I got the impression it was still a WIP when the plug was pulled. And it takes time to get a successful website going - I fear the bean counters were measuring it against their other, computer orientated, sites.
Not entirely true, although the computer titles do have far better websites. Expected though, considering the market they serve.
Our problem is down to updating the site regularly.
It is down to individual magazines to do it, which in our case limits it to four people, myself, Nick or one of the two new people dealing with the art and sub-editing.
Whoever it falls upon needs to have some knowledge of doing a website, so needs some initial training of the software the company uses, plus, as you rightly point out, the vast amount of time needed.
Manpower means it isn't feasible at the moment, and if we do eventually end up with a proper website, it will still need to have input from one of the editorial team to ensure the stuff posted is accurate.
The lack of time available meant that we couldn't keep the site maintained, so it was directed to a link for subs by the company so that the domain name remains active.
It would be great to have an active website, but to put money and resources into it will affect the magazine budget, so the result could be the demise of the magazine because it sucks cash from the mag so it then suffers with poor features/projects etc.
I suppose UKW could be used as an example. Despite its undoubted success, with 1145 registered users, it isn't a huge site, so has very limited appeal, especially when out of those 1145, only about 10-20% are active posters. (Others may lurk, so actual hits are higher)
If we chose to throw a lot of resources into the website for what could generate a minute amount of hits, it could be suicide.
A forum on the GW site will generate interest, but again, monitoring needs to be tight. UKW are lucky that they have such dedicated people doing a great job, but with GW's Fantastic 4(!) doing the mag, again, little chance of any of use moderating it.
Sorry for the negatives, but if we can strike a formula that gets people back into woodwork so that our sales increase dramatically, we could do it.
If the schools actually went back to teaching a skill where some pride was instilled, whether its woodwork, metalwork, sewing, cooking etc like when I was there rather than cobbling together bits and pieces of plastic, metal and wood with disregard to the final appearance and calling it 'Reactive Materials' or something like that it might be a start. Certainly the demise of the apprenticeship scheme in favour of NVQ's was the wrong move for the country in general (not just woodworking) as far as i'm concerned.
Whether this has anything to do with mag sales is neither here nor there, but getting people to have a passion and pride was what school and apprenticeships did very well. Sadly, despite some fabulous stuff still being made by both amateurs and pros alike, the market is in a big decline...
Andy
