MagWeb.com Poll 2002

The Question We Should Have Asked

by Russ Lockwood
CEO, MagWeb.com

Much as we try, we can't think of everything, so we turned to our member to ask the question we forgot to include...As you can guess, we missed the one about which magazines the members would like added to the list. Looking at the responses, "Which magazine should be add?" seems to be the question most needed.

A point here. It's not as if we just saunter in and the publisher agrees immediately to sign a licensing agreement. Nor can we grab a publisher by the throat, choke and shake him a bit, and instantly get a new magazine to add to MagWeb.com! It takes a bit of education.

To me, MagWeb.com is a win-win-win situation where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The publishers win because they can put their back issues back into circulation, get some royalties, pump up the publication's name recognition to potential subscribers, and it doesn't cost them anything. The members win because they get even more information from great publications. And MagWeb.com wins because we add a new publication and enlarge the archive, making us even more valuable as a reference source.

But that takes time to understand, and I can understand the publishers' reluctance. Some believe we'd kill off their subscriptions because it's less expensive to join MagWeb.com than subscribe to hundreds of publications. Of course, I try to explain that if I kill off all the magazines, I kill off MagWeb.com! It's in my best interest that the magazines get big and fat, because that means our archive will grow big and fat, too.

Some believe they can do on-line back issues themselves and charge people for access. I point out that if they're willing to lay out the money, time, and effort to create an archive, they sure can. Then I ask them for a ROI, including efforts to keep it going, and note my efforts of offering over 100 magazines' worth of articles when it comes to setting prices. I mean, what would you do as a consumer: $10 for one issue or $10 for 35,000+ MagWeb.com articles? Command magazine is a great example--I talked to them for a couple years about joining MagWeb.com, but they went ahead and created their own on-line magazine for $40 per six months (6 issues). I believe it had 14 subscribers, one of whom was a MagWeb.com member. Perhaps coincidently, or perhaps for other reasons for I do not know, Command magazine is now in bankruptcy court, leaving a number of unpaid bills and unpaid writers.

Some just don't want to be on-line. What can I say about that one?

Overall, we've pitched about 200 publications and landed 105 (soon 106). We started with 8. There's probably another 100 or so out there that I've identified. We continue to pitch, including those that did not agree in the first or second go around, and grow and expand the archive. Eventually, we'll reach a mass that will demand even more attention...and members.

One thing we're seeing is a number of individuals who have vast knowledge in a narrow band coming to us and proposing a newsletter. Usually, these are authors who have extra or new information not in their books. They want to publish it, want some payment, but don't want the hassle of newsletter subscriptions, mailings, printing, lists, accounting, deadlines and schedules, etc. MagWeb.com has signed a number of exclusive newsletters because we make it so easy for them to disseminate their work, get a quarterly royalty check, and avoid all the unpleasantness of scheduling and accounting. We're always open to new topics and newsletters.

With that...

The Question We Should Have Asked...

Name a Magazine that is not part of MAGWEB that MAGWEB should try to obtain.

What magazines should be a part of Magweb

What other magazines would you like to see Magweb get access to?

Why do you like dislike Magweb?

How much readers of Magweb wargame? What club they belong to? Are they solo-wargamers?

Can't think of one

Questions are okay, but some of the possible responses are too limiting. In the "buying" section there are things I buy much less frequently than once a month yet more than "never". Should have included hypothetical future in "military history."

    Point well taken. I tend to think in "months" as MagWeb.com's production schedule is in months. Perhaps I should have asked about them in years, or allow a typed in answer.

What is the most likely direction gaming will take in the next ten years? twenty years?

Your favorite rules set for different periods.

Ya shoulda asked...... WHAT MAGS would you like to see ADDED? and WHAT MAGS would you like to see REMOVED from the list... I am REALLY NOT interested in SHARKHUNTERS. Unless you are using a PC, what wargames are out there using U-boats?

    Every member has favorites and well, not favorites. Personally, I find first person interviews of the actual commanders to be the cornerstone of military history. Sharkhunters concentrates on U-boats, submarines, ASW, convoys, etc with tremendous accuracy. I'll also point out that if you take the "Admiral" level membership in Sharkhunters (sorry, MagWebbers), Sharkhunters will pass along questions to the U-boat commanders. That is an incredible service.

Where are you from? Not everyone cruising the Internet is an US citizen...

What other publications would you like to see online?

Nature of my interest -- wargaming? history? or both?

Profession?

Would have liked you to ask us to rate the mags carried.

    Good one, although that woudl have lengthened the survey by 105 questions! A nice idea, though.

What's your favourite magazine on Magweb?

How much would I expect it to cost if I had to buy MagWe's annual output in hard copy format?

    I can answer that, somewhat, as many magazines are no longer in publication and some newsletters you can't actually buy in hard copy as they are exclusive to MagWeb.com. Assuming half of them are still in publication on more or less a schedule and the average price is $25, that would be about $1,250 (50 mags x $25). Of note, you can sample magazines on MagWeb.com before deciding to get a print subscription.

What is your favorite campaign or conflict? Mine would be the American Revolution- although I don't really care for other Horse and Musket battles/campaigns.

What new mags should we add?

Have you seen Bin Laden lately?

Are there any magazines we should try to add to our site?

Not so much that but the torture questions and future questions were rather open to interpretation?

Top three favorite mags?

You have assumed I am american with the latter part of your questionnaire. You had the opportunity to go world wide in your assessment.

How can we keep you as a member?

Using checkboxes instead of radial buttons. "Do you "Play historical miniature wargames? Play historical board games? Play fantasy miniature wargames? Play fantasy roleplaying games? Play other board games? Play collectable card games?

List several journals we should be courting. Wargames Illustrated? other British "glossies" - This would allow you to show them that your users want them to be availiable via Magweb and that they are not interested in a WI only site.

Less questions of geopolitics, more questions on the types of magazines and journals we'd like to see.

What publications past or present would you like to see added?

What new new magazines should we try to sign up? Old The Wargamer, Strategy & Tactics, old Avalon Hill The General are there any magazines we would want to see ? ? Yes? eg the old Tradition? Journal of Army Research? US Navy Proceeedings etc they would be worth paying more for

Country like? I dislike part of the poll should have been separated between the people and the governments of those nations...

Can you maintain your current standard of living whle paying our annual rates?

What publication would you like to see added to our list?

What do you think of the choices we make in loading "back-issues" versus current issues.

Define the types of data that we'd be interested in.

Please keep in mind that in your question 17. I'm Argentine.

Not a question, but I want to say I was very disappointed by the US-centric tone of questions 17, 20, 21 and 22. The web is a worldwide medium, but those questions sound like you assume all readers are American, which is irritating.

Nationality -- not all subscribers are yankees and you may like to know the level of difussion abroad as well. I am Spanish, for example.

Which magazines do you miss -- in my case Practical Wargamer, Wargames Illustrated, Miniature Wargames. Maybe you have tried, and they said no, I don't know.

    All three, as a matter of fact. PW is dead, by the way, though Stuart Asquith the editor has mentioned to me that he wished he had pursued the matter more when PW was alive.

Does anybody want to have a working Forum?

    Been working for a while, although it had been down while we searched for a new one to replace the old one. The 1999 poll noted that only 20% or so actually used it, so it was not a priority.

What's the most frustrating thing about using Magweb?

    That would be the "What Needs Improvement?" question.

What is the single most important event in history?

    Good question. A real poser, that one! Stealing that one for the next poll!

Am I a veteran or not. That would have went well with the draft questions. Yes I am a 15 year veteran of the USAF.

    Interesting point.

What military experience do the members have?

Do you play in a Wargames Club? How many members? If playing figures which scales? which rules? Favourite manufacturer?

Good survey.

Would you prefer to omit fantasy magazins and only have historical gaming magazines--my answer wold be YES!

What magazines would you like to see on Magweb?

If selling ads would keep the subscription price the same, would you accept the ads?

    That was asked: Question 26.

Where we come from? I am based in the UK so find myself somewhat perplexed at why a business should enquire about the merits of torturing people - suspected terrorists or not. Radio buttons about whether Israel is a friend of the US or not oversimplified.

Do I like the research articles or the nuts and bolts gaming info best? I like research.

What nationality are you? - as your survey has a built in US perspective.

What magazines would you like to see added to our archive?

Would we be interested in a poll that would profile the typical MagWeb user. I assume most users are wargamers, but are they boardgamers, miniatures, computer gamers, ... Perhaps if you knew this you could gear your new additions to these interests.

    All these were asked above with demographics and buying habits questions.

You should have asked why we play wargames instead of all this silly possible war questions. I have a Ph.D. in history and I can tell you that most wargamers don't know enough to make intelligent choices.

Whether, as a Brit, I should be taking part in some the questions above re the US

I will probably think of it as I sign off.

What percent of the articles you view do you print? I believe the view affects your cost structure.

    The percentage should be relatively small. Members look at a lot, print or save what they want. And if they become interested in another period, those articles they skimmed over before are still waiting. As for pricing, we have certain fixed costs, certain variable costs, and an awareness of what information costs in printed and electronic form.

What are your areas of interest, periods, land, naval, air, military history articles, articles on uniforms, organisation etc, rules by period , scenarios etc.

Favorite magazine area of MagWeb?

Is the mix of magazine subjects generally meeting your needs?

Would you be interested in knowing if any fellow members live in your area? Special access only for those that choose to be listed.

What is your primary interest "other" than history/wargaming?

If you could be anyone in history, who would you be?

Name a Magazine that is not part of MAGWEB that MAGWEB should try to obtain?

What publications would you like to see added.

The world is greater than USA

Unknown

How did I hear abut Magweb?

You did, the membership subscription question. now just make sure you email me to let me know your decision. please.

Why did you choose Magweb?

Should we create a section for member articles, scenarios, army lists?

Are you worried because there is less and less meat in magweb? answer yes

    This one perplexes me. Two dozen issues a month and we're providing less...

How many people have I referred to your site? Dozens.

What kind of advertising would you be more inclined to view? Miniatures , Hobby Shop, Game Rules, Magazine, Club

    It surprised me that folks were so ready to accept adverts in MagWeb.com. This would be a good follow-up question.

What other publications should Magweb try to add in future?

What magazine do you wish was available on Magweb?

War, Warfare, and MagWeb.com

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