GS+ Magazine Down for the Count

[jfenske@access.mbnet.mb.ca (John Fenske)]

For Immediate Release - GS+ Magazine Ceases Publication
 
Not a hoax!  Not a dream!  Not an imaginary tale!  What follows  is a
slightly edited version of the "Writer's Block" column that will appear in
the upcoming issue of GS+ Magazine (V7.N1 - which will be mailed out the
week of August 28th).  Please distribute this information as far and wide as
possible.
 
-------------- Writer's Block By Steven W. Disbrow
 
Believe it or not, I'm writing this editorial while this issue of  GS+
Magazine is at the printer.   This page is actually being  substituted for
the "Writer's Block" that I had already written  for this issue.  So, what
you read on this page will take precedence  over some of the other
information that you will find in this issue.   Why am I telling you this?
It's because I've got some very  bad news . . .
 
It is with great sadness that I am forced to announce that this (V7.N1) is
the last issue of GS+ Magazine.  After six years, and thirty-seven  issues,
it has simply become impossible to continue publication.
 
As you might be able to guess, the main reason for this decision is  money.
Specifically, the lack of it.  As I mentioned an issue or  two ago, renewals
have been off.  Since then, renewals went through  the floor and new
subscriptions have been almost non-existent.   I'  BBve tried everything I
could think of to reverse this trend, but  nothing has worked.   The end
result is that EGO Systems has no more  money to publish GS+ Magazine.  So,
I've reluctantly decided to  pull the plug.
 
I know what you are thinking, "Ha!  Now Diz will show his true  colors and
disappear like all the rest."  Well, I'm not gonna do  that.  While GS+
Magazine is ceasing publication, EGO Systems will  stick around for just as
long as possible.  Specifically, we'll  still be selling and supporting all
of the back issues of GS+  Magazine, as well as our other Apple IIGS and
Newton products.   We will also continue to sell Procyon's, Zip's,
Animasia's and  WestCode's products for just as long as there is a demand.
Heck, we might even come out with some new stuff after the  dust from this
settles . . .
 
What About my Money? Of course, if you're thinking ahead, you've figured
that, if  there's no money to publish GS+ Magazine, there's probably  no
money left to repay your subscription.  Sadly, this is true.   But, that
doesn't mean I don't intend to try.  It's been my  intention since day one
of GS+ Magazine to repay every penny of  subscriber money, one way or
another.  So, here's what we are  going to do:
 
First, check your mailing label.  If it says "<*Last Issue!*>"  this was
your last issue of GS+ Magazine, so you've gotten all  the issues you've
paid for.  (You can skip to the last paragraph  if you want.) Otherwise,
your label will have a dollar amount  and a volume & issue number on it.
(It will look something like  this:  "$30.00/V7.N6".)  This tells you how
much credit you have  in your account as well as when your subscription
would have  expired.
 
To translate this last issue figure into an actual number of  issues that
you had coming to you, use the following table: V7.N2 = 1 issue,  V7.N3 = 2
issues,  V7.N4 = 3 issues,  V7.N5 = 4 issues,  V7.N6 = 5 issues,  V8.N1 = 6
issues, V8.N2 = 7 issues,  V8.N3 = 8 issues,  V8.N4 = 9 issues,  V8.N5 = 10
issues,  V8.N6 = 11 issues,  V9.N1 = 12 issues.
 
[Note: since you are reading this online, you probably don't have V7.N1 yet,
so you can't look at your mailing label to see how much credit you have.
Just give us  a call at 615-332-2087 (please don't use the toll-free line
for this!) and we can tell you.]
 
After you figure out how many issues we owe you, you need to  decide how you
want to be repaid for those issues.  Here are  the options we are making
available at this time:
 
1)  Back issues.  You can take back issues for unmailed issues  on a "1 for
1" basis.  So, if you have five issues remaining,  you can take five back
issues.  Just send us a list of the ones  you want.  (We'll pay the
shipping.  I'm not sure HOW we'll pay  the shipping at this point, but we're
going to try.  If you'd  like to throw in a little money [$3 would be a good
amount] to  help us pay for shipping, I won't complain!)
 
2)  Out of print Back Issues.  If you have all of our available  back
issues, that first option might not appeal to you very much.   So, for the
first time ever, I'm making available disks containing  the text of our sold-
out back issues.  Like regular back issues,  you can take these on a "1 for
1" basis.  So now you can have any  GS+ Magazine back issue you want.  We'll
also pay the shipping  on these.  (Here again, if you want to help us out on
the shipping, I certainly won't pitch a fit!  And if you could send us some
blank disks to copy the text onto, that would be GREAT! ;-} )
 
3)  Use the credit that's shown on your label.  If you don't just  want back
issues, you can use your credit towards the purchase of  anything we sell.
That includes AutoArk, Addressed For Success,  GS+ T-Shirts (please!),
Balloon, or any of the third party products  we sell.  You can also use your
credit to pay for multiple products,  or to pay for shipping.  You should
figure shipping costs for the  products you order as detailed in the ads in
this issue.  If you  don't have enough credit to cover everything you want
to get, send  us your Visa or MasterCard information, and we'll bill you for
the  difference.  You can also send us a check for the difference if you
want, but it will be easier for us to bill an exact amount to a  credit
card.  By the way, if you want to use your credit to buy  back issues,
figure their cost using the costs shown on the back  issue information page
in this issue.  I realize it's more expensive  that way, but it's just too
much trouble for us to figure all the  different costs involved.  (By the
way, the special back issue offer  detailed in the a.Read.Me file on the GS+
Disk is no longer valid.)
 
