This is PG's Newsletter of Wednesday, September 1, 1999
Etexts Readable By Both Humans and Computers Since Before The Internet [Usually sent the first Wednesday of each month, delayed if by relay.] Main URL is promo.net Webmaster is Pietro di Miceli, of Rome, Italy *Check out our Websites at promo.net, and ask me for our FTP servers.*
Welcome to our new sites at:
http://www.cddc.vt.edu/gutenberg
ftp://www2.cddc.vt.edu/pub/mirrors
We also have a new Etext in German. . .but like an American Western.
It looks like we will be able to make our goal of one Etext in German each month. . .and more volunteers in German are more than welcome.
We would also like to post one Etext per month in other languages, if you would care to help with those, please let me know.
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Table of Contest:
Requests
Comments on Our Schedule
New Files
Index Listings for the New Files
1Notess from Edupage and News Scan
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Requests
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We would like to complete the Tom Swift series, up to 1922, if any of you would care to help with that, Mike said virtually .
Please contact: Ron Benninghoff , please also cc:me
I am working on #2 [Motorboat]
I also have the following books that I will do:
Tom Swift and his Wireless Message Tom Swift in Captivity Tom Swift in the City of Gold
We need proofreaders for these.
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We still need copies of Faust in German that say their text is before 1923. . .we have the Etext, but we need to do the proofreading and the copyright research. . . ! Contact me, and please cc: Mike Pullen Also need Herman and Dorothea in German.
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We received no replies to our request for help on Romanian Etext.
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Ben Bennett would like to continue with the 11th Edition of the Britannica. . .please cc:me. . . .
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Comments on Our Schedule
A number of people have asked about our current schedule...
My apologies for jumping so far into the future for some of the files we are currently working on, but putting them all in a single block in the index really makes it much easier, for us, and also for those using the raw index I produce in the first week of each month, relating the postings, events and other comments from the previous month.
The quick answers:
1. We are currently about 8 months ahead of our schedule.
2. We are currently just barely making our schedule of 36 Etexts per month. . .so we can't increase scheduling.
3. We reserved space in March, 2000 for a 21 volume set, of which we have now completed 11 volumes. We also reserved space in June, 2000, for Human Genome files, of which we have now complete 18 chromosomes, but this leaves some gaps still to be filled. . .we have just finished all the April, 2000, Etexts, and started on May. . .all of which you will see indexed below. If possible, I will sneak in the last 6 chromosomes for this Newsletter, but it will be very close. . .they are big files, and the person who helps me with them is unavailable at the moment.
The more detailed answers:
Our current official schedule is to do 36 Etext per month— I am TRYING to do 40 per month—but it is a tough go at the moment, with so many of our academic people having been out for the summer, and not really back in the saddle yet. . .I am therefore officially sticking to the 36 Etexts per month schedule, but doing my best to really make it average 40.
If we CAN average 40, we will reach 3,333 Etexts by the end of 2001. . . . We were going to try to double production— every year—but without and serious Public Relations effort or funding effort, we have still survived, but not expanded our production much from the 32 Etexts per month we did for several years. . .this is still more than anyone else but I do hope can eventually move to 72 per month, and then more.
But this will take some serious PR and financial grant work . . .if ANY of you are interested, please let me know.
Now. . .having said ALL that. . .we somehow managed a great deal of extra production during the last 6 months last year . . .no one seems to have any idea why. . .but we actually, really did manage to average 72 Etext per month then, so we ended up about 8 months ahead of schedule. . .since we were about a month or two ahead when we started that period. . . we have never quite figured out what happened, and we can't really change our schedule without the premise that this is actually possible on a continuing basis, without additional resources. . .so it is just one of those little mysteries— and a very nice one to have had.
So. . .we started this year about 7-8 months ahead. . .this is why we started the Etexts for the year 2000 a few months ago. . . . If we manage an extra 4 Etext per month for the first 9 months or a bit longer we will end up with one more month done ahead of schedule. . .but even with the 24 files of the Human Genome Project going in right now, it looks as if we will have to work pretty hard to achieve that goal.
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Reposted Files:
Apr 1999 Our Legal Heritage, by S. A. Reilly [2nd Edition] [rlglhxxa.xxx]1694
The new version is rlglh10a.txt and .zip. . .in /etext99 This is direct from the author, the brand new edition, and pretty interesting
and
Jan 2000 Iphigenie auf Tauris, Johann von Goethe[#4] German[iphgnxxx.xxx]2054
Jul 1998 Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy/Tolstoi [Tolstoy #5][nkrnnxxx.xxx]1399
[A much improved version. . . .]
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New Files
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, X Chromosome [#23] [0xhgpxxx.xxx]2223
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 22 [22hgpxxx.xxx]2222
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 18 [18hgpxxx.xxx]2218
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 17 [17hgpxxx.xxx]2217
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 07 [07hgpxxx.xxx]2207
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 06 [06hgpxxx.xxx]2206
We have now posted 18 of the 24 chomosomes, should be done with the first version of all 24 sometime this month.
