Arrival of mysterious publication

[bunn]

The Oxford History Faculty has just sent me a shiny printed magazine all about themselves. I don't know why. It is over 10 years since I studied History, and my college - I presume that's where they got the address from - knows that I'm not an academic or anything historical at all, and nor do I have bags of money. I'm almost sure that I didn't request or pay for the thing (not even in a moment of lunacy).

So, why the glossy mag? I thought Universities were supposed to be short of cash, historians particularly so? Why have they paid to print upon dead trees and post, this thing riddled with colour photos of historians and turgid content? (I'm afraid historians are not particularly decorative, and they aren't in amusing poses either, which would at least have lightened the whole thing up a bit).

I note that the PPE fac has not sent a shiny mag to Polo.

Comments

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

It's a marketing ploy. The first two issues go to people who've signed up for it, or are considered really likely to want it (academics, grad students) then they start on alumni.

The idea is to bring in money from advert sales based on the large dedicated and presumed wealthy (graduates get paid more so the myth goes, and academics get all their books free so they have cash to spare :-) !) market. The English Heritage mag is full of ads for expensive things that few of its members would actually want let alone afford.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I don't think the history faculty is as organized as you suggest - we simply didn't have all the addresses to start off with, and we don't have the staff to gather a full list straight away. Should anyone want issues 1 and 2 I can happily supply them... :)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but... ;-)