But Take A Moment To Do It The Right Way

Reporters, like pilots, love to brag about their latest feats. With the Internet, it's even easier to spread the word. Until you hit a speed bump.

I was chatting on IM with a buddy in Cyprus the other day when I asked him if he'd read the latest story I'd written for Aero-News. To my dismay, he hadn't (well, I read all his stuff!). I asked why. The answer: It takes too long to load. He's on dialup. -ed.

ANN goes through a lot of trouble to make the graphics flashy and cool and an integral part of the story. But let's face it, they're bandwidth-intensive. So here are a couple of thoughts on how to correct that problem and get the most out of Aero-News in the least amount of time.

First, subscribe. That way, you can get the latest aviation news in your e-mail every day. To link up with Aero-News, head for www.aero-news.net and go to My Stuff. Then, on the left side of the page, click on "About Me."

The system will ask you to log on. If you don't have an ANN subscription, you can make one up on the spot. In two simple screens, you'll be on your way. Unsubscribing is just as easy.

Once you've entered and verified your email address, you can browse on over to "Subscribe."  Now, here's the part where you get decide how you want your Aero-News. It depends on where you're going and how you're going to get it.

High Bandwidth/Non-PC Platform

If you're running a Mac, Linux or Unix machine and you have some bandwidth to play with, grab the PDF version of our newsletter, "Propwash." This is also a great way to print that puppy out and take it with you. It's a graphic-intensive version of the day's news, completely self-contained.

Medium-High Bandwidth

If you have a DSL, T-1 or cable modem, you'll want to subscribe to the HTML version of our newsletter, "Propwash." Here, you get the latest news and can link to fuller versions of the stories or bigger versions of the pictures.

Low-Bandwidth/Low Space

If, like my buddy in Cyprus, you're on dial-up, you'll want the plain-text only version of "Propwash." Here, you get summaries of the day's top aviation news. If you see something you're really interested in, then go ahead and check the full version of the story. You'll find a link to each story embedded within the plain text copy.

FMI: www.aero-news.net