Are ya kiddin me???? Come on. I won't mention names of some big magazines I know we all have been faithful with subscriptions, and just plain buying them. Now they seem to think, hey why not charge everybody for all the clips and techs, etc. that we've been watching fer free forever!!!!!!!! I'M PISSED !!!! WTF
I do know George Vondriska and Popular Woodworking just started doing that. The last few emails I got, (and I've been on their email newsletter fer a long time), they show click here for this or that vid, when u get there, oh yea, u gotta pay…. It's pure BS
Unfortunately, as a friend of mine who used to work in a "boiler room" selling magazines over the phone said, "1 out of 100 people will buy ANYTHING!" Let's just not be the hundredth person!
The best way to tell them how you feel is either cancel your subscription or not renew when it is due and let them know that you may return if they go back to the way things were. In the magazine business no subscribers equals no advertizing revenue leading to no magazine…...
I'm guessing that as magazine revenues are plummeting like crazy, the companies are looking for news income sources. With the new media, video is going to be a commodity.
While I COMPLETELY understand your frustration as a subscriber, try to remember they are trying to stay afloat. Did they bait and switch you? Have you contacted them?
I know FW has charged for their website almost from the start. I paid for year, but never kept it up because I wasn't using it.
I have found that if you really want something, you can find it online. Old and new tv shows are almost always available via bit torrent. And of course there is YouTube and such.
Things change all the time. If the videos aren't worth paying for then just don't buy them. There are plenty of other sources. Most of these videos are just showing you techniques that have been around forever.
I have a woodworking book I bought in 1973 that has just about every technique I've ever seen in any magazine and it also shows how to maintain and use hand tools to boot. It is a little weak on routing though.
That is not to say that there are no new and interesting things around, but folks should be allowed to sell a product they think people are willing to pay for. It's then up to the market to decide if that is true. It's the American way.
I'm right there with you Roger. I understand that it costs money to maintain a web site and that companies are in business to make money but if someone has a subscription the companies magazine they should also enjoy the benefits of being able to view their videos, free of charge.
Don't even get me started on WWGOA. They can shove it as far as I'm concerned. I used to enjoy going to their web site to view their content. Not anymore.
I really am sick and tired of the way companies come at you with new charges and fees.
Those on SS are already having a hard time trying to maintain "a life", these extra burdens are the last straw.
One mugging I believe is coming, will be that after they have got everyone off of paper bills and statements, they will add a fee for paying online …watch for it.
First off get your numbers right my friends wood is still the largest with over 400000 subscribers up close to 20 percent by their own accounting. All the other rags are doing fine thank you very much . So the idea that reviews are down is dead wrong. Here is the simple fact high quality video costs a lot to produce. I know because we have had a camera man shooting our videos for the past few months . This is a real pro not a single view tripod and no action stuff. The big magazines want to move in on the web guys and yes they can likely do it better. Mark has had a well done tripod shoot for a couple of years he built a large following large enough to get a gig at Fine Woodworking. Kudos to him. I have to tell you that the web is going to cost money and if you want the premium content your going to have to pay. Currently the best classes on the net are the Wood Whisper and Rob Cosmans Classes which are my favorites. Steve's show makes me laugh And Stumpy almost makes me piss myself but they have a ways to go IMHO. some things Steve does make me cringe, so I watch him just to see if he will film a dismemberment. And Stumpy is on a mission to prove you can do this hobby for less and I admire that. Mark runs a tight ship and was able to raise enough cash to put AC in his shop. I am still trying to get lights in my shop so I can shoot stills with out flash. While we are all trying for you to visit our sites and watch our videos the fact is the big magazines have a good gig. They own huge audiences Workbench now has over 200000 readers and this started from a mediocre woodworker Don Peschkie. No Offense Don I love you man. But these are well established machines and they want their piece of the pie. If you want free content look to the up an coming stars they will guide you through just like the early magazines did.
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