Take Five With Tom Fenton

Things I'll Miss Most

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

• By Keith Ward
• 01/01/2010

This is my final "Take 5" column for Virtualization Review magazine. I'm moving on to other magazine pastures, and I only hope the grass is as green there as it is here.

I took on the role of founding editor of Virtualization Review a little more than two years ago. It was a somewhat crazy idea, starting a new print magazine in the depressed IT publishing space-especially in an area that had no print magazines in existence. But my bosses had faith in the idea, and their vision has been rewarded. Virtualization Review is going strong, and I've left the magazine in the fantastically capable hands of Bruce Hoard, who's off to a fast start.

There are many things I'll miss about covering virtualization on a day-to-day basis. Here are the five chart-toppers.

Take 1
The readers. I've gotten to know you through my blog, your comments in stories and your e-mails, and even met you face-to-face at various shows. You are what make this magazine worthwhile. You've told me what you like and don't like about the magazine, virtualization in general, the various vendors and much more. I thank you for your valuable feedback. I hope I've served you well; you've certainly served me well.

Take 2
The authors. It's been a pleasure to work with such a stellar group of writers and technologists over the past several years. A partial list includes: Tom Valovic, Beth Schultz, Chris Wolf, Greg Shields, Nelson Ruest and Danielle Ruest, Scott Lowe, Rick Vanover, Drue Reeves, Reed Wilson and a host of others that I don't have space to mention. (I don't want this to be an Academy Awards acceptance speech.) You folks are simply the best. Thanks for making my job such a pleasure.

Take 3
The vendors. I've taken hundreds of briefings over the years and got to know a number of vendors quite well. It's my opinion that innovation is greater in virtualization than in any other field of IT, and that's in large measure due to the creative folks making great hardware and software to move this industry forward. Most vendors have been unfailingly patient in explaining their technology to me and, in many cases, even allowing me to demo and use it. Keep pushing that envelope, folks!

Take 4
The blogs. When it comes to industry coverage, virtualization-more than most IT arenas-is driven by blogs. The writers do a wonderful job of giving great insights and analyses on what's happening. While I'll still be checking in regularly, it won't be a daily exercise anymore. Some of the blogs and bloggers I'll miss most (and this is another woefully incomplete list): Brian Madden; Scott Lowe; Alessandro Pirilli; Everyday Virtualization (our own Rick Vanover); Yellow Bricks (Duncan Epping); and Virtually Speaking (Dan Kusnetzky and Paula Rooney).

Take 5
Just everything. Helping produce Virtualization Review, both in print and online, has been the most fun I've had on the job in my 20 years as a journalist. The energy of the industry; the cool new products that are, in many ways, inventions; the merger and acquisition phase it's going through; the battle to be "King of the Hill." These are the things I'll miss. I want to thank all of you for making this the ride of my life. Keep in touch.

Send your thoughts on what you like best about the magazine and what you'd like changed to [email protected].