(This is the Online column, written for The Southland Times)
The big news this week has been the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its seven crew members.
While thousands of news sites are covering the story, it’s worth remembering that Nasa’s website has in-depth coverage as well as details about the mission before it took such a disastrous turn.
Shortly after the disaster, United States-based online auction site eBay announced it would not tolerate the selling of Columbia debris. An eBay spokesman said 10 or 15 items related to the disaster had been listed and were quickly removed.
Praise be!
Next time you run into difficulties online, you might just have a higher power to turn to for help.
It seems the Vatican is seeking a patron saint for the internet, with Saint Isidore of Seville the most likely contender.
The 7th century Spanish theologian and scholar was best known for his 20-volume attempt to compile the world’s knowledge.
The Vatican launched its own website in 1996 and Pope John Paul 2 made his first venture into cyberspace two years later when he recited his Sunday Angelus prayers online.
Homework help
The start of a new school year might be a good time to check out some sites that could be used to help with homework.
How Stuff Works does exactly as its name implies, explaining the intricacies of everything from four-wheel-drives to hydropower plants.
HomeworkSpot is a huge portal-type site with information on various subjects broken down by age group.
There is a wide range of information to use here and it’s a site well worth bookmarking.
Tucked away in the Yahooligans directory you’ll find the school bell category. This part of the directory has links to subcategories covering more topics than you can shake a stick at, all of which will be useful for most kids (and quite a few adults).
Chris Pirillo, the man behind the incredibly popular (and incredibly useful) Lockergnome website and newsletters (www.lockergnome.com) has launched a new site specialising in online advertising.
Rent My Chest! (www.rentmychest.com) offers advertisers the opportunity to have the message of their choice written on Chris’ chest in marker pen.
So far the chest ads have included a range of website address, a peace message and a marriage proposal.