Adapted from article by Michael Macrone published in Interactivity Magazine, March 1998
The Web has seen more than its share of failed revolutions. Early disappointments like VRML and e-cash have been followed by a ceaseless and noisy parade of over-hyped but underwhelming technologies, though few have matched the size of Java's hype. If anything, the hype cycle is accelerating. Was it months or only weeks ago that "push" was the Next Big Thing? The hypelet for its sequel, "channels," figures to be even briefer, which is a relief. It turns out that the masses aren't clamoring for more corporate logos on their active desktops, or to be force-fed commercial bulletins. What a surprise. Meanwhile, the buzzword of the day, if you could call it a word, is "DHTML," short for "Dynamic HTML." We're seeing the usual slew of cover stories and hearing the usual promises. Only this time, something is actually happening. Netscape and Microsoft, between rounds of their pointless battle over desktop control, are busy wedging the term "dynamic," plus virtual reams of documentation, into every available cranny of their Web sites. Practically every week someone announces another DHTML development tool, whether it's new (like Macromedia's Dreamweaver) or a retrofit of existing software (like mBED Interactor and Pictorius iNet Developer). Dozens of books are on the shelves or in production, while even the congenitally phlegmatic World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has shifted into overdrive writing the standards.