I read Rod's article with great interest (and pleasure), but what I found most intereting was the discussion his article started. After reading the entire thread, it dawned on me exactly what these old magazines are missing - reader participation. The internet has spoiled us all on actively participating in a dynamic environment. Even gaming consoles are going online for dynamic interaction - playing against your brother in the living room is no longer enough, one has to play against 16+ people located on different continents.
I've always been a bibliophile whose book collection took up more space in my bedroom than furniture. Piles of magazines were stuffed in every nook and cranny. Most of them are gone now, except for a few sentimental favorites, and some reference works - like Burnham's and meteorite books. The internet made them expendable. And while I certainly cringe at the thought of a bookless/paperless world, I can understand the utility of an electronic and dynamic community. Rod mentions in his article that CN, AM, and Yahoo have become the new clearinghouses of gear reviews and news - and that is true. But they are also online communities where every visitor can participate by sharing their experiences, photos, or opinions. (the latter of which can be entertaining if not informative)
Steve Coe also mentioned this fact - magazines are one way avenues of information. This is useful if the magazine's writers are authoritative and it can provide a clear noise-free environment to learn/enjoy. I agree that this should never be eliminated.
But CN and AM have some authoritative voices of their own. There are regular contributors and posters here on CN who are experts in their fields - some more so than the professional paid writers for the big guys. And the reader can vicariously participate by posting his reactions to the news/article/review, like we are now doing here. It's a sense of fellowship that is missing from the one-way venue of print magazines. Only one magazine that I can think of is managing to bridge the gap with success - Astronomy Technology Today. Gary Parkerson has created a print magazine that has an online version (as Rod mentioned), and many (most) of the articles are written by contributors from the readership. Unlike the big boys who rarely answer letters to the editor, a letter to ATT's editor may result in writing an article for the magazine and getting one's mug listed in the masthead. The articles are written by amateurs and ATM'ers for amateurs and ATM'ers - not airport patrons or impulse buyers. There's no fat in it, just a nice lean packet of astro news and reviews. By allowing a large percentage of articles to be published from the ranks of the contributing writers, ATT is becoming a proto-community of it's own. There is some audience participation - which touches on the feeling of fellowship that we enjoy online. Gary's format has won me over as a regular reader and likely longtime subscriber - and not just because he let me publish an article or two in it's pages.
Yup indeed, times are a changin' I reckon - says this bayou stargazer.
FWIW, the last time I bought a copy of the big guys was to see a Tom Trusock review and before that it was to read a short article by Tom Watson. So, if the bigguns want more of my newstand dollars, they should put in more CN writers.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
-------------------- Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Specializing in exotic and rare meteorite falls.
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