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Memo sent from Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab to Alan Rusbridger, Guardian editor-in-chief outlining his thoughts on the future of the Guardian online.

Subjects covered in the memo include: the future structure of the Guardian online; putting the whole newspaper on the internet and how this could be done; subscription charging models; the structuring of a Guardian website and homepage; adding value to the print edition of the Guardian by having more background and analysis online; the need to take time to 'get it right' and the benefits and implications of his suggested approach.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Copy minutes of a meeting of the Electronic Publishing Development Group from 30 November 1995. The meeting was held at New Media Lab, The Guardian, 119 Farringdon Road. The minutes were taken and distributed by email by Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab.

Present or attending the meeting were: Azeem Azhar (OnLine); Stella Beaumont (ad planning); Paul Blake (IT); David Brook (marketing); Apala Chowdhury (NML); Liz Citron (NML); Suzanne Francis (interactive advertising); Robin Hunt (NML); Dave Potts (NML); Matt Saul (IT); Bill Thompson (NML); Simon Tucker (ad planning).

Items discussed at the meeting include: reorganisation of the NML; Go2 traffic, improvements, technical issues, responsibility and IT support; Recruitnet update; plans for an online presence for Guardian weekly; Auto Trader commissioning NML to build Top Marques site; demonstration projects; Product Development Unit electronic publishing plans; list of forthcoming meetings; potential of a Guardian sports site; Steering Group update.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Copy minutes of a meeting of the Electronic Publishing Development Group from 19 October 1995. The meeting was held at New Media Lab, Product Development Unit, The Guardian, 119 Farringdon Road. The minutes were taken by Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab.

Present or attending the meeting were: Azeem Azhar (OnLine); Tony Ageh (PDU); Paul Blake (IT); David Brook (marketing); Apala Chowdhury (NML); Liz Citron (NML); Suzanne Francis (interactive advertising); Dave Potts (NML); Matt Saul (IT); Bill Thompson (NML); Simon Tucker (ad planning); Craig Wilkie (NLM).

Items discussed at the meeting include: putting email addresses on the homepage; NML equipment, staffing and relationship with the PDU; introduction of email and internet access for all NML staff; domain names; design of the OnLine website Go2 (includes screenshots); Go2 launch event (scheduled for 16 November 1995); RecruitNet progress; Top Marques/Auto Trader project progress; brief updates on other projects and ideas, including Guardian Weekly online, a regular online parliamentary report and a football site; sponsorship and advertising and the Guardian home page.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Paper on 'The Virtual Guardian' by Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab, sent to the Guardian's Electronic Publishing Steering Group for comment.

The paper was written by Thompson to start a discussion on the future strategy of the Guardian's online presence. Subjects covered by the paper include: the current online publishing environment; whether to put the whole printed edition of the Guardian newspaper online; using the internet to extend the coverage of the newspaper; whether to create one Guardian website rather than creating connected but separately managed project sites; subscription access to online newspapers; future resources and what roles should be responsible for producing and publishing Guardian content online.

Page 4 of the paper is missing.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Two copies of a paper sent from Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab to 'Steering Group' and CC'd to the Electronic Publishing Development Group. The paper contains a comprehensive list of all current or planned electronic publishing projects with contact details and status reports. The paper was written to provide a basis for discussion for a review of the electronic publishing strategy (July 1995) by the Steering Group. The following is a list of projects included in the paper.

Live Projects:
Go2
Recruitnet
Top Marques

Ideas with external projects:
Sports site
Guardian Weekly
eG/Education
Women's page

Other projects (ideas with no clear editorial sponsor or budget):
Politics
The event
eLife
Control Shift
POKE: the online cartoon
News Line
Online Media Interactive TV Trial
Guide Online
European Championships
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Paper written by Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab describing what the internet is, how it developed from the 1960s and what it can be used for.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Paper from Bill Thompson, head of the New Media Lab to Stella Beaumont providing a summary of discussions at the Guardian's Steering Group meeting of 18 December 1995 which was held to review of the Guardian's electronic publishing strategy.

The paper lists what was agreed and decided at the meeting and what was not discussed. Thompson also outlines his thoughts on the potential of electronic publishing for the Guardian, including creating a new online product (not just articles reprinted from the newspaper) and extending the scope of the newspaper by section or in its entirety.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Bill Thompson
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Two press cuttings relating to new electronic media:

1. Two pages from Interactive Media International containing articles on CD-ROM publishing, October 1995
2. Article from the Financial Times 'Paper dinosaurs refuse to fold' by Tony Jackson, 12 December 1995
   Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont
   Creator: Interactive Media International;
   Creator: Financial Times;

Papers relating to the creation of RecruitNet, the Guardian's online database of classified recruitment adverts, including:

• An undated and unattributed paper 'RecruitNet: the story continues' which outlines the changing classified advertising market from print to digital.
• Sample registration form for PeopleBank employment network, nd
• Memo from Karen Stone concerning ads for recruitment and courses to be included on the Go2 website for its launch on 16 November 1995, 15 November 1995
• Paper titled 'The Internet and Recruitment (Part 2) final copy' given at the Harrogate Institute of Personnel and Development Conference, 25 October 1995. Unattributed.
• Notes [produced by Synopsis Communication Consulting] from a RecruitNet held 13 October 1995. The notes list issues to be addressed, what is being offered by the service, how the service will be communicated and the second stage of the project.
• Draft paper on the planning and design of the Guardian recruitment site, 12 August 1995.
  Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont

Report of Guardian staff Steve Hearsum and Suzanne Francis' visit to four US newspapers: The Hartford Courant, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune and Pottsville Republican.

The aim of the visit was to research how each of the newspapers added value to advertisement categories, use reader service applications, use online publishing applications for commercial opportunities and connectivity to audio text applications and assess commercial opportunities for reader outlets.

The report contains notes on each newspaper visit and was distributed to members of the Electronic Publishing Development Group.
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Suzanne Francis
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited; Stella Beaumont