Megabytes on the Mississippi CA World'98

Sunday evening, April 26, 1998, 6:30 p.m., Hall C, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: My badge has been smilingly but carefully scrutinized by a pleasant young woman wearing a red CA World golf shirt and khakis, and I've just been waved into the press section of the CA World '98 opening keynote session. For some reason, there's a smoke machine at work down in front. The haze rising toward the lighting rig above the stage, along with the synth music pulsing in the background, is