Site Seeing
Wondering why these topics
are hot in pop culture?
One student leads us through the virtual world
www.backstreetboys.com
With the release of their new album on Nov. 21, it was only a matter of
time before the Backstreet Boys became a hot topic in pop culture again.
I’m usually not a fan of the Flash intros that seem to be popping
up on Web sites all around the Internet and this is no exception. It’s
a slick intro that basically serves as an ad to buy the new album. It
comes complete with the chorus from their newest single. The site seems
to be in a state of transition from the last album because not much of
it is up and running. For those interested in their recent world-wide
publicity tour, there is a lot here to read about. There are links to
the complete itinerary and diary entries from each of the group members,
which makes for some interesting reading. One nice part of the site is
the behind “The Music” link. It’s a complete run down of
every album complete with lyrics and music clips. If you’re curious
about the new album, I would recommend listening to the clips. In my opinion,
any artist’s site with music clips is a good site. Still, the site
is lacking in many areas. I was expecting more.
www.pokemon.com
This is another site in transition. They just released a new version of
Pokemon, and from the looks of the site, you can’t tell. I’m
somewhat a fan of Pokemon and when I first visited the site, I was very
impressed. You wouldn’t expect such a slick site geared towards children.
It’s full of Pokemon information and stuff to download. The really
great part of the site is the Pokedex. For those of you who are unfamiliar
with Pokemon, a Pokedex is a Palm Pilot for Pokemon trainers. It’s
got all the pokemon with descriptions and much more. The “Online
Pokedex” is actually wonderfully designed. It has a drop-down menu
and opens a new window with the picture and description of the selected
Pokemon. It’s a great interactive toy for the Web site. Personally,
I think every TCU student should check out Bulbasaur; he’s pretty
much a horned frog with a turnip on his back. Also, be sure to download
the “Pokemon Internet Browser.” It acts as an Internet browser,
but with a Pokemon theme.
Charlie’s
Angels Web site
www.spe.sony.com/movies/charliesangels/
Charlie’s Angels has been one of the hottest movies this year. The
Web site lives up to the hype. Like Backstreet’s Web site, there’s
a Flash intro, but I don’t seem to mind it as much. Once you finally
get into the site there’s a great interactive game where you can
match yourself with one of the Angels called “Match Maker.”
It’s basically a multiple-choice quiz matching how you would react
compared to each Angel. I got matched with Dylan (Drew Barrymore). The
best part of the site is found when you click on each Angel’s name.
You can customize the way the site looks from the color of the background,
the picture of the Angel and the music. The design is fun to play with.
By clicking the link you can get how to and general advice and the history
of each Angel. The site is as slick as the movie. Definitely check it
out whether you’re a guy or an angel.eventually land on the A-List
of Hollywood Websites.
Harry
Potter Web site
www.scholastic.com/harrypotter
The official movie site has yet to get up and running, but Scholastic,
the publisher of the series, has a site. If you’re a Harry Potter
fan, this is a definite future stop. It’s a fun site to poke around
in. Here one can pre-register for the Hogwarts School Online, which, in
the series, is the private school where Harry Potter attends. Also, check
out the “Wizard Trivia” link. I’m a Harry Potter fan and
even I found the questions hard. There is also a section to submit your
own questions. You can send someone an “Owl Post” and a letter
telling of your adventures while at Hogwarts. When in the Wizard World,
an “Owl Post” is how the book’s characters communicate,
by tying a message on an owl’s leg. The must-see part of this site
is the “About the Books” section. Right now, the first three
books of the series are available for viewing over the Web. You simply
click on the book of your choice and you are transported to its Web page.
Each page contains a discussion guide, which is mainly for teachers but
can be fun to read, and the Pronunciation Guide. Click on a name and your
computer will say it and spell out the pronunciation. Check out Voldemort,
who is also referred to as ‘He who must not be named’ and ‘You
know who,’ in the series. You need to click on his name three times
before the pronunciation will be given.