Articles

By Stefan Sojka

Drewropa
members.xoom.com/Drewropa
Everybody loves the cute and cuddly girl from E.T. who, after a roller-coaster ride to physical maturity, triumphed as a well-rounded and quite prolific actress. If you missed anything along the way, don’t worry it’s all here. Comprehensive is an understatement. This site is almost too big to believe that anyone without an obsessive-compulsive disorder could have created it. Almost 3,000 images, an astrology reading, links to video clips, Drew software (screen savers and stuff), a chat room, a guest book with set questions and space for your own comments. It’s all done in a nice soft purple font and the pictures are well chosen. There is even a juke box of about 50 songs to listen to while you browse!
Verdict: Wow! Now I’m obsessed, too! - SS
NetWorth: *****

Sweetest Crush – Hole and Courtney Love
hole.simplenet.com
Created by a 20-year-old web design student with about as much attitude as Ms. Love herself, this site stands out in its style, content and interactivity. With a warm and personable approach, Carla dishes up the goss’, the pics, the video clips, the music, and plenty of inside info. Don’t worry, she’s not one of those fans who nauseatingly idolises their hero. Carla has her own opinions about Courtney’s celebrity status, yet she obviously has the utmost respect for the woman. You can chat away on the site and even contact Carla on ICQ. A Hole trivia game is going up, and an e-zine is happening as well. Some great links are also provided to other sites of one of the 90’s most famous widows.
Verdict: Kurt is starting to get jealous. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Sorsha’s Val Kilmer Page
www.geocities.com/~sorsha
Batman, Jim Morrison, The Saint… this dude is the coolest. Sorsha has erected a shrine in honour of Val’s talents as well as his notable external assets (eyes, hair, mouth etc.). There is a weekly poll, where you can vote for your favourite film, or body part or whatever. The multimedia material here is pretty extensive. Posters, pics, heaps of clips, there are even scripts of his films and MIDI files of themes and songs from the movies. A collection of articles covers a few interviews and news items. Whatever Sorsha hasn’t had time to get together here in this ever-growing site, her links will fulfil your constant Kilmer cravings.
Verdict: Almost as cool as the man himself. - SS
NetWorth: ****

The Leo Files
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/8848/index.html
Without resorting to too many comparisons to a certain large boat, this site is definitely blessed with a degree of magnitude. Sydney-based creator Penny has covered all her bases with a very extensive menu bar taking you on a tour of the site. She has made sure that anything she couldn’t get on the site has a link. Special features of this site are some java games, a quiz, Leo’s girls, and a “Leo spotting” section where you can tell your story (true or not) of the time you saw Leo at the local 7-11 buying a hot dog. Order books from the bookstore, and then finally check his horoscope to determine if you are destined to be the girl he dates next week for a couple of hours.
Verdict: A down under DeCaprio delight. - SS
NetWorth: ****

The CelebSites’ Developers Association
www.celebsites.com
While CSDA caters for developers of celebrity sites (of which you could be one), in doing so it also gives fans access to hundreds of sites and features to explore. The deal is that developers exchange links and resources and work with these people to build a credible and formidable celebrity network, and in return get more hits to your site. Once you join, you can get licensing permission of official copyright material and at the time of review, there was an upcoming feature where technologies were to be made available for further site enhancements. Even if you are not a developer, the celebrity site list is big enough to feast on for a day or two.
Verdict: Organised worshipping, needs more input. – SS
NetWorth: ***

Jacksonline
www.geocities.com/~jacksonline
This Michael Jackson fan site fulfils many fan site requirements by having the audio, the video, the news, the pictures, the message board and chat room, trivia quiz, articles and links. It has a couple of interesting articles about the Jackson 5 from the early 70’s. For a site created and maintained by a 17 year old, it’s quite impressive, but I think the subject is just so out there, and everything he’s ever done so over the top (from singing a love song to a rat and on to, well.. you know…), that a website in his honour is almost completely redundant. Unless of course you were going to do something just as over-the-top. Let’s face it, the guy is a freak. This site isn’t.
Verdict: Not Bad, not that Dangerous, almost a Thriller. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Steve Buscemi Worship Page
dancy.franz.com/~virago/buscemi
A couple of hit movies and this once relatively unknown actor has crept into the hallowed halls of famedom. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working his butt off for a couple of decades. The nice thing about this site is its elegant simplicity of design, which allows for a very clear presentation of the talents of this fine actor. The sites creator has a genuine and healthy respect for Steve, and created the site not so much out of an obsession, but after being dissatisfied with what was already out there on the man we know and love.
Verdict: Tasteful and succinct, a true fan site. - SS
NetWorth: ****

100% Natalie Imbruglia
natalie.back.nu
This guy only became a fan in February this year after going to a concert, which makes this site all the more notable. Awestruck by the charm of this young Australian siren, Jonas has managed to collect and compile quite a library of goodies in such a short time, particularly considering Ms. Imbruglia’s relative late arrival on the celebrity scene. Plenty of international magazine articles, a whole stack of video clips (some up to 10meg in size!), concert reviews and dozens of pictures of this unquestionably delicious babe, abound in a pleasantly packaged site. The discussion page is very animated, and well worth the visit.
Verdict: Will the real Alanis Morissette please stand up. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Miss Thing – Alanis Morissette
virpster.simplenet.com/mtws
Jagged Little Pill is one of the three biggest selling albums of the 90’s and with good reason. It was a perfect expression of feminine power that has led to virtually thousands of would-be Alanis’s trying to repeat the unrepeatable performance. I dare say Alanis will have a hard time matching it with her next album. This Web site is a thorough coverage of the performer, her music, her attitude and her career. There are a couple of transcripts of live chats, some goodies like t-shirts and a java puzzle, postcards, and like every good fan site there are heaps of links to other sites, in case there was something they forgot.
Verdict: You oughta know. Well, I’m here to remind you to bookmark Alanis. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Can’s Website Dedicated to Amy Grant
www.amygrant.org
Amy has been recording since 1977. Her career as both a Christian and mainstream artist has been pretty enviable. This site is a reflection of how she inspires her listeners. Can has really done a great job here. The design makes the site look like a professionally contracted official site, which it is not. Within the snappy layout lies over 500 photos, a complete discography with the chance to buy the records through CD Now, real audio interviews, articles, a scrolling Java news window, a live chat room, and some key links. Verdict: No nudity, no obscenity, no controversy, just talent and music, with some faith, hope and charity thrown in. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Anna Nicole Smith
www.annaonline.com/ans.html
At the other end of the Amy Grant spectrum lies Ms. Smith. This site claims to be a place where Anna Nicole is treated with respect after so much cruelty imposed upon her for marrying a 300 year old man and sticking two watermelons under her bra. The site kind of achieves this, with info, pics and news on the blonde one, but somehow the whole site is completely tainted by being covered with XXX hard core banner ads and offers to sign up for free porn. Any redemption the site gained for the poor mixed up kid is flushed down the toilet.
Verdict: He denies it, but I think this guy’s just another pervert. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Women Celebrities
www.women-celebrities.com
With over 1100 listings of famous women, this site can certainly claim to be a worthy spot on the web to find the woman of your fancy. Perhaps you just want to browse through them and compare careers. Maybe you are a budding celebrity and you need to get some tips on how your tribute pages should look. The site is updated daily, which gives it a rather rapid growth rate. There is a top ten and a voting form where every woman is listed in a scrolling menu bar. You will also find a discussion page, which is pretty useless as you will have 1100 different topics.
Verdict: Lo-fi design, hi-fi linkability factor. - SS
NetWorth: ****

The Tool Page
toolshed.down.net
It’s a good sign that you’re doing something right when the band sends a Platinum disc to your doorstep. Kabir Akhtar started this journey three years ago and things have just snowballed. Tool had a huge hit album and all of a sudden Kabir had a huge hit Website. The site is now “semi-official”, meaning that it is regarded by industry members as an authoritative site. The frame-within-frame layout actually works, as there is so much to get through. Tool are certainly a unique band with their freaky videos and esoteric lyrics. They have spawned an entire subculture, and this is the cathedral in which to pay homage.
Verdict: He’s hit the nail on the head. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Spice Girls @ the Spice Shack
www.musicfanclubs.org/spiceshack/home.htm
Yes, there are hundreds of Spice Girl pages out there, but this one really puts it together well. A very snazzy layout, with nice animated mouse-over menus, takes you through news, gossip, tour dates and stuff. The sounds section is a cool look, where you click on a picture of the CD itself to select the tracks. There is a live chat page, so you can share your thoughts about the Spice phenomenon.
Verdict: Eye candy and content and all things spice - that’s what good fan sites are made of. – SS
NetWorth: *****

HansonHitz – The Unofficial but Totally Awesome Hanson Web Site
www.hansonhitz.com
Dedicated to providing a wholesome tribute to a wholesome young family and encouraging wholesome entertainment for the youth of today, HansonHitz has managed to achieve their aims admirably. The three young spunk-rats even OK’d the site. It’s packed with all things Hanson, including a time line, games and fun, chat room and reviews. The only disappointing aspect is the minimal links, which indicates that these people would rather you stayed right where you are. A little too selfish compared to most genuine fan sites.
Verdict: Almost hitz the spot. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Madonna – Madonna Extreme
www.madonnanet.com/extreme
Part of a large Madonna web ring, this soft pink site with nice pencil sketches, is a cool addition. You can see all the other sites from here, anyway, so take your time and flick through 400 photos, all the albums, news, biography and video releases before heading into the Madonna hub where more subtle marketing through the fans is done. Each fan site gets commissions from album and video sales, so it’s a pretty neat arrangement. While you are here, why not get the MIDI Jukebox going with over 50 Madonna tunes.
Verdict: Mad about Madonna. - SS
NetWorth: ****

George Clooney Web Ring
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2766/indexgc.htm
With an excellent prelude to the concept of web rings, George’s little network of shrines takes you through a very diverse collection of Cloonified web offerings. It’s a case of obsessed fans milking every last drop of potential interest out of this man. Talent-wise, he is not really that notable at all, except for the fact that he lucked into a role in a hit TV show, he gained some confidence, and his manager got him a few gigs in Hollywood while the ratings were still up. I’d like to see George Cloony’s manager’s web ring. Now that would be some cool surfing!
Verdict: Much ado about some guy called George. Well done at that. - SS
NetWorth: *****

A Bunch Of Leunig
www.home.gil.com.au/~austernm/leunig.html
In a simply constructed little site, a bit like Leunig’s cartoons, is revealed a warm and genuine tribute to the man and his work. Without being so bold as to fill the site with copyright works, the creator has given links to some of Leunig’s stuff around the web, and offers a list of his works that you can buy. The descriptions and quotes capture the ethos of Mr Leunig well. There is even a fictional tale of Leunig meets the X-files, which is rather bizarre. There is a message board where you can pose curly questions, and the links are well researched.
Verdict: The duck quacked and the dog howled in approval. – SS
NetWorth: ****

The Crowe’s Nest – Russell Crowe
members.tripod.com/~Achika
The message board activity here is hectic, indicating the wide appeal of this NZ born Superstar. This is one of the few fan sites to actually have a couple of addresses listed so you can write the man a letter. Russell has a few admirers that have contributed to making this site a comprehensive archive of his work, history, promo pics, reviews and astrology chart (always a must in a fan site). Once you have yourself a fan site like this, you can sit back with pride that something has gone right with your chosen career path. Good on you Russell. Keep up the good work, and so too, the site’s creator(s).
Verdict: Russell and his fans have got something to crow about. - SS
NetWorth: ****

The Network For Entertainment Fans
www.fansites.com
Although this site doesn’t look like much (probably because it’s heavily automated, so design wasn’t the main focus), it is a goldmine of celebrity resources. Divided into adult and child male and female, the list is quite phenomenal. It can be sorted either alphabetically, by first name, or by popularity, and it is so easy to link your own fan site here, that the site has grown into a monster. Among the lists can also be found models and singers as well as actors.
Verdict: I didn’t know there were so many famous people in the world, in fact I’ve never heard of most of them! - SS
NetWorth: ****

Mel Gibson Fans Internet Mailing List
www.villagefair.com/MelGibson
This site is split up into four mini-sites – explore, faq section, fun stuff and interact. Within each section are various categories to get around the mountain of info on the legend that is Mel Gibson. Braveheart has touched a lot of people, and it is given separate sections all to itself. The links overall are wide reaching, not just fan sites, but background material and official sites among others. You can’t deny the celebrity status of this gentleman, and the depth and breadth of this site is testament to his success. The fun stuff is extra good, as the fans share in Mel humour the way he probably would if he wasn’t so damn famous.
Verdict: It’s his eyes. It must be his eyes. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Lano and Woodley Fan Club On Line
www.vision.net.au/~dwalker
Two kids, 17 and 15 have done a real pro job here with a bit of cgi scripting to create a members area, a chat page and message service, and joining the Lano and Woodley web ring. Is there a web ring for everybody now? These two kids love the comedy duo, and although the material is restricted by copyright, there is enough here to more than whet the appetite for L & W. All in all a fine effort and plenty of scope for growth with the site so well set up.
Verdict: Who? Oh yes, those two…. Ah, yeah… hahaha.
NetWorth: ****

Celebrities Email Addresses
web2.airmail.net/bobb
Forget fan sites, why not just contact the dude or dudette in person and have a one-on-one rave about their favourite colour and astrology chart. There are a lot of emails listed here. Naturally, I didn’t go checking to see if they all worked. Chances are you’d probably get an abusive reply telling you to stop harassing them, or a curt press release. You never know, though. If you word it right, and you catch someone straight out of rehab, you may begin a lifelong friendship with your favourite star.
Verdict: Why not give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose but your service provider. – SS
NetWorth: ****

St Alphonzo’s Pancake Homepage – Frank Zappa
www.wins.uva.nl/~heederik/zappa
After an incredibly prolific career throughout the halcyon days of rock, when humans ruled, the genius of Frank Zappa was eventually snuffed out, almost ironically, by a disease in the same bodily region which he was so famous for singing songs about. He worked with the world’s best musicians, and created some incredibly original, poignant, funny, serious, funky stuff. This site is text based, though it still has heaps of other files. What is notable here is the massive amount of goodies available. You can search for every musician, instrument, song, album and lyric, as well as browse a huge collection of articles and interviews. Frank was a hard working man, and the legacy is all here.
Verdict: Sheik Yerbouti over to this little corner of cyberspace. – SS
NetWorth: *****

Matt Damon Underground
www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/schappsj/matt
This one-woman multi-award winning dedication to the young fella that wrote a script and got Robin Williams to star in the movie, is a feast to behold for Matt Damon fans. It’s got all the goodies, and in large doses as well. Real Audio sounds of the Oscar acceptance speech and some pretty in depth articles about the man are features. These young fan site creators really ought to start working in the business. The commitment and motivation to get such a large undertaking up and running is phenomenal. A lot of commercial Websites with whole teams working on them aren’t as comprehensive as this.
Verdict: Obsession breeds excellence. - SS
NetWorth: ****

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: CareerOne
URL: www.careerone.com.au
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Review: It seems this site is suffering from multiple personality disorder,
or should I say, order? Talk about extensive! If you get sick of looking for
a new job, you can always check out the sports news or even look for a date.
OK, so you don't what to waste time with all that. Is this site worth a
click for the job hunter? You bet your last severance pay dollar it is. Create your resume, hunt for jobs in every imaginable field of enslavement and check out the latest salary surveys to see how much you were ripped off in your last job. You can even look for a job in Canada, the US and New Zealand. Best of all, it's so easy to use. Just click the links, which take you to exactly what they promise. CareerOne.com.au is absolutely free for job seekers, which is about how much they can afford. - SS

