Aercolani’s Weblog

Web 2.0 Magazine website analysis: 

1) TORONTO LIFE

            Upon examination of the Toronto Life magazine’s website, it seems as though they are a web2.0 magazine however this was not immediately obvious when I first entered the site.  On their home page, the only mention of anything web2.0 related is the headline for their blog which has some responses from their last issue’s feature article about the government wasting tax dollars.  Once I selected the main feature article, the web2.0 features were not prominent on the page but I had to search for them.  The links for Facebook, Digg, Delicious and the email for the magazine were at the bottom of the article so readers may not realize they are there unless they scroll down to the bottom of the page (below the point where they click to get to the next page of the article).  Somewhat proving that many people may miss the links, when I clicked to see who has commented on the feature article, I found that not a single person had.  While this may not completely be because of the hidden features, it may have something to do with the lack of comments on the article.  The online magazine also did not have any video links that I could easily access, nor were their any RSS feeds or podcasts; all of which would have helped the magazine achieve its 2.0 status. 

            Overall, Toronto Life online did not have a strong web2.0 presence.  Although it did ask readers to make comments on their stories, upon my calculations very few had and this may be due to the fact that the links are hidden below the articles.  The blog, however, is highlighted on the home page, however, again, there were very few comments posted.  Toronto Life’s seeming hesitant attitude to web2.0 features may be due to their readership which tends to be older, more affluent Torontonians who may still be clinging to web1.0 and not ready yet to try these new features.   

2)   CHATELAINE                                                       

            Chatelaine magazine also has a heavy web2.0 presence.  They have a “Fresh Living” blog where the author posts recipes, photos and videos of her making the dish.  Readers are also encouraged to comment on the blog as well as on the on-line forum which has its own link at the top of the home page.  The forum section also has a place where readers can submit photos and sign up for the Chatelaine newsletter, again, ensuring readers are in constant connection with the magazine. The website also has a “Chatelaine TV” section where videos are streamed on a variety of topics: fashion, backstage, beauty, food and health.  Readers can also stream music from the site which they can listen to while online.  Readers are also able to order merchandise on-line as there are links to The Shopping Channel from the magazine’s website.  The magazine also has an RSS feed, another web2.0 feature to ensure readers stay up to date on the magazine.  The magazine also has a Delicious link, email link, Facebook link and a Digg, however, like Toronto Life on-line magazine, they are located at the bottom of the article, however, they are more prominent on this website than Toronto Life. 

3) TIME MAGAZINE

            Although Time Magazine seems to have the same target reader as Toronto Life, it has prominently incorporated web2.0 features throughout its online magazine.  The magazine has a separate blog section (with over 10 blogs) that is linked to from the home page.  Also linked from the main page is the “multimedia” section of the online magazine which includes photographs, graphics, podcasts and video RSS feeds.  Readers can get TIME newsletters sent to their email or any mobile device thus ensuring readers are constantly connected to TIME magazine.  Also when you click on one of the articles, the links to the networking sites are right beside the headline so readers can quickly bookmark the site, comment on the article or tell their friends about it. 

            TIME magazine online then, is able to appease their existing readership by offering them enhanced features should they decide to use them.  More importantly though, TIME magazine online may be able to entice new readers to read their magazine through their web2.0 features which facilitate collaboration and the sharing of information among readers.  They might be able to raise the number of younger readers who are more accustomed (or willing to try) these new features, which in turn will improve the amount of advertising dollars they make. 

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