Roopinder Tara seems content on expressing his hope for Cadalyst magazine and its future in print — in one form or another. I’m not so sure I agree. If it was my company that bought the venerable CAD publication I’d be thinking differently about whether or not print even matters at this point. Print certainly has some unique values, but in an age where being “connected” to the broader social net matters more and more daily I ask: “how does one do that exactly with paper?”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of magazines and books I can physically hold. But is it even “green” and socially responsible anymore to be cheering for the continuation of “tree-based media” when there are more appropriate and more interconnected options available for us all on the Net?
This may be one of those situations where the new owner has long term plans to exit a printed version of Cadalyst but in the meantime needs to keep printing it for financial reasons. I for one hope that there is a long-term Net-only strategy being developed, as Cadalyst is still a very enjoyable read for me, especially in the areas of product reviews and in-depth articles. And Nancy Johnson may get her chance to put all the pieces back together again, but if she fails and the print version ceases to exist, should we cry about it? I am not so sure we should.