FINALE [Editorial].(Editorial)

... And he rode off slowly into the sunset.

It seems absolutely incredible that 23 years of writing editorials for the 'Online Newsletter' have passed so quickly, more than 42 years since I first started using 80-column IBM punch cards for processing data, and more than nearly 65 years since I first began pounding a typewriter keyboard.

Like Andy Rooney, of CBS' "60 Minutes", I first began using my mother's old Underwood typewriter at the ripe age of seven years. Over the years that typewriter and my own manual and electric typewriters made my writing more intelligible than trying to read my long-hand writing. (I even had trouble trying to read my own lecture notes in college, and my information center staffs always appreciated the typewritten memos.) -- When the PC first arrived with word processing software, it was a real blessing.

Manuscripts for articles used to be made in long-hand writing, then typed with double-spaced lines for editing. It was a tedious task. -- But word processing changed all of that, including the ability to move entire paragraphs, make numerous changes (such as this editorial), and spell checking as well.

The major problem with the long-hand writing of an article or editorial, is that by the time you've come to the end, you may have forgotten what you wrote at the beginning.

I have especially enjoyed writing over the past 23 years, trying my best to bring news and developments about the information field to our readers throughout the world. This could have been new technology developments, First Amendment rights (a topic close to my heart), and of course, all of the latest databases, services, and meetings - while also pointing to the dangers of misinformation, censorship, or even lack of information in a society.

I am saddened by the fact that many civil liberties, such as First Amendment rights, have been restricted by national security events following 9-11 terrorist attacks. Our readers should understand that these actions are necessary - perhaps for the next 40 years. I ...