mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) (08/20/87)
At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a
free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth.
I just received a letter from the circulation department, saying, in
part, "Thank you for your request to receive a free subscription to
UNIX REVIEW." As much as we would like to add your name to our free
subscription list, we are unable to do so at this time. However, we
would like to invite you to enter a paid subscription..."
Thanks for the invitation. The letter gave no information explaining why
UNIX Review is "unable" to do what they promised.
Now let's face it. I don't really care whether I get the opportunity to
read another attempt to explain C pointer and array semantics to the MIS
managers of the world. I'll live without the monthly thrill of UNIX
Review's arrival. ("I've been thrown out of better places than this.")
But I >DID< take the time to fill out their questionnaire, and they >DID<
imply that I would receive the magazine in return.
Did anybody else have a similar experience? Is this sleazy enough that it
merits an organizational response from USENIX?smiller@umn-cs.UUCP (Steven M. Miller) (08/21/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: > Now let's face it. I don't really care whether I get the opportunity to > read another attempt to explain C pointer and array semantics to the MIS > managers of the world. I'll live without the monthly thrill of UNIX > Review's arrival. ("I've been thrown out of better places than this.") > But I >DID< take the time to fill out their questionnaire, and they >DID< > imply that I would receive the magazine in return. Have you ever read this magazine? I've found it to be one of the best non-journal computer rags available. If you said the same about UNIX WORLD I'd agree with your slam, but Unix Review is a quality magazine that very consistently provides entire issues that cover a single topic in depth with articles written by experts in the field. Typically I find only one or two articles worth reading in a magazine, while I've read Unix Review from cover to cover many times. If you feel slighted simply give them a call and work out your frustrations before dumping them on the net, please don't make accusations you cannot support. -- -Steve Miller, U of MN
dsg@mitre-bedford.ARPA (David S. Goldberg) (08/21/87)
I got the same letter. Since someone else in my department already has a subscription to UNIX Review, I'm not too upset. However, I do agree that a better explanation is warranted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Goldberg ARPA: dsg@mitre-bedford.arpa The Mitre Corporation UUCP: linus!mbunix!dsg MS B015 Bedford, MA 01730 617-271-2460
mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) (08/21/87)
In article <2050@umn-cs.UUCP> smiller@umn-cs.UUCP writes: >Have you ever read this magazine? Yes. >If you feel slighted simply give them a call and work out your frustrations >before dumping them on the net, please don't make accusations you cannot >support. Golly, and I here I thought I had provided germane facts, which are my favorite means for supporting an assertion. Don't confuse the supportability of my claim with our differing opinions of the magazine.
roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) (08/21/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP> mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) explains how he
filled out a free subscription request for UNIX Review, but then got a
letter saying that he couldn't have one and offering a paid sub instead.
Rags like UNIX Review (i.e. generic industry throw-aways) exist to
sell advertizing, and ad rates depend on audited qualified circulations.
That means that people who buy ads don't really care how many copies get
sent out, they only care how many copes get sent to people who stand a
reasonable chance of wanting their product. That's what all those stupid
questions are all about on the sub card (how many employees at your
company, are you responsible for purchasing, do you buy disk drives,
memory, terminals, etc). My guess is that you answered the questions wrong
and by the rules, you didn't qualify. I suspect that if you try again,
answering the questions differently, you will probably get your free sub.
