web whacker
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
From: "M. Diane Jensen" <mrs...@mc.net>
I have had experience with Web Whacker. It was a little challenging at
first, but after quite a few hours I was able to get what I wanted. I
found it to be extremely useful for my students (I downloaded an HTML
web site so they could get an introduction to HTML).=20
I would especially recommend it to teachers who need their students to
access an Internet website, even though their schools are not connected.
Give yourself ample time, however, to work through the inevitable
learning curve.
Let me know if you need help.
JOHN TAGLIONE <tic...@Capital.Net> wrote:
>Does anyone have experience in using WEB WACKER? Would
>love to hear from you about the program.
Diane
--=20
M. Diane Jensen
mrs...@mc.net
Computer Teacher
Beardsley Middle School
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
=93You never fail until you stop trying=94
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
From: Carol Simpson <csim...@tenet.edu>
Diane, you need to be very careful using the net harvester programs in
the manner you describe. Virtualy everything you see on the Web is
copyrighted, with the exception of some government information. The fair
use exemption to copyright law DEMANDS that educators ask permission to
use copyrighted materials unless there is insufficient time to receive
permission. In the case of online materials, if you know a week ahead of
time that would be sufficient to receive permission. In the event that
you find there isn't enough time to get permission, you then must rely
onthe four tests of fair use. Those tests include the amount of what you
take - the more of an item you take the LESS likely you are to qualify
for fair use. In the case of the Web, you are most likely taking ALL of
a page! That fact alone weighs heavily against you, plus the fact that
creative information (as opposed to strictly factual information) is also
not freely granted fair use. Most Web pages would be considered
significantly creative.
I worry that there will be less and less content on the Web because
providers are concerned that their materials can be taken without notice.
A friend is webmaster of a nonprofit, well used educational site. He says
that he doesn't give permission to be "whacked" because his funding is
based on how many "hits" he gets on the site. When the site is "whacked"
he gets one hit only, while all the other hits are local to the whacker's
site. Sponsors reconsider finding when usership (as measured by hits)
goes down.
Copyright isn't fun, but it is the law. We, as educators, would do well
to model compliance to all laws, even the ones we don't particularly
like. We would all be in a world of hurt if we could choose to obey only
the laws we like.
For more about copyright and the Internet, see my book: Copyright for
Schools (Linworth, 1997)
Carol Simpson
csim...@tenet.edu
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
From: "Jeffrey K. Lew" <l...@cisk.atmos.Ucla.EDU>
So how does one deny permission to be "whacked"? I could post a notice (and
I did put up a copyright notice), but that would not stop any of my
students from downloading my whole site (I watch it happen every day),
especially now that Internet Explorer has this capability built-in (and
computers sold on campus come bundled with Web Whacker!). I actually denied
access to a couple of IP addresses in the middle of harvest sessions until
I could ascertain that those were students and not searchbots touching all
my files.
I have no sponsors, so number of hits is not important to me. In fact, I
know that usage of the materials on my site has gone up, but the hit count
has gone down by a factor of 2 or 3, which is fine with me since it's my
office computer that serves up the web documents.
Carol Simpson <csim...@tenet.edu> wrote:
>I worry that there will be less and less content on the Web because
>providers are concerned that their materials can be taken without notice.
>A friend is webmaster of a nonprofit, well used educational site. He says
>that he doesn't give permission to be "whacked" because his funding is
>based on how many "hits" he gets on the site. When the site is "whacked"
>he gets one hit only, while all the other hits are local to the whacker's
>site. Sponsors reconsider finding when usership (as measured by hits)
>goes down.
Jeffrey Lew
UCLA Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
From: Shawna Martin <sma...@linex.com>
I wonder how this is impacted by the use of proxy servers. My school just
invested in a proxy server system that I am very pleased with because I
can "pre-load" a site (and it's relavant links) by visiting it/them
before I teach using the site and then when the 30 students click on that
link they actually only link to the already downloaded page on our proxy
server. This saves us enormous time and bandwidth on our line (since the
page comes in at ethernet speed and not over the phone lines), but does
not add to the hits of a site provider.
How does this compare to "whacking" a site and what are the ethical
differences? I'd love to hear what people think.
Shawna Martin
Technology Coordinator
Moreau Catholic High School
Hayward, CA 94544
sma...@moreau.pvt.k12.ca.us
sma...@linex.com
If you don't think well, don't think much.
-- Click & Clack
AKA Tom and Ray Magliozzi