Notes from the Webmaster.NCEW's outpost on the internet is growing. Come see what NCEW NCEW National Conference of Editorial Writers and the Web can do.It worked out just about as you might expect: When I wrote an article for the winter issue of The Masthead mast·head n. 1. Nautical The top of a mast. 2. The listing in a newspaper or periodical of information about its staff, operation, and circulation. 3. about NCEW's new outpost on the Internet, I was reluctant to issue an enthusiastic invitation to come visit NCEW's World Wide Web site because I wasn't sure it would actually be up and running. After more than a year trying to get America Online See AOL. to provide a promised online bulletin board for NCEW, I wasn't counting on anything any more. So I down-played information about NCEW on the Web. Sure enough, and quite contrary to my pessimistic expectations, everything fell swiftly into place. The folks at Infinet, whose mission is to put newspapers on the Internet and who are supplying NCEW space on their computer, provided much helpful support and helped get things running in short order. (They are also providing an Internet site for the Newspaper Association of America The Newspaper Association of America is a United States trade association that represents the country's largest daily newspapers and provides services including market research, technology education and support, minority hiring and representing publishers in Washington, D.C. and other newspaper organizations, so they have some expertise at this.) Now, of course, I'm wishing that I'd been more aggressive in urging members to come see the Web site back in the winter issue. Although I suppose if I had (here's the pessimist again) the project probably would not have come together so smoothly and you would have found nothing worthwhile there. So it all worked out for the best, I suppose. Now I can urge you (aggressively) to come see what the Web can do. All you need is a computer with a modem and some kind of access to the Internet, either through a commercial online service such as America Online, Prodigy, or CompuServe (all of which provide the software) or by way of a local Internet provider Internet provider - Internet Service Provider in your community and a Web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. such as Netscape. (Other browsers will work, although Netscape does the best job of presenting the material as it was intended to be displayed.) The URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. (that means the address on the Web) is [http://www.infi.net/ncew/]. Use only the characters inside the brackets. What you'll find is a wide range of information about NCEW: some of it of permanent interest, some more contemporary, about editorializing specifically and journalism in general. You'll probably find something different each time you visit, and not just because a substantial amount of material is there. A World Wide Web site is by nature constantly evolving, in order to stay up to date and reflect the needs and interest of its users. Right now I'm focusing on developing two areas. First is the Resources page. It's a collection of Internet links to other Web sites that are of interest to journalists, and links to Internet research This article is about using the Internet for research; for the field of research about the Internet, see Internet studies. Internet research is the practice of using the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, for research. tools that can help you find what you want on the larger world of the Web. Dozens of research tools are available on the Web, all with somewhat different ways of working. A good many of them have links on the Resources page now. But some experience is required to figure out which to use for a particular search and how to use it. One immediate goal is to provide you with some guidance that will make it easier to decide how to proceed. Looking to interactivity After that, the next project is to provide a page with links to online editorial pages, so that you can easily see what your contemporaries are up to. In January, Phil Haslanger started up an online editorial campaign that combines the resources of The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., the interactiveness of the Internet, and some of the goals of public journalism Public journalism may mean:
By the time this article is published, other innovations and experiments of similar noteworthiness may be running. You should be able to find them handily hand·i·ly adv. 1. In an easy manner. 2. In a convenient manner. Adv. 1. handily - in a convenient manner; "the switch was conveniently located" conveniently 2. at NCEW's Web site. Not that everything on the Web site is so oriented to the Internet. A great deal of information about NCEW and its activities also is available. We'll be able to let you know more quickly than NCEW's print publications can about new developments within the profession and the organization, such as progress on major projects or the results of the latest board meeting. I'm working on a compilation of national contests in which you might want to enter your editorials; some will include Internet links to the sponsoring organizations. And there will be lots more. The Web site emphasizes content over fancy graphics, so it won't be as visually exciting as some you may come across. But it's been reviewed by some professional Web developers who have pronounced it well-presented and blessedly substantive, perhaps because it has relatively few graphics. (The de-emphasis on graphics also means the site should function better with non-graphical Web browsers The following is a list of web browsers. Historical Historically important browsers In order of release:
So come pay a call. If you don't see what you're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. , let us know. If you come visit and the material doesn't look good on your computer screen, let us know that too; we'll try to correct anomalies that work poorly with non-Netscape browsers. In short, I as the Webmaster and the New Technology Committee (of which the Internet site is a project) will do what we can to supply what you need. If the Internet is going to be helpful to NCEW members, it will be in part because you let us know just what it is that would be useful to you. And if you're pondering pon·der v. pon·dered, pon·der·ing, pon·ders v.tr. To weigh in the mind with thoroughness and care. v.intr. To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care. what a Webmaster is, that's just Internet jargon for the manager of a Web site. I've always thought of myself as an editor, not a computer geek (jargon) computer geek - (Or "turbo nerd", "turbo geek") One who eats (computer) bugs for a living. One who fulfils all the dreariest negative stereotypes about hackers: an asocial, malodourous, pasty-faced monomaniac with all the personality of a cheese grater. . But when you get a little involved in this World Wide Web stuff, it's real easy to get enthusiastic. And have a good time, too. RELATED ARTICLE: Again, the address of NCEW's Home Page on the Internet: http://www.infi.net/ncew/ Service and information categories available on the Web site include the following. * General information about NCEW * Activities and committees * Calendar of events * Contests, fellowships, competitions * Directories of officers and members * Discussion topics * Editorial exchange/critiques * Foreign tours * NCEW Foundation news * Help with NCEW Online * Job bank * Libraries * Mailing list An automated e-mail system on the Internet, which is maintained by subject matter. There are thousands of such lists that reach millions of individuals and businesses. New users generally subscribe by sending an e-mail with the word "subscribe" in it and subsequently receive all new , NCEW and others * The Masthead/publications * Meetings and conventions * NCEW news * Online resources * Extras (Read all about 'em.) NCEW member Phineas Fiske is assistant editor/editorial page for Newsday in Melville, N.Y. |
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