Winners for the 1995 Dvorak PC Telecommunications Excellence Awards

Best Online Topical Index

The Yahoo guide to the Internet is a fully hyper-linked, hierarchical classification system for the net. The service currently lists over 55,000 sites and receives around 3 million accesses daily from 250,000 users. Users can search for key words within the Yahoo database or use the hierarchy to surf to some unknown destination.

Jerry and David started Yahoo in April, 1994 as Pre-Doctoral students in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Their idea was to keep track of interesting sites, for their own personal use.

Word about Yahoo spread quickly, as it often does with good services on the net. As traffic increased, did feedback from users allowing Jerry and David to fine-tune things. As the service got better, more and more people used it and the snowball quickly became unstoppable. Traffic doubled each month through the whole first year.

The two founders soon had unexpected, full-time jobs on their hands. Not wishing to sell Yahoo to the various corporations that expressed interest they found venture capital, took a leave from Stanford, and went for the brass ring. They now devote their full time to Yahoo as the traffic continues to increase. Yahoo currently adds about 700 new sites every day.

In the best spirit of the Internet, Jerry and David have pledged to keep their whimsical and irreverent Yahoo service free for all users on the net.

Outstanding Windows client server-based BBS software

MindWire is a Windows-based communications platform which lets anyone establish a powerful online service. Its client/server applications operate over a modem, network, or the Internet and can be customized to fit individual needs.

It has all the traditional features of an online service, including E-Mail, File Library, Chat, and Messaging. What sets it apart is that it provides a development architecture that hooks seamlessly into the the World Wide Web, giving the independent online service provider powerful tools and immediate access to third party content developers.

In one platform, MindWire accommodates the shift from DOS to Windows, from terminal/host to client/server, and modem dialup Internet access.

For the first time in the BBS industry, MindWire lets people leverage the Internet and client/server technology. Because it manages to stay easy enough to use and develop almost anyone can use it.

Outstanding Internet E-Mail Client

ConnectSoft has come a long way since the introduction of E-Mail Connection in 1993. The program's intuitive graphical interface enables Windows users to connect with services such as MCI Mail, Compuserve, PRODIGY as well as most LANs to send and receive all of their e-mail. The next release version 3.0, which will ship this fall will include an America Online client, Internet client, and direct Fax support.

In an unprecedenated step, ConnectSoft has released E-Mail Connection version 2.5 Internet Edition for Windows as freeware. This special edition contains a driver for connecting to the Internet. Its features include a global address book, support for drop-and-drag, "easy" or "advanced" mode operation, built-in spell checking (automatic or on on demand), on-the-fly addressing, signature files, advanced in-box rules and flexible folder capabilities. It has a database for storing E-Mail messages with common topics. The program's scheduling capability allows users to automatically logon and logoff by frequency, time of day, and day of week.

The software works on all TCP/IP networks on a Windows-based PC with a Winsock compliant TCP/IP stack. It uses SMTP for sending mail, POP3 for receiving mail, and supports MIME and Uuencoding for attaching files to messages.

Best Commercial Online Information Service

The evolution of Prodigy is nothing less than amazing. Prodigy has revamped its image and positioned itself as a leading fully "Internet connected" multimedia commercial online information service.

Its first major overhaul yielded a much faster service and an entirely new bulletin board (forum) architecture. Other improvements that followed included excellent online chat, new and improved E-Mail services, and the first built-in World Wide Web browser to be offered by a major commercial online service.

Prodigy users have downloaded more than one million copies of the Web Browser which helped the service score well with the Internet Shootout; PC Computing credits the service with having the "best browser"; and it won the Innovation Award for 1994 from the ISA.

On July 1, Prodigy was "first" again with the launch of personal web page creation for its members. More than 10,000 pages have been created in the first month.

A brand new Prodigy interface, was released Tuesday, July 24, 1995 which is total integration of Prodigy and the Internet from "end to end."

The service has a new aggressive pricing plan of 30-hours-for-$30 and support for ISDN access -- in four markets already. With all these improvements it is not surprising for the first time in its 11 year history, Prodigy may turn a profit for owners IBM and Sears.

Outstanding Web-based Magazine

Urban Desires is a general interest interactive magazine published exclusively on the World Wide Web. First produced in December, 1994, Urban Desires is one of the pioneers in interactive publishing. The editorial focus of Urban Desires lies in cultural topics rather than technical ones. Sections of the magazine include: The Written Word, Art, Tech-Toys, Sex, Music, Performance, Food, Style, and Travel. The popularity of Urban Desires indicates a hunger for cultural content on the net. With no print counterpart, or ancillary advertising, the magazine currently receives 150,000 hits per day and that number is climbing.

