Disco Underworld #6

disco under world

issue #6 april 2009

issue #6 features



Erik Gauger Page 26

BW Cary Page 61



Elsa Mora 8 e g a P

www.discounderworld.com. issue #6 contents. page

N. Steven Harris Page 44

Is Print Dead? Page 20

Mike’s Space Page 41

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www.discounderworld.com. direct address. page

direct address disco underworld, april 2009

Thanks to the artists this issue who were generous enough to share their thoughts, ideas and work with the rest of us. They are all very talented people. Thank you also to those of you who take the time to let me know what disco underworld does for you, especially Jo and Brenda:

Thanks for coming back, love that top on you by the way. This issue we have had an in-depth look into the changing habits of consumers in relation to magazines, newspapers and books, and what this is doing to the world we live in now, and in the future. Thanks to everyone who emailed in ideas and thoughts, all of which helped shape the article which starts on page 24.

“Thanks for disco underworld -it adds something to my world. Ka Kite Ano, Brenda Ann Burke” “Stacey every issue of disco underworld is amazing and somehow it gets better and better each time. You have captured true beauty within a fun environment for people to express themselves and inspire others. I look forward to viewing your magazine every month and following other people’s hopes and dreams. It really does give

other people the desire to do things that little bit more or that little bit better. You are helping and inspiring more people then you realise ... I know I am one. Love your work, Jo” If you love disco too, please share it with your friends. Flick me an email, [email protected] if you have any feedback, or if you would like to be involved, and look out for the next issue at the start of May, Stacey Childs, Editor

Remember to check out our new blog which frequently updates new work from our past interviews. Also, if you would like your work displayed there and in disco, please email stacey@discounderworld. com to find out how! disco underworld is published by Online Insight Limited © copyright 2008. By reading and interacting with our magazine and website, you agree to the terms laid out under the ‘terms of use’ on the site www.discounderworld.com Editor: Stacey Childs [email protected] Sub-Editor: Tessa Prebble

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www.discounderworld.com. behind the scenes. page

Tessa Prebble, our sub editor.

Behind the scenes Thanks to the generous people who gave their time to help bring you this issue:

Coming up in the next few pages: Elsa Mora Is Print Dead?

With experience as a writer and sub editor in the illustrious magazine industry, Tessa uses her somewhat nerdy love of grammar to spot the misplaced commas and typos in each issue of disco underworld. When she’s not working on the latest issue, she spends her days at AUT University working in their Public Relations team, or working on her own writing.

Amanda Gray (article on the next page)

is a journalism graduate with a background in interior design. Born and bred in Hamilton, NZ, she enjoys exploring big cities, galleries, cinemas and public transport with a good mix tape. Interested in photography, consumerism and new media, she blogs at

www.alleywaysandtunnels.blogspot.com

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Elsa Mora Article by Amanda Gray

www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

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W

www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

“I work in different media and rapping the digital mediums. What I do is always changing, it changes with me world in paper is and I am always changing. I can Cuban-born multimedia artist say that behind what I create Elsa Mora. there is always a fascination for people, I love people,” she Handmade prints and intricate explained. paper-cut designs have built her a legion of fans through online Her guilty pleasure is the the craft store Etsy. An avid Internet, a melting pot of blogger on life, craft and information on methods and fashion, she embraces change techniques, and also her and a variety of techniques that communication portal to the widen her appeal and expand world. her portfolio.

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“Through my blogs and Etsy store, I am more connected to other people than ever before, so I am more motivated and creative than ever before. It {the Internet} has been a source of instant access to information about how to make things that I want to make. This has definitely expanded my artistic language.” In the wake of declining print sales and rise in digitalisation, Elsa who is a former craft magazine subscriber and now “How To” book buyer, hopes print never dies. She says print is a useful source of snippets for inspiration and collage and has the advantage of not requiring an Internet connection. Elsa is releasing her own book this month, “Blossom Buddies: A Garden Variety”, featuring characters made from flowers and leaves. Inspired by her son Diego’s fascination with their back garden, she assembled a range of characters with individual personalities. From her initial blog post, she was contacted by book publishers, teNeues to expand the concept.

