As an on-line publication, Icon follows in the wake of popular mainstream sites like Salon and Slate but will try to distinguish itself by becoming fully multimedia.

"We're not providing news," Malliaris said. "It's about the way things connect. It's not simply about information."

Jason Q. Purnell '99 is among several Harvard affiliates who contribute to the Internet magazine Peel. He said recognizes a potential for both traditional and Internet media.

"I think [Internet publishing is] interesting. [But] I don't think it's going to pull anybody away from traditional print media," he said.

Icon's Web site is supported by Digitas, whichcreated Harvard's first on-line journal, Elektra,which is no longer published.

Elektra covered computer science interests,whereas Icon is aimed at the general Harvardreadership.

Even though Digitas offers Web space for free,Icon's other publication are defrayed byadvertising, the magazine's staff said.

On the eve of the on-line magazine's firstissue yesterday, Vonkorff was philosophical.

"It's something that has not been done muchbefore, and that's its only limitation.