My thanks to Charles C.Mann for his story in Jan/Feb issue of Technology Review, My source of information for this greatly condensed article.

Could an insurgent band of programmers, motivated not by profit but by the ideal of “free software,” undermine Microsoft’s control of the computer desktop? The GNOME desktop, its programmers say, will be faster, more powerful and less likely to crash than anything from Redmond Washington. “It’s a radical step forward in computer design,” says Larry McVoy, a former Sun Microsystems programmer who now runs a networking startup in San Francisco called BitMover, “the coolest whizziest thing out there.” And GNOME will be free: downloadable from the internet without charge.

Why would GNOME succeed where bigger, richer outfits—Apple most prominently—failed? Two reasons, according to it’s backers.

First, GNOME is not starting alone. It is designed to work with an operating system called LINUX (“LINN-uks”). Renowned for its speed, reliability and efficiency, Linux runs on as many as 10 Million computer systems around the world, ranging from small, geek-oriented net-works at internet-service providers and university computer labs to huge outfits like Wells Fargo and the U.S.Postal Service.

The second, larger reason that GNOME could succeed is that, like Linux, it is a product of what is known as the “free software” or “open source” movement. Not only can GNOME be obtained free of charge, but its source code ( the underlying instructions that most software firms regard as their crown jewels ) will be available for anyone to copy and modify. By liberating the source code from the control of a single company, projects like GNOME can harness the contribution of thousands of programmers.

For those of you who sent me e-mail wanting to know where my article was in the last newsletter, I want to say to all of you that Sherry did not leave the article out. That weekend I had an Accounting mid-term test to take, a Statistics test to study for, and two projects to work on for work including a training manual. My step-daughter had a problem with her computer that required Jocelyne and I to drive to Rockford. The final straw was that I was just starting to fight the same bronchitis / pneumonia that I was still fighting at the February meeting. I simply ran out of time and I did not get this to Sherry to go into the newsletter.

This article covers data conversion and the active real time clock support. For those of you at the February meeting, the last part of this article will be a review, but I felt it was important to cover this ground again. The active real time clock support issue is only now becoming a major part of the Y2K subject.

So far in this series, we have repaired the hardware to make it compliant to the British standards, the highest published standards available. We have checked and updated our operating system and replaced it if necessary. The patches are current and have been installed correctly as tested by our proper testing software. Our applications have been checked and, when needed, they were replaced or patched to make them Y2K ready. And in the last article, we discussed how to use macros in the Y2K problem. So all we have left is the data, the 5th and last level.

Data is a complex issue so I will try to break it down into several groups. The first group is data that is automatically updated by your software in a single step. The second group is the data that is updated from your old application into your new application. The last group is data that you must manually update yourself.

Many of your non-accounting programs will ask you if you want to convert your old data to the newer version. Microsoft Office Suite, Corel WordPerfect Office Suite, and Lotus Office Suite are in the group that will automatically read the old files and convert them directly into the newer version. Other programs, like AutoCAD 2000, have a batch file that will allow you to open all the drawing files and save them as the new format. By just selecting the files to update, you let the computer do the work.

This is an example of the first group of data conversion, the automatic updating of data. It comes with a problem. For example, I brought home a database file to work on at home where I am using Office 97. At work we are still using Office 95 and are planning to convert when Office 2000 comes out later this year. When this updating of the file takes place to run at home, the file can no longer be used at work because it is in the wrong format for Office 95 to read. As long as you remember that this is a problem, the automatic upgrade is the easiest way to proceed.

The second group of data update types are often called the semi-automatic updates. Many of the business accounting programs use this method, as do other programs where the major part of the data is in “database” form. In this second group, you are asked to export your data out of your current program into a special format. You then start the updated program and import the data from the special format file. The reason that this process is used is that the headers from the data must be converted before the data can be converted.

This two-step process can handle an almost unlimited number of data items, where the automatic method from group one has a limited amount of data that it can convert, usually around 50-60 pages of data. The downside of this process is that if you have any problems exporting your data, it will not convert properly. One local firm had to remove an account from their old software, export the data without the account, then after the conversion was complete, re-setup the account. The reason was that in the data in their old software, there was a problem. When the new software read the bad piece of data, then the conversion failed.

