12-4-95. NYPeeper: "The Rand Corporation salutes E-mail as the new foundation of democracy." Denise Caruso's column. Are we ready, as a society, for ubiquitous Government- mandated electronic communication? Not yet. E-mail today does not have the same constitutional free-speech and privacy protections already afforded the telephone and postal mail. In addition, free speech on the Net is far from assured. There are several bills pending in Congress right now that would severely restrict what people can say in either private or public forums on the Internet. Despite Rand's finding that virtual communities are powerful tools for democratic discourse, it will be difficult for communities to form under constant threat of censorship. "Java Backers Taking Aim At Microsoft's Dominance." A number of Silicon Valley companies plan announcements on Monday that together constitute an anti-Microsoft campaign. The most noteworthy: A plan by Sun and Netscape for a user-friendly version of the Java software technology for the Web. The strategies being announced this week represent opening skirmishes in what may be the next great standards battle in the industry. "Nearing the $500 Computer for Internet Use." Acorn is about to introduce a stripped-down machine for Net surfing that sells for about $900. By stripping it of its monitor and hard disk drive, and adding a high-speed modem, Acorn executives say they can hit a retail price less than $500. They plan to ship the Netsurfer by early next year, and are discussing licensing with Oracle and a number of American and Asian companies. SEN_sor (16 kb)