I've joked recently about my ability to kill a magazine simply by subscribing. But I didn't realize my true power till just recently.
I have subscriptions to several gaming magazines. (Apparently, I'm something of a dinosaur on this count, judging from the forum posts I have recently read). One of these is… er, was… Computer Games magazine.
The other day, I realized that it's been a while since I'd received an issue. I checked the date on that last issue and figured I had to be at least a month behind. So I went to their site to contact customer service. I noticed that it looked like it had been a while since the site had been updated, and that the cover page they were showing on their subscriptions page was the same as the last issue I'd received. But it wouldn't be the first site I'd found that was slow to update.
Then I started clicking on customer service links, and found myself getting redirected to "this page cannot be found" links. Curious, I did some more digging, and found that, back in March, Computer Games parent company was found at fault for a spam campaign on My Space, and it was speculated that the judgment against them could run from $40 to $120 MILLION dollars (for violation of the CAN SPAM act). Apparently, rather than take their chances with this judgment, the publishers decided it was best to just cut their losses and run, so they shut down Computer Games and their brand new magazine Massive, and have apparently disappeared from the face of the earth.
Here's where it gets weird (for me, at least). The April issue in question, the one that would turn out to be their last, was filled with some interesting/annoying articles… articles on the growing presence of in game advertising, and one about griefers and other in-game cheaters. So I felt compelled to write the editor and ask them, next time, if they've got a pile of depressing articles, guaranteed to make one hate their chosen hobby, maybe they could spread that sad news out over a couple of issues, rather than pile it all on at once.
No sooner have I sent this email, but Computer Games magazine ceases to exist. This isn't just a case of my interest in a magazine (as implied by my subscribing to it) leading to its demise. No, this is a clear cut case of my well-meaning criticism leading to the shutting down of a magazine that's been around for decades. Now THAT'S power!
So the question now is how best to put this to use. My first thought was simply to wait till the fall-out from next year's Republican primaries and contribute to the Republican candidate for President. Ensuring that whoever the Republicans field for President doesn't get elected has gotta be worth the pain of writing a check to the RNC/Presidential Campaign fund.
But then I thought, why wait? I mean, I could send letters of congratulations to our new Supreme Court justices. Or maybe to every member of the FCC. Hey, Dick Cheney could use some support these days, right? Imagine all that I can accomplish, simply by biting the bullet and writing a few letters.
I wonder if Karl Rove has a fan club?
I have subscriptions to several gaming magazines. (Apparently, I'm something of a dinosaur on this count, judging from the forum posts I have recently read). One of these is… er, was… Computer Games magazine.
The other day, I realized that it's been a while since I'd received an issue. I checked the date on that last issue and figured I had to be at least a month behind. So I went to their site to contact customer service. I noticed that it looked like it had been a while since the site had been updated, and that the cover page they were showing on their subscriptions page was the same as the last issue I'd received. But it wouldn't be the first site I'd found that was slow to update.
Then I started clicking on customer service links, and found myself getting redirected to "this page cannot be found" links. Curious, I did some more digging, and found that, back in March, Computer Games parent company was found at fault for a spam campaign on My Space, and it was speculated that the judgment against them could run from $40 to $120 MILLION dollars (for violation of the CAN SPAM act). Apparently, rather than take their chances with this judgment, the publishers decided it was best to just cut their losses and run, so they shut down Computer Games and their brand new magazine Massive, and have apparently disappeared from the face of the earth.
Here's where it gets weird (for me, at least). The April issue in question, the one that would turn out to be their last, was filled with some interesting/annoying articles… articles on the growing presence of in game advertising, and one about griefers and other in-game cheaters. So I felt compelled to write the editor and ask them, next time, if they've got a pile of depressing articles, guaranteed to make one hate their chosen hobby, maybe they could spread that sad news out over a couple of issues, rather than pile it all on at once.
No sooner have I sent this email, but Computer Games magazine ceases to exist. This isn't just a case of my interest in a magazine (as implied by my subscribing to it) leading to its demise. No, this is a clear cut case of my well-meaning criticism leading to the shutting down of a magazine that's been around for decades. Now THAT'S power!
So the question now is how best to put this to use. My first thought was simply to wait till the fall-out from next year's Republican primaries and contribute to the Republican candidate for President. Ensuring that whoever the Republicans field for President doesn't get elected has gotta be worth the pain of writing a check to the RNC/Presidential Campaign fund.
But then I thought, why wait? I mean, I could send letters of congratulations to our new Supreme Court justices. Or maybe to every member of the FCC. Hey, Dick Cheney could use some support these days, right? Imagine all that I can accomplish, simply by biting the bullet and writing a few letters.
I wonder if Karl Rove has a fan club?
Comments
If and when it does...only then will I bow to you and your powers!
But send a $12 check to the RNC, just in case. ;)