The Phenomenon of WebZines


The WebZine (or E-Zine, generically "zine") is another element of the cyberworld commonly utilized by Gen Xers. Basically a frequently up-dated Web site, zines are published works just like the printed versions -- without the paper cuts or shiny pages. Zines rarely date back much further than a few years, but several have archives searchable by a browser within the zine. A random list of zine subjects might sound like the magazine rack at a supermarket: Business, Aviation, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, Food, Technology... There is a zine, as in the paper world, for everything and anything. There are even Webzines designed for Generation X -- more specifically, twenty-somethings, but in a WebCrawler search, typing "Generation X" and "WebZine" will produce a sizable return of possibilities. The Internet Herald, a zine first published on-line in August, 1995, is subtitled THE Generation X WebZine. The fact that this claim is necessary dictates that there are more than one or two -- and there are.

WebZines provide Gen Xers with the fast-paced, up-to-date information that they have come to rely on and expect from the hectic, fast-paced, information-driven world of technological advances without the space-taking waste of paper printing. No doubt, it will be a long time before magazines and newspapers are obsolete, if it ever occurs, but new WebZines crop up frequently and the ease of access ensures their continuation. Follow this link to Nerd World Media's list of electronic magazines.


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