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From 3 - 8 November the debate developed as follows:

Cynthia Beth Rubin answered to the question, why did it seem necessary, to set up a special commission for Cultural Diversity within ISEA (Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts). She is chairing this Cultural Diversity Committee. "Essential to any discussion is the perception of artists and critics who are now outside of the newly emerging mainstream Electronic Art world. If they feel that there is not a place for them in this arena, they will ignore groups such as ISEA, and perceived barriers will become real obstacles."

Aleksandra Ivir introduced Culturelink, the "Network of Networks for Research and Cooperation in Cultural Development", established by UNESCO and the Council of Europe in 1989. "One of the major aims of the Culturelink network is the promotion of regional, interregional and international research projects (joint projects) such as the "Cultural Policies in the World" project, in which most of our members from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America participate."

Harald A. Friedl wrote: "following the discussion, I have realized some important aspects, that seem to me being used in a wrong way - some serious misunderstandings concerning the structure and function of the Internet. ... The image of the 'fragility of the Internet' doesn't really correspond to its technical structure and functional processing." "Even if I can easily understand the frustration of interested or concerned people, if suddenly an (important?) web-page disappears suddenly, this phenomenon is nothing but normal - or even typical about the Internet: its permanent growth, a never-ending development of new centres, integrated webs by new links, new forums, which come and go: Although it's virtual, it still reflects some very strong characters of the 'real' reality." ... "But if a webpage becomes deleted - after being visited by a huge audience, then for sure it would have been loaded down several times, which means: The information still exists somewhere." In addition to Friedl's posting we published his article "Cyberparadies für Arme" [in German - http://www.hkw.de/forum/forum1/doc/text/d-friedl.html].

Olu Oguibe's reaction to Friedl's posting was: "I am not sure Herr Friedl quite got the point of my comment on the fragility of the Internet as a repository of information." " Rather ironically, he in fact supports my arguments..." Regarding the comment about the Internet's origin and the way it functions, that Friedl made with the purpose of making clear some misunderstandings, Oguibe said, that "Anyone who is truly familiar with the Internet is already very familiar with the brief history that Friedl treats us." "... the fact that the inherent fallibility of the Internet is 'normal' does not in itself serve good reason to abandon the search for remedies that make significant items of cultural information readily accessible." "The suggestion that we treat the vulnerability of important web-based information with apathy because someone must have downloaded it, to my mind, reeks of a rather poor understanding of the Internet user."

In her posting Britta Erickson wrote, that since the disappearance of a website like "Hong Kong etc.", she now prints out copies of the pages that interest her. "I wish that people who put together significant websites would offer CDs or disks of the material for a nominal fee..."