CompuServe Messages

Rich, I agree with you – most of the trade press doesn't know and doesn't care much about anything. If CDROM is hot, they write about it. Their opinions carry little weight to the really discerning reader as most of the opinions expressed are full of holes and inaccuracies. They are commonly the result of shallow work. Unfortunately, they ARE the press, and the printed word really does carry a disproportionate amount of credibility. It is precisely because of state of affairs that I am concerned. A bad review of a product in a major magazine is just about as damming as a bad Broadway review to a play. We all know that two or three New York play reviewers agreeing can kill a play on the first night. Happily, these folk usually know far more about the product (the play) than the typical magazine writer or editor. Bashing a CDROM disc because there are errors in the data IS the proper response. It must be done with discretion and care however, so the public doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Someone pointed out that there are many errors in the printed works, yet no one seems concerned that will cause the printing process to be abandoned. I agree, but what is different is that with CDROM, most people can't separate the faults of the publisher from the flaws of the medium. The medium is, after all, just an advance in printing, publishing and communications. In the military, they always used to tell us that "Communications was 95% of the problem". A CDROM can be produced much more efficiently than a book. It can present a much more dramatic impact. It can communicate far more effectively. It is, in short, an "empowering" technology. I fear that the average "Joe" reading one of these editorials will simply write it off. If he does, we all lose. You are correct–people vote with their dollars. They are certainly influenced by what they read, however. If the influence is wrong, we still suffer. I very much appreciate your kind compliments and encouragement. I am frightened, though, that if we say something bad about a disc, that it will be misinterpreted as a slam against the technology. This is a pioneering industry (computers, CDROM, etc), and it must be able to pay its own bills in order to move forward. Should we encourage shovelware? Should we "tell it like it is"? Rgds Jan