i am a new computer user and but for my daughter would have given up searching for information she searched in research journals of neurological society researchers i think and found some interesting information then found this site could someone list sites without jargon until i get used to the particular vocabulary both of computer users and pd information givers judy >From: Linda J Herman <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: WWWeb Resources : or can we make the Web PWP friendly? >Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 06:56:41 -0400 > >Dear computer geeks :) and other list members, > Thanks for all the replies on Web searching - these were all good >suggestions. One of my concerns was for those new to the Internet and the >newly diagnosed, who are looking for PD information on the Web - and what >they are likely to find and also not find. The Web has been described as >a library with all the books thrown randomly on the floor. Are there any >ways we can help make the search for PD Information less random? > Frans van Dunien said it best - "And then there are the jewels, >the >resources like this list, Janet's site, John Cottingham's etc. Operated >by volunteers without funding. And somehow these are the best sites by a >long shot. So how do we tell the newcomers where to start and what they >can ignore..." > As part of my job, I teach undergraduate students how to do >research on >the Internet - at one end are returning adult students, some of whom have >never used a computer before. At the other are the recent H.S. grads who >think they know everything about the Net. I've observed lately that even >the 18 year olds are complaining about all the commercial sites - "How do >I get to the information?" I've even had a few ask for a book instead!!! >Many also give up after the 2nd or 3rd result screen, if they don't find >what they want. Or they just use anything they happen to find immediately >- without knowing where it's coming from or what it's biases may be. Many >just get lost after drifting from one link to another. > Another Parkinson's example - look under the Yahoo subject >directory for >Parkinson's Disease - a very likely beginning search . There are some >good sites, but many other good ones are missing. Then there are links to >sites like one called the "Parkinson's Information Web Site" - which >sounds like a good place to start. It turns out to be another drug >company site - this one is Somerset, makers of Eldepryl, which includes a >page on why Eldepryl is better than the generic brands (Not what my >doctor told me). Another link is to a site last updated in 1997. > So what can we do? From all the replies I've summarized some >ideas: > - Could our list web site owners provide more links to other >"PWP-friendly" >sites, and those that they have visited themselves and know provide >accurate, up-to-date information. Could you also include links labeled >something like "Good sites for the newly diagnosed." > > - William Parrett offered some hints for increasing the ranking of web >sites on search engines. William, could people contact you for assistance >if needed to adjust their meta-tags? > > - Volunteers could check the directories and meta-sites that have a PD >category, and note which of our favorite sites are missing, and ask the >site owners to submit their pages for inclusion. > > - Each of the PD organization sites offers unique and valuable >information. Could they link to each other? For example, the NPF site >has some good information on Young Onset PD, and there is additional info >on the APDA Young Onset I&R site. Why not link to one another? We need >all the information we can find. I also noticed yesterday on the NPF >site there is a new Parkinson's Ring link - but only 4 sites are on it so >far. It doesn't say where this Ring originated - but this could be a good >tool if there are some guidelines for which links are included. > Any other ideas? >Linda > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com