Project Telecom: Results

(The content of this page was last modified July 20, 1997.)

Since publishing the initial version of the Project Telecom study in January 1997, I have received about a dozen communications regarding the issues it raised. Several were of the form "I don't know enough about the subject to say anything." The rest appear on the "Project Telecom: Comments" Web page.

Consistent Comments

One theme was expressed by many people: The look of printed papers, and particularly their feel, can never be reproduced electronically. Watching glowing bits of phosphor or crystals tied to a computer is an entirely different experience than holding a printed sheet of paper.

Many see an inevitable trend of greater Internet participation. Once the exclusive domain of industry and education, more and more "common folk" go on-line each day. Some members feel electronic amateur journalism must become a reality...and in fact is already here for those who are interested.

However, there will always be a niche for ink and paper publications, even if electronic forms of communication are widely used. Some science fiction amateur journalists look upon their electronic bretheren with scorn. Anyone can throw a Web page together, but it takes real dedication to turn out a paper publication.

What AAPA Members Do On-Line

There is general consensus that e-mail is a great way to transmit information. Every month a few more members get electronic addresses. Today a minority of members have e-mail addresses, but the number is enough to make it feel like a community. Those who have e-mail find that they use it at least as often as "snail mail" to communicate with other amateur journalists.

Only a handful of members have their own Web sites. A number of members who access the Internet through services that automatically provide space for a Web site (America On-Line, for example) choose not to participate. There is still a significant technological barrier to become proficient in creating Web pages and many don't think it is worth the effort.

The AAPA Web site has been somewhat successful in recruiting new members. Over two years, 26 people joined. Unfortunately, nine of those have let their memberships expire. During the past year, the main page of the site has registered an average of nine to ten visits per day. ("Hits" from visitors who do not display graphics are not included in this total.)

Although it is not tied to the AAPA, the "LetPress" mailing list includes participants from several different amateur journalism groups as well as unaffiliated people who have an interest in letterpress. The 260 subscribers send and receive a couple of dozen pieces of e-mail in a single day...some of it interesting information, and some of it idle opinion.

What Next?

Even though the charter for Project Telecom is expiring, it's difficult to draw any immediate conclusions about what the AAPA should be doing. The Internet has not yet matured to stability, and not enough AAPA members are taking advantage of it to form a concensus of opinion. At any time a new technology could change they way everything is done!

The small turnout of comments shows that amateur journalism and the Internet may be a combination ahead of its time. No amount of hype from this end can create enthusiasm among members who are enjoying the hobby the way they always have. As my Uncle Chet used to say, "You can't push a rope."

Perhaps we should just let nature take its course. As the electronic frontier is tamed, and better tools allow easier creation of attractive Web pages, it could become common for members to create them. At some point a majority of members will be on-line and looking for something interesting to do.

In the meantime, here are a few short-term ideas:

Start a mentor program for people who join via the Internet. If there were enough volunteers, each recruit could be assigned an experienced member to answer questions and encourage activity. Currently, we don't do anything to take advantage of the instant communication available to answer questions.
Similarly, long-time members who are new to the Internet could use advice on how to use publishing tools. An "experts forum" could easily be set up to trade information and publish the results on a Web page.
Provide more information on the AAPA Web page. Articles about the AAPA's history would be interesting to many Web surfers, and would also provide a record for new members who want to learn about the past. A registry of local printing guilds and chapels would be a service for letterpress hobbyists. If we can provide a useful tool to potential members, they will be more inclined to join.

Let me know if you are interested in helping out in any of these areas.

I will leave the "Project Telecom" Web pages in place at http://members.aol.com/thome.htm for folks who want to review the proposals and comments.

Go to the AAPA Project Telecom home page.

Dave Tribby / tribby@cup.hp.com