Why I Write for macCompanion
By Mike Hubbartt, Wayne LeFevre, Michael Potter, Daphne Kalfon, Ted Bade, and Harry {doc} Babad
To many people, a good book, a comfortable chair, a roaring fire in the fireplace, a bowl of popcorn and a beverage have the makings of a great day. That probably sounds strange to some people in this age of instant gratification, where computers, video games and movies vie for entertainment time and dollars. But, while those forms of entertainment are enjoyable, reading should retain a spot in your life. This article contains some reasons why a few of our staff write for macCompanion.
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WAYNE LEFEVRE – Staff Writer
I both write and work at macCompanion because I want to make a difference. I want to prove to myself that I personally can still be productive after my many surgeries and illnesses. (Though lately it has been difficult.) I am willing to extend the effort and time to make macCompanion a name that everyone associates with Apple, Inc, quality reviews and articles, and a sharp looking magazine that can be produced without a lot of money. It all boils down to being a great opportunity to do something not a lot of people can say they have done, and have fun with it.
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MICHAEL POTTER – Staff Writer
I’ve been offering advice on personal computers to family and friends for over 20 years. Though I also am a professional in the field, working one-on-one with folks is what I love best. Certainly I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve been doing this long enough to pick up some great tips and tricks along the way. Apple computers have been part of my computing life in one form or another and now, with my podcast, For Mac Eyes Only, and the opportunity to write for macCompanion magazine, I’ve been given a place to share some of these tips with more people than ever before.
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DAPHNE KALFON – Music Editor
I began writing for the macCompanion in October of 2005. Robert Pritchett, who already knew me because of a song contest the macCompanion had put on over a year previously, asked me if I would like to become a staff writer. I thought it sounded like an interesting opportunity, so I agreed. Up until that point, I don’t believe they had much in the way of a music section to the magazine so I felt that I could probably fill that need at least somewhat. I began writing monthly columns covering all kinds of music topics, and eventually progressed to writing reviews – software, books, training videos. It is a learning experience each time, and I feel like I am giving back to the outfit that was unwittingly responsible for helping me to get my name out there as a songwriter and composer.
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TED BADE - Consultant
Since I was a young child, I have been fascinated with technology and the solutions that advances in technology bring. I enjoy digging into these solutions, learning how they work and how they can be applied to real life situations. More importantly, I enjoy taking that information and sharing it with my friends; showing them how to simplify a task, resolve their questions, and generally offer the knowledge to let them take control of the technology. I guess that makes me an interpreter of technology. Like C3PO, I know both the language of “moisture evaporators” and humans and can bring them together to perform a task.
Writing for macCompanion allows me to to share information with many more people.
As I test a product I am reviewing, I discover how it adds value to my Macintosh experience, and can envision how it might help other people I know. This exposure to many products expands my knowledge base.
Writing the reviews lets me share this knowledge with readers. In the reviews and the columns I write, I try to simplify important information about a product, making it easier for readers to evaluate them. No one wants to waste their money on something that won’t do what they need or expect. I get a lot of satisfaction being able to share my thoughts and experience with the reader. Writing for macCompanion lets me reach many people, I like that. I sincerely hope that some people read my thoughts and find them useful.
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HARRY {DOC} BABAD – Assistant Editor
I am torn between writing addiction and freedom. Now don’t get me wrong, there lots of Macintosh aficionados out there who love or even are addicted to their computer of preference, but the don’t write, blog or otherwise let themselves be heard. So why do I do 5-10 articles about books, software, things Macintosh and on occasion the Macintosh as a tool for my other hobbies? That’s about 100 hour a month, at least is was in February. We’ll go from simple to complex with the answers.
- I love to write, enjoy both playing with words and learning about things like food, Mac-thingies, and folk music and jazz. These are today’s targets of my fingers a-keying.
- I love the freedom of letting you know what I think about a product or at times sharing my iconoclastic views. All the while not being limited to 1000 words or less.
- Testing new toys, hard or soft get me off at least mentally, and at 71, some of the alternatives I enjoyed (things physical) aren’t quite as doable.
- I spent my career doing formal technical writing to rigid standards, 100 or so published technical documents, mostly in the third person imperfect. I did it well but yuck, no room for self-expression.
- I can’t tell a joke, tell a cool story, or write fiction, but do love to write; so what left? And my fingers no longer do well on the neck of a guitar.
- With macCompanion I can usually pick my subjects and focus, and slanting the articles it “my way.” Occasional to the chagrin of both Julie Willingham, my editor and “it’s too long” from our editor-in-chief. And I get to pick the toys {software and books) which I can keep if they suit my needs.
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MIKE HUBBARTT - Editor
When I was overseas while in the military, I wrote about my experiences to family and friends. I enjoyed the challenge of describing the various cultures and ports we visited, as well as life aboard a Navy vessel. After getting out of the service, I enjoyed literature courses in college and after joining the work force, I discovered that writing reports – status, project, and proposals – was a fact of life in corporate America. While many of my coworkers disdained this aspect of the job, I enjoyed putting the words together and seeing that neither content nor presentation posed a problem for the audience.
After we moved from the southern part of the states to the cooler north, I didn’t know if I could make a living as a writer but decided to try covering technology – reviewing computer hardware and software products and writing how-to articles. After buying my first Amiga computer, I saw a magazine called AX that was looking for reviewers. Jay Gross - kind and supportive Editor of the magazine - not only accepted my first article, he gave me another assignment for the same issue. To get paid to write and use computers – what a concept. Writing reviews and tutorials was fun, educational, and a lot less expensive than having to buy the goodies myself. I leveraged my exposure in AX to get assignments at other magazines – some Amiga and some PC. I did this for five years, then moved on to Technical Writing. I wrote and desktop published a number of technical manuals, which was challenging but it was not as fun as writing for magazines.
After buying a new Mac a couple of years ago I decided to return to writing for magazines and have since published articles in MacWorld, MacAddict, MacWorld UK and macCompanion. I’m also working on travel articles for other magazines and newspapers, and have a novel in progress. I write for macCompanion because the Mac is fun to use, has excellent software for creative and business users, and has a dedicated user base that know what they like and expect: quality.
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