Jim Trageser's Hot on the Web - Welcome to Hot on the Web!

Hot on the Web
The Archive

This column is a natural extension of the old Online San Diego column in ComputorEdge magazine, which covered the dial-up BBS community. I had started writing the Online San Diego column after Ron Dippold moved on.

While the Online San Diego column was primarily focused on BBSs, Hot on the Web focuses on the entire online experience – the World Wide Web is a big part of that, but so are e-mail, the Usenet newsgroups, ftp, chat, AOL. Even the occasional dial-up BBS! Feedback, column ideas – e-mail me.

You can always find the current week's Hot on the Web on ComputorEdge's web site.

The columns

Can AOL reinvent itself?	(June 12, 2009)
Is Twitter the next ICQ?	(May 1, 2009)
Google goes browser	(September 12, 2008)
OpenOffice and HTML	(August 8, 2008)
WordPerfect X4 and HTML	(July 11, 2008)
WordPerfect X4 and e-mail	(June 6, 2008)
Netscape no more	(May 2, 2008)
HL2 finally spawning free mods, maps	(April 4, 2008)
So much for a universal music file standard	(March 7, 2008)
YouTube as archival tool	(February 22, 2008)
Trying to build a better search engine	(February 1, 2008)
Welcome to the jungle	(January 4, 2008)
See you online!	December 28, 2007)
ZORK alive: Text-based adventure games find continuing life on the 'Net	(December 21, 2007)
iTunes, Amazon get creative	(December 14, 2007)
A picture a day	(December 7, 2007)
Half-Life franchise, Steam still going strong	(November 30, 2007)
Facebook's widgets push MySpace	(November 23, 2007)
Finding movie trailers online	(November 16, 2007)
Finding movie stills, posters	(November 9, 2007)
Finding movie info online	(November 2, 2007)
Online tournaments, polls	(October 26, 2007)
IBM offers free alternative to MS Office	(October 19, 2007)
Google forever?	(October 12, 2007)
Google does IM	(October 5, 2007)
The state of IM	(September 28, 2007)
Trying to do right ... or not	(September 21, 2007)
Trying to cash in	(September 14, 2007)
Web e-mail grows up some more	(September 7, 2007)
Browsing on the Wii	(August 31, 2007)
Yet another browser	(August 24, 2007)
Moving away from Google	(August 17, 2007)
A MySpace for professionals?	(August 10, 2007)
Just don't wear the red tunic	(August 3, 2007)
Safari for Windows	(July 27, 2007)
Asking to be sued	(July 20, 2007)
Someone's paying attention	(July 13, 2007)
The increasingly readable Wikipedia	(July 6, 2007)
No one kind of 'online' gaming	(June 29, 2007)
Defending the law, online	(June 22, 2007)
Is the Pentagon really out of bandwidth?	(June 15, 2007)
More than just a phone	(June 8, 2007)
Dreamweaver CS3	(June 1, 2007)
Different ways of being 'online'	(May 25, 2007)
Squelching dissent	(May 18, 2007)
In search of the elusive online profit	(May 11, 2007)
Grouping together with the like-minded	(May 4, 2007)
Obnoxiousness and the 'Net	(April 27, 2007)
A game attempt	(April 20, 2007)
Google AdSense gets some competition	(April 13, 2007)
Just be smart	(April 6, 2007)
Twenty years online	(March 30, 2007)
Dressing up your browser	(March 23, 2007)
The digital gallery	(March 16, 2007)
The Internet as reward	(March 9, 2007)
Eudora's open-source future; MySpace Chat	(March 2, 2007)
Steam updates and new Half-Life mods	(February 23, 2007)
More ways to use the Web to protect yourself	(February 16, 2007)
Using the Web to give back	(February 9, 2007)
Of IE7 bugs and paperless billing	(February 2, 2007)
Using the Web to protect your privacy, credit	(January 26, 2007)
This and that	(January 19, 2007)
Heading into a new year	(January 12, 2007)
The year that was, online	(January 5, 2007)
Taking care of our armed forces	(December 29, 2006)
