Publishing Models for Internet Commerce.

One of the greatest challenges facing the Internet over the next few years is the need to commercialize its activities in a way that is consistent with its history and its technology. In this regard, some of the most useful, economic models come not from telephone service, cable television, or even the computer industry, but from print publishing. Here, there is a similar global information marketplace with low barriers to entry, participation by millions of players, and a variety of coexisting economic models ranging from free information supported by advertisers or other sponsors, and subscription. The beauty of the net is its diversity. There are tens of thousands of newsgroups and mailing lists, and tens of thousands of Web sites. No one owns it, no one controls it. Barriers to entry are low. Because of the peer-to-peer nature of the underlying network technology, people who have access to the net as information consumers potentially also have access as information providers. The print publishing market has many characteristics due to which it provides some of the best models for the commercial Internet.