the battle of evermore

The feature in today's City section of SCMP is interesting and a great read. No, not just because of the subject nature (it's about porn magazines in Hong Kong). But it's actually about the hot topic as of late--how online is affecting print media.

The story talks about how porn magazines in HK have suffered a huge drop in circulation, from like 60,000 monthly to 6000 a month. But the publishers remain optimistic that the net won't kill off the mag, even though he says "the internet is too powerful".

This is an interesting topic at an interesting time for me to say the least. I've been doing alot of reading up on media and even the sides are evenly split.

The Online Journalism Review gathered several industry know-alls togetherto discuss the topic and most agree that magazines will survive. It's an interesting read with insightful analysis and educated opinion.

This is a story on how the downturn in print mediaare hitting photojournalist too. And i believe designers, as online mags dont need as many photos and layouts. But I think that will change as technology gets better and mobile internet on phones/pdas/netbooks get better. Online mags will be able to improve their look, like FLYP magazine. This is probably ahead of its time now. But I envision this is how magazines will be in 5 more years, when everyone has iPhone like mobile internet on phones with big screens. I dont think we're quite there yet because some people still think the iPhone is like a waste of money and dont believe in checking phones often for information. I think they're stuck in Doc Brown's Delorean because the iPhone is a revolutionary product. I can't even begin to count the ways the iPhone helps me through the day. Just a short, random example: I used it to as a GPS map system to guide me through unfamiliar Hung Hom two weeks ago, then I called the receptionist to open the door when I arrived at industrial building, then I used it as a recorder to do interview with Holga inventor, then I checked an email from Ink Designer, proofread her layout, emailed her back the corrections needed, all while I was walking down Hung Hom streets. Then I had to dig up an old work email for Alex to fetch a phone number. He on the streets, I'm on the streets but I can dig up work emails he cannot. Then I took a few photos in Hung Hom, put it on Twitter and FB and got instant feedback. Read the latest news and downloaded a podcast on the busride back to Wanchai. All this in like three hours. Yes, I still have cheap friends who think I pay far too much for a phone bill (350 a month). Amazing.Back to the magazine stuff, perhaps the most damning (to me) is Bill Simmons' retirement from ESPN the mag to dedicate entirely to podcast, online column, and twittering. I know he a nobody to most in HK but the man is an online sportswriting pioneer. He was the first to amass a huge following on a personal blog. He's the first to take a personal blog on a "national level", he's proably one of the earliest sports podcaster and is now one of the top podcaster period. He somehow became ESPN's most valued writer despite breaking no news and never having to do no investigation. He is the ultimate proof that if you're passionate and talented enough, with the right vision and timing, you will develope a following. His twitter is among the most popular of all journalists and it's not like he's breaking leading news on Obama or the economy.

Old media cannot accept the net, old media cannot fathom twitter. Simmons is gonna show the old dinosaurs how its done. He's totally abandoned ship in print (magazines only. he has a book coming out in a month which will surely make NY Times bestseller list. I'm not even gonna risk HK bookstores telling me "we're not carrying it", I'm ordering that shit on Amazon)

I wonder how this will affect books. Dan Brown's next book will be released as an e-book simultaneously as the real thing.

Okay I'll stop blogging now cause these two SEE LAIs are talking way too loud at Caffe Habitu. I can listen to Jimmy Page's riff at notch 11 and it doesn't bother me. But SEE LAIs talking about mo lieu bullshit knocks me out of any type of writing/reading/blogging mood.

BTW, this entry's title is for Etchy, who requested The Battle of Evermore.

"If God didn't want me to wear this shirt so much, he wouldn't have made them rock so hard" Hyde on why he wears his Led Zeppelin shirt so much, That 70s Show