Subject: Free Pint No.59 - Museums, Middle East and Tipples Free Pint "Helping 28,000 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.co.uk/ ISSN 1460-7239 30th March 2000 No.59 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "Virtual Visits: Links to museums and the like on the WWW" By Carey McIlvenny BOOKSHELF "Mastering the Digital Market Place" Reviewed by Simon Collery MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Rachel Keegan FEATURE ARTICLE "Internet Development in the Middle East" By Gil Feiler FREE PINT BAR SUMMARY by Simon Collery FREE PINT GOLD FORTHCOMING EVENTS http://www.freepint.co.uk/events FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/300300.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** STOP! *** ValueClick drives traffic to your web site at home and abroad and delivers millions of visitors per month to e-commerce and destination sites at a guaranteed cost per Click. Build traffic now by calling ValueClick at +44 (0)20 7751 0555 www.valueclick.com or mailto:advertise@valueclick-europe.com > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [vc591] >>> 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". > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EDITORIAL We've been listening to your feedback and the word of the week is "Tips". You want more tips, both in the newsletter and on the Web site. Tips on searching, using your browser, finding the best Web sites, and much more. In true Free Pint fashion we have been working on your wishes and have launched a number of "Tipple" initiatives. I'm delighted to announce the following which should hopefully quench your thirst: "My Favourite Tipples" - We have a new section in this newsletter today where readers are invited to give us their top five Web sites and tips. If you've got some great tips you'd like to share with others then check out this section below. "Today's Tipple from Free Pint" - every working day on the Free Pint Bar we will be reviewing an invaluable Web site which you may not have discovered before. There's a direct daily link to this from the homepage at . "Quick Tipple" - Every time you access the Web site homepage you will see a different short tip. Indeed we have changed the layout of the homepage to make it much easier for you to access the many parts of the Web site, so why not make a visit day. Although we go to press every two weeks this is actually the third edition of Free Pint this month. Even so we bring you some super articles with reviews of museum sites around the world and a look at Internet penetration in the Middle East. As well as the new Tipples mentioned above we also have the usual summary of what's been happening at the Free Pint Bar, the Bookshelf review and details of forthcoming Internet events and articles. Thank you to all those who have been spreading the word about us to their colleagues and friends. We do rely on you to tell other people about Free Pint if you find it useful. I also welcome comments and feedback on any aspect of Free Pint so please contact me directly by email to . Kind regards, 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/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** VALUECLICK PAYS FOR YOUR TRAFFIC *** Generate revenue from your web site traffic. ValueClick manages the advertising for thousands of web sites worldwide: * We pay you monthly for all the Clicks you generate * We guarantee 100% sell-out of all advertising inventory * Easy to get started and no contracts required Sign up at www.valueclick.com or mailto:sales@valueclick-europe.com > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [vc592] >>> ADVERTISING HERE IS EFFECTIVE - FOR COST AND COVERAGE <<< Full details, rate card, subscriber breakdown and special offers http://www.freepint.co.uk/advert.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS AND TECHNIQUES http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/300300.htm#tips "Virtual Visits: Links to museums and the like on the WWW" By Carey McIlvenny When, as a small child, I heard the word 'museum', I thought of musty smells, boring talks, watery orange squash and a day out with no swings! But now, I'd love to be a wee thing and have all the time in the world to wander through the galleries and halls of these great institutions and be overloaded with the wealth of knowledge that they provide. Lifestyles today are generally so busy that time is now a precious commodity, so why not put 10 minutes of your lunch hour to good use and log on to embark on a virtual stroll around some famous and more obscure museums. A good place to start is The Metropolitan in New York at . The site gives you a 'daily artifact' for those who need a quick cultural fix. The subtle colours of the site will de-stress you and you can then view one of 3,500 works of art from the online collection, create your own 'met' gallery or browse in the museum's shop. If you enjoy purchasing posters and the like from museum shops, offers poster sales and links with museums around the globe. Additional sites providing general museum listings and links include , which allows you to 'explore 33,000 museums worldwide'. This vast directory covers museums on subjects such as 'art & design', 'food, fashion, film & music', 'science and nature' and 'kids'. Museum professionals can also meet online. Or see , which lists a wealth of US and Canadian museums and aims to eventually contain links to every museum on the planet! Arty types could try World Wide Arts Resources at , which has museum and gallery stuff as part of its 'definitive, interactive gateway to all exemplars of qualitative arts information and culture on the Internet'. The largest museum of decorative arts in the world is the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, . A restful blue is the overriding colour scheme and neat animated cubes are used to good effect. There is an 'explorer' where you can explore virtual and actual spaces, a 'newsroom', the 