Microsoft announced this week that it will stop publishing MSDN Magazine in November after a 19-year run.

“MSDN Magazine originally started as two separate magazines, Microsoft Systems Journal and Microsoft Internet Developer, which consolidated into MSDN Magazine in 2000,” an announcement on the MSDN website reads. “Our first issue that year was entirely devoted to the Windows operating environment. How far have we all come since then? As Microsoft products and services expanded exponentially over the years, MSDN Magazine has gone through its own evolution, as well. We realized that it is time to retire MSDN Magazine and to carry on its work through Web channels like Microsoft Docs.”

I was a long-time subscriber to both Microsoft Internet Developer and MSDN Magazine, but like many, I long ago let my paper-based subscriptions lapse as the world went digital. (And Microsoft Systems Journal is of particular interest to me now for research related to the Programming Windows series.)

Microsoft notes that current subscribers will receive a pro-rated refund, based on the time remaining on their subscription. Refund checks will be mailed out to those subscribers after the November issue arrives.

But I hope that Microsoft follows through on its promise to make all MSDN Magazine issues available online. Browsing the content now, I see only web-based issues back to 2009, and then issues from 2003 to 2008 in CHM format. So there are at least three years missing, and I’d argue that getting Microsoft Systems Journal and Microsoft Internet Developer up there is important historically as well. Let’s get this one right, Microsoft.

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