First-time users will be confronted with repeated pleas to subscribe. Yes, RootsWorld is a free and open site, but yes, it costs money to produce. Furnald uses a public radio-style subscriber drive, relying on the consciences of users. For their 20 bucks a year, subscribers get free CDs, an email newsletter that gives them reviews in advance, unlimited access to the Jukebox, and a password that spares them the subscriber appeal pop-ups. Furnald also accepts advertising on the site, but selectively.
Most advertisers are record labels and individual artists.
As a visual artist, the appearance of the site is important to him. I don't want blinking lights that say 'Eat at Joe's' to be flashing around not only good writing, but some of the gorgeous pictures that we've published. Currently, the 'zine has about 500 subscribers. The nature of the content keeps the numbers low. The Internet has fulfilled that old British axiom about becoming a nation of shopkeepers.