Newsletter No. 129
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Free Pint
"Helping 56,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 23rd January 2003 No.129
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Yvette Nielsen
FREE PINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Financial Researcher
Business Researcher - Maternity Cover
Chair in Librarianship and Information
Business Researcher
Information Associate
TIPS ARTICLE
"Deep Linking"
By Paul Pedley
BOOKSHELF
"The Library and Information Professional's Guide
to Plug-ins and other Web Browser Tools"
Reviewed by Neil Infield
FEATURE ARTICLE
"The 8 A's of Information"
By Dennis Gaulin
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/230103.htm>
ADOBE ACROBAT VERSION WITH NEWSLETTER FORMATTING
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RECRUIT MEDIA - est. 1989. With FT100 clients we cover all areas of
information employment from pre-library school experience to Senior
management. Being a boutique consultancy we are also afforded the
luxury of being able to work with medium sized organizations that can
have more varied roles for the information professional. Contract and
permanent roles are always advertised on our website and on Free Pint
so keep an eye on us and feel free to get in touch
sally@recruitmedia.co.uk even if you're just window shopping.
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>>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<<
Free Pint is an online community of information researchers. Members
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finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
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EDITORIAL
After my talk of extremes in the last issue, including the flooding
which has now receded, I've been looking for some good news to bring
some cheer to the new year.
The cheer has arrived in the form of a different kind of flood -- of
bookings for our forthcoming Exchange workshops. Yesterday alone we
received over 50 bookings.
The hottest Exchange topic is, of course, electronic copyright. Paul
Pedley is repeating this workshop for us, and writes in today's
newsletter about the importance of understanding the implications of
'deep linking'. Find out about all the Exchanges at
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange>, including the one soon on
communities of practice.
Thanks to the European Chapter of the Special Libraries Association
(SLA) for a fun pub quiz last night. Well done to the winning team,
the "Woolly Fruitcakes" from Intelligent Resources! The Chapter are
asking for nominations for this year's European Special Librarian of
the Year (ESLY). You can nominate someone (or yourself) at
<http://www.sla-europe.org/>, and the award is an expenses-paid trip
to the SLA's annual conference in New York. I had a super time at the
Philadelphia conference in 2000, and so I really urge you to make your
nominations for this year's ESLY.
Don't forget to make the most of our seasonal sale on advertising and
company reports <http://www.freepint.com/shop>. Also, if you'd like to
contribute an article or review to Free Pint, then see this quarter's
Author Update, just published at <http://www.freepint.com/go/b21859>.
Thanks for supporting Free Pint, and I especially look forward to
meeting you if you are attending one of our Exchange workshops. I
hope you enjoy the thought-provoking articles in today's newsletter.
Cheers
William
William Hann BSc(Hons) MCLIP, Founder and Managing Editor
Email: <william@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 420044
Free Pint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2003
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Yvette Nielsen
* <http://www.surveymonkey.com> - Create a survey in seconds with this
intuitive tool offering sample templates, charts and spreadsheet
data. Basic subscription is free (limit of 10 questions and 100
responses).
* <http://www.snipurl.com> - Long URLs can break into two lines in
email, forcing recipients to cut and paste the second line. SnipURL
converts long links into smaller, more memorable links. Free.
* <http://www.draac.com/stripper.html> - Be a good Netizen and clean
up arrows and other unwanted characters from your email messages
before forwarding. Paste your text into the Character Stripper
window, hit "strip it" and, voila.
* <http://www.mediabuilder.com/> - When you need graphics but the
designer is swamped, roll your own. Download free 3D text and
clipart, backgrounds, web interfaces, bullets, buttons, photo clips
and animations, or optimise images.
* <http://www.mail2web.com/> - Pick up your email from almost any POP3
or IMAP4 server using any computer, anywhere in the world for free.
Just enter your email address and password.
Yvette Nielsen is a journalist, content expert, speaker and trainer.
