The way forward is familiar enough. One set of paths lies through the new technologies. But they are in danger of becoming hopelessly overgrown; the web is well-named! Clearly it will come to play a greater and greater role in all our lives; its rate of growth is still astonishing. But the quantity of information available is daunting, and the role of gatekeepers, whether they be search engines or quality-control agencies like ODL QC, is becoming more and more important. Information needs to be appropriate as well as accurate; focused on the needs of the recipient not the desires of the provider. Quality in online delivery, not just of education and training but across the web as a whole, is a key issue for the new century.

And the technologies themselves are forever changing. Like the Red Queen, those of us who try to keep up find that we have to run ever faster to stop falling behind. Lesley Lawson's piece in this issue highlights some of the questions which arose at one recent conference; the new skills which will be required if online learning is to prosper, and the need for all learning to stay grounded in the experience of the learner.

As a small contribution to fostering an online community, this Newsletter will, from this issue onwards, be published simultaneously on our website and in print (if you're interested, you will find it on www.odlqc.org.uk/odlqc/n12-edl.htm).