Logan Daily News

Net Watch

I was scanning through my e-mails the other day and ran across a message from a parent who was excited about a new website they found that gives a run-down on current movies and music CD's etc. The next time you want to see a movie with the family or buy a CD for junior, you may want to check this site out first: www.screenit.com. It tells all.

While the focus is on movies, I had an idea for a new business that would be a sure-fire winner. I'm not sure the technology is totally there yet, but if not, it soon will be. This idea is sure to appear in the near future. Actually, you may be in a position to make this business happen, so if the following concept really grabs you then go for it. I would call it "Star Wash"; with this concept you would be able to order customized movies through the Net. You would log on to the Star Wash website and scan through a list of new release movies. You see one that looks like it might be promising but the rating comes up and it's NC17. Not a problem. Clicking on a "StarWash" icon, a filter form pops up with stuff you might want to filter out like cursing, nudity, graphic violence, etc. Once your selections are made you click on the order button, and the movie is sent to you through your cable or satellite dish provider. The consumer is happy because they can see the latest Hollywood offerings in a format of their own choice. Hollywood is happy because they can have a much larger audience (ka-ching!) for all of their movies regardless of the rating. The directors and actors are happy because they can get as "creative" as they want and still know they have a large audience for their product . . . okay, so maybe the movie may only be ten minutes long after the cuts. Just think of all the other productive stuff you can do with all that extra time! While we are imagineering, wouldn't it be cool to replace certain vulgar phrases with more benign phrases like Gomer Pyle's infamous "Goollllyyy" . . . maybe actually use his voice in the replacement. What a fun way to turn Hollywood's darker side into a laughable goof that the whole family can enjoy.

One of the real benefits that I personally see with the Internet is the ability to add our own impact into the medium. When I was a kid, we only had three channels we could watch on TV. Somebody else crafted the messages and predetermined what images and messages we would see and hear. Although lovely for social engineers and totalitarians who want to inject their propaganda ( www.propaganda101.com ) into the "masses", such a tight information pipeline can't supply the information needs of such a wide and diverse population like we have in America. With the Internet, you can literally become the producer yourself. Chances are that if you get your Internet through one of our local providers, they will allow you to put a web page up on their server at no extra cost. You can set up your soapbox online and tell the world all about it. I did that with a document that my father brought home from Berlin after his stint as an MP in WWII. He had taken it out of Adolf Hitler's office in the bomb shelter. It was an awards list for their highest military honor and yes, it is genuine. It has been verified by a number of experts and Channel 10 TV even did a feature on it a couple of years ago. Anyway, I scanned in the document and put it onto a web page ( www.bright.net/~mdpine/nazifile.html ) along with pictures of my Dad and the Reichstag and the bomb shelter. I also had done quite a bit of research on where the Nazi hatred had come from and published the results on the site as well. I have had comments and letters come in from all over the word ( both pro and con ) and was even invited to be a guest on a national talk show as a result of that little web page. I turned it down, but it was still pretty neat to get the invitation and to know that I have a pathway to the world through that humming little box on my desk.

Last week, in a message directed toward businesses, we touched on high speed Internet access and some of the benefits that it provides. The following paragraph is for those wanting to have high-speed access but are not ready or able to invest in the cost of a high speed telephone line. In a conversation last week with Mike Kelley who is an instructor at a local university, Mr. Kelley told me about another way to have a fast database driven eCommerce website at a fraction of the cost. He has found an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers a service called "Co-location". It allows a company to put their own computer at the ISP's location. The computer has the company's web page and database that's been set up for eCommerce. This is tied into the ISP's own high-speed backbone directly into the Internet. Any additions or changes to the web page or the databases can be done by sending files through a low cost dial-up account. The ISP will also allow the computer owner to have access into their computer room during business hours to make any necessary changes on their machine. If you are interested in further details, send me an e-mail ( bobgreen@bobgreen.com ) and I will pass it along to Mr. Kelley.

I must digress away from Internet issues for a moment and delve a bit into ergonomic issues. Day after day, sitting incorrectly and staring at a computer screen takes its toll on your neck and back. After fighting back pain for a number of years, I was directed to a Dr. Crawford who is a Chiropractor and has an office here in Logan. I was an unbeliever in chiropractic, but after several sessions I'm feeling better now than I have for a long time. He doesn't have a website . . . I don't think he believes in it.

Well, that's about all the space I have for this week. Surf safe and I'll have more later. You can see this article online at www.bobgreen.com. Send me your comments at bobgreen@bobgreen.com.