“Through my blogs and Etsy store, I am more connected to other people than ever before, so I am more motivated and creative than ever before. It {the Internet} has been a source of instant access to information about how to make things that I want to make. This has definitely expanded my artistic language.”

www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

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www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

“I overcame my difficult background by being curious about learning and by focusing on my own education. I did this following my Mother's advice. She always said that only education was going to take me to a better place in life.” Mixing creativity into her daily life, she balances being a mother to her two children, Natalie and autistic Diego, working in a gallery, maintaining her online presence and creating items for pleasure. She also indulges in a healthy dose of dreaming. Being yourself, enjoying life today and not worrying about what you can’t change has become her life philosophy.

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Elsa, who now lives in LA with her film producer husband, William, and their children, views her home country with nostalgia, particularly the slower pace of life. She describes her fellow Cubans as “positive, great sense of humour, smart, educated, very friendly {and} outgoing.” Born into a “tough” environment, Elsa was encouraged by her mother, Margot who continues to be a daily inspiration. “I overcame my difficult background by being curious about learning and by focusing on my own education. I did this following my Mother’s advice. She always said that only education was going to take me to a better place in life.” “She raised four children all by herself, she had no formal education but she was naturally smart. She had the hardest life that you can imagine, but my Mom never let life destroy her spirit and her sense of humour.”



“This man was in charge of cleaning a small local cemetery but he kept a book with detailed drawings and stories of every person buried there. He made up those stories and the people too, one by one. I admire him because he was the real deal. He must be dead by now but I have a special place in my heart for him.”



Elsa attended art school in her home province of Holguin and later in Camaguey, where she studied sculpture, graduating in 1990. When asked who she admires in the art world she recalls an elderly man she met in Cuba. “He was part of that anonymous art world of forgotten people. He had no idea that he was an artist. This man was in charge of cleaning a small local cemetery but he kept a book with detailed drawings and stories of every person buried there. He made up those stories and the people too, one by one. I admire him because he was the real deal. He must be dead by now but I have a special place in my heart for him.” A proud Cuban, she is unsure whether her patriotism manifests itself in her work. “I don't know, but for sure being born and raised in Cuba is an important part of who I am now.”

www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

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www.discounderworld.com. elsa mora. page

Quickfire Questions: My favourite place in the whole wide world is … my studio… because… it is personal, my planet where I rule. If I could go anywhere in the world it would be … some river in Holguin, the province where I was born in Cuba … because … I love that place. The super power I want is … being able to stop people killing each other ... because … I hate wars. Your life story in 10 words or less … Soy de donde vengo y voy a donde voy- I am where I come from and where I’m going to. If I could choose to live in another time it would be … in the Paleolithic era … because … I want to see how planet Earth looked back then. This interview was … a pleasure to do. Check out Elsa’s awesome blog here: www.elsita.typepad.com

“If you can hold a pair of scissors or a knife in your hand then you should give papercutting a try. The process of creating a papercut piece is a wonderful way to practice and master the art of patience. You know how sometimes we just want things to get done immediately, instantly, and we get frustrated with the very idea of having to wait for things to happen but the reality is that in life everything happens gradually. I can tell you that by cutting out many little pieces of paper in an intricate design, I get to challenge myself to be patient and to keep going one cut at a time until the work is finished. This process is something that I bring to my daily life. With all the demands from my family and work I have learned that I just need to be patient and do one thing at a time. Finishing a new papercut is such a rewarding experience, as rewarding as seeing my children grow and have progress everyday.”

If you would like to vote for Elsa, enter your email here and hit vote. Your vote will count once your email has been verified. Only one vote will count per email and person.

