Bible Study Magazine - Cancelled

For the record, I've recently cancelled my subscription to BSM. It's not so much because of the content, in fact, I'm not really sure what's in it because I don't read it. I had subscribed a couple of years ago and forgot to unsubscribe last year. Fortunately, I remembered just in time last week.

The problem is, I can't read it. After two surgeries for retinal tears plus the usual decrease in vision with age I have difficulty reading anything that does not have a lot of contrast. I find that BSM's tiny, thin, low contrast font types against the coloured pages make it impossible for me to read.

So, if by chance it became available electronically I would consider trying it again.

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Comments

Bruce Dunning

Sorry to hear about your eyesight Robert. It must be frustrating not being about to read smaller print. This topic has been brought up a number of times here and I will express my opinion again. I too very much wish that BSM was available digitally. For me it is more of wanting less paper in my life but you bring up a great point about being difficult to read. For others who live overseas the high cost of mailing is another factor. For everyone it becomes increasingly difficult to reference anything in past issues because you can't perform a digital search.

To me it is odd that a digital book company that wants to expand their current offering of journals is not even able to offer their own journal digitally. I hope this is rectified in the near future.

I have not yet cancelled my subscription but have thought of doing so many times.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573655#Comment_573655

To me it is odd that a digital book company that wants to expand their current offering of journals is not even able to offer their own journal digitally. I hope this is rectified in the near future.

I don't think it's that they're not able to. I recall they have explicitly said in the past that they choose not to. That choice seems more and more bizarre as time goes on. Maybe if more people start cancelling their print subscriptions, Logos will wake up and smell the roses.

Here is where BSM editor John Barry explains the reasoning behind their decision:

http://community.logos.com/forums/p/52250/384192.aspx#384192

And here's the blog post in which Bob Pritchett explains the decision to keep it as print only:

http://blog.logos.com/2008/07/why_a_print_magazine/

The thing is, I don't know why keeping a print magazine to reach a larger audience of non-digerati has to preclude making a digital edition of it. Most other magazines/journals that are still available in print do both. And Logos as a digital publisher is uniquely poised to be able to do this well. It looks like they intend to eventually. They've been talking about that since at least 2011, but I don't know why it hasn't bubbled up higher in priority.

Perhaps there needs to be a UserVoice item about it. Well, lo and behold! There is! Needs more votes, I guess. Go vote on it.

Lynden O. Williams

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573662#Comment_573662

Perhaps there needs to be a UserVoice item about it. Well, lo and behold! There is! Needs more votes, I guess. Go vote on it.

Voted.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573662#Comment_573662

To me it is odd that a digital book company that wants to expand their current offering of journals is not even able to offer their own journal digitally. I hope this is rectified in the near future.

I don't think it's that they're not able to.

You are right. I was just getting passionate about this and said it incorrectly. I should have said "To me it is odd that a digital book company that wants to expand their current offering of journals does not even offer their own journal digitally."

Perhaps there needs to be a UserVoice item about it. Well, lo and behold! There is! Needs more votes, I guess. Go vote on it.

Thanks for pointing this out. I don't know how I missed voting for this in the past but I just registered my three votes now. I hope more people join us.

Charlene

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573679#Comment_573679

That is what I did some years ago. I cancelled as I wanted only a digital copy. It doesn't make sense to me either why not offer both formats. Until it is offered in the digital format, I will not subscribe again. The print magazine was just collecting dust and not being read. If it was available digitally, then it has a greater chance of being read.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573684#Comment_573684

The print magazine was just collecting dust and not being read.

I have the opposite problem. I read it and then it collects dust. What I really want to do is to refer to it later when I'm doing a study on one of the topics mentioned but with no way to search it is frustrating.

Brother Mark

Word like "Bizarre" and "odd" come naturally when describing a digital publisher .... who is certainly creating BSM digitally .... refusing to offer their product digitally. Sure, I'm onboard with continuing to publish a slick paper version, as long as we have the option of a Logos Bible Software version of the product. This is the one and only reason that I have not subscribed, and conversely, the single determining factor that will cause me to subscribe the day I can read it digitally.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573697#Comment_573697

That is what I did some years ago. I cancelled as I wanted only a digital copy. It doesn't make sense to me either why not offer both formats. Until it is offered in the digital format, I will not subscribe again. The print magazine was just collecting dust and not being read. If it was available digitally, then it has a greater chance of being read.

Word like "Bizarre" and "odd" come naturally when describing a digital publisher .... who is certainly creating BSM digitally .... refusing to offer their product digitally. Sure, I'm onboard with continuing to publish a slick paper version, as long as we have the option of a Logos Bible Software version of the product. This is the one and only reason that I have not subscribed, and conversely, the single determining factor that will cause me to subscribe the day I can read it digitally.

So, Charlene and Brother Mark, go cast your votes, as many as you can spare, for the UserVoice suggestion about this:

http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/2306384-create-a-digital-copy-of-bible-study-magazine

Charlene

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573699#Comment_573699

I have already, since the first time that it was listed.

GaoLu

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573655#Comment_573655

I too am sorry about your sight, Robert. I have family with a very similar situation.

Vision is only one reason to have digital version, however. Receiving the magazine by Post is not a viable option for some people. I would happily subscribe if it was digital.

NB.Mick

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573699#Comment_573699

cast your votes, as many as you can spare, for the UserVoice suggestion about this:

http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/2306384-create-a-digital-copy-of-bible-study-magazine

I wanted to, but found I already logged three votes from sometime back.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573708#Comment_573708

I've cancelled my sub too. Won't resubscribe till I can get it on Logos. If that never happens then I will never resubscribe.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575129#Comment_575129

After much consideration I just cancelled my auto-renewal subscription too.

