2DArtist Issue 18 June 2007

READ BELOW

A Plea for Your Help...
Welcome to Issue 18. Firstly, we would like to ask something small from each of you... We know that most of you enjoy our magazines, and that you think the cover price is fair. However, we also know that a minority of our readers have not paid for this magazine, but have downloaded it from either a website, or a company server, and so on. Although we appreciate that this is the way things seem to work today, we cannot stress enough that this isn’t just a case of “a few lost dollars�?for us, but is actually affecting Zoo Publishing so much so that we may no longer be able to function in the near future, if this continues. We are only a small company, who makes enough to keep going, and we are far from the global corporation that some may think we are... Each month we see the number of readers of 3DCreative and 2DArtist magazine rise, but sales seem to go further and further down. We believe that getting a 150+ page magazine each month (with minimal advertising - less than 10% in fact), for a small cost of $4, is more than good value. Understandably we can’t charge much more as it is only a digital publication, but this is also the reason why we may never go to print... If we can’t make the digital version commercially viable then we have little chance of surviving in the print world. As I say, this is nothing to do with the quality of the magazine (at least that’s what we believe), and I simply want to ask you all nicely: please do not copy and re-distribute this magazine. Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Enjoy the magazine! Ed. (This extract was taken from the publishers website.)

What an irony to be reading this (above) here... If I had money I would buy everything I use from here... but I don't have money...

You know, I intended to subscribe to both 2DArtist & 3DCreative. When I checked their website (The FAQ of 3DCreative), they stated that the .PDF is password protected, and they intend to put a new copy-protection scheme called protectPDF. I don't know what kind of protection scheme this is, and it's certainly annoying to have to type a password or to be connected online everytime you want to read the book. Do you know how much time is wasted, when you're looking for one article that you don't remember which edition it's on, so you have to open&close several edition, while typing the password all the way? and I bet the password would be a random password that there's no way you'd be able to just copy/paste between opening new pdf.
SO, THAT IS THE EXACT REASON WHY I DECIDED NOT TO SUBSCRIBE. If, out of responsibility and good will, I pay for the subscription, but in return I have to go through some troubles in exchange of my GOOD WILL... sorry, I'm not that stupid.

Well, I consider myself a fair guy, but why am I expected to be paying 50cents more than the US and Half the cost of a newstand magazine, with no disc attached? It's too expensive for a web mag. Sorry. Can I read this on the loo, the car, a plane? Under a tree? No!

If it cost a dollar or 50p I'd consider it. But not at those prices. This is the same reason I won't buy music online. Set "real" prices and we'll start to pay.

Until they come up with a viable, portable, battery lasting, lightweight, high-resolution PDA that can read these on the move I couldn't justify this price.

When are e-tailers selling media that has no real-world presence going to realise that a product's intrinsic value also comes from having something to hold?

I understand his concern about the sales, but, like he said, this is the way things seem to work today and the companies need new business models and find the new unexplored ways.
Unfortunately for them and fortunately for a lot of persons around the world they can free access and download this wonderful magazine. Internet can provide free culture nowadays, it's great, sorry for the companies but it is.

Can somebody upload March 2007 issue ?

I overlooked folder with all previous issues. Thank you.

>>SO, THAT IS THE EXACT REASON WHY I DECIDED NOT TO SUBSCRIBE

Do be sure you email them and let them know why you decided not to subscribe. If no one tells them why they most likely will assume that any lost subscriptions are due to piracy, thus justifying the measures they take.

Thats world!

Thank you for your effort!!! ;)

नमस्ते
Kobayashi

Sorry Guys, but that's some pretty piss poor excuses.

The reason you did not subscribe, is because your a cheap bastard :P , deal with it.

There front cover suck! Let just keep it real here if anything else!!