Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!bu-cs!bucsb!einstein
From: einstein@bucsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Fairchild Clipper performance? (really: myths & magazines)
Message-ID: <1276@bucsb.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Nov-87 04:07:01 EST
Article-I.D.: bucsb.1276
Posted: Mon Nov 23 04:07:01 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Nov-87 21:52:00 EST
References: <56700004@ada-uts> <6745@apple.UUCP> <916@winchester.UUCP> <989@edge.UUCP>
Reply-To: einstein@bucsb.UUCP (David K. Fickes)
Organization: Boston University
Lines: 46

>Doug Pardee -- Edge Computer Corp., Scottsdale, AZ -- ihnp4!oliveb!edge!dou 
>Not likely.  With only a few exceptions, magazines are simply a promotional
>tool.  (This is true of most fields, not just computers).  It is usually
>against editorial policy to publish any unfavorable information about any
>company/product which is, or could become, a subscriber.
>
>Any magazine which is provided "free to qualified subscribers" is going to
>be a "puff piece publisher".  Don't expect otherwise.

Doug you almost get a cigar with this one, but I disagree...

The basis of controlled - circulation (meaning give it away if they've
got anything to do with it) is based on one of the following:

(1) Its an enhanced mailing list; with the advertisers sharing costs
some magazines have their editorial written by their advertisers.

(2) Its an easy way of getting wide coverage for your advertisers.

(3) Paid - Subscription usually gets much smaller circulation and costs
a lot more to get !!!

Puff-piece... yeah... why not "you get what you pay for" on  the other
hand I don't think that its so much "editorial policy" as the bigwigs
(read: advertising sellers) which keep the company in bread and butter
don't want you cutting down their clients on page 1...  Look what
happened with Digital Review.  DR published some "leaked information"
and was banned from: (1) DEC press conf. (2) all other outlets of
DEC - controlled information (3) No DEC advertising.  What are you
going to do when the companies you're writing about are your sole
source of income?  Besides there are no magazines that survive based
on subscription income.  Only newsletters get away with that and
the really profitable ones charge over $100/year.

It is possible to become a successful "controlled -circ " its just
that nobody is going to help you out.

david

-- 
==============================================================================
David K. Fickes     Center for Einstein Studies/Einstein Papers Project
UUCP: ...harvard!bu-cs!bucsb!einstein		Boston University 
BITNET: oth932@bostonu				745 Commonwealth Avenue
PHONE:	(617) 353-9249	(617) 277-9741		Boston, MA 02215