The 44 million words of encyclopedia content is now supplemented by material from news wires and more than 70 magazines, from The Economist to Esquire. Other features include a guide by Britannica's editors to useful sites on the Web. It's really a quasi-search engine with two centuries of editorial judgment built in. It will offer the perfect antidote to the sound-bite culture. They should do well.
People trust the company's abilities to separate intellectual wheat from chaff.
Britannica intends to make money from its Web site through advertising and related e-commerce activities. While Britannica's actions may have a last-gasp air about them, the free content formula has already proved successful for several other news and current affairs Web sites. Fortunately for Britannica, demand for this service can't help but grow. The Internet is a factoid geyser. If you want to know Thailand's population or how wolves adapt to their environment, the Web is now the place to go.