Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Gizmo's Tech Support Alert Newsletter Merges with Windows Secrets

(1/13) > >>

mouser:
This is pretty big news in the computer newsletter world.

Ian "Gizmo" Richards' newsletter "Tech Support Alert" has been a favorite newsletter among those who love to keep up to date with windows software news, and Gizmo's Tech Support Alert website and list of top freeware is a huge favorite of many people (a lot of people found out about DonationCoder.com from gizmo's site).  Ian is a great guy with an eye towards the little guy and that makes him a hero in my eyes.

The Windows Secrets newsletter gets slightly more mixed reviews from DC readers i think but it's still been a reliably good resource, and they also did something we love, which is they made the paid subscription version cost completely up to the reader.  So subscribers can now decide exactly how much they want to pay for it.  Love this idea.

Today the Windows Secrets website announced that Windows Secrets is going to merge with and fold in Gizmo's Tech Support alert newsletter (and retain its Windows Secrets name after some temporary period), with Ian as the new Senior Editor.  Seems to me this could be good news for everyone and could make Windows Secrets one of those must reads.

My only comment is to the Windows Secrets editors to redouble their efforts to purse the highest ethical standards regarding recommending software; Windows Secrets makes money from software advertising in their newsletter in addition to the paid subscriptions, and it's very important that such things are made very clear to readers and that the editorial content not be biased by the paid advertisers.

A bigger, better newsletter with Support Alert
By Brian Livingston

I'm extremely proud to say that Windows Secrets is joining together with the Support Alert Newsletter, a major tech publication.

When our two newsletters merge on July 24, we'll reach over 400,000 subscribers in total and add new content from one of the world's best sources of Windows software reviews.

Meet our senior editor, Ian 'Gizmo' Richards

Ian Richards The Support Alert Newsletter has been edited since 2002 by Ian Richards (left), known to everyone as "Gizmo." Prior to that, the newsletter was run by tech writer Robert Schifreen. At its inception in 1998, the publication was entitled PC Alert, but was renamed Support Alert in 2000.

Gizmo's made quite a name for himself on the Web by writing today's best danged reviews of downloadable software, especially free software. He built up Support Alert to the point that it had about 150,000 e-mail subscribers.

By merging his newsletter with Windows Secrets, Gizmo liberates himself from the production drudgery of e-mail publishing (that's my job). Now, as our senior editor, his time will be free to concentrate on rating free software for our more than 400,000 combined subscribers. Watch out, Microsoft — there's no stopping him now.

--- End quote ---


http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080709

PhilB66:
 :down:

Oh no.... hopefully he doesn't follow in Fred Langa's steps.

tsaint:
I really looked forward to Fred's newsletter. Then after the "merger", reading windows secrets was nowhere near as good (for me). It seemed like rather than reading 100% of the content, I only read something like 60% of it.
Now I'm really fearful of history repeating itself - I want a newsletter for which I find 100% of it interesting and wish Gizmo was staying unchanged.

mouser:
Only time will tell, but let's give them a chance..
My impression from reading the announcement was that Gizmo's content would become the main content, while at the same time freeing him from having to worry about the technical details of sending out the newsletter and managing subscriptions.  if you combine that with the new pay-what-you-want model for subscribers, it could be a win-win for everyone.  But only time will tell.  I hope that readers will post follow-ups here to let us know how they like the new version.

lanux128:
this is a very interesting development. only by reading the next 'post-merger' issue, will we know the extent of this collaboration. at least Gizmo is now officially "will be free to concentrate on rating free software".

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page