A Few Good Web Tips

Janet Foster

As the new millenium approaches, it’s safe to assume that most, if not all, public librarians have taken their first cruise down the information superhighway via the Internet or the Web. It is probably also a given that some of us have hit potholes along the way, been caught in major Web traffic, or simply gotten lost in cyberspace. The phrase “you’ve performed an illegal operation” sounds daunting. Yet, with a few helpful tips, librarians can navigate the Net smoothly or at least launch into cyberspace without hitting obstacles of titanic proportions.

The following suggestions can allay a few fears for people who may have encountered rough cyber trips in the past and may be reluctant to pursue the astonishing vista of information on the Web.

Operating without a Web License

First, let’s examine those dreaded words that pop up just as patrons have located the Web pages they’ve been industriously searching for—“this program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.” Control, Alt, Delete may not work, and there is no recourse but to reboot the computer, a last-ditch effort that I’ve been told NEVER to perform on a PC without expecting dire consequences. Even though I still wince at having to use such drastic measures, it is usually just best to reboot and start over instead of wasting time to trying to fix the error. What is an illegal operation and how does one happen? Usually, it occurs when a computer gets “confused.” It may have received more commands than it can process at once, for instance, printing and surfing at the same time; or its memory banks may just be full. Also known as a general protection fault (GPF), the illegal operation can sometimes be corrected just by emptying the cache or restarting the browser.

In Netscape Communicator, go to Edit preferences and click on Clear History. To restart the browser, click on the X in the upper-right-hand-corner to close the window, then click the icon to continue. This certainly sounds easy enough but most illegal operations come about during the busiest part of the day, when patrons are frantic about getting information or computer printouts. Before initiating the reboot, ask the patron if they can get back to the page in question, if the computer needs to be shut down, or whether they want to take a moment to copy the URL. If the printer is involved and the patron has to leave, librarians can ask if they can put the copies aside once the computer is up and running and if the person can come back later that day or the next day to pick them up.

Many people are reassured by hearing these options and grateful that all their hard work is not lost. As all librarians who work on information desks realize, the customer service aspect of our jobs is as essential and probably even more important than technical skills. And patrons are very understanding about electronic obstacles. Usually a word or two to commiserate ... “this has happened to me, so I know how you feel ...” puts both patron and staff member at ease. Cybermisery loves company. “Files Not Found” has happened to the best of us, the most seasoned surfers. We’ve reached the pinnacle of searching success by combining Boolean logic with librarian’s intuition. It was hard, but that illusive page has now been located. But when you click to go there, a 404 message pops up ... File Not Found or Access Denied. Where did the page go? What does File Not Found really mean? When teaching Internet classes, I hope that at least one 404 message pops up before the end of the session. That way, I can take time to explain to the patrons, en masse, what this esoteric message means and assure them that it was nothing they did wrong—that it can even happen to librarians.

A 404 message basically means that the page that was once there is missing. The analogy I like to give is that of a patron coming in and checking the library catalog for a certain title. The item is retrieved for and “on shelves” is indicated. But when the patron goes to the shelf, the item is not there. That’s when the librarian usuall becomes involved. First trying the logical strategies of seeing whether the book is slightly misfiled or on the new book shelf or display, then when ultimately the item is deemed missing, the OPAC record is tagged. In the meantime, anyone going to the shelf to look for this item will get the computer analogy of a 404—file not found.

This is one of the most common Web error messages. Essentially, a page which existed formerly on the server and has been “catalogued” by a directory like Yahoo! or search engine like Infoseek is now defunct. Yet performing a search still points you to this page. Many sites have 404 error messages that also ask for cyberhelp in identifying these pages by sending e-mails to their webmasters. During the course of the year, there are times when I create library Web pages to promote one-time events or programs. The page goes up, is found by the Web bots, and catalogued for posterity. Then when the page comes down or is saved to a disk for possible use at another time, a 404 message comes up. The Web is essentially looking for a page that no longer exists in that spot—like a book not in its place on a shelf.

Just as in collection development of other materials, Web administrators are constantly being apprised of pages that are obsolete or missing. And again, as with other formats, the decision then has to be ade whether to reinstate the page or reroute the user back home. So patrons should be aware of 404 messages and though disappointed that the exact Web page is not available, there is usually a suitable or better alternative.

Cyber Help

CNET has recently launched a technical hotline via the Internet. For those computing or technology questions which seem unsolvable, help is available at CNET Help.com and is available free of charge. CNET Help.com is the place to find hundreds of thousands of computer technology questions and answers, culled from Usenet newsgroups and submitted by users around the world. And the best part is, it’s all free. Some information and assistance you will find at the site include:

Searching a database of questions and answers
Submitting your own question to the worldwide community of computing experts. Most questions are answered within 24 hours
Browsing a directory of thousands of tips and how-tos, written by CNET editors, for more help with the hardware and software products you use every day
Getting more resources on your favorite tech topics in our Help Centers, where you’ll find everything from books to online classes to assisted tech support.

And finally, a newcomer on the cyberblock, “The Geek Squad” is a twenty-four hour computer support task force. With twenty-four special agents and an astounding combined mass of computer expertise, The Geek Squad has been rescuing wayward computers for the past four-and-a-half years. You may readily identify special agents by their ID badges and clip-on ties.