Remember, we aren't going out of business!  We are just stopping
publication of GS+ Magazine.  So, I intend to do everything in my  power to
keep your trust.  (In other words, you needn't worry about  sending us your
credit card info.)
 
This also means that we are retaining the copyrights to all of our  programs
and all of the back issues of GS+ Magazine.  So please,  if you know someone
that wants copies, don't make copies for them,  just send them our way.
 
Special Notes If you are a magazine and disk subscriber, you'll get
magazines and  disks.  If you are a magazine only subscriber, you'll just
get  magazines.  When a paper version of a back issue is gone, we'll switch
to the disk-based text version.  If we don't have the T-shirt size you
request, we'll substitute the next largest size.  If you use your credit  to
order some of the third-party products that we sell, be sure to list
alternate products that you want, just in case we are sold out of  something
and we can't get more!  (In fact, be sure to list lots  of alternate
products!)  Also, be sure to include a phone number  (and the best time to
call), or e-mail address that we can reach  you at .
 
Expiration Date Since we will probably have to move out of our offices soon
(I  plan on taking EGO Systems back into my basement.), we need to  get all
of these back issues out of here as soon as possible.   So, this offer
expires on October 31, 1995.  After that, I'll  assume that you've taken
pity on me and you've decided to let  me keep your money.  (Not that I still
have it . . .)  Frankly  however, I'd much rather get rid of all these back
issues!   Otherwise, they'll be going to the recycling plant on December 31!
 
Finally, over the next several weeks I'm going to attempt to  sell off quite
a bit of our office and computer equipment.   The production of GS+ Magazine
was the main thing that we used  it all for, so we really don't need a lot
of it any longer.   So, if you are looking for a particular piece of
hardware or  software, call me.  The only catch is that I'll ask you to  pay
the shipping.
 
The Phones As I said earlier, EGO Systems is very cash poor at this moment.
 However, I'm hopeful that this won't be the case forever, so the  1-800
number is still in service.  Until then however, I'd like  to ask that you
not use the 1-800 number for calling to request  your back issues or credit
purchases.  Instead, call us at  615-332-2087, or FAX your order to us at
615-332-2634.   Better still, if you can, please e-mail your orders to me
at GSPlusDiz@aol.com.  (Don't bother sending e-mail to my old  Delphi
account, I had to cancel it in a last ditch attempt  to cut costs.  It
didn't work.)
 
The End Well, that's it then.  It's been a hard, but enjoyable six years.
There were times that I truly thought that it would last forever,  but there
were far more times that I just wanted to curl up in a  little ball and cry.
 
GS+ Magazine has always felt like my "baby."  But it certainly  couldn't
have been delivered by me alone.  So, I need to thank  the following people
for helping me to make GS+ Magazine a  reality through the years
 
First I need to thank my mom.  She loaned me the money I needed  to get this
whole thing going.  (And some day I might even pay  her back!)
 
Even though they weren't around long, Susan Thoeming, Wilma  Tucker,
Michelle Davidson and Bill Moore all deserve recognition  for putting up
with me for as long as they did.
 
Michelle Ribaric deserves a huge thanks for getting GS+ Magazine  on
schedule and keeping it there.
 
Thanks to Robert "Bob" Ribaric for making the workplace more fun  and for
doing all the tiny little crap jobs I could throw at him.   He never
complained and always had a smile and a cheese joke for  us when the day
started.
 
I've always thought of myself as the "Idea Man," but the truth is  that Joe
Wankerl had some great ideas himself.  It would be a lie  if I were to tell
you that I could have done GS+ Magazine without  him.  He always met his
deadlines and he never wrote a bad program.   In fact, I'd say that Joe's
the best programmer that's ever touched  an Apple II keyboard, bar none.
Whatever platform he ends up on will  be damn lucky to have him.  Thanks for
all your help Joe.
 
That brings me to Nory . . .  People, if it weren't for this marvelous
woman, there never would have even been a GS+ Magazine.  When I wanted  to
start this magazine, she was there with all the support any man could  ever
hope for.  She helped with editing, layouts, testing, accounting . . .  you
name it, she did it.  And, she never took a dime for any of the work  she
did.  She's been with GS+ Magazine from the beginning, and without her  help
and support, the end would have come much, much sooner.
 
I love you Nory!
 
Finally, of course, I have to thank all of you.  From our first customer
(Mark DePeo Jr.), to our last, you guys have stood by GS+ Magazine through
bad times and worse times.  You gave us your monetary and emotional support
and we couldn't have done it without you.
 
Thanks, and farewell.
 
Diz





-- 
John Fenske           |
jfenske@mbnet.mb.ca   | Anything that kills you makes you...well, dead.
J.FENSKE2 (GEnie)     |