Can you imagine if the Journal...

[John Musselwhite]

At 12:16 PM 11/15/96 -0600 (on Pianotech), Don Rose wrote:

>Too bad we can't get the journal on line or on disk!

I'm glad it isn't available either way (with some qualification). Having it
on-line would be OK if its use were limited to PTG members only (since we've
already paid for a subscription), but I woudn't want to see it be available
for open access. Non-members can subscribe to the hard copy if they want it.

As for being on disk, it opens up another can of worms. Disks are very easy
to copy, and conceivably there could be hundreds of copies made of a Journal
for redistribution. Not that it WOULD happen, but if you pass a hard-copy of
a journal to a friend you're going to make sure you get it back, but disks
cost only a few cents each.

On the other hand, a hypertext-linked CD-ROM of back issues (perhaps with
yearly updates) and PTG publications would be HIGHLY welcomed!

One suggestion I've made in the past is to appoach Microsoft to create a
"Multimedia Piano" CD-ROM with movies and sound detailing everything about
the piano from harvesting the wood and wool to acoustical physics (like a
multimedia version of "Five Lectures") and construction with limited access
to Journal articles with a "Professional Version" with full access to
everything. The royalties on PTG-approved (and Microsoft marketed)
Multimedia Piano could mean an additional source of income for the Guild as
well.

Any comments?

			John

John Musselwhite, RPT
Calgary, Alberta Canada
musselj@cadvision.com