Covering Life As It Is Now

Undoubtedly, we all will remember what we were doing when we first heard of the horrific terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Perhaps, too, we will recall Sept. 11 as a demarcation between life as it was then and life as it is now.Conventional wisdom suggests that our lives, our American way of life, will change dramatically. No speedy check-ins at airports. Tighter security at public events. Restricted access to public places and public officials. Increased monitoring of the Internet, telephones and computers by law enforcement agencies. Less freedom of movement between the United States and other countries. Reasoned debate and cautious deliberation, we hope, will precede any changes deemed necessary for our safety.Information technology will play an increasing role in efforts to protect against future attacks. Washington Technology will cover these developments, as we have already begun to do, in our Web stories and in this issue. But we also want to express our sorrow to those who have lost colleagues, friends or loved ones in the tragic events. We share, though cannot fully know, the pain. We also have faith that the people of the United States will recover and rebuild, as they have done following other national setbacks, to become not only stronger but also more united behind the principles of freedom and democracy.