I am canceling all .NET Technical Publication subscriptions

14 Comments

• Same here. I've gotten 5 notices now that my MSDN subscription is expiring. Why should I pay for it though? Most of the content is crap these days, and that which isn't I can get online anyway...
  

• I'm glad you said that mate. It's been bothering me too. I let my MSDN subscription lapse last year, no compelling reason to part with a few grand just to get stuff I don't care about. I got sick of hearing about Longhorn a while ago too, and this new Channel9 thing is for the birds.
  
  
  
  I don't know anything about .NET Journal though..
  
  
  
  John.
  

• There is an occasional good article in those journals, but I share your frustration. They sure work hard to build a buzz for a product that is months/years away from being useful to the typical developer.
  
  
  
  I subscribe to CODE magazine and it does a better job in my opinion. Generally good articles across the skill and technology spectrum.
  

• I think you're off track about .NET Journal. I'm holding the Jan 24 issue and I only see two articles out of 8 on the cover that are about Whidbey or tech that isn't here right now. They don't have the standard MS cheerleaders writing for them all the time.
  
  
  
  The others, yeah pure crap trying to hit a moving target.
  

• I guess you can't please all of the people all of the time.
  

• Chris, no offense. I certainly respect where you have come from and where you are going. I simply think there is a better place for this kind of story other than a tech magiazine I pay for.
  
  
  
  I subscribe to a technical publication to learn, well tech stuff. Not why someone came to work for MS, or about a technically I cannot touch for 2 years.
  
  
  
  I build applications with .NET, not Longhorn. Knowing about a developers personal career path will not help me crank out code or meet a deadline. Guess it was just a bad week for me and then, the mail comes in and the cover of .NET Journal simply frustrated me, once again.
  

• Greg, I understand how you could get frustated when something doesn't meet your needs and complaining about it is the surest way to get it fixed (at least, it's the technique that I use the most : ).
  
  
  
  That said, publishers are going through some growing pains right now trying to find formats and styles of content that will raise sales, so you're likely to see a bunch more stuff that you don't like before they settle into something that makes more folks spend more money.
  
  
  
  That same thing killed MSJ, my favorite mag, some years ago, so things might not settle down in a way that you (or I) personally find favorable, Greg.
  

• Chris is right its a tough time to figure out content, particularly since not everyone wants the same thing, and maganzines are struggling with page count issues (they can't just double the content).
  
  
  
  Look through some magazines on the newstand. There are a number of alternatives. In addition to Code, Visual Studio Magazine (VSM). Because I write for it, I can't claim to be objective, but I like the short article format, requiring us writers to remain concise. They do sometimes do a future's issue, but normally remain focused on the here and now.
  
  
  
  I hope you don't give up on all magazines and that you'll find the right fit.
  

• Wahhhhh, they can't sell magazines because no one wants to read about what they are publishing. Welcome to business 101. If no one buys what you are selling, you go out of business.
  
  
  
  It doesn't matter if the publishers make money. If I'm not interested in the stories, I'm not buying it. EOL
  

• Scott - blunt but spot on!
  
  
  
  Greg - great post and hopefully it will put a few people straight.
  
  
  
  It's my belief that there is more than an element of 'one-up-manship' in much of this content on future products - it's not so much about knowledge sharing as 'look what I can do, pat me on the back'.
  

• Here's an article headline I'd like to see regarding future technology:
  
  
  
  "Microsoft Discovers Amazing 'Help/Check For Updates' Feature in Visual Studio 2003. In a Surprise Move, Releases Service Pack To Fix Code Mangling in HTML Editor"
  
  
  
  or
  
  
  
  "Disgruntled Microsoft Programmer Implements 'Help/Check For Updates' Before Leaving Company, Microsoft Claims It Is a 'Bug' and not a 'Feature.' Still No Cure For HTML Editor Code Mangling."
  

• Can’t say I disagree more. The more we know now, and the earlier we know it (so we can offer feedback and change it) the better. While working with Whidbey I have already identified a couple of key features that were missing that have been entered as defects for an upcoming release of Whidbey.
  
  
  
  I would rather have more now then be disappointed later because something that was crucial wasn’t there because no one was looking towards the future.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• I agree with Bret. The information on future technologies is not just bragging or fluff. It is there so serious developers can learn what changes are being implemented and if necessary point out what still needs work. It isn't open source but it does provide a means to contribute to the next version of what is still the most popular platform.
  

• Haha that's rediculous. No way