TechStuffCanada

jargon-free tech news for non-technical people

The history of TechStuff - part 1   (skip to part 2 or part 3)

Hi. My name is Sandy McMurray. This is the story of TechStuff Canada.

I began publishing my tech writing on the Web in 1995. It was self defense at first.

I was working for the Toronto Sun newspaper. Every week, after my column was published, I would hear from readers who asked me to send the column by email.

Even then, I knew this was a slippery slope. If no one bought the paper, why should the paper pay me?

I encouraged people to buy the Sun if they wanted to read my column (and to let the paper's editors know if my column was the only reason they bought the Sun each week, as some readers claimed). But I saw no harm in sending the column by email to people who somehow missed the Wednesday paper.

This soon became so time consuming that I decided to establish an archive of previously-publishing columns on the Web. At the urging of a friend, I registered the domain name mcme.com and began putting my Sun columns online.

Thus began my illustrious career as an unpaid blogger. Ironically, I helped to destroy the market for my own professional writing.

But I digress.

BOOM AND BUST
I was blessed to be a tech columnist and editor during the dot-com boom of the late 90s. There were many perqs and privileges, and I got to meet a lot of really interesting people, and learn about many exciting companies and technologies.

I began to write little "extras" for my Web site -- short columns that boosted my online readership but did nothing for my income, or to boost the bottom line of Sun Media Corporation.

In hindsight, I should have seen the crash coming. Business journalists had turned their attention to the dot-com biz, and began competing with geeks like me for writing assignments. Dozens of new technology publications were founded, both in print and online. It seemed that everyone was writing about tech, and there was plenty of advertising money to go around.

Then the dot-com bubble burst.

Even when I was laid off by the Sun in 2002 during a round of editorial cutbacks, I was not too concerned. Everyone was still talking about how the Web leveled the playing field, and I naively thought it would be easy to build my own tech magazine on the Web.

I established TechStuff.ca and began to search for the elusive business plan that would make me a million dollars.

I'm still looking.

YOU HAUL SIXTEEN TONS, AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
Between 2002 and 2004, I worked from home, and enjoyed spending time with our growing family. I called myself a freelance writer and self-publisher, but I wasn't writing enough to pay all the bills. Dreaming about an online publishing empire, I dug a very deep financial hole for my family. I knew nothing about the business side of running a publication. (Forgive me, Sales and Marketing folks. I had no idea.)

I soon discovered that my experience as a technology columnist qualified me to be... a technology columnist. My knowledge was a mile wide and an inch deep. I was jack of all trades, master of none.

I set out to specialize in one of my areas of interest, and learned everything I could about Apple's new operating system, Mac OS X, and the funky new iPod music player.

I was able to get some writing work as an Apple specialist. I wrote a blog for Corante.com. I also worked part-time as an independent IT consultant. (In other words, I made house calls like a Nerds On Site agent.) Problem was, I was too soft-hearted to charge professional rates. After all, I still saw myself as a professional writer. Tech support wasn't my real business.

Unfortunately, the "real" business wasn't going well. My attempts to attract advertisers to TechStuff were largely unsuccessful. Everyone was very encouraging about the concept of a publication dedicated to Tech Stuff in Plain Language, but no one actually wanted to pay for it.

A local computer retailer got my hopes up, then let me down. I displayed his ad on TechStuff for a couple of months, then tried to collect my money. He wasn't answering his phone or email, so I had to visit his office downtown. I found the store empty, with a lock on the door. Sure, the landlord was on the hook for more money than I was, but it was discouraging nonetheless. My first ad sale was a bust. (Lesson learned: get the money up front!)

While this drama was unfolding, I was becoming more involved at my church, and I began to feel a call to Christian ministry. (More on that later.)

We were living day to day, supported financially by family and friends. We received some surprising anonymous gifts that to this day we can only attribute to God. (See Waffles from Heaven for the amazing details.)

Next: Real ad revenue, and the Rogers contract.

 

The history of TechStuff - part 2   (skip to part 1 or part 3)

In the fall of 2004, my Mac focus paid off. I was hired by Rogers Media to help the Publishing division with its transition to Mac OS X.

