Provides information on designing an effective and efficient computer user interface. Topics include determining an audience's mental model of the subject; creating effective navigation systems; components of the interface; what to consider when designing the interface; and the multimedia interface design process. (Author/LRW)

CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) is the latest advance in compact disc technology, permitting the erasure and reuse of space up to 1,000 times at a slightly higher cost than CD-Recordable (CD-R). This article reviews and rates twelve CD-RW drives and highlights packet-writing software that allows files to be recorded a few at a time by dropping them onto the…

Discusses similarities between newspapers and hypertext databases; describes VOIR (Visualization of Information Retrieval), a software prototype used as an electronic newspaper workbench; presents results of empirical evaluation; and suggests implications for hypertext and information retrieval. (Author/LRW)

Offers a checklist to help adult educators make intelligent software selections. Stresses the need to try products before buying them, to have a grace period to test them with students, to look for reviews, and to get a detailed list of hardware requirements. (JOW)

Discusses the control of pornography on the Internet. Highlights include the Communications Decency Act (CDA); "Time" magazine's article on cyberporn and critiques of it; the unconstitutionality of the CDA under First Amendment protection of free speech; and non-legislative software solutions, including PICS (Platform for Internet…

Describes spyware, discusses how it gets on a computer. Explains how spyware can be useful for parents, employers, and libraries. Discusses how spyware is more often used for others' gain or for surveillance without notification, how it can go undetected, and how libraries can help keep computers and patrons protected from remote installation of…

The Internet 2 (I2) health sciences initiative (I2HSI) involves the formulation of applications and supporting technologies, and guidelines for their use in the health sciences. Key elements of I2HSI include use of visualization, collaboration, medical informatics, telemedicine, and educational tools that support the health sciences. Specific…

Examines the accessibility of six categories of Web sites using the evaluation software Bobby. Discusses universal access for users with disabilities; application of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998; government sites versus commercial sites; and Web site design. (Author/LRW)

Includes five articles that discuss digital library programs related to the National Science Foundation; software for building Web portals; metadata developed at Tsinghua University Library (China) for preserving digital resources; the Open Archives Initiative for metadata and the need for a common infrastructure; and interactivity in a digital…

Presents research in physics education whose main aim is to design hypermedia software dedicated to science teaching on the basis of learning hypotheses related to the knowledge to be learned. Includes a theoretical framework; design principles; and an example of the application of the framework. (Author/LRW)

Discusses methodological issues of mathematical microworld development integrated with generating innovation in school settings. Includes experiences in developing a component architecture for educational software based on Logo as a scripting language and discusses problems of collaboration between organizations and people of differing expertise…

Discusses effects of new technology on writing by assessing whether an experienced writer's style of writing changes with new technology. Compares typed word-processed letters with dictated word-processed letters after a change to a voice recognition system and indicates more of an influence on the writing process than on the written products.…

Discussion of the predictive evaluation of educational software, i.e. the evaluation of software prior to its intended use, focuses on a model known as the Jigsaw Model, which attempts to integrate usability and educational issues. Highlights include the failure of checklists for evaluation and two studies that tested the model with practicing…

ISO--International Organization for Standards highlights the activities of WG8 (Working Group 8 of ISO) in the alignment of standards for a common tree model and common query languages. Examines the how Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL) and HyTime make documents easier to work with and more powerful in their ability to…

Discusses World Wide Web development from a text-only technical documentation system to a multimedia information base distributed across the planet. Topics include Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) Document Type Description (DTD), practical use of HTML, replacing HTML, and opportunities for software developers. Debates the future of the Web by…