Over the last year and one half, Howard Rheingold has published a series of short articles describing the use and impact of on-line technology in today's world. The articles are diverse, commenting on and demonstrating the positive and negative side of on-line vitural communities.

Howard Rheingold covers many topics. One article reports on how a small web site run by the Rainforest Action Network took on conglomerate Mitsubishi challenging Mitsubishi assertion that as a corporation Mitsubishi was environmentally responsible. The Rainforest Action Network web site pointed out that Mitsubishi was one of the world's worst destroyers of rain forests. The Rainforest Action Network web site offered links to prove their claims. Public response was so great that Mitsubishi removed the environmental claims from their corporate web site.

Another article describes a project created by Phoenix College faculty members. They used MUDs, a software technology for creating written group narratives on the Internet, with at-risk youth for teaching reading, writing, and mathematics. Students have been lining up to learn. Significant student gains have been recorded on standardized testing.

The articles vary greatly from political comment on web censorship to how the Net can help rural economics. Rheingold's reporting is concise, to the point, informing and entertaining. A great deal of on-line activity is occurring, but we rarely see it. Rheingold provides numerous links that allow readers to explore the virtual communities at their own pace.