Going overseas to exercise your legal rights	(December 22, 2006)
eBay changes the market for next-gen consoles	(December 15, 2006)
BookMooch: Where old books get new owners	(December 8, 2006)
Time to revisit	(December 1, 2006)
EA takes a page from Steam	(November 24, 2006)
IE 7 in full release	(November 17, 2006)
.Mac – Worth the price?	(November 10, 2006)
Updates issued for Netscape, Eudora, more	(November 3, 2006)
My morning sports fix – online	(October 27, 2006)
Bringing history into the future	(October 20, 2006)
iTunes wishes on a star	(October 13, 2006)
Catching up	(October 6, 2006)
Adding security online	(September 29, 2006)
The BBS – improved	(September 22, 2006)
OpenOffice, and HTML and Office compatibility	(September 15, 2006)
MySpace, Asia-style	(September 8, 2006)
Bypassing retail for the online sale	(September 1, 2006)
Still more on MySpace	(August 25, 2006)
Preserving the PC revolution – online	(August 18, 2006)
The Web – reliable?	(August 11, 2006)
How is this not libel?	(August 4, 2006)
Finding a decent FTP client for Windows	(July 28, 2006)
Opera's new browser shows it's still a player	(July 21, 2006)
The next generation of browsers	(July 14, 2006)
Where did all the catalogs go?	(July 7, 2006)
Tracking the roller coaster wars	(June 30, 2006)
How far is too far in fighting spam?	(June 23, 2006)
Sharing your video online	(June 16, 2006)
More MySpace thoughts	(June 9, 2006)
The not-a-pedia	(June 2, 2006)
The big boys (try to) strike back	(May 26, 2006)
Virtual swingers	(May 19, 2006)
The grownups find MySpace	(May 12, 2006)
The future of 'online'	(May 5, 2006)
Human connections and the 'Net	(April 28, 2006)
Ticketmaster, Fandango and competition	(April 21, 2006)
Google in space	(April 14, 2006)
Charging for spam	(April 7, 2006)
Steve Jobs, online media savant	(March 31, 2006)
Getting Steamed up about software delivery	(March 24, 2006)
The crooks get even slimier	(March 17, 2006)
Something less than the Internet	(March 10, 2006)
On the phone, on your PC	(March 3, 2006)
The world, on your PC	(February 24, 2006)
Privacy, free speech and Google	(February 17, 2006)
Google searches, privacy and paranoia	(February 10, 2006)
Tube convergence	(February 3, 2006)
Your all-in-one console	(January 27, 2006)
Getting it right online	(January 20, 2006)
Google, IM and Googlanoia	(January 13, 2006)
Being Online	(January 6, 2006)
Back to the future	(December 30, 2005)
Finding free fonts online	(December 16, 2005)
Font usage varies from print to Web	(December 9, 2005)
The proliferation of MMOGs	(December 2, 2005)
Nooks and crannies online	(November 25, 2005)
Opera 8.5	(November 18, 2005)
Apple ups the ante ... again	(November 11, 2005)
Google, AdSense and fair play	(November 4, 2005)
The hegemony of free speech	(October 28, 2005)
Revenge of the spammers	(October 21, 2005)
BattleField 2, Part 2	(October 14, 2005)
Beyond CounterStrike	(October 7, 2005)
Disasters, the media and the 'Net	(September 30, 2005)
A tough lesson learned again	(September 23, 2005)
Putting your photos online	(September 16, 2005)
Easier online navigation	(September 9, 2005)
Photo albums and the 'Net	(September 2, 2005)
Sex, censorship and Rockstar's dishonesty	(August 26, 2005)
You Grok?	(August 19, 2005)
Back where I began	(August 12, 2005)
Remembering Ryan Gale	(August 5, 2005)
Still redefining and refining	(July 29, 2005)
Michael Robertson stakes out more new turf	(July 22, 2005)
Backing up your music library on your home network	(July 15, 2005)
Steaming ahead	(July 8, 2005)
Microsoft invades another niche market	(July 1, 2005)
Opera 8	(June 24, 2005)
