The Internet is supposed to be able to take users anywhere in the world-but it can't take some Harvard students to their own concentrations.

At Harvard, where Internet access is easy, 10 of Harvard's 39 concentrations have no Web pages.

And many students question why some departments do not yet have a page, especially when making Web pages is getting simpler all the time.

"I think those departments that don't have Web pages are giving up a very good channel to communicate with students," says one sophomore who asks to remain anonymous.

From the administration's point of view, the Internet is meant to facilitate education, says Director of Faculty of Arts and Science Computer Services Franklin M. Steen.

"The network was put in so students could communicate in an academic way and that part of network use has remained critical," he says.

Steen says the fact that the 29 departments and about 200 courses that do have links on the newly created Harvard College Web page is substantial.

Nevertheless, last spring a survey conducted by Yahoo! ranked Harvard 64th in the nation based on its use of computing technology. Though this survey turned out to be unreliable, at the time some saw it as a wake-up call for Harvard to expand its on-line presence.

Although the administration has made learning a mission of the network, it can only do so much to urge concentrations to create a Web page.

"Some departments feel that this is not as important as others," Steen says.

Gotta Have 'Em

Departments which do have Web pages say their pages are useful to students for a variety of helpful features-from department overviews to course and professor listings.

Web pages also help some departments expand their presence around the world, Peter M. McIssac, a lecturer in German, writes in an e-mail. McIsaac, who designed the German page, says he got the page into various search engines.

But Zachary H. Smith '00, an English concentrator, says that it is not important for concentrations to have a Web page because many of the materials that can be found on the Internet are available in hard copy from the concentration.

"If my department didn't have a Web page, it wouldn't make a difference," he says.