Masthead CMC Magazine October 1, 1995 / Page 2

EDITOR'S PAGE

Editor's Page

by John December (john@december.com), Publisher/Editor

Another Web Revolution...

Is the Web's face about to change again? Sun Microsystems' Java programming language offers a way for Web developers to create content that has more interactivity and multimedia appeal than the current offerings. What changes might Java bring to the Web? All summer, I pondered these questions, and I found some answers; my adventures culminated on the equinox, September 21st, at Java Day in New York City, where I had some distinct impressions of Java and its implications for the Web. Ultimately, I still wonder if the technical possibilities Java makes possible create a revolution in expression and content on the Web, or whether Java's level of interactivity will be used only to create sound and fury... or is Java part of another false revolution or a future that does not compute?

Community, Communication, Civics...

Like the whistle-stop tours earlier in this century, politicians are making Web-stop tours. But Web sites are not just for campaigners. Instead, the powers in charge are using the Web for communication. According to Innis (1972), writing itself made possible bureaucracy and empires. What kind of empire interactive global hypermedia will make possible is hard to say at this point. Our special focus for this issue looks at government and political webs at the federal, state, and local and municipal levels.

Still Looking ...

Remember, we are still in the process of putting together writers for some upcoming special issues on philosophical perspectives of free speech in CMC and technological determinism. Please consider joining our debate about the many issues related to people using computer networks to communicate and interact. [CMC TOC]

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