'learning zone' for educators and general info; a 'shopping' area is coming soon. If you left the actual V&A in sunny South Kensington, you might feel like visiting its geographical neighbour, the Natural History Museum. has plenty on all the museum's functions and departments, and the fab 'antcast' where you can access live video or static images from the NHM's leafcutter ant colony. London museums south of the river can be found at The South London Museums Group site - which includes a diverse set of museums such as the Crofton Roman Villa, the Britain at War Experience and the Brunel Engine House. Other capital cities within the UK also offer a fine selection of museum-related websites. The National Museums of Scotland site at has a Webcam that shows views over Edinburgh from the museum's roof and incorporates the Royal Museum, the Museums of Scotland, the Museum of Flight, the Museum of Scottish Country Life, the Museum of Costume and the War Museum. The National Museums of Wales site at includes such organisations as the National Museum & Gallery Cardiff, the Museum of Welsh Life, the Museum of the Welsh Woollen Industry and the Big Pit Museum of the Coal Industry. There's also a handy 'What's On' guide and a 'for fun' section which featured (when I looked at it) 'Henry's Big Adventure', a bright and zippy interactive game to teach children about coin conservation. It's only a quick trip across the water to Armagh's modern astronomical research institute, The Armagh Observatory at . Here find out about the activities of around 25 astronomers who are actively studying Stellar Astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy and the Earth's climate. With news and research gen, some nice images of Comet Hale-Bopp over the Observatory and astronomy links, it's all comprehensively designed to make it easy to navigate. From stars of the galaxy to stars of the sporting field at . The International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame is a non-profit membership organisation that promotes sport museums and has more than 140 members from various countries. Search for relevant museums by country. There appear to be only two UK members at present, the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum - so the organisation might be worth a visit if any other UK sports museums are looking to increase their promotional activity! If sport is too strenuous, how about a gentle walk to keep you fit? One place that looks nice to amble around is an open-air museum in West Sussex. 'Sculpture at Goodwood' is an intriguing outdoor gallery/museum, where you can see a changing display of 40 specially commissioned British contemporary sculptures. has a slick black, white and grey design. Go on the 'wayround' tour, access details of webcasts (although not very recent ones featured) and publications. A particularly nice aspect is the ability to send your friends an e-postcard of your favourite sculpture. Other pleasing images can be found at The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford at . Although a small area of the site is still under construction, beautiful animation and captivating soundscapes are utilised in the website intro. It provides the lowdown on the museum and its galleries, e.g. The Kodak Gallery contains the story of popular photography and the 'Advertising' Gallery focuses on the art of persuasion - all very nicely done. More technological innovations can be seen at Bletchley Park. Learn about the Buckinghamshire Stately Home that was the famous Second World War code breaking centre at . Spies in the making can observe how painstakingly people worked to crack wartime codes! Other hard workers were the fishermen of the True's Yard community in King's Lynn, . The site has pictures of fishing cottages that have been restored to how they would have been decorated and furnished in 1850 and 1920, and lists general museum information. More faithful restoration work can be seen at the Museum of Transport in Manchester, . The first bus service in Britain started in Manchester (I learnt this from the site's 'trivia' section) and you can go on a virtual tour of the museum which features over 80 restored vintage buses from 1890 to 1980. Finally, love it or loathe it, Britain's most famous new museum (albeit temporary, a countdown clock indicates how many visiting days are left!), the Millennium Dome is at . It tells users about tickets, employment opportunities and education booking and has photos and e-mail postcards. Of course, there are museums in hundreds of locations for just about every subject known to man so it would be impossible to mention all genres here, but hopefully there's a site listed that appeals to one or several of your interests. Who knows, you may even decide that you just have to give yourself a day off to visit the real thing! > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Carey McIlvenny, BA(Hons), MA undertakes freelance writing and is Website Manager for www.theknowledge.com , an alternative music website. Acting as an umbrella site for various record labels, it contains news, over 200 bands, exclusive interviews, discographies, soundclips, reviews, links, gigs, merchandise sales and a guide to careers in the music industry. Please e-mail any comments or queries to tellitlikeitis@theknowledge.com > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks * Discuss this article with the author now at the Free Pint Bar > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Knowledge Management & Intranet Solutions exhibition - discover how KM can improve your business! Knowledge Management & Intranet Solutions, 4-5 April 2000, offers you the only dedicated opportunity to explore and compare all the very latest KM products and services. The sold out exhibition includes FREE specialist and exhibitor seminars, consultancy sessions, case studies, and a careers clinic. For exhibitor details and to register for free exhibition tickets visit http://www.knowledge-management.co.uk/kmfp now. