WARNING: don't subscribe to VisualAge Magazine
Luc Pardon
but I think this is a serious matter that should brought out into
the
open.
Like all of you, I found a leaflet inside all my IBM VisualAge
boxes, encouraging me to subscribe to VisualAge Magazine,
a
supposedly monthly publication.
If you didn't subscribe yet, take my advice: DON'T.
That magazine:
1. never was monthly,
2. appeared only in one or two issues in all (as far as I can
tell),
3. is about to CEASE publication.
Yet their website (www.vamagazine.com) is still pretending
all is well and inviting you to subscribe. Don't.
In my case, I did subscribe almost a year ago. I received
my FIRST issue a few days ago, on August 3, over nine
months
after they took my money. And the issue I received is .... the
February/March 1999 issue.
It seems I'm not the only victim.
The magazine is published by a company named Visual
Associates, which supposedly is run by a Hal Avery and
Marie A.
Lenzi. On August 3 I had a most interesting e-mail exchange
with Dame Lenzi. I've included the messages below, in their
original form, without any editing (except that I snipped away
her copies of my original message in her replies). I don't
mind
people speaking up their mind, but I don't think she's in a
position to react like this.
The reason I'm bringing this into the open is precisely that
their website continues to invite you to subscribe. To be
honest, I
don't know if they would take your money if you did. But I'm
suspicious, for two reasons:
1. From het first reply, she seems to think that a VADD
subscription "more than compensates", so she might feel that
she
would actually do you a favour by pocketing your money.
2. More importantly, she is clearly in no hurry to take the
website down. It's a matter of minutes, yet three full days after
I told
her that this stinks, it is still there.
Fact is that this website is outdated. It mentions the Dec
98/Jan 99 issue as current, and Allen Benson is still listed as
editor-in-chief, although I learned that he resigned in February
1999. But again, why refuse to take it down if you know the
magazine is about to die?
The website is misleading in yet another way: the
numbering of the issues, i.e. Dec/Jan (on the site) and
Feb/March (on the
one I'm holding) clearly indicates a bi-monthly schedule,
although both the website and the masthead let you believe
it's
monthly. So you'd get only 6 issues instead of 12. This is
probably moot, since in fact they seem to have produced
only 2
issues in all (as far as I know, assuming that the Dec/Jan
issue is real).
On top of this all, the single issue that I received is not
exactly what I call value for money. It has a scant 30 pages
(covers
included), of which some 22 have editorial content. At $125
per year for 6 issues, that's about $1 per page. Besides, the
editorial by Allen Benson is cut in mid-sentence. Marie Lenzi
may know how to produce a magazine, but it certainly doesn't
show.
I have reported this to the U.S. National Fraud Information
Center (http://www.fraud.org), asking them to at least take that
site
down, and if possible to try and force a refund.
I don't think that it has been designed as a rip-off from the
start, but the net result is effectively the same. Miss Lenzi may
or
may not be right in pointing at IBM, but you don't have an
agreement with a company like IBM (any company of any
considerable size, for that matter) unless and until it is walled
up with boatloads of contracts and signatures. If she had
those
in place, IBM wouldn't have been able to "drag their feet". If
she jumped into this without firm guarantees, she's at least
gullible.
My analysis - from reading between the lines - is that Visual
Associates is probably in deep trouble, facing a serious hole
in
their budget, meaning no money left to refund all the
subscribers. The attitude that Miss Lenzi displays makes me
doubt that
she will pay her victims back out of her own pocket. I think her
promise to refund in her second message was only to make
me shut up. I frankly don't believe that I'll ever see any money
back, if she has her way. Again, this is my personal analysis.
Read the e-mails below and judge for yourself.
Anyway, don't subscribe anymore !
Luc Pardon
=== e-mail exchange follows
===================================================
=======
===================================================
================================
=== My original message to Allen Benson, who forwarded it
to Marie Lenzi
===================================================
================================
Subject: VA Magazine subscription woes
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 13:32:37 +0200
From: Luc Pardon <lu...@skopos.be>
Organization: Skopos Consulting, Belgium
To: Allen Benson <al...@objectpeople.com>
Hello,
I'm sending this message to you as editor-in-chief of
VisualAge
Magazine.
Today, August 3, 1999, I received the Feb/March issue of
VisualAge
Magazine. Not only is this rather late, but it is also the very first
issue that I receive since I subscribed in September 1998,
almost a year
ago.
You were quicker to take my money. Shortly after I
subscribed via the
website at www.vamagazine.com, my credit card was
debited (on
October 28, 1998) for an amount of $125.
