In my ongoing attempt to solicit feedback from readers, I would like to pose this question:
If Technoccult were to focus on only ONE area (in effect, stop being a “generalist” site), what ONE area would you want it to cover?
A question to help you answer that question: what do you find here that you don’t find elsewhere?
The reason for this question: The advice most bloggers give on being “successful” (whatever that means) is to have a particular focus and to become an expert on it. I think, however, at least part of whatever success that I’ve had is that I haven’t specialized in one particular topic. And I doubt that I ever will. However, I think really delving into a smaller number of areas might be a good thing. So what I’d really like to know is what you really value at this site – what you would least like to give up, if I were to get more focused.
As you can see, for the past few weeks I’ve been putting up more original content and interviews. I’d like your feedback about who else you’d like me to talk to, what you’d like me to write about, and what topics you’d like to see covered more (or covered less).
I can’t make any promises, but I do value your feedback. Feel free to comment on this post and let me know.
It’s been ten years since I posted the first article to this site from the family computer at my parents house in Sheridan, WY. I was a senior in high school, the “Y2K” scare was already forgotten, and the dot-com bubble had yet to burst. I guess, for me, that’s where the 00s really started – with this site. It started out more like what Disinfo was like back then – with “dossiers” on various subjects. (Here’s what Disinfo looked like back then).
At year 7, I’d been doing Technoccult for longer than I was in high school and college combined. But a decade. Yikes. That’s really something. I even tried to quit last year, but, well, that didn’t work out. So you’re stuck with me, dear readers, and I thank you for sticking around.
As to what’s next… who knows. One thing I’ve learned in the past 10 years is that I can’t predict where my life is going. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be releasing my first full length album Return to the Wasteland next month. So for the Technoccult “birthday weekend” I’m putting up the first track as a free download on SoundCloud. Enjoy, and thanks for reading.
It’s almost the 10 year anniversary of this site. A couple people have been bugging me to revert back to being Technoccult, and there are some SEO and branding advantages to that. Not to mention nostalgia. So I thought I’d put it to a vote.
Dean Speir commented on my article Loan No More to correct the spelling of his name and my characterization of his relationship to the mainstream gun press:
It’s important to note that calling my absence from the “gunzines” a “blacklisting” isn’t really accurate.
I spent the better part of three years trying to get a gunzine byline, and discovered it was pretty much a closed shop.
Then I got my foot in the clubhouse, and everyone wanted whatever I could provide.
But once “inside,” it became apparent that, like the special interest ‘zines which appeal to the automotive, boating and photography hobby-ists, there was precious little critical writing being done.
And after 12-13 years of trying to get something other than “puffery” in the “mainstream gun press,” and with the advent of the Internet as a more direct conduit for free expression, I retired, bloody but unbowed.
Is there one published who wouldn’t touch my byline with a 12-foot Chechnyan? Absolutely! Harris (Combat Handguns) in NYC.
But I still get inquiries from other Editors wondering if I’m working on anything that might interest their readers.
For the past nine-plus years, whatever fit that category, is self-published at http://www.thegunzone.com, free of advertiser interference and nervous editorial oversight.
Thought I’d let everyone know why it’s been quiet here lately: Jillian and I are in Wyoming visiting family and friends – and just got legally married. We’ll be having a proper ceremony next summer, though.
I’ve been running this site since 2000. And I actually started work on it in late 1999. After nearly a decade working on the site, it was just time for a change. A lot of things have happened and changed since I started Technoccult, and I’ve changed quite a bit personally (remember, I was 18 when I started this site!) It seemed like it was time to send Technoccult to be with Stare, Irreality, and Key 23/64 in that big web site in the cloud and move on.
But I didn’t want to start all over with a brand new site – it’s hard to launch a new site in this info-glut. Besides, the site has grown and changed with me over the years. I realized I could follow the lead of Diebold and Blackwater: same thing, different name. I could keep the history, but start fresh at the same time. Well, that’s the theory. We’ll see how it turns out.
