Subject: Re: ONLINE ECONOMICS From: jvncnet!netcom.com!bparr (Barry L. Parr) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 1994 13:52:48 -0800
How the Web Was Won
Subject: Re: ONLINE ECONOMICS From: jvncnet!netcom.com!bparr (Barry L. Parr) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 1994 13:52:48 -0800
Sender: jvncnet!marketplace.com!owner-online-news Content-Length: 4318 X-Lines: 85 Status: RO > We are looking into the advantages/disadvantages of linking > up with one or more of these services. I (speaking for myself > and not The Arizona Republic) have great reservations, none of > which are economic. > What makes newspapers work is that they are local. Putting > a local newspaper on a national BBS accomplishes nothing for > the newspaper except PR ("Hey, look at us - we're important because > we are on a national system") > I've looked at the San Jose and Chicago Trib stuff on AOL. It > has no value to me in Phoenix, except for my professional curiosity. > If the goal is to serve San Jose readers, but not go through > the technical startup and maintenance headaches, I suspect there are > better ways than this. > Every time I look at the alternatives, I groan at the compromises that must be made in setting up one of these systems. There is no perfect solution and every choice you make will give you headaches. If the big online services demand a chunk of your revenue, it's because they provide services that greatly enhance the value of your package to your customers. In evaluating each of these alternatives, remember who your audience is. If you feel that a newspaper's online service should serve more than the techie community (as I do), then ease of use, tech support, and customer service are critical. Installing a modem is a baffling ordeal for most computer users. You're not selling cheap downloads and Fidonet feeds. You should be selling communication and information in a packaged format to the widest possible audience. This is just as true here in Silicon Valley as it is in Phoenix. Here are the choices, more or less: DOS-based BBS's: Cheap. An administrative and technical nightmare. Low perceived value in the marketplace. Really hard for nontechnical users. Incredibly clunky, even with the thin veneer of a RIPScript interface. Tech support a nightmare. Unix-based BBS's (dial-up,not Internet): They're uniformly awful. They set new standards for difficulty-of-use. Coconet is cute, but I worry about being dependent on a company that size with the kind of delivery problems they have. If you've never supported a bank of modems plugged in to a Unix box, you have no idea what a pain this is. First Class BBS: This is the only BBS that I consider to be an acceptable consumer solution. You're still looking at administrative headaches and tons of tech support. I think the perceived value is still low. You're going to be competing with free BBS's. If they're on OneNet, they'll have an attractive interface and lots of great newsfeeds. Custom software: Don't even think about it. Prodigy: Too expensive for the consumer. Too many compromises of computer capability. Do you want to spend your life creating NAPLPS pages? Real computer users (who have an important influence on your customers) hate it. Not well-designed for communication. It's Gateway and Viewtron all over again. But it's a fairly large audience, it's sort-of-easy to use, and Prodigy appears willing to deal. CompuServe: Really expensive for users. Hard for non-nerds to use, even with CIM. Has the advantage of tons of good stuff online for your customers. It's hard to argue with their clear success in the marketplace, but it's a closed system in an increasingly networked world. AOL: Easy to use and the system of choice for choosy Windows and Mac users. Their growing pains make them a difficult choice right now, but their software requires less tech support than any alternative. Their approach to the Internet is dead on. I still believe that is the best choice for satisfactorily serving the widest array of computer-using newspaper readers. Internet/WWW: The Next Big Thing? I think it's a great way to put your paper in front of people who are already on the Internet. But how do you get a lot of your readers who are not Internet users to sign up for an access services (your own or someone else's), learn how to use net tools, and have a happy experience they're willing to pay you a lot for? Your mileage may vary. At this stage I wouldn't be quick to criticize anyone's choice of a platform. ......................................................................... Barry Parr Mercury Center San Jose, CA From jvncnet!marketplace.com!owner-online-news Mon Feb 28 10:20:21 1994