Febrary 2000
Vortals Peering Into the Future
Vertical Horizon
By Tom Spitzer
While some portals grow wide, a new variety is emerging as the obvious middle ground for B2B and industry-specific commerce. Tom explains vertical portals, and looks into the goings-on of VerticalNet and other portal providers.
Beneath The Vortals
By Michael Carroll
At the core of business exchange lies an agreed-upon methodology for exchanging information, and it's not EDI. Michael examines three new leaders: CBL, cXML, and BizTalk.
Making Headlines with RSS
By Jonathan Eisenzopf
Created at Netscape as a way of advertising data channels, Rich Site Summary (RSS) has become a vital syndication tool for such sites as Slashdot, The Motley Fool, Wired News, and Linux Today. Jonathan gets into the details of the standard, its use, and his XML::RSS Perl module.
C O L U M N S :
Webmaster's Domain
Lincoln D. Stein often claims that the Web is not TV. However, after another look, he has found it remarkably close to radio. In this article, he explains how to use free Linux tools to rip some music of your own for the Web.
Integrated Design
While some portals are growing vertically, others just bloat. Read along as Molly E. Holzschlag introduces us to the overcrowded portal, and then to some solid
design basicsýboth in theory and in practice.
Database Developer
In Ken North's final column, he reaches into his bag of tricks one last time to set us straight on physical vs. logical data models, SQL, and object-relational methods of handling text, plus the latest extensions to the top databases.
Programming with Perl
Some people collect string and duct tape, Randal L. Schwartz hordes snippets of Perl code and MIME attachments in a virtual junk drawer. Read on as he pieces together a few bits of code to create a MIME mailer and other tidbits for your drawer.
Java@Work
From Randal's postal service to Al's mail served with coffee, seems like these guys should be sending each other more mail. What's the difference here, and why is sending mail with Java so hard? Al Williams has a solution.
Beyond HTML
It ain't rocket science, but it does leverage off XML's "rocketing" success. In the last of his "Beyond HTML" series, Michael Floyd shows how you can use his template system to create an XML-driven site of your own.
D E P A R T M E N T S :
Script Junkie
While some user-authentication schemes leave you flat and bog you down, there are alternatives. Brian Wilson shows how you can integrate Apache's authentication with Berkeley DB to speed up those look-ups.
Business Developer
In this second of a two-part series, Mitch Wyle takes a look at load-balancing alternatives, explaining the problem and then showing us some solutions that include hardware, software, and some good ol' fashion common sense.
The Home Page
Editor-in-Chief, Bob Kaehms talks about "Middle-Age Home Page."
News & Notes
"Pak"ed to Order; Let's Get Together, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
Mail.com
Fonts of Knowledge; GIF/LZW Patent.
The Last Page
Editorial director, Dale Dougherty talks about "Vortigo."
