'What Satellite?' Due to burn up in the atmosphere?

[Java Jive]

"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

[Bill Wright]

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

This has been rumbling on for a while. Print media is having a hard time
generally. From my point of view it's a shame because Wotsat is good to
work for. The people I deal with are helpful and friendly and the
articles generally appear in the mags in a form which meets with my
approval.

If Wotsat closes I doubt if I will write for mags again. I can't imagine
trying to find another market. Internet-based publications pay very badly.

Bill

[John Legon]

Post by Bill Wright

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

This has been rumbling on for a while. Print media is having a hard time
generally. From my point of view it's a shame because Wotsat is good to
work for. The people I deal with are helpful and friendly and the
articles generally appear in the mags in a form which meets with my
approval.

I suppose the beginning of the end was when they printed my piece on 3DTV:

Loading Image...

[Terry Casey]

In message <Z9ydnROEgbi7bMjTnZ2dnUVZ8l-***@brightview.co.uk> on Thu, 25 Aug
2011 07:52:20 +0100

Post by John Legon

Post by Bill Wright

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

This has been rumbling on for a while. Print media is having a hard time
generally. From my point of view it's a shame because Wotsat is good to
work for. The people I deal with are helpful and friendly and the
articles generally appear in the mags in a form which meets with my
approval.

http://www.john-legon.co.uk/temp/wotsat.jpg

In one building I worked, the toilets were covered with small tiles about 2"
square. I found that, after a liquid lunch, I could easily converge two
adjacent tiles whilst relieving myself ...

It was a bit weird when I turned away from the wall, though, and took a moment
for the brain to work out what was wrong and correct it!

So, a few beers could be very helpful to anybody contemplating following your
idea ...

[Bill Wright]

Post by Terry Casey
In one building I worked, the toilets were covered with small tiles about 2"
square. I found that, after a liquid lunch, I could easily converge two
adjacent tiles whilst relieving myself ...

Yesterday after working in a room with subdued lighting I walked into
the kitchen and picked up what I thought was a piece of pink liquorice
allsort. In fact it was a slice of carrot. The colour balance of my eyes
must have been well wrong. Eating raw carrot when you're expecting a
sweet is a taste sensation.

Bill

[Davey]

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:40:28 +0100

Post by Bill Wright

Post by Terry Casey
In one building I worked, the toilets were covered with small tiles
about 2" square. I found that, after a liquid lunch, I could easily
converge two adjacent tiles whilst relieving myself ...

Yesterday after working in a room with subdued lighting I walked into
the kitchen and picked up what I thought was a piece of pink
liquorice allsort. In fact it was a slice of carrot. The colour
balance of my eyes must have been well wrong. Eating raw carrot when
you're expecting a sweet is a taste sensation.
Bill

But carrots are supposed to be good for the eyesight, so it is probably
worth it!

[John Legon]

Post by Terry Casey

Post by John Legon
http://www.john-legon.co.uk/temp/wotsat.jpg

In one building I worked, the toilets were covered with small tiles about 2"
square. I found that, after a liquid lunch, I could easily converge two
adjacent tiles whilst relieving myself ...
It was a bit weird when I turned away from the wall, though, and took a moment
for the brain to work out what was wrong and correct it!
So, a few beers could be very helpful to anybody contemplating following your
idea ...

Just in case anyone should be tempted to try out my idea - whilst sober
or otherwise - I should probably point out that it only works properly
with the "crossed" side-by-side 3D format as used by nvidia (samples of
which can (or could) be downloaded from the nvidia website).

With the usual broadcast format, the right and left images are swapped
over, with the result that the 3D effect is somehow reversed from back
to front - foreground objects appearing to be in the background and vice
versa. The effect is interesting but not what was intended !

[Bill Wright]

Post by John Legon

Post by Bill Wright

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

This has been rumbling on for a while. Print media is having a hard
time generally. From my point of view it's a shame because Wotsat is
good to work for. The people I deal with are helpful and friendly and
the articles generally appear in the mags in a form which meets with
my approval.

http://www.john-legon.co.uk/temp/wotsat.jpg

Ohh, I saw that and didn't notice the by line!