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www.discounderworld.com. feature article: is print dead? page

Is Print Dead? By Stacey Childs

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Is Print Dead? closing up shop. Markets are slowing, times are hard, and profits aren’t like they used to be. With We are living in the current economic interesting times. People climate, publishers, big and small, are under are losing their jobs. more pressure to suspend Unemployment in publications or cut titles. Australia is over 5% The death of print is a for the first time in five common topic in years; in America it hit a 25-year high at 8.1%; and magazines, blogs, websites and newspapers. New Zealand’s unemployment level is at The ‘rise’ of digital media is usually the the highest figure since scapegoat, but is it 2002. We are seeing the actually to blame? And is collapse of many print really dying, or is it companies as more and being reinvented? more employers are

www.discounderworld.com. feature article: is print dead? page

One person who believes that print will always endure is Jack Yan*. Jack launched Lucire magazine online in 1997, and after seven years on the web, he branched into a print edition. He knows both the print and digital publishing industries inside and out, and in an interview with disco underworld, he shared some of his knowledge and experience on the subject of print and digital media. Jack mentioned that the hardest part of Lucire’s conversion from web to print was that they went from spending $1000 a month in web hosting on the Internet, to paying $60,000 per issue in print. Despite the enormous additional costs of printing, Jack estimates that to make money on the web, sites would need to drive in around two million plus viewers per week, “which is way more than the 40,000–70,000 that something like Lucire draws.” As for why they crossed over, “we had finished 2003 on a high, with numerous awards and nominations, which gave the Lucire brand a really good push.

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Then print gave us prestige: people knew we were serious.”

Lucire, the print publication, is currently subscribed to around the world, and it also has launched a Romanian version. When asked why his print publication continues to achieve in the current marketplace while some others are failing, Jack says “print magazines have found it tough because advertisers are getting more uncertain about them. People love print magazines and the key is to create one that engages consumers, but there's no real proof, short of watching people read, that they spend more time on ours compared to our competitors. A lot of mags don't engage – some are slapped together and it shows.” In the future Jack believes “people will go mobile for news, web for research, and print to have a collectible. It's why Lucire has gone more lavish of late”. It is a valid idea, and one backed up by a contact in a major print communication provider, and



“Of the magazine buyers and subscribers among you, 85% of your subscriptions were to interest publications. None of the readers subscribed to newspapers.”



the subscription habits of disco underworld readers. The contact described changing market demographics, along with the current economic conditions, as having the biggest impact on purchasing decisions and the changes in readership choices. While newspaper sales are down across the board, magazines focusing on lifestyle are doing well. These magazines cater to specific interests such as art, science, food and culture. Due to the biggest baby boom in 30 years, baby and toddler magazines are also flourishing, as well as magazines aimed at those who can afford a luxurious lifestyle. A quick survey of the newspapers and magazines that disco underworld readers subscribe to or buy reflects this. Of the magazine buyers and subscribers among you, 85% of your subscriptions were to interest publications, ranging from topics like design, architecture, hip-hop, food, woodworking, science and technology. The other 15% were made up of business titles, fitness titles and technology titles. None of the readers subscribed to newspapers.

www.discounderworld.com. feature article: is print dead? page

Reflecting the downturn in print revenue, many of the readers stated that they subscribe to fewer magazines now than they have in the past. The reasons given show the importance of the quality of content and value to the consumer. One reader said of two design magazines she used to subscribe to: “they were good magazines but the same layout and celebrities/commentators starts to grate on you after a while. So I'd rather browse them in a bookshop than buy them now.” Another said “after subscribing to a few print magazines, the content becomes repetitive and predictable. I'd rather subscribe to a magazine that is exciting and I can't wait to open and absorb.” Digital media may be the fuel that is feeding the fire in the decline of print, but the hand that lit the match causing job losses and shifts to the digital sphere, was the media industry itself. The bottom line is that if the information or experience a publication supplies is not valuable enough to consumers to justify spending money on it, then in these economic times, they

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won’t. It’s the old chicken and egg scenario; if good writers and designers aren’t invested in, then people won’t buy the material, but if people don’t buy the material then the quality of the magazine can’t be created and around and around we go. Before digital, people had to put up with whatever was fed to them in print media. Now they have the choice not to. There is nothing like curling up in bed, by the fire or at the beach with a magazine. They have a tactile quality that digital media has not yet managed to tap into. Print is permanent, able to be collected, cut out, collaborated, displayed and stored in a way that makes record keeping and referral a breeze. It can be brought on the run to the bus/train/plane, or in a favourite book store, with cozy chairs and great coffee. It can be read in waiting rooms, in the bath, on the loo, and in the check-out aisle.

