Internet Version News

Worldscale, the 500-page annual guide to tanker freight rates, is going to become available via the Internet as of March 5, 2001. The site has been jointly developed by the Worldscale Associations in London and New York, and tested among existing subscribers. “This is the most significant advance in the Worldscale product since the concept was introduced more than 40 years ago,” said Iain Shaw, chairman of the Worldscale Association (London) Ltd. and CEO of Seascope Shipping Ltd. The organization believes that the Internet version – which is designed as a “no frills” package with minimal graphics – offers many advantages to the printed guide.

The shipping dot.com epidemic will not be remembered for its abundance of straight talk. However, one unusually candid comment from a fraught CEO has stuck. If insiders have only a vague notion of what was actually achieved with their Internet millions, outsiders can be forgiven a little head scratching. Without a considerable shift in emphasis, it is difficult to see any of the class of 2000 taking early retirement. Taken in the context of the evolution of the Internet in shipping, however, the experience was certainly not wasted. We like to think of last year as 'Shipping Internet Version 1.0', of the - build it, and they will come - school of thought.