And from May:
Mon Year Title and Author [filename.ext]#### *****A "C" Following a PG Etext Number Indicates Copyright****
May 2000 Seven Discourses on Art, by Joshua Reynolds [artdsxxx.xxx]2176
May 2000 You Never Can Tell, by [George] Bernard Shaw [#7] [nvrctxxx.xxx]2175
May 2000 Frau und Kindern auf der Spur, by Gerold K. Rohner[8spurxxx.xxx]2174C May 2000 Frau und Kindern auf der Spur, by Gerold K. Rohner[7spurxxx.xxx]2174C German/Two versions/7-bit version without accents/8-bit version with accents.*
May 2000 Thoughts on Present Discontents, etc., by Burke [thdscxxx.xxx]2173
May 2000 That Mainwaring Affair, by Maynard Barbour [mnwrnxxx.xxx]2172
May 2000 Brother Jacob, by George Eliot [George Eliot #5][brjcbxxx.xxx]2171
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V4 of 4[4mwsmxxx.xxx]2170* May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V3 of 4[3mwsmxxx.xxx]2169* May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V2 of 4[2mwsmxxx.xxx]2168* May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V1 of 4[1mwsmxxx.xxx]2167
[Only volume 1 is done right now, the other three are reserved for later..mh]
May 2000 King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard [HRH #9][7kslmxxx.xxx]2166
May 2000 King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard [HRH #9][8kslmxxx.xxx]2166
**Two versions, 7-bit version without accents, 8-bit version with accents.** May 2000 The Lifted Veil, by George Eliot [George Eliot #4][lftvlxxx.xxx]2165
May 2000 The Lumley Autograph Susan Fenimore Cooper[SFC#2][lumlyxxx.xxx]2164
May 2000 The Bridge-Builders, by Mark Twain[Mark Twain #16][brdgbxxx.xxx]2163
And we have finally finished all the Etexts for April, 2000, all listed here:
Apr 2000 Anarchism and Other Essays, by Emma Goldman [nrcsmxxx.xxx]2162
Apr 2000 Song Book of Quong Lee of Limehouse, Thomas Burke [qunglxxx.xxx]2161
Apr 2000 The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Tobias Smollett[txohcxxx.xxx]2160
Apr 2000 A Little Tour In France, by Henry James[James #20][altifxxx.xxx]2159
Apr 2000 The Prime Minister, by Anthony Trollope[Trollope5][prmnsxxx.xxx]2158
Apr 2000 Female Suffrage, by Susan Fenimore Cooper [SFC #3][sffrgxxx.xxx]2157
Apr 2000 China and the Manchus, by Herbert A. Giles [#3][8mnchxxx.xxx]2156
Apr 2000 China and the Manchus, by Herbert A. Giles [#3][7mnchxxx.xxx]2156
7mnch is the 7-bit Plain Vanilla ASCII version/8mnch uses extended characters
Apr 2000 Phyllis of Philistia, by Frank Frankfort Moore [phophxxx.xxx]2155
Apr 2000 Around the World in 80 Days Jr. Ed. by Jules Verne[80dayxxa.xxx]2154
[A totally different edition than prevously released this = 80day10a.xxx] Also see: Jan 1994 Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne[Verne2][80day10x.xxx] 103
Apr 2000 Mary Barton, by Elizabeth Gaskell [Gaskell #4][mbrtnxxx.xxx]2153
Apr 2000 On the Makaloa Mat/Island Tales, Jack London 72-78[mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
[We stopped numbering the stories individually, but since these are close to the last stories he ever wrote, we will finish Jack London this same way. mh] Contains Apr 2000 The Kanaka Surf, by Jack London [Jack London #78][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 The Tears of Ah Kim, by Jack London [London #77][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 The Water Baby, by Jack London [Jack London #76][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 Shin-Bones, by Jack London [Jack London #75][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 When Alice Told Her Soul, by Jack London [JL#74][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 The Bones of Kahekili, by Jack London [London #73][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
Apr 2000 On the Makaloa Mat, by Jack London [London #72][mklmtxxx.xxx]2152
On the Makaloa Mat The Bones of Kahekili When Alice Told her Soul Shin-Bones The Water Baby The Tears of Ah Kim The Kanaka Surf
Apr 2000 The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V5[Raven Edition] 10 [poe5vxxx.xxx]2151
Contest Philosophy of Furniture A Tale of Jerusalem The Sphinx Hop Frog The Man of the Crowd Never Bet the Devill Your Head Thou Art the Man Why the Little Frenchman Wears his Hand in a Sling Bon-Bon Some words with a Mummy The Poetic Principle Old English Poetry and other poems including The Raven, Lenore, and many others.
Apr 2000 The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V4[Raven Edition][#9][poe4vxxx.xxx]2150
Contest The Devil in the Belfry Lionizing X-ing a Paragrab Metzengerstein The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq. How to Write a Blackwood article A Predicament Mystification Diddling The Angel of the Odd Mellonia Tauta The Duc de l'Omlette The Oblong Box Loss of Breath The Man That Was Used Up The Business Man The Landscape Garden Maelzel's Chess-Player The Power of Words The Colloquy of Monas and Una The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion Shadow.—A Parable
Apr 2000 The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V3[Raven Edition][#8][poe3vxxx.xxx]2149
Contest Narrative of A. Gordon Pym Ligeia Morella A Tale of the Ragged Mountains The Spectacles King Pest Three Sundays in a Week
Apr 2000 The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V2[Raven Edition][#7][poe2vxxx.xxx]2148
Contest The Purloined Letter The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherezade A Descent into the Maelstrvm Von Kempelen and his Discovery Mesmeric Revelation The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar The Black Cat The Fall of the House of Usher Silence — a Fable The Masque of the Red Death The Cask of Amontillado The Imp of the Perverse The Island of the Fay The Assignation The Pit and the Pendulum The Premature Burial The Domain of Arnheim Landor's Cottage William Wilson The Tell-Tale Heart Berenice Eleonora
Apr 2000 The Works of Edgar Allan Poe V1[Raven Edition][#6][poe1vxxx.xxx]2147
Contest Edgar Allan Poe, An Appreciation Life of Poe, by James Russell Lowell Death of Poe, by N. P. Willis The Unparalled Adventures of One Hans Pfall The Gold Bug Four Beasts in One The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Mystery of Marie Rogjt The Balloon Hoax MS. Found in a Bottle The Oval Portrait
Apr 2000 Egmont, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe[German] [#5][8gmntxxx.xxx]2146
Apr 2000 Egmont, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe[German] [#5][7gmntxxx.xxx]2146
We produce two versions of each of our Etexts that have diacritic accents, an 8 bit version with the accents included, and a 7 bit version without them, so all our readers can download a version they can read on whatever programs. mh [The 8 bit version filenames begin with 8xxxx, and the 7 bit ones with 7xxxx]
Apr 2000 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace [benhrxxx.xxx]2145
Apr 2000 The Bible, in Danish, Old Testament, Copyrighted [bbldoxxx.xxx]2144C Apr 2000 The Bible, in Danish, New Testament, Public Domain[bbldnxxx.xxx]2143
Apr 2000 Childhood, by Leo Tolstoy/Tolstoi [Leo Tolstoy #7][chldhxxx.xxx]2142
