Cites & Insights: Feedback invitation 1: PC Progress
With the completion of Volume 6, it’s once again time to ask for feedback on Cites & Insights.
I’m not doing a formal survey for two reasons:
- I don’t have the software handy
- I’m not sure it makes sense to ask for feedback in areas where I’m unlikely to pay attention.
Geez, that sounds awful. What I mean is, much as I love to hear what you really like or even what you really think is a waste of bandwidth/paper, I’ve learned that trying to plan the future of C&I in any detail is absurd (it’s too much driven by what’s going on and my shifting interests), and there are quite a few areas where I’m going to keep on writing when I have something to say.
That includes areas some of you may find frivolous: My Back Pages and Offtopic Perspectives, to name the most obvious cases. Frivolity may be part of the motivation. (As I’ve said before, “When C&I ceases to be fun to do, I’ll stop doing it.”)
But there are some areas where I do wonder whether what I do makes sense any more. This and a (short) series of posts to follow will inquire about those areas.
With no further ado:
1. PC Progress ( appeared twice this year, in March and November
Coverage has declined from six magazines to two, and one of those magazines is but a shadow of itself. I’m down to two roundups a year, and not certain even that’s worth doing.
Should I:
- Drop PC Progress altogether as a waste of time & space?
- Keep doing it because you read it and find it worthwhile (“you” being a request for individual feedback)?
- Drop the cumulated essays, but include specific Editors’ Choice/Best Buy products in Interesting & Peculiar Products to keep you informed?
That’s the question. Feel free to answer by attaching a comment or sending me email (waltcrawford at gmail.com).
More questions later. General feedback always welcome.
November 27th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Walt – I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to PC progress. If you dropped it from C&I I wouldn’t miss it.
November 27th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
I agree with Steven. I skim it quickly and move on to the meatier sections.
November 27th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
Good responses (the other three feedback issues may be more contentious). Frankly, unless I hear from people who really, really love it (or depend on it), I’ll do #3, with VERY selective inclusion.
November 27th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Put me done for:
# Drop the cumulated essays, but include specific Editors’ Choice/Best Buy products in Interesting & Peculiar Products to keep you informed? I really like the peculiar products feature.
November 28th, 2006 at 10:33 am
Daniel, Thanks–and you’ve answered the fourth feedback invitation as well!
December 1st, 2006 at 3:14 am
I only skim through those sections, but.
When you do a review of waht a standard PC was in the early ’90ties, and what a standard PC is nowadays, I am always interested. Yes to see the trends. You’ve done that a couple of times. I liked those
December 2nd, 2006 at 6:19 pm
WoW!ter: That’s quite a different thing. I don’t do it often, but such comparisons would be essays. In some ways, it’s more difficult to do because pricing/advertising has changed so much in the last year or two.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Walt,
This is one section I just glace at. I’d not miss it. This is your publication, so if you like it, keep it.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Ah, David, you may have missed the underlying theme of this year’s feedback requests. Note that I’m not inviting feedback on Offtopic Perspectives or Old Media/New Media or Net Media or Finding a Balance (was L2) or My Back Pages.
I’m only inviting feedback in areas where I’m not enthusiastic about the content of a section (either because I’m not sure it’s adding value or because it’s become less interesting to do) and am considering dropping it. PC Progress is the foremost example: It’s become less interesting…and I’m not sure it adds much value anymore. My “PC-related” writing has been dropping off anyway. This is just another step.