How to Read 2600 Magazine
Receiving the Magazine
This article will benefit all readers of the print edition of 2600 Magazine... no matter your skill level.
My experience with 2600 is a 20-plus year relationship as a reader and multiple published writer (under various pseudonyms). There is an optimal way to read the physical copy of 2600 and I want to share with readers the experience of someone who has stacks and stacks of issues.
The first thing you want to do when your new copy comes in the mail is destroy the envelope it comes in. If you like keeping the envelopes, you may want to conceal the mailing address with a thick marker or a rolling security stamp. You know, one of those things that rolls random characters over a printed sheet of paper. If you destroy the envelope, a cross shredder is a good way to go. Maybe burn it and bury the ashes.
Back in the day, a common topic was how the three-letter agencies wanted to get their hands on the "2600 list" of subscribers so they could put them on "watch" lists. Trust in 2600. They've stated many times that their "master list" resides on a computer that doesn't even touch the Internet.
First Look
Find a safe location where you can relax for about 30 minutes to two hours, depending on how you like your first look of the new issue to be. Personally, I take about 30 minutes to get eyes on all the pieces that interest me. Then, time permitting, I take about another 30 minutes to actually read. My personal strategy requires me to spread my "quality time" with the magazine over three months. Sometimes I don't read, and just play around with the technical information in the articles. Sometimes I just read the letters and opinions, and don't touch the technical stuff. Just depends.
One important part of the first look is the physical handling of the magazine. 2600 has had a mostly staple-based binding. There was about a year where they tried a binding that was similar to a book (and hid a surprise message in the spine!), but eventually went back to staples. One problem that can occur is opening the magazine too fast. You'll risk the staples pushing against the fresh, thick cover paper, which may rip through and damage the magazine. What you want to do is physically and gently bend the magazine, and lay it flat gradually as the paper becomes more giving.
I personally used to enjoy going straight to page 33 (why did they stop that?) and trying to understand the cryptic messages. I vaguely remember only getting one of these solved - I think it was Morse code. (I left these to the much smarter readers to solve and maybe they will write about them in the letters.) The next thing I'd do is figure out the cover and the subliminal messages or watermarks. The pictures are always great in the magazine and I've had payphones published a few times; although a picture of a Hacker-Pschorr beer glass never got published. Relax the left side of your brain for a while and just enjoy the colors and pictures.
Reading
The next order of business is the editorial! Personally, I feel that the political and social commentary in this section is way too much. I read 2600 for the technical hacker information, with a secondary emphasis on hacker culture.
Next, we scan the index! Here's where I'll try to see if "EFFecting Digital Freedom" or "Telecom Informer" say something interesting, then scan if any other article catches my eye. I try to find anything New York City-related - like MetroCards were cool to read about for a while. I try to look for code snippets I can quickly throw into Python to play with, or just try to read to keep up on my minimal level of coding skills.
When I need to switch it up, I'll check on the letters or the marketplace. Personally, the marketplace and hacker conference listings are the areas that have served me the least, though if you're a traveler, this is an awesome resource. The hacker submissions have been a nice addition the last few years. I enjoy "The Naked Princess," but would much rather read it as a printed book... so hopefully that will happen.
Going Forward
Well... that's it for now. I don't think I've ever read an article about how to actually pick up and read this fine publication. I think it can spark some lively discussions in the letters sections about how everyone has their own 2600 "ritual." Thanks for a fine magazine!