Other Independent E-Mail Publications
Odds are, you found out about This is True when a friend forwarded a copy to you with a suggestion that you subscribe. That is the main way we grew to a six-figure readership in over 200 countries. Like many small e-mail publications, our growth is down now that "the big guys" have discovered -- thanks to the very success of us "little guys" -- just how powerful e-mailed publications can be. They have huge ad budgets (provided by venture capital, not profits) to make them grow.
Free Weird Newsletter
I'd like to ask you to return the favor of that friend who referred you to True: please tell your friends about us! You can forward a copy of one of the free issues with your recommendation, or just send them a note. And don't just tell them about True, but any other small e-publications you like.
Some of the independent lists I like (links open up in new windows):
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- Randy's Jumbo Joke site is filled with great jokes -- with new ones every week. Has an e-mail notification function.
- For you homeowners who need tips on improvement projects, there's none better than Tim Carter's Ask The Builder free newsletter.
- I know Bob Rankin. Bob Rankin is a friend of mine. I'm no Bob Rankin. He and Patrick Crispen take turns driving the Internet Tourbus newsletter, introducing "riders" to interesting web sites. Stops include debunked myths, neat utilities, and more.
- Nerdy tipsheets? Yeah, we've got tips for you: For help with PC/Windows issues, there's none better than Ask-Leo, whose weekly newsletter gives you quick summaries, and a link to get detailed information. On the Macintosh side, Adam Engst's TidBITS is a must-see. For MS Word and Excel, try WordTips and ExcelTips, both by Allen Wyatt.
- You've heard of David Letterman's "Top Ten" lists? His lists really have 10 items on them. Chris White's Top 5 usually has a dozen or more, and they're often funnier than what Dave's TV writers can come up with -- mainly because it's T5 readers who provide the categories and the list items.
- Need family-friendly places to surf? Barbara Feldman's Surfing the Net with Kids reviews sites and offers pointers for giving your kids places to go that will have a positive influence.
- World Wide Words, Michael Quinion's exploration of the English language (and, sometimes, its weirdness -- a must-read if you're a word nut).
- Internet publishing veterans Jim & Audri Lanford offer several publications of interest. In particular, Internet ScamBusters helps you avoid online come-ons, and Your Inspirational Quote is what you'd expect.
- For those of you into doing any sort of business online, my old friend Paul Myers has a thought-provoking and informative newsletter that's a must-read: TalkBiz News.
and...
- HeroicStories features short, inspiring, non-religious stories of cool people doing cool stuff. It's a nice contrast to the people you read about in True: dumb people doing dumb stuff! Created by (but no longer published by) Randy Cassingham.
Please be sure to support independent publications, and the best way you can do that is by spreading the word about us all: tell a friend! You don't really want all your information and entertainment coming from Microsoft, Ziff Davis and AOL-Time Warner, do you?
Want More? Check out the archive of Randy's Bonzer Web Sites of the Week. A regular feature in True, the Bonzer site is usually a small, independent effort.
Reader FavoritesIn addition to Randy's picks above, his readers have suggested these other general interest, independent e-mail publications: Snopes' weekly update on urban legends, Jewish World Review ("not limited to Judaism"), The Gear Junkie equipment tips and reviews, The Naked PC for general computer news. And more in the Comments area below. |
(If you publish a large -- at least several thousand subscribers -- independent general-interest e-mail publication, contact Randy with the details, referring to this page. Thanks!)
Most Recent Comments
Posted by Annie - Iowa on November 22, 2008:
Yep, haven't heard from Research Buzz in a long time. And that's too bad, as it was a good source of tidbits that I harvested to pass along to a group of friends.
Luckily, the Scout Report is still going strong. A publication of UW's Internet Scout Project, there's never any telling what goodies they'll suggest - but it's always worth finding out!
Posted by April, Texas on November 23, 2008:
I enjoy the Recipe du Jour daily newsletter. It's not just recipes. There's also other amusing, informative content, with an emphasis on good writing, and (free) subscriber interaction is encouraged, just like This is True.
Posted by Marcy KY on November 29, 2008:
How about Jack Teems NeatNetTricks?
Steve Bass, who use to write for PC World, now has a new newsletter with all his expertise.
If you have Vista, Brian Livingston's Brian's Buzz - Win Secrets is good. They cover XP also, but not so much anymore.
These names have been around for a long, long time.
There is always about.com. They have a lot of newsletters there that suit just about any interest. David Emery's Urban Legends is a must!
Last, don't overlook HowStuffWorks. It's a wealth of information.
(Forgot one. Cnet has a LOT of newsletters on just about anything technical. I particularly like the one by Lee Koo. It's called Community Help and How to and has a lot of knowledgeable people responding to everyday questions from people who are just trying to use their computer the best they can. A list of all newsletters can be
found here.)