Andrew North goes on the trail of Lawrence of Arabia and plunders some archaeological digs

sites

Seven Pillars of Wisdom site: Anyone with an interest in the best- known figure to emerge from Britain's Middle Eastern adventures should have a look at the newly established Lawrence of Arabia Factfile (http://www.u- net.com/ chpress/teweb/home.htm). Only 100 of the planned 500 pages are up, but it is already a treasure trove of information. There are details on academic resources around the world, exhibitions, lists of publications, useful organisations and a register of research in progress.

Put together by Jeremy Wilson, who wrote TE Lawrence's authorised biography, the Factfile exemplifies the best of Internet principles. As a result of his lengthy research, he had mountains of documents and information lying around, much of it stored electronically. So what else to do it with it but put it on the Web for others to use? Wilson hopes the site will encourage further digging into Lawrence's enigmatic life and asks people who know of other relevant materials to get in touch.

Diggers' site: Fancy joining an archaeological dig? Current Archaeology (http://www.compulink.co. uk/archaeology/) has an online list of digs around Britain that you can join as a volunteer, with full contact details and dates. You can also find out about other developments in British archaeology through the site's news section. The site also publishes book reviews and links to other archaeological sites.

Bike culture site: Cycling is not just an environment-friendly means of getting from A to B. It has also developed its own vibrant culture, reaching beyond the narrow concerns of spokes and gears, and far more creative and inclusive than the culture spawned by the car. That is what the Bike Culture pages and the associated magazine (http://BikeCulture.com/home/) have been set up to reflect. The site has an online talk shop, where you can discuss everything from cycle routes on the Continent to cycle campaigns. In the Encyclopaedia section, there is an interesting collection of bicycle art going back to the last century.

US telephone site: Need a phone number in the US? Instead of paying the special rate for international directory inquiries, you can search for as many numbers as you like on the Switchboard (http://www.switchboard.com). Over 10 million US businesses are listed in its database, as well as millions of residential numbers. The service runs on a powerful system because it responds very quickly even at peak Web-surfing times. But why is there no equivalent service for the UK?

Veggies' site: Vegetarians seeking something different for tonight's meal should pay a quick visit to Veggies Unite! (http://www.vegweb.com), apparently the largest vegetarian site on the Net. When I logged in, the recipe of the week was Elegant Zucchini Leek Soup, but there is a searchable directory of 2,000 recipes if this does not suit your taste. There is a regular newsletter and you can join Veggies Unite! online, guaranteeing you a never-ending supply of new recipes.

Ideas site: Feeling altruistic or got a good idea to help your fellow man? The Global Ideas Bank (http://newciv.org/worldtrans/BOV/BOVTOP. HTML#environment) wants to hear from you. Run by a charity known as the Institute of Social Inventions, it describes itself as an "international suggestion box for socially innovative non-technological ideas and projects". It is particularly interested in ideas for new services and organisations, and solutions to current problems. What they are really after is material to fill their books.