Cybertip: If you want to surf the net but don't have a computer, visit the Cape Girardeau Public Library. It has two public access Internet terminals, which can be used free of charge. Beginners need to take half-hour Internet introduction classes, offered four days a week.

Chicago's the place this week as Democrats gather for the national convention. You don't have to be left out. Go online to be part of the festivities.

Political parties this campaign season are catering to the online community with high-tech web sites. The numbers tell you why.

Network Solutions, Inc., which keeps the registry of web address names, said the number has grown from 23,357 in July 1994 to nearly 500,000 this July. Everyone's getting wired and politicians are well aware of that fact.

Joni: Let's start at the obvious place, the 1996 Democratic National Convention page which is splashed with red, white and blue. Be patient. It's a graphic-intensive site that takes a while to load.

http://www.dncc96.org/

Peggy: The page offers 10 choices for visitors including games, a shockwave show, multimedia events and chat. For something as important as a political convention, we should visit games first. There are eight games including Newt Pong. In order to stop him you must move your paddle underneath his picture.

Joni: Next we went to multimedia where you can find things like audio of Bill Clinton's State of the Union Address, Realtime Audio broadcasts from the convention floor and something called Soapbox, a new combination of audio and chat technology that lets speakers engage in interactive, on-line discussions with the web audience. Viewers hear answers to their typed in questions in real time.

Peggy: To participate you must register with a user name. You may enter other information like your e-mail address or a description of your online persona. Before you can talk, you must download chat plug-ins. In fact, here's a list of all the software you need to make all parts of this page work. RealAudio, Shockwave, Ichat, VDO, VivoActive. These last two allow you to hear and see video in real time.

Joni: You can also download something called DNCC Ticker, which sits on your Windows95 task bar and keeps you informed about the latest events on the convention floor, as well as news and weather.

Peggy: A computer artist is working on the floor of the convention to paint scenes as they unfold. The original artwork appear on the web site's opening page.

Joni: To learn more about Chicago, try

http://www.chicago96.org

The news selection will connect you with Reuters Political On-line Report, Sun-Times Convention Coverage and a local radio station's cybercast news reports.

Peggy: Mix your dream politician or re-draw the Chicago skyline under the fun button. The programs take a little while to open, but it is fun.

Joni: You can also page a delegate on the convention floor through this page. For more about the candidates and the issues, visit

http://cg96.org/main/index.htm

Peggy: The Clinton Gore main page features an automatic slide show presentation. No waiting for anything to load. I like that.

Joni: In the Briefing Room, you can see the Clinton-Gore record in your state. They are also creating "America's Home Page," which will combine stories, anecdotes, photographs, video and audio that people send in about Clinton and Gore.

Peggy: If the web site has stimulated you to action, you can download the grassroots action kit, including excerpts of speeches and position papers. Video clips are available along with eight campaign buttons, including several sporting the web address.

Joni: The younger set might be interested in the White House for Kids page, complete with Socks, the first cat, as a tour guide.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/kids/html/home.html

Peggy: The tour is organized into six sections: Where is the White House, the history of the White House, our president, children in the White House, pets in the White House and write to the president.

Joni: We especially enjoyed the history of the first pets, including President Benjamin Harrison's son who had a pet goat named Old Whiskers.

Peggy: Did you know Caroline Kennedy had a pony named Macaroni?

Joni: Click on the cartoon drawing of the White House to go to the official White House home page.

Peggy: Here you can learn more about the president and vice president and you can send them e-mail.

Joni: For a different look at politics, stop at the "premiere web site for fans of George Stephanopoulos," President Clinton's senior policy adviser.

http://www.erinet.com/cristina/george.html

It's called "All Things George"

Peggy: The page is designed by an unemployed librarian named Cristina Barnette who may be George's biggest fan. She ranks almost every major article ever printed on George from a bad George, only one George face, to the Pulitzer Prize of George Journalism, four George's.

Joni: It's a hoot. What's your favorite political site? E-mail us at movn@ldd.net.

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor and Peggy Scott is a graphics editor/staff writer at the Southeast Missourian.