Again, this semi-automatic method, while slower, will also be the most reliable as you have not destroyed your old data. It is possible to run both the old and new software and data in tandem to make sure that your new software and old software agree. You can see that for accounting and purchasing software, this is necessary for your “due diligence” process.

The final group is the hardest. This is the manual group of data where you must do the conversion yourself. Many BASIC language programs do not have any conversion available. You will need to open the data file in some form of editor, usually either Notepad or Wordpad, to correct date fields of your data. As long as the data is in text format, you can correct the data and save it back in corrected form. Please remember to save the file back as a different name, so you have not corrected your only copy of the data. Also make sure that you save the file in text format.

The problem is programs that use either a compressed or binary format. This type of program must allow you to do the conversion or you can not save the data. Most of the time you must upgrade the program to a version that is Y2K compliant. If this is not an option, then you must find a new way to do your process. Many old DOS programs simply will not survive the Y2K problem. Face the facts, take the plunge, and get ready now, not after it is too late. Test your programs soon to see if you need to make the switch.

I am now going to talk again about the active real time clock support issue. If you have been reading my articles over the last few months, then you know that I have been talking about hardware issues for Y2K. One area of testing in the British standards, is the active real time clock support. I have been writing that in the U.S. we do not have any written Y2K standards. Washington has been too busy seeing what was going to happen about the unsupportable actions of our President before and while in office.

The British standards state that the active real time clock support is an important area of concern. Here is the reason. If your computer’s CMOS and BIOS chips are Y2K compliant but your systems can not read the real time clock correctly, then you still have a problem. Your software calls for the date and time from your computer’s real time clock. Your real time clock reads correctly, but your IO Chip does not read the first two digits of the data, it sees 00 for the year. That is what is passed on to the application. Your accounting software, for example, now sees that the date of the checking deposit is not 01-04-2000 but 01-04-1900. When you post to your ledger, the date is shown as 1900 and so it will not appear in the current ledger, but it will be posted to an account for the year 1900. The deposit amount will not appear in your checking account balance.

The fix is to prevent any software from reading the real time clock directly. All Windows operating systems have a simulated real time clock running in the background. Programmers, including those at Microsoft, have written around the simulated real time clock because it is slower to report the date and time than going directly to the real time clock. There are some programs designed to block the access to the real time clock and force all the applications to read the simulated real time clock.

A few companies now have this fix, and many more are working on writing their version. The best option is for you to use a Y2K fix software or a BIOS upgrade board and fix the problem now. My count is four companies that have the software fix and six that have the BIOS boards. This includes software from Intelliquis, Eurosoft, MFX and another company out of Australia.

Several people have told me that they are waiting for Microsoft to solve this problem. Microsoft may have a patch for all of their operating systems later this year. I am not trying to be hard on Microsoft, but they promised us Windows 97 that became Windows 98. They also promised us Windows NT5 in mid-1998; it has become Windows 2000, and it is to be coming out “soon.” Microsoft has not officially announced that they will have a real time clock patch.

Can you afford to wait for vaporware from companies that may or may not have a workable patch? It is your call, but I believe that you can not wait if you use your computer for business or home accounting. On your home computer, if you do not do on-line banking, use the Internet for e-mail, or have your finances on your computer, then you may be able to wait for vaporware.

What is Linux

Linux (pronounced LIN-ucks) is a very robust, incredibly feature rich computer operating system that serves the same purpose as DOS, Windows, or UNIX. Today, it is used primarily as an internet server operating system. It is also free and open-source software, which means that anyone can use it, and that anyone can learn how it operates and make functional changes. Linux is the closest thing to a viable alternative to Windows that exists, and best of all it all it is both free and freely available.

Linux was created and is wholly owned by a Finn named Linus Torvalds. Torvalds made the source code available to the public, which in turn recommended changes and additions that were subsequently incorporated by Torvalds. Because Torvalds refuses to sell the core operating system code, and because the code remains open and available to the public, Linux is becoming increasingly well known, and quite popular. In fact, in its 23 Nov 98 issue, U.S. News and World Report wrote that Linux is “considered by many information systems managers to be more efficient, stable, and bug free than any other operating system including Windows.”