I like the opening line.

Bill

[Albert Ross]

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

Were any of their mags worth reading?

Nowadays about the only mags I read are specialist titles from small
publishers, they don't (yet) appear to suffer the same problems as the
major publishers.

[Jim Lesurf]

Post by Albert Ross

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

Were any of their mags worth reading?

FWIW I find 'Linux Format' interesting and useful. But I can't say I have
any interested in the mags I saw mentioned on the above page.

Post by Albert Ross
Nowadays about the only mags I read are specialist titles from small
publishers, they don't (yet) appear to suffer the same problems as the
major publishers.

I guess that the situation for Future Pub is similar to the one with IPC a
year or two ago. ie. Big over-sized company which may have little idea what
many of its mags do finds it needs some cash asap. Must keep shareholders
and banks happy with the next dividend. So it kills some mags to cut costs,
and sells others to raise quickly money. Neither action necessarily means
the mags in question are unviable when run by a smaller publisher who has a
clue.

Slainte,

Jim

[J G Miller]

Post by Jim Lesurf
I guess that the situation for Future Pub is similar to the one with IPC
a year or two ago. ie. Big over-sized company which may have little idea
what many of its mags do finds it needs some cash asap.

Which indicates very poor management.

But has it not been going downhill for years now whilst under the control
of Kelvin "Ethics? That's a county innit?" Mackenzie.

From 2005

<http://www.guardian.co.UK/media/2005/nov/30/futurepublishing.city?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487>

I am surprised that nobody has yet mentioned that the BBC is selling off
the Radio Times so that it will no longer be a BBC publication.

<http://www.guardian.co.UK/media/2011/aug/16/bbc-completes-magazines-sell-off?&>

Expect an even greater dumbing down of content.

[Jim Lesurf]

Post by J G Miller

Post by Jim Lesurf
I guess that the situation for Future Pub is similar to the one with
IPC a year or two ago. ie. Big over-sized company which may have
little idea what many of its mags do finds it needs some cash asap.

Which indicates very poor management.

I'm inclined to agree. However it seems to become the norm when one big
company 'owns' others in chains and conglomerations far too big for any
individual to really know how each part is working.

Many years ago I came to the conclusion that almost any collective
enterprise that grew beyond a few hundred people would tend end up becoming
inhabited by many who never saw or thought about the mere clients or
customers. Instead just became focussing on playing 'internal games' and
'one up on the oppostion' in terms of their personal status, etc.

I don't know the details for Future Pub. But IPC was/is, IIRC, owned by
Warner - a large US/'International' meeja company. AIUI Warner needed cash
because its interests that had nothing to do with print were struggling, so
told IPC to flog off or shut down mags to make their presentation wrt
stockholders and banks look more impressive. Perhaps also because 'top
suits' have to show they can move the deckchairs around. The usual monkey
motions also beloved of polticians who have to show they are 'doing
something' and to deflect criticisms that things aren't working well.

All part of the USA/UK 'business model' where all that matters is that
shareholders get their next dividend and are made to feel confident. And
where the big investors take no interest in understanding or controlling
beyond that. Witness how despite recent and current events the shareholders
of certain newspapers *haven't* dumped the people running them.

Smaller companies can also be caught by this if they end up owned by people
who are just 'professional investors' and will sell one company off (or
shut it down to realise the assets) to buy another if it suits them. Can
easily happen to a company that makes a profit and produces good output.

Slainte,

Jim

[Albert Ross]

Post by Jim Lesurf

Post by J G Miller

Post by Jim Lesurf
I guess that the situation for Future Pub is similar to the one with
IPC a year or two ago. ie. Big over-sized company which may have
little idea what many of its mags do finds it needs some cash asap.

Which indicates very poor management.

