Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:08:57 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Nattering about the 'net.... [WSFA] Re: Different subject now,you have been warned!
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> omni at omniphile.com 3/29/2005 10:40:26 AM >>>
>Prior to regular business use of e-mail there generally wasn't any
>>>quoting in replies.  Just, "In reference to your letter of March
22...".
>>
>>Interesting.
>>
>>Perhaps the business enviroment had no interest in dealing with
usenet,
>>and therefore felt they could ignore it all.
>
>Actually, until the internet went truly public, business use of the
>internet for advertising was prohibited and about the only business
use it
>had was dealing with government agencies by government contractors.
Even
>in the early 90s when I got access there were still lots of
discussions
>about the new commercial use of usenet and news, and many who resented
it
>deeply.

I was thinking more about business-to-business email communication.

After all, what possible reason would someone at some random company
need with usenet?  Just a thought.

As for advertising/commerical usage ofthe net - for the small business
it has been a miracle.  Even though the sf buyers at B&N and Borders
have declined stock the latest Old Earth titles, I still have a darn
good shot of selling the books due to the net.

Sometime ago I received an email about the Lensmen books I reprinted.
Turns out the person inquiring was in Japan. There goes territorial
rights restrictions.

The cash following into web retailers is signiificant enough that the
states with sales taxes desperately want their sales tax applied to
those sales.  It may happen.

mjw