The creators of Urban Desires strive to stretch the bounds of what an online magazine can become. By fully exploiting the interactivity of the Web and integrating emerging technologies as they arise, Urban Desires is constantly redefining itself and the medium in which it lives. From music reviews which allow you to listen to the song in question, to interactive meta-fiction which can never be viewed the same way twice, there is plenty to keep users occupied. As the industry of Web publishing matures, Urban Desires hopes to remain on the bleeding edge of what can and will be done.

Outstanding Hardware Software TCP/IP Connectivity

eSoft's Internet Protocol Adapter (IPAD) is a plug-and-play appliance which provides the core of required functionality to establish an Internet site (Router, Domain Name Service, FTP, E-Mail, and dial-up SLIP/PPP access) in a single, easy to install and configure package. By removing most of the difficulty normally associated with establishing an Internet connection, the IPAD makes such connections realistic for a much wider, non-technical audience.

The IPAD smoothly integrates with eSoft's TBBS to provide Internet BBS capability. It can also be used with a Web server, Mindwire server, or any other Internet server software to provide a complete stand-alone Internet presence. A single IPAD can provide up to 32 lines of dial-up SLIP/PPP through either analog modems or ISDN adapters. Multiple IPADs can be easily clustered to allow larger dial-in systems, or to provide large volume E-Mail or FTP hubs.

The flexibility of the IPAD's interface configuration allows connecting leased lines, ISDN, Ethernet or Token ring access and dial-up lines in nearly any combination.

Outstanding ISDN router

Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufacturers, sells, and supports a broad range of high-speed digital wide area network access products.

Touted by many as a "killer app" for ISDN, the Ascend Pipeline 50 has become known in the industry as the de facto standard ISDN router. It allows organizations to enhance and extend the reach of a corporate enterprise network for remote LAN access, Internet access and telecommuting applications.

Slightly larger than a video cassette tape, the Ascend Pipeline 50 provides an Ethernet interface and an ISDN BRI S/T interface, or an ISDN BRI U interface with an internal NT1. It includes standards-based bridging and IP/IPX routing, ISDN dial-on-demand, inverse multiplexing of the two ISDN B channels, 4:1 data compression, SNMP remote management, extensive password, challenge, and token-based security features.

Best OS/2-based BBS software

PCBoard for OS/2 is the industry's first full-featured BBS software for OS/2. It includes powerful features such as Internet Mail & Usenet News, Fido Mailer & Tosser, QWK Mail, Credit Accounting, the PCBoard Programming Language, and all of the other features available with PCBoard for DOS plus several features unique to the OS/2 version such as the PCBoard Control Panel.

The PCBoard Control Panel has several unique and powerful new capabilities not available with any other BBS software. The new "Run on Connect" feature allows the Control Panel to create additional BBS nodes as necessary to handle unusually high numbers of simultaneous callers. It also includes a Watchdog capability that detects any hung nodes, even when in an external file transfer protocol or a DOOR, and terminates that session then restarts the node automatically.

PCBoard for OS/2 is a 32-bit, multi-threaded, native OS/2 program. As such, it takes advantage of all the benefits that OS/2 has to offer. The end result is a BBS that runs more nodes, faster, and with less memory than previously possible.

Best Online Financial service/software

StreetSmart is the exclusive portfolio management software and online service from discount brokerage house, Charles Schwab. It supports online trading of stocks, mutual funds, options and listed corporate bonds. Once online, users can check their brokerage accounts and get the latest news and research from Standard & Poor's, Dow Jones, Reuters, Morningstar, and others.

StreetSmart goes beyond the simple portfolio managers of commercial online services by offering powerful tools to monitor and analyze investments, including real-time quotes and sophisticated graphic functions.

Users receive a 10% discount on trades done with the software and there is no charge for online access. Nor is there any charge for support, which is available seven days a week 24-hours a day.

Best BBS and Web Site

Software Creations is best known for games and entertainment, and provides the HOME BBS system for some of the world's best shareware developers. It delivers titles from such killer companies as Apogee, 3D Realms, Id Software, Capstone, Parallax, Activision, and many others. It also publishes 45 of its own titles such as "Jetpack," "God of Thunder," the award winning "Animated Hexxagon," "Night Raid," "Picture Puzzle," and others.

