Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

Seems Like Twitter Separates The Old From The New

August 8, 2008 | Blogging, Ramblings

As a person who runs a technology blog which has been around a long time, I am in a very weird position. PCMech was started back in 1997. That’s a LONG damn time ago. Before the Internet was that big a deal. Back when everybody had their heart skip a beat at the sight of a personal computer (or so it seemed).

Fast forward 11 years. The computer is just a tool. An appliance. More of our lives have moved online. In fact, computing in the cloud is becoming more the norm. Social media (in all its various forms) now are a major factor in the tech landscape. People are accessing the web from mobile phones. Fewer and fewer people are still building PCs. Most buy them, use it until it breaks, then buy another one.

PCMech.com has been around through all of it. Being that it is my job to determine editorial direction of the site, I decided long ago for PCMech to adjust with the world. There are PLENTY of other sites which fall all over themselves to post reviews of motherboards and processors. Tom’s Hardware. AnandTech. HotHardware. My focus has become a strange meld between the insides of the computer and what you DO with the computer. It is my very strong belief that what you do with the computer is much more important than what is inside of it.

So, when I talk about Twitter on PCMech, I apparently run right up against the old school culture. On a recent article bout Twitter, I got the following comment from a user:

Although I’ve been a user of this site for many years, I’m at the point of hitting the delete key over this Twitter hustle. I’m subscribe to the newsletter and use the site because I want computer knowledge,period.Not to be harsh, but I don’t give a rat’s ass about your or anyone else’s musings. Bloggers are under the misconception that they have something important to say, and everyone else wants to hear it. I’m convinced the only people who read these inane blogs, are people who have inane blogs of their own. I’m afraid it’s not your audience who doesn’t “get” Twitter, but you are losing touch with your base.

Obviously, this guy has a snotty-ass tone and is reacting to one thing: people talking about shit he doesn’t care about. And this comment is representative of the state of limbo an old-school site like PCMech finds itself in.

Am I losing touch with my base? I don’t think so. The “base” of PCMech is very wide. If this guy thinks I’m going to cater PCMech to that group who wants to sit there and stroke their computer in a sexual way all day, then he’s just got the wrong site. As tech moves forward, sites like AnandTech and Tom’s are going to die off if they don’t evolve.

You don’t buy a car so that you can work on it. You buy it to DRIVE it.

My response to him:

Here’s a hint. Back button is on the top left. Back out of the article and choose another one to read. There are over 3,600 articles on this site. If 3 are about Twitter, I think you’ll live.

PCMech is a GENERAL tech blog. Well, Twitter is part of the landscape, like it or not. As I said in my post, part of my job is to drag people forward. If you expect PCMech to talk about CPUs and motherboards all day, then you’ve got the wrong site. Sure, we’ll talk hardware. But, we’re also going to talk about what you do with that hardware.

Unless you bought a computer just so you can sit and tweak it all day. I highly doubt it.

I’m left shaking my head. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a bit confusing.

Here are the facts:

  • The personal computer is lessening in importance. In fact, more and more, it is becoming a mere terminal to get you onto the Internet.
  • Web 2.0, social media and everything those terms represent are the direction technology is heading. Mobility. Data portability.
  • The old school guys who want to build, repair and optimize their PCs all day…this group is getting smaller.

So, if you were running an older site like this, where you have an audience which is all over the board, how would you handle it?

On the other side of the equation, I don’t want to become part of the echo chamber. There are tons of sites which talk about Twitter and the like all day. So, somewhere in here is a unique niche.

I have ideas. You?

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

  1. How Many Twitter Accounts Should You Have?
  2. Twitter Is Responsible for Soggy Rice Crispies
  3. Bloggers + Apple = Techmeme Echo Chamber
  4. Introducing Twitter to Your Non-Geeky Family
  5. Twitter a BlowHard Platform?

Learn The Real Story On Blogging As a Business...

