Atomic (magazine)
Atomic (or Atomic MPC) is a monthly Australian magazine and online community dedicated to computing and technology, with an emphasis on gaming, modding and computer hardware. Atomic is marketed at technological enthusiasts, with many articles related to the inner workings of components as opposed to other magazines, which are not as in-depth. Their slogan is 'Maximum Power Computing'. Average monthly circulation between April 2003 and March 2004 was approximately 30,000 copies.
History
The first issue of Atomic was published in February, 2001. The small team of dedicated writers was lead by founder and editor, Ben Mansill. Atomic was originally published by AJB Publishing, but in July 2004 they were acquired [1] by the UK-based publisher "Haymarket Media". The magazine was edited in 2005 and 2006 by Ashton Mills, who in the past has contributed to PC Authority, Atomic's sister publication. In 2006, Logan Booker took over as editor. In April, 2005 Atomic reached the milestone of 50 issues, and in the January 2006 issue, celebrated it's 5th Birthday.
Awards
The magazine has won a multitude of awards including:
Staff & Contributors
The magazine has a wide range of writers, comprising of both freelance and full-time staff. As of issue 62 (March 2006), they included;
Staff
- Editor : Logan Booker
- Online Producer : Ben Mansill
- Technical Writer : Craig Simms
- Editorial Director : Debra Taylor
- Art Director : Bill Chan
- Product Photography : Jason Busch
- Product Manager : Alison Maybury
- Advertising Manager : Louise Vicente
Contributors
- Bennett Ring
- Tim Dean
- Daniel Rutter
- Nathan Davis
- Ron Prouse
- Christopher Taylor
- Kate Inabinet
- Leigh Dyer
- Moz
- Hulkster
- David Field
The Atomic site and forums
The same day the magazine was first published, the Atomic Forums were started. Comprising primarily of tech sections, with a large general chat, the forums currently have over 40,000 members, and as of March, 2006, had approximately 3,600,000 posts across 21 sections. The forums pride themselves on their community spirit, organising 'meets' and other events regularly.
Readers and subscribers to the magazine, as well as members of the on-line Atomic community are colloquially referred to as Atomicans.
In mid 2005 the site was revamped to include regular content, both unique to the site and taken from the magazine. At the same time the Green Club was introduced, restricting access to the Green Room (a general chat area) and Trademart (an e-bay style sale area) to readers of the magazine only. The concept was introduced to make those areas of the site accessible to magazine readers, and access was available through a code in the magazine, being a subscriber, being the special forum rank of hero, or paying an annual $20 fee.
The access requirements have subsequently been removed (April 2006), and access is now free to all.
Due to the essentially corporate aspect of the forums, moderation is necessary to protect certain interests of Haymarket Media, in order to ensure that illegal or distasteful content is not posted. Moreover, the administrators and moderators of Atomic strive to foster a secure, welcoming environment for all ages, in which personal attacks, racism, sexism and pornography have no place.
Atomic events
At the end of 2005 Atomic ventured into new territory, hosting a major Tech & Gaming expo known as 'Atomic Live'. The event culminated with a celebration of the magazine's 5th birthday at a gala event that evening. The next 'Atomic Live' has been postponed and will be celebrated in the year 2007.
Atomic charity
Since inception Atomic and the community has focussed on raising money for charity, usually the MS Society. Achieving this has been via auctions of various items, and a notable community member 'Nodnerb' once sang 'I'm a little Teapot' on national television while wearing a tutu for charity.
External links
- AtomicMPC homepage
- Haymarket Media
- The Atomic Forum FAQ
- [http://atomican.net Atomican.net - Atomic community site