1998 was one of the most exciting years ever for meteor observers. No less than three showers (the Pons-Winneckids, the Giacobinids and the Leonids) gave significant outbursts. In recent years important outbursts have also been detected from the Perseids, leading indirectly to the recovery of the lost Comet Swift-Tuttle and from the November Monocerotids. Amateur visual observers are now better organised than ever thanks to the Internet, e-mail and mobile telephones and are proving that visual meteor observers can still make a big contribution in astronomy. This paper examines the meteor outburst activity observed during 1998 and looks at the prospects for the Leonids in November. Emphasis is placed on how new technologies such as the Internet are proving vital in this field.