>Still, what does all of this mean??? VFP's declining popularity?? Perhaps. I have to believe that the declines in subscriptions for both FT and FPA have to plateau.
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>For FoxTalk, a magazine that never really advertised, sponsored the shows, and IMO, took a very aloof approach to all of that, I am more surprised that it has survived, as opposed to the decline in the readership.
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If we skip the statisitics we're seeing, I'd be very interested to see what percentage of the readership renewed their subscriptions to the pubs. Regardless of the realtive aloofness and esoteric nature of FoxTalk, could it be that FoxTalk has done a better job of retaining it's hardcore following by letting the level of expertise of it's audience drive the content of the publication, rather than trying to continuously bring in new market share? Slick glossy magazines get bought off the shelf and picked up for a year-long subscription. Consistent, excellent content, without an attempt to draw in a larger new readership, because it meets the needs of its base of readers, and tries to keep them on board might be the real secret behind FoxTalk. If the content is really good, the serious enthusiastic readership will proselytize enough new blood, who may be looking for something of more substance and less glamor.

I stick old copies of FoxTalk under people's noses at odd moments, and point to Pinnacle's site when I remember that there was something out there that I liked and was on point. When was the last time someone said, "There was this really great article in FPA that's worth spending ($5-25) to get off the FPA back issue site" here on UT? I seem to do it with things that stuck from FoxTalk in the back of my head, and can't recall having seen similar pointers to FPA articles...

>Let's forget the dropoff in numbers for a moment and concentrate on quality. For FPA, it is way down. For FT, the comment now is the same as it was 5 years ago. It's position for technical content is solid. They have a niche, and they have not deviated from that plan. For FPA, the quality is way down. And, the comments by many up here echo that sentiment.
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I can't speak to FPA's quality being down, but I can say that FoxTalk has consistently maintained my interest, enough to get the $120/year from me either on my own or through the office. And enough to make it stick in my head and send other people out to look at it.