How will magazines survive the Internet, Part II? Better question, why do publishers of  online “publications” (translation: websites), feel the need to publish a “print” publication? I have an answer but you can make up you own.

(Note: For those who haven’t heard me say this before, the launch of a print property by an online publisher is nothing new.)

Who put the deja in dejazine? Hunker down. You only have to wait until May 24 before the vaporzine that started the whole vaporzine thing (and the certain first inductee into the Vaporzine Hall of Fame) will have another of its serial launches.

How will magazines survive the Internet? I guess I should point to this
transcript of a panel discussion on the topic. However, I’m in the
midst of an interview on the same topic and so I’ve had the weekend to
think about why I think it’s a ridiculous question: How will magazines
survive the Internet?

Fortunately, my interviewer is allowing me to start with the obvious
premise that the print format we now call “a magazine” is going to be
around for, well, until Wal-mart decides it doesn’t want them to be
published anymore. (Note: that was a joke.)

Ironic point by a Google employee: I don’t know which is more ironic. A Google employee using a Microsoft’s employee’s weblog to make the point about Autolink…or the Google employee’s point:

“…if you don’t like what the toolbar does…do not use it. You have a choice.”

The irony is that if publishers of websites (including bloggers) don’t like what the toolbar does to their content, they still have to use it…they have no choice (or, at least not one that Google provides.) If Google wants to do the right thing, they can start with some opt-out assistance for publishers along the lines of what they provide people who don’t want their residential phone numbers to show up on Google.

How magazines get started by big publishing companies: When I read this item in the NY Times about Cookie, a vaporzine that Fairchild will launch in November, I thought to myself, gee, that sounds familiar. And then I remembered, it sounds like the original “how magazines get started (continued)” magazine. (Note: I now usually just post those “how magazines get started links” on my link blog, deli.cio.us/rexblog.)

Just do it: I
think the affirmative posts I’ve given it over the past several months
display that I’m very supportive of an advertising campaign that
promotes magazines. But please, people, stop announcing it.
This reminds me of my pet peeve with editor’s letters that accompany
the first issue of a magazine redesign. My belief is that having to
explain a redesign is like having to explain a joke. Also, it typically
raises the obvioius question: What the heck were you doing in the past?
(And please, I’m not suggesting that this long, explanatory, press
release about why the association is kicking off this advertising campaign would necessarily cause
anyone to ask, “So what were you doing in the past?”)

By the way, there is a website
(turn off your speakers or remove your headphones) accompanying the
campaign. I would tell you what’s on it, but I have a subwoofer on the
speaker connected to my computer and the flash intro launched with some
earthquake sound that made my floor start shaking.

Back later today: I’m not around the
rexblog until much later in the day, however, if I were I’d probably be
pointing to this post by Steve Rubel and agreeing and to this post by Robert
Cox and recalling some similar things I’ve said regarding the word
“blog” over the years. But I’m not around, so I won’t.