Continued on page 54





Erik Gauger by Stacey Childs

www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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“The world is held up by a number of turtles, one on top of the other. Some of these turtles fail in their quest to hold up the Earth, but others rise to take their place. Since these turtles live on the bottom of the Earth, we cannot see them, and so with humility, we must admit we cannot be certain why these turtles hold up the Earth. All we know is that we have this Earth, and everything we know is the beauty of human culture and the nature from which we create it: art, literature, people, ideas, science, laughter, fashion, music. And mountains and hummingbirds and grasses and rivers.”



www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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“I drink, I smoke cigars, I trespass and I invent new personalities for myself when I travel. Are these vices? Or guilty pleasures? Not for me.”

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ntrepid travel photographer Erik Gauger, derives pleasure from getting into political and cultural conversations with evangelicals or religious conservatives. He says at some point, the conversation turns, and to push their buttons, he tells them that “I am not a sinner and I have never sinned.” “I drink, I smoke cigars, I trespass and I invent new personalities for myself when I travel. Are these vices? Or guilty pleasures? Not for me.”



www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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Erik gave up television when he was 18 years old. He replaced it with books and magazines, of which he subscribes to five, and he believes that it has affected his life positively. So no, he doesn’t think print will ever die. “Certain editorial products are best delivered by print. People love paper. Books and magazines will persist because you can relax with them, enjoy them. I spend a lot of time working on computers, and I can't wait to get away from them.” On the other hand, “Notes from the Road”, his website with a dedicated following worldwide, where he posts articles, photographs and stories from his travels, can only exist as a digital product. He shoots with large format, fine resolution coffee table books in mind, but publishes the majority of his work on the web. “I have found a way to use the format I like and marry it to the only medium that I could create in: the web.”



www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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He began taking photos as a ten-year-old growing up in Minnesota, with an insatiable appetite for underwater photography. A passion for travel and cheese (one of the magazines he subscribes to Culture, is dedicated to the dairy product), led him to his role model, St. Deuberex Montclair. Montclair was a fromager (cheese man) in the late eighteen-hundreds/early 20th century in Western Europe. Montclair was a mixture of several different ethnicities – gypsy, English, French, and possibly African. He took his craft as a cheese-monger on the road and made a name for himself by painting images of his journeys. Over time, his experiences taught him different things, and he also became a painter, a medic and a traveler.



www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

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www.discounderworld.com. Erik Gauger. page

Erik respects Montclair’s work and stories because he illustrated the importance of travel as a path to defining art and craft. “If we are just one thing, if we just follow our trade, we limit ourselves to possibly never creating the thing we were meant to create. But Montclair pushed himself, and in the end, he made something that was uniquely his.” Check out Erik’s website at www.notesfromtheroad.com If you would like to vote for Erik, enter your email here and hit vote. Your vote will count once your email has been verified. Only one vote will count per email and person.

se o h t s d r a w o ork t w o t e r e h d ll n a a e r y a it n e a w m t u a h s th t of w n o e ll o m f e c it n n a e v h d a a h “T t d r n a a E n e io h t t a e agin eserv r im p o e t h t is ; , s n g e ect, in h ll t e th t e f in li d f n o a y y h it ativ osop il e r h c p f y o M e . c e r la u p nat as a , d.” w n o e n t a m h o t r f d r s r a a w n to io t u ib r t thousand ye n o c mall s e m o s e k a and to m

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Mike Woodruff lives in Los Angeles. When not writing, he enjoys playing basketball and eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. You can find him on the internet at www.mutinouswombats.blogspot.com.

Read last month’s Mike’s Space here.

Mike’s Space: I Heart Libraries Words by Mike Woodruff

www.discounderworld.com. mike’s space. page

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love libraries. Always have. I might even go so far as to say I “heart” libraries, but somehow, that doesn’t seem to fit quite right. Maybe I don’t “heart” them. Maybe I “bookmark” libraries. I don’t know. I do know I like them a lot. The library in town is a magnificent building. Vaulted ceilings with ornate wood paneling. Deep, danky corridors with fluorescent lighting that remind me of the opening scene from Ghostbusters. Librarians who look like Serj Tankian from System of a Down. Hobos taking roost in the reference section with black trash bags and soiled sleeping bags in tow. The place is a charmer. I go there all the time to study, write, or stare at girls. And to pick up books, of course. Where else am I going to go to read the latest Star Wars novels? You think I’m really going to pay for those? Psh yah right.

