Linux Voice Joins the Linux New Media Family
Linux Magazine and Linux Voice magazine have reached an agreement to merge within the same folio. Linux Voice joins the Linux New Media family and will live on as a special section within Linux Magazine.
The four Linux Voice founders, Graham Morrison, Ben Everard, Mike Saunders, and Andrew Gregory, will all continue to write for Linux Voice in its new form, along with Simon Phipps and other longtime LV contributors. The Linux Voice team will also continue their popular podcast. According to Linux Magazine publisher Brian Osborn, “This change will put us in a stronger position to meet the challenges of the marketplace. Each of these magazines has a loyal following of readers. Our goal is to keep both teams doing what they do best.”
Linux Voice editor Ben Everard says the focus is on the readers. “By bringing together two groups of enthusiastic Linux writers and evangelists, we hope we can make the magazine the community deserves.”
Linux Magazine editor Joe Casad adds that he is excited about the challenge of delivering the best available material to the readers of both publications. “We love the energy and insight these guys bring to what they do, and the truth is, they really know Linux. If any one of them had approached us individually to write for the magazine, we would have been delighted. Now we’re getting all of them at once. I think our readers will quickly see the value when they look inside.”
According to Casad, the task of making room for the Linux Voice authors was smoother and easier than anyone expected. “If you look at the number of words on a page, Linux Magazine has always been super packed with content compared to the other magazines in our market. We’re confident we can make room for all four of the Linux Voice founders, plus a selection of their most popular contributors, and still have room to do what we have always done, which is provide our own brand of concise technical content for Linux power users and admins.”
Linux Magazine 193, the first issue of Linux Magazine with Linux Voice, will be available online and on UK newsstands on October 29. Linux Pro Magazine (the North American edition) will reach newsstands around November 25.
See the FAQ at the Linux Voice site for more information (http://LinuxVoice.com/merge). For all other inquiries, reach us at info@linuxnewmedia.com
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Well, you know people don’t like change, but hope it all goes smoothly for you. I followed you from some other magazine I can’t remember, so sure you’ll keep producing the same great content.
Thanks Chris! Indeed, we all love exploring and writing about GNU/Linux and Free Software, so there are plenty of features, tutorials, FOSSpicks and other articles from the LV team to come in the merged magazine. Enjoy!
Wishing you guys all the best with your new endeavour, and I look forward to my first ‘Linux Magazine’. Any arrangement which allows me to read your content and for you to cloth your children is a win-win!
I too followed you from another magazine and have been really appreciative of the magazine you guys created and also the podcasts – I’m very glad to hear they will continue.
Much respect to you for trying what you did. I’m also glad you four are sticking together and look forward to the new magazine.
Thanks Colin, muchly appreciated!
I’m very glad to have backed the LV venture and I’ve enjoyed reading every single (paper) copy. Best of luck to you all.
I’m a big fan of LV since its crowd founded campaign. Chapeau to you guys. I am a bit sad but also excited about the new magazine. More time spent on content and less on running the business sounds good to me.
Now, can we have some more LV merchandise back in stock please 😉
I only just renewed for two years so naturally I’m uhm curious as to what I’ve signed up for now.
However, as long as you promise to continue the podcast, you could probably get away with writing My Little Pony fan fiction in your section as far as I’m concerned. Well, Linux-themed fanfic, anyway 🙂
Do we know how much Linux Voice will there be in Linux Magazine?
Turn to p63 when you get the magazine tomorrow, and enjoy 30 pages of Linux Voice goodness. But there’s plenty else worth checking out in the whole mag as well — the Greg Kroah-Hartman (kernel guru) interview on p14 and GNU social guide on p44 are two of my faves from the new issue. Linux Magazine has always been quite geeky like LV, which is why we think it fits together well 🙂
I’ll 2nd Mr Saunders appraisal of LM – although strangely enough I “traded up” from LM to LV when the crowd funding was offered.
I’m happy – of course – that the “four musketeers” are still able to do what they do best. But I’m also somewhat sad that the great experiment that was LV has now come to a close. Any news on the podcast – being a real wrench if I have to rely merely on Linux Luddites and the Ubuntu UK folks to relieve the tedium of my drive into work…
Rest assured, the podcast will continue! We enjoy doing it (well, Graham has to do the editing – the rest of us can just talk 🙂 )
I switched to Linux nearly 4 years ago and never looked back (and never will). I’ve been a subscriber to Linux Magazine since November 2013 and a subscriber with Linux Voice since day one. Upon hearing the news LV has merged with LM I didn’t know what to think at first… is it a good thing or what? But after some thought (about 5 minutes), I’m absolutely confident the crew at LV know what they’re doing and I look forward to continuing my subscription with LM without any hesitation. What you guys at both LV and LM do for Linux is nothing short of spectacular. I can only imagine the time and absolute dedication that is required to put a magazine together about GNU/Linux, Open Source and Free Software and Linux related news. Soooo… to the crew from LV and those at LM, be sure to play nicely with each other and remember folks like myself are very grateful of your dedication to the cause and contributing to the success of everything Linux.
P.S. I’m glad you guys are still doing the podcast too.
This doesn’t come as a huge surprise. While it’s always nice to read a magazine without it being over-cluttered with ads, I couldn’t help thinking that the largely clean pages of LV did not bode well for the magazine’s life-span.
Merging with LM (a magazine I’ve subscribed to in the past) is probably a better outcome than an old pessimist like me would expect.
I for one welcome our new LM Overlords. 😉
Hope to get great contents like the old days. Following you guys since Linux Format, then Linux Voice and now Linux Magazine.
Good luck chaps.
How likely is the Linux Mag to stay on the print market? It wont do the Linux Journal by going digital only?
Ive always liked the Linux Voice for its clever creative writing, wit and interesting choices of stories and angles.
You guys held together a magazine of extremely good quality and have put a historical mark on technology journalism. I havent had as much fun reading a technology magazine since the fun days of the Amiga Power and Format.
Matthew,
Linux Magazine will definitely stay in print. Many of our readers have expressed their continued interest in a print edition, and we personally are convinced that print is not dead, it is actually having somewhat of a comeback lately!
LV was to good to be true, and I’m a bit sad that it ends, but things don’t last forever. LV will go down as the best Linux-mag there was, and I’m glad to have all editions of the magazine that were. As also an reader of LM I must say it’s an ok mag, though not nearly as good as LV was, but I’m hoping that the merge will raise the LM to be more like LV. Thanks so incredible much to the LV-team for the fantastic 32 issues, and lets hope that you can bring some of LVs style over to LM.
So, no more free pdf old versions?
2 bad.
All issues of Linux Voice up to 32, the final standalone one, will be released as Creative Commons as always (each issue around nine months after its original publication).
Will you release all your issues in a digital format for free now that Linux Voice is gone?
All issues of Linux Voice up to 32, the final standalone one, will be released as Creative Commons as always (each issue around nine months after its original publication).
I can’t help feeling a bit sad at the merger with LM while fully respecting your decision. LV has been such a refreshing alternative to other computer magazines I know I’ll miss it. But I did always wonder how you managed to cram so much content in each month and I will definitely look forward to seeing you enliven LM, which I confess to always having found a bit geeky, though worth the read when I could understand it! Good luck with the next stage of Linux Voice development. I’ll certainly still be reading.
Have to say, this is a great decision to ensure that that Linux Voice lives on. I can only imagine the effort that you guys must have put into making this change happen and ensuring that your dream can live on rather than seeing it end. You all deserve every success and I look forward to my first edition of Linux Magazine
As an LV print subscriber I would actually find I spend at least as much time reading the digital version as the physical one (the latter didn’t tend to leave the home but the former was always available on my tablet/mobile).
Looking at your FAQ, it says: ” The digital issues that are part of your subscription will be available to you online with this login.”
Sounds like my subscription will be converted over to a physical sub for Linux Magazine. I am right in thinking that digital copies will continue to be part of my subscription, as per the wording in the FAQ?
Hi Adam,
Yes, everyone who had a print subscription (which included a digital copy as well) will have the same setup with Linux Magazine. The only difference is how we manage this internally. Our Standard print subscription does not include a digital copy as part of product. Instead, we have what we call a “Digisub Add-on” which the just the same issues of your print subscription as digital copies.
So all LV print subscribers will actually have two subscriptions with us:
1) Standard print subscription
2) Digisub Add-on
Hopefully that answers your question.
Hello,
I read you guys from Linux Format 120 on, and I am a subscriber of Linux Voice. It is a pity that the Linux Voice endeavor did not work out as you expected and wish you all the best for the future.
I have a short question with regard to Linux Magazine. Will Linux Magazine digital edition be available only as a PDF or also as a DRM free epub.
I need a DRM free epub version if I am going to renew my subscription, as I read Linux Voice on my Kindle which I never connect to the Internet due to privacy concerns.