Name of Site: the source
URL: www.thesource.gov.au/index.htm
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Review: 'the source' is the Commonwealth Government's website for young
people, and it sure looks it. Talk about targeting the demographic. A bit of flash, a few 'kool' words thrown in. Yeah, man, it's a real cool effort from those crazy hip hop civil servants. I just love the message from the Federal Minister for Children and Youth. OK, forget the window dressing - let's see what it delivers. Getting past the Flash (youth site, must have Flash) on each page, there is some information for young adults about jobs, money, legal rights and even info if you think you are gay, lesbian or bisexual - always handy when job searching (gotta target those equal opportunity employers!). It seems the Commonwealth Government is trying very hard to cover all bases and is ending up just running all over the field. But, hey, they look so hip and cool and funky doing it. All jesting aside, it is genuinely worth a look.
- SS

Name of Site: IT skills HUB
URL: www.itskillshub.com.au
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Review: Looks very nice with nice looking people looking really nice. The colours are nice, as is the layout. All in all it is a very nice site - pretty even. That's about as far as it goes. It seems to be a nice try at creating a meeting place or 'meeting space' as they call it, that "links individuals and agencies with IT&T skills, opportunities and solutions." Love that corporate speak. Yes, I think that gives you an idea of what we're dealing with here. Like all these sort of sites, there undoubtably are some people who will get a lot out of it and visit each day. However I don't think I'll be one of them. Is that a Commonwealth Government link I see at the bottom of the screen? Someone's got a nice budget to spend, and they've spent it very nicely. - SS

Name of Site: Working In
URL: www.workingin.com
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Review: If you want to work in Australia and/or New Zealand, this is the
site for you. It's easy to use - in fact most of the information is displayed
within only 2 or 3 clicks. I found myself looking at everything from
'Forensic Science Jobs in New Zealand' to 'Life and Lifestyles in Australia,
Investment Opportunities and Incentives...' I get the impression this is
more of a 'Come and Work in Australia' web site, but who cares - at least our two countries are skill shearing, uh sharing. There is plenty of help and support here for the sheepish. The info you want is very easy to find and you can even build an online version of your personalised resume. The creators have thankfully left Flash, Java and other plugins behind. Well, who needs plugins to find a job? A plumber? - SS

Name of Site: I Resume
URL: iresume.com.au
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Review: As this site says, "Build and save up to five (5) different resumes based on the information you have stored. Each resume can contain different information and can have distinctive formatting and layout." My, you are a multi-skilled little employee aren't you? There are also email and web space options for storing and displaying your online resumes, as well as a nice help feature to assist you in matters like character assessments. The catch is that you have to register, which is nothing new in this day and age. I couldn't find the "how to pad out your resume with lies" section, unfortunately. This site also says, "Yours For Life For FREE". Well that's great but I hope I don't need it for that long! - SS

Name of Site: Australian Jobsearch
URL: www.jobsearch.gov.au
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Review: The famous Jobsearch site. Yup, it's a definite bookmark. Lots of jobs listed by state and a very handy Quick JobSearch. The link to 'Volunteer Search' is a great idea for those looking to pitch in with a few good deeds and even info on 'Work for the Dole' in case getting a job takes longer than you might have expected. The pop-ups can be a little annoying, but if they do the trick and you score the job, that's all that counts. With all the jobs listed, that just might be the case. I love the site and I appreciate the idea of the link to the weather at the bottom of the screen. You don't what to turn up to that
interview soaking wet eh? And if you don't get the job, you'll need to know whether you can head down to the beach and bum around for the rest of the day. - SS

Name of Site: Look Smart
URL: www.looksmart.com.au/r?page=/com-centre/jobs/index.shtml
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Review: This site really does look very smart - as you should at your next interview. It is packed with help for seeking a job and for seeking the right employee, if you are the entrepreneurial type. The quick job search on the home page lets you get stuck into finding your job with no mucking about. Interview tips, resume help and other handy hints are all accessible from the home page. As simple as this site is, it is a little light compared to other sites on the web, but don't let that fool you into leaving it out. There are plenty of jobs here if you care to look, and plenty of good advice to ensure you don't blow it at the interview. - SS

Name of Site: Seek
URL: www.seek.com.au
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Review: This site boasts: "34,963 Jobs Online - SEEK is Australia's leading
employment website." I'm reminded of the line in the movie Pulp Fiction, where John Travolta says "That's a bold statement." It's also some kind of statement about our economy - though I don't know exactly what - Australians are too choosy? Too Lazy? Too stupid? Immigration needs to be increased to fill all these jobs? Who knows? So, apart from the endless lists of innumerable jobs, what does this site offer? Employer profiles and recruiter profiles are great additions that list many companies and include a handy search function. Look out for the SEEK Campus Link that helps students and graduates to contact prospective employers. Seek, as someone once said, and ye shall find! - SS

Name of Site: mycareer
URL: www.mycareer.com.au
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Review: Now why didn't I think of this? I could have been a multimedia millionaire! Videos about jobs, job news, resume tips, how to be interviewed and many, many more. Just pick your player and connection speed and you're away. Sit back and let someone tell you and show you all about "A Lifesaving Career" or "Helicopter Rescue" or "A Career that Rocks" and a truck load more (now there's a career - loading trucks). Great thinking 99, but is that all? No. All the jobs are there for you to pick through as well as the ever-present resume builder and search function. The discussion forum lets you have your say (or your whinge) and there is even a link to jobs in the Air Force. Now we're talking! Get paid to kill people! - yay! - SS

Name of Site: Monster
URL: www.monster.com.au
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Review: Monster by name, monster by size. All the jobs are here as you would
expect, but it's the other things thrown in that make the site worth a
visit. I liked the Virtual Interviews, in which you can hone your vital
skills for that all improtant confrontation with your future tyrant, and the many links to the Monster Network from other countries in case you are on the move OS. Online resumes are there (almost a given for any such site these days) and also "Ask an Expert", where you can put your question to one of 19 experts, covering such topics as 'Contractor & Temporary', 'Negotiation Skills' and 'Winnning Attitudes'. The site also includes an online poll. The question at the time of this review was "How is your relationship with your manager?" I wonder what other questions they ask... How do you feel about urine testing? Will my tongue piercing affect my prospects? Is the dole really such a bad thing? - SS

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: Astrology.com.au
URL: www.astrology.com.au
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Review: Dadhichi is a face-reading esoteric astrologer with powers way beyond mortal men. He managed to register a generic .com.au domain name way before the stars allowed anyone else to do so, and he has harnessed the universal conciousness to build a very attractive Website, complete with splendid animations and interaction. Members can join chat rooms to meet soul mates and discuss philosophy - although at the time of review the only philosophical question I had was "what is the sound of one man chatting?" There is a daily reading, general star sign guide and the ability to contact the man himself for a full report. The "shopping for the soul" e-commerce section allows you to spend up big on a whole range of cosmically enhanced products, including the chance to have Dadhichi arrive at your corporate event and wow your guests with his esoteric charm. When it comes to cosmic enlightenment, Dadhichi is right on the money. - SS

Name of Site: Matrix Australia
URL: www.matrix.com.au
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Review: No, the Wachowski Brothers haven't suddenly turned all new agey. Matrix Australia sells astrology software - and lots of it. Whether you are a beginner who wants to dabble in astrology, or a professional who wishes to market reports, charts and readings to believers the world over, Matrix has the program for you. Computers are very good at maths, so calculating a whole bunch of angles, times and positions is no problem. (Whether the data is astronomically correct, that is something you'll have to take up with your local astronomer.) From an astrological perspective though, Matrix will give you enough colourful wall charts to wallpaper your house and tell you more about yourself than your own mother knows. There is an incredible range of software here - some free, some on sale - including moon, Jupiter, I Ching, fishing guides and biorythms. Suspend your disbelief, open your wallet and prepare to be amazed. - SS

Name of Site: Ed Tamplin
URL: www.edtamplin.com
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Review: Ed is radio 2GB's resident astrologer. He also has a Website with a promotional photo where his face is half orange and half purple, so he must be good! Actually the site is a little lacking in stellar qualities, though there is a fair bit of his musing to rummage through. Ed's claim to have predicted war in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks puts him on a psychic par with just about everyone in the western world, however he has put a lot of effort into his horoscope analysis. He explains everything from Kashmir to the Royal Family in terms of whether or not Pluto is rising up Uranus and he shows how a rising Mars a day can help you work, rest and play. If you believe any of this stuff, perhaps it's time to book in for a personal consulation. If not, then you can amuse yourself with his monthly and annual predictions for your star sign, or find out how specific astrological events might effect your bank balance, job opportunities and chances of winning on the pokies. - SS

Name of Site: Astrology on the Web
URL: www.astrologycom.com
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Review: It's quite plain to see, after looking at a few of these sites, that astrology is a big money spinner. All you need to do is spout off the good old tried and true character descriptions of the 12 distinct human types according to a join-the-dots nighttime sky, then tempt us all with a personalised wall chart and planetary analysis. Since it is so easy, style and substance of delivery are the essence. This site packs a punch. It delivers the usual "Leos are Proud, Scorpios are sex maniacs" zodiacs, but goes way beyond that. Astrology and health, relationships, runes, sexuality, quiz and a nude horoscope (read them in the nude) - they even poke fun at themselves with a tongue in cheek 'bad news' horoscope. There are a lot of contributors, each with their own 'angle' on the whole subject that makes for interesting reading. Because they put so much value into the site, you will find it much easier giving value back by buying an interpretation or two in the online store. - SS

Name of Site: Astrosearch
URL: www.astrosearch.co.uk
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Review: These days every subject under the virtual sun seems to have its own private search engine, and Astrology is now no exception. The difference here seems to be that just about the entire contents of this engine resides within the site itself. A massive archive of astrological discussion on all manner of topics, from sun signs to planets, moons to asteroids, personality to interpersonal relationships. The discussions delve deeply into historical studies, a bit of science here and there and a lot of common sense advice on living a good life. The only difference here is that it is mercury telling you to drink 8 glasses of water a day, not your doctor. After a few hours poking around here, you will walk away quite enlightened as to where this whole astrology thing is at. Plenty of great stuff here too, like a free tarot reading, I Ching oracle and a sun sign guide to life's little problems. If you are searching for answers, maybe astro search has the clues you need. - SS

Name of Site:
URL: astrosurf.ninemsn.com.au/astrosurf
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Kerry Packer and Bill Gates have jumped into bed and produced a lovechild called ninemsn. One of its many arms is the astrology section. You need to sign in first, because they need your demographics. Market research has told them that you believe in astrology, so you'll probably buy anything. Here you find your daily or yearly horoscope - yes you are at a turning point and a lot of things you have been thinking about are going to start happening. You can play the name game - putting your name and your partners name in and getting an instant reading as to your compatibility - change partners or, hey, just change your name! Check your biorhythms and your career horoscope. It's all a little too pop for me, and I wonder if the only reason I am here is to feed the marketing machine, and the info I just put in to get my readings just qualified me for a discounted insurance policy. - SS

Name of Site: Aussie Horoscopes
URL: www.ozhoroscope.com.au
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Designed to help you achieve a 'happier, richer and more meaningful experience' in life, the down under zodiac provides an interesting and detailed look at all aspects of astrology. They delve into the historical perspective - when people knew nothing about anything, they believed in astral configurations and attached a whole bunch of meaning to them. These beliefs have been embellished over time to the point that now anything and everything from world events to spraining your ankle can be explained by the alignment of the heavenly bodies. A lot of explaining is done here about how this actually 'works', and eminent astologers have written a few interesting articles on celebrity astrology, ascending planets and the dilemma of being born on a cusp and not knowing what the hell you are. Once you have it all explained, it's time to grace the order form for some quite resonably priced charts, including a "Mother Goose" chart for the kiddies, so you can imprint their minds when they are most vulnerable. - SS

Name of Site: The Zodiacal Zephyr
URL: www.zodiacal.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: When it comes to astrological resources, this one is one of the more diverse and interesting sites I've come across. It isn't much to look at, apart from a nice header graphic and a few colourful icons, but it provides a great range of tools and information about this whole celestial thing. Some of it goes a bit far, like attributing a spam email to a divine configuration, but they do give you plenty of rational and reasoned resources to begin your astral journey. Moon phase charts, biorhythm calculators, chart creators, bibliography, celebrity horoscope data, greeting cards, a Sabian Oracle, articles and an astrologers toolbox are just some of the treasures to be found here. I think the philosophy here is "throw it all at the wallchart and see what sticks" - and it's not a bad philosophy because everyone is looking for something different. I'm a total sceptic when it comes to astrology (as if you couldn't guess) but even I found some interesting stuff here. - SS

Name of Site: Astrodienst
URL: www.astro.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: A consortium of highbrow astrologers and psychologists have banded together to create a whole new level of astrology - "Astro*Intelligence". They have built software solutions that they claim to be the best in the world at providing accurate and personalised horoscopes. This site is packed with content - input your date, time and place of birth and find out not only who you are, but who to love, what to do and where to go for a holiday. It doesn't stop there - endless reams of interviews and articles go indepth into how Saturn and Pluto caused September 11, Chiron and Pluto caused George Harrison's stabbing and why Russell Crowe starred in Gladiator. If you can swallow any of this, it's time to head to the shop and discover your place in the solar system through a magical combination of credit card numbers and expiry dates. - SS

Name of Site: Fatewatch
URL: www.fatewatch.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Fatewatch puts it all together in a cornucopia of mysticism. Numerology, astrology, Chinese astrology, mantras - if it's mystical, you're looking at it at Fatewatch. "Astrology is a science, not a fiction..." they say, and with that all disbelief is suspended as you blame your entire life on the moment you were born. Makes you wonder why more doctors don't induce labour more often to create a race of superhumans with perfect birth charts. This site is set up very well, with categories for men, women, teens, love, money, travel, passion, gems, etc. There are a lot of free services and of course the paid ones, once your curiosity has been piqued. This is the 'gateway to authenticate your destiny' (and credit card details) so get on board the magical cosmic ride to inevitability as the stars control your every move. Submit and surrender (your money) and all will be revealed (in the financial pages as Fatewatch floats on the stock exchange) - SS

Name of Site: AdZe MiXXe
URL: www.adze.com
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 50
Review: Strange name, not so strange site. WIth an emphasis on making astrology enjoyable as well as useful in your day-to-day life, AdZe provides a good selection of services. Daily horoscopes are a click away, there are a few "try before you buy" readings and a large selection of personalised charts, reports and personal planners that you can order for immediate download or snail-mailing to your door. There are celebrity reports, hints on finding your star-crossed lover, general astrology info, and plenty of marketing devices built into the site to ensure its popularity, which of course makes for a better site all round. The natal chart looks good for this baby. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Oz Horoscopes
URL: www.ozhoroscope.com.au
Plug-Ins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Low, Medium Quality
Internal Links: 30
Review: Basically, this site is provided as in introduction to astrology and to the various astrological products on offer. There is quite a bit of general info about the history and significance of the various zodiac signs, some explaination about the types of readings available, and some articles written by astrologers. Numerous charts and readings are for sale, including a special "Aussie Portrait", "Yearly Forecast", "Mother Goose" for toddlers, and a relationships compatibility chart. A little background info about the company and the chance to subscribe to their monthly mailing list. Not a huge site, but enough to satisfy the curious. - SS
Rating: ***

