Dave Vislosky
ON INTERNET 94, Tony Abbott, ed., Mecklermedia, ISBN 0-88736-929-4, $45
On Internet 94 claims to be the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to resources on the Internet, and I wouldn't dispute the claim. Because of the fluctuation of the Internet's contents--mail lists, discussion forums, and databases are being added or wiped away daily--the prospect of a single guidebook listing every current address is unreasonable. However, with over 6000 listings, On Internet 94 is certainly a useful reference, even if it is not precisely up to date.
The guide provides addresses, descriptions, and access information to all categories of electronic journals, newsletters, texts, discussion lists, and mailing lists available across the Internet. Also included are listings of Usene
t newsgroups and databases accessible by WAIS (Wide-Area Interconnect Service). If you're new to the Internet, the introduction gives a few helpful hints on how to join discussion lists, access electronic journals and databases, and use the tel-net and ftp functions.
When using resource books like this, I find myself constantly using the subject index. Unfortunately, for all the effort expended to include a vast number of useful and interesting Internet resources, the subject index did not receive the attention it deserves.
For example, if you're interested in computer science, flip to the back of the book where the subject index resides. Find the subject "computer science," and you're faced with over 100 listings. Here's where the guessing game begins. We could assume that Info-Pascal is a discussion list on Pascal programming, which it is. But I have trouble discerning the meaning of Mossba, which, incidentally, is the Mossbauer spectroscopy discussion list. If you want to find a discussion fo
rum on legumes, however, you're in luck. There's only one forum listed under legumes, Bean Bag.
I would have been much happier if this Internet resource guide had added more detailed subjects to the index. Also, some of the indexed address listings, albeit very few, are followed by brief descriptions, something that would have been helpful next to every listing. Not to mention that each address listing is followed by the chapter rather than the page where it resides: Find your listing, find the chapter, and find the address listed alphabetically in the chapter. This is not the most efficient method when using a resource guide. However, even with a few shortcomings in the subject index, On Internet 94 provides a wealth of Internet addresses that will be of interest to both beginning and professional Internet explorers.
Dave Vislosky is a BYTE senior technical editor at large. You can contact him on the Internet or BIX at
visco@bix.com
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Internet Resource Guide
