There’s a fable about a group of blind men examining an elephant. They argue about what it’s like because each man has touched a different part—the trunk, the tusk, the tail. The Internet is like that elephant. We each define the Internet by our own experience. “It’s a place to find information or to order a book,” says the 50-year-old Luddite editor. “It’s a place to be entertained, to hang out with friends, and to listen to music,” says the 27-year-old assistant. A specious exchange, like arguing whether print is a Land’s End catalog or a John Grisham novel. The Internet is lots of things to lots of people. Therein lie the challenge and the opportunity.
For the past 10 years, Fine Homebuilding’s Web site mostly has been a marketing tool, designed to turn visitors into magazine subscribers. The new FineHomebuilding.com aims to be the online destination for home-building, remodeling, and design information. You’ll find more than 1000 articles, 1300 tips, plus Q&As, all from the past 26 years of Fine Homebuilding, and all easily searchable and endlessly printable. You’ll find forums where you can ask questions of the best builders, share your own knowledge, or complain about our most recent issue. You’ll also find online exclusives, building news, videos, and even blogs (including one from this Luddite editor). And you’ll find the current issue of the magazine online, along with extra content that wouldn’t fit in the print version.
Is it all free? Heck, no; we’re not the Land’s End catalog.
Some content will be free, of course; some will require registration; but most will be available only to members of FineHomebuilding.com. The cost of membership is $19.95 a year for magazine subscribers, $39.95 a year for nonsubscribers, or $5.99 a month for anybody with $5.99. The monthly membership means that instead of loaning your neighbor a back issue that he’ll never return, you can tell him to join FineHomebuilding.com for a month while he remodels his kitchen.
I’m excited about the launch of our new Web site, but it’s just the beginning. We plan to add new features in coming months, and we expect to hear about features you want. If the past few years are any indication, we’ll soon be offering stuff that’s unimaginable today, but as always, our goal will be to share information and inspiration with those who care about doing good work and making great places to live.
— Kevin Ireton, Editor, Fine Homebuilding
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