Web Surfing

  “Devices of Wonder,” on the Getty Center Web
site www.getty.edu

Translating an exhibit to the Internet is a difficult task, but
one that the Getty has handled admirably with its Devices of Wonder
section of their Web site. The page is connected to the
Getty’s current show of mainly 17th- and 18th-century
technology that affected perception, like microscopes, a
“cabinet of wonder,” and a prism. Allowing the visitor
to select the devices from thumbnail images and then play with
them, the site explains how each works and gives effective
demonstrations. One of the best conversions from in-person to
online is the Portable Diorama. The site allows viewers to select a
foreground and background, and shows how the movement of the
box’s lid can change the way the transparent pictures look.
Each device page has instructions on how to play with it and an
“about me” link to a short historical background.
However, as good and interactive as this Web site is, it
doesn’t compare with seeing an exhibit in person. It
functions as a supplement to the real thing, and can’t be
relied upon to be a substitute.

Mary Williams

 

  “HP Galleries: The Harry Potter Phenomenon”
www.hpgalleries.com

Alright, it’s official. That skinny, round-glasses-wearing
little twerp who thinks he knows magic has taken over the world.
Next thing little kids will be talking with that annoying British
accent and getting Beatles-circa haircuts. Need proof? Check out
“HP Galleries: The Harry Potter Phenomenon,” which
includes everything Potter, from pictures to fan art to “Who
Wants to be a Harry Potter Millionaire?” How cute. The Web
site is amazing in its thoroughness. Harry Potter fans can explore
this site for months, giving them something to do until the next
book comes out. It even hosts online competitions. If you are a fan
of magical prepubescents, you should not miss out on all that
“HP Galleries” has to offer. Everything is very
accessible and well-sorted. Man, there is just about everything
Harry Potter on this comprehensive part of the information
superhighway. From invisible cloaks to brooms to pop-culture game
shows, “HP Galleries” is your ticket on the Hogwarts
Express.

Chris Moriates

 

  “Harry Potter” www.harrypotter.com

Can’t get enough of school? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry is open to everyone who visits this Web site. However,
a UCLA class is likely to be more interesting than Professor
Snape’s potions class and this uninformative site will merely
entertain viewers with nothing better to do. This site by Warner
Brothers promotes the film more than the books, and provides Harry
Potter games, paraphernalia and the “latest” Harry
Potter news, which only boasts the studio’s new trailer or
film’s soundtrack. The site’s paraphernalia is
impressive, but only to the most crazed of Harry Potter fans. The
fan can order umbrellas, costumes, back-packs and even home
furnishings like towels embellished with the Potter theme. There
are awesome visuals that open the site and interesting sound
effects, but not enough useful information to accompany them.
Unless the viewer wants to sign up for the Harry Potter newsletter
or be sorted in the house of Hogwarts into a Slytherin or a
Gryffindor, going to a real class will be a better use of
one’s time.

Sophia Whang