OTHER TECH

There was a curious note on the front page of the L.A. Times Business section at the end of last week. They were dropping stock tables from the paper (Times Trims Stock Tables, Expands Business Coverage).

It never made sense to me as a kid. All those pages wasted with information that held no interest for me.

And then, as I grew older and knew more about stocks, it occurred to me that the information was OLD!

But now it appears it's not only old, nobody even looks at these pages anymore, because those owning shares are checking the prices on the Web, the listings in the newspaper are IRRELEVANT!

Oh, let's look at the other side of the coin. Not EVERYBODY has an Internet connection. This is the way it's been done FOREVER! Why CHANGE?

Well, first of all, to save money. Yes, you can use fewer pages and those that remain you can fill with information more interesting to more readers and/or ads.

Does all this sound familiar? Does all this remind you of the record business?

Already this year we've experienced two bombshells. The dropping of film cameras by Nikon and now this elimination of stock tables from newspapers (not only the L.A. Times, but the New York Times [The Times to End Daily Stock Listings in April and Expand Data on Web Site] and Chicago Tribune). It seems that the digital/Internet revolution that was supposed to come in 2000 yet never quite arrived and was laughed at by old-wave businessmen, has finally come to roost. And it's wreaking havoc.

Oh, in the old days it was about being too early. But now with 68% broadband penetration, the time is nigh. Music is going to move to the Web almost overnight. You're going to see a DRAMATIC difference within 12 months. One day CD sales are just gonna tank, and the record industry is just not ready for it. (Hell, it could take up to two years, don't hassle me on the exact timeframe, but be SURE, it's gonna be sooner rather than later - not five years, but IMMINENTLY!)

Look at it from the consumer's side. He's now inured to music on his computer. It's all over the Web. More and more people will have iTunes on their machines. More and more people will purchase iPods to carry said music with them everywhere. Suddenly, the VAST MAJORITY of the public will see no need for the CD.

Oh, I know you love the artwork. And that the versions on the CD SOUND better. But film has advantages over digital imagery, and it's disappearing. Who says that music must be sold with packaging? Where is it written that there must be a cover photo? Bands centuries back didn't have liner notes. Not that people won't want information, hell, they're getting a PLETHORA of it on bands' Websites. You COULD print it out if you wanted to, but why?