Re: Online magazines vs print

This has been my suspicion.  Most of the large budget/circulation magazines
that I've seen embrace a web based magazine format that is distinct from
their print edition.  At the same time, I see that small budget magazines
tend to move towards the PDF version.  I suspect they do this because it's
easy, and I know there are a few firms that will help you get your magazine
online (read: page turning PDF).  However, maybe readers of these small
market magazine prefer the familiar format.

Is there any research available on this specific topic....PDF version of a
publication vs. html based?  I ask because the organization I work for
produces a low circulation magazine, and wants a more "dynamic" web presence
for the it.  I've been talking them off the "PDF ledge" for a while, but
some of the programs like ipaper look really good.  Hard evidence will trump
anecdotal evidence any day.

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 2:51 PM, Elizabeth J. Pyatt <[email protected]> wrote:

> Someone should probably run usablility tests, but my gut reaction is that
> while it's important to preserve the familiar information architecture (same
> sections and categories), you don't need to replicate the entire page
> turning experience.
>
> For me, the advantage of the Web is that I can jump to the section I want
> (it is similar to flipping pages to the article I want).
>
> Many newspaper sites like the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com)
> replicate the front page story, but provide links to all the familiar
> section on the left (vs. the bottom).  I think this is a pattern replicated
> on other sites. An academic journal with a similar structure is Language
> Learning & Technology (http://llt.msu.edu/).
>
> Interestingly,  a lot of other sites like People (http://www.people.com)
> and New Yorker (http://www.newyorker.com/) focus somewhat on unique Web
> content. For instance, People has an up-to-the-minute celebrity news feed
> which is not replicated in the weekly magazine, and they include to videos.
> These sites are meant to be add-ons to the print magazine I think.
>
> In any case, I suspect a lot will depend on what the content is as well.
>
> Hope this is useful.
>
> Elizabeth
>
> P.S. A third model I've seen is a wiki which allows reader submissions.
> Dartmouth Chance News (statistics educatiion) is one (
> http://chance.dartmouth.edu/chancewiki/index.php/Main_Page)
>
> However the information architecture from the older e-mail newsletter has
> been retained.
>
>
>
>  Hi,
>>
>> Has there been any more discussion on this issue.  I'm also interested in
>> this topic.  I see that some posted articles concerning writing in print
>> vs.
>> the web, which is useful.  But the issue concerning the "experience" of
>> reading a magazine also seems to come up.  Do people like the animate
>> "page
>> turning" format, where the online edition looks and acts exactly like the
>> print?  Or do they expect something that feels more like a news site?  Or
>> does it depend entirely on the magazine's topic.  I'd like to hear what
>> others know about this.
>>
>> On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:02 PM, Lisa Neal Gualtieri <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>   Hi Hal,
>>>
>>>  This is one of my areas of expertise, after 6 years of working on eLearn
>>>  Magazine. Online and print are different in many ways, including how
>>> poeple
>>>  read them and the expectations people have in this age of everything
>>> being
>>>  online and too little attention paid to quality indicators. How can I
>>> help
>>>  you?
>>>
>>>  Lisa
>>>  --
>>>  Lisa Neal Gualtieri, Ph.D.
>>>  Editor-in-Chief, eLearn Magazine, http://eLearnMag.org
>>>  Adjunct Clinical Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
>>>  Blog on health and education: http://lisaneal.com
>>>  Phone: 781-861-7373
>>>  Email: [email protected]
>>>
>>>  On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 5:57 PM, Hal Shubin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>  > Have you worked with an online magazine or journal?
>>>  >
>>>  > Do they expect it to be just like a print journal just moved onto a
>>>  > computer, or is it OK if it's all Web style (whatever that is)? And if
>>>  the
>>>  > journal moved from print to Web only, does that change anything?
>>>  >
>>>  > I did a study that included something like this, and I think most
>>> people
>>>  > wanted the familiar appearance -- table of contents, articles, etc,
>>> just
>>>  > like the print version.
>>>  >
>>>  > thanks                          -- hs
>>>  >
>>>  > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
>>>  > Hal Shubin
>>>  > Interaction Design, Inc.
>>>  > 617 489 6595
>>>  > www.user.com
>>>  >
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>>
>> --
>> Andrew Burnette
>> 319-331-1193
>> [email protected]
>>
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>
>
> --
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D.
> Instructional Designer
> Education Technology Services, TLT/ITS
> Penn State University
> [email protected], (814) 865-0805 or (814) 865-2030 (Main Office)
>
> 210 Rider Building  (formerly Rider II)
> 227 W. Beaver Avenue
> State College, PA   16801-4819
> http://www.personal.psu.edu/ejp10/psu
> http://tlt.psu.edu
>



-- 
Andrew Burnette
319-331-1193
[email protected]

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