apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

gadget therapy

I'm kind of over the whole "media room" moniker. TV room is good, but maybe then it limits your content... so I voted "home tech."

ElectroTherapy

American Heritage Dictionary (from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/electrotherapy)
e·lec·tro·ther·a·py (ĭ-lěk'trō-thěr'ə-pē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. e·lec·tro·ther·a·pies
Medical therapy using electric currents. Also called electrotherapeutics.

Down to the Wires

gadget therapy is clever, but i voted for home tech
disney is building a new exhibit in tomorrowland called "the connected home" to showcase home technology + bill gates/microsoft has an exhibit called "the connected home" at the electronics show in las vegas right now, so "connected" is going to become a household word in home technology

i change my vote to gadget therapy

all three of the blogger sound the same: BAD

I go for gadget therapy!

electro-therapy. or shock treatment.

For sure Gadget Therapy!

Since you asked, I think it would be better to hire a professional writer for the new gadget blog. I found those posts hard to get through because the writers don't know how to convey facts -- they just take up space with words.

Now, I love AT because I can find home enthusiasts waxing on about the towels they adore or which dishwashing liquid makes the chore fun. But when it comes to tech innovations I don't want to leave the piece knowing no more about the product than when I began -- that's just a waste of time.

I think there's a rule-of-thumb when it comes to engaging readers: Writing has to be either informative or charming. All three of those posts failed on both counts.

i vote for EletroTherapy as well!

Home Tech -- the one thing a small apartment doesn't have is a media room.

Not that I'd read it anyway... the posts so far suggest the new blog is going to be primarily pushing "hot" products rather than solving small-apartment issues with technology. It's certainly a right-turn from the "simple living" kick of a year ago.

Again, this is since you asked, but all three of these posts are too much product puffery, and not enough critical evaluation. And the commentary on the Wii really misses the point of the product, which is not "svelte design," however nice that might be for apartment dwellers. I'm not a gamer, and never will be one, but I do read critical reviews and know what's good and bad about the Wii.

My vote would be for "Gadget Therapy."

Are we allowed to defend ourselves here? First off, while I appreciate the feedback, so far none of it has been constructive. Hildy, how about an example of 'not informative', and a suggestion of how you'd sum up a product that is new to market in less than 300 words. Wende and Felicity, the guidelines for one of our posts was that it had to be about a product we liked that we wanted others to know about. I chose one that I thought *would* help solving a small-apartment issue of reducing visual clutter by hiding wires, I have used it and I liked it very much.

hmmmm. so hard to be constructively critical. perhaps i shouldn't be posting whatsoever, because i plug my ipod into my 7 year old stereo, play "club penguin" online with my 3 year old, and, well, i posted my comments on the mudding up your speaker wires in joey's comments section, so lets not be redundant. i deal, work with, and sell electronics within the context of photography. i like new products that make sense, that i can fix and that last. all 3 posters don't seem to have the knowledge base to help your readers make an informed choice. i add my voice to the "hire someone who knows what they're talking about" local 546.

Gadget Therapy sounds like a place to check out overdesigned can openers. My computer isn't a gadget, it's the epicenter of my e-home. I don't know anyone who has a media room, do you?

e-home therapy
e-apartment therapy

I like the name Gadget Therapy.

Why is it necessary to write these evaluations in 300 words or less? Maxwell, if the writers need more space, give it to them. People will be grateful for the increased information, and if someone thinks the article is too long, they will skip parts they don't want to read.

As for who the writer should be, I think they need to be a layman, not a professional writer. I love geeks, but a lay-person writer will likely communicate the ins and outs of home tech issues to us non-tech people with greater ease than someone intimately familiar with the electronics industry.

John, I agree it should probably be a layperson/non-techie. Look at David Pogue, tech writer for the NY Times. I read an interview with him about why he's such an accessible (and funny) writer and it's because he wasn't a techie starting out, but a theater person, and he still writes for the point of view of non-techie. His books in the Missing Manual series are wonderful--I use one for Mac reference all the time. His video clips are hilarious: http://tinyurl.com/yaclhn

And, such layperson must be primarily a home design type, not a techie type.

