The FAU Library’s Proxy Server (requires Owl Card). Having an Owl Card is not optional.

Britannica Online (requires proxy server) is arguably the world's foremost authoritative encyclopedia. (Look for it in http://www.library.fau.edu.ezproxy.fau.edu/ecollect/ecollect.htm) But, in many ways, Answers.com is more useful.

Search engine watch, with tutorials

[Watch this spot for a possible assignment]

Added on 2005-06-10.

Here are reasons why we need to know about Invisible/Hidden Web search engines and specialized search engines.

1. Google (and other search engines) may not have entered and indexed the site we need (unlikely, but possible).

2. Google (and other search engines) may have been forbidden entrance to the site, in order to reduce traffic to the site (frequently).

3. The valuable content of the site, once Google (and other search engines) have reached the site is hidden behind a request for further search terms (common in many databases, such as http://webluis.fcla.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/fclwlv3/wlv3/DBwebluis/CM02/DGcat/DBFA/P1basic).

4. The valuable content is hidden behind a request for a password.

5. The valuable content is hidden within a clutter of distractors (sites that are of low usefulness, because, for instance, they are not of high scholarly content).  

Here are some specialized search engines, derived from specialized search engines.

Note especially the super scholarly WWW Virtual Library (http://vlib.org/)

Here are several search engines for the Invisible Web or Hidden Web. By using 

"invisible web" site:searchenginewatch.com i

in Google, I found a list of search tools for the Invisible Web at http://searchenginewatch.com/links/article.php/2156181.

Here they are

1. InvisibleWeb.com
   From Intelliseek, the makers of the BullsEye meta search software, InvisibleWeb.com catalogs searchable resources across the web. Also used for the Lycos Invisible Web service, below. Also known as ProFusion. Check http://www.profusion.com/nav
2. Lycos Invisible Web Catalog
   Produced in partnership with Intelliseek, this search engine gives you access to all sorts of online databases.
3. Direct Search
   http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm
4. A large collection of specialized search tools that often contain info that is hidden to search engines. Lovingly compiled by search expert Gary Price.
5. WebData
   Comprehensive guide to searchable databases. Browse or search through listing. Comes and goes from the Web.

Note, too, CompletePlanet.com.

HW posted on 2005-06-10 at about 12:30 p. m.

1. Visit the WWW Virtual Library at http://vlib.org. It is not evident where material on women's studies is to be found. So use the Google advanced search page to locate women's studies in the WWW VL. Print me a single page to prove you found it.

2. Find a PowerPoint presentation on water safety and print the first three screens.

3. You need a lesson plan on water safety. Search using Google and Profusion. Write six to ten sentences on which you found more useful and why. Don't print a anything expect your 6-10 sentences.

Deleted on 2005-06-10

Here is a link on 

The Invisible Web  (this link is here for the laughs) (http://www.leidenuniv.nl/ub/biv/specials.htm). or (seriously) the Deep Web.

Here is a tutorial on the Invisible Web (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/InvisibleWeb.html).

And here are locators for the Invisible Web  http://www.invisible-web.net/

Here is Complete Planet (http://www.completeplanet.com). And ProFusion (http://www.profusion.com/index.htm)

[Watch this spot for a possible assignment]

Posted 2005-06-17
You are interested in collecting some information about tuberculosis in the communities of Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay, Palm Beach county, Florida.

Please use ProFusion (http://www.profusion.com/nav?agt=0!&&queryterm=)  to search. Print the results screen or screens. Examine some of the sites linked to, but don't bother to print any of the material linked to.

Now please repeat the search using Google (http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en) 

Give me 200-400 words on which engine (ProFusion or Google) you found easier to use, which produced the best results, etc.

-------------------------

Finding and using databases

Please go to answers.com and find and skim the article on "database." Now find and skim the article on "brownfield land," paying special attention to pollution as an issue.

Now, using Google, find databases on brownfield pollution in Broward, by selecting buzz words from each column in the following table. (Don't feel you have to read straight across the table; feel free to mix and match.)

Example: 

[Watch this spot for a possible assignment]

Added 2005-06-22

Posted 2005-July-01

One of the advantages of being an FAU student is having an Owl Card  that gives you complimentary access (https://login.ezproxy.fau.edu/login) to the FAU library's online electronic collection of databases, journals, and electronic books (http://www.library.fau.edu.ezproxy.fau.edu/ecollect/ecollect.htm).

An alternative is to go to a commercial service such as Questia (http://www.questia.com/) and pay for a subscriptions (http://www.questia.com/RegistrationMediator.qst?action=displayRegistrationForm).

Please go into Questia as a guest and browse or search for a list of books and articles on a subject that interests you (e. e.-g., Mr. Okatay is interested in safety issues around the Chernobyl reactor disaster). You won't be able to access the materials, so print your "wish list" and bring it to class on Wednesday 2005-July-06. We'll go into the FAU electronic collection and try to find the info free. Please print two copies of your wish list -- one to turn in as HW, the other to work from on Wednesday.

The FAU Library Online, Other Scholarly and Professional Sources

Peer-reviewed journals, "publish or perish", tenure,

Main screen http://www.fau.edu/library/

Proxy Server, again

Books and InterLibrary Loan

eBooks through netLibrary. FAU Reference Shelf

Electronic journals, especially Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

Congressional Research Service and General Accounting Office..

"Think Tanks"

-------------

Added 2005-07-08

Here is a HW due on 2005-07-13.

