I am wondering (after already sending an email to *** Deal, Phil Whitten, and Brent Rutemiller) as to the logic of excluding over 40,000 masters swimmers from the "Premium Area" of their website. A posting on the site today says that they are thanking "loyal print subscribers" to Swimming World and Swimming Technique by giving them access. Unless something has changed, isn't SWIM Magazine part of their family of magazines (Deal's, Whitten's, and Rutemiller's names appear in both SWIM and on the website)? It smacks of a profit motive and a BIG slap in the face to all of us. I am also guessing that more masters athletes check that site than age groupers, so they offering the "benefit" to the wrong group! Seems oddly similar to the Italians decision to make everyone PAY for the World Championships results!!!
BTW, the way you get the premium access is if you PAY for the subscription, so it really is a PAID premium and not the "value added" one that they assert.
Aquageek, you are more cynical than I, what do you think?
Just stirring the pot a bit.
Parents
Former Member
Yeah, but...
The premium area is not given to Swimming World or Swimming Technique subscribers gratis. It is a paid "enhancement" to their subscriptions to be able to access the premium website contents. That seems fair enough.
Also one other thing to note: obtaining the premium subscription to Swimming World only allows one to access the Swimming World back issues (back to the early 1960's!!), not the Swimming Technique back issues. It's true the other way around as well.
A common feature of both premium subscriptions is access to the premium web articles as well as some of their stroke tips.
I tend to agree with the others on this: it's their website and content, and they can choose to offer it how they wish. I do agree with you, Bert, that it's highly likely that a larger percentage of Masters swimmers are more apt to use and pay for their services, so they may be missing out on a potential revenue enhancement there. Maybe they are devising a strategy separately for USMS members to access these areas, or potentially a premium area for Swim magazine premium subscribers (back issues, etc)??
Regarding the publishing of Swim, didn't USMS seek bids on that? Sports Publications International may not always be the publisher of the USMS magazine, just as (I think) there is a separate publisher of the Splash magazine for USS members.
Yeah, but...
The premium area is not given to Swimming World or Swimming Technique subscribers gratis. It is a paid "enhancement" to their subscriptions to be able to access the premium website contents. That seems fair enough.
Also one other thing to note: obtaining the premium subscription to Swimming World only allows one to access the Swimming World back issues (back to the early 1960's!!), not the Swimming Technique back issues. It's true the other way around as well.
A common feature of both premium subscriptions is access to the premium web articles as well as some of their stroke tips.
I tend to agree with the others on this: it's their website and content, and they can choose to offer it how they wish. I do agree with you, Bert, that it's highly likely that a larger percentage of Masters swimmers are more apt to use and pay for their services, so they may be missing out on a potential revenue enhancement there. Maybe they are devising a strategy separately for USMS members to access these areas, or potentially a premium area for Swim magazine premium subscribers (back issues, etc)??
Regarding the publishing of Swim, didn't USMS seek bids on that? Sports Publications International may not always be the publisher of the USMS magazine, just as (I think) there is a separate publisher of the Splash magazine for USS members.
