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WWW…... your guide to Who, What and Where Surfing the internet is a bit like going to a car-boot sale. 95% of what you find is either useless, out of date or just plain awful. Like a car-boot sale, anyone can put anything on offer, whether it’s in good working order or not, and you pays your money (or time) and takes your choice. However, every now and then you drop on a little gem, which makes all that trudging around worth while. Here at Positive Lives we thought we’d save you some leg (or is that mouse) work, by giving you a review of a few sites that we think are little gems, starting, of course, with our own...click the pictures to go there! Staffordshire
Buddies (you're
already here!)
This is our own website which has taken about 2 years to develop into what you see today. Designed specifically with “newbies” in mind, this site keeps it’s information in an easy to read format with simple yet sometimes dramatic graphics and photos. It covers all aspects of the charity’s operations, with a specific section regarding current combination therapies and drugs, produced with the co-operation of the National Aids Manual. The site has it’s own internal search engine which will find pages which contain key words or phrases that you type in. So, for example, if you are after information on a particular drug, it will list out the pages that contain any information about that drug, (with a short extract from the page) and all you have to do is click on the link. This search facility can save you valuable time (and therefore phone call charges!) and gets you the information you require quickly. The site also contains a complete on-line version of every Positive Lives that has been published, as well as a page where you can request information to be sent to you by post on some (or all) of the organisation’s activities. Another section contains links to other HIV/AIDS related websites, which could also save you time in your quest for knowledge! Another nice feature is the events page, which lists all forthcoming attractions, which is updated regularly. All in all, this site is a good place for beginners to start surfing without getting caught up in lots of special effects and flashy scripting, whilst still delivering in-depth and accurate knowledge around the subjects that it covers. The site has a “soft” feel to it, with a soothing colour scheme and layout that is gentle on the eye. South
Staffs Mesmen Project
Recently redesigned, The South Staffs Mesmen Project’s website has an all new, clean and polished professional feel to it. Dealing with issues around HIV prevention and more, this comprehensive site is again designed with ease of navigation and reading. The very stylish two-colour site makes the visitor feel like they have arrived at a site that is very “new millennium”, and on the ball. Different sections cover all aspects of the project, including sections specifically designed for Health Care workers and professionals, although primarily this site is aimed at men who need to know more about safer sex and the facilities that the project can offer them. Once again it has it’s own search facility, saving time and frustration that often occurs when arriving for the first time to a new site. With articles taken from their previous newsletters, sections on health and details about their mailing lists and group activities, this site clearly shows that South Staffs Mesmen are on the cutting edge of HIV prevention. With an excellent use of simple graphics, navigating around this site is quick and simple and the touch of humour in some of the articles helps to make this site a delight to visit. aidsmap
This site is a must visit! Produced by the National Aids Manual, the British HIV Association and St Stephen's AIDS Trust, it is probably the premier site in the UK for information and advice. Well designed with pleasing graphics and colour scheme, this site is easy to navigate and pleasing on the eye. It contains up to the minute information about latest treatment, research and trials as well as helpful advice on drug adherence. Not only is this site a mine of great information, but also a place to have a little fun with their wonderful “Personal Pill Planner”, a great little tool for working out which combinations of drugs could be just right for you!.I was sceptical at first, (as it rather looked like The Wheel of Fortune) but upon investigation I found it was a nifty little tool and fun to use at the same time! I put it to the test, and Bingo! It got my regime spot on. If you are fairly new to the web this site should be almost at the top of your list (after Staffordshire Buddies and Mesmen!) as a place to start. It’s ease of use, plain English and all the things we are accustomed to from NAM are just a click away. A joy to visit! Ægis
This site, which is based in California, is the largest HIV/AIDS site in the world and carries over 700,000 pages for your perusal. The basic navigation system is fairly straightforward (if a little uninteresting for such a big site) but we would recommend that this is a site for experienced web users on account of the amount of information that it contains. There is a search facility although, again, it is a little complicated to use for the for the average surfer. This site concentrates on information rather than design, and if you are simply looking for specific data on a chosen subject, then this is the place to go. Founded around 1990, it is also one of the oldest sites, which grew out of Bulletin Boards and newsgroups, and now is maintained by input from over 32,000 electronic bulletin boards in 66 countries. It contains sections on living with HIV, treatments, prevention and even the science of HIV, so is definitely the place to go for factual content regarding the virus and treatments. One interesting feature that this site has is its chat facility. Simple to use, you can join in group discussions with people from all over the world in a matter of seconds. It also has a section for non-United States residents, giving links to sites in other countries, including the UK. Basically this site is a global resource of knowledge and experience and well worth a visit if you have a couple of hours to spare.
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