This is the blog that will host many of my assignments in Journalist’s Toolkit 1 at the University of Florida. Why am I taking the class? Why am I back in school after, well, quite a few years as a journalist? School first–I’d like to be able to teach journalism, and I want to find ways to avoid having my work become stale. I hope that graduate school in journalism will help me with both. As for the class, many of the things we’re doing are things I’ve done before, but I’d like to do them better. If Tiger Woods can still listen to a coach, I can take a class in on-line journalism. Now, for a little more about me…

I began writing about technology in 1985 when I began a short-lived stint as Heath/Zenith columnist for Computer Shopper. It was short-lived because Phil Lemmons hired me to become a technical editor at BYTE. My first job was coordinating special events on the BYTE Information Exchange (BIX) and pulling together the Best of Bix section of the magazine, but I was chosen to start the BYTE Testing Lab in early 1987.

In 1988 Steve Ciarcia asked me to become the chief editor of his new magazine Circuit Cellar INK: The Computer Applications Journal, and we built a team that found a great niche in the hard-core computing world.

Since leaving the Circuit Cellar, I’ve written and been an editor for many magazines in the industry, including VARBusiness, CIO, ComputerWorld, Mobility, InfoWorld, Solutions Integrator, Network World, and Network Computing. George Colombo and I wrote The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting, and for most of the last two years I’ve concentrated on leading podcasting efforts at CMP. Now, I’m a free-lance journalist, Senior Contributing Editor for InfoWorld, teacher (private students and in the community education division of Santa Fe Community College), and contributor to this blog.

When I’m not writing about technology I stay busy with a number of different activities: I’m an amateur radio operator (KG4GWA), scuba diver, and Florida Master Naturalist. I’m a pretty good cook, a barely-competent woodworker, and an obsessive reader.