Changing of the Magazine Guard
One door opens, another closes. It's that way in life, and certainly in the magazine business. Thus, it's my bittersweet duty to let you know that one columnist has left, and a pair of new columnists takes over.
First, the gloomy news: Greg Shields, our "Virtual Architect" columnist, is no longer with the magazine. The September/October issue was his last column with us.
Greg has been with Virtualization Review since the first issue, and will be missed tremendously. There aren't many writers out there with a better grasp of virtualization and the skill to explain it so clearly to readers.
Greg and I go back a long way. I gave him his first serious writing assignment, when he was picked to be the "Editor for a Day" for an issue of Redmond magazine, which I used to edit. I could see Greg's talent immediately, and he made me look very good by doing an outstanding job with the issue to which he contributed. He wrote some more freelance articles after that, and every one was terrific.
Eventually, when Redmond's "Windows Insider" columnist Bill Boswell left to join Microsoft, I asked Greg to step into Bill's large shadow. Greg was the first name I thought of to take over, and I wasn't disappointed; his work was consistently thought-provoking and high quality.
That quality continued throughout his work with Virtualization Review, which I asked him to join months before we launched. Greg has been working with virtualization technology for many years, and knows the stuff inside and out.
Greg is not only a terrific writer, but a first-class person as well. It's been a treat to work with him over the years. I note also that our loss has become TechNet Magazine's gain, as he's taken on a column for them. He will be a real asset for their readers.
I'm happier to report that we've found his replacement; not one, but two writers! We've brought on board the husband-and-wife team of Nelson and Danielle Ruest, who have already written their first column as our new "Virtual Architects" (note the pluralization). I've worked with Nelson and Danielle for years as well, starting again with Redmond. The Ruests write lots of books and are constantly working with clients, giving their writing a real-world feel that instantly connects with readers. Much of their current work revolves around virtualization, and they've already written a number of stories for Virtualization Review.
Another thing that separates Nelson and Danielle's work is the precision of their details. They make sure you understand the foundations first, then build on that. They think the way they write: Step by step. Their first column can be found in our upcoming Buyers' Guide, and it's a typically strong effort: A discussion of what it truly means to have a "dynamic datacenter", and how well the three big players -- VMware, Microsoft and Citrix -- stack up in that area.
So goodbye Greg, and congratulations on your new gig. And Nelson and Danielle, welcome aboard.
Posted by Keith Ward on 10/27/2008 at 12:48 PM