U.S. News also wrote, “Linux is still a pipsqueak in Microsoft’s world, but it is steadily gaining strength. More than 2 million commercial Linux packages will be sold this year [98]...and millions of additional copies have been downloaded from the internet.” Those commercial copies are Linux releases that have been enhanced or added to by vendors with names like Redhat and Slackware. The operating system is still free, and is readily available on the web, but you can purchase a copy on a CD that comes with third-party technical support, easy installation routines, and utilities and tools. Most Linux aficionados have a preferred third-party Linux version.

It is true that Linux is not as widely used as Microsoft’s products, but it is an alternative for people who are a bit adventurous, or who have an extra 386 or 486 computer sitting around. And it is also true that the operating system and the applications that run on it are not yet as easy to install and use as MS products, but it will not be long before they are just as accessible to the general public. Already, an organization named Star Division has produced a software suite that looks and works a lot like MS Office, while Corel has produced a Linux version of WordPerfect, and Netscape is working on a Linux version of its web browser. More applications are on the way.

Suffice to say, Linux is still not as widely know or used as other software operating systems, but there is good reason to believe that in 3-5 years Linux could be the world’s dominant operating system software. With that in mind, if you would like to learn more about Linux, or if you’d like to learn how to install, configure, maintain, or best use Linux, then read on.

What is MLUG

As we all know, as computer use has increased, there has been a corresponding growth in the number of internet connected computers that are used as “servers.” The server operating system software is a critical and complex component of any network, and is usually installed, organized, and maintained by skilled technical people. As often however, novice users or hobbyists are responsible for these machines; consequently, it is not uncommon to find even high school students who are at least as knowledgeable about server operating systems as trained technicians who have years of experience. No other computer related field is as open to both amateurs and professionals alike as is internet server operation and management.

For all of that, however, it is often difficult for people to identify and meet other people who have similar skills and interests. Because of this, common-topic computer user groups, like EPCUG, have been organized all over the world. The need for a Linux forum in the South Bend Area prompted several area residents to organize the Michiana Linus Users Group, or MLUG. The group is sponsored by Indiana WebWorks and the Northern Indiana Educational Services Center.

Join MLUG

If you are at all interested in Linux, you might want to think about joining MLUG. MLUG was founded in the fall of ’98 by six or seven people. It has grown a bit, but there is room for anyone who is genuinely interested in this software and occasional companionship of people who have similar interests. Specifically, MLUG is a bylaw-driven, not-for-profit group, founded for the express purpose of providing a forum for the exchange of information among people who are interested in Linux.

MLUG works primarily to promote and expand awareness if Linux. It also tries to identify Linux-related services or products that might be useful to the members. Ultimately, MLUG hopes to establish and make publicly available an information base the can be used by anyone who is seeking Linux-related information and assistance.

MLUG membership is free, and unless otherwise announced, regular MLUG meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00-12:00 am EST. If the first Saturday falls on the weekend of an official holiday, the meeting planned for shall be scheduled for the second Saturday of the Month. Meetings are currently held at the Northern Indiana Educational Services Center (NIESC), which is located at 56535 Magnetic Drive, Mishawaka, IN 46545. The phone number of the NIESC is (219) 254-0111.

Error messages plague users today just as much as they did at the dawn of the microcomputer age two decades ago. The messages themselves change as new technologies evolve, but the enigmatic numbered horrors persist. They remain as hard for most of us to read as the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Internet error messages especially are often ambiguous or misleading. Many mean essentially the same thing: you can’t get through to the site you’ve requested because it is too crowded right now somewhere along the way.

One of the most common of these is: “The Server does not have a DNS entry.” This is infuriating as a telephone busy signal, and often means the same thing! It can also mean that you aren’t connected to the Internet, that you had a typo in the URL (Universal Resource Locator, fancy name for a Website’s address), or the Website doesn’t exist. Usually, however, it’s a Net busy signal; try again in a few minutes.

I thought it would be helpful to give you the following “plain English” definitions for common browser error messages.

400 Bad request - The URL (Universal Resource Locator, official name for an Internet address) you entered has something wrong with it. Perhaps the page you are looking for does not exist, or the server you are contacting does not recognize the URL. Check your typing, especially special characters, like slashes or colons, and uppercase letters.

