Two years ago I attended a conference for college periodical editors and sat in on a sparsely attended seminar about on-line magazines. Few of us in the room had ever heard of such a concept--publishing our periodicals in cyberspace. The prospect of reading a magazine on a computer seemed pretty ridiculous at the time. What were the advantages of this new medium for the reader? I was skeptical.

Since then, on-line magazines and newspapers have proliferated. While many are electronic versions of their paper predecessors, new periodicals available only in electronic form are being founded with increasing frequency. Recently colleges have begun to translate their printed publications into computer versions. And now Colby has joined the handful of pioneers. Beginning with the January 1995 issue, Colby is available via the World Wide Web, a form of the Internet that can send pictures, sound and video as well as text. Our resident computer guru, Anestes Fotiades '89, has designed Colby in its new electronic form. It's all there, the unabridged Colby magazine in an easy and intuitive form that transfers the stories, news and photos of the printed magazine into a new medium that has potential to bring you even more information about the College.

Reading a magazine on a computer is no substitute for the real thing. The tactile enjoyment of reading can't be duplicated by moving a mouse on a desktop. Neither can the computer version be relied upon to perform many of the traditional functions--coffee table ornament, subway companion, fly swatter--of its printed counterpart. But it has its charms.

First, the on-line version ofColby is accessible virtually anywhere in the world. With a laptop computer and a phone modem you can read the magazine in the most remote parts of the planet.

Second, the on-screen Colby will become a jumping-off point for additional information about the College and its faculty. For example, an article about a Colby professor may be linked to full-text papers he or she has presented recently. Your class's alumni notes may be linked to information relevant to your class. The possibilities of the computer version go well beyond what can be imagined for the traditional magazine.

Third, depending on the software you're using, you can send a letter to the editor and let us know immediately what you liked, or didn't, about the latest issue.

The best thing about the on-line Colby is that it's there if you want it. Here's what you'll need to find and read it: access to the Internet and software to "browse" the Worldwide Web. Mosaic and Netscape are the two most popular Worldwide Web browsers, and Colby can be accessed by either. The address is http://www.colby.edu./communications/CM/CMpage.html.

Obviously, we don't expect hundreds of alumni to suddenly abandon the printed version in lieu of its computer cousin. But if you have half as much fun reading the on-line Colby as we did producing it, it will have been worth it.

Sincerely,

J. Kevin Cool
managing editor, Colby