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Interesting article by Doc Searls

Aug 20, 2011  By NixSince85
 in

I just read the article by Doc Searls in the [now digital-only] September issue. It actually gave me a better understanding of the challenges Linux Journal has faced, leading up to its decision to dump the print version. (Still not happy about that, though.)

Anyway, one of the things Searls mentions is that he was writing this article on August 1. As noted in other threads, the idea of going all-digital had to have been discussed for a long time before the decision was made, yet we--the paying subscribers--knew nothing about it until August 19 when we were notified via e-mail that the last issue we received would be the LAST issue we received. If Searls wrote his article on the first, obviously the decision was made--at the LATEST--in July...so why weren't we notified sooner?

On another note, the article says that Linux "is now the most widely used operating system." Really? That's fantastic! I'm guessing that the amazing success of Android--which was running at 300,000 activations PER DAY earlier this year--is largely responsible, but the bottom line is that "my" OS, which I've used since 1991, has finally achieved the success I always hoped it would.

‹ The reality is not everyone reads or wants pure digital content Elephant in the LJ room ›

I just /tried/ to read the article by Doc Searls

lpitcher's picture
Submitted by lpitcher on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 10:06.

and it reconfirmed one of the issues I have with digital magazines: it was unreadable.

The text of the article is formatted into side-by-side (apparently 8:11) pages of columns of text - fine for a magazine where you actually have physical pages, and the columns align with the customary vertical foldpoints of a folded-for-easy-reading magazine. But, not so good for reading on a 4:3 (or worse, a 16:9) device, which cannot be folded vertically at either the "page" margin or at the "column" margin.

Further, as I attempted to scroll down the article as I read, I found some issues: at first, scrolling tool a while; there was an appreciable lag between my hitting the "down arrow" and the time the page actually scrolled down. Next, the scroll wasn't a few lines, but a few paragraphs, necessitating me to take time to relocate exactly where I was reading. Finally, after about 3 or 4 scroll downs, I was dumped 3 or 4 pages ahead, well after the end of the article, and into some other article.

So, instead of a simple left-to-right, top-to-bottom, scroll down page, I had to jump all around, reading left-to-right (within a column), top-to-bottom, scroll-down, scroll up, shift right, left-to-right, top-to-bottom, scroll down, scroll up, shift right, .... you get the picture.

Unreadable.

Lew Pitcher
Master Codewright & JOAT-in-training | Registered Linux User #112576
Me: http://pitcher.digitalfreehold.ca/ | Just Linux: http://justlinux.ca/
---------- Slackware - Because I know what I'm doing. ------

Interesting find! BTW, I know

NYbill's picture
Submitted by NYbill (not verified) on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 19:09.

Interesting find!

BTW, I know the Android market has increased Linux's user base quite a bit. But, are they Linux users? Do they care? I feel 90% of people walking into a cell phone store or buying a tablet just want some neat tech that works. They are not passionate about the underlying technology. They don't what to know what a kernel is.

I've experienced this first hand. When my brother (who knows I've used Linux since the mid 90's. ...and doesn't care.) bought a Smart phone, I said, "You know thats Linux, right?". He said, "really?" then shrugged. Two weeks later when his phone wouldn't play and animated gif, he sent me a text saying, "f'ing Linux!"

If LJ thinks there whole subscriber base is going to be Android devices and iPads... I'm not seeing it. These are consumer devices. Most of the owners don't care how they work. They just want them to work! They are buying TV's, toasters...

Your account of your

Webmistress's picture
Submitted by Webmistress on Thu, 08/25/2011 - 16:11.

Your account of your brother's phone gave me a LOL. Thanks, I needed that. :) Incidentally, I frequently say the same thing (albeit with quite a bit more irony.. usually) about my Android phone and even my desktop now and then. LOL

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