Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 4, 1995 TAG: 9507050089
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY AND DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Cyber-democracy is here. Citizens, rejoice.
RATINGS KEY
XXXXX = Holy modem, Batman!
XXXX = Kicks the cruisers into overdrive
XXX = More fun than Congressional Quarterly
XX = Beats watching "Gilligan's Island" reruns
X = Barely worth the electric bill
VIRGINIANS ONLINE
Virginia politicians are starting to cruise down the information highway. Some are even in the fast lane. Rep. Bob Goodlatte was among the first in Congress to have an e-mail address; Sens. Charles Robb and John Warner were among the first to set up their own home pages. And hang onto your modems: Mark Warner, the Alexandria cellular phone entrepreneur and former state Democratic Party chairman who's gearing up for a run for the Senate next year, promises to make his campaign Virginia's first high-tech one.
REP. BOB GOODLATTE, R-Roanoke
E-mail: talk2bobhr.house.gov
REP. RICK BOUCHER, D-Abingdon
E-mail: Ninthnethr.house.gov
LT. GOV. DON BEYER
E-mail: juliescaol.com
U.S. SEN. JOHN WARNER
E-mail: senatorwarner.senate.gov
Home page:
ftp://ftp.senate.gov/member/va/warner/general/warner.html
What's there: Not much. Warner advertises press releases, but the most recent ones are about a month old. He does, however, offer a nifty form for ordering an American flag that's flown over the Capitol and tourist information for visiting the Pentagon.
Usefulness: XX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: X
U.S. SEN. CHARLES ROBB
E-mail: Senator-robbrobb.senate.gov
Home page:
ftp://ftp.senate.gov/member/va/robb/general/robb.html
What's there: Standard patriotic-looking mugshot and excerpts from Robb's selected speeches. Also provides access to information about Virginia, White House releases relating to the Commonwealth, Supreme Court decisions and U.S. Code.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Home page:
http://www.state.va.us/dlas/welcome/html
What's there: You can find out which bills your legislator introduced and how they fared. Or search by subject matter instead. A must for the serious citizen who wants to keep up with what's going on in Richmond.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
VIRGINIA FORUM
For America Online users: Access by typing "Virginia" in the keyword field
Non-AOL users can send e-mail only: VaGovROaol.com
What's there: Browse news releases from state agencies and events calendars. Download employment listings and speeches. Best of all, voice your opinions on a variety of issues and interact with other citizens on the message board.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XXXX
Fun stuff: XX
MARK WARNER, 1996 Democratic Senate hopeful
E-mail: mrmrwarneraol.com
WANNA PARTY?
You don't have to be a card-carrying party member to check out what the major parties - and some minor ones - have to say.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF VIRGINIA
E-mail: dpvaaol.com
Home page:
http://www.webcom.com/~dpvaweb
What's there: Mostly just a list of Democratic candidates for the General Assembly. The party has offered to set up home pages for all of its candidates, but, so far, only Fairfax County state Sen. Janet Howell has done so. Oh, yes, there's also a picture of Lt. Gov. Don Beyer and some interesting links to liberal groups.
Usefulness: XX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XX
DEMOCRATIC PARTY ACTIVISTS
Home page:
http://www.webcom.com/~digitals
What's there: Links to anything, and everything Democratic, including state organizations and national committees. Also features a calendar of national party events and the Internet Democrats Newsletter.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: X
GOP ONLINE
Home page:
http://www.gop.org
What's there: A national directory of Internet resources on the Republican candidates for president, and a list of various conservative publications. A must stop for anyone who wants to find out about the GOP hopefuls.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
LIBERTARIAN PARTY
E-mail: Delegate49aol.com will put you in touch with the party's Virginia leader.
Home page:
http://www.lp.org/lp
What's there: Everything you've always wanted to know about the nation's biggest third party, including e-mail addresses for the four candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: X
SOCIALIST PARTY
E-mail: SPUSAaol.com
Home page:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/spc/index.html
What's there: Tips on "how to be a socialist" and arguments to use when your friends point out that socialism didn't exactly turn the Soviet Union into a worker's paradise. Also, a lot of complaining that socialism hasn't gotten a fair shake in this country. Example: "Socialism joins ice hockey in being one of the most misunderstood things in America. Most people think both are about cold, hard places played by bullies."
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XXX
IDEOLOGY, or THEM THERE'D BE FIGHTING WORDS
The World Wide Web at its best - or its worst, depending on your perspective. This is prime flaming territory with political commentary from all sides of the fence. But users beware: The attacks are abundant and comments range from witty and pointed to downright mean.
