Japanese Mystery Solved

Taking a quick break from 1985's magical mystery tour ...

As previously blogged, StarText caught the attention of Japanese technology leaders early on. In fact, we had five different delegations make the trip from the Far East to Fort Worth to check us out.

Above is a copy of an interview with Joe Donth, StarText Director, published in Japan in 1985.

Thanks to -- who else -- a StarText subscriber (Seiichi Nomura, ID 7496), we were able to get a translated version.

It read:

Newspaper Service in Texas Starts Homebanking Service Using Videotex with Local Bank This Fall

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a newspaper published in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, starts Home-Banking service with InterFirst Bank of Fort Worth, starting this fall.

This is done using "StarText," a videotex service, in Dallas-Fort Worth Area, which started in May, 1982.

There are several home banking services already available in the U.S. such as Bank of America in California, Chemical Bank in New York. The most significant feature of the service using StarText is that it has the maximum 90-day floating period.

According to Mr. Joseph L. Donth, director in charge of StarText, a floating period from a few days to a week is common in the U.S. after the consumer makes payment by personal check. Consumers in the U.S. can still make purchases even though there is not sufficient fund in their banking accounts taking advantage of this system. However, since in most currently available home banking systems, a transaction is instantly processed at the same time the consumer makes payment, the above mentioned shopping has been impossible. He emphasized that now by introducing the "float," a service was possible that met the consumers need.

StarText offers various information services as well as electronic mail services and has 1,650 subscribers. No sign-up fee is collected and the monthly charge is $9.95 including up to 100 free E-mails. Beyond 100 mails, each mail is charged 10 cents. Since the telephone system in Texas is flat, the usage is very high.

Not to beat a dead horse, but we probably got more coverage in Japan than in the pages of the Star-Telegram. Go figure.

'Got a New Home Computer'?

Here we have one of StarText ads we ran in the Star-Telegram, no doubt in January.

Why? January was always a big month for StarText, especially in the early years, because so many people got home computers as Christmas presents. And any computer (as well as "dumb" terminal) that could connect to a modem was a candidate for StarText service.

Note also the line, "No time charges!"

Just about all our competitors -- CompuServe, The Source, Dow-Jones, etc. -- levied a charge for each minute you used the service, the dreaded "connect" fee. In Texas we enjoyed unlimited use of our local phone line for a flat monthly rate. As a result, you could use StarText as long as liked, whenever you liked.

As I recall, the average connect session was around 10 minutes, so there were usually no busy signals. Not to mention a busy signal meant your "newspaper" didn't get delivered. We couldn't have that.

Hello, StarText? Japan Calling

It was sometime in 1983 that I got a call from someone at the Technology Transfer Institute.

The woman who called explained there was a group of Japanese business leaders touring the U.S. who wanted to make a stop in Fort Worth to see StarText.

First, I wondered how they ever heard of us in Japan. Under Phil Meek's edict, no press releases had gone out. There had been mentions of us in trade publications, most notably Gary Arlen's videotex newsletter. But still, why would businessmen from Japan make a special trip to see our six-person operation in Cowtown?

It didn't exactly make sense but hey, it's their nickel. So we agreed on a date for their visit -- November 7.

As the day arrived, I had arranged for a terminal to be set up in a conference room. We brought in some extra chairs. I think we may have even put together a fact sheet and ran off some extra copies. Then we got the call from security -- our guests were in the lobby.

As I got there to retrieve them, I did a double take. Virtually filling the entire Star-Telegram lobby area were 25 or 30 Japanese businessmen, each with at least two cameras around their necks. None spoke English save for their guide and interpreter. We were going to need more chairs.

After we got the group settled, but before we started the demo, I just had to ask one question.

I wanted the interpreter to ask the group's leader, Kiyoshi Takahara, corporate advisor to the Mitsubishi Corporation, "Why have so many come so far to see our small online operation?"

His answer was one I'll never forget:

"Because we hear you are doing something right."

While we all felt the same way, hearing someone else say it, an important someone from a far-away country, gave us a whole new level of confidence.

In December I received a letter of gratitude from Mr. Takahara for their visit. It read in part:

"During our stay in the United States for two weeks, our party had a most interesting and rewarding experience at your place.

"Our purpose of understanding 'data base and videotex services in the United States' was fully answered by the excellent arrangement by you and your people.

"Especially, we were very much impressed by your Startext on November 7, because of its creative thinking and business-like concepts."

They weren't the last visitors from Japan that would come to see us. Three more delegations made the trip in the following months and years, as well as a delegation from Norway and numerous U.S. newspaper executives.

But I think I enjoyed our Japanese visitors the most. They always brought presents.

