{
  "id": "1994-june-new-looks-for-the-net",
  "slug": "1994-june-new-looks-for-the-net",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1994-june-new-looks-for-the-net.html",
  "year": 1994,
  "month": "June",
  "monthNum": 6,
  "headline": "New looks for the Net",
  "kicker": "GUIs on the horizon",
  "author_name": "Jennifer LaFleur",
  "author_title": "NICAR Staff",
  "affiliation": "NICAR",
  "summary": "A reporter covers the 1994 Spring Internet World Conference in San Jose, exploring the latest Internet technology and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) designed to help users navigate the early Internet.",
  "keywords": [
    "Internet",
    "conference",
    "technology"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Technology",
    "Journalism & Newsroom"
  ],
  "technologies": [
    "World Wide Web",
    "gopher",
    "FTP",
    "Telnet",
    "Windows",
    "Macintosh",
    "DOS",
    "modem/BBS",
    "UUCP"
  ],
  "full_text": "Silicon Valley - Net surfers from around the country came to test the waters in San Jose June 1 and 2 at the 1994 Spring Internet World Conference, sponsored by Meckler Media, Inc., publisher of Internet World magazine. The conference provided Internet training and a look at the latest technology for \"getting wired.\" My search through this maze of vendor stands and demo rooms provided a living model of the Internet itself - there was just so much \"stuff.\"\n\nBefore coming to this conference, I was fairly confident in my nerd-abilities. I was humbled when I entered rooms filled with heavy users for whom the discussion of network protocols is mere small-talk. After being knocked aside by a fellow conference attendee who swept by me on roller blades and clutched a fist full of demo disks, I wound my way through the massive web of hardware suppliers, GUIs, booksellers, software vendors and online services suppliers. GUIs, or Graphic User Interfaces were the hot topic at the conference. These are programs that provide a point-and-click tool for navigating through the sea of information available on the Internet.\n\nKeep in mind that most GUIs do not provide access to the Internet - you have to do that through an Internet service vendor. Rather, these programs provide an electronic roadmap to the Internet through your desktop PC or Macintosh. Here are a few of the GUIs that were on display at Internet World:\n\nInternet in a Box (O'Reilly & Associates, Inc and SPRY, Inc.) This is a box containing all the tools for PC users to connect to the Internet: optional automatic connection to the Internet via a service provider (for those who don't have access); Global Network Navigator, an interactive guide to the Internet's resources; AIR Series Internet applications for e-mail, Usenet, file transfer, TELNET and Gopher; and two books describing how to use the system.\n\nWinGopher (NOTIS Systems, Inc) This is a graphical tool for searching GopherSpace on the Internet through the Windows environment. GopherSpace is a collection of publically available resources that use a protocol designed by the University of Minnesota. This system does not handle World Wide Web (full-text indexing) or e-mail. For more information: wingopher@notis.com.\n\nCameleon (NetManage). This program provides complete desktop communications for the Windows environment. Cameleon provides a graphical interface for accessing GopherSpace; Netnews, an Internet news group manager; Whols, an application for identifying people on the Internet. In addition, Cameleon provides other network communications utilities such as e-mail, file and printer-sharing and terminal emulation. For more information, call (408) 973-7171.\n\nWorldLink for Macintosh and DOS (Intercon) WorldLink is a accessing program and an online service that allows Internet access for individuals. With this program, you use a modem to access information that is available through electronic mail, network news groups and online services obtainable via anonymous FTP (file transfer protocol). Users pay a monthly fee, plus connect-time fees. For more information: info@intercon.com\n\nMKS Internet Anywhere (Mortice Kern Systems) provides an interface for the Windows environment to e-mail and network news on the Internet. Users must already have a UUCP network connection to the Internet. For more information: mksia@mks.com.\n\nNetCruiser (NetCom) NetCruiser is a user interface for the Windows environment the system also provides access to the Internet through NetCom's service. Access includes: electronic news, ARCHIE (keyword search), File Transfer Protocol for downloading software and files, e-mail, International Relay Chat (real-time chat), TELNET access to other computers on the Internet, UseNet, Gopher and VERONICA (search by subject). For more information: info@netcom.com.\n\nYou can contact Jennifer LaFleur at Jourjal@muccmail.missouri.edu.",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "extracted_at": "2026-07-05",
    "verified": true
  },
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  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1994-june-new-looks-for-the-net.html",
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}