there is a huge range of sites available. We've sorted through the poor quality sites to bring you a selection of the best. Aeronautics is made up of several very specific and separate subject areas - for this article we've restricted ourselves to the more general sites which cover all aspects of the subject. AERADE is a gateway to over 1,300 quality aerospace and defence information resources available on the Internet. It is searchable and browseable by subject area and each resource is described to allow users to evaluate its potential use to them before they visit it. It is maintained by a team of information specialists from Cranfield University who select, evaluate and regularly monitor the sites included in the service. AERADE is freely available to anybody who wishes to make use of it, whether they are in industry, commerce or academia and is equally relevant to both aeronautics and aerospace science and technology. Of course, no discussion of these subjects on the Web would be complete without mentioning the NASA Web site . This is a huge site containing many thousands of pages that are of interest to the amateur and professional alike. Important pages include the NASA databases, particularly the Technical Report Server which allows you to cross search all the NASA document-producing centres by subject, and CASI TRS , a database of 2.2 million records of bibliographic citations and abstracts for publicly available aerospace documents, journal articles, and conference proceedings. It's a good idea to spend some time exploring the NASA pages to get a flavour of what's on offer. Top sites for aeronautics ========================= The AIAA Meetings Papers Searchable Citation Database is updated quarterly and contains bibliographic information for papers presented at AIAA meetings from 1992 to today. The database offers a number of search options including author, paper number, title and year. A number of sort options can be used to display records. Copies of AIAA papers can be ordered online as a charged service. BUBL LINK / 5:15 is the name of a catalogue of selected Internet resources covering all academic subject areas and this link provides direct access to the aeronautics section. All items are selected, evaluated, catalogued and described. The aim is to guarantee at least 5 relevant resources for every subject included, and a maximum of 15 resources for most subjects, hence the name 5:15. BUBL LINK is searchable and there is a browsable a-z list of subjects. Resources are also grouped by country and continent, and by type. Landings is a commercial aviation directory service providing access to a wide variety of aviation-related resources. It includes mediated expert forums covering topic areas such as GPS, maintenance, aviation medicine and law. There are listings of newsgroups and e-mail groups. An extensive reference section includes links to various databases of FAA Regulations, Canadian Regulations, Service Difficulty Reports, Airworthiness Alerts, NTSB Briefs, N Numbers and many more. The reference section also includes coverage of aerospace companies, museums, reports and other publications. Landings also has sections devoted to aircraft/parts; air transport/airports; services; general aviation; government/military: and pilot supplies. Aviation Today is another commercial service which provides access to aviation business news and market intelligence. In addition, it contains a special reports database, an aircraft values facility, safety information from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), forthcoming conferences and meetings and a large list of associated links. Although you might think that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is all about cars, you would be wrong! It is an organisation of engineers, business executives, educators, and students from all over the world that is concerned with advancing the engineering of mobility systems. The interest and activities of the SAE cover all forms of self-propelled vehicles including aircraft and aerospace vehicles. The site provides access to a range of information including membership details, forthcoming events, conferences and expositions, committee structure, standards development, continuing education, career resources and online job listing, and discussion forums. SAE publications are described and there is a searchable database of SAE technical papers. The National Transportation Library is provided by the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Transportation Administrative Services Center, the operating administrations, and the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Library holds full text materials in either PDF or Word format from public and private organisations and makes this available to search or browse over the Internet. The aviation section is divided into several subject areas, including laws and regulations, human factors and air traffic control. