"Contrast this with the online mags, whose stories stay online for months -- sometimes forever. "

For twenty-few years I bought off the newsstand or subscribed to Analog before giving up because of the cost and unreliability of having dead tree flakes delivered half-way around the planet.

So when I discovered Fictionwise, I was happy to subscribe. I was still not that happy with the price, but maybe I don't understand the distribution costs of data vs paper. What really upset me is that my sub started part way through Karl Schroeder's Sun of Suns, and back issues were unavailable, which is just plain stupid IMHO. Those issues must still be available on Fictionwise's servers for the people who bought them, so there is zero incremental cost for providing them, but they are no longer for sale because of magazine rules and contracts made up in brick-and-mortar, ink,paper-and-glue days, and so Fictionwise won't or can't take my money for them. I cannot see the upside to this policy. It seems to me that all parties - author, reader and reseller would benefit if it was changed.

Denied the option to buy, I found a "free" copy on the 'net :(