Date: Fri 20-Feb-1998

By CURT CLARK

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo92-Internet-Brand

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: More Women on the Net

By Bob Brand

Some of the pioneers who staked out patches of real estate on the Net were

female and geeky. They established beachheads in the male dominated world of

the early Web. Some brought an agenda of feminism, left-wing politics and

empowerment for women encased by an "in-your-face" style of blunt expression.

This potent mixture found resonance in the free-for-all style of the Net.

While some of the radicalism has cooled, the websites spawned by this early

female population have prospered to an interesting subculture in Net-Land.

Material found here, for the most part, is created by women, for women.

Frankly, I would have to rate these sites as `R,' often NR-17. Some of the

more famous four letter words are in evidence. This is not for the easily

offended. With these words of caution, let's push ahead.

What's in a Name?

Some of the higher profile sites are: Bust, CyberGrrl, Disgruntled Housewives,

gURL, Geek Girl (Australian), Maxi, Minx, Riotgrrl, and 2 Chicks, 2 Bikes, 1

Cause. There are many more. You will not find Betty Crocker recipes here. The

range of information goes from grunge-techno, tattoos, hip mamas, to frozen

breast milk and everything in between. The style tends to be edgy, but most

often well written. Each site has its own flavor, style and personality. I

found many of them fascinating.

Maintaining a large, complex site requires talent, dedication, effort and a

constant revenue stream to pay for the bandwidth. When visiting these sites,

the surfer is struck by the immediate appearance of high profile banner

advertising. Well-known companies often advertise right alongside a condom ad.

These places generate lots of web-traffic. They are being hit -- big time.

Often, highly skilled web-mistresses use state-of-the-art HTML (HyperText

Markup Language) code to make the sites lively. It is not uncommon for the

sites to expect the visitor to be able to hear sound, see video and other

animation. This means that ShockWave, Real Audio/Real Video, Quick Time Movie,

AIFF audio and other plug-ins/helper applications need to be enabled on

Netscape or Internet Explorer. Cutting edge applications require fast modems,

faster computers and lots of disk space and cache memory. Slow-pokes risk

frustration.

The Content

Many of the sites are 'zines --web magazines. They tend to draw a female

audience in the 20 to 50 age bracket. This, however, is not the Glamour/Cosmo

crowd. There is a sharper, more controversial edge at work.

I was struck by an article found on Cybergrrl titled "Michael Hutchence Hangs

it Up" written by Nikki Douglas. For those readers who do not follow the rock

Scene, Hutchence, one of Australia's largest rock superstars with his band

INXS, was recently found hanged in a Sydney hotel room. Here is a quote from

the piece: "No crocodile tears over this one, no wondering how the world will

be without Michael Hutchence. We already know that he will be a suicidal

marketing miracle and books and tributes and posters commemorating him will be

the rage for a while. It will rekindle INXS's record sales as well. I know the

first thing I wanted to do was run down to Sam Goody and get all the INXS I

could on CD, seeing as I have none." What is it with women and rock stars?

The Disgruntled Housewife sports a section titled, "Meals Men Like." Excellent

information. How is this for a quotation? "Why, I know one big, hulking man

that likes nothing better than to end a meal with a fluffy, mile high slice of

coconut cream pie!" Perfect.

A Word of Warning

These sites can contain graphic language and visuals along with provocative

themes. If you want to check into the slightly wilder side of the Web, you may

want to aim your browser at a few of these sites. No one is pushing this at

you, so the easily-offended should steer clear.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.bust.com/

http://www.gurl.com/

http://www.maximag.com/

http://www.minxmag.com/

http://www.geekgirl.com.au/

http://www.urbekah.com/housewife/index.html

(This is the 92nd of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, "Higher Speed Access II" is the subject on tap. Stay tuned.

Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace.

Previous issues of Internet Info for Real People (including links to sites

mentioned in this article) can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail

comments and suggestions to: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)

Track And Field Teams Compete At Masuk

‘Color Our World With Hope’ Filled Newtown With Music, Meaning, And Community Impact

Nighthawk Baseball Team Beats Conference Opponents

Late Goal By Ruddy Lifts Nighthawk Lacrosse Team To Victory, Showcases Chemistry In Midfield

Reed Intermediate Presents Sold-Out Performances Of 'Willy Wonka Jr'

Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 20-Feb-1998

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