It's all about communications.
Since I was a teenager I have worked in broadcasting at New York's listener-sponsored Pacifica radio station, WBAI-FM.
When I got my first computer (an Atari 800) in the early 80s, it was about dialing into Bulletin Board Services (BBSes), posting and reading messages in a community. (I didn't care for the Internet's Usenet -- too big to know everybody, and I didn't like everyone I met.)
For awhile I served within Corporate America as a network administrator and tech support coordinator for a very cool division within Citicorp called Humanware. That was about interface design, and revolutionized how many people think about the machines (including phones) we interact with on a daily basis.
From there I went to ZiffNet -- not ZDnet, which still exists today. ZiffNet was on CompuServe and later on Prodigy, and served to communicate with readers of the Ziff Davis computer magazines. In the late 80s and early 90s we were working on the ultimate BBS, using a consultant by the name of Tim Berners-Lee. When our project failed to launch for internal corporate reasons, Mr. Berners-Lee went on to give his ideas to the world, and thus the World Wide Web was born. I began my site, hourwolf.com in 1995 before the Web was commercial.
At that point I began writing (mostly software reviews) for various Ziff Davis magazines, including PC Magazine and Computer Shopper. Later on I broadened out to writing for online publications such as CNet. When the dot.com bubble burst, I began consulting to small businesses and individuals; often concentrating on their Internet presence, connectivity, and convergence with other technologies. Lately, this has included mobile technologies and home entertainment systems.
Like I say, it's all about communications.
Sure, there are those who'll say that the PC revolution happened thanks to electronic spreadsheets. That may be true, but they wouldn't have had half their value were it not for networks and e-mail. And today such apps are getting more powerful due to online collaborative apps such as Google Apps and Zoho. It's still communicative.
In this blog I'll discuss the past and future of how these technologies have changed us, where they're going, and yes, pragmatic reviews and advice on what to do and how to handle it.
Let's communicate.
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- Jim Freund
- ...is a radio host and producer, as well as a tech consultant for individuals and small businesses. He has written for many national computer and consumer publications and Web sites. His radio program, Hour of the Wolf, has been broadcast since 1972.
2 comments:
Hi, Jim Freund,
How are you? I used to spend time at Allen Zimmerman's store. You'll recognize me as Nishan Stepak. I've been away from the science fiction life. I've got a wife and kid.
I had one of those epiphanies a while ago where I decided to start writing a blog about a month and a half ago. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how the game of blogging works.
It is one of those things where you sit down and write something every day to get peoples attention consistently.
A lot of the experience has been very personal. I don't really follow any rules at all. If there are rules, I break them.
Some of it is joining ridiculous things like blogcatalog or entrecard and wasting a lot of time playing advertising games.
The other part seems to be posting responses every time I get a question.
I am always looking for feedback on the thing I am building. It is very experimental for me at this point.
I haven't even put my name on it yet.
This is one of those things.
http://www.bookcalendar.blogspot.com
A lot of the opinions I express will frustrate, anger, and sometimes create epiphanies. It could even get me in trouble at work.
I have always found you to be a good communicator.
All the best.
So good to hear from you, Nishan! It not feels like ages, it was a whole 'nother century! I miss Alan -- Any idea what he's been up to? I also miss that store. Astonishly, there's still a Web site up for the shop. It was a community center not only for science fiction and fantasy, but for techs.
In the earliest days we were arguing Atari vs. Commodore, Mac vs. PC, and Novel vs. the World. There was only one browser -- Netscape. (RIP, 2008.) And there was the usual SF vs. fantasy, media vs. literary, and so forth.
In the latter days I was a network manager at Liberty Science Center, but still writing for various computer magazines and professional Web sites.
(I'm discussing my tech stuff here more -- I'm trying to compartmentalize my sf/f and radio life on my other blog.
Congrats on getting a life. I look forward to reading your blog.
Best,
Jim
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