How many websites do you think exist today? Hint: There are about 142,805,398 according to the October 2007 Netcraft Webserver Survey.* That's an increase of 7.6 million sites since September of 2007. By the end of 2008, there will be 200 million websites on the Internet.

Talk about information overload! How do I filter the ridiculous volume of information from these sites down to that which is important to me and has credible content?

For example, I always start my day by reading my daily newspaper – via the web, of course. I then check out my top 5-7 industry websites. These are the media vehicles I consider as high-quality standards in the telecom industry. They possess a long-standing reputation in terms of content, readership, and reputation. I can count on them to be the most objective and authoritative.

Since I have only a limited amount time to read the mounds of information available, and I visit only a few of those 143M websites, I do my homework to see what is really worth my time. I find out exactly what I'm feeding my brain before I rely on it for intellectual sustenance. And when I know a website and/or magazine is BPA- or ABC-audited, I know I'm not putting crud in my brain.*

You see, it means something when a media owner elects to pay for independent, third-party verification of its audience data. It tells me the owner is offering independent proof that their product is what they say it is. (Think of the rigors surrounding ISO certification or Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, but for trade publications.)

If I require my general media sources, such as CNN, to be independently audited, why would I waste my time reading a B2B trade rag that chooses NOT to be? Put your money where your mouth is, I say. THEN, I'll consider spending my valuable time reading your pages.

*For more information, visit:
Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC): www.accessabc.com
BPA Worldwide(SM): www.bpaww.com
Netcraft: www.netcraft.com

(P.S. OSP™ is BPA-audited. We've invested in that since our very beginning, and always will.)

Questions? Comments? Contact Sharon via her email: sharon@ospmag.com