  • Get immediate FREE access to the Six Figure Blogger Blueprint
  • Get exclusive stuff NOT available on this blog.
  • Get the latest updates from the weird Risley man who runs this site.

Enter email:

  • Al
    Isn't the point of Social Media to be social? The guy that said he didn't care about anyone's musings is a small percentage of people on the Net. Take a look at People magazine and you won't see any glamour shots. It's all pictures of celebs doing everyday things like the rest of us. Maybe they know more about human nature than he does...
  • I think people can get caught up in their own world on the net. They have so mediums where they can talk about themselves.

    If people don't like you message or the way you convey that message then they can leave the page.

    Why do they feel they have to rant about it.

    Twitter is just a good way to quickly post interesting things along with Friendfeed, Facebook et al.

    I use them all and have met some interesting people through these sites
  • Alan Varga
    I'm afraid it's time for PC Mech and me to part ways. I'm happy being part of the Old Guard, taking pride in knowing I can diagnose and fix computers for friends, both older and younger, who need a "TV repairman" because they don't have the time, interest or ability to maintain their own machines.

    My kids may take an interest in the social networking aspects of computing when they're a bit older, and that technology is fine for the New Guard, but I have no more than a passing interest in it. This isn't to say that I don't care; I just don't adopt anything new simply because it's out there. If I see a benefit, I'll use it. For my current needs, though, my desktop PC is fine, and I do my social networking with friends and family after work or on weekends in person.
  • LSLSLS
    May I enter this. I'm 60 something. I've had to adapt and learn to be tech savy all the way along (and that's a lotta years of learning ... err screaming). Let's have a "big tent" here! While I personally try not to transfer my personal wealth to the new envigorated Ma Bell by paying huge cellular fees while straining to see a 2 inch screen, others do. Personally, it's the $$ that drive my choice say DSL maybe $50/mo. vs. say $500/mo. on cell. So right now I text and do the net where it's cheap.
  • presence1960
    David, I am new to PC Mech. I most deinitely am interested in tips on building, upgrading & maintaining my PC. But without different useful functions to perform with my PC what good would it be? Whether one likes Twitter or not is beside the point. We all can't like everything you present, that is just life. That is what choices are about. I chose to try twitter and was surprised a few of my friends are on there also. But if I didn't like your article or if I wind up not liking Twitter I would not stop coming to PC Mech. There are so many beautiful trees in the forest to lose sight of all of them because of one tree I don't particularly care for. keep plugging on and cranking out those articles and reviews. If I don't like one I will bypass it, there is no way I give up the wealth of good info here over a choice. Sincerely, RAZ
  • Tim
    I am a Twitter user. It took me a year before I really got the hang of it. Now, since some locals started following me and I follow some of them I am happy to say I actually met a girl via Twitter who is kinda interesting. THAT is a great social function, lemme tell you!
    Viva new tech and it's uses!
  • Lisa R
    I've been online since the 80s, have had a webpage somewhere since 1994, and a domain since 1997.

    I'm 46.

    I have twitter, Friendfeed, facebook, a livejournal, my own websites, use google reader, google apps, IMs, SMS, etc.

    The medium ain't the message, not even the holy PC. It's what we do with it. Mine facilates work, social interaction, family closeness, and information gathering. Coverage of anything which adds to that is welcome.

    People whining like your correspondent sound like the old man on his front porch saying "Hmmph! Kids today!" Stenosis of the brain, my friend.
  • I would say post what you want, when you want. Just like you said, there is a BACK button. There are other articles to read. Locking yourself in a box is how you create your own echo chamber.

    I have been into computers for a while as well. Maybe not as long as some, but I do remember installing Slackware via dialup onto my Packard Bell desktop. Now, I'm all into social media, not so much into hardware and such. I think there is definitely a niche somewhere in there :)
  • I think you are right in that there are probably quite a few niches just waiting to be exploited (in a good way) the problems is in finding them and not going hungry in the process. I'll be quite interested in hearing your idea on this.
blog comments powered by Disqus