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The Good:
As politically incorrect as it may appear, the CIA's World Factbook (
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html ) is a well designed
information service offering easily accessible and varied information about
the demographic, economic and political characteristics of more countries than
you've ever heard of. Maps, instructions on downloadable and printable files
and backup information explaining the terms and sources of information are
easily accessible from the front page.
Navigation is simple--the countries are arranged in an exact alphabetical
sequence. Graphics and maps are simple, clear and--presumably--accurate.
It's Gotta Be Bad:
Try the EU propaganda sheet (electronic version) at
http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg10/em/euromyth.html. You'll get the low-down
in stark gray (brightened by small anthropomorphic stars) to such questions
as:
Statement: Under new EC regulations, Christmas trees must be symmetrical in
shape, with regularly spaced needles, identical roots and be the same colour.
Response: There are absolutely no EC regulations concerning Christmas trees,
nor are there to be in the future. However an independent organization, The
Christmas Tree Growers Association of Western Europe, has drawn up its
"European specifications for Christmas Trees" with a view to improving the
quality of their product and making their marketing within the EC all the
easier. This initiative has come primarily from its French and Danish members.
Other questions deal with issues ranging from the number of condoms required
to be stocked on fishing boats to the characteristics of approved EU
cucumbers:
Statement: The EC is out to ban curved, and even kinked, cucumbers. What is
more, it is also encouraging the production of straight cucumbers through
genetic engineering, which would simply result in a loss in quality and in
taste.
Response: This is part fantasy, part reality. Actually there has been an EC
Regulation laying down quality standards for cucumbers for some time now, but
it certainly does not ban curved, or kinked cucumbers. It categorises
cucumbers into a number of classes, with specific standards for each class,
including curvature. The reason for the curvature standard is that it is
deemed an important determinant of the number of cucumbers that can be packed
in a standard size box. The demand for these standards came from the industry
itself. On genetic techniques the Commission is aware that certain seed
companies are researching in this field; however, this is entirely of their
own initiative and the EC has nothing to do with it.
All these are addressed with a dull straightforwardness worthy of a Brussels
banker and a constant surprise to the adventuring surfer since your choices
are "untrue," "misunderstandings" and "true."