Subject: Re: GLJ Editor Responds to Conspiracy Theories

From: Mike Godwin <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 18:03:28 -0700 (PDT)

This is a letter Marty sent to Hoffman and Novak in December of 1994.
Notice what Marty says about the "embargo," plus what he seems to be
admitting about his conclusions.

--Mike

Forwarded message:
>From [email-masked] Sun Dec 18 21:02:44 1994
Message-Id: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 22:02:01 -0500 (EST)
From: Martin Rimm <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked] (Tom Novak)
Subject: Re: Your research project
Cc: hoffman@colette, novak@moe
In-Reply-To: <[email-masked]>

Excerpts from mail: 18-Dec-94 Your research project by Tom
[email-masked] 
> I have your summary a quick read - do you have the full version posted on
> the net?  If so, what's the URL?  (If not could you please send a hardcopy?).

Thank you for the response. I believe I read and enjoyed several of your
articles. The study will be published this May and the GLJ has embargoed
the results, so unfortunately I cannot send you a copy at this time.
>  
> I forwarded your message to one of our MBA students who plans to perform a
> (non-pornographic!) content analysis of Usenet groups to investigate 
> word-of-mouth patterns.  He may be contacting you to discuss your approach
> to content analysis.
>  
> One thing I am curious about is your use of the term "marketing."  From
> my quick read, it sounded that you are implying that commercial pornographic
> BBS operators are using download records from Usenet groups to determine
> "consumer demand" and using this information to design "product offerings"
> for their boards.  Is this really the case?  I'd be surprised if the 

To some extent, but the truth is I am ahead of the pornographers.
However, with mainstream pornographers moving on-line, some of the best
software engineers in the country are now working for the pornography
industry, and I expect within a year or two they will leap ahead of me.
Recently, Kenneth Guarino, of Southe Point Enterprises, the largest
adult video distributor in the country, hired a team from Microsoft. 

> pornographers were really that clever, frankly.  Or that they would even
> feel the need to do this sort of research.  

Once my study is published, it will be obvious to them why such research
is useful. In a two hour video, or magazine with 100 pictures,
pornographers never knew what the customers really wanted. Now they can
find out. Personally, I'm getting out of the pornography business, as I
want to move on to other subjects on the net. 
>  
> On the Usenet side of things, I don't really see how any "marketing" is
> involved here.  Instead, it seems to be a classic situation of word-of-mouth
> (word-of-net) influence.  

The study makes clear the extent to which they use the Usenet to
"market" their products. Perhaps the word "marketing" would need to be
precisely defined. 
>  
> Perhaps the full paper will explain things in more detail.  I'd be
> interested in taking a look at it, in any event.
>  
> --Tom

Thanks for your interest.
>  
>  
> p.s.  I grew up in Pittsburgh, and even given the hot summers here, the
>       climate in Nashville beats that in Pittsburgh, no contest!  :)
>  
Is it humid? Maybe I should apply to Vanderbilt. 

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