Re: OT: Electronic episodes (was New Poll)

From: ian_hammond_cooper_at_...
Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2001 11:48:38 -0000


John Hughes wrote:

John, don't you sleep ;-)

> I'm also part of the team that has updated and expanded The Garhound
Contests for Hero Wars, and this will soon be available for download as a number of PDF files through Issaries. At 80+ pages, it represents a very substantial document, and it will be interesting to see how the community responds to the format.<

For large scenarios/material I am definitely in favor of PDF over HTML.
> The advantage for small scale writers/editors/publishers like me is
that I can produce full colour magazines, scenarios, novellas etc. with photographic quality graphics for almost nothing<

With material like episodes that traditionally have low sales (i.e. one person per group) I think that there is a lot to be said for electronic distribution. Also if the material is well recieved it might be published in 'print' form later to a non-Net audience.

>
> Distribution over the web is fast, easy, and relatively cheap, and

> And I don't need legions of loyal volunteer trollkin at key places
round the globe assisting me with myriad currency exchanges.<

The collapse of the free content for advertising model (a misplaced extension of broadcast business models IMO) will hasten improvements in micro-payment systems.

> The disadvantages are on the reader's side: no one really wants to
read long screen-based documents, (though this is changing as hardware and software adapt), so the reader needs access to a printer - and must be able to get<

Or a shop that prints for low-cost.

> And while epublishing will never replace Issaries books or even
quality magazines like TotRM, TT and UW,<

Browsing share in shops is still needed.

> John
> (wearing his PDF apostle hat)

Do people want us to move this to John's Electronic Glorantha list (what is it called again?)

Ian Cooper

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