Cecile Chi says,
> At IPROF I heard some people making very negative remarks about
> the INTEREX "Enterprise Solutions" magazine, which is the new
> combination Interact, hp-ux/usr, and NT publication.
At the risk of starting another firestorm...
I'll admit that I said something negative (too negative, I might add and
probably should have held off a bit) - but in defense of Interex, there are
reasons why the three magzines were rolled into one, and why Interact is
small and slim now... (hindsight is always 20/20):
1. Not enough contributions. I was asked to write again some time ago, I
don't have the time. Not many people do - but if Interex had some quality
pieces to publish, with some real meat, it could help.
2. Advertisers - they have been dropping like flies. Membership Dues pay a
very small portion (I would guess) of the actual publication costs. Why
advertisers are going away - I don't know, but the fact is, they are.
Now - to look at the other side of the picture:
1. Unless things have changed, Interex has a three month lead time. I've
said it before and I'll say it again, in the technology industry, that's
just entirely too long. Too much can happen in 90 days.
2. I can't say what the stipend is now, but let's say that one cannot
justify spending time on (what used to be US$65/typeset page), when they are
already up to their necks in other work.
So, we're in a catch-22 situation here... Interex is damned if they do, and
damned if they don't.
I asked the question right out in the open - "Who reads the NewsWire, cover
to cover?" Every hand went up. The same question about Interact? Not one.
There are reasons for that too:
- The NewsWire has a one month or less lead time - information is fresher
and more useful. I learn about things in the NewsWire at least two months
before I even see them in Interact or at least a month before seeing it in
HPWorld, if it appears in either of those publications at all.
- For the news up to a week before deadline, there's the FlashPaper. Most
of the time, it's covered there nicely, with more in the next issue, if
warranted.
- It's a paid publication (US$99/year) which keeps advertising rates down.
I can advertise there at a much lower cost than in Interact or HPWorld.
Yes, it's two color, but that dosen't bother any of us who do advertise in
the NewsWire. We're a subscriber and an advertiser.
> My clients who have hp-ux machines tell me they find the publication
> very useful. For the Interact portion, George Stachnik's
> articles alone
> make the publication valuable, and everything else is a bonus.
"hp/usr" - the UX counterpart is rather good, and there's no competition
that I know of. I do believe that it has the same restrictions that
Interact has -- lead time, etc.
Back to Interact - as for George Stachnik's ongoing series - for the
beginner is very valuable, and actually that is where is belongs - either
there, or packaged into a book! (and get rid of a few manuals to boot :) I
think reprints of those articles should be included with every new HP3000.
George is a wonderful writer and a great HP3000 supporter. He's also an
all-around nice guy who would be there for just about anyone (including
looking for me about a year and a half ago when I got lost on the Cupertino
Campus when I "stepped outside" a one-way locked door - Thanks again George
:)
> P.S. I still want to be able to order a complete set of reprints of
> the Stachnik articles from INTEREX. I carry around a stack of
> magazines for the benefit of my clients, and I keep losing a copy
> here and there.
Cecile - the reprint service is here in Pennsylvania - in the 717 Area Code
-- Michael, Jean or anyone else in PUBS at Interex can give you their
number. Be forewarned, reprints don't come cheap, and also, George may have
go give his permission. I know that any piece I did for Interex carried a
"check with author before reprinting". This is because even though I wrote
the piece for Interact, it was my copyright and therefore, I owned who could
and could not use it (and still do).
Cheers,
Joe
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