/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ TRADEWINDS A monthly round-up of Internet coverage in trade and industry magazines A publication of Baker Library, Harvard Business School /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Volume 2, Number 5 May 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR'S NOTE SHOOTOUT AT THE OK CORRAL? Is the Internet, as the media's second most popular metaphor would have it, really akin to the Wild West? If so, then a new kind of law, beyond the rough-and-tumble frontier justice of the early days, is likely to evolve before Net-based business stakes a solid claim. This need is reflected in trade coverage of the Net. Numerous articles look at how various organizations are trying to shape the legal and regulatory environment in which online commerce takes place. For example: * Publishers Weekly reports how the American Association of Publishers is joining other groups to protest the direction of proposed new anti-obscenity legislation in the U.S. Senate. (See Reid, "Publishers protest...," under Publishing - Books below). * Billboard describes the efforts of ASCAP and BMI to license distribution of musical performance over the Internet and other online services. (Gillen, "Precedent set...," under Broadcasting; and "[ASCAP forms Internet...]," under Entertainment). * Fortune relates that the the Securities & Exchange Commission is trying to protect investors from fraudulent investment schemes on the World Wide Web. (Aley, "How investors can use...," under Investement). Solutions to the murky legal situation on the Internet frontier, it seems, are likely to come from two places: from government action and from Net citizens themselves laying out the law of the land. We'll see more on this subject in the months to come, as various parties fight it out in Congress, in the courts and in the media. The outcome will do much to decide the shape of the new world of online business. This issue marks the Tradewinds debut of a new contributor: my Baker Library colleague George Jenkins. George's help in dealing with the growing number of articles to be reviewed is greatly appreciated. His efforts are indicated by (GJ) at the end each abstract he wrote. Banks & Banking; Broadcasting; Publishing - Newspapers; and Travel are most heavily represented in this month's collection of articles. New categories include Construction: Discount Merchandising; Information Providers; and Sports. Other categories are: Advertising & Marketing; Apparel; Automobiles; Entertainment; General Business; Insurance; Investment; Publishing - Books; and Publishing - Magazines. For more general information about TRADEWINDS, including how to subscribe via e-mail, see the end of the issue. As always, comments, questions, suggestions, etc. are welcomed. Please send them to the address below. Ken Liss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kenneth M. Liss Internet: kliss@hbs.harvard.edu Baker Library Phone: (617) 495-6782 Harvard Business School Soldiers Field Road Boston, MA 02163 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADVERTISING & MARKETING Kuntz, Mary. "Burma Shave signs on the I-way," in Business Week 3420 April 17, 1995, p. 102. Business Week examines the new world of advertising on the World Wide Web, a "terra incognita for advertisers and consumers alike" where "[t]he old rules are turned upside down" and "the consumer is in control and must actively seek out the message." Among the consumer marketers looked at in the article are Van den Bergh Foods' Ragu spaghetti sauce, Reebok shoes, MCI, Burlington Coat Factory and Coors Zima. At this point, writes Kuntz, entertainment and service, instead of sales pitches and straight product information, is what keeps consumers coming back to commercial sites on the Web. But according to many observers, these early efforts will fade away in the future as secure transaction systems lead to the development of "a huge new online marketplace." URL: http://www.eat.com - (RAGU) URL: http://planetreebok.com - (REEBOK) URL: http://www.mci.com - (MCI) URL: http://www.coat.com - (BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY) URL: http://www.zima.com - (ZIMA) Krantz, Michael. "Keeping an eye on I/Pro," in Mediaweek 5 (15) April 10, 1995, p. 12. Krantz reports on new software from Information Profile designed to track and measure user activities and demographics on the World Wide Web. The I/Pro and I/Code packages, according to Information Profile, will provide marketers with detailed data well beyond the simple hit counts now used by some measuring