Re: Shareware Solutions II

[philip@utstat.toronto.edu (Philip McDunnough)]

In article <28lrq2INNfsg@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (Bob Sherman) writes:

[ ]
>
>In all of the years I have been involved in the Apple II world, I don't
>ever remember being sent a free copy of an Apple II magazine. A+ never did
>it, Incider never did it either. Oh yes, they passed out free copies at the
>Apple shows such as Applefest, but so did Joe at Kansasfest. Joe also
>offered free copies not only here, but on other online services as well. 
>I know, he sent me one upon my request. The only way I have ever seen
>that offered a free issue of a computer magazine is when you entered your
>subscription, then if you did not like the first issue, you could request
>your money back and keep the first issue, BUT if you continue your
>subscription, that so called free issue becomes one of the issues
>included in your year that you pay for. Joe also offers your money back
>if you don't like the SSII publication, so in effect he offers the
>same deal as you refer to about a free copy.. Subscribe, then you
>can see the product first hand, if after that you don't like it, ask
>for your money back.. It's that simple.

Well I guess I've been spoiled. While it's true that most of the magazines
offer a "trial" issue ( and if you don't like it you return the invoice,
although you do not pay in advance), I routinely get sent copies of many
of them, as well as PCWeek (now expired) and others. In particular I remember
one very similar dealing with laptops.
 
In any case, I have always enjoyed Joe's columns in InCider and I'm sure
his SSII publication is very good. Nevertheless, I have to wonder about the
statement of "not caring" whether or not I subscribed. I certainly wouldn't
put that on a worldwide net. It's not as though I've been attacking SSII. I
simply made a suggestion. The only other thing I objected to was the overuse
of the Internet for commercial advertising.

>Other magazines charge off those issues to advertising. Their
>circulation increases allow them to raise their base advertising
>rates. Joe carries no advertising. He can not make up losses from
>free issues from ad revenues.. If Joes costs go up, only one thing
>can happen, all subscribers (including myself) will have to pay for
>your (and other) free issues in the form of higher subscription rates,
>and quite frankly, if you don't want to pay your own way, why should
>the rest of us have to pay for it??  

Well you shouldn't. My "suggestion" was simply that. It seemed to me to be
a reasonable way of getting his newsletter known to more people. I fail to
see why it would increase his costs by uploading an old issue of the 
newsletter. Studio City has down similar things.
 
It's really no big deal. I was (1) trying to be helpful (2) don't like to
be insulted and (3) don't like the Internet to be used excessively for
commercial purposes. In fact it is still against the "rules", and those
rules do affect some of us.

>And by the way Philip, while some magazines may make the offer I 
>describe above, darn few, if any newsletters do it, and SSII could
>be considered a newsletter.. Newsletters either say subscribe, or in
>some cases they offer to SELL you a sample issue.. Perhaps Joe should
>also offer to sell a single issue as a sample to those who for whatever
>reason are afraid to subscribe.. One other thing to consider. Joe does
>not operate from a Post Office box or a mail drop. He makes known his 
>home/office address, this makes him very easy to find if you should 
>feel that he owes you something. While I don't know how long Joe has
>been at that address, I do know it has been at least since the mid 
>80's when I first had the pleasure to meet him at an Applefest..

I'm being cast as a devil here. Joe can do whatever he likes. He's the one
who mentioned that he was having a hard time convincing people here to try
SSII. The economy is bad. People have very little money and are very
cautious at this time, especially when it comes to items they know little
about.
 
Selling a sample issue is a good idea. I still think uploading an issue,
part of an issue, whatever...would be more effective. And I do think it
does not help insulting the audience one is playing to.

>Joe: If your reading this message, thanks for issue number two. It
>made for good reading, and looks much better than the first issue, 
>which looked quite good on its own. 

>   bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu |                         | MCI MAIL:BSHERMAN 

-- 
Philip McDunnough
University of Toronto
philip@utstat.toronto.edu
[Where sheep may safely graze...]