I reached out to VentureBeat last week after noticing they had a link to contact about freelancing. Matt Marshall was kind enough to respond, and today we finally touched base.

Well, it’s nothing *official* per se, but I contributed my first post to VentureBeat this afternoon. It’s an exciting new opportunity. Why? The site is different in a way from the work I do at Technologizer.

Whereas Technologizer focuses more on the consumer, VB looks to more the business side of things. I’ve always thought of the site as TechCrunch minus the arrogance. The style is also different from what I’m used to.

In other words, I’m moving out of my comfort zone. It’s a good move in my opinion. Between VB and Technologizer, I am now writing for an audience that is likely several times bigger than I ever did before.

While I am grateful for those past opportunities, it was time to move on. Nothing’s guaranteed, and VB may not work out. But at least I’m trying to expand my horizons, which as a writer you should always do.

Shocker moment? Getting called by an editor to check facts and make sure we have the story right, not just editing it and not saying anything! I know that’s supposed to be commonplace, but hey with some previous employers that never happened.

Nice to have some professionalism!

It’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks getting used to a new way of doing things. But I’m up to the challenge.

What’s with me lately and taking risks?

However, after all the kibbitzing by either side, I have seen an unfortunate trend developing (and surprisingly enough, its coming from those partial to Microsoft) — twisting of words by these bloggers in an effort to make another look bad.

Twice it has happened with this post. The first came this afternoon from a gentleman named Bob Caswell, who apparently is a Microsoft employee. In his post, instead of doing the right thing and accurately portraying my argument, I find a link to a comment that wasn’t even part of the argument as to why the ad was offensive.

First rule of blogging ethics: Do not be disengenuous just for hits. While I do write provocatively, I will never EVER take somebody out of context in an attempt to discredit someone. Your readers can see right through that.

It seems like when Microsoft and Co. run out of ways to fight something, they become desperate. That’s shown in both the way its handled the digital music realm, and now the personal computer market now that Apple’s making serious moves into its turf.

When you read a piece of my work, you will always know I am speaking my opinion, and not one driven by a quest to draw hits to my post. Yes, some people get angry with me. But no, I don’t ever try to make somebody look bad.

I am finding this post being linked in several blogs, including VentureBeat (whose post I believe is titled exactly what the ad is).

Microsofties, the Mac vs. PC war will go on. But don’t twist people’s words in order to make a point.

I am going to try to make it out to their meeting on Saturday which by chance is right here in Sinking Spring. I’ve been told by a member of the committee that there would be a good chance I’d get the necessary signatures (or darn close to it) right there, which would free up a lot of time to lay the groundwork for a successful campaign.

We’ve just seen our sewer rates be increased by 114 percent (no thats not a typo), which I plan to campaign hard against, especially in light of the fact the federal stimulus money could be applied here which would negate the need for such a horrific increase.

Right now, borough residents pay $28 every 4 months for sewer service, or $112 per year. With the new increase, it will now be $20 per month, or $240 annually. Doesn’t seem like a lot — but heck in this economy any kind of increase in bills is a bad thing.

Add this to the fact that electric ultities are expected to skyrocket too in 2010 when PA deregulates, and we’re going to be in for a world of hurt financially…

Hopefully we’ll have something up here in the next week or two. Oh, and next Monday I turn 30. Ugh.

Lets put it into perspective: this would mean in January alone we would have gotten the same amount of pageviews from the July through late September in less than a month. That’s exponential growth.

What makes it even more impressive is the journalistic, and economic climate. Tech journalism is awash with so many news sources and blogs that its very easy to get lost in the mix, and VERY hard to break into it either. Add to the fact the economy isn’t doing too well, and it makes it all the harder to produce enough content to keep people coming back.

TG has been able to do both of this, and in very short order. Perhaps we’re helped along by having Harry McCracken at the helm, who already has a very established name in tech news, but I think its the work we do.

Unlike my previous employer, where there was too much top-end control of what should be written and how it should be (which I will argue caused it to completely miss the boat and probably cost it a great deal of growth), TG seems to give its writers much more freedom. What results is a good variety of styles. It’s an enjoyable read. You have writing styles that range from just the facts to sharply opinionated.

That’s what makes a good publication. Not trying to force people to write like you want them to. Guidance is always good, mandating is not. And that’s why people are coming back day after day in my opinion.

It’s going to be an exciting 2009 to see where this goes. While i was admittedly nervous in September about this, I have to say at this point taking on this position was probably one of my better career moves so far.

