Join Our Blog Community

Generally, this time of the year is cause for reflection--only not in the sense of personal contemplation, but in terms of technological advancements. Remember the early days of the web when you felt that the world was right at your fingertips? With one click of the mouse, you were transported to a place our grandparents could never have imagined. It was likely the same kind of feeling people had when turning on their very first television set or playing a video in their brand-new VCR, and wondering to themselves: "How did I ever get along without it?"

For many, the Internet wasn't just about merging onto the information superhighway. It was about people forming communities in cyber space, and discovering others from around the globe who shared mutual interests--however obscure those interests might be. In those days, people spent hours in front of their computers engaged in dialogue that focused on everything from politics to music, to hobbies like baseball card collecting and scrapbooking. The web also brought comfort to those who longed to find others who understood their plight, causing them to proclaim: "I'm not the only one!"

Chat rooms, of course, have evolved over the years--even the term has become somewhat dated. And, most don't refer to the Internet as the "information superhighway" anymore. Today, chat rooms have become far more than just an exchange of text. They have morphed into what are now commonly known as "blogs," which are comprised of article postings, opinions and even online journals. What's more, blogs serve as an online forum for people who really just want an outlet. Some might agree that these sites have taken the place of Monday-morning conversation around the water cooler.

The entertainment industry has certainly made its presence known in the blogosphere. Popular blogs for hit television shows like "Lost," "American Idol" and "Grey's Anatomy" certainly keep the buzz going and viewers tuned in each week. Yet, it's not just the TV networks that are launching these sites. Diehard fans are starting their own blogs based on these same shows.

And while these sites tend to quench our thirst for gossip and social interaction, others see them as a valuable networking tool for their businesses. According to Marty Fahncke, by blogging about the show, "American Inventor," from an infomercial/DRTV perspective, as opposed to an entertainment angle, he received a lot of online traffic from bloggers who recommended that people read his blog because of the unique twist.

We at Electronic Retailer recently made the decision to launch our own blog. We wanted to give readers and industry members an opportunity to express their opinions and share their stories with others.

Therefore, I invite you to become a member of our blog community. Here's your opportunity to let your hair down and share your thoughts. How do you get started? Simply go to the site at electronicretailerblog.com, read the articles and postings, and weigh in with your opinion. Our objective is to establish an active online dialogue among those in the industry. Remember, the more you participate in the blog, the more value you will get out of it in the long run. And who knows, maybe you'll even think to yourself: "How did I ever get along without it?"

Vitisia Paynich
Editor-in-Chief