Business 2.0 Goes Under, Wants My Money as Life Preserver

Traditional media took a big hit last week with the announcement that Time Warner’s magnificent technology magazine, “Business 2.0″, will be shut down after its October issue.

It’s a real pity, because “Business 2.0″ featured superb writing, analysis, and trend spotting. Today I’m a little less broken up about it, because here’s what I found in my mailbox -

A renewal notice from a publication that just announced it is ceasing publication! I wonder if this is accidental or intentional. Does Time Warner wants to cushion the blow by scooping up some quick cash from uninformed subscribers? Doubtful. More likely a case of internal communication disconnects.

And speaking of disconnects, what’s up with a tech savvy publication trying to entice subscribers with something as cheesy as a free “Executive Pen”? Doesn’t Time Warner know 2.0 readers expect something a little more cutting edge than a pen? It’s like Apple offering new iPhone customers a free toaster.

We’ll have to see if Time Warner refunds subscriptions that come in as a result of this letter. And if they make refunds contingent on readers returning their Executive Pen.