QB Express once again emerges from the dead...

Post by **Pete** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:44 am

No, QB Express is not dead!

I'm *finally* putting together issue #26 of QB Express after many months of delays.

I apologize that it took so long. I got discouraged back in November by the lack of submissions and the flame wars that went on about QBE on the Freebasic.net forums, and abandoned the project for a few months. I also went on a month-and-a-half trip, where I didn't have access to my PC, so updating this site wasn't exactly possible.

Anyway, now that things are back to normal, I've decided that I am going to pick up QB Express where I left off.

<b>If anyone has anything they'd like to SUBMIT to ISSUE #26 ... which will be out on Friday ... please email it to pberg1@gmail.com!</b> I am especially interested in COMICS, since I don't have any for this issue, and I don't want to end the longstanding QBE comic tradition.

I will also begin taking submissions for issue #27 as well, so please, if you're interested in writing, please do!

bungytheworm · Post by **bungytheworm** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:09 am

Did hell freeze over? Nah, kidding.

I was actually worried did certain stupid feedback in certain forum piss you off so much that you decided to give up.
Im glad qbe comes back. *thumbs up*

Post by **Pete** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:33 pm

Well, the feedback on FB.net wasn't the main reason...the main reason is I'm not really that interested in QB/FB anymore. If I really were into programming still, I'd probably update this site all the time and be an active member of the community.

I continue to run this site and release QBE out of loyalty to all of you guys, the community. Perhaps also out of a bit of nostalgia from when I was a teenager and programming was fun. But frankly, if people don't like my work or aren't interested in it, I have no reason to do it anymore.

Luckily, it seems like most people do appreciate what I do, so I'm going to continue. Nothing motivates me more than knowing that people appreciate and benefit from my work.

Nodtveidt · Post by **Nodtveidt** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:12 pm

I missed the thread, since I very rarely visit that forum (the lack of an off-topic forum really does kill its community feel). But I just read all five pages of it. For the record, you can completely ignore ANYTHING and EVERYTHING Pritchard says...the kid's an inflammatory troll who frequently makes such ridiculous remarks. Lachie has never been known for his tact.

And Kris...well, he's...Kris. But despite the seemingly rude comments from Lachie and Kris, there might have been some underlying messages in there. QBE has always been a great magazine, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that your own personal interest in it has waned over time. You kept QBE on life support far longer than I would have...remember how many times QBOA "came back from the dead"? I dropped the zine as soon as I felt there was no point in continuing. Maybe it's time for you to do the same for QBE...retire it.

One final issue would be the perfect "last hurrah", I think. Although I personally lack the time to write an article for the effort, I'll send you some information that you might find interesting.

Take care, man.

SMC · Post by **SMC** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:00 am

What you do with it is entirely up to you Pete. Personally, I love your site and your magazine. These are the main reasons I've kept coming back to this scene, but if your heart isn't in it anymore I think most of us will understand. As long as you keep making issues, though, I'll keep reading them. And don't pay any attention to those guys. To me both qbasic and freebasic have always been about just doing what you want to do, regardless of convention and the status quo.

MystikShadows · Post by **MystikShadows** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:55 am

Yeah I agree with Nodtveidt here. I've already categorized anything and everything pritchard says as in one ear and out of my ass.

He's funny because he can be such a troll and then you find some of his writings actually make some kind of sense. my guess, plagiarism...roflmao

bungytheworm · Post by **bungytheworm** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:00 am

MystikShadows wrote:Yeah I agree with Nodtveidt here

*2
I am spurprised i do agree with Mystik who agrees with Nodtveidt but life can be a miracle lol.

Post by **burger2227** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:13 pm

Let the magazine die from lack of interest. If there are not enough contributions, wait until there are. There should not be a set schedule if the interest is not there anymore and then you can make a decision that way.

At least you cannot be blamed for killing it. You will know that you did the best you could and can no longer feel guilty about it.

Ted

Post by **Pete** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:42 pm

burger2227 wrote:Let the magazine die from lack of interest. If there are not enough contributions, wait until there are. There should not be a set schedule if the interest is not there anymore and then you can make a decision that way.

At least you cannot be blamed for killing it. You will know that you did the best you could and can no longer feel guilty about it.

A lot of people suggest that, but there's a fundamental problem with that theory.

Releasing new issues of QB Express creates interest in QB Express. If a new issue is released every month, and the issues are consistently good and on time, people submit a LOT more content.

Waiting until I get "enough" content to release an issue simply means that people forget about QB Express and submit nothing. I haven't released an issue since the end of October. I received a decent number of tutorials in early November when I was asking for submissions and promoting the mag. But since then, I have received just ONE submission. Period.

If QB Express dies, it is not because of lack of interest, it's because I'm not releasing issues on a regular basis and creating the interest.

Mentat · Post by **Mentat** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:09 pm

If you need more material, then I can probably conjure up something. I just didn't want to submit multiple articles per issue.

Seb McClouth · Post by **Seb McClouth** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:12 pm

My opinion be, keep QBE alive. It's one of the few still living newsletters in the Basic community. From what I've seen, there's not that much on Basic anymore... mostly Visual and all that.

Pete, I appriciate that you keep the forum and keep releasing QBE. I'd have to say that your site and newsletter still keeps me on programming. If it wasn't for your site, I'd probably stopped every project. And I won't have found my mac-program on another site.

Pete, your doing a great job!! I'll miss QBE and your site/forum if they'd fall away.

Grtz
Seb

Post by **Pete** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:29 pm

Don't worry, my site will be up forever...it's just a question of whether I will continue to update it.

October is this site's ten year anniversary!

Lachie Dazdarian · Post by **Lachie Dazdarian** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:05 am

There was no need to paint me as a bad guy here. Really. Sometimes people just can't handle the truth.

I was one of the most active contributors to the magazine, and personally, I think my words here count more that the words of some other individuals who live in the shadows of the community and mooch from those who are active.

I just think the magazine shouldn't be forced by its editor. I'm not talking here about motivating the community to submit, I'm talking here about Pete's personal position toward the magazine in this current moment of time. Sometimes it?s simply smart to close a certain book. End of story.

But really, there?s no much point in me dwelling on this. This kind of position will always be portrayed as antagonistic.

Maybe I should just go with the usual:

?Keep up the good work!?

Bah.