Why I'm quitting Wired magazine

Friday, February 14, 2014
(Posted on this blog because Wired's Contact Us page for some reason won't accept this text, and it won't tell me why.)

Dear Wired:

After many years as a Wired fan and subscriber, I'm about to let my subscription lapse. I owe you an explanation.

I do most of my reading these days on one of two devices: My iPhone and my Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. As far as I can tell, Wired doesn't offer e-editions for either of these two platforms.

The print edition is lovely, but I've evolved beyond paper. I hate recycling or throwing away my copies -- ironically because they are so well made -- and I just can't find other ways to make them useful after reading them (or, sadly for me, some months, NOT reading them). Library won't take them; Freecycle users won't nibble. It just feels ... wasteful.

[The following sentence added after posting:] Also, I can't read the magazine in bed at night. The reading light and the page-turning keep my wife awake.

If I could get reliable and comprehensive electronic delivery of Wired on my devices, I'd happily renew this sub at my present rates.

Honestly, I'm not asking much: Just the text of every print-edition article. I don't care about videos, slideshows and whatever other doodads you offer on your Kindle Fire, Nook and iPad editions. I just want the articles. (I wouldn't even mind the ads, and of course I'd be happy to get additional between-issues content from the Web site.) But you don't seem to be offering that.

So, regrettably, I'll let my sub lapse and patch together whatever great Wired content I can find using kludges like Zite + Instapaper and hope I can get my Wired fix that way.

But, sincerely: Think about creating a more widely compatible e-edition. Let me know if and when you do, and I'll rejoin the fold.

Meanwhile, keep up the great work. Thanks for all the great reading over the years.

CM

P.S. Know anyone who wants a whole bunch of old Wireds? I hate to toss 'em out.