December 1, 2006 (Vol. 26, No. 21)
URL:
http://www.homepage4science.com/index.html
Rating:
Strong Points: Jobs, free academic space
Weak Points: Who cares about the rest?
Summary:
I wrestled with whether or not to include this one, but decided that the plusses of two of the components of the site outweighed the minuses of the other three. The idea is very simple. The opening screen puts up five grids that act as electronic bulletin boards. Space on the bulletin boards is for sale at $1 per pixel per year. As you might expect, advertisers buy these spaces, which when clicked on, take the visitor to the linked site. Three areas you’re probably less likely to use are the Vendors, Academic Societies, and Academic Publishers. The other two sections, however, are more likely to bring you to the site. The first is Science Jobs, which sells space to companies looking to hire people. The second space (free for 45 days to qualifiers) is the Free Pixels for Scientists, which provides up to 1000 pixels to promote your own academic related web page. This can include a resume, your research, or anything you see fit, so long as it is approved. A clever idea, but I have to wonder if it is making a profit.
