Once Upon a Time There Was This New Thing...

Once upon a time not too long ago, a great power reigned within the world of communication. The rulers of this powerful world were profitable, growing, broad, massive and in control of the method of distribution...it was the Kingdom of Publishing.

The Kingdom of Publishing was a happy and safe land. Within its secure borders and with a warm feeling in its heart, the Kingdom did not see the rise from within of economic distress, mass migration and the paper burning snake-like dragon housed within the homes of its very subjects—the consumer, the customer, the people.

The appearance of the dragon brought terror to the hearts of those who ruled while providing joy, pleasure and freedom to those who lived within the border of the once peaceful Kingdom. Like the mystical creature known as Janus, this was no normal dragon snake, for it had one head and two faces. One face was viscous, paper burning, destructive; and the second face was the benevolent, freedom-loving extension of community.

That dragon snake became known as the Internet, with a capital I.

At first, the rulers of the Kingdom did not know what to do. Decline, ruin and failure were the trends of the day. Newspaper after newspaper, magazine after magazine, and even the world of print itself seemed doomed.

But among those antiquated rulers were wise members of the ruling class. These wise ones believed that the dragon snake and its evil cohorts—the blogger, the e-newsletter, social networking, free access and many others—could be partners, friends. The dragon’s fire could be used to provide the clearing of the previous rotting harvest. The evil cohorts could become clarions of the message, and the gates of the Kingdom could be fitted with tollbooths.

The Kingdom needed a champion, a hero, a knight in shinning glass, high-resolution screen amour and the ability to talk in many tongues.