Message from the Editor

Abstract

Dear Members:

Last week, CNN was doing a story about the World Wide Web and at the end of the story posed an interesting question —Are we putting things on the internet because we should or because we can?  After all, the great thing about the web is that anybody can put just about anything out there for the world to see.  The bad thing about the web is that anybody can put just about anything out there for the world to see!

For those of us in education, it is a mixed blessing.  Most of us rushed to learn about this new tool and were encouraged to embrace it as a means of reaching our students, peers and colleagues.  Course supervisors rushed to place their course syllabus, lecture notes, assignments, schedule and anything else available on their web site.  We struggled to learn the necessary codes to make our course site look good and offer solid information.

But just like everything else that comes along, maybe it's time to step back and look at it more objectively.  What is really appropriate and what just adds to the clutter that is growing daily?

We must also consider the broader issues like copyright concerns, distance learning and site management.  I would be interested in hearing from those of you in the Division about your concerns, advice you have to offer and problems you have encountered with the web.  Send me your thoughts for the "Letters" section.

Speaking of web sites, the Division and Journal sites have been redesigned.  I'd like to thank Marilyn Moore, one of our Technical Graphics students here at Purdue, for the great job that she did.  The new address is listed on the calendar page.

Hopefully, we can expand and update over the next year.  We still hope to get some of the Division history out there but for now Marilyn created a graphic collage that highlights the history (also used on the cover of this issue.)  She's still working on the 30-40's and would like input on what you think the next decade will bring.