I sent an e-mail on December 11, 1998 to
ha...@earthlink.net (the only
address I could find, since I had yet to receive a copy of the
magazine), but am still waiting for a reply.
What's happening ?
Thanks for looking into this.
Regards,
Luc Pardon
Skopos Consulting
Middenveldweg 1
B-2811 Hombeek Belgium
===================================================
================================
=== Marie Lenzi's reply
===================================================
================================
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 09:54:57 -0400
To: lu...@skopos.be
From: "Marie A. Lenzi" <mle...@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Fwd: FW: VA Magazine subscription woes
Luc,
Shortly the entire VisualAge publication will change. You will
be offered
a new approach to the VisualAge Magazine in the form of the
VisualAge
Developer's
Domain. There is one more hard copy issue of the magazine
at the printers
as we
"speak". Your subscription will be more than compensated.
Thank you for
subscibing
and we are sorry for the inconvenience.
Marie Lenzi
Editorial Director
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Luc Pardon [mailto:lu...@skopos.be]
>Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 1999 7:33 AM
>To: Allen Benson
>Subject: VA Magazine subscription woes
>
>
>Hello,
>
<snip>
>
************************************************************************
*
Marie A. Lenzi
Editor in Chief
Distributed Computing
Objects, Messaging & Components for Enterprise and EAI
Development
Enterprise Java
Doing business with Java
Two Embarcadero Center
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-646-8029
www.DistributedComputing.com
************************************************************************
*
===================================================
================================
=== My reply to Marie Lenzi
===================================================
================================
Subject: Re: Fwd: FW: VA Magazine subscription woes
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 20:09:53 +0200
From: Luc Pardon <lu...@skopos.be>
Organization: Skopos Consulting, Belgium
To: "Marie A. Lenzi" <mle...@ix.netcom.com>
References: 1
Marie,
I'm afraid this won't cut.
First off, I already have a subscription to VADD at the
Enterprise
level, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Second, VADD is Java only. VA Magazine was supposed
to cover the
entire family. Not all of your subscribers would care about
VADD.
Third - and worse - this whole story stinks. I can understand
that you
underestimated the job of running a magazine (although I
would expect
that with an ad in every box of every VA product - meaning
with IBM
endorsement - you should be able to do a better job).
But that is no excuse for the way you're handling this. Your
message
and the Feb/Mar issue are the first signs of life in about a
year. And
worse, your website continues to solicit subscribers.
I think I'll have to post a warning on the various VisualAge
forums,
pointing out these dubious practices.
Luc Pardon
Skopos Consulting
Belgium
http://www.skopos.be
===================================================
================================
=== Marie Lenzi's second reply
===================================================
================================
Subject: Re: Fwd: FW: VA Magazine subscription woes
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 11:55:29 -0400
From: "Marie A. Lenzi" <mle...@ix.netcom.com>
To: Luc Pardon <lu...@skopos.be>
References: 1
Stop acting like an ass. IBM funded this publication and has
been dragging
their feet for the last year. We have had a difficult time getting
them to
respond
in any way. Now that they finally are responding we are able
to do something
about it. If you already have a subscription to VADD we will
refund your
subscription
but don't presume to talk to me about how to run publications.
It runs on
revenues and IBM failed to hold up their end.
At 08:09 PM 8/3/99 +0200, you wrote:
>Marie,
>
> I'm afraid this won't cut.
<snip>
>
************************************************************************
*
Marie A. Lenzi
Editor in Chief
Distributed Computing
Objects, Messaging & Components for Enterprise and EAI
Development
Enterprise Java
Doing business with Java
Two Embarcadero Center
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-646-8029
www.DistributedComputing.com
************************************************************************
*
===================================================
================================
==== My reaction
===================================================
================================
Subject: Re: Fwd: FW: VA Magazine subscription woes
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 21:20:13 +0200
From: Luc Pardon <lu...@skopos.be>
Organization: Skopos Consulting, Belgium
To: "Marie A. Lenzi" <mle...@ix.netcom.com>
References: 1 , 2
Marie,
> If you already have a subscription to VADD we will refund
your
> subscription
OK, we're making progress. How and when ?
And when do you plan to update that website of yours ?
Luc Pardon
Skopos Consulting
Belgium
===================================================
================================
=== Marie Lenzi's third reply
===================================================
================================
Subject: Re: Fwd: FW: VA Magazine subscription woes
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 12:29:51 -0400
From: "Marie A. Lenzi" <mle...@ix.netcom.com>
To: Luc Pardon <lu...@skopos.be>
References: 1 , 2
When I'm good and ready. Now leave me alone.
