Flip version of BC magazine

[luvrbus]

LOL I am having problems with Adobe hell I cannot even read the online version I paid for

[Jeremy]

For the folks who find the text too small - that's what the zoom button is for!

For the luddites who think 'online' is "to (sic) high tech" - there's no button to fix that...

I agree with the comments about the content, and have said so before at length. BUT content and delivery go hand-in-hand, and BCM are absolutely right to be looking at better ways of delivering the on-line version - get the delivery right and income and circulation goes up, which will pay for the better content, attract more advertisers, and the rest of the virtuous circle that follows.

Jeremy

[robertglines1]

Don't know what  Luddites are!  sort of offended.   I'm 65 yrs old like building buses and sharing experiences but like  the time,  resources, and yes desire to become a computer literate person to enjoy these things. I feel I speak for at least 1/3 or more of the people involved here. So I guess time will tell. So does this mean I have no valueable skills because I have no desire to be computer/I phone skilled?  Just plain old simple me.   Bob  By the way I use spell check.

[belfert]

Nobody has said the print version is going away yet.  The online version can be posted the very same day it is finished while the printed version takes some time as it has to go to the printer and then it has to be delivered to your house.

[Paso One]

I like it  but I always print the online version anyway. seems I just need to hold the paper

[rv_safetyman]

Ok folks, I am a bit upset.

Some of you dump about the content of the magazine.  A couple of you even dump and then acknowledge that you have not subscribed for a while.

First, a few of us have worked our tails off to furnish new articles.  Yes, we get criticized because they are technical articles written by technical folks.  But it is new information that has not been published.  Sean has published some wonderful stuff for those that care to learn.  I have tried to add stories that I think are of general interest, albeit technical.  I do a ton of research for each article and try my darnedest to give useful information with documentation/links so that folks can confirm my thoughts or develop their own.

Next, and this is my real bitch:  Where the hell do you think the content comes from?  Do you think that authors are lined up to write articles that will somehow meet your expectations?

I guess I had better quit before I piss everybody off!

Jim

[Rick 74 MC-8]

question if you had 1 of those smart toilets that is discussed in another thread could you read it on the can?


            Rick 74 m c 8

[Jeremy]

Don't know what  Luddites are!  sort of offended. 

No offence intended. The Luddites were people who tried to stop the spread of new technology during the industrial revolution: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

So does this mean I have no valueable skills because I have no desire to be computer/I phone skilled? 

Of course not, but suggesting that BCM shouldn't explore on-line distribution methods is to suggest that no-one else should be allowed the benefits of these just because you don't want them.

By the way I use spell check.

Doesn't help if you use the wrong word..


Jeremy

[robertglines1]

Didn't say you could not use best technology. Just saying you will leave me and others that do not have money or education behind.   Bob    Sorry for your loss

[technomadia]

The flip format came up beautifully on my 30" screen, and it really made the experience of reading through the 'zine much more rich than browsing through the PDF version.  

That said, I do share concerns expressed above about archiving from this format.  As spiffy as it is, being able to maintain access to them for the long run is a concern for many of us.  If there remains a PDF version available, problem solved.

And, I just happen to have a high speed connection right now - so it was smooth. But that is not always the case for us, so I'm sure it would be a touch annoying when we're roaming somewhere on satellite or 2G speeds.   With a PDF, we can download it and then browse it locally, meaning the experience is not affected by our connection speed.  (This is probably important for a magazine that targets a decent number of us full-timers whose connection speeds fluctuate.)

At any rate.. greatly appreciate seeing newer technologies being played with, and appreciate the solicitation for feedback.  There will always be Luddites (which is no more offensive than calling us 'computer savvy', by the way) who resist change, and there will always be us tech savvy folks pushing for change   I don't envy anyone the task of finding balance in that.

- Cherie

[Mex-Busnut]

As far as content goes, I believe in many ways I am a fairly technical person. But not all of your articles are technical. And yet I find all of them interesting. I for one have learned a lot and still have a whole bunch more to learn.

If you don't like some of the articles, may I humbly suggest you try writing a few of your own, and submit them to the magazine.

I am also looking forward to a time when we can buy more back issues. I have already purchased and downloaded what you have available.

[Jeremy]

On the 'archiving' thing - this is a very valid issue to raise but in fact shouldn't actually be a concern. The page-flipper document is created using proprietary software and viewed in a proprietary viewer, but the source material is a plain-old PDF. The proprietary bits may cease to exist, but the original PDF would remain and could easily be re-constituted in a whatever new and improved form science had to offer at the time. (3D holo-projections anyone? Coming to an iPad near you, and sooner than you think).

The extra bells-and-whistles that come with the page-flipper are not it's main purpose, which is to turn the PDF (which anyone can copy and re-distribute for free) into a document which the publisher can keep control of. As I mention earlier, it is usual for a watermarked PDF to be available for saving or printing through the page-flipper interface. The purpose of the watermarking being of course to dissuade the aforementioned re-distribution.

Jeremy

[robertglines1]

good example: I made it past the first two sentences and that was it. Barley.

[MEverard]

I hope the magazine continues in any format. We all have our like and dislikes, but consensus seems to be that we want it to stay alive. I appreciate the authors that take their time to write something that we can put to use if we choose. I don't like the fact that people need to attack to get their point across. Let's all just take what we can get and appreciate what we have. For those that don't like the content, get off your a** and write something everyone else can critique.

Mike

[Peter_Crowl]

The answer to this may be too proprietary but I think it would help put things into perspective...
How many people is this magazine reaching?

In the past I've purchased it in magzine shops. It's no longer there but that's ok because neither are the magazine shops.

If you want the publication to thrive - IMO -

You have to do what you're doing...seek the best way to distribute it online.

You have to expand the market. By that I mean applying the technical material to all forms of conveyance that a person might be converting or restoring. Installing an updated 12 volt or plumbing system can apply to a bus an RV or a boat. There's a wealth of expertise here. Bus converters were the first to do these things and remain the well of knowledge. To pigeon hole the information is to ignore a much larger market. Online distribution allows you to repurpose the material and deliver it in an appropriate wrapper to a subscriber.  Bus people get bus specific articles, bus drivetrain material and Bus Porn. RV people get the RV wrapper...boat people...well..you get the idea.

Finally - Jim is right. Content doesn't appear by itself. It isn't generated by cutting and pasting material lifted from the internet. That's a forum post - not a magazine article. It takes a lot of work and that work needs to be compensated. No revenue means little in the way of content.