Professional gaming – live on your PC	(June 17, 2005)
The return of Netscape	(June 10, 2005)
A little late, a little clueless	(June 3, 2005)
Half-Life redux	(May 27, 2005)
The daily fix	(May 20, 2005)
Journalism warms up to the 'Net	(May 13, 2005)
eBay: The ultimate time machine	(May 6, 2005)
Microsoft gets in the music biz	(April 29, 2005)
The coming death (or at least dearth) of www	(April 22, 2005)
Medical info online	(April 15, 2005)
Learning about flicks online	(April 8, 2005)
Atari to go	(April 1, 2005)
Michael Robertson's new MP3 venture	(March 25, 2005)
Passport's demise; going mobile	(March 18, 2005)
So ... wanna chat some time?	(March 11, 2005)
eBay's transition from startup to mature business	(March 4, 2005)
Looking for love in all the online places	(February 25, 2005)
Living in a non-Google world	(February 18, 2005)
Judging the quality of online information	(February 11, 2005)
Where's the best shareware today?	(February 4, 2005)
Tackling Front Page	(January 28, 2005)
This and that	(January 21, 2005)
Final update on eBay	(January 14, 2005)
What's in store in 2005?	(January 7, 2005)
A look back at 2004	(December 31, 2004)
Firefox, The Bat and other online tools	(December 17, 2004
Following the law online	(December 10, 2004)
Election 2004 ... online	(December 3, 2004)
eBay update	(November 26, 2004)
Holiday shopping online	(November 19, 2004)
eBay's abusive behavior – and finding alternatives	(November 12, 2004)
Local government online	(October 29, 2004)
Media and responsibility	(October 22, 2004)
E-mail for the young at heart	(October 15, 2004)
Tracking hurricanes (and learning about them) online	(October 8, 2004)
The big boys catch on	(October 1, 2004)
The roots of the 'Net: .mil and .edu	(September 24, 2004)
Keeping in touch on the road	(September 17, 2004)
State of online campaigns	(September 10, 2004)
All Music's redesign	(September 3, 2004)
Gmail: Still a work in progress	(August 27, 2004)
A lot of fish in that ocean	(August 20, 2004)
The continually evolving music business	(August 13, 2004)
More browsers than ever	(August 6, 2004)
WordPerfect and the 'Net	(July 30, 2004)
Strange goings-on	(July 23, 2004)
Ingratitude and the 'Net	(July 16, 2004)
The new music distribution model	(July 9, 2004)
So much for a common standard	(July 2, 2004)
What a portal should be	(June 25, 2004)
Double-edged sword	(June 18, 2004)
Almost a BBS	(June 11, 2004)
Voice calls over the 'Net	(June 4, 2004)
Staying anonymous online	(May 29, 2004)
Search engines and privacy	(May 22, 2004)
More on Google	(May 15, 2004)
Paternalism run amok	(May 7, 2004)
Playing around online	(April 30, 2004)
More multimedia competition?	(April 23, 2004)
New ways to search	(April 16, 2004)
Catching up	(April 9, 2004)
The most effective distribution network ever?	(April 2, 2004)
Keeping up with NASA online	(March 26, 2004)
Dean's implosion and the 'Net	(March 19, 2004)
Copyright in the age of the 'Net	(March 12, 2004)
Recording the history of computers – online	(March 5, 2004)
Of viruses and spam	(February 27, 2004)
Has blogging reach its peak?	(February 20, 2004)
'Quirky writer seeks cute librarian'	(February 13, 2004)
Pizza, LANning and online dating	(February 6, 2004)
The case for taxing online commerce	(January 30, 2004)
Archiving in the age of the Internet	(January 23, 2004)
Automating your e-mail	(January 16, 2004)
Still more browsers	(January 9, 2004)
Woodworking products online	(January 2, 2004)
Looking ahead to a new year, online	(December 19, 2003)
Browsers and desktops	(December 12, 2003)
More e-mail options	(December 5, 2003)
eBay scam	(November 28, 2003)
Covering a fire	(November 21, 2003)