At 09:20 PM 8/3/99 +0200, you wrote:
>Marie,
>
<snip>
>
************************************************************************
*
Marie A. Lenzi
Editor in Chief
Distributed Computing
Objects, Messaging & Components for Enterprise and EAI
Development
Enterprise Java
Doing business with Java
Two Embarcadero Center
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-646-8029
www.DistributedComputing.com
************************************************************************
*
===================================================
================================
=== end of e-mail exchange
===================================================
======
===================================================
================================
Luc Pardon
Skopos Consulting
Belgium
e-mail: lucp at skopos dot be (replace "at" and "dot")
Eric Clayberg
news:yhpcfxbcbfor.f...@news.software.ibm.com...
> I apologize for the crossposting, and for the long append,
> but I think this is a serious matter that should brought out into
> the open.
The following is not meant to dispute your conclusion or condone Marie
Lenzi's response to you in anyway.
> 1. never was monthly,
It was for a period of time starting in 1997 through some point in 1998.
> 2. appeared only in one or two issues in all
I believe that anywhere from 8-12 issues have been published in total. I
don't have them all, but I do have most of them. Only two issues have been
published in the last six months as far as I can tell. I have no idea why
and they don't return my e-mails either. After Reed Philips left as editor
last year, the magazine seemed to collapse. It has been through two
caretaker editors since then. Allen B. isn't even the most recent editor.
> 3. is about to CEASE publication.
That is my impression as well, although I can't get any confirmation of that
either.
> Yet their website (www.vamagazine.com) is still pretending
> all is well and inviting you to subscribe. Don't.
Given the circumstances, that is good advice.
> It seems I'm not the only victim.
Very true. In addition to subscribers, there have been several folks who
have submitted articles for publication who have never seen the articles
appear in print and have not been paid for them.
> Fact is that this website is outdated. It mentions the Dec
> 98/Jan 99 issue as current, and Allen Benson is still listed as
> editor-in-chief, although I learned that he resigned in February
> 1999.
The editor who took over after Allen also resigned (in disgust).
> The website is misleading in yet another way: the
> numbering of the issues, i.e. Dec/Jan (on the site) and
> Feb/March (on the one I'm holding) clearly indicates a
> bi-monthly schedule, although both the website and
> the masthead let you believe it's monthly.
Actually, it is supposed to be a monthly magazine. The (apparent) bi-monthly
(semi-annual??) schedule is the result of some major problems internally
causing them to combine what would have been the last four (six?) issues
into two.
> Read the e-mails below and judge for yourself.
Yikes! You are understandably pissed. I can't even imagine a reason that
would give her cause to react like that.
-Eric
Jun Nolasco
Luc Pardon wrote:
> 1. never was monthly,
It more or less was, until lately that is.
>
> 2. appeared only in one or two issues in all (as far as I can tell),
Well, I can tell you that I have had my subscription since day 1 (in
1997, although I seem to have lost my
first issue, but I digress ...).
The problem seems to lie in the fact that there seems to be some problem
with their distribution department or something. I have had to follow-up
some late issues a number of times.
>
> 3. is about to CEASE publication.
This part I know nothing about. I will ask my contact there for some
info.
>
>
> Yet their website (www.vamagazine.com) is still pretending
> all is well and inviting you to subscribe. Don't.
>
> In my case, I did subscribe almost a year ago. I received
> my FIRST issue a few days ago, on August 3, over nine
> months
> after they took my money. And the issue I received is .... the
> February/March 1999 issue.
As I said, there was some sort of distribution problem. Following-up
your copies would have solved some of your problems. But, how many people
actually follow-up their subscriptions?
>
>
> It seems I'm not the only victim.
>
> The magazine is published by a company named Visual
> Associates, which supposedly is run by a Hal Avery and
> Marie A.
> Lenzi. On August 3 I had a most interesting e-mail exchange
> with Dame Lenzi. I've included the messages below, in their
> original form, without any editing (except that I snipped away
> her copies of my original message in her replies). I don't
> mind
> people speaking up their mind, but I don't think she's in a
> position to react like this.
I know Ms. Lenzi from her Object Magazine days. I sure miss her writing
there. She is also the editor of Distributed Computing, which I think has
the same publisher as VA Magazine. Again I digress ...
But, I am a bit surprised with her reaction. I surely don't know where
it came from. Did we miss anything?
Well, from my end, the money spent more that paid for itself with all
the helpful tips I picked up and applied.
>
>
> I have reported this to the U.S. National Fraud Information
> Center (http://www.fraud.org), asking them to at least take that
> site
> down, and if possible to try and force a refund.
