TR Legal's Big Free Love for Public Sector Researchers Discontinued "Effective Immediately"

Big Love has ended in the land of 10,000 invoices -- scratch that; Big Love is was one of the Blog Widow's favorite cable programs which ceased production recently. The writers and producers of Big Love explained they said everything they had to say so it was time to discontinue the series. Frankly, Big Love scared the hell out of me. Who would want to deal with 2-3-4 wives?

This, by the way, isn't some sort of anti-Mormon statement. If the airport in Salt Lake City is any indication, Mormons are pretty damn considerate. Imagine my surprise a couple of years ago when on a lay-over from Cincinnati to Las Vegas, I found a smoker's lounge right next to where I got off the plane. But I digress... .

Free love has ended at TR Legal. At least for "KeyPoints," legal research e-newsletters for federal, state and local government audiences. They have been discontinued "effectively immediately." Perhaps TR Legal has said everything they had to say, too

Ah, frankly I don't remember when I last received a KeyPoints issue. But I do remember receiving non-free TR Legal print materials because it has become a question of "what the hell are they shipping now and at what price." Is it just me or are you getting afraid to order any new print title from TR Legal because ya just never know what you can expect 3-6-12-? months out. Seriously, I'm just not a buyer of a new West title when I can find a comparable one from a more reliable and trustworthy vendor. That's not hard to do. But I digress again... .

"Effective immediately" tells me one thing. TR Legal knows how to act decisively. Too bad that doesn't apply to customer relations for discontinuing chronic business practices of outrageously dubious value to subscribers. Oh, wait, such matters would involve the prospect of reducing TR Legal's revenue stream. In the KeyPoints e-newsletter decision, it's about cost-savings for the Company. 

No explaination was given for ceasing publication of KeyPoints by TR Legal. Personally, I'm wondering if the e-newsletters were killed because their writers were drafted for becoming "Publisher's Editorial Staff" to spit out more updates. Yes, yes, I know the former worked in "marketing" or "communications," the latter in the "content commoditization" department. Probably not a difficult transition.

You might think I have it out for TR Legal. But I don't. It's just that our other major vendors are less likely to take, ah, "goofy" actions or at least to make public announcements about them, like this one. Had "KeyPoints" stopped appearing in my email in-box, I probably would have never noticed. [JH]