A weekly dispatch from the frontier of electronic society, presented in the refined manner of high fashion.
In the closing months of 1996, a remarkable new medium has captured the attention of discerning households and forward-thinking houses alike. The World Wide Web offers a graphical, instantly accessible network of information, transforming the personal computer into a window onto the globe.
Where once a handwritten note on heavy stock announced one’s intentions, a new form of correspondence has emerged. Electronic mail, or “e-mail,” permits messages to traverse continents in seconds. Already the preferred method among the most fashionable circles in London and New York, it promises to replace the fountain pen for all but the most formal occasions.
Services such as Yahoo and AltaVista now allow one to locate any subject, person, or establishment with remarkable speed. The days of leafing through encyclopaedias are numbered.
Early adopters report purchasing books, music, and even couture garments without leaving their drawing rooms. The virtual boutique has arrived.
Private salons have found their digital counterpart. In these “chat rooms,” individuals may converse instantly across oceans. Already, select fashion houses are hosting private discussions on the season’s silhouettes and the merits of new fabrics.
Subscribers of refined taste receive each weekly edition by post and electronic means. Please share your particulars below.