Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read
} >Ah ! I think it was just a french problem where magazines looks more an more
} >catalogues with lot of advertising and propaganda (guru Bill do this, guru
} >Bill thinks that...)
} >
} >-----Message d'origine-----
} >De : Malcolm Cadman
} >(...)
} >OT - yet computer magazines today are largely just product reviews, and
} >new software version reviews ...
} >(...)
}
} Probably a 'world wide' depressing period for computer magazines then
} ....
Nope, a classical evolution.
Magazines are first made by enthusiasts, for other enthusiasts and hobbyists.
When success is there, money start flowing, and marketing people gets in.
At that time, the enthusiastic writers are usually exausted or outnumbered by
'will write for food' writers.
Hence the content drop in level of specificity ("Let's widen our audience"),
the commercial ads have more influence on the editorial, and the latest
integrity enthusiasts stop being published or even writing.
The magazine is then the optimal money-making scheme:
- no hard content (counter productive with advertisement)
- lots of advertisements and 'product'-review
- good reputations (from the old time) in the newcomers' circles
- hopefully a lot of running subscription.
Alas, it's survival is limited to about 2 or 3 times the longuest subscription.
(But who cares about that, it's easy money now!, and maybe in the meantime
we can sell the magazine team to some other publisher..., just like selling
the old cow... )
