Re: Ada magazine

[edmund@tcp.co.uk (edmund oshaughnessy)]

In article <3dc3k4$39k@monmouth.edu>, s0222353@moncol.monmouth.edu (DEAN
RUNZEL) wrote:

> Now, the bad news. There were at least three magazines dealing almost 
> exclusively with C/C++ and even one devoted entirely to SmallTalk. Now
> if SmallTalk can have a magazine on the shelves of a major bookstore chain,
> why can't Ada?

I wonder who buys these magazines, is it the hobbyist or the serious
professional user, I suspect the former. This may well preclude Ada
because the home-user market is too oriented to the PC/MSWindoze/C/C++
juggernaut.
> 
> Surely, the Ada gurus, (Mr. Feldman, Mr. Cohen, etc.) could write the 
> education and technical articles...

Personally I would be very interested to read such a magazine. I read all
the others but they do tend to be a bit dry, although I do miss 'Dear Ada'
in ACM Ada Letters.
> 
> This has to be as cheap as constantly updating and distributing the CD-ROM...

I'm not too enamoured of CD-ROMs and would prefer a more approachable
medium like a glossy magazine, which would include 'pointers' (suitably
typed of course :-) ) to ftp sites, Web pages etc. I've just checked out
the Ada WWW Server which I think is excellent. Perhaps in this day and age
a Web page is the electronic equivalent of a magazine.
> 
> Can't someone see the logic of this? Would AJPO be willing to help?

You can always ask!

> If such a magazine were available would you subscribe?

Yes.

> How much would you be willing to pay?

A few dollars/pounds, but I'd get my organisation to buy it!


> Would you be willing to contribute articles on a regular basis?

Ouch!


> This is just my opinion, but let's stop being so stuffy and whining so much...

Softly, softly catchy monkey! I think we'll wake up one day and realise
that Ada is very important to many businesses (e.g., the channel tunnel,
European ATC, etc) and has found her true market.

Happy Holiday!

Ed O'Shaughnessy.