Reader report card.(editor's note)

Exactly one year ago, the team at Computer Graphics World decided to chart a new course for the magazine. Our mission would be to address the needs of digital content professionals in the entertainment markets--including film, TV, digital video, gaming, the Web, and graphic arts--rather than those in the computer-aided design and manufacturing industries.

Since then, we gathered a good deal of anecdotal support for that decision. But we figured it was time to see what kind of grades we would get from a wider cross section of readers. So last month, we sent a survey to some 20,000 subscribers and tallied the first 1000 responses. What this reader report card shows is that we are on track in most areas but that we need to tweak our coverage in others. Here is a summary of the results as well as a preview of some changes planned for the months ahead,

The first question asked how the change is being received. We found that nearly 80 percent like the new material but want more of it. Of the rest, nearly 20 percent like the new look but miss the CAD/CAM stoiies, and 2 percent don't like the new direction, Given this feedback, we will continue to focus on entertainment projects and add new sections to the magazine, not only to better serve readers, but also to reflect the greater use and sharing of tools, techniques, and assets across all entertainment fields.

Another question asked what types of stories readers like to see. A majority (55 percent) say they like the current mix of product and application stories. But some 40 percent want more of the application style articles--namely, those showing how people use various digital tools to create and produce graphics, effects, animation, and video. Meanwhile, 5 ...