Name of Site: Matrix Astrology Software
URL: www.matrix.com.au
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 30+
Review: Where would an on-line astrology business be without astrology software? Matrix are the creators of a galactic selection of applications, and have been in the business for eons. They have developed very complex analysis techniques and reporting functionality and have managed to package a program for every need. Their flagship, WinStar, covers most bases, then there is the talking program, that reads your chart to you, Tibetan Astrology, Oracle, Woman to Woman, Child-Star and a whole constellation of other specialised products. If you don't want to buy the software and set yourself up as a fully fledged consultancy, you can order personalised reports direct from Matrix, all at quite reasonable prices. Why not buy straight from the manufacturer? - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Clairvision School
URL: www.clairvision.org
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 30
Review: You too can learn psychic powers, and save thousands on all those expensive clairvoyant sessions you've been forking out for. Awaken your third eye, travel back through your past lives, map your subconscious, see auras, master "throat friction" and "psychic sleeping". Soon you'll be setting up your own 1900 number, appearing on talk shows and syndicating yourself to hundreds of magazines. Astorolgically, there is a free downloadable program and a astro-newsletter. The school seems very established with courses both residential and correspondence, covering all manner of esoteric practices. A range of books are for sale, as well as music and some free vegetarian recipies thrown in for good health. All you need for your new life of psychic, cosmic and karmic wonder. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Merlin The Wizard
URL: www.merlinthewizard.com
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 3
Review: Whether you own a cafeteria, caravan park or hotel, you can set up your own instant astrology centre with the magic of computers. Merlin is a complete kit that installs on your own computer and comes with a laminated sign, instructions, brochures and artwork to get you going. Merlin covers Western and Chinese astrology, tarot and numerology and adds a few entertaining tid bits to keep your customers coming back for more. If you don't want to splurge all the money up front, a profit-sharing arrangement can be made. Will you make truck loads of money out of it? You'll have to ask Merlin... - SS
Rating: ***

Name of Site: Dog Horoscopes
URL: www.doghoroscopes.com
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 24
Review: You've seen pet cemetaries, pet health insurance, now it's doggie horoscopes - believe it or not! Now you can find out why your dog keeps messing up the carpet or chewing up your favourite shoes - his Aquarian nature is pining for a better world where dogs and humans live in perfect harmony and equality. This site is definitely lighthearted and makes a bit of fun of the whole Zodiac thing, assigning all the usual human astrological traits to our canine friends. Dog lovers can send in their puppy photos for inclusion in the dog-star gallery, find out how compatible they really are with their pets, purchase popular doggie book titles through Amazon.com and share dog owning tips with other visitors. A few links to other good dog sites are provided as well. To sum this site up in one word..."woof!" - SS
Rating: ****

(reviewer's choice)
Name of Site: Astrology.com
URL: www.astrology.com
Plug-Ins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 100+
Review: The planets were definitely in alignment when the iVillage Women's Network secured the ultimate astrology domain name and approached Aussie-born Kelli Fox to be the figurehead, and turn it into her idea of the ultimate Astrology portal. Her mission is to reveal to the world that astrology is so much more than your daily horoscopes - although they are readily available here. She believes that the stars, and your place in amongst them, can guide all aspects of your life from romance to career to fitness and even technology. She has packed enough in to keep even the most skeptical reader amused for hours, with explainantions for celebrity break-ups, dozens of quizzes and profiles, Karmas, Auras and Chakras galore. Although most of what you will get is free, including emailed daily predictions and general star sign info, you'll have to pay for any full charts and reports. When you look at how thorough our Kelli is, a few dollars spent here should be quite rewarding. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Astrology.com.au
URL: www.astrology.com.au
Plug-Ins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Heavy, Very Good Quality
Internal Links: 16
Review: The stars were definitely in their proper places when astrologer and face-reader Dadichi was born. He has recently relaunched this domain to be a heavenly outpouring of predictions, enlightenment and esoteric shopping. A lovely flash intro takes you to the various departments - zodiac, soul connector (a star-crossed meeting place), compatibility factors, soul shop, and info about Dadichi's more personalised services. The visual impact of the site is enough to keep you hanging around, and the well presented free information will tempt you to try a more thorough reading. Enter the paranormal contest and share your spooky experience with the world. The value of this site is in the 'grand design'. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: 1Horoscope
URL: www.1horoscope.com
Plug-Ins: No
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Heavy, Medium Quality
Internal Links: 15
Review: If you can't secure a good domain name, why not just tack a "1" at the front - it'll catch on for sure. Actually, though this site is not the mega-portal you might expect, it has some very simple interactive devices and tools designed to brighten up your starry night sky. Some drop down boxes ask a few questions of each zodiac sign, both banal and "sexy". Check your biorythm for the day, and even pick your lotto numbers. There is a Palm Pilot program demo, free natal chart, paid readings, a "save the world" on-line discussion and email newsletter. That ought to keep you busy, at least until your biorhythms get back into sync. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Real Astrology
URL: www.realastrology.com
Plug-Ins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, Good Quality
Internal Links: 50
Review: Rob Brezsney writes horoscopes. He also writes books, political ponderings, this web site and a lot of intelligent rock and roll. He is an unlikely astrologer, more of an iconoclast, using the esoteric tendencies of his world-wide audience to tune them into some new ways of thinking. His Zodiac column is syndicated in 125 publications. Here you get to learn a lot more about the man through his other writings, and even listen to him recite your astrological predictions in Real Audio. All his work is done with a sense of humour and a sense of irreverence for established stereotypes. He calls it "predicting the present". If you really like his work, you won't get a personal reading - he is way too busy - but he'll connect you with a few like-minded practitioners. In the mean time, there is plenty to see, do and hear right here. - SS
Rating: *****

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: Yahoo!Chat
URL: au.chat.yahoo.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: When you're starting out in the world of chatrooms, Yahoo is probably going to be one of your first stops. It's big, it's friendly (mostly) and it's fast. Yahoo!Chat makes use of a fast loading Java applet or alternately Yahoo's own Messenger program. On entry you are given a list of categorized and sub-categorized rooms accompanied by how many people in each - numbering male, female and squares which presumably means sex undisclosed (or possibly that they are a hermaphradite). There are literally hundreds of categories of rooms available with the more popular hosting some 2000 people at a time, split up into rooms of 50 people each. And with the largest rooms in the Romance section, you can pack your cybersex gear, log on and get ready to find "love"... - SS

Name of Site: Lycos Chat
URL: clubs.lycos.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: While not as big as other major portals like Yahoo!Chat or Netscape Chat, Lycos still has a fair number of categories and at least a couple hundred people on the site at any one time. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on what you are looking for) literally everyone seemed to be concentrated in romance/relationship rooms, outside of these the number one room appeared to be somethign called "Mystic Tavern" where users like "the Dark Child" and the "Decadent Lady" get to play out their medieval fantasies...One interesting feature of this site is the related 'clubs' and message boards sections, which provide other avenues of communication with your fellow surfers. All up Lycos has spent some considerable effort to make a very communal site, but it falls somewhat short simply from lack of participation. - SS

Name of Site: Talk City
URL: www.talkcity.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: Talk City is one of the big guns of online chat and comes feature packed and highly recommended by all the people I chatted with. There were some 600 people online using close to a hundred rooms when I logged on, with the make up of rooms being the usual combination of dating/romance and other assorted categories. One particularly entertaining idea that Talk City features are Chat games, which come in three varieties: Alphabet Soup - make a funny phrase out of random letters, Finders-Keepers - make words out of other words, and Ridiculist - team based trivia. Chat games are a nice variation for when you just can't find anything meaningful or intelligent to share, not that that seems to stop anyone else. - SS

Name of Site: ICQ Chat
URL: web.icq.com/icqchat
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: ICQ is one of the big names in online messaging and their site reflects this by giving you every possible method for communicating with other humans. ICQ Chat like most other online chat facilities uses a Java client, however unlike many other sites you won't need to register a profile first, so instead you can just whip on any old anonymous name and jump straight in. One unfortunate side effect of using ICQ Chat is the semi-psychosis induced by the rainbow of colours everyone seems to use here, not just as their text colour but as the background for their text colour as well...think yellow text on fluoro pink followed by blue on red and you should get the idea. Eeek! - SS

Name of Site: MSN Chat
URL: chat.ninemsn.com.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: NineMSN Chat is a good place to get local Australian-flavoured chatting. Being a part of the MSN network you'll need a .NET Passport to get in, but once that's done you can browse the hundreds of chat rooms available. Unlike some chat sites, there are actually plenty of people spread across virtually all the rooms. The chatting itself is through what is easily the slickest looking client I came across and rooms have moderators and sets of rules with etiquette that is followed fairly strictly. All this alongside tools to stop abuse makes for a fairly safe environment to chat in. As always Romance/adult related categories are easily the most popular, but with a healthy amount of people making up the many other categories from "Horses R Our Life" to "The Psychic In Us" you are sure to find something that bakes your noodle. - SS

Name of Site: Chat Seek
URL: chatseek.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: One problem you may encounter when searching for good chat rooms, is separating the good from the bad, and believe me there is a LOT of bad! With pop-ups, links to casinos/porn and a sea of empty rooms, you'd be forgiven for becoming disenchanted. Thankfully Chatseek aims to help you in this respect with a selection of links to Chat sites categorized up into topics of conversation. With close to two hundred chat sites linked in 30 categories, this is a useful resource when you're looking for a good site to visit. It is bound to lead you off onto hundreds of memorable conversations, rather than the usual "what's the weather like in Canada today Pierre1675?" jibber. - SS

Name of Site: Internet for Beginners - Chat & Forums
URL: netforbeginners.about.com/cs/chatforums/index.htm
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: If you're new to the Internet, you may wish to visit this site prior to your head-first foray into the insanity that is online chat. As part of the About.com network, this is both an informative and useful reference. Featuring an acronym dictionary where you can find out the meanings of acronyms like, well let's see just OTTOMH (off the top of my head) you might have seen such staples as BRB (be right back), D/L (download) through to words you'll never know how you got on without like DWPKOTL (Deep Wet Passionate Kiss On The Lips) - which is rather useful for some of the more risque chatrooms. Also available is some introductory information about chatting online, links to some newbie chat sites and a guide to emoticons or smiley faces that will turn you into a total &8-| (nerd) in next to no time! ROFL! - SS

Name of Site: Good Chatting
URL: www.goodchatting.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: Good Chatting is a chat website with that little bit more. Featuring a Java applet that lets you plug into the Good Chatting IRC channels, you have access to about 15 or so populated rooms. Above and beyond this you can also read a number of articles on chatting like the eternally useful reminder 'Trust No One' to the timeless 'Chat Etiquette', you can also use the chatting glossary or start your own IRC chat channel - which is free if you do it by yourself - or $10 if the site administrator, Julie has to help you. Julie is a complete chatophile and according to her, at least two couples have married through her channels! So if you're keen to get into chatting without being bowled over by hundreds of rooms, check out this site. - SS

Name of Site: On Chat
URL: www.onchat.com
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: On Chat is one of a new breed of chat sites which is using visual aids to help you in your chatting. When you sign up to On Chat you select a small picture known as an avatar which is then your visual representative in the chat rooms and that's exactly what the rooms are...rooms! When you enter you see a picture of room, complete with perspective, doors leading out and a bunch of avatars placed around the room for all the other chatters. You can move your avatar around to stand next to somebody or to make suggestive gestures at them (hours of limitless fun right there). After hours of boring old text chat, this was so refreshing and in many ways much better than regular chatrooms, because you can easily see who is talking to who. While it still has some way to go, I think visual chat could be the thing of the future! - SS

Name of Site: Telstra BigPond Chat
URL: bigpond.com/chat
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Java
Review: I must confess to being slightly surprised that Telstra ran a chat website, but it was a pleasant surprise. With plenty of home grown chatters, it's nice to speak to people who aren't experiencing climate patterns and time zones diametrically opposed to our own. And it's relatively popular too, with a variety of rooms and plenty of people, many of whom wholeheartedly recommended the site. One highlight of BigPond chat is their featured chat sessions which occur regularly, with celebrities such as Mark Geyer passing the talking stick, uh, football to the punters! There's also a news bulletin (called LOL News - don't ask) and plenty of help for beginners. All up it's a good site, and it cleared up a few mysteries about why my phone rental is so high! - SS

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: Herblock's History
URL: www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk In The Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Herbert Block, or "Herblock" as he is professionally known in the cartoon world, turns 93 this year and at the time of writing this review he is still kicking on and giving the politicians his best serving of satire and caricature. His career spans over 70 tumultuous years and his opinions on every world event in that time have been captured in extremely well drawn and witty cartoons. This site is a monument to his career and work and includes a choice selection of his best and most important work with excellent background information. Some of his cartoons were pivotal in changing public opinion about some major issues. The images are scans of his original drawings and are very clear. Herblock even contributes to the site himself with an insightful essay - "The Cartoon". A truly brilliant career. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Pokey the Penguin
URL: www.yellow5.com/pokey
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Pokey began as an attempt to create something really crappy but somehow likeable - and it worked! Pokey is an awfully rendered cartoon basically done by mouse using really bad drawing tools on a computer and the dialogue is typed in dodgy balloons, half crossed out and retyped again. Somehow the stupid little characters - Pokey, Little Girl, Mr Nutty, Headcheese, The Skeptopotomous and gang - grow on you until you find yourself eagerly anticipating the next great adventure. All the stories are archived for your viewing pleasure. There is a printable Pokey poster to pin up on your bedroom wall, or somewhere far more prominent (Bus stop? Telegraph pole?). There are fan sites, critical essays on Pokey's philosophies and even a bad imitation, "Prodly the Puffin". All in all a delightful concept that only the Internet could have produced. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Sinfest
URL: www.sinfest.net
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: "We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world" is the slogan, which doesn't quite sum up what you get here. Yes its all youthful cynicism and irreverence, but the comic strips are definitely not crap. Stylish, cool and occasionally cute, the characters struggle through the daily challenges of life and all its political correctness, economic rationalism and sexual tension and manage to hit the giggle nerve of a fair slab of visitors. The attached forum is testament to the popularity and shows the angst and cynicism rife in the populace. There are some great contributions in the "resistance" section - rants and observations of life in the hope that it may one day change. It's not really a sin; you are just swimming against the current. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: PvPonline
URL: www.pvponline.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: As with most comic strips on the Internet, the content is all in the archives. The daily dose is only ever going to be one strip, so until you are in the loop, you need to check the archive to see where the whole thing is going and decide if it is your cup of soup. Scott Kurtz is a diligent cartoonist and has been fairly consistent for the last four years churning out his brand of humour. A quick click around and you find his subject matter is very diverse and the simple clean characters deliver the snappy dialogue with great facial expressions. It's a bit "Dilberty" with less nerd and more cool. A selection of rants and raves as well as a huge forum accompany the library of strips laid out in a clickable calendar. It won't be long before you'll be making a daily drop-in to see how Chloe, Brent, Jade, Francis and co. are getting along. - SS
Rating: ***

Name of Site: WebComics
URL: www.webcomics.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: If overdose is your thing, or your attention span is so short that you just need to keep switching from one gag to another, perhaps a cartoon portal is for you. WebComics collects a myriad of line art masterpieces and delivers them on a daily, weekly or random basis. The range of material is staggering, with new stuff pouring in every minute. By involving the audience to suggest new comics or even submit their own work, the site is expanding healthily. They have collected over 18,000 links to the kinds of sites cartoon lovers might enjoy - toys, humour, animation, kids stuff - and filled the site with news, a discussion board, top 30 toon chart, poll and quirky chat bots. It's all in good humour, so start poking around for a good laugh. - SS
Rating:

Name of Site: Dilbert
URL: www.dilbert.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Shockwave
Review: In the age of IT and corporate culture it is no surprise that Dilbert has achieved such lofty success. Major syndication, spin-off products, a TV show and, of course, this Website. With the dollars flowing in from the four corners of the globe, Mr Scott Adams doesn't have too much trouble offering plenty of fun and games online, especially since he may also turn the site into a little earner at the same time. Hundreds of strips are here for your enjoyment, but then you can buy one and have it printed on a t-shirt or framed for your office cubicle wall. A fascinating section on the origins of Dilbert shows his very first attempts that were sent to the major newspapers and the rejection letters he received. They'd be kicking themselves now as Dilbert and company blaze a trail as large as any corporation Dilbert could ever work for. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Stripcreator
URL: www.stripcreator.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk In The Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: What a great idea, and perfect for the Internet. Make your own comic strips! A three-panel strip offers a selection of countless characters and the choice of thought bubble or speech bubble. All you have to do is add the dialogue and you have yourself a comic strip. You can also alter the background and add narration, which just about covers anything you need. The community involvement here is heavy. Thousands of people have had a go at being budding Charles Schultz's and rating the work of their fellow creative geniuses. The forum is exploding with commentary in well-organised categories. All this amateur creativity might get a bit much for some, but like a good karaoke contest, you are likely to stumble across some pure gems. The artwork is first class to bolster the occasionally dubious dialogue. In no time you'll be signing up yourself and joining the hoards of instant internationally published comic strip creators. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index
URL: cagle.slate.msn.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Hidden inside the MSN ezine, "Slate", is this incredibly rich collection of works from around the world. Daryl Cagle, master cartoonist, has taken it upon himself to curate and update a massive archive of political editorial cartoons. Nothing is sacred here as all current topics are covered, from war in the Middle East to paedophile priests, privacy and the death penalty. The commentary is sharp and funny and really highlights the stupidity of our system, our leaders and our institutions. There are some interesting cartoons from places like Iran, showing their reaction to the Bush administration's "Axis of Evil" taunts. It's not all doom and gloom, though. There are sporting cartoons and general humour as well. Send a greeting card, check the daily updates or just scour through the countless syndicated and non-syndicated cartoons. There is even a complete guide to help teachers get the kids to understand what all this lampooning is all about. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: Comics.com
URL: www.comics.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Need a Map
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: With a domain name like this, you can expect a pretty major Website. The lucky registrant of comics.com is United Media, a major syndication company whose job it is to get hundreds of comic strips to be seen in thousands of newspapers. The content is so extensive you would get lost if it wasn't for the tabular and drop down menu system they have implemented, which take you to the innumerable strips. Each strip has archives, regular updates and the chance to email your favourites to a friend or get them regularly sent to your own in-tray. There is a large store, selling books, videos, clothing, mugs and more. UA have the rights to some major classics, like Peanuts and Li'l Abner so you will never tire of browsing around this comic superstore. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: YUKYUK.COM
URL: www.yukyuk.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Shockwave, Flash
Review: If weird and twisted, warped and deranged describes your personality, then YukYuk is for you. These interactive shockwave cartoons of such freaks as Xylene, Beetleboy and Dr Fingo-Ho take you through some strange scenarios. They all speak alien languages with the translation popping up along the way, as you click on the pictures to bring life to various mutated creatures. What's the point? Who cares? Just keep clicking away and travel further and further down the road to insanity. You might just escape reality long enough to face it again, or you might just never come back. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Joe Cartoon
URL: www.joecartoon.com
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: If you haven't heard of the "Frog in a Blender" or "Gerbil in a Microwave" you are missing out on some of the best material the Web has produced. Joe Cartoon is a very sick man, and a very talented one, too. These animated splatter fests will desensitize you in minutes to the worst carnage you will ever encounter in your life. These gerbils, frogs and dolphins really cop a hiding and still manage to maintain their good humour. It's sick, it's perverted, and it's very funny. The voices and animations are first class and Joe just keeps adding to the archive more and more vomit-inducing grossness. Be sure to buy a t-shirt so that everyone will know just how insane you really are. You enjoy this gratuitous violence and you are proud of it. - SS
Rating: *****

Name of Site: The WackyCrackHeads
URL: www.wackycrackheads.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Prohibition has promoted Crack cocaine to the front pages of the newspapers and the top of the narcotics bestseller list in the US. It is time to make fun of the whole problem with a gang of freaky psychedelic crack whores and gangsters. The style is pure graffiti with a lot of obscenity and cartoon nudity and shoot-em-up violence thrown in for good measure. Plenty of Ebonics in the dialogue and no respect for anybody or anything - which is kind of exactly what the crack scene has become. If it wasn't so close to the truth it might be funnier. This site is a stoners' paradise. Drugs, flashbacks and freak-outs. Just don't try any of this at home. - SS
Rating: ***

Name of Site: Comics Page
URL: www.comicspage.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: This is the cartoon portal for Tribune Media Services, a major supplier of mirth to publications around the globe. From Mad magazine's Spy vs. Spy to Dick Tracy, Broom Hilda and Fred Basset, the archives are filled with endless reams of comic strips for your enjoyment. Drop down menus provide an easy way to navigate through the content, whilst encouraging you to please buy a t-shirt or other merchandise along the way to help the Web division of the corporation turn a profit. Each comic has a brief "about" section and a bulletin board. The bulletin board system is a little inefficient since is spreads the users across dozens of comics, reducing the overall community involvement. Still, they own a lot of copyright, so you will not be disappointed in the substantial offerings provided. - SS
Rating: ****

Name of Site: Art Comics
URL: www.artcomic.com/index.html
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: This is the world of the independent comic artist. The endless stream of work the major media channels reject. Why do they reject them? Well as you will see sometimes it is because they are just not good enough, but sometimes the material is just not appropriate for their corporate image or editorial stance. Unfortunately this site lacks a little in its presentation, which does not help the budding talents represented. The store is limited, and the "site map" link goes to a credits page and biog of the site's creator - no help. Once you finally do get into the comic strips and cartoons, you will be pleasantly surprised with the standard. Although rather inconsistent, it is certainly as readable as your average collection in your local paper. It's a nice tidy selection of regular characters with a few one-offs to pad out the pages. - SS
Rating: ***

Name of Site: The Funny Papers
URL: www.thefunnypapers.com/main.shtml
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk In The Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Here is a combined cartoon and games portal to keep you occupied in those long late afternoon hours before knock-off time. Java games and solitaire share your attention span with a small but good quality selection of comic strips, single panel comics, serials and featured comics. You can choose to read a wide selection of material on one page or browse the comics by name. Users rank the comics and also rank and recommend comic links so that an active Top 100 links chart is created and the best comics on the site get priority linking on the main page. It is a good idea to have mixed in some games among the cartoons, since most cartoon-only sites can get a little tedious, at least here you can take a breather and blow up a few asteroids while you regain your sense of humour. - SS

By Stefan Sojka

The Drug Reform Coordination Network
www.drcnet.org
The DRCN is a concerned network of earthlings, who, rather than glorifying or condemning any particular drug, are using the net to inform people about the current drug policy catastrophe, and rally support to change the situation. Some very convincing arguments are presented here, which after reading may motivate you to join the mailing list or become more active in helping a global inconsistency which affects us all. The on line library is a wealth of information for anyone interested in the drug problem.
Verdict: A well organised and committed network. This resource won’t go away until the drug war does.
NetWorth: *****

The Webtender
www.webtender.com
For those of us who like to ingest the very popular depressant, alcohol, here you will find your every wish come true when it comes to preparing the drug for consumption. Choose the glass, favourite ingredients, get a serving suggestion and rating of an almost limitless list of permutations (2575 so far!) for this glamorous muscle relaxant and icebreaker. If you like what you see, the friendly Webtender will gladly turn book store proprietor and you can mix these creations at your next party.
Verdict: Bookmark site, buy book, follow instructions, book caterers and band, and shout all your friends a cab home.
NetWorth: ***

Employment Associates Group
www.met-net.com/drug-test
9:15 Monday morning - Spit break! Have a big weekend, did we? At $25 a test, E.A.G. stand to benefit greatly if the work drug test craze catches on. The site is filled with plenty of drug information, reasonably unbiased and well-meaning with lots of drug support group contacts, but one gets the impression these people would like the whole world to miraculously cease the urge to get intoxicated, but just before they do, that their employers buy millions of drug testing kits to help talk them into it. Poor site construction with huge fonts on some pages.
Verdict: Those nasty illegal drugs are going, yet again to help make a few people - including EAG - indirectly very rich. Plenty of helpful info., though.
NetWorth: **

Partnership for a Drug-Free America
www.drugfreeamerica.org
Now this is a friendly looking site, with plenty of down-home advice and information about every kind of drug imaginable. This site is good because it seems to not be so biased toward illicit drugs and acknowledges the severe impact of all the legally condoned ones. For parents you will find a host of tips on why kids use drugs, how to help them resist peer pressure and how your own actions influence you child’s drug-taking patterns. The mission of this organisation seems a little too idealistic, but you never know…
Verdict: Overall a useful and informative site with a noble albeit unrealistic mission. What’s next? www.CelibateAmerica.org ? www.MozartOnly.org ??
NetWorth: *****

Acute Effects of Marihuana
206.61.184.43/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc1e.htm
A fact filled and at times entertaining page concerning the scientific study of the adverse effects of high dosages of THC, like the suicide attempt of a man who smoked 200 grams of hashish, and woke up a few hours later feeling “kinda weird”. The document describes many lab tests carried out to establish LD50. (The dose that would kill 50% of test subjects) It all sounds pretty cruel, but it’s all in the name of science and knowledge.
Verdict: After reading this, you will think twice before feeding your dog 3000 mg/kg of Delta 9 THC.
NetWorth: ***

Official Big Bong Home Page
www.ircsa.com.au/bigbong/index.html
This strangely appealing site includes a complete download of the novella “The Big Bong” an underground cyber-punk science-fiction story. Whereas in the big bang theory, the whole universe was emitted from a single point, the author wishes to achieve world peace by building a single statue. The reviewer didn’t have time to read the entire thing, but it looks like a rollicking roller-coaster ride in a counter-culture theme park, with plenty of political agendas thrown in for good measure.
Verdict: In the words of the author, G J Gray -“There are many possible futures, this is just a happier version than others.”
NetWorth: ****

ECSTACY.ORG
www.ecstasy.org
Just when you thought that moving into the age of designer drugs was as simple as “popping an ekky”, this site discloses to you the complexity of the issues involved with any drug such as MDMA, the positive experiences and the potential dangers of boarding the “E” train. Impartially presented facts, figures, studies, reports, news articles, and feedback from you, the surfer, make this site a much needed source of information for a much publicised and criticised drug.
Verdict: Get informed, be warned, beware, then when the coast is clear…. pop that ekky, just like you were going to anyway! If pain persists, see your doctor.
NetWorth: *****

Mind Books - Psychedelic Titles
www.promind.com
This on-line book store will sell you legal paper representations of everything psychedelic and beyond. Books, yes, books, those original mind-expanding devices are available by the truckload here. Categorised by subject with cover art and brief descriptions, every kind of drug and drug-related topic is dealt with here. There are many links to outside sources and reviews cleverly marked with a little “bye” icon, so you know you are leaving the server. A free dead-tree catalogue is available, and ordering is easy.
Verdict: You definitely won’t find this range of books at your municipal library, so start your own, and tell your friends.
NetWorth: ****

Dark Alliance - The Story Behind the Crack Explosion
cgi.sjmercury.com/drugs/start.htm
Read the column, the epilogue, the time line of the big crack conspiracy. Sacramento journalist, Gary Webb exposes an evil web of control and power who’s epicentre was a couple of dudes and a ghetto kid thinking those little rock’s look pretty cool and marketable. Seems this thing goes all the way to the top. And we let their burger chains and movies in?
Verdict: America’s motto - “In God we trust”? The lord works in mysterious ways.
NetWorth: *****

MedicineNet
www.medicinenet.com
Why not find out about drugs from the experts? Qualified and certified physicians. You’ll only get legal stuff here, but it’s quite a range. A-Z pharmaceutical descriptions like that slip of paper you get with your medications are both informative and scary, making some illicit prescriptions look positively tame in comparison. Check all the other health and medical info on the site.
Verdict: You’ll never subscribe to one of those weekly medical encyclopaedia collections again! Slick front page design and nice background, but light on the web whiz bang from there on in.
NetWorth: ****

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
www.natlnorml.org
This green-text filled front page is the jump in point for the massive NORML network. Tirelessly fighting the draconian laws invoked earlier this century just about when nylon was invented, NORML not only gives you real power to affect change through their channels, but an incredible wealth of political, historical and medical information about this popular but controversial herb. Changing laws is not a cheap and easy thing to do, so sign up with a membership (regular $25-, lifetime $2,500-) and make a difference. Along with DRCNet, this is a big gun in the real drug war, the war of law reform.
Verdict: An essential bookmark, information heavy, but leading you into the marijuana minefield with experience and expertise.
NetWorth: *****

Vintage Video's Drug Den
www.paletteproductions.com/ideal/drugden.htm
Even though most people would assume that drug-taking is a thing one would do to oneself, it could also be argued that it might be fun to watch other people doing it in the comfort of your favourite TV chair. These video’s are either classic romps through the sex and drug-crazed 60’s and 70’s, or entertaining propaganda films, like “Reefer Madness”, that the US government utilised to help “educate” their nation. It’s probably worth emailing them first before you order any of these “classics” just in case they’ve been busted. The video’s would most likely have to be converted to Australian standard as well.
Verdict: Quite a selection of curiously-titled gems. LSD seems to be the main inspiration here, probably why the site hasn’t been updated in a while.
NetWorth: ***

Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-operative
www.ustobaccofarmer.com
Direct from the heart of tobacco county comes this web-marketing vehicle for the world’s number one preventable killer. Unfortunately, these poor farmers’ ancestors got into the business way before the health risks were known, thereby forcing their descendants to keep trying to off load their produce on the market. One assumes that the creators of this site have taken as a given the multitude of health risks associated with tobacco, since they don’t seem to mention it too often here. It’s an attractive and informative presentation extolling the comparative virtues of U.S. tobacco over the “substandard” overseas product, and upholding the claim that this particular leaf variety is the backbone of the US economy.
Verdict: Grab yer spitoon and pipe and start a’chewin’ and a-smokin’, the terbackie industry is a-fightin’ on back! Yee haa!!!
NetWorth: ****

North Florida Shroom Guide
www.jug-or-not.com/shroom
If you don’t like foraging through the fields looking for psychedelic fungii, and running the risk of killing yourself by eating the wrong ones, try following these growing instructions. Apparently, you can get spores legally in some countries, and all you have to do is get them going, and you’ve got yourself a psychedelic garden that Don Burke would never feature! The graphics are definitely psilocybin inspired.
Verdict: Handy home grown hints from a do-it-your-selfer’s personal diary of mushie-madness.
NetWorth: ***

Disembodied Eyes
www.cnw.com/~neuro/gaz
Right from the start, this site presents as a psychedelic realm, with freaky pictures and the names of a few brain-triggering substances that only an expert would have even heard of. We are talking ethnopharmacology, the science of tribal drug-taking. Once you delve into this field, you will wonder what all the fuss is about the few mild narcotics our society seems so hung up on. There are some pretty esoteric hallucinogens out there, and here’s the place to find out all about them. Plenty of cool links, too.
Verdict: It’s different, it’s refreshing, it’s completely mind-bending. You may have to relinquish your belief systems first, though. This is the world of shamans and ancient magic.
NetWorth: *****

The Shroom Room
www.alternativelifestyles.com/shrooms
Here you will find everything you need, legally available to cultivate and cook the world’s most favourite natural hallucinogen. Instructional video’s, books, even a complete kit with a lifetime supply of spores are available for quite reasonable prices. You could spend the same money on a bottle of expensive champagne, but you wouldn’t have any where near as much fun in the garden.
Verdict: Buy. Try. Fly. It’s a ‘shroom boom!
NetWorth: ****

Medical Marijuana
www.medical-marijuana.com
So, you are feeling a little ill, perhaps stricken with one or more of a thousand different diseases. No problem, just order up your supply of medicine from these dudes. Somehow, it seems a little spurious that these supposedly authorised dope dealers are prescribing smoking as a health option. It kind of gives away the game that they really just want to legalise pot for everyone, since smoking the stuff ought to be a big no-no on the medical front. You don’t smoke paracetamol or aspirin, do you? This is a loophole that needs mending and a real solution found to the issue. Capsules? Vaporisers?
Verdict: Tell your doctor to check it out, you may be in dire need of smoking a big joint to cure your emphysema.
NetWorth: ***

