Subject: Free Pint No.31 - Sites for Seniors & Home-Based Research Free Pint "Helping 19,000 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.co.uk/ ISSN 1460-7239 4 February 1999 #31 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "Researching from home" by Gina Armfield FEATURE ARTICLE "Internet Resources for Seniors" by John Lewell FREE PINT FEEDBACK "Internet Quality" "IP address problems" "Computer Assisted Journalism links" CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/040299.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EPI * FREE SAMPLE * ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION * EPI * FREE SAMPLE Published by SPIN, EPI magazine provides news, case studies, informed editorial on the latest developments in EPI. SPIN members include local authorities, health orgs, voluntary organisations, private sector companies and other public sector organisations involved in community information,web sites, kiosks and other epi-related issues. ******* To order your FREE SAMPLE COPY see WWW.SPIN.ORG.UK ******* >>>> SPIN >>>> Society of Public Information Networks <<<< SPIN <<<< > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [sp311] EDITORIAL You may notice a new feature whilst reading today's Free Pint ... "Quick Tips" are short hints throughout the newsletter where I will pass on hints I pick up in my work as an Internet consultant, trainer and publisher at Willco. I hope you find them useful - please let me know if you do and I'll make them a regular item. This issue's articles also give some great insights into using the Web ... whether it be providing a home-based business research service or finding super sites aimed specifically at Seniors. As always, please do let us know if enjoy Free Pint (or not!) and do keep spreading the word to colleagues and friends. Time now to savour your thirty first Free Pint! Kind regards, William William Hann MIInfSc, Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 PS: Visit http://www.freepint.co.uk/ to see past issues and reserve your fortnightly issues of Free Pint if you haven't already. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ***** INFORMATION SCIENTIST FOR A LEADING HEALTHCARE AGENCY ***** Franklin Scientific Projects, a healthcare communications agency, is looking for an Information Officer to run its Information Services. If you have a life sciences background and information science experience or qualifications, we would like to hear from you. Please send your CV by the 11th February 1999 to Amanda Alley, Editorial Director. Tel: 0171 720 3322, Fax: 0171 720 3525, Email: aalley@medicusgroup.com > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fs312] >>> Want to contact 19,000 knowledge workers? <<< Find out more about advertising here ... http://www.freepint.co.uk/advert.htm or > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = QUICK TIP ... INTERNET PUBLISHING If you regularly send an email publication then you will probably receive error messages in return (bounces). Handle these automatically with a program like SmartBounce http://www.smartbounce.com/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "Researching from home" by Gina Armfield They say things happen in threes... Taking the plunge into the icy waters of self-employment was the first big step. Deciding to work from home was the next. Agreeing to research and produce a report concerning a subject I knew absolutely nothing about, namely the training of European Astronauts, could have been the third make or break point of my new career. Luckily I had the support and confidence of all around me, along with a set up at home to deal with the tasks in hand and none of the above three potential disasters materialised as such. In fact things couldn't have turned out better. I now run a successful home-based business research service. My background is in managing information services for businesses, which began at Business Link Isle of Wight, where I gained valuable practical skills in searching on-line databases and CD-ROMs. These skills were to prove invaluable when faced with the prospect of retrieving and collating information from the Internet for my own new venture. Setting up a new business from home as a sole trader, I was unable to afford the luxuries of annual subscriptions to on-line and CD-ROM database providers that I had become accustomed to in my previous work, and found myself turning to the promising and tempting fruits of the Internet that everyone seemed to be talking about. Detailed below are some of the ways in which the Internet has helped me in my research projects. My home office set up First though a few lines about my home set up. My office is in a separate room with a door that closes firmly - something I find essential to stop interruptions when I am working. I've had a second telephone line installed for fax/email/Internet purposes. I use an Apple PowerMac with a modem, printer and scanner. The various software packages I use include a fax package so I don't need a separate fax machine, I simply send and receive faxes directly through my computer. Oh yes and I mustn't forget the office furniture which is simply a desk and chair and a 2 drawer filing cabinet. Sources of research information on the Internet. When embarking on a new project I usually start with a few general enquiries using several search engines to get a general idea of sites available, sometimes with amazing results. One example was when researching the international market for metal wall tiles, including tiles of stainless steel and aluminium. I began with a search on Northern Light, using the phrase 'stainless steel wall tiles' which produced a listing of hundreds of sites, the first site being by an Australian manufacturer of SS wall tiles. The site gave full product details, applications, fixing procedures, along with contacts for pricing information which I received by fax the same afternoon, and links to some very useful sites. The company was a member of an Australian Stainless Steel Association, which had links to other international associations and so went the research... Another essential starting point is Sheila Webber's 'Business Information Sources on the Internet' at http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/business/ which I learned about from reading Free Pint! I know this site has been mentioned previously but rightly so - it really is an excellent starting point for most types of business research. When researching the astronaut training project I had to look at several different industries including Aerospace, Offshore Oil and Gas, Information Technology and Nuclear Energy. Useful starting points were the various trade associations, such as the AECMA (European Association of Aerospace Industries), http://www.aecma.org/ which gives essential links to national organisations with member profiles, facts and figures for the industry and key contacts for different areas. I was able to locate those organisations within the aerospace sector which are involved in the development of aeronautical training. A lot of my work requires keeping abreast of Research and Development projects already in progress and those planned in the near future. The best site for alerting me to such information is undoubtedly http://www.cordis.lu/ the Community Research and Development Information Service, where registered users can take advantage of the Rapidus Search Service. Registered users can save search profiles and receive automatic updates by email of search results that match the criteria specified. Registration is free, you simply have to remember your password. The CORDIS site also offers a document library, details of funding opportunities, R&D news and events updated daily, and an Intellectual Property Rights section. I often receive enquiries for export market information, for which I normally consult the DTI EMIC(Export Market Information Centre) site http://www.dti.gov.uk/ots/emic . EMIC houses vast amounts of information on export markets. You cannot access the Library resources directly via the Internet but there is an up to date directory of resources available, and you can make an appointment to visit the library in person for free. I usually have a good look at the links to other sources of export information listed, which are organised by country and contain a wealth of free information within. For financial information I tend to use the Financial Times http://www.ft.com/ and Carol http://www.carol.co.uk/ which is 'a free corporate on-line service offering one point access to company Annual Reports' and a range of other investor information. Reports available are limited to the larger companies throughout the UK, Europe and Asia. Around 200 UK company reports are available. You can search by sector or alphabetically. For anyone interested in Investor Relations the Carol Hotnews services will be of interest. You can register for a free monthly online newsletter on Internet IR with direct links to press articles. I hope I have managed to illustrate how I have incorporated the internet as a useful working tool to help in research projects. I cannot of course rely completely on the Internet for all my information needs. I still have to refer to numerous chargeable information sources and gather raw information in many cases. Talking to people either face to face or on the telephone, being generally inquisitive or nosy and asking those difficult questions that need to be answered are essential traits for a researcher that the Internet can never replace, can it? > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gina Armfield runs Quality Research Services on the Isle of Wight offering a range of research services. She is an affiliate member of the Institute of Information Scientists and EIRENE (European Information Researchers Network). She can be contacted by email: gina@armfield.demon.co.uk or telephone: 01983 821367 or fax:01983 530031. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> Do you want to continue receiving Free Pint for free? <<< All we ask is that you tell your colleagues and friends It's easy at http://www.freepint.co.uk/reco.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** CUT THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT HYPE *** Whether your KM programme is just beginning or whether you're a seasoned practitioner, you'll find unique insights and practical advice at the Knowledge Management Conference and Exhibition. The event will cover all aspects of KM, including a FREE exhibition featuring key organisations, free exhibitor demonstrations and a leading edge conference. To register or for more information, visit http://www.knowledge-management.co.uk/ or call +44 (0) 1865 388000. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li313] QUICK TIP ... INTERNET TRAINING When running Internet courses, leave more time than usual for questions and discussion. Delegates always have a wide range of practical experience and technical ability. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE "Internet Resources for Seniors" by John Lewell It was once thought that the Internet was a medium that would always appeal chiefly to younger people, with just a few brave Seniors venturing into cyberspace. How wrong that forecast has proved to be! Seniors - variously defined as "over-50s" or "over-55s" - now represent the fastest-growing sector of Internet users. Personally, I am not at all surprised. After all, the Internet was first developed by people who are now themselves Seniors - and a whole generation of techno-savvy people has grown old along with them. Add to this the fact that using the Internet has become very simple while services have proliferated - and it is not hard to see why Seniors are getting online. In the year 2000, according to UN estimates, there will be 590 million people over the age of 60, increasing to 1.1 billion by 2025. These figures have not gone unnoticed by online entrepreneurs, who are now providing resources for Seniors in ever greater quantities. Their efforts are not in vain. Older people are the group most likely to make online purchases, according to a Harris Poll for BusinessWeek. 