Newsletter No. 97
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Free Pint "Helping 42,000 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.com/ ISSN 1460-7239 4th October 2001 No.97 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Helen Clegg FREE PINT BAR & STUDENT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery JOBS Researcher - Corporate Finance | Product Trainer Pharmaceutical Research Analyst FREE PINT REGULARS TIPS ARTICLE "Tax Links" By Valerie Moyses BOOKSHELF "The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See." Written by Gary Price and Chris Sherman Reviewed by Marylaine Block FEATURE ARTICLE "Taxonomies are what?" By Liz Edols FACT, EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSIONS WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.htm> ADOBE ACROBAT VERSION WITH NEWSLETTER FORMATTING <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.pdf> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = KNOWEUROPE The COMPLETE online information service for the European Union KnowEurope gives you straightforward answers to your EU questions. In a single location it offers integrated access to a broad range of information about the European Union and the wider Europe - the institutions and organisations, policy and initiatives and legislative activities, and the people and nations of Europe. For more information, visit http://www.knoweurope.net > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [ke971] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<< Free Pint is an online community of information researchers. Members receive this free newsletter every two weeks packed with tips on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet. Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to the substantial archive of articles, book reviews, jobs, industry news & events, with answers to your research questions and networking at the "Free Pint Bar" and "Student Bar". Free Pint Regulars (paid members) also receive a weekly current awareness newsletter, discounts and publicity. Please circulate this newsletter which is best read when printed out and viewed in a Courier font. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EDITORIAL The format of this Free Pint Newsletter has remained largely unchanged for the last four years and almost 100 editions - except of course for the addition of new sections. Feedback from members suggests that you really enjoy the content, but it's not always easy to spot the gems in the mounds of text. So, ever responsive to our members' needs, we are today testing a new version of Free Pint formatted to resemble a print publication. It's exactly the same content, but laid out in a way that is much easier to read. It also prints in about half as many pages as the email version so you might feel happier in printing it out to share with your colleagues and friends. A link to this new Adobe Acrobat version of the newsletter will appear in the table of contents in each issue: <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.pdf> Do please take a look and let me know what you think. It requires additional resources at our end to produce, but if the feedback is positive then it's well worth the additional effort. Don't worry though - we will always provide this text version too. We're also working hard on other improvements. We've just upgraded the Web server to better support the high demand on the site and improve performance of the search utility with the large number of pages there. We'll shortly be announcing some exciting new reports from our UK company gateway <http://www.freepint.com/icc>, and our list hosting customers can now send attachments to their postings as well as HTML newsletters <http://www.freepint.com/bulk>. For our paying supporters, Free Pint Regulars, the cost of a Pub Crawl Newsletter redistribution license has been reduced for educational and non-profit organisations. We have also made it possible for license holders to give their colleagues password access to the Pub Crawl Archive. See the Regular section below for more details, or visit <http://www.freepint.com/regular/>. We bring you a taxing issue today, looking at online tax resources along with an introduction to taxonomies, the latest hot topic in the information world. Today's featured book is also well worth a look, having been written by Web search experts Gary Price and Chris Sherman. Do tell us what you like and dislike about Free Pint, and please keep spreading the word. And do give us feedback on the nicely formatted version at <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.pdf>, either directly by email or at the Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>. William William Hann, Founder and Managing Editor Email: <william@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 455435 Free Pint is a registered trademark of Free Pint Limited (c) 1997-2001 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** Business Information consultancy to more than double UK staff *** Esmerk Information plans to expand by increasing its global work force by 25%. Main aims are to improve existing coverage in Europe and North America whilst maintaining consistency across the globe. Now more than ever contact Esmerk to see how we can address your current awareness needs. <http://www.esmerk.com> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [es972] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> A REGULAR ACCOUNT FOR YOU, PUB CRAWL FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES <<< When you sign up as a Free Pint Regular you have the option to pay a bit extra for a "Pub Crawl Redistribution License". This allows you to redistribute the weekly Pub Crawl to your colleagues and give them access to the entire Archive. Contact us for more information at <support@freepint.com> or visit <http://www.freepint.com/regular> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Helen Clegg * <http://www.tradeport.org> This international trade information Web site, an initiative of the US Baytrade organization, has a great market research section, which is useful in my job. * <http://www.oanda.com> Olsen & Associates' Currency Site. This is my favourite Web site for checking actual and historical exchange rates. * <http://www.ebusinessforum.com> The Economist Intelligence Unit's ebusinessforum Web site is a good place for strategic information on the global digital economy. * <http://www.lii.org> The Librarian's Index to the Internet - a sound reference tool for all sorts of information. * <http://www.webwombat.com.au> As a fan of Australia, I use this Australian search engine to locate Web sites specific to Down Under. Webwombat can locate New Zealand-specific Web sites too. Helen Clegg is Market Analyst with RR Donnelley & Sons Company Europe, in Amsterdam. Helen can be contacted at <Helen.Clegg@rrd.com>. Tell us about your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm> and email <simon@freepint.com>. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = GET MORE FROM INFORMATION BY USING FACTIVA'S NEW KNOWLEDGE NETWORK This new community has resources that illustrate how various types of knowledge workers, including information professionals, can use Factiva content more effectively. Knowledge Network also provides professional development tools, information on understanding today's technology and product tips on using Dow Jones Interactive, Reuters Business Briefing and Factiva.com more effectively. Sign up for free monthly updates at <http://www.factiva.com/knowledgenetwork> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fa973] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> NEW: LIST HOSTING FOR ATTACHMENTS AND HTML NEWSLETTERS <<< Free Pint's list hosting service is capable of distributing any kind of attachment, multiple attachments and even HTML emails. Isn't it time you gave it a go with a no-obligation test list? <http://www.freepint.com/bulk/> "The customer service is excellent, with a very prompt response to all enquiries." Internet Resources Newsletter > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.htm#bar> Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar> ------------------------------------------- [Note: To read a posting enter the message number in place of XXXXX in the address http://www.freepint.com/go/bXXXXX ] I have heard recent murmurings about certain postings being inappropriate for the Free Pint Bar. The Bar is for raising questions about business information and that sort of thing. But it has also been used for locating all manner of online data and resources. Some of these questions seem very trivial and the answers are of interest to few but the person asking. On the other hand, some questions that appear trivial get replies listing useful and fascinating sites and it would be a shame to miss out on the serendipity that results. Some examples are the questions about food safe paint (12977), music teachers (13123), space hoppers (13015, 13041), literature (13031) and legitimate universities (12769). But as a rule, it's better to make a very specific question a bit more general. An example is the question about selling plots of land (13132). A more general version would be easier to answer and it should prove useful to more Free Pinters. And the question about wind loading codes in Nigeria would be easier to answer if we knew what they are, at least roughly (13121). What subject are we talking about here, broadly? Other miscellaneous questions were about latitude and longitude (8989), tune origins (12795), Liszt newsgroups (12892), payment for ghost writing (12902), newspaper articles (12928), metal and plastic coatings (13046), promoting children's books (13113), Latin phrases (10156, 12925, 12971) and donating foreign coins to charity (12915). I think there's a place for these questions but I would ask people to think about how they phrase them, especially where that would make the question easier to answer. Questions about business matters are rarely off message, though. They range from setting up businesses and ebusinesses (12871, 12875, 12896, 13029) to locating German media and business information companies (13070, 13014). There were also questions about dotcom directories (12906), business award listings (12955) and old annual reports (13077). There were finance related questions about micro loans (12920), corporate charity donations (12972), definitions of UK financial terms (13003), insurance sites (12579), an information service called ChoicePoint (13072) and Gibraltarian accounting data (13147). Some questions result in very useful lists of resources that Free Pinters can note for future use. Recent requests for direct mail information (12944), hospital lists (12894), training company names (12857), names of UK law firms (12877) and county court judgments (13076) fall into that category. We were also recommended some Welsh resources (12899, 13021) following our recent article on the subject. And I reviewed a site on Artificial Intelligence (13135). Library and information professionals have been hanging around the Bar asking about Knowledge Management speakers (12729), online libraries and online information (12954), new library and information related resources (13044) and legal guidelines for a library and information service (13125). There have been several PR and market research questions, as usual (12371, 12803, 12908, 13119) and more general research questions about Internet kiosks (12607), knowledge over time theory (12996), an Intranet pilot project (13001), UK teacher training sites (13117) and having a good Saturday night out in Glasgow (13028). Search matters have been raised in the forms of people finding (12880), science image searching (12904), locating second hand tyres (9246) and banner advertisements (13022). There was also one about submitting your Web site to the major search engines (13101). And I reviewed a couple of sites that deal with the important subject of the Invisible Web (13004). The Web can be great for quantitative and statistical data but you may need to hunt around for it. Such queries usually get an answer in the Free Pint Bar whether they are on UK telephone exchanges (10297), social grades (10409), cargo crime (12942), voter turnout in US elections (12976), hepatitis B data (13064), foreign students in the UK (12973) and UK commercial litigation statistics (12946). We are still looking for US motorcycle theft statistics (12898) and UK consumer spending lists (12924). Finally, there have been lots of technical queries about editing PDF files in Word (12614), alternatives to Napster (12840), archiving colour images (12879), interpreting email header data (12900), monitoring Web traffic (12918), finding out when a Web page has been updated and various online hoaxes (13073, 12968). There were also questions about Mac Entourage (13034), the apparent virus friendliness of Microsoft products (12989), satellite Internet access (13035), software for producing labels (13099), reviews of CD reader/writers (13126), picking up email with a WAP phone (13137). Given the range of questions raised in the Free Pint Bars it's hard for the moderators to decide what is appropriate and what isn't. We don't want Free Pinters to feel their time is being wasted. At the same time, we don't ever want to stifle the community spirit and helpfulness that is so common in the Free Pint Bars. So I leave you with one final question: how was the first computer booted up (13145)? Free Pint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student> ------------------------------------------------------- [Note: To read a posting enter the message number in place of XXXX in the address <http://www.freepint.com/go/sXXXX>] The Student Bar is livening up a bit after the holidays and we have heard from people researching the average time people spend online (1846), the publishing industry (1844), postgraduate Internet access policies (1872) and free information packs about companies (1875). There have been course related questions about MBAs (1841), UK business universities (1847) and UK, US and Canadian library schools (1861). We've also been notified about a two year doctorate in business administration you can study for in the UK (1830). Simon Collery, Content Developer <simon@freepint.com> If you have a tricky research question or can help other Free Pinters then do post a message at the Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar> or the Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>. To have the latest Bar postings sent to you every other day, log in to your account online or send a blank email to <digest@freepint.com>. For the Student Bar Digest contact <studentdigest@freepint.com>. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ONLINE INFORMATION FOR THE CITY 10 - 11 October 2001, The Baltic Exchange, London EC3, UK >>> Financial and business information to the desktop <<< http://www.online-information-city.co.uk Meet the leading business and financial information providers. Attend FREE seminars from TFPL and CiG. Save weeks of fact-finding at the office! > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li974] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> WHY ADVERTISE HERE? <<< Well, we can think of 42,000 good reasons for a start ... If YOU want to reach business information users around the world then view our new advertising brochure online at: <http://www.freepint.com/advert.htm> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT JOBS <http://www.freepint.com/jobs> In association with Sue Hill Recruitment, Glen Recruitment, TFPL, City Professionals, Recruit Media Free Pint Jobs has details of many information-related vacancies. If you have a position to fill then get it listed at Free Pint Jobs. A basic listing is only 145 pounds and means it is matched against the 300+ user profiles in our database. Here are some of the latest featured jobs: Researcher - Corporate Finance <http://www.freepint.com/go/j1385> If you are an experienced Researcher looking for your next move into Corporate Finance, look no further. Recruiter: R&B Product Trainer <http://www.freepint.com/go/j1365> Increasing opportunities available at information vendors, in sales and marketing, training and product development. Also j1110 & j1090 Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited Pharmaceutical Research Analyst <http://www.freepint.com/go/j1390> With good technical and market knowledge and excellent desk research ability. Possibly with marketing or sales experience. Recruiter: Glen Recruitment [The above jobs are paid listings] Candidates: It is free to search Free Pint Jobs and you can set up a profile to be notified weekly by email of relevant new vacancies. Advertisers: List your vacancies and receive significant publicity. Recruitment agencies can also automatically upload all their jobs. Find out more today at <http://www.freepint.com/jobs> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Fed up with mediocre hosting yet? http://www.globalgold.co.uk If you've bought your hosting or domains from a 3rd rate company and would now like them transferred to one of Europe's top 3 hosting players for greater reliability and fair pricing, call 01992 303090 NOW or even simpler, click below and fax a copy over to us TODAY: http://support.globalgold.co.uk/topic/?id=5 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [gg975] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> UK COMPANY RESEARCH - ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE <<< Why pay subscriptions, monthly charges, search charges? The Free Pint UK company research gateway is free to search and provides free basic information. When you need detailed reports then simply "pay per view". As we say, it's accessible and affordable. <http://www.freepint.com/icc/> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT REGULARS <http://www.freepint.com/regular> [Note: This section is primarily aimed at Regulars, paid members of the Free Pint community. Regulars receive the weekly "Pub Crawl" current awareness newsletter, discounts and publicity. The Pub Crawl archive is available at <http://www.freepint.com/regular>] If you are enjoying receiving the Pub Crawl and would like to share it with your colleagues then do contact us about a Redistribution License. This can be added on top of your existing subscription and costs a tiny fraction of full membership. You will then be able to forward the Pub Crawl to all of your colleagues each week. For educational and non-profit organisations the prices have also been reduced and are already proving extremely popular in universities, governmental departments and business schools. As a Redistribution License holder you will also have access to an administration screen where you can enter details of each of your colleagues. This will then give them full access to the Pub Crawl Archive, and you can even choose to have the Pub Crawl delivered directly to them each week. Email <support@freepint.com> for more details. We're working on producing a collated version of the Directory of Regulars, and so don't forget to set up your entry if you haven't already done so. This gives you and your organisation free publicity as well as publicly showing your support for Free Pint. William Hann, Managing Editor <william@freepint.com> [If you are not currently a Free Pint Regular and would like to find out more about the benefits of membership, then please visit the Regular homepage at <http://www.freepint.com/regular>. Regular membership is just 60 pounds per year (US$85, AUS$169 or 97 Euros).] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> ACROBAT VERSION OF FREE PINT <<< Don't forget to check out the nicely formatted version of this newsletter online in Adobe Acrobat format at: <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.pdf> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS ARTICLE <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.htm#tips> "Tax Links" By Valerie Moyses Introduction ------------ The following is a selected list of links to websites containing: * Information relevant for Taxation * Background information on government, legislation * International aspects of taxation, including Europe * Professional, National and International Bodies and Institutions * Companies/Firms/Chambers * Publishers * Cases/Court sites * Conferences * General Internet information - reference, language, searching. This list has been chosen on the basis of those websites which have proved useful in regular news scanning. Unless otherwise stated, the great majority of the information and services in these websites is free. There are many more, but those which follow represent the information sources most used by the Library of Croner.CCH in supporting the work of the Tax Publishing Centre. Portal Site ----------- UK Taxation Directory by 7Soft <http://www.uktax.demon.co.uk/> A large set of links updated regularly. Government Websites ------------------- Government portal site UKOnline <http://www.ukonline.gov.uk> It aims to be the first and last port of call for UK government information, but you need to register The old Open Government (OpenGov) page, the one with the exhaustive alphabetical index of government departments, local government, quangos, etc., is now at: <http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/online/ukonline/external?destination=> <http://www.open.gov.uk/cctagis/government_pathfinders.htm> The topic index, by subject, is at: <http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/online/ukonline/external?destination=> <http://www.open.gov.uk/index/topicindex.htm> What's new on the government websites: <http://www.open.gov.uk/cctagis/whatsnew.htm> Parliament <http://www.parliament.uk/> HMSO - Legislation <http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legis.htm> You have to work down the hierarchy, subdivided first by country, then by type of legislation, then by date HMSO What's New - Legislation <http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/whatsnew.htm> Latest legislation, (all types and for all parts of the UK) as posted in the last few days Legislation tracker <http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/pabills.htm> Track the progress of a Bill through Parliament; also link to the House of Commons and the House of Lords papers on the Internet Inland Revenue <http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/index.htm> Adjudicator's Office <http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/> For complaints against the Inland Revenue, including the National Insurance Contributions Office, Customs & Excise and the Valuation Office Agency Customs and Excise <http://www.hmce.gov.uk/> Information for VAT, Customs, Excise. H M Treasury <http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/> Professional Bodies/ Institutions --------------------------------- ICAEW <http://www.icaew.co.uk/> The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Plenty of information, not just for accountants. There is a valuable Library section, with massive amounts of information, even for non-members, and notably an extremely useful links page. Library page <http://www.icaew.co.uk/depts/adm/admlib/10adm0.htm> Extensive links page <http://www.icaew.co.uk/menus/links/links.htm> ICAEW - Tax Faculty <http://www.taxfac.co.uk/> "TaxLine" - the Tax Faculty's on-line resource for tax professionals. Much of the site is for members of the Tax Faculty, but there is much remaining for open availability. Frequently updated news section, weekly news update, articles and frequently asked questions, etc. You can register for free email notifications. CIOT - Chartered Institute of Taxation <http://www.tax.org.uk/> "The professional body for Chartered Tax Advisers". A new and much revamped version of their old website. News releases, etc. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group <http://www.tax.org.uk/index.pl?section=42> This sub-section of the CIOT ( see above) is a tax 'lobbying' body for those on low incomes who cannot afford professional advice, has been responsible for promoting various changes in recent years. Association of Tax Technicians <http://www.att.org.uk/> The website has been relaunched, just days after the CIOT's (its associated organisation) own new website was unveiled. (See above.) Newsletters, news releases, publications, and an e-mail alerting system for new additions. Institute for Fiscal Studies <http://www1.ifs.org.uk/> The IFS is an independent research organisation which provides economic analysis of public policy. "Fiscal Facts" are surveys of the UK tax and benefit systems. Institute of Directors <http://www.iod.co.uk> Intended primarily for its members, this website has a mass of information for business, some of which concerns taxation. News releases, etc. ACCA The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants <http://www.acca.co.uk/> and <http://www.accaglobal.com/home/> The largest global professional accountancy body. Huge recently revamped website, updated several times a day, with all the latest tax news (the Web page is available without the moving presentation). Scroll down for news. FSB Federation of Small Businesses <http://www.fsb.org.uk/> Offers a regular e-mail newsletter to anyone who registers. Web Resources ------------- AccountingWeb (From the Sift Group) <http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/> Its TaxZone is updated at least daily. AccountingWeb's "TaxZone" is at: <http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tax/index.html> Business Zone <http://www.businesszone.co.uk/> This website (also from the Sift group) offers sections called 'Tax Facts' and a 'News Zone'. Also business directories and a links page. A very large and frequently updated resource. It has just had a big new website reorganisation. IR35 <http://www.contractoruk.co.uk/ir35.html> The IT contractors Group has a section of its website devoted to helping independent contractors deal with the new IR35 regulations. Firms/Chambers -------------- Gray's Inn Tax Chambers <http://www.taxbar.com> Tax case reporting service. The website also offers articles by the partners on tax subjects 11 New Square <http://www.11newsquare.com/> Chambers of John Gardiner, QC, specialising exclusively in Tax law Cameron McKenna <http://www.cmck.com/> LawNow information service <http://www.cmck.com/lawnow/index.cfm> Ernst & Young <http://www.ey.com/> Tax page at <http://www.ey.com/global/gcr.nsf/International/Welcome_-_Tax> KPMG <http://www.kpmg.co.uk/> Tax page at <http://www.kpmg.co.uk/kpmg/uk/services/tax/index.cfm> Deloitte & Touche <http://www.deloitte.co.uk/> Tax News at <http://www.deloitte.co.uk/index.asp?Content=> and <http://www.deloitte.co.uk/services/tax/taxnews2.html> Price Waterhouse Coopers <http://portal.pwcglobal.com/portal/index.jsp> New portal website. News, including tax news, at: <http://www.pwcglobal.com/> Grant Thornton <http://www.grantthornton.co.uk/> International ------------- The International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation <http://www.ibfd.nl/> An independent, not-for-profit, Amsterdam-based organisation active on a