Sky and Space Magazine

Sausageman (Mike Boggan) · #1 01-06-2005, 06:35 PM

Is anyone else having trouble with "Sky and Space magazine".

I have had heaps of trouble since I subscribed.
I got the first issue, then didn't get any for 4 months, finally contacted the Editor after sending many emails. now its june, and the last mag was for March/April.

Are they going bankrupt?

Mike

johnno · #2 01-06-2005, 09:00 PM

Hi Mike,
I am not a subscriber of this mag,they are too unreliable,but I do buy it when available.
Talking to the newsagent yesterday,he rang them and they said it should be in the Newsagents by next thursday,if thats any help to you.if you are a subscriber I would expect it soon.
Regards.John

robin · #3 01-06-2005, 10:20 PM

You beat me to it Mike.I have a subscription that an English friend bought me for christmas.You're right, the last issue was march/april. I had hoped that their 'new look' would mean reliability too but I'm just not seeing it happen.

mch62 (Mark) · #4 02-06-2005, 06:57 AM

Same problem hear Mike.
Had the same thing happen a few years back and never did get all my subscriptions for that year and now again.
A bit of a dodgy set up me thinks.

Mark

Brendan · #5 02-06-2005, 10:20 AM

this is a common problem mike, some of the journo's who contirbute to the mag lurk around here so no doubt your cries will be heard.

I think the S&S staff hold back issues if something exciting is going on in the Astronomy/space sciences world aka the relaunch of the shuttle missions. I would not be supprised at all if this was the reason for the delay.

I how ever do agree that the frequency of publication is very disapointing considering that up untill a few years ago there seemed to be few problems.

Dave if you are out there, might be an idea to bring this problem up at the next editorial meeting

xstream (John) · #6 02-06-2005, 10:48 AM

Same problem here aswell Mike.

Everything was o/k up until they decided to change the publication....... since then....... you know what the answer is...... with that sort of service I'll never bother with the publication again....... endless emails and phone calls have been fruitless...... I'll just put it down to experience never mind about the money that went out the window...... Anyway good luck Mike, hope your out come is better than ours was.

astroron (Ron) · #7 02-06-2005, 11:34 AM

For a long time the mag in Queensland has been known as" lost in space", for lack of being on time.astron

ving (David) · #8 02-06-2005, 12:46 PM

hehe "lost in space" I like it!

atalas · #9 02-06-2005, 01:20 PM

Yeah they ripped me off 70.00 bucks once!on a subscription to southern Astronomy ,you know that other black and white mag they have.
Never even got one copy from them. I complained a couple of times
but never heard nothing back,so you now no what I think !
Now I don't know If I'm aloud to say this on the forum but hey thats life, I'm the one who got ripped off ! now that was about five years ago.

Louie

fringe_dweller · #10 02-06-2005, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by astroron
For a long time the mag in Queensland has been known as" lost in space", for lack of being on time.astron

I think it was some unhappy advertisers that first came up with that (cruel?) nickname - but in all fairness is/wasnt S&S always run on a shoe string budget? and in fact all the contributers do it for no payement fee? Thats what they have always said anyway. Although that is no excuse to ripp people off i guess?
Cheers
Fringey

Sausageman (Mike Boggan) · #11 02-06-2005, 04:28 PM

I just sent an email to the "Sky and Space" Managing Editor.
I was so astounded by the number of replies to this thread that I sent him the thread address....

Maybe it will wake them up.

Mike

mch62 (Mark) · #12 03-06-2005, 10:02 AM

Did the same thing , no replys to 4 e-mails over 4weeks.

They do realise there is competition out there don't they.

It's a shame as i would like to support an Australian product but it looks like this is not to be the case.

atalas · #13 03-06-2005, 10:07 AM

Surprise surprise!

Louie

Gordon · #14 03-06-2005, 07:13 PM

Hi all,

Well firsty I hate to say ITYS but I feel that I perhaps ruffled a few feathers some time back about this periodical (or non-periodical) but I am surprised a little by comments that it's sad because we love to support Australian pubications. We now have a reliable Australian publication called Australian Sky and telescope written by Australian authors, published and printed by and Australian company but with occassional articles (it seems) extracted from the U.S magazine. I was a little suspicious at first but on their record I don't see a problem with this at all. In the last few AS&T magazines I purchased from the news stand the content is very Australian and they have writers that actually do astronomy. I personally believe they are doing a marvellous job of bringing out a magazine on-time every month and the content is far more down to earth and practical.

Sure, I certainly like to support 100% Australian made product - but what is 100% Australian product anymore? I even bought **** Smith peanut butter for a while (yes, I love peanut butter sandwiches) but I have to say that Kraft make the best! Despite the U.S interest, it is still made in Australia.

I have several friends who were also bitten badly by S&S subscriptions but who knows? Another issue may yet still appear in the mailbox.

h0ughy (David) · #15 03-06-2005, 10:42 PM

I'll jump to their defence

They were going backwards, so they do what most companies do trying to save their bacon and investment, they restructured!

Now then add to that the fact that they were always very late with issues, they tried to get that back on track and fill the mag with good content for the issues that did end up going to print. The S&T issues are at least 70% US content, therefore it is very easy for them to get the remaining 30% content up and running for each month. I am not bagging S&T, they do a great job and it is a pleasure to read, but S&S have to go the whole 9 yards and get the entire content out. But we are really great aussies by following the great tradition of tall poppy cutting and whining that a few magazines got lost

as this also happened to me. However just give them a go, if they fold what will you have to whine about then!

atalas · #16 04-06-2005, 02:23 AM

When someone robs me Houghy, they don't get another go at It!

Louie

mch62 (Mark) · #17 04-06-2005, 07:25 AM

""Had the same thing happen a few years back and never did get all my subscriptions for that year and now again""

As I said i did give them another go and this is the second time I just stopped getting the publications and no responce.

Don't get me wrong , I enojoy the S&S actually even more than my issues of S&T but if it's not here to read , then it ain't no good to me.
Not to mention no replies to e-mails or phone calls.

h0ughy (David) · #18 04-06-2005, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atalas

When someone robs me Houghy, they don't get another go at It!

Louie

Louie
true, and I don't condone it either , but when someone change a business name the old one simply dissappears. Along with our money.

atalas · #19 04-06-2005, 11:32 AM

Well Houghy I would like and make their teeth dissapear!

Louie

h0ughy (David) · #20 04-06-2005, 07:12 PM

Louie,

are you a magician, I've never seen disappearing teeth before!

On a more serious note, I subscribed for 2 years, seemed cheaper, but i had 2 issues of the quarterly mag owing to me, and I was credited some issues to the "new" sky and space. i can't really whinge too much, they have printed a picture of mine