Tech.Seattle.Com -- Bytes: Five Unknowns

Five people you've probably never heard of but who are important

Jesse Berst, veteran PC pundit and phrase-turner, founded widely read Windows Watcher newsletter and is now at work on interactive news Web site for the Ziff-Davis publishing conglomerate.

Ed Lazowska, chairman of the University of Washington Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is chief Web evangelist for the academic community. He sits on the National Science Foundation's advisory committee for computer and information science and engineering, the National Research Council's Computer Science and Telecommunications Board and Microsoft Research's technical advisory board.

Bill Nisen brought OWL, one of the original hypermedia programs, to this country in the latter 1980s. Today a widely consulted expert on a number of software fronts, he prefers to stay behind the scenes.

Kathy Wilcox, head of the Washington Software & Digital Media Alliance, came to the group two years ago without an in-depth tech background but with many political and business connections. Her mission: to raise the profile of the local tech industry both within the state and nationally.

Tim Furness, pioneer in artificial intelligence, originally worked with fighter pilots in simulated environments but later joined the University of Washington's Human Interface Technology laboratory with the mission of peaceful applications. He hates violent 3-D video games, wants artificial intelligence and virtual reality to be used in positive ways.

---------------------------------- Software highfliers, Seattle style ----------------------------------

Doug Walker, president of WRQ, bicycles nine miles to work on most days. The company provides free kayak "parking" to an employee, Robert afSandeberg, who paddles to work from across Lake Union.

"If I had a Mercedes I would be crucified" by the staff, says the khaki-clad Walker with a laugh.