Apr 2000 Strictly Business[More 4 Million] by O Henry[OH#7][stbusxxx.xxx]2141
Contains: STRICTLY BUSINESS THE GOLD THAT GLITTERED BABES IN THE JUNGLE THE DAY RESURGENT THE FIFTH WHEEL THE POET AND THE PEASANT THE ROBE OF PEACE THE GIRL AND THE GRAFT THE CALL OF THE TAME THE UNKNOWN QUANTITY THE THING'S THE PLAY A RAMBLE IN APHASIA A MUNICIPAL REPORT PSYCHE AND THE PSKYSCRAPER A BIRD OF BAGDAD COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON A NIGHT IN NEW ARABIA THE GIRL AND THE HABIT PROOF OF THE PUDDING PAST ONE AT RODNEY'S THE VENTURERS THE DUEL "WHAT YOU WANT"
Apr 2000 Extracts from the Diary of William Bray, by Bray [drbryxxx.xxx]2140
Apr 2000 Alvira, Heroine of Vesuvius, by A. J. O'Reilly [alvraxxx.xxx]2139
Apr 2000 The Day's Work - Part I, by Rudyard Kipling [RK#7][dywrkxxx.xxx]2138
Apr 2000 Rosamund, by Algernon Charles Swinburne [ACS #2][rsmndxxx.xxx]2137
Apr 2000 The Tale of Balen, by Algernon Charles Swinburne 1[balenxxx.xxx]2136
Apr 2000 Stories by English Authors in London, Scribners [sbealxxx.xxx]2135
Contains: The Inconsiderate Waiter, by J. M. Barrie The Black Poodle, by F. Anstry That Brute Simmons, by Arthur Morrison A Rose of the Ghetto, by I. Zangwill The Omnibus, by "Q" [Quiller-Couch] The Hired Baby, by Marie Correlli
Apr 2000 Utopia of Usurers, et al, by G. K. Chesterton[#14][uusryxxx.xxx]2134
Apr 2000 Chinese Sketches, by Herbert A. Giles [Giles #2][chnskxxx.xxx]2133
Apr 2000 The Daughter of an Empress, by Louise Muhlbach [dmprsxxx.xxx]2132
Apr 2000 An Account of Egypt, by Herodotus, Tr. by Macaulay[agyptxxx.xxx]2131
Apr 2000 Utopia, by Thomas More[Banned in his time][More#2][utopixxx.xxx]2130
Apr 2000 Murad the Unlucky, etc., by Maria Edgeworth[ME #3][muradxxx.xxx]2129
Apr 2000 Original Narratives of Early American History[var][mohwkxxx.xxx]2128
Apr 2000 Paul and Virginia, by Bernardin de Saint Pierre [pandvxxx.xxx]2127
And one from March
Mar 2000 Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11[11frdxxx.xxx]2111
[We still have 10 more to go in this series]
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1Notess from Edupage
NAVY OFFICIALS BACK OFF DIRE Y2K FORECAST [Under Duress] The Navy issued a statement denying its earlier reports of expected power failures resulting from the year 2000 (Y2K) computer bug for nearly 60 Navy and Marine Corps installations. The first Navy report found the probable and likely failure of natural gas, electricity, water and sewer utility services in communities near the installations. The Navy retracted the statement, saying it now agrees with the White House assessment, which states electrical failures will be unlikely in the new year. Meanwhile, the Navy has not yet completed verifying Y2K computer readiness for various Navy and Marine Corps communities. The Navy posted its original findings on the Internet, but removed them due to inaccurate and misleading information. Navy officials say the database will be put back on the Internet, accompanied with text explaining the findings. (Washington Post 08/21/99)
[Here is the original report]
NAVY Y2K REPORT PREDICTS 'LIKELY' UTILITY OUTAGES IN SEVERAL CITIES A recent updated Navy report predicts that electric utilities serving nearly 60 of the approximately 400 Navy and Marine facilities will probably suffer a power outage due to the year 2000 (Y2K) computer bug. The military report also expected power failures in several cities, including Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; as well as some midwinter natural gas failures in such places as Fort Worth, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Albany, N.Y. The Navy report is in sharp contrast to other predictions, including conclusions from the White House. John Koskinen—President Clinton's top Y2K advisor—said the Navy's results were overly cautious and were based on the worst-case scenario. (Washington Post 08/20/99)
WIRED ON CAMPUS E-LIFE Many students are beginning to pick universities based on how "wired" they are, according to a recent article in USA Today. This is because students are performing more functions online, from registering for classes and communicating with professors to ordering take-out, than ever before. Of the 15 million students currently attending a college, 60 percent say they go online daily, and 85 percent of students own their own computers, according to research firm Student Monitor. The company predicts that university students will spend $700 million online during the next school year, and over $4 billion online annually by 2002. (USA Today 08/19/99)
MICROSOFT-AOL WAR HEATS UP OVER NET ACCESS Though America Online is on top of the online service provider heap right now, Microsoft is aiming to knock it from its perch. While AOL continues to charge for its service, Microsoft wishes to move the market towards free or cheap access. The company has tested a $9.95 price point for monthly access fees, and is mulling over the idea of giving free access to consumers who agree to spend a certain amount each month with some of Microsoft's e-commerce partners. For its part, AOL says that Microsoft's attempts to undercut monthly charges will ultimately not be successful, as even deep-pocketed Microsoft cannot afford to lose money on Internet access forever. Meanwhile, Microsoft says its moves against AOL are protective in nature, believing that in the near future AOL is planning to become an online software platform to rival Microsoft's Windows. (Wall Street Journal 08/05/99)
[More on the same subject]
ALTAVISTA OFFERING FREE INTERNET ACCESS AltaVista Thursday launched a free Internet access service, becoming the first major Internet site to do so. The company, which owns one of the Web's 10 most visited sites, hopes to attract more customers by providing free Internet access. Although AltaVista will lose subscription revenues, the company believes increased ad revenues will compensate for the loss. AltaVista users will be required to begin their Web surfing from the AltaVista home page, and will have an ad constantly in the corner of their computer screens. In addition, a MicroPortal will appear on the screen that contains banner ads as well as links to shopping and search sites. Although AltaVista will not sell consumer registration information, it will use the data to customize ads to a user's interests, says AltaVista spokesperson David Emmanuel. (USA Today 08/13/99)
You have been reading excerpts from Edupage: If you have questions or comments about Edupage, send e-mail to: edupage@educause.edu To SUBSCRIBE to Edupage, send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU and in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName
1Notess from Newsscan Daily
CLEVELAND FREE-NET CLOSES DOWN Cleveland Free-Net, which was the nation's first free community computer network, will shut down this Fall rather go through the effort and expense of reprogramming the system to make it Y2K-compliant. One long-time user of the Free-Net, which started in 1984 as an electronic bulletin board at Case Western Reserve University, said: "It's just sad to see it go. It's an institution." (AP/San Jose Mercury News 5 Aug 99) http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/722931l.htm