THE REACTIONARY RIGHT
Home page:
http://www.webcom.com/~albany/rr.html
What's there: A liberal watchdog page on conservatives. Get advice on "How to Win: Tips for Winning Elections." Order a bumper sticker emblazoned: "Newt Bites ... And Children Go Hungry." But the highlight is a list of talking points on various subjects, designed to help liberals win arguments with their conservative friends.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: XXX
TURN LEFT
Home page:
http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/~cubsfan/liberal.html
What's there: A slam-the-GOP page that includes a rather manipulative image of a huge American flag, a link to the ultimate anti-Rush Limbaugh page and pointers for debunking the myths of Reaganism.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XX
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WEB
Home page:
http://www.clark.net/pub/jeffd/index.html
What's there: Hilarity, that's what. In addition to loads of conservative links, such as House Majority Leader Dick Armey's Flat Tax home page, there's much fun at this biting site. Write your own epitaph for the Monument to the Clinton Presidency. Our favorite so far? "Vini. Vidi. Eravi. Latin for: I came. I saw. I goofed." Or help cast "Whitewater: The Mini-Series." Wanna taste? "Bill Clinton - Kato Kaelin. Neither one has done anything useful in their lives."
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XXXXX
Fun stuff: XXXX
INTEREST GROUPS
Advocacy groups are using the World Wide Web to get their word out and monitor how the nation's power brokers stand on their issues.
THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
E-mail: wwwnra.org
Home page:
http://www.nra.org
What's there: The whole shooting match for gun-owners. The latest information on guns and gun laws, a directory of government agencies dealing with firearms, pictures of certain weapons, and even a picture of a camouflaged President Clinton coming back from duck-hunting. Clinton is seen holding the dead fowl, with the slogan: "If Bill Clinton thinks hunting ducks will give him a pro-gun image, he's daffy. Mr. Clinton, the 2nd Amendment is not about duck hunting."
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: XXX
Fun stuff: XXXX
UNITED WE STAND AMERICA
Home page:
http://www.telusys.com/uwsa.html
What's there: Bid farewell to the national debt indicator atop Spanky Macher's Star City Diner. This home page keeps a running tab, complete with how much the debt is costing you and your family. At last look, your family's share was $74,000. Also includes a breakdown by subject of the 1995 national budget, an action items list for United We Stand objectives, and the phone number for the organization's Virginia affiliate.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: XX
THE CHRISTIAN COALITION
Home page:
http://cc.org
What's there: This page gets our prize for having the shortest URL (that's the shorthand for a computer address, folks), but it also has some other merits. Keeps score of how representatives and senators voted on issues rallied or pooh-poohed by the conservative coalition. Promises also to provide a voter's guide and the results of an "official" opinion poll on the Contract With America's Families.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: X
THE 1996 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
The cornfields of Iowa and the ski slopes of New Hampshire have been joined by another campaign venue: cyberspace. Just about every presidential candidate worth mentioning (and even some who aren't) now has his own e-mail address and Internet campaign headquarters. How seriously are the candidates taking cyberspace? When Lamar Alexander declared his candidacy, he didn't go on Larry King, he went live on the America Online computer network to "chat" with computer users.
BOB DOLE
E-mail: None.
Home page:
http://www.seas.unpenn.edu/~lapple/bobdole.html
Note: Dole may be the front-runner in the polls, but he's way behind in the race for cyberspace. His campaign doesn't have an official home page yet; this is an unofficial page set up by an admirer.
What's there: A list of favorable press clippings about the Man from Kansas, plus a trivia question section. Example: What other presidential candidate was born in Dole's hometown? There's also a transcript of Dole's celebrated speech about Hollywood.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XX
PHIL GRAMM
E-mail: None.
Home pages:
http://www.gramm96.org
http://www.sky.net/~rmk/gramm.html
http://acs.oakland.edu/~djussma/stuff/wpghome.html
http:///www.rpi.edu/~scotta/gramm.html
Note: Gramm's a landslide winner in cyberspace. The first address is for his campaign's official Internet headquarters; the rest are unofficial pages set up by supporters.
