The rapid expansion of the internet, and especially the World Wide Web, has increased the number of outlets for creativity available to surfers and rookies alike. While this expansion does not always result in quality, there are some sites on the net that do maintain a certain artistic standard. One such site is Jim Clarage's Cerebrum Flatus. Utilizing text, images, sound, and manipulated photographs, Clarage has re-created the Faust legend in a modern context. The story follows faust@volkerwanderung.div.de's decision to go online. This is a humorous and thoughtful presentation.

Clarage uses the Netscape 1.1N browser that manages backgrounds, images, and text, along with a push that makes the eerie sound-track play while the graphics are viewed. I liked the sound aspect, and the graphics are good quality. The text is very interesting, I thought that it was very creatively designed. On the whole, I see this as the future of macromedia: a presentation that includes sound, images, text, and smartlinks. Possibly, as quality, transfer speed, and faster compression methods are devised, full motion video may be a reality.

To view Cerebrum Flatus, you must have Netscape 1.1N, a sound application that can handle .au files, and your Netscape window set as wide as possible. Be patient, the graphics and sound downloads are worth the wait. Check out all of the links- there are some interesting spots to be visited. I suggest that if you are further interested, you definitely check out Jim Clarage's home site, Click Me, which you can link to at the end of Cerebrum Flatus.

© Trincoll Journal, 1995.