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ONLINE is written for Information Professionals and provides articles, product reviews, case studies, evaluation, and informed opinion about selecting, using, and managing electronic information products, plus industry and professional information about online database systems, CD-ROM, and the Internet."

Several of these articles were featured as cover stories.

Napster: Copyright Killer or Distribution Hero?

Napster is just the latest in a long series of nascent technologies that incurred the wrath of copyright owners. The wax recorder, the phonograph, the tape recorder, the video cassette recorder, the floppy disk, the compact disc, DVD—all of these technologies met fierce resistance from cartels that controlled copyrighted content.

Inside the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project has succeeded by coupling a simple, yet elegant, Web directory to the engine of a grassroots marketing campaign that has won the hearts and captured the minds of millions of Web users. The ODP's straightforward Web directory needs little introduction or explanation. Its workman-like interface and competent search capabilities make it an appropriate tool for searchers at nearly all levels of competence. The truly interesting part of the ODP story lies, not in its mechanics, but in its genesis and evolution, and the behind the scenes goings-on in the inner sanctum of the project.

The Future Revisited: What's New with Web Search

Some long-term trends emerged that are definitely shaping the constantly shifting landscape of search. But inevitably, given the startling acceleration in the growth of the Web and players seeking to capture the minds (and dollars) of its users, new ideas, technologies, and projects have sprung up that hold significant promise—and implications—for the future of Web search.

Reference Resources on the Web

There are a number of hybrid reference services on the Web that are something of a cross between a traditional database service and a Web search engine. They often feature proprietary content, and may also include links to other Web resources. All are either free or very inexpensive when compared to services like Dialog and LEXIS-NEXIS. For this article, I looked at three prominent Web-based online reference resources: Ask Jeeves, Electric Library, and Information Please.

Webfoira Reporter: A Review

Webforia Reporter is an excellent tool for the Web researcher who needs to find, organize, and share information with others. Reporter combines Web search, bookmarking, and page-capture capabilities with a heavy-duty presentation tool. Reporter places equal emphasis on providing powerful tools for information gathering and organization, and on features for creating high-quality, professional-looking reports.

The Future of Web Search

As the Web continues its relentless growth, search tools must evolve and adapt to remain useful. Trying to make exact predictions about the state of Web search in say, five years or so, is a fool's game. But there are some clear trends and emerging standards that will play a definite role in shaping the future of Web search. In this article, we'll provide a "big picture" overview of the future of Web search, and share some of the thinking of a number of key players who will play a major role in the evolution of Web search tools.

A Bookmark Manager Roundup

An overview of Web "bookmark managers" and how they can help you organize your favorite Web sites. This overview includes a review of six leading bookmark managers, with a table comparing their features, costs, and benefits.

Enter, Find, and Share: A Review of Enfish Tracker Pro

Enfish Tracker Pro creates a unified index of all your important information—whether it's on your own computer, an office network, or the Internet. Tracker Pro's goal is to organize information in the way you think, rather than in arbitrary structures like file folders, directories, or Web addresses.

Search Engine Help: Documentation and Resources on the Web

Keeping tabs on the search techniques and features of the major search engines can be a daunting task. However, most major search engines provide help files. The degree to which the help files help can be as varied as the techniques each search engine employs. Surveyed here are seven of the more popular search engines with special attention given to the location, content, and degree of the assistance of their help files.