42 per cent of people 65+ with Internet access have purchased something online, and so have 39 per cent of people 50-64. Portals In researching a Seniors' directory for the Metaplus portal (http://www.metaplus.com/pv/seniors.html), I found a whole host of directories that lead straight to specialist Seniors' resources on travel, health, news, finance, and housing. The best portal has to be Yahoo! Seniors (http://seniors.yahoo.com/), with its comprehensive listings, plus news, chat, and clubs. However, Yahoo! has some rivals. Microsoft has recently launched an Internet portal called Microsoft Seniors and Technology (http://www.microsoft.com/seniors/) which is a good alternative starting point. Other portals include Age of Reason, from Seniors On Line, (http://www.ageofreason.com/), with 5,000 links for the over-50s; SeniorLaw (http://www.seniorlaw.com/), with an emphasis on legal issues for American citizens; and Grandma Betty, (http://www.grandmabetty.com/), a WebTV-friendly portal developed by a genuine grandma, Betty Fox. The best specialist search-based directory for Seniors is currently SeniorsSearch (http://www.seniorssearch.com/) which also has special sites for UK (http://www.seniorssearch.com/ssuk/homedirectory.htm), Canadian (http://www.seniorssearch.com/sscan/homedirectory.htm) and Australian (http://www.seniorssearch.com/ssaus/homedirectory.htm) users. SeniorsSearch took six months to develop, and has 70 categories and 100 sub-categories, all directly relevant to Seniors. It will even locate retirement housing in the English countryside. Getting Older The U.S. Government is the best source of information in English about the topic of aging (or "ageing," as we insist on spelling it in Britain). All the information is available via links from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) (http://www.nih.gov/nia/), the principal biomedical research agency of the U.S. Government. However, there is another Federal agency now serving the needs of 43 million seniors: The Administration on Aging (AoA) (http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/) which, with the Aging Network (http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/pages/aoa.html), leads the user to all the latest health, social, legal, and financial information. For those who are getting REALLY old, there is ElderWeb (http://www.elderweb.com/), with 4,000 reviewed links related to care of the frail and elderly. In the UK, AgeInfo (http://www.cpa.org.uk/ageinfo/ageinfo.html) has information for everyone concerned with older people, including a bibliographic database of over 32,000 books and articles. Q: Who is the world's oldest surfer? A: Dr. Jason Grinnell of LA Feria, Texas. Age 96. (http://www.seniorssearch.com/contest.htm) Staying Young At the younger end of the age group, Seniors are among the most active people around, with money to spend on travel, cars, clothes, etc. That is why I added several recreational resources to the Metaplus Seniors directory, including the 50-Plus Fitness site (http://www.50plus.org/), at least nine travel sites, such as Skiers Over 50 (http://www.skiersover50.com/) and Walking the World (http://www.gorp.com/walkingtheworld/), plus the Senior.com travel directory (http://www.senior.com/travel/). For the golf-obsessed Senior, GolfSearch.com (http://www.golfsearch.com/) lists 1,568 golfing sites, while gardeners can enjoy the thousands of links on Karen Fletcher's incredible site, The Garden Gate (http://garden-gate.prairienet.org/), which includes a section named "The Holding Bed - where new links are heeled in until they are transplanted into their permanent spots. Or composted..." Ultimately, the segregation of Seniors into a separate Internet colony breaks down, because older people require the same political news, and much the same information about books, cars, clothes, etc., as everyone else. They just occasionally need special information, obtainable from the sites I have mentioned, to supplement their standard browsing diet. There is so much good material out there, that I have a sneaking feeling that, like me, a lot of Seniors are going to be needing the Typing Injury FAQ (http://www.tifaq.com/) before age eventually overtakes us all, and, like URLs, we are finally transplanted to our permanent spots. Or composted... > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John Lewell is editor of three Internet sites: Metaplus (http://www.metaplus.com/),InternetProductWatch (http://ipw.internet.com/),and uk.internet.com (http://uk.internet.com/). He is also author of two books on computer graphics, and of the biographical encyclopaedia "Modern Japanese Novelists" (Kodansha, NY, 1993). > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> Would you like to see a topic covered in Free Pint? <<< Pass on your article suggestions and ideas to our Editor, Rex Cooke, by email to > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = QUICK TIP ... INTERNET CONSULTANCY If you are responsible for creating or maintaining a Web or intranet site, then set it as the first page you see when you start your browser. A simple check on your site's availability, with no effort. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FEEDBACK Thank you for all your letters, feedback and questions. Keep them coming to . Subject index: * Internet Quality * IP address problems (Free Pint #30) * "Computer Assisted Journalism" links > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Internet Quality (Free Pint #30) From: Mark Perkins, Secretariat of the Pacific Community Library Date: Friday 22nd January 1999 Thanks for the article on "Information quality on the Internet" by Emma Worsfold and Debra Hiom. I have already used the Internet Detective and also recommend it. However, I do have a criticism of the article. It seems to imply that "Warning - poor quality information freely available!" applies only to the internet. There have been many cases of fraud involving "scientific" peer reviewed journals. This is to be expected given the number of articles published, the tenure & commercial pressures on scientists. The problem clearly becomes greater with social sciences, including economics, where "opinion" & "subjectivity" is much more obvious. The same is also clear from the normal media, whether TV or print. The cases of author identity deception has occurred in the real world during elections. I regularly point out to those I train that the internet is no different than the real world - from objective to subjective, honest to fraudulent, high brow to hard core pornography, legal to illegal. Thus, I would recommend the Internet Detective to even those who do not make much use of the internet. The lessons it teaches about quality are relevant wherever information is found. Perhaps the internet has done the world a favour by highlighting the issue of information quality and readers will be more questioning - online or hard copy, peer reviewed or not. Mark Perkins Secretariat of the Pacific Community Library Tel: +687 26 20 00 Fax: +687 26 38 18 Email: MarkP@spc.org.nc > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: IP address problems (Free Pint #30) From: Tim Dunton, Global Gold Ltd. Date: Thursday 21st January 1999 Due to size of the Net, IP addresses have been limited. I recently applied for a Class C and the application was refused five times and delayed the installation of our leased line by two weeks. I have heard that they plan to change the amount of prefixes in the IP string. A solution to your problem could be Cookies as they can be very powerful in identifying users. Each machine which is allowed access to the database could be installed with an encrypted Cookie and this would avoid the IP address problem. Cookies would also avoid the firewall problem although they would need to be installed at the server end. Thanks, Tim Dunton Managing Director Global Gold Ltd. 2b - The UK's Leading Portal. - http://www.2b.co.uk/ 2bmail - Free Email - http://www.2bmail.co.uk/ > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: "Computer Assisted Journalism" links (Free Pint #30) There have been some problems with the links in the Computer Assisted Journalism article in issue #30 - some of the sites mentioned changed their address or rearranged their material shortly after publication. Just to confirm, the correct addresses are: http://www.crimetime.com/online.html http://www.aukml.org.uk/sla3.htm http://metalab.unc.edu/slanews/internet/ForArchives.html http://www.amiplan.com > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COMMENT OR REPLY? Let us know your feedback or favourite site by sending an email to the Free Pint team now to remembering to include your name, title and company or organisation. Please note, if you write to us we may publish your letter in whole or part for the interest of our subscribers unless you request otherwise at the time of writing. Please let us know if you wish your contact details to be withheld. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> Want to see past issues of Free Pint? <<< http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/issues.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FACT As you know, Free Pint is free to you because of support from advertising. This has now become so popular that we now have pre-booked adverts in all 24 issues this year. This means that you can enjoy your regular Free Pint well into the next millennium. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Thank you for reading Free Pint. We hope you will forward this copy to colleagues, friends and journalists, or ask them to visit our Web site soon at http://www.freepint.co.uk/ to see past issues. See you in two weeks! Kind regards, William Hann, Managing Editor william@freepint.co.uk http://www.freepint.co.uk/ (c) Willco 1999 http://www.willco.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES * Immigration Sources * Competitive Intelligence * * Animal Health * Environment * New Library Network * * New Media * Web Site Authentication * Pharmaceutical Sources * [Provisional] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = CONTACT INFORMATION William Hann MIInfSc, Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Rex Cooke FIInfSc FRSA, Editor e: rex@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Jane, Administrator e: jane@freepint.co.uk Address (no stamp needed) Willco "Free Pint", FREEPOST (SEA3901), Staines Middlesex, TW18 3BR, United Kingdom Web - http://www.freepint.co.uk Advertising - ads@freepint.co.uk Subscriptions - subs@freepint.co.uk Letters & Comments - feedback@freepint.co.uk Latest Issue Autoresponder - auto@freepint.co.uk > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free email newsletter for anyone who uses the Internet to get information for their work in any business or organisation. The newsletter is written by professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. To subscribe, unsubscribe, find details about contributing, advertising or to see past issues, please visit the Web site at http://www.freepint.co.uk/ or call +44 (0)1784 455 435. Please note: The newsletter is published by the information consultancy Willco (http://www.willco.co.uk/) providers of Internet consultancy, training and publishing services. The publishers will NEVER make the subscriber list available to any other company or organisation. The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. This publication may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety. However, individual sections MAY NOT be copied and/or distributed without the prior written agreement of the publishers. Product names used in Free Pint are for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Free Pint disclaims any and all rights in those marks. All rights reserved. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =