What's this?

What's this all about?

Around the end of 2006, I started a site poking fun of the new Zune music player: Boycott Zune (BZ). Yes, that seems an odd choice of topic, but some fun-poking was in order; the world's reaction to the product was nasty. And yet, there were pundits saying it'd overwhelm the market anyway, quality be damned, simply on the power of Microsoft's bankroll. We might laugh at the idea now, but it's exactly what we've seen in the operating system market; why couldn't it happen with music players too?

Well, that fate isn't looking too likely at the moment. BZ thought it'd have a little fun tossing pebbles at an advancing Goliath, and maybe at the same time spread warning of the giant's advance. Alas, "Goliath" turned out to be as fearsome as a Muppet with rickets, and full-time jabbing of the Zune now seems about as fun – and necessary – as kicking said bedridden puppets. (The cry of "Boycott X!" falls a bit flat when nobody's buying anyway.)

There's so much more in tech to have fun with, so it's time to expand on the old. Embrace it all. I expect Microsoft will gather the lion's share of scrutiny – there's just so much wierdness that comes out of there – but there are plenty of companies and products out there to joke about (and that iPod isn't perfect either, you know).

All in the name of fun. I like tech stuff. I'm a nerd working in web application development. I'm experienced in Windows, comfortable in Mac OS X, cutting my teeth on GNU/Linux, and happily using everything from movie editing apps to open-source content management systems, from digital SLR cameras to music players. The usual.

I've got a few ideas for tech-inspired online fun, as do a couple of collaborators, so that's what we'll be up to. Your comments, ideas, and other feedback are greatly appreciated. Please visit any time.

B. Szlachta