Zines seem to be a sort of prerequisite to-- yes, I'm going to say it-- BLOGS. They're pretty much the same thing; people saying what they feel needs to be said to anyone who will listen. Or, in Blogging's case, read. Think about it: Wright's article, when expounding on Revolutionary War Broadsides, mentioned that Benjamin Franklin published Zines because he "published his own thoughts using his own presses." Isn't that what blogging is, only on the internet?
In addition to blogs, I think the closest thing to Zines on the internet (besides eZines, obviously), are Forums. Most forums deal with highly specific material, like
Point-Blank Forums, which was created originally just to talk about/trade Anime, but has since adopted other topics and subject matter. Other forums are pretty much about anything the members want to talk about. Often there are "staff members" who write articles or begin threads, and then members/readers respond to the threads and to each other's comments The Velvet Howler is a great example of this. As much as I love Zines and the idea and passion behind them, I can't help but wonder if they are becoming slightly obsolete with the onslaught of the internet. Websites like the ones I've linked to above seem to be much more efficient-- and cheaper (and of course, more environmentally friendly) than the printing of Zines. Which probably explains why there are so many CRAP sites in general, and specifically Blogs, Forums, etc.
All in all, I think there's a market for both mediums, and I do have an attachment to things on paper, which is most likely one of the contributing factors to my chosen profession (writing, in case that wasn't obvious). I like paper. I like Zines. I like reading. But I'm just worried that paper is kind of going out of style.
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