The upgrades were done in a three day cycle. On training day, a small group of employees left their desks to attend computer training. All employees learned the basics of OS X, and designers were given an extra session that focused on font management and the new version of PhotoShop.

While they were training, we scooped up their old computers, backed up their files, then prepared new Macs loaded with their software, email and personal data. When the employees returned from their training, they found shiny new Macs, ready to go.

For the next two days, we would be on call, answering employees' New Mac questions, and reviewing forgotten lessons from the previous day's training. In the IT office, we compared notes, and figured out what changes, if any, were needed to make the process better for the next group of employees.

And the next day, the cycle started again.

It took a few weeks to get everything down to a science, and there were some surprises and hiccups along the way. But I'm proud to say that our team completed the Mac OS X project ahead of schedule, with a minimum of disruption. More than 300 Rogers employees went through the training and upgrade process.

Too soon, it was over. The Rogers contract lasted just nine months, but it was a great experience. I rediscovered the joy and satisfaction of helping people solve big and small technical problems. I was able to assist with some of the OS X training. (I love computer training. It's fun to explain things, and to help people understand difficult concepts.)

I also rediscovered the joy of working with a team. (I had been working from home as a freelancer for eight years before this job.) I had a great boss at Rogers, and I got to work with a great team. The IT department -- particularly the Mac specialists -- taught me a lot, and humbled me. I thought I was an expert. They reminded me that I still have a lot to learn.

SUDDENLY... ADVERTISING!
Back to the TechStuff saga. Soon after I was hired by Rogers, I was approached by the ad agency that represents HP Canada. They wanted to buy some ad space on TechStuff.

This was great news, but terrible timing. I had allowed TechStuff to grow stale, and it was much in need of a redesign. My day job was taking all my energy, and I had no desire to write.

I was also a little concerned about conflict of interest. I felt it was inappropriate to write about Rogers, its partners and its competitors while I was an employee. That wiped out a whole bunch of consumer tech topics that I would have tackled when I was writing for the Sun.

Problem was, the Rogers gig was just a nine month contract. I had no reason to expect a job offer when the contract ended -- the full-time employees planned to stay, and the other contract employee was more qualified than I was.

I had to make a decision: mothball TechStuff or make a commitment to HP and burn the midnight oil to keep the site up to date.

I decided to proceed. I signed the HP advertising contract and revamped the TechStuff site. When it became obvious that I would not be able to post something new to TechStuff each day, I got a partner who helped me ensure that TechStuff was up to date (the lovely and talented Wayne Macphail).

For a while, TechStuff was firing on all cylinders. New content was posted regularly, readership numbers were climbing, and (gasp!) the site had a budget. (Google text ads were covering the hosting bills, and the HP ads paid for Wayne's assistance.)

We could have used a sales manager during this period. Although things were going well editorially, we had no further ad buys, and neither Wayne nor I was experienced at selling ads. When the HP contract ended, the budget was gone, and I was back to square one. I had a nice little site with lots of potential but no budget and no business plan.

Wayne stayed on for a while as an unpaid writer, but eventually left to focus on paying work. I enjoyed working with Wayne, and appreciated his contributions to TechStuff.

LIFE AFTER ROGERS
When my contract at Rogers ended, I reluctantly left the Mac Support Team. Armed with a glowing letter of recommendation from my former boss (thanks, Hans!), I began to look for full-time work in the IT field.

Then things took another unexpected turn.

Next: New beginnings, and the future of TechStuff Canada.

 

The History of TechStuff - part 3   (skip to part 1 or part 2)

In the summer of 2005, I was fresh from my Rogers contract, looking for work, and wondering what to do about TechStuff. Armed with the knowledge that a Web-based publication requires more than just your spare time, I hesitated to relaunch the site until I knew where I would be working.

Around this time I got a call from my friend Darryl Dash, the senior pastor at Richview, our church. Darryl asked to meet with me and Lori, to discuss Something Important.