Apple goes Windows shopping	(November 14, 2003)
Microsoft does right	(November 7, 2003)
Public disclosure	(October 31, 2003)
Legal terror effective	(October 24, 2003)
No monopoly on buggy software	(October 17, 2003)
Selling software online	(October 10, 2003)
Future of the 'Net	(October 3, 2003)
Making a mockery of security	(September 26, 2003)
Attacks on open source	(September 19, 2003)
For no apparent reason	(September 12, 2003)
Going online for support	(September 5, 2003)
Big Brother and good management	(August 29, 2003)
Politics and the 'Net	(August 22, 2003)
Getting organized	(August 15, 2003)
WordPerfect 11 and the Web	(August 8, 2003)
The things you can find online	(August 1, 2003)
A declaration of war ... or cannibalism	(July 25, 2003)
Technology legalized	(July 18, 2003)
Other spam solutions	(July 11, 2003)
Policing the 'Net	(July 4, 2003)
Net radio ready for comeback?	(June 27, 2003)
The future of Netscape	(June 20, 2003)
Outsmarting the spammers	(June 13, 2003)
The continuing crisis	(June 6, 2003)
Online pioneer shuts down	(May 30, 2003)
PDF for the masses	(May 23, 2003)
A victory for technology – and consumers	(May 16, 2003)
A model for fighting spam?	(May 9, 2003)
Encryption war flares anew	(May 2, 2003)
Another era ends	(April 25, 2003)
Old stuff online	(April 18, 2003)
The readers strike back	(April 11, 2003)
Paranoia and the 'Net	(April 4, 2003)
Consolidation hits the ISP market	(March 28, 2003)
Killing ants with a bazooka	(March 21, 2003)
A tale of two search engines	(March 14, 2003)
Return to the browser wars?	(March 7, 2003)
Going back to dial-up	(February 28, 2003)
Threats of war	(February 21, 2003)
It keeps growing and growing and ...	(February 14, 2003)
The return of analog?	(February 7, 2003)
More on Windows Messenger spam	(January 31, 2003)
Here and there on the Web	(January 24, 2003)
We don't need no stinkin' retail	(January 17, 2003)
New tactics from hackers, spammers	(January 10, 2003)
Charity begins on the Web	(January 3, 2003)
Is 'Doom III' leak really a scandal?	(December 20, 2002)
Even Tupperware going online	(December 13, 2002)
Last-minute shopping?	(December 6, 2002)
Will wireless catch on?	(November 29, 2002)
Getting creative online	(November 22, 2002)
More contemptible than spam	(November 15, 2002)
Home networking with Jaguar	(November 8, 2002)
Going online with Jaguar	(November 1, 2002)
Ever more tasks now online	(October 25, 2002)
Blogs and a missionary's zeal	(October 18, 2002)
Microsoft's monolithic vision	(October 11, 2002)
Ma and Pa head online	(October 4, 2002)
Is Hollywood stirring a backlash?	(September 27, 2002)
Getting a handle on piracy	(September 20, 2002)
Defining your right to click	(September 13, 2002)
Spreading online freedom	(September 6, 2002)
Spam demands tough response	(August 30, 2002)
Hollywood wants access to your PC	(August 23, 2002)
Free speech gains and loses online	(August 16, 2002)
Browsing aimlessly but interestingly	(August 9, 2002)
How useful is online sex offender info?	(August 2, 2002)
Online services getting easier to use	(July 26, 2002)
Is the Internet ready for emergency use?	(July 19, 2002)
Putting the genie back in the bottle	(July 12, 2002)
Getting wired without the coffee	(July 5, 2002)
Past innovators often struggle	(June 28, 2002)
Opening the mail bag	(June 21, 2002)
Search warrants in the age of the 'Net	(June 14, 2002)
The broadband rebound	(June 7, 2002)
Were .us domain names mishandled?	(May 31, 2002)
Finding Web help online	(May 24, 2002)
An explosion of spam	(May 17, 2002)
Hype and the art of blogging	(May 10, 2002)
The unknown 'Net	(May 3, 2002)
Michael Robertson and the future of the 'Net	(April 26, 2002)