CRYPTOGRAPHER DESIGNS SUPER-CODE-CRACKING COMPUTER Cryptographer Adi Shamir of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has designed a computer that uses light-emitting diode technology to crack 512-bit encryption keys in just two or three days. A recent effort to crack 465-bit keys took hundreds of computers and several months. Twinkle, which stands for The Weizmann Institute Key Locating Engine, measures the light from the diodes to perform the mathematical calculations necessary to decrypt the keys. The computer, if built, would cost about $2 million, and could jeopardize the security of the majority of electronic commerce underway today. Longer keys, with 1,024-bits, are now used for highly sensitive documents, but the most popular browsers used for transactions today are set for only 512 bits. (Wall Street Journal 16 Aug 99) http://wsj.com/
TIPTOEING THROUGH THE WEB Privada Inc. of San Jose, Calif., is offering a new service that allows users to make all of their Internet activities - e-mail, online chats, Web browsing and e-commerce transactions - completely anonymous. The Web Incognito service encrypts the data flowing from the subscriber's Internet service provider and masks its origins before sending it on to its intended destination. The service, which can be switched on and off by the user, also stores the subscriber's "cookies." Web Incognito differentiates itself from other privacy products in that it covers all Internet activities - not just Web browsing or e-mail - and has said it will share the identity of users with law enforcement authorities who have appropriate warrants. "Our service is for protecting the privacy of consumers, not for hiding criminals or criminal activities," says Privada CEO Barbara Bellissimo. "We felt it would be irresponsible not to give law enforcement agencies the information if they have valid warrants." (New York Times 16 Aug 99) http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/16data.html
BROADCOM'S 10-IN-1 NETWORKING CHIP Broadcom Corp. has developed a new networking chip that can perform tasks now handled by up to 10 separate chips. The StrataSwitch chip boasts 60 million transistors and is capable of analyzing the content of data transmissions and assigning higher priority to those packets containing voice and video. "What this represents is basically the world's first true switching system on a single chip," says the general manager of Broadcom's networking business unit. (Reuters/San Jose Mercury News 16 Aug 99) http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/086415.htm
SBC TO OFFER E-MAIL-ONLY PHONE SERVICE [Not only SBC. . .so news says] SBC Communications plans a September launch for its new eMessage service — designed for people who want to communicate online, but don't want to use a computer to do it. The service will use a portable phone attachment that includes a keyboard and screen. The e-mail-only service marks the first time a major phone company has offered a service geared especially toward the "Internet appliance" market. The eMessage service will cost about $10 a month, and the device will sell for about $180 - about half the price of Web phones. (Los Angeles Times 19 Aug 99) http://www.latimes.com/HOME/BUSINESS/t000073861.html
NET ENEMIES LIST Reporters Sans Frontiers, a Paris-based organization that promotes press freedom, has compiled a Top-20 list of countries that severely restrict citizens' access to information on the Internet. They are: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Libya, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Most of the countries named have state-owned Internet service providers that filter and censor Web sites for their citizens, and more repressive regimes, like Burma's, require computer owners to register with the government. A few, like North Korea and Iraq, have almost no Internet access at all. And in Saudi Arabia, the Internet is viewed as "a harmful force for Westernizing people's minds." (Investor's Business Daily 19 Aug 99) http://www.investors.com/
INSTANT MESSAGING Prodigy, Tribal Voice and PeopleLink have agreed to give their customers the ability to instantly exchange notes with the 1.3 million users of the Microsoft Network's instant message service. This accommodation with Microsoft is in stark contrast to the position taken by America Online, which has repeatedly counterattacked Microsoft's attempt to link its own service with AOL's to allow instant communication between Microsoft and AOL customers. (San Jose Mercury News 18 Aug 99) http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/764802l.htm
JUDGE NIXES AOL TRADEMARK ATTEMPT A federal judge has rejected America Online's attempt to prohibit AT&T from using the terms "You have mail," "Buddy List," and "IM" on its WorldNet service. AOL had claimed that the words and phrases were trademarked. "We're pleased the court agreed that these terms are in the public domain - available for all to use," says AT&T General Counsel Jim Cicconi. "AOL's claim that it owns the everyday language of the Internet is another example of AOL's attempt to monopolize all aspects of services over the Internet." AOL says it will appeal the ruling and its general counsel is "confident that the ruling will be reversed." (Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times 17 Aug 99) http://www.latimes.com/HOME/BUSINESS/t000073171.html
PRIVACY ADVOCATES COMPLAIN ABOUT AMAZON'S "FUN FEATURE" Amazon.com says its new "Purchase Circle" feature is "a fun way for people to find out what others are buying yet maintain individual confidentiality," but privacy advocates think it's a step in the wrong direction. The feature allows people to see what the most popular books are among Amazon patrons at any large organization; for example, "Memories of a Geisha" is now No. 1 at Charles Schwab, and "The End of Marketing As We Know It" at CocaCola. Web design expert Jacob Nielsen says, "From a privacy perspective, it's very scary. It's a true Big Brother phenomenon." The feature can not be used to learn what individuals are reading; the company only makes public reading profiles of groups that include at least several hundred individuals. [No inferences are drawn from the popularity of particular books at particular institutions.] David Sobel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center says, "People don't like the idea that their purchases are being turned into profiles, and they certainly don't like the idea that information is turned over to third parties, even it it's not personally identifiable." (USA Today 26 Aug 99) http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctf950.htm