401 Unauthorized - The page is password-protected or does not accept visitors from your domain. If you entered a password, you may have typed it incorrectly.

403 Forbidden - Same as 401 Unauthorized. You should try your password again.

404 Not Found - This common message means the page doesn’t exist, or exists at a different URL. Try deleting everything after the last slash in the URL to see if you get a page with a link to the page you want. Check your spelling. And if the URL ends in .htm, type .html instead (and vice versa). Sometimes, however, pages are just missing.

503 Service Unavailable - Similar to a busy signal. Wait briefly and try the page again. It’s probably there.

Host Unknown - Site may have moved. Try looking for it with a search engine (or, if the URL you had was long and complicated, guess how it may have been simplified). Also, check to see if you lost your Internet connection (this happens most often if you’reaway from the computer for a while); if you aren’t connected, use your dialer to reconnect and retry the site.

Host unavailable - Generally, this means the host machine is down temporarily for maintenance. Wait awhile and try again.

Unable to locate host or Unable to locate server - Similar to Host Unknown; check to see if you may have been disconnected from the Internet. If you have, log back on and retry.

File Contains No Data - The page is there but for some reason it is empty. Try again later; data may have arrived by then.

Bad file request - This is a forms error. That usually means your browser does not support the type of form you are trying to use, or there is an error in the form.

Too Many Connections - Like a busy signal. Try clicking the Refresh/Reload button, or wait briefly and try again.

Connection refused by host - Similar to 401 and 403; the page is restricted to certain domains or password-protected. If you think you should have a working password, try entering it again.

Failed DNS lookup - Similar to “The Server does not have a DNS entry.”

Helper application not found - You asked to view a kind of file that your browser does not recognize (a graphic format, multimedia, or compressed file). You may need to install a plug-in (helper application) that extends the capabilities of your browser.

I also discovered several Web sites that include definitions of other kinds of error messages.

One, at www.sysopt.com/biosbmc.html, covers definitions and solutions for AMI and Award BIOS error beeps and messages/codes. It also includes links to other sites that offer BIOS message information.

Another is www.codemicro.com/windows.htm, which contains basic troubleshooting steps to help resolve the following Windows 95 generated error messages: Illegal Operation, Fatal Exception Error, Windows Protection Error, and General Protection Faults.

Then there are some sites that might restore your good humor after a computer session that produced far too many real error messages.

Try www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5551/comperro.html for one. Another, with messages in the form of three-line Haiku poems, is: members.nova.org/~dsaum/j-chaiku.htm.

If you know of other sources for definitions or information on different categories of error messages, please send them to me (kferoyle@earthlink.net) and I will inlcude them in a future column.

(Author’s Note: I want to give credit to Earthlink Network, www.earthlink.net, source of much of the information contained above. Its site deserves regular visits because it contains a lot of useful Web-oriented information that is updated frequently.)

Sherry . . . “We recently lost a member of EPCUG, and while this may not be as timely as it could have, I would like to take a moment now to pay tribute to Kevin Carroll. I didn’t know him as well as some might have, I knew him mostly from the shareware table, not as a purchaser, but as a contributor. Kevin sent me several suggestions, and even wrote a few reviews for me. The thing I remember most about him at the meetings, was the fact that he answered a lot of questions, and asked a lot of good ones too. I expected him to start getting involved at some time in the board or something with EPCUG as you knew after just a couple meetings that he was very dedicated.

He never worried about coming straight to the meeting from work. You knew he was a machinist or mechanic as he often came straight in with barely taking time to comb his hair, but he was there and he was interested and cared. He always had time to speak to you and I often noticed him off to the side with someone, helping them with a question they had. Jim Pressler knew Kevin much better than I did. I hope this short tribute helps you remember Kevin for a long time.”

Jim . . . “I am thankful I knew him well. We came to EPCUG together usually. He knew his DOS, and was always looking for an upgrade. Speed for games was his goal. Kevin thought computers were mostly built for games. He brought his computer to games night a few times. He worked in a machine shop in South Bend, Hayberly Machine. He would upgrade machines, like lathes and mills. He would remove the old equipment and install a new computer on it, which would restore the machine to like new.

