I agree, for the most part, with the thrust of this article.
I thought S&T was back on the right track with their recent content changes, especially the "Telescope Workshop" which seemed to be a throwback to their old "Gleanings for ATM's" which was what first attracted me to the magazine in the early 1970's. Unfortunately, “Telescope Workshop” is more like an advertisement for someone else’s web-site the than an in-depth article.
For example, in the recent August issue, the cover proclaims “A Portable 6-inch Scope You Can Build Yourself”. However the column only features a brief description (less than 2 pages) of a 6” Travelscope, some cursory photos, but nothing that would help anyone construct anything remotely similar. If we want more information, we’re asked to go to the subject’s own web-site. That’s a far cry from the old “Gleanings.”
And therein lies the problem with magazines in general, and especially the niche or hobby periodicals like S&T. In depth coverage of just about any subject under the sun is available for free on the web. Why pay $5.99 (the single-issue price of S&T) for a glorified index? Well, I for one am still subscribing and still reading the magazine from cover to cover because just like reading a book, there’s something comforting and permanent about sitting on your favorite chair and holding something in your hands to read as opposed to doing it on a back-lit electric appliance.
It’s just unfortunate that there is less and less to read in the magazine and more and more to read on the back-lit appliance.
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