New Tabloid Can Help Connect Many To Internet

Thu., March 6, 1997

By Dan Webster danw@spokesman.com

If the term “Internet” fills you with terror, then Connect-Time may be the publication for you.

It might be worth checking out even if you’re a regular Web surfer.

A 16-page, monthly tabloid - which will become a regular insert to The Spokesman-Review beginning Friday - Connect-Time is designed to be your guide to the byzantine world of Internet communications.

Call it a middle ground between the standard newspaper and the World Wide Web.

“We acknowledge that some newspapers are doing a solid job of covering new technology, particularly for those in the know,” Connect-Time editor-in-chief Harriet Choice said in a prepared statement, “but we believe that there is a need for a more inclusive section, one which serves the person flipping on his computer for the first time as well as the Internet expert.”

There are many more of the former than the latter. According to some reports, as many as 14,000 consumers are joining online services every day. The Chicago Tribune reported that by the end of the century, some 152 million Americans will be connected to the Internet.

For the rookie, Connect-Time offers a pain-free means of becoming Internet-wise. And if you’re ready to jump into the experience, you can ease into it by exploring Connect-Time’s own Web site (http://www.connect-time.com).

The online Connect-Time offers Web newcomers everything from advice (“Don’t Panic!” it says at one point) to pain-free directions about how to best access the corners of the Web that most interest you.

Both the publication and the Web site, though, will acquaint readers with some of the basic Internet jargon. You’ll learn the meaning of such terms as “search engine” (a program such as Yahoo! that actually helps you find what you want) and URL (or uniform resource locator, which is a fancy name for Web address).

For the more computer literate, Connect-Time offers a variety of features, from stories about people who offer services on the Web to stories about how the Web can make your life easier (tax tips, where to find a decent college, etc.). One of the most interesting pieces in the February issue addresses something that most experienced Web surfers find bothersome: Michael Antonoff, executive editor of Video magazine, explores the world of the personal Web page and the people who create them. One such person, Dave Moore, updates his daily life to let everyone know, among other things, what he’s had for lunch.

“Where are the modesty filters that would restore the meaning of ‘personal’ in personal computing?” Antonoff asks.

That’s Connect-Time, a publication that’s not afraid to ask the tough questions. Look for it the first Friday of each month.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.