Looks like I hit a MR nerve. Buy MR Magazine for what it is. Other words deal with it. Sometimes opinions of customers hurt.
RMax1
I deleted it due to it’s incorrect facts. Here are the facts:
We survey a sampling of our readers after every single issue to see what they thought about that issue. You’d be hard-pressed to find a magazine that stays on top of what its readers think more than MR does. I don’t care if it’s another model railroading magazine or a magazine outside of our industry.
We don’t survey our advertisers to see what they think. So, in the end, the readers are the ones who drive the look and feel of the magazine. (Again, remember that I work here, and having worked in Advertising before moving to Trains.com 5 years ago, I can assure you that no one from editorial ever asked me what an advertiser of mine thought about an issue.)
Finally, knowing of a magazine that charges $54,000 for an advertising page, and comparing that to MR and telling people to “do the math” is simply irresponsible. You can’t compare us or our ad rates to a mass-market consumer magazine that charges $54,000 (because if they can charge that much, they’re probably reaching millions of readers a month). That’s just not a fact, so that helped in my decision to delete your post. (If we charged $54,000 an ad page or anything close to it I would have never left my role as ad sales manager for MR to come work for Trains.com!)
I hope you understand. If something is erroneous, I’m going to delete it.
Erik
Erik
That is the response I wanted to hear! There are some impressions of your publication that are out there. I myself have received the surveys. Reading what some forum members write about the way MR deals with them. At times there does seem like there is little interest in the customer. My point is read Model Railroader as a product. If there is something you want tell them. It seems there are times that falls on deaf ears. There also may be reasons why MR cannot do something. Your response to my post is proof that MR does respond. Now as for the trends in the magazine. I normally expect one issue that I consider bad or of no use to me. Putting out your magazine is probably very difficult and you can not please everyone all the time. Also there are items that are the same almost all the time. I know those are going to come out every once in a while and expect them. Once a reader knows that they can expect that and be happy in most cases. I would guess the reason you use the same people all the time is trust and a proven product. It may look like only they get the attention and they probably do get the lions share.
The facts are you do make changes as to what the customer wants. People need to know that it will not happen over night. I asked for more how-to’s and guess what a few months later more how to’s. I’m sure I’m not the only one and it’s a result of this forum and surveys. MR still has room for improvement but the only way that is going to happen is if the vendors, the magazine and the customers communicate, listen and act to improve , otherwise there will be nothing.
BTW 2.2 million readers in the USA 
RMax1
Thanks for the response Erik. I assumed you would have something useful to say, but was surprised and pleased that you took the time to say it. I have MRR back to 42. The variety is wonderful, and considering all that has been covered in 6 decades, I like the focused approach. If I want something else, I can go back to an old issue.
So am I mistaken or did the “Open Letter - DCC Buyers Guide” also get the axe? I can 't find it, and when I find a reference to it in another thread, that link dead ends, so I have to assume it got deleted as well.
Was that also factual errors?
Here’s a response I sent to a fellow forum member who e-mailed me this morning about me deleting posts…
I only delete them when I have trouble keeping up with correcting all the misinformation within them. If I don’t have time to address multiple incorrect viewpoints, it’s gone. I know it only makes me look bad, but I’m not going to have people reading misguided opinions on our forum and taking it as gospel.
I’m not saying it was all you, because I addressed your points. It was coming from all directions and got to a point that I didn’t want people skimming through that thread and reading this that were incorrect and then missing by later post to address the situation.
Bergie
Well, it’s your candy shop, so that’s all there is to it.
I think you’re right that it looks bad, though. Makes it look like “correct” really means “politically correct” than matters of fact needing to be addressed.
I leave off this whole subject area (all the related threads) with this:
I’ll give you one fact. I know it’s a fact because it belongs innately to me, and I hope you won’t feel the need to ‘correct’ or delete it:
Three days ago, I was a loyal reader who generally was ready to give MR the benefit of the doubt on about anything. i did feel that the DCC Buyers Guide was really poorly done. I said so in a way I thought relatively reasoned and non-confrontational.
Today, after seeing how this has all been handled, I have shed my previously positive impression of the publication. I feel I’ve encountered a knee-jerk reaction and a general attitude of smugness and parochialism. I certainly never expected to see Orwellian measures like removal of discussion threads. I regret that my regard for the publication has been so diminished.
I’ll go back to enjoying the message board, for which I remain grateful to MR for providing, and confining myself to discussions about the hobby rather than the publication.
Well, there’s posting your concerns and asking how things could be better, and then there’s just being downright nasty and almost slanderous.
Nothing’s perfect, and MR is no exception. But somehow I got the impression a few of the really nasty posts about MR were just an attempt to sound like you were a “critical thinker” and therefore a smart cookie – elevating your status in the eyes of the forum crowd.
I stick up for MR most of the time because I’ve had my own publishing business and I know how nasty people can be with their wild speculations. And that’s what most of it is.
I get really tired of all the – Kalmbach is conspiring to get rid of the old school modelers, accomodate their advertisers, stick it to the readers, never listen to reader feedback … yada, yada, yada. Hogwash. Kalmbach is not a totalitarian regime, it’s a for profit business that won’t make a profit for long if they don’t listen to their customers and give them what they want.
And the primary purpose of this forum, as I understand it, is to discuss the hobby and for us to help each other enjoy the hobby more. I try to do my part to make this forum a useful place to hang out.
If you really want to suggest to MR they make some changes, send them a private letter – don’t keep posting your “critical assessment” here where you can show off to the rest of the forum.
And I for one, am far more interested in making the most of this forum for it’s primary intended purpose than as my personal house organ for displaying in front of everyone how I alone have the savvy necessary to save the hobby and all its publications.
Good place to stop this madness. Bergie is going to either have to lock or delete this thread as well. It is making direct references to other deleted threads/posts and this whole thing is going nowhere. Back to talking choo choos.
And no matter what, MR will be the greatest mag ever if I win that shopping spree!!![;)]
I am with behind Bergie on this one. I am one of those people who take the surveys of the magazine. Of course I am perfectly happy with it, so blame me for a lack of change. As Mr. Fugate said, send them a letter, or sign up for the surveys. Don’t make fun of Model Railroader on their own forum, not good business for anybody.
Amen.
Haven’t the naysayers noticed a pattern of MR future publications leaning, expressing or running articles that have just coincidentally been previously addressed on this Forum? MR is watching and cares.
Steel benchwork, ballasting weathering to name a few.
Bob K.
Repeat after me: “I am a model railroader…, but I can change…, if I have to…, I guess.” [(-D]
Joe, YOU must never change. You are okay in my books. Thanks for all you do here.
-Crandell
Let’s get back on track. [Locked]