My Favorite Home Pages

Wm. Auckerman
Editor-In-Chief
Computing Japan

The "My Favorite Homepages" submission I've been waiting for didn't arrive by deadline. Therefore, since I've had a few inquiries about my own favorite websites, I'll take the opportunity of my final issue as editor-in-chief (see the editor's message on page 2) to share some of my most accessed business bookmarks, plus a few "leisure" sites.

--Wm. Auckerman

http://altavista.digital.com/
Whenever I need to locate something on the Web, I almost always turn first to the AltaVista search engine -- and in particular to the Alta Vista Advanced Search page.

http://www.fastcompany.com/home.html
I ran across Fast Company magazine over a year ago, and I've been an avid reader ever since. This is the magazine that "explains how smart business works," but with a personal-empowerment focus. The website has all the stories from all the back issues, and lots more.

http://www.digital.com/rcfoc/
For pragmatic analysis and commentary on current computing innovations, technologies, and trends, I turn to The Rapidly Changing Face of Computing. This insightful technology journal, formerly an in-house DEC publication, is now available online to the public with 40-plus issues per year.

http://www.newspage.com/
NewsPage, the interactive news service from Individual Inc., offers thousands of daily news items from over 600 sources; stories can be sorted by topic, region, or industry, or searched by keyword. For news access, you can choose from basic (limited free access), premium (full paid access; just $7.95 per month), and pay-per-view services; you can also build a personalized newspage, or get the top stories in selected categories by e-mail. My only lament is that stories are available for only five business days.

http://www.cnet.com/
CNet is a great starting point for technology news, product reviews, computer tips, and software downloads. From here you can access all the CNet services, including news.com, computers.com, gamecenter.com, download.com,and shareware.com.

http://www.zdnet.com/
http://www.internetwire.com/
http://www.infoworld.com/
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/enews/
http://www.nb-pacifica.com/
Before I get to my "pleasure" bookmarks, let me just recommend these five websites as other good sources of IT news.

http://www.muscle-fitness.com/
Sitting at a desk all day isn't good for one's health, so I try to get in some exercise at the local gym a couple of times per week. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness magazine website provides some good advice on training techniques, basic kinesiology, proper nutrition, and healthy lifestyles.

http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/gaida.html
http://www.lismor.co.uk/lismorhome.html
Although I'm not Scottish, I've always loved the skirl of bagpipes. I even bought my own and learned to play back in the '70s (though I'm out of practice, since there's isn't much opportunity to play here in Tokyo). The Bagpipes of the World (gaida.html) homepage has some good piping links, and a few Real Audio sample files. And when I want to order bagpipe or Scottish folk music CDs (to supplement my large Kenneth McKellar collection), I turn to the Lismor Recordings website.

http://www.2steppin.com/
To quote a line from an old Tanya Tucker song, "I was country, when country wasn't cool." And I still am, which explains why I like 2Stepping, the leading country music cyberzine. Besides the interviews, music news, and CD reviews, 2Stepping has links to a lot of other good country music sites, including Country Connection Web Magazine (http://www. maderaonline.com/country/index.html).

Comments or suggestions?
Contact cjmaster@cjmag.co.jp