Leela Cosgrove
July 17th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

As a subscriber, yeah it is kinda sad … but at the end of the day the REASON I subscribe to Anthill has never been because it’s a magazine … it’s because of the awesome value that is contained within those pages. And it doesn’t make any difference to me HOW I get that information, just so long as I get it …

I think I speak for a lot of Anthill readers and subscribers when I say – as long as you keep giving us awesome content, you’ve got our support no matter what format you publish in.

It’s always difficult as a business owner to have to make decisions like this – especially when those decisions are in no small part due to factors well beyond our control. But it’s one of those things that you know will end up being talked about in 4 or 5 years time …

So, James, then you had the BRILLIANT idea to get rid of the hardcopy magazine (which was about to become obsolete anyway) and move to pure electronic delivery … are you some kind of business psychic?!?!

Yes … yes … it’s always part of the ‘plan’ …

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David Oakley
July 17th, 2009 at 9:05 pm

Hmmm… I was pretty pissed off when I got the letter. I think it takes guts to do what you ave done though. I’m not 100% sure I’ll continue to subscribe to the emails. I’m a digital producer and I spend all day on the computer getting bombarded by emails and tweets and the like and I don’t have enough ’screen time’ to really get into the anthill content anymore.

Sitting down of an evening to comtemplate my new business venture without the digital distractions that bombard me all day long is an extremely productive activity. And yes I used to read though Anthill and get inspired and encouraged think laterally about some planning issue or a creative process that I was stuck in. I just won’t be able to do that anymore and the magazine was a really usefull tool for that. If you can solve this one without printing a magazine I’d be pretty impressed.

The changes have affected me in three ways –
1) no more magazine – I might just keep subscribing becuse I’m in the middle of starting up a business.
2) I paid $$ for an annual listing in the directory and won’t get any value for that – unless I’m mysteriously listed on the website somewhere?? – so it would be pleaseing to get some kind of answer to this – I sent an email months ago and never heard anything.
3) I did buy a subscription to the mag for one of my clients – who’s never recieved a copy and has probably never recieved an email either…embarasing since I gave it such a good drum.

Good luck with you adventures in the digital realm.

David.

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James Tuckerman Reply:
July 18th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

Thanks David for your candid and honest response.

We’ll track down that gift subscription for you. (That’s very frustrating news for us to hear – expect a call Monday.) As an AntPages subscriber, we are developing a new platform and ‘yes’ you’ll be getting a free PREMIUM listing in that. It’s all part of the changeover but hasn’t progressed as quickly as we’d like it to.

On your main point, we’ve been battling to find ways to bring that ‘contemplative’ quality to our future model. How we will do that (if we can) is still unclear to us but, believe me, we understand better than most the benefits of print versus digital – as an ongoing discussion that has raged through our office over the last 12-months.

Any change like this causes massive upheaval internally as well as externally. So please keep the thoughts, suggestions, observations, even complaints coming. It has been a hard decision to make. And we don’t expect our new path to be an easy one – just more logical than pursuing what came before.

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David Oakley Reply:
July 18th, 2009 at 8:40 pm

Hi James, thanks for your personal response. The more I think about it the more it makes sense to me. And as John has said in his post – you have done this with transparency and integrity. I’ve joined your twitter group, the linkedin group and will chek out Anthill TV next. This is a lesson in moving on and getting in line with the ‘digital natives’ really and you’ve taken us on that jouney. Thanks also for the insight into what’s been going on behind the scenes it’s put it into some more perspective.

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John Power
July 18th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

I was disappointed when I got the letter, but more than that I was impressed. A difficult yet presummably necessary decision made without screwing the customer. Its refreshing to see such ethics these days…keep at it James.
BTW, I ticked the box for Cosmos.

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Malcolm
July 19th, 2009 at 11:55 am

Hi James,
Sorry to see the end of the print edition which I felt I always got my value from in so many ways. These include inspiring tales of Australian start ups to organising the innovation community to protest against the lack of government support for Australian innovation. I agree with the other comments here that how you and the Anthill team communicated your most recent change was well managed. Although I am interested in reading one of the other magazines I would rather keep the $28.29 working towards your next iteration of Anthill. Looking forward to whatever comes next.
Malcolm

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Jen Bishop, editor, Dynamic Business
July 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am

When I landed here from the UK last year and started editing Dynamic Business, I started checking out the other mags in the space and Anthill blew me away. It was different, well written, full of great info and took risks. The Anthill story is an inspiring one to anyone working in publishing, and it’s not over. I have no doubt that Anthill (which I’ve always viewed as more of a community than just a magazine) will continue to evolve online.
Here at Dynamic Business we saw Anthill not as competition, but as a quality mag with a different audience, sitting in the same kind of space. I’ve always had huge respect for James and I’m sad to see the end of Anthill as a regular magazine. I wish James and the team the best of luck for the online future and have absolutely no doubt it will be a success.

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Vivi Chau
July 20th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Commiserations and Congratulations!!

Its sad for the magazine to go, I only started subscribing last year after I moved back from Denmark. But even in that short amount of time, I loved the magazine, especially its ‘contemplative’ aspect. There’s nothing better than a Sunday morning reading the paper or a magazine over brunch and coffee. It is a great opportunity to unplug, so I understand David’s sentiments. If I have any ideas of how to include the contemplative aspect digitally, I’ll let you guys know.

Congratulations on making the decision though. Its better to plough on ahead and not get held back too much. Now that I’ve gotten off my lazy behind and found the sound drivers for my computer at work, I’ll be jumping onto Anthill TV a lot more now.