ICANN AGAIN REJECTS REQUEST FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has for the second time rejected a request for representation by a number of persons who own Internet domain names as individuals rather than as corporations or other organizations. ICANN, now meeting in Chile, has been accused of letting its decision-making activities be biased in the interests of large organizations that can afford to send their representatives all over the world. (New York Times Cybertimes 26 Aug 99) http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/cyber/articles/26domain.html
FORTY MOVIES ON A SINGLE DISK Japan's Science & Technology Agency and Sharp Corp. have developed a 12-inch (30.5 cm) memory disk that can store 200 gigabytes of data, which is enough to store 40 times more data than a digital video disk (DVD), or the equivalent of 40 two-hour movies. The new disk and disk drive will not be available commercially for at least three years. (San Jose Mercury News 26 Aug 99) http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/011223.htm
PLAIN VANILLA INTERNET ACCESS Swedish ISP BIP Bottnia Internet Provider is giving Internet service away for free to customers who buy ice cream from Hemglass trucks. "All visitors to the Hemglass trucks will be able to pick up a free Internet subscription as a fun extra offer," says the head of marketing at Hemglass. The company's 200 trucks make 15,000 stops every day, reaching 90% of all Swedish households. (Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times 26 Aug 99) http://www.latimes.com/HOME/BUSINESS/t000076061.html
LONDON FIRM CHALLENGES HACKERS London-based Global Market is offering $50,000 to anyone who can crack its high-security "1on1" service. The service includes a special feature called autoshredder, which allows users to order an e-mail message to delete itself from the recipient's computer at a specified time, leaving no trace. "There are other companies offering security, not quite to the same extent as us, and not to the same level of security. Nobody else offers the self-destruct e-mail," says Steven James, the company's technical director. (Reuters 26 Aug 99) http://www.msnbc.com/news/304583.asp
AOL LAUNCHES FREE UK INTERNET SERVICE In an effort to squelch upstart British rival Freeserve, America Online has launched its own subscription-free service in the U.K. Freeserve's free Internet access model has been copied by about 200 other service providers in the U.K. over the last year, causing British consumers to lose interest in subscription-based ISPs. In a further attempt to clone the Freeserve model, AOL Europe has linked with retail giant Kingfisher to distribute the free service. Freeserve uses parent company Dixons' outlets to sell its software. (Financial Times 25 Aug 99) http://www.ft.com/hippocampus/q14310a.htm
You have been reading excerpts from NewsScan Daily Underwritten by Arthur Andersen & IEEE Computer Society If you have questions or comments about NewsScan send e-mail to Editors@newsscan.com To subscribe or unsubscribe to NewsScan Daily, send an e-mail message to NewsScan@NewsScan.com with 'subscribe' or 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
About the PG Newsletter: [Goes out approximately first Wednesday of each month. But different relays will get it to you at different times; you can subscribe directly, just send me email to find out how, or surf to promo.net/pg to subscribe directly by yourself.]
This is the PG Newsletter of Wednesday, October 6, 1999
Etexts Readable By Both Humans and Computers Since Before The Internet [Usually sent the first Wednesday of each month, delayed if by relay.] Main URL is promo.net Webmaster is Pietro di Miceli, of Rome, Italy *Check out our Websites at promo.net, and ask me for our FTP servers.*
Table of Contest:
Headline News
Requests For Assistance
Comments About Our New Files
Index Listings for the New Files
1Notess from Edupage and News Scan
Headline News
The "On-Line Books Page" allows you to search titles and authors of nearly 10,000 books on sites all over the Internet, including PG. Try http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/ This should have over 10,000 listings by the time you get there.
Requests
Some time ago, after a request made by Michael Hart, a few volunteers helped posting on PG the Spanish literature masterwork Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. I think that this could be a good opportunity to continue posting etexts in Spanish but we need help from people wanting to volunteer. I do not have much time to dedicate to the effort alone, so I ask anyone wanting to help to contribute to contact Michael or myself in order to create a "stable" group (like the one that does German etexts, for example) on Spanish texts. Basically what we need is someone who has time enough to become a "leader" of the team (I can help a little if needed), proofers (to check scanned or already digitized texts) and/or searchers for copyright matters. We would appreciate any help on this. Jesus Joglar
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Publicity and Public Relations in the UK
Please let me know of any others who would be willing to team up and work on publicity/PR in the UK. Garry Gill
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Is anyone within a hundred miles of Bridgeport, CT upgrading to a new computer in the next half year? I have someone out there who I am trying VERY hard to get on the Net, and this would be a GREAT! home for your current computer. . .will even pay. . . . Email me, and let me know the possibilities. . .it is for one of the nicest people I ever met. mh
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Also - I have at http://www.pobox.com/~jimhenry/etext/
Jim Henry
an unfinished etext of Benjamin Thorpe's pd translation of the Elder Edda. I can't finish it because I've developed tendonitis & must minimize my typing. But it's there if any other Gutenberg volunteers want to tackle it.
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We have a Balzac in French if anyone would like to work on it. Michael Crew , and please cc:me And we need someone to do French spellchecking.
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Comments About Our New Files
This month we have completed our first draft of the Human Genome. If you have some interest in this area, we are working on a search program. . . to locate "conserved sequences/motifs" as well as specific genes. Also, if you would like to write an article about the Human Genome. . .or know anyone who would, or who would like to play with the program, email me.
We have also gotten back on track with our calendar. . .having completed the rather large extra tasks we set for ourselves a few months ago. You will notice [at least while I am writing this, that there are full month scheduled releases this month. . .and three from next month.
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**And Now Our List of Current Postings of More PG Etexts**
Here is a listing of all the Etexts for both May AND June, 2000, and this time I left in the number I use for counting to make sure there are 36... since there are so many notes and comments. For those who actually count . . .which I hope SOME of you do. . .as I lost track at least once. . . .