The ACLU and public porn	(April 19, 2002)
Finding Linux support online	(April 12, 2002)
Fore!	(April 5, 2002)
DSL headed for a monopoly?	(March 29, 2002)
The end of copyright?	(March 22, 2002)
Hype in the digital age	(March 15, 2002)
What's going on	(March 8, 2002)
Opera for the Mac	(March 1, 2002)
The Web grows up	(February 22, 2002)
Toning down the politics	(February 15, 2002)
8-bit glory relived	(February 8, 2002)
Snipe hunting	(February 1, 2002)
Bill, Bill, Bill	(January 25, 2002)
Recipe for success	(January 18, 2002)
Looking into the future	(January 11, 2002)
Is privacy the digital hobgoblin?	(January 4, 2002)
2001 – The Year Online	(December 21, 2001)
The Organization Man	(December 14, 2001)
Last word on Microsoft (for awhile)	(December 7, 2001)
More Microsoft shenanigans	(November 30, 2001)
The latest in online gaming	(November 23, 2001)
More weird stuff online	(November 16, 2001)
Finding the right (odd) gift	(November 9, 2001)
Brushing up on html	(November 2, 2001)
Catching up	(October 26, 2001)
Music, music, music!	(October 19, 2001)
The world reacts	(October 12, 2001)
Breaking news and the web	(October 5, 2001)
Hard times for broadband	(September 28, 2001)
Is XP Bill Gates' gift to Linux, Mac and WordPerfect?	(September 21, 2001)
Does Bill Gates just not get it?	(September 14, 2001)
Is the world ready for another layer?	(September 7, 2001)
Try before you buy	(August 31, 2001)
Of web bugs and privacy	(August 24, 2001)
Smaller is better	(August 17, 2001)
Taking on the giants	(August 10, 2001)
School daze	(August 3, 2001)
Fun, fun, fun	(July 27, 2001)
Going online – Mac style	(July 20, 2001)
Opera's latest arias	(July 13, 2001)
Back to the mail bag	(July 6, 2001)
Has the great thinning begun?	(June 29, 2001)
Service ... or a scam?	(June 22, 2001)
A look at our upcoming features	(June 15, 2001)
Here and there on the Web	(June 8, 2001)
Finding images online easy, if not free	(June 1, 2001)
WordPerfect e-mail takes on Outlook	(May 25, 2001)
In (cyber)space, no one can hear you sweat	(May 18, 2001)
(DSL) Woe is me	(May 11, 2001)
Free speech restored	(May 4, 2001)
Protect yourself	(April 27, 2001)
Free web hosting generous, abundant	(April 20, 2001)
Deja vu all over again ...	(April 13, 2001)
Tax man cometh	(April 6, 2001)
This just in ...	(March 30, 2001)
Finding what's new	(March 23, 2001)
Budding geniuses	(March 16, 2001)
Resistance is futile ...	(March 9, 2001)
The music industry vs. reality	(March 2, 2001)
Auction transactions made secure	(February 23, 2001)
Chairman Bill's nightmare	(February 16, 2001)
Finding the right font	(February 9, 2001)
The readers write	(February 2, 2001)
Computer vs. console, Pt. 2	(January 26, 2001)
Computer vs. console	(January 19, 2001)
If you can't afford an operating system ...	(January 12, 2001)
Who needs Broadway?	(January 5, 2001)
Where the heck are my notes ...	(December 22, 2000)
My (digital) crystal ball	(December 15, 2000)
Infinite listening lounge?	(December 8, 2000)
The perfect game room	(December 1, 2000)
Linux	(November 24, 2000)
The perfect gift?	(November 17, 2000)
The former editors' club	(November 10, 2000)
Gutenberg³?	(November 3, 2000)
Family online basics	(October 27, 2000)
Hype a double-edged sword	(October 20, 2000)
Finding cool old games online	(October 13, 2000)
Trolling the inbox	(October 6, 2000)
The paperless myth	(September 29, 2000)
Practice safe surfing	(September 22, 2000)
The ultimate projector	(September 15, 2000)
The infinite library	(September 8, 2000)
A longstanding tradition	(September 1, 2000)
Why can't computers just do their jobs?	(August 25, 2000)
Third time a charm?	(August 18, 2000)