By Chuck Woodbury
ROADSIDE JOURNAL
More of you now read this website and its newsletters on your smartphone than on a computer. I know how it goes because I do the same with what I read.
But as a publisher, I think it stinks that so many of you are reading on a phone! My publishing days date back to when everybody read everything in printed form. As a publisher back then I could position my articles, photos and graphics in creative ways, using bigger headlines for more important stories, and placing graphics here and there to spice up those articles. The most important stories went on the front page, the least important toward the back.
Now, publishing online for mostly readers on smartphones, everything appears one story atop another in one long column. To me as a publisher that’s boring. It’s doesn’t feel nearly as creative, and I seldom feel proud of how I present a particular article and/or photos. I wish everyone still read with their computer where I had more control over the appearance. Alas, those days, too, are mostly gone.
I miss the good ol’ days. Yet I love the new days, too, for practical reasons: It’s so much simpler — and cheaper — to publish today.
This website and its newsletters are visited by about 200,000 different RVers a month who chalk up more than a million page views. I’d be out of business in a few months if I had to pay for printing and postage like in the old days. As is, I pay a fraction of that in bandwidth.
I can complain if I wish, but, really, that’s the just the way it is, and I’m okay with that. So just sayin’…
I read on my iPhone or iPad. Enjoy it on both devices!
I enjoy reading it early Saturday morning on my desktop with a hot cup of coffee. When staying in the camper I read it on my ipad. I never read it on my smart phone it’s just to small!
I prefer reading on my home desktop computer, but once we’re on the road, it’s the laptop. And, since I’ve sort of claimed the laptop as mine, wifey reads her edition on her iPad.
I seldom read RVTravel on my phone or tablet as I like the way it looks and reads on my computer (either desktop or laptop). Of course, it could be that the phone / tablet has much smaller fonts. Tough getting old eyes.
My eyes are not too good……always read on laptop.
5 1/2 inch smart phone too small. I up the font size and it goes off the screen. Old age not fun.
I read the newsletter on my iPad usually, but prefer to read on the desktop computer.
We are fulltime and data needs to be considered. My husband only goes on his laptop for online banking and downloading pictures from my phone.
I have generous data on my phone which is basically my laptop…..Just much smaller.
My phone is basically everything to us. GPS, email, search engine, facebook and of course talk and text.
I’m sure that goes for a lot of folks. We do each have tablets…small IPad and a kindle.
Much to prefer to read on the laptop. The phone is a PIA. It is very intrusive. Besides, the small phone screen is hard on old eyes compared to 150% font on a 17″ screen.
I read this newsletter on my laptop. I will read my email and facebook on my phone, but then later will check it again on my laptop. I guess I’m too old school (make that just old) to try to live my life on a phone! LOL
Don’t like to read on my phone. I enjoy sitting on Sat/Sun with my laptop in my lap right clicking on links to stories (about 8 at a time) reading one, closing that window, reading the next, etc. then opening another series. Great info. I missed the daily post this week and can’t wait for them to start back up!
Hi Chuck,
I do read my newspaper and RV Travel on my I-Pad everyday and really enjoy doing that. I don’t use my lap top for any reading however, I use my computer everyday to look up things I’m interested in. I use my iPhone for some calls and GPS to find stores or places I’m interested to see. Ah the good old days I agree I really miss.