worldwide scale in the field of tax research, information and education. Offers an International Glossary of Tax Terms at this URL. World Bank <http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/tax/> The World Bank Web page on Tax Policy and Administration: LawResearch <http://www.lawresearch.com/v2/dbtax8a.htm#TOA> Tax database on world taxes with a long list of links. Europe ------ The EC Portal - Europa <http://www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm> The European Parliament <http://www.europarl.eu.int/home/default_en.htm> Taxation and Customs Union <http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/index_en.htm> This is a new URL, since the Customs Union Web page was reorganised The publications list of the EU Taxation and Customs Union <http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/publications/publications.htm> The Key, the publication of the Taxation and Customs Union of the EU is often difficult to find. The latest issue (March 2001) is at: <http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/publications/thekey/key-15-00.pdf> Europe - Law and Cases ---------------------- EurLex <http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html> The portal to European Law. Official Journal, treaties, legislation, legislation in preparation, case-law Cases lodged before the Court of Justice and cases lodged before the Court of First Instance <http://curia.eu.int/en/recdoc/indexaz/index.htm> UK - Cases ---------- Court Service <http://www.courtservice.gov.uk/info/news.htm> Daily court listings, judgements, case reports from Tribunals, glossary of legal terms, etc. Search Engines and Portals -------------------------- SearchEngineGuide <http://www.searchengineguide.com/> Allows you to search 3689 search engines. Advice, newsletters, etc. Vivisimo <http://vivisimo.com/> I can hardly fault this search engine at all. Only one attempt at searching has failed, (probably for good reason). Frequently the answer I need is the first hit. Otherwise, it appears among the first 5. The more I use this facility, the more useful little features I find. Fast, easy, accurate. Altavista <http://www.altavista.com/> My previous favourite. Good for UK materials. NorthernLight <http://www.northernlight.com/> My previous no. 2. It organises results into useful folders. Google <http://www.google.com/> By popular demand, I include Google. Publishers ---------- ABG <http://www.abgweb.com> Blackstone Press <http://www.blackstonepress.com/> Butterworths <http://www.butterworths.co.uk/> Gee <http://www.gee.co.uk/> IBFD <http://www.ibfd.com/> Jordan Publishing Ltd. <http://www.jordanpublishing.co.uk/> Sweet and Maxwell <http://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/> Newspapers ---------- Media portal page <http://www.zen.co.uk/home/page/wrx/alltnews.htm> Linking to all the major UK newspapers at Zen. Also offers links to Reuters, BBC, CNN, etc, and a search engine for latest news. NB: All these newspaper websites are free at the moment, but the writing is on the wall, and they may very soon charge - at least for archive access. Financial Times <http://news.ft.com/home/rw/> Massive website for every aspect of financial news. Efficient search engine for FT's own site as well as the Web. NB: changes are under way as I write. See the FT website itself for further information. FTYourmoney is the personal finance section <http://ftyourmoney.ft.com/> Conferences and Exhibitions --------------------------- Online Information <http://www.online-information.co.uk/> Is claimed to be the world's largest event for the information industry. December 4 - 6, 2001 London Book Fair <http://libf.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=117/NewSection=Yes> NEC <http://www.necgroup.co.uk/> NEC Forthcoming Events <http://www.necgroup.co.uk/diary/displayEvents.htm?az=3&b=9999&c=9999&k=0> Tax Charity ----------- TaxAid <http://www.taxaid.org.uk/> Offers tax advice to people who cannot afford to pay for it. You can also get an email newsletter. Think Tanks ----------- Fabian Society <http://www.fabian-society.org.uk/> The UK's premier left of centre think tank. Demos <http://www.demos.co.uk> Independent think-tank and research institute based in London since 1993 to reinvigorate public policy and political thinking. Centre for Policy Studies <http://www.cps.org.uk> Its stated aims are to promote enterprise, the family, national independence, individualism and liberty. Centre for Reform <http://www.cfr.org.uk> The Centre for Reform is a public policy think tank pursuing the values of the Liberal Democrats, Papers on tax, etc. Reference --------- RefDesk <http://www.refdesk.com/> Reference portal. Huge site but predominantly US orientated. Xrefer <http://www.xrefer.com/> Allows searching of over 50 reference databases in one go. Encyclopaedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, quotations. TravLang <http://dictionaries.travlang.com/> Online translating dictionaries. Glossary <http://europa.eu.int/celex/eurovoc/cgi/sga_doc?eurovoc_dif!SERVEUR/menu!prod!MENU&langue=EN> A useful thesaurus to explain some of the vocabulary used in the EC. A search on 'Tax' produces well over 100 interlinked entries and explanations. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Valerie Moyses is the Banbury-based Librarian/Information Manager of CCH. She has extensive experience of Library and Information work both in the UK and abroad, in legal, academic, medical and diplomatic libraries. CCH <http://www.cch.co.uk> is part of Croner.CCH, which has been one of the UK's leading information providers in the fields of tax, company and commercial law, finance, employment law, health and safety, education management, export and transport law for over 50 years. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Finance" articles and resources in the Free Pint Portal <http://www.freepint.com/go/p50> * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.htm#tips> * Post a message to the author, Valerie Moyses, or suggest further resources, at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar> * Access the entire archive of Free Pint articles and issues <http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> BECOME A FULL SUPPORTER OF FREE PINT - BECOME A REGULAR <<< Free Pint Regulars get their own current awareness newsletter, purchase discounts on the Free Pint site, and entry in our member directory. All this for a low annual contribution towards costs. Isn't it time you became a Free Pint Regular? <http://www.freepint.com/regular> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BOOKSHELF <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf> "The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See." Written by Gary Price and Chris Sherman Reviewed by Marylaine Block In a