Dr. Dobb's closes ?! Say it ain't so.

Yesterday came the news that UBM is shuttering the venerable Dr. Dobb's Journal as the Brit-based corporation continues its inexorable exit from technology journalism. I know it shouldn't be surprising but this one hits close to home... literally.


I was out of J-school for about a year, working part time for a local daily newspaper and desperate for a full time gig.  I heard about this new publication started by some Stanford geeks that was just a short walk from my parents house, so I decided to go down and put my resume in. Of course, I had no idea what computer programming wa so there wasn't a chance in hell of getting a job there, but I walked my resume through the door anyway.  I never did get a call.


But through the years, DDJ grew up with me in the world.  I learned alot about technology through its pages, both in print until 2009 and then only online.  When they were acquired by UBM, though, I knew it was only a matter of time.


As Andrew Binstock, the last EiC, stated, UBM isn't in the business of running publications for the sake of informing the world anymore.  Publications are for supporting events and tradeshows in the UBMirverse.  DDJ becomes obsolete in that world.  Sorry to see it go.


Related articles

Dr. Dobb's Journal sails into the sunset - yet again

Farewell, <em>Dr. Dobb's</em>

Dr. Dobb's 38-Year Run Comes To an End


Comments

  1. Todd BriaDecember 17, 2014 at 3:06 AM

    Sad to see it go too, but given the current strategy at UBM it is not a surprise since Dr. Dobb's was not tied to a trade show or conference. Actually UBM has owned the title since Miller Freeman bought it when they acquired the M&T International back in 1996 who then owned the title and it ran for many years in print under CMP. I would think Dr. Dobb's could be sold to Andrew Binstock and run as small independent site where the costs would be less and more importantly the "yield" that UBM demands would be gone and it could live on without having to generate large amounts of ad revenue. I suspect UBM wasn't interested in that and want to keep the name and database for their own purposes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike SwaineDecember 27, 2014 at 5:03 AM

    If UBM entertains the idea of selling the name, I want to know about it. I'm not optimistic. -Michael Swaine

    ReplyDelete
  3. loucoveyDecember 29, 2014 at 12:44 AM

    Mike, I've heard UBM say all titles are available for sale, but I think what they expect in return is more than some people want to pay, especially since none of the content comes with it. UBM is dropping the title but incorporating all the content.

    ReplyDelete

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