The focus of this site has been gradually changing over the years, and that evolution will continue. Don’t worry, I didn’t decide to just scrap the old site and start a barbie doll collector blog or anything. I think regular readers will still find quite a lot enjoy here. There won’t be a lot of occult/magical related posts anymore, but that’s always only been a small part of the overall package (and it’s been diminishing over time).
There will be more posts dedicated to media criticism, mobile technology, and politics than before (especially since I’m merging klintron.com into this site as well). I expect to be amping up my coverage of alternative energy and other sustainability issues as well. But you can still expect to find information about obscure cults, outsider art, and other weirdness.
I want to thank everyone for reading for all these years, and TiamatsVision, Bill Whitcomb, Fell, and all the other guest bloggers that have graced these pages over the years.
Stick around, I promise to make it worth your while.
More info soon, but be aware that things are probably going to be actively breaking over the next few hours as I deal with server migration issues, WordPress upgrades, design changes, new plugins, domain issues, etc.
So I was pretty relieved that you all aren’t clamoring for a Technoccult message board, since I don’t really want to moderate one.
But here’s another idea: a basic directory of readers organized by geographic location. It would have only the barest of profiles: name or handle, location, optional couchsurfing.com profile link, and space to add one or two more links (to Twitter or a blog or Facebook or whatever you want). Also an optional e-mail form, so that you can be contacted through the directory w/o displaying your e-mail address.
I don’t know of any off the shelf solution for this so it would have to be built from scratch. It should be simple but I wouldn’t want to get started on an undertaking like this if there’s not interest.
Just realized it’s the 9 year anniversary of this site. Crazy.
What would you like to see more of at Technoccult? What would you like to see less of?
Would you like to see more community features? Message board? Twitter clone? Social networking? Online dating? Should Hexx (our Digg clone) be resurrected?
Thanks for reading everyone. It’s been a long, strange trip and it’s far from over yet.
I’d like to welcome Bill Whitcomb to the Technoccult faculty. Bill’s the author of The Magician’s Reflection and The Magician’s Companion, a prolific link disseminator and Technoccult commenter, and a good friend. I’m pleased to have him here.
Since the new version of Hexx never took off for anything other than spamming, I’ve taken it offline. I might try setting it up again on another platform, less vulnerable to spamming (Pligg is notorious for being spammed), but I might not bother. Seems like Digg-clones are so yesterday.
The e-mail subscription feature has been around for a long time, but somewhere a long the line the subscription form disappeared from the site. Fill out the form in the side column, or click here.
Hey everyone, sorry about the podcast spamming that’s been occuring today. I’m in the process of implementing a system to automate the posting of certain podcasts to this site (in lieu of the old “Podcast Round-Up” feature), but it ending up dumping a TON of posts into the system. Sorry about that.
Hexx, Technoccult’s own Digg-clone, is back at last! Hexx was originally powered by PHPdug and mysteriously stopped working. My plea for help at the PHPdug support forum went completely un-answered, so Hexx sat disuse for several months. Now it’s back and powered by Pligg.
Since he, very sadly, isn’t able to make it to Esozone this year, he’s gonna be blogging here for the next couple weeks while I’m busy with the final preparations for Esozone, and the event itself.
(there should be a couple more Technoccult TV episodes being released before Esozone, though… stay tuned!)
I’m in the middle of a server move, and it could take a while and get messy – it could be done my morning or it might not be done til Monday, depending on how things go.
For the past 8 years, Technoccult has mostly been a “solo project” with various guests along the way. Now Fell and TiamatsVision are joining the band as regular contributors. Technoccult is officially a group blog.
Please welcome TiamatsVision and Danny Chaoflux to Technoccult. Danny is the designer of the Technoccult logo, and my co-conspirator for both Portland Occulture and Esozone. And you probably know TiamatsVision for her prolific commenting here at Technoccult. I’m looking forward to seeing what they share with us.
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