will the last sailing journalist turn out the light

[dylanwinter]

but there is a lot of it

But equally, and possibly more importantly, the very worst writing can also be found on the net.

there is a lot of it and you have to sift through it

- nothing wrong with that - you start editing your own news in the real world as soon as you go in and decide which paper to buy,

On the web there are a lot of entertaining writers Vigor and Atkin and Jones to name but three , who are always worth looking at

but there is a lot of dross as well

but some of the mags have pages of dross too

I think they are as good today as they have ever been and long may it continue

but they have the toughest competition you can imagine

how many of us could stay in business if some-one else was offering products in the same area but for free

the good thing about the web is that you have not bought it - so you have nothing to lose apart from your time - you soon learn where to look.

As for information from the web...exactly the same

my website has lots of material on that many would consider to be irrelevant dross

- but one man's dross is another man's treasure

- one of the biggest hitting galleries on my website is this one

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/galleries/volvo-md1-manual/


but one of the biggest hitting films is a gentle sail up a muddy East Coast River with a bit of piano music mixed into the sound of the wind crackling in the sails

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/ktl-scuttlebutt/scuttlebutt-66-troublesome-reach/

Dylan

PS I would like to formally apologise on behalf of the local rag hack who made a mistake thinking petrology was the study of petrol

 

[Penton Hooker]

Without naming any mags might I suggest that the general level of journalism is not what it used to be. There was a time when reading a good magazine was a pleasure in itself, not necessarily the case today. Perhaps a little less pandering to advertisers mightn't go amiss. No, I don't buy many magazines nowadays, apart from Water Craft, but that's not because I glean required information on line.

 

[Koeketiene]

I haven't bought a newspaper for over 20 years. The reason is simple: I object to getting late news larded with someone else's opinions about what I should think. Factual stuff I can find out faster and better on the web; if I need more depth I'll buy a book - after researching it on the web. News is a 24/7 commodity available free on the web; why should I pay for stuff that is probably 24 hours old, probably wrong and presented with someone else's prejudices and opinions? If all newspapers were free I MIGHT take one - but probably wouldn't.

I must admit I am also pretty jaundiced about the accuracy of newspaper journalism. In my own area of expertise, it is pretty common to see a perfectly good story wrecked by one of two things - misguided journalistic "balance" (which shouldn't exist for science stories) and plain laziness or ignorance.

Seconded - examples of journalistic ignorance and laziness are legion.
Yachting journalism is no exception.

 

[neale]

sailing magazines are one page of article for two pages of advertisement,

Really? Not sure what mag you are reading but here we are looking at a ratio of 3 editorial to 1 advertisement at this time.

Perhaps a little less pandering to advertisers mightn't go amiss.

This is an accusation that is thrown about regularly but, as far as I can see, has no foundation. Not only are there very few advertisers to pander to, but what evidence do you have for this statement?

 

[Penton Hooker]

This is an accusation that is thrown about regularly but, as far as I can see, has no foundation. Not only are there very few advertisers to pander to, but what evidence do you have for this statement?

The evidence is on the shelves of W.H.Smith. Magazines need advertisers, plain and simple.

 

[Sandy]

But equally, and possibly more importantly, the very worst writing can also be found on the net.

Totally agree...

 

[neale]

The evidence is on the shelves of W.H.Smith. Magazines need advertisers, plain and simple.

That's a pretty poor response. Magazines also need readers, so why aren't they being applauded for pandering to their readers. They also need W H Smiths, the printers, the staff, the distribution network etc etc. As someone who doesn't read mags much these days it may have passed you by that there are actually far fewer adverts in the mag compared to a few years ago.

Can you give a real example of a way that a magazine can be seen to pander to it's advertisers?

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

That's a pretty poor response. Magazines also need readers, so why aren't they being applauded for pandering to their readers. They also need W H Smiths, the printers, the staff, the distribution network etc etc. As someone who doesn't read mags much these days it may have passed you by that there are actually far fewer adverts in the mag compared to a few years ago.

Can you give a real example of a way that a magazine can be seen to pander to it's advertisers?

The editor of a well known sailing magazine told me he had more articles than he could shake a stick at, that's why they pay so little, if anything for new ones. His problem was that he couldn't get enough advertisers and his publishers had set a ratio of content to adverts.

