Surfing.(Business)

Party like its 1999 online

Revelers can toast the new year with champagne in one hand and a computer mouse in the other, cruising the Internet to mark the end of an era and the beginning of the next.

America Online plans a global celebration for its more than 19 million members, starting in Australia's Sydney Harbor at 6:30 a.m. here on Dec. 31. "We'll go down under, giving you nonstop party updates, pictures and fun as the Aussies celebrate the countdown to midnight," AOL said.

As midnight approaches around the globe, AOL will follow the party as it moves to a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan; Paris's Eiffel Tower; Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach; New York's Times Square; and the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

Earthcam - a Web site hooked up to Internet-linked cameras, or Webcams, around the world - will also give surfers a bird's-eye view of New Year's celebrations around the globe. Clicking on the "Webcast of the Century" banner at Earthcam's introductory page, users will see an interactive world map offering live views of cities around the world.

Address: www.earthcam.com

Yet another online starting point can be found at "Greenwich 2000: Millennium," which proclaims that the millennium officially begins in Greenwich, England, home of Greenwich Mean Time - on Jan. 1, 2001. "But most people are regarding 1 January 2000 as a good day to start the party!" the site says.

Address: http://greenwich2000.com

In another example of thinking globally but partying locally, the First Night organization - a 23-year-old group devoted to nonalcoholic community celebrations of New Year's through the arts - is playing host to "Virtual First Night 99."

The Virtual First Night site provides links to city celebrations, but is organized thematically rather than geographically with links to a variety of music and artistic sites.

Address: www.virtualfirstnight.org.

Want to send a New Year's message to extraterrestrial beings? "The Starlite" is planning to beam messages from customers into space on Dec. 31 from a former Cold War nuclear missile silo in Roswell, N.M. The price for sending a message to beings unknown: $9.95 to $44.95, depending on whether you want a "holographic launch certificate," confirming your message was sent.

Address: www.thestarlite.com