Electronic ground was broken in 1995 with the development of the completely Internet-based bank Security First Network Bank. This article discusses the need for developing online services, outlines the reasons for the formation of an Internet-based bank and argues that to remain competitive financial services providers must provide easier customer…

Although broadband Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) can deliver much greater amounts of information than narrow-band Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN), in reality bottlenecks place severe constraints on its performance. This article discusses shortfalls in Internet services, technology and user behavior, and describes efforts in the…

Describes how one company has maximized the potential of the Internet for its own benefit by using and supplying the World Wide Web to identify the information their customers needed. Improved information delivery, improved access, and future possibilities are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Despite the hype, the Internet has limitations as a reference tool. This article discusses the use of the Internet as a reference tool, examines bibliographic structure on the Internet (online directories, search engines, site structure, categorization of reference tools, levels of structuring), and argues the Internet provides no comprehensive…

Analysis of a national random telephone survey of 2,500 revealed that Internet users tend to be wealthier and more highly educated and that Blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately unaware of the Internet. The prime reasons for using the Internet was socio-personal development, whereas barriers to Internet use included cost and difficulty…

Presents a framework for implementing the Internet in Brazilian elementary and secondary schools. Topics include schools as assembly lines in the information society; pedagogical uses of the Internet, including research, educational projects, and video conferences; and obstacles to implementing the Internet, including cost, cultural differences,…

Online courses raise instructional concerns about goals, philosophy, changes in teaching and teacher roles, and evaluation. Creating interactivity is a crucial issue. Organizational issues include face-to-face components, group interaction, and prerequisites. Institutions must be concerned about faculty incentives, access and equity, ongoing…

Three elementary educators present computer tools to help teachers get the school year off to a good start. They include Quick Study Reference Charts, which are laminated cards that describe useful features of over 100 computer tools; user-friendly software for designing badges on the computer; and an affordable plug-and-play scanner. (SM)

An introduction to the Internet relevant to the field of social work is provided. Uses for online communication are described. An overview of applications and a sample of findings regarding the effectiveness of Internet use by students and professional communities are presented. A list of Internet resources is provided. (Author/EMK)

Contributes to scholarship on technology and society by examining portrayals of the information highway in a wide range of magazine articles. Finds that a sense of powerlessness pervades these narratives, which portray the world as autonomous economic forces toward which individuals must adjust their actions. Argues that these narratives close off…

Examines academic, technical (network access, server capabilities, browser compatibility), administrative, instructional (technical support, student evaluation), and behavioral considerations of Internet-delivered education; discusses challenges to implementation (technology mastering, faculty training, course restructuring); and presents a course…

Describes the differences in organization between print and electronic documents, methods of providing structure in hypertext, and their implications for technical communicators, designers, and instructors. Notes that web designers may need to consider rhetorical issues differently when creating hypertext documents than they would when composing…

For the past 2 school years, the Cypress-Fairbanks (Texas) Independent School District has used its district website as an integral part of an interactive process for establishing school attendance boundaries. A comparison with conventional methods shows that the new procedure was a highly effective avenue for communicating information and…

Provides a multidimensional framework of collaboration. Reviews research on e-mail and discusses implications for practice and research with respect to collaboration in the schools. Discusses barriers to collaboration, as well as how e-mail might improve collaboration. Discusses possible future uses of the Internet and e-mail with respect to…

Examines the roles played by technology and the rhetorical practices surrounding that technology in the formation of work roles and the relationships at a small Internet start-up company. Investigates the technical/social split in the workplace, how it is created and enacted, and how it impacts workers and daily work as well as the perceived…