(Possible hook... "which is why many zine lovers are turning to the World Wide Web."
The Internet has revolutionised the way we live in modern times, and has affected many aspects of social development, with the likes of Facebook and Twitter fast becoming one of the primary ways we receive and communicate information. Since its launch in February 2004, Facebook has gained over 1 billion users, of which the United Kingdom makes up 32 million. (Social Bakers, 2013) Facebook is no longer just a social networking website, with millions of people logging in everyday to check local, national and international news, play online games, follow their favourite celebrities and to keep connected with local companies, events and venues. Using Facebook as an example, it's obvious and easy to see that the Internet is having a huge impact on the way we live today, and this includes zines too.
The Internet has revolutionised the way we live in modern times, and has affected many aspects of social development, with the likes of Facebook and Twitter fast becoming one of the primary ways we receive and communicate information. Since its launch in February 2004, Facebook has gained over 1 billion users, of which the United Kingdom makes up 32 million. (Social Bakers, 2013) Facebook is no longer just a social networking website, with millions of people logging in everyday to check local, national and international news, play online games, follow their favourite celebrities and to keep connected with local companies, events and venues. Using Facebook as an example, it's obvious and easy to see that the Internet is having a huge impact on the way we live today, and this includes zines too.
E-zines are essentially an electronic magazine, dropping the prefix maga from the word magazine and replacing it with an E. They function in the same way as printed, published magazines, but use the Internet as a platform to host the layouts. This method of distribution allows for a wider audience, with the opportunity to reach people on an international level. (Benchmark, 2013) The use of the Internet within zine creation and collaboration has been a topic of discussion within zine communities for a while, with both positive and negative arguments around the subject.
For those who think it's a negative development, there is argument that the original aesthetic of punk zines has been lost through the electronic reproduction of zine layouts, however I found some interesting commentary on the aesthetic of e-zines was written in Knobel and Lankshear's book, DIY Media: Creating, Sharing and Learning with New Technologies:
"Increasingly, zines are published on the Internet (sometimes referred to as "e-zines"). (Knobel & Lankshear, 2010) Conventional paper zine production now also often involves computers in the production process, although today's zinestrers typically retain the DIY ethos and the look and feel of original zines; for example, using computers to key and markup the text, then cutting and pasting texts and images onto each page after they have been printed, and then scanning or copying those pages as they are."
There are others that see the Internet breaking down the variety of punk genres and creating diversions between them. Ian P. Moran states in his article, Punk: The Do It Yourself subculture (2011) that... "Prior to the Internet, punk bands of all styles would often play together; wheras now there are strictly hardcore shows, crust shows or pop punk shows. Electronic communication has changed the D.I.Y punk subculture in a positive manner by increasing the connections between people, but at the same time has created divisions between punk genres."
However, Ian P. Moran also comments on the positive impact that the Internet could have on the zine community. Those who agree with the Internet being a positive development, myself included, argue that this is a way for zines, the community and their individual messages to be available to the masses, something that earlier punk zines from the 70's would have been unable to achieve.
In an interview from Amy Spencer's book, DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture (2005), Lisa Jervis, editor of Bitch Magazine answered the question of the development of the Internet and how it affects zines and magazines. She said,
"It's made it much easier to find out about them, and to connect with other people making them. It is easier to make a zine now because you can do it online if that's easier for you, or you can get access to advice and info about making a print zine. People thought that the Internet was going to herald the death of print, which was a crock even in the boom days. The feeling of a printed document is never going to lose its appeal or be replaced by an electronic alternative."
For those who think it's a negative development, there is argument that the original aesthetic of punk zines has been lost through the electronic reproduction of zine layouts, however I found some interesting commentary on the aesthetic of e-zines was written in Knobel and Lankshear's book, DIY Media: Creating, Sharing and Learning with New Technologies:
"Increasingly, zines are published on the Internet (sometimes referred to as "e-zines"). (Knobel & Lankshear, 2010) Conventional paper zine production now also often involves computers in the production process, although today's zinestrers typically retain the DIY ethos and the look and feel of original zines; for example, using computers to key and markup the text, then cutting and pasting texts and images onto each page after they have been printed, and then scanning or copying those pages as they are."
There are others that see the Internet breaking down the variety of punk genres and creating diversions between them. Ian P. Moran states in his article, Punk: The Do It Yourself subculture (2011) that... "Prior to the Internet, punk bands of all styles would often play together; wheras now there are strictly hardcore shows, crust shows or pop punk shows. Electronic communication has changed the D.I.Y punk subculture in a positive manner by increasing the connections between people, but at the same time has created divisions between punk genres."
However, Ian P. Moran also comments on the positive impact that the Internet could have on the zine community. Those who agree with the Internet being a positive development, myself included, argue that this is a way for zines, the community and their individual messages to be available to the masses, something that earlier punk zines from the 70's would have been unable to achieve.
In an interview from Amy Spencer's book, DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture (2005), Lisa Jervis, editor of Bitch Magazine answered the question of the development of the Internet and how it affects zines and magazines. She said,
"It's made it much easier to find out about them, and to connect with other people making them. It is easier to make a zine now because you can do it online if that's easier for you, or you can get access to advice and info about making a print zine. People thought that the Internet was going to herald the death of print, which was a crock even in the boom days. The feeling of a printed document is never going to lose its appeal or be replaced by an electronic alternative."
Based on the arguments from a selection of people interested and involved in the zine community, the Internet has it's negatives and positives, however I can see that with the exponential growth of the world's technologies, we can only really submit to the Internet's power. This doesn't have to be a negative relationship however, by maintaining the true DIY ethos and punk honesty throughout, the zine lives on in a digital era.
Social Bakers. (2013). United Kingdom Facebook Statistics. Available: http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/united-kingdom. Last accessed 13th March 2013.
Benchmark. (2013). What are Ezines?. Available: http://www.benchmarkemail.com/resources/email-marketing-articles/What-are-Ezines. Last accessed 13th March 2013.
Benchmark. (2013). What are Ezines?. Available: http://www.benchmarkemail.com/resources/email-marketing-articles/What-are-Ezines. Last accessed 13th March 2013.
Michele Knobel & Colin Lankshear (2010). DIY Media: Creating, sharing and learning with new technologies. 3rd ed. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.. p7
Ian P.Moran. (2011). Punk: The Do-It-Yourself Subculture. Social Sciences Journal. 10 (1), p6
Amy Spencer (2005). DIY: the rise of lo-fi culture. US, UK: Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd. p57
Ian P.Moran. (2011). Punk: The Do-It-Yourself Subculture. Social Sciences Journal. 10 (1), p6
Amy Spencer (2005). DIY: the rise of lo-fi culture. US, UK: Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd. p57
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