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I have a T.V. at my desk, next to my computer. There's nothing particularly remarkable about it. My computer doesn't make any sounds. Sometimes I turn it on just to hear something. I will actually watch it a little if something is loading up slowly. The point is that I'm not really picky about what I select. There is a benefit to this. being exposed to content which I didn't select takes me out of my established patterns and sometimes I learn something.

I think the mandatory education process for young people tends to work the same way. At least it used to, in the sense that as a child I learned lots of things that I'm very glad at this time I did. At the time, I was not particularly delighted. I'm sure if you, the reader, will reflect for a moment, it will be relatively easy to think of examples within your own experience. No, I'm not going to discuss at this time the issue of whether the schools are offering too much choice, too early on in the development of the students. We can have fun with that one another time.

Let's get back to what I was watching. At approximately 3 am, I was tuned into a Central Florida public television station. It may be more accurate to say I was listening as there was nothing really to see except two middle-aged administrators from the Osceola County school system being interviewed. The topic however, I consider highly significant. That is, how they were using a six-figure federal grant to use computers in the classroom. For the most part I was impressed. There seemed to be an emphasis on using the computer to amplify and supplement established curriculum with an emphasis on multi-media applications . The Net was also involved in the curriculum as a research tool (under careful supervision). They went on to say how at this time their system had roughly one computer for every two students which placed them well ahead of other Florida systems which had ratios of one to four or five. Also, that a significant part of their budget went for upgrading to keep up with advances in computer technology.

Although I was listening with only one ear, The show planted a seed. I woke up later thinking "Mein Gottenhimmel, those kids will all be starting their own Web page soon. (If they haven't already.)" And just think, it's just one little school system in Central Florida. What if we start multiplying by all of the counties where this is taking place. It occurred to me that there was something I really wanted to say to these kids. Not as an accomplished web master. These kids could probably educate me as to the technical end of things. But rather, as a consumer.

O.K. KIDS, LISTEN UP!

If we were to look at the increase in number of web sites over the past ten years or so, I'm sure that the graph would be quite impressive. The increase would certainly be described as geometric and not showing any signs of leveling off. Contributing to this increase over the next few years is the general increase in the population and the increased popularity and consumer acceptance of the net. Now we have the factor of increased computer literacy. The number of people who are comfortable enough with the technology to add their own sites will dramatically increase as it becomes part of the mandatory curriculum.

Back when computers were ungainly and much more expensive things, usually owned by large corporations or universities, the author, Marshall McLuhan , was putting forth ideas which few people really understood about media and the "Global Village". It was easier to understand Chaucer, given his writing style. At the time, I guessed that his idea was similar to the concept of "big media" which my sociology classes had touched upon. That is, the idea of people all over the world eventually watching the same programs on tv or reading the same news. There was no internet back then, so I never conceived that there would some day be a very important additional feature---interaction.

Another important trend. What types of people are using the net? I don't have any hard data, but I suspect that as with the general use of PCs, we start with a select group of techno-nerds or geeks, if you will, and move on to cliques of upwardly mobile young professionals, and finally at this time to an increasingly broad spectrum consisting of farmers in Idaho, truck drivers from North Carolina, retired folks, disabled folks, economically challenged folks etc, etc, etc.. This is a wonderful thing. The net is now open to much more of the global community and brings civilization, culture, and sometimes triple X porno to those who are either geographically remote or isolated for other reasons. Surely with the proliferation of content available, there will be plenty to for them from which to choose.

As part of the potential audience for all of your new web sites, I want to say that I stand ready and willing to visit them one and all. I'm interested in what you have to say (Well, sort of...). BUT---not if I have to wait while thirty megs of gratuitous graphics or midi files are loaded. AND--- certainly not if I have to download hells-bells version 36 just so I can view special effects which have nothing to do with the content of your site. Sure, if your site is about music, you need the midi files, If not, let people put on the radio. On my own peculiar little site there are few graphics and no sound at all. You may not like my site , but you may visit with your ancient browser and your antiquated system and not miss a thing. If you don't like it, at least it didn't take half of your day to find out.

Henry Ford probably did more to change the face of our society than any other person of his time. (The author, Aldous Huxley certainly realized this.) Why? Because before his standardized, mass-produced and inexpensive vehicle, automobiles were the toys of the rich. The vast highway systems which brought people closer together and related development which resulted was not yet necessary. But, it all fell into place when the automobile was no longer seen as a luxury item. Later on, of course, we learned to want more bells and whistles on our vehicles and Detroit was more than willing to comply. The result was that cars began evolving once again into more of a status and luxury item. The annoying trend of planned obsolescence continues to this day.

The computer industry has certainly made some strides towards popularization. The price is going down and there is more standardization in the operating systems used. I don't know if historians will see Bill Gates as a Henry Ford figure, or whether this figure will emerge later on. I only hope that we can somehow avoid the planned obsolescence part. In other words, if we upgrade our vehicles, it shouldn't be because of the size of the tail fins.

RJS/Zimmie