More economic reality than pandering.

However, if you want to see real pandering, read any of the reviews of boats and boat tests. Irrespective of what the journalists really think, they never say how horrible some boats are. Makes no sense when the boat builder has spent £2k to get the back cover.

 

[duncan_m]

I think that online content is going to change so much (for the better) over the next few years that we'll wonder exactly why we bought magazines.

There are plenty of publishers failing but there are also plenty who are flourishing. Ad revenue is not the only way to make money online. I'm sure we're going to see some cool business models, even in the world of sailing!

D

 

[Koeketiene]

However, if you want to see real pandering, read any of the reviews of boats and boat tests. Irrespective of what the journalists really think, they never say how horrible some boats are. Makes no sense when the boat builder has spent £2k to get the back cover.

We were once told that we had to read 'in between the lines'
The truth can not be told/written, it can only be wispered/hinted at.

To quote Colonel Nathan R. Jessep (A Few Good Men): You can't handle the truth.
And we certainly shouldn't be trusted with it.

 

[Boomshanka]

I think that online content is going to change so much (for the better) over the next few years that we'll wonder exactly why we bought magazines.

There are plenty of publishers failing but there are also plenty who are flourishing. Ad revenue is not the only way to make money online. I'm sure we're going to see some cool business models, even in the world of sailing!

D

How about an iArticle model along the lines of iTunes?... rather than buy the whole magazine (album), you can just buy the article (track) that you're interested in. Punters could then mix and match articles from across a range of titles.

 

[Koeketiene]

How about an iArticle model along the lines of iTunes?... rather than buy the whole magazine (album), you can just buy the article (track) that you're interested in. Punters could then mix and match articles from across a range of titles.

Fine - in principle - but you're still left with a genertion that believes that everything you get on the internet should be free.

I just need to hint to one of my children that I like a particular song, and in no time at all they will have downloaded the track/album for me.

 

[Wansworth]

I have a stash of old YM s in the small room dating back to the 1980s dont need a player to read something when I am there; although this is probably not a rational reason to support printed matter there is always something new in a magazine 30 years old.

 

[Boomshanka]

Fine - in principle - but you're still left with a genertion that believes that everything you get on the internet should be free.

I just need to hint to one of my children that I like a particular song, and in no time at all they will have downloaded the track/album for me.

Next time they ping you a ripped download... ask them about copyright law

 

[mjcoon]

there is a lot of it and you have to sift through it

What is needed is a Qualitity Surveyor!

Mike.

 

[toad_oftoadhall]

How about an iArticle model along the lines of iTunes?... rather than buy the whole magazine (album), you can just buy the article (track) that you're interested in.

I have a confession.

I am a habitual reader of mags in the supermarket.

Yesterday there was an article in PBO I was interested in. I didn't really wanna buy the mag since I'd already bought an IPC title this month. I found to my amazement I had the brass neck to photograph the article to re-read later. With flash.

 

[LittleSister]

Some of the best writing I've read is on the net. Who needs paper any more?

Do you not have any flies to swot?

 

[dylanwinter]

that is so brilliant

I have a confession.

I am a habitual reader of mags in the supermarket.

Yesterday there was an article in PBO I was interested in. I didn't really wanna buy the mag since I'd already bought an IPC title this month. I found to my amazement I had the brass neck to photograph the article to re-read later. With flash.

that is such a beautifully digital solution to the problem

wonderful

such a brilliant confession

has anyone ever seen anyone else doing that



as for asking kids about copyright law

they know it better than we do - and more to the point they know where and how it is enforced and where it is impossible to enforce

Dylan

 

[Boomshanka]

as for asking kids about copyright law

they know it better than we do - and more to the point they know where and how it is enforced and where it is impossible to enforce

Dylan

Yeah, these youngsters know all about copyright law eh? [clicky]

 

[Boomshanka]

I have a confession.

I am a habitual reader of mags in the supermarket.

Yesterday there was an article in PBO I was interested in. I didn't really wanna buy the mag since I'd already bought an IPC title this month. I found to my amazement I had the brass neck to photograph the article to re-read later. With flash.

Wow Toad, that's like amazing man, reeeeeeesssppeectt dude...

(only next time, keep your coat bottoned up, the flashing could land you in a spot of bother)