Linn's column names change to adapt to the online world

Change, as they say, is the only constant. And so it is for us at Linn’s Stamp News.

As you peruse this issue, you will see, for example, that John Hotchner’s U.S. Notes column on page 6 is now titled U.S. Stamp Notes.

The Asia column, on page 36, has been renamed Asia Philately. And you might have noticed a couple of weeks back (in the Jan. 20 Linn’s) that The Editor’s Column changed to Editor’s Insights.

Readers’ Opinions is now Letters to Linn’s, Refresher Course puts on a new face as Stamp Collecting Basics, and so on.

Shown nearby is a table listing the old and new names of the various columns that regularly appear in Linn’s. The changes took effect in the Jan. 27 issue.

These changes are designed to make the content of Linn’s easier to find in a world where digital delivery of news is rapidly eclipsing print-on-paper media.

The new names are more overtly specific to the hobby of stamp collecting. As such, they will increase the likelihood that the content will be found online when using a search engine.

More important, the search will place the Linn’s content higher up on the results page, which improves the odds that the user will click on the link and read the story.

It’s all about expanding the collector audience for linns.com.

You might wonder if these changes mean that the days of receiving Linn’s in your mailbox are numbered. Far from it: Linn’s will continue to be printed for many years to come.

However, for Linn’s to succeed in the digital world, our online presence must be expanded.

To accomplish this, more and more news will be appearing at linns.com in real time, before it goes into the weekly print edition.

In the coming months, our website will be redesigned to make it more interactive and user friendly. It will be easier to find content on the website, as well. And we will be expanding the online Linn’s archive to include, eventually, digitization of all back issues of Linn’s.

This treasure trove of information will be freely available at linns.com. No registration required.

Why are we doing this?

Because we firmly believe that the more information we make available to you, our valued readers, the better off our beloved hobby will be.

You also will have the opportunity to sign up for additional electronic newsletters that will bring Linn’s content tailored to your interests right to your e-mail inbox. Simply visit linns.com and click on the "newsletter" link at top right on the home page.

Another change, effective with this issue, is the elimination of the small-type New Issues listings that have appeared in the back of each issue of Linn’s Stamp News.

Preparing these listings takes up an enormous amount of time — time that can be better spent bringing more news and a broader variety of feature stories to you.

Furthermore, the New Issues listings, for all intents and purposes, were duplicating a great deal of the content in the Scott New Issues Update that appears in each issue of the Linn’s Stamp News monthly edition.

The Scott New Issues Update is now the one-stop shop for basic information (including Scott catalog numbers) about the latest stamp emanations from postal administrations around the world.