Subscription clarification: Paper Mag vs. Digital ...iPad APP ??

[Shepherd Jim]

Hello All:

I'm a longtime subscriber to the paper magazine (a/k/a "dead tree publication") and am definitely headed in the digital direction. I hang onto the mags -- stacking them in corners since the space under the bed is already full. But honestly, I hardly ever need to go back and re-read anything. And, articles that I know I want to have close to hand (e.g. last year's coverage of my friend, knife-maker Mudd Sharrigan) I go to great trouble to scan into pdf for retention and cataloging in Evernote.

I have been searching for a clear and concise description of the pros (and cons?) of switching my subscription to "digital". I have learned that WITHOUT having signed up for digital I AM able to visit the digital website and look at many WB issues -- even being able to drill in and view selected pages/articles. I sense my access and view is somehow limited but there is no clear statement about what I'm being permitted to see and/or how much more access I would have IF if were, in fact, a digital subscriber.

And then there's the WB iPad app available on the iTunes Store (Apple) for FREE. We purchased an iPad to see what all the fuss was about. I was very surprised to find FREE digital access to WoodenBoat via this app. Despite that the app's description says, "The app is used to view your digital subscription to WoodenBoat on your mobile device." I am able to browse current and past WB issues. Will the app be expanded in some way after I do, in fact, have a digital subscription?

Believe me, I am not complaining about anything -- I am a very happy customer! I'm guessing my confusion is most probably due to my being an OLD dog.

[Carl Cramer]

Thanks, Jim. Oh those people at iTunes have such wicked senses of humor..... Digital access will be ONLY to those who have paid, but it seems we're still a day or two away.

I can't imagine reading a magazine such as WoodenBoat on a phone. And iPad? Sure, it looks good that way. But a Kindle Fire or iTouch or iPhone or Android? It doesn't work for me.

Thanks, Carl

[Shepherd Jim]

Thanks, Jim. Oh those people at iTunes have such wicked senses of humor..... Digital access will be ONLY to those who have paid, but it seems we're still a day or two away.

I can't imagine reading a magazine such as WoodenBoat on a phone. And iPad? Sure, it looks good that way. But a Kindle Fire or iTouch or iPhone or Android? It doesn't work for me.

Hey Carl: So, if I'm reading you correctly, the WoodenBoat apps are intended to only work for folks that have paid for a digital subscription.

I have to agree with you. I can sort of understand how one might want to watch a movie on a smart phone's little screen. But, trying to read/view a magazine's pages is not satisfactory.

As I have only one paper issue of WB left in my current subscription I am going to go ahead and energize digitally. Jim

[Canoeyawl]

I can't imagine reading a magazine such as WoodenBoat on a phone. And iPad? Sure, it looks good that way. But a Kindle Fire or iTouch or iPhone or Android? It doesn't work for me.

The old ways are indeed wonderful, and one might imagine much would be lost using a different format. But until you have enjoyed an evening sitting by the fire reading a good novel written in Cuneiform on clay it is hard to know that the new ways are not better.
Many a venerable and successful business has gone down with the ship by not keeping up with technology. Note the news this morning concerning Eastman Kodak...

[Carl Cramer]

Yes, Jim. I'm happy (?) to say that iTunes has FINALLY approved us -- 10 minutes ago.

Hey Carl: So, if I'm reading you correctly, the WoodenBoat apps are intended to only work for folks that have paid for a digital subscription.

I have to agree with you. I can sort of understand how one might want to watch a movie on a smart phone's little screen. But, trying to read/view a magazine's pages is not satisfactory.

As I have only one paper issue of WB left in my current subscription I am going to go ahead and energize digitally. Jim

[mcdenny]

Are paper subscribers automatically able to access digital content?

[C. Ross]

To take both Carl and canoeyawl's points...
I'm posting this from an iPad, and I could easily see WoodenBoat "as is" on an iPad, but I'd read it on my Android phone only if it was specifically and dramatically designed for that platform and not just a repurposed version of the paper magazine.
I hope that WoodenBoat would consider developing a digital version which is truly digital and interactive, in the mold of most successful web 2.0 content, rather than a simple repurposing of the paper magazine. I enjoy the Forum as an adjunct to the printed magazine...the threads on the forum are usually lesser quality and depth than the magazine articles, but not always so. And there is a tremendous amount of crowd sourced content on the forum that is lightyears beyond letters to the editors and the kinds of odds and ends at the front of the magazine. I'd love to see the energy of the Forum (with an editorial firewall to keep the Bilge from sloshing topsides) in a new digital WoodenBoat.