I'm inclined to agree. However it seems to become the norm when one big
company 'owns' others in chains and conglomerations far too big for any
individual to really know how each part is working.
Many years ago I came to the conclusion that almost any collective
enterprise that grew beyond a few hundred people would tend end up becoming
inhabited by many who never saw or thought about the mere clients or
customers. Instead just became focussing on playing 'internal games' and
'one up on the oppostion' in terms of their personal status, etc.

I think of that as the British Disease though Yanks also do it. Not
true everywhere though, Claas is a major German manufacturer and is
currently run by (I think) the fourth generation of the Claas family.
Most of our similar companies are owned by some or other international
conglomerate, many of which prove to be Not Very Good at business.

[J G Miller]

conglomerations far too big for any individual to really
know how each part is working.

Just like Uncle Rupert said!!!!

Instead just became focussing on playing 'internal games' and
'one up on the oppostion' in terms of their personal status,
etc.

Are you talking about public or private organisations? This
behavior seems to be standard operating practice in many
public organisations because the financial and commercial
imperatives are not present.

Witness how despite recent and current events the shareholders
of certain newspapers *haven't* dumped the people running them.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the second largest stockholder in
News Corporations, is standing by Uncle Rupert.

Smaller companies can also be caught by this if they end up owned by
people who are just 'professional investors'

Angel investors?

and will sell one company off (or shut it down to realise the assets)
to buy another if it suits them.

That is more like James Hanson the notorious hostile takeover and
asset stripper and destroyer of English companies.

Gerry Robinson probably falls into that category as well, for he did
ultimately succeed in destroying Granada Television and
London Weekend Television, although with a major contribution
from his successor Charles Allen.

[Jim Lesurf]

Post by J G Miller

conglomerations far too big for any individual to really know how each
part is working.

Just like Uncle Rupert said!!!!

Instead just became focussing on playing 'internal games' and 'one up
on the oppostion' in terms of their personal status, etc.

Are you talking about public or private organisations?

In my experience that doesn't matter much. I've seen such behaviour in
organisations ranging from Universities and MoD to privately owned
companies. Once they become 'big' many who work in it cease thinking much
of the 'customers' (or equivalent) and instead on various internal games to
maximise their own position inside the box. How many do this, and in what
ways, varies.

Whereas with a small company, say a couple of dozen people or less, it is
much easier for people to all see how the company is doing and know
everyone involved. When one production line runs up and down one big room
with all the offices just partitioned from that, everyone knows if the
products are selling well or stacking up, or if their is a problem with
production, etc.

Hard to set a specific size for what is 'big' in these terms as some groups
of people become more of a 'family' than others. Depends on those involved.
But my impression is that the turnover point is often in the region of just
100 to 200 people. This is perhaps why large concerns tend to divide up
into 'departments' who then focus on what they are doing and regard other
departments as at best an irrelevance and at worst at 'competitor'.

Post by J G Miller

Smaller companies can also be caught by this if they end up owned by
people who are just 'professional investors'

Angel investors?

Angels are also generally in it for the return. So if they decide they can
make more by investing in having someone elsewhere make plastic buckets
they can sell off and let a concern they've decided to dump sink behind
them. No hard feelings, just business. I have the T-shirt on that one. :-)

Slainte,

Jim

[J G Miller]

Once they become 'big' many who work in it cease thinking much of the
'customers' (or equivalent) and instead on various internal games to
maximise their own position inside the box. How many do this,
and in what ways, varies.

Maybe you will find this amusing then --

<http://prairiehome.publicradio.ORG/programs/19980110/980110_FALLGUY.shtml>

And also on corporate culture --

<http://prairiehome.publicradio.ORG/programs/2008/11/29/scripts/emperor.shtml>

NB In both cases the humor is best appreciated by listening to the MP3 audio
(listen button at top of page) rather than reading the transcript.

[Albert Ross]

Post by J G Miller

Post by Jim Lesurf
I guess that the situation for Future Pub is similar to the one with IPC
a year or two ago. ie. Big over-sized company which may have little idea
what many of its mags do finds it needs some cash asap.