systems. Others in the industry, however, remain skeptical about the programs' accuracy and value, according to the article. I/Pro is currently in beta testing. I/Code is scheduled for release later this year. URL: http://www.ipro.com - (I/PRO) "Web lacks transactions but influences decisions" in Advertising Age 66 (14) April 3, 1995, p. 26. Internet surfers look, but don't buy. That's the conclusion of a University Of Michigan Business School survey of 3,500 Internet users reported by Ad Age. The UM survey found that about 79% of the respondents use the web primarily to browse, compared to 8% for shopping. Only 18% of respondents have spent at least $50 of online purchases during the past six months. "Many people are concluding the Web is not a good place for marketers because they can't sell," says UM Professor Sunil Gupta. "Actually though, the Web is a great way to provide quality information and maintain customer relations." The survey reports that the first choice of online respondents for product information was magazines and newspapers. Second choice was non- commercial web sites. Third was a tie between direct mail and commercial web sites. Results of the survey are available on the Web. (GJ) URL: http://www.umich.edu/~sgupta/hermes.html - (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN INTERNET SURVEY) APPAREL "What, this old rag? I spotted it on the Internet" (Bits & Bytes), in Business Week 3421, April 24, 1995, p. 134. A new online fashion "magazine" called @fashion is part of MCI's new internetMCI Web site, according to this Business Week brief. Jeanne Beker, fashion reporter for cable channel VH-1, has been hired as @fashion's online reporter. The magazine will offer text, graphics and fashion sketches from leading designers, as well as video clips from recent fashion shows. URL: http://www2.pcy.mci.net/fashion/index.html - (@FASHION) AUTOMOBILES Rechtin, Mark. "Agile dealers selling autos online," in Advertising Age 66 (14) April 3, 1995, p. S32. Rechtin provides a detailed look at the DealerNet online automotive sales service on the World Wide Web, including a look at one buyer's online purchase of a new Volvo 850. DealerNet, founded by a Seattle-area Nissan/Volvo dealer, offers connections to approximately 250 car dealers. The customer used the service to gather information on the car, arrange a test drive and negotiate a selling price online. DealerNet also offers the ability to get a list of dealers, look at automakers' brochures and even order replacement parts online. Data encryption technology is in place to close transactions electronically, according to the article. Auto dealers pay a one-time cost of $14,000 to take part in DealerNet. URL: http://www.dealernet.com - (DEALERNET) BANKS & BANKING Marjanovic, Steven. "2 clearing house groups join alliance to develop Internet," in American Banker 160 (78) April 25, 1995, p. 15. A pair of automated clearing house associations are looking to have their say in the development of online payment systems on the Internet, reports American Banker. The National Automated Clearing House Association and the Western Payments Alliance have joined CommerceNet, a consortium of banks, computer companies and other corporations that is exploring business on the Net. Representatives of the two clearing house groups will take part in CommerceNet working groups on Internet payment services and electronic data interchange. URL: http://www.commerce.net - (COMMERCENET) "A more secure future for cybershoppers" (Bits & Bytes), in Business Week 3421 April 24, 1995, p. 134. A new group called the Electronic Business Co-Op has become the latest to put together a transaction security scheme for the Internet, according to this Business Week brief. The Co-op includes Tandem Computers, Web browser maker Spyglass, payment processor Checkfree, and V-One, a maker of firewall programs and smart cards. Their system is expected to be in place this spring. Kutler, Jeffrey. "Internet boosters keep beating the drum, in American Banker 160 (71) April 13, 1995, p. 16. The banking industry, writes Kutler, "has been bombarded with promotional and educational messages of ever-increasing urgency," about the Internet, and bankers are listening, learning and responding to what they hear. At least 100 commercial banks and financial services firms are on the World Wide Web, he reports, and many are moving beyond experimentation and advertising to deliver online customer service. "While the hype factor is evident and remarked upon," says Kutler, "bankers seem to be taking the messages seriously and acting