Largest publisher of tech news moves online

While our online journalism class still meets in person, the biggest publisher of technology newspapers and magazines is moving online. We should get with the times.

But seriously, I thought it was interesting that the New York Times reported May 5 that the publisher International Data Group is reaping large profits off a Web-only magazine.

When I.D.G. ended the money-losing print edition of InfoWorld magazine in April 2007, it made serious changes to succeed in the online market. Shorter articles, blogs by freelance writers and multimedia presentations are all key, says the Times. The magazine also does advocacy -- check out the right side of the InfoWorld Web site for the petition for Microsoft to keep selling Windows XP.

The founder and chairman of I.D.G. claims there is "a better life after print." It's hard to argue with the numbers. I.D.G. now makes more from online ads than from print ones. But the publisher has an advantage that others don't -- tech and IT news consumers are already Web junkies. I bet a transition to Web-only output would be harder for other publications.