I read a lot of magazines. I read during meals, while talking to Jon on the phone, and while visiting the little programmer's room. I also follow magazine's fortunes, and I thought I'd pass along the latest rumors regarding some in which you may be interested.
CD-ROM End User. If you are interested in CD-ROM and haven't seen this, give it a look. Once you get past the uninspired name, the amateur editing, and the boring design, you'll find a bimonthly packed with information of solid value for both CD-ROM users and developers, written and compiled by knowledgeable people.
Embedded Systems Programming. Those whose realm is the other kind of ROM should know that ESP has gone to controlled circulation. What this means if you're a subscriber or potential ditto is that you may get it for free. What it means if you're an advertiser or potential ditto is that you can look for increased rates. It's a zero-sum game.
Micro Cornucopia. Dave Thompson is considering taking his 50-issue-old hacker's magazine monthly. He's looking for a "partner" -- one with money to invest, I gather.
Microsoft Systems Journal. MSJ has been redesigned, and it's an improvement, though the publication still works too hard at being taken seriously. It's probably too much to expect that MSJs editors could learn from someone such as Dave Thompson how wit and playfulness can coexist with solid technical content.
Other captive magazines. Sun's user magazine is about to be sold -- "given" is a better word, from what I hear of the deal -- to IDG, publisher of Computer World, InfoWorld PC World, Macworld, etc.; while Aldus has launched a magazine with a surprisingly drab look. The content is too self-serving, but the first issue contains a few good things, including what may be the most quick-and-dirty DTP how-to ever written, and an interview with Steve Ballmer on OS/2.
Ziff-Davis. The company that publishes PC Magazine, MacUser, PC Computing, Digital Review, and others (and that killed off Creative Computing, Popular Electronics, PC Tech Journal, and others) has been rumored for the past six months to be on the block. The rumors, which are making ulcers for Z-D employees, have been vehemently denied by Bill Ziff. The rumors are remarkably detailed: Pat McGovern, chairman of IDG, has perused the perspectus; Cahners, publisher of Mini-Micro Systems, has tendered an offer; the asking price is in the $800 million range; Goldman Sachs & Co. is handling the deal. If you believe Ziff's denials, you are led to believe that the rumors were started by one of Z-D's competitors. Whatever the truth, somebody is an awfully big liar.
"Done deal" is one of those buzzwords that should buzz off, and I apologize for using it. Another buzzword that I hope won't catch on in the 90s is "experience," as in "user experience." Apparently the multimedia types within Apple are pushing to use it in the place of "user interface." I get the point, but I hope they keep this one in house.
My pick for the buzzword of the 90s is "facilitate." At least it has the right polysyllabic, academic aura. But I actually think it could be a GOOD buzzword. No, really. Here's why.
I believe fervently in the value of education, but I don't buy into the myth of teaching. The existence of this verb "teach" conveys the erroneous impression that it is possible to force-feed knowledge. The best teachers seem to understand that there is no such thing: Richard Feynman, on being given a teaching excellence award by the American Association of Physics Teachers, said, "I don't know how to teach. I have nothing to say about teaching," then went on to deliver a brilliant and entertaining lecture.
If you can't teach anyone anything, then all you can do is get out of the way, move any obvious obstacles aside, and let them learn. Facilitating learning, you might call it. The problem, I guess, is that it's hard to do. Clearing the student's path is one of those subtle acts that succeeds only by making itself invisible.
Like good writing, and like good user interface design. Good writer Esther Dyson discussed the desktop metaphor in the January issue of PC Computing, saying that it "is not meant to suggest that the computer is a desktop, but to provide a sense of recognition and reasonable expectations. This metaphor, so popular now, suggests tasks the computer can reasonably be expected to do." Suggest things. Create an environment the user can explore, letting the user discover things by recognizing the familiar and following reasonable expectations into the unfamiliar. Get out of the user's way. Facilitate. Yeah. I like the word. The trouble is that if it catches on, people will start ringing the changes on it: facilitator, facilitation, facile. And sooner or later some user is going to walk into a computer store and ask to be shown the facilities. And be taken to the little programmer's room. Might be all right if there are some good magazines in there.