"Wow! They've got the Internet on computers now!"
 -- Homer Simpson

Here we are at the dawn of the 21st century, but the publishing world is only thankful that Johann Gutenberg finally got around to invented moveable type some 500 years ago.

In mid April there was an event at San Jose State called Magazine Day.

It is an opportunity for journalism and mass media students to get together with professionals in the industry.

These are the people that should be embracing the Internet, but every time the subject came up they got that deer-in-the-headlight look.

The keynote speaker, Alan Light, has worked in various editorial positions for Rolling Stones, Vibe, and Spin.

He spent part of his talk saying how the music industry doesn't get the idea of digital media, that they should be thrilled with the number of people wanting to download their product.

When he was asked about the Internet and his latest venture, he said they had a wait and see game plan. He voiced the same old concerns about competing with his subscription base.

Hey Mr. Pot, I think it is high time you met Mr. Kettle.

I have news for you Alan; digital media is all ones and zeros. It doesn't matter if it is sounds, video, text or graphics.

A question for one of the panels was about their publication's internet strategy.

The consensus reply was that they were still developing how to convert their publication to online and how to make money from it.

Not a single one of the panelists gave any consideration on how to take their media to a new level.

The so called "best and the brightest" of the business are all still in search of a clue.

They had the typical complaint that people no longer read. Readership and advertising dollars are down for them.

The downturn isn't due to less reading, if anything people are reading more than ever.

They just aren't reading what the media is putting out.

They all are waiting for some revolution to come, without realizing the revolution has been out there and they've ignored it.

The tired refrain that the Internet is still young is getting old fast. It's been around over a generation and the World Wide Web is chugging toward its second decade.

The Internet is a writers medium.

But it takes imagination to make it work.

It isn't a repository for the same sort of articles that have worked in print media.

It takes writers and editors that understand the Internet and are willing to present information in ways designed for the digital age.

The old dictum of mass media being a one-way street is going the way of typesetting.

The Internet can change media by allowing it to be interactive with the audience.

They should be thinking about building community, getting feedback, building a rapport and trust, allowing readers to easily communicate with both the publisher and other readers that share the same interest.

They all mentioned how difficult it is to come up with ideas for future features, meanwhile, there is this huge, untapped resource they are completely ignoring.

While they are waiting for Rolling Stones, Sports Illustrated, Time or People to lead the way, they are ignoring companies such as EBay and Yahoo who have developed communities and have been successful on the Web.

Publishers need to exploit the Internet strengths: the ability to hyperlink, to communicate, to get feedback from their fan base, to find out more about people that share a common interest.

In the eight years of Web popularity the publishing world has spent the entire time with their head buried in the sand.

Before they know it there will be entrepreneurs that leverage the Web's strengths, and the traditional print media will discover that much more than their head it buried.