6 ms·

Source Interlink Closure and Rebranding Puts 2600 in Limbo

92 points by stox 12y ago

webhat 12y ago
It looks like they are deleting the comments of Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TENenthusiast https://www.facebook.com/TENenthusiast
tombrossman 12y ago
Title is editorialized, it should be 'SOURCE INTERLINK CLOSURE AND REBRANDING PUTS 2600 IN LIMBO'. The kneejerk reaction here is to hope that a bunch of hackers (read: script kiddies looking to impress) go after the 'new' company and cause havoc until they settle up. Credit to the crew at 2600 who as usual are advocating a calm, logical course of action and not looking for a personal army of hackers to carry out attacks. I hope they are successful as I am a lifetime subscriber and I really like the print magazine. What happened is unfair and looks like a scam. If 2600 fight a clean battle and do not recover what they are owed, then I might not have a problem with some creative social engineering, etc. That's money I gave to 2600, and I'll have a real hard time feeling sorry for TEN if they have some technical difficulties in the future. And 'Ten: The Enthusiast Network' should now be referred to as 'Ten: The Embezzlement Network' going forward. Call it what it is.
- dang 12y ago
  Thank you. We reverted the title.
  - stox 12y ago
    My apologies for editorializing the title.
ansimionescu 12y ago
On a more positive note, I just found out about 2600.
- skram 12y ago
  Awesome! I do the layout "design" of the magazine and have been for about seven years. Doing something such as that and being able to find it at a Barnes and Noble is very rewarding in a different but similar was as creating a website and seeing people use it...
  - zacharycohn 12y ago
    I've been reading 2600 since I was in middle school. I always felt so subversive going to Barnes and Noble, finding it on the rack, and reading the mag cover to cover on the bench. Occasionally, I would ditch my mom and buy a copy without her seeing. You guys are fighting the good fight. Keep it up. <3 forever.
    - skram 12y ago
      Thanks Zach. Same thing here. If parents would stop and think about (at least my definition of) what a "hacker" is, a maker/creator/doer/free-thinker, I think they would in fact encourage reading the magazine. PS - Be sure to try to make it out to HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth): http://hope.net/ http://hope.net/
      - zacharycohn 12y ago
        Turns out they are very supportive. It was mostly just 13 year old me expecting the worst. :p
      - voltagex_ 12y ago
        The only thing I don't like about HOPE is that the videos are so expensive to buy, but I understand HOPE is very expensive to run.
        skram 12y ago
        They often end up on torrent sites and the audio often uploaded for free. If you have any suggestions, we're always open to doing things in new and better ways. @Skram
brianbarker 12y ago
The irony of a hacker magazine relying on print distribution. Wouldn't a 1337 4axx0r figure out something with mobile apps, websites, ads, etc?
- tdicola 12y ago
  2600 has been in print for almost 30 years, longer than probably most HN readers have been alive I would wager. You can get it on Kindle these days too, IIRC it's only a buck a month (but still published quarterly).
- doctorshady 12y ago
  Nothing wrong with a little variety in your life, medium wise. Also, it's "h4xx0r", not "4axx0r"
  - xellisx 12y ago
    It's 1337. Hahaha. Do they still have 2600 meetups anymore?
  - brianbarker 12y ago
    I was waiting to see how long it would take one of you to get upset about that.
- mst 12y ago
  Perhaps the fact that 2600 has a large following among hardware hackers who might prefer something more tangible escaped you.
  - brianbarker 12y ago
    Yes, I'm clearly an idiot. Thank you random internet person.
- brianbarker 12y ago
  I'm 30 years old, and judging by the immaturity of HN comments these days I'm older than most of you n00bs. I like how your shitty comments don't get downvoted.
inuhj 12y ago
This is business as usual at Source Interlink (formerly Primedia). In 2009 Primedia delisted and filed bankruptcy to absolve themselves of >1billion in debt. “This restructuring will materially reduce our interest expense and debt levels,” Source Interlink Chief Executive Officer Greg Mays, 2009 A colleague of mine was there first for their 2009 bankruptcy. Essentially, they delayed finalizing his commission structure and then simply stopped paying. When he left they owed him >50k. He, unfortunately, didn't bring the case in front of the labor board for fear of retribution.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- AJ007 12y ago
  "Source Home Entertainment LLC" was the parent company which filed for bankruptcy. Underneath that was Source Interlink International, Source Interlink Distribution. Not Source Interlink Media. It is clear Source Interlink Media knew Source Home Entertainment would be filing for bankruptcy because they changed their name in May. Source Home Entertainment filed June 23rd. Legally these were separate businesses. As private companies it is difficult to tell much more.
- walshemj 12y ago
  This happens in tech company's as well as publishers - one large profitable multi national made its UK subsidiary bankrupt so as to avoid paying any redundancy. Apparently there was a whole off site company meeting when they arrived they found a load of the RB2 forms on tables and where told start filling those in you don't have a Job. In the UK if a company goes bust the government pays the statutory redundancy (up to a limit)
AJ007 12y ago
Looking at Source Home Entertainment's bankruptcy filing http://bankruptcy.morrisjames.com/files/2014/06/0001-Voluntary-Petition4.pdf http://bankruptcy.morrisjames.com/files/2014/06/0001-Volunta... (parent company of Source Interlink) here are their top 5 creditors, Time Warner: $53 million Curtis Circulation: $49 million Comag Marketing Group: $32 million BGI Inc: $16.8 million Kable Distribution Services Inc: $11.7 million 2600 made out pretty good.
troist 12y ago
I used to buy the paper copy of 2600 every quarter until Borders in the UK vanished and I couldn't find it anywhere. A Kindle version fixes all of my problems though. Does anyone know if the publisher gets any money off me for buying previous editions of 2600 off the Kindle store? I've obviously subscribed now but I'd like to read some of the issues I missed.

