Linux Gazette Then and Now
Linux Gazette
Reason of death 👻
How Linux Gazette looked like and how it is now:
Then
Now
Description
The Linux Gazette was a monthly self-published Linux computing webzine, published between July 1995 and June 2011. Its content was published under the Open Publication License.
It was started in July 1995 by John M. Fisk as a free service. He went on to pursue his studies and become a medical doctor. At Mr. Fisk’s request, the publication was sponsored and managed by SSC (Specialised System Consultants, who at that time were also publishers of Linux Journal). The content was always provided by volunteers, including most of the editorial oversight.
After those years, the volunteer staff and the management of SSC had a schism (see Bifurcation below). Both the volunteer-run magazine and the magazine run by SSC has been closed down.
One way Linux Gazette differed from other, similar, webzines (and magazines) was The Answer Gang. In addition to providing a regular page devoted to questions and answers, questions to The Answer Gang were answered on a mailing list, and the subsequent conversations are edited and published as conversations. This started with an arrangement between Marjorie Richardson and Jim Dennis (whom she dubbed “The Answer Guy”). She’d forward questions to him; he’d answer them to the original querent and copy her on the reply; then, she’d gather up all of those, and include them in the monthly help desk column.
With its motto, “Making Linux just a little more fun”, the magazine always had a finger on the pulse of Linux’s open, collaborating, and sharing culture.
The last issue (#186) was published on June 2011.
