BKFNDINT.RVW 960212 "Finding It On The Internet", Gilster, 1996, 0-471-12695-0, U$24.95/C$32.50 %A Paul Gilster gilster@interpath.net %C 22 Worchester Road, Rexdale, Ontario M9W 9Z9 %D 1996 %G 0-471-12695-0 %I John Wiley & Sons, Inc. %O U$24.95/C$32.50 800-263-1590 fax: 800-565-6802 %P 379 %T "Finding It On The Internet" Among the larger resource-oriented guides to the Internet, I hold Gilster's "The Internet Navigator" (BKINTNAV.RVW) to be best overall: clear, balanced and mature. (Not to be confused with "Navigating the Internet" by Gibbs and Smith, BKNAVINT.RVW.) Gilster then affirmed his preeminent position on the Internet Bookshelf with this most important work. This second edition adds new resources and also reflects the growing emphasis on the World Wide Web and dial-up IP connections, but is still a direct answer to the potential Internet user's invariable second question: "How do I find it?" Search tools are perhaps the most valuable of all computing applications. Paradoxically, they are precisely the applications that people have trouble learning and effectively using. This work concentrates on these vital aids. It could be seen as a superior form of documentation for archie, Gopher, veronica, WAIS, World Wide Web, HYTELNET, WHOIS, netfind and other programs. Gilster has, however, added cogent editorial comments, such as the times you might actually prefer an email search of archie or WAIS, or the best strategies to use for veronica queries. Gilster's approach is realistic based upon the proportion of users with different types of access. Telnet is given less space in this book, but is not abandoned and email servers are now collected in a chapter of their own. His enthusiastic advocacy of WWW is not allowed to get in the way of a fair presentation, and the weaknesses of the various tools are considered briefly towards the end of the book. The work still, unfortunately, fails to consider some of the bandwidth issues on the net, and, in particular, does not mention the growing problem with spiders, robots and other W3 search engines. This book should be at the desk-side of every serious Internet user. For trainers and resource people it is essential. Threaten your local bookseller with grievous bodily harm if they refuse to stock it. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994, 1996 BKFNDINT.RVW 960212 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca rslade@vanisl.decus.ca DECUS Symposium '97, Vancouver, BC, March 3-7, 1997, contact: rulag@decus.ca