Could Oople work as a magazine?

[Projectzip]

Originally Posted by Mark Headling

I know what you mean about the mags, it seems these days we want info in an instant and with the great websites like Redrc, Neo Buggy, rctech and of course Oople we are very lucky!

Its cool Racer are doing the on line thing, call me old fashioned but I still like to read something in paper, MCN is about the only print I buy every week, rest is internet.

The reason Jimmys reviews are so ace is they are full of techy info and they are very honest! Lets hope there are more kit reviews and electronic reviews too. If it is done as a profitable thing who knows but more reviews would be ace, suppliers send Jimmy loads of free stuff!

Oh yes the publishing world is definitely changing.

Sites like Oople will always have a place as you say Jimmy gives lots of techy info which is great for those that crave it, With the magazine you have to carefully balance the medium between being too techy and scaring someone away from the hobby especially if they are picking up the mag in Smiths for the first time.

[SlowOne]

Originally Posted by F1END

Thought I'd chime in with my 2 penny's worth, as I work full-time as graphic designer on a magazine.

What you have to think about is that printed magazines are dying!

That'd be my point too. Hands up how many people buy a newspaper, and how many get their news on-line from BBC, etc. Not many I'll guess. Along with magazines, newspaper circulation declines every year.

To make a magazine work, you need a staff, someone to sort out the advertising, and printing contract and a distribution contract. If you can't get it into the likes of WH Smith, you're hurting your circulation. Smith's will only take magazines that sell, and at the very most you're gonna get 20k people - a flea bite in circulation terms.

Oople works because there are so many people on here contributing, would that be the same as a magazine? And if it wasn't, would it be Oople? For me; no. I like it as it is, because what makes me like it is inextricably linked to the fact that it is this, and not something else.

[telboy]

What you also have to remember is that if Jimmy turned oOple into a magazine, online or print, there would have to be more reviews needed to keep it in material. To do this oOple would need other people to do reviews, as Jimmy couldn't be expected to do them all on his own. So you all like how jimmy does the reviews, but going full time would step away from what you all love about the Jimsters work as it would be done by someone else.

[colmo]

Originally Posted by F1END

Since getting back into RC cars, I have found Oople a wealth of information, but mostly on the forum. I think what oople needs is a "Beginners Guide to RC" section, or something similar, where all the most consistently asked questions get addressed (how many "I've just got back into RC, what car/lipo/motor/esc should I buy?" threads are there?). Get the most knowledgeable people on here to write a FAQ and keep it up permanently. Also, I'd like to see a lot more reviews.

I helped out on just such a project on another site (and other hobby)

All Jimmy would need to do is setup a wiki then let us beaver away filling it. Wikis are peer edited, so if you have something to add (or see something to remove!), you just dive in and do it. Only thing to watch out for is copying copyrighted material.

[ashlim27]

hello,i think Oople can work as a magazine and it would be great!

[SlowOne]

Don't agree with the Wiki. Where the information is verifiable by reference to events, books, papers, etc. - facts - then it is fine. However, can you imagine the sheer b*!!*@%s that would be posted on most subjects?!!!

If I believed half of everything I read on here about how cars work, and what is the effect of x on y, I've been doing RC all wrong for the last 35 years!!

[DCM]

I will admit, I love physical print and HATE online magazines, they are far less practical. When I do buy magazines, they live in the car, next to the bed and more importantly, in the toilet!! I don't take my laptop to bed/toilet/car, plus I don't like 'reading' stories on the screen, as much as printing is so last millenium, for most people, it is still the choice for reading.

As for making a mag, you would have to differ yourself from the others, so what would you put in it? There is not enough to report on in racing and new 'race' kit reviews and products, hence why I don't subscribe to any at the moment, I just don't enjoy reading about the latest HPI basher or Tamiya clone...