Wait, don't use that link--here's the one:
http://tinyurl.com/yfj2fx

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Wende this is exactly what I wanted. And I wish I had thought of the dollhouse wire, that's a perfect example. I apologize if I come off as not handling negativity well, but a critique is far more effecive than a criticism, and criticism however full or empty, doesn't foster improvement.

As far as my status as a non-writer, it's not really up to me to decide if I'm qualified or not. I took a chance on something that combined two things that I encounter and enjoy everyday--technology and this website, I guess that same chance is being taken on me as well as the other folks trying out. You certainly can't fault someone for trying.

Hey Joey,

The first sign of an amateur writer is that he gets shirty when his copy is criticized. The second is that he's mystified by the assignment he was given and complains that the challenge was too much for him.

There's no need to be defensive: I'm not criticizing you, I'm criticizing all three blogs. At the invitation of the site, I might add. So here's a tip: If you plan to write in public someone will always have something to say about it -- get used to it.

People seem to have confused a professional writer with an electronics geek. I was suggesting this is one place AT might consider hiring a journalist. They're in the business of gathering information and relaying it to a general audience in a manner that is simple, direct, and occasionally entertaining. Their expertise is their ability to research and communicate, not in any one subject. (Although years on any beat often turns them into people who can talk politics, law, or interior design with the best of 'em.)

Even in trade mags for wonks of one sort or another, the practice is to hire professional writers over experts because, even for readers familiar with a subject, amateur writing is tough to wade through.

But I'm sorry I volunteered an opinion. In future I'll do what most readers do when confronted with lousy copy -- just ignore it. AT can always invest in a high-priced focus group to find out why parts of their site attract no traffic.

And Joey, since you asked what I didn't like, have a look at your lede. The lavender-tinged mess wastes about a third of your space and tells readers absolutely nothing. That's only the beginning of what's wrong with this post. In short, it fails as a piece of writing because it doesn't do the job of serving the reader.

"You’re one of those stylish and tech-savvy people who know the benefits of surround sound and HDTV. You’ve purchased your requisite seven speakers, receiver, flat-screen television, universal remote and a DVD collection to rival that of Blockbuster. There’s only one problem. You have wires running EVERYWHERE. Maybe it’s because you rent, or maybe the thought of knocking out drywall and drilling through the walls of your pre-war Classic Six sends shivers up your spine (and not in the good way)."

I believe the technical term for this is bullshit expansion.

And for the record, if a writer can't say anything in 300 words, giving him 800 won't solve the problem.

Cheers,

Newsflash--I'm not a writer at all, never claimed to be. I work in technology and as such I get the opportunity to attend tradeshows and events that aren't open to the general public. Combine that with my interest in design, I thought I'd be able to tell people about cool stuff I've seen. I'm not out for a Pulitzer by any stretch--I'd never get one. I was really just asking for supportive and constructive criticism. As a non-writer, I have no means other than feedback for improvement. I also don't think anyone should be apologetic for an opinion. However, being insulting and condescending does no one a service. You've yet to tell me how you'd do things differently. I was actually hoping I'd gain some insight by the feedback. I'm no stranger to negative criticism, I've had software I've written be torn apart by far larger crowds who know way more about writing code than I do as well, the trick is to learn from the criticism and not to make the mistake again.

Joey -- If you're "not a writer," why are you qualified for a writing job?

In fairness, you're not the biggest culprit for bullshit expansion by more than one paragraph. But if I were reading the post for knowledge, I'd stop midway through the first paragraph, as it's telling me nothing except that you think you're incredibly sophisticated. Yay, you! But there's no information in the paragraph.

After multiple readings, I can't tell why this product is superior to stapling regular wires to the walls and skimcoating over them. I *think* it might be because it's tapewire rather than roundwire -- but I think that due to the illustration and due to being familiar with tapewire from other dollhouse builders who electrify. You don't tell us.

What would I do differently? (1) Open with exciting information about the product, rather than with purple prose about how great you and your readers are. (2) Make sure you describe the product clearly. (3) Emphasize the product's competitive advantages.

Again, this sort of criticism applies to all three applicants, not just to you. But you're coming across as someone whose postings had better not get any non-positive comments...

I vote for wende in phoenix to be gadget-woman or whatever we're calling it these days! Yes!