Re: [AGA-mcm] Comments about TAG -- the substance and the business

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

Just to take off for a minute on Erik's point about diff
strokes, for each person that thinks the "Basics" are too
humdrum, there is a novice (or probably two or three)
thinking the "Advanced" stuff is too technical or too
artsy. With the size of the readership and its varieties of
tastes and skill levels, broad appeal is necessary and that
means all articles cannot appeal each reader. One would not
expect each article or type of article to appeal to every
reader any more than that each type of aquascape would
appeal to each reader.

Addressing the varied preferences of the readers, both in
technical and aesthetic terms, is a challenge that the
Editor has to address in each issue. A job I wouldn't want
to have to do. But the fact that the readership continues
to grow while the economy, as the economists put it, pretty
much sucks, is a testament to how well the Editor
consistently meets that onerous challenge. 

Emphasizing Erik's other point, for the last few years TAG
is the only avenue that has been able to bring Amano's
discussions of technique into English. 

Of course, as the readership continues to grow, the size of
TAG can grow, allowing each issue to have more to satisfy
various preferences. Stepping back from my oft attributed
glumness, I think the the next big membership drive will
add pages. And certainly Kathy's and Phil's work with the
vendors plays a key and complimentary.

sh
--- Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com> wrote:

> It's a pretty old story.  Different strokes for different
> folks.  The 
> beginners want to see the DIY yeast articles and probably
> aren't ready for 
> Amano.   TAG's never been about conversation.  There's no
> way it can or 
> should compete with online forums.  The worst period in
> our history was 
> when Mary McCaw was reprinting online articles a year
> later in TAG.
> 
> What I see as TAG's strong point over online things is
> the ability to 
> present better quality photos (yes, this is actually
> true), it's archival 
> nature, and it's ability to attract some of the bigger
> names (Amano, 
> Kasselmann, Christensen, etc) amongst the 'plain old'
> articles.
> 


=====
--- Christel Kassellman is returning to America! ---
The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies will feature Christel, author of 
_Aquarium Plants_, among its speakers at its 30th Annual Convention. It's the 
longest running consecutive general tropical fish convention in the country and 
one of the most fun to attend. 

March 18-20, 2005
Marriott Hotel, Farmington, CT
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