[hokiefan]

Hello All:

I'm a longtime subscriber to the paper magazine (a/k/a "dead tree publication") and am definitely headed in the digital direction. I hang onto the mags -- stacking them in corners since the space under the bed is already full. But honestly, I hardly ever need to go back and re-read anything. And, articles that I know I want to have close to hand (e.g. last year's coverage of my friend, knife-maker Mudd Sharrigan) I go to great trouble to scan into pdf for retention and cataloging in Evernote.

I have been searching for a clear and concise description of the pros (and cons?) of switching my subscription to "digital". I have learned that WITHOUT having signed up for digital I AM able to visit the digital website and look at many WB issues -- even being able to drill in and view selected pages/articles. I sense my access and view is somehow limited but there is no clear statement about what I'm being permitted to see and/or how much more access I would have IF if were, in fact, a digital subscriber.

And then there's the WB iPad app available on the iTunes Store (Apple) for FREE. We purchased an iPad to see what all the fuss was about. I was very surprised to find FREE digital access to WoodenBoat via this app. Despite that the app's description says, "The app is used to view your digital subscription to WoodenBoat on your mobile device." I am able to browse current and past WB issues. Will the app be expanded in some way after I do, in fact, have a digital subscription?

Believe me, I am not complaining about anything -- I am a very happy customer! I'm guessing my confusion is most probably due to my being an OLD dog.

I love progress as much as the next guy. But I have to remind everyone that paper is made from trees that are grown as a crop. In Georgia they cut down a pine tree so they can plant two more. Just sayin'

Cheers,

Bobby

[Dan St Gean]

A crop that's not so clean to transform into a usable product. Ever drive by a paper plant? That said, the digital fomat requires enegy too--creating a computer, powering it, etc. I use both though, and I still manage to sleep at night.

[Shepherd Jim]

Okay! A couple of days ago I took the plunge; went to the WB w/site and renewed my subscription as digital only.

I received an immediate confirmation that my credit card was charged. But, there's been no further communication. (??) I was expecting an email to come in advising me about how I would access my new subscription.

BTW: I am still able to view the last year's magazine issues on our iPad without doing any sort of "log in". The iPad app does have an "Account" dropdown log in which requests a Screen Name and and email address. I'm guessing that the Screen Name is not the same as my name her in the Forums.

It sounds like a good number of you here on the Forum already have digital subscriptions. Where do I head from here?

Thanks!

Jim

[Carl Cramer]

Thanks, Jim -- and all.

Yes, we're struggling to adapt. At the moment, we're at the mercy of our service providers, but hopefully that will be fixed shortly. I apologize to all of you who are getting frustrated with the type of experience that Shepherd Jim has described.

There will come a point soon where we'll ask you here on this sub-forum what, specifically, you would like digital, dynamic versions to look like, and how they would function. We may seem like it, but we're not actually Luddites here. Realistically, we are a small bunch of dedicated people trying to accomplish a whole lot to keep all of you stimulated and fulfilled -- no easy piece on the best of days. (File under "Smoke and mirrors.")

Our immediate concentration is on improving the digital subscription and newsstand process. And then on to the revised website. We would like the first of these two to be concluded in less than a month, and the second within two months. But we don't know how realistic these expectations are yet. For the moment, please know that our broad shoulders are pushing those gigantic wheels..... and we hope our name isn't Sisyphus.

Thanks, Carl

[NYCKiwi]

I've been subscribing to the paper magazine for years now, and also subscribe to the digital version. The magazine takes a long time to be delivered to Hawaii, so the digital version allows me to start reading much sooner. Believe it or not, I often read the digital version on my iPhone while I'm away from home. It's very convenient.

I also very much like the ability to save the digital version as a PDF. I often search back through back copies to find particular articles of interest. There are some real gems. Actually, I had intended subscribing to Water Craft magazine electronically until I saw the electronic reader. It seemed slow to scroll through and I was only able to view it in the reader - I couldn't save as a PDF. This brought up the question of whether I was buying an electronic copy of the magazine or temporary access to the reader. Would I still be able to view the magazine copies I thought I'd purchased if my subscription ended? I finally gave up and decided to just wait until the paper version finally showed up at B&N. Then I'd know where I stood. So I hope that the ability to read and save Woodenboat as a simple PDF file will not be lost.

Flashy, interactive magazines with video and other bells and whistles are all very well, but not everyone's cup of tea. Most annoying are video adverts that fire off when a page is turned. Not only are they distracting, but also slow the ability to scroll quickly through a magazine. So I guess I'm not so keen to see the digital version go fully interactive. *There is so much stimulation on the web that it's nice to browse through something that's plain and honest. *

[Shepherd Jim]

I've been subscribing to the paper magazine for years now, and also subscribe to the digital version....<snip>...
Most annoying are video adverts that fire off when a page is turned. Not only are they distracting, but also slow the ability to scroll quickly through a magazine. So I guess I'm not so keen to see the digital version go fully interactive....<snip>...