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Paul Ryan Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

One of the ideas we are kicking around is packaging up some of our more contemplative articles into ebooks/emags of some form, which you will be able to print and read on the couch, deck, train, John, wherever you choose to unwind.

They wouldn’t be as glossy as the mag, but the content would be the same as the mag. Hopefully a way to bridge the gap. I totally agree with David’s point about ’screen time’. You should be able to grab the content you want and enjoy it offline if you choose.

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Vivi Chau Reply:
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 pm

That’s a great idea… don’t worry I will buy glossy paper and print out the emag

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Paul Groth Reply:
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm

Hi Paul, it’s Paul here, just a quick note about those ebooks/emags. Great idea by the way, can you please keep in mind people’s ink cartridges and not overload the printable documents with large areas of unnecessary blocks of colour.

That is one thing that I’ve found most annoying with that type of document – sure it looks good, but I only print it on scrap paper, read it, then file it neatly in that plastic container under the desk.

I understand you have to make money some how so a few ads would be fine, just remember that ink cartridges are very expensive.

Can’t wait to see the other ideas. Hope it all goes well, you have my support.

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Vivi Chau Reply:
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:22 am

Hi Paul, not sure how relevant this is to Anthill but check out this TED Talks video around 1:40 mark….

http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera_y_arcas_demos_photosynth.html

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Lane Burdett
July 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

Leela Cosgrove says:
July 17, 2009 at 5:53 pm

‘As a subscriber, yeah it is kinda sad … but at the end of the day the REASON I subscribe to Anthill has never been because it’s a magazine … it’s because of the awesome value that is contained within those pages’

SPOT ON Leela, will continue to enjoy regardless of format.

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Shawn
July 21st, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Honestly…i think it’s a real shame when any great business has to change business models as radically like Anthill has…but it’s 2 thumbs up for your effort James, honesty and thought you (and your team) have put into providing alternative subscriptions (opposed to a cash refund)…

Whilst I do receive your emails, I’ll be honest, even though i love my technology, the reason why i subscribe to mags is because I love spending an hour or two thumbing through the pages in a coffee shop (away from the desk), making notes on the pages and placing them on my shelves…so for emails tend to get lost with the many I receive each day…so can’t wait to see your first “new” edition and I’ll definitely be a purchaser if you continue to put the same level of effort and enthusiasm into it…

Cheers

SP

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Dan
July 21st, 2009 at 8:28 pm

Good going. I will miss it but have gotten into the emails (except the videos which work has banned – another reason to go it alone! Cmon this is work related education).

An annual special perhaps??? Sealed edition with DVD of video and business software??? Go for it, the database is hot for some high quality one offs.

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Charlie
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm

Ditto the above – thanks for your letter, and all the best for the future. You guys are innovators, and as a cofounder and MD of an online media company myself, I understand your move. I don’t know how anyone can make money in the print/radio/TV business anymore, or for much longer.

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Simon
July 25th, 2009 at 9:44 am

Hi James
Sorry to hear about the mag

I too have similar thoughts to David (below) and Shawn
I love the print, i get over looking at a computer all day, and really enjoy getting away from the screen to reflect and absorb

I have $10 left on ur subscription, as that is far away from the cost of the 3 alternative subscriptions, u can keep it. No need to refund the balance.

I have enjoyed subscribing over the years, you came referred to me by Edgeware in Brisbane

Good luck in the future

Regards
Simon

Sitting down of an evening to comtemplate my new business venture without the digital distractions that bombard me all day long is an extremely productive activity. And yes I used to read though Anthill and get inspired and encouraged think laterally about some planning issue or a creative process that I was stuck in. I just won’t be able to do that anymore and the magazine was a really usefull tool for that. If you can solve this one without printing a magazine I’d be pretty impressed.

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KIM JACOBS
July 25th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

A gutsy decision and no doubt a scary one but I guess you did your forecasts and it was clear what the alternative was. Been there and done that with my own start-up bsuiness. Agree with he comments readers have made about print vs. online reading. One other thing I like about print is how you can pick up a mag months after it came out and easily flick back for now relevant stuff you missed or skipper the first time around Hopefully a good/great archive on your site with a strong Search feature will replicate this (maybe its already there – I must check). Anyhow I enjoy the e-mails. I find the top picks a useful gyide to “must read” stuff. I will miss the magazine. Good luck.

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Jeromy Evans
July 27th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

I’m disappointed with your decision for two reasons:

1. Anthill was a unique print magazine worth keeping on the bookshelf and referring to friends. Anthill online needs to do far more to compete for my attention.

2. I feel you’re losing focus.

Good luck though.

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Robert Gerrish
July 28th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

I’ll miss the mag too, James. The good news is the Anthill ‘voice’ comes across loud and clear online. Love your work!

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Nikkho
April 3rd, 2010 at 10:29 am

Hi James,
Could you tell me what’s the outcome after you initiate this? Is there higher revenue? if yes by how much? Is there a higher ad rate? By how much?

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James Tuckerman Reply:
April 3rd, 2010 at 1:11 pm

Those are questions that are not easy to answer… simply because the business models are so different. We generate less revenue than we did as a print magazine but the revenue we do generate offers us larger margins. This is because we don’t need as many staff, have no physical production or mailing costs (i.e the overheads and production costs are lower). We also make our revenue through different channels than we did as print. Banner advertising represents only a tiny percentage of our money in the door. The question(s) that you should be asking is whether, after all these changes, the business is more or less profitable (i.e. does the business generate more or less $$$ after all the revenue is added up and the costs taken away) and whether advertising is a sustainable way to run an online media company anyway.

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