We also have a few listings from collections we started/reserved previously:
Mar 2000 Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 12[12frdxxx.xxx]2112
[We have now posted 12 of the 21 volumes of this set]
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V4 of 4[4mwsmxxx.xxx]2170
[Volume 4 is not done yet at this time. . .] May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V3 of 4[3mwsmxxx.xxx]2169
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V2 of 4[2mwsmxxx.xxx]2168
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V1 of 4[1mwsmxxx.xxx]2167
Mon Year Title and Author [filename.ext]#### *****A "C" Following a PG Etext Number Indicates Copyright****
36 Jun 2000 Sketches in Lavender, Blue and Green, by Jerome 20[sklbgxxx.xxx]2234
Jun 2000 A Damsel in Distress, by P.G. Wodehouse [PGW #3] [dmsndxxx.xxx]2233
Jun 2000 Captain Stormfield, by Mark Twain [Mark Twain #17][cptstxxx.xxx]2232
Jun 2000 All Roads Lead to Calvary, by Jerome K. Jerome #20[rdclvxxx.xxx]2231
32 Jun 2000 Faust: Der Tragoedie [Part 2] by Goethe[Goethe #8][8fau2xxx.xxx]2230* Jun 2000 Faust: Der Tragoedie [Part 2] by Goethe[Goethe #8][7fau2xxx.xxx]2230* Jun 2000 Faust: Der Tragoedie [Part 1] by Goethe[Goethe #7][8fau1xxx.xxx]2229* Jun 2000 Faust: Der Tragoedie [Part 1] by Goethe[Goethe #7][7fau1xxx.xxx]2229* Jun 2000 Reineke Fuchs, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [#6][7fchsxxx.xxx]2228* Jun 2000 Reineke Fuchs, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [#6][8fchsxxx.xxx]2228* German/Two versions/7-bit version without accents/8-bit version with accents.*
Jun 2000 Soldiers Three [Part II] by Rudyard Kipling[RK#11][sldr3xxx.xxx]2227
This is "Part II" of Soldiers Three, we don't have "Part I" and Contains: "LOVE-O'-WOMEN" - from "Many Inventions" THE BIG DRUNK DRAF' THE MUTINY OF THE MAVERICKS THE MAN WHO WAS ONLY A SUBALTERN IN THE MATTER OF A PRIVATE THE LOST LEGION - from "Many Inventions" THE DRUMS OF THE FORE AND AFT JUDSON AND THE EMPIRE - from "Many Inventions" A CONFERENCE OF THE POWERS - from "Many Inventions" 28 Jun 2000 Kim, by Rudyard Kipling [Rudyard Kipling #10] [kimrkxxx.xxx]2226
Jun 2000 Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling[Kipling#9][cptcrxxx.xxx]2225
[This is independent of the version of Etext #2186, and we would LOVE if this could be compared to that version, and a better version of both created. Let me know via email of you would be willing to work on this. . .Michael. . . .] Bill Stoddard ,David Reed
[The following 24 files contain the ATGC codes from the Human Genome Project] We will be updating these as more data becomes available, but not every month Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Y Chromosome [#24] [0yhgpxxx.xxx]2224
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, X Chromosome [#23] [0xhgpxxx.xxx]2223
24 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 22 [22hgpxxx.xxx]2222
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 21 [21hgpxxx.xxx]2221
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 20 [20hgpxxx.xxx]2220
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 19 [19hgpxxx.xxx]2219
20 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 18 [18hgpxxx.xxx]2218
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 17 [17hgpxxx.xxx]2217
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 16 [16hgpxxx.xxx]2216
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 15 [15hgpxxx.xxx]2215
16 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 14 [14hgpxxx.xxx]2214
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 13 [13hgpxxx.xxx]2213
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 12 [12hgpxxx.xxx]2212
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 11 [11hgpxxx.xxx]2211
12 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 10 [10hgpxxx.xxx]2210
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 09 [19hgpxxx.xxx]2209
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 08 [08hgpxxx.xxx]2208
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 07 [07hgpxxx.xxx]2207
8 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 06 [06hgpxxx.xxx]2206
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 05 [05hgpxxx.xxx]2205
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 04 [04hgpxxx.xxx]2204
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 03 [03hgpxxx.xxx]2203
4 Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 02 [02hgpxxx.xxx]2202
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, Chromosome Number 01 [01hgpxxx.xxx]2201
Jun 2000 Human Genome Project, About the Human Genome Files[0ahgpxxx.xxx]2200
[This file is reserved for information about the Human Genome Project Files.] Jun 2000 The Iliad, by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler [iliadxxx.xxx]2199
May 2000 Stories from Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile [pntmnxxx.xxx]2198
May 2000 The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky[Dostoyevsky #2][gamblxxx.xxx]2197
May 2000 An Iceland Fisherman, by Pierre Loti [icfshxxx.xxx]2196
May 2000 The Master of Mrs. Chilvers by Jerome K. Jerome 19[mschlxxx.xxx]2195
32 May 2000 Mauprat, by George Sand [Aurore Dupin/Dedevant] #1[muprtxxx.xxx]2194
[Lucile Amandine Aurore Dupin / Armentine Lucile Aurore Dupin/later Dudevant] Also see: Jun 1994 Biography of George Sand, by Rene Doumic [sandb10x.xxx] 138 May 2000 A Ward of the Golden Gate, by Bret Harte[Harte #6][wotggxxx.xxx]2193
May 2000 The Dark Flower, by John Galsworthy [dkflrxxx.xxx]2192
May 2000 Boy Scouts in Mexico, by G. Harvey Ralphson [bsimxxxx.xxx]2191
28 May 2000 Isabella von Aegypten, by Ludwig Achim von Arnim [7isblxxx.xxx]2190* May 2000 Isabella von Aegypten, by Ludwig Achim von Arnim [8isblxxx.xxx]2190* May 2000 Der Gwissenswurm, by Ludwig Anzengruber [German] [7gwssxxx.xxx]2189* May 2000 Der Gwissenswurm, by Ludwig Anzengruber [German] [8gwssxxx.xxx]2189* May 2000 Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurid Brigge, by Rilke [7maltxxx.xxx]2188* May 2000 Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurid Brigge, by Rilke [8maltxxx.xxx]2188* May 2000 Oberon, by Christoph Martin Wieland [In German] [7oberxxx.xxx]2187* May 2000 Oberon, by Christoph Martin Wieland [In German] [8oberxxx.xxx]2187* German/Two versions/7-bit version without accents/8-bit version with accents.* 24 May 2000 Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling[Kipling#9][cptcrxxx.xxx]2186
Bill Stoddard
This PG Etext prepared by Bill Stoddard [This will still need some serious proofreading, which will not be easy,^M given the unusual spellings and language. Please cc: hart@pobox.com]^M
May 2000 Maruja, by Bret Harte [Bret Harte #5][hllhlxxx.xxx]2185
May 2000 Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, by Isabella L. Bird [utrkjxxx.xxx]2184
