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[Jeff's mug] [Jeffrey Veen]
[Browsers] [Browser Kit]

Bigger. Better. Faster. More.
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It's an exciting time to be alive, don't you think? Oh sure, every generation thinks the same thing, you say. But does every generation get a new beta version of Netscape every 2 weeks?!? I think not.

I hear people complaining about the speed at which the Web world moves, and bemoaning the fact that they can't keep up. Not me. I don't think it's moving fast enough. I want stylesheets, on-the-fly downloadable fonts, and cool 3-D frames today. Don't know what I'm talking about? You will, if you read this column regularly.

Still, writing this column scares me.... I have a nagging little fear that by writing about Web browsers, I'm going to start slipping into the genre of Car and Driver or PC User - a never-ending stream of statistics and specifications chronicling in minute detail the evolution of simple tools.

Don't worry, that's not why I'm here. Instead, I'd like to help you with three things:

  1. What does my browser do?
  2. Can people who see my page see what I can?
  3. What should we be looking for next in browsers?

So I'll bring a little perspective to the three things we spend all our time online doing: surfing, creating pages, and upgrading.

What's on

your browser

wish list?

Threads

So what browser should you be using? It's hard to tell, considering every software developer is suddenly hyping its products as "Web-ready." Future columns will sort out the features from the bugs, and the gimmicks from the useful additions to your Web toolkit.

And if you write pages for the Web, be sure to check back regularly. I'll be using this space to pry open the latest Web enhancements and look at what they really mean to the industry as well as your homepage. There's a lot of work to do in this area - the coolest technology in the world means nothing to a user staring at a broken icon. I'll show you who's using what, and why.

Finally, think of this area as news ticker for the browser world. I'll be posting the latest update information from all the Internet software developers, as well as the industry rumors that pass through my inbox. Consider this the beginning of a conversation that we'll continue in the Webmonkey Threads. And, as always, you can send me any tips or rumors you come across, and I'll give you credit on this page.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

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Jeffrey Veen is HotWired's Interface Director. He has never had a bad hair day. Ever.


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