VOLUME 15            DECEMBER 1998                NUMBER  12

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- December 1998

From Antique Radio Classified for December 1998
(Copyright 1996-9 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

"Antique Radio Classified" invites its readers to contribute letters and information for inclusion in "Radio Miscellanea" and elsewhere in the magazine. "In The Marketplace" is based on information submitted by the businesses themselves. All topics should be of general interest and sent to A.R.C., P.O. Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741. All material submitted should be verified for accuracy and may be edited for publication, which is not guaranteed. See the masthead for more details.

Against "Webizing"
Dear Editor:

I am not happy about your decision to "webize." The push for the web is by people mainly interested in quick sales, the buck. There is nothing wrong with making a buck -- I do it myself, and I use A.R.C. I am also familiar with the tone of radio web sites. The people who want the internet already have websites anyway. So what's the point?

This is my point: Who is going to bother to read the ads in A.R.C. when you can surf the web like a gerbil on crack? I don't have a computer. What are my chances of finding something in the A.R.C. classifieds when I get it second class? Surely, you must be getting more mail against the web than for the web. It's my opinion that you print more pro-web letters than anti-web letters.

--Vaughn Rudisill, Deer Park, NY

Adapting to the concept of "webizing" is not easy. What needs to be understood is that people who read the web are no different from people who read the magazine -- both are readers. The web is just another way to distribute the magazine, and also to provide an avenue for both groups to participate in a single market place.

As for letters pro and con the web, we have done our best to present both sides of the argument, and some months, we have to search deeply into our mail pile to find a letter against the web. The fact is that the computer, like the telephone, has become a way of life. (Editor)

The Perennial Mailing Problem
Dear Editor:

FYI: One of the reasons I dropped my subscription was that even by First Class mailing, most of the good deals were gone. I even went home early from my office to get my copy to call and heard mostly "sold."

I honestly think that internet plus hard copy would increase your subscriptions. I would subscribe via the net for less, with a later date for the hard copy.

--Lee Rhoden, Dallas, TX

Dear Editor:

I have debated whether to continue my subscription of A.R.C. The problem is not with the publication itself, but the mailings. I subscribe by First Class and have called minutes after receiving my issue, only to find the item sold. I find this situation unacceptable, and I hope that you will renew your efforts to make it a level playing field for all your subscribers.

--Lee McGough, Medina, OH

The internet is a way to level the playing field! Finally the mail delivery problems can be wished away. Modern technology offers the ultimate solution to the perennial problem of late delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.

However, regardless of how you receive the magazine -- by First Class mail, by Periodical mail, or via the internet -- only one person can be the first caller. The internet will just shorten the length of the receipt time from days to minutes -- it still will not guarantee that the item will be there when you call.(Editor)

A Gem Web Site
Dear Editor:

I am relatively new to the internet, and it seems that 'round every corner there is a gem web site and yours is no exception. Old radio has been an interest of mine for many years, and to find a fact-filled web page like yours is a dream come true. I congratulate you on an excellent page.

--Paul J. Jarvis, Near Winsor, U.K.

The Internet Issue
Dear Editor:

In response to some comments in the September issue about my July letter to the editor concerning the internet, I have never concluded that all folks who do not use the internet are "troglodytes." I would never paint with such a broad brush. Some people, for whatever reason, simply aren't comfortable with the internet. I accept that and am saying only that there is much to be gained from using the net, as I and other subscribers have outlined in A.R.C.

Thanks to A.R.C. for providing a forum where all can voice their opinions.

--Tom Neeley, Cumming, GA

No "Foot-dragging" on the Net
Dear Editor:

Glad to hear you are close to putting A.R.C. ads on the internet. One point to make with the detractors: some of us are not online yet, but this would hasten our doing so. Meantime, when each edition hits the net, I for one will just plan an hour or so at a friend's house, and I expect others can do the same. Don't let the "foot-draggers" delay your implementation.

--Dave Davies, Nokomis, FL

Computer Limitations
Dear Editor:

Thumbs up on the September '98 issue. The photos of "Radio Row" were awesome and O.T. Andy Anderson's article was filled with much common sense. As for the ongoing debate about the magazine vs. the internet -- nothing will ever replace the book form, as I cannot take my computer into the bathroom!

--Robert Gardner, Fort Pierce, FL

Not yet, but just wait. (Editor)

The Internet Will Not Help
Dear Editor:

Just my 2c worth. I don't think that putting A.R.C. ads on the internet will help you in any way. You have a unique market niche, and it seems as if it is about to be vaporized as A.R.C. becomes "just another" one of the many classified lists on the net.

--Harry White, New Haven, CT

Dear Editor:

You are doing a fine job. Please no internet!

--Norton Thompson, Paonia, CO