… but sadly doesn’t care about your “paper” subscription or your years of loyalty. Or, do they? Could it be that Apple’s Magazine Subscription Model is strangling publishers into having to set prices so that Apple can get their 30% (if readers purchase the subscription via the device itself, from the magazine’s app), thereby eliminating any discount that the publisher might have offered the loyal, paper reading subscribers when they switched up mediums?

When getting a new iPad 2, one of the first things I wanted to do with it was put my favorite magazine on it; I wanted to experience this new concept of tablet-based magazine reading and subscription. I assumed that being subscribed to Popular Science for a couple of decades would count for something and I would get a discount when moving over to the “digital version” and maybe even the possibility of stopping delivery of my paper version to save a few trees. I assumed wrong. I had to pay the same price for an annual subscription as I would have should I had never picked up and purchased a Popular Science magazine in my entire life. Paper subscribers are required to buy a whole new digital subscription. It would seem logical to assume that a publisher would want to reward their current, long-term subs by allowing them to purchase the subscription at discount. Apple’s model likely precludes this. There is probably not even a feature that allows it and the publishers can’t offer one as Apple is taking 30% of the cut because I bought the subscription via the magazine’s “free app.”

Having first-time readers and decade long subscribers have to pay the same price when originally purchasing or when switching over to the digital subscription, respectively, is a bitter pill for those of us that have had subscriptions for generations, my family for example. Again, I am aware that dealing with Apple’s subscription model was probably hard enough — for now. But, both Apple and PopSci have hurdled that first milestone. And, while I respect both companies, it just seems like there is work yet to be done. One, don’t make PopSci’s long-term subs feel like they’ve been forgotten about, especially knowing that technology like the iPad would be adopted by most of them. Subscriptions, both digital and paper, should be bound to each other; or, the subscriber should at least be able to tie both paper and digital subscriptions to any one reader that might be taking advantage of both. Currently, it does not appear that this is being done — by Apple or Pop Sci. Or, if it is, it is not apparent. Two, why continue sending subs a paper subscription when it’s possibly no longer desired? For the sake of the environment, the option should at least be provided.

With how far things have come technically, at times, huge advances seem to be mired by features that seem contradictory to the advancement. Subscriptions can’t be known and linked? Paper can’t be replaced for bits and touch-screens, exclusively? I know they can be:

“Next Issue Media is looking to expand its tablet-based readership to Android users, as well. Beginning tomorrow, people who bought a wireless-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab from Verizon will be able to purchase single copies of, or monthly subscriptions to seven magazines from the so-called “Hulu of Magazines,” which includes Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc., and News Corp. Users already subscribing to print editions will receive free digital subscriptions, though they won’t be able to purchase both print and digital combo packages (that’s on the way). Publishers, meanwhile, will be able to set their own prices and, according to Next Issue CEO Morgan Guenther, will receive “at least” 70-percent of all transactions — the same percentage that Apple offers. Under this new Android deal, however, all of Next Issue’s members will be able to freely access their subscribers’ credit card information and other personal data — something that Apple has steadfastly denied them.”. — Engadget, May 2011

So, at present, it’s obvious that some publishers are thinking a bit more forward when it comes to their digital models and what to do with their current readers and paper subscriptions once the reader has transitioned, digitally. It’s just amazing to me that both Apple and Popular Science seemed to ignore or not make known these important aspects when creating what is a fantastic, beautiful, and immersive “digital magazine.”

I hope PopSci can appreciate this. I don’t mean to be critical of them, but I know I can’t be the only long-term reader who’s a bit puzzled by the current digital subscription model.

Let Popular Science know what you think at: letters (at) PopSci.com

Let’s see… After building up my Google PageRank for over two years to where a search for “Dave Wolf” would appear on Google’s first page and as the first or second link on that page, just something as simple as enabling of the comment system in Coppermine, some Open Source photo gallery software I use, crushed me! Well, it didn’t crush me… but, it certainly crushed my ranking in regards to Google and Google’s PageRank. I think I’m somewhere on page 18 or something now. Great. I only wanted some feedback on my photos. What did I get? I get a thousand porno and prescription drug links spammed into what were to be helpful comments on the photos I’ve taken and posted to the site.

Spam is simply out of control, people! You can’t have anything on the web anymore with any input field without some crazy piece of software monitoring it, verifying the input, whatever… It’s crazy. I have Akismet, an automatic service monitoring the general comment system of this web page. It’s caught some odd 33,000 spam comments that have attempted to make their way into the posts on this page. Stop the madness already, would ya?! Every other search engine has been nice… I wasn’t punished for all the spam links created by Coppermine’s weak comment system (yeah, the new version of Coppermine is much better, has a much more robust comment system, etc., etc., but I don’t run that version… and, no, I don’t want to upgrade. Thank you. I have a life to live.)

So, Googlebot, when you come by again, read this, make note and see what you can do to return me to my previous ranking. I did kill all the porno and drug links for ya!

… well, my !#$% — and they did! Just when you think it’s winter and don’t need to worry about the ants for a while, you end up getting stung ten times all over the legs and, well, another areas that shouldn’t EVER have ants around ‘em!

