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This issue concludes the third volume of Microsoft Interactive Developer magazine. We began publication in 1996 to cover the burgeoning field of interactive programming. At the time, Microsoft was just entering Internet time. A quick
When we first designed the magazine, we saw a lot of new stuff coming down the pipe. We had images of interactive TV, virtual reality, groupware, educational software, and Windows-based games dancing in our heads. As you probably realize, our coverage has evolved along a different path. We've brought you coverage of the newest Internet technologies: scripting, Active Server Pages, Dynamic HTML, and the increased utility of Microsoft tools in the Internet space. Because of our readers' priorities, we've gone to where the story has been. While the other topics are still interesting, we simply haven't had much call for them. After months of consideration, we came to the conclusion that our magazine needed a better name. People who stop us in the street point out that the name Microsoft Interactive Developer doesn't really give a good sense of what's inside. So starting with the next issue (January 1999), we're going to make an adjustment to our name to address this. We'll be the same lovable old magazine as before, but our new name will be Microsoft Internet Developer. It's new. It's sleek. The nickname MIND still
Technology changes quickly, as you can see from a quick scan of our early issues. Back then, people were trying to hammer out simple Internet-friendly programs in Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual J++, and so on. Today, there are wonderfully advanced ways to do things: Active Server Pages, ADO 2.0, Web-Classes, the Windows Foundation Classes, scriptlets, XML, and more. Despite the onslaught of new technologies, the core languages used in development are pretty constant. After all, it's generally easier to incorporate new concepts when you're in a familiar atmosphere. Over the past few months, you may have noticed that we've been stocking up on new columns in MIND. We've received hundreds of letters from our readers asking for more Microsoft-centric information. Since we're always looking to improve our content in response to our readers, we've beefed up our coverage of Visual Studio. That's why you'll find columns on C++, Visual InterDev, and Visual Basic in our pages, with a Visual J++ column to come. It's easier to move with the times when you have a solid grounding in the basics. This month, in fact, is the first installment of a new column, Advanced Basics, by Ted Pattison. Trivia time: did you know that Ted works for Developmentor, where he criss-crosses the country in search of people who want to find out more about using Visual Basic in their corporate environment? We didn't until we signed him up. Ted will be writing about all the super stuff you can do with Visual Basic these days, from Web to middleware. Really, what could be more fabulously useful than that? Of course, even with all these new columns, we'll still bring you the kind of articles you've come to expect from MIND. Every month, you'll get articles written by both Microsoft insiders and the industry professionals who have the most experience getting everything working right. You'll get sneak previews of upcoming products that will change the way you work (see our Office 2000 preview in this month's issue). You'll still get all the code samples from all the articles every month. As we continue to grow and evolve Microsoft Internet Developer in the months and years to come, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Send us some email at mindmag@microsoft.com. Thanks for all your support and loyalty in 1998. It's been a great year for us, and we're looking to do even better in 1999. See you next month with our shiny new name! —J.T.
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