--
Roy Smith, {allegra,cmcl2,philabs}!phri!roy
System Administrator, Public Health Research Institute
455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016mao@blipyramid.BLI.COM (Mike Olson) (08/21/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: > At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a > free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth. > [his request for a free subscription was turned down...] > > Did anybody else have a similar experience? Is this sleazy enough that it > merits an organizational response from USENIX? i had precisely the same experience. yeah, it's annoying to get on a mailing list (especially under what might be regarded as false pretenses), but usenix doesn't publish unix review. mike olson britton lee, inc. (...!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!blia!mao)
taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (Dave Taylor) (08/21/87)
I just talked to Dave Chandler (Associate Editor of Unix Review) about what M.D. Sheer writes about and he said that it sounds like a screw-up in the circulation department. Basically, anyone who works on, or with a Unix system should be qualified to receive a free subscription to the magazine. He suggests (and I do too) that you call him directly and talk to him about it - he can be reached at Miller Freeman publications at (415) 397-1881 PST in San Francisco. - - For a bit of background, "Unix Review" (and "Computer Language", "AI Expert" (and soon to be "Database Programming and Design")) are all part of a larger magazine publishing group called Miller-Freeman. Most of the stuff that MF puts out are glossy trade mags like "Pulp and Paper" (I kid you not...) and so the interaction between the two groups is a minimal one at best. What tends to happen is that the Unix Review/CL people do all their own artwork and layout, set their own editorial policies, and only use what parts of Miller-Freeman they are 'obligated' to use. Of that, one of the groups is the circulation department... I find it quite fun to be involved with this merry band of delinquents and have been associated with Computer Language since their early days working out of a single room on Townsend Street, with doors on file cabinets as desks and all. Needless to say, this background bit is brought to you out of my own knowledge and experience and in no way reflects the actual feelings or actions of any of the Unix Review staff... *wry grin* Now if we can just figure out what to do with Marks' red carnation... --- Dave Taylor Contributing Editor for Unix Review and Computer Language
draskoy@ubc-ean.UUCP (Andrew Draskoy) (08/22/87)
In article <2050@umn-cs.UUCP> smiller@umn-cs.UUCP (Steven M. Miller) writes: >In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: >> But I >DID< take the time to fill out their questionnaire, and they >DID< >> imply that I would receive the magazine in return. > > please don't make accusations you cannot support. Actually, I had similar experiences to mdash's a few years ago, so at Phoenix I pressed UNIX Review personell for details before filling out the voluminous questionaire. They said that it was those with "purchasing power" who would get free subscriptions. I consider it a bit underhanded of them to get systems people (by far the largest subgroup of usenix attendees, I should think) to fill out these forms under the impression that they were likely to get subscriptions, when in fact they weren't. Andrew
ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (08/23/87)
Generally the smiling faces at the magazine booths at the shows know nothing about the magazines. They're just being paid to get names. We ran into this problem at one meeting when they got lots of names and neglected to tell anyone that they were charging for the magazine (just give us your business card). That was UNIX/WORLD by the way, which isn't worth paying for. In the short amount of time I was reading the magazine, I am convinced that no one actully reads the articles before they are published. That and a number of articles are thinly veiled perks for the advertisers. I'm not impressed. If they want to give me a copy of the ads, that's fine, but I'm not going to pay for it. There isn't even Lauren's column in it anymore. -ROn
carlson@lll-winken.ARPA (Joe Carlson) (08/23/87)
There has been a lot of comment about how bad certain mags are in this
newsgroup... anybody care to recommend what they think are good ones?
--
Joe Carlson Lawrence Livermore Labs +1 415-422-5584 carlson@lll-winken.arpa
...{lll-lcc,wucs1,uwvax,pyramid,isis,princeton,uw-nsr,uunet}!lll-winken!carlsonsteve@acich.UUCP (Steve Westfall) (08/24/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: > At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a > free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth. > > I just received a letter from the circulation department, saying, in > part, "Thank you for your request to receive a free subscription to > UNIX REVIEW." As much as we would like to add your name to our free > subscription list, we are unable to do so at this time. However, we > would like to invite you to enter a paid subscription..." I have found that the application forms for these free subscriptions often have a statement somewhere to the effect that applicants must meet certain criteria, although they don't go into what those criteria are. I suspect that they only give out free subscriptions to people whom they think will have some purchasing influence in their organizations. I suppose that they need to make this a bit more clear up front, but I don't think that you were really victimized by a "come-on" or scam. UNIX Review is an excellent magazine, much less filled with marketing hype and unfounded speculation than is its counterpart, UNIX/World. -- Steve Westfall Automated Concepts, Inc. - Chicago (312) 346-8640 UUCP Mail: {ihnp4|gargoyle}!acich!steve
finegan@uccba.UUCP (Mike Finegan) (08/25/87)
I am a graduate student in an Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. Everyone here who wants it gets Unix Review for free. I have a feeling that they correlate strongly between check marks next to 'can you buy ...' and do you rate free subscription. I didn't lie, I was a system consultant, and did recommend purchases. Does that help ? Mike Finegan ...hal!uccba!finegan
gwl@rruxa.UUCP (George W. Leach) (08/25/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: > At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a > free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth. > > I just received a letter from the circulation department, saying, in > part, "Thank you for your request to receive a free subscription to > UNIX REVIEW." As much as we would like to add your name to our free > subscription list, we are unable to do so at this time. However, we > would like to invite you to enter a paid subscription..." > > Thanks for the invitation. The letter gave no information explaining why > UNIX Review is "unable" to do what they promised. > If you still want a FREE Subscription, then try this: Get an old issue with the FREE Subscription Card in it and send it in. I did and I get my issues free. At the time that I sent the card in they were looking for paid subscriptions. George W. Leach Bell Communications Research New Jersey Institute of Technology 444 Hoes Lane 4A-1129 Computer & Information Sciences Dept. Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 Newark, New Jersey 07102 (201) 699-8639 UUCP: ..!bellcore!indra!reggie ARPA: reggie%njit-eies.MAILNET@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere Dr. Seuss "One fish two fish red fish blue fish"
ken@cs.rochester.edu (Ken Yap) (08/26/87)
|At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a |free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth. I have a hunch that if you read the fine print on the questionaire, you will see a disclaimer to the effect that UR will decide who merits a free subscription. They probably decided you weren't worth sending a freebie since from your answers you didn't seem like a person with enough influence. This seems typical of trade journals and I see no reason to think UR might be different. Ken
shan@mcf.UUCP (Sharan Kalwani) (08/26/87)
In article <1890@sfsup.UUCP> mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: >At the Summer Conference, I responded to a UNIX Review come-on for a >free subscription, and responsed to a questionnaire at their booth. > >I just received a letter from the circulation department, saying, in >part, "Thank you for your request to receive a free subscription to >UNIX REVIEW." As much as we would like to add your name to our free >subscription list, we are unable to do so at this time. However, we >would like to invite you to enter a paid subscription..." > >Thanks for the invitation. The letter gave no information explaining why >UNIX Review is "unable" to do what they promised. [stuff deleted] >Did anybody else have a similar experience? Is this sleazy enough that it >merits an organizational response from USENIX? Well ..yes I did have a similar experience. I filled out their required form and did get one issue but then they stopped coming. But that didn't have anything to do with my meeting their qualification criteria, instead they have a lousy circulation department and when I called up, found that they had messed up my subscription details. I'm still waiting for the next issue. But from the single issue I did receive, it appears to be a resonably okay mag, after all what can you expect for something which can potentially be sent free? -- Sharan Kalwani Dept. of Physiology/Biophysics Michigan Cancer Foundation 110 East Warren Avenue,Detroit,Michigan 48201 USENET:...!ihnp4!mibte!mcf!shan OR ...!philabs!fmsrl7!mcf!shan OR ..!seismo!elsie!mcf!shan
sjb@picuxa.UUCP (P. Artie Hardy) (08/29/87)
In article <1897@sfsup.UUCP>, mdash@sfsup.UUCP (M.D.Scheer) writes: > > Golly, and I here I thought I had provided germane facts, which are my favorite > means for supporting an assertion. Don't confuse the supportability of my claim > with our differing opinions of the magazine. of course some of us who filled out the questionaire did in fact receive a subscription to the magazine, free of charge. could be a glitch in their screening process. they never did promise a subscription to every applicant. magazines typically use such questionaires to sort out the best audience to receive their freebies, with out giving away the store. try calling them!
jmatrow@ncrwic.UUCP (09/01/87)
In article <292@picuxa.UUCP> sjb@picuxa.UUCP (P. Artie Hardy) writes: >try calling them! I did! As of September 1, they do NOT have any qualifiable (free) subscriptions available. -- John Matrow Automation Engineering, NCR E&M Wichita <j.matrow@Wichita.NCR.COM> <{ece-csc,hubcap,gould,rtech}!ncrcae!ncrwic!j.matrow> <{sdcsvax,cbatt,dcdwest,nosc.ARPA,ihnp4}!ncr-sd!ncrwic!j.matrow>