What's there: You name it, it's on Gramm's Texas-sized official home page. Want to read Gramm's speeches? The texts are there. Want to hear Gramm's speeches? You can download the audio. Want to see him? Download the video, too. You can also view pictures of Gramm campaigning, or subscribe to his weekly electronic newsletter, GrammNet. Just in case you missed anything, try the unofficial home pages. The only thing missing: An e-mail address.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XXX
Fun stuff: XX
LAMAR ALEXANDER
E-mail: lamarlamar.com
Home page:
http://Nashville.Net/~lamar
What's there: Everything Phil Gramm has, plus more: You can download video of Alexander and Ray Stevens playing the piano together. Alexander, who not only hired many of Oliver North's advisers but sports the same plaid shirt, has the most colorful home page with its red checkerboard background. It's also the most irritating page, with a logo that shimmies and shakes the screen to get attention.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XXX
Fun stuff: XXX
RICHARD LUGAR
E-mail: Mark.LugarinternetMCI.COM
Home page:
http://www.iquest.net/lugar/lugar.htm
What's there: Besides the standard campaign fare of speeches, position papers and bios, Lugar offers an ongoing "pulse of America" poll on such vital questions as "Is Hollywood responsible for the decline of moral values?" and "Are you in favor of abolishing the IRS?" As of last week, 68 percent of those voting wanted to do away with the tax collectors but only 18 percent blamed Hollywood. There's also a poll on which presidential candidate is best qualified for the job. Not surprisingly, 45 percent say Lugar. Dole is a distant second at 20 percent.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: XXXXX
Fun stuff: XXX
PAT BUCHANAN
E-mail: lmulleriquest.com
Home page:
http://iquest.com/~buchanan/patindex.html
What's there: Speeches, op-ed commentaries, position papers, information on the campaign, the usual. But Buchanan also promises to soon have a guest book where surfers can sign in and register their comments, plus a bulletin board.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: X (If Buchanan keeps his promises and installs more features, he'll rise.)
Fun stuff: X
ALAN KEYES
E-mail:None
Home page:
http://sandh.com/keyes/index.html
Note: This is an unofficial home page for the former ambassador-turned presidential candidate.
What's there: Keyes may not have an official Internet outpost, but the one set up by supporters has plenty of stuff. Besides speeches and news clippings, you can order T-shirts and videos and sign up for an electronic mailing list about Keyes.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
PETE WILSON
E-mail: None.
Home page:
http://www.ca.gov/gov/governor.html
What's there: This is the home page for Wilson as governor of California, not as a presidential candidate. As such, it's not very useful to out-of-state surfers.
Usefulness: X
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
HARRY BROWNE
E-mail: brownerahul.net
Home page:
http://www.rahul.net/browne
What's there: Never heard of Harry Browne? He's one of four candidates for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, which will be decided this month in Washington. He's also the only one with a home page showing his libertarian take on the issues.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XX
CLINTON, YES!
Home page:
http://www.av.qnet.com/~yes/index.html
What's there: A load of enthusiasm, for one thing. This unofficial home page was set up by an avid supporter and includes a state-by-state guide to Bill Clinton's accomplishments and tips on how to be your own lobbyist. Political newbies, don't worry. This site's for you. Includes a command: "Click here if you don't know the name of the senator in your state."
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XXX
Fun Stuff: XXX
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WEB'S '96 CONSERVATIVE ELECTION CENTRAL
Home page:
http://www.clark.net/pub/jeffd/96centrl.html
What's there: The best features, by far, are the lists of who we DO want to see on the GOP 1996 ticket and the who we DON'T want to see on the ticket. Among the winners: Pat Buchanan, Alan Keyes and Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. Among the many losers: Bob Dole, Barry Goldwater and Richard Lugar. What's the rationale? Here's a glimpse: "Richard Lugar. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's BORING. Makes Al Gore look exciting."
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun Stuff: XXXX
INFORMATION HEADQUARTERS FOR REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
Home page:
http://www.umr.eda/~sears/primary/main.html
What's there: Your very own opportunity to vote in the virtual primary, an invitation to create a home page for your favorite candidate and biographies on the GOP's presidential wannabes.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: XXXX
Fun stuff: XX
ON THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Home page:
http://www.ipt.com/html
What's there: A non-partisan guide to the presidential candidates, including voting records, ratings by special-interest groups, campaign finance information, and links to scads of home pages dealing with public issues. Want to check up on militias or the Rock the Vote movement? Look here. For fun, there's also a "virtual voting booth" where you can vote for anyone you want. As of last week, Lamar Alexandar was beating out Jordan Levy (who's he?) by three votes. Votes had also been recorded for Keith Mandell, "progressive and Cubs fan," and Vlad the Impaler.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: XXXXX
Fun stuff: XXX
AN ELECTION 96 PAGE
Home page:
http://dodo.crown.net/~mpg/election/96.html
What's there: A good, albeit staid, source of nonpartisan information about the upcoming national rat race. Includes bios on all the potential candidates and tracks their progress on the cyberspace campaign trail. Also offers an impressive set of links to other election and voter-education home pages.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
CYBER-CAUCAS
Home page:
http://www.drake.edu/public/caucus.html
What's there: Drake University in Des Moines promises to have its students filing daily reports on Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus, once the young scholars return in the fall. For now, there's not much there, but Drake promises this page will be "highly active" once the campaign goes into full swing.
Usefulness: X
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY
Home page:
http://unhinfo.unh.edu/unh/nhprimary/nhprim.html
What's there: Not a whole lot yet, but promises to be a complete guide to what's going on in the we'll-set-the-tone state. Maintained by University of New Hampshire folks, the site will list upcoming campaign events, highlights from the pack-of-vultures media coverage and issues statements from each of the candidates' platforms.
