[Rockhounds] Thoughts on an online lapidary publication

[Hans Durstling]

Thanks Kreigh and thanks Al for your feedback on the lapidary
publication conundrum. Al you make a good point about having the info
(also) in printable form. This would mean that I would need to teach
myself how to put up a printable downloadable file on the web -
presumably a PDF. Yuk! Just HTML is perverse enough already. But it
could be a way of generating revenue: to read it online would be free;
subscribers get a password which enables downloading. Something like
that. Seems like an approach very worth considering.

Cheers
Hans Durstling
Moncton Canada
www.virtualfundy.com/brokenarmsale.html

=============

On 11/6/08, Al Balmer <albalmer at copper.net> wrote:
> Hi, Hans,
>
>  You certainly have the writing skills, and the subject matter
>  expertise, for such a venture. I have no useful input on the business
>  aspects, but after looking at the sample at
>  http://www.virtualfundy.com/default.htm ,
>  I do have a comment about form. I like the idea of web-available or
>  other electronic distribution of magazines and newsletters, but I
>  don't like them presented as a collection of web pages. Bottom line, I
>  want something I can print off and take to the easy chair in the
>  living room.
>
>  Paper still rules <g>.
>
>
>
>  On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 22:59:57 -0400, "Hans Durstling"
>  <siniconb at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  >Hi everybody,
>  >
>  >A theme that was gratifyingly often expressed in the comments that
>  >came back on my  recently put up broken-arm-sale web page
>  >(www.virtualfundy.com/brokenarmsale.html) was, "Well if you can't make
>  >jewelry for the moment then maybe you should consider writing."
>  >
>  >As it happens, for quite some time, and with increasing seriousness, I
>  >have in fact been considering the publication of an internet lapidary
>  >magazine. There was a start, already, a few years ago
>  >(http://www.virtualfundy.com/default.htm) but that remained a one-off
>  >with only that one single issue.
>  >
>  >The reality is it's a huge amount of work, and time, to put up
>  >anything half decent. So somehow this venture has to pay for itself.
>  >But how?
>  >
>  >I had initially considered a subscription model, say somewhere between
>  >20 and 40 dollars a year. Yet subscription seems to me to come with at
>  >least four drawbacks: one, it would be out of sync with the usual
>  >practise of the internet, where (unless you're a porn site) stuff is
>  >expected to be free; second, it would limit the number of readers;
>  >third, it would put a serious quality onus on the publisher, because
>  >if someone's going to pay for stuff they'd expect it to be not only
>  >good, but damn good; and fourth it would be an administrative nuisance
>  >to keep track of passwords and subscription dates. I'm not sure that
>  >this model should be entirely rejected but these factors certainly
>  >speak against it.
>  >
>  >Then there's the paid advertising model. While much more in line with
>  >customary internet practise it would require probably four or five
>  >issues, at least, to build up credibility and visitor numbers before
>  >you could make a plausible case to potential advertisers. Which is a
>  >lot of time and a lot of work.
>  >
>  >So there's where I'd be grateful for thoughts and advice.I know
>  >there's several Rockhounds folks who have media experience. But just
>  >for everybody, all and sundry -  how would *you* tackle this
>  >conundrum, if you had it staring you in the face? Probably best email
>  >me off-list.
>  >
>  >Cheers and thanks to all,
>  >Hans Durstling
>  >in Moncton Canada, typing two handed again.
>
>
> --
>  Al Balmer
>  Sun City, AZ
>
>
>  --
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