Letters

We learned about readers' likes and dislikes this month: we got a thumbs-up on Internet tips, two thumbs-up on stories about motorcycles, and mixed reviews on handwritten spreadsheets. Among the dislikes: imbalanced lifestyles and nine-point typefaces.

To Surf, with Love

Editor-in-chief George Gendron invited readers to assess " Surfer's Paradise," by Russ Baker (November), a back-to-basics Internet primer. Some people thought the material was too remedial, but others, including this reader, thought there were plenty of executives who hadn't mastered their on-line ABCs:

In the health-care industry, in which I work, one would think that technology is something everyone takes for granted. However, what I've seen recently leads me to believe that articles such as this one will have an appreciative audience for some time to come. Recently, I watched as executives, many of whom manage millions of dollars in business, became very excited during a basic Internet presentation--they had no idea of the Web's possibilities. Companies with world-famous names are just now sticking their toes in the wwwater and discovering that it's not all that bad. Six months ago I, too, would have been concerned that Baker's article was too basic, but no longer.

Scott Gipson
Owner
Gipson & Associates
Arlington, Tex.

Another reader concurred, noting that the article contained fresh material for veterans like himself as well as for novices:

The Internet is growing at warp-speed-plus (and browsers are being updated at the same pace), so no article is too basic. Since the user base is expanding exponentially, a monthly "basics/tips" column would help everyone. I've been on the Internet since its inception, and your tip for cleaning out the cache just speeded up my browser.

Duke Miller
Owner
Venture Marketing Partners
St. Petersburg, Fla.

Finally, this reader found it in his heart to forgive us for repeating some fairly basic tips:

Yup, Baker's article was too basic. On the other hand, I'm only partway through the magazine (just got it tonight), and I've already found two gems: Norm Brodsky [" Forget Spreadsheets," Street Smarts] and Jack Stack [" A Passion for Forecasting," Critical Numbers]. Given the range of interests and experiences among your readers, how many gems can I expect to find per issue? You rarely disappoint.

Kevin Clark
President
Wood Stock Ltd.
Des Moines

Chained to the Desk

Dr. Steven Berglas wrote about workaholics in November in " Your Work Is Never Done" (Entrepreneurial Ego), suggesting that, for many, leaving work behind is harder than slaving away at the office. For this reader, however, Berglas missed an opportunity to make a more important point:

Berglas prescribes a cure for merely the symptom and not the illness. An executive's unwillingness, perhaps inability, to ease the constancy of business life points to a serious ailment--an imbalanced life. What about family, charity, the great books, and solitude? Success and fulfillment are a function of many factors. Indeed, good doctor, our lives are not lived at work alone.

Andrew J. Dwyer
Writer
St. Louis

Hog-Wild

Readers also responded to Marc Ballon's " Born to Be Wild" (Anatomy of a Start-up, November).

I really enjoyed your article on Dave and Dan Hanlon and their plan to revive Excelsior-Henderson. Two years ago a friend and coworker of mine was negotiating to resurrect the Indian Motorcycle brand. His plan to use an old American logo and compete with Harley was very similar to the Hanlons'. My friend failed in his attempt, and the brand is still bogged down in legal battles. Indian missed a golden opportunity, but the Hanlons seem to be headed in the right direction.

Eric Remer
Treaty Underwriter
Constitution Reinsurance
New York City

Type Casting: Font of Discontent

The most passionate complaint about Russ Baker's " Surfer's Paradise" was not about substance but about style (and, to the point, typeface):

My vote is to take whoever designed pages 57 and 61 and force that person to reread them until he or she goes blind (or at least needs glasses). Doesn't anyone gauge the readability of your printed pages before they go to press? Please forward readable pages 57 and 61 to me either by E-mail or by snail mail. Maybe after I have readable copy, I can make an intelligent vote.

Bill Sacramone
Internal Systems Manager
Russell Harrington Cutlery
Southbridge, Mass.

Art director Laura McFadden responds: Since our publishing schedule won't allow us to reprint those pages, we will be sending Mr. Sacramone a magnifying glass, compliments of Inc.'s art department. We encourage him to use this tool while reading future issues. For our large-print edition, please contact us at 38 Commercial Wharf, Boston, MA 02110.

Focus: Brod-sided

Norm Brodsky's November Street Smarts column, " Forget Spreadsheets," thrilled one reader:

Brodsky's article is near and dear to my heart. I can attest to the merits his method has at the beginning of an enterprise. Read the numbers regularly, especially before those big purchases. It's like eating a full meal before going grocery shopping--amazing how the nonessentials get tossed out of the cart!

Edward S. Ostrowski
President
Optima Worldwide Shipping
Boston

However, some readers were critical of our columnist:

Why do you keep printing the crap that comes out of that blowhard Brodsky's mouth? To suggest that you shouldn't use spreadsheets is ludicrous and completely confirms my suspicions that Brodsky is an idiotic dinosaur from another era.

Mark C. Zweig
President
Zweig White & Associates
(Inc. 500 Company, '95 and '96)
Natick, Mass.

I was slightly amused by Norm Brodsky's article. The calculations Brodsky recommends can be easily performed by many accounting-software systems, either purchased in computer stores or sold by consultants like myself. While Brodsky's suggestions may be useful as a onetime exercise, an entrepreneur's time would be better spent creating and developing customer relationships.

Barry I. Horowitz, CPA
Partner
Greenberg & Horowitz
Tarzana, Calif.

Norm Brodsky responds: Mr. Horowitz seems to have missed the entire point of my column. I certainly wouldn't want to depend on consultants and accountants to tell me what's going on in my business--but, then, as Mr. Zweig likes to put it, maybe I'm just "an idiotic dinosaur from another era."

NOTE: The examples that accompanied the on-line version of Norm Brodsky's " Forget Spreadsheets" column in Inc. Online were difficult to read. Our apologies to all our readers who couldn't quite make out the spreadsheet models. That problem has been corrected. Any reader interested in seeing Brodsky's examples, now legible, can see them online.

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House of Corrections

Our 1997 Inc. 500 ranking contained a few errors. Sabinsa Corp., #90, was described incorrectly. The Piscataway, N.J., company researches, manufactures, and markets neutraceuticals. Also, two companies' names were mangled. For the record, Wheat International Communications Inc. is #174 on the list, and R&D Data Products Inc. is #120. Finally, Nantucket Allserve, #13, had juicier revenues in 1996 than we reported. Actual revenues for fiscal year 1996 totaled $29,492,640. Factoring in those numbers would have put Nantucket Allserve at #9. Mea culpa.

In the same issue, some art caused a stir. Several readers noticed that an illustration of a car on page 101 conspicuously displayed the Chrysler name. The car's body was that of a 1958 Pontiac. Illustrator Dennis Irwin made the infamous name change, not realizing the mental anguish his switcheroo would cause in Detroit and among car buffs everywhere.

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