Sys Admin Magazine Ceases Publication

keithl writes "I received a postcard in the mail today informing me that Sys Admin magazine has ceased publication. 'We regret to inform you that the magazine has ceased publication effective with the August 2007 issue.' Only paid subscribers with remaining issues receive this mailing. If you do nothing, they will send you a copy of the Sys Admin archive CD (1992 – August 2007), or you can return the card for a full refund of all unsent issues. The deadline to return the postcard for a refund is October 1, 2007." The magazine's Web site has no word that I could find on the closing down of print publication.

shrug. another death of old media.

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Magazines simply can't compete with the interactivity and frequency of websites and blogs. The model is dying so all special interest magazines are feeling the pinch.

Eh...

[msimm]

I don't know about that. I'd typically buy Linux Journal. Sys Admin felt almost like a weekly, although side-by-side I'd say Sys Admin was actually the better magazine (but Linux Journal caters to a wider audience..). I think Sys Admin simply missed the boat by not jumping onto the Linux bandwagon. Too bad, I always meant to get a subscription so I wouldn't be lured by the beefier Linux Magazines (with their end-user content, soft surveys and advertising).

Re:shrug. another death of old media.

[BrookHarty]

I disagree, there are Linux and Linux developer magazines that are pretty good, and sell for 10 to 20 bux with DVDs of utils. (Some are from the UK too) Also, CPU magazine is pretty good and popular tech mag.

I don't think sys-admin had the top writers, stories or indepth sys-admin howtos and the price was too low to keep up with its small reader base. Plus it wasn't on store shelves like the linux magazines.

But then, I'm not all too happy with the loss of newsgroups and the migration to web forums, use to be 1 place to read or search, now its a dozen websites or mailing lists. Harder to find that small obscure piece of info you need. Plus if you broaden your search beyond 1 subject, you could have to read and subscribe to hundreds of site. Freaking absurd.

Re:Because of Windows Server

[Anonymous Coward]

Those guys? That's nothing, honey. You must be new to the internet. Welcome.

Re:Ceased Computer Publications

[brassman]

Usenix used to gave away 1-year subs to SysAdmin to conference attendees -- and I was roundly confused and annoyed when they switched to giving away subscriptions to Dr.Dobbs instead.

Why would a sysadmin be interested in articles about "how to cripple the Windows software you're writing by requiring hardware dongles"?

(For that matter, why would a Windows programmer want to read it? It failed spectacularly some twenty years ago, and good riddance to it.)

Re:shrug. another death of old media.

[catmistake]

Paper media is an expensive thing

Actually, paper is pretty cheap. Its moving paper around that gets expensive. Distribution accounts for ~80% of the cost of all printed periodicals. This is why publishers were really exited about startups (c.2001) like Kiosk and Newsstand, because it would allow them to deliver the same content digitally (not web pages, but display documents looking identical to the printed edition) and cut out distribution costs almost entirely. Also, the only entity making money off of subscriptions is the subscriptions manager... money from print media comes from advertising.

Re:Why limit to one audience?

[king-manic]

I've often wondered why magazines aren't formated for the different levels of expertise. Why not have the first 1/3'rd of the magazine devoted to beginner articles. The 2nd devoted to intermediate articles and the last 3rd devoted to expert material?

Probably because no one wants to pay for a magazine that only has 1/3 of it dedicated to you. Actually less then 1/3 more like 1/6 because most magazines are 1/2 ads.