Why Mimic Print Publishing Online?

Call me old fashioned. Or perhaps I’m being too trendy.

But I don’t understand why an online magazine would want to mimic print formatting for its online issue, when it might as well be the print version? Even if it does have a search function, links, and clipping tools, shouldn’t there be more progress? Y’know, that over-used word “innovation”?

I’ve been reading The New York Times online for years now. Thankfully, nytimes.com doesn’t try to be something it’s not. As for all my other online needs, there are tons of other tools, sites, blogs, and communities which offer me so much more. When or if I want to read a virtual book or magazine, I’ll invest in a Kindle.

Until then, I’m hopeful some creative and effective solutions will be found. Surely someone will create/borrow/steal a way for traditional publishers to go online with “page turning” content and formats for readers (and thus drawing in advertisers) without having to resort to limited virtual effects. Wait, doesn’t that already exist?

*Sigh*

I’m going to go check my RSS feeds to catch up the latest news, gossips, and trends.