Haymarket’s new internet title, The Net, hit the newsstands at the end of last week, adorned with the gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones. This clearly demonstrates that a pretty face sells, as the only mention of Zeta-Jones in this issue is in a review of her movie. The magazine aims to show people around the ‘world wide web’ and the best that they can get out of it, rather than looking at the internet as an end in itself. This gives The Net much more of a lifestyle edge than the more technical titles on the market. The editorial is definitely accessible to your average punter off the street whose experience with the internet doesn’t go any further than drunken pub arguments, and there is also a section dedicated to first-time users.
The Net is published in association with Freeserve, the Dixons ISP, and a 16-page section of the mag features the network and what it offers (see Newsline). Apart from this the title is quite literally packed with URLs to sites featuring any subject your Joe Bloggs could possibly want or need, making it a long process to review as I kept getting distracted by the likes of http://www.ultimatetaxi.com and http://www.imdb.com. Online shopping is given a serious going over from buying PCs, wine and CDs through to booking holidays and purchasing properties.
This issue of Haymarket’s latest is like that dog-eared road map people keep under the seats of their car – really good to have on hand when you need a bit of guidance. A magazine like this can seriously reduce the hours wasted trawling through search engine results. The Net shows you how best to use the internet, not how to live on it, and recommends a night out in the pub with your mates rather than an evening surfing on your own in your bedroom. Having said this, ‘then & now’ puts online dating to the test, and Jerry’s final thought is either terribly misled or facetious – either way it got a chuckle out of me.
The magazine shows you how to enhance your real life using the internet, rather than enjoying things which are confined to the web. It is aimed more at male than female readers, and the editorial is generally intelligent but colloquial, and if it uses net jargon, then it also explains what it is.
Generally a pretty essential read for both beginners and professionals on the internet. As well as getting you started, the title emphasises the fun side of the internet without inspiring you to lock your door, turn off all the lights and say goodbye to reality.
The Net has an ad ratio of 14:86, and a print run of 200,000.
Reviewer: Deborah Bonello
