I’m a product of the “digital age”.  I grew up with a Nintendo.  Dial-up internet access at home was a major part of my teenage years.  Instant (text) messaging was my main method of communication then, and still is today.  Second to that was email.  Traditional phones were still important, but were only a part of my communication mix.  Today’s digital cell phones integrate all of the above: telephone, text messages, web browsing, and games.

Ten years ago, I taught myself HTML, a basic computer language for coding websites.  Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was establishing the foundation of a very useful skill.

The Internet is the ultimate communication tool.  It’s speed and efficiency are unequaled by any other form of mass media. While there’s still value in traditional media, bright minds are finding ways to produce a more efficient product online featuring text, audio, video, and other interactive community elements.

The cost factor also favors web media technology.  While radio and television are able to keep pace with the web in terms of timeliness, expensive equipment, transmitters, and satellites drive up the cost of doing business with “traditional” electronic media.

The transition of traditional media to the online form has been an ongoing process, though it has sped up in the past few years with the growing popularity of blogging and content management software.  Until recently, that transition appeared mainly in medium to large media markets.  Now, there is a growing interest and need for hyperlocal web media.

My new company, Driftless, LLC, aims to fill that void in the greater Prairie du Chien area including Crawford, Grant, and Clayton (IA) counties.  Our desire is to provide viable and reliable local news and event coverage for the area on the web.  It’s an entirely new business model.  I’m excited about the task of figuring this out.

Thanks for your interest in PdCToday.com.  I genuinely hope that you enjoy the service as much as we plan on enjoying providing it.