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Quest for the fuji

Our favourite platform is alive and kicking out there on the Internet - you just have to learn where to look. George Crissman offers a few strategies worth following up.

Atari Computing

Just in case you hadn't noticed Atari Computing magazine articles usually include web addresses for more information about products and software. These Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) make good starting points because most web pages include a links page to other related web pages. With a bit of luck you'll soon have more links than you can visit!

Usenet

Usenet is a collection of "news groups" dedicated to specific hobbies or interests. There are newsgroups for almost any subject you care to think of - cats, bridges, trains, computers, whatever. These are public forums and anyone can join in and add their own "news". It's common practice for authors to advertise their home pages or special interest groups in a "signature block" at the end of each posting and, in the Atari related news groups, these provide another source of Atari related web pages.

Some web browsers provide access to the Usenet. Instead of typing in the standard "http://" address, enter "news:comp.sys.atari.st" (Don't add any forward slash "/" characters). Check out NEWSie which is an excellent Atari application specially designed to read Usenet news groups.

Web Search Engines

When asked if they've heard of "Search engines" most people can cite Yahoo or Alta Vista and that's about it. There are HUNDREDS of such sites available. Instead of visiting individual search sites you can let a meta-searcher off the leash to check them for you automatically. The advantage offered by Meta-searchers is you only have to enter your search string once to get replies from up to 11 different search engines!

** ASKJEEVE.GIF here **
** caption **
Would Sir like Jeeves to serve information now?
** /caption **

Ask Jeeves and Debriefing are just two of many meta-searchers available. Once you've used them, you'll probably never use an individual search engine again!

Atari WebRing

One of the most targetted methods of searching for a particular topic is the WebRing concept.

** WEBRING.GIF here **
** caption **
webring.org hosts over 70,000 topics
** /caption **

Anyone can start a WebRing on any topic and they become the Ring adminstrator. After announcing availability of the ring other web page authors can be invited, or may ask, to "join the ring". This typically involves agreeing to any rules laid down by the Ring adminstrator then adding the necessary HTML code along with suitable navigation graphics on their own web page.
Amazingly webring.org do not charge to set up or use WebRings even though each site has to communicate with the others WebRing members through webring.org.
Surfers can select sites in the WebRing at random or move from one site to the next until all sites in the ring have been visited.

** AWEBRNG3.GIF here **
** AWEBRNG4.GIF here **
** AWEBRNG5.JPG here **
** caption **
A selection of the six standard Atari WebRing logos
** /caption **

The Atari WebRing includes around 130 different sites but the exact number is constantly changing as new sites are accepted and others leave.

** AR_QTY.GIF here **
** caption **
The WebRing statistics shown refer to those beginning with the letter A only
** /caption **

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Internet Resources for Atari Computers

Meta Searchers
** BC **
Ask Jeeves
http://www.askjeeves.com
Debriefing
http://www.debriefing.com
** /BC **

Usenet Atari Sites
** BC **
Primary meeting area
comp.sys.atari.st

Software development area
comp.sys.atari.programmer

Hardware discussions
comp.sys.atari.st.tech
** /BC **

WebRing
** BC **
Atari Index
http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=atari;list;page=1

Webring Master Index
http://www.webring.org/ringworld/
** /BC **

Author's detailed web sites for WebRings, Meta Searchers, thorough Usenet News Group listing, and web software (including NEWSie and CAB 1.5):
** BC **
http://www.tmisnet.com/~strads/hq/atari.html#AtariRing
http://www.tmisnet.com/~strads/search/meta.html#NetIndex
http://www.tmisnet.com/~strads/hq/atari.html#USENET
http://www.tmisnet.com/~strads/hq/atari.html#WebWare
** /BC **
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Web Ring Topics

Here's just a random sample of topics for which web rings exist:

** UL **
* Monster Truck Madness
* El Nino
* The Onion Ring
* Aviation Ring
* Cat Lover's Ring
* The Sailor Moon Alliance
* Amateur Webring
* Anarchy Webring
* Ring of Cool Anime Females
* The S.P.A.S.M. (Sane People Against Sailor Moon) Web Ring
* Art Bell Web Ring
** /UL **
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