Editorial Pointers

The next generation in Web-based systems is fast upon us as we move from the one-size-fits-all site to the customizable system that adapts to a user’s individual needs and tastes based on the system’s knowledge of the user. For many years an adaptable Web site was little more than a seemingly unachievable dream for most users. Today, with the intricate interweaving of such technologies as artificial intelligence, hypertext, machine learning, information retrieval, and cognitive science, adaptive sites are emerging as the new face (yours!) of Web-based systems.

This month’s special section traces the road to the Adaptive Web. We are grateful that many of the leading visionaries in the field participated in this project, led by guest editors Peter Brusilovsky and Mark Maybury. Together they tell of systems that adapt their behavior to the goals, interests, and tasks of individual users or groups of users. Their articles focus on adaptive interfaces, animated agents, personalization techniques, and privacy concerns. They also provide a preview of promising areas of application and describe where future research is headed.

Also this month, Edieal Pinker, Abraham Seidmann, and Reginald Foster debunk the five myths of e-business development when building strategies for legacy firms. Ned Kock details a framework that should help firms align themselves with Web-based IT. And Barry Wellman illustrates how the Net has enhanced and expanded social relationships.

Are agents good or bad for business? Christian Wagner and Efraim Turban examine how mobile agents are reshaping business models. They focus particularly on auction sites, where owners are debating whether agents have the right to collect and share information from their sites. Helly et al. tackle a different kind of ownership, namely, the free and open access to scientific data while protecting the proprietary rights of authors.

Our columns this month offer new perspectives on old perceptions. In "The Business of Software," Phillip Armour reminds us the human brain—preferably teamed up with many others—creates software. And, in "On Site," Pratyush Bharati and Peter Tarasewich share how researchers worldwide rank publications that cover e-commerce.

Diane Crawford,
Editor