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li593] >>> WOULD YOU LIKE PAST ISSUES EMAILED TO YOU? <<< You can have past issues of Free Pint sent immediately to you by ticking the ones you want and entering your email address. http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/2000issues.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BOOKSHELF http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf "Mastering the Digital Market Place" Reviewed by Simon Collery The digital marketplace is one governed by information. It is part of an economy which contrasts with an agrarian, industrial or consumer economy. Information and the ways it is collected, stored, used, shared, protected, bought and sold, is destined to become the central economic principle of the future. Focusing on intelligent products, markets and organizations, Aldrich illustrates what it means for such things to be intelligent. It's how information and knowledge is brought to bear on the development of products that gives one establishment competitive advantage over another. That includes information about what customers want and what saves them time, not just the more traditional factors of price and quality. Products are intelligent if they are developed in the right information environment. Companies now operate in a market which depends more on collaboration and co-operation, on sharing ideas and employing new divisions of labour, and one which shuns the formerly ubiquitous corporate secrecy. New markets are created by those who understand how the digital marketplace works, those who understand the networked economy. This new emphasis on information and knowledge means that successful organizations will be the ones which decide correctly what actions it is competent to carry out and what actions would be better performed by others. The digital marketplace is not an alternative, or something you can opt into or out of. It's a little hard to characterize the category of book that this falls into. It is written by a man with good credentials, a man who knows his subject through years of experience. Yet the way it is laid out doesn't suggest that it was intended to be a text book. Given these considerations, I found the book long and the information it contains rather dispersed and repetitive. Others may not find this, but I do recommend ignoring the preface completely. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Simon Collery has been involved in editorial and research work for the electronic media for a number of years, working for AND Data Solutions, Oxford, and the Oxford English Dictionary Project. One of his primary interests is the use of the Internet as a serious research tool and a source of free, reliable information and software. He works for Free Pint full time in the business development team. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read reviews of related eCommerce books on the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com * Search for any other book from Amazon via the Bookshelf homepage To propose a business-Web-related book for review, send details to . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = **ARE YOU LOOKING FOR PRIVATE COMPANY INFORMATION?** FAME and AMADEUS are still available on CD/DVD-ROM as well as the Internet. They have information on 1.6m private UK companies and 3m private European companies. Access them in an instant. Email marketing@bvd.co.uk for more information or register for your free trial now at http://www.bvd.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [bv594] >>> TODAY'S INDUSTRY NEWS IN 200 CATEGORIES <<< Access our live free newsfeed for the latest global news headlines http://www.freepint.co.uk/news > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Rachel Keegan * In my job I particularly like the US Patent Office database which has the full text of US patents on the day on which they are published * I use Intelliseek's BullsEye 2 for searching the Web (free download from ) * I use to share photographs with my friends * I look at UK train timetables and buy my tickets from * Because I am a Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiast, I love the G&S Archive at > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rachel Keegan works for BP Amoco as a Patent Information Analyst and is currently Musical Director of Staines Light Operatic Society . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To submit your top five favourite tipples see the guidelines at > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> A NEW WEB SITE EVERY DAY <<< A different and invaluable Web site is reviewed every day. Look out for "Today's Tipple from Free Pint" at the Free Pint Bar. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/300300.htm#feature "Internet Development in the Middle East" By Gil Feiler Over the past few years we have witnessed the rapid growth and usage of the Internet. According to NUA, by the end of 2002, 320 million people are expected to be online, compared to 97 million at the end of 1998. The language of the Internet is also changing, where non-US Internet users are driving a switch in focus, with growing emphasis on regionalism and local culture, also expressed in the move towards regional portals. In the Middle East, the Internet, along with other Information Technology (IT) sectors, has been gaining wider popular appeal and now enjoys one of the highest growth rates in the world. The Middle East Market ---------------------- This comprises 21 countries including 4 non-Arab ones and represents a market of more than 400 million people, a figure that will double within the next 28 years. Currently, about 55% of inhabitants are under the age of 20, representing an audience that is open to technological change, to computers and to the Internet. The region's economies, after a decade of relative stagnation, have in the past years been experiencing higher