92 points by stox 12y ago

It looks like they are deleting the comments of Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TENenthusiast https://www.facebook.com/TENenthusiast

tombrossman 12y ago

Title is editorialized, it should be 'SOURCE INTERLINK CLOSURE AND REBRANDING PUTS 2600 IN LIMBO'. The kneejerk reaction here is to hope that a bunch of hackers (read: script kiddies looking to impress) go after the 'new' company and cause havoc until they settle up. Credit to the crew at 2600 who as usual are advocating a calm, logical course of action and not looking for a personal army of hackers to carry out attacks. I hope they are successful as I am a lifetime subscriber and I really like the print magazine. What happened is unfair and looks like a scam. If 2600 fight a clean battle and do not recover what they are owed, then I might not have a problem with some creative social engineering, etc. That's money I gave to 2600, and I'll have a real hard time feeling sorry for TEN if they have some technical difficulties in the future. And 'Ten: The Enthusiast Network' should now be referred to as 'Ten: The Embezzlement Network' going forward. Call it what it is.

dang 12y ago
Thank you. We reverted the title.
- stox 12y ago
  My apologies for editorializing the title.

ansimionescu 12y ago

On a more positive note, I just found out about 2600.

skram 12y ago
Awesome! I do the layout "design" of the magazine and have been for about seven years. Doing something such as that and being able to find it at a Barnes and Noble is very rewarding in a different but similar was as creating a website and seeing people use it...
- zacharycohn 12y ago
  I've been reading 2600 since I was in middle school. I always felt so subversive going to Barnes and Noble, finding it on the rack, and reading the mag cover to cover on the bench. Occasionally, I would ditch my mom and buy a copy without her seeing. You guys are fighting the good fight. Keep it up. <3 forever.
  - skram 12y ago
    Thanks Zach. Same thing here. If parents would stop and think about (at least my definition of) what a "hacker" is, a maker/creator/doer/free-thinker, I think they would in fact encourage reading the magazine. PS - Be sure to try to make it out to HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth): http://hope.net/ http://hope.net/
    - zacharycohn 12y ago
      Turns out they are very supportive. It was mostly just 13 year old me expecting the worst. :p
    - voltagex_ 12y ago
      The only thing I don't like about HOPE is that the videos are so expensive to buy, but I understand HOPE is very expensive to run.
      - skram 12y ago
        They often end up on torrent sites and the audio often uploaded for free. If you have any suggestions, we're always open to doing things in new and better ways. @Skram

brianbarker 12y ago

The irony of a hacker magazine relying on print distribution. Wouldn't a 1337 4axx0r figure out something with mobile apps, websites, ads, etc?

tdicola 12y ago
2600 has been in print for almost 30 years, longer than probably most HN readers have been alive I would wager. You can get it on Kindle these days too, IIRC it's only a buck a month (but still published quarterly).
doctorshady 12y ago
Nothing wrong with a little variety in your life, medium wise. Also, it's "h4xx0r", not "4axx0r"
- xellisx 12y ago
  It's 1337. Hahaha. Do they still have 2600 meetups anymore?
- brianbarker 12y ago
  I was waiting to see how long it would take one of you to get upset about that.
mst 12y ago
Perhaps the fact that 2600 has a large following among hardware hackers who might prefer something more tangible escaped you.
- brianbarker 12y ago
  Yes, I'm clearly an idiot. Thank you random internet person.
brianbarker 12y ago
I'm 30 years old, and judging by the immaturity of HN comments these days I'm older than most of you n00bs. I like how your shitty comments don't get downvoted.

inuhj 12y ago

This is business as usual at Source Interlink (formerly Primedia). In 2009 Primedia delisted and filed bankruptcy to absolve themselves of >1billion in debt. “This restructuring will materially reduce our interest expense and debt levels,” Source Interlink Chief Executive Officer Greg Mays, 2009 A colleague of mine was there first for their 2009 bankruptcy. Essentially, they delayed finalizing his commission structure and then simply stopped paying. When he left they owed him >50k. He, unfortunately, didn't bring the case in front of the labor board for fear of retribution.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
AJ007 12y ago
"Source Home Entertainment LLC" was the parent company which filed for bankruptcy. Underneath that was Source Interlink International, Source Interlink Distribution. Not Source Interlink Media. It is clear Source Interlink Media knew Source Home Entertainment would be filing for bankruptcy because they changed their name in May. Source Home Entertainment filed June 23rd. Legally these were separate businesses. As private companies it is difficult to tell much more.
walshemj 12y ago
This happens in tech company's as well as publishers - one large profitable multi national made its UK subsidiary bankrupt so as to avoid paying any redundancy. Apparently there was a whole off site company meeting when they arrived they found a load of the RB2 forms on tables and where told start filling those in you don't have a Job. In the UK if a company goes bust the government pays the statutory redundancy (up to a limit)

AJ007 12y ago

Looking at Source Home Entertainment's bankruptcy filing http://bankruptcy.morrisjames.com/files/2014/06/0001-Voluntary-Petition4.pdf http://bankruptcy.morrisjames.com/files/2014/06/0001-Volunta... (parent company of Source Interlink) here are their top 5 creditors, Time Warner: $53 million Curtis Circulation: $49 million Comag Marketing Group: $32 million BGI Inc: $16.8 million Kable Distribution Services Inc: $11.7 million 2600 made out pretty good.

troist 12y ago

I used to buy the paper copy of 2600 every quarter until Borders in the UK vanished and I couldn't find it anywhere. A Kindle version fixes all of my problems though. Does anyone know if the publisher gets any money off me for buying previous editions of 2600 off the Kindle store? I've obviously subscribed now but I'd like to read some of the issues I missed.