In this first excerpt, attending artists and writers try to define what the Internet is and what it should be -- communication or commerce? Next, the panelists discuss whether porn peddlers are the driving force behind New Media. And lastly, the conversation moves to public and private influence on the Web -- does the Internet need a PBS?

Listen to "From Degas to dot-com," the second annual celebration of Salon's weekly profile series "Brilliant Careers."