by Derek Goodwin

It has been sarcastically said that "www" is now the most common word in the English language. Jokes aside, there is little doubt left in anyone's mind that the Internet is definitely changing the way that people access information in our country and abroad. We are pleased to say that RAVS has kept up with the times in these regards, and our Website is arguably one of the best vegetarian sites on the World Wide Web.

Designed by a professional Web designer in his spare time, the site has a look that immediately sets it apart from many small non-profit organizations' sites. But looks only go so far, and what really sets it apart is the content. On the RAVS site you can find vegan recipes, buy vegetarian-related books, read current and past articles from the Vegetarian Advocate, find out about upcoming events, become a RAVS member, find a list of good places to eat in Rochester, and follow links to other vegetarian-related Websites.

Our site is hosted by Envirolink (www.envirolink.org), which gives free Web space to non-profit environmental and animal rights groups. The bookstore is sponsored by Amazon.com (www.amazon.com), and features over 50 books on vegetarianism, animal rights, and vegetarian cooking. Books that aren't listed on the site can be found and ordered by using a search engine on the site. The books are offered at a discount price, which usually adds up to just under the publishers price once shipping is added in. However, the books are usually shipped within 3-5 days right to your door, and can be sent by FedEx even sooner. Best of all, 5 to 15% of the sales goes back to RAVS!

If you are new to the Internet and want to look up vegetarian information quickly, the RAVS site is a great place to start. On the "Links" page, there are links to all of the major vegetarian and animal rights groups. There are also links to local groups and food stores. You can visit the PhysicianÕs Committee for Responsible Medicine, stop by Howard LymanÕs site, or go see Eric Marcus at Vegan.com. For those of you into cooking, Joanne Stepeniak has a nice site, and there are links to on-line natural foods stores for those "special" ingredients. You can also find animal-free products and cruelty-free investment opportunities.

One of the best things about the RAVS site is that it gives us a presence in the international vegetarian community. People new to Rochester or moving to Rochester from distant lands can easily find us, and our wonderful Website will guide them to our door. We have already been sent e-mail from as far away as Alberta, Canada (and rumor has it we are big in Asia!).

So if you have access to the Internet, log on to www.enviroweb.org/ravs and check out our site. And donÕt be afraid to tell your friends, submit our address to search engines, or help get us linked to other sites. Maybe someday "RAVS" could even surpass "www" as the most common word in the English language!