My long hiatus from writing for this site coincided with our putting the finishing touches on our sports and social media textbook, which will finally be published in the spring. Writing a textbook has proven a long and arduous process but I’m grateful that we’ve now put the final touches on the first edition. So given that I’d just finished writing about sports and social media exclusively over the course of the last year or so I found that I needed a change. I started tutoring more and my focus shifted gradually from writing about sports and social media to writing more about Macs and tech and productivity, which has sort of become my own little niche in the last year or so.

Between writing for Macworld, tutoring for the Mac, reading Mac and productivity centric blogs and connecting with people on App.net, I’ve really spent the bulk of my time focused on technology and productivity more than anything else. I’m still passionate about sports and social media but not in the same way that I was when I started writing for this site, mostly because the things that were exciting and innovative in the social space a year or a year and a half ago are now commonplace and have been replaced by new things. It’s the nature of social media and technology in general.

So I’d like to change things up for a bit and spend more time writing about the things that interest me now, the things I listed above. I still care about sports and social media very much but now I’m more interested in helping people with technology than explaining why a particular athlete isn’t a good fit for Twitter. And so I’ll be writing more about Macs and tech and productivity and less about sports and social media, at least over the next couple of months. I figure I can always come back to a topic later if I feel like I should.

I’m not the first person to write about any of these topics but I’ve learned a lot over the last year from a number of excellent people and resources like the outstanding Mac Power Users podcast from David Sparks and Katie Floyd; the work of Lex Friedman, my Macworld colleague; and from blogs like Federico Viticci’s MacStories and Shawn Blanc’s eponymous blog. These people do a fantastic job covering these subjects and more and I’d like to do something similar, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Over the course of the next few months I’m going to write about my workflow on the Mac, my favorite applications and the ways I think people can get more from their Macs. I’m going to write for a more general audience, as if my parents and my friends’ parents and grandparents were sitting down to read this blog because they wanted to learn how to do something new with their Macs. I intend to focus on my favorite applications and why they’re my favorite applications and the ways they can help people get more from their Macs. In many cases these will be programs that you and I love but that our parents just haven’t tried, no matter how many times we’ve mentioned them or, perhaps, installed them on their computers.

My tutoring taught me that people want to do more with their computers but they’re often intimidated or just unsure of how to begin. I hope that I can help shine a little light on how to do things and I’ll be happy if I make using the computer easier for just one person. I hope to have my first post up in the next few days and to continue writing one longer post each week. Ideally I’d like to add in a shorter post or two if something interests me but I’d rather just post when it suits me rather than follow a strict publishing schedule. Thanks for reading and for sticking with me during this transition. I hope that you enjoy what’s to come.

H/T @BillVoth

1. Experience
I have six years of hands-on experience with PR and social media. I’ve been the lead on social media campaigns for clients like the New Britain Rock Cats, the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and for non-sports clients including luxury home builders and property management companies and have consulted numerous Internet and traditional marketing professionals.

2. Published
I am the co-author of Sports Marketing in Social Media, a textbook on social media marketing for the sports industry to be published in early 2012 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers, a major collegiate textbook publisher. The textbook examines social media, public relations and marketing best practices and their application to organizations both within and outside of the sports industry. The book also includes real world case studies and business applications.

3. Research
My knowledge includes both the research I’ve done for the textbook and also extensive field research for my Sportsin140.com website. I’ve assimilated two years’ worth of social media best practices and practical application experience from interviews with executives at the San Francisco Giants, New York Knicks, Cleveland Indians, National Football League and PGA Tour among others.

4. Sports Marketing and Business to Consumer Experience
I worked in Minor League Baseball for four years prior to launching Sportsin140.com. I know the sports industry and have the work ethic necessary for a long, grueling sports season. The lessons I learned in Minor League Baseball and the work ethic I honed during those summers are applicable to any business in any industry.

5. Personal Branding Success
I built Sportsin140.com up from a concept to a nationally recognized resource on social media use in the sports industry in about a year. My work on the site has been featured on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Seattle Times and Toronto Globe and Mail as well as Sports Illustrated’s website. The site was a labor of love more than a job but it taught me how to develop and implement a social media campaign to market a new product.

Testimonials

I want to give my recommendation to Brendan Wilhide, a rising star in the world of sports marketing and new media.  Brendan has done an amazing job of connecting with high level executives using new media networks, connecting via interviews and posting the results in his blog.  To me, this exemplifies someone who truly embraces social media and recognizes a way to standout.  If I was looking for someone who was intelligent, ambitious and could stand out from the competition, Brendan would be at the top of my list.  As someone who lives in the social media world 24/7, you realize the amazing opportunity it presents, yet so few people can actually accomplish social media’s full potential. Brendan is not only the exception, but soon to be leader in this area.
- Bryan Srabian, Social Media Coordinator, San Francisco Giants

Brendan Wilhide is my trusted source when it comes to social marketing, mobile apps and online communication. He’s the first person I call on to share ideas on strategy and execution. He would be a credit to any respected sports organization looking to bolster fan engagement to drive business goals. 
- Peter Robert Casey, Social Media Manager, Five Star Basketball and former Social Media Specialist, New York Knicks

I have had the pleasure of co-authoring a sports and social media text book with Brendan. He certainly knows the new media world and understands how social media plays a very important role in marketing.
- Charles Harris, President, Coast 2 Coast Experts and former Assistant Director of PR, Los Angeles Dodgers

Brendan showed incredible initiative and hard work by launching Sportsin140.com, and in the process, he became an invaluable resource for the sports and social media community. He would be a valuable asset for any organization.
- Russell Scibetti, Senior Manager of Database Marketing, New York Jets

Brendan understands social media and the opportunities it can unlock for brands who utilize it properly. He could step into an organization and make an impact right away.
- Jason Peck, Social Media Coordinator, eWay Direct

Brendan Wilhide has shown himself ahead of the social media curve. In Sportsin140.com Brendan has created an invaluable resource for both sports enthusiasts and marketers alike.
- Matt Owen, Community Manager, Liverpool FC

Brendan Wilhide has written iPhone app reviews for Macworld.com since 2009. I turn to Brendan again and again because I know I’m going to wind up with a good finished product.
- Philip Michaels, Executive Editor, Macworld.com

But what’s most interesting about the Devils’ new social media initiative is the people behind it: the Devils have hired 25 diehard, social media savvy fans to man Mission Control, fans the organization calls “Devils Army Generals.” These “Generals” will monitor and engage fans through social media from nine computer monitors, 10 Apple iPads and two HDTVs, ensuring that the organization keeps its pulse firmly on social media at all times. By hiring the “Generals,” the Devils organization has crowdsourced its social media efforts in an ingenious way at a time when most other organizations have yet to hire even a single person dedicated entirely to social media.

Click through to watch a video tour of Mission Control and view photos from the launch event. Mission Control puts the New Jersey Devils at the forefront of social media in the NHL. It’s only a matter of time until other organizations follow the Devils’ lead in embracing social media.