evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) (06/14/89)
I had frequently been mildly pissed off that Unix Review should be
free to American subscribers, but that Canadians have to pay $44US
for the same thing.
Granted, postage from the US to Canada is more expensive than domestic
rates, but it can't be >$3/issue.
So it was with some anticipation that I had heard a rumour that UR had
purchased some Canadian user mailing lists for the purposes of making
us a special offer.
That offer came today.
UR claims to be doing me a favour with a free issue, and 1-year rates of
$55US for ground delivery or $97 for air mail. I suspect this mailing
is geared to an overseas audience, but the $44 Canadian rate is nowhere
to be found.
So this offer, which claims "there's no way you can lose," is $11US/year
*more* expensive than the coupon that comes in every issue. Beware.
Sigh. I like Unix Review, but not *that* much. Shame its circulation
department is run by jerks.
--
Evan Leibovitch, SA, Telly Online, located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
evan@telly.on.ca / {uunet!attcan,utzoo}!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
Computer salesman's credo: There's an end-user born every minutesl@unifax.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) (06/15/89)
In article <1989Jun13.175628.28031@telly.on.ca> evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes: >I had frequently been mildly pissed off that Unix Review should be >free to American subscribers, but that Canadians have to pay $44US >for the same thing. >Sigh. I like Unix Review, but not *that* much. Shame its circulation >department is run by jerks. Agreed. I've declined to renew my subscription. Also I'm advising my company (Unifax Communications) to utilize Unix World and Unix Today. And to not place any advertising in Unix Review until they change their subscription policies. It's called chequebook voting. -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca uunet!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice) 604-939-4768(fax)
soley@moegate.UUCP (Norman S. Soley) (06/15/89)
In article <1989Jun13.175628.28031@telly.on.ca> evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes: >I had frequently been mildly pissed off that Unix Review should be >free to American subscribers, but that Canadians have to pay $44US >for the same thing. I was talking to a vendor I do a little business with and he mentioned that one of his products was recently reviewed in Unix Review, assuming I had seen it. I told him about the b.s. of not offering free subscrictions to Canadians. He later phoned up Unix Review and confirmed that that was their policy and when they told him yes he told them, "In that case, I'll be cancelling all of my advertising with you". Maybe if we can get a few more companies to threaten this the Unix Review people will wake up and smell the coffee. -- Norman Soley - The Communications Guy - Ontario Ministry of the Environment soley@moegate.UUCP or if you roll your own: uunet!attcan!ncrcan!moegate!soley The Minister speaks for the Ministry, I speak for myself. Got that! Good. Stay smart, go cool, be happy, it's the only way to get what you want
manis@faculty.cs.ubc.ca (Vincent Manis) (06/16/89)
I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but I read PC Magazine. (Uh,
like, I have to...). Their one-time-only subscription offer (repeated
in each issue) is $29.97 plus $25 Canadian punishment charge. This
works out to just under C$70 per annum (depending upon the dollar), or
about $2.80 per issue. Meanwhile, I can pick it up at London Drugs or
Save-On-Foods for about $3.50 per issue, with no screwups by Canada
Post, and Ziff-Davis doesn't have my money for a year.
It's interesting to notice that the cover prices for PC Magazine are
US$2.95 and C$3.95, which is quite unlike the almost 100% disparity
between sub prices. Now, if they used Federal Express, rather than
Canada Post (`Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night
will prevent us from making a profit. Our annual report is in the
mail'), it might be worth it.
____________ Vincent Manis | manis@cs.ubc.ca
___ \ _____ The Invisible City of Kitezh | manis@cs.ubc.cdn
____ \ ____ Department of Computer Science | manis%cs.ubc@relay.cs.net
___ /\ ___ University of British Columbia | uunet!ubc-cs!manis
__ / \ __ Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1W5 | (604) 228-2394
_ / __ \ _ "Theoretical computer science helps me convince people that
____________ my indecisiveness is really Nondeterminism, which sounds like
a much more positive characteristic." -- a student
edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) (06/17/89)
In article <391@moegate.UUCP> soley@moegate.UUCP (Norman S. Soley) writes: > >I was talking to a vendor I do a little business with and he mentioned that >one of his products was recently reviewed in Unix Review, assuming I had >seen it. I told him about the b.s. of not offering free subscrictions to >Canadians. He later phoned up Unix Review and confirmed that that was their >policy and when they told him yes he told them, "In that case, I'll be >cancelling all of my advertising with you". > >Maybe if we can get a few more companies to threaten this the Unix Review >people will wake up and smell the coffee. Maybe some of us who have been considering new advertising media might also politely suggest to them that we'll consider them when they consider us and our primary market. After all, if nobody here wants to *pay* for what people south of the border get gratis, then they also won't be reading it. If they don't read it, then I'd be wasting my company's money, and my company frowns on that. Now, on the other hand, if it was available to UNIXites in *my* (read: Canada) neck of the woods, management might feel like signing checks. I guess the choice here is up to UNIX Review. All we have to do is point out the alternatives to them. Does anyone have a 'NET address for them? --ed {edhew@egvideo.uucp} >soley@moegate.UUCP or if you roll your own: uunet!attcan!ncrcan!moegate!soley Ed. A. Hew Authorized SCO Technical Trainer Xeni/Con Corporation work: edhew@xenicon.uucp -or- ..!{uunet!}utai!lsuc!xenicon!edhew home: edhew@egvideo.uucp -or- ..!{uunet!}watmath!egvideo!edhew # I haven't lost my mind, it's backed up on floppy around here somewhere!
sl@unifax.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) (06/18/89)
In article <2041@egvideo.UUCP> edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) writes: >In article <391@moegate.UUCP> soley@moegate.UUCP (Norman S. Soley) writes: >> >>Maybe if we can get a few more companies to threaten this the Unix Review >>people will wake up and smell the coffee. > >Maybe some of us who have been considering new advertising media might >also politely suggest to them that we'll consider them when they consider >us and our primary market. I've been saving all of this stuff and will be forwarding the collection off to them in a week or so. >I guess the choice here is up to UNIX Review. All we have to do is point >out the alternatives to them. Does anyone have a 'NET address for them? In the meantime if you want to complain direct: uunet!beast!editor -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca uunet!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice) 604-939-4768(fax)
denise@dptcdc.toronto.datapoint.com (S. Denise Neufer) (06/22/89)
In article <142.1@unifax.UUCP> sl@unifax.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) writes: >>I guess the choice here is up to UNIX Review. All we have to do is point >>out the alternatives to them. > >In the meantime if you want to complain direct: > > uunet!beast!editor While at USENIX last week I happened to talk to a person that writes for Unix Review. I asked him about this controversy and his explanation was that Unix Review is owned by a larger company that has a policy on the free subscriptions that they must adhere to. He also said, they (the people at Unix Review) are trying to get this changed. He acknowledged that several people had sent e-mail and that they were hoping these letters when shown to the higher ups would help to convince them. I just thought that those of you that have written might like to hear that your letter may make a difference. Denise Neufer denise@datapoint.com {utzoo,uunet}!dptcdc!denise
sl@unifax.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) (06/23/89)
In article <628@dptcdc.toronto.datapoint.com> denise@dptcdc.toronto.datapoint.com (S. Denise Neufer) writes: >While at USENIX last week I happened to talk to a person that writes >for Unix Review. I asked him about this controversy and his >explanation was that Unix Review is owned by a larger company that >has a policy on the free subscriptions that they must adhere to. >He also said, they (the people at Unix Review) are trying to get >this changed. He acknowledged that several people had sent e-mail >and that they were hoping these letters when shown to the higher >ups would help to convince them. I just thought that those of you >that have written might like to hear that your letter may make a >difference. Yes they do seem to be reacting. I had a lengthy chat yesterday with a regional sales manager. She was sympathetic and said that she would try and discuss the situation with her publisher next week. I tried to point out to them the negative publicity this is causing them and the effect it might have on their larger accounts who do a great deal of business in Canada. For example I pointed out that one large firm (who may in fact be their largest add account) has an 800 number which works in Canada. I presume they find enough business up here to make it worthwhile. I also pointed out that so far we had tried to be polite and not let this discussion spill over into the americian newsgroups where those firms would notice the discussion. If anyone has any comments they would like to make to Unix Review now is the time to get on the phone and talk to them. -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca uunet!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice) 604-939-4768(fax)
manis@faculty.cs.ubc.ca (Vincent Manis) (06/24/89)
As an example of how silly UR's policy is, I've just been involved in
a procurement for some 65 UNIX workstations. I don't read the
magazine, and therefore any of the advertising in it will have had no
effect in any decisions I might have made.
____________ Vincent Manis | manis@cs.ubc.ca
___ \ _____ The Invisible City of Kitezh | manis@cs.ubc.cdn
____ \ ____ Department of Computer Science | manis%cs.ubc@relay.cs.net
___ /\ ___ University of British Columbia | uunet!ubc-cs!manis
__ / \ __ Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1W5 | (604) 228-2394
_ / __ \ _ "There is no law that vulgarity and literary excellence cannot
____________ coexist." -- A. Trevor Hodge
sl@unifax.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) (06/24/89)
In article <2329@ubc-cs.UUCP> manis@faculty.cs.ubc.ca (Vincent Manis) writes: >As an example of how silly UR's policy is, I've just been involved in >a procurement for some 65 UNIX workstations. I don't read the >magazine, and therefore any of the advertising in it will have had no >effect in any decisions I might have made. More to the point: Do you read either Unix World or Unix Today? And just out of interest - what did you get? -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca uunet!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice) 604-939-4768(fax)
manis@faculty.cs.ubc.ca (Vincent Manis) (06/27/89)
In article <154@unifax.UUCP> sl@.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) writes: >More to the point: > > Do you read either Unix World or Unix Today? I do read UNIX World, which I find adequate, though not as good as the issues of UNIX Review I've seen. I've never bothered to subscribe to UNIX World, because the per-issue price at London Drugs was about the same as the subscription price. However, now that London Drugs seems to have given up on non PC things, I probably will subscribe. As for UNIX Today, I've never gotten around to subscribing. >And just out of interest - what did you get? I can't say, just yet. The final decision will be made later this week. However, certainly my input in this has been *very* conditioned by what I've read in the trade press. I might mention that I tend to discount somewhat the `controlled- circulation' magazines. If all of one's income comes from advertisers, the contents are guaranteed to be less critical. (InfoWorld comes in that category). ____________ Vincent Manis | manis@cs.ubc.ca ___ \ _____ The Invisible City of Kitezh | manis@cs.ubc.cdn ____ \ ____ Department of Computer Science | manis%cs.ubc@relay.cs.net ___ /\ ___ University of British Columbia | uunet!ubc-cs!manis __ / \ __ Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1W5 | (604) 228-2394 _ / __ \ _ "There is no law that vulgarity and literary excellence cannot ____________ coexist." -- A. Trevor Hodge