Seeing Is Believing
Photos can help tell a more complete story. The Web provides the extra space needed when the pages of a print publication are too limiting. Our coverage of the Westec show is a typical example.
It’s a visual thing. People love pictures, and the Web has made it possible for almost any amateur or professional photographer to share his or her images with the rest of the world. Even without a personal Web site, individuals can store albums of photos on sites such as www.snapfish.com and www.flickr.com and provide access to whomever they choose.
One of the challenges we face as editors of a magazine is telling a complete story in the limited space that the pages of a monthly print publication provides. We visit suppliers to see their latest products, we see specific applications in action during shop visits, and we get the big picture of what’s going on in the industry by attending trade shows. Then we summarize it all in several brief articles and a few photographs.
When we come across a topic or event that cannot be covered thoroughly enough in the magazine, though, we can provide additional coverage on our Web site. With the Web, our readers don’t have to miss a thing.
Just as most other companies use their Web sites to provide as much useful information as they can to potential customers, we, too, take advantage of our space on the Web as a means to present additional articles and tools that cannot be accommodated practically in the magazine. It also allows for more visual options, giving our readers the chance to actually see what we see.
I recently attended Westec and assembled a slide show of interesting products that caught my eye. Chris Koepfer did the same from his recent visit to Simodec in France (see his column this month). These presentations are examples of how image sharing is a sharing of experiences.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
