new sites and new software). But gradually I
tackled more fundamental aspects of the Internet, and then branched out into
current national and international social, political and economic events.

With basic issues, it's fairly simple because all these resources (official
documents, news stories, commentary and analysis) are online. You can delve into
them, quote them, broaden the analysis and go on with the research. For current
events, the choice of subject depends on available resources, and resources are
not always easy to find. So you're in the same situation as radio or TV, that if
there aren't any audio clips or pictures, even a major event becomes less
interesting on the Internet.

= How do you see the future?

For Chroniques de Cyberie, we could introduce and maintain a formula because
entry costs are quite low in this medium. However, everything will depend on the
extent of what's called media "convergence" and on whether production costs rise
if we need to offer audio and video material to stay in the game. If that
happens, we'll have to rethink our strategic partnerships, such as the one
linking us to the Ringier group which enabled us to relaunch Chroniques after
six months of silence. But however much "convergence" there is, I think there'll
always be room for written work and for in-depth analysis of the main questions.

*Interview of August 6, 1999 (original interview in French)

= What has happened since our first interview? Any new projects, new ideas...?

No real new projects. New ideas, yes, but I'm still working on them.

= What do you think of the debate about copyright on the Web? What practical
suggestions do you have?

That's a very big subject.

First there are the copyright and reproduction rights of big companies. These
are relatively well supported legally, either through internal legal means or by
hiring specialized companies.

There's no doubt the "dematerialization" of information, brought about by the
Internet and digitization, makes it easier to undermine intellectual property in
various ways.

The danger is real for small producers/distributors of "original" content, who
don't have the means to monitor the theft of their products, or to take legal
action to ensure their rights are respected.

But all this is the "official" part -- cases of plagiarism that can be found in
"rematerialized" works. There is perhaps a more insidious form of plagiarism,
which is the theft of ideas