Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 03:34:09 -0400
From: Bob Rankin
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: TOURBUS - 11 Aug 1998 - Talkway
___________ ____________ _______ __________ _____________ ___ _
/ | / | | / | \
| HEY, | RIDE THE / BUS AND | SURF FOR | FREE! / | \
|____________|_________/__________|__________|___________/ | \
/ /______|----\
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| Provider of unlimited Net access for $14.95 / month. |//////| |
| 2. An opportunity for AOL users to save $84 annually. |//////| |
| 3. A fast, reliable means of riding Tourbus & surfing |//////| |
| the Web. See also: EASY, 56K access, 24/7 tech support |//////| |
| >>> http://www.tourbus.com/surfree.cgi <<< |//////| |
\________________________________________________________|______|____|
/ \ / \ / \
\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP: TALKWAY
TODAY'S TOURBUS SITE: http://www.talkway.com/usenet/
I've talked several times in Tourbus about Usenet - a collection of many
thousands of discussion forums on just about any topic you can imagine.
Because the problem of spam has gotten so bad, and because so many new
users have flooded the Net in recent years, Usenet has suffered.
Aside from the fact that it's hard for new users to gain proficiency in
using Usenet, there's a lot of garbage out there. So I've not had too
many kind words to say about Usenet and the quality of the discussions
that can be found. But perhaps I've been too harsh. Read on to find out
why I've had a change of heart concerning Usenet. But first, check out
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TALKWAY - NEW HOPE FOR USENET
-----------------------------
Usenet is arguably the biggest online community, with ongoing discussions
on everything from aliens to zoology, but it was designed by geeks for
geeks. But spammers and clueless newbies have rendered many once-valuable
newsgroups totally useless. It's hard to understand, hard to use, and hard
to find relevant discussions. There are "newsreader" programs you can
download and install on your computer to make things a little easier, but
I've always wished for an all-singing, all-dancing web-based interface to
Usenet.
POOF... It's here! Talkway is just that - a new graphical interface to
Usenet that makes everything easier. You can find discussion groups,
read messages and post your own opus with point & click ease. Check it
out at:
Talkwway - http://www.talkway.com/usenet/
Here's what you'll find:
- A cool graphic interface with filtering capabilities that will help
you find discussion groups that are relevant to your interests.
- The ability to access Usenet in the same way from home, office, or
on the road. No software to download or install.
- A comprehensive Usenet (NNTP) feed accessible from the web! No more
haggling with your ISP about carrying specific newsgroups.
- A bookmarking system that's easy to use.
- A navigation & search tool that provides all topics, subtopics and
discussion groups in both plain English and the traditional Usenet
naming conventions.
This last item is the key feature that makes Talkway so cool. As soon
as you sign on to Talkway, you see a list of topics, such as Business,
Classifieds, Computers, Culture, Education, etc. Click on a topic, and
you get a list of sub-topics, with a list of discussion groups for each.
The people at Talkway have painstakingly categorized thousands of Usenet
newsgroups, and even translated the arcane Usenet newsgroup names into
plain English names anyone can understand. For example,
"rec.arts.sf.tv" becomes simply "Science Fiction Television". If you
prefer the Usenet-style names, you can toggle them on and off.
Clicking on the name of a discussion group displays a list of recent
postings, which you can read by clicking on a Subject line. Postings
are threaded, which means those with the same Subject line are kept
together, making at-a-glance navigation quick and easy. It's easy to
reply, save or print a message using the on-screen icons. To add a
discussion to your bookmark list, click with the right mouse button.
The Talkway service is FREE and will remain so. Give it a try - you
may decide Usenet is worth another look too.
PATRICK ON THE AIR
------------------
Patrick asked me to announce that he'll be on WGN Radio this Wednesday
at 11:20 PM CST, participating in a lively debate about the usefulness
of computers in the classroom. Tune in to AM 720 if you can pick it up,
or catch the RealAudio simulcast on http://www.wgnradio.com/ .
HOP ON THE PLUS BUS, GUS
------------------------
Lots of people are telling us how much they enjoy both TOURBUS and the
special weekend TOURBUS PLUS edition! In recent postings, PLUS readers
learned about Medical Info Online, Search Engine Tips, Hilarious
"Motivational" Posters, FBI Files, and a new website that may soon
render Yahoo obsolete.
To learn more about TOURBUS PLUS, and the $1000 MULTIMEDIA COMPUTER
giveaway,
CLICK HERE - http://www.tourbus.com/plus.htm
See you next time! --Bob Rankin
=====================[ TOURBUS Rider Information ]===================
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