Site of the Week -- Nov. 15, 1999
esterday's Internet buzzword was "community," today's is "stickiness."
Both are ways for sites to attract and keep visitors, and The Scifi
Vine wants to be the stickiest SF site around.
The site offers everything except the legendary kitchen
sink to folks
who join up with it for free: e-mail, Web sites with 20 MB of
space, chats
and bulletin boards.
The site's weakness is organization. The editing tools are clumsy, and
the navigation is plagued by an attack of mixed metaphors. Bulletin boards
are called cities, yet some are named after stars, galaxies and planets.
Registered visitors become members of the cities after picking a
family name
based on their favorite authors, but their rankings within the cities are
based on terms like "ranger" and "pilot" rather than "drone" or "citizen".
But the strong point of the site is community, and there's a lot of good
stuff for determined visitors to explore. The only problem is that they have to be
very determined to do so.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Nov. 8, 1999
s animation master Hayao Miyazaki's film Princess Mononoke
finally becomes widely available in America, expect to see the traffic soar at
Nausicca.net, an amazing fan-run resource for anyone interested in
Miyazaki's work. This unbelievably comprehensive, cleanly designed site is
a treasure trove of information for Miyazaki fans of all shapes
and sizes.
For anyone confused by Mononoke's complex plot and obscure
symbology, the site includes a complete English script along
with pictures, annotations, a detailed synopsis, language notes, and a
character guide. Miyazaki's other films, TV shows and commercials are
addressed in the same detail, with scripts, credits, translated lyrics,
FAQs, reviews, images, and links. Like the sound of something on the list?
Want to see it, read it, or buy a stuffed character from it? Check the
availability information to learn about Miyazaki-related videos,
soundtracks, manga, toys, release schedules, and even upcoming film
festivals.
But the information isn't limited to Miyazaki. His Studio Ghibli is also
addressed in detail, with information about other Ghibli films, biographies
and info about Ghibli directors and their works, detailed information
and articles about the Ghibli/Disney alliance, and a history and virtual tour
of the studio. If all this weren't so well organized, it would be utterly
overwhelming. As it is, it comes dangerously close for anyone who's just
browsing. But for readers looking for specific information about anything
related to Miyazaki, there's no better resource on the Web.
-- Tasha Robinson
Site of the Week -- Nov. 1, 1999
elax, Earth creatures: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has arrived.
The most remarkable book in the universe now has an Earth edition, and while it
won't explain how to survive a Vogon poetry contest, it does tell how
to enjoy a trip to Amsterdam.
Inspired and authorized by Douglas Adams, the guide has recruited an army
of field researchers who write on thousands of subjects, all inspired to some
extent by Adams' satirical wit.
Casual visitors can easily search the site for their favorite subjects,
but those who register as researchers will enjoy the site most.
Researchers can submit entries to be included in the guide, and they can track
their posts and online conversations via personal home pages.
The guide's only major flaw is its slight and insignificant "Don't panic"
button. Rather than being printed in large, friendly letters, H2G2's "Don't
Panic" is printed in small, inconspicuous ones. Hopefully this oversight
will be addressed in future editions.
-- Kenneth Newquist