on them. Internet hype may be evolving toward self-fulfilling prophecy." Kutler, Jeffrey. "Natwest's Mondex joins the rush of card groups to the World Wide Web," in American Banker 160 (63) April 3, 1995, p. 22. British-based Mondex, reports American Banker, has followed several other credit and debit card marketers in establishing a presence on the World Wide Web. The company's new home page is seen as a step in positioning Mondex, developed by National Westminster Bank, to play "a major role...in the development of the Internet as a marketplace," according to CEO Tim Jones. Other card companies on the Web include Visa, MasterCard and Capital One Financial Corp. URL: http://www.mondex.com - (MONDEX) URL: http://www.visa.com - (VISA) URL: http://www.mastercard.com - (MASTERCARD) URL: http://www.capital1.com - (CAPITAL ONE) BROADCASTING Gillen, Marilyn A. "Online innovation promises instant audio," in Billboard 107 (15) April 15, 1995, p. 3. A Seattle-based company has introduced an audio-on-demand system that will allow Web users to listen to broadcasts from such providers as ABC News and National Public Radio (NPR) without the need for long download times, according to this article in Billboard. The RealAudio system from Progressive Networks stores audio content on a server for real-time playback over the Net. The three-part system involves encoding and server software at the provider end and decoding software at the user end. (The user software can be downloaded from a RealAudio Web site). In addition to ABC and NPR, content providers who have signed up include RadioNet, an online radio station in Santa Cruz, California, and On Ramp, Inc. of New York, which is launching a series of Internet-based music programming. (See the next article, below). "We are bringing one of the oldest and most popular forms of electronically transmitted entertainment, sports, music and news programming -- called radio -- into the next century," says Progressive founder Rob Glaser, a former Microsoft VP. Because the sound quality is not up to CD standards, initial use, says Glaser, will focus on "voice driven content." URL: http://www.RealAudio.com - (REALAUDIO) URL: http:// - (ABC NEWS) URL: http://www.npr.org - (NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO) URL: http://www.radionet.com - (RADIONET) URL: http://metaverse.com - (ON RAMP) Gillen, Marilyn A. "Precedent set with grant of blanket online license by BMI," in Billboard 107 (15)) April 15, 1995, p. 3. Music Publisher BMI has granted what is believed to be the first license for performing and transmitting music over the Internet, reports Billboard. The agreement with New York-based On Ramp, Inc. provides unlimited access to BMI compositions for "browsing, listening and transmission to consumers in the home," according to the article. On Ramp, led by former MTV veejay Adam Curry, plans to use the new agreement, together with special software from Progressive Networks (see the previous article, above) to launch a series of online music and interview programs. URL: http://bmi.com - (BMI) URL: http://metaverse.com - (ON RAMP) Eggerton, John. "McGraw-Hill casts its (Inter)net," in Broadcasting & Cable 125 (14) April 3, 1995, p. 42. Eggerton describes the efforts of two McGraw-Hill-owned television stations to establish a presence on the Internet. KGTV in San Diego and WRTV in Indianapolis have both opened sites on the World Wide Web. "We've redefined ourselves as [being] in the communications business rather than [in] the TV business," says Don Lundy, director of program operations at KGTV. The KGTV site includes news stories, editorials, advertisements and links to the station's news anchors, reporters and assignment desk. Lundy is also helping develop a companywide site for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting. URL: http://www.kgtv.com - (KGTV) URL: http://www.wrtv.com/wrtv6 - (WRTV) Petrozello, Donna. "Radio spins a Web," in Broadcasting & Cable 125 (16) April 3, 1995, p. 39. Radio stations are using the Internet to get material to fill their airwaves, according to this brief article in Broadcasting & Cable. RadioSpace, a World Wide Web site run by North American Network, Inc., offers broadcast-ready soundbites, lists of interview opportunities and other information from a variety of organizations. The service is free to the stations; sponsorship is provided by information providers like the American Cancer Society and the Investment Company Institute. URL: http://www.radiospace.com/welcome.html - (RADIOSPACE) CONSTRUCTION Angelo, William and Judy Schreiner. "Contracting on the Infobahn," in Engineering News Record 234 (15) April 17, 1995, p. 34. ENR profiles Winter Park Construction (WPC) of Maitland, Florida, reported to be the first construction company to use the World Wide Web to market its services. WPC's home page presents a company history, lists of current and completed projects, personnel profiles, awards and references. Other construction-related concerns on the Web include Fletcher Pacific Construction Co. of Honolulu and the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors, a New York area consortium. Many others, including the giant Bechtel Group, are reported to be exploring use of the Web. (An editorial in the same issue ["It's time to get wired," p. 66] wonders why the industry is so backward in its use of information technology). URL: http://www/wpc.com - (WINTER PARK CONSTRUCTION) URL: http://www.pixi.com/~fpc/index.html - (FLETCHER PACIFIC CONSTRUCTION) URL: http://shebute.com/Projects/Alliance/Alliance.html - (REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR SMALL CONTRACTORS) DISCOUNT MERCHANDISING Halverson, Richard. "Mass market goes on line," in Discount Store News 34 (7) April 3, 1995, p. 3. OfficeMax, the discount office product chain, has become the latest mass marketer to go online, reports Discount Store News. The OfficeMax Web site, on MCI's internetMCI service, carries approximately 10% of the chain's product line, according to the article. Several other discount stores, including Service Merchandise, K-Mart and Sears, have centered their online efforts on commercial services. Other Web- based mass marketers mentioned in the article include J.C. Penney and Spiegel. URL: http://www2.pcy.mci.net/marketplace/omax - (OFFICE MAX) URL: http://www.jcpenney.com - (J.C. PENNEY) URL: http://www.spiegel.com/spiegel - (SPIEGEL) ENTERTAINMENT "Commercial welcome mat," in Billboard 107 (17) April 29, 1995, p. 74. This brief from Billboard's "Enter*Active File" describes the unusual focus of the rec.music.promotional newsgroup, which actively solicits press releases, interviews, sound clips and other promotional material from the music industry. While going against the anti- commercial grain of most newsgroups, rec.music.promotional, will still filter material, according to its moderator, separating substantial information from "unwelcome hype." NEWSGROUP: rec.music.promotional [ASCAP forms Internet department] (Enter*Active Briefs) in Billboard 107 (16) April 22, 1995, p. 76. ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Artists & Performers) has formed a new department to focus upon online and Internet products and services, according to this Billboard brief. The Department of New Media and Technology Strategy has two objectives: to develop and implement an Internet site for ASCAP; and to license ASCAP member's musical performances via the Internet or other online methods. (GJ) URL: http://www.visualradio.com/ascap/as0.htm - (ASCAP) Gillen, Marilyn A. "Verve puts all that jazz on the Web," in Billboard 107 (13) April 1, 1995, p. 51. Verve Records, reports Gillen, has joined several other record labels in promoting its music via the Jazz Online World Wide Web site. Verve Interactive offers downloadable audio, video and other material, including performance footage, artist interviews, album cover art and more. Although lacking a retail side, the site is expected to become, says a company official, "another key part of the Verve exposure mix." Jazz Online founder Joe Vella also emphasizes the promotional aspects of jazz on the Web. "[I]t offers the kind of long-term activity and exposure that gives a product legs," he says. URL: http://www.jazzonlin.com/jazzverve.htm - (VERVE INTERACTIVE) URL: http://www.jazzonlin.com - (JAZZ ONLINE) GENERAL BUSINESS Strom, David. "News from cyberspace," in Forbes ASAP 155 (8) April 10, 1995, p. 118. Strom offers a buying guide to online news sources for the business consumer. Readers are told how to distinguish between different services, what kind of costs to expect, what kind of delivery options are available and, ultimately, how to determine which service will best meet their needs. Among the Net-based services mentioned are ClariNet and Individual, Inc. URL: http://www.clarinet.com - (CLARINET) URL: http://www.newspage.com - (INDIVIDUAL, INC.) Verity, John. "Planet Internet," in Business Week 3418 April 3, 1995, p. 118. The growth of the Internet, and especially the World Wide Web, has shifted the center of the computing universe, writes Verity in this lengthy cover story. For the computer industry, he says, "the