Web Surfing
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 7, 2001 9:00 p.m.
Sun Protection
www.sunprotection.org
For those planning to have some fun in the sun this spring
break, beware ““ UV rays will attack. According to
sunprotection.org, although the word sunshine may appear friendly
and fun, it can actually be quite dangerous to skin that’s
exposed without adequate protection. Cloudy days are no better
““ the clouds actually only filter out a few of the UV rays.
Fret not, however; Phil, a character on sunprotection.org, is out
to inform Web users how to protect their skin. The informative site
educates visitors through Phil on exactly what radiation is,
instead of simply providing helpful tips on how sun bathers can
protect themselves. There are two harmful varieties of UV rays,
UVAs and UVBs, that can cause irreparable damage such as wrinkles
and tougher skin. Though the site asserts time and time again that
sunscreen is the ultimate protection one can mount against UV rays,
it also lists some built-in natural defenses humans possess. Human
skin is the first layer of defense, and unbeknownst to many, a
natural tan can actually protect the lower, more vulnerable, layers
of the epidermis. What is emphasized here is a
“natural” tan, something acquired in moderation; the
site warns that it is important never to venture outdoors without
sunblock. An especially useful feature of the site is found under
the “Skin Types” section. Here users can find the right
SPF number of sunscreen for them by identifying their skin type and
the level of sunshine to which they expect to be exposed. Phil will
then appear and recommend an appropriate SPF ranging from as low as
two to as high as 40. Sunprotection.org is definitely the place to
visit prior to that great spring break trip to Cancun or Florida
for those who have no desire to get burnt. With fun and informative
graphics that make the site fun to look at, Web users may just want
to check it out for a chance to meet Phil.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 9
Priceline
www.priceline.com
Priceline.com is the best way to get out of town at a
moment’s notice. It’s also the best way to get totally
screwed in the process. The Web site offers a service that allows
users to “name your own price” on anything from long
distance service to mortgage loans. While, of course, many college
students are intently pondering the best price for home equity
loans, priceline.com is best known for its incredibly cheap airfare
deals. A site user logs on, chooses a destination and picks a fare.
Within an hour, they know whether an airline has accepted the bid.
If the bid was declined, the bidder can change the date or price of
the desired ticket and re-enter. If the bid is accepted, the
bidder’s credit card, which must be provided to even think
about naming a price, is immediately charged and the buyer is
locked into the airline ticket. No exceptions. While this may not
bother most people, flexibility is an asset in young college
students lives, and Priceline has a few tricks up its sleeve. Say a
traveler wants to go to Mexico from Friday night through Sunday
night. A bid is put in to travel during “off-peak”
hours to increase the chances of an airline accepting the bargain
basement price of, let’s say, $175. The bid is accepted and
voila ““ that travel date is locked. What the
unsuspecting consumer doesn’t realize, however, is that
“off-peak” to Priceline, on a Friday, means that the
traveler will really be flying early Saturday morning, and upon
returning, having to catch an early Sunday morning flight; this
leaves the peeved traveler with little time to, well, have any fun
partying on spring break at all. So be wary when prompted to
“increase your chances” of an airline ticket.
Priceline.com will also offer special deals that add money onto the
going price of a ticket. This is clearly a way to promote
advertising and entice the site user into applying for credit cards
or subscribing to magazines. Priceline.com is not all bad though.
It really is a perfect way for poor, flexible college students to
travel. But be wary of its offers, suggestions and fine print; it
could be the difference between a fun filled weekend in Mazatlan
and a seven-hour layover in Salt Lake City.
Sarah Monson Rating: 4
Spring Break
www.springbreak.com
Ah, spring break. The heaven-sent week of bacchanalian revelry
that sends college students scrambling to any sun-kissed coastal
area in search of a good time. But, wait ““ where to go? What
to do? Who to meet? Springbreak.com attempts to answer these
questions and more, but fails worse than you would taking a final
exam after drinking a fifth of vodka. Springbreak.com is designed
to help students organize their next spring break and see how other
people did theirs in the past, but while the site boasts a couple
semi-interesting features, the rest of the content is either
horrendously out of date or devoid of content. The most useful
aspect of the site is the “Posts” sections, where
visitors can read and write messages online about rides to spring
break destinations, corporate offers, and general gossip. These are
essentially messages from enterprising guys heading to Cancun and
trying to hook up with girls over spring break. People may also be
attracted to the “Yearbook” section where viewers can
check out submitted pictures from students’ past spring
breaks. The “Yearbook” lets users see how people from
around the country are partying. Users can check out how beachgoers
are partying with the Web site’s offerings of a variety of
Web cam links. The cams reveal live pictures of typical spring
break beach locations such as Daytona Beach, Newport Beach and
Waikiki. Although it’s a nice collection of Web cams, this is
nothing the user couldn’t find by using any search engine. On
the same page as the Web cams are links to news stories relating to
spring break that people might find relevant … if only they
weren’t two years old. For all springbreak.com’s
sections that are at least mediocre, there are some that
don’t accomplish anything. For example, the
“Travel” section is emptier than the billfold of your
wallet after a week at Cancun. There is a single link to a travel
agency. Needless to say, the user won’t be planning much
travel on this site. Another purposeless addition is a history of
spring break labeled “highly unofficial.” This is an
understatement. The site shouldn’t have even bothered trying
to come up with a history of spring break; it’s a waste of
space. With the possible exceptions of the “Posts” and
“Yearbook” areas, there’s just not much to offer
at springbreak.com. Web users shouldn’t bother with this site
for a while ““ the site designers make it clear that
it’s still under construction.
Chris Young Rating: 1
