By Marige O'Brien, Copyright ©2007
A hybrid website/program is being unveiled that may just change the way online users look at newsletters. Called, quite simply, "The Newsletter Reader," it is both simple and ingenious. By pulling together all the newsletters for a given specialty into a reader that will track each source for its most up-to-date mailing, then offering access via a simple upload program, it delivers these newsletters directly to the end-user's desktop.
All they need do is open the icon to check on the latest news from their favorite newsletters. So there is no more need to keep old copies to reference a particular article, no more slogging through email to find the newsletter. Because each time a user opens it, they are given access to the latest editions of each newsletter available from those included in the Reader.
Developed by Michel LaVergne, of Quebec Canada, it is currently being used by owners/members of traffic exchanges. The Newsletter Reader (TNR) is a free download for its members and is promoted by the traffic exchanges, though their newsletters still currently go out via email as well. In this day of unreliable email, "The Newsletter Reader" could be the answer many industries are looking for to deliver their newsletters reliably to their subscription base. It is already proving to be a popular alternative among avid traffic exchange users.
When asked what prompted the innovation, Michel said, "I developed it simply because I was tired of searching for articles in the newsletters I subscribed to or keeping old copies when all I wanted was a bit of information from it. It was just for my personal use, initially."
But since introducing it to the Traffic Exchange owners and members, interest and excitement -- from both camps -- is growing quickly. The suggestion of offering it for sale to other specialty groups is currently being explored as they, too, could benefit from the exposure. "It's very gratifying to receive such wonderful feedback," Michel admitted. "I hadn't thought of those possibilities, but I am busy working on that aspect of it now and hope to have it available for other markets shortly."
The Newsletter Read not only does offers current issues but, where available, archives past issues so users do not have to save them privately.
Another aspect of TNR is the possibility of "networking" for the newsletter promoters themselves. Because, as users join, they are also allowed to read the newsletters of other, similar businesses... which means more exposure all around. The effects of this are already being seen in the current Newsletter Reader, with members and Traffic Exchange owners both benefitting enormously as the word spreads in true viral fashion.
Is this the next incarnation of RSS FEEDs? FEEDs that are designed to handle specific areas and topics? With those questions yet to be answered, The NewsLetter Reader has proven this portion of the internet remains to be explored.--mo
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