The Psychedelic Underground Philez
www.comland.com/~cult/filez.html
Type in a few key words into a search engine, and you never know what you’ll find. This collection of downloadable .txt and .zip files, among other things, contains recipes, handy hints, a list of psychedelic organisations, freaky pictures and faq’s. A serious drug user’s site worth checking out for the odd bit of info you might not find elsewhere.
Verdict: For users, of users, by a user, this could be just the ticket for that trip you’ve been planning.
NetWorth: ***

Narcotics Anonymous
www.wsoinc.com
After taking just a few too many of the old intoxicants, it may be time to seek help for your endless craving for that chemical high. This is the world H.Q. of N.A. and will tell you the contact info for your local chapter. The site, for a world centre, is quite straight forward and basic in it’s presentation, no doubt because if you really want their help, you are going to have to get off line and go to a meeting. Maybe in a few years time they will be able to sort you out form the comfort of your desktop. But until then, this is just info only for those that are ready to take the big step, or twelve.
Verdict: Check the number of local help-lines, this has got to be working! If you think it’s all a load of hogwash, it’s probably time you gave them a call…
NetWorth: ***

Sovrana Trading Corporation - Lavazza Coffee
sovrana.com
The legal drug manufacturers always seem to have more money to spend on presenting their product to the market. Sexy images, paraphernalia and historical information of this 100 year old stimulant manufacturer all affirm the general acceptance we have of this drug into our culture, and the marketing and packaging that comes with legitimacy. If you are a real coffee addict, Sovrana has put up a few coffee links to follow once you finished here.
Verdict: Drink up, surf’s up! Caffeine is here to stay.
NetWorth: ****

Recreational Drug Futures
(no longer operational)
Corner41 presents us here with what looks like a real stock-market report of drug prices in Australia. It’s quite amusing, with prices fluctuating because of rain, war and harvest times. Visitors from overseas could be fooled into thinking there was some major drug trading going on in this country, which, of course, there is. At the bottom of the page there are some links to some fictitious magazine style marijuana ads you might like to have a chuckle at. Brand names like “Bent”, “Suck” and “Skunk” appear realistic enough.
Verdict: Look into the crystal ball. It’s only a matter of time and this stuff could be serious.
NetWorth: ****

Addiction Research Foundation
www.arf.org
This site contains a vast supply of information about all drugs of addiction. An agency of the Ontario Ministry of Health and founded in 1949, the ARF’s mission is to use it’s resources to reduce the impact of addiction on the Ontario community. They have done so well that their efforts can now help the entire planet via this most comprehensive web site. After all this time, it must be clear that drug problems can’t be eliminated, but with the right focus, the damage can be significantly abated. ARF has put in the effort in a caring and thoughtful way. Those lovely Canadians!
Verdict: Bookmark, and before you begin spiralling down that dark tunnel of addiction, take a look at a few facts here. There may just be some light at the end of the tunnel.
NetWorth: *****

The Vaults of Erowid
www.erowid.com
Talk about a comprehensive drug site! The creators of Erowid seem to view chemical stimulation of the mind as a spiritual experience, almost inseparable from the condition of being human. Armed with their beliefs and about a million hours of spare web programming time, they present us with all things chemical in a sometimes dark and psychedelic, sometimes clean and clinically informative arena where the mind can expand beyond all measure, unless, of course you are measuring in milligrams. Links are excellent, as well, with both pro and anti-drug addresses represented.
Verdict: Check this site out now, before they all get arrested and burnt at the stake along with their evil computers.
NetWorth: *****

Hyperreal Drug Archives
www.hyperreal.org/drugs
This is an invaluable drug resource. No “stone” has been left unturned here as you click away and discover an entire universe of psycho-active chemicals, both natural and man made. Hyperreal is an alternative culture zenith in the cybercelestial galaxy, and the drug department leaves many a stand-alone drug site for dead. The emphasis is on the newer rave party drugs, but you will still find your opiates, depressants and nootropics. There is even a city by city price report!
Verdict: Here’s the deal, Hyperreal is unreal. It’s appeal, and all it reveals, is making the DEA reel.
NetWorth: *****

High Times Magazine
www.hightimes.com/~hightimes/welcome.html
From the latest in drug law reform news to pot jokes and bong shops, this on line version of the popular magazine has it all when it comes to cannibis and other recreational narcotics. You can even order collectors’ back issues as far back as the mid 70’s. A commercial publishing concern, the site is smooth, attractive and loaded with stuff that most non-profit sites couldn’t dream of competing against.
Verdict: Another essential bookmark for the narcotic oriented web surfer.
NetWorth: ****

The Lycaeum
www.lycaeum.org
Claiming to be the world’s largest entheogenic library and community, with 8,255 HTML pages and 21,128 public files, they could be fairly close to the mark. Chat rooms, on line store, member services, drug war archives, they certainly seem to have a lot of bases covered here. They even host users personal and business pages. Anyone would think, upon viewing this site, that drug laws had been reformed years ago. Until they are, with an offering like this, the owners must sleep fairly lightly, and be ever-expectant of the big knock on the door by the Fed’s.
Verdict: Visit it, join it, contribute to it, the Lycaeum is your very own world of the ever-expanding mind.
NetWorth: ****

The Assembly of IaHUShUA MaShIaChaH
iahushua.com/Hemp.html
These highly spiritual people regard hemp as the “sacred herb” given to us by God to uplift us to realms of consciousness unknown by the uninitiated. If that means sitting around all red-eyed and talking drivel while craving chocolate biscuits, then they might have something here. After much exaltation of what most people call “dope” this site will then take you to the ancient scriptures and go on to prove that we are all evil sinners breaking all ten commandments every day of our lives and contributing to the damnation of the world, unless, of course, we subscribe to the lifestyle and philosophy “the assembly” is promoting.
Verdict: Must be about time to roll another joint, God. Make it a big one, we are going straight to heaven!
NetWorth: ***

Wet Planet Beverages
www.joltcola.com
Creators of the famed “twice-the-caffeine” Jolt Cola, now produce a range of power drinks and “caffeine delivery systems”, each with their own web domain and snazzy style. Wet Planet want to soak the web with the marketing of products that do little more than what a vitamin tablet, a glass of water and a no-doze could easily manage. These drinks make you feel so goooood. “XTC”, “Krunch -2 - 0” and “Blu-Botol”, water in a blue bottle!! How far can product creation go?
Verdict: Hyper-Drinks, with the emphasis on the “Hype” - pour these drinks into rose-coloured glasses.
NetWorth: ****

Jolt Gallery
www.ozemail.com.au/~res/joltc/gallery.htm
On your way to the jolt cola home page, at drop on by this amusing little collection of historical figures indulging in the power drink revolution. Simple superimposed cans of Jolt into the hands of Mona Lisa, Lennon, Bogart, Becker etc. might raise a chuckle. Not much else here, though, is there?
Verdict: This site has got about as much content as a thimbleful of Jolt, but it is amusing.
NetWorth: ***

Concerning Heroin
atlas.comet.net/~bigfun/heroin.htm
For anyone who wants a glimpse into the reality of living a life directly in touch with the consumer end of the heroin market, this site will provide you with incredible detail and insight. This is basically someone’s home page who, along with her friends, have so much to say about so many things, you can’t help but wonder what kind world these people inhabit. Neo-Nazi-s, Speed Metal heads, Hippies, astrologers. The site is an incredible documentary of American street life. Here is heroin - deglamourized and demystified. Links galore if you are researching this most powerful of painkillers.
Verdict: Quick, someone bus in a team of therapists! Not to help these people, but to learn from them.
NetWorth: *****

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
www.maps.org
A research and educational organisation devoted to the understanding of mind altering substances. The intention is to reduce ignorance and expand the useful potential of psycho active drugs. There are 1400 members, so the knowledge and skills base is broad. They even hold conferences! Imagine the cocktail party and dinner on day 5. With all this collective research, MAPS is making inroads into harm-reduction and law reform with it’s sheer weight of credible effort.
Verdict: Throw away your bongs, the vapourizers are coming.
NetWorth: ****

National Families In Action
www.emory.edu/NFIA/index.html
With the belief that prevention is the best solution to the drug problems of our world, NFIA are using awareness and education to reduce the devastating effects of drugs on our society. Unfortunately, the “no-use” message they would like to get to young adults and children seems a little unrealistic. It’s a case of ‘it’s bad for you, don’t do it’ which, as we all know as we gobble down another chocolate, is a tough rule to follow. The information is clear and accurate on the whole, and between the lines you can feel the sadness some of these families have probably felt as their own members succumbed to drugs. Legal drugs don’t get off very easily here, either.
Verdict: Get the picture, it isn’t that pretty. A counterbalance to the counterculture.
NetWorth: ****

Cures Not Wars On Line
www.cures-not-wars.org
Another drug activist page from the “take ‘em” side of the fence. We all want safer healthier ways to get smashed, and we don’t need to be arrested too often for it, either. The focus of the drug problem for this organisation is the structure of the market, and the way the profiteers are using the highly addictive drugs to pervade society, while other just as enjoyable, but non-addictive drugs remain out of reach, even unheard of.
Verdict: There are many ways to escape reality, and one of them shouldn’t really, for the user at least, be a jail cell.
NetWorth: ***

Crew 2000
www.electricfrog.co.uk/crew2000
Without condemning or condoning drugs, Crew 2000 run a web site and shop to inform and reach out to young people who may use drugs. The idea is to create realistic profile of what drugs are to help people choose to use or not to use. If they decide to use, the Crew are there to help you piece your brain back together the next day. This is one of the first sites I have seen to mention solvents. The information is concise and easy to follow, which is a change from some of the more scientific and esoteric stuff that’s out there.
Verdict: The simple, impartial and realistic approach is certainly admirable. A practical handy hints site for young potential statistics.
NetWorth: ****

National Institute on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov
Since kicking off in the mid 70’s NIDA has grown to become a mega-hub of help for the world in response to the problems of drug abuse. Publications, committee’s, organisational units, research programs, NIDA is so big, it has probably grown a little sluggish with bureaucracy, but still has the resources to enact a few initiatives. This is the government’s red cross tent in the middle of the drug war which it started.
Verdict: For all the effort, there are probably many other places you would turn to first. They might come to you, though, after your 15th arrest.
NetWorth: ***

Sound Photosynthesis
sound.photosynthesis.com/index.html
After you have ingested, inhaled or imbibed your favourite intoxicant, you may want to freak yourself out with sound and vision, and maybe get into the whole mind expansion trip, find out where it’s coming from and where it gets off. Most of this stuff would probably never come to your local video store, but there is so much material here it will only be a matter of time before it becomes a cable TV channel. Meanwhile, if you just can’t wait, you might have to start ordering.
Verdict: In their own words “a unique audio video archive”. That’s exactly what it is. Go check it out.
NetWorth: ****

By Stefan Sojka

Base Jumping
www.maxho.com/~outrager
Forget about living on the edge - jump off the thing! Dozens of photos of people doing what comes unnaturally - leaping to their deaths, only to be saved by a bit of string and fabric. Unfortunately, or fortunately, there are no how-to's, tips and tricks here, just a dude celebrating his and his friends outrageous addiction, which he even had to sell his Porsche to maintain. It looks pretty damn exciting, but I'm sure you'd void all your insurance policies even thinking about doing it. You can follow the links to the cliff-jumping association to make sure you stay alive if you ever want to try this at home.
Sample: The pictures speak for themselves. No text here.
Verdict: Contradicting the basic urge to stay alive - uh, feels good! - SS
NetWorth: ***

Snowboarding Australia
www.snowboardaustralia.org.au
Thanks to cable TV and its thirst for exciting sporting images to fill up air-time, snowboarding is really starting to take off as a serious professional sport. Sponsorships aplenty offer opportunities for young dudes and dudettes in colourful garb, to rise through the world ranks and blow the world away with their acrobatic risk-taking displays. Thanks to the SBA, Aussie riders are getting the support and organisational backing to make a big splash on the world scene. Events, rankings, profiles and sponsorship links make this site a respectable vehicle for the burgeoning sport.
Sample: Nickname: Jack Years riding: many Favourite Resort: LAAX, Switzerland, and Saas Fee, Switzerland Other interests: Skateboarding, movies, making jokes, being bad ass.
Verdict: The rising stars of Aussie Sport - SS
Net Worth: ****

Hang Gliding WWW Server Home Page
www.sky-adventures.com/hang/HGMPSHomePage.html
Yup, it's hang glider heaven here. Countless photos, movie clips, a chat room, mailing list digests, simulation software, commercial suppliers, clubs, schools, cartoons and comics - you'd have to say they have got all the bases covered. All you have to do now is strap up and leap! Add your link if you have your own hang gliding site. This really is HG HQ. Anything that throws you skyward without a safety net is here. Paragliding, powered parachutes, ultra-lights, sailplanes and home made death traps are guaranteed to get the adrenal gland over-producing.
Sample: "Hang Glider Wanted - I began lessons years ago and quit due to wife. She's now gone, but desire to continue lessons isn't. Need good beginner glider."
Verdict: Join the life and limb-risking brigade now. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Welcome to SkydiveNet
www.skydivenet.com
What looks like a small site with a big name containing a few links turns out to be a huge site with a big name containing all the links you'd ever need. After checking out the fatalities page, which is dedicated to highlighting what went wrong and trying to prevent future airborne mishaps, you can follow a link to dropzone.com - a parachuting portal of prodigious proportions.
Sample: "The deceased hit the ground. The reserve container was open, but this could have been from impact. One report indicates some heavy partying the night before, with very little sleep before resuming jumping. He was not using an audible altimeter. Lessons: Pull thy handles. If something seems "strange" pull right away... Know Thyself: If you're exhausted, or really hungover, you're in no shape to skydive."
Verdict: Plummet directly towards this site. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Dropzone.com
www.dropzone.com
"No use having such an awesome domain name and not using it" - wise words from Mr Zone himself, Sangrio, who has moved his totally tricked-up site to a new home, creating a world magnet for the latently suicidal community. Not just content to gloat about plane jumping prowess, he also offers new chute designs, events, forums, safety issues and featured flying freaks, making for an all round exhilarating experience. Heaps of dramatic photos, too, in all disciplines. This is the skydiving community in action. Join the club!
Sample: "If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you."
Verdict: Pretty fly for a parachute. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Paul's Parachuting
www.paulsparachuting.com.au
With his drop zone up in Far North Queensland, Paul's parachuting offers the ultimate weekend adrenalin rush in an on-line ad that looks almost as cool as Cairns would look hurtling towards you at 100 miles an hour. Shockwave whiz-bangery entices you in a big way to overcome your fears and take the plunge. What have you got to lose? Oh yes, your life… well, go the tandem jump and leave it up to the professionals to get you down in one uncompressed piece.
Sample: "Up to 60 seconds of mind blowing free-fall, followed by 5 minutes under parachute - the most spectacular view in the world."
Verdict: Shockwave fear suppression - go the jump! - SS
NetWorth: ****

Advanced Ultralight Aircraft and Aviation News
www.ultralightnews.com
What is it with Ultralights? Doesn't anyone realise how dangerous they are? How can you expect to tinker around with a lawn mower motor, strap it onto a few pillow cases stretched across coathangers and expect to live if you launch yourself skyward? Well many a folk do, and here is where the madness begins. Personally I wouldn’t go anywhere near an aeroplane engine whose manufacturer has a troubleshooting home page, but I guess that's half the fun of the sport. You never know when the "putt-putt" sound will stop and be replaced by the "aaaaaaarrrrgghhhh" sound.
Sample: "While the human body has amazing recuperative properties (don't I know it - 12 broken ribs, two punctured lungs, broken back, broken leg, broken ankle, fractured pelvis) - a two stroke engine "can not heal itself!"
Verdict: Newsflash guys - don't even think about it! - SS
NetWorth: ***

Skateworld
come.to/skateworld
Even though the 16 year old who put this site together seems to have found girls and left the upkeep behind somewhat, this rather out-of date site does offer enough to be worth checking out. How to do the coolest moves, blueprints to build your own ramps, a few links, message board, chat and photos pepper this place with features, but unfortunately the dude needs to get his marketing together to make it really fly. Anyone wanna email him and pick up the slack here? Sponsors? Most of the hard work is done and it is getting use, just needs some corporate cred.
Sample: "Hard-flip -Try this move still at first. Stand in kick-flip position with your feet in close. Pop the tail then let the board go inbetween your legs. If you do this correctly the board should do a half spin back-flip and a half kick-flip. Then land."
Verdict: And if you make a mistake - you can join the sopranos - SS
NetWorth: ****

Welcome to the Wild Things.com Directory
www.wildthings.com
Forget trawling through millions of search engine results for your favourite addictive adventure pastime. If you wanna know for sure, jump into this list and make your heart sing and make everything groovy, as they have already categorised the sports and adventures and attracted a whole pile of submissions of cool sites in every category. At least you have narrowed your search down to a few dozen or so sites to browse - BMX, bungee, kayaking, skating, paintball - all the fun stuff.
Sample: "Click here to visit our sponsor"
Verdict: Wild things, I think I love you - SS
NetWorth: ****

Nose Wheelie Home
www.nosewheelie.com
In the early days of skateboards (when I used to ride), we used to have to wear straps to go airborne. It was a world of 360's, slalom, handstands, click clacks and of course the then very cool nose wheelie. Here we have a nostalgic yet up-to-date zone for those of us who haven't quite caught up with the up-and-coming aerial tricksters. Link yourself to a whole world of old-schoolers and if you skate through some of these cyber-parks, you may even decide to pull out the old deck and start practicing up a few new tricks, you old dog.
Sample: "You won't find much on how to do ollies here, but we do link to some of the better "new school" pages. We mainly cover longboarding along with some of the forgotten skateboard disciplines--flatland freestyle, bank riding, slalom, downhill, etc."
Verdict: Dusting off the old arm-breaker. - SS
NetWorth: ****

XTREME SPORTS
www.xtreme-sports.com
It's a bit of a case of "nice domain name shame about the site" here as you discover that it is merely a mountain bike brand name spare parts site. Sure you can get all the trick parts to get you through your next overland endurance or stunt riding challenge, but this is a web site, not a mail order catalogue. Where is the news, tech tips, message board, cool rider of the week, competition roster, readers' sites? This is the Internet, dudes. Now get on your bike and follow a link outta here.
Sample: "The Ultimate Site for Dedicated Mountain Bikers" (?) I think not.
Verdict: Xtremely disappointing. - SS
NetWorth: **

A-Z of Paragliding
www.paragliding.net
Keep it simple, tacky and clunky, but make it work. That seems to be paragliding.net's philosophy. Easy to maintain pages allow for plenty of info to be posted and udpdated without forking out mega-bucks for a redesign. A straight forward approach of "link to us, we'll link to you, we got the domain so we'll dish out the info", gives the enthusiast a trouble free flight through the site. They have even linked to the AltaVista translator to make it easy for everyone.
Sample: "Reserve parachute. If you end up throwing it, make sure that it will open (have it repacked at least every 6 months). In fact make sure that it is still there (unlike the story of the guy who threw out some lunch box instead of
the reserve that should have been there!)."
Verdict: The perfect paragliding portal. - SS
NetWorth: *****

New Zealand Snowboarding - Boarder Zone
www.boarderzone.co.nz
I don't know who is paying for this, but it surely is a beauty and worth every penny. Clean, colourful and packed with content, boarderzone not only instils in the viewer a sense of excitement about snowboarding and the NZ scene, it takes you there and everywhere with a travel department dedicated to shoving your face in the snow at every available opportunity. It's gotta be good for tourism, and it's definitely great for the sport. Reports, chat, events, features, weather reports and multimedia grabs make this one happening stop-over on your global chase for thrills and spills in the winter chill.
Sample: "Dash for cash - Third place went to Queenstown's Miles Holden who tried to gain extra speed from flares attached to his skis, but incurred some wind resistance from a huge pair of artificial breasts.."
Verdict: It's downhill all the way! - SS
NetWorth: *****

Yo Beat Magazine
www.yobeat.com
Yo, dude, uh, like, awesome, uh… yo. If these guys were any cooler they'd freeze. The hippest cats this side of an MTV game show, give you the vibes from the slopes, dishing out the humour, the attitude and the full coverage of the hard-core boarding events. Join the in-crowd, invest in a plane ticket, some woolly underwear and a case of beer, and you'll, be, like, yo…totally sick and insane.
Sample: "While last year was all about biting, this year you wore your hunter orange Four Square/Special Blend clothing and dissed. It didn't matter what you dissed on, as long as you were above it, and you were, of course, better than just about everything.
Since you finally wised up to the fact that snowboard rock is but commercial pop, and Rap is only cool when you're wearing your Tommy Gear, this year you worshiped the number of the beast. Slayer, Sabbath, Metallica- it doesn't matter as long as it went along with the skull and flames of your Yohan sticker. Death, Destruction, Mutilation; Metal Lives!"
Verdict: Nothin' better than slammin' your head into a nearby tree. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Extreme Explorations
www.itv.net/extreme
The real adventure on the ski slopes is turning the spectacular visuals and thrilling rides into a consumable product for film and video and seeing if you can't make a buck out of it. EE does just that. They travel the globe with the world's best and film those action shots you can't help fixing your gaze on if they happen to grace a screen within view. With tales of the filming, samples, a net show and press releases, you are taken into the "adrenaline zone" - never to be the same again. Switch on to the power of multi-media action. If you are an adventurer yourself, perhaps you should send them your resume. Who knows what they'll be looking to film next?
Sample: "We will highlight the people living extreme lives, who, while exploring the frontiers of human potential, actively seek a harmonious balance between the world's ecosystem and human adventure."
Verdict: Scaling the lofty heights with a camera. - SS
NetWorth ****

Tasmanian Wild River Adventures
www.wildrivers.com.au
Can I click on anything here? The email link? Why? I haven't seen the site yet. The departure dates? But I haven't decided if I want to go… OK I'll click it. Ah, so that's where the site is hiding! The backyard web design job I guess goes hand in hand with the rugged wilderness settings you'll be seeing blurs of as you pelt down the rivers of death gripping the sides with white knuckles and grinding teeth. I don't think even a chopper could pluck you out if you blew it on the water. Check the maps, the river itinerary. It's actually a fantastic way to see our wilderness with a bit of hair-raising thrown in. Well-priced, too.
Sample: "The 11-day trip gives rafters the opportunity to experience the river in all its forms. As a young, narrow river high in the mountains, it winds through untouched, narrow gorges before building in size as tributaries enter through the majestic and challenging "Great Ravine". In the lower sections, the landforms change as the Franklin widens, and rafters are struck by the contrast of long tranquil sections interposed with both large and gentle rapids."
Verdict: Take some time out and live. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Latitude Zero
www.mikehorn.com
In these days of the shrinking world of communications and cheap air fares, Mike Horn grabs our world in huge bear hug of adventure and finds out just how much the fat lady has shrunk, and whether she'll sing when he's done. These are also the days of positive thinking - whatever you can dream, you can be - that kind of thing. Mike is out to not only take on the planet's last big test, but also to cash in on it big time on the corporate speaking circuit when he's done. Check out the amazing route - around the equator - no turns, no diversions. Follow the whole trip right here. The highs, the lows, the absolute stupidity of even trying.
Sample: "He will sail across the oceans, walk across land through dense jungle, over volcanoes, mountains, deserts, lakes and swampland. After 16 months of physical and mental endurance, pushing himself to his absolute limit, he will reach his destination – his exact starting point!"
Verdict: Making the Solo man look like a snivelling little mummy's boy. - SS
NetWorth: *****

The Mountaineers' Home Page
www.mountaineers.org
Man's long time adversary, the mountain, has been beckoning the adventure-seeker since time began. Since 1906, the Mountaineers as an organisation has seen it all, in the way of major achievements and technological advances, that have brought the mountain much closer to all of us. With all that history behind it, the web site can offer plenty in the way of reading material, pictorials, courses, networks, activities and a club magazine to bond all the crazy people together in their desire to do what spiders, ants and cockroaches do every day - climb up walls.
Sample: "The Mountaineers is a non-profit outdoor recreation and conservation club with over 15,000 members in the Puget Sound region and beyond. Our members share a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for good fellowship."
Verdict: Throwing the rock climber a line. - SS
NetWorth: ***

The Himalayan Explorers Club
www.hec.org
With all the media focus, legend and romanticism over the years attributed to the most awesome bumpy bits the world has got, the HEC has established itself to balance the hype with an environmental perspective, promoting an appreciation of the great lumps, and encouraging safe exploration. That way you won't have to end up a failed and frozen nameless corpse, but rather a successful also-ran, sitting by the fire back home with a renewed sense of wonder at the large white sticking out bits we think we know so well.
Sample: "Every year, over 300,000 tourists visit the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. Some 85,000 of these tourists go trekking in the hills and mountain regions, while the others stay in the Kathmandu valley or go on jungle safaris. Many tourists are not well informed about Nepalese cultural values or the sensitivity of the natural environment to tourism".
Verdict: A cyber-crag worth scaling. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Chill Factor
www.cyberski.com.au
Internet Awards finalists last year, Chill Factor keep the dream alive by bringing you a content-rich Aussie ski domain that covers everything from independent weather reports, racing news, photo gallery, maps, travel agents and accommodation, even the odd desktop pattern. Skier profiles are added monthly, so there is a chance for you to get on up there yourself, if you happen to be a legend on the slopes. If not, get in and use the site anyway - that's what it's there for.
Sampler: "I am a beginner snowboarder and so is my cousin. We could really use some tips and tricks sent to us every now and then. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!
Doctor Dick - the trick to snowboarding is ... GO HARD ... GET PLENTY OF AIR ... ASK QUESTIONS LATER!! Seriously though, no pain = no gain. Play around and experiment yourself. There are some great videos about, check them out and then go copy the latest tricks."
Verdict: Independent advice for adrenaline-dependent freaks. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Luge Australia
atomtv.com/luge
Plugins: yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, good quality
Internal links: 100
Of all the extreme sports, street luge looks like one of the most insane. Well might you ask: what kind of death-wish freak would lie down on a long skinny board so they can hurtle at high speed down a steep and winding road with nought for protection but a leather suit and helmet? This site aims to dispel common misconceptions about the sport by providing safety advice from some of Australia's street luge experts, including tips on reading and riding your favourite hills. If you want to hook up with other gravity addicts you'll find several excellent links and forums right here, plus of course, loads of action photos to enjoy during quieter moments at work… or something.
Rating: ***

Lifelounge
www.lifelounge.com.au
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Heavy, good quality
Internal links: 30
Lifelounge serves up all kinds of entertainment flavours for bright young consumers of trends armed with fast net connections and cranked hardware. Picking up where so many other 'youth' destinations left off so tragically/dramatically last year (RIP K*Grind, Scape et al), the site mixes excellent photo galleries, movies and short/punchy interactions with some fairly clued-up reporting on the latest happenings for skaters, snowboarders and surfers. While you'll probably end up spending too much time cacking yourself in the Carnage photo gallery loaded with images of other extremists enjoying all kinds of physical punishment, if you have the urge for a different kind of stylin' check out the quality fashion, music and travel sections too.
Rating: ****

Vital Gear
www.vitalgear.com
Plugins: No
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Medium, average quality.
Internal links: 20
Vital Gear is something like the Yahoo! for extreme and action sports including BMX, freestyle motocross, skyboarding, street luge and wakeboarding. Bookmark this site because it contains hundreds of links in all categories to fling you off to shopping, community and gallery sites in your chosen sport - but visit regularly for the chance to win some fairly tasty prizes (free stuff is mostly good stuff, right?). The photo gallery is a funny feature which seems to have been modeled on the AmIHotOrNot concept ( www.amihotornot.com ) - you get to vote on each action pic to decide if the stunt is tight or weak… I guess that some people prefer to mouth-off this way, because the forums on the site were empty last time I visited.
Rating: **

Reel Fresh TV
www.pov-tv.com
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Heavy, excellent quality
Internal links: 100
Reel Fresh is one of the more stylish action video streaming sites I've dived into for a long time. Armed with Apple's QuickTime 4 and a reasonably fast net link you can spend hours here catching up on the latest events in your favourite sports including BMX, kiteboarding and skating. The best feature on offer is the POV (Point Of View) archive which is loaded with multiple camera-angle footage of each action sequence. For example, the windsurfing footage selection covers views from the rider's head, down on the board, along the boom and up on the mast - and you can quickly switch between each perspective for that full on-board experience. Coupled with neat design, Reel Fresh TV is (hopefully) a taste of things to come in interactive TV.
Rating: *****

Extreme Sports
www.extremesports.com
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Heavy, good quality
Internal links: 50
What is an extreme sport anyway? A competitive activity pushed as far as possible until it becomes prohibitively dangerous or difficult? This attractive looking site is pumped with news and images from around the world of sports people trying their hardest to outdo each other… but that's not what makes it special. No, the content itself, which takes in just about any limit-breaking sport, is worth repeat visits. Sure, you'll see some mind blowing visuals of bikers, boarders and jumpers which justify the 'extreme' tag, but if you dig just beneath the surface you'll find stories on some, frankly, ridiculous 'extreme' sports.. such as, erm, golf. Check the piece on the Ice Golf World Championship held on the fjord ice in Uummannaq, Greenland for a good laugh.
Rating: *****

Shred Now
www.shrednow.com
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Heavy, good quality
Internal links: 120
Expecting a huge site about boarding I was very surprised to encounter an encyclopedia of sports and adventure activities sorted into a huge list of confusing (though seemingly self-explanatory) categories. For example, the 'Air' category takes in everything you do in the air: such as cluster ballooning, skydiving, ski jumping and paragliding. But it also includes a whole range of sports where an object - not an athlete - is airborne, including disc throwing, kite flying and skittles. Some of these sports are a little tame, but for a few happy hours of wild tangents, you won't find a kookier site dedicated to bringing you interesting sporting facts and images. Sadly, the sections on some of the more interesting centuries-old sports involving animals, including birding, dog sledding, and camel racing were empty…

Skateboard
www.skateboard.com
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Medium, good quality
Internal links: 50
I like the cheeky and unapologetic attitude of this site: "Extreme ping pong? Polo? Parcheesi? Sorry, only skateboarding". Any skate-head who has spent more than five seconds scratching around online will probably be a member of this site already, because the community services and expert advice here are top quality. The Skatelife zine delivers thought-itching features and interviews with the pros about skate techniques, issues (legalities are high on the agenda), equipment and events, while Skate 101 should sort out beginners with some easy-to-follow tips on basic moves, safety, tricks and looking after the gear. Now, if you're stuck indoors for a long time - maybe it’s raining, or your broke something - the Hang Out is your place: it has games, streaming video, contests and some very busy graphical chat rooms which you enter by picking a cheesy cartoon image before cruising around a bunch of skate parks in the USA. Skateboard.com is an impressive site aimed at a very difficult-to-please market.