Net...could well be the IBM Personal Computer all over again -- a powerful, low-cost, open, standards-based technology 'platform' upon which to build all sorts of new products, strategies, companies, markets, and even a few fortunes." He outlines a wide range of product and service opportunities for new and existing high tech companies. "There's hardly any product or service that has been dreamed of for the still-unbuilt Information Superhighway that isn't getting developed for or actually delivered over the Internet today," he writes. Sidebars discuss getting connected to the Net and the debate over pay- as-you-go versus flat rate use. INFORMATION PROVIDERS Donaton, Scott. "Web news with a personal touch" in Advertising Age 66 (14) April 3, 1995, p. 25. Individual Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., has introduced a Web-based customized news service called NewsPage with "relevance based advertising" linking advertisers' Web sites to related editorial content, reports Ad Age. NewsPage is 100% sponsor funded, unlike Individual's other customized news services, First! and HeadsUp, which are funded by user subscriptions. Several business-to-business marketers have signed up for a four-month trial at a cost of $15,000. They include Silicon Graphics, Sybase, Digital Equipment Corporation, Knight- Ridder, the Electric Power Research Institute, and two divisions of Sun Microsystems. According to Geoff Beard, a marketing manager at Sybase, "NewsPage will expose Sybase to a very targeted set of prospects that we can market to through the investment we've already made in our Web site." NewsPage is free to subscribers during the four month trial, which began in April. After the trial, NewsPage users can still access the Web site for free, but will pay a small fee for the full text of news stories. The service uses 500 sources, including daily newspapers, wire services, magazines and newsletters, to select and deliver news to subscribers. (GJ) URL: http://www.newspage.com - (NEWSPAGE) INSURANCE Garven, James R. "An electronic forum for the business of risk," in Best's Review - Property/Casualty Insurance Edition 95 (12) April 1995, p. 18. Garven, a finance professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the creator and organizer of the RiskNet mailing list and the RiskWeb Web site on insurance and risk management, describes both services here. RiskNet, started in 1992, is a discussion forum for insurance professionals. The newer RiskWeb offers article abstracts, working papers, teaching materials and information from a number of insurance organizations. E-MAIL: listproc@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu (To subscribe, send the message: subscribe risknet yourname) - (RISKNET) URL: http://riskweb.bus.utexas.edu/riskweb.html - (RISKWEB) INVESTMENT Aley, James. "How investors can use the Internet," in Fortune 131 (7) April 17, 1995, p. 154. Aley tracks the online investment efforts of one San Diego computer engineer and explains how others can invest on the Internet and locate investment services on the Web. He describes two online brokerage services - Net Investor from Howe Barnes in Chicago, and WealthWeb run by K. Aufhauser of New York. Other sites described in the article include: Portfolio Accounting World Wide, or Pawws, an "online investor shopping mall" that provides quotes, charts and research, as well as a link to Net Investor; NETworth, which offers stock quotes, financial newsletters, discussion with money managers, mutual fund offerings, historical quotes, and mutual fund performance charts; the Experimental Stock Market Data, operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which contains share prices for 385 companies; QuoteCom, a for-pay service, that offers news wires, company profiles, stock quotes, charts, and several other services including MarketScope reports from Standard & Poor's; and the Edgar (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) web site, operated by New York University and the Internet Multicasting Service, for the electronically filed SEC documents of publicly traded companies. The Securities & Exchange Commission, notes Aley, is monitoring Internet traffic to protect investors from fraudulent Web sites or investment schemes. (GJ) URL: http://www.aufhauser.com - (WEALTHWEB) URL: http://pawws.secapl.com/top.html (PAWWS) URL: http://networth.galt.com/www/home/ (NETWORTH) URL: http://www.ai.mit.edu/stocks.html - (EXPERIMENTAL STOCK MARKET DATA) URL: http://www.quote.com/ (QUOTECOM) URL: http://town.hall.org/edgar/edgar.html (EDGAR) PUBLISHING - BOOKS