Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Accessing the Web

1996; Elsevier BV; Volume: 62; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0003-4975(96)00432-8

1552-6259

Peter S. Greene,

Radiology practices and education

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has recently established a World Wide Web site on the Internet. The site features news updates and information about The Society, registration forms for upcoming events, committee newsletters, a directory of Society members, educational materials, and a program for searching abstracts from cardiothoracic surgery journals. The STS site also hosts Web pages for The Annals of Thoracic Surgery displaying instructions for authors, upcoming tables of contents, current issue abstracts, and a featured article for on-line discussion by Society members. To access the Web site, members need the following:1.Computer Hardware: Most recent-model personal computers, whether IBM PC “clones” or Apples, can be configured to access the Internet. A fast microprocessor (50 MHz or greater) and a fast modem (14.4 or preferably 28.8K bps) markedly improve the speed at which graphic images from the Web are displayed. A sound card is required for listening to audio clips on the STS Web site.2.Internet Connection: The easiest way for novices to access the Internet is to dial in to one of the commercial on-line services such as America Online, Compuserve, or Prodigy. Usually, only a single disk installation procedure is required for these services. Alternatively, local Internet service providers (such as NETCOM or GNN, which have access phone numbers in most major cities) offer less expensive dial-in access to the Internet, which is also simple to configure.Advanced users will want to consider faster connections. Many hospitals and educational institutions can provide a direct connection to the Internet using a network adapter card instead of a modem; this option should be used if available. Alternatively, ISDN telephone line connections, which can be as fast as 128K bps, are now being marketed to residences as well as businesses. Direct network or ISDN connections can be complex to install, and the assistance of a network administrator should be enlisted for proper configuration.3.Web Browser Program: A software program is required for “browsing” the World Wide Web. Most on-line services have browsers as part of their package, whereas other types of connection will necessitate installing a browser. Netscape's Navigator (version 2.0 or greater) is the preferred Web browser, although most features in The Society's site can be accessed with other programs. The RealAudio plug-in for Netscape is required for accessing audio clips. Instructions for obtaining this plug-in are available on the STS Web site. Once you are connected to the Web, you can reach the STS site by entering the location: http://www.sts.org Links are available for The Annals and other pages. Some parts of the Web site are accessible only by Society members, and the member identification number will serve as the password for those areas. Additional instructions are available on-line. This feature will be carried each month to inform the reader of information and updates concerning STS on the Web. Readers are invited to send their comments and suggestions, which will be published in this section, for making http://www.sts.org of greater use to cardiothoracic surgeons around the world.