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The end of MG World

I've been running the Gretsch pages for almost 10 years now, and while it IS the definitive source of info on Gretsch guitars, I'll tell you it takes no time at all for the maintenance alone to be more than one person can do... which is why I like the community concept.
 
I read the newspaper on paper every day! How can you enjoy the comics on a computer screen? I also read books constantly....

...do you wanna know why the US is going down the tube educationally? OUR KIDS CAN'T READ!!! &, reading off a computer screen isn't reading! They can't read a book ,they can't explain author's intent, they can't visualize a setting or storyline, they can't comprehend the magnitude of a novel....because they read computer-write!
 
The fact of the matter is that the majority of people dislike reading from computer screens. The eyestrain is a pain in the butt and you lose a certain something when the text isn't physical. Why do you think eBooks didn't catch on? Most people like to turn a page instead of scrolling the mouse wheel.

I don't think a web magazine is a great idea. Sure it has some great abilities to be cross-referenced, but unless it's REALLY well done, I don't see it being successful. Web based reading material is usually shorter and less informative than print versions because people want their information in bits and pieces. It's MTV syndrome. Also, a good design would be critical, and that often takes more time than I think most people would want to put forth.

Losing magazines is something we all have to deal with, but it's not the end of the world. There are always going to be plenty of other publications that will have the same or similar info. Since GRM and BCM joined, I've found I read less of both. I read GRM for its tech stuff and BCM because I liked learning about LBCs. I tried Classic Motorsport and I'm not too fond of it because it doesn't have the same feel as the old magazine and I think it tends to dumb down its technical articles. GRM is still okay, but lately the cars they've written about have been either uninteresting or too expensive for me to dream about.

My most recent favorite magazine is Retro Cars. It's a brit mag that covers most of the popular LBCs and other euro cars and has some nice tech stuff on modernizing them and tuning. While many of the purists on this site would have no interest in it, for those of us who enjoy tuner cars, it's a great read. It also has some of the history stuff that BCM had, which is an added bonus.

Really though, you shouldn't worry. If there truly is a need, it will be filled. Thats the beauty of capitalism. If someone finds a market for a product, they'll sell it to you.

Oh, and just because many of you have read the same articles over and over in different publications over the years doesn't mean that it isn't news to some of us. The key to the hobby is getting younger people involved to keep these cars going, and if us young guys (I'm 21) don't know the basics of a B-series engine or about a Spitfire's rear end, then everyone is at a loss. And we want a glossy page with full-color pictures so we can read it in the bathroom.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tony barnhill:

...do you wanna know why the US is going down the tube educationally? OUR KIDS CAN'T READ!!! &, reading off a computer screen isn't reading! They can't read a book ,they can't explain author's intent, they can't visualize a setting or storyline, they can't comprehend the magnitude of a novel....because they read computer-write!
<hr></blockquote>

EXACTLY! That was where I was going with my earlier comment. It appalls me to see what's happening to our educational system. There just doesn't seem to be any motivation for kids to read anymore. Why? Because they don't have to! At least, that's the way things appear to be. It's so much easier to get our information from TV, and now the Internet. Unless one is truly devoted to exploring a topic, all one gets are the sound-bytes.

Sorry about the rant, but this really is something we should all be concerned about.
 
The problem with electronic media replacing print to me comes down to one big problem. I have neither wall sockets nor internet access in the "John". (thats the loo to our British friends).

I keep several recent magazines, and my Porter,s restoration book right beside the throne.

I also recall, when I visited Tony in Gurley, he has a similar library setup...

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Ed
 
Absolutely, that’s also why I like my magazines, no internet in the "Ferguson". Plus I look at a computer monitor all **** day, it's the last thing I want to see while winding down.
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This might be kind of weird, but what about content delivered via a palm, web phone, or some other portable device you could, um, take with you?

** baxter, doin' a little market research **
 
I would be worried that a guy who takes palm pilots to 'reading room' would probably sit down to pee!
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I meant, when yer sitting down anyway, does it have to be printed material, or would a portable electronic format work.


Sheesh. Wise guys.
 
Wow, while you people were busy figuring out what the world is coming to, I reread, "War and Peace", OK, maybe, "The Shining", well, OK, I checked out another website.BUT, I am gonna finish my Newsweek, tomorrow, in the....
 
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