“The Internet’s phone book is up for sale — and though the listings may represent a treasure trove for marketers, the move also risks a serious privacy backlash. At issue are millions of entries in the domain-name database operated by the Network Solutions unit of VeriSign Inc., Mountain View, Calif. It is, essentially, the master address book for the Internet. Since the dawn of commerce on the Web, companies that want their own dot-com addresses have registered with Network Solutions.”

“One of the hottest topics these days in Information Architecture circles is documentation. This is probably partly because the IA’s role is so ill defined. Our jobs sit perched between engineering and graphic design: go too far in one direction, we’re doing the coding, go to far in the other and we are doing the design. Neither role maximizes the architect’s key skills; defining the organizational structure and behavior of the web site or application. An IA is most effective when they leave implementation and final graphic design out of the mix. The documents they create to express this have to be crafted with equal skill and diplomacy.”

“A Behavioral Model for Information Seeking on the World Wide Web: Forward-thinking technology experts have predicted the day when accessing information, communicating with others, and performing complex transactions will be performed as thoughtlessly as turning on a light switch (Gelernter, 2000; Hawley, 2000). Computerized systems will satisfy our every information need. Information will ooze out of every corner of our lives. This is, however, far from the current reality. There are severe bottlenecks in the flow of information. Chief among these is poor interface design, which we have learned to accept with a shrug of the shoulders rather than demanding something better.”

“The Internet’s phone book is up for sale — and though the listings may represent a treasure trove for marketers, the move also risks a serious privacy backlash. At issue are millions of entries in the domain-name database operated by the Network Solutions unit of VeriSign Inc., Mountain View, Calif. It is, essentially, the master address book for the Internet. Since the dawn of commerce on the Web, companies that want their own dot-com addresses have registered with Network Solutions.”

“Netusability seeks to become the standard for how to test and benchmark web site usability, detect design flaws as actual users experience them, and determine the best way to correct those flaws. We are a newly formed company with a strong software product in Beta stage, and an impressive seed capital infusion from a leading investor. We expect to launch version 1.0 in January 2001.”

“Twenty-five years ago, computer screens were small and green. The desktop computer and mouse, which users take for granted today, were far from mass adoption. So it’s safe to guess that in 10 or 20 years, the desktop might be replaced by something we don’t currently comprehend. To get a taste of what’s in store, Computerworld spoke with Jef Raskin, best known as the creator of the Macintosh project at Apple Computer Inc. Raskin’s latest book, The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems (Addison Wesley, 2000), highlights the impersonal nature of most current interfaces and argues for a revolution to create better ones.”