Two
Canadian Internet gurus pull ahead of the publishers pack with their
how-to book
by Alan Zisman (c) 1995 First published
in Business in Vancouver
, Issue #304 August 22, 1995 High Tech Office column
Have you
ever noticed
how book publishers, like movie producers, and TV sitcom creators, seem
to
move in herds (or is it gaggles?) When one of them produces a
successful
product, a host of similar volumes quickly appear.
This is
especially true
of computer books... a big section in almost every bookstore nowadays.
After
the success of the volume 'DOS for Dummies', the publisher quickly came
out
with other bright yellow 'XXXX for Dummies' books (and even expanded
away
from computers. There are now 'Everyday Math for Dummies, 'SAT for
Dummies'
and more). And the imitators lost little time in following up... there
are
now bright orange 'Windows for Idiots', and other clones and
compatibles.
Last
year's publishing
theme was CD-ROMs and Multimedia. But this year, inevitably, it's the
Internet.
I've personally received about a dozen for review in the last 12
months,
and after a while, they start to blur together. (By the way, it's not
just
the trend for publishing... according to Silicon Valley trendwatcher
.............
the same has been true for venture capital-- multimedia is passe, this
year's
investments are in Internet-related startups).
And with a
late-May
Angus Reid poll suggesting that 17% of adult Canadians (or 3.4 million)
claiming
to have Internet access, this is an area witnessing tremendous growth.
I'm
no longer more than slightly surprised to see roadside billboards
advertising
an Internet provider.
Jim
Carroll and Rick
Broadhead have picked two ways to stand out from this year's Internet
book
clones... for a start, they're Canadian and aiming at a Canadian
market,
and secondly, they're pitching their book at the business user.
The duo
has previously
published two editions of the Canadian Internet Yellow Pages-- a
listing
of Canadian access providers and content providers that reached
best-seller
proportions, selling over 100,000 copies between them. (Because the
Internet
is a moving target, any resource list such as the Yellow Pages is out
of
date as soon as it's published, making frequent revisions necessary).
Their
current volume
is more than a simple directory... it is making the case for
participation
on the Net by business, government, and non-profits. And as much as
possible,
it is aiming at Canadians... if only by providing Canadian examples.
There is
an irony here--
the Internet jumps national boundaries, as was evidenced by the ease
with
which the Karla Homulka trial evidence appeared on the Net despite the
Ontario
court's publication ban.
And with
Canadian business
being increasingly integrated into North American, or Pacific Rim
contexts,
is there a separate argument for a 'Canadian' Internet presence? Or is
this
more a case of the author's trying to establish a small market niche
for
themselves?
Certainly,
the focus
of the book shouldn't limit it to the Canadian context, and aside from
the
Canada-only examples, their message isn't limited to North of 48.
Carroll
and Broadhead
do a good job of pointing out both the benefits and limitations of the
Internet
for business and government, education, and non-profits. They clearly
try
to lower the often unrealistic expectations, pointing out that in fact,
the
Internet is not a place where anyone is making a lot of money (except
perhaps
for book publishers and Internet access providers). They certainly
suggest
that you shouldn't expect a lot of retail sales... at least not in the
short
term.
They do,
however, show
where the Internet can serve a useful purpose for business... in
technical
support or in distribution of product information, for example. And
they
stress the importance of having a clear plan, and explicit goals for an
Internet
project.
This, in
fact, is the
real meat of the book... a chapter outlining 15 steps to an Internet
strategy.
Too many companies seem to be rushing headlong onto the Internet, out
of
a poorly-defined sense that they need to have a presence on the Net
now...
and they'll define the 'whys' sometime later. Instead, Carroll and
Broadhead
propose careful planning, including steps such as assessing the
Internet
activities of other firms in your industry, and thinking about your
customers
or target audience. Determining your organization's current Internet
knowledge
and objectives... and how you will use Internet tools such as e-mail,
Usenet,
or the World Wide Web. Defining costs.
It would
be trite to
mention such common-sense steps for most business projects, but giving
the
current Net-hysteria, this is the only source I've seen that has so
clearly
stepped back and spelled it all out.
This isn't
a technical
book-- it spends virtually no time on the mechanical hardware or
software
guts. If you're looking for a book describing how to get online, or how
to
find information on the Net, you should look elsewhere... there are
lots
of such books, including some with the famous bright yellow covers. But
this
book manages to stand out from the crowd, both in its Canadian context,
but
much more so for its common sense practicality-- by forcing businesses
to
define their goals and purpose for being on the Internet, and helping
them
find the means to achieve their ends.
For their
clarity and realism,
as much as for the models they provide, this could be an important book
for
many organizations wondering whether to establish a presence on the
Net.
And despite its title, its message is equally valid on both sides of
the
border. It's published by Prentiss Hall Canada, for $29.95.