Welcome...to SDET online!
We have been publishing the San Diego Earth Times on paper since December 1993, and I am excited about the possibilities of web publishing for a number of reasons.
First, I think we print some really great stuff – a mixture of local stories plus the best material gleaned from dozens of national and international publications. Some of this material was previously available to a few thousand subscribers to specialty journals. Our printed versions increases this number substantially, and the Web connection provide an unbounded opportunity to increase this audience.
Second, we can keep the material in circulation. When a new issue of SDET is printed, the previous one effectively disappears. Our online archive provides a permanent source. Our subject index and issue index make these stories quickly available.
Third, we can expand beyond the limits imposed by the medium (i.e. paper). Right now, SDET online is just about as accurate a representation of the printed version as we could produce within the constraints of available time and tools. Now that the archive of back issues is complete, we will begin to expand our horizons. Stories that just wouldn't fit in the printed version. More color and better graphics. More issue-based links between related stories. More links to outside web pages with relevant material. And so forth. I don't know exactly what form this will take – breaking out of the box of traditional publishing will be an ongoing process.
So, thanks for checking us out. Please use the Feedback page to let me know what you think – what you like and don't like, what you would like to see covered, etc. And, please let me know about anything that's busted or your browser doesn't like; I'm sure there are a number of kinks.
March 4. 1996
Updated May 13, 1996
About the San Diego Earth Times ...
Preservation and restoration of our natural environments is critical to ensuring a healthy, prosperous life for ourselves and future generations. Surveys consistently show that eighty percent of the citizens of the United States are interested in and concerned about the quality of the environment.
Informed decisions about the complex issues facing us can only be made by an well-informed public. The Earth Times presents interesting, informative articles on a wide range of topics intended to leave the reader with new opportunities for action for the environment.
The Earth Times was published monthly in hard-copy by Earth Media, Inc. from December 1993 through November 1997, and distributed free of charge at more than 500 retail, commercial and public facilities throughout San Diego County. With press run of 36,000 copies, SDET reached an estimated 85,000 readers.
For financial reasons, the paper monthly publication stopped in November 1997. We still publish a paper verison with a press run of 25,000 each April, in support of San Diego EarthWorks' annual EarthFair in Balboa Park, San Diego – the world's largest free environmental fair and Earth Day celebration.
The internet version of SDET went online in March, 1996. Our archive of back issues was completed in May, 1996.
The San Diego Earth Day connection ...
The Earth Times works closely with the staff and volunteers of San Diego EarthWorks to realize our common vision of the future. A year-round, volunteer-based, non-profit corporation, SDED produces events and programs to educate the public. The annual EarthFair, held in Balboa Park, is the largest free environmental fair in the West. Each year, more than 400 active volunteers generously contribute their time to produce these events. SDET is proud to support SDED and its programs.
