Internet Guide, an online e-mag for S Africans, launches

Eve Dmochowska    Think about it     emag, Internet Guide, magazine, Portable Document Format, Publishing

Nothing like a need for self promotion to make one dust off their much-neglected blog….

I’ve launched my latest baby, the Internet Guide. It’s an online e-mag in .pdf format, aimed at South African Internet users, focused on all things web.

I’ve wanted to do a magazine like this for a long time – a while back I came *this* close to doing a tangible, printed one, but it didn’t happen. The idea stuck around though, and launching it online is an acceptable alternative, for now.

To those who have asked why it’s a .pdf file, as opposed to a simple blog, here is my reasoning:

• A pdf file can easily be printed and taken offline. It’s the best compromise to not having a printed magazine, as the reader can decide whether he will read it online, or whether he wants to read it at leisure when not in front of the computer. The magazine is designed to be as printer friendly as possible ie. not too many graphics, colour blocks etc. I print it in black and white, and it looks great.

• The alternative was to simply publish a blog. But I felt that was counterproductive. I want the magazine to be read by people who are not yet too familiar with blogs, rss feeds etc. The whole point of the magazine is to bring those people “up to speed”. We have a lot of catching up to do in South Africa, and I want to play an active role in helping the masses become very comfortable in the online world.

• A pdf file is the easiest way to ensure compatibility with various platforms. It is also easy  to distribute, pass on etc. And since I have Indesign, it is also relatively easy to create.

You can download the file from Scribd.com here, or print/view it below (although a bit too small to read here!).

If you want to get involved, please contact me directly at eved@ideabank.co.za.

The magazine does have a blog, but it’s not very active. You can find it at www.internetguide.co.za. If you subscribe to the feed, you will not miss a single issue (pheww…I sound like  a publisher already!).

And please, please, please: if you like the e-mag, spread the word. It’s not going to be easy to reach the very people I am writing this for (the less-than-savvy-Internet-users) so I need all the help I can get!

Internet Guide 01, January 20 2009

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