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STUDY SAYS NEW WEB PROTOCOL WILL CUT DELAYS
SAN FRANCISCO -- The World Wide Wait may finally be coming to an end.
The explosive growth of the World Wide Web during the last five years has created increasing computer traffic jams as the number of users has
continued to outstrip the hardware and data network resources on which the Internet is based. But now a group of researchers has demonstrated
that not all the congestion is a result of millions of new users trying to squeeze on to the Net each year. The new data suggest that a significant
number of the delays have been created by the design of the basic software underlying the World Wide Web.
A study published by the researchers, based at the World Wide Web Consortium, an industry-sponsored group that sets standards for the Web,
also shows that a redesign of that software will improve basic performance of the Web.
Using a new protocol, the authors of the report were able to demonstrate data retrieval speeds between two and eight times faster than using
current World Wide Web software. Individual users are expected to see improvements, like faster times to download information, and the
collective benefit could be even greater because the basic set of conventions, or protocol, for Internet operation would be used more efficiently.
Later this year, browsers that support the new protocol advanced by the consortium should be available, though current browsers will continue to
work with the new software. The Web software works in conjunction with the basic software of the Internet, TCP/IP, to permit users to seamlessly
retrieve data wherever it is located in the global Internet. The Internet itself consists of a growing amalgam of software protocols, and the
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) has been the basis of the World Wide Web since 1990.
"Everyone has known about the problems involving congestion on the Internet," said Jim Gettys, former softare designer and now a
visiting scientist at the consortium and one of the authors of the study. "What is less well known is that the World Wide Web protocol has been
defeating the congestion control mechanisms in the Internet's underlying protocols."
By JOHN MARKOFF -- NewYork TIMES
THE TOTALLY WIRED WEB TOOLKIT
"The Totally Wired Web Toolkit", is now available from McGraw-Hill.
Briefly, it shows you how to use the Web for such multimedia communications as telephony, paging, faxing, e-mail/voice mail, broadcasting,
video conferencing, collaborative computing, and more.
The book is supported by its own Web page at: http://www.ddx.com/mgh.shtml
In addition to the book's Table of Contents and Preface, this Web page keeps you updated on all the reasonably-priced software available that
enables you to communicate free over the Internet using a variety of media.
Of course, this Web page also includes an online order form for the book.
AMNESTY WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU
Amnesty International's new Internet campaign centers around musician Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" song, which is viewed by some
as Amnesty International's anthem. New versions of this song are available from the Amnesty International site, and site visitors are encouraged
to contribute their own versions. You can also link to info on Amnesty International, details on human rights issues, and related sites.
No charge to visit the site, but you do get the option of making donations online.
http://www.getupstandup.com/
CUSTOMERS ASSAIL AMERICA ONLINE REFUND
After the nation's largest provider of cyberspace services, America Online Inc., agreed to pay millions of dollars to compensate subscribers for
two months of network congestion, many customers refused to be mollified, saying that the refunds could hardly make up for their lost business
and time.
Some customers said that America Online added insult to injury by inadequately staffing the telephone lines it set up to handle refund requests,
leading to confusing journeys through touch-tone telephone systems and long waits on hold. And others said that America Online's policy of
giving the largest refunds, about $40, to the smallest users was unfair to those who had suffered the most.
"I think it's a great public relations move," said Conan S. Cocallas of Fairfield, California, who blames a recent inability to get through to
the service for costing his small computer-parts supply company a $3,000 order. "But there is really no way to compensate for time lost. For
people whose businesses rely on it, there's no way to say, 'We're going to give you back all that time you wasted listening to busy signals in front
of your computer,' I just want it fixed." Even some of the most critical customers said they would stick with the service until the network logjam
had been cleared.
The company has promised to spend $350 million to increase capacity and has said the problems will be resolved by June.
By SETH SCHIESEL -- NewYork Times.
WEB USERS CAN NOW SEARCH EVERYWHERE ON THE INTERNET FOR SOFTWARE
San Diego -- FILEZ - http://www.filez.com has unveiled the largest software search engine on the
World Wide Web and promises to simplify the hunt for software on the Internet.
Filez is the first commercial search engine to focus on ftp (software) sites rather than WWW pages. "One of the first things new users on the net
want to do is find software and games and until now there's been few choices for those users," says company founder, Michael Robertson.
While most search engines concentrate on WWW pages, Filez indexes 1000s of software sites and amasses the largest database of files on the
Internet.
A state of the art search system was implemented which permits users to search through a list of over 60 million files for specific titles and types of
files from worldwide sources in just seconds. From one freely accessible web form, searches can be performed for software, updates, games,
graphics, sounds, movies, midi files, and more. Category headings make it easy for Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, Atari, Amiga and other computer
platforms to select only titles applicable to their needs.
