Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 18:34:23 EST From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" Subject: "NetGuide" by Rutten/Bayers/Maloni BKNETGUD.RVW 950404 "NetGuide", Rutten/Bayers/Maloni, 1994, 0-679-75106-8, U$19.00/C$25.00 editors@ypn.com mwolff@go-netguide.com %A Peter Rutten %A Albert F. Bayers III %A Kelly Maloni %C 201 E. 50th St., 31st Floor, New York, NY 10022 %D 1993 %G 0-679-75106-8 %I Michael Wolff & Company, Inc./Random House Electronic Publishing %O U$19.00/C$25.00 212-751-2600 800-733-3000 800-726-0600 fax 212-841-1539 %O abiggert@randomhouse.com 74261.2352@compuserve.com mwolff@ypn.com %P 356 %S Net... %T "NetGuide" The description of this book as "the TV Guide to Cyberspace" is fairly apt. As a kind of concise "yellow pages" to online services, it has a good format for introductory searching in a given topic. The "Frequently Asked Questions" introduction lays out a useful style for providing basic access information. The FAQ chapter goes into greatest detail on the Internet applications: the outlines, though roughly a two-page maximum, nevertheless usually provide enough direction without going into technicalities. The content is not as complete as the two yellow page guides (cf. BKNRYLPG.RVW and BKINTYLP.RVW), although it also includes material from commercial services, BBS networks and individual BBSes. One use for the book would be in determining which type of service is best suited to your needs. (Take care, though: commercial systems have an advantage here, in that some service descriptions are lifted from promotional materials.) Some of the material is becoming dated, but I was favourably impressed with areas relating to my specialities. The topical divisions are sometimes odd, and there are no cross-references. Again, commercial services have an advantage: their material is more likely to be posted in multiple topics. A useful, quick reference which deserves to be updated. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKNETGUD.RVW 950404 ============== Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | "My son, beware ... of the Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca | making of books there is Research into Rob.Slade@f733.n153.z1/ | no end, and much study is User .fidonet.org | a weariness of the flesh." Security Canada V7K 2G6 | Ecclesiastes 12:12