Slashdot Mirror
Shift Calls it Quits
MCS writes "Shift Magazine announced that it is closing down after 10 years. Biggest reason is that within this 10 year period they only turned profit on one issue. I remember at one point that they even had their own TV show -- the magazine was different then it competitors (Wired) as it focused more on the impact of technology and the social generation of those who lived in it. This can be seen in such issues as 'The Simpson Generation' and 'Seven Days without Tech'. Many of these articles are available online at their website Shift.com "
Could have been it's Canadian heritage. While Candian's are inundated with American media, it's a river that tends to flow only one way.
While I was a huge fan of Shift from its inception, when it tried to branch off into the American market (1997?) I knew it was heading for hard times. It never took off in the States, and had too much investment to make it feasible in the smaller Canadian market. I for one think it's a terrible shame to see this thoughtful magazine lifted from shelves.
You haven't heard of it because it's a Canadian magazine, which I doubt had much if any American circulation. I only know about it because I'm Canadian and would occasionally find a copy in a doctor's lobby or something. Even in Canada, the magazine was never as important or well-read as Wired, or Business 2.0, so why the closing of this magazine rates a story on Slashdot is beyond me.
...glad to see that the Slashdot tradition of incredibly poor grammar and spelling is being upheld!
That was classic intercourse!
This is not an online-only magazine, this is a real paper magazine
please excuse my apathy
As a former freelance contributor to Shift (the Sims "Big Mac Attacked" author), I am horribly pained by your comments :)
As much as you think Shift was ass, it was the only decent mass-media outlet in Canada for exploration of digital culture issues. Shift had a long and rocky history, having nearly died at least once before, but the writers, editors, and artists behind it were dedicated, enthusiastic, and (debatably) insightful.
The big question for me at this point is who will fill the void for a uniquely Canadian view on the intersection of culture and technology? We don't have half as many mags up here as in the U.S., and there really aren't any alternatives at this point. I'm not sold on dead-tree publications, so if there are some outstanding Canadian web-based mags out there, I'm all ears.