Letter: Internet scepticism

Sir: As an Internet sceptic, Martin Newell is not alone ("The last unwired man on earth", 17 December).

I've been self-employed in the arts media, like Newell, for some years, and using the maxim of professional self-interest (ie, does it profit me to invest in this?) have yet to find good reason to subscribe.

I have several reasons not to: costs vs sales, additional junk mail, temptation to waste time reading doubtless interesting but inessential material.

I fear that the web's immediacy invites laziness and lack of rigour in place of genuine, verifiable research.

I've just completed a biography of cult musician Bert Jansch and the British "folk revival" of the Fifties and Sixties. A friend's net access revealed that relevant websites were largely fans recycling Chinese-whispering versions of information I have published previously.

For sake of accuracy and rigour in all biographical ventures there is simply no replacement for hard work. If Martin Newell is the new Canute against a legion of brain-dead tech bores I shall bear his standard and together we shall fight them on the beaches.

COLIN HARPER

Belfast