The magzine...an update

[Mike T]

What ever alias you're going by today...

The Beach is for diving, surfing and boogie boarding not sunbathing... Only take my boards, fins and/or mask...

When I'm resting on the beach, I'm too busy checking out the thongs and string bikinis to have time to read a magazine... Not is all pretty, it's obvious that some of these gals have never seen their backsides in a mirror, or are on vacation and think that no one can see them...

Aloha! Mike T

[johnsmith]

JR , you dirty old man!

[junglegeorge12]

LOL Mike, funny how islands bring that out in women. Here we have a ton of fat ones who think they r J lo. My Dad says it must be some kind of law here that all the fat women have to wear super tight jeans when he visits, it's gets pretty nasty.....one thing about the good ol US, at least the women there dress appropriately.

[bekko]

James and others of that persuasion, you're sounding like fogies. Tony, you must be older than you look.

Portability. It won't be long before you can read an e-mag on the beach, on the john, in the garden, wherever. My kid does it now and we cannot be more than a few years behind. Stack your print magazines there in the corner next to your vinyl record albums.

Columns. Flipping columns in pdf files is a nuisance. However, that's only because we are persist in carrying out-dated print layouts into the new medium. That issue will resolve itself soon as well.

Photos. In an e-mag, you can embed a lot more resolution into a photo. More resolution equals more information. One picture can be worth a hundred-thousand words if the resolution is high enough. In an e-mag, you can zoom in on the photo and check every scale and fin ray, limited only by the quality of the original photo. A paper photo and magnifying glass just cannot produce the same results.

Editorial quality. There is nothing inherent in an e-mag that degrades the editorial quality. Some fogies may not take the medium seriously enough to produce a polished and well-researched product. However, they will quickly be weeded out of the pool of potential authors. If I were to make one disparaging remark about the Koi Bito print mag, it would be that it has had more than its fair share of typos.

Finally, I do not see why Koi Bito necessairly needs to, or will, follow the Rinko model. The e-mag can be as good as Brian wants to make it - better than the print mag if he so desires.

-scruffy

[johnsmith]

Please Scruffy. get a hold of yourself. I was a financial advisor during the 'new economy' that brought the NASD to 5000 under the illusion that the world had changed due to the Internet and reality of earnings, PE s , current earnings and value were no longer relevant- we all know how that mentality bore out. I’ll repeat- The E-version of everything koi related that I have ever read is an infomercial. It is usually shallow in content and is designed to promote someone or something. Rinko E-version does interviews with breeders and that is about the only contribution to the hobby. Even the much abused Koi Carp magazine has articles on parasites, maintenance, physiology, wintering, amateur events in the news, problems with source water etc.



As I think you know I have an extensive library of koi and aquaculture related books and periodicals. I have also been compiling a master index based on subject matter for at least four years now. The Rinko and Nicihrin series are repleat with information on any subject you can imagine. Major contributions are included on the pages of koi-Bito, NI and Koi Carp. Tips, suggestions and remedies abound in these pages. Judging standards, koi appreciation classes, judging seminars and evolution of same all round out the avid koi students education.

So if you think a 20 page Email revolving around Moiessuba San’s "stunning" or " world class" new kin kikokuryu crosses ( that just happen to be for sale by that issue’s advertizer) is comparable to what I just reviewed for you– well— I have a bridge over here in Brooklyn for you to check out. I think I can get it for you at a good price. And if you’ll take ownership in the ‘E-Verison’ I will make you a really good deal. JR

[cbcdesign]

There is also the technical difficulties to contend with. Different users have differing ideas regarding screen resolution, saturation and contrast levels to name a few. With a printed magazine, we all see receive exactly the same thing and assuming none of us are colour blind, view the content in the same way. This is not so with an "E" version when different set-ups, hardware and viewing environments can radicaly change the appearance of images and let's not forget, we are dealing with coloured carp here afterall.

I am all in favour of technology but it has limits.

Alan

[luke frisbee]

yeah tech has it's limits. Whereas magazines have no boundaries!!!!!!!!!!


If the site is finaced by veiwership and not by infomercials like I used to read in a mag i got once that MONTHLY had the Kokugyo Book Guy do some inane interveiw with a guy selling his koi...oh wait that only happens in the Emagazines. yeah right.
And then there is K2K. I wasn't the only one that saw that as an advertisement of all things Waddington ltd.
A good book about him his business companions and their products...koi or koi pond machinery; and for less than 200USD.
if the koi world looses Koi-bito the paper version and what it was is not bettered by being on the net...or if it disappears completely....the fittest survive.
All the PLRB could get together and buy the name and pay brian to do what you want.

but it ain't happened...not all you all that could afford to seperate from us potato farmers by having an elitest magazine joining together and financially influencing Brian to do what you want...and he would for the right paycheck.
Nor has the e-version fallen short.

The E-version will be better for the enviroment....much better.
if the money that the subscribers were giving continues as support then the eversion will be better than the pulp version.
if you feel you need to be special, and be the only one veiwing the information because you have a "subscription" then you need to check yourself. If you decide to not pay for the information you also need to check yourselves.
however to put a little "trophy' next to your screenname because you give money is not going to help...
i gave cash to such a site before the idea was rolled out. i can't think of anything worse.

i wonder what will happen....if the new E-bito falls on its ass (not stepping on anything understand you), it will not be Brian's fault. it will rest squarely on the membership of this site. With our support($) brian can create a new generation of Message Board. Should we fail. he fails.
With what I think of the average hobbyist...We are doomed.....

[johnsmith]

Good speech Luke ! I was waiting for the line " give me liberty or give me death!!!"

But here's some perspective; you have the amateur magazine, the commercial magazine and everyone trying to thread the needle in-between!
This is WHY I am first and foremost for Nichirin magazine. Even there, powerful amateurs get their suppliers highlighted but that monkey business is kept to a minimum. And certainly there is an element of sales in all other magazines. But an interview with a breeder and then six other articles on pure science and 'blended' husbandry needs ( products to produce the result) are at least balanced. It is the diversification of the commercial and the pure that creates credibility. I'm not looking for a witch hunt. But I'm also not looking for someone to pee down my neck and tell me it is raining.
So I can live with the balance, preferably leaning towards the pure than the infomercial. JR

[bekko]

Survival of the fittest probably sums it up pretty well Luke. The print version just ain't happenin', or we would not be having this discussion. Junior, your discourse on e-mag pitfalls and prejudice shows how switching formats may not necessarily resolve those financial issues. The more I listen to you guys the more I think that a subscription-based (not for free) e-publication has the best chance of survival. It would avoid the printing and postage issues which will collapse any publication with a small circulation, and it would avoid having the publication becoming completely subservient to the advertisers.

-stevehop

[cbcdesign]

Quote: Originally Posted by luke frisbee The E-version will be better for the enviroment....much better. if the money that the subscribers were giving continues as support then the eversion will be better than the pulp version. if you feel you need to be special, and be the only one veiwing the information because you have a "subscription" then you need to check yourself. If you decide to not pay for the information you also need to check yourselves. however to put a little "trophy' next to your screenname because you give money is not going to help... i gave cash to such a site before the idea was rolled out. i can't think of anything worse.

A few of us pay for a product or service and those that don't or won't, receive the goods or service for nothing! not in my world. I choose what I pay for and when so forgive me if I choose not to pay for an ezine that will be freely available to all and sundry.

Alan