I have been a subscriber since the first issue so this was a big decision for me. I have also read every issue that has been produced but I want to reduce the amount of paper I receive and am frustrated that I can't assess past issues in Logos.

I really hope that Logos is listening to us and makes a digital subscription possible in the near future.

David Paul

I would like to have BSM in Logos too. I understand the desire to have a paper presence, but at some point the back issues should be digitized.

I have suggested on a few occasions that Logos implement a "waiting room" program, where customers who want BSM in digital could either supply an alternate doctor's/dentist's/lawyer's address that the hard copy could be sent to, or if customers have no preferred address, Logos could simply have their own list of offices that they could send hard copy subscriptions to. To me, that is a "two birds--one stone" way of dealing with this annoyance problem issue. Customers get their digital joy and Logos gets face-time with folks who might be totally unfamiliar with it otherwise.

Matthew C Jones

I have difficulty reading anything that does not have a lot of contrast.

Robert, I find myself in the same boat. I have diabetic retinopathy and can not read books, mail, newspapers or magazines. My only access to the printed word is inverted colour, high contrast text on my computer. If Bible Study Magazine were digital I could once again enjoy it. (It is a good magazine.)

Brother Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/573699#Comment_573699

So, Charlene and Brother Mark, go cast your votes, as many as you can spare, for the UserVoice suggestion about this:

http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/2306384-create-a-digital-copy-of-bible-study-magazine

I always listen to Rosie (you should too!), and cast 3 votes. Come on, folks.... its easy to use UserVoice.

Paul-C

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/575246#Comment_575246

+3 votes from over here!

Graham Bennett

I would like to subscribe to BSM but living in the UK the postage from the USA is more than the price of a magazine. There is no way I am going to pay that. If Logos wants it to become global then paper + postage is not an option.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/595046#Comment_595046

I think we're looking at a Bizarro sign at exit 253 (I didn't think there was 253 north/south miles in Washington, but then I'm used to Texas).

I imagine like in many large well run corporations, they can't make a decision (see the story on GM's QC).

Bob: 'Should we make a Logos resource? It's just seems too obvious.'

Dan: 'Well, we've never been known for the obvious. And this is no time to try and get our marketing group to try to sell the obvious. Best to let Barry go forward with this.'

Mr Barry: 'Well, for years I just loved the National Geographic when I was a boy. I'm not sure why. I think, it was the shiny colorful pages. My vote is National Geograph ... er ... well anyway hardcopy.'

Bob: 'Have we thought about using a digital news app? I understand BAR went that route. $6 a copy too! They must be rolling in the dough.'

Dan: 'Yes, but how can our unbelievable search engine search it, if it's not on our unbelievable software? I don't think we can solve that high technology nut very easily.'

Barry: 'Goodness, look at the time. Why don't we say hardcopy for now and then re-convene on the digital question.'

Bob: 'Sounds good. Just as long as we don't have to get marketing involved.'

Erwin Stull, Sr.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/595052#Comment_595052

My thoughts:

In this day and time, a digital version of any written material is a must. A print version should be optional, if offered at all, for those few (these days) that do not have or will not use electronic means to read. It is the age in time we live in now. I'm thinking back in time now. I remember in school, the teacher once used black boards with chalk, then there were white boards with markers, now there are computers, tablets, and flat panel monitors used. Reading/study material has progressed also. No one carries around a suitcase full of textbooks anymore. It just makes so much sense for authors, publishers, and distributors or written material to primarily offer the material in digital form, and make print secondary and optional.

Robert M. Warren

Like the OP Robert, I have eye issues (retinitis pigmentosa, 2 detached retina operations on the same eye, cataract in the other eye that the pros don't want to remove yet; other than that, I'm OK). My only hope for any meaningful reading is digital (which, Providentially, works fine), so I don't buy paper material any longer. I also don't know who the mental giant was who first decided that orange text on a chartreuse background was a good thing, but he/she is an evil person.

I voted for the digital edition. And since I was once a Chicago Cubs fan, I vote 3 votes.

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/595052#Comment_595052

Waiting Room Program.

Debbie Eckmier

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/595147#Comment_595147

I also subscribed to the paper version but cancelled my subscription. I would rather receive it as an add on in my Logos program so I can search and do the study right in the program. Trying not to collect paper magazines anymore! As soon as it goes digital I will resubscribe - and buy back issues!

Can't imagine why this company wouldn't add it into their software in the first place

Placed my votes too

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/595052#Comment_595052

I imagine like in many large well run corporations, they can't make a decision

Denise, that must be your absolute best post ever [:D]

Quite often, humor is funny because it comes so close to truth [^o)] Imagine the struggle publishers had in moving from etched stone to papyrus.

Like so many others in this thread, I abandoned print magazines long ago.

Matt Hamrick

Cancelled my subscription until it comes out digital.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/614273#Comment_614273

Placed my votes too

Thanks.

I would also encourage others to cast their votes too. Here is the link once again - http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/2306384-create-a-digital-copy-of-bible-study-magazine

Ted Weis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/614347#Comment_614347

I never subscribed because I didn't want a paper version

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/614404#Comment_614404

same here ted. If it were digital, well that is another story all together.

Hopefully (Tongue-in-cheek), they don't decide to eliminate all digital journals in favor of their paper counterparts. Maybe thats really what happened with Galaxie?