Hi Denny,
We are currently working on producing ePUB versions of Linux Magazine and expect to be able to offer them soon. We will also make sure to include the current issue #193. Any digital versions we make will be DRM-free.
Such a shame and I feel for you guys at the magazine. I’ve just had a look at the ‘new’ magazine and I don’t like it. LVM was the best Linux mag to date. Really enjoyed the mix with hardware tutorials such as Arduino and Raspberry pi. the brilliant assembler series. I’ll give Linux Mag a so but ATM I can see my subscription lapsing next year. Good luck guys
I’d just like to post a quick comment to say thank you to the Linux Magazine team for all of their responses on this page, and the other one discussing the merger. The fact that you are listening to subscribers and responding allays a few of the worries I may have had over the merger.
They are indeed helpful. I had a problem accessing my new LM subscription. I sent off an email not really expecting a reply the same day. After a little to-and-fro, it was finally fixed about 10:45pm. I’m surprised anyone was around to respond at that time on a Friday night.
Thanks for your comment!
Mergers like this are always difficult to handle as so many things can go wrong, especially in transferring subscriptions. We know that there will be some mistakes that need to be corrected, so please get in contact with us if something is not right. Thanks!
Saw the announcement and came here expecting a bunch of negative posts about sellouts and such but no, your readers are a class above that. It was pretty obvious looking at the mag that you guys struggled to sell the ad space you needed to to keep a print mag afloat – it’s a tough market at the mo. Best of luck, will continue reading and enjoying. More synth articles 😉
While separate entities, both magazines would inevitably have covered some stories and features in common – new releases etc. If the overlaps are removed are you confident there is still enough FOSS material around to keep the LV team fully employed within LM?
A sad day. I thought you guys had something really unique going – profit-sharing with the community and Creative Commons releasing. It seems neither those have survived the merger. As a community, what do lesson should be draw from this? Is the Linux Voice model just financially unworkable, do you think?
Wish you all good luck and thanks for such an excellent magazine LinuxVoice has been for these few years.
Clearly the most unique Linux magazine was for me, always looked forward to pop in local WHS to get a copy.
Sad to see this merger but hope it all will work just well.
Thank you very much again for all your effort, and i may have a look at Linuxmagazine now and then but i was not impressed with what i could see today. Hope you folks will shape Linuxmagazine and not vice versa….
Sorry to see the end of the Linux Voice magazine, I can have always enjoyed the articles and the podcasts.
I wish all 4 of you the best for the future, publishing is a tough industry in the 21st century.
As for the linux magazine I have 4 issues with my subscription and review it from there .
Sad news indeed – I wonder how long Linux Magazine will keep the Direct Debit payment going as I see they don’t offer this option.
I have not received my copy yet but will give in a few months before I decide if I want to continue or cancel.
Hi Dan,
The Direct Debit will continue as is for the time being. We are looking into various options to continue offering this service in the future. We do currently offer Direct Debit in Euro countries, but that of course does not include the UK.
You guys are my favorite “Linux personalities.” If joining forces with Linux Magazine is something that will make your lives less stressful, I’m all for it! Looking forward to checking out the first issue.
Really glad to hear you’ll keep doing the podcast, too.
Gutted you are having to merge, but at the same time it’s a bonus for us subscribers as Linux Magazine is one I’d every now and again based on certain topics pick off the shelf when browsing in the Newsagents.
Keep up the good work in your new guise and I’m sure the Linux Magazine readership will take to you just like the rest of us did in your Linux Format days.
Good luck everyone. Hope you get the same freedom as when you where running your magazine.
To me this is not a backward step,but a slight sideway way step for all of you to continue your voice.
I for one will continue to buy the new voice at my local newsagents. The new magazine are lucky to have all of you.
Just to basically echo themixed feelings I see in the comments above: Sad to see one thing ending, Best wishes for new ventures (change is inevitable) not much point “being negative” about it…
Glad to have supported your venture and to know the podcast will stay around but I fear the merger kind of indicates that print media is just really hard these days? Considering LF began as an offshoot of PCformat or even amiga format? and ran into the near 200 issues, perhaps getting to a century of LV is just too hard? I mean it won’t really be the same.
Doesn’t this kind of bring you mostly back to the very reason you created LV in the first place (not to be under anyone elses schedule/editorial control?
Still wish you all the best for the future!
I’ve yet to receive an email that provides me with login credentials for your new parent publication. Is there a service desk I can contact for this?
I really enjoyed LV and want to stay a follower on the new pages. Thanks in advance.
tjo
Hi, please contact subscriptions@linuxvoice.com