CompuServe Messages

Rich, Remember when railroads thought they were in the "railroad" business? My concern is for the publishers, newspaper, OED, or what-ever that can't see the writing on the wall and that aren't reacting. If they don't move with the times, they will be buried. I'm not picking on them, I want them to survive, but to get with it and to really fulfill the needs. Some newspapers are slightly progressive. Some sponsor BBSes, some even put out CD-ROMs. Most don't. Probably every one of them, even the very smallest (especially the very smallest?) is computerized. Most use their computers as tools to put ink on paper. That is like using a CNC Argon laser to make stone wheels! If the newspapers used their computers effectively (CD-ROM, communications, etc) they COULD deliver a CD-ROM to everyone's door before breakfast, not only with all the news (in color, yet), with all the perspective, with everything cross referenced, and with software that would get you the specific news you wanted, but also with much better advertising than they currently offer. (Why not, my own CD-ROM of CD-ROMs will have advertising on it, and so far, advertisers are EXTREEMLY excited about the project). What percentage of ads are ready now? The rules of thumb are that you must FLOOD the market to get a .002 return. In my scenario, you would tell your Newspaper reading software what you need, what you are interested in, and what you have a mild interest in. The software would tactfully solicit new interests (you read about a neat new product in the news – the computer 'knows' you read that article because you scrolled through it – so it asks if you want to know where to buy it). Even better, it places the order for you electronically, EFT's the money, and gives you direct feedback from the manufacture before you finish your toast. If I were an advertiser, I would be more interested in results than in how many tons of ink defaced how much paper. The networks (cont)