[9218] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Dern to leave Internet World editor-in-chief position
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Daniel P Dern)
Wed Dec 22 18:04:30 1993
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 15:01:02 -0500
From: ddern@world.std.com (Daniel P Dern)
To: com-priv@uu.psi.com
Hi, Daniel P. Dern here, the outgoing editor-in-chief of INTERNET WORLD
magazine.
In the words of Groucho Marx, "I only came to say I must be going." The
June 1994 issue of INTERNET WORLD, which editorially gets "put to bed" the
beginning of February and hits the stands mid-May, will be my last issue
as editor-in-chief.
At that point -- the beginning of February 1994 -- all editorial and other
correspondence should go directly to MecklerMedia (Meckler Corp.'s new
name): e-mail meckler@jvnc.net, Voice 1-800-MECKLER, Fax 1-800-858-3144.
(All subscription and sample requests should be going there now in any
case.)
Starting January 1, 1994, I am returning full-time to being an independent
(free-lance) techno-biz writer (about the Internet and its technology when
possible, of course :-), along with continuing the on-going promotional
efforts for my Internet book from McGraw-Hill. And doubtlessly some other
interesting stuff to be determined.... (FYI, I've been asked to contribute
a column to INTERNET WORLD and currently plan to do so.)
That's the news in a nutshell; here's a summary of some of INTERNET
WORLD's history and other notes:
Back in May 1992, seeking a new editor for their RESEARCH & EDUCATION
NETWORKING newsletter, Meckler Corp. saw one of my Internet articles
in Byte magazine and on the strength of that asked me to become its new
editor. Over the following year, the newly-christened INTERNET WORLD
newsletter grew into a publication respected by the industry and Internet
community alike (not to mention more than doubling its circulation), with
substantive, value-added coverage of Internet news and issues.
A year later, in May 1993, the decision was made to turn INTERNET WORLD
into a magazine, and voila! at INTEROP 93/August in San Francisco INTERNET
WORLD, the magazine -- the first magazine dedicated entirely to and about
the Internet -- appeared. INTEROP also saw the debuts of Jayne Levin's
INTERNET LETTER newsletter and CMP's INTERNET BUSINESS REPORT, under the
editorship of Chris Locke. (Also introduced there was my own Internet
book from McGraw-Hill, but that's not part of this story.)
INTERNET WORLD's premiere magazine-format issue (Sept/Oct 93) included
articles by Internet notables like Peter "archie" Deutsch, David "Noah
Webster of Smileys" Sanderson, EFF Counsel Mike Godwin, Internet librarian
trainers Marian Bremer and Hope Tillman, Jane Smith of CNIDR, plus stuff
by yours truly; it had letters, quotes from K12-ers prowling educational
MUDs, articles on public-access Internet providers, new tools, great color
illos by science fiction/fantasy artist Hannah M.G. Shapero.... It even
had *ads*!
The second issue marked another Internet first: newsstand distribution!
Serious stuff! Issues two and three included articles from net notables
like John "Toaster" Romkey, Steve "the bike guy" Roberts and by Internet
authors and journalists including Mary Cronin, Adam Gaffin, and Jeff
Ubois.
Plus it was my great pleasure to do extensive profiles of Washington DC's
Digital Express public-access Internet site in Sept/Oct 93, Big Sky
Telegraph's Frank Odasz in Nov/Dec 93, and The Internet Company's Rob
Raisch in Jan/Feb 94; kick off my three-part "Internet Driver's Test"; and
publish a K12 article by 9th grader Dan Lieberman among other features,
and include letters to the editor, book reviews, more art, more ads.
Congratulatory e-mail kept coming in, along with more subscription
requests.
However, with growth comes change. MecklerMedia has committed to turning
INTERNET WORLD into a monthly magazine. Given the administrative changes
that will accompany that change, and the difference between my vision for
the magazine and MecklerMedia's goals, I will no longer remain editor-in-
chief.
It's been a heck of a lot of fun, and there's something to be said for
being the first editor-in-chief of the first Internet magazine. (Who'd
have guessed it ten years ago when I first applied for that job at BBN to
do Defense Data Network user documentation...) It's been a privilege and a
delight to have had the opportunity, and the net community at all levels
has responded positively.
Thanks for all the support and help; keep them ASCII bitstreams flyin' and
see you on the 'net (and at assorted shows and events)!
Daniel Dern (ddern@world.std.com) Internet author & technology/business writer
(617) 969-7947 Fax:(617) 969-7949 Snail: PO Box 309 Newton Centre, MA 02159
Author, The Internet Guide For New Users, (McGraw-Hill, 1993) [See Electronic
Newsstand Gopher (enews.com), Path=1/special/mcgraw-hill/dern for ToC, etc.]
"Internet books make great holiday gifts and also good wrist rests."
