Radical Changes at MREmag

[Oldddudders]

Extremely readable on my iMac.

[Limpley Stoker]

Perfect in my iPad using the Issuu App.

 

Having clicked the ' keep me updated'' button I'm hopeful of being informed of the resumption of HYS.

[rue_d_etropal]

I was very impresed by the first issue. Nice mixture and not just BR standard gauge which tends to be the norm for some printed mags. 

It reminds me of magazines from many years ago, nice simple format.

I had a similar problem on thr direct link. It worked one day, but noticed it had changed on next day and did not work. The new link worked fine.Pleased to see it can be downloaded to a pdf file, which means it can be read off line(or at work) easily. Only problem was that if you paired up pages they were not right, so adding a dummy first page could be added. For other magazinesI have converted pdf page images to jpeg files(paired) and it is then even easier to browse, and enlarge/close up if required.

I was not particularly keen on the old 3 days a week forum, and a magazine initially published every other month(I have been told) then hopefully monthly is far better and easier to manage/publish. It is definitely a publication I will offer articles to, if it keeps to a broad spectrum.  

Edited November 25, 2016 by rue_d_etropal

[Hroth]

You know, I never realised that the little box at the bottom allowed downloading as a pdf!  Its much easier to read than through the online app.

[Free At Last]

The 72 page MreMag pdf seems large at 92mb compared to the last Modelling Inspirations pdf of 25.5mb and had 71 pages.

Can the download be made smaller?

 

Edit. Just looking at Modelling Inspirations 3 which is 80 pages and only 18.4mb. What determines their size?

Edited November 25, 2016 by Free At Last

[BG John]

The 72 page MreMag pdf seems large at 92mb compared to the last Modelling Inspirations pdf of 25.5mb and had 71 pages.

Can the download be made smaller?

 

Edit. Just looking at Modelling Inspirations 3 which is 80 pages and only 18.4mb. What determines their size?

The software that creates the PDF could make a big difference. I used to find that Adobe Acrobat created much smaller files than any non Adobe software I tried, but that was some years ago. It took me several minutes to download. It could just be another example of lack of thought for people with slow internet connections, from someone using whatever mind blowing speed a lot of people take for granted, but that some of us can only fantasise about.

[Hroth]

T'other thing about the new mag - the West Kirby Joint Railway was created by members of the Merseyside MRS...

 

http://www.merseysidemrs.co.uk/EM_gauge.htm

 

An extension to Hadlow Road is evidently under construction too.

[Kiwi]

The software that creates the PDF could make a big difference. I used to find that Adobe Acrobat created much smaller files than any non Adobe software I tried, but that was some years ago. It took me several minutes to download. It could just be another example of lack of thought for people with slow internet connections, from someone using whatever mind blowing speed a lot of people take for granted, but that some of us can only fantasise about.

Totally agree BG John. Sadly Adobe full version (needed to sort this type of problem) is very expensive. I use NitroPDF which is a fraction of the price, and I suspect some free products (perhaps CutePDF?) will also do it. Using Nitro's "optimize" tool I just reduced that 92 to 12mb! It's still just as readable on screen and all images are more than  crisp enough.

 

I suspect the 92 mb file was created for high quality printing, but totally unnecessary for on screen viewing. Hopefully they will make the downloadable one smaller in future. Certainly something to give them feedback about, without in any way wishing to be negative.

 

As other's have said, I initially missed the download option, going instead straight to the Issuu app. But that overkill for a simple magazine, and I'm already finding their pushing of other content getting annoying. I much prefer pdf, as it's more portable and common to all platforms, I open pdf's on my iPad in iBooks and store them there. Works great, and I get to keep all magazine's and books in one place.

[amwells]

I used to enjoy the 'old' MREmag, and I have to say that the new incarnation, while very different, is also enjoyable. Will be interesting to see how this develops...

[BG John]

Totally agree BG John. Sadly Adobe full version (needed to sort this type of problem) is very expensive.

I've got Acrobat 4, which was very affordable at the time, although it's not installed on my current computer as I rarely need to create PDFs!

[ColinM]

According to the list of exhibitors, traders, etc, they were due to appear at our local show at the end of October, but (unsurprisingly) didn't appear as there was nothing to talk about!

 

Now the New MRE is up, the situation has changed. I'm just going to have a browse!

 

After a quick WHS style flick through, I must say I'm impressed by the breadth and scope of the first issue. I hope they can keep it up! (and I liked the article on the WKJ layout. My photo of the original platform doesn't have the track and is in a lot more disrepair...)

Well, the MreMag team did put in an appearance at Warley today. There were two people manning the stand (didn't manage to get their names) and Simon Kohler was in attendance (but not manning the stand). They had a large screen display showing the first issue of the new format bi-monthly magazine, and were handing out slips quoting the start date of January for the replacement forum (designed to replace "having your say". Apparently they have had a lot of positive comments on the new eMagazine which echoes what has been said on this forum.

 

I also managed to catch up with Phil Parker on the BRM stand and pass on my personal thanks for his efforts over the time he had edited MreMag. I think he had been pleased with all the kind comments he has received.

 

Colin M.

Edited November 26, 2016 by ColinM

[JimF51]

So, some are saying the new MREmag is up and about. For myself, I don't see it in that light. I see 2 different items (yes, this might just be me)

 

First, although the old MREmag was called a magazine, I never considered it as such. To me, it felt like both a 'letters to the Editor' thing that occurred 3 times a week, or, perhaps more so, a group of friends and or acquaintances  who met 3 times a week, to "Have Their Say".

 

I would open and read that day's page, but I don't recall ever going looking for other content (was there any?). I don't think I ever clicked a advertiser's link, as any I might have, I already had bookmarked.

