Stamp Column Archives

The Glassine Surfer Column Archive

This column originally appeared in the American Philatelic Society's monthly magazine, "The American Philatelist." Since then some of the information may be out-of-date depending on how far back you're reading.

April 2002

As you explore, remember that Usenet is hierarchal. "Rec" is the top level and groups all the newsgroups under it. "Collecting" gathers those topics, and "Stamps" is the container for philatelic pursuits. "Discuss" and "marketplace" are the actual groups. And "Rec" is just one top-level hierarchy. There's also the much larger "Alt." and "Soc" and "Comp," etc.

Usenet Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/

Biblio Usenet Info
http://ibiblio.org/usenet-i/

The value of a newsgroup reader program is that it allows you to manage your groups and set your preferences, and stamp collectors can enjoy another avenue of collector communication on r.c.s.d. (the shorthand for the group mentioned above).

France and Colonies

France once ruled a motely assortment of colonies in Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, which always seemed more exotic than the British possessions, if only because their Westernized names were French. Haute Volta, Guadeloupe, and Martinique evoke unexplored horizons and adventure.

The France and Colonies Philatelic Society has been an active society for more than 60 years, and their growing Web site is an invitation to discover one of philately's most intriguing collecting areas.

Under the "Exhibitions" heading are a few online presentations. A "Cover of the Month" features a cover and it's story, and the "Type Sage Issue of 1876 - 1900" shows a collection the stamps with reference to the varieties and uses of this well regarded 19th century issue.

The France and Colonies Philatelic Society
http://www.FCPSonline.org

Good Tool

Yahoo was the directory of choice, but as a mega-portal, it's selling search result placement to Web sites, diluting its own quality. I guess it's all part of the online business climate, and that makes my job of finding the next best thing all the more fun.

A smallish site called "Power Reporting" was set up as an online research source for journalists and is a very handy directory for those things you and I need most on a routine basis.

The taxonomy, similar to how a library arranges its books on the shelves, is done by "beats" and covers such topics as "computers," "education," and "history."

As of this writing, there are no ads on this very fast and helpful online link directory the site. That of course can change at any moment, but for the time being, it's a good tool.

Power Reporting
http://www.powerreporting.com/

Great Investment

Every now and then someone in the federal government gets a great idea, and once in a while it gets put into action. One such example is McWhortle.com. If you haven't checked it out already, click on over. It's self-explanatory and a lesson worth repeating.

McWhortle
http://www.mcwhortle.com

I won't give it away here, but though McWhortle Enterprises is a self-professed established and well-known manufacturer of biological defense mechanisms, it may remind you of Walter Mondale's most famous quote or Ken Lay's testimony.