Who Are You Anyway?

Less surprising is the similarly efficient history essay that electronics cataloger Hammacher-Schlemmer provides on its site (www.hammacher.com/about_us/abindex.asp). Hammacher provides two stories: The first, a four-paragraph piece that briefly describes the company’s evolution from a small hardware store started by two German immigrants in New York’s Bowery District in 1848. But then you can click on the bottom for a “our history,” which takes you to more detailed, five-paragraph explanation of the company’s story (www.hammacher.com/about_us/history.asp), replete with old photos.