Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
—Bob Dylan
(“The Times They Are A Changin’“)
I’m Ingrid, and from Tuesday I’ll be writing for TechCrunch out of London.
I’m actually from Monterey, California, but today I live nowhere near that part of the world. I think this can only be a good thing for a Silicon Valley blog: it gives me a head start on covering news, a different perspective, and a chance to concentrate more on what’s happening elsewhere — specifically here in Europe but further afield, too, in a way that speaks to readers everywhere.
I’m joining TechCrunch from paidContent, where I’ve been writing about a lot of different things, but mostly mobile, digital business models (advertising, in-app payments, everything in between), and online media in its many forms (including my new boss, AOL).
What else? I’m interested in continuing on with some of the excellent work from Mike Butcher and Robin Wauters covering startups from over here.
And, apart from being a very approachable and charming person (who is never facetious), I can also speak Russian — I was born in Moscow. I wonder if that might help me penetrate some of that world a bit more.
There is one last thing I’d like to add, mainly because it’s been bothering me this week, but also because I hope it gives you a bit more of an idea of who I am:
There are some who believe tech journalism — online even more so — has reached an inevitable state of decline, that it’s only going to get worse from here on in, and will the last one out please shut the door.
I’m not going to argue about the merit of any specific post here.
I wanted to say something else: bad, very misguided journalism has always existed, way before pageview slaves were born (newspapers endorsing Hitler, anyone?), and that some good (even great) writing has always — always — coexisted with the very bad.
I think the key is to be persistent, to talk to people, stay honest, and leave your ego somewhere else. That’s what I’d like to do here.
Full disclosure: The big picture up above is, sadly, not one of me. The tiny one above it is.
(Photo courtesy of Fred Baby on Flickr)