Which indicates very poor management.
But has it not been going downhill for years now whilst under the control
of Kelvin "Ethics? That's a county innit?" Mackenzie.

OMG

How's Felix Dennis fairing? I no longer buy any of his mags either.

Post by J G Miller
From 2005
<http://www.guardian.co.UK/media/2005/nov/30/futurepublishing.city?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487>
I am surprised that nobody has yet mentioned that the BBC is selling off
the Radio Times so that it will no longer be a BBC publication.
<http://www.guardian.co.UK/media/2011/aug/16/bbc-completes-magazines-sell-off?&>
Expect an even greater dumbing down of content.

What's the one I buy? TV Choice because it's cheaper than the
multitude of other crap mags

It's written like the characters in the Soaps are actually real people

[J G Miller]

Post by Albert Ross
It's written like the characters in the Soaps are actually real people

<shock, horror, and awe> You mean, you mean, you mean to say that they are not?

[Terry Casey]

In message <***@4ax.com> on Fri, 26 Aug 2011
13:10:36 +0100

Post by Albert Ross

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

Were any of their mags worth reading?
Nowadays about the only mags I read are specialist titles from small
publishers, they don't (yet) appear to suffer the same problems as the
major publishers.

One mag, no longer with us, that I particularly liked, was Personal Computer
World because of its excellent practical advice columns.

Everything else that I've tried seems to concentrate heavily on news with only
scant attention to practical matters. Copious reviews of new products and group
tests are fine - but who wants to buy a new PC, printer, scanner, camera and
lots of new software etc. every month? Certainly not me!

Any suggestions for a PCW substitute?

[André Coutanche]

Post by Terry Casey
One mag, no longer with us, that I particularly liked, was Personal
Computer World because of its excellent practical advice columns.
Everything else that I've tried seems to concentrate heavily on news
with only scant attention to practical matters. Copious reviews of
new products and group tests are fine - but who wants to buy a new
PC, printer, scanner, camera and lots of new software etc. every
month? Certainly not me!
Any suggestions for a PCW substitute?

You may already have tried and dismissed 'Computer Shopper', since it does
indeed have lots of reviews. But it also has many advice pages, and it's a
rare issue from which I learn nothing.

André Coutanche

[madge]

On Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:35:58 +0100, André Coutanche

Post by André Coutanche

Post by Terry Casey
One mag, no longer with us, that I particularly liked, was Personal
Computer World because of its excellent practical advice columns.
Everything else that I've tried seems to concentrate heavily on news
with only scant attention to practical matters. Copious reviews of
new products and group tests are fine - but who wants to buy a new
PC, printer, scanner, camera and lots of new software etc. every
month? Certainly not me!
Any suggestions for a PCW substitute?

You may already have tried and dismissed 'Computer Shopper', since it does
indeed have lots of reviews. But it also has many advice pages, and it's a
rare issue from which I learn nothing.

You may remember the old BYTE magazine which still lives on electronically
http://www.informationweek.com/byte/ it still has Jerry Pournelle writing
Chaos Manor.

I miss Boardwatch magazine to which I paid extortionate amounts of money
to have it posted to the UK. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boardwatch

[Albert Ross]

On Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:53:17 +0100, Terry Casey

Post by Terry Casey
13:10:36 +0100

Post by Albert Ross

Post by Java Jive
"Future Publishing is to sell or close eight of its magazines,
including Hi-Fi Choice and What Satellite & Digital TV, as it battles
against a fall in profits."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/20/future-magazines-close-sell

Were any of their mags worth reading?
Nowadays about the only mags I read are specialist titles from small
publishers, they don't (yet) appear to suffer the same problems as the
major publishers.

One mag, no longer with us, that I particularly liked, was Personal Computer
World because of its excellent practical advice columns.

Yes agreed, until it went relentlessly downmarket towrds the end.