In reply to Erik B:
Let's put it another way Erik.
You, Erik, are the editor of Climb It magazine published by LoadsaMoney Publishing owned by Mr. LotsaPounds. Mr. LotsaPounds, not a climber, has employed you to edit the magazine, choose articles etc so you get the most climbers you can paying £3 to buy Climb It. The more climbers you get buying Climb It the more you can charge for advertising. Advertising is the bread and butter of magazine publishing (along with the cover price). Advertisers like big circulation it means their 'message' is getting to more climbers and hopefully that message will persuade more climbers to buy their climbing widgit. The bigger circulation a mag has the more likely they are to advertise and spend the big spondulis. That makes Mr. LotsaPounds and LoadsaMoney Publishing very happy.....and you get to keep your job and get paid.
Now climbing is a broad church with lots of sub-cultures within that church and you have to please everyone. You've got to attract them all to your magazine, Make it number 1 in the climbing community. You've got the highly-focussed boulderers, ice gnarlies, stick-thin sport climbers, bearded trad mums, all rounders, climbing wall jocks, dry-foolers, Chris Bonnington wannabe hill-walkers, Gothic Alpinists, climbing competition mums and dads, John Muir romantics, emotion-driven deep-water soloists, ambitious greater range very big mountain expeditioners....some climb once a year, others 5 times a week, some are happy on a Sunday doing a multi-pitch Vdiff in the rain in the Lakes, others spending five days at the back of some dark cave projecting the latest bouldering eliminate, some want to climb 8a (the grade not the poster on here). In short a wide and diverse climbing community. If you have an article on something that interests one demographic they are happy, if not they cry....wadda load of rubbish, why did you publish that, it has no value, I'm not interested.
You yourself go tradding and ice climbing, you enjoy the mountains. You will still publish articles on bouldering and everything else that may have an interest to your readers but may not interest you personally.
Now, what about Al's article? Would you publish it? Look at some of the replies on this thread.
Remember your job is at stake, you have to keep Mr. LotsaPounds happy. If you don't you can kiss goodbye to that £60,000 a year and that month vacation in Yosemire that you planned for next September.
Do you think this kind of article interests people?
Mick