Doug, it's a very good question that I don't think anyone has a real answer for, but even people like me who spend most of their time online and have a nice-to-read-on laptop would prefer to read The Walrus in print - and I do subscribe. Many people say we should look from platform to content rather than vice versa - ie readers choose their platform first at any given time, then choose content accordingly. So they don't think "I want to read The Walrus,so I'll read it online" - they think, "I want to read online - what is there to read?"

Hmm, looks to me like they're giving away all their content for free online, or most of it (including cover feature). Guess that means I don't have to buy a subscription. Is that "best practice"?

In another vein, remember when Tim's cookies used to be 45 cents each instead of 89 cents + tax? Sigh. In addition to the website, the Walrus does a pretty decent newsletter. A nice companion piece for the website and print issue and it has frequently driven me to the web.

No magazine website anywhere is perfect, and in Canada we all have limited resources to varying degrees. But I think we have to keep in mind that a) competition online doesn't mean the same thing as competition in print and b) sharing best practices can only benefit the industry as a whole. And 2.0 isn't the only yardstick to measure things by.

Based on what I heard (I wasn't there, so it's all hearsay), some presenters at Web Weekend in Vancouver weren't the experts in "best practices" that they claimed to be, and made suggestions based on assumptions that ignored the actual research in the field.

For what it's worth, The Walrus IS one of the better magazine websites in Canada. But being better than your competition doesn't mean you're getting things right; just that they're getting things wrong.

Anything that's going to get the industry talking about how to improve can only be a good thing. Good on Mark.

I see your point. Free ideas = good.

Definitely, but no website is perfect, and if I were them I'd be thrilled at the free ideas coming their way. :)

I was recently at Web Weekend in Vancouver where the Walrus' website was used as an example of best practices for Can. magazine websites in terms of their use of Web 2.0 features. I am in agreement with Melanie McBride, who just tweeted me that she believes the Walrus is "WAY above all other can mags in terms of 2.0 features". Second to that, I don't believe the Walrus online is in trouble.