ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 11, 1996 TAG: 9607110037
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: COMPUTER BITS
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
LAUNDRY TIPS, trekking experiences, and yes, even Orkin fly control information are now available on new Web sites.
You don't have to sweat the heat in Atlanta or wait for TV networks to pre-empt the summer reruns to enjoy the excitement of the Summer Olympics.
You can get up-to-date information on the 1996 Summer Olympics from GNN Select. This site offers ratings on Olympic sites and provides links to them - including NBC and Sports Illustrated.
This site sifts through the piles of Olympic information and helps you find the most useful source for your time. Also, if you have acquired a late desire to go to the Olympics, you may be able to purchase a ticket to sporting events or the Olympic Arts Festival, provided a ticket becomes available.
Children, too, can investigate what this Olympic thing is all about at a site especially for them. Sports Illustrated created this page, which includes profiles of Olympic athletes, an in-depth look at the purpose of the Olympics and other information that a 6-year-old could relate to easily. This site shows children that the dream of being an Olympian can become a reality through hard work and dedication. The Olympic mascot, Izzy, is pictured with explanation of how he got that honor.
This site also raises some interesting questions for children, for example: Should athletes at the Olympics be paid for their medals?
Outdoorsy
Trekked through a national park lately and can't wait to share the experience? Gorp's for you. The gorp, or Great Outdoor Recreation Pages site, allows you to share experiences and learn what others have to say about the life in the woods.
The site, named, of course, for the great trail food, gorp, is the product of Bill and Diane Greer who apparently have a consulting business. So far, though, the only Virginia locale listed is Shenandoah National Park. So, it's up to the Southwest Virginians park lovers to change that by messaging the Greers about other great sites, in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, for example.
For the parks that are listed, the site is equipped with maps to each location, clothing needed for a visit, plus job offerings at the parks. You can even join a moose in an outdoor shopping spree while on-line.
Farm fly control?
Chances are you haven't given much thought to fly issues, but if this sort of stuff sounds appealing, call up Orkin Agribusiness Services's Web effort.
The company that sell extermination services has extended its farm fly control program from the barn and the feedlot to cyberspace. Visitors to the Orkin Farm Fly Control On-line can learn about the potential negative effects of farm flies - reduced feed efficiency, lower weight gain, decreased milk production, greater risks of disease transmission and lawsuits from residential neighbors.
In addition, a short "IdentiFlyer" is given to help you identify flies found on many flies:. horn, stable, house and face fly.
Soap and laundry
"Katherine never expected a fluff-and-fold kind of life where problem spots quickly disappeared and days were wrinkle-free. But now, as she celebrated her new partnership status at Doyle &Doyle, Valley View's top entertainment attorneys, she knew her world was spinning out of control.
"Welcome to As The Laundry Spins where Valley View's finest sort through their problems while airing others' dirty laundry."
The Valley View in Whirlpool HomeLife Network's home page is no relation to Roanoke's shopping mall with a similar name, but the laundry tips included ought to work on local clothes.
Aside from the weekly episode of soap opera, the site is equipped with tips for packing kids clothes, secretes to "The Clothesline," and of course information on products and brands made by Whirlpool.
Free advice tactic
A new Roanoke company, PC Doctors, is offering free technical support to computer users by phone or email.
Owner Jeff Johnson said the idea behind the offer of free help is to stir up business for the company, which offers a wide-range of services aimed at helping "the common man" with his computer problems. Among the services offered are preventive maintenance, Internet training and in-home or in-business computer education and repair.
The company's technical support can be reached at (540) 343-9425 or by e-mail at pcdoctor@rbnet.com.
LENGTH: Long : 113 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: http://www. web sites in today's column Olympicsby CNBhttp://www.gnn.com/gnn/wic/wics/sports.olympics.html
Olympics and Children
http://pathfinder.com/SIFK/olympics/olympicmenu.html
Outdoors
http://www.gorp.com
Farm flies
http://www.orkin-ag.com
Soap and Whirlpool
http://www.whirlpool.com
You can contribute to this column or just comment by sending an
E-mail to biznews@roanoke.infi.net or by calling 981-3393 or
981-3237 in the Roanoke Valley, or (800) 346-1234, extension 393,
outside the Roanoke area.