Find Yvette's site reviews, free tips and e-newsletter at
<http://www.brizcomm.com.au> - where content is queen.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/230103.htm#tips>
"Deep Linking"
By Paul Pedley
Electronic copyright covers a wide range of topics, such as whether
the exceptions extend to information in electronic form; the
relationship between copyright law and contract law; the licensing of
digital resources; database right; electronic signatures; scanning;
how copyright law relates to the internet; or the impact of the
copyright directive (2001/29/EC). The latter includes the right of
communication to the public and provisions relating to technological
measures used to safeguard rights and identify and manage copyright
material. Yet, at a Free Pint Exchange which I led recently on
electronic copyright (and am repeating on 13th February - see
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange>) the one issue which seemed to be
of particular interest to delegates was the question of deep linking.
There is no shortage of case law in this area. There is, of course,
the case of Shetland Times Ltd v Dr Jonathan Wills and Zetnews (1996)
which is often mentioned. However, this case did not set a legal
precedent since it was settled out of court because the authorities
had problems with the internet connection and were unable to fully
demonstrate the issues in court. Around the world there have been many
more cases which have considered some of the issues concerning deep
linking. These include NVM v De Telegraaf (2000), Ticketmaster v
Tickets.com (2000), Stepstone v OFiR (2001), PCM v Kranten.com (2001),
SNC Havas Numerique v SA Kelijob (2001), Haymarket v Burmah Castrol
(2001), Kelly v Arriba Soft Corporation (2002).
What can we deduce from the body of case law that exists? The internet
is truly global, but there isn't a single consistent message that we
can take away from the cases which have been heard in different
jurisdictions around the world. Perhaps the best that we can say is
that the law is uncertain. Having said that, to avoid links altogether
would be an overreaction. People should, however, aim to minimise the
risk of being faced with a legal challenge. There are a number of
points to consider:
a) Avoid any doubt over what is being done and who you are linking to.
Try to make it as clear as possible what the hyperlink is actually
linking to. It is best to avoid using frames technology which could
result in you appearing to pass off someone's content as your own.
Consider setting up the hyperlinks so that they open up in a
totally new browser page.
b) Do not circumvent anti-linking measures. Think about what the
webmaster of the site in question had intended. The site owner may
have a set of terms and conditions that s/he expects the user to
look at before exploring further into the site. If that is the
case, don't circumvent this; and certainly not if the terms and
conditions specifically say that deep linking is not permitted.
Another instance would be where the site owner is willing to give
users access to some valuable content in exchange for them
completing a registration page. The content may not be password
protected, but if you were only able to find the URL of the page
containing the valuable content by completing a registration
process, don't deep link to that page thereby depriving the site
owner of the chance to capture the details of who is accessing the
material.
c) Avoid deep linking that is commercially unfair. In other words
don't do anything which would deprive the site owner of income that
they are legitimately entitled to. For example, you should avoid
deep linking if that means the user is able to skip a home page
containing banner ads. If the site owner is paid on the basis of
the number of 'click throughs', they could argue that they are
being deprived of income as a result of your actions.
It is not really fair to argue that you can deep link to a site on the
basis that if the site owner had not intended this, s/he should have
made use of technological measures to prevent this. Such measures can
be very expensive, and it would be unreasonable to expect every site
owner to make use of expensive technology merely in order to stop you
from deep linking if they have already made it clear that they don't
want users of their site to make use of deep linking.
Deep linking can be an infringement of database right. The definition
of "database" in the database directive (96/9/EC) and in the Copyright
and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997: SI 1997/3032 would cover
most websites.
If you maintain a website then it would be well worth spending time
putting together a copyright notice on your site. Whilst simply
putting a short notice consisting of a Date, Name, All rights reserved
may at least serve to remind users of your website of your copyright,
it is probably better to flesh out the statement to make clear what
you will or will not permit users to do with your material. If your
site links to other sites, think about using a disclaimer about the
content of external sites, and if you do link to other sites, don't
make the link into an image consisting of the other company's logo or
trademark without checking with them first. As a matter of courtesy,
you might want to check with them whether it is alright to link to
their site. Such politeness could pay off with the other site then
providing a reciprocal link to your own website.
