Subject: CCL:WWW developments

From: Abby Parrill <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 09:12:12 -0700 (MST)

I face a slightly different problem than Steven and Geoffrey.  I am 
developing pages for undergraduate students, some of whom are very 
web-literate, and others who are completely computer-phobic.  It is 
actually to the advantage of those computer-phobic students to simply 
download the appropriate java-applet with the data every time they want 
to view something.  This approach, while time-consuming, will probably 
prove to be much less intimidating for these students.

My experience during this last year, trying to encourage students to view 
and use the materials we have made available, has shown me that needing to
configure a web browser with a new mime type and appropriate helper 
application is a discouragement to some of the computer-phobic students.  
This seems to be true even when I give them helper applications on disk 
with detailed instructions on how to configure it.  The benefit of java 
applets will be to allow these students to slowly merge into the 
internet, rather than plunging in headfirst.

I think a standard set of chemistry Java applets would be wonderful, but 
I would have to include the applet every time it is needed in order to 
provide an encouraging atmosphere to students.  It might be useful 
to remember that the diversity of computer experience among chemists is 
fairly similar to the diversity I've found in my students.  We may want 
to keep this in mind while publishing chemical information on the 
internet and allow viewers the alternative of the easy way or the faster way.

__________________________________________________________
                                              
                      Abby Parrill
                  Chemistry Department
      Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry Laboratory                         
                The University of Arizona                    
             [email-masked]              
                                           
__________________________________________________________

---

From: [email-masked] (Peter Shenkin)
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 96 17:47:35 -0400

> From [email-masked]  Mon Apr  8 16:50:53 1996
> Currently, if one requests a doc that is in your disk cache,
> the cache is accessed, even if the doc has changed. ...

No. This depends on how your browser is set up. In Netscape, under
Network Preferences, you can set the "Cache" preferences to
"Verify Document" either "Once per Session", "Every Time" or
"Never". I believe you are describing the "Never" behavior;
changing this to "Every Time" should do what you want.

Though I'm not an expert on this, a quick perusal of the Netscape
handbook seems to bear out this interpretation.

	-P.

**************** In Memoriam, Minnie Pearl, 1913-1996, RIP *****************
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