May 2000 Three Men on the Bummel, by Jerome K. Jerome [#18][tmotbxxx.xxx]2183
20 May 2000 The Marble Faun V. 2, by Nathaniel Hawthorne[NH#9][2faunxxx.xxx]2182* [This one is almost ready, but not quite. . .will be online next week I hope] May 2000 The Marble Faun V. 1, by Nathaniel Hawthorne[NH#8][1faunxxx.xxx]2181
May 2000 In A Hollow Of The Hills, by Bret Harte [Harte #5][hllhlxxx.xxx]2180
May 2000 Drift from Two Shores, by Bret Harte [Harte #4[[dftshxxx.xxx]2179
16 May 2000 By Shore and Sedge, by Bret Harte [Bret Harte #3][bysnsxxx.xxx]2178
May 2000 Thankful Blossom, by Bret Harte [Bret Harte #2][tkfblxxx.xxx]2177
May 2000 Seven Discourses on Art, by Joshua Reynolds [artdsxxx.xxx]2176
May 2000 You Never Can Tell, by [George] Bernard Shaw [#7] [nvrctxxx.xxx]2175
12 May 2000 Frau und Kindern auf der Spur, by Gerold K. Rohner[8spurxxx.xxx]2174C May 2000 Frau und Kindern auf der Spur, by Gerold K. Rohner[7spurxxx.xxx]2174C German/Two versions/7-bit version without accents/8-bit version with accents.*
May 2000 Thoughts on Present Discontents, etc., by Burke [thdscxxx.xxx]2173
May 2000 That Mainwaring Affair, by Maynard Barbour [mnwrnxxx.xxx]2172
May 2000 Brother Jacob, by George Eliot [George Eliot #5][brjcbxxx.xxx]2171
8 May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V4 of 4[4mwsmxxx.xxx]2170* [Volume 4 is not done yet at this time. . .] May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V3 of 4[3mwsmxxx.xxx]2169
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V2 of 4[2mwsmxxx.xxx]2168
May 2000 Misc Writings and Speeches, Lord Macaulay V1 of 4[1mwsmxxx.xxx]2167
4 May 2000 King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard [HRH #9][7kslmxxx.xxx]2166
May 2000 King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard [HRH #9][8kslmxxx.xxx]2166
**Two versions, 7-bit version without accents, 8-bit version with accents.** May 2000 The Lifted Veil, by George Eliot [George Eliot #4][lftvlxxx.xxx]2165
May 2000 The Lumley Autograph Susan Fenimore Cooper[SFC#2][lumlyxxx.xxx]2164
May 2000 The Bridge-Builders, by Mark Twain[Mark Twain #16][brdgbxxx.xxx]2163
**And a few for next month, of course:
Aug 2000 How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, by Arnold Bennett [24hrsxxx.xxx]2274
Aug 2000 Not Ready Yet, Sorry. . .Michael [ xxx.xxx]2273
Aug 2000 The Discovery of Guiana, by Walter Raleigh WR#3] [guianxxx.xxx]2272
Aug 2000 He Fell In Love With His Wife, by Edward P. Roe [inlhwxxx.xxx]2271
NEW HANDHELD COMPUTER TO COMPETE AGAINST PALMPILOT The creators of the PalmPilot handheld computer, who left their former company to form a new one called Handspring, are about to compete against the PalmPilot. Called "Visor," their new device will be sold in modular versions starting at $149 and will be aimed at both the consumer and office markets. Various modules will enable the Visor to work as a digital camera, music player, pager, and wireless telephone. (Reuters/New York Times 10 Sep 99) http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/09/biztech/articles/10handspring.html
BRITISH TELECOM OFFERS FREE PCs British Telecom has become the first U.K. Internet service provider to offer customers a free personal computer as part of its BT Internet PC package. The package, which costs 25.99 British pounds a month, also includes installation, training, and free weekend ISP connections. At the end of three years, customers will own their Fujitsu PC. BT says its new service will cost less than 90p a day, and noted that the free weekend connections would eliminate the potential problem of children running up phone bills during peak Internet usage times. (Associated Newspapers Ltd. 14 Sep 99) www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/new...reviewid=177834&inreviewtextid=143513
WRITERS WIN INTERNET COPYRIGHT SUIT IN CHINA In the first case of its kind in China, a group of six prominent writers has been awarded compensatory damages for having their work published without their permission. The court ruled that Century Internet Communications Technology Co. had violated the writers' copyrights by putting their works on Beijing Online's Web site. The writers will receive anywhere from 720 yuan ($87) to 12,380 yuan (about $1,480) each. (Reuters/San Jose Mercury News 22 Sep 99) http://www.sjmercury.com/
FREELANCERS' PERMISSION NEEDED TO POST ELECTRONICALLY A federal appeals-court panel has ruled that publishers must receive permission from freelance writers, musicians, photographers and artists before putting their material online or onto CD-ROMs, and must pay them extra compensation for the privilege unless otherwise contractually negotiated. The original suit was filed in 1993 by six writers who accused several media companies, including the New York Times, Time Warner's Sports Illustrated, Times Mirror's Newsday, and Reed-Elsevier's Lexis/Nexis database, of copyright infringement for reproducing their work online without permission. A federal court judge in 1997 sided with the publishers, saying that electronic databases are simply revised versions of original publications and that copyright law doesn't require extra payment by publishers. The appeals-court panel on Friday found that databases differ significantly because they contain thousands or millions of individual articles that can be retrieved without reference to the original publication. Most media companies today require "all rights" contracts, which explicitly include electronic reproduction, but the real problem for media organizations, says attorney Bruce Keller, is what should be done about articles written during the 20 years prior to this case. (Wall Street Journal 28 Sep 99)
PHONES OUTNUMBER UMBRELLAS IN LOST-AND-FOUND Londoners are leaving up to 45 mobile phones on buses and trains every day — outnumbering the number of umbrellas left behind for the first time ever. According to Maureen Beaumont, manager of London Transport's lost property office, the number of handsets being turned in is up sharply: "It's just creeping up and up and up. It was just 30 a day a couple of months ago. Now we're up to 40 or 45 a day." This year so far, there are 4,000 abandoned phones waiting to be claimed, but because many users have insurance policies that replace their phones within a few days, most of the misplaced handsets are just left in the lost property office for the requisite six months. "After that we can sell them as a piece of hardware — we just dispose of the sim card," says Beaumont. (Financial Times 27 Sep 99) http://www.ft.com/hippocampus/q181aba.htm
