You may have expected my this EliteBlogger to be a die-hard technophile, an efficient gadget reviewer or a geek running a gadget blog but Gina Hughes, the chief editor and founder of Techie Diva falls beyond that by feeding her readers with a fresh dose of stylish gadgets that even a dull geek would respect. So full of life, Gina has the charisma to keep readers stay tune with her by unveiling fun gadgets, iPods, cell phones together with practical services and killer applications. Her presence here onto the EliteBlogger series purely goes to her diverse nature of personality, which is not only techie, or geeky, or Diva, but a complete TechieDiva.
Little were we aware that ‘Atari’ was her first and fortunate gadget and had Gina not being a blogger, you would have seen her in the image of a programmer. Gina, what made you pick Techie Diva amulet for your blog? Well, the term was coined while I was ogling at diamond encrusted cell phones on the Web, and thought ‘what a perfect way to taunt the non-believers.
Roll over to get a feel of how this 30 plus diva maintains equilibrium between her identity as a technology blogger that comes with a sweet and sour flavor of diva’s aspirations.
Gina, introduce yourself to my readers and take us to your daily flow of day.
Hiya Elite Choice readers. My name is Gina Hughes, and I’m the founder of the fabulous Techie Diva technology blog. I launched Techie Diva back in 2005 hoping to entertain readers interested in all things geeky, and have been extremely successful along the way. Besides overlooking all daily operations at Techie Diva, I also write for Yahoo! Tech on a daily basis, so check it out if you haven’t.
My day usually begins by reading lots of blogs through RSS feeds, selecting stories I think would interest my audience, then writing about them.
Are you a born Techie Diva or you developed this personality over the course of time?
It’s been developed, I guess. Actually, I’ve always been more artistically inclined so I’ve always enjoyed writing, drawing, design, photography, film, and anything else that gets my creative juices flowing. Technology just wasn’t as cool when I was growing up (you know, in the 80s). Had it been, I probably would’ve been a bigger nerd.
Your Techie Diva amulet is truly an oxymoron. What made you pick this?
I hate to hear people (women included) say that technology is a male thing, which as you know is a completely gross misconception. Techie and Diva are two words that are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum–kind of the way women and technology still appears to be to some–so joining those words was my way of rebelling against the mindset that women can’t be interested or successful in technology. The name came to me while I was ogling at diamond encrusted cell phones on the Web, and thought ‘what a perfect way to taunt the non-believers.’
Besides blogging on Techie Diva, you are also contributing to Tech Yahoo as a tech advisor. What difference do you feel in writing for a personal blog and on a corporate portal?
It’s a very different experience for obvious reasons. Yahoo! Tech reaches millions of Yahoo! readers’ that come from all walks of life so I try to keep in mind that not everyone who visits the site is a tech enthusiast. As a result, I find myself writing more in depth articles on Yahoo! And try to be more informative for the average reader, which always tends to generate excellent feedback in return. Writing longer articles is not always possible when you have a quota to meet, but we all do our best because we know those are the type of articles people want to read.
Besides gadgets and other electronic products, Japan keeps on delivering variety of robots. Can you picture a day when robots would behave no less than a man and own one to blog as your substitute?
Yes, I’m praying for that day so I can go on longer vacations.
Amidst pool of gadget blogs, what do you count as Techie Diva’s USP that becomes a reason for readers to dig in here?
Well, I can tell you there’s no sexist humor anywhere on our site. It really irritates us, and it serves no purpose other than offend the reader. We try to be respectful and neutral about what we write, and take the time to sift through all the non-sense to bring readers only the most drool-worthy gear/news out there. In the future, do look out for feature stories you won’t find anywhere else, including video interviews and more.
What is your take on the growing nature of concept-based products? Considering the advancement in technology, don’t you think these products would be of no relevance by the time they become functional, if ever?
Probably. Most concept designs are not plausible, but a lucky few make it and go on to be very successful after a few iterations. I love concept designs because they inspire us to think outside the box and create products that change everything like the iPhone.
