Theos-Talk Archives (December 2010 Message tt00241)

We theosophists are in a different category, IMHO, from the business
oriented publishers who want and need to make a buck.

Theosophical activities, from day one, were driven by fired up volunteers
who toiled for a cause not looking at the clock like an employee to make a
living.

A simple extension of this is to make all theosophical material available at
no cost to anyone who is interested. Let us face it; the number of human
beings interested in theosophy is very minuscule  and any publishing venture
is never going to make enough money due to the very low volume of sales.

It is here that Internet and on-demand publishing comes. It is god send;
even though the movers and shakers tied to the old style publishing model
are still wedded to it. They do not seem to see the writing on the wall. Old
habits die hard, as they say.

As I mentioned, if they do not move quickly, not only are they hurting the
future of theosophy but also they will be soon forced to get out of
theosophical publication due to simple financial reasons.

Yesterday I saw a book by Hodson - Light of the Santuary was priced at
$320.00 in Amazon. How many theosophists can afford it? This is all the more
so when we consider theosophists outside western countries. This cannot go
on.

The disconnect between modern technology - Internet, fax, scanners, pdf
files and the aging movers and shakers has been going on more than a decade.
I have seen it first hand in the USA.

Only time I have seen the movers and shakers use Internet was during the
last International Electioneering and that too behind the scenes; because
there is no simple cost effective alternative.

Unless we move with the times and start aggressively and effectively use
up-todate technology in broadcasting theosophy, let us not whine and
complain that the membership is shrinking in countries outside India.

I hope some of the key players in theosophical organizations (they control
the treasury) read some of our views and wake up and do something in a
hurry.


On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 11:06 PM, thalprin <thalprin@zzthwwNXFcJgVhzEQfvBdcvW7vK8f_CEwkHCtDbVP5Czo7JjCBT5-RL0Pk0a4MPsp5kRrbCeoKe5EmE.yahoo.invalid> wrote:

>
>
> You know what, I'm beginning to agree with you all about this. As we know,
> publishers are in a transitionary moment adapting to the new/electronic
> enviroment.
>
> There are many ways they might adapt such as, perhaps, Societies/Book
> Sellers might consider being more libray natured, not selling its books so
> much as individuals but moreso conduct themselves accumulatively as like a
> library/reading center/service -
>
> Maybe they should take a look at Netflicks, Book of the Month Clubs, so on.
>
> Dunno a/b I'd guess at some point pretty soon publishers will adopt some
> sort of new method and happy medium.
>
> Terrie
>
>  
>


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