ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 23, 1997 TAG: 9701230069
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: computer bits
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
THERE'S ALSO A LIST of medical-information sites usually available only to med students and health professionals.
There's now a comprehensive directory that provides links on the Internet to more than 8,500 nonprofit organizations in the United States and 100 countries. It is maintained by the Contact Center Network, a nonprofit organization in New York. Its newest initiative is called Idealist, which allows any nonprofit organization to publish information about its services, volunteer opportunities, jobs and internships, even if it doesn't have its own site on the World Wide Web.
The organization also is compiling a directory of public places, such as libraries, schools and Internet cafes, where people without their own Internet connections may gain access.
A check of the Contact Center Network's directory turned up information on a variety of nonprofit resources in Virginia. For instance, the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Diabetes Association, Franklin County Habitat for Humanity and the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center are among the listed organizations. The Webmaster for the directory is trying to get the word out to organizations not yet listed on the site so they can be linked, too. His e-mail address is russxc2contact.org and the Web address for the directory is listed in the accompanying box.
* * *
The February issue of Consumer Reports contains a feature on finding useful and accurate medical information on the Internet. The magazine says that two experienced medical journalists spent two months exploring and evaluating medical information on the World Wide Web, using the same types of access and software that are common on home computers.
They found information that normally is available only at major medical libraries and research centers, as well as the latest health news and searchable information on prescription drugs and hundreds of diseases and conditions. They cautioned, however, that there is false and dangerously incomplete information circulating on the Internet as well as a host of good information. Proceed with caution, they advised.
* * *
The Children's Television Workshop, the outfit that produces public TV's Sesame Street, has launched a Web site for kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers. The site is associated with CTW's Creative Classroom magazine, whose publisher has a name appropriate for a Web venture, Nina Link. The site emphasizes four areas: teaching and parent-involvement tips, classroom projects, educational grants, and giveaways.
* * *
For cigar lovers, there's some good news in cyberspace with the launch this week of the Web site Cigar Aficionado by the magazine of the same name. A record number of premium cigar imports last year prompted creation of the site, the magazine said. The Web site features, among other things, a comprehensive database of more than 1,000 cigars, ratings of every cigar featured in the magazine, a listing of cigar shops worldwide and a directory of cigar-friendly restaurants around the world. Did you know, for instance, that a Habana Gold White Label Churchill from Honduras is 7 inches long, has a pleasant herbal character and cedary flavor, and sells for $5.50?
Directory lists nonprofits on the net
THERE'S ALSO A LIST of medical-information sites usually available only to med students and health professionals.
Staff report
There's now a comprehensive directory that provides links on the Internet to more than 8,500 nonprofit organizations in the United States and 100 countries. It is maintained by the Contact Center Network, a nonprofit organization in New York. Its newest initiative is called Idealist, which allows any nonprofit organization to publish information about its services, volunteer opportunities, jobs and internships, even if it doesn't have its own site on the World Wide Web.
The organization also is compiling a directory of public places, such as libraries, schools and Internet cafes, where people without their own Internet connections may gain access.
A check of the Contact Center Network's directory turned up information on a variety of nonprofit resources in Virginia. For instance, the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Diabetes Association, Franklin County Habitat for Humanity and the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center are among the listed organizations. The Webmaster for the directory is trying to get the word out to organizations not yet listed on the site so they can be linked, too. His e-mail address is russxc2contact.org and the Web address for the directory is listed in the accompanying box.
* * *
The February issue of Consumer Reports contains a feature on finding useful and accurate medical information on the Internet. The magazine says that two experienced medical journalists spent two months exploring and evaluating medical information on the World Wide Web, using the same types of access and software that are common on home computers.
They found information that normally is available only at major medical libraries and research centers, as well as the latest health news and searchable information on prescription drugs and hundreds of diseases and conditions. They cautioned, however, that there is false and dangerously incomplete information circulating on the Internet as well as a host of good information. Proceed with caution, they advised.
* * *
The Children's Television Workshop, the outfit that produces public TV's Sesame Street, has launched a Web site for kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers. The site is associated with CTW's Creative Classroom magazine, whose publisher has a name appropriate for a Web venture, Nina Link. The site emphasizes four areas: teaching and parent-involvement tips, classroom projects, educational grants, and giveaways.
* * *
For cigar lovers, there's some good news in cyberspace with the launch this week of the Web site Cigar Aficionado by the magazine of the same name. A record number of premium cigar imports last year prompted creation of the site, the magazine said. The Web site features, among other things, a comprehensive database of more than 1,000 cigars, ratings of every cigar featured in the magazine, a listing of cigar shops worldwide and a directory of cigar-friendly restaurants around the world. Did you know, for instance, that a Habana Gold White Label Churchill from Honduras is 7 inches long, has a pleasant herbal character and cedary flavor, and sells for $5.50?
Nonprofit organizations
http://www.contact.org
Achoo (health-related)
http://www.achoo.com
HealthAtoZ
http://www.healthatoz.com
Creative Classroom
http://www.creativeclassroom.org
Cigar Aficionado
http://www.cigar
aficionado.com
You can contribute to this column or just comment by e-mail to biznews@roanoke.infi.net or by calling 981-3393 or 981-3237 in the Roanoke Valley, or (800) 346-1234, ext. 393, outside the Roanoke area. Previous Computer Bits columns can be found at http://www.roanoke.com
LENGTH: Long : 136 linesby CNB