Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: What Magazines Do You Still Read?
AmiMoJo writes "Over on Slashdot Japan, there is a discussion about what magazines people still read (Google translation of Japanese original). Japanese people still tend to read a lot of periodicals, while in the west readership seems to be in decline. Do you read magazines regularly, or at all? Are websites a good substitute, or do print publications still offer something worth spending your cash on?"
Print publications are literally put into my hand, giving me more incentive to read them upon receipt. Web sites require an active effort on my part to go read them, which is often not done due to my habit of procrastination ("I'll take time to check that tomorrow"). Even email links to my monthly periodicals go unused, for similar reasons.
To me, it's the difference between polling- and interrupt-driven systems. The processor has to be constantly (or at least repetitively) awake to poll, while the processor can be asleep and awoken by an interrupt. The interrupt-based system is usually the lower-energy way to go.
The New Yorker's commentary is often insightful, and I read it regularly. I also occasionally read The Atlantic.
In general, magazines (either print or online) are still where one goes to get well-researched, long-form articles.
I read The Economist (every week) and I am constantly amazed by its quality and informativeness. Although, I must mention, I technically don't read most of it since I consume the Audio Edition during my commute to work. The articles I don't get to during the week (because my commute is slightly shorter than the average audio edition length) I typically try to catch up on with the dead-tree edition that is delivered. If the USPS ever ends Saturday delivery that's one thing I'll miss: getting my delivery of the economist before Monday.
The subscription price is a little steep (about US$120), I feel like I could not go without it.
Cracked.com is a perfect example of how to move from a print publication to an online model.
Actually, Cracked was a meh, me-too imitation of MAD as a print publication. They got MUCH better in their online incarnation.