CANCHID Subscribers will have noticed that in recent weeks there has been an increase in email traffic of the "query" sort. In the past the bulk of postings were "For Your Information" and of general interest. Queries w/r to individual research are (of course) specific and not of general inter- est. The change in mix is a result of a desirable step forward and runs as a short run solution to a set of changes coming to CANCHID early in the new year. First, a note or two on the additional traffic. It is the welcomed addition of graduate students doing research and/or field work in the area of health and development. Second, it is part of a general trend developing in the virtual workspace, that being that groups and sub-groups are sorting out how and where they do their work such that people are informed but people are not drowned in email messages. This is the source of demand for "zoning the virtual workspace". This zoning is not the restrictive sort that we see imposted on physical space when it is zoned residential, commerical, etc.. It is an enabelling zoning so that individuals, institutions and groups can position themselves at the optimal cross-roads. The "zoning" concept is all about where to position information, direct information flows and set up the access points to facilitate optimum and efficient work in the virtual workspace. In the new year CANCHID and the Health Informatics initiatives of the York University Centre for Health Studies (working with the Dist- ributed Knowledge Project) will present a set of proposals in cooperation with various groups. They will have to do with how to orchestrate much of this virtual workspace activity and the role of our information provider site here at York University (with other cooperating units). In the New Year you will be polled (short poll) with regard to ideas, likes and dislikes (likes and dislikes impact on performance and efficiency!). Keep tuned for future developments and be tolerant of the flow of mixed traffic while we work toward the tomorrow in health informatics. Sam Lanfranco, CANCHID ListManager, < [log in to unmask] >