summary | table of contents | readability | intended audience | related links | the book's utility Audience Who needs this book? It's pretty clear that this is not a book for the average classroom techno-teacher – it's not meant to be so. This is a book for policymakers, those who need to know about policy, and be ready for changing technology. Thus the audience may be self-selecting. Scholars of the history of technology, regulation, as well as college presidents, VPs, Information Systems VPs, IT coordinators, Media Coordinators, and other authorizers, promoters, or commanders of the technological environments in which we work – i.e. , those who sign the checks and say where the computers will go – will need to know some if not much of the issues contained in this book.            I say this because the imperative still survives that teachers who use technology must become their own academic technology managers, and gain adeptness in understanding the technology they use and require. And it make sense that within the needed technological skillset for techno-teachers, there may be varying levels of necessary knowledge, such as for classroom teachers, departmental network administrators, curriculum policy makers, and so on. Thus while this book has few things to tell the classroom teacher looking for specific hints for lessons, tactics, or Thursday's paper, this book is suited for those who need to look to the future of telecommunications to see what may be on the horizon. Computer writing lab directors, department chairs, composition directors, and instructional media specialists who are in the teaching and leading business may profit from reading this book.            But more important is the audience of individuals who need to keep watch on the politics and impact of technological economics. For better or worse, instructional technology and technological instruction exists because there is instructional technology – including network systems. Consider how, though, in the last two years alone technology has changed. An English composition program which used Daedalus for DOS in 1991 on 386SX PCs may now use, exclusively, Web-based applications, PDAs, Linux, wireless telecommunications, etc., none of which existed to any appreciable degree in 1991.            Those who plan, implement, or manage technology-based writing initiatives cannot decide if and when to be affected by technological change. Because the technology they use is inevitably market driven, and because the networking systems that carry their initiatives are regulated in complex ways, as Noam shows, the technology and systems will change just as rapidly as the markets, market forces, and regulators can make it change. And networking systems and telecommunications providers are especially important to consider for two reasons – first because networking applications provide the transformative impetus for many writing-initiatives – Web-based conferencing, distance education, course tools, etc. Secondly, networking systems not only provide the dominant transmission medium for many forms of educational technology; they and their structures are also rapidly changing, as Noam notes several times.