growth rates, a consequence of lower strife alongside economic reform. In the latter half of the 1990s, the Middle East in general has embarked upon a program of accelerated privatization of state- owned enterprises and liberalization of investment legislation. This was aimed at upgrading the region's infrastructure and telecommunications network and to lure valuable foreign capital and expertise. Moreover, several of the region's countries have recently been added to the IFC Emerging Markets Investible Index while Egypt now ranks among the top four emerging markets by the IMF in terms of pace of privatization. International companies and organizations are showing increasing interest and involvement in the commercial possibilities of the Middle East region, thus increasing the need for information. There is also a growing local awareness of the benefits of various online services and this has increased the region's appetite for the Internet and other IT. Technological Expansion in the Middle East ------------------------------------------ Until recently, the development of local infrastructure in the Middle East region had, as a whole, been slow. Large projects aimed at improved telecommunications, such as the introduction of new satellite and cable based Internet services, are now underway in many of the region's countries, which will allow the Middle East to readily adapt to IT resources. The lagging start the Internet has had in the region is now being compensated for with a rapid, almost explosive rate of growth. (1) Internet usage is rising at a rate of approximately 8% per month. There are more than 2.25 million users in the region, serviced by over 100 Internet Service Providers. The highest rates of expansion can be witnessed in the Gulf States due to the support provided by both regional governments and private companies. The enthusiasm with which the region's inhabitants are accepting the Internet is matched by the intense interest it is generating in the private business sector. Several international conferences and exhibitions have taken place in the past year, signifying the business potential the Internet represents for the region. For example, at the annual GITEX exhibition held in Dubai (considered to be the third largest IT exhibition in the world), 465 exhibitors from the IT industry participated, representing some 1,500 companies from 35 countries. Included among the exhibitors were international giants such as Microsoft, Dell, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Toshiba, Fujitsu and Compaq. Much focus at the GITEX exhibition was on the prospects and development of E-commerce in the Arab world. With currently about half a million companies worldwide selling through E-commerce, a number that is expected to hit 8 million by 2003, and consumer transactions on the Internet expected to increase from 11.3 billion US dollars in 1998 to approximately 93.7 billion US dollars in 2002, many companies in the Arab region are preparing to embrace E-business. (2) Still in its infancy in the region, user response to the introduction of E-commerce has been high. As early as 1997, 4% of the Middle East's Internet users had already purchased goods and products online. For 1998, 9% reported they had made purchases via the Internet, at a total value of 95 million US dollars. (3) 82% of transactions were made by credit card, a growing form of payment gaining popularity in the region. In fact, the number of credit card users in the Gulf alone has increased by 21.5% in 1999. Saudi Arabia has been the region's highest user with new subscribers growing by 42% between 1998 and 1999. (4) The boom in the development of the Internet and E- commerce has also fuelled the growth of the computer market. In the 1998-2002 period, the Arab countries alone will purchase an estimated 5 million computers. These will consist of 2.5 million computers in the Gulf countries, 1.25 million in Egypt (the second fastest growing computer market in the world behind China), 1 million in North Africa, and 500,000 for other Arab countries. Of these computers, 25% will be home PCs, indicating a growing embrace of computers in Arab societies. (5) Computer prices, too, are dropping. The Middle Eastern IT market is estimated to be valued at approximately 2 billion US dollars and has tremendous potential for growth, since it still represents less than one per cent of the region's gross domestic product (the IT market as a percentage of GDP in the U.S. is 3.7 per cent; in the UK it is 2.6 per cent). These figures do not include the growing IT markets in Turkey and Israel. Naturally, the widespread introduction of computers and their networks has a direct impact on Internet growth in the region. This is due to increased exposure by users, a drop in prices, and the growing availability of Internet services through the workplace. (6) The dynamic growth of the computer and Internet sectors in the Middle East led many individuals and companies to contrive and create web sites with a regional orientation. Individual sites have been primarily designed and maintained by Arab students and associations abroad, while attempts to create portals and search engines have not experienced much success. Efforts at creating a central, high traffic portal of the Middle East region have, with a few exceptions, failed to fulfil the immense potential of the marketplace. Lacking a clear commercial vision or appropriate planning and typically adhering to a narrow focus, most sites in the niche are no more than link directories (such as the Middle East Directory located at . The more serious efforts suffer from limited and sometimes outdated content, have a limited audience appeal and fail to cover the entire Middle East region. For example, Arabia.com , the most serious contender for the title of 'regional portal', provides content that usually comprises a mix of articles derived from other sources, with the material often translated from English