MODERATION IN ALL THINGS

Interactive systems become difficult when everyone starts joining in - this is a major problem as the whole point of interaction is particip ation on the part of the user. As with many high tech products, intera ctive systems would work a lot better if there were no real users. The Internet in general and the World Wide Web in particular have created a vehicle for an array of interactive games, written works and plays, all of which users or viewers can either participate in or contribute to. In addition there are forums, newsgroups and chat rooms. A few ye ars age some believed that we were on the threshold of a brave new int eractive age where everything from our newspaper to our car would ask us what we wanted to do or where we wanted to go today. Networks would bring people together, enabling them to pool ideas and resources whic h would then be applied to a range of problems.