The Software Creations BBS offers more developers, graphics artists, and program designers than just about any other system in the world. It has 134 nodes running PCBoard from Clark Development (another Dvorak Award winner), using all US Robotics modems, and a Novell Network with a TCP/IP backbone supporting NFS which is also utilized by its new trademarked WEB BBS. It has been voted as the world's most popular BBS since 1993 by readers of Boardwatch Magazine.

Dan Linton is SWC's president and owner. His background is in hardware and software design for main frame computers, graphics accelerators, and ICAM automation. He also is a founding member of the Association of Online Professionals and serves on that organization's Board of Directors.

This year SWC announced another industry first with its WEB BBS technology, the first fully functional BBS system on the Internet at http://www.swcbbs.com.

Outstanding HTML technology extension

Sun Microsystems' Java is the revolutionary new object-oriented programming language for the Internet that powers HotJava, a dynamic Web browser based on the Java language that gives users the responsiveness and rich media of a CD-ROM and the infinite extensibility of the Internet.

Java is the first language to provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges of programming for the Internet -- it provides portability, security, and advanced networking without compromising performance.

Because of Java's power, HotJava users don't simply read Web pages, but rather execute small software programs or "applets" that are downloaded in their computers enabling them to interact with multimedia applications in real-time. HotJava is also infused with multiple layers of security that verify information and protect against viruses and tampering.

Outstanding TCP/IP Winsock Client/Socket

Trumpet Winsock is a core Internet tool that was one of the first shareware Winsock implementations available. Its modest $25 registration price and its convenient shareware distribution have contributed to the much needed price reductions in costly competing commercial offerings.

The program was totally written by Peter R. Tattam in Borland Pascal for the Microsoft Windows 3.1x environment.

It consists of two tightly connected components: a Winsock 1.1-compatible Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack; and, another program that manages the TCP/IP stack and conneccts to dial-in IP service providers.

The company's other offerings include Trumpet Newsreader for DOS, Trumpet Newsreader for Windows and Slipper (a TSR packet driver for SLIP connections that includes VJ compression), all written by Tattam.

Outstanding Server Software

WebSite, O'Reilly & Associates' 32-bit server for Windows 95 and Windows NT lets users publish and manage online sites both as World Wide Web sites and as internal company servers behind firewalls. It is the first server designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT, and achieves power, an easy interface, and a good set of tools all in one package.

Man of the Year

Alan Meckler, 49, is the cyberspace entrepreneur behind Mecklermedia. He has been turning ideas into products for 20 years. Alan has become one of the field's great success stories without ever losing his sense of responsibility to the computing world from which that success sprang. He has never lost contact with the "rest of us." For the degree to which everyone, not just a priestly few, can get access to the interconnected world of computing, we all are indebted to his efforts.

According to a recent article in Forbes, Alan Meckler has started over two dozen publications. He also sponsors a number of trade shows worldwide.

Meckler has blazed many trails, and has stumbled once or twice -- sometimes just for being out ahead of the crowd. His Mecklerweb was one of the first commercial web sites and his Internet World magazine was the first publication devoted exclusively to the Internet. His Internet World trade show is tremendously successful, held in San Jose in April and Boston in October with other editions in Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Pacific Rim.

Alan Meckler was selected as the Dvorak PC Telecommunications Excellence Awards, 1995 Man of the Year because he and his magazines, trade shows, seminars, and awards have and continue to foster the growth and advancement of the Internet.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This year's recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award has been a long-time mover in the world of personal computing. Jim Warren founded the Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conferences, InfoWorld Magazine, and the historic West Coast Computer Faire. He was also the founding host for the PBS Computer Chronicles television series and the founding editor of Dr. Dobbs Journal.

He has been a board member of Autodesk and is a popular columnist for MicroTimes, Government Technology, and Boardwatch Magazine. Jim also maintains a free electronic newsletter, GovAccess, published on an irregular but frequent basis.

In recognition of his efforts, Jim recently received the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for his online advocacy work. He also received the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer Award, the first year it was given.

Jim has made it an unpaid career to mobilize the on-line community over important issues. He advocates using the Internet for quick, direct contact with those in power. Toward this end, he formed the first Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy. He regularly sounds the alarm about possible government abuses on the information superhighway -- and he has quite a following.

In his columns, Jim combs through reports to expose what he sees as dangerous or wrong-headed legislation. A good example: Recently he exposed a rider attached to the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1995 banning profanity over telephone lines. It would be illegal for anyone but commercial phone-sex operators to cuss over the phone. Intimate conversations between husbands and wives, even of the playful variety, would be banned.

Our society and the net in particular, needs the occasional shot of sanity that Jim continues to provide as a civil liberties watchdog and open government advocate.