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Subject: Purdue University Writing Lab "Gopher Jewel"
To: david -dot- riggins -at- tpoint -dot- com
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 94 17:41:40 EST
Organization: Educational Computing group, School of Education, Purdue
X-Address: Intuitive Systems, P.O. Box 2781, West Lafayette, IN 47906
USA
Subject: Purdue University Writing Lab goes ONLINE!
If you do any writing, odds are good that you occasionally stop
mid-sentence, pondering something grammar or usage-related. Perhaps
you're not sure how to cite a work in proper MLA format, or want to
lambaste a colleague for their grammatical lapses, but want to double
check your own understanding of sentence structure before launching
your attack. If you're online at the time, it can be downright
impossible to find correct English usage information, and experts in
writing and style issues, online. Until now.
Beginning in mid-November of this year, the Purdue University Writing
Lab has hooked into the Internet with a service called OWL, the Online
Writing Lab. OWL is available through Gopher, the World Wide Web,
anonymous FTP and electronic mail. Here's the contact information:
URL: http://owl.trc.purdue.edu/
Gopher: owl.trc.purdue.edu
FTP owl.trc.purdue.edu
email: owl -at- sage -dot- cc -dot- purdue -dot- edu with subject 'owl-request'
The information available includes much more than just grammar
handouts, however! We have over 100 different documents online ranging
from information for ESL (English as a Second Language) students to
help for undergraduates writing research papers, to those writing
resumes and business memos or to writers looking for suggestions for
avoiding sexist language. The Web and Gopher sites also feature a
wide-ranging collection of pointers to valuable resources for research
and other sources for help with writing.
Another important and valuable service that OWL offers users is the
ability to ask the tutors in the Writing Lab questions without having
to be actually at the Purdue campus. If you have a question as you're
writing a paper, memo, resume, or book, email it to
'owl -at- sage -dot- cc -dot- purdue -dot- edu', and your answer will be mailed back promptly,
usually within 48 hours. (Note: our primary focus is Purdue students
and staff, so non-Purdue queries might take longer to answer).
The entire OWL information system has been designed with ease of use as
the primary goal, for both users directly on a campus computer system,
and those that might be dialed up from home, remote campus locations,
or off in the Internet distance.
For more information on the lab services or to learn about the team
building this invaluable stop on the information highway, please
contact lead researcher Dave Taylor (taylor -at- sage -dot- cc -dot- purdue -dot- edu) or
Writing Lab Director Dr. Muriel Harris (harrism -at- mace -dot- cc -dot- purdue -dot- edu)
