Given the mass of information available
on the web, an obvious question is
how not to get lost. Individual
browsers have different tools to
aid navigation, but the structure
of the web has features to make it
more organised.
Home Page
A "home" page is a hypertext document
which is a starting point for a user.
Users with hypertext editors make
their own home pages. Other users
use home pages provided for anyone
in their organisation. An example
is the CERN home page .
Notice that there are links to things
of particular local interest, as
well as links to broader areas. This
customisation of starting point provides
a tailored "view" of the web to make
it easier for particular users.
The Virtual Library
Another way of locating information
is to browse by subject. A starting
point for this is the WWW virtual
library , an amateur collection of
resources to demonstrate what could
be done if librarians were to get
involved and do it properly. We
are looking for people to take on
the update of different subject areas.
Catalogue by server type
If you know what you are looking
for, that is, you know what sort
of a server it is on, then there
are lists and indexes to help you,
in the catalogue by server type .
This includes things such as the
Warchie index of FTP archives, the
Veronica Gopher index, the WAIS master
index, etc. A similar index of W3
document is being developed.
(back to talk )
Tim BL