After nearly half a century of publication (47 years, to be exact), the final issue of Computerworld will roll off the presses next Monday. In a post on the matter, editor-in-chief Scot Finnie said it’s sad to lose anything that has endured so long but they are merely taking part in the natural evolution of the media industry like so many great publications before them.
The publication isn’t calling it quits, however: they’re simply shifting to an all-digital format. As Finnie explained, the printed edition represented a small subset of their overall editorial offering as space constraints meant the majority of content had to be published online instead.
Moving forward, the team will continue to generate content for the web as they’ve done since 1996. And to make things easier to navigate, they will be rolling out a significant redesign later this summer. The current design emphasizes news but the updated layout will make feature articles, opinions, special projects and other unique content far more visible.
Print media in general has been suffering a slow and painful death for well over a decade. Magazines were once the go-to source for enthusiasts of virtually any hobby. The anticipation of having to wait a full month for the next issue of your favorite periodical to land in the mailbox or on newsstands is hard to fathom by those accustomed to the instant gratification associated with today’s digital culture.