Thousands of freeware, shareware and commercial servers are cataloged on a regular basis by Filez. Users can search all of those servers or
select only servers with certain domain endings such as sites geographically located close to them. "What was once an all-day job guessing
addresses, hop-scotching to different sites, and clicking through directories now takes literally seconds." says beta tester Jeff Winkler.
Besides searching, users can also peruse the holdings of popular ftp sites at Filez. This allows net surfers to check out notoriously busy sites that
typically deny access because of limitations on the number of users or simply do not offer searching capabilities. Filez also lets users search
particular corporate sites worldwide for software such as Apple.
Negotiations are underway with search and content partners to bring the software search capabilities of Filez to a widespread audience through
co-branded web pages, licensed content, and ad revenue sharing.
The Filez service is located at: http://www.filez.com and can be accessed from any forms capable World
Wide Web browser.
SIX NEW CHANNELS ON POINTCAST
PointCast Inc. announced six new channels and AOL support in the latest version of the PointCast Network.
The six new channels are CNN, CNNfn, Wired, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Online and Chicago Tribune. The PointCast Network is a free news
network that broadcasts news and information directly to a viewer's computer screen. Current channels include the Boston Globe, LA Times, NY
Times, San Jose Mercury News' Mercury Center, Time Warner's Pathfinder and CMP's TechWeb.
More info is available on the WWW at: http://www.pointcast.com.
1,000,000 E-MAIL ACCOUNTS ON JUNO.COM
Eight months after the launch of its free email service, Juno Online Services LP announced the creation of its one millionth email account.
Juno is growing at the rate of over 8,000 new subscribers per day, and says it is now one of the five largest providers of consumer email accounts
in the US. Its members pay no fees to create an account or to send and receive email, and do not need to already have Internet access in order
to use Juno. Juno derives its revenues primarily through the sale of highly targeted interactive advertising and through direct sales of products
and services to its subscribers. Juno has marketing relationships with Blockbuster, BMG Entertainment, Marriot Hotels and US Robotics.
Advertisers include American Express, Columbia House, Ford Motor Corp., Lands' End, Microsoft Expedia, Miramax Films, Publishers' Clearing
House, Quaker Oats and Sony Theatres.
PSINET PROVIDING SERVICES IN EUROPE
PSINet Inc. announced that during the second half of 96, it has modified its business plans substantially by refocusing on its core commercial
Internet business. PSINet Europe has begun providing Internet access services to several beta-test customers in Europe. It will begin providing
Internet service in Brussels, Frankfurt, London and Monaco in the first half of 97. The PSINet Europe network specification and topology, as well
as Internet equipment and carrier selection, will be announced in early 97. PSINet has also signed agreements with over 20 US-based consumer
Internet service providers for its recently introduced Wholesale services product line. These consumer-oriented ISPs use PSINet's modems,
routers and network to provide services to their consumer customers.
SOME WWW USER STATISTICS
- Number of major corporate Web sites surveyed for e-mail capabilities by the Wall Street Journal: 24
Of those sites 38% never responded.
- Reebok attempts to respond to e-mail requests within 24 hours.
- Cost of an hour of Internet time at Beijing's Internet Cafe: 30 yuan.
Approximate cost of that hour: US$3.60
- Number of Internet users in China at the end of 1996: 100,000 (Estimated)
- Number of adult Americans who use the Web daily: 9 million (Estimated)
- Increase in number of frame relay customers worldwide, from January 1994 to January 1996: 900%
- Number of documents ignored when Alta Vista is asked for the word "the": 432,118,690
- Amount spent by MCI upgrading the Internet backbone: $60,000,000
- Monthly increase in Internet traffic, per month: 30% (Estimated by MCI)
- Advertising revenue on the Web in the Q3, 1996: $66,000,000
Increase from Q2: 43%
More WWW user statistics is available at:
http://www.why-not.com/company/stats.htm
RESULTS OF THE ADVERTISING REVENUE REPORTING PROGRAM
The Internet Advertising Bureau announced results of its Advertising Revenue Reporting Program.
According to the survey, Internet advertising spending has grown over the first three quarters of 96. Total spending in the 1st quarter was
$29,900,000 , $51,900,000 in the 2nd quarter and $75,600,000 in the 3rd quarter. Data represents revenue from over 200 Internet publishers,
with 85% of the firms reporting revenues directly to the program and the remaining 15% derived as estimates from public information sources.
The IAB has also issued voluntary guidelines for banner advertising, developed in conjunction with CASIE, a joint task force of the Association of
National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. According to Mike Donahue, svp of the AAAA, "The proliferation of
banners has created a massive problem for advertisers and their agencies, which sometimes have to create their ads in 50 or more sizes.
These voluntary guidelines will greatly streamline the advertising production and placement process and contribute to the overall growth of
Internet advertising."
More WWW user statistics is available at:
http://www.why-not.com/company/stats.htm
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