If you're one of the few dozen or so readers who have recently been tuning in to the late night chitchat on DDJ's CompuServe Forum, you might have been led to believe that DDJ is in for some change. Over the past few weeks, you see, much of the speculation on the part of Forum participants has revolved around the present and future focus of the magazine and the direction in which DDJ is heading (editorially) in the coming months. And with all those strange names on the masthead of late, it sure looks like change is in the air. Obviously, you might go on to think, there's trouble brewing.
Some concern is natural, and believe it or not, we--new and old editors alike--are kind of happy to find out that DDJ readers care enough about the magazine to raise a stink when they feel their magazine is being threatened. We appreciate hearing from you when you think we're doing a bad job as well as when we're doing a good one.
This question keeps coming up so it must be important: Is DDJ going to cut back on the size or number of program listings? Or maybe even stop printing them altogether? Relax. It's not going to happen. The answer is, and will continue to be, no.
Each month we'll publish program code, and we'll continue to make the source files available either directly (through M&T Books, for a nominal charge) or for free via electronic on-line systems such as the DDJ Forum on CompuServe. This is a continuing commitment. We recognize that listings are important. (It's my view that it's the text that tells you what the author has in mind, but it's the code that tells you what the author is really saying.)
Another question that keeps cropping up concerns some of the changes we've made in our columns (or columnists). DDJ is currently running three monthly columns: one on C programming, one on structured programming, and the enduring Mike Swaine's column on programming paradigms. These are our core columns.
The reason we felt we needed to run fewer columns is that we wanted to be able to run more features. Running a handful of columns each month (complete with all that code) takes away from our ability to run a balanced lineup of articles. Both provide information. Both are important. We just thought we needed to provide a better balance.
Perhaps a more critical concern voiced by some readers is the perception that DDJ may be moving mainstream, in pursuit of the mythical PC volume buyer. Not so. We know our readers. We know that you are experienced programmers who want to be challenged, not coddled.
What you can expect to find each month in DDJ is a monthly theme that is supported by at least two articles. These articles will be followed by an additional two or three articles (which may or may not be related to the theme) that typically discuss programming techniques. For the most part, these will be articles that provide practical solutions to day-to-day programming problems (usually code-intensive). However, we'll also try to cover a topic that may not be a solution to a problem today but that may be a concern to programmers x number of years from now.
So, the good news is although the medium may change, the message remains the same -- DDJ will continue to provide its readers with the best technical information available about computers, programming, and that intriguing pseudo-space where they come together.
-- Jonathan Erickson editor-in-chief