He would build computers for his friends and acquaintances, and sometimes just give it to them, “Use it and see if you like it . . . “ There have been a lot of computers break down or have glitches in them, around Goshen. Kevin has not been there to fix them.

Kevin was born February 28, 1955. He died December 30, 1998. I believe he was born in Kendallville, I know he grew up there. He split from his brother and two sisters after high school. He didn’t even know where they lived. A couple years before he died, he told me he found his brother on the Internet. Kevin knew it was his brother from his nickname. He didn’t send him e-mail for a couple weeks. He wanted it to be just right. He got to know his brother quite well, in Chicago, and his sister in Kalamazoo. He drove to Chicago on Thanksgiving and was so happy for the family reunion.

Our Feb. 13th GenSIG meeting was on Free-Bees. I have listed my favorite web sites for FREE webpage sites, graphics, backgrounds, icons, arrows and more for use in your documents and your own personal web pages. I also listed several sites that have very good databases and other sites to check out that may help you in your genealogy search. Take a look at the following sites and see what you think. This is only a small portion of the sites available for free stuff but it’s the ones I liked the best.

Cyndi’s List has one of the best starting points for looking for any information on the web so start at her site at http://www.cyndislist.com/construc.htm where I found the following free-bees:

WEBPAGES
http://www.angelfire.com/
http://www.crosswinds.net/
http://www2.fortunecity.com/downtown/index.cgi
http://www.geocities.com/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Internet_Services/Web_Se rvices/Free_Web_Pages/

GRAPHICS
http://www.free-graphics.com/
http://www.aplusart.com/
http://www.angelswebgraphics.com/
http://www.gifs.net/
http://www.beseen.com/

BACKGROUNDS
http://home.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/bg/backgrounds.html

OTHER SITES TO CHECK OUT
Genealogy Graphics - Cute ones http://www.citynet.net/mostwanted/gengifs/gengifs.htm
Genealogy Treasure Chest http://members.amaonline.com/nrogers/genealog.htm (go to the states)
Searchable databases http://www.gentree.com/
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/8310/gensearcher.html
http://www.bc1.com/users/sgl/
http://www.gensource.com/ifoundit/index.htm
USGenWeb Genealogy Resources on the Web http://www.impactvr.com/pinal3.html
Treasure Maps - the How-to Genealogy site http://www.firstct.com/fv/tmapmenu.html
Birth Year Calculations http://home.mem.net/~rac7253/gen/cenindx.htm
Indiana Links http://www.rootsweb.com/~inclinto/inlinks.html
http://www.rootsweb.com~inelkhar/CRIMP/crimp.htm
Searchable queries http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/insearch.htm
Mailing Lists http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist/
http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist/us/index.htm

Our next meeting will be March 13th. I want you to do your homework and have it prepared by the next meeting. Look up “6 Steps to Writing a Successful Genealogy Query” at http://www.firstct.com/fv/query.html and do up to 10 queries and a list of where you have posted each query. We will discuss your queries and give helpful hints on how to improve them and where else you might want to list them on the Web. Hopefully by the end of the meeting you will have a very good query and several places to list that query, and hopefully get very good responses back.

Also it has been suggested, by members of the group, that we compare Surnames to see if anyone else in the group is working on the same surname. Forming a sort of Buddy System. So bring a list of all your Surnames to share with the group.

For this Surname list to work, in my opinion, I think you should also list the migration route using the Roots Surname List as an example. (See http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/family.readme.html for instructions on how to format this information.) This information can also then be submitted to the Rootsweb at a later date but it will be helpful to know what time frame, county/state, and country your “Cooks” information spans so I can compare it with my “Cooks” information. If we are 20 years apart in a different country neither person has enough information to establish a definite link. But we can keep an eye out for any information pertaining to that surname as I am looking through data in the same county/state/country and run across any “Cooks” that may be of help to you.

f you will not be able to make the next meeting, you can e-mail your surname list and we will submit it to the group. If you want help with a query and where to post one you can also e-mail that and we’ll get back to you with suggestions. My e-mail is gsavill@cl-sys.com.

A spring trip to the Allen County Public Library is being planned so, if you are interested in going, e-mail me and I will put you on the list to be notified as soon as a date is selected. You don’t have to be a member of the GenSIG to go.

