Greetings everyone, welcome to the inaugural issue of the M@Gazette! My name is Dylon Whyte, I’m the founder, editor, publisher, head artist, technician and basically the brains behind M@nitoulink and the M@Gazette. But I’m far from the most important person involved with this project. The most important people behind the M@Gazette are you, our readers and contributors. The M@Gazette is just a voice for the People of Manitoulin, by the People of Manitoulin, of the People of Manitoulin Island.
I want the M@Gazette to become our voice to the world, as well as a source of electronic information for the island itself. I’ve been involved with computers and the island for 15 years now and I’ve never seen a boom in electronic communications like the Island has experienced in the last 18 months. I was personally responsible for installing well over 200 modems during this period of immense growth. With so many Manitouliners online, the island is no longer an isolated entity– the world is at our doorstep. It’s time we seized the opportunities the world has to offer, and that’s what M@nitoulink and The M@Gazette are all about.
Manitoulin Island does have a small Internet presence, but it is far from reaching the zenith of its potential. It is no longer enough to just slap together some pretty pictures and nice words and stick them into some dark corner of the ‘Net. You have to carefully craft “eye candy” of the highest caliber, mix in the finest writing you can find, and then put the entire creation into the brightest, easiest-to-locate places on the World Wide Web. The skills required to do this, ranging from top notch HTML, JAVA and CGI programming, to artistic skill in manipulating and creating electronic images, to the carefully guarded secrets of Internet marketing are what I’ve dedicated myself to learning. This is why I feel that through M@nitoulink and The M@Gazette I can provide Manitoulin Island the voice and presence it needs and deserves on the Internet.
I hope you enjoy our offering and come back often, our content can only grow and improve with each issue!
– Dylon Whyte, July 7th, 1998
