Many of you might feel some concern if you do not as yet have easy access to electronic means of communication. Indeed, this problem bears discussion, and I invite those who feel concerned to express their feelings on this matter. My own point of view is that electronic communication will not, in the near future, supersede classical paper distribution. Of course, it is nice and fun to be able to print out and read a paper directly from one's computer only a few minutes after it has been posted. Another point I want to emphasize is the fact that information delivery poses, above all, the problem of evaluation.
Scientific information needs to be selected and classified in order to be reliable and useable.
This is exactly why, for now, database systems are the most useful tools for worldwide electronic scientific information. Indeed, database evaluation processes have been performed previously by classical means. As we enter the third millennium, electronic publications and information exchanges will considerably increase in number. However, we must develop good, specific evaluation tools to be sure that quality and reliability do not suffer from quantity and rapidity.