Can't wait to read about the ecology of the Derro!

Don´t use irony on boards frequented  by...the irony resistant.

Quote from: SettembriniDon´t use irony on boards frequented  by...the irony resistant.

I use ironying boards. When I'm done, I fold them up and store them in the closet...

-clash

Quote from: Pierce InverarityJames, I won't google this for you, but more than half of the populace of planet Earth have yet to make their first phone call.

Re. the more narrow subject of printed RPG mags vs. infraweb house rags, we all know that we're part of a tiny fraction of gamers who actually bother to check out info on the web regularly. If Dragon/Dungeon are converted into a company's web content, that's a withdrawal from public visibility, because nobody except a significant fraction of that tiny fraction visits Wizards. All that may make financial sense, but it's not a triumph of technology or anything.

Oh, well, I make no claims about gut instinct about the entire world - we were, as I understood it, talking about the US for the purposes of what Mr. Walker and I were disussing.

joewolz has an interesting piece of information with respect to that specific conversation, especially being a fellow Illini (in the general sense. not from U of I). joewolz, so by my rough calculations, you're saying that of about 100 libraries in the 17 southern most counties in Illinois, only 4 (4%) have Internet access?  That, quite frankly, surprises the hell out of me.

I say this because I was in the Wisconsin Dells over Memorial day, and that library, in a town of 2500, not only had Internet Access computers, but had WiFi so I could just sit down with my laptop and work (which I had to do as I took the Friday before as a "work-from-home" day). Now perhaps that's a strange instance because the Dells are a vacation area, but still...seems...odd to me.

Quote from: James J Skachabout 100 libraries in the 17 southern most counties in Illinois, only 4 (4%) have Internet access?  That, quite frankly, surprises the hell out of me.

I'm not surprised.  My impression of southern Illinois (being from central Illinois) has always been that the southern end of the state tends to be shorted in budget appropriations coming out of Springfield.

And I have met some very nice rural librarians over the years who have been very slow to let the internet into their facilities at all.  The idea of helping their patrons access information that has not been vetted by editors and publishers seems to frighten them just a little.

Quote from: James J SkachOh, well, I make no claims about gut instinct about the entire world - we were, as I understood it, talking about the US for the purposes of what Mr. Walker and I were disussing.

joewolz has an interesting piece of information with respect to that specific conversation, especially being a fellow Illini (in the general sense. not from U of I). joewolz, so by my rough calculations, you're saying that of about 100 libraries in the 17 southern most counties in Illinois, only 4 (4%) have Internet access?  That, quite frankly, surprises the hell out of me.

You can call me Joe, bro, my name all mushed together sounds weird to the mind's ear.

I have two concentrations as a historian, one is 19th century US history, and the other is Latin America.  My strange US history specialization comes from me being mostly involved in local history.  I've been to almost all of these libraries.  I think the Library in Mount Vernon (I'm certain, thinking about it) has about 6 computers for Internet access.  So make it ten libraries, because Carbondale's and Marion's libraries have it, too.

It's less than 15%, to give you a hard number, and most of those are on dedicated dial-up (the librarian dials you in before letting you on the computer) or really, really bad DSL.  You should visit down here, James, this place does NOT feel like Illinois.

I'll also add, that at least in this poor area, only about 35% of households have a computer, although over 80% (at a guess) of those have internet access...overwhelmingly dial-up internet access.  

I'm frankly surprised every time I go to the game store and am told that I'm one of the very few who go there regularly who has internet access or a computer.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityJames, I won't google this for you, but more than half of the populace of planet Earth have yet to make their first phone call.

How many of those role-play? None? So they're not our target audience right, and pretty pointless to the discussion at hand.

I mean we're discussing selling an RPG magazine right? I mean is there a great big call for a magazine like this for the people you're describing? I mean aren't they a little busy trying to find a stick or two to burn for heat? And some clean water?

So now that we've established an RPG magazine isn't meant for mass consumption, can we get back on track?

Quote from: James J SkachHere's my gut instinct on it: Are there places that don't have access within a reasonable distance, to a library or access of some sort? Sure.  But it's small and shrinking every day.

And again, is that where the target audience for an RPG magazine lives? If so then we care. If not, who cares? Why are we trying to sell an RPG magazine to someone with out disposable income?

Quote from: Serious PaulSo now that we've established an RPG magazine isn't meant for mass consumption, can we get back on track?

We might... by quoting the second paragraph of my post, which you cut out of your quote:

QuoteRe. the more narrow subject of printed RPG mags vs. infraweb house rags, we all know that we're part of a tiny fraction of gamers who actually bother to check out info on the web regularly. If Dragon/Dungeon are converted into a company's web content, that's a withdrawal from public visibility, because nobody except a significant fraction of that tiny fraction visits Wizards. All that may make financial sense, but it's not a triumph of technology or anything.

Since that paragraph has no empiracal data or basis in absolute fact I assume it is simply your opinion, and as such there is no need to refute or challenge it-it is simply what you believe to be true, nothing more or less.

I simply don't care what your opinion is in this particular matter, as mine varies. I however have no need to force my opinion on you, or to make you believe different. (It's simply not that important.)

That is good.

I realize this has been mooted re the topic of the thread; however...

Quote from: Serious PaulBut it does raise a question in my mind: would you be selling an RPG magazine-today-some place where there was no internet access? (Assuming there is such a country, which I can't honestly say is true or not.)

Well, even in Tanzania, one of the poorest countries in the world (per capita income: $600), there are internet cafes, with prices as low as a penny a minute. This makes them affordable at least to the urban population.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2487821.stm

I picked Tanzania more or less at random from a list of low income countries. Admittedly I shied away from war-torn places like Afghanistan and Somalia, and Tanzania may have a boost from tourism. Let's try Malawi....well, I found a report on an Internet cafe here that gives a rate of roughly 12 cents/minute for the first 15 minutes, then 7 cents/minute after that.

I'm curious, does either of those countries-by the way thanks for those interesting statistics I for one think it's neat to learn what happens elsewhere-have any RPG sales?

to go back to the US market, and southern illinois, since joe (i think) gave us library and 'net figures.  are there bookstores (other than the "big box" variety) or comic stores, or even game stores?  is there an means of obtaining gaming material for those without internet access?