[epub] The Trouble With Generalization

["Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian" <drmani@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi all.

There have been far too many generalizations in recent debates, like

a. all ezines should have clickable links
b. no ezine should be in PDF format
c. free email addresses are used only by non-serious subscribers

The one thing about the Web (and e-publishing) that is constant is 
change.  In general, all generalizations are wrong !

Remember the time around two years ago when we were fiercely debating 
the conversion of ezines to HTML format.  The majority felt that HTML 
email wasn't available to most of our subscribers, so we wouldn't. 
Today, almost everyone has HTML formatted zines.

Nothing is *correct* about ezine publishing for everyone.  But what 
seems totally illogical to one publisher can be the perfect thing for 
another - like David Hallum's PDF ezine is for *his* readers.

If all email clients will convert http:// prefixed text into 
clickable links, we wouldn't be quibbling about the best way to do it 
on, say, AOL clients !

If all email programs can convert mailto: prefixes into clickable 
email links, ditto.

People use free email services for a variety of reasons, as Mark 
Brownlow points out in his nice post.  Only experience with large 
lists over a long period of time will demonstrate to e-publishers how 
varied a e-mail/ezine universe we work in.  There are no simple ways 
to publish the perfect ezine.

Heck, there isn't such a thing as a perfect ezine :-)

Just had a few thoughts I while reading recent posts to the list.

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian
The Ezine Center
http://www.TheEzineCenter.com




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