ANST - the information revolution ...

[j'lynn yeates]

On 28 Apr 99, at 22:32, nolen dale wrote:

> Call me antiquated, I really enjoy reading from the printed page
> instead of a electrically charged picture tube all the time. 
>
> ... as for the Ti I enjoy the articles, artwork and even
> the adds for merchants it is very nice to have a known world
> magazine in which information can be seen by all.  Of course you
> have to be willing to pay to get this information. Thnaks to the
> variety of the Ti I have learned and gained some new interests. 

note i drew the disntinction betwwen the "periodical" TI that i find value in 
and the kingdom "newsletter" that i don't, since i get that information online 
already.  no matter the online option, i would continue to get TI, but feel out 
upon to waste my money on the Black Star, since it is redundant to me ... 
that was the origional point the *kingdome* level information and potentially 
giving the populace the option of the delivery format they prefer - online 
immediate, or monthly dead-tree (g).  

> ...Do you really think that if you could get everything online most
> people would subscribe to a magazine. I belive most would not.

i would wager that most who now get TI would continue to do so, but many 
who get the BS information online would choose to drop it and save a few 
dollars each year. 

> Although I would hope otherwise. those that want / need it could
> subscribe, production could be scaled back to cope with the
> necessary subscriptions without hurting it's primary focus as a
> informational newsletter If you scale back from say 10,000 to 1,000
> do you not believe this would hurt the content and price of the
> subscription. just an exmaple. 

once again, i was not speaking of the TI *magazine* (maybe at a future 
date SCA Corporate might want to give a electronic option, but that is out 
of scope of the discussion) .. i was speaking ot the lomgdom *newsletter*.  
so the focus should be on kingdom level numbers only and note corporate / 
imperium numbers.

> ,,, I love trees, I love books. I really like my newsletter that
> fits inside my briefcase. 

so do i (MLIS by the by ...primary focus on the IS over the LS) but there is 
a difference in focus here ... i too love being able to stuff magazines in my 
riding bag and TI goes in there for peruasl at the bar / restaurant regularly

 .... but the primary scope of my comments was on the kingdom-level 
*newsletter*, the BS (Black Star)  and were directed along the lines of if we 
(online factions) might not be better served by a electronic version.  and a 
natural outgrowth of that level of inquiry was that if the information needs 
are served online, why pay for redundant dead-tree copy

 ... it (the BS) is something i scan over when it arrives and rarely look at 
again.  if i need information, updates, etc, it's easier for me to scan back in 
my online archives than to locate the hardcopy.  so to me, it's a waste.

> ... You are right I think that hardcore members would not stop
> paying their memberships, but what about the future? 

i seriously doubt that things will change if other options are available.  
those that ca/will pay will do so, those that won't will not .... my suggestion 
is maybe if you open up the levels of payment, maybe you will pull some 
more on the fence into the fold and contribute to the core.

> Putting erverything onto an online resource has its advantages and
> disadvantages. Speed and avalibility as long as you have the power no
> problem. But printed word on paper will last through power outages,
> rainstorms, and extreme's of heat and cold. Don't get me wrong the
> computer is a wonderful tool. but putting everything online would make the
> SCA even more impersonal and its the people and the personal I enjoy the
> most.

properly maintained these "outages" cause zero problems.  i know of no 
web-master worth his salt who does not understand teh importance of 
UPS's and regular backups (matter of fact, all my systems at home, 
workstations and servers are on UPS and the regular, autimated system is  
spinning nightly backup tapes as i type ...).  information can exist in many 
forms ... and many of those forms can be much more stable than paper 
(personally, i'm a booster of CD archival and optical MO ... and waiting 
paitiently for the terrabyte data crystal technology to come out of the labs 
and onto te desktop ...)   

'wolf
... from discussion the thousand things are born 

... When we hunt, we all function with one mind
... - Boingo, Pedestrian Wolves
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