Document:

<PAGE>

                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.8

                          SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

         This Supplemental Indenture (this "Supplemental Indenture"), dated as
of September 18, 2002, by and among Ziff Davis Media Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company") Ziff Davis Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation and
indirect parent of the Company, Ziff Davis Intermediate Holdings Inc., a
Delaware corporation and direct parent of the Company (collectively with Ziff
Davis Holdings Inc., the "Guaranteeing Parties"), the other Guarantors (as
defined in the Indenture referred to herein) and Deutsche Bank Trust Company
Americas, as trustee under the indenture referred to below (the "Trustee").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

         WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the
Trustee an indenture (the "Indenture"), dated as of July 21, 2000, providing for
the initial issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $250 million in
aggregate principal amount of 12% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010 (the
"Notes"), which Indenture was first supplemented by that certain First
Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 12, 2002;

         WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the
Guaranteeing Parties shall execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental
indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Parties shall unconditionally
guarantee all of the Company's Obligations under the Notes and the Indenture on
the terms and conditions set forth herein (the "Guarantee"); and

         WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee is
authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

         NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the
Guaranteeing Parties and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal
and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:

1.       Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms used herein without definition
         -----------------
         shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

2.       Agreement to Guarantee. The Guaranteeing Parties hereby agree as
         ----------------------
         follows:

               (i)  Along with all Guarantors named in the Indenture, to jointly
                    and severally Guarantee to each Holder of a Note
                    authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the
                    Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the
                    validity and enforceability of the Indenture, the Notes or
                    the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder,
                    that:

                    (A)  the principal of and interest on the Notes will be
                         promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by
                         acceleration, redemption or

<PAGE>

                         otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and
                         interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other
                         obligations of the Company to the Holders or the
                         Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid
                         in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms
                         hereof and thereof; and

                    (B)  in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal
                         of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that
                         same will be promptly paid in full when due or
                         performed in accordance with the terms of the extension
                         or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration
                         or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so
                         guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for
                         whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be jointly and
                         severally obligated to pay the same immediately.

               (ii) The obligations hereunder shall be unconditional,
                    irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability
                    of the Notes or the Indenture, the absence of any action to
                    enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the
                    Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the
                    recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to
                    enforce the same or any other circumstance which might
                    otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or
                    defense of a guarantor.

              (iii) The following is hereby waived: diligence, presentment,
                    demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the
                    event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right
                    to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest,
                    notice and all demands whatsoever.

               (iv) This Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete
                    performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and
                    the Indenture or pursuant to Section 6 hereof.

               (v)  If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or
                    otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors, or any
                    custodian, Trustee, liquidator or other similar official
                    acting in relation to either the Company or the Guarantors,
                    any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder,
                    this Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall
                    be reinstated in full force and effect.

               (vi) The Guaranteeing Parties shall not be entitled to any right
                    of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any
                    obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all
                    obligations guaranteed hereby.

              (vii) As between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders
                    and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the
                    obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided
                    in Article 6 of the Indenture for the purposes of this
                    Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other

                                       2

<PAGE>

                    prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the
                    obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any
                    declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided
                    in Article 6 of the Indenture, such obligations (whether or
                    not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable
                    by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Guarantee.

             (viii) The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution
                    from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of
                    such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under
                    the Guarantee. (i) Pursuant to Section 11.03 of the
                    Indenture, after giving effect to any maximum amount and any
                    other contingent and fixed liabilities that are relevant
                    under any applicable Bankruptcy or fraudulent conveyance
                    laws (including, without limitation, all Senior Indebtedness
                    of such Guarantor), and after giving effect to any
                    collections from, rights to receive contribution from or
                    payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in
                    respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under
                    Article 11 of the Indenture shall result in the obligations
                    of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting a
                    fraudulent transfer or conveyance.

3.       Subordination. The Obligations of the Guaranteeing Parties under its
         -------------
         Guarantee pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture shall be junior and
         subordinated to the Senior Indebtedness of the Guaranteeing Parties on
         the same basis as the Notes are junior and subordinated to the Senior
         Indebtedness of the Company. For the purposes of the foregoing
         sentence, the Trustee and the Holders shall have the right to receive
         and/or retain payments by the Guaranteeing Parties only at such time as
         they may receive and/or retain payments in respect of the Notes
         pursuant to the Indenture, including Article 10 thereof.