I have to pretty much agree with everything NYCKiwi has to say.

I very much want ALL of the original advertising (ie. as it was in the paper mag and/or at the time of publication) to be retained in the digital issues. WB might be able to reap new income streams by

• offering advertisers the ability to insert video information into their ads in the digital edition-- accessible by click and NOT automatic pop-up.
• Some advertisers might opt to ONLY place ads in the dig. edition. And lastly,
• I'd recommend that ALL URL's in the digital magazine be made "clickable" -- this would be a plus for us readers AND the advertisers. This would be so attractive to me as a reader -- I'd hate to have non-active URLs -- so I would suggest that this functionality be offered to advertisers as a standard feature, Note: I would not suggest that WB attempt to maintain / keep updated the currency of all those links which would become a major, time-consuming task over time.

Changing the subject: I still have not heard from WP or Coverleaf about my digital subscription. I went to the WB website and clicked on the "Are you a subscriber to the Digital editions of WoodenBoat magazine? You can LOGIN HERE." link and see the dig. reader with a "Click Here to Subscribe" window overlaid.

How do I get a screen name, password and/or whatever is necessary to begin the digital experience?

[Scot]

Hi Jim:

Please check your email (acct used with the WB Forum).

-Scot


re:
Changing the subject: I still have not heard from WP or Coverleaf about my digital subscription. I went to the WB website and clicked on the "Are you a subscriber to the Digital editions of WoodenBoat magazine? You can LOGIN HERE." link and see the dig. reader with a "Click Here to Subscribe" window overlaid.

How do I get a screen name, password and/or whatever is necessary to begin the digital experience?

[Scot]

Jim:

You're all set now.

-Scot

[elf]

What a messy and fraught situation! In about 5 years, when our failure to manage our energy use becomes patent, and business starts to struggle with not being able to access the cloud to find things for sale or complete business transactions, we will start to recognize the error we are making by this wholesale shift away from tangible substance for communication and business.

Sad.

As for the magazine, I recommend looking to the New Yorker for an adequate role model for this change. A paper subscription will best serve subscribers to the digital edition, as well, for all the reasons that reference works need to be tangible.

WoodenBoat Magazine is, primarily, a reference work after all.

[Hollingsworth]

Just downloaded my first iPad issue with the new app. I have a lot of air travel this week, so looking forward to seeing how the iPad version compares. I'll post a review.

[Mad Scientist]

...I very much want ALL of the original advertising (ie. as it was in the paper mag and/or at the time of publication) to be retained in the digital issues. WB might be able to reap new income streams by

• offering advertisers the ability to insert video information into their ads in the digital edition-- accessible by click and NOT automatic pop-up.
• Some advertisers might opt to ONLY place ads in the dig. edition. And lastly,
• I'd recommend that ALL URL's in the digital magazine be made "clickable" -- this would be a plus for us readers AND the advertisers...

I've noticed that Points East has clickable URLs in their online edition. It appears to be hosted by 'issuu.com'. So, the technology is out there.

Tom

[Hollingsworth]

I read issue 225 on my iPad this week. I was on a 6 hour flight so had plenty of time to flip through the pages. It was comforting in a way because it "felt" like the Wooden Boat magazine that I'm used to. Nevertheless, a little interactivity would be welcome. I'm sure we'll get there. Nice to have.

[JonWilson]

Thank you very much for this. Could you say a little more about what you would like to have in the interactivity?

[Carl Cramer]

Thank you, Hollingsworth. If you mean links to videos, etc. -- you'll be seeing them in the May/June issue.... with any luck.

[Hollingsworth]

Links to videos would be wonderful. By interactivity, I would echo what's already been mentioned in this thread, such as clickable URLs and Web 2.0 content. WIRED magazine (Conde Nast) for iPad is a good example of content designed for an app, in both editorial and advertising. In the March issue, an ad for Toyota allows the reader to change the color of the car and place it in different scenic backgrounds with a click. A feature story on a new digital camera lets readers click through different views and specs. This interactivity makes for more of an experiential engagement (vs passive) for readers and in my opinion heralds a renaissance in magazine publishing. With a little imagination, I can see a future Wooden Boat magazine for iPad where readers can click through pictorials to get different angles, hear audio snippets of interviews and watch clickable videos. (Full disclosure: I work in the advertising industry as an executive creative director, so my perspective is positively biased toward interactive media.)

[JonWilson]

This is very helpful - especially the WIRED analogy. Thanks very much.

[hokiefan]

A crop that's not so clean to transform into a usable product. Ever drive by a paper plant? That said, the digital fomat requires enegy too--creating a computer, powering it, etc. I use both though, and I still manage to sleep at night.