Bloggers believe besides original content generation, networking comes, as a part and parcel of a deal that cannot be ignored. What is Techie Diva or Gina doing or has done at that front to invite more readers?
Networking is vital for success in the blogosphere, so we try to connect with bloggers as much as we can. We’re also dedicated to interacting more with our readers via whatever means possible including social networks, comments, email, or even social events. That said, satisfying the reader with unique and relevant content is key because we believe word of mouth is a very powerful instrument.
What should be the ratio of style specks to tech features that manufacturers should consider while developing any gadget?
20/80. I want my gear to look and work like it’s from the future. No pink, crystals, or crazy patterns please. Just give me an elegant piece of tech that can do it all.
Can my readers know: Which are those three gadgets (one fashionable) that a Techie Diva like you doesn’t skip to carry while stepping out?
Jawbone, iPhone, GPS
Pen down your daily online-reads.
Yahoo! News
New York Times
Reuters
Yahoo! Tech
Gizmodo
Engadget
If asked for giving three tips to a greenhorn blogger, what would that be?
Find something better to do. Just kidding.
I’d say plan your day, find sources you can trust, and network as much as you can.
Is it good to have an individual identity of a blog or run it as a part of a blogging network?
Everyone will have a different opinion, but I like to keep things simple so I prefer to keep my individual identity. Blogging networks are very powerful and lucrative, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re going to join a network make sure it’s your own.
How would you like to be known as:
Technophile
Gadget Journalist
Gadget Reviewer
Blogger
TechieDiva
Techie Diva, of course
Whom would you count as the top-five male and female geeks each?
Gosh, there are so many to narrow down to five, but my favorites amonst male category are :
Bill Gates, Little does he needs introduction but facts reveal he is the world’s third richest man (as of 2008) and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc.
Jerry Yang, an American entrepreneur and the co-founder, CEO and chief Yahoo! of Yahoo! Inc.
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, an American entrepreneur and a founder of the online social networking website Facebook together with his fellow Harvard student and is named him as “the world’s youngest self-made billionaire” with a theoretical net worth of US $1.5 billion
The Google Guys: Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the brains behind Google, the world’s most popular Internet search engine.
In the women category:
Mary Lou Jepsen was the founding chief technology officer of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC).
Mitchell Baker (aka Winifred Mitchell Baker), chairman of the Mozilla Foundation and chairman and former CEO of the Mozilla Corporation.
Meg Whitman (aka Margaret C. “Meg” Whitman) was president and chief executive oifficer of eBay from March 1998 to March 2008.
Caterina Fake running her blog Caterina
Xeni Jardin is a tech culture journalist, co-editor of the award winning blog BoingBoing, and co-host of the daily internet video program BoingBoingTV.
Where do you see your blog after five years from now?
Hopefully still going growing, but I’d love to really integrate more video, social network, and more feature stories.
Quick bites:
Hours you invest digging net: Too many to count
Biggest blogging mistake you did: Not starting one earlier
One hidden truth: I’m not that into Sci-Fi movies
If asked to post only on one blog (not Techie Diva), which one would that be? Probably one that’s not tech related like TMZ.
Advice you would have given yourself five years ago? Travel more
If not a blogger then.a programmer
Life without Internet: Unbearable
First gadget you kept your fingers upon: Atari
Whom would you recommend as my next EliteBlogger and Why?
I would have to recommend another geek girl you may know as Cali Lewis (aka Luria Petrucci) from Geekbrief.tv. She’s sassy, sweet, smart, and inspiring all the same time.
Give us your views on EliteChoice.
I love luxury blogs, and Elite Choice is a great way to discover fantastic items.
Your turn! I am ready to answer a question for you.
Will you be buying the new iPhone 3G? Why or Why not?
Yes because it is an affordable luxury.
And at last, i won’t thank my dear friend Gina but would surely wish her luck to keep doing great work so that it gives us enough meat for carrying such interviews. Pleasure having you here Gina.
