[SC.LUG] Linux Mags?

[John Southern]

> Robert Marshall wrote:
> > I'm a little puzzled on this one - maybe John can illuminate?
> > Linux mag still claims that it doesn't have a disc but the last two
> > copies - which I order from the newsagent - have come with a dvd
> > attached.
> > At a greatly increased price (> £6)!

£5.99

Rick [Kitty5] wrote:
> It may also be a case of charging as much as they think they can get away
> with.

Sadly true.
Personally I HATE all magazines. Maybe it is because I see one from the inside 
every waking moment.
I read about fifteen paper based Linux magazines a month, plus assorted other 
computer and science magazines.
Costs are not quite as they seem. 50% of cover price goes to WHSmiths.
If a magazine costs £10 then of the remaining £5 the distributor company 
normally gets about £2. Printing, binding and attaching a disc is low say £1.
So we are down to £2 to write, art work, produce CD and make a profit.
Last time I asked, CD pressing as opposed to burning was about 13p including 
the case and inlay. DVD was a little more expensive, but not much.

The only way around this is to read online magazines and submit articles to 
them so they have decent content.

I like Linux Gazette http://www.linuxgazette.com/
Linux Planet http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/
and Just Linux http://www.justlinux.com/

News I take of sites like the BBC and for preference prefer RSS tickers.
Cartoons I use Dailystrips to collate and take UserFriendly, Dilbert, 
PC&Pixel, Pearls before swine, and MegaTokyo.
For fun I read NeedToKnow, the register, Kuro5hin and /.
I also search out fan-fiction. As I am losing the use of my hands and eyes I 
find I am reading more online these days with a scroll mouse and 
magnification.
I play Dribblez online http://www.dibblez.nl/game3pop.php
and devote far too much time to playing Uplink.

My favourite tool is cdparanoia as it handles hidden tracks on CDs
And I hate SPAMMERS.

Anyone else have time-sinks they want to share?

John