Reid, Calvin. "ITP opens Net site with 34 imprints," in Publishers Weekly 242 (17) April 24, 1995, p. 18. International Thomson Publishing has opened a new online "kiosk" offering Web, gopher, ftp and e-mail access to its family of educational and scholarly imprints, reports PW. The sites present catalogs, sample chapters, software demos, author descriptions and other information on more than 20,000 print and electronic titles. All publications can also be ordered online. URL: http://www.thomson.com - (THOMSON WEB SITE) URL: gopher://gopher.thomson.com - (THOMSON GOPHER) URL: ftp://ftp.thomson.com - (THOMSON FTP SITE) Reid, Calvin. "Publishers Protest Scope and Language of Anti-Cybersmut Bill" in Publishers Weekly 242 (15) April 10, 1995, p. 9. The publishing industry is joining forces with a coalition of Internet users to protest the Communications Decency Act of 1995, reports PW. The act (S.314), which would impose heavy fines for material deemed "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent," is attached to legislation to revise the national telecommunications laws. It has already been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. "We are concerned that passage of S.314 would stifle the transmission of protected, albeit sometimes controversial, speech and thus the promise of the technological revolution," says Nicholas A. Veliotes, president of the American Association of Publishers. Experts worry that online carriers in liberal states could be held liable, due to varying community standards, if material is downloaded into a more conservative state. Similarly, publishers with hyperlinks to another web site with indecent material, could also be found liable. (GJ) PUBLISHING - MAGAZINES Donaton, Scott. "Pathfinder blazes a trail to ads," in Advertising Age 66 (15) April 10, 1995, p. 19. Time, Inc.'s Pathfinder Web site is adding advertising to its pages, with marketers paying quarterly fees of $30,000 to establish links to their own home pages, according to this report. Pathfinder, which recently began registering users, will provide the sponsors with demographic information based on its registration surveys. "We made the decision not to offer advertising until we could provide a valuable research program to our participants," Time New Media chief Bruce Judson told Ad Age. Information on individual users will not be provided. Pathfinder, which includes sections for Time, People, Money and Sports Illustrated magazines, is expected to eventually charge users for access to the site. URL: http://www.pathfinder.com - (PATHFINDER) PUBLISHING - NEWSPAPERS Cleland, Kim. "Online soon to snare 100-plus newspapers," in Advertising Age 66 (17) April 24, 1995, p. S6. Cleland offers an overview of newspapers' online efforts on both the Internet and commercial online services. The number of papers online is expected to grow from the current 60 to more than 100 by the end of the year, she reports, with many having an Internet site in place or in the works. "Online editions are not only a great way to attract more advertisers," says Randy Bennett, director of new media at the Newspaper Association of America, "but they preserve the newspaper's role in pulling the community together, aggregating information and providing a market for buyers and sellers." Frank Daniels III, executive editor of the Raleigh News & Observer, adds that the growth of online papers "signifies a shift in the way people involved with newspapers -- including readers, writers, editors and advertisers -- will interact with each other." Among the Net-based efforts mentioned in the article are those of the News & Observer, the San Jose Mercury News and the New York Times. URL: http://www.nando.net - (RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER) URL: http://www.sjmercury.com - (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS) URL: http://nytimesfax.com - (NEW YORK TIMES) Garneau, George. "Campus press races online," in Editor & Publisher 128 (16) April 22, 1995, p. 72. College newspapers, aided by access to technology and the "natural demographics" of a computer-savvy student audience, are racing ahead of their mainstream brethren in publishing on the World Wide Web, reports Garneau. Approximately 20% of all college dailies, plus several weeklies, are on the Web, as compared to 4% of commercial dailies. Among the papers profiled in the article are: MIT's The Tech, thought to be the first college paper on the Web; the Kansas State Collegian at Kansas State University; and The Daily Beacon at the University of Tennessee. (An accompanying