High-tech is here to stay. The trick is to make the best of it. What small towns have going for them is nostalgia. People are sick and tired of the frenetic, high-pressure shopping mall experience. Consumers are looking for something more than instant keyboard access and they are willing to pay more to get it.
Local merchants offer the personal touch that is missing online.
Both the book seller and the camera seller were doubtful about going online. Setting up a commercial Web site costs money, which the large corporation can easily recoup from its massive sales. For the little guy going online is risky and problematic, even though the chamber's own Web site is available. As for the public schools, authorities are frank in voicing their concern. This may come as welcome news to ranters on the Religious Right, but certainly not to the vast majority of parents.