|
Freeform Dynamics  David teamed up with Freeform Dynamics in September