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.
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.
I agree with Steven. I skim it quickly and move on to the meatier sections.
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.
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.
Daniel, Thanks–and you’ve answered the fourth feedback invitation as well!
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
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.
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.
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.