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An ABC News poll has discovered that nearly half of U.S. adults obtain news on the web. Of those, one-third reported turning to the internet for news more often since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Just two years ago, only 37 percent of adults sought news online; today it's at 48 percent. Daily use has shot up to 18 percent, from 8 percent in mid-1999. The poll estimates that almost 22 million more people seek news online today than in mid-1999, an expansion of 11 percent. The telephone poll chose 1,023 adults at random during the period of Oct. 10-14. Jupiter Media Metrix released a study Monday that confirmed that half of adults read news while online. ABCNews.com saw its own September viewership jump 120 percent over August, to nearly 9 million unique visitors. CNN.com leapt to 24.8 million; MSNBC.com climbed to 22.2 million.
Study: Cable modems preferred over DSL
Two forms of high-speed internet access are catching on, and in terms of customer satisfaction, the clear winner is cable modem. And both are preferred over dial-up connections. Eighty percent of cable modem users report being satisfied with their service, compared to 65 percent of DSL users and 52 percent of dial-up users. Among cable modem users, 95 percent say they definitely or probably will stick with their service for the next six months. Eighty-seven percent of DSL users and 82 percent of dial-up users say they’ll continue using their services. People who have been using a dial-up for less than two years report that they’re only 79 percent likely to remain with their current provider. In terms of trusting their service providers, 69 percent of cable modem users rated their providers excellent or very good, versus 62 percent of DSL users and 58 percent of dial-up users.
‘Jackass’-style web site Alltrue.com goes under
Alltrue.com, an online showcase for outrageous pranks in the style of comedian Tom Green or Johnny Knoxville of “Jackass,” has folded. The site, which came into being about a year ago, carried a regular feature called the Freak Box that webcast wacky and sometimes revolting feats. The site launched just as the ad market was slowing down. Yet company founder Tim Nye says he believed Alltrue.com could work, because he had learned form the mistakes of defunct online entertainment companies such as Pseudo and DEN. Additionally, the Sept. 11 attacks appear to have diminished interest in the site. Observers note that gross-out stunts have less appeal now, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Arizona Daily Star: Email only, no printed letters
Some major media outlets, among them NBC, CBS and The New York Times, have received envelopes containing deadly anthrax bacteria through the mail. Because of this, many newspapers, chief among them Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star, are taking no chances. Earlier this week the newspaper informed its readers that they are not to communicate with it via postal mail. If readers wish to submit letters to the editor or submissions to its calendar and entertainment sections, they will have to use email, fax or the paper’s web site. The Daily Star will accept letters and calendar entries in person, but not in envelopes. Few other newspapers have taken such drastic steps, opting instead to outfit their mail handlers with rubber gloves. The Arizona Daily Star has not indicated whether the policy is permanent.
Trapped U.K. man saved thanks to net tip
This might the only reason to put an internet connection in your garage: Police were able to spring a man in the U.K. who got locked in a shed a week ago because he used the web to summon help. The full name of the man, who is from Blackburn in Lancashire, has not been released. “Steve” somehow got locked into his shed, either by the wind or through foul play. No phone was handy, but oddly enough, he happened to have a PC and internet connection in the shed. So he posted a cry for help in a newsgroup online. A web surfer across the pond in the U.S. saw the message and got in touch with police in Blackburn, who let him out. While this seems a little fishy, given that there’s reportedly little evidence of foul play, Blackburn police have confirmed that such an incident took place.
October 19, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
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