Wired UK

Today I managed to pick up the first issue of the new Wired UK magazine that launched on April 2nd. Essentially it’s the same as the US version but run by Brits with content and adverts tailored primarily for a UK audience. When hearing that Wired would be crossing the pond I must admit I was concerned about how different the magazine would be from the US version.

The design of Wired has always been very unique compared to other UK magazines using a rough matt cover and being very design focused from cover to cover. Although I’ve yet to start reading the magazine it seems all these seem intact, but one thing concerns me at the moment.

Within the first issue of Wired UK is an article about a group of men employed to save the Cougar Ace shipping transporter that has capsized and without drastic measures was about to sink losing the transporter and it’s valuable contents to the North Pacific deep. This is an awesome story about men risking their lives for big rewards; in fact not everyone entering the boat came out alive, showing really how dangerous the job is. Yet how do I know the full story without having yet read the magazine. Because the article was featured in the US version of the magazine, issue 16.03 (March 2008) to be exact.

Now with a US and UK version of the magazine I have no problem with the crossover of articles, you shouldn’t feel as if your missing out on too much by buying one over the other, but this article caused me some concern. The way I see it a large percentage of people buying the first issue of Wired UK will be aware of the US version and very possibly will have bought the US version much like I have done on and off over the past couple of years. So with the majority of the audience currently being those that have read the US version would it be the best use of time and paper to reprint something that a large majority of people will have already read. Although this doesn’t damage my opinion of the magazine it does sour its UK launch a bit.

However like I said I can see cross over articles being suitable in the future as with both magazines available those buying the UK version may longer buy the US version and as such not have read certain articles released in the US. But articles published prior to the UK launch should really be off limits as surely no one wishes to part with their money, especially with the economic climate as it is, to read something they have already read.