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The Perl Journal On The Ropes

Posted by pudge on from the help-me-obi-wan-perl-programmer dept.

rochlin writes "Looks like The Perl Journal might not make it up for air after all. This blurb is on their website. 'Time is running short and we need your help if The Perl Journal is to get another chance at being the real deal. As of a couple of minutes ago, we only have 881 subscriptions and the deadline is fast approaching. Please subscribe now. It only costs 3 cents per day to get the best Perl coverage anywhere.'" They need 3,000 subscribers to move forward.

11 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. 3 cents per day? by Prince_Ali · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is pretty cheap, but I don't need 30 3 cent charges on my credit card every month.

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    Slashdotter are stupid and biased.
  2. Just Die Already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry for the doom and gloom, but Perl.com has pretty much nailed down the business of keeping Perl users up to date with news and events. There doesn't appear to be a need for the Perl Journal anymore, and no one is going to subscribe with real cash after the debacles of the past couple of years.

  3. $12 a year by LeapingGnomeArs · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hmm, $12 a year, same price as a subscription to Wired. Now I wonder, which will you get more info from that will actually help you in your job? (hint: the journal)

    1. Re:$12 a year by e2d2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hmm, $12 a year, same price as a subscription to Wired. Now I wonder, which will you get more info from that will actually help you in your job? (hint: the journal)

      Yeah, But which one can you KILL a man with because of all the advertisements? (hint:wired)

  4. Perl Monks! by Mithrander · · Score: 5, Informative

    Who needs Perl Journal when there's Perl Monks? Great resource!

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    -- This Sig is currently under construction
  5. Re:I've been at odds with CMP ever since BYTE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    yea, right. Last time I paid for my Perl journal subscription, they got sold to earthweb, took my money and refused to send a magazine, refused to return calls, refused to return email. Why should I re-subscribe to a magazine thats till owes me a years subscription?

  6. Who is paying all the "bean counters and suits"... by peterdaly · · Score: 5, Informative

    In a word: Advertising.

    Most magazine subscriptions costs just barely, if at all, cover the mailing costs. With an online magazine like this one, fixed costs are a little different, but I am sure they are still planning to rely on advertising to plug the money gap.

    Hell, I have a couple "newstand" magazines which the publishers send to me for free to get the ads in front of me, since I fit a valued advertising demographic for them. Think about PCWeek and stuff (are they still around?) I used to get a mailbox full of free computer trade rags each week pro-bono.

    -Pete

    --
    Soccer Goal Plans
  7. Why the journal is dying... by pongo000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am an active Perl developer, have been for several years. All the information I need is available on-line: PerlMonks, newsgroups, etc. I have never run across a question I've had that hasn't been asked by someone else, in one form or another.

    So give me one good reason why I would choose to spend my hard-earned dollars on a resource that is (1) dated as soon as the PDF hits the mailbox and (2) replicated by on-line resources?

    To support the Perl movement, you say? I do that already by teaching others about Perl. That is my contribution to the world of Perl: My time in exchange for evangelization, certainly a cause Larry Wall would find acceptable.

    I'm sorry, but in this day and age where information is abundantly available on the 'net, I see journal publication (dead-tree or on-line) as a poor, not-profitable business model. The idea that profit can be made from information is becoming obsolete, especially in the IT world (unless you have control over proprietary information, like Sun or Microsoft).

    BTW, I'm using the term "profit" loosely here, to simply mean money available from revenues that can be put back into the business. Nothing in this post is meant to reflect upon the business motives of any of the TPJ organizers.

    1. Re:Why the journal is dying... by aengblom · · Score: 5, Insightful
      So give me one good reason why I would choose to spend my hard-earned dollars on a resource that is (1) dated as soon as the PDF hits the mailbox and (2) replicated by on-line resources?

      Depends on how you answer these questions:
      • How much is your time worth?
      • Might the Perl Journal save you $12 of time per year?
      • Might the Perl Journal teach you something in high-quailty (read, short and easily understandable) fasion that is worth $12 during that year. More importantly, might that lesson not only intersted you, but allow you to never need to ask that question.


      Author of comment has no knowledge of Perl or Perl Journal, but believes in the value of high quality content.
      --


      So close and yet so far from the world's perfect ID number
    2. Re:Why the journal is dying... by Dog+and+Pony · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree with you. I don't need it, for the same reasons, and I support the community the same way as you do.

      Still, I subscribed. Why? Well, partly because $12 is no cash, even for someone that doesn't have a lot of it.

      Also, I like the idea that people try to get money for what they do online instead of using banner ads. Even though a lot of great people put their, often superb, content online for free, that is not an option for some. And I do respect that. I'd rather pay for some content that I might like than have it soiled with banner ads. If I don't like it, fine, I'll stop paying.

      I strongly disagree that the dead-tree business is going away though - there is always room, and I think will always be for books and papers. For one, although they are possible to take with you on the toilet and to bed, they are not comfortable. Hell, it isn't even comfortable reading from your laptop when sitting in your favourite chair.

      All in all, people that write and provide content should be rewarded. Some with money, some with tolerating their stupid ads, and some with credit (maybe the greatest currency of them all). Which they want, is up to the provider.

      But of course, everyone wants the free lunch. Even when the grouceries to make the meal costs (like bandwidth, servers and time). *Sigh*

      No, you don't have to do what I do. But what I do, I do with open eyes, and because I a) want something, and b) support something. Maybe a poor choice, but at least I will know.

  8. Save Perl by rigmort · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please don't turn Slashdot into a begging site. Next thing you know we'll be Saving Karyn here...