| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: What type of publication, online or off, do you subscribe to? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What type of publication, online or off, do you subscribe to?".
View the poll results »
| | | | B D Finch 
France
Local time: 20:28
French to English
+ ...
| Poorly conceived poll | Feb 12, 2012 |
This is yet another example of a really silly poll because it only allows one to select a single category, when more than one may well apply. Some respondants, unable select the applicable categories, will answer "other", some will just click on the first applicable category, find that when they click on the second the first disappears and post it like that and some won't bother responding. Overall, the categories represented by those who subscribe to more than one will be under-represented.
... See more This is yet another example of a really silly poll because it only allows one to select a single category, when more than one may well apply. Some respondants, unable select the applicable categories, will answer "other", some will just click on the first applicable category, find that when they click on the second the first disappears and post it like that and some won't bother responding. Overall, the categories represented by those who subscribe to more than one will be under-represented.
So, the question arises of whether these polls serve any purpose and, if so, what is it? My own conclusion is that they are a marketing tool that operates by giving people the impression that their opinions matter and that gives them a vague feeling of participating in a community. If this is all they are about, they are manipulative and should be dropped. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 20:28
Member (2006)
German to English
National Geographic (in German, since day 1!!), Manager magazine different learning magazines for the children
| | | | | No longer pay for any subscriptions | Feb 12, 2012 |
In relatively recent years here in Spain I have had subscriptions to Which? magazine (UK consumer magazine) and the Economist, and to OCU (Spanish consumer organisation). I've cancelled them all because I can get enough free information on-line (and to balance out some of my increased IT costs, as part of my personal budget).
I have also been cancelling most of the "subscriptions" I had for on-line information services, even though these are free. You often have to sign on to them t... See more In relatively recent years here in Spain I have had subscriptions to Which? magazine (UK consumer magazine) and the Economist, and to OCU (Spanish consumer organisation). I've cancelled them all because I can get enough free information on-line (and to balance out some of my increased IT costs, as part of my personal budget).
I have also been cancelling most of the "subscriptions" I had for on-line information services, even though these are free. You often have to sign on to them to get some information in the first place. I simply don't have time to read them, and they clutter up my in-box. I now only allow a few to come in: a selection of TEFL methodology material to glance at and pass on to my employees at my language school, updates on Spanish legal matters concerning small businesses sent to me courtesy of my membership of an association, and precious little else.
I wish I had more time....
Have a good Sunday everyone
Noni ▲ Collapse
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I have to answer "other", because, as Barbara Finch already said, one cannot select more than one category...
| | | | pgschreier
Switzerland
Local time: 20:28
German to English
| Hobby magazines | Feb 12, 2012 |
Ham-radio related magazines
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:28
Spanish to English
+ ...
None intentionally, AFAIK.
Sometimes, in order to access or respond to something online - for example a forum- you are obliged to tick a box which means they then send you publications or newsletters, and I do get some of them. For example, I get an EU business news update every week, but rarely look at it. And I keep getting copies of the Atlantic Monthly in my inbox, and requests for me to subscribe to it, but as I only ever accesssed it about 10 years ago to glance at one art... See more None intentionally, AFAIK.
Sometimes, in order to access or respond to something online - for example a forum- you are obliged to tick a box which means they then send you publications or newsletters, and I do get some of them. For example, I get an EU business news update every week, but rarely look at it. And I keep getting copies of the Atlantic Monthly in my inbox, and requests for me to subscribe to it, but as I only ever accesssed it about 10 years ago to glance at one article, I ignore them. In fact I have several "dead" email addresses to give when I suspect I am going to be on the receiving end of this kind of bumph. ▲ Collapse
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As Teresa and Barbara, I'm subscribing to a lot of those items (free and paying).
Catherine
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Georgia Morg (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:28
Portuguese to English
Not because I subscribe to several, I don't, but I don't think the "Economist" fits any category.......maybe general interest? Anyway, I undestand what people are saying about so much stuff on line that yoiu don't need to have print editions any more, but that's not how I feel. I love getting the magazine in my mailbox every week. I then supplement it by reading the comments to the articles on line, best of both worlds. I use it a lot in my teaching and, again, I find it easier to copy from the ... See more Not because I subscribe to several, I don't, but I don't think the "Economist" fits any category.......maybe general interest? Anyway, I undestand what people are saying about so much stuff on line that yoiu don't need to have print editions any more, but that's not how I feel. I love getting the magazine in my mailbox every week. I then supplement it by reading the comments to the articles on line, best of both worlds. I use it a lot in my teaching and, again, I find it easier to copy from the print version; the "printer-friendly" version is anything but!! ▲ Collapse
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This is going to be off-topic...
