[WW] Re: Pyramid subscription (OT)

[Allan Seyberth <darious@darious.com>]

At 08:13 AM 6/13/2001 -0500, you wrote:
 >Awww... Allan,
 >
 >It's worth it. Unlike those other gaming magazines, you actually get stuff
 >you can use, and have access to previous articles from as far back as
 >1995(this I know for sure). Plus let me say two words that should truly push
 >the sale: Kenneth Hite. Next to Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic, this guy has
 >more Naz...Axis conspiracy stories and weird history than anyone. Well worth
 >the price of two movie tickets to see, say... the Mummy 2. And you get to
 >keep print copies out at your leisure. Plus playtest material for
 >subscribers. Get the goods before it goes to press, sans artwork. How spiffy
 >is that?

The internet and it's sub-section the world wide web was built on the 
concept of and for the purpose of the free exchange of information.  That 
concept is what caused the internet to explode across the globe and making 
it, in my opinion, the most important development in the late 20th century.

I had an argument with a friend of mine about this.  I was explaining to 
him about the information out there and he countered that a good 
encyclopedia was better for secondary learning - ie - the incidental 
articles you come across and read while searching out your topic.  That was 
3 maybe 4 years ago.  About a year ago he tried to convert me to the power 
of the internet for learning and information.  :)
Instead of basking in a well earned "I told you so", I countered that the 
era of the internet/www as an information source is ending, slowly being 
strangled by businesses who don't really care if they kill the golden goose 
as long as they meet their third quarter profit projections.

More and more often when I look for information on a topic I instead find 
advertisements, online books stores, and subscription only web sites, and 
no real information.

There is still good information out there - it is just gradually getting 
harder and harder to get to and I can foresee a possible time when the 
internet is all fenced off with pay-for-access sites.  Of course, I could 
be wrong - there is some indication that other folks aren't too eager for 
the commercialization of the internet - lack of profits being the reason 
for the whole dot.gone phenomena.

The ending of the open range internet may be inevitable but I'll be damned 
if I contribute to it.








-------------------
Allan Seyberth
darious@darious.com
Deadlands fan site - http://www.darious.com/

I am no stranger to loud music. I've been to a Mitch Ryder and the Detroit 
Wheels concert. I once dated a woman with two kids.
                 -P.J. O'Rourke