Reduce Start Menu Size
Do you find your START menu taking up an excessive amount when you open it? Do you have that annoying 5th column that you have to ‘jump over’ to get? Here’s a tip that saves a lot of room.

Right click on an open section of the TASKBAR
Left click on PROPERTIES
Check the box for “SHOW SMALL ICONS IN START MENU”

Our thanks to Intuit for sending the demonstration kit and door prizes for our February meeting on TURBO TAX. Paul Frushour did an excellent job of presenting the program. When asked how many members had actually used Turbo Tax, there was a high showing of hands. Many people were interested in the new additions and changes, and there was a great deal of interaction between Paul and the audience. Paul had data made up and actually walked us thru the preparation of filling out the forms, from W-2’s to stocks and gains and right through the errors picked up by Turbo Tax!

LINUX
Linuxberg ‘The Coolest Place for Linux Software!’
A division of the TUCOWS Network, this ‘many-times’ mirrored site has 1000’s of Linux software applications & games. The place for the latest & greatest! http://www.Linuxberg.com

Linuxberg Linux Distribution Archive
Download all your favorite distributions direct. ftp.linuxberg.com

Linuxberg Mailing list
Keep up to date with the latest Linux applications by having the Linuxberg Mailing list delivered to your email box each morning. Visit this site to sign up. http://www.Linuxberg.com/mailers/index.shtml GAMES
Games were high on my request list this week. One specifically was for a Windows 95 version of Tetris. I was sure Microsoft had a new one out designed for 95, but I didn’t see it. If anybody knows of a really good one, much like the one that comes in the Entertainment Pack for 3.1, please pass it on to me.

Non-Violent Games
While looking for tetris and other games, I came across this site which is a good source for non-violent games! Check it out, I did find a good Tetris there, and I have many of the others listed. Be sure to visit the rest of the site while you’re there. http://www.kolumbus.fi/roberto/area/index.htm

Enable Software
Another Tetris style game can be found at this site. They also offer some really handy utilities, too, and more on the way. http://www.enablesoftware.com/

Yahoo Internet Life
Another site that held a Tetris option and alot of other things! A ‘Daily Double’ on February 4 included the Tetris Pack on the ‘Playful Side’ and ‘PeerChat’ on the ‘Practical Side’. There were also links for News & Opinions, Site Reviews, Free Stuff, Horoscopes, a Surf Guru to answer your questions, some Weird Sites, some Useful Sites, and some Net Events.

Subsections under the software category ‘Practical’ are Net Utilities, Browsing/Searching, Communication, Net Publishing, Computer Care, Business/Productivity, Money Matters, Reference.

And under the ‘Playful’ category are Net Action Games, Net Strategy Games, Net Card, Board, and Quiz Games, Non-Net Games, Kids, Home/Hobbies, Screensavers, Miscellaneous

Dos Games/Apps Under Win95
This is the ultimate Windows 95 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)! It deals with a great deal more than DOS Games/Apps in 95, but this was what I was looking for specifically, both for a member of EPCUG, and my eldest son in Kansas who has some DOS games he just didn’t seem to be able to get to run. I hope this helps them both. On the other hand, for those who want some in-depth help on Windows 95, in general, on specific issues, or whatever, this site is absolutely great. I couldn’t possibly reprint it all using this entire newsletter, it is that much. Just the table of contents for each section would take up 2 of these 11x17 full sheets of paper (and that was in SMALL print besides!). The best I can do is give you addresses for this FAQ and the email method to obtain it for those that do not have web access (email me personally for those instructions).
http://www.orca.bc.ca/win95/
http://www.faqlib.com/win95/
http://www.cc.vt.edu/cc/us/docs/wnet4/genfaq/faqlib/Win95/default.htm
http://www.ba-karlsruhe.de/faqlib/win95/default.htm
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/windows/win95/faq/

(this one seems to be the absolutely most up-to-date, but is not as easy to navigate as the others, since they have hyperlinks.)

PLACES TO SAVE OR SPEND MONEY
Freebie Zone’s Save Money Section
Various links to money saving plans offering free coupons, discounts, and money-saving catalogs. Most of which have to be purchased, but offer a free trial period first. http://freebiezone.com/save_money.htm

The Conservative Homemaker
Ideas and links to become a “pennypincher” and save money in everyday ways. Ideas for everything from disguising a ruined tabletop to home buying help. Ways to become “frugal”, even a link into a ‘frugal webring’.

