Thanks For Stopping By!
Dateline: 06/23/97 - Weekly feature from your Guide To Personal Web Pages
I feel validated. Some of the largest media and computer companies recently recognized the power of the personal-page phenomenon.
If you've got a personal page, you know that outside of a few Internet publications (online and off), the mainstream media doesn't care much about the culturally spectacular appearance of millions of homepages in just a couple of years. That is, unless the site is about conspiracies, UFOs, cults, or sex. I'm waiting for the page that hits all four of those hot buttons - guaranteed coverage awaits! Yahoo placement assured!
I digress. Back to my piddly feelings of validation.
Let me list some of those Powerful Entities that have belatedly bestowed recognition: Radio Shack, Fox, Gateway 2000, the John Lennon estate, and some big record labels. What's really great is that these Entities continue to boost hits by making their legal lackeys log in regularly. Thanks!
Here's part of the ego-stroking letter Sam Choukri received from John Lennon's estate regarding his excellent Bagism site:
This letter shall serve as notice to you that unless you immediately cease and desist from all uses of on the Internet on our client's artwork and trademark, we shall seek injunctive relief against you. Please be further advised that your continued use of our client's mark constitutes willful infringement for which we shall seek an accounting, damages and all attorneys fees and cost. Demand is hereby made for an immediate response.
For its part, Radio Shack was afraid that Net-know-nothings might infer Bianca's Smut Shack had some connection to a boring, Net-phobic consumer electronics corporation. Fox wants to harness all the rejuvenated interest in Star Wars by cracking down on the homepagers who kept the flame alive all these years. Gateway 2000 had a cow over Tucows (didn't you know that Gateway has a lock on all things bovine?). And rock bands that depended on Net word of mouth to become famous really want their fans to stop sampling their music online now that they have big-time record deals.
Gee, all this sudden interest in homepages. It blows me away.