'News ... Hot Off Your Screen!'

"Extra, Extra, read all about it!"

This original sales flyer from Radio Shack touted the next step in news, which of course was StarText.

Sadly, Cowntown wasn't exactly clamoring for "hot off your screen" news in 1982. But by the same time the following year, they were starting to come around.

Seven Days of StarText

The Original Packaging ...



The Revised Package ...



If you've been following these posts one thing you probably already know:

StarText was never a big budget operation.

Most of the funding we did get paid for staff and computer equipment. There just wasn't a lot left over that we could throw at "marketing and promotion." A company like AOL spent more in one week giving away CDs than we would spend in, oh say, a thousand years -- give or take a hundred. The closest we came to that was The Big Modem Giveaway, which didn't deliver the results we hoped it would.

So for the most part, outside the "house" ads that ran in the Star-Telegram, we had to get creative if we wanted to get the word out to more people about StarText.

One idea that proved more successful was the "Seven Days of StarText" program.

It really evolved from our earliest marketing effort, the "Free Trial Password." The genesis of that was our conviction that if we could get someone to give StarText a try, there was a fairly good chance we could turn them into a subscriber. The free trial allowed someone to use StarText five times at no charge.

What we came to realize was a person could burn four sessions just trying to get their computer and modem configured for using StarText. Others would deliberately hold back logging on, trying to stretch the free trial for as long as possible.

So we hatched the idea of "Seven Days." For $4.95, someone could use StarText all they wanted for a week, giving them plenty of opportunity to try all the features. The package, containing a user ID/password, a User Guide and later, a custom communications program we authored called StarComm, was available directly from us or participating retail locations.

The latter was my challenge: Enlist stores who would display and sell the product. That also meant I was about to learn more retail selling than I ever wanted. Such as working out wholesale/retail pricing; affixing a bar code; tracking inventory; maintaining adequate supplies.

Just another "hat" among the many the staff wore on a regular basis.

Actually it was exciting as we signed up the first locations, for the most part "mom and pop" computer stores. But as we went along, we started getting traction in the bigger "chain" stores that had multiple locations. We found bookstores also receptive.

At $4.95, it made a great stocking stuffer as well.

At its height, we had "Seven Days of StarText" in over 70 locations around the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex. For a grass roots marketing effort, that seemed pretty respectable.

Proud to be a 'StarTexan'

A recent email from a faithful follower included this:

"I really like the StarText memories. . .but did you have a chance to mention StarTexans? I loved that term."

As a matter of fact, so do I.

"StarTexan" was coined to describe a subscriber to StarText. Credit for the idea goes to Bev Kurtin, a prolific columnist and contributor in her own right. It soon became a mainstay of our marketing programs and even graced a number of T-shirts.

While the word itself was good, it really needed a picture to go with it. A mascot, if you will. And so was born ... the Starmadillo! I ask you, what could be more Texan?





The assignment to create the Starmadillo was handed to J.D. Crowe, who arrived at the Star-Telegram in 1982 fresh out of Eastern Kentucky University. J.D. had his own unique style and what he created fit perfectly with what we had in mind. So much so we prevailed on J.D. to create a whole series of images featuring the Starmadillo in a variety of poses. Who knew an armadillo could be so loveable and appealing?



In the years since, J.D. has become a celebrated editorial cartoonist, going from the Star-Telegram to the West Coast and the San Diego Union-Tribune. J.D. currently toils for the Press-Register in Mobile, Alabama, where according to the bio he posted on his website -- "J.D. lives high on the feral hog in Fairhope, Alabama with his wife Lori, their daughter Bronwen, dogs Barkley and Chocolate, and Corduroy the cat."

Learn more about J.D. and his most recent book, Smell the Love, at his website:

http://www.crowetoons.com/

And here's a pix of the artist hismelf, who I'm happy to report hasn't changed a bit, including his unique slant on life and world affairs. By the way J.D., whatever happened to the little mouse who always made the scene in your drawings?

"Without StarText, My Life Would Be Different"

StarText subscriber Stephen Benoit's recent contribution:

StarText People: Stephen Benoit

... elicted this comment, which I thought bears repeating:

thegourmetgirls said...

"I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog. My Dad was the actual user/subscriber in our house but I connected with Stephen through StarText as a 14-year-old girl in late 1984. Today, 25 years later, he remains my closest friend. It's safe to say that without StarText, my life would be different - and not nearly as good. It's fun to read about the people and history of something that so positively impacted my life. Keep up the good work... and I'll continue to read."

Gourmetgirls -- I loved your comment. Your StarText experience reminded me of a favorite movie -- "Mr. Destiny," with James Bulushi. You just never know what the Fates have in mind.