July 9th, 2008
School Yearbooks: R.I.P.?
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
I guess this one isn’t a shocker when you think about it, but the venerable school yearbook is heading for the history books. With a high print cost and the connectivity of the Internet, students are skipping the bound volume.
“After more than a hundred years of publication Purdue University, in Indiana, has published its last yearbook, as has nearby DePauw University. McKendree University is the oldest college in Illinois. Although the university still publishes a yearbook, the print-run is a mere 150 copies, only half of which are bought by students. Being on the staff of the yearbook used to be considered prestigious: now only eight students show up for the job. The downturn in print publications has also hit magazines for alumni. These, for instance at McKendree, are increasingly being replaced by online editions.” Source: Economist
We Say: Makes sense, but finding an old yearbook in your attic and leafing through some very funny pictures is a classic moment. Will online yearbooks last that long?
John says:
“We Say: Makes sense, but finding an old yearbook in your attic and leafing through some very funny pictures is a classic moment. Will online yearbooks last that long?”
Why wouldn’t they, or, why wouldn’t you keep a copy yourself? Space is bigger than ever, and free on the Web, thanks to the likes of Google.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Alice says:
I guess because there are so many hard drives with photos and sites I use and so on - where will it all be in 15 years?
July 9th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Connie Bensen says:
I think a new market will be created where people will create digital books, then people can buy them. But who will organize it is the question?
The present fragmentation of digital images online is scary - where will it leave us in the future?
July 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm