E-Journal Permanence?

[TomDeVrie@xxxxxxx]

One concern I have about electronic journals is their permanence.  To create
a traditional journal requires not only editors and authors, but also
publishers.  Most publishers have been established for a long time and
probably enter into the creation of a new journal with a contract that
requires some guarantee of longevity from the prospective editors.

An electronic journal requires no publisher.  Minimally, the journal requires
a Web page or gopher site and a few hundred dollars per year (if that).  The
very ease with which the journal can be set up is an invitation to cease
publication.  Is a rapidly evolving list of electronic journal titles a
virtue, or sign of publishing anarchy?

Maybe the electronic medium requires something different than a traditional
journal format.  For example, specific disciplines might set up electronic
clearinghouses for manuscripts, with a mechanism for inviting comment.  Also,
the electronic medium might be well suited for distributing reprints.
 Finally, the electronic medium is already proving itself as an excellent
source of newsletters.