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Beyond the obvious charms and free access to knowledge, there’s just something about walls and walls of books, coffee-stained pages and all, which hold an unmatchable appeal. Words are words. That’s true. Whether they appear electronically or in ink, they convey the same message. Electronic media is easy, convenient and more environmentally feasible than print, but that doesn’t account for all the intangibles. Like when I pick up a book from the library and find notes written along the headers and footers. Or when I find wedding pictures tucked away behind covers. Both of these things have happened several times, and hold an important truth for me. Coming up in the next few pages: N. Steven Harris Is Print Dead? cont.



“My rule is simple. Every time those hipsters mention Kindle, I grab the nearest portable object and smack them on top of the head with it. Water bottles. Remote controls. Umbrellas. Fire extinguishers...”

Books tell a story, and then, they tell a story. I pick up a book from the library, and I know someone has been there before me. That’s intriguing. It’s also something that is completely missed if all we read are things we can click on with a mouse. Of course, there is a difference between periodicals and books. I don’t think I’ve picked up a newspaper in three years. Maybe more. My news is fed to me electronically, not because of preference but because of convenience. The world moves fast. Too fast for paper to keep up. The internet doesn’t just make print publications outdated. It makes them irrelevant.

www.discounderworld.com. mike’s space. page

But books? Again, there’s a different story. If culture is a current, then things like magazines and newspapers are just like leaves and logs floating along. They’re rarely relevant for more than a moment before being swept off downstream to never be seen again. They’re content to go wherever the current takes them. Books, on the other hand, are the boulders at the bottom: Worn and weathered by time, but they stick around. More importantly, their ideas stick around, and because of this, the permanence of paper is a more suitable place for books. There’s a history there that .pdf files can’t quite match. This doesn’t mean progress has no say in the matter. Since I’m a writer, my tech-savvy friends always like to ask me about the Kindle. You know? That little gadget that’s basically a glorified display screen that people use to read electronic

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versions of books. A few weeks ago, I established a standing rule about the thing because for whatever reason people like to act like books are on their way out because this thing is on its way in. My rule is simple. Every time those hipsters mention Kindle, I grab the nearest portable object and smack them on top of the head with it. Water bottles. Remote controls. Umbrellas. Fire extinguishers. Maybe even, ironically, a Kindle. The point is ... be very careful where you mention the Kindle around me. You might end up with a concussion. And then they’ll get an iphone because it does the same thing as a Kindle but can also make calls. Stupid hipsters. Books aren’t going anywhere.





www.discounderworld.com. N. Steven Harris. page

N. Steven Harris By Dillie Baria

N. Steven Harris in front of a bill board he designed. Photo by his 10 year old daughter, Sequoia A. Dorsey Harris.

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C

omic books may not generate as much revenue as their blockbuster counterparts, but they still remain a popular form of fiction. While comics began as a light hearted read, these days they are more likely to take a darker route with dire commentary on the state of the world and the future of humanity. N. Steven Harris is no exception to this growing trend of comics with social commentary.



His comic Brotherhood of the Fringe draws on inspiration from history; ideas around freedom, or lack thereof; and post-modern conventions of animation and action movies. These influences are evident in the development of the main character, Jasira, as she struggles to fight a foreign power that has essentially brain-washed her.

www.discounderworld.com. N. Steven Harris. page

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Like all artists, Steven draws inspiration from past and present events and accomplishments. He finds inspiration from his personal life and his desire to create and contribute something to society. “I don’t just draw or create for arts sake… I want people to see my work, and, dare I hope, be changed by the experience. Or at least have an opinion.” N. Steven Harris’ comics are also works of art. They are stories with pictures, where the pictures tend to narrate a lot more than the dialogue. The idea behind them, he says, “is a graphic storytelling medium, to convey ideas, history, propaganda, or just plain old, men/women in tights fighting each other”. He is interested in sketching life-like situations, like people sitting and talking in cafés, as well as dynamic, action scenes. Steven likes to tell stories that contain depth and relevance. “I don’t want to just have good guys and bad guys and let the two sides go at it, but I want the good guys to be pushed by circumstances that force them to be extraordinary and heroic.”



“The idea behind them to convey ideas, history, propaganda, or just plain old, men/women in tights fighting each other.” Coming up in the next few pages: Is Print Dead? cont. BW Cary

www.discounderworld.com. N. Steven Harris. page

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As a 14-year-old living in New Jersey, Steven’s passion for comics was realized through his passion for story-telling. He started by drawing space-battles, which he eventually grew tired of, and looked towards developing a narrative. This led on to a career as a comic book and storyboard illustrator with occasional gigs teaching in schools through art organisations. “Years ago, I was told I really inspired a young person to become an artist. I wasn’t even teaching at that school, I was just there for a day doing a workshop”. Positive feedback like this inspires Steven. He continues to receive feedback through his art message boards and at comic conventions. “I am always floored when I go to conventions and meet someone who remembers, or, has something I worked on years ago. In BaltiCon, a convention in Baltimore, Maryland, someone came up to me with a box of comics for artists to sign, one or two of my books that I worked on for either DC or Marvel was among them.”



www.discounderworld.com. N. Steven Harris. page

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His culture and background also influence his art, as he celebrates the diversity of African Americans through the different hairstyles and personalities of his characters. He feels that the mainstream images of America portrayed to the rest of the world are limiting and stereotypical. Through his art, Steven does not promote caricatures of his culture and surroundings, but real people with heroism. While comics naturally revolve around story-telling, Steven alleges he is not a writer, although he does create his narratives. His friend Robert Garret, collaborates with Steven on projects and helps him fine tune areas of dialogue and narrative pacing. Steven, who describes his art as naturalistic and dynamic, would someday love to see his work animated, or even up on the silver screen, though animating them himself is not quite his cup of tea. Visit N. Steven Harris’ website here: www.nstevenworks.com

If you would like to vote for N. Steven Harris, enter your email here and hit vote. Your vote will count once your email has been verified. Only one vote will count per email and person.

www.discounderworld.com. N. Steven Harris. page

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“But is this ease of access and immediacy all its cracked up to be?”

Is Print Dead? By Stacey Childs



Continued from Page 25 The advantage of digital media is that it serves news and current events information well, as it revolves around regularly occurring and changing facts and events rather than stories. Digital’s advantage of low or no cost information, available at the fingertips and accessible by anybody, anywhere who has access to a computer and Internet connection, allows for immediate, free updating and interaction with others and their ideas. But is this ease of access and immediacy all its cracked up to be? There is suddenly so much information available on the web that the consumer doesn’t know what to believe. Anybody can start a blog or report on an event, with no limitations or regulations on what they share. This means people are inundated with information, not all of it correct. But this can also be seen as opening the window to different perspectives and views, meaning that the world is no longer coloured-in by large corporate companies, but everyday people have a say too.

www.discounderworld.com. feature article: is print dead? page

It is believed that only the titles of most value to the readers will survive in print format, the rest will be cut, and if they can translate to the web, they will migrate there. This is a bad thing for those people losing jobs and closing companies, but a good thing if we are moving towards a media landscape of quality over quantity. Whether they can survive on the web is another point altogether.

we've reached the end of the line. We all deeply believe in everything JPG represents, but just weren't able to raise the money needed to keep JPG alive in these extraordinary economic times. We sought out buyers, spoke with numerous potential investors, and pitched several last-ditch creative efforts, all without success. As a result, jpgmag.com will shut down on Monday, January 5, 2009.”

As Jack Yan pointed out, making money from the web is a delicate and difficult process. Users of the net don’t expect to pay for the content or even services offered by companies, even though keeping quality journalists and creating slick webpages with attractive features costs money. JPG magazine and website (a brilliant community of photographers from all over the world, where photos are submitted for sharing and, if the photographer is lucky, publishing in a print edition) sent out an email on the first of January this year, stating that “We've spent the last few months trying to make the business behind JPG sustain itself, and

This sparked an upsurge in the community of over 20,000 photographers worldwide, and after a month and a half of suspense, JPG announced it had found investors. This is interesting because as they said, they had spoke with potential investors and buyers, who weren’t interested until the community proved their existence and passion. One website set up to rally for JPG to stay, www.savejpg.com, received over 100,000 hits in 48 hours, with people offering to pay for a yearly subscription to the community. This demonstrated the fact that web-based and stakeholder engagement (on which the JPG business model was based), is not

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“The scary thing about google is googlenews, which is produced entirely by googlebots.” yet trusted by many advertising companies. By being able to know exactly where viewers click, and how many of them actually read the publication, advertisers can work out their exact cost per click ratio, and decide whether it stacks up. Because none of this is for certain in print, and because print is the more familiar and traditional route, many choose to stick there, even though the numbers of copies published have no bearing on the numbers of copies actually read. Engagement is the key in both the print and the digital world, but with shrinking budgets we are seeing shrinking quality and readership.



If the large media companies (publishing and news) go under, resize, cut back, what is the alternative? If reporting the news, as in current affairs and investigative journalism, is put into the hands of the masses, who are we going to believe? And how trustworthy is this information anyway? Look at google as an example. Despite its value as a search engine, an email provider etc, the scary thing about google is googlenews, which is produced entirely by googlebots,

www.discounderworld.com. feature article: is print dead? page

i.e not humans. The principle behind it is that the googlebots take the highest-ranking news stories off news websites and display them, according to your preferences, on your home page. Although this sounds like a great idea, it runs into many problems: One, who is google to restrict what is called news? Imagine if they approved CNN’s website for google botting (yes that is a new word), but not the BBC’s. Where is the line drawn? Readers kicked up a stink in March 2005 when the white supremist group National Vanguard managed to get their website involved in googlenews. This brings up all kinds of questions, but also raises this point: if National Vanguard can make it undetected into the googlenews group, what other groups are on there writing articles and calling them news? If the news of the future

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is going to be provided by google bots, (searching pages of dubious origin and poor reporting) who will be there to keep the facts straight? This is where print comes back into play. Is it possible in a few years, that we will see the resurgence of print as a form of providing the news, as people shy away from the Internet for the news? It all comes down to this: the biggest downfall in media, quality media, is in monetising the Internet. People don’t want to pay for information on the net. Maybe in a few years people will pay for news from a credible source on the net. A more likely option would be to keep news in print, because (as Jack mentioned) it allows the news providers to meet their costs and employ quality journalists. So, is there any other possible alternative for news broadcasters to keep quality and cover costs in these digital times? Ben Young aka bwagy** is a veteran Internet marketer, who blogs on emerging trends in the media landscape. He predicts that in 10 years time, the traditional newspaper “will exist, but not in



“I foresee digital papers, where consumers purchase the right to use a newspaper reader; it looks just like a newspaper, feels like a newspaper, yet the content changes daily to reflect the latest news.”



the form we see now. People enjoy the tactile experience of sitting down, having a coffee, reading the paper. However the model needs to change in how newspapers deliver content. I foresee digital papers, where consumers purchase the right to use a newspaper reader; it looks just like a newspaper, feels like a newspaper, yet the content changes daily to reflect the latest news. It notices reader interests and modifies the front page according to that. Newspapers will deliver photos, video, audio and combine these into enjoyable experiences for their users.” This way newspapers would be able to match digital’s ability to provide individuals with information relevant to them. Ben goes on to say that for newspapers to survive, they need to focus on reminding readers of their big advantage over digital media: “The user experience. Electronic media doesn’t have the same sensory

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enjoyment that reading a paper or a book invites. Newspapers need to focus on building this experience and reminding users of it. Some have taken this initiative by offering weekend only subscriptions so that consumers can get the paper in the weekend for just that reason.” This sentiment was mirrored by John Taylor, one of the readers of disco underworld. He said: “I read the local and national news on the Internet every morning. It means I’m not paying for the things I don’t read such as sport, as I would if I were buying a newspaper. I read paper magazines in the bath and on the loo, but I am not going to take my laptop in there, I think there is still a place for both.” If Ben is right, John will be able to subscribe to the news relevant to him, and read it anywhere he likes. Researchers around the world are developing the first “E-paper”, which will be the mother of this technology. Magazines will still be around in print because people like to

