February 23, 1455 is the traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg bible, the first Western book printed with movable type. It was a revolution in the dissemination of information and it encouraged reading on a scale never before seen.
What does this have to do with this blog? I have tried an experiment over the last two years that I think bodes poorly for the newspaper industry. When I meet someone younger than 25, I ask them if they read newspapers. Their answer has always been: “No”. Why? They all tell me they get their information strictly from online sources.
The Internet is as fundamental a change, if not greater a change, than the Gutenberg bible in the dissemination of information. The fact that you’re reading this shows the point. Things that we all once read in the newspaper, we can now get quicker online without the cost of a printing press. My little experiment over the last two years is one of the reasons I started this blog. Hopefully, you’ll keep reading. That’s one thing that will never go out of style.