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Originally begun as a government-sponsored project for scientists, engineers, and military personnel to exchange information with great speed and efficiency, the Internet has become a virtual community, an online culture arisen from the depths of computerized networking and communication. This paper presents positive and negative aspects of the Internet culture, and the issues surrounding it. The Internet has spawned a new culture with ideas, mores, and modes of communication unique to itself, but it is far from perfect. Only time will tell whether or not the Internet will bring us closer together through communication. Online culture mirrors "real" society; the human beings that make up the Internet behave like human beings, but through a new, "virtual" medium. The Internet culture will continue to evolve, mutate, and change as technology and as society does. The paper discusses characteristics that make up a culture; the anarchistic nature of Internet culture; the Internet culture as it benefits classroom instruction and communication; the language, manners, and mores of Internet culture; navigational difficulties; interaction between new and experienced users; treatment of women; Internet addiction; the effect of Internet use on reading and writing skills; accuracy and quality of materials on the Internet; and commercialization of the Internet. (Contains 26 references.) (Author/SWC)

This paper describes a review of recent literature about teaching history to address what history is (or purports to be), why educators should teach history, and what new teaching methods are now being used. Methods discussed in the paper include: (1) active learning situations, such as debate, demonstration, and simulation; (2) specialized topics approach; (3) utilizing primary source materials; (4) use of historical films; (5) use of the library; and (6) use of historical fiction. The paper advocates teaching history from a humanistic perspective in which students can relate past events to present lives. (EH)