By David Dodson

Two University of Georgia departments have developed sites on the World Wide Web to demonstrate what Athens has to offer visitors during the Olympics.

The first site, created by University Computing and Networking Services, can be found through the university's home page. It includes a link to the official web site for the Centennial Games, created by worldwide Olympic sponsor IBM and offering up-to-date schedules and information for all venues, including Athens.

The Olympic Games site on the UGA home page also lists a handful of sites with local ties to the Games. The Selig Center for Economic Growth has placed its study of the economic impact of the Olympic Games onto the web (see related story). And a complete listing of all the cultural exhibitions and performances sponsored by UGA Arts '96 during the two weeks of the Games also can be found on the UGA web site.

Many UGA Arts '96 events are also featured on a student-created World Wide Web site called VExpo--for Virtual Exposition VExpo offers a broad overview of cultural and entertainment offerings found in Athens. Scott Shamp, a telecommunications professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, says the web site was designed to be a "virtual tour" of Athens.

"We wanted potential visitors to get a taste and a feel for what Athens is like, without actually having to be in Athens," Shamp says. "We also liked the idea of having students who are fairly new to Athens telling other people what makes Athens a fun place to visit."

The VExpo site includes a locator map of art museums and galleries, as well as listings for several performance halls, theater companies and downtown music clubs.