4.       Execution and Delivery. Each Guaranteeing Party agrees that the
         ----------------------
         Guarantees shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any
         failure to endorse on each Note a notation of such Guarantee.

5.       Guaranteeing Parties May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms.
         -----------------------------------------------------------

               (i)  The Guaranteeing Parties may not consolidate with or merge
                    with or into (whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving
                    Person) another corporation, Person or entity whether or not
                    affiliated with such Guarantor unless:

                    (A)  subject to Section 11.05 of the Indenture, the Person
                         formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger
                         (if other than a Guarantor or the Company) shall be a
                         corporation organized and validly existing under the
                         laws of the United States or any state thereof or the
                         District of Columbia, and unconditionally assumes all
                         the obligations of such Guarantor, pursuant to a
                         supplemental indenture in form and substance reasonably
                         satisfactory to the

                                       3

<PAGE>

                         Trustee, under the Notes, the Indenture and the
                         Guarantee on the terms set forth herein or therein;

                    (B)  immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
                         Default or Event of Default exists; and

                    (C)  the company would be permitted, immediately after
                         giving effect to such transaction, to incur at least
                         $1.00 of additional Indebtedness (other than Permitted
                         Indebtedness) pursuant to Section 4.09 of the
                         Indenture.

               (ii) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or
                    conveyance and upon the assumption by the successor Person,
                    by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the
                    Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the
                    Guarantee endorsed upon the Notes and the due and punctual
                    performance of all of the covenants and conditions of the
                    Indenture to be performed by the Guarantor, such successor
                    Person shall succeed to and be substituted for the Guarantor
                    with the same effect as if it had been named herein as a
                    Guarantor. Such successor Person thereupon may cause to be
                    signed any or all of the Guarantees to be endorsed upon all
                    of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not
                    have been signed by the Company and delivered to the
                    Trustee. All the Guarantees so issued shall in all respects
                    have the same legal rank and benefit under the Indenture as
                    the Guarantees theretofore and thereafter issued in
                    accordance with the terms of the Indenture as though all of
                    such Guarantees had been issued at the date of the execution
                    hereof.

              (iii) Except as set forth in Articles 4 and 5 of the Indenture,
                    and notwithstanding clause(i)(C) above, nothing contained in
                    the Indenture or in any of the Notes shall prevent any
                    consolidation or merger of a Guarantor with or into the
                    Company or another Guarantor, or shall prevent any sale or
                    conveyance of the property of a Guarantor as an entirety or
                    substantially as an entirety to the Company or another
                    Guarantor.

6.       Releases. In the event of a sale or other disposition of all of the
         --------
         assets of any Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise,
         or a sale or other disposition of all of the capital stock of any
         Guarantor, then such Guarantor (in the event of a sale or other
         disposition, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all of
         the capital stock of such Guarantor) or the corporation acquiring the
         property (in the event of a sale or other disposition of all or
         substantially all of the assets of such Guarantor) will be released
         and relieved of any obligations under its Guarantee; provided that the
                                                              --------
         Net Proceeds of such sale or other disposition are applied in
         accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture, including
         without limitation Section 4.10 of the Indenture. Upon delivery by the
         Company to the Trustee of an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of
         Counsel to the effect that such sale or other disposition was made by
         the Company in accordance with the applicable provisions of the
         Indenture, including without limitation Section 4.10 of

                                       4

<PAGE>

         the Indenture, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably
         required in order to evidence the release of any Guarantor from its
         obligations under its Guarantee.

                  Any Guarantor not released from its obligations under its
Guarantee shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest
on the Notes and for the other obligations of any Guarantor under the Indenture
as provided in Article 11 of the Indenture.

7.       No Recourse Against Others. No past, present or future director,
         --------------------------
         officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or agent of any
         Guaranteeing Party, as such, shall have any liability for any
         obligations of the Company or any Guaranteeing Party under the Notes,
         any Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any
         claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or
         their creation. Each Holder of the Notes by accepting a Note waives and
         releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the
         consideration for issuance of the Notes. Such waiver may not be
         effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws and it
         is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

8.       New York Law to Govern. THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL
         ----------------------
         GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITHOUT
         GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE
         EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD
         BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

9.       Counterparts. The parties may sign any number of copies of this
         ------------
         Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all
         of them together represent the same agreement.

