TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: RIDER'S REVENGE #25

Hi all... it's time for another Rider's Revenge issue, where I share sites that your fellow Tourbus riders think are useful, fun, cool or otherwise worthy of attention. If you have a favorite site that's of interest to an international audience, send it along for the next Rider's Revenge!

DESPERATELY SEEKING SEARCH ENGINE?

Lorrie, an AOLian floating in cyberspace, said:

> This guide from Noodle Tools is wonderful when you are researching
> and are not sure what search engine will bring you the most direct
> hits to your subject. It has definitely changed my researching
> abilities. Go to the site below and click on the "Choose a Search
> Engine" link in the Free Tools section.

http://www.noodletools.com

(Ed: I must second the motion to visit this site. It's very well organized and will encourage you to try some new search tools.)

JOIN THE CLUB

Stewart Ogilby, from Sarasota Florida, served up this gem:

> Persons who use email to keep in touch are becoming increasingly
> concerned about how to prevent unsolicited and inappropriate
> messages from arriving at their computers. Thousands of email users
> in more than 50 countries are now tapping into a fool-proof method
> to maintain privacy, block junk email and safeguard against viruses.

> The E-Mail Club, online since 1994, allows you to obtain a personal
> email address that provides these benefits by paying a $10 one-time
> dues for lifetime club membership. And there's no need to download,
> install, register and configure software that may end up filtering
> out important messages.

http://www.emailclub.com/

(Ed: Stewart has been a cyber-friend of mine for many years. He's done a lot to help a great many people discover and navigate the Internet.)

DO SOMETHING!

Darlene, from nowhere in particular, encourages activity:

> I have been a faithful reader of Tourbus for many years. During that
> time, I was looking for a job I could do from home. I applied for
> and got a job with a newly developing Directory which is now
> becoming quite popular in the search engine world.

> Gimpsy is different than all the others (I know, everyone says
> that!) in that the only sites accepted to the directory are sites
> where users can actually "do" something online. Thus, our motto
> "Active Sites for Active People" (ASAP). The directory can be
> searched by keyword, browsable by category or by starting a Natural
> Language search query with a verb. I think you might find this
> directory of interest and maybe pass it on to your Tourbus Riders.

http://www.gimpsy.com

SCIFI FAN?

Leslie the Librarian, at Cal State University Long Beach, opined:

> Since I always like to see what other riders send in, I was inspired
> by the Rider's Revenge #24, to submit one of my favorite sites, the
> Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database.

http://library.tamu.edu/cushing/sffrd

> Initially based upon Hal Hall's three volume "Science Fiction and
> Fantasy Research Index" (1878-1985; 1986-1991; and 1992-1995), the
> SFFRD provides access to over 55,000 historical and critical items
> about science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In my opinion, this is
> the single most important research resource available to SF&F
> scholars today.

GO SIT IN THE CORNER!

Mike Sheehan, from Traverse City Michigan, offered up this tidbit:

> The Senior Corner is a non-profit site for senior citizens, started
> in 1994 and sponsored by the Traverse Area District Library. It
> includes a bank of articles for seniors, a Local Information section
> specific to Michigan, and a Remote Resources section which is
> visited by folks from all around the world -- about 500 per day.

> The site is listed on FirstGov for Seniors, and it is constantly
> being upgraded by its founder and moderator, himself a senior.
> Thanks for looking. I really enjoy Tourbus; some of my links came to
> my attention through it.

http://seniors.tcnet.org

I JUST CAN'T FUNCTION TODAY

David Binner, from Ontario Canada, figured you'd like this one:

> I thought I would mention a site that perhaps your readers would be
> interested in: Miscellaneous Mathematical Utilities. You'll find
> several mathematical tools intended for students, engineers, and
> scientists. College students, in particular, would find this site
> very handy. They are well-written tools comparable to expensive
> commercial products, but free!

http://www3.telus.net/thothworks/Mathfxns.html

That's all for now, I'll see you next time! --Bob Rankin