I feel that I have a responsibility (as does everyone) to share what I have in abundance (which right now is songs, drawings, poems and maybe some leadership through this zine).
100 FIRST COOL SITES
Musea's Guide to the Internet
Note before we begin: This article has been written specifically for those people who are going on the Internet for the 1st time. If sometime in the future YOU plan to link up, please save this as your 1st guide to the world wide web. If you already are on the net, there may still be some sites here you're not familiar with. And to those who are not on the net and probably will not be for a long while - there's still a lot of short essays, articles, quips, and quotes that I hope will interest you and help explain what everyone is so excited about. (Also note this article will be prominently displayed on our website, so if you misplace this copy just dial us up.) editor: ART S REVOLUTIONARY.
RANDOM IS NOT A FUNCTION!
(my computer)
"The initial plan was to link four sites: UCLA, the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Stanford Research Institute, and the University of Utah. The first node, as the network sites were called, was at UCLA" - ( B. Kantrowitz & A. Rogers)
"Y'all know what's going on out here? I mean do Y'ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE!"
- Art S Revolutionary
COMPUTERS! They're expensive to get, overly complicated to use, and most of the time they act with a perverse machine mentality, BUT you have to have one to get on the net (well maybe) and then a modem, server, what's your URL? which isn't your e-mail; downloads, software, printers, zip files, A-O- what? - PULEEZE!?!
Hopefully , one way or another you're one of the chosen few who have gotten on the Internet today. And what do you find:
NOBODY'S IN CHARGE!
My first day on the net and I'm lost. 150 million sites (as of an already out-of-date count) but I don't know how to get any of them. I've got this piece of old fashioned paper with all these www formulas but after that 'where do I go?' 'Where can I go?' There are sooooooo many options - too many (at least at first).
So to save you the months it took me to find ANYTHING, I've written this introduction to the Internet. THE 100 FIRST COOL SITES.
And though they are mostly art, media, and art revolution sites (that's the whole 2nd half) there is enough variety so that you dear new-to-the-net can find just about any site on the world wide web.
THIS IS WHAT I LOOKED FOR in deciding the 100 : well done sites, or fun sites, or ultra big sites that were low on ads and sales pitches, and high on integrity, coolness, and in some way some-help-to-you.
THE MACHINE I USED to find these sites was low on the evolutionary scale of technology. It had less memory than a dazed amoeba! So know that if I can load up these sites YOU can load up these sites.
FOR YOU READING THIS ON THE MUSEA WEBSITE, I hope you'll bookmark this page and come back often. (And while you're here don't forget the rest of our site - we started the art revolution you know). Use this as a directory until you find a better one. And feel free to print out these pages, save them for reference, and tell your friends about what we're doing. Oh and while you're on the net - have fun! - Art S. Revolutionary.
| PART ONE WHERE'S THIS CAR GOING? KEY TO THE SITES GOVERNMENT SITES ALL OVER THE MAP HAVE A VICE DAY SCIENCE SITES SPECIAL INTERNET FEATURES INTERMISSION (take a break from all this Internet stuff) | PART TWO ARTS, MEDIA & THE ART REVOLUTION DALLAS or I'M THE BOY NEXT DOOR THEATER, FASHION, DANCE ARCHITECTURE AND WRITING KIDS! ZINES ART REVOLUTION THE BAD GUYS |
One thing about the Internet that comes through loud and clear is that there is no leadership on the net, excluding the 'every man for himself' philosophy, nobody knows what to do with it. And make no mistake, those poor and uneducated outside computerland are seldom discussed or even mentioned on the net.
But like everything that's a boon for all, Musea believes the good should be shared. I remember as a kid playing the board game, 'Life.' If another player hands you a 'share the wealth' card you have to give him one-half your money. Those are the rules. In the same way, adults have karmic rules too. And I always imagine somebody coming along and giving me a real life 'share the wealth' card, and not for one-half of my play money.
I feel that I have a responsibility (as does everyone) to share what I have in abundance (which right now is songs, drawings, poems and maybe some leadership through this zine).
So the first thing to do is call a conference of net leaders, community leaders, innovative thinkers, etc., for no other reason than to put the issue of 'How the Net Can Help All' on the agenda.
While we're waiting for that to happen, Musea has decided to nail our theses to the door - our Internet Bill of Rights. (And remember because the Internet is worldwide, these would apply worldwide.)
1. RIGHT TO ACCESS THE NET. I believe every human being has a right to access the Internet. I also believe that our government should insure that all its citizens have that opportunity.
2. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Freedom to speak without government, business, religious, or any other kind of censorship.
3. FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY. The right for any group of people to assemble on the net in forums, communities, etc. for any reason.
4. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The right to report the truth without censorship.
5. FREE E-MAIL. The right to communicate with others in protected privacy.
6. RIGHT TO PRIVACY. The right to protection from invasion of privacy by anyone.
7. RIGHT TO FAIR REDRESS. Fair opportunity to right any wrongs done to anyone on the net.
8. RIGHT TO ACCESS ALL PUBLIC DOMAIN INFORMATION. Information, pictures, photos, etc.
9. RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION ON THE NET, THROUGH COLLEGE LEVEL.
10. RIGHT FOR CHILDREN TO BE PROTECTED FROM ABUSE OF ANY KIND.
MUSEA GALLERY: It's not easy getting a website on the net. You have to have the money, the know how, the time, the... well what if all you had to do was send someone your art work, or poems, or photos (and maybe even music at a later date) and THEY did all the technical stuff for you?
We're THINKING of doing that here at Musea. It wouldn't be free but it wouldn't be that bad either. Here's our idea so far: YOU get a legal size sheet of paper (11 X 14) and fill it with what you want on your website. Then get it to us with a fee of $30 and WE would load it up on a section of our site called the Musea Gallery with all the other artists that submitted their pages. You'd get to AUDITION FOR THE WORLD for a small one time fee and we'd leave it up there as long as you kept in touch or until you wanted to change it (there would be a re-load fee) . And even if you already have a website the gallery could be used as a sampling of your work, to get our audience to your site.
ANYWAY that's what we're thinking. NOTHING IS FOR SURE YET SO DON'T SEND ANYTHING NOW! But if you are interested we'll start a list and IF ENOUGH artists like the idea, we'll go from there.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER? Musea could use your expertise if (a) you know how to put MP3's on our website. or (b) you like to type for free every once in a while. Let us hear from you.
WELL THAT'S IT I hope you enjoyed our special INTERNET issue where 100 sites grew and grew (and I constantly had to fight my computer spell checker who refused to believe I had ever spelled a single URL correctly). Let me hear what you think. And remember next month Musea is on vacation. See ya in September! Stay Revolutionary!
- ART S REVOLUTIONARY