13.0275 new on WWW: Perseus image browser; Britannica; CSM

Humanist (humanist@kcl.ac.uk)
Tue, 16 Nov 1999 22:10:22 +0000

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 13, No. 275.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 21:04:07 +0000
To: Humanist Discussion Group <Humanist@kcl.ac.uk>
From: SJ Stauffer <stauffes@gusun.georgetown.edu> (by way of Willard
McCarty <willard.mccarty@kcl.ac.uk>)
Subject: Perseus Image Browser
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>Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 16:01:58 -0600
>Reply-To: scout@CS.WISC.EDU
>Sender: The Scout Report <SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU>
>From: Scout Project <scout@CS.WISC.EDU>
>Subject: The Scout Report -- November 12, 1999
>To: SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU

======== The Scout Report ==
======== November 12, 1999 ====
======== Volume 6, Number 26 ======
====== Internet Scout Project ========
==== University of Wisconsin ========
== Department of Computer Sciences ========

5. Perseus Image Browser
Perseus Project -- Tufts University
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
European Mirrors:
Berkin, Germany
http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/
Oxford, England
http://perseus.csad.ox.ac.uk/

The Perseus Project at Tufts University (discussed in the January 1,
1999 _Scout Report_) has recently added a new image browsing tool to
its digital library of the ancient world. Users can access more than
30,000 images in several ways. Probably the easiest is via the
internal keyword search engine, or Lookup Tool. Most searches will
return multiple image categories, such as coins, sculptures, or
sites. A sample search for "Zeus," for example, produced over 550
thumbnails under various headings. Users can access the images by
clicking on the adjacent Thumbnail menu bar and full catalog entries
by clicking the category headings on the search return page or from
the thumbnails. The Image Browser can be loaded within one of the art
and archaeology catalogs by clicking the View Thumbnails button at
the top of the results page, or from the Browse Images link at the
top of any art and archaeology catalog page. [MD]

====== General Interest ====

12. Britannica.com
http://www.britannica.com/

As is probably well-known to most readers, a few weeks ago
_Encyclopaedia Britannica_ decided to place the entire contents of
its 32-volume set online for free. The decision was widely reported
both online and in the print press, and the site promptly crashed
under the huge strain. Though a bit slow and sometimes buggy,
Britannica.com is now officially up and running, offering full access
to the encyclopedia content as well as articles from over 75
magazines. The front page of Britannica.com is partially designed as
a news portal, with recent US and world stories. From the front page,
users can also select from fifteen broad categories (e.g., Books,
Health, History, Science, Society, etc.) and access news, selected
Websites from Britannica's Internet guide, and the relevant
encyclopedia entry. Detailed encyclopedia entries and articles (as
well as related books and Websites) for specific topics are accessed
through the keyword search engine at the top of the page. Users may
find that the _Britannica_ server is still having difficulty meeting
the high demand and that several search requests or visits are
necessary. However, when the site does provide returns, it offers a
depth of reliable, if somewhat basic, information that few other
sites can match. With time, Britannica.com will no doubt smooth out
the rough edges and become a primary reference resource for general
users and K-12 students. [MD]

19. 1000-2000 A Thousand Years -- _Christian Science Monitor_ (_CSM_) [Flash]
http://www.csmonitor.com/atcsmonitor/specials/athousandyears/index.html

The first in a series of special millennium reports from the _CSM_,
this attractive site explores scientific theories and discoveries of
the past 1000 years. The site basically consists of six articles on
this subject, accompanied by several special features such as the
evolution of the telephone and the microchip revolution. Also
included is an interactive timeline of discoveries (sometimes slow
loading), viewable by year or topic, and links to other related
millennium stories. Additional special features on sports, religion,
and home and family life are scheduled to appear over the next
several months. [MD]