10.      Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience
         ------------------
         only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

11.      The Trustee. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner
         -----------
         whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this
         Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained
         herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing
         Parties and the Company.

                                       5

<PAGE>

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date
first above written.

Dated: September 18, 2002
                                        Ziff Davis Holdings Inc.

                                        By:      /s/ Bart W. Catalane
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Bart W. Catalane
                                                 Title: Chief Operating Officer

                                        Ziff Davis Intermediate Holdings Inc.

                                        By:      /s/ Bart W. Catalane
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Bart W. Catalane
                                                 Title: Vice President

                                        Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as
                                        Trustee

                                        By:      /s/ Irina Golovashchuk
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:  Irina Golovashchuk
                                                 Title: Authorized Signatory

                                       6<PAGE>

                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.9

                 FORM OF SERIES E-1 PREFERRED STOCK CERTIFICATE

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS
AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE
ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR
SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY
TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON
IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.

<PAGE>

Certificate Number: E-1-1                                  CUSIP No. 98951V 40 1

Number of Shares of Series E-1 Preferred Stock: _______

                           Series E-1 Preferred Stock
     (par value $0.001 per share) (liquidation preferences $1,000 per share)

                                       of

                            Ziff Davis Holdings Inc.

          Ziff Davis Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
hereby certifies that Cede & Co. (the "Holder") is the registered owner of fully
paid and non-assessable preferred securities of the Company designed the Series
E-1 Preferred Stock (par value $0.01 per share) (liquidation preference $1,000
per share) (the "Preferred Stock"). The shares of Preferred Stock are
transferable on the books and records of the Company, in person or by a duly
authorized attorney, upon surrender of this certificate duly endorsed and in
proper form for transfer. The designation, rights, privileges, restrictions,
preferences and other terms and provisions of the Preferred Stock represented
hereby are issued and shall in all respects be subject to the provisions of the
Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as the
same may be amended from time to time (the "Certificate of Incorporation"). The
number of shares of Preferred Stock evidenced by this certificate shall be
increased, from time to time, upon notice from the Company, for the payment of
dividends in accordance with Article 4, Section VI of the Certificate of
Incorporation. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the
meaning given them in the Certificate of Incorporation. The Company will provide
a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation to a Holder without charge upon
written request to the Company at its principal place of business.

          Reference is hereby made to select provisions of the Preferred Stock
set forth on the reverse hereof, and to the Certificate of Incorporation, which
select provisions and the Certificate of Incorporation shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

          Upon receipt of this certificate, the Holder is bound by the
Certificate of Incorporation and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.

<PAGE>

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has executed this certificate this ___
day of __________, 2002.

                                       ZIFF DAVIS HOLDINGS INC.

                                       By: _____________________________________
                                           Name:
                                           Title:

                                       By: _____________________________________
                                           Name:
                                           Title:

<PAGE>

          Dividends on each share of Preferred Stock shall be payable at a rate
per annum set forth in the face hereof or as provided in the Certificate of
Incorporation.

          The shares of Preferred Stock shall be redeemable as provided in the
Certificate of Incorporation.

          As required under Delaware law, the Company shall furnish to any
Holder upon request and without charge, a full summary statement of the
designations, voting rights, preferences, limitations and special rights of the
shares of each class or series authorized to be issued by the Company so far as
they have been fixed and determined and the authority of the Board of Directors
to fix and determine the designations, voting rights, preferences, limitations
and special rights of the class and series of shares of the Company.

<PAGE>

                                   ASSIGNMENT

          FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned assigns and transfers the shares
of Preferred Stock evidenced hereby to: ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

(Insert assignee's social security or tax identification number)

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

(Insert address and sip code of assignee)

and irrevocably appoints:

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

agent to transfer the shares of Preferred Stock evidenced hereby on the books of
the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him or her.

Date: _________________________

Signature: ____________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Preferred Stock
Certificate)

Signature Guarantee:* ___________________________

___________________

          *(Signature must be guaranteed by an "eligible guarantor institution"
that is, a bank, stock broker, savings and loan association or credit union
meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership
or participation in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program ("STAMP")
or such other "signature guarantee program" as may be determined by the
Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.)

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00043-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00043-of-00352.parquet"}]]