A glimpse of Year 1999 : Why don't you try doing what Encyclopedia Britannica has done?

[fufu_88_99]

Dear cecil,
Why don't you do what encyclopedia Britannica has done. They have made available all 30 volumes free of cost to the user on internet and said that they will absorb the cost(each copy cost between $20 - $30) by using advertisement on the their site. Why cant you do the same instead of passing the cost to the user since user are also contributing their time and energy to expand this forum. Thanks.

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Anon,
Thanks for your suggestion.
My comments are as follows:-
1. We will always provide free advise in this forum.
2. As the reports are optional, it would depend on the bandwidth usage.
3. Look at Britannica.com, the website crashed on the first day of launch as it is unable to cope.
4. The days of getting advertisers to sponor a site is `flawed'. Look at Yahoo.com or other popular sites with advertising support. They have never been able to earn enough revenues for their expenditure.
If you calculate properly, they are now drawing on share holder's reserves. Even Amazon.com has not yet made enough to cover their expenses.
These sites are not based on sound economic principles. Can some of these site which `look' good on the surface survive long term e.g. 5, 10 years from now.
We have to be realistic and all sites must be based on sound or "self-financing".
This is the assurance that a well managed site can survive. It is in my opinion that we must always plan ahead not just for tommorrow but for the next 5 to 10 years of existence on the internet. Those who do not have the proper vision and using other people's (shareholder's) fund to live for today and not tommorrow will not be there in the next few years.
I always believe in providing sound policies that work. Even for relatively simple things like a `Flame' free forum and other areas within this forum.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Warmest Regards,
Cecil
P.S. For general interest, I tried to login to the Britannica.com site again today... and this is what I get...


TO OUR VISITORS


The recent launch of the free Britannica.com site, designed to be the most trusted source of information, learning and knowledge on the Internet, has created such an enormous volume of traffic that the company?s servers have experienced a temporary slowdown.


We apologize to everyone who has been unable to access Britannica.com. The tremendous response to Britannica.com has created a tidal wave of activity on our site, and we are working hard to make the site available as quickly as possible.
In many ways, we have truly been victims of our own success. We knew that the site would attract a significant number of users in its first day of operation, but we had no idea that this volume of traffic would be achieved so quickly. In spite of the problems that we are experiencing, we are encouraged by the high demand for Britannica.com, and believe that you will soon find the site to be the best source for information on the Internet.
Once again, I am truly sorry that we have not been able to provide access to our site for all of our visitors. We will have the technical problems resolved shortly, and look forward to welcoming you back to your new home on the Internet at Britannica.com.
Sincerely,


Don Yannias
CEO
Britannica.com Inc.

Quote

On 10/25/99 12:56:41 AM, Anonymous wrote:
Dear cecil,
Why don't you do what
encyclopedia Britannica has
done. They have made available
all 30 volumes free of cost to
the user on internet and said
that they will absorb the
cost(each copy cost between
$20 - $30) by using
advertisement on the their
site. Why cant you do the same
instead of passing the cost to
the user since user are also
contributing their time and
energy to expand this forum.
Thanks.

[glyn]

Encyclopedia Britannica give you 30 days free trial of their site. Thereafter it costs $5 per month.
Given your costs Cecil,and the excellent information you provide, perhaps you could charge all users a monthly fee.
Cheers
Glyn

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Glyn,

Thanks for pointing out that Britannica.com does not rely solely on advertiser support. In my view, advertiser support is a flawed model and no longer really works in today’s internet environment.  

Studies have shown that most of the revenue goes only to the top 8 or 9 sites. Yet, even though these sites may look successful on the surface, they are not truly “healthy.” Fortunately, some of these companies are big players with lots of money to “throw away,” or, as I see it, they are misusing their shareholders’ funds. It is like “borrowing time,” similar to robbing Peter to pay Paul through mergers and other arrangements. None of these major players have actually managed to cover their expenses yet.  

We will always do our best to keep the forum free. My belief is that the reports are optional; no one is forced to get them if they do not wish to.  

At the moment, the membership for geomancy-online is continually growing, and we will always carefully consider what is viable to provide free of charge and what is not.  

Thank you very much for your support and understanding.  
As one accountant to another, we both know we have to live in a realistic world  

Warmest regards,  
Cecil  

P.S. Like you, I am also an accountant by training, and I am using my available funds to support the websites. At the same time, Robert is also putting in his own resources, and even his company’s resources, to create and maintain the many wonderful programs on this site.

Quote

On 10/25/99 1:24:38 PM, Anonymous wrote:
Encyclopedia Britannica give
you 30 days free trial of
their site. Thereafter it
costs $5 per month.
Given your costs Cecil,and the
excellent information you
provide, perhaps you could
charge all users a monthly
fee.
Cheers
Glyn
 

[Cecil Lee]

A leaf from the past

So, what has happened to Encyclopaedia Britannica today? Year 2026?

Encyclopaedia Britannica isn’t exactly “gone,” but it is far less central than it used to be. The main reasons:

1. The internet changed how we get information  
   - Search engines (Google, etc.) made it faster to just “ask the web” than to consult a multi-volume encyclopedia.  
   - People expect instant, free answers rather than curated, paid reference sets.

2. Wikipedia’s dominance
   - Wikipedia is free, massive, and updated constantly by millions of contributors.  
   - For most everyday questions, Wikipedia appears first in search results, so users rarely go looking for Britannica specifically.  
   - Britannica is expert-edited and more controlled, but most users prioritize convenience over editorial rigor.
   - I recently read that major search engines can manipulate search results, and that some even just leave out Wikipedia's results entirely. LOL

3. Cost and access model
   - The old printed sets were extremely expensive and bulky.  
   - Even Britannica Online is behind a paywall for much of its content, while competitors are free.  
   - Schools and libraries that once bought full sets now rely on cheaper or free digital resources.

4. Update speed and scale 
   - A traditional editorial process is slower and more expensive.  
   - Wikipedia and other crowd-sourced platforms can update an article within minutes of a news event; Britannica can’t match that pace with the same breadth.

5. Shift in how people learn
   - Students use YouTube, TikTok explainers, blogs, MOOCs, and interactive tools instead of reading long reference articles.  
   - Multimedia and bite-sized content have replaced the “read an encyclopedia article” model for many learners.

6. Britannica’s pivot  
   - Britannica now focuses more on **education products** (curriculum, learning platforms, school resources) rather than being *the* reference source for the general public.  
   - It still has authority and brand value, but in a narrower, more specialized role.

+++

So, what has happened to Encyclopaedia Britannica today: Year 2026?

 

Britannica is less visible and less central in everyday life because cheaper, faster, more open alternatives have taken over the general-reference space even though Britannica still exists as a credible, more traditional source.

 

The Brutal Truth

 

 I recently read that major search engines can manipulate search results, and that some even just leave out Wikipedia's results entirely. LOL

[Cecil Lee]