Smashing Magazine on the ropes?

[David]

Some of you, like me, may be fans of Smashing Magazine. There's no doubt in my mind that it provides the highest quality, regular content on web design bar none. But it looks like thet've been a little ambitious and come unstuck. You can help by buying an eBook from them at a very reasonable cost. If you'd like to see Smashing Magazine continue, you should read this (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/22/smashing-magazine-needs-your-help/#more-36814).

[James]

David, did you notice yesterday their entire website was removed in favour of this advert? Quite a bold move.

I understand why they got criticism because it looked like a cynical way to force thousands of people to view an advert. Now they have posted more information I understand why they did it, but they should have said why originally. So I don't think they handled it well but their intentions are sound.

I visit almost daily and will buy this book, not because I want it particularly, I don't like the ebook format.

[David]

I wasn't on the site yesterday but I noticed the fallout today. It is indeed a "bold" move - or maybe a desperate one. All I can think is that they must have some fairly serious financial problems. I bought the first Smashing book and it is excellent and I'll buy the new eBook even though, like you, I don't like the format - it's just a donation and well worth it.

[Tom]

I think that only about 5% of authors make money on a scale which could be called a profit - but eReaders may change this.

[philipjcowan]

On the issue of free websites, I see News International is going paid-for (http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=45238&c=1&dsq=41757458#comment-41757458).

[Tom]

If Murdoch wasn't Murdoch, I would think he was making a blunder. But when the Heavyweight (Newspaper) Champion of the World maks a call like this - the midges have to stop and think. His reasoning may be that there is absolutely no point in giving away something for nothing - and it would be better to sell something for very little. Alternatively, his reasoning may be that the future is in paid-for content on eReaders and that a free web edition would compete with a paid-for eReader edition. Here are the subscription rates for the Wall Street Journal (https://order.wsj.com/sub/f3) - and an iPad edition has been agreed.

[philipjcowan]

More on paywalls for news in the Press Gazette (http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=45252&c=1).

[Tom]

Its really hard to switch from a free model to a pay model. Better to use the Fremium principle: give stuff away free to bring in the punters and then charge a premium for extra content. For local papers this could be an archive of photographs and info about who one local prizes etc in years gone by.

[philipjcowan]

That is not a bad idea, Tom, but their results, going by the article, were awful: "in the low double figures" for one paper. Local papers are in real trouble. No one wants to read them and advertisers don't want to advertise in them. They are fighting a losing war on two fronts.

I think it is an area where amateur, voluntary or so-called community journalism can step in using the web and report on local events. I think their reporting could be even better than a lot of current local papers. And I say that as the former editor of a local paper! After all, how much money do you need to make on Adsense for a group of people to get together and write about what is going on in their town or village?

Can the same be said for national newspapers? Would something be lost at a national level without professional journalists? My feeling is that there would, but the argument is complicated by some of the trashy national newspapers, which cannot claim any social or democratic function.

It is exciting times, with change taking place at a hectic pace.

[Tom]

Yes. The probable solution is for journalists to break free of proprietors. You do not need them any more. So long as there is a demand for print editions journalists can contract with printers. I think this is how Metro operate in London: just a small production team and everything possible contracted out. And if journalists become seriously web-savvy, they sould be able to put their former employers out of business - or do you see an on-going role for non-journalist proprietors?
To continue with the architectural analogy, I have long thought that the solution for architects is to become developers.

[philipjcowan]

And following our conversation...here is a new way of doing Journalism (http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/News/MostEmailed/998794/EBay-founder-launches-paid-news-site/). Will it work? Will it be for the better?