Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!gatech!udel!burdvax!dvnspc1!gary
From: gary@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM (Gary Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PC Tech Journal Dies
Message-ID: <385@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM>
Date: 2 Mar 89 13:33:45 GMT
References: <1826@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu> <377@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM> <20998@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
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Organization: Unisys Corporation, Devon, PA
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I just received in the mail the latest edition of PC Magazine.
Ironically enough, I received it on March 1,  the day that PC Tech
staff members supposedly got the ax.

I say ironically enough because within PC Mag is an ad for PC Tech
Journal asking future subscribers to send in their money!  

Now I can imagine PC MAg's reply: "But we published this edition
month's ago.  We could not pull out all those inserts bound into each
edition."  Fine.  But one COULD add another non-bound insert warning
one to disregard the PC Tech ad.  Kind of like mags do when they find
that they have printed a fraudulent ad for some software company.

But that never seems to be the case with magazines, surprisingly
enough.  Could it be that subscribers are considered as creditors rather
than consumers?  So some multi-megabuck publishing giant can form
little companies (magazines) and at the first sign of red ink, pull the
plug. (File for bankruptcy.)  They keep the subscription dollars (kind
of the equivalent of all those corporate pension funds)  while at the
same time enjoying the profits of their OTHER companies   -  and perhaps
even planning new startups (another magazine which we all MUST HAVE!)

Am beginning to view those glossy mail solicitations for MIPS and
Embedded Systems and AI  with a new and jaundiced eye.