Planet X
www.planetx.net.au
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Heavy, good quality
Internal links: 80
Taking multimedia to the extreme, Planet X is the Web arm (or foot) of an empire that includes Summer and Winter games, Street competitions, a TV show and print mag. The site itself is more than a teaser, it offers a community space where members can access archives, seek advice and enter regular competitions linked to some of the biggest extreme sports events in Australia. If you've seen the show, or grabbed a copy of the free mag then you'll know what you're in for: crazy shit with killer visuals.
Rating: ****

Extremists
www.extremists.com.au
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Easy
Graphics: Medium, good quality
Internal links: 20
Extremists is another quality Australian site focused on reporting on the latest hardcore sports events around the world which began life as a personal homepage on a local ISP back in 96. Since then the site has grown to serve as an easy-to-access jump station for Extremists all over the planet thanks to the popular Extreme Top 50 and huge Sports Directory links sections. If you're gagging for high colour pictures of hardcore action head straight for the On Camera experience and enjoy categorised images of your favourite activities. Most extreme content? Well… the Advice Chick section comes way out of left field with an Agony Aunt-style column about sex - but none of the sexual issues discussed are particularly extreme. Go figure…
Rating: ***

Extreme Road Trip
www.theextremeroadtrip.com/Roadtrip
Plugins: Yes
Navigability: Medium
Graphics: Heavy, good quality.
Internal links: 15
Is this the ultimate scam/tax deduction or what? The Extreme Road Trip is the online journal of a bunch of friends who wanted to belt around America together in a motorhome searching for the best places to enjoy their favourite sports. So why do they deserve props? Well, I think this statement says it all: "We want to encourage members of our generation, and those that came before and will follow, to get off the couch and get out there and try the world out for themselves!" Sure, you might not get to spend nearly nine months on the road (and in the air, on the grass, snow etc) but without much effort, you can recreate this experience in weekend-bender versions, Grab a digicam, a couple of mates and get out there!
Rating: ****

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: Save the Children Australia
URL: www.savethechildren.org.au
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: A slick site with all the info you need to help these people help children all over the world. Actually there’s more here than you might expect with news on such things as movie previews with the proceeds going towards this charity or the links you need to find a job within the organisation. If I had to nit-pick, (and I do like to occasionally), I’d single out the use of redundant title pages into each sub section of the site and the over-use of java script in the navigation, that only slows the site down, but its all done with the best intentions, so they are forgiven! - SS

Name of Site: Médecins Sans Frontières
URL: www.msf.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash Acrobat Reader
Review: ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ or ‘Doctors Without Boarders’ is a wonderful venture and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. I think the web site may have helped them here as it is rich with information and lots of goodies to keep you surfing. Take a virtual tour of a refugee camp - a real eye-opener - or download their latest newsletter. The site is very well mapped out and very easy to navigate. The odd bit of flash loads quickly and is well made. I found out enough about Médecins Sans Frontières to become an advocate at my next dinner party, a good indication that the site not only works well but delivers the message. - SS

Name of Site: Royal Blind Society
URL: www.rbs.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: As you might expect, this site is uncluttered, with no zappy graphics and other web toys. Instead it just gets to the point using black text on white pages. And what is the point? Information about the society and what they do in improve the lives of the blind and the sight impaired. Order your Christmas cards online or check out the next play to offer ‘audio described’ theatre performances. Ever wanted to be a ‘Talking Newspaper’? Here’s your chance, as the society loves to attract volunteers. - SS

Name of Site: Australian Red Cross
URL: www.redcross.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: When volunteers for the Australian Red Cross aren’t in the field, I think they must take turns working on this web site. It’s fast and easy to use with good use of Java script navigation and is up-to-date, with many links providing info on such activities as Drought Relief, Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis and becoming a blood donor. The Red Cross is famous for ‘being there’ in times of need, especially in times of war. Want to help them? Then make a donation to one of their many causes via their secure online donation page.

Name of Site: The Smith Family
URL: www.smithfamily.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Charity begins at home. In this case it’s the home of The Smith Family, an independent, non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organisation that has been helping disadvantaged Australians since 1922. I wonder how many people they have helped in all those years? Maybe some of them have repaid the kindness with ideas and input on the web site as it guides you through the many areas of the family’s activities. There’s a search engine and a site map if you’re really stuck, but it’s so easy to get around, you may not need them. This is a case of Australians helping other Australians with that all-too-often needed helping hand. - SS

Name of Site: Australian Charities
URL: www.auscharity.org
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Type “Australian Charities” into Google or Yahoo and you’ll end up at this site. That’s the boast they make. Now what’s it all about? Well, dare I say it - ‘Australian Charities’. It’s all here in one neat package from a ‘Volunteer Search’ to ‘Seek a Volunteer’, history of charity in Australia and an events calendar. This site should be your first stop if you are interested in charity and charity work. The link to ‘giving trends’ in Australia really fills you in on how this country puts its hands in its pockets to dig deep for the needy. A site that really rewards its visitors with the warm and fuzzies. – SS

Name of Site: The Big Issue
URL: www.bigissue.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: A colourful site about some colourful people trying to improve their lives by selling ‘The Big Issue’ magazine. Find out how you can help this great initiative by choosing to advertise in the magazine. Read about what life is like for some of the homeless people and read their poetry. Like the magazine, this site doesn’t muck about and just gets to the point with easy to follow navigation and links. A real insight into another world, just down the road from your comfy abode. Don’t forget to buy a copy next time you happen by someone downtown pushing the Big Issue. – SS

Name of Site: Australian Meals on Wheels Association
URL: www.nswmealsonwheels.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Now these people should get champagne on wheels delivered to them to thank them for the great work they do. Thousands of elderly and other incapacitated folks, unable to leave their homes, rely on Meals on Wheels to get at least one good feed a day. The site is fun and cheerful with cartoons and the low down on the association, its aims and activities, which are about as noble as it gets. - SS

Name of Site: Ronald McDonald House
URL: www.rmhc.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Time to put your Big Mac™ down and think about the work McDonalds does to improve the health and well being of children the world over. Yes, it really does and there are many grateful parents and children as a result. The site is very easy to use, a bit on the ‘cute’ side and Ronald Mcdonald™ is never far away. In fact a few less links to the burger joint might be a good idea. Whether a cynical marketing ploy or a genuine attempt at charity, the bottom line on both counts makes everyone a winner. - SS

Name of Site: LIFELINE
URL: lifeline.iinet.net.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Acrobat Reader
Review: 13 11 14. Remember that number, write it down and keep it safe, as you never know when you might need to ring it. Lifeline is literally a real lifeline for people reaching out for help when all seems lost. This site plays it straight, as the info needed is kind of on the heavy side. Still, it does the job and lets you know what you can do to help as well. Ever thought about being trained as a counsellor? Then head for this site and while you’re there, why not make a donation or even change your will! I hope you never need to ring Lifeline, but it’s nice to know it’s there if you ever do. - SS.

Name of Site: Save the Children Australia
URL: www.savethechildren.org.au
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: A slick site with all the info you need to help these people help children all over the world. Actually there’s more here than you might expect with news on such things as movie previews with the proceeds going towards this charity or the links you need to find a job within the organisation. If I had to nit-pick, (and I do like to occasionally), I’d single out the use of redundant title pages into each sub section of the site and the over-use of java script in the navigation, that only slows the site down, but its all done with the best intentions, so they are forgiven! - SS

Name of Site: Médecins Sans Frontières
URL: www.msf.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash Acrobat Reader
Review: ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ or ‘Doctors Without Boarders’ is a wonderful venture and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. I think the web site may have helped them here as it is rich with information and lots of goodies to keep you surfing. Take a virtual tour of a refugee camp - a real eye-opener - or download their latest newsletter. The site is very well mapped out and very easy to navigate. The odd bit of flash loads quickly and is well made. I found out enough about Médecins Sans Frontières to become an advocate at my next dinner party, a good indication that the site not only works well but delivers the message. - SS

Name of Site: Royal Blind Society
URL: www.rbs.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: As you might expect, this site is uncluttered, with no zappy graphics and other web toys. Instead it just gets to the point using black text on white pages. And what is the point? Information about the society and what they do in improve the lives of the blind and the sight impaired. Order your Christmas cards online or check out the next play to offer ‘audio described’ theatre performances. Ever wanted to be a ‘Talking Newspaper’? Here’s your chance, as the society loves to attract volunteers. - SS

Name of Site: Australian Red Cross
URL: www.redcross.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: When volunteers for the Australian Red Cross aren’t in the field, I think they must take turns working on this web site. It’s fast and easy to use with good use of Java script navigation and is up-to-date, with many links providing info on such activities as Drought Relief, Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis and becoming a blood donor. The Red Cross is famous for ‘being there’ in times of need, especially in times of war. Want to help them? Then make a donation to one of their many causes via their secure online donation page.

Name of Site: The Smith Family
URL: www.smithfamily.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Charity begins at home. In this case it’s the home of The Smith Family, an independent, non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organisation that has been helping disadvantaged Australians since 1922. I wonder how many people they have helped in all those years? Maybe some of them have repaid the kindness with ideas and input on the web site as it guides you through the many areas of the family’s activities. There’s a search engine and a site map if you’re really stuck, but it’s so easy to get around, you may not need them. This is a case of Australians helping other Australians with that all-too-often needed helping hand. - SS

Name of Site: Australian Charities
URL: www.auscharity.org
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Type “Australian Charities” into Google or Yahoo and you’ll end up at this site. That’s the boast they make. Now what’s it all about? Well, dare I say it - ‘Australian Charities’. It’s all here in one neat package from a ‘Volunteer Search’ to ‘Seek a Volunteer’, history of charity in Australia and an events calendar. This site should be your first stop if you are interested in charity and charity work. The link to ‘giving trends’ in Australia really fills you in on how this country puts its hands in its pockets to dig deep for the needy. A site that really rewards its visitors with the warm and fuzzies. – SS

Name of Site: The Big Issue
URL: www.bigissue.org.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: A colourful site about some colourful people trying to improve their lives by selling ‘The Big Issue’ magazine. Find out how you can help this great initiative by choosing to advertise in the magazine. Read about what life is like for some of the homeless people and read their poetry. Like the magazine, this site doesn’t muck about and just gets to the point with easy to follow navigation and links. A real insight into another world, just down the road from your comfy abode. Don’t forget to buy a copy next time you happen by someone downtown pushing the Big Issue. – SS

Name of Site: Australian Meals on Wheels Association
URL: www.nswmealsonwheels.org.au
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Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: Now these people should get champagne on wheels delivered to them to thank them for the great work they do. Thousands of elderly and other incapacitated folks, unable to leave their homes, rely on Meals on Wheels to get at least one good feed a day. The site is fun and cheerful with cartoons and the low down on the association, its aims and activities, which are about as noble as it gets. - SS

Name of Site: Ronald McDonald House
URL: www.rmhc.com
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Time to put your Big Mac™ down and think about the work McDonalds does to improve the health and well being of children the world over. Yes, it really does and there are many grateful parents and children as a result. The site is very easy to use, a bit on the ‘cute’ side and Ronald Mcdonald™ is never far away. In fact a few less links to the burger joint might be a good idea. Whether a cynical marketing ploy or a genuine attempt at charity, the bottom line on both counts makes everyone a winner. - SS

Name of Site: LIFELINE
URL: lifeline.iinet.net.au
Load Time: Normal
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Acrobat Reader
Review: 13 11 14. Remember that number, write it down and keep it safe, as you never know when you might need to ring it. Lifeline is literally a real lifeline for people reaching out for help when all seems lost. This site plays it straight, as the info needed is kind of on the heavy side. Still, it does the job and lets you know what you can do to help as well. Ever thought about being trained as a counsellor? Then head for this site and while you’re there, why not make a donation or even change your will! I hope you never need to ring Lifeline, but it’s nice to know it’s there if you ever do. - SS.

By Stefan Sojka

Name of Site: Yahoo!GeoCities
URL: geocities.yahoo.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: The Yahoo! juggernaut steams ever onward, munching everything in its path. GeoCities free web hosting is yet another add-on. Like a little fish swimming around a shark, you get to pick up the morsels, as each incorporated venture offers more and more services and features for you to grow from a newbie to a total cyber-geek. Free entry level hosting is a great way to get acquainted with things, and plenty of extras are available to spruce up your little domain. You get site stats, Web building tools, and the chance to be listed in Yahoo's directory. When you are ready to turn pro, some great affordable packages offer just about all you'll need to build the next big thing, to sell to Yahoo! - SS

Name of Site: TheFreeSite
URL: www.thefreesite.com/Free_Web_Space
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: The freebie boom is one of the few booms that keep on booming - millions of people getting commissions for building ever more portals to more and more free sites where somewhere down the track a consumer might actually part with some money. In the meantime, the rest of us can grab all the free stuff we need until the bubble bursts. Here we have a well-chosen and well-organised directory of all kinds of free hosting sites. Brief overviews of what is on offer are given, before you head off to try each one out. You will see that many of them come and go, so if you are serious about a permanent presence, best to go for the more established ones. - SS

Name of Site: Free Yellow
URL: www.freeyellow.com/index.gsp
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: In a partnership with Hypermart, Free Yellow offers a simple solution - "let us put a banner ad on your site, and it's free". When you finally tire of the endless stream of ads, just pay the monthly fee and it's all yours. The free site allows MS Front Page publishing, CGI and 50megs of space, with the option to pay for a domain name, so you can quite easily get a respectable site underway. The up-market options do get a bit pricey, but by then you will be a master and will have no problems migrating to a better deal when the time comes. - SS

Name of Site:
URL: www.freewebspace.net
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: These guys have taken the time to organise their endless list of links to hosting facilities into a helpful guide. By separating the hosts by customer needs i.e. business, gaming, personal, non-profit - and allowing comprehensive searching by feature, scripting, advertising, building tools, location and language - the task of deciding where to squat is made very easy indeed. There is a discussion board, reviews page, news and links - all helping to make your learning curve that little bit less steep. As usual, once you are ready to get serious, the paid options abound. It's all you need to embark on your epic Webventure. - SS

Name of Site: #1colony
URL: www.1colony.com
Load Time: Slow
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Looks like these folks have been watching a few too many Star Trek episodes, but that ain't a bad thing. At least they have a bit of colour and style and are holding onto the dream of the Internet being some kind of new society, building bridges across humanity, yadda yadda yadda, ...yeah right, shut up and gimme a free web site! Captain Kirk never had to deal with pop up windows and banner ads. Actually the deal is pretty good here - 12 Megs of space, Web-based email, page building tools, management tools and a selection of add-ons, like guestbook, forms and counter. Check the samples then jump on board Starship #1. - SS

Name of Site: 50megs.com
URL: www.50megs.com
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: It couldn't get much more straightforward than this. 50megs - cool. Four packages presented in a simple table with the various features ticked. The free site has enough ticks to win you over, like domain manager, site manager, web rings, form-to-email, guest book, counter, and site migrator. Of course the more you pay the more ticks you get. There is a file size limit of 250Kb on the free site, so all you MP3 freaks may want to look elsewhere to freeload your grooves, but for the average "check out my dog, my car and... oh yeah, please sign my guestbook" crowd, 50megs should be more than enough. - SS

Name of Site: Angelfire
URL: angelfire.lycos.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: Real Media, Windows Media, Shockwave
Review: Having had 7 years experience and a couple of changes of hands under it's belt, Angelfire has grown up to be one of the big daddies of the free hosting world. More than just free Web space, this is a community, an entertainment centre - almost a complete lifestyle. I actually know people who live and breath Angelfire as they tweak and test their sites, taking advantage of the vast array of enhancements - "HTML gear", arcade games, promotional tools, 10,000 free images, Java scripts, animations - this truly is Web space from heaven to set the world on fire. - SS

Name of Site: TopCities
URL: www.topcities.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: About as straightforward as you can get, but not much else to speak of, this one is certainly at the bargain basement end of the free Site market. How free can free be? Maybe this is all you need anyway, and the upgrade to "paid" is ultra cheap, to get the banner ads removed and make you look that little bit less of a scrooge. There are some fairly active forums, a reasonably helpful FAQ page, a free search engine submission service and some newsletter subscriptions on various topics, a funny cartoon mascot and that's about it. Free and easy. - SS

