**=**› Commentary by DALE WOOSTER,  President› of  N.W.P.A.C.,  from  their  MAY/JUNE› 1994  newsletter,  reprinted  by   OL'› HACKERS  because  it  tells it like it› is, and may help the SLCC crew if they› do come out with an 8 BIT magazine!››           ATARI CLASSIC.MAGAZINE›           By NWPAC Prez, Dale Wooster›› POOF, AND ITS GONE!››      Yeah, it's true folks, Its Gone! › A  lot  of  really  hard  work by some› truly dedicated Atari 8-bit lovers  is› now  being  cast aside.   My thanks go› out to each and every one of you for a› SUPREME  effort.   I  know  that  this› effort  cost  Ben  and  a  few  of you› others some bucks  but  then  again  I› also  know that you were not in it for› the money in the first place.  I  know› this because that is also how I feel.› I don't  think  I  have  ever  made  a› profit  with  anything  related to our› Ol'Classic 8-bit.  (Well maybe  on  an› isolated occasion?)›› COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT››      I  am  also  sure that we will be› hearing from some folks that  will  be› glad  to  tell us why it failed BUT if› they are  not  listed  as  subscribers› from  the very beginning I am not even› interested in their opinions.   As  an› original  subscriber however I do have› some thoughts that  I  would  like  to› express.›› AT THE BEGINNING.....››      When  all this first started with› the  early  mail-outs  by  Ben  I  was› disappointed that in all of the  early› printings the User Groups were totally› ignored and I felt that this was a big› mistake.    I  even  wrote  to him and› said so.  After all, without the  User› Group there is no support to speak of. › WAIT AND SEE ATTITUDE!›› This was made even more  evident  when› the  NWPAC membership decided to "wait› and see" when I asked for a vote about› subscribing  to AC.  Could this be one› of the reasons for the  failure?   Who› Knows?  I  do  know  that in the first› survey at least 15 of our members said› they  would  subscribe  but  the final› tally was TWO!  Could this be  another› reason for failure?  Well, H&%$ YES!›› A SECOND CHANCE AT A NEW MAG?››      Well MAYBE, all you fence sitters› will get another chance but if you do,› "DO  IT  NOW" According to the info on› page 29 of the Feb94 AC we  still  may› have a chance to keep an ATARI CLASSIC› Magazine   alive   and  kicking.   BOB› WOOLEY   and   JIM  HOOD  of  SLCC  in› California are thinking about  keeping› some sort of magazine going.  The LAST› issue of AC may even have a sample  of› their  efforts  and could very well be› in   your   hands   by  the  time  our› newsletter goes out.›› A WARNING NOTE FOR FUTURE EDITORS!››      Once again I repeat,   "  Do  Not› Ignore  The  User Groups, they Are The› 8-Bit World"›› A WELL THOUGHT OUT WISH LIST››      Here is what I would like to  see› in  the  NEWEST  version  of The Atari› Classic "User Group" magazine›      1- A 20  to  40  page  newsletter› done  with  a  combination of TextPro,› Daisy Dot III and NewsStation  thereby› making  it  a TRUE 8-bit publication. › Maybe a  little  cut  &  paste  extras› wouldn't  hurt  on  occasion?    Fancy› color covers are not needed.›      2-  Request that EVERY user group› send BOTH, a DISK and  a  Hardcopy  of› every newsletter to the ACUGM clearing› center which hopefully  will  be  Bob,› Jim  and  at  least  3 other members. › BOTH formats are  a  must!   We  don't› want  the committee spending all their› time typing in hardcopys  or  printing› out disks.  This committee will select› the best of these articles for use  in› the next issue of "AC".›      3-  Each  user  group  would also› send in a disk of games or  a  DOM  or› other  programs.   The committee could› build a library of DISKs  to  be  sold› just  like  Antic did.  Even make up a› catalog.›      4- How about a "QUARTERLY"  issue› (  4  per  year)  AND  Do  not  use  a› professional publisher!   This can get› the yearly subscription  fee  down  to› the  $15 to $20 range and make it more› attractive   to   MORE   users.    For› example,  Office  Max  will  copy BOTH› sides of the 11 X 16 sheets for  $0.24› per sheet.  Same size as AC was.  A 32› page mag would cost $1.92  to  print. › Or  400 copies for $768.00.   Then the› committee   could   spend  a  FUN  DAY› putting   these   all   together   for› mailing.   Isn't  that  a  neat way to› have a fun day? <g>›› AN OFFSET AND CONCLUSION››      And don't  forget,  the  cost  of› labels,  postage  and  misc  will   be› offset  a  bit  by   the   advertising› income.   I don't know what those fees› were for AC. Now if all of  the  above› was  done  more  or  less as I have it› outlined, do you know what  you  would› have?   A  true  Atari  8-Bit magazine› done  by  true  Atarians  all  in  ONE› LOCATION but fed by material from  all› over  the  world.   And   btw,   after› several months the disk library should› be making a NICE  PROFIT.  Please  let› BOB  and  JIM know just what you think› BUT DO IT NOW!›› (Ed. DALE is sounding a warning to all› you  folks  who  want  the  8  BIT  to› continue  to  thrive.  PUT  YOUR MONEY› WHERE YOUR (complaining)  MOUTH IS!  A› word to the wise...etc. etc...)›                **=**=**››