The following links have been selected for their content. They represent some of the brightest spots on an otherwise underwhelming medium. The World Wide Web, with its love of colour and sparkle, has a tendency to confuse "stunning" with "interesting." This is unfortunate. There is a tremendous opportunity here, as with every innovation in mass communication, to re-inject popular culture with some degree of thoughtfulness. But we should be honest with our selves, and our history. The flood of senseless banter that now consumes so much bandwidth is much like the torrent of pamphlets which rained down upon Elizabethan London. There are a few gems out there. If we are sufficiently devoted (and have the time) to track them down, their wit and insight are sure to bring pleasure to even the most reluctant reader. But most of the time, we are forced to satisfy ourselves with the doggerel of authors with far too much time on their hands. It does not help that they now accompany their tripe with wondrous array of graphical and sonic distractions. I am not opposed to colour per se. I only lament the tendency among the throng of weekend publishers to substitute icons for ideas. This page is intended to offer some relief to the beleaguered Web traveler who has seen too many platitudes, too many dancing mailboxes, too many pages overflowing with narcissism and buffoonery.
These links are for those of us who so desperately want to believe that the World Wide Web can be intellectually stimulating while remaining profoundly democratic. Like the Web, this page is not static. If you find a site with something to offer the soulful mind, please let me know, and together we will build a better web.
David Foss, June 3, 1997