A few weeks ago, Marco Ament launched The Magazine, an iOS Newstand publication for people like us that also experiments with the paid subscription model. Needless to say, we’re fans. The second issue, released today, includes a thoughtful and well-articulated piece by Alex Knight about the current state of Twitter and why App.net is important.

Alex writes:

After closely following Dalton Caldwell’s blog posts, and his general philosophy and goals for the project, I think what he’s trying to build is what I initially always craved from a social networking service: a platform to communicate that would respect its users and development community. By building in a monetizing strategy from the start, App.net can slowly build its userbase while generating an income to pay for staff, expenses, and the continued development of the product. Call me old-fashioned, but I remember a day when you had to exchange money for a service you valued.

You can read the full piece by downloading the app (free seven-day trial), and you’ll find Marco, The Magazine, and Alex (and additional issue two writers @siracusa, @ginatrapani, @lexfri) on App.net.