Wally, It was about that time they threw out the editor and started using a new person. I noticed immediately that the journal became thinner with fewer advertisers and cheaper. I don't have the clout to make a difference, but if a blind man can see it, must be obvious to anyone who wants to see. William ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wally Scherer" <afinetune at yahoo.com> To: <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:28 PM Subject: [pianotech] shades of gray > My wife and I got home from a meeting tonight at 9:20 PM. She wanted to > watch her favorite TV program, so I, seeing my Piano Technicians Journal > sitting unopened on the coffee table, decided to take a few minutes to > catch up on the latest PT news and information. I eagerly ripped open the > wrapper and opened it to the first, then the second page. On seeing Ed > Sutton's "Editorial Perspective" I became immediately discouraged. I > turned up the lamp one step brighter, but it was no use. > > I first started to notice a few years ago that I was not reading the > Journal as much as I did in the late 1990's after I had first joined the > PTG. I reasoned that perhaps I had learned so much in the first few years > that the reading was not as interesting any more. But whenever I did take > the time to sit down and read through an issue, I found it extremely > interesting and useful. > > Or maybe it was that I was so busy with work and life in general that I > just didn't have the time to read the Journal. But I had time to watch TV > shows, so that was not the reason. > > Then one day I picked up a journal from another field of endeavor and > found out that it was easier to read than the PT Journal. Why? As I > examined the latest Journal I began to notice that since mid 2000, the > type had changed. Before, the print was a dark black ink against a white > paper. Now, the Journal was using varying shades of gray, making the print > harder to read. I went to the public library and picked up journals from > several professions. In each case the print was a dark black against a > white paper. None of them used shades of gray! > > WHY DO THEY FORCE ME TO STRUGGLE TO READ THEIR INTERESTING ARTICLES? > > This is now the tenth year since the Journal articles and other useful > information has been printed with shades of gray ink, rather than black > ink. Just look at Ed Sutton's article on page 2 of the August 2010 issue > and compare it to the Randy Potter advertisement on page 3. Which is > easier to read? > > Flip through the Journal and look at just about ANY advertisement - page > 7, page 9, page 35, and page 38. Now compare the readability of the ads > with the text of articles. Why is it that the ads are easier to read. Is > it only the advertisers who want their printed material to be read with > ease? Why can't the articles be easy to read also? > > I discussed this briefly with a former Journal editor and a PTG President > last year at a convention. Their answers were a bit vague and > unsatisfying. > > It can't be that I am the only person out of over 3000 members who would > benefit from a return to black print! Why can't someone do a survey among > those who still have copies of the Journal dating from before July 2000 > and ask them if the Journal articles of today are easier, the same, or > harder to read? > > Perhaps my near age 65 vision is part of the problem. Yes, I realize that > I now have to use my glasses ALL the time to read. But that's no excuse > for making it hard on me and many other PTG members in my age group. > Actually, I still have relatively good vision. > > I'm all for innovation and use of modern graphic design ideas, but not at > the expense of readability! > > Wally Scherer > ------------------- > A FINE TUNE - Piano Tuning & Repairs > Wallace T. Scherer, piano technician, music educator > 5020 Canal Drive, Lake Worth, Florida, 33463-8014 > Telephone: 561-432-4121 > Web page: http://aftune.angelfire.com > Facebook: > http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-FINE-TUNE-PIANO-TUNING-REPAIRS/129845010366185 > ------------------------------------------------ > FREE TICKETS: http://aftune.angelfire.com/freetics.html > > >
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