News - Computer Weekly and Microscope mags to be scrapped

[HEXUS]

Following their sale to Tech Target, the two tech trade titles will be online-only.

Read more.

[crossy]

We have to assume this move won't be great news for the staff at Computer Weekly and Microscope, although TechTarget has given no indication one way or the other about potential redundancies.

Surely if, as I read the article, TT are just changing from paper delivery to online, then there shouldn't be that many redundancies - because someone still has to generate the content!

Or have I misread the article and TT are planning to do what "Incisive Media" (b*****ds) did to Personal Computer World magazine and kill it.

That said, I've not read Computer Weekly for months now - used to really enjoy perusing it - especially the jobs pages.

[Scott B]

Surely if, as I read the article, TT are just changing from paper delivery to online, then there shouldn't be that many redundancies - because someone still has to generate the content!

Or have I misread the article and TT are planning to do what "Incisive Media" (b*****ds) did to Personal Computer World magazine and kill it.

That said, I've not read Computer Weekly for months now - used to really enjoy perusing it - especially the jobs pages.

DTP specialists, sub-editors, circulation staff, etc. Also, the current editorial staff write for both print and online. It's possible the new owners will conclude the online presence will be maintained with fewer writers. It's also possible that the new company will use resources it already has in-house to generate content.

[El Juan Pablo]

This is though, lots of redundant peeps in any print/journalism job to how fast the internet can provide an updated source of information, which clearly magazines and newspapers can't.

[bigsnake123]

When dealing with the tech industry, its just not feasible to print a weekly publication. The industry is so quick to change, that on-line content is what its really all about.

[DennisMenace]

When dealing with the tech industry, its just not feasible to print a weekly publication. The industry is so quick to change, that on-line content is what its really all about.

True, but there are plenty of monthly mags which are still going strong(ish).

When I first bought mags regularly (starting with Amiga Format), the biggest draw was the coverdisk - a whole 1.32Mb of free stuff! (Demos, trials, and even full versions). They were pretty much the only source of news/info/reviews if you weren't in the industry, plus adverts for the 8 shops which actually stocked upgrades/peripherals.

Nowadays that is all freely available online, including all the free-/trial-/share-ware you could ever want, so there is no real need for magazines (weekly or monthly) - but I still occasionally buy one, just for something to read on the go (and on the loo). I should imagine all but the most specialist publications are struggling, and will continue to decline in readership - that's progress!

[crossy]

When I first bought mags regularly (starting with Amiga Format), the biggest draw was the coverdisk - a whole 1.32Mb of free stuff! (Demos, trials, and even full versions). They were pretty much the only source of news/info/reviews if you weren't in the industry, plus adverts for the 8 shops which actually stocked upgrades/peripherals.

Ooh, I remember that - happy days! - although I was more of an ST Format guy myself (still got the T-shirt I won - how sad is that).

I kind of agree with the other sentiments expressed - for news items, print magazines are just a waste of time. Heck, I think I get more of my tech news from Hexus than all the print magazines I buy put together.

On the other hand, online publications just don't seem to cover tutorials so well as printed versions. Reviews - meh - it's about the same. At the moment I buy in three magazines: Linux Magazine and Linux Format (both for the tutorial articles, although LF sends a DVD too), and The Official XBox Mag (and that a 50/50 split between the reviews and the coverdisk).

Now, if someone was to launch the two Linux titles on Kindle (with option of PDF format perhaps) and permanent ownership (none of this "we'll license you to have this for a year" crap!) then I'd be seriously tempted to switch subscription and, heck, even buy a Kindle specifically for this use.

"Just buy an iPad then!" some may be saying - but that's missing the point. The iPad (and Galaxy Tab, Xoom, etc) are too expensive to be usable as print replacements - the Kindle (at £150 - because I want to be able to get the latest issues "on the move") is do-able. Although, if someone offers me a nice general purpose tablet at £175ish then I'd be tempted. Kindle's better battery life is a big draw here, plus I'm guessing that it'd be more difficult to splat the publications with "flashy" animated adverts - if I'm trying to read something I definitely do not want distracting look-at-me adverts flashing away. I had a look at a demo in PC World of an iPad-based "magazine" and I think I'd be looking for an "adverts off" switch after about 10 minutes...