As they say, when life brings you lemons, make lemonade…

It’s by no means going to be easy. I understand that. But hey I am in a period in my life where I am willing to take some risks for an ultimately bigger reward. Plus, I’m at the point where I’m saying, “hey, you’ve always wanted to do this, go for it!” Thus the whole snowboarding thing — which has been great fun

Filing the nomination papers begins the week after my birthday, February 17, and runs a month. Then comes the petitions.. and ultimately the casting of lots, which is essentially a lottery for ballot position. This can be important, especially in local primaries. cause people just push buttons for some of those races.. and if you’re first, you just get a bump.

So we’ll see what happens.

Lets think about it here. Venture capital is drying up at an alarming rate. Even companies who aren’t start-ups are struggling to make ends meet. The expense to show at DEMO, when you can show your product for nothing at competitor TechCrunch50, seems almost foolish.

But that doesn’t stop Ms. Shipley. Just look at those benefits.

• A booth with all the trimmings;
• 3 complementary passes (but you’ll pay $995 each for more);
• A page in the DEMO program guide;
• A invitation to the “CEO/DealMakers Dinner,” whatever that is;

And oh so much more. But enough of me being facetious. Really, why does it have to cost that much. I know DEMO claims the cost is due to the amount of production and organization that goes into an event like this, but isn’t there a different way that isn’t going to strain companies who probably don’t have a lot of money to begin with?

Ms. Shipley seems to also give a reason which I somehow am slightly taken aback by: that the $18,500 ticket to ride is a barrier. That’s not my words, that’s hers. So essentially, we’re charging a significant price to prevent people from even getting through the door? That’s what it certainly sounds like.

Eeek. I think that’s why so many people are beginning to question DEMO’s price and value. The price doesn’t need to be that high, but we’ll artificially and possibly arbitrarily set it there to keep people out.

Yes, Shipley tries to angle it as if a company that cannot afford to pay up may not be able to afford a national launch, but come on. Many good ideas have started with far less.

So how about this. Why not either a) acknowledge the economy is bad, and lower the registration price, or b) make it free altogether. Even though the ad market may be iffy, I’m sure you’d be able to find outside advertisers that would help supplement the cost overall.

Anyway, I’m now about to finish my second week on my own after BetaNews. While if you would have asked me if I was better off two weeks ago at this time, I would have probably told you no, today I can honestly say I am. I think towards the end, while I had begun to explore other avenues, I had become complacent — thinking my job would always be there until I was ready to leave.

Well, obviously that wasn’t the case. It was kind of a wake-up call — getting pushed out the door made me realize that I had gotten too comfortable. In journalism, it’s all about the brand. I was stagnating. Something new had to happen.

Thus, even though Technologizer was supposed to be a side project of sorts, it suddenly was much more important. And additionally, the pressure was now on me to also branch out elsewhere in order to recoup the financial hit I was taking after losing my full-time position with BN.

I can’t see how this would be anything other than positive. Now instead of being read solely on one publication — which by some indications has essentially stagnated in terms of readership — I am now involved in new projects, as well as other publications that are read by an entirely different group of readers.

Very exciting if you ask me. Technologizer is probably the most exciting — I’m essentially coming on the ground floor of a brand new online publication. The greatest thing is the freedom. I’m now writing the way I want to write, instead of being told how my stories should look. Is there risk? Oh god yes. But hey, that’s the fun of it.

We’ll see where else this new path takes me, but I think I’m better off. I’m happier too. And that’s what counts.

It is definitely for the better. While yes, it is somewhat unnerving considering the state of the economy right now, I feel now post-BetaNews that I will be able to move on to bigger and better things. While yes, four years there is a significant chunk of my life, there are many opportunities to be had elsewhere.

Only 48 hours or so have passed since Monday, and things are already moving. I am now freelancing for Harry McCracken’s blog Technologizer, and am in the process of talking with other outlets as well. It’s an exciting new world.

Thanks to all my regular readers for your support at BetaNews!

When it does, its going to a URL which seems to check a list of blacklisted apps. Zdziarski surmises that Apple could use this to kill apps remotely, which might also entail their removal from the device without user interaction.

This is highly inappropriate, in my opinion. There is no need for this, especially considering Apple already pours through every application before it gets into the App Store. Why do they need to essentially add what amounts to spyware after the fact?

Larry Dignan at ZDNet looks at it from a risk-reward perspective and seems to take the side of Apple. While I can see Larry’s point, it doesn’t justify allowing Apple to essentially snoop on its users. If they’re phoning home for this, what else could they be watching?

Olga Karif over at Newsweek says it gives her flashbacks to “1984.” She questions why something like this is needed, and I do too. The security excuse is a bunch of malarkey if you ask me. It’s just Apple needing to control everything from top to bottom, and I gotta say I’m tiring of it.

If Microsoft did this, the you-know-what would hit the fan. But instead, a lot of folks seem to be saying, oh its okay. That makes no sense to me at all. What’s different if Cupertino’s doing it than Redmond? Either way, “phoning home” is something I’m always leery about.