Re: Netscape tip from PC World
Isabel Danforth (danforth@tiac.net)
Mon, 25 Aug 1997 11:55:03 -0400
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 11:55:03 -0400
Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19970825115704.007fcdc0@sunspot.tiac.net>
From: Isabel Danforth <danforth@tiac.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Subject: Re: Netscape tip from PC World
There are some other intersting things you can do with about: See on page
http://www.secureforms.com/mozilla/
I am also not sure that just removing the history file will remove the
output from about:global. There was a discussion of that issue on Web4Lib
last spring. I haven't found that yet.
Both about:global and about:cache provide interesting information.
I know that with Netscape 3. you can clear the cache, but i believe that
about:global still displays the information.
With Netscape Communicator 4.02 I can acutally look at my history I believe
the files that are in my cache. Under the Communicator menu item, select
History.
If you select Edit/Preferences/Navigator menu, you can find a 'clear
history' button. And also the option for how long to retain the
information. After using 'clear history' I found that about:global showed
nothing, but about:cache still listed sites.
About:plugins is nice. It does list all the plugins you have installed.
Anyone have some more to add to this discussion? I think that as public
libraries who normally do not make availabel patron selection information,
having this information easily available might be a problem.
Isabel
At 10:38 AM 8/25/97 -0400, Jane Beebe wrote:
>Conntechers:
> Maybe many of you know this already, but I did not and think it is
>worth sharing. According to PC World Sept. 1997 p. 312, if you type
>"about:global" (no quotes) in the Netscape Location box the contents of
>the Netscape history file will be displayed. It tells you where and when
>various web sites were visited. I checked our public access internet
>terminal and of course found anarchy.com and x-rated sites as well as the
>educational and entertaining had been visited. I find this of some concern
>as we do let the children use the terminal. Our policy, pre-CDA
>asks that people do not visit pornographic web-sites.
> What do you folks think of the ethics of checking the netscape history
>file? Is this similar to checking a circulation record of a patron? Also,
>I wonder if some of our more internet savvy patrons have been checking
>this file? The article goes on to say that this file can be deleted and I
>may just do that -- ignorance is bliss.
>
>
>Jane Beebe, Reference Department
>New Britain Public Library
>20 High Street, New Britain, CT 06051
>email: jbeebe@connix.com phone: 860-224-3158 x25
>
>
>
>
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Isabel L. Danforth Reference Librarian, Wethersfield Public Library
danforth@tiac.net Co-Director of Librarians' Online Support Team
http://www.gnacademy.org:8001/~lost/
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