Answered a call this morning from someone "ringing up about the ute in the paper". I don't have a ute - they didn't have the right number. Now if the wrong number has been printed in the paper (it wouldn't be the first time) I'll be getting calls about my non-existent ute all week.

It got me thinking of the differences between printed and online publications. A wrong number published online can be corrected in an instant - right now, today. An incorrect number, or any error, printed in a newspaper is there for good, even if corrections are published the next week.

But the permanency of a newspaper has its advantages. Announcing births, graduations, or weddings through the internet is quick and the news is easily spread worldwide, but I imagine a newspaper clipping of the event would hold more sentimental value twenty years down the road.

Plus, there are still many people around who do not have a computer or internet access (or TV!) and rely on radio and local/national rags for news and information, like where to buy a second-hand ute (not here!).

Newspapers Vs Computers:
- You can't mulch your garden, line the bird cage, or make a pinata with a computer
- You can't swat a fly with a computer
- You can't make an impromptu floor mat or umbrella with a computer
- You can't use a computer for emergency bog roll

But...

- You can't publish a news story NOW with a newspaper. It has to be in before [enter time here] on [enter day here] to make the next edition.