There is something missing from the MAG

[Mike101]

Morning all,

During my near death experience with flu i've been readiong the latest mag and one thing sticks in my mind.....somthing is missing.

Let me explain.

Mag's such as ABR cannot survive without advertising...sad but true.

Advertising budgets are only spent where people will see them.

So the more eyes on a page or screen means makes it eaiser for the mag to bid for advertising money.

So what is missing...well this lot...the forum.

There are thousands of people who read this forum every day..mroe than the mag i bet each month.

Alun mentioned the forum in his opening peice and there was a one liner and the bottom of the same page about it also.

But that's it...

I have over the years been a memebr of many forums for many mag ranging from bikes to boats to planes and i feel ABR is missing a trick.

There are several pages worth of articles, hints, tips and good general advice on the forum each month.

It would be easy to publish a list of the good questins asked along with the edited sensible answers given. This is free stuff for the mag that we all give.

Also there are some good pics uploaded with farkles on members bikes.

With such good stuff in teh mag every issue people buying it will come to the forum to find out more.

This is a standard thing done by many other mag forums across the world. i want to see the mag do well and the key is advertising and eyes on a page or screen.

I welcome your comments on this.

Mike

[waynecoluk]

Having only subscribed at the NEC last week I can't really comment on earlier additions but if what you say is true then it is a good idea. I've been on this site for about a year and there are a hell of a lot of good ideas and advice thrown around in the forum. I also subscribe to ride and like their idea of a few pages of photos of guys like us on their bikes, I can spend ages looking at the photos with the back drops from the Alps etc. that may be a good idea as well.
Apart from that I was really Impressed with the mag. I was wondering if it was going to be a bit off roady for me which is why I didn't subscribe earlier. I don't off road at all and it doesn't really float my boat so was a bit worried however I found it to be a good mixture and the stories of people getting off their ass and going around the world, Perth to Perth etc I found inspirational.
So far so good.

[Brenhden]

This is a great idea. Did someone mention readers wives?

Seriously though, the info that comes to light in the forum is really important to me. Stuff like roadside maintainence.

I guess the forum would need a disclaimer such as: Anything you post here might get edited and used in the mag. I wouldn't have a problem with it. I'd be proud to contribute.

Bren

[Elle]

I bought the mag first then read a comment from Alun that a forum existed. I subscribe to the mag but mainly because I hate shopping & I've never seen it locally. Otherwise, it's doubtful I would have purchased every issue.

I seem to remember reading amongst the rules that content of the forum belongs to ABR so I don't think they need permission. As an example, I recently "joined" the ABR Facebook page & last month read one of my own forum comments on there (the one about solo wild camping).

If you have an article suitable for print, then why not email Emily, Nathan or Alun?

[BigBashBonanza]

I too only subscribed at the NEC and can't really comment on what's best and what was good before....

What I can add though is that the magazine is brilliant. The stories are very well written and accompanied by great photos. The reviews are thorough and even the magazine is well constructed with decent quality paper used (stands up to lots of thumbing through!).

I do like the section on Green lane maps but would like to see a section on off road riding techniques. This could be a regular piece in each edition, to include tips, rights and wrongs and even how to set your bike up (suspension, handle bar & levers etc....).

All in all, very happy indeed.

[johnnyboxer]

Never even heard of the mag, don't think I've even seen a copy anywhere

Is there a mag?

I thought it was just a forum

Anyway the forum is good, but mags are so 20th century - don't read any nowadays

Who needs print when you've got interactive access 24/7

[BigBashBonanza]

Never even heard of the mag, don't think I've even seen a copy anywhere

Is there a mag?

I thought it was just a forum

Anyway the forum is good, but mags are so 20th century - don't read any nowadays

Who needs print when you've got interactive access 24/7

I know what you mean Johnny, but the mag is far better. In the world of iPads and tablets, paper is becoming less and less, but it's the same as MCN, there website isn't too bad, but it's far better to read it every Wednesday.
The ABR mag is a lovely piece of work and so much nicer to read it that scrolling through web pages.

[Oop North John]

For those who say paper is dead:



Back to the original question, the trouble with quoting the forum is that information gets updated often very quickly, and errors are corrected, that can't happen in the magazine. Didn't visordown try the articles from the web logic a while back?

[coyotedave]

Never even heard of the mag, don't think I've even seen a copy anywhere

Is there a mag?

I thought it was just a forum

Anyway the forum is good, but mags are so 20th century - don't read any nowadays

Who needs print when you've got interactive access 24/7

Because too much techno sucks.
Give me a magazine or book any day. There's something special about holding a book or mag and flicking through the pages. It's probably a contact thing .

You will be sucked into Your PC John and ride your techno bike. JB Tron.

[mickyboy]

Love reading the Forum and the Magazine! It's the same feeling with reading on a Kindle, it's very handy but you can't beat a real book! Maybe it's just because I'm old!!