[flash]

over the last more than a year, in the course of doing some independent testing and development of the chips and intakes, there has repeatedly been resistance and criticism from a few people who it seems don't understand how a magazine works, or why it is important to support it



therefore, i have decided to present this here, not for the purpose of discussion or argument, but only to serve as a statement of position - it's basic economics, but i'll go into it for the purpose of clarity



a magazine stays in business based entirely on 2 things - they sell copies, and they sell ads



they sell copies based on the content - they sell ads based on the quality of the content and the quality and quantity of advertising - advertisers like to advertise where other advertisers do, and in magazines that readers like to read - that's why they don't generally like websites, and pay far less for ad space on them - they feel their ads are too often overlooked, and therefore are valued at less - that line of thinking is gradually changing, but at this point hard copy and other traditional advertising still far outweighs web ad spending



to do either, there has to be sufficient content and participation from advertisers to attract both readers and advertisers - this means presenting things like feature stories that readers want to see - these stories cost money to do - the amounts are widely varied



in the case of independent testing, the expense is significant - for example, the dyno testing time alone on the chips ran into thousands - the same was true of the intake testing - the shop was willing to extend that time in exchange for comment in the magazine, which had advertising value to them - they would otherwise have had to spend money to get the same kind of exposure - they would otherwise have been paid for their time - this exchange benefitted both parties



clearly this kind of thing is not likely to be funded independently - the cost is too significant to be borne by an individual - who is sitting on a few grand to do something like figure out which chip is best? it falls to magazines to use the influence they have, and the resources available to them, to do things like this - without magazines, and other such similar entities, there would be no such testing and development - manufacturers certainly don't seem to be willing to put their product up against another - we need to support the magazine's efforts, and not criticise them



this does mean a certain amount of frustration for some, and a more time involved process than we would all like, but it is the price we pay for somebody else footing the bill for our benefit



anyone is welcome to discuss the things in the magazines - of course reproducing the material is a copyright violation, but discussing it is not, and is very welcome



anyone else is certainly welcome to step up and fund these kinds of projects - they are then entitled to do anything they want with the results - it's easy to criticize from the cheap seats, but come on down to the playing field, and you'll likely discover a new found respect for the efforts these people extend - i know i had to do it myself to learn just how difficult, time consuming, and expensive it is



i hope this puts to rest any issues and concerns, and that those who expressed them now have a better understanding and appreciation for the complexities and issues encountered by running a magazine, and can see their way clear to allowing the magazines to conduct their business without the encumberment of such criticism

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