NET SURFERS SAY ADS OKAY ON THE WEB
By Adnews Staff
A new Web publisher who ran an Internet straw poll found that browsers in British Columbia are willing to accept advertising "as the price they pay for content." Sid Tafler, a veteran of more than 20 years in print journalism, has set up an interactive on-line news publication that he says drew 11,000 hits in its first week. Called NetBC <http://www.netbc.com>, the site was launched last week after seven months of development. Tafler says more than 80% of readers who responded to the poll said they supported or were not opposed to an interactive advertising section with their Internet news. This is good news for Tafler because he proposes to finance his site with banner ads that readers click to reach an advertiser's site. "I think Internet people know, if they want real content, someone has to pay for it. The Internet community has generally rejected pay-for-service options and seems willing to accept advertising as an alternative," says Tafler in a release. NetBC carries news about B.C. and the world of computers and the Internet. It runs an interactive, moderated discussion group, a weekly poll and an urban adventure serial.