Web Grows And Grows
Everyone agrees that the Internet is huge, but just how big is big?
Hal Varian of the University of California at Berkeley says the Net consists of 2.5 billion documents, with millions more added daily.
Here are some yardsticks that Varian and his Berkeley colleague Peter Lyman use to describe the size of the Net:
* The world produces between 1 and 2 “exabytes” of unique information per year, or roughly 250 megabytes for every man, woman and child on Earth. An exabyte is a billion gigabytes.
* The directly accessible surface Web consists of about 2.5 billion documents and is growing at a rate of 7.3 million pages per day.
* Adding the “deep” Web of connected databases, intranet sites and dynamic pages, there are about 550 billion documents — 95 percent of them accessible by the public.
* The average white-collar worker receives about 40 e-mail messages daily at the office.
While trying to get your arms around the Web, check out these new, helpful or entertaining sites:
* Thumbs up, thumbs down: If the 2000 presidential election and its aftermath left you shaking your head, here’s your chance to respond.
Visitors can vote to abolish, keep or reform the current Electoral College, which has the final say on who becomes president and vice president.
http://www.electoralcollegepoll. org
* Online vet benefits: The Department of Veterans Affairs has upgraded its Web site, enabling veterans to apply for benefits and health care online.
Veterans fill out and submit an Internet-based application, which is automatically e-mailed to the VA health care facility selected by the veteran.
VA employees register the data, print the form and mail it back to the veteran for signature. Veterans can also print out the completed form and mail it to a VA health care facility.
The system allows applications for compensation, pension and vocational rehabilitation benefits.
http://www.va.gov
* Feast on this: Frazzled Thanksgiving Day hosts can turn to the Internet for a helping hand.
Family.com offers a range of time-saving tips, recipes, decorating ideas and practical advice to handle the holiday stress.
The Web site also gives step-by-step instructions for homemade centerpieces and decorations, plus creative ideas for after-dinner games, travel tips and expert advice on dealing with family dynamics.
http://family.com/thanksgiving