Name of Site: Free Servers
URL: www.freeservers.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: Flash
Review: Claiming to host over 2 million sites, mostly free and now growing into the "low cost" market, this one is apparently a bit of a performer in the tech. specs arena. Once again the packages are scalable, with free being the obvious first choice. The pitch here is that all their sites are free; they just ask you to pay to have the ads removed - clever tactic, eh? I'm sold! Remove those ads, baby, and take my wallet! An elegant Flash presentation takes you through the relative merits of free vs. ad-free, and once you are convinced, you simply sign up, get yourself a domain name (not free, of course) and start building. - SS

Name of Site: Fortune City
URL: www.fortunecity.com
Load Time: Medium
Ease of Navigation: Signposted
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: One of the dinosaurs of the dotcom era, Fortune City has come through the boom and bust and is still alive and kicking - just. Reading the 'investor relations' info shows a company desperately rationalising its finances and as a result, the heady days of wild creative abandon and charity for all have all but disappeared. Behold a conservative but well-rounded service, offering tutorials and tools to get you started, a great selection of categorised members' sites, a bunch of add-on features, like mailing lists and Web templates, and of course the chance to remove those ads with the application of a little cash. - SS

By Stefan Sojka

Earth: 2025
www.solarianet.com/earth
A true vision of the future? 30,000 computer nerds swapping statistics about their virtual country, in order to compensate for personal inadequacies by achieving theoretical world domination. Could be closer to the truth than you’d want to think. Better check it out. It doesn’t look like much on the surface, but Earth 2025 is quite an in-depth game where thousands of unpaying participants get to pit their managerial skills against one another. It’s slow and thoughtful, so don’t expect the adrenal gland to pump too soon. Nation building requires patience.
Verdict: Number crunching fun. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Funcom
www.funcom.com/en
Quality is usually assured with a large organisation, and Funcom delivers. By combining some slick chat scripts with simple and fun games like backgammon, blackjack and a whole swathe of others, a fine old time can be had with friends and strangers around the globe. It’s like IRC with bells and whistles. The graphics are pretty and if you can’t find a friend, you can always play the computer. Certainly worth visiting, picking your favourite game and making instant friends. You can even sit there silently and watch other games in progress. That’s as good as television!
Verdict: Come in and play. - SS
Net Worth: *****

Funtopia
www.funtopia.com
This is a medieval virtual world in full 3D with avatars playing, meeting and greeting one another for fun and for free. At the time of review, it was in beta-test mode, which, if you think of the massive programming genius required setting this baby up, you could well forgive. It’s fully built in Java, so if your browser is compatible, you are on your way immediately. This thing could take off, and if they can franchise the technology to more diverse styles of world, we may all one day join an avatar community and play blackjack til the cyber cows come home. Now that’s funtopia!
Verdict: Stick around, it’s early days yet. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Hollywood Stock Exchange
www.hsx.com
When you join you are given 2 million dollars. That feels good! Now you start investing in real movies and real actors based on their box office performances. I’ve got a funny feeling that this has been set-up by someone who actually invests real money in Hollywood, but it sure is a great idea, and very well put together. If you do well, you join a list of top traders. If you do real well, you should consider getting into it for real.
Verdict: California does it again. Cool. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Poot Poot
pootpoot.com
Talk about meaningless concepts. Poot is many things to many people, and if you really feel compelled to explore poot in its totality, this is the place. Find poot among the boots in 10 levels of Java scripted hilarity. Merchandising is on the way, so look out world, another meaningless, time wasting, resource-chewing purile phenomenon is upon us. The game actually is kinda fun. Annoying, but fun.
Verdict: What the poot? - SS
NetWorth: **

Stellar Crisis Room
www.televar.com/~acamp/SC.main.html
Claiming to be the first ever on line multi-player game, Stellar Crisis is still going strong. It’s a game of alliance and war, and the tables can turn very fast. This has been growing since 1995, so the infrastructure is well in place. It continues to be free, and ad-free, and maintains its underground and organic nature. A quick check of the history reveals a fascinating record of the trials and tribulations of setting something like this up. Once you are hooked on the game, there is plenty of community action here to keep you coming back.
Verdict: Go with the original. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Olympia – Play By Email
www.pbm.com/oly
The intro sounds great. Wild adventures of fantasy, building ships and castles, hacking through tunnels and eating brains. Trouble is you have to pay to join. Fear not, check out the public moves and see how involved this thing gets. I can imagine some people having to give up their jobs to stay in this game. Doing it by email makes it very cerebral, so you are going to need to keep your brain to make it here. This is elite, but of course, so are you.
Verdict: Start filling that in-tray with battle plans. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Drool
www.mit.edu:8001/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/j/b/jbreiden/game/entry.html
This cute little doggie adventure is a simply designed linking game of making choices within a story. Lots of funny things happen to you, the dog, as you encounter all kinds of crazy incidents, choosing your fate along the way. It’ll take a couple of hours to get through, before you return to your kennel for some dry biscuits and a nap. The best thing about this is that it will inspire others do create more adventures along the same lines. It’s an easy and fun way to go, and could even point the way to more serious applications.
Verdict: Woof! Woof! Pant, pant…its tail-wagging fun. - SS
NetWorth: ****

To Boldly Go
www.pbm.com/tbg
This game has a two to three week waiting period to join. It looks pretty cool. You can check out a results page and battle report and it looks well worth signing up for. It’s a PBEM (play by Email) game but the good thing about this is your moves are made using menu bars and a “make it so” submit button. It’s all quite enthralling, and the action never stops. Basically you just get a ship and off you go, manifesting your desires for power, control, or just cruising around watching the stars go by.
Verdict: Neat and clean, just like your Star Trek uniform. - SS
NetWorth: ****

ARC Headquarters
www.archq.net
This is a pretty snazzy game. Download the software and join in the fun. ARC stands for Attack, Retrieve, Capture, and has been designed with fun as a high priority. You chat while you play in this groovy looking zone in teams of floating craft, either collecting flags, claiming buttons, or just blasting the hell out of one another. There is some strategy, but you’ll have to use most of your brain for quick-witted commentary and banter while the game is in progress. Basically, you run around, score, shoot em up, cheer and ROFL.
Verdict: The HQ of fun. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Starship Troopers – The Massively Multi-Player Online Game
www.troopersonline.com
Yes, it’s that Hollywood blockbuster. It’s big, flashy, totally over the top, and it costs $9.95 US a month to play. You do get the first month free, but I was too scared that I would forget to tell them to cancel in time, not read the fine print, and find that I had signed up for thirty years. If you are brave, you do get all the titles from the GameStorm stable thrown into the deal. It is really quite appealing, but there must be enough action out there without having to submit to monthly payments. A once-off fee would be much more appealing. Surely the movie made enough to warrant that.
Verdict: Prepare to be fleeced by the Hollywood space bandits. - SS
NetWorth: ****

CleverMedia Shockwave Arcade
clevermedia.com/arcade
This is the place for truckloads of Shockwave fun and games. The single and multi-player games vary from the classics like backgammon and blackjack to lots of cute games like “Peanut Butter and Jelly Wars”, “Smite Thee”- where you play Zeus, and the Men’s urinal game. There are so many games to get through, your boss will probably have to sack you for time-wasting before you get a tenth of the way through the list. Each game has its file size listed, which is helpful, and none of them are too big not to have a go. Besides the games there are heaps of other fun applets, gadgets and tricks. Clever media are Shockwave gurus. The evidence abounds.
Verdict: Shockingly clever. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Everquest
www.everquest.com
This one is shaping up to be an awesome on-line extravaganza. In beta-test phase at the time of review, Everquest is expecting itself to become a big hit with gamers everywhere. The graphics look very enticing. The variety and scope of the game looks extraordinarily large, and they plan to allow players to choose whether or not they want to get involved in killing one another. That has to be good, because things can get pretty violent when more experienced players lead newbies to the slaughter. Up to 1,000 players per server are allowed for, so this quest really could end up going on forever.
Verdict: This is certainly one to watch out for. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Warped Web Games
www.connect.ab.ca/~pbernard/warpedgames.html
The name says it all. Divided into categories of silly, strange and sick, a host of Java and Shockwave frivolity awaits you. From Virtual Bubble Wrap and Cow Bingo to Building Michael Jackson’s baby then on to Exploding Cane Toads and Zombie Dinner, your twisted sense of humour will be tickled no end. After you’re done with all this, head on into celebrity beat-up land, where you can take all your anger out on your least favourite celebrities by engaging in fisticuffs. This has got to be a site to bookmark. Boredom is totally unachievable here.
Verdict: It’s sick, it’s twisted, it’s you! - SS
NetWorth: ****

Acrophobia
www.bezerk.com/acro
Acronyms are strings of letters that stand for words, ICYDK (in case you didn’t know). This game is a very fast paced and fun challenge to come up with the cleverest and/or funniest string of words from a given acronym. Rounds are played leading up to a championship play-off for the undisputed master. Chat away with your opponents as the round progresses. Players vote for the best answer and the points are tallied. You can’t vote for yourself, so the object is to be as quick and clever as possible to make the whole channel of competitors split their sides laughing. You must download the program, but it is really well worth it. There are varying degrees of obscenity allowed in different channels, which is very good, because, as you would expect, a lot of people seem to come up with the same word every time certain letters appear.
Verdict: F.W.A.C.F. (Fun With A Capital “F”!) - SS
NetWorth *****

Nexus – The Kingdom Of The Winds
www.nexon.net/kingdom
This family-friendly fantasy game is based on animated Japanese character styling. It’s full of adventure and mystery, and presents very well as a gentle but challenging adventure for young and old. A 3-6 Meg download is required to get things started, but the action is free and plenty of good clean fun awaits you in this world of dragons, kings and legends. The graphics are a little unconvincing, but it all comes down to getting involved and interacting. It is certainly more for the sweet little kiddies than your hard core on-line blood and guts player.
Verdict: A sweet and charming journey into Asian mysticism. - SS
NetWorth: ****

SimGuild’s Flying Circus
www.simguild.com/download/index.html
A multi-player WW1 flight simulator game. Looks like a lot of fun, with chaos in the skies as hundreds of untrained pilots take to dog fighting each other. Download the free software and get on board. Like many of these games, this one is still being developed and there are more games to come. Looks like it’s all happening though, in beta phase. The graphics look good for this kind of fast live action game. If you are into flight simulator games already, this must be the next step. It probably won’t match the home versions, but the interactivity more than makes up.
Verdict: Bally ho! Off we go! - SS
NetWorth: ***

Hover Race
www.grokksoft.com/fhover.html
Designed as a fast and fun interactive event, Hover Race begins in the chat rooms. You get to know everyone else who has already downloaded the software like yourself, then up to 8 of you jump on your hover crafts and start racing. It’s non-violent, but you can use mines and missiles to try and slow your opponents’ crafts down. You can even design your own courses once you get sick of what’s been dished out. Being free and all, you can hardly complain now, can you? This certainly beats standard IRC. Nothing like a good hovercraft race to settle a point of contention in a discussion.
Verdict: On your marks, get set, download! - SS
NetWorth: ****

Paintball Net
www.paintball-net.com
Yes, it’s true, paintball has hit the Internet, and it hurts a lot less than the real thing. This site has all you need to get your camouflage gear and guns ready for on-line splat action. A nice bonus here is the amount of advice and tips you get. Many of these sites just say “download and play, sucker” but Paintball Net seems to care that newcomers don’t get shot to pieces on the first day. Who knows, maybe someone has managed to sue them for trauma induced by a savage virtual skirmish. The subscriber list is fairly small, and mostly 13 to 15 year old boys, but it could just be your thing.
Verdict: Ready, Aim, Splat! - SS
NetWorth: ***

Ronin
www.bigfun.net/Ronin/playpage.htm
This is a Java strategy game, set in Japan, and including a chat area so you can ask other players what the hell is going on. The download takes a while, but is worth the wait as it is quite a cool game with graphics to match. Take the time to read the comprehensive instructions as the applet loads, and you are on your way. You can play alone if you like, to get used to the game, before humiliating yourself in defeat by more experienced players.
Verdict: Run in and play. - SS
NetWorth: ****

Scrawl
scrawl.msn.com/scrawl
This “Pictionary”-style offering from Microsoft has a very easy format. One player draws a given word from various categories, and the other players guess it. Everyone takes turns. Scores add up and champions are made. This is a very fast paced game, like Acrophobia, so you have to be quick. There is almost no time for bantering around in the chat window, you just have to knuckle down and guess or draw. It’s a great idea for a game to play on line, and the software is pretty fancy. Help is plentiful, though not that necessary. Look out, you may get stuck playing this for weeks on end! The only trouble is that the drawings are, in general, pretty damn lousy.
Verdict: Nearly didn’t finish writing this chapter! Got stuck scrawling. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Talk City Games Events
talkcity.com/calendar/category/games.htmpl
This mega chat world site serves up so many different chat-style word games, your non-cyber life is now officially over. Games are run by a timetable, and all you have to do is get the chat client and join the fun. Rhyming games, fill in the blank games, come up with a punch line games, silly sentences, the fun just doesn’t stop. Some games are always open, but most are scheduled, so you’ll have to set a hundred alarm clocks all over your house, car and office. If you ever get tired of the chat games, try the absolute plethora of other chat options here. These guys have taken IRC and turned it into something almost useful.
Verdict: You’ll never leave. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Microsoft Gaming Zone
www.zone.com
Of course, Microsoft has about fifty trillion dollars to invest in any on-line development they care to put their collective brains to. This means that they can afford to do it properly, although you will always feel like you are dealing with the same dude who wrote your word processor help menu. A team of lawyers has ensured that no one is going to get hurt here, and technically, everything is pretty much taken care of. Funny thing is that with all this technology, the biggest game on this site as far as participation goes is a damn card game! Thanks Bill.
Verdict: Is this really the road ahead? - SS
NetWorth: ***

Mplayer.com – earth’s free multiplayer game service
www.mplayer.com/home.html
Boasting over one million members, mplayer has made it their mission to be the number one location to play games on line. They have hooked up with all the major game creators like Westwood and Electronic Arts to offer the technology for all kinds of games to be played fast and free. They host retail games, where you must own the CD, as well as downloadable games, and a lot of cool free Java and web-based ones as well. With so much corporate involvement from the manufacturers, mplayer has the power to hold major competitions with real prize money. Pit your wits against the world.
Verdict: This is the new Olympics. - SS
NetWorth: *****

Monopoly
www.monopoly.com
This game needs no introduction. It has been training the world for sixty years how a lucky few can get as rich as possible while the rest of the world starves to death. And how successful the monopoly ethos has been. Now the Internet is being used as a medium to perpetuate the game. Once you buy the CD, of which there are many previews of animations and screen shots, you can begin playing people all over the globe. The old site offers rules, tournament news and a link to Westwood Studios, creators of the CD Rom. The new site is running an election to choose the new Monopoly piece planned for launch in 1999.
Verdict: A decent attempt to drag an old-world game into the 21st Century. - SS
NetWorth: ***

Wordland
www.wordland.com
Although there are only four games here at present, Wordland is shaping up to be a pretty cool place to hang out. It is for young and old, (age-friendly), meaning no swear words, and there is plenty of chance to meet and greet players before or during games. Once again the software needs to be downloaded, but that hasn’t stopped you yet, has it? There is a challenge ladder, too, so you can sign up to whip other peoples’ butts, if you think you are smart enough.
Verdict: Good clean fun. – SS
NetWorth: ***

1-ON-1 Free Basketball Game by Voltec
basketball-game.com
Here is the world wide basketball competition that you don’t have to be a super-athlete to win. All you need is a keen idea about basketball, and a good head for figures. The game is played by assigning specific attributes to a fictional player that you create and manage. Each week, the dude who controls the site takes all the players attributes, and in his computer at home, pits players against each other, one on one. A play by play description of the entire virtual game is given on the web site, which is quite clever really. After winning or losing, you can adjust some of your player’s attributes and try again next week.
Verdict: Just like the real thing – on the radio. - SS
NetWorth: ****