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Paul will be running a Free Pint Exchange which will cover the topic of
deep linking as well as that of evaluating websites for their quality,
credibility and trustworthiness on 13th March 2003
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange/el130303.htm> and also a repeat of
the Electronic Copyright Exchange on February 13th 2003
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange/ec130203.htm>. The Patent Office
have delayed the regulations implementing copyright directive
2001/29/EC, but they are due to come into force by the end of March
and both sessions will take account of the legislative changes.
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Related Free Pint links:
* 'Free Pint Deep Linking and Website Evaluation Exchange', London
13th March 2003 <http://www.freepint.com/exchange/el130303.htm>
* 'Free Pint Electronic Copyright Exchange', London, February 13th
2003 <http://www.freepint.com/exchange/ec130203.htm>
* 'Information and Libraries' articles in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p69>
* Post a message to the author, Paul Pedley, or suggest further
resources at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/230103.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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>>> SEASONAL SALE - BUT FOR HOW LONG? <<<
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FREE PINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"The Library and Information Professional's Guide to Plug-ins and
other Web Browser Tools: Selection, Installation, Troubleshooting"
Written by Candice M Benjes-Small and Melissa L Just
Reviewed by Neil Infield
Being an information professional can be a bit of a schizophrenic
activity at times. On the one hand, despite having been surfing the
web for nearly ten years, I still have the gnawing feeling that I have
a lot more to learn. On the other hand, having read from cover to
cover every issue of Internet Magazine ever published, it is easy to
lapse into a 'seen it, done it, bought the t-shirt' complacency. A
book such as this can be a very helpful wake-up call, reminding one
that there is always more knowledge to be gained and often in
unexpected areas. I started off by wondering how many plug-ins the
authors might have missed but instead was surprised by the gaps in my
own knowledge.
As the title makes clear, this book aims to introduce and explain the
main web browser plug-ins and surfing-related tools. It is divided
into eight chapters and three appendices (not to mention the
ubiquitous index in any book for information professionals). The
software is broken down into: Utility tools such as Acrobat Reader;
Image tools such as iPIX Viewer for 3D images; Multimedia tools
including QuickTime video player; Maths and Science tools such Chime
for displaying molecular structures; Accessibility tools such as text
to speech software ReadPlease; and finally what the authors call
'Staff Tools for Librarians' which consist of Yahoo! Companion and
Google Toolbar, Mousetool and Pop-up Stopper.
Each tool is covered in a systematic way using the following
structure: Purpose; System Requirements; Pros and Cons; Examples
(screenshots); Finding and Installing; Troubleshooting; Creating
Files and Library Uses (suggesting how and why libraries might take
advantage of the technology). Although there is a danger that this
approach can become rather dry and sterile, the authors avoid this by
their use of a conversational writing style and including plenty of
their own hard-won experiences.
One of my criticisms of the book is the amount of space it devotes to
multimedia tools. Over forty pages in a book of 171 pages on
Shockwave, RealOne, Quicktime, Windows Media Player and Winamp is
excessive. Especially as most readers will be pretty familiar with
most of these already. Also, this is an area where change is more
rapid than elsewhere, so although the book is commendably up-to-date
in most aspects, the last three players on the above list are already
on later versions, with significant changes in some cases.
Pleased as I was to see mention of the Google Toolbar (which should be
on every information professionals browser) I was surprised at some of
the omissions. Anyone who has lost a large file during download will
no doubt have installed Go!Zilla or one of its many rivals to enable
recovery from download errors and to resume failed downloads. Other
important tools are Alexa, which provides related links and statistics
about sites as they are visited, My Favourites helps to organise and
launch IE favourites, Cookie Eater which allows you to manage cookies,
and iCapture-it which allows you to capture web pages or entire sites
for offline browsing.
The real surprise for me was mention of the free Microsoft Office
Viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. These are pared-down versions
of their expensive commercial counterparts (of which I was not
previously aware) and allow surfers to view and print Office files.
The real break through here for me is Excel (as Word documents can
easily be converted into Acrobat PDF format and PowerPoint can save to
a web presentation mode), which used to present real problems. Thanks
to this book, in future I will be saving my spreadsheets to the web
with a link to the Microsoft free download page.