In the FAU electronic collection ,please find and print the table of contents of Jay Mendell's doctoral dissertation.

------------

Coming Topics

Posted 2005-07-10 Finding and Selling Expertise on the Internet

Obtaining free expertise

About.com http://about.com/

eHow http://www.ehow.com/

DoItYourself.com http://doityourself.com/

diy Network http://www.diynet.com/

WebMD http://webmd.com/, http://my.webmd.com/who_we_are/site_map/default?z=1727_0000_5026_oe_0, http://my.webmd.com/medical_information/check_symptoms/default.htm

Computer help

ComputerHope.com http://www.computerhope.com/

Help-Site Computer Manuals http://help-site.com/

PC911 http://www.pcnineoneone.com/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/

FAQ http://www.answers.com/faq and tutorials

For instance, Linux tutorials or FAQ (“linux AND (faq OR tutorial)”)

Bleeping Computer http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/

SOURCEFORGE.net on a Linux FAQ http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=66563&package_id=138692&release_id=297199

Suppose you want to print all the free advice

Refilling inkjet cartridges. ACSI bulk inks. http://www.oddparts.com/ink/help.htm

Find a Consulting Job

Experts.com http://www.experts.com/

Consultant-Directory  http://www.consultant-directory.com/

Craig’s List http://craigslist.com

Guru.com http://guru.com/

Elance http://www.elance.com/c/static/main/displayhtml.pl?file=eol.html&module=home

Freelance.com http://www.freelance.com/__C125675B0014F649.nsf

Smarterwork  http://www.smarterwork.com/

But who are the crooks?

Complaints.com http://www.complaints.com/

Other complaint sites http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&hs=1zJ&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&q=related:www.complaints.com/

Posted 2005-07-15

The purpose of this HW is to get you thinking about publishing your own book, a subject we will discuss this week.

As I have said, there is developing the expectation that to be hirable, a college graduate may have to point to their own Web page or their own blog, just as earlier graduates had to provide resumes. For some people, however, only a book will suffice, will seem to be a serious venture. Yet, it is widely and erroneously believed that to write and self-publish a book requires considerable “up front” investment and may leave the author/publisher stuck with a mountain of unsold books that had to be print in order to reduce the unit cost to a reasonable figure.

Let us suppose that you have decided to write and publish South Florida ’s Top 25: The Government and Nonprofit Employers with the Best Prospects for  Top Salaries, and Career Advancement . Your book will comprise 170-200 pages and will be a 6” x 9” paperback paperback. It is your intention to be the nominal author (the editor, actually) and to have your biographic sketch and picture on the back cover.  Your contributing editors will settle for credit on the title page.

Consider the following ground rules.

1. The chapters of the book will be written by half a dozen “contributing editors,” volunteers. They will not be given photos and bios.
2. The seven of you will select these “best” places to work, and each one of the six contributing editors will write 30 pages, by collecting boilerplate material from the selected agencies, holding a few interviews, and stitching it all together into 25 six-page chapters, plus a couple of more pages of prefatory material.
3. All the material will be delivered to you as Microsoft Word files.
4. You find a graduate student of English who will proof-read and edit the book for $250.
5. You have a graphic design graduate student who will provide front and back covers for $75.
6. You have the free use of the FAU computer labs to convert the final MS Word manuscript into Adobe Acrobat which can be emailed to the printer. (This process is described on the Foner Books Web site, if you are interested.)
7. You believe you can sell copies for $12 cash by setting up  tables at ASPA meetings, in the lobby outside classrooms at FAU and Nova, etc. You would, in fact, prefer face to face selling, since you are still young a good-looking.
8. You have decided on a cover price of $10.00, with no credit cards accepted.
9. Since the book will not be sold in a store, by mail, or over the Internet, you need no scan codes or bar codes.

10    For the time being, do not worry about being sued or collecting sales tax. Do not allow for incorporation or formal registration of copyright.

So far, your fixed costs to be recovered are $250 + $75 = $325. If you can think of any others, add them in.

Now you are going to contract with Lightning Source`(https://www.lightningsource.com/index.htm), a print-on-demand book manufacturer to provide books. According to the Web site of Foner Books (http://www.fonerbooks.com/pod.htm), “The delivered cost for short run of 25 books is $93.66 or $3.74 each.”

Okay. You are out of pocket for $325.00 before you place an order for a single book. Now you are going to have to pay in advance for one or more orders of books.

Here are some questions.

1. Since you stand to make $8.26 ($12.00 less $3.74) for every book you sell, what is the minimum number of books you must sell to recover the $325.00 mentioned above? (This is simple arithmetic and should take about 30 seconds to figure out.)
2. What do you figure are your chances of selling that many books?(This is a matter of opinion, but I do want you to take a position.)
3. How big an initial order do you intend to place? Take account that you are already out of pocket $325, and now you have to pay Lightning Source upfront for printing and shipping.

Think about the following.

1.                You are doing this to beautify your resume. You don’t have to sell hundred of books; you just have to break even.

2.                Before you answer (3), maybe you had better browse the Foner Books and Lightning Source sites until you understand the concept of print on demand and the absence of economies of scale.

Self-Publishing

Intelligent Agents

Posted Sunday, 17 July 2005

Computer Applications, End of Term

Wednesday, 3 August 2005. Last day of required attendance (but no quiz).

Wednesday, 10 August 2005. Optional student-professor meetings.  

Posted Saturday, 23 July 2005 at 7:15 p. m.

There is no HW due this week (27 July 2005).