I was over at FattKidd’s place shooting guns; next thing you know I start feeling little stings all over my legs and “other areas”. (I knew the damage was done already.) I got to investigatin’. MY GOD, MAGNUM! I had a bunch of the things all curled up just loading me up with poison. For those of you that don’t know what the fire ants are like, well, THEY SUCK!! They have stingers and some of the most toxic poison on the planet. You can barely see the ants they are so small, but the damage they do it huge! The poison is an alkaloid venom that kills tissue — so you get the necrosis going on; that’s always good for ya. The poison kills some people. 24 hrs. after the bite(s) you have all these nice pits and pustules starting to show themselves. They itch, get infected instantly, take months to go away, leave purple scars for that last forever, blah, blah… Long story short, they SUCK! In the years I’ve been down here, I must have been bitten over a hundred times. By the time I’m old, my legs are going to fall off.

The ants are impossible to get rid of. You can just mildly control them (with chemicals). And, at best, you just move them to another area. But, they always seem to come back sooner or later.

Go ahead, read about the immigrant f@%*!@’s: The Story of da Fire Ants (They ain’t natives!)

NOT GOOD! But, come to the South (especially the Deep South) and be ready! I can tell you this much, they’re ready for you!

Okay, add Savannah Water & Sewer to the hate list — they’re just another company that goes out of their way to shows who cares least. I call last Friday to get some answers to some billing related shit, you know. Okay… it is 4:50 and they close at 5:00, but that does leave me with 10 minutes of “We’re Open.” Well, phone rings a couple of times. Some chick picks up…

(background vocals) … yeah, he said that too. But, yeah, I’m still not sure what I’m doing tonight. . . (click)

COME ON! WHAT?!? You hang up on me! Okay. Now I’m pissed. Call back. Let is ring twenty or so times. They’re getting serious about making sure they’re not taking anymore calls with only 8 minutes to go before quittin’ time on Friday. Well, not with the Kid on the case. RING, RING! Then what?! Chick picks the phone up and is like, “Hello?!” WHAT?! What happened to “Hello. Thank you for calling the City of Savannah, Water & Sewer.” So, I say, “I have some billing related questions.”

Let me transfer you to the proper department. (click)

Okay. Now being pissed has turned into downright hate. Of course, I’m calling back on that shit. Again, let it ring twenty times. Chick picks the phone up and hangs it right back up again!

So, okay, you got one over on me this time “Little Miss Hang Up”. Savor the flavor. And, you wonder why I complain about customer service so much…

The saga continues on the Home Depot, hardwood floor gig. But, now we’re getting somewhere… This arrived in my Inbox the other day:

Dear Mr. Wolf,

Thank you for your e-mail of August 10th.

We have added your latest comments to the information you previously provided to us. At the same time we have contacted the Escalation Team assisting with the review of your concerns and requested they contact you as soon as possible.

Please be assured that your experience is not typical of our usual high quality of service. Your patronage is important to us. We would never intentionally jeopardize that relationship.

Regards,

Damien
Customer Care Department
homedepot.com

… “not typical of our usual high quality of service.” Really?! It’s become pretty typical to me. But, I digress. After playing phone tag with their “escalation representative” for two weeks plus, the guy finally calls me at work today. He gives the “normal” schpiel of blah, blah, blah and finally ends it all with offering me a $200 gift card. This is nice — and, yes, it makes me a lot more content with Home Depot, but I stressed that while even though the compensation is nice that they seriously look into why the local Savannah store(s) have provided me with nothing more than shit service. I’m not sure where this leaves me with Home Depot. This is the second time that I have and issue with them — and the second time I’ve gotten monetary compensation. Maybe I shouldn’t look into going elsewhere. Maybe I can just count on having them screw up and get these nice discounts in return. We’ll see…

Is it just me, or are people generally disorganized and cruising’ through life with a complete lack of any common sense?! You know, I try hard, really hard, to give people the benefit of the doubt, but they never seem to fail to surprise me. Or, should I say, not surprise me. It doesn’t really take that much effort to help a brother out. Even a little bit of effort seems too much for most. God forbid if people would just do something proactive. I believe that most know what the right thing to do is, but fail to do it because no one ask them to or they think it falls out of their “area of responsibility.” I want to be a nice person, but man, do people sure make it difficult for me on a daily basis!

Home Depot is the most disorganized, worthless, waste of a company I have ever seen. I’ve given them the benefit of the doubt over the years — even though they have screwed me on several occasions. But, now. . . I’ve had it. I’ve been screwed for the last time. Lowe’s, here I come! First, I had one of their reps yell at me and snatch the keys back to a truck I rented — because I didn’t buy $200 worth of stuff first! I rented a truck from Home Depot from 3 other stores and never had to buy anything! What’s that all about?!? There is nothing in the contract that says you need to buy anything! Then, I contracted with them to get a hard wood floor put in. They said it would take 2-3 weeks. Two and half months later, the job is finally done, but only because I put hours of my own time into managing the project for them. Glad I went to Home Depot to save me all that time and potential heart-ache. NOT! After bitchin’ repeatedly for someone to call me and explain what happened, they finally escalated the issue to Home Depot HQ. Some guy has been calling me at home every other day, knowing I’m not there, refusing to call me on the cell number I provided for him. Every time I try to call him, guess what?!? I get his voice mail. I give up… Home Depot will never get another cent from me. And, I’ll be cursing their name to every other random person I see on the street!

So, what ever happened to customer service?!? Does it not exist? Well, let me help ya out here. IT DOESN’T! There is no adjective to describe how deeply my hatred goes when it comes to having to deal with both service and good oriented establishments — ‘cus neither one of them can do their jobs worth a s#!t. I could go on, adding all the good juicy details, but I’m leaving work and don’t feel like it right now. In fact, that’s what the retail clerk was probably thinking when she dogged me!