Darryl knew I was looking for work. I knew Richview was looking for a church secretary, and I suspected this might be the topic of our conversation. (I have attended Richview since 1980, and I was the church secretary for a while in the early 90s. Yes, I'm full of surprises!)

We were therefore unprepared when Darryl asked me to consider serving as interim director of worship and small groups. I would be temporarily filling the spot recently left vacant by the former associate pastor, our mutual friend Ed DeFreitas.

I jumped at the chance. I was already very involved in both worship and small groups as a volunteer, so it was a good fit. The position would provide us with some much-needed income, and I would get to do what I love for the church while they looked for a new full-time staff member.

A JOB WITH MEANING
It might surprise you that I would be interested in a ministry position, but this is something I had been thinking about for several years.

When Steve Jobs recruited John Sculley to Apple from Pepsi, Jobs famously asked, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?" This quote has always resonated with me, but it no longer inspires me to work at Apple. As much as I admire the company and its products, changing the world means more to me than computers and iPods.

I worked full-time at Richview for nine months, until May of 2006. As director of worship, I organized the music and led worship services on Sunday mornings. As director of small groups, I provided support and resources for smaller church gatherings that took place weekly in members' homes. It was an exciting and challenging job.

When I started at Richview, I thought it might be possible to do some freelance writing on the side, but my day job kept me busy. I had little time to keep up with the tech world, and even less time for writing about it. I posted to TechStuff occasionally during that time, but it was pretty obvious to anyone visiting the site that my attention was elsewhere.

It probably would have been smart to mothball TechStuff during this time, or make some sort of announcement, but I kept putting it off, unsure of what would happen next. (Perhaps you see a pattern emerging?)

In May of 2006, as expected, Richview hired a new staff member to oversee several ministries at the church, including small groups. Then I received a lovely surprise: the church board and congregation asked me to continue leading worship ministries on a permanent, part-time basis. Once again, I jumped at the chance.

And so, In June, I began working part-time for Richview as Director of Worship. My job, as before, is to organize the Sunday services, and to lead the music and worship ministries of the church. If you want to see me at work, drop by Richview on a Sunday morning at 10:30.

LOOKING FOR WORK
The church pays a fair wage, but a family of six in Toronto needs more income than you get by working 12 hours per week. Since June, I have been looking for more work to supplement our income.

Each day, I browse the the job listings in local newspapers and on job sites like Workopolis, Monster, Jeff Gaulin, and Craigslist. I search for employers that could make use of my experience as a writer, editor, speaker, trainer, Mac support specialist, radio broadcaster, retail store manager, and minister.

The modern job search is strange. Web postings make it easier to find job openings, but they also make the whole process less personal. Most job postings warn applicants not to contact the company by phone or email, but to wait and see what happens. If you don't hear anything, you're supposed to assume they're not interested. It feels like you're dropping your resume into a black hole. (After you've sent a few dozen resumes and received no response, you begin to wonder if your email account is working.) Although I've applied for dozens of jobs since June, I haven't been hired yet.

When it became apparent that I was not going to get a full-time job -- at least, not right away -- I made a new Web site for It Just Works, my computer services business. And I decided to plunge back into the world of self-publishing. I launched TasteBuddy -- a new project devoted to fun food -- and I began to make plans to relaunch TechStuff Canada.

NOW WHAT?
That's the history of TechStuff. The future is less certain.

I believe there is a market for a Canadian tech publication that focuses on consumer needs and expectations. I think I know how to write it. I'm just not sure how to make it work as a business.

For now, I've decided to relaunch TechStuff with some adjusted expectations. I will try to publish on a more predictable schedule. I won't try to compete with sites like Engadget, which publish dozens of short items each day. I will avoid topics I know little about and focus on the things I know best: Mac computers, family-friendly games, and technoogy that is fun and useful.

Where do we go from here? I'm not exactly sure. But I hope you will stick around and see what happens.

And if you know someone who might be in a position to help me pay the bills, please give them my email address. (See below.)

Thanks for reading,
Sandy
--
Sandy McMurray
editor@techstuff.ca