FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
About ABCguides.com
and AtlasNav
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What is AtlasNav?
One of the coolest
features of the World Wide Web is its non-hierarchical
nature. Each web page can be just one click away from any other page,
even if one page is in Tasmania and the other in Sweden!
But do you always
want to experience the Web totally disjointed from time
and space? Wouldn't it be great if you could use the Web to travel the
globe, see the sights, and visit with the locals?
With AtlasNav, you can!
Just click on our maps, and you're off to
any place on the planet you wish to go. Stop at any town and check out
the area. Get to know the local users firsthand. Send a friendly
'hello' by email, and be off to some other exotic destination.
With AtlasNav, you are
actually connected to a web site at the very
spot you're visiting. You get the real 'feel' of the place, not
predigested information from a tourism database. By way of AtlasNav
and your Internet connection, you really are there!
How do I get AtlasNav?
AtlasNav works in your favorite web browser: Netscape Navigator,
Microsoft Explorer and others. You can run it from our web site, or you
can run it from your own computer for greater speed.
To load AtlasNav on your own computer, visit our
download page and click
on the download file for your type of computer. This will send you all the
AtlasNav files compressed into one file. Follow the directions on
the download page to install these files on your hard disk.
How do I use AtlasNav?
Use AtlasNav just as you do any web page. Point your mouse
arrow at a name on the map or an underlined phrase in the text. Click the
left mouse button, and off you go! You can go back the way you came by
clicking on the 'Back' button on your Browser's tool bar.
What can I use AtlasNav for?
Your uses for AtlasNav are limited only by your own explorative
imagination. Here are a few suggested uses:
-
Pick an exotic destination to visit. Take a moment and make a new friend.
-
Something in the news spark your interest? Use AtlasNav to get the
story firsthand from someone who lives there.
-
Learn how far around the world the Internet reaches. Or see how far
away you can get and still find web pages written in your language.
-
Become a better neigbor in the world community. Learn about other countries
and meet their people firsthand. Take an interest in their customs. Learn
to use their preferred names (see the next section).
-
Retrace great voyages of discovery: the Native Americans, Polynesians,
Vikings, Spaniards, Portugese, English, Russians and others. Discover
what traces are left of their passing.
-
Plan your next vacation by visiting your destination via AtlasNav
first. Check out the local attractions and amenities for yourself.
Befriend a few local users. Maybe set up a face-to-face rendezvous.
-
Thinking about moving? Check out your new town and get to know your new
neigbors before you even go.
-
Test your foreign language skills. Strike up an email dialogue with a
native speaker of the language.
Drop us a line. We're eager to
hear what other uses you've dreamed up for AtlasNav.
Is AtlasNav like Virtual Tourist?
AtlasNav is similar in many ways to the classic Virtual Tourist web
site, but Atlas has several advantages:
- AtlasNav is faster:
Many countries can be reached from the very first map. Also, for users in
most places, information about each country travels to you faster than with
Virtual Tourist. This is because AtlasNav stores country
information on one high-speed high-bandwidth web server rather than relying
on servers in each country.
- AtlasNav is easier:
All country pages use the same format, making the entire system easier to
use.
- AtlasNav is more complete,
containing info, news, photo, map and other links for each country.
- AtlasNav is user-oriented,
rather than server-oriented. Linking to Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
instead of web servers makes it easier for you to meet people.
Why does AtlasNav use all those odd place names?
Most of us are bothered, at least a little, when people mispronounce or
misspell our names. Would it surprise you to know that we all have been
taught to perpetuate this offense toward our global neighbors?
We have all learned names for people and places that people who live in
those places don't know, much less use. We call their country 'Austria'
instead of 'Osterreich', the name they prefer. We say 'Albania'
instead of the name they use, 'Shqiperia'.
If we care about world peace, we do well to learn more about our neighbors,
with whom we wish to live in peace. Learning to call them what they want
to be called is a great way to start.
How do I get updates of AtlasNav?
Take note of your AtlasNav version number. Check the AtlasNav
download page
periodically to see if a new version is available. Then follow the regular
installation process.
Who is ABCguides.com?
ABCguides.com is the publication subsidiary of
ABC Software, a
software development firm. At
ABC Software, we develop premier
web sites for our business, non-profit, education and government clients.
Let us know how we can help you!
What else does
ABCguides.com offer?
ABCguides.com also brings you:
How to Reach Us:
E-Mail us at abcsoft@alaska.net
Send regular mail to:
ABC Software, P O Box 230068, Anchorage, AK, USA 99523-0068
Home Page:
http://www.alaska.net/~abcsoft
Copyright © by
ABC Software
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