Have I ever driven by a paper plant? Oh thats funny!!! Paper mill btw... I grew up in a paper mill town. My Dad was a project engineer in said paper mill. I went to work in a sister mill as a process control engineer. Moved to their chemical division making ink, coating, and adhesive resins from paper mill byproducts. Went to work for another company that made flavors and fragrances from another paper mill byproduct. You would be absolutely amazed at how very little of the pine tree is wasted. Yeah the industry has its issues, but it is almost criminal to use limited oil to make bags when we could use a replenishable crop like pine trees to make an equally good bag.

Cheers,

Bobby

[cprinos]

Thank you very much for this. Could you say a little more about what you would like to have in the interactivity?

Taking a look at the sample issues that are up on the app store, I think there are some improvements that could come before adding new interactive features. I'd like to see retina display support (currently the text is not sharp) and better scans of the photography (compare to magazines on zinio for example which have much higher image and text quality). The printed WB has great production value, would love to see that in the ebook formats.

[Scot]

cprinos:

Are you looking at the issue via the WB App on the iPad2 or the new iPad with Retina display? Or, are you viewing on something else?

-Scot

[cprinos]

new iPad w/ Retina display.

[Scot]

Thanks. Was wondering as type looks quite nice with the iPad2. Carl says Retina is coming!

-Scot

[cprinos]

excellent. that new display spoils you quickly.

[cprinos]

I should add too that the PDF back issues available through Digital downloads are great and don't have the same problems... plus you can zoom in more than you can with the app... for now this seems to be the best way to read issues on the iPad.

[Curt G]

Changing the subject: I still have not heard from WP or Coverleaf about my digital subscription. I went to the WB website and clicked on the "Are you a subscriber to the Digital editions of WoodenBoat magazine? You can LOGIN HERE." link and see the dig. reader with a "Click Here to Subscribe" window overlaid.

How do I get a screen name, password and/or whatever is necessary to begin the digital experience?


I'm having the same problem as Shepard Jim. Do I have to give my personal information to Cloverleaf to sign on? It looks like an old fashioned magazine clearing house and I don't want to be bombarded with subscription offers for junk I don't want.
I gave up on the online subscription process and did it over the phone because it didn't credit me after I hit the "submit" button. The one right next to the warning not to hit submit twice or you would be charged again. Sya what you will but the Post Office always delivered my checks in the past and the issues always got to the house

[johnno]

Hi Carl,
I've been trying to take out a digital subscription (with discount for having a paper subscription) for more than two months now. The problems have stemmed from the fact that Australian subscriptions to Wooden Boat changed at your request to Boat Books Australia.

I have in fact subscribed continuously to Wooden Boat since around 1985, but since Boat Books Australia took over the Australian subscriptions, they don't issue a subscription /account number. I've been emailing your subscription department (Bernadette, from memory) about this for many weeks but the emails from your end have just dried up for the last four weeks. The last communication dates from when I contacted Boat Books myself, confirmed with them that I am about one year into my current three subscription, and forwarded their confirmation email to you.

I have heard nothing since.

I guess I should just take out a digital subscription,in addition to my current hard copy subscription, but the extra cost is significant, plus there's the principle.

cheers
John Hockings

[Scot]

Johnno: We'll figure it out and our circ folks will get back to you.

-Scot

[johnno]

Cheers Scot, it's no big deal, but I really appreciate your help on it.
cheers
John

[jahlinux]

I enjoy the digital issues I download as pdf's. I use the app "GoodReader" to read issues. I have every issue on my iPad. I bought the back issues at last years wooden boat show, well worth the cost. It's a great source of information. I hope we will always have the pdf option so I can continue to have all the issues in one place.

[Spikedog123]

I am interested in subscribing on my Kindle Fire. I see that some back issues are on the the site. If I subscribe today on 6/4/2012 , will I able to see the last 12 month back issues? Will I only see the issues from this point forward? Thank you.

[Scot]

Spike:

Subs go forward, just as with the print issue. Digital subs don't include the back issues.

-Scot

[Spikedog123]

Spike:

Subs go forward, just as with the print issue. Digital subs don't include the back issues.

-Scot

Okay. It is kinda confusing. I loaded the app and saw 6 back issues, 3 had "subscribe" written on them. I emailed your service company with the same question. They didn't respond.

I am interested in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue so from your comments, I will have to order a back issue even though I am provided the option to order this issue as part of my subscription. It must be an error.

[Carl Cramer]

If you subscribe for a digital subscription, you ARE given access to all 2012 digital issues.

But I'm afraid we're not yet on Kindle. We were accepted by Amazon about 6 months ago, but their production backlog indicates we won't be available there until sometime this summer.

The same is true with the Nook from Barnes and Noble.