CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET CAN UNLOCK FREE, USEFUL INFORMATION IN SHORT ORDER (COLUMN 116)

A lot of people think the Internet is just fun and games, but we continue to be amazed at the number of incredibly useful sites on the Web.Sometimes when you are working on the Internet, the terms give you a headache. C/Net has a site called "What Is," which helps you figure out what all those terms mean.

www.whatis.com

Joni: For example, the cyberterm of the day is "execute," which does mean you are killing your computer although you may be tempted.

Peggy: When you execute a program you start a program. Here's last weeks' 20 most consulted words. For example, the top term for the past two weeks was TCP/IP. What's that?

Joni: This site tells us it's the basic communication language of the Internet. Warning: Even the explanations get a little technical for our tastes.

Peggy: I question if anyone but a handful of computer geeks need to know what TCP/IP means. On the other hand, here's an explanation of how the Internet works and how it started.

Joni: It also explains things about e-mail, including how they prefer it be punctuated -- with a hyphen. Here's a good question. Who runs the Internet? The answer is you.

Peggy: Me? Wow, think of the power. Oh wait, it explains that the Internet is a public collaboration. No one person or organization runs it.

Joni: I guess the site will get as technical as you want. In the classes we teach, techno-talk puts people off, and many people find it intimidating.

Peggy: That's true. And the Internet isn't that complicated for users like us. But here's a way to impress your nerdy friends. Learn a few techno-terms.

Joni: Another comprehensive listing of useful information is the RX List.

www.rxlist.com

Peggy: This site lists information about prescription medications including warnings, drug interactions and overdose treatments.

Joni: You can search by the imprint codes, those little numbers engraved on pills or printed on capsules. You can also search by the drug name.

Peggy: You can search by the actual name or choose a "fuzzy" search. You basically know the name but can't exactly spell it. That's really useful.

Joni: They also list the top 200 drugs prescribed. These top 200 represent nearly two-thirds of all prescriptions filled in the United States.

Peggy: They list the brand name, the manufacturer and the generic name. Click on the drug name and learn more about it.

Joni: The site gets about 62,000 requests for information from about 20,000 different visitors from around the world.

Peggy: Another good medical site is based on the extensive knowledge of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. You can find it at

www.drkoop.com

Joni: You can choose a number of different health topics ranging from allergies to stroke.

Peggy: They also link to the Family Resource Center and Dr. Nancy Snyderman. I've heard of her.

Joni: They have information on health and wellness and prevention and today's health news.

Peggy: Here's some advice on buying health insurance and what may be best for you and your family.

Joni: They also have information about prescription drugs. And you can see how Dr. Koop rates other Web sites.

Peggy: If you want to know more about a health topic, you can look it up in the health encyclopedia

Joni: While the Internet certainly can't replace your doctor, it may help answer some sensitive questions or provide you with background information.

Peggy: At a loss for words -- or a particular word? You might want to try a gigantic thesaurus site.

www.thesaurus.com

Joni: The page starts with the follow phrase by an anonymous civil servant:

"The search for the mot juste is not a pedantic fad but a vital necessity. Words are our precision tools. Imprecision engenders ambiguity and hours are wasted in removing verbal misunderstandings before the argument of substance can begin." Did you get that, Peggy?

Peggy: Right. Some people tend to overuse the thesaurus. On this site, you can search by word or by first letter of the definition. They also provide a list of helpful links, such as an online dictionary. If you don't know what a word means -- such as pedantic -- we can go look it up.

www.dictionary.com

Joni: You can search a number of online dictionaries. Pedantic we find deals with trivial aspects of learning.

Peggy: If you're not sure how to spell the word, the dictionary will list the closest matches it can find. That's helpful.

Joni: The site also links you off to a free encyclopedia site. They don't call this a Web for nothing. You start one place and end up somewhere totally different. Let's check it out.

www.encyclopedia.com

Peggy: You can search by keyword or by alphabet on this free site, which offers 17,000 articles from The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. It's brought to you by the Electronic Library, which you can search free for 30 days.

Joni: A lot of people do research on the Internet. Kids can have their chance too at a Disney Web index site called "Dig." It's approved, kid friendly and will only return kid-friendly sites.

www.dig.com

Peggy: You can do a quick search on the main page for research topics. Or you can look through the list of topics like animals, entertainment, news, games or sports.

Joni: Here you can dig for family activities by age or activity. You can also dig locally for information. In Missouri most of the activities are in Kansas City, but it's a list of things to do.

Peggy: Here's a best-ever-party planner. Maybe you should check that out, Joni. You're getting ready to celebrate your daughter's third birthday.

Joni: It says 1 to 3's appreciate a blissfully short party. I think parents would appreciate this also.

Peggy: What's your favorite useful site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Peggy Scott and Joni Adams are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.