On magazines without editorial direction
Scott complains on how Linux Format #93’s articles comparing Ubuntu and other distributions often contradict each other, and blames it on the lack of any editorial direction or basic research.
I… Have to confirm this. But anyway, I can stand a bit on the different writers’ side - Each article is written by a different person and, although the magazine must try to be coherent (of course, within certain limits - if the magazine suggests editor’s picks in one article, they should not bash them to death in the next one).
I write the Linux column in the Spanish edition of PC Magazine. No, it’s by far not a technical column, nor anything far like it. The magazine is end-user oriented, and clearly sponsorship-driven - In fact, my column was not part of the magazine for quite some time, as they gear it towards end-users, and sponsors (I cannot venture which sponsors, but your imagination will probably go to the same company as mine) do not like what I write about. All in all, I get the general topics which each month’s edition will cover, and I just have to write an article about one of them. Of course, I don’t know most of the other writers. There is no interaction at all.
And I guess that Linux Format is a typical magazine - If they run like PC Magazine, they just won’t have the time to put all the articles together checking for inconsistencies. I think it is enough of a task to chase the contributors month after month (BTW, I’m a week late already :-/ But I cannot finish just today, as there’s too much work to do, and I spend my time blogging… Hmh, time to finish this post, as coitus interruptus as it may seem).
Comments
garaged 2007-05-17 06:51:27
Re: On magazines without editorial direction
I think the problem is money, you need to invest a lot of time to check thoroughly thru any article, to be able to do this you need someone really good in the field, and that person wont be cheap :)
The best you can do is try to write the best, and maybe ask someone to review before is published :), that’s what everybody does ins’t it :)
Gunnar 2007-05-17 08:03:07
Re: Re: On magazines without editorial direction
And even there - Different people have different opinions, and they might all be valid. Scott complains about a magazine saying in different pages that Ubuntu is uber-kewl and mega-shitty. Yes, different people’s experiences will get you different results.