Editorial: Nisar Keshvani

The Internet's 10th year was celebrated in May (yes, everyone knows its been around longer than that!). The Leonardo Music Journal is 10, Rhizome's turned five, and fAf's 14 this year.

Countless other publications and organisations must be marking their anniversaries and birthdays. These momentous occasions are a time for reflection - just like an individual's birthday, when one reminisces, recalls the ups, the downs, and from past experiences maps out the future.

The world of art & technology has existed for a while now. Artists continue beckoning for more funding, better administration, management and direction. There are slight improvements - Down Under, the Australia Council is reportedly reviewing the state's visual arts, and Singapore launches the Esplanade in 2002. Is may not be sufficient but it's a step.

Fourteen years ago, when Ray Lauzzana founded fAf - it was the *only* on-line arts newsletter, today various publications distribute news, opportunities in the art, new media, science, technology fields.

This brings to mind, an 'e-conversation' with Roger Malina (Leonardo publications' Executive Editor) last year when I first became editor. The challenge was and still is to respond to needs that are not met.

"The Internet creates new electronic monasteries - where people outside the wall and inside the wall are in worse communication than before there was the Internet."

How do we burrow through these Internet walls?

Here's a start, we @ fAf would like to initiate a dialogue. We're interested to hear from organisations and individuals - what do *you* think? What opportunities are out there? Which direction should we be casting our sails? How do we respond to needs? Are there collaboration venues - less duplication, more productivity? Email us at: editor@fineartforum.org, we look forward to hearing from you.

This month, its my pleasure to introduce our newly appointed Australian Editor - Linda Carroli who'll manage our home base. Carroli is a widely-published journalist, essayist, critic and curator of public, gallery and virtual spaces. I take on the Editor-in-Chief's role, and Paul Brown is the Executive Editor. Together, we hope to develop fresh strategies, and achieve new heights.

In this issue - Mark Beam's feature: Beware the Bohemian, Linda Carroli's review of 'Othermindedness: The Emergence of Network Culture' and Fatima Lasay's catalogue essay on 'Geocentricity'.

Also check out, Ni Kee Seah's web review of 'InteravtivA '01', our Singaporean guests from Ngee Ann Polytechnic Hannah Teoh & E-von Yeoung review 'Cybercultures' and the 'Nuisance' site. Maree Kimberley looks at 'Selling Art on the Internet' (an e-book), while Felicity Carpenter at the 'Performance' exhibition.

Catch ya - same site, same url - next month, with plenty of responses.