syslog
The year 2000 has been rather eventful for Sys Admin. In the past year, we regretfully witnessed the demise of two sister publications, Performance Computing (previously UNIX Review) and Windows NT Systems. As you probably know, we revived UNIX Review as a Web-only publication. That site has grown quickly into a strong resource with lots of columns, feature articles, and reviews. You can check it out at: www.unixreview.com. Also during the past year, CMP entered into a partnership with VA Linux Systems and O'Reilly & Associates to produce the Journal of Linux Technology. Sadly, JOLT has also folded. In the words of the editor, Mark Stone, “we had hoped that mutual interest would create good synergy between these three partners. In the end, however, the complexities of a three-headed ownership and changes in direction made it impossible to continue...” I personally regret the loss of this publication. I enjoyed working with Mark and the other members of the JOLT team, and I still think the magazine's goal was worthwhile. Sys Admin itself has undergone several changes. As I mentioned in a previous column, Sys Admin (along with other previously MFI-owned high-tech magazines) is now operating under the CMP Media name. Our parent company, United News and Media, purchased CMP at the end of 1999, and we've spent the year in transition. We've also experienced some staff turnover within Sys Admin, but the resulting group of people is unusually committed to the idea upon which Sys Admin is founded -- that of providing practical information by and for systems administrators. Given the relative newness of some of the team to the UNIX industry, we expected a period of stasis until various processes sorted themselves out. Contrary to this expectation, however, ad sales, circulation, and article submissions are all up! In the midst of these changes, Sys Admin also took on new projects, such as special posters, an email newsletter, and a Solaris administration supplement. These projects were well received, so we plan to do even more next year. It has been a somewhat rocky, but overall happy road, and I'm pleased that at the end of this long year, Sys Admin is very healthy. We fully intend to continue on this road through 2001 and beyond. The opportunities for us to bring you useful information expand daily, and we intend to make the most of them. If you have ideas for how we can improve the magazine or otherwise serve you better, please write to me at: aankerholz@cmp.com. As always, I hope you enjoy the magazine.
Sincerely yours,
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