to Arabic. Sites like DIT Net and Awo.net , have a limited audience appeal given their audience-specific orientation (DIT is technology oriented while AWO is focused solely on Middle East commercial resources). Hence, most Internet users in the Arab world have been found to prefer international portals like Yahoo! (7) The only serious effort to provide a regional, dual-interfaced portal and search engine is the recent establishment of the Al-Bawaba portal . Geared towards establishing a community- like website with high-quality original content and a wide range of Internet services including games, webmaster resources, e-mail and interactive forums, Al-Bawaba appears to be targeting the entire region. Although only in its initial development, Al-Bawaba has special unique features that one is unable to find at other portals. In conclusion, the Internet is today experiencing extensive growth in the Middle East. This trend can be felt in the accelerated growth of Internet users, the improvement of the region's telecommunications infrastructures, intense foreign interest in the IT business sector and the establishment of regional portals. In lieu of the weak services offered by these local portals to Internet users, with the exception of two or three, their high traffic rates are clear indicators of the high user demand and unremitting growth. References ---------- (1) Saudi Arabia, one of the largest and fastest growing IT markets in the region, has only introduced public Internet use in January 1999. (2) IDC (3) IAW Survey (4) DIT News, June 13, 1999. (5) IDC, Sakhr. (6) According to DIT, 50% of Arabic Internet users connect via their workplaces. (7) According to a survey by IAW, it was discovered that Yahoo! is the preferred search engine for most users in the Arab world while the Arabic search engine Ayna was only the third most popular. DIT net, October 26, 1999. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dr. Gil Feiler is the executive director of Info-Prod Research (Middle East). Having studied in Israel, Egypt and Germany, he wrote his doctoral thesis on economic relations in the Middle East. His most recent publications include: Rethinking Business Strategy in the Middle East and North Africa for the Economist, and The Middle East in the New Millenium: Economic Development and Business Law for Kluwer International Law. Info-Prod Research is a consultancy specializing in research and economic analysis at the country, sector and product levels in the Middle East and North Africa. Additional services are based on IPR unique databases of Middle East business information, which are constantly updated for on-line vendors, including Reuters, Lexis- Nexis, The Dialog Corporation and the Financial Times. Dr. Feiler can be contacted at IPR, 3A, Jabotinsky Street, Ramat-Gan 52520, Israel, Tel: 972-3-7512780, Fax: 972-3-7512781, E-mail: . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Respond to this article and chat to the author now at the Bar * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> 118 ARTICLES. 60 BOOK REVIEWS. 2500 RESEARCH POSTINGS <<< Use the Free Pint site search facility to see if we've covered your topic http://www.freepint.co.uk/search > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BAR SUMMARY http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar Here is your summary of what's been happening at the Free Pint Bar over the last couple of weeks. To read a discussion thread you can: - Just visit the Bar. It's free to use and easy to access at: http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar - Read this summary online where all the links are activated: http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/300300.htm#bar - Add the message number (no brackets) to the end of this address: http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read= For example, to read message 1432 you would visit: http://www.freepint.co.uk/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl?read=1432 We love to hear from Free Pinters, so thank you for the feedback on the last issue (2465). This led to interesting discussions on vortals and unsolicited mail. The person receiving the mail even elicited a response from the company involved. Also discussed on the Bar was the issue of toll-free Internet access in the UK. It's a good thing, but are UK users ready to take full advantage of it? One correspondent thinks many people in North America acquired expensive Web sites which were of little benefit to them. And there is a posting about the recent budget, asking if it gives us an incentive to become *Net Slaves* (2605). Feel like sticking your oar in? There has been a shift away from technical queries and towards research in the last couple of weeks, and a Bar is as good a place as any for this sort of work. Research into publishing company mergers (2464), mergers of corporate intranets (2473), decision making in publishing companies (2521) and the size and scope of the online information market (2575) is being carried out, should you like to contribute. The shift is also reflected in other requests, such as one for sample legal disclaimers (2509) and some specific engineering papers (2528). This pattern continues in the majority of postings. But first, a digression. We are often asked for information that cuts across two parameters; university rankings in Asia (2518), British animation (2559) and insurance information for the travel industry (2570), and these may not be too much of a problem. Early printed book statistics (2493) are another matter, though the time factor wasn't so bad when it came to Internet penetration in 1995 (2554). Now here's a poser. If you need information on the audio industry, you go to a relevant specialist search facility. Equally, if it's financial (2614), economic (2612) or telecommunications (2520) information you want, there are reliable places to look. If you want French industries, you can use French search engines, and