As you’ve probably gathered by now, my name is Harry McCracken. I’m the founder of Technologizer, a new Web site about personal technology. Before that, I spent almost fourteen years at PC World, the last four as editor-in-chief. Leading the editorial efforts of the planet’s largest computing magazine and one of its biggest tech sites was a blast, but I was ready to scare myself with a new challenge.

The primary purpose of McCracken on Media is to let me share the things I’m learning as I build Technologizer from scratch. At PC World, I considered some of my knowledge of the Web to be trade secrets that belonged to my employer, IDG, and not to me. With Technologizer, I get to put it all out in the open.

I first wrote for money in 1982 (for the wonderful Creative Computing magazine), edited an animation magazine in the 1980s that lots of folks seem to remember (Animato), and went into full-time tech journalism in 1991 at a short-lived magazine called Computer Buying World. Besides my full-time gigs, I’ve written for Family Circle, Slate, USA Today, Popular Science, and many other publications.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive some honors from my editorial peers, such as the following:

2008: I was named to the Folio: 40 list of media industry movers and shakers
2008: I received ABM’s Timothy White award for editorial integrity
2008: My Techlog columns received ABM’s Jesse H. Neal award for best editorial or signed column
2007: I was startled to find myself one of MIN’s 21 Most Intriguing People
2006: My blog on PCWorld.com received MIN’s Best of the Web award for best blog

And here are some nice things that people have said about me:

“Harry McCracken is one of the all-time great writers and thinkers in this business.” –Robin Raskin, Yahoo

“The man’s a titan in our industry.” –Engadget’s Ryan Block

“[An] Internet hero.” –Paul Boutin, Valleywag

“The highest-profile editor to make the leap to standalone journalist is Harry McCracken.” –Paul Conley

In 2007, I made the news, much to my surprise. But it would please me greatly if my name was mostly associated with Technologizer from here on out.

I speak frequently about journalism, technology, and the combination thereof at events such as the Folio Show, Innovation Journalism, Silicon Forest Forum, and the Western Publications Association’s conference. I’ve also presented at Stanford, UC-Berkeley, and the University of California. I’ve made many TV and radio appearances, including ones on ABC, NBC (I teamed with Dateline: NBC for an investigative report into PC repair), CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NPR. the BBC, the History Channel, and many more.

I’m available for speaking engagements and to provide comments on technology, the media, and the multiple intersections thereof for TV, radio, online, and print media reporters and producers. And I occasionally take on consulting and writing projects that don’t compete with my work at Technologizer.

If you’d like to reach me, please use my contact form.