How To Save Everything

James D. Besser

Washington Correspondent

JANUARY 05, 2001

Software for Internet Pack Rats

Several years back, The Geek reviewed a database that makes it easier to store and access all the wonderful information you snag from the World Wide Web. That's no small task, given the incredible amount of information available — and the tendency of many of us to act like information pack rats.

AskSam information systems (askSam Systems) recently released the long-delayed upgrade to its product, and the wait was worth it. AskSam for Windows, version 4, is a powerhouse that lets you store and retrieve information without the rigid restrictions of more formal databases.

Site of the Week

Ketubot Online

Ketubot — Jewish marriage contracts — are a significant art form in Jewish culture. And now, thanks to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jewish National and University Library, you can view and learn about a dazzling collection of ketubot without leaving your home.

The "Ketubot Digitalization Project" offers images of some 1,200 marriage contracts spanning 900 years of Jewish history. For each, the Web site provides detailed bibliographic information. The site offers a list of ketubot broken down by country and region. It also lets visitors search according to various parameters, including country, city and year.

Especially interesting: a collection of 226 illuminated ketubot from Italy and a ketubah fragment from Spain written only a few years before the Expulsion. There is also basic information about the content and style of ketubot. Coming soon will be a "virtual exhibition," featuring images of some of the most intriguing examples of this art form.

The attractive, well-organized site seems aimed mostly at serious scholars, but there's plenty here to interest and entertain even casual visitors. Check it out at: Check it out at jnul.huji.ac.il.

Conventional databases are based on "fields," or a kind of fill-in-the-blanks mode of organizing information. That means you have to know in advance what you're going to collect.

You can do that with AskSam, as well — or you can use it as a free-form database, entering just about any kind of information that comes your way — e-mail, text snipped from Web pages, word processing documents, even graphics. Then, AskSam's powerful search feature lets you find what you're looking for. You can search on any word or phrase; if it's in the documents you entered, AskSam will find it fast.

You can get fancy with AskSam — its advanced features have a steep learning curve — but even relative novices will be able to put this program to use right away.

AskSam v. 4, the first upgrade specifically for Windows 95/98/ME, is a real winner. Now, a search produces a list of "hits" at the bottom of the screen with a line of text for context. The menus are more compliant with current Windows standards. There are import filters for today's word processors. A "pro" version adds text indexing to make searches faster. But The Geek's cheaper version handles huge data files with aplomb. AskSam Systems also produces SurfSaver, a specialized product that saves Web pages in a searchable database.

Get more information — or download a demo version — at this site: asksam.com.