As the quantity of information grows, we will rely more on automated search and discovery. Perhaps the university is posturing to both its funders and international colleagues that FIU actually is interested in inter-hemispheric exchange. AmericasNet played a pioneering role during the 1994 Summit of the Americas, but the website has since floundered. I sense that the March 1997 gathering of webmasters will be nothing more than a photo shoot. I don't mean to single out this particular university.
Institutions have notoriously information-poor websites.
If you're looking for more than a snazzy home page, it's hard to find details or updates within university or government sites. And while the session was publicized via email and Internet, the notes from the conference have yet to appear online. When NGOs and government officials met behind closed doors in preparation for the recent Bolivia Summit, they were in fact shutting the doors on public awareness, and consequently, participation. Perhaps the distance is a blessing as the members actually use and contribute to the website. Internetworking activities related to the indigenous Zapatista rebellion and other political events in Mexico beginning in 1994 embody a new model of communication and activism made possible by the Internet.