Obligatory JGP Post

As a longtime photoblogger, flickrite, unpublished contributor and subscriber to JPG magazine with a blog or two to my name it is inevitable that I would have to write something about the past couple of days isn't it? In the online circles that I move in the coup at JPG magazine is huge news.

For those that don't know, JPG magazine is a photography magazine founded, and originally run by the dynamic husband and wife duo, Heather and Derek. For the first four issues they ran it as a print-on-demand cottage-industry and established an enthusiastic community which blurred the distinction between consumer and content creator. Then Derek co-founded 8020 publishing with Paul and JPG became even more successful as a more mainstream publication. According to Derek, Paul, wearing the CEO hat, decide to disassociate the new JPG from it's more humble beginnings and remove Heather from the masthead in the process.  Personally I don't understand why 8020 would want to do this or what it could possibly achieve but I do understand that Derek could not remain and work in this environment. 

All this is well documented on the web now and so my regurgitating events adds nothing interesting to the debate.  What is interesting is the reaction of the enthusiast photographer community on the web.  Let's prefix this with the following facts;

• Derek still holds a stake in 8020
• If JPG suffers as a result of any retaliation by Derek's supporters, Derek suffers as much as anyone else.

Derek very matter-of-factly documented what was going on and while obviously saddened by events, asked his friends to keep supporting JPG.  However, Derek has been the public face of JPG for a long time and many fans of the magazine were angry by what transpired.  It seems that they are angry for two different but related and justifiable reasons;

• Derek and Heather's treatment
  
• Paul's perceived manipulation of the truth/history.

The web is like a 24 hour news network but not in a good way and much worse. Something happens and we are privy to precious few facts but the pundits get on their soap boxes and make knowledgeable, loud noises that start to drown out the facts. It was predicable what happened next; the indignatious stirred up each others emotions and declared that they could no longer be associated with JPG magazine.  They deleted their accounts and left a public declaration of their departures. Now, as someone who has submitted to all 10 issues of JPG and has yet to be published you'd think I'd be happy that some of the competition is leaving the game, however, I've met Derek a couple of times and he's a really nice guy so I want to show my support for him somehow.  Do I do this by doing what Derek asked us not to do and delete my account at JPG? What would that achieve?

Derek and Heather are talented movers and shakers who will undoubtly succeed elsewhere.  They should be proud of proving to the tech world at large that print publications are still viable. They have invented a new model of publication.  When the consumers of a publication are also its content creators they feel as if they have a lot invested themselves in the magazine which is the both the strength and weakness of the model.  I hope that JPG continues to succeed despite this bump in the road - I know that Derek and Heather will.

Postscript: In an interesting turn, Paul's wife defends him - coming up, my Mom tells my manager why my I deserve a great raise.

PPS: No one is looking good as a result of this; not the protagonists, not the staff of 8020, not us pundits, nor the JPG user community.  It's all a big, horrible, sad mess:

• Paul breaks his silence
• Derek says more
• Another 8020 employee voices his opinion.