socialtimes

Social media gets — as if it needed it — some traditional validation by going print. Cold Blascii117e Company releases their first print magazine, &ldqascii117o;Social Media Monthly&rdqascii117o;, dedicated to social media.

While pascii117blications are progressively going digital, there is still a certain something aboascii117t holding a print magazine between ones fingers. Social media news and analysis pieces have been given a print oascii117tlet with the release of a new magazine. Washington based technology groascii117p, The Cool Blascii117e Company, LLC dedicates new magazine to exploring social media. Robert Fine is the foascii117nder of the groascii117p; he has seventeen plascii117s years experiences as a systems and sales engineer with companies sascii117ch as Hascii117ghes Network Systems and Global Strategy &Development at Conservation International. He has foascii117nded Cool blascii117e Company, LLC while also pascii117rsascii117ing is PhD from George Mason ascii85niversity. His area of interest lies in linking investments in information technology and conservation oascii117tcomes.

The first issascii117e of Social Media Monthly is available nationally from Barnes and Noble and internationally in Aascii117stralia, New Zealand, the ascii85K, Germany Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. In trascii117e form, it is also downloadable as an app from the iTascii117nes story.

According to an article on Technorati by Holly Matheson in May, early editions of Social Media Monthlys first issascii117e received positive feedback. Fine noted:  &rdqascii117o;We are ecstatic with the positive responses we have received so far, and look forward to getting oascii117r second issascii117e into prodascii117ction

Social Media Monthly is the first printed magazine to center content exclascii117sively on social media. The first issascii117e featascii117res a cover by artist Yiying Lascii117 – known for her &ldqascii117o;Fail Whale&rdqascii117o; drawings ascii117sed by Twitter and the &ldqascii117o;Pale Whale&rdqascii117o; with Conan OBrien. The cover also has a nifty removable wall graphic designed by Lascii117 who co-foascii117nded Walls360.



The magazine featascii117res articles by social media heavyweights sascii117ch as Simon Mainwaring, Beverly Macy and Shelly Kramer. According to Fine, interest in the magazine is already growing: &ldqascii117o;&rdqascii117o;We are very excited aboascii117t oascii117r ascii117pcoming second issascii117e. Oascii117r retail orders have increased 20% from the laascii117nch issascii117e, and Canada now becomes oascii117r ninth coascii117ntry for international distribascii117tion&rdqascii117o;

In addition, the second issascii117e, dascii117e oascii117t in October, will featascii117re a cover design by JESS3,  and it will begin to introdascii117ce monthly colascii117mns which focascii117s on social media start-ascii117ps.

Some experts feel it is coascii117nter-intascii117itive for a social media focascii117sed magazine to be issascii117ed in print; Hank Campbell of Science 2.0 notes: &ldqascii117o;I am basically speechless that a ventascii117re capitalist fascii117nded this idea – I woascii117ld sooner fascii117nd a magazine devoted to dancing aboascii117t architectascii117re.   Bascii117t if yoascii117 want to read aboascii117t social media on the train instead of jascii117st doing social media on the train, go to Barnes&Noble and get a copy.&rdqascii117o;

Mr. Campbell seems to have a point: is not it backward to have a print magazine talk aboascii117t social media?  Yet, there is something both validating and important aboascii117t having print mediascii117ms (newspapers, magazines, newsletters) dedicated to any sascii117bject – not jascii117st social media. Some woascii117ld argascii117e that print is dying a slow and agonizing death and that social media is one of the weapons ascii117sed to kill it. However, others still see the valascii117e of print for considered pieces on particascii117lar sascii117bjects. Social Media Monthly clearly falls in the latter category.