article reports on college papers as a training ground for electronic journalists. See below). URL: http://the-tech.mit.edu - (THE TECH) URL: http://www.spub.ksu.edu - (KANSAS STATE COLLEGIAN) URL: http://beacon.www.asa.utk.edu - (DAILY BEACON) Garneau, George. "Newspapers snap up j-school grads with online experience," in Editor & Publisher 128 (16) April 22, 1995, p. 74. Journalism school students with online experience are bringing a new dimension to the profession, writes Garneau, giving them "a powerful selling point to distinguish them from other would-be journalists." He profiles a handful of representatives of the "new breed of j-school grads." Journalists with computer skills are in high demand, says Jack Lail, assistant managing editor for technology at the Knoxville (TN) News-Sentinel. "Where do you find them? Right now the easiest place is on college campuses, where they have a lot of computer resources and they have the opportunity to experiment and learn." (See also "Campus press races online," above). Astor, David. "United starts Web site on the Internet," in Editor & Publisher 128 (14) April 8, 1995, p. 28. The United Media syndicate has created a Web page featuring the work of a handful of syndicated comic strip artists and editorial cartoonists, according to this article in Editor & Publisher. "We are using the digital power of the Internet to reaffirm the awareness of an ageless art form for a new generation," says United President Doug Stern. Among the comic strips featured on the Web site are "Dilbert," "Alley Oop," "Arlo and Janis," "Marmaduke" and "Robotman." Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" will be added after its 45th anniversary in October. Editorial cartoonists include Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Benson of the Arizona Republic. The site will include two weeks worth of comics posted one week after they appear in print. Also offered will be background information and the ability to communicate with the artists. URL: http://www.unitedmedia.com - (UNITED MEDIA) SPORTS Jensen, Jeff. "Shooting to score on the 'Net," in Advertising Age 66 (14) April 3, 1995, p. 24. Three professional sports leagues, the National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League, have introduced or are planning to introduce services on the Internet, Ad Age reports. First up is the NFL, which introduced NFL Sideline on the World Wide Web in April, primarily to promote the 1995 draft. The site includes information on the leading draft prospects, the selection order, and each team's draft needs. NFL Sideline also promotes the World League, with football teams in six cities in five European countries. In planning its own Internet site, the NBA is looking to sponsor IBM for assistance. Similarly, the NHL also is looking to sign up a technologypartner. The leagues find the Internet attractive for several reasons, according to the article, including a demographic profile that closely resembles that of the average fan and a global reach that will be valuable in fan development efforts outside the United States. A few professional teams, including Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, and the NHL's San Jose Sharks, have also introduced their own Internet sites, Jensen reports. (GJ) URL: http://nflhome.com (NFL SIDELINE) URL: http://www.mariners.org - (SEATTLE MARINERS) URL: http://www.sj-sharks.com - (SAN JOSE SHARKS) TRAVEL "Disabled-access hotels on Net," in Travel Weekly 54 (33) April 27, 1995, p. 53. Disabled travelers will be able to examine the accessibility of more than 4,000 worldwide hotels via a new Internet site from the Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped, according to this TW brief. The site, scheduled for a June debut, will also list tour operators with handicapped-accessible itineraries. Wardell, David. "Content is everything, even on the Internet," in Travel Weekly 54 (33) April 27, 1995, p. 24. Wardell, a vice president at Global Travel Computer Services, warns travel providers not to overlook content in their excitement over the opportunities offered by new technology. "A business that lacks an effective sales message," he writes, " will not be able to sell electronically any more effectively than it can face to face." Good online content, he adds, requires an understanding of the new medium and the needs of a demanding public. "Failure to appreciate the need to develop strong, sustainable on-line content has led to the demise of more would-be electronic salespeople than perhaps any other factor." "NEeTravel, ASTA set Internet session" in