Usefulness: XX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
NEWT
No one provides better fodder for the World Wide Web than Mr. Great One himself. Love him or hate him, you've got company in cyberspace.
NEWTWATCH
Home page: http://www.cais.com/newtwatch
What's there: Humor, humor and more humor. See the Speaker of the House interact with aliens. (No lie.) Track how much honoraria he collected until the practice was banned. (Slam.) Find out who in your ZIP code donated more than $250 to his campaign. (No one here.) Read about the five ethics cases against the distinguished Speaker. (Ahem.)
If you're dying to get in on the act, take part in tracking "Newt's Reign of Error" by filling out a form that helps check the Speaker's facts. Or send Gingrich a blistering fill-in-the-blank e-mail note that includes delightful choices. We'd love to show you an example, but we're a family newspaper. Check it out yourself.
Usefulness: XX
Interactivity: XXXXX
Fun stuff: XXXXX
THE NEWT GINGRICH WWW FAN CLUB
Home page:
http://www.clark.net/pub/jeffd/mr-newt.html
What's there: Random thoughts from Newt, with a new one promised every time you look. Also features speeches and links to discussion groups about the Speaker.
Usefulness: XX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XXX
NEWT'S CONGRESSIONAL HOME PAGE
Home page:
http://www.house.gov/mbr-dir/GAO6.html
What's there: Yawn, yawn. Mailing address, a link to e-mail Newt, and lists of legislation the Speaker sponsored or co-sponsored.
Usefulness: X
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
THE PRESIDENT & HIS PALS
BILL CLINTON/WHITE HOUSE
Home page:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
What's there: White House press releases, speeches, policy briefings, congressional testimony, executive orders, etc. Looking for a little more fun? Try taking a virtual tour of the White House, the Executive Office building or the First Ladies' Gardens. Or snoop around the first family's photo album, which includes a groovy shot of Socks.
Usefulness: XXXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: XXX
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Home page:
http://www.whitehouse/gov/White-House/EOP/First-Lady/html/HILLARY-home.html
What's there: Not a whole lot: a biography of the First Lady and selected speeches with a separate link for health care speeches.
Usefulness: X
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
AL GORE
E-mail: vice.presidentwhitehouse.gov
CYBER-CONGRESS
THOMAS
Home page:
http://thomas.loc.gov
What's there: This is the Library of Congress' not-so-secret stash of all legislative information. Find full text of legislation and congressional records from last two sessions as well as hot legislation, arranged by subject. Also links to the C-Span gopher which includes a cool "Follow-the-Money" feature that lets you track PAC contributions to candidates and incumbents in all 50 states.
Usefulness: XXXXX
Interactivity: XX
Fun stuff: X
CAPWEB
Home page:
http://policy.net/capweb/congress.html
What's there: A guide to the U.S. Congress. Still under construction, it currently includes links to all the available home pages about individual representatives and senators.
Usefulness: XXX
Interactivity: X
Fun stuff: X
HAD ENOUGH OF STAYING SILENT?
Post your views and opinions on one or more political discussion groups. You're sure to get a response.
alt.politics.democrats
alt.politics.usa.republican
alt.politics.media
alt.politics.reform
alt.politics.usa.constitution
alt.politics.usa.misc
soc.politics
GLOSSARY
Don't have a clue what we're talking about? Here's a guide:
Cyber: An all-purpose word to refer to anything about computers. For what it's worth, the term was coined by William Gibson, a noted science-fiction author from Wytheville.
Cyberspace: The ephemeral world of computer networks.
Discussion groups: Think of it as a bulletin board in cyberspace, where anyone can "post" a message for the whole computer world to see.
E-mail: Electronic mail. Computer users with a modem can zap mail to the other side of the globe in just a matter of seconds.
Home page: Think of it as an interactive newsletter in cyberspace, with words, pictures, the whole works.
Links: You know how in "Star Trek: Voyager" the crew got sucked into some kind of space anomaly and was instantly catapulted to some far side of the galaxy? Same deal here. Certain parts of home pages are set up as "links" that direct readers to other home pages, no matter where they might be physically located. For instance, the "On the Road to the White House" page offers links to home pages on the presidential candidates and dozens of special-interest groups. No need to remember an address; just click on the mouse and you're there.
Surfing: What computer users do when they keep clicking from one link to another.
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
Take a byte out of politics. Here's how computer-users can participate in democracy online:
1. Track proposed and enacted legislation.
2. Send e-mail, vicious or otherwise, to elected officials.
3. Order useless, but patriotic memorabilia.
4. Monitor spending and campaign contributions to your favorite or less-than-favorite politico.
5. Wander the virtual halls of otherwise-barricaded government buildings.
6. Create instant fireworks by throwing your two-cents worth into online discussions among political junkies. The less informed, the better.
by CNB