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Documents On-Line Collection is a searchable database of over 23,000 online full text documents produced by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The database can be searched in a number of different ways including author, title, data and keyword. The subject coverage is very broad, and includes aeronautics, propulsion systems and propellants, materials science, mechanical and civil engineering and space vehicles and technology. The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) is the internationally recognised trade association for the UK aerospace industry. The SBAC home page provides access to a range of information resources including a diary of forthcoming events, a directory of members, products and services, press releases, SBAC Newsletters and Bulletins. Within the Newsroom, the Industry Information section contains a range of full-text documents, including the SBAC annual report, comprehensive UK aerospace industry statistics and Research and Technical Department articles The Engineering Sciences Data Unit (ESDU) create and maintain over 22 series of validated engineering design data covering structural, mechanical, aeronautical and chemical process engineering. They are produced by committees of independent experts who ensure that each Data Item is a sound technical document which presents a clear explanation of the recommended approach. The bulletins that each committee produces are available for viewing using Adobe Acrobat. Subscribers to the service can access the full text of all data items. Non subscribers may view abstracts of each Data Item. An FAQ, glossary and technical notes are also available. Top sites for aerospace science and technology ============================================== There are a number of full text electronic books which you may find interesting. The 'Basics of Space Flight Learners' Workbook' is produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory . This is intended as a training tool for space flight operations. The user works through it at their own pace, completing tests to reinforce knowledge throughout. The National Academy Press makes over 1,500 books freely available online, including those produced by the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) and the Space Studies Board (SSB). If you are interested in space medicine and the human aspects of spaceflight, Spaceline is a key resource. It consists of references from the Medline database and relevant records added by NASA staff. Subjects covered include basic research related to the space life sciences, bone and muscle physiology, psychological effects of isolation, and gravitational effects on plants. An important application of space science is earth observation. The Goddard DAAC datasets provide not only data on aspects such as ocean colour, hydrology and precipitation and atmospheric chemistry, but also detailed background information about the data including software and documentation. Space debris is a risk to the future development of space exploration - did you know there are currently over 3500 spent satellites orbiting our skies? DebrisWeb aims to provide a gateway to debris-related information on the Web. The site provides background information on the topic, a searchable and browseable database of relevant references in the literature and a database of contacts. The international space centres all have extensive Web pages. The European Space Agency (ESA) site contains full text publications, press releases, annual reports, photographs, links and masses of information about space science, including launchers, earth observation, manned spaceflight, microgravity and telecommunications. The British National Space Centre site provides a wealth of information on the UK space industry and includes full text surveys, research and news. Of particular note is the Space Index which contains information about UK educational opportunities and industrial space activities. Entries are written by the contributors themselves. The Russian Space Agency was formed after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Soviet space program. Interestingly, the site is held on a NASA server! It is worth highlighting the facility to track satellites such as the Mir space station in real time, and the assembly pages outlining the construction of various space stations. Ask an Astronaut is good fun. You can either submit a question to be answered by the current featuring astronaut (previous names include Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn), or browse and search the archive of previous questions and answers. This includes fascinating answers to questions such as 'Do you believe in UFOs or extraterrestrial life?' The Internet Aviator , is a Web- based interactive tutorial designed to teach Internet information skills in the areas of aerospace and defence. It is part of the RDN Virtual Training Suite and is based at the Institute of Learning and Research Technology at the University of Bristol. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emma Turner gained an MA in Librarianship from Sheffield University in 1995. She is currently one of a team of Assistant Librarians at the Kings Norton Library, Cranfield University, where she is now preparing to assume responsibility for aerospace and engineering information provision. She is currently working on the Internet Aviator. Karyn Meaden is the Networked Information Specialist at Cranfield University and is responsible for the maintenance of Cranfield's own CRUISE gateway, and for the design and implementation of AERADE. She is a regular reviewer for Online Information Review (previously Online and CD-ROM Review) and New Library World, and has written various journal articles about AERADE. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Aerospace and Aviation" links in the Free Pint Portal * "Top sites on the Web for Air Transport" article in Free Pint No.61 * Respond to this article and chat to the author now at the Bar * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks * Access the entire archive of Free Pint content > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR BOOK? <<< http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf We have direct search links to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com from the Free Pint Bookshelf homepage. To search the Web use the search forms for Google and AltaVista on the Free Pint homepage. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT PORTAL http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal Even though all members of the Free Pint team have enjoyed a holiday during the last couple of weeks, developments in the Portal and on the site haven't relaxed. We've added a further 100 hand-picked link sites, portals and gateways and the development team (who are not allowed holidays, ever) have been busy on a number of new projects. They've been developing our own bulk mailer so that we can send out the Newsletter and Bar Digest ourselves rather than relying on a third party. This will give us a lot of flexibility in the future to offer tailored publications and offers a lot of exciting opportunities. The URL Checker is coming along nicely which will allow members to enter a Web address and we'll check all the links and send you a report detailing any problems. Then there's the eCommerce system and links with third-party database providers which are tricky projects but which are also progressing satisfactorily. Finally we're going to be announcing soon an exciting new service for students on information- related courses. So make sure you frequent the Bar (or sign up for the Bar Digest on the site) for details of the latest developments. William Hann, Managing Editor > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Free Pint Portal gives you access to the full range of Free Pint content by industry and country as well as a large number of selected external resources at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FORTHCOMING EVENTS http://www.freepint.co.uk/events This year's Internet Commerce Expo takes place in California, overlapping with the Creating and Launching Learning Portals conference in Chicago. Also in California, there is the KM World conference and exhibition and the Online World conference. Over in Europe, there'll be the European Conference on Digital Libraries in Portugal, two workshops on Living Through Change in the UK and the eBusiness 2000 event, also in the UK. Simon Collery, Content Developer Full details of these and many other forthcoming conferences and exhibitions in the online-information and Internet industries can be found on the Free Pint Events page . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT GOLD This time last year we had an article on where to find system files and drivers for sound cards and video cards, etc, on the Web. We also had an article on intranets and extranets and sites which give information on developing them. * Free Pint No.45, 9th September 1999 "File finding, file filing" and "Intranets and extranets" . This time two years ago we had an article on newsgroups and newsreaders. We also looked at the wealth of Legal resources available on the Web and how best to make use of those resources. * Free Pint No.21, 3rd September 1998 "Tricks with local newsgroups" and "Legal Resources on the Web" . Simon Collery, Content Developer > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES [Provisional] * Business Information Portals * Film Industry * * Patents * Knowledge Management * Search Technology * * European Document Delivery * Geology * * ICQ * Cash Flow and the Net * If you have a suggestion for an article topic or would like to write for Free Pint then please contact me or view the guidelines for authors on the Web site at . Rex Cooke, Editor > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = I really hope today's issue has provided you with a few interesting leads and new sites to check out. We'd love to welcome you to the Web site and specifically the Bar to discuss issues of our professional future. If you can help us spread the word about Free Pint to your colleagues and friends then you will be helping to ensure a bright future for Free Pint. See you in two weeks! William Hann, Managing Editor william@freepint.co.uk (c) Free Pint Limited 1997-2000 http://www.freepint.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = CONTACT INFORMATION William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Founder and Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Rex Cooke FIInfSc FRSA, Editor e: rex@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1342 316027 f: +44 (0)1342 316027 Simon Collery BA, Business Development e: simon@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1865 434143 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Address Free Pint Limited, FREEPOST (SEA3901), Staines Middlesex, TW18 3BR, United Kingdom (Please add a stamp if you would like to pay for postage) Web - http://www.freepint.co.uk Advertising - ads@freepint.co.uk Subscriptions - subs@freepint.co.uk Letters & Comments - feedback@freepint.co.uk Authors - http://www.freepint.co.uk/author.htm Latest Issue Autoresponder - auto@freepint.co.uk > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free newsletter written by information professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. Useful to anyone who uses the Web for their work, it is published every two weeks by email. To subscribe, unsubscribe, find details about contributing, advertising or to see past issues, please visit the Web site at http://www.freepint.co.uk/ or call +44 (0)1784 455 466. Please note: Free Pint is a trademark of, and published by, Free Pint Limited . The publishers will NEVER make the subscriber list available to any other company or organisation. The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. This publication may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety. However, individual sections MAY NOT be copied and/or distributed without the prior written agreement of the publishers. Write to Rex Cooke, Editor for more details. Product names used in Free Pint are for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Free Pint disclaims any and all rights in those marks. All rights reserved. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =