Audio Federation, a “hi-fi luxury store” located in Boulder, Colorado, has launched a new web-based magazine. Spintricity is the brainchild of Audio Federation co-owner, Mike Davis, and is certainly a break from the usual hi-fi magazine model.
Why did Mike decide to do something different?
… because the current crop of magazines are just plain boring.
OK. And what exactly is he doing differently?
…we have no reviewers. Instead we encourage manufacturers and dealers, perhaps in conjunction with a writer or photographer, to submit articles about their equipment. Articles will be screened to maintain a high level of information content and a low level of marketing speak [we sell advertising space for those].
…there is no longer a persnickety reviewer or publisher in between gumming up the works.
At Spintricity, we do not pretend that the reviews are completely impartial and factual. There is no pretense of the all-seeing all-knowing reviewer.
Well, I have to give Mike credit for trying to do something different, but the result is sort of a mess. The articles seem sincere, and it is clear that Mike and co-owner Neli are passionate about what they sell, but who wants to read ten-page advertisements?
I’d actually be able to forgive the editorial issues mentioned above if the format of the web ‘zine wasn’t so confounding. It uses a technology called “Magazines.me,” another psuedo-print-based-metaphor-thing that, according to their web site, is:
“… all about people wanting to make wonderful glorious-looking online magazines. Magazines.me magazines are the next generation of blogs. Magazines.me magazines are the next generation of magazines.”
I don’t know why people want to make new web sites look and behave like old print magazines, but apparently they do. Take a look at Spintricity and judge for yourself.
Boring, very boring.
Agreed.
Hard to read.
No new insights.
So why bother ?
what a pos!!