the same goes for most large countries. And if you are looking for a job, you can go to a specialist job site. But try finding a job in the French audio industry (2626) and things don't pan out so quickly. Statistical resources for email use (2502) can be found, as can lists of ezines (2514), white page information (2527) and online surveys (2560). But searching across certain parameters is difficult and represents a challenge to search engines and information seekers. If you have any tips, please do share them. While advice has been given on news tickers with a European emphasis (2576), information on small and medium sized enterprise mailing lists (2592) is still wanting. And if you are an online retailer, what's the best model for this pursuit (2613)? One of our patrons thirsts for information on the percentage of sales turnover derived from exports (2607), another hankers for statistics on the size of the UK video games industry (2555). The second request may have been fulfilled, but the first hasn't. We still have a place for developers and technically minded people, in case they're feeling left out. Someone is looking for a sample contract (2456), another wants a script to prevent users from printing her Web pages (2457), a third wants to know everything about Web designing (2535) and a fourth is trying to network home PCs (2566). Improving one's search ranking is never far from a site owner's mind (2539) and if case sensitive URL's irk, help is at hand (2584). IE5 File/Save option is giving grief to one punter (2646) and finally, is there a small, light and reasonably priced mobile electronic device for typing text (2642)? If only computers were more modular, then you could just take the bits you want with you. Simon Collery, Business Development, Free Pint Remember, to read this summary with activated hyperlinks visit ... > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bar: Do you have a research question or Web-related comment? It's easy to post a message at Digest: To have the latest Free Pint Bar postings sent to you every other day, send a blank email to Archive: Dormant postings older than 45 days are moved to Email: To write to the Free Pint team, please send your email to > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> RECOMMEND FREE PINT TO A FRIEND <<< Simply enter their details confidentially and we'll send them the latest issue http://www.freepint.co.uk/reco.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT GOLD This time last year Free Pinters were reading about UK immigration information on the Web, an issue still very much with us. We were also reading about competitive intelligence and the impact that the Internet has had on this pursuit. And two years ago a prescient writer covered the marketing power of domain names. It's interesting to look back and see what has and hasn't happened since then. There have been very public winners and losers in the domain name battles. Job hunting on the Internet was also covered and this has become far more widespread. It's no longer confined to a few sectors, such as computing and electronics. Free Pint one year ago ... * Free Pint No.35 1st April 1999 "UK Immigration Sources on the Web" and "The Internet for Competitive Intelligence" http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/010499.htm Free Pint two years ago ... * Free Pint No.11, 2nd April 1998 "The International Marketing Power of Domain Names" and "Job Hunting on the Net" http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/020498.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> FREE PINT SITE MAP AND HELP <<< http://www.freepint.co.uk/help.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FORTHCOMING EVENTS http://www.freepint.co.uk/events What are you doing this April? There are several events which you may be interested in attending. The Association of Independent Information Professionals has a conference in Washington, DC with its own comedy act included. And the American Society for Information Science is going to set the parameters for the new discipline of Information Architecture in Boston. Whether you are involved in technical matters, content creation or ecommerce, whatever floats your boat really, you may like to have a say in this. Then you'll barely have time to say Danny Sullivan before the Search Engine Meeting starts the very next day, also in Boston. Search engines Google and FAST have been mentioned in Free Pint a number of times and there will be representatives from both at this meeting. Giving you some time to breathe while travelling to Europe, there will be the Webcom conference and Intranet Expo in London, UK, dishing the dirt on Web communications and commerce. Full details of these and over 30 other forthcoming conferences and exhibitions in the online-information and Internet industry can be found on the Free Pint Events page at http://www.freepint.co.uk/events > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES * Internet access from mobile phones * Corporate Web sites * * Space Science and Engineering * Knowledge Management * Weddings * * Legal information * Aeronautics * Researching for TV * * Web sites for SMEs * Air Transport * Surveillance * [Provisional] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = I hope you've enjoyed today's edition of Free Pint, and if so then please do tell your friends. We'd also love to welcome you to the Web site where you can enjoy many more free tipples. 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 Lesley Robinson BA MBA, Business Development e: lesley@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)20 8871 4284 f: +44 (0)20 8875 9165 Simon Collery BA, Business Development e: simon@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1865 434143 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Jane, Administrator e: jane@freepint.co.uk 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. 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