It just occurred to me, à propos of Georgia's comment about printing from the Economist, that I have seen articles from the magazine being used for various "official" Spanish oposiciones, such as those for "TAC" (Cuerpo Superior de Administradores Civiles del Estado). The provenance of the articles is clearly stated, but I just wonder about the copyright... Fiendishly difficult to translate, which is what the poor candidates have to do.
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B D Finch wrote:
This is yet another example of a really silly poll because it only allows one to select a single category, when more than one may well apply. Some respondants, unable select the applicable categories, will answer "other", some will just click on the first applicable category, find that when they click on the second the first disappears and post it like that and some won't bother responding. Overall, the categories represented by those who subscribe to more than one will be under-represented.
So, the question arises of whether these polls serve any purpose and, if so, what is it? My own conclusion is that they are a marketing tool that operates by giving people the impression that their opinions matter and that gives them a vague feeling of participating in a community. If this is all they are about, they are manipulative and should be dropped.
This particular type of poll where a number of responses are evidently possible and the possibility to say "more than one of the above" is not given are effectively of little credibility.
| | | | | More than one | Feb 12, 2012 |
A few blogs about cooking and vintage fashion and a specialized magazine about consumers' rights (sort of) called Protégez-vous.
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| Too many to mention... | Feb 12, 2012 |
...concerning language learning/teaching, various hobbies, and local news. I don't read all of them, though - only about 50-60% of them are interesting enough.
| | | | Jenn Mercer
United States
Local time: 14:28
Member (2009)
French to English
I subscribe to:
- A paper newspaper
- Various general interest magazines[1]
- Newsletters, my daughter's school sends out a newsletter once a week and there are a few industry newsletters that I have been signed up to as well.
- Email notifications? I get email notifications from too many places to count, ex: KudoZ questions
- Industry Specific Journals. For the translation industry? Yes: ATA Chronicle, MultiLing electronic version
- Blogs - I read ... See more I subscribe to:
- A paper newspaper
- Various general interest magazines[1]
- Newsletters, my daughter's school sends out a newsletter once a week and there are a few industry newsletters that I have been signed up to as well.
- Email notifications? I get email notifications from too many places to count, ex: KudoZ questions
- Industry Specific Journals. For the translation industry? Yes: ATA Chronicle, MultiLing electronic version
- Blogs - I read most blogs through RSS feeds, so these two are somewhat combined
Ah-ha, I am not in a book club at the moment, although I did pick up a copy of "Is that a Fish in your Ear" which seems to be the informal pick of the translation community.
And yes, the poll is poorly designed. Let's move on and enjoy it as a discussion topic.
[1] I use a service called MagHound which allows me to subscribe to a number of magazines per month for a set fee. I can change the magazines at any point so it takes away the pressure of trying to decide if I am going to want a magazine for a whole month, and also frees me from the constant harassment to renew subscriptions. Even better, whenever one of my selected magazines has an off month, MagHound sends me a substitute magazine. This means that although I am subscribed to 3 magazines, I get at least 5 different magazines over the course of a year. I think they are just in the U.S., they might be in Canada as well. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Other - a lot | Feb 12, 2012 |
Some are more or less obligatory - like 'The Linguist' and KOM, the Danish linguists' magazine, but I read a fair amount of them anyway. The local newspaper comes in that category, although it arrives without a subscription.
We have a daily newspaper - you would think it was for the crosswords, but we do actually read it extensively too.
A consumer mag, an exciting archaeology magazine that my brother in law used to work for, a geology ditto that my husband has subscri... See more Some are more or less obligatory - like 'The Linguist' and KOM, the Danish linguists' magazine, but I read a fair amount of them anyway. The local newspaper comes in that category, although it arrives without a subscription.
We have a daily newspaper - you would think it was for the crosswords, but we do actually read it extensively too.
A consumer mag, an exciting archaeology magazine that my brother in law used to work for, a geology ditto that my husband has subscribed to since his student days (and he has just retired...) and a couple of others.
Several different newsletters online...
I would feel lost without them. ▲ Collapse
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