Musya,
I'm sorry if I shocked you and I apologize for my poor choice of words (e.g., "'unofficial' company news"). I certainly wasn't implying communicating any information that couldn't (or wouldn't) be available to anyone either because (a) they are automatically "entitled" or (b) they specifically request it. Since I've invested in DCI, I've received two company newsletters written by Joe Murphy. I also received last year's Annual Report as part of my investor packet. As a stockholder, I'm *entitled* to receive future Annual Reports and (I hope) additional newsletters. Non-stockholders or stockholders who are in one day and out the next don't necessarily receive this information, usually because they didn't happen to be "in" on some particular day of record.
Is there any reason I couldn't receive future Newsletters or Annual Report type data via e-mail? That's all I was attempting to suggest.
I feel communications in documents like these can provide a lot more information than disjoint press releases or SEC filings perhaps appearing only once every 2 or 3 months. I also feel documents like these (Newsletters/Annual Reports) can help bridge the gap between public record information and what an investor really needs to evaluate a company. In addition to regurgitating most of the same information already in the public domain, Newsletters and Annual Report provide forums in which company philosophy, vision, and goals can be expounded upon. Although this type of information frequently sounds like hype, how else is a prospective investor supposed to get the big picture?
So, if JM or MZ wanted to put out a periodic "newsletter" via e-mail instead of snail mail, why would this be a problem? Also, is just sending information like this to stockholders of record in violation of anything?
Another possibility would be for DCI to update the company web page with news, company vision, etc. on a much more frequent basis. "What's New" and "FAQ" sections are pretty common sections on most company web sites and the information appearing there can be updated as frequently as desired (daily in some cases) and can contain anything the company wants, not just that already in the public domain. Although web sites may not be considered official "public forums" by whoever needs to decide (the SEC?), they're available to anybody who wants to go look, right?
In addition to web sites, companies often rely heavily on glossy brochures to convey the word about what they're all about. Again, only people actually wanting these -- either because they happen to be on a regular mailing list or because they specifically request them -- will receive them, not everybody.
Just some ideas. Again, I'm certainly not suggesting conveying any "under the table" information.
Dan |
