[Web4lib] effect of e-use on circulation [was: Authority + Wikipedia]

[Mike Taylor]

> Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:57:29 -0400
> From: Jennifer Heise <jenne.heise at gmail.com>
> 
> If you want direct evidence that free electronic access is not
> necessarily an impediment to print sales, Baen books
> (http://www.baen.com/AboutUs.htm) is probably the place to go.

What they actually do may be good, but this is an object example of
how not to write for the web.  I've read the whole first page (five
paragraphs, 250 words) and still have _no idea_ what they actually do.
It's full of stupid statements like "Before I explain what [the site's
features] are, however, I will take the time to make clear that I do
not believe the superiority of this web site stems from any Intrinsic
Commercial Virtue, which is the claim normally made by companies
hawking their wares", but nothing along the lines of "We let you
download the books".

I wonder, what proportion of the people who set out to read the
"About us" document bother to continue beyond the first page?

Not me, anyway.

 _/|_	 ___________________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike at miketaylor.org.uk>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "Stay tuned for exciting news about chicken zygapophyses" --
	 Matt Wedel.