Travel Weekly 54 (32) April 24, 1995, p.16. Travel Weekly describes plans for a one-day conference on "Internet Opportunities for the Travel Industry" put together by NETravel Services in Arlington, Virginia. The conference, according to the article, was designed to provide advice and case studies for travel agencies, suppliers and information distributors interested in accessing the Internet and developing a home page. NETravel is also the creator of the Going Places Internet directory. (GJ) URL: http://travel.gpnet.com - (GOING PLACES) Pina, Michael. "Technology firms work to making buying on the Internet safe," in Travel Weekly 54 (32) April 24, 1995, p. 38. Although travel-related companies are flocking to the Internet, writes Pina, security concerns are keeping most of them from actually booking reservations online. Security, he says, is more of a concern to the travel suppliers than it is to credit card holders, whose liability is limited by law. Suppliers, according to security experts, could face lawsuits from credit card companies if their credit card databases are not secure. The article outlines a few of the transaction security systems currently in the works. Reid, Calvin. "Fodor's, Conde Nast, NYT join for Net travel," in Publishers Weekly 242 (17) April 24, 1995, p. 11. A new joint venture from Random House, Advance Publications and the New York Times will link travel information from all three publishers via a new Web site, according to Publishers Weekly. The new site, dubbed TravelConnect, will include information from Fodor's Travel Guides, Conde Nast Traveler magazine, Golf Digest and the New York Times Sunday travel section. It is scheduled to be in operation this summer. Fodor's President Kristina Peterson sees the venture as a promotional opportunity to sell more of the publishers' books. "Ultimately, this will drive the user back to the bookstore," she says. "The Web is fun and there is information there you can't get in other places, but most of us want something you can take along, like a book." Del Rosso, Laura. "ITTA launches Internet home page," in Travel Weekly 54 (30) April 17, 1995, p. 83. Information about technology useful in the travel industry is being made available over the Internet by the International Travel Technology Association (ITTA). The Association's Web site, ITTA Online, offers a buyer's guide to member's products, as well as product announcements, conference news, educational material and a membership directory. ITTA Online is available through TEN-IO, a gateway to travel agencies and other travel services. URL: http://ten-io.com/itta/co.name - (ITTA ONLINE) Vis, David. "Site on Internet to consolidate discount travel," in Travel Weekly 54 (28) April 10, 1995, p. 1. Discount travel services, including air and rail transit, cruises, tours, and hotel rooms, are being brought together on one World Wide Web site by Travel Discounts, a self-described "consolidator of consolidators," according to this page one article in Travel Weekly. The site, available to consumers and travel agents, provides links to other consolidators of travel services, including hotel reservation systems, air fare discounters and organizations of travel agencies and cruise and tour operators. URL: http://www.boms.com/discount/index.html - (TRAVEL DISCOUNTS) /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ TRADEWINDS is a monthly review of articles about the Internet, drawn from several hundred trade periodicals available to the editor. It does *not* include (with some exceptions) articles from the computer press; these are well-covered elsewhere. As business use of the Internet grows, so too does coverage of the Net in the periodicals business people read most. TRADEWINDS aims to document that coverage, filling a gap in the bibliography of Internet reporting and reflecting the growing awareness of the Internet in the business community. The focus is on substantial articles and those that report new or unusual uses of the Internet. Other articles may also be included to convey a sense of the *variety* of trades and trade periodicals paying attention to the Net. Wherever possible, URLs and other Internet addresses are provided for resources referred to in the articles. (Many of the articles do not provide addresses. I try to track down as many as possible on my own, but a few remain elusive). For an e-mail subscription to TRADEWINDS, or to find out how to obtain back issues, send a message to kliss@hbs.harvard.edu. Material in this newsletter may be redistributed as long as TRADEWINDS is noted as the source. .