Syndicate: Beyond Hype

["Armin Medosch" <armin@mail.easynet.co.uk>]

Beyond Hype

The current issue of Telepolis *discretely* opens a new
chapter. This is Telepolis version 2.0 with an altered
appearance. However, we do not want to call this a
're-launch'. Our intention was to build on almost two
years of experience in web publishing and reduce this
on-line medium to its core qualities, to stream-line our
data, create flexibility, make it easy to overlook and
navigate through - without neglecting the aesthetic
qualities. If we did succeed will be decided by you, the
readers. The reduction seemed to be a necessary step. No
more frames which split the screen into a small grid
where one square transports the content (which one
again?). No animated gifs blinking for attention. And we
do not intend to *push* any content through *channels*
how some web publishers like to put it. The generally
neglected qualities of HTML should be sufficient to 
display the pages of your interest onto your screen. But
the visual shaping  up does in no way relate to
conceptual changes. You might have guessed: the new
appearance has been breeding behind the scene for some
time. And it took such a long time because with over 800
articles in the archive and a complex structure of links
between them it became increasingly complex. We will
continue to work on the depth of content. One step
towards that direction is the 'forum' which has always
been part of the concept and eventually could be
realised. It gives you the possibility to comment on,
criticise and discuss articles.

The internet had it's hype. It's about time to enter a
more stable phase - which is needed to establish
something which can call itself 'net culture'. We feel
committed to this idea - going beyond hype, beyond cheap
promises of digital paradise and paranoid threats of a
digital dark age.

The current "special issue" in telepolis is about "art".
The english section also features articles about the new
german multimedia law and eastern european topics. 

Please come to our site and use the forum as an open
platform for your comments, critique, information.
Proposals for articles and web-works are also welcome.
Please use my personal Email adress armin@easynet.co.uk
for such proposals. 

Yours, 
Armin Medosch
Editor

Telepolis http://www.heise.de/tp
Snail Mail: 
Armin Medosch 
52B Andrews Road
London E8 4RL
UK
+44 171 923 88 30