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A L S O__T O D A Y Confessions of an online sex columnist By Patrizia DiLucchio Sure, talking about sex is fun. So is telling people what to do 21st Log Slate rejoins the Web - - - - - - - - - - T A B L E__T A L K Is Opera the best browser around? Find out more about this desktop contender in the Digital Culture area of Table Talk - - - - - - - - - - R E C E N T L Y The scandal domain name game By Patrick J. Shields Viewed through the lens of domain registrations, Monicagate looks tawdry in a whole new way (02/11/98) To catch a thief By Wagner James Au In this new 3-D game, the emphasis is on stealth instead of shooting (02/10/98) Let's Get This Straight By Scott Rosenberg Video killed the Microsoft star: The company's tape demonstrated its own ruthlessness (02/09/98) Lawyers, guns, money? By Janelle Brown Pundits and insiders reveal their personal preparations for the Y2K disaster (02/08/98) Let's Get This Straight By Scott Rosenberg Why is it so hard to find a valid yardstick for measuring Web traffic? (02/05/98) - - - - - - - - - - BROWSE THE 21ST CHALLENGE ARCHIVES - - - - - - - - - - _______

THE 21ST CHALLENGE NO. 18 RESULTS | PAGE 1, 2 - - - - - - - - - - Air in short supply, pass portal to AOL; Gates bars greater realm. -- Dana Spradley (on how Netscape suffered from Microsoft's practices) (Excerpt from Bill Gates' videotaped testimony:) "What's this 'Microsoft' that you keep referring to? First I've heard of it." -- Keith Ammann You named me Master. Now you cry out protesting Sweet domination. -- Deanna Berman (attorney for Microsoft) Monopoly? Us? we're not a monopoly. Nine tenths is not all. -- Owen Williams If the DLL Helps the Windows kernel tick Then you must acquit. -- James R. Quinn One hand holds Bill's cash the other holds a cleaver which one will I choose? -- Michael K. Martin Fed prosecutors would like to make Microsoft more micro, more soft. -- Fred Wheeler (friend of the court) Comes now the plaintiff: "Bundling is a filthy deed. Unwrap your browser!" -- Adam Carr Gates shifts, hems and haws. "Do you remember last year?" "Uh, no, I do not." -- Aaron Hertzmann Like technology, Old laws become obsolete. We need a new Bill. -- Richard Wan (Sun and Netscape's argument:) Wah wah fuckin' wah Wah wah wah wah Microsoft Wah Java wah wah -- George Hoffman Call us "Arrogant"? we'll trademark that like Money, Word, or even Bob. -- Paul Jones Apples still ripen Sun still shines on the Valley Competition thrives -- Patrick Nolan what is the sound of one hand slapping Bill across his smug god damn face? -- Tor Gunston (friend of the court) "Bureaucrat nitwits: Think you could do better? Who died and made you Bill?" -- Glen Raphael Telling lies in court If the cursor doesn't blink Will we believe them? -- Carol Hewitt World, whole, in goblet A truth, like moon, reflected: Possession? Nine tenths. -- Jim Radebaugh Stop picking on Bill; A megalomaniac Is a person, too. -- Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner and Donald Trump, friends of the court -- as told to Nicholas J. Condon Who should own the air Now the network is become the breath of our speech? -- Jim Nead An entrepreneur known as Bill Found a niche that his product could fill The invisible hand Whipped up demand It's not his fault he's worth countless mill. (Note: The above haiku conforms to the proprietary Microsoft extended haiku format.) -- Jim Nead You will like it when Windows does everything, Even if badly. -- Mike Bosko Thanks for your submissions -- and check back in two weeks for the next Salon 21st Challenge. SALON | Feb. 12, 1999 Charlie Varon is a humorist and playwright. His works include "Ralph Nader Is Missing" and "Rush Limbaugh in Night School." Jim Rosenau is a writer, editor and software designer in Berkeley, Calif. Jim and Charlie are also co-founders of the citizen group Californians for Earthquake Prevention and partners in Mockingbird Productions, which offers a full line of comic services.