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collect and display them, but the changing nature of the “E-paper” would fit newspapers like a glove. The media landscape is changing and print has seen its heyday. Although digital has played a part in the process, it is not entirely to blame for print’s demise, because ultimately it is the consumer who decides the value of information and publications. Publishers are being taken back to basics and the shuffling of jobs, titles and profits are making them find the line between what people are prepared to pay for and what they aren’t. Once consumers reach the point of recognizing the importance of authoritative information and the need to pay for it, then the business of providing quality information will again become a profitable one, even if the model of distribution is entirely new one. Share your thoughts on the next page:



Thanks to the wonderful readers of disco underworld who contributed to this article with ideas, information and knowledge. All your thoughts were appreciated.

Would you underworld?



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* Read the whole interview with Jack on our blog. ** Read the whole interview with Ben on our blog. Ben is all about ideas, sharing them daily on his blog (for free) and pioneer of Pay What You Want Marketing Advice. www.bwagy.com

like to see a print supplement to disco

We are

looking into publishing a bi-yearly or quarterly version with all the great photos and best articles for you to keep and be proud of.

Does this sound like something you’d value? How many issues would you want to see a year? Could you give us some indication of what you

would be prepared to pay for around 150 glossy pages filled with disco goodness, so we can check if it would be viable? Please write any comments or answers to this question in the box below and hit “send”. Thankseversomuch! If you are not reading this digitally, please email your thoughts through to [email protected]

BW Cary

by stacey childs



“The walls of New York City become a city-sized gallery with time, paint, paper and wear. Some of it intentional, some of it accidental, some of it political, some of it obscene. In turns incoherent, schizophrenic, and hilarious. A kind of wallpaper that changes constantly, with the natural and psychological seasons.”



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“We’ve suffered through eight years of soft reporting, abuses going unquestioned, and an all pervasive ratings circus.”

B

W Cary is a self-taught photographer fascinated by life and its ability to show both sides of the coin. On the one hand he captures abandoned and decayed spaces, which he sees as representing the mental space of society, and on the other hand he involves himself in volunteer work, and the progress and rebuilding of society and hope. A patriotic American, he takes pride in the fact that his country was founded on the principles of equality and freedom, which he also sees as the worst thing about the country. “We can at times seem nothing more than history’s greatest contradiction. We’re a country existing as a paradox, we view ourselves as the greatest vehicle for change, but at the same time are intent on making sure things stay the same.”

He doesn’t blame digital media for the reduction of print, rather the growing distrust in the American media. “We’ve suffered through eight years of soft reporting, abuses going unquestioned, and an all pervasive ratings circus. And now we find out that our economy has been completely undermined and no one who knew about it said a word. Publications more concerned with their bottom line than their social responsibility deserve to go under. We’ll find new means of getting the news.” “Print will not die completely, but will undergo a reduction in scale, however this does not have to be viewed as a bad thing, it basically means that a chunk of the specialized magazines/catalogues may vanish or simply evolve into something else.”



He explains: “We might see the magazines devoted to high-top tennis shoes and Civil War Artillery disappear, they can find a home in digital formats. This will serve to refine print, to distil it to a point that keeps its most fundamental elements intact, while the digital world will be able to take the risks and make the experiments the old print zines were able to.” “The digital environment we live in, and are growing into, can easily be seen as an evolutionary step.”



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“As a photographer I truly see the technological advancements in digital cameras, editing software and the possibilities of digital exhibition to be a true democratisation of the image. The speed and the economy of the digital camera allows anyone with a point and shoot camera and a laptop to be an artist. I want to see as many personal visions, hear as many voices as I can, the advent of digital has given that capability to more people than ever. The Internet has become a global gallery where anyone is allowed to exhibit. We’ve created a museum where each of us is the curator, the artist and the visitor.” Check out his Flickr stream here If you would like to vote for BW Cary, enter your email here and hit vote. Your vote will count once your email has been verified. Only one vote will count per email and person.



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Your favourite from last issue, and the person to be included in the Gold Edition at the end of the year is:

TYRONE LAYNE

He wins a spot in The Gold Edition 2009, a publication which follows up on your favourite people from the year before, and provides you with interviews and spreads of other cool cats from around the globe. You can visit his website here: www.tyronelayne.com