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Neil is manager of Business Information Services at Hermes Pensions
Management. He is a member of the board of the European Chapter of the
Special Libraries Association where he edits their newsletter and
managers their website at <http://www.sla-europe.org>. He is also an
occasional columnist for Information World Review.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related Free Pint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/plugins.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856044645/freepint0c>
* "The Library and Information Professional's Guide to Plug-ins and
Other Web Browser Tools: Selection, Installation, Troubleshooting"
ISBN 1856044645, published by Facet Publishing, Written by Candice
M. Benjes-Small, Melissa L. Just
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Free Pint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet Searching books on the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/searching.htm>
To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.com>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/230103.htm#feature>
"The 8 A's of Information"
By Dennis Gaulin
As a researcher, do you have difficulty articulating the value you
bring to the table? Are you being proactive, or strictly reactionary,
when it comes to providing information to your users?
The gathering, delivery and application of quality information is
essential to sound decision-making. The process is complex, and
requires expert knowledge and professional competence through a number
of steps to ensure quality results. The process can appear deceptively
simple and is often undervalued. Gaulin's 8 A's of information is
designed to provide researchers and consumers of information with a
simple model that clearly identifies which steps in the research
process are the domain of the professional researcher and which apply
to the information user.
As a researcher, perhaps specializing in competitive intelligence,
library science, knowledge management, or company research you can be
helped by this model to articulate your core competence and the value
of your services. You can use it as a basis for many activities -
professional development, developing a business plan, marketing your
services, or simply explaining to a customer what skills you bring to
a project.
The 8 A's OF INFORMATION (c)
============================
ARTICULATING the information need
ANTICIPATING information needs (Prism Thinking)
AWARENESS of information resources (Spheres of Information)
ACCESS to the information resources
ACQUIRING the information
ASSIMILATING the information
APPLYING the information
ASSESSING the information's impact
ARTICULATING the information needs
-----------------------------------
Professional researchers are experts at knowing where to look for
information, but frequently know less about the environment where the
information will be received, assimilated and applied. In striving for
excellence, information professionals must continue to maintain their
high level of research capability, but should also develop a holistic
awareness of the information user's environment. Enter the reference
interview. It is during the reference interview that the researcher
hopes to address cognitive gaps that exist between themselves and the
client. One hopes the "who, what, when, where, why and how" of the
information need is covered in whole, or in part, unfortunately at the
discretion of the requesting client.
The thoroughness of the reference interview has a huge impact on your
end product and will guide the information retrieval process. Few
would argue that the better you understand the environment in which
the 'end users' are working, the better able you are to meet or exceed
their expectations. But this reference interview process is by and
large a responsive process to an articulated need. What of recognizing
end users' information needs before a request is made?
ANTICIPATING information needs
------------------------------
This is what the author calls "Prism Thinking". "Prism Thinking"
modifies the traditional information process that starts with
articulation of needs and instead starts with having the researcher
anticipate an information need.
PRISM THINKING APPLIED
----------------------
To exemplify "Prism Thinking" the author offers the following story:
As a member of a Fortune 500 Company's intranet team, I was invited to
listen in on a conference call dealing with the purchase of a specific
software product. As all the parties were being introduced I took note
of the name of the software vendor and pushed the mute button on my
phone. I proceeded to search the security and exchange commission
filings for this U.S. Company. The results were then filtered in
chronological order. Bingo! A filing by the company from the previous
day, pursuant to disclosure requirements on events of "a material
nature", revealed that this company was being sued for patent
violations on the very product they were trying to sell our company.
I hit the mute button and re-entered the conference call making my
findings known. The room fell silent. I then hit the mute button once
again as I performed a "happy dance" around my office. Despite their
due diligence, other involved parties could not have been expected to
have access to such up-to-the-minute information. Note that no
information need was ever articulated. I had performed proactive
"prism thinking".
As a result of acquiring this critical information, the decision to
purchase the software was postponed until further assessment could be
made, likely saving the company both problems and money.
As information professionals delve into the decision maker's domain
and understand the application of the information they provide, they
are better able to "prism think" and bring added value to their
organization.
Although originally hired as a credit analyst, over the years I
passionately studied alternative sources of credit and business
information to help justify the extension of billions of dollars in
trade credit to customers. This provided me with the ability to
identify resources, access those resources, and acquire many types of
information. With promotions over the years, I became aware of many
different aspects of the corporation. I found that the vast majority
of business problems can be translated into information questions. I
consciously chose to find answers to questions sometimes articulated
but often left unspoken. Whether it was at the water cooler or in
meetings, I listened with an ear for problems requiring information
solutions. Let's call these opportunities info-ops. I would then
attempt to match the info-ops with the information resources that I
was aware of and pass relevant findings on to those who could benefit
from them.
Over time, this practice of listening and sharing information allowed
me, as a skilled researcher, to obtain a more holistic view of the
business environment.
Just as a prism takes in white light and refracts it into a spectrum
of various colors, so can a trained researcher with a holistic view of
the business environment take in "white information", assess it and
break it out into information packets for delivery to the full
spectrum of potential benefactors.
As these information packets hit the mark in assisting in business
solutions, you may find that your reputation will be enhanced and
opportunities for promotion presented.
Researchers embody all the attributes of the modern knowledge worker.
Prism thinking extended to other employees, can be the beginning of a
cultural change that provides fertile ground for knowledge sharing to
take root and grow.
AWARENESS of information resources
----------------------------------
Professional researchers are competent in knowing where information
"haystacks" are located. It's why many subscribe to numerous
information-related publications and online services. Our knowledge of
resources provides an internal compass, guiding us when seeking
information.
To provide a panoramic view of these resources, it may be helpful to
conceptualize them as spheres of information.
[Because the email format of this publication precludes the inclusion
of a diagram, put pen to paper to visualize what the author refers to
as "The Spheres of Information"]
On a blank piece of paper, draw five concentric circles, as if a
pebble has been dropped into a pond. At the centre, label the circle
the INNER-net. This represents your own internal world of information
and experience. It is the grey matter between your ears.
Moving outward, the second circle is labeled the INTRA-net. This
represents all the systems and information that can be found
electronically within your organization's internal computer systems.
The third circle is the EXTRA-net that builds upon your INTRA-net to
include electronic linkages between your organization and its
suppliers and customers. This is usually a semi-closed environment.
The fourth circle is the INTER-net. It is just a pipeline and provides
access to both free and fee based resources.
The last circle, titled the inter-NOT refers to non-electronic forms
of information. These include your network of contacts, colleagues,
experts and other human resources, in addition to traditional
information resources, that are not retrievable in electronic form.
It is the author's belief that in order for a professional researcher
to conduct comprehensive searches, they must be aware of the resources
in all five spheres. It is no coincidence that the human brain both
centers and surrounds the inferior electronic spheres.
ACCESS to the information resources
------------------------------------
Most researchers would agree that there is often a vast difference
between awareness of a resource and gaining access to it. Some sites
are password protected; gated communities exist; and barriers can be
numerous. It is the responsibility of professional researchers to
learn and develop strategies to legally gain access to the best
sources in the most cost-effective manner. (Hacking is not
recommended!)
ACQUIRING the information
-------------------------
Successful acquisition of required information does not always flow
from access alone. Enter the arcane commands of some commercial
databases, syntax and indexing inconsistencies, the complexities of
Boolean logic, proximity, truncation, spelling variances and other
language variations.
ASSIMILATING the information
----------------------------
Rare are the clients who truly appreciate the skills required to
locate and obtain precise gems of information that can make or break
critical decisions. Whether the expertise required in locating the
right information is appreciated or not, the information provided is
the raw material for decision making and once received, it must be
churned with the end user's intellect, intuition, and imagination
before its application can be determined. This information is "brain
food" and the organization and presentation should encourage
consumption by the end user.
APPLYING the information
-------------------------
Applying refined and processed information to concrete problems falls
within the scope of the decision maker/client. Professional
researchers cannot be held responsible for how others apply the
information they have been provided. However, researchers are
accountable for the quality of the information which they deliver.
ASSESSMENT of the information's impact
--------------------------------------
Although it is rarely the domain of the researcher to assimilate and
apply information, it is extremely important for the researcher to get
feedback on whether or not the information supplied was appropriate.
Was the information specific enough? Were the articles of appropriate
depth and breadth? Were the sources considered credible? Was the
statistical data sufficiently current?
As can be seen, the gathering, delivery and application of quality
information is complex. The value you bring to the table is a skill
set that few understand or appreciate. The 8A's of information should
help you articulate your value.
Info-ops abound. So start "Prism Thinking" and enhance your position
and value.
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Dennis Gaulin is happily pursing his "passion for teaching information
literacy" from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. As the "Chief Thinking
Officer" for Infolab Inc., Dennis conducts seminars and provides
consulting services to business's throughout North America. Dennis is
the author of Gaulin's Ready..Net..Go, an internet guide for credit
and financial executives. Currently working on his second book which
will examine the practice of "Prism Thinking", he is interested in
stories regarding the practical application of the 8A's and "Prism
Thinking". If you would like to be interviewed for his book or wish to
obtain a copy when published later in 2003 email
<Infolab@ripnet.com>
or telephone Dennis in Canada at 613-342-1373.
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Related Free Pint links:
* 'Information and Libraries' articles in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p69>
* Post a message to the author, Dennis Gaulin, or suggest further
resources at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/230103.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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>>> *THE* PLACE FOR NEWS AND RESOURCES <<<
ResourceShelf.com is great for information professionals. It's
great for journalists and educators too. In fact, it's just great.
ResourceShelf is Gary Price's daily newsletter with links to the
latest resources and news of interest to researchers everywhere.
Visit <http://www.resourceshelf.com> regularly,
and sign up for the free weekly email update.
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
<http://www.freepint.com/events>
The Free Pint Events page is a place to advertise all
information-related conferences and exhibitions, not just those
organised by Free Pint. If you know of something which is happening
in the information world then please do let us know via the link
above. It's free publicity.
Our own forthcoming Exchange workshops are covering topics like
'Communities of Practice' <http://www.freepint.com/go/e170>,
patents <http://www.freepint.com/go/e173> and of course
'Electronic Copyright' <http://www.freepint.com/go/e172>.
Scottish Enterprise are organising the "World eLearning Conference"
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Submit details of your event today for free promotion. Simply
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FREE PINT GOLD
Last year, Marydee Ojala told us about the Olympics taking place in
her back yard. We also covered the topical issue of implementing
wireless technology in libraries, and making library products
available via personal digital assistants (PDAs).
* Free Pint No.104 24th January 2002. "Winter Olympic Adventures
Online" and "Using Wireless Technology - where does the library
fit in?" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/240102.htm>
Two years ago there were Web resources for the voluntary sector,
and a discussion about the commercial viability of news sites.
* Free Pint No.79, 18th January 2001. "Internet Resources for the
Voluntary Sector" and "Online Business News: A Tale of Boom
and Bust?" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/180101.htm>
In 2000, Free Pint's William Hann wrote about search engine promotion.
Much has changed in that world since then. There were also "... a
mind-boggling variety of subject areas" covered by an article on
architecture resources that "... straddle both the arts and sciences".
* Free Pint No.54, 20th January 2000. "Search Engine Promotion"
and "Architecture: the science and art of finding it on the Web"
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/200100.htm>
Four years ago, like today, the hot topic was how to assess the
quality of information found on the Web -- a topic covered in a
forthcoming Free Pint Exchange workshop, details at
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange/el130303.htm>. Of course, one
group who need to pay close attention to the reliability of what they
read online is journalists, who are heavy users of the medium.
* Free Pint No.30, 21st January 1999. "Information quality on the
Internet" and "Computer Assisted Journalism"
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/210199.htm>
In 1998, many moons ago now, we talked about the meaning of the
various error messages you see on the Web (e.g. 'ERROR 404'),
and covered medical information Web sites.
* Free Pint No.6, 22nd January 1998. "Diagnosing Web Problems"
and "The Best Medical Information on the Web"
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/220198.htm>
Penny <penny@freepint.com>
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See you in two weeks!
William Hann, Managing Editor
<william@freepint.com>
(c) Free Pint Limited 1997-2003 <http://www.freepint.com/>
Technology by Willco <http://www.willco.com/>
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About this Newsletter
- Publication Date: 23rd January 2003
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- Link: https://www.jinfo.com/go/newsletter/129
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