Aren't you overreacting on this one? As I said, all I had to do was ask
for my late/unreceived copies.
But, I really can't blame you. You must have really been frustrated, to
say the least.
>
>
> I don't think that it has been designed as a rip-off from the
> start, but the net result is effectively the same. Miss Lenzi may
> or
> may not be right in pointing at IBM, but you don't have an
> agreement with a company like IBM (any company of any
> considerable size, for that matter) unless and until it is walled
> up with boatloads of contracts and signatures. If she had
> those
> in place, IBM wouldn't have been able to "drag their feet". If
> she jumped into this without firm guarantees, she's at least
> gullible.
Don't know anything on this one. Hmm ...
Frank Crow
> deliver a specified number of issues over a specified period of time. This
> so-called "professional" running that half-baked attempt of a magazine
> clearly doesn't believe that their business is obligated to live up to the
> terms of the agreement. When money is exchanged you don't have that luxury,
> deliver when specified or forfeit and become liable. Certainly DON'T
> respond to a challenge of the contract by refering to the other party as an
> ASS!!! Who the hell does this "professional" think she is? It also
> bothers me that she is dragging IBM into her excuses. IBM has been doing
> very well with the VisualAge products and I'm sure that they never expected
> nor intended for this magazine deal to run into default! Somebody SHOULD
> tell her how to run that publication because OBVIOUSLY she has no clue, and I
> don't care what she's done in the past. That was then...this is now. You
> would think that successful experience in your trade would result in being
> able to be better at it! Is this the result of her glorious success in the
> past? Furthermore (!) why (ITH) are you guys gonna waste bandwidth trying
> to whitewash, or give excuses for, someone that is obviously WRONG (!) and
> RUDELY trying to blow off an obvious legally-bound liability.
In my opinion this lady doesn't know her elbow from her a**hole, is a rude
bitch, and has no place doing business with/for(/against) a group of
professionals that deserve at least common curtesy if not just simple respect.
IN ADDITION (!), if $125 is a small price (etc.), then why hasn't this
gentlemen's money already been refunded? Are you gonna tell me that this
"small price" is too much for this business to pay when they are obviously
legally obligated? Please.
I wonder if IBM is aware of this lady's publicly broadcast claim that IBM is
somehow responsible? We are all entitled to our own *OPINIONS* but we are
not entitled to claim that some third party is responsible for our
failures/liabilities, especially if those claims could cause problems for that
third party, unless we have *legal* evidence of such and are prepared to defend
such a statement when legally challenged for liable.
Luc, you have patience, deserve what you paid for and didn't deserve name
calling nor the whitewashing that occurred here.
Thanks for the information and warning. Professional people, such as myself,
do not have the time or money to waste on others that do not intend to live up
to their obligations.
-Frank Crow
gslade
I guess you are frustrated about this lady and the magazine. However your language
in this note of yours is both unwaranted and unwanted in our forum. I know there
will be a few people here in the VAGen development lab and undoubtedly people in
the general VAGen community who will be offended by this. This forum is here to
help people out, a mention of the bad service people have got from this magazine is
fair enough but having to read your bad mouth note is not.
Guy
Dave Milne
keeping the forum clean, but calm down ....
Dave.
gslade wrote in message <37E627FC...@us.ibm.com>...
gslade
I feel pretty calm thank you... you should see me when I really get upset.
Personally I don't care that much about the language but I know others will.
There is a concept of netiquette ( see
http://www.netannounce.org/news.announce.newusers/) that ought to be follwed so
we can all stick to the original point of this forum and not go off on tangent
discussion threads.
Guy
Jerry Stuckle
PMJI, but...
Dave Milne wrote:
>
> Is "rude bitch" *really* that offensive ?? I entirely agree about
> keeping the forum clean, but calm down ....
>
> Dave.
Would you like your wife, girlfriend, daughter, etc. to be called a
"rude bitch"?
I think it's offensive and uncalled for.
--
=======================================================
To reply, delete the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
jstu...@ibm.net
JDS Computer Training Corp.
Sun Certified Java Programmer
VisualAge/Java Certified Developer
VisualAge/C++ Certified Developer
=======================================================
Dave Milne
I would expect them to dismiss it without crying about it if it
was uncalled for, and to examine why they were being called it,
if it was. Either way, I would not expect them to be "offended" which is a
relatively strong term. Let's take this offline. Email me if you find it
necessary; or the person who coined the phrase.
Jerry Stuckle wrote in message <37EFC3...@ibm.net>...