WIRED CITIES An Ohio State University study has identified the 20 "most Internet-accessible" U.S. cities: 1, Washington, DC; 2, Chicago; 3, Dallas; 4, New York; 5, Atlanta; 6, San Jose; 7, Los Angeles; 8, Houston; 9, San Francisco; 10, Phoenix; 11, Boston; 12, Seattle; 13, Philadelphia; 14, St. Louis; 15, Denver; 16, Baltimore; 17, Minneapolis; 18, Palo Alto; 19, Detroit; 20, Santa Clara. The authors say, "In general, cities with more linkages to the Internet backbone will have faster access and more reliable connections to global information. This enhanced access results in a comparative advantage that will grow in importance with the continuing computerization of information." (Newsbytes News Network/USA Today 24 Sep 99) http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/nb/nb5.htm
MICROSOFT'S IE5 REELING AGAIN AFTER TWO NEW BUGS DISCOVERED Experts this week found two new security bugs that affect Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5 (IE5) browser. Security expert Georgi Guninski discovered one spoofing glitch that would give hackers access to data on IE5 even through a firewall. The bug would allow an HTML JavaScript to activate once a user visits a Web site, and then download files back to the user's computer. Since the files are downloaded from the computer back to itself rather than to another machine, firewalls do not prevent the attack. After the information has been downloaded back to the original computer, it can be sent to any IP address. Microsoft is now working on a patch, and suggests in the meantime that concerned users disable IE5's active scripting. A second bug, confirmed this week by BugNet and its parent company KeyLabs, would allow IE5's rendering engine to alter HTML tags. HTML tags could change when users working with IE5 and Microsoft's MSHTML editing and rendering engine use the "Web Page, complete" default setting. Microsoft is working to repair the problem, and suggests for now that users rely on the "Web Page, HTML only" setting. (InfoWorld Electric 09/29/99)
You have been reading excerpts from NewsScan Daily Underwritten by Arthur Andersen & IEEE Computer Society If you have questions or comments about NewsScan send e-mail to Editors@newsscan.com To subscribe or unsubscribe to NewsScan Daily, send an e-mail message to NewsScan@NewsScan.com with 'subscribe' or 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
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STUDY: HIGH COST FOR WINDOWS 2000 TRANSITION The migration costs of Microsoft's Windows 2000 are so high that companies implementing the operating system would be unlikely to see a return on investment for at least three years, according to a recent Gartner Group study. The report indicates that the migration cost for Windows 2000 could amount to as much as $3,100 per PC. Gartner vice president Michael Gartenberg says by the time a company would see a return on Windows 2000, it would be time to switch to another operating system. Microsoft has advertised Windows 2000 as offering "increased reliability, availability, and scalability with end-to-end management features that reduce operating costs." Microsoft studies indicate companies migrating to Windows 2000 will see benefits immediately. Microsoft concedes that migration can be expensive, but says Windows 2000 can significantly reduce operating costs by streamlining help-desk operations, improving PC manageability, and offering businesses greater control over software applications. (C|Net 09/09/99)
[For those of you who really think there are TERABYTE cables out there, please note how this 4 GIGABYTE cable is referred to being so large mh]
CUT IN FIBER CABLE DISRUPTS INTERNET TRAFFIC NATIONWIDE Internet traffic throughout the country was slowed dramatically yesterday after a fiber cable was cut. A gas company in Ohio inadvertently cut the cable with a backhoe at about noon yesterday. Traffic between the East and West Coasts was as much as 50 times slower than usual. Some companies experienced so much trouble that they had no choice but to close down. Although fiber cuts occur occasionally, a cut to such a large cable is unusual, according to Bill Woodcock, a network architect for regional ISP Zocalo. The cable was transmitting 40 billion bits per second. Traffic that would usually move through the cable was rerouted, but the congestion that resulted slowed data moving through other network segments. GTE, which owned segments of the cut cable, said last night that the cable would probably be fixed by 9 p.m. (New York Times 09/30/99)
EXPERTS FEAR AN OUTBREAK OF Y2K VIRUSES Computer security experts are concerned about a possible outbreak of Y2K viruses after two Y2K-related viruses appeared last week. Experts say Y2K hoaxes, viruses that are spread via Y2K-remediation software, and viruses designed to first appear on January 1, 2000, are among the dangers associated with the beginning of the new millennium. A new "Trojan Horse" virus appeared last week in the guise of an e-mail offering a free year 2000 countdown clock. Once activated, the virus enters the computer's Internet connection to gain access to the user's passwords and account numbers. The other virus appearing last week, called W32/Fix2001, arrives as a note from the "system administrator" and claims to provide software for fixing a Y2K Internet problem. If launched, the virus will attach itself to all future e-mail transmissions. Although experts say both viruses are not considered major threats, future viruses could be. (San Francisco Chronicle 09/20/99)
BRITISH PUBLISHER PUTS BOOKS ONLINE Dorling Kindersley, a educational book and CD-ROM publisher, says it's planning to put all of its material online, allowing customers to view entire books online before they decide whether to purchase. The move signals the bookseller's attempt to replicate the experience of shopping in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore: "People want to be able to look inside books just as they would in a store," says Alan Buckingham, managing director of Dorling Kindersley Online. The company hopes to have 10% of its holdings online by January. Executive Chairman Peter Kindersley acknowledges that customers could print out the pages they need rather than buy the entire text, but says that risk is small in comparison to the benefits of brand awareness: "It is highly unlikely someone will print out a whole book because the cost of printer cartridges is extremely high." (Financial Times 15 Sep 99) http://www.ft.com/hippocampus/q15aeee6.htm
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Mac users can download our .txt files in binary mode to avoid the double spacing cr/lf line ends creates. Or download the .zip files, which unzip properly for nearly any operating system they are unzipped for...
About the PG Newsletter: [Goes out approximately first Wednesday of each month. But different relays will get it to you at different times; you can subscribe directly, just send me email to find out how, or surf to promo.net/pg to subscribe directly by yourself.]