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Originally Posted by Canadian
I'm not talking about the hard copies, but the pdf files. I just can't understand, when the sport is in such dire need of fans and bettors, that we insist on charging customers for pdf files. I can understand an actual hard copy, the printing costs, ink ect, but it just drives me crazy we are charging for that. I bet harness and have access to 5-10 tracks online in the run of a day, I like certain classes and want to do a quick scan through each card to see if something catches my eye..... I can't do that. Or, I suppose I can but it's going to cost me $25 before I get started. It's just one more way racing likes to stay in the dark ages.
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I've always been a proponent of free stuff (hey, who can't afford free?), but you have to think about it economically.
Information costs money to compile; there are chartcallers to pay for their work during workouts and during the races, plus the people to put the information together, etc. If programs were free, who would pay these people? Because of lower revenues, would the quality of the programs reflect their cost? Would certain types of information be eliminated due to cost cutting? When you go to other countries the cost of their racing forms are far, far less that our forms; but, the quality of the information presented is also far, far less. To get their best information and publications, you have to go online and purchase them (i.e. the Racing Post in the UK. Their online info for 20p per race is very good, but their paper edition for £1.50 is simply basic).
The best we can ask for is to have good information at reasonable prices. Right now the online DRF is not reasonably priced; but, there are cheaper options out there to satisfy your pp requirements.