While this page also links to ‘Make money-at-home offers’ We have not checked those out, nor are we recommending them in anyway (nor are we saying they are not good, we just don’t know either way). Our interests here were the savings ideas. http://members.aol.com/Willhite/Nikki.htm

CoolSavings.com
Here you will find ways to save on a great variety of items including local stores, online merchants, restaurants, and travel companies, car dealers, and much more. http//www.coolsavings.com

Kroger Brand Coupons
Aside from your usual manufacturers coupons which come in newspapers and magazines, Krogers offers “U-pons” specifically for their various Kroger brand label products. http://www.kroger.com/kroger_coupons.htm

JUST TO RELAX
Discovery Online ‘Picture of the Day’
It changes every day at midnight. The images are usually National Geographic quality and cover the world and are focused by the month with a “photographer-of-the-month”. The past images are in a gallery up to 12 months back. They are all JPGs and are really inspiring. The idea of looking at something laid-back before getting serious, is a really nice thought.

This month is Paula Bronstein, ‘a free-lance photographer based in Bangkok, Thailand. Throughout March, Paula will be traveling through Nepal to send back our live “Pictures of the Day”.’ http://www.discovery.com/news/picture/picture.html

AltaVista Entertainment - Wild Wild Web
Has a full variety of entertainment pages and links, but of particular interest this month, was the place you end up when you first select ‘WORDS’ which takes you to the /elit/ division (presumably for electronic literature) where you have an excellent variety of subjects to choose from. The choice made next was to ‘FOLKLORE AND STORYTELLING’. Now you can spend some time reading on the ‘different’ side of literature, as well as many links to other authors and sites. The link listed goes to this category directly. http://www.getwild.com/elit/folklore.html

The Universal Library
Hosted by Carnegie Mellon Library, this site is a wealth of literary enjoyment! Books-on-line, the Gutenberg Project (more books), Collections (this includes short stories, poetry, and a whole variety of ‘collections’), Art (The Torner Collection of Sesse and Mocino Biological Illustrations consists of almost 2,000 botanical and zoological illustrations (watercolor drawings and sketches) made during the Spanish royal expedition of 1787-1803 to New Spain. Ed-Totally awesome!) Numerical Recipes (the complete books in C and Fortran 77), Music (Classical selections from Beethoven and Mozart; Modern selections from Dieselboy and Jimi Hendrix), Periodicals (includes International Periodicals, National Magazines, and National Newspapers) , and Multmedia (requires NetShow). They are in the middle of switching servers, so be aware that you might occasioally be dumped back to the beta server, or Carnegie Mellon. There’s so much here, you *will* get lost! http://www.ulib.org/

COOKING/RECIPES
Once-a-Month Cooking

“No matter who you are, how big your family or what your lifestyle, I believe that Once-a-Month Cooking (OAMC) has something to offer everyone.” http://members.aol.com/OAMCLoop/index.html

Diabetic Gourmet Magazine
“Providing information and resources for diabetic living, with exciting recipes, feature articles, and useful resources. We believe that the diet of the diabetic gourmet should be selective, not restrictive. The web’s best diabetic publication!” http://gourmetconnection.com/diabetic/

MEMBER WEB SITE
Your Gateway to the World Wide Web
This page is on the site for Hi-Tech 2000, Inc. Advanced Computer Systems Consultancy, Corporate, Software, Hardware, Networking Services. Give this page time to load (and it will take some time) because it is well worth the time spent to load it. There are links in every category, and I think every category under the sun is listed! I was very impressed with the collection here. Amir and/or his staff, whomever put these together, did a fantastic job of collecting them. And I thought *I* had a lot! If you need some help on finding things, this is an excellent place to start. You may very well not need that search engine afterall. Good job Hi-Tech 200! http://www.hi-tech2000.com/coollinks.html

Thanks to Young Snodgrass, Linda Parker, Bob Mitzman, Melba Hardesty, John Charles, and Amir Sanjari for both URLs and Shareware contibutions.