I like this idea. In spite of of the fact that I make my living in digital media (though occasionally I see stuff I've written syndicated in The Metro or USA Today), I think the concept of a quarterly print publication is pretty cool.

My only concern is that information slated for publication will be outdated when it goes to print. That's the major problem MANY monthly magazines have faced (especially in tech) because your lead time, even if you do on-demand printing like with HP's Mag Cloud (which is what I assume Ryan is going to use), you can still be out of date at launch. Tech book authors have this problem too.

As for why contribute to this rather than your own blog -- I think it's about supporting a group project and getting in front of a different audience. For example, I contributed to a round table post this week for The Morning News -- a website I greatly admire. I wasnt paid for my contribution, but when I was asked to participate, I jumped at the chance because of the other people involved and the potential of reaching a different audience. It's the same as contributing to a literary magazine or even an academic journal.

Granted, if this Mag project started to gain traction and recoup its investment plus, I'd expect writers to demand payment (just as I charge for my non-tech writing that is occasionally published in national magazines).