sense, there's almost no need to review this book -- if ever there was a book that sold itself on the basis of the authors' reputation, this is it. It seems like every other week on NeatNew I'm pointing out yet another invaluable guide Gary Price has put together (the most recent one being primary documents and transcriptions related to the terrorist attacks at <http://www.freepint.com/gary/91101.html>). And Chris Sherman, as search guide for About.com, was known for his lucid lessons on improving your search technique; now many of us are getting daily tips from his Search Day column <http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/>. But I'm here to tell you that this book surpasses these elevated expectations, mainly because it does what books do best: it provides history, context, and lengthy explanations of the whys and wherefores. It provides annotated descriptions of invisible web sites and databases as well, but most importantly it takes the bits and pieces of advice both men have offered in many columns, articles, and speeches and integrates them into one seamless package. The authors explain how search engines work and why they fail to find answers available on the Invisible Web. They point out what we know and our students do not: some answers are not on the web at all, or likely ever to be; bless their hearts, they even tell readers that sometimes the only way to get their answers is in a good library, aided by a good librarian. They teach readers the advantages and drawbacks of general and focused search engines, directories, and other search tools. They explain how to recognize when you might need an invisible web site, and ways of finding an appropriate one. The authors are gifted explainers who never lapse into unintelligible jargon even when explaining the technical underpinnings of search systems, which means that their book is just as accessible to casual users as to information professionals; anyone teaching courses in Internet searching or information literacy should consider using it as a text. Throughout the book, the authors make all their points concrete, illustrating them with real life search problems. After they've outlined all the basic concepts, they also offer seven case studies of research problems, seven of them answered on the invisible web. Significantly, the eighth is not, because the authors want us to understand that some kinds of information simply do not exist on the web. After a discussion of what they think the future of search engine technology might hold, they proceed to chapters on invisible web resources in specific subject areas. This is where the book's web site will come in handy, because as we all know, the web is a fickle place and web addresses often change. For each web site they've chosen, they explain what kinds of content can be found on it and what related web resources are available. In case you didn't guess, I'm suggesting you buy the book and read it. Even if you're already a proficient searcher, I guarantee you'll be more so by the time you finish. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Marylaine Block, who is also known for building the well-known web site, Best Information on the Net (BIOTN), is now a full-time writer, Internet trainer, and publisher of two e-zines for librarians, ExLibris <http://marylaine.com/exlibris/> and Neat New Stuff I Found This Week <http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html>. She's written numerous articles for library publications and has edited a book of the wit and wisdom of Barbara Quint, The Quintessential Searcher, recently published by Information Today. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/invisible.htm> * Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk <http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/091096551X/freepint0c> or Amazon.com <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/091096551X/freepint00> * "The Invisible Web : Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See " ISBN 091096551X published by Cyberage Books and written by Gary Price and Chris Sherman. * 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>. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> RECOMMEND A FRIEND TO FREE PINT <<< If you enjoy the Free Pint Newsletter, then don't you think your colleagues and friends will too? It's quick and easy to send them a confidential and courteous introduction to Free Pint from our "Recommend Us" page at: <http://www.freepint.com/reco.htm> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.htm#feature> "Taxonomies are what?" By Liz Edols In the summary of the EBIC 2000 Conference, Tom Koulopoulos, President of the Delphi Group, declared 'Taxonomies are chic'. But just as debate continues about how, and if, Knowledge Management differs from Information Management, so too many library and information professionals argue that a taxonomy is nothing more than a another, albeit more fashionable name for a thesaurus or classification scheme. Whatever the case, the term is widely used in KM, business and IT literature. It first appeared in the digital environment in reference to portal design and many Knowledge Management writers refer to the Yahoo! portal and classification scheme as the archetypal example of a taxonomy. In her article 'Practical taxonomies: hard-won wisdom for creating a workable knowledge classification system' at <http://www.phys.uni.torun.pl/~duch/ref/s-search/taxonomy/featureb1.htm>, Sarah L. Roberts-Witt introduces the concept of taxonomies by describing Yahoo! as one of the largest and most familiar 'knowledge classification systems in the world, fronted by a basic but highly useable taxonomy.' Definitions ----------- By this time you may be asking, 'Well, how is a knowledge taxonomy defined?' Coherent definitions are hard to come by. Part of the problem is that taxonomy, ontology, thesaurus, index, catalogue and classification are often confused and used interchangeably. In fact, in some hands traditional library terminology has become so fast and loose that it is barely recognisable. But amongst the many descriptions of taxonomies on the Web, it is possible to find some that make sense. Probably the most comprehensive attempt to define the term has come from Alan Gilchrist and Peter Kibby in their Executive Summary of the report 'Taxonomies for business: access and connectivity in a wired world', <http://www.tfpl.com/areas_of_expertise/taxonomies/_report_/taxonomy_report.html>. They describe a taxonomy as: '- a correlation of the different functional languages used by the enterprise - to support a mechanism for navigating, and gaining access to the intellectual capital of the enterprise - by providing such tools as portal navigation aids, authority for tagging documents and other information objects, support for search engines, and knowledge maps - and possibly, a knowledge base in its own right.' Jean Graef from the Montague Institute has also come up with an intelligible description in her article 'Managing taxonomies strategically'. See an abbreviated version of this article at <http://www.montague.com/review/taxonomy3.html>. Graef defines a taxonomy as: 'structures that provide a way of classifying things - living organisms, products, books - into a series of hierarchical groups to make them easier to identify, study, or locate. Taxonomies consist of two parts - structures and applications. Structures consist of the categories (or terms) themselves and the relationships that link them together. Applications are the navigation tools available to help users find information.' Both these definitions suggest that taxonomies as used in the digital environment are something more than either a thesaurus or classification scheme. While they may be based on what librarians know to be vocabulary control and classification they also possess other elements. Some of the ways that taxonomies differ from traditional classification schemes and thesauri are that they: - support structure, content and applications (navigational tools) - are often created from an amalgamation and rationalisation of different thesauri and indexes - are customised to reflect the language, culture and goals of particular enterprise - are often created using a combination of human effort and specialised software - may refer to disparate information resources. On Intranets these can include internal resources such as e-mails, memos, people and documents as well as information sources such as books, parts of books, reports and Web pages - are usually created by multi-disciplinary teams - are part of a process. Taxonomies must be constantly refined and added to. The value of taxonomies ----------------------- As we all know, this is an age of information overload. In order to control the glut of information we need to filter, categorise and label it. Librarians have always understood this but others in the digital environment have only recently arrived at the same conclusion. Hence we see the emergence of new professions such as Information Architecture. Major corporate Intranets and portals are now involved in the restructuring of their sites so that effective information management and retrieval is a priority. This almost always involves the use of concepts based on cataloguing principles such as classification, indexing and controlled vocabularies. Large, organically-grown portals and Intranets are becoming a thing of the past. Users must be able to find the information they want quickly and easily which is not always possible when relying on full text searching or browsing through unstructured links. An interesting paper to read in this regard is Jan Sykes' 'The value of indexing', <http://www.factiva.com/infopro/indexingwhitepaper.pdf>. Sykes discusses the Factiva approach and the role of high quality indexing and taxonomy design in promoting ease of retrieval. She describes 'findability' as being at the core of good information architecture and points out that controlled vocabulary indexing has been shown to enhance full text retrieval by 10%. Examples of taxonomies ---------------------- A great example of an online taxonomy in action can be seen at Jean Graef's Montague Institute thesaurus and indexing page, <http://www.montague.com:8080/Public/indexes.htm>. Graef, who describes herself as a boundary spanner, is a former librarian who now conducts workshops in taxonomy design. She uses her own site as an example and teaching resource. The site demonstrates how easy it is to locate information when a site is designed with the user in mind. The foundation of the site is a thesaurus and index. Cross-references and definitions help visitors to the site understand any specialised terminology. Terms are hyper- linked to the appropriate sources including other Web pages, documents, people and so on. In order to make these connections simpler the A-Z index is presented in 5 different ways - alphabetical order, chronological order, subjects, organisations and people. The A-Z index looks almost exactly the same as a back of the book index. This means that it is instantly familiar and easy to navigate. The use of 5 separate indexes reduces the amount of time needed to scroll through a listing. If you want to search on a person you can go straight to the People index. The same applies to subjects and organisations. Whatever index you select is shown on the left side of the page. For example if you are using the A-Z index and you select a term such as 'taxonomies', the right side of the page will show the index detail which includes a definition of taxonomies, cross references and a list of documents related to the term. Examples of corporate Intranets based on taxonomies are described in a report by the leading consultants in the field, TFPL. In the late 1990s TFPL surveyed twenty-two enterprises including the BBC, Factiva, Unilever, Glaxo Wellcome, Microsoft, Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Young and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The aim of this research was to find out how these enterprises approached the problem of organising and categorising their Intranet content. The final report can be purchased from the TFPL Website at <http://www.tfpl.com>. Alan Gilchrist, who worked on the project as a consultant, has also written a number of articles referring to this research, for example, 'The corporate taxonomy - the latest tool in the battle against information overload', <http://www.rms-gb.org.uk/100%20Gilchrist.html>. While the research revealed that there are numerous ways to approach the design of a taxonomy, there are also a number of common points. These include that the enterprises were aware of the need to develop a better information structure; were prepared to commit substantial financial resources to the project; understood the importance of using a standardised terminology and recognised that user participation and feedback was important. Taxonomy Software ----------------- There are now many different software solutions to assist in automating the taxonomy building process. The TFPL research found that most enterprises involved in taxonomy creation preferred to use a combination of human and software indexing capabilities but suggests that this may change as software becomes more sophisticated and flexible. Some of the major taxonomy software packages and/or vendors include: * Autonomy <http://www.autonomy.com> * Dialog InfoSort <http://www.dialog.com/home/specials/info/online/infosort.shtml> * Inxight <http://www.inxight.com> * Plumtree Corporate Portal <http://www.plumtree.com> * Quiver <http://www.quiver.com> * Semio <http://www.semio.com> * Verity Knowledge Organizer <http://www.verity.com> Conclusion ---------- While there is still some confusion about how to describe taxonomies, the basic concept is a useful one. Good taxonomies, based on the use of classification and controlled vocabularies, result in more efficient information retrieval. This ensures better productivity and less user frustration. Where do taxonomies fit into the information architecture paradigm? They are one part of it, though they may not always be referred to as a taxonomy. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Liz Edols is an Australian freelance writer and researcher with a background in librarianship. She has contributed to journals such as Australian NetGuide and Online Currents and has a special interest in Internet search techniques and new technologies that promote information retrieval. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Information and Library" articles and links in the Free Pint Portal <http://www.freepint.com/go/p69> * Post a message to the author, Liz Edols, 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/041001.htm#feature> * Access the entire archive of Free Pint content <http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> FREE PINT FACT <<< The online version of this Newsletter has over 400 Web links in it. Since it's published twice a month, that means we'll be bringing you news of some 10,000 Web addresses in this newsletter this year! > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FORTHCOMING EVENTS <http://www.freepint.com/events> We reiterate what we said in the last issue that you should check whether events you are planning to attend have been rearranged due to the events last month in America. For instance, TFPL's North American Business Information Conference (NABIC) has been cancelled and the conference of the Association of UK Media Librarians (AUKML) has been postponed until next year. We're delighted to hear though that most events are forging ahead, and these include "Online Information for the City" from Learned Information next week in London. At the end of the month there is "KMWorld" from Information Today in Santa Clara, California. We hope you're making plans to come to London in December for the Online Information 2001 show which we're exhibiting at as normal. It looks like it's going to be another excellent three days and of course it's your chance to meet the Free Pint Team. Get your free tickets and find out more at <http://www.online-information.co.uk>. Provisional details of forthcoming conferences and exhibitions in the online-information and Internet industries can be found on the Free Pint Events page <http://www.freepint.com/events>. If you're organising an event then submit details via this page and please keep us informed about any change to the events planned. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT GOLD This time last year we had a fabulous article on finding patent information on the Web. A must-read for researchers, inventors and pioneering companies. There was also an interesting feature on the decentralisation of search technologies. * Free Pint No.72, 5th October 2000 "Influence of the Internet on the Patent Process" and "All change for search technology?". <http://www.freepint.com/issues/051000.htm> As a coincidence to today's tax issue, Free Pint two years ago looked at UK financial information sites. Sheila Webber told us how to get visitors to our Web sites and importantly how to get them to return. * Free Pint No.47, 7th October 1999 "Sources of UK Financial Information on the Internet" and "Getting Good References". <http://www.freepint.com/issues/071099.htm> Viruses are always a hot topic, and we've given you much advice on dealing with them in the Pub Crawl. You might remember a particularly bad virus three years ago and so we ran some sage advice on protecting your computer. Our feature looked at coffee resources on the Web, which may sound somewhat specific. However we happen to know it helped secure someone's job when they were tested to provide a rundown of coffee sites by a particularly difficult business partner. * Free Pint No.23, 1st October 1998 "The Good Times are not about to end, unfortunately" and "There's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil: Coffee information on the Web". <http://www.freepint.com/issues/011098.htm> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES [Provisional] * UK Charity Information Jobs * Legal Sources * * Olympics * Climate Change and Emissions * WAP * * Academic, Economic and Social Science * Virtual Reference * * Plastics and Rubber * Technology Transfer * * The 3 I's of Information * Effective Problem Solving * B2B * * Health * Communities of Practice * If you have a suggestion for an article topic or would like to write for Free Pint then please contact me or sign up for the monthly Author Update on the Web site at <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>. Rex Cooke, Editor <rex@freepint.com> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = GOODBYE Thank you for reading today's edition of Free Pint - we really hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to check out the new Acrobat version at: <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041001.pdf> See you in two weeks! William Hann, Founder and Managing Editor <william@freepint.com> (c) Free Pint Limited 1997-2001 <http://www.freepint.com/> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = CONTACT INFORMATION William Hann, Founder and Managing Editor Email: <william@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 455435 Rex Cooke, Editor Email: <rex@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1342 316027 Simon Collery, Content Developer Email: <simon@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1865 434143 Address: Free Pint Limited, FREEPOST (SEA3901), Staines Middlesex, TW18 3BR, United Kingdom (Please add a stamp if you would like to pay for postage) Tel: +44 (0)1784 455466 Fax: +44 (0)1784 455436 Web <http://www.freepint.com> Subscriptions <subs@freepint.com> Letters & Comments <feedback@freepint.com> Authors <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm> Latest Issue Autoresponder <auto@freepint.com> Advertising <http://www.freepint.com/advert.htm> > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 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.com/> or email <admin@freepint.com>. Your registered email address is listed at the bottom of this message. Please note: Free Pint is a registered 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 <rex@freepint.com> 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. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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