 

So for me, the new MREmag is just that, a new emagazine. Haven't read all of it yet, but have looked through it. Quite a bit of varied content, seems assembled well, but I also feel it is sort of a rushed job. The appearance reminded me of early issues of newsletters from various Guild, Associations, Societies, etc... From all that was touted earlier on, regarding the forthcoming magazine, I guess I was expecting something a bit more polished, more like the above mentioned US MRH.

 

Secondly, as for "Having Your Say", we are told it will be back, but as a moderated forum, and one will have to register, to post anything.

 

One has to ask, A) is a new forum of the type already out there, in large numbers, really going to take off, and B) won't having to moderate it take up the same amount of time as Pat and Phil had to spend on the old version (I mean total time, no matter how many moderators)?

 

For myself, RMWeb already is more than sufficiently filling my need for a general UK rail modeling forum, and the N Gauge and narrow Gauge forums cover the rest of my interests.

 

Jim F

[Pete the Elaner]

'Having your say' was always a fully moderated forum.

 

I agree with the above inference about how many forums do we need (or want)? I imagine this was a question asked internally within the mremag team which prompted the change of format.

 

I spoke to one of the team a few months ago & they were excited about the change, particularly with the 'turn the page' magazine feel. I forgot all about this until I had already swiped a dozen or so pages on my tablet. It felt like the natural thing to do.

The first issue was much bigger than I expected & I thought the quality of the articles was very good too.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Pete the Elaner

[602Squadron]

Well, I'm quite impressed with the first issue on the whole. The content is pleasantly varied, although Trevor Wright's article on Codsall station originally appeared in MREMag back in July 2015, but it's a nice model well deserving of the prize it won and was worth another read. Like others, I had some difficulty with the scrolling and sizing - the default zoom in double page view was almost too small to be readable on a laptop, and reset itself back after each scroll, but no doubt these are teething troubles that will be corrected. Oh, and two different contact email addresses appear on Pages 29 and 69.

 

But it's early days yet and the signs are good. 

[grahame]

So that was issue #1 but when is the next issue due?

 

The MREmag forum is scheduled for launch on 1st Jan 2017 but I didn't notice any mention of the eMag (no doubt I missed it).

 

G

[Kiwi]

So that was issue #1 but when is the next issue due?

The MREmag forum is scheduled for launch on 1st Jan 2017 but I didn't notice any mention of the eMag (no doubt I missed it).

G

I'm afraid you did miss it :-)

On Simon Kohlers "Welcome" page:

"Please enjoy our first issue and do provide us with feedback for our next issue, which will be available in two months time."

[Kiwi]

Also, the web site (www.mremag.com) currently says that the start date for the 'forum' is delayed. Currently hoping for some time around mid-January.

[grahame]

I'm afraid you did miss it :-)

On Simon Kohlers "Welcome" page:

"Please enjoy our first issue and do provide us with feedback for our next issue, which will be available in two months time."

That doesn't exactly sound like a published scheduled diary date - I guess we need to know when that was written to work out when two months takes us up to.

 

G

[Legend]

Agree with Jim F. This is an eMag with the name MREmag . It is not the MREmag most people interacted with. Let's see what the new moderated forum looks like, but I'm afraid to say I don't think the new management team really understand what they had and the essence of MREmag . This was essentially "having your say" . The rest was incidental.

 

It's a shame. I miss it.

[Kiwi]

That doesn't exactly sound like a published scheduled diary date - I guess we need to know when that was written to work out when two months takes us up to.

The quote was from the first edition published on or about 23rd November, so I'm expecting the 2nd edition late / last week January.

Edited January 2, 2017 by Kiwi

[D1056WesternSultan]

RIP MREmag  

[Chris116]

RIP MREmag

 

I am very sorry to note that there is no update on the MREmag website but let's not write it off just yet. Hopefully we will get some good news soon. Edited January 31, 2017 by Chris116

[Dungrange]

Given that the first issue was dated December 2016 and the next was to be 'in two months time', by my reckoning that means that the second issue should be dated February 2017, which is still next month.  I know that magazines dated March may in the shops already, but I'd think we may need to wait another week or so before we can start speculating on the future of MREmag.

[Pete the Elaner]

I don't think the new management team really understand what they had and the essence of MREmag . This was essentially "having your say" . The rest was incidental.

 

It's a shame. I miss it.

'Having your say' was a fully moderated forum. The full moderation made it slower than a live forum like RMWeb so on that level, it was unable to compete.

 

I have said this before but there are gaps in the market. Printed magazines are all well & good but lack a decent search.

An example is an article on signal placement. When you build your next layout you decide to check this but where was that issue? Either in the pile of magazines you threw away a few months ago, or if you are a hoarder, somewhere in the 100+ back issues. It may have only seemed a few months ago that you saw it, but in reality, it was 2-3 years...but was it in Hornby, ModelRail, BRM or Railway Modeller?

A true online magazine may be able to offer a search facility. It will take time to build a collection of such articles. I am not involved with MREmag so cannot say whether or not that this is what they are planning.

 

I remembered similar negativity about last year's Chiltern show being the last in St Albans...how sad that was & how it would never be as good once it moved to Stevenage. I looked forward to the move because St Albans had a lot of issues due to the venue & its accessibility.

We have now seen the first Stevenage show & all the comments I have seen agree with me that it was a very positive move.

 

Have faith & be patient. The second edition should not be very far away now.

[Legend]

Actually I've already written this off and I'm not that bothered.

 

If a second edition turns up , it will be just that , another magazine , but in digital format.  It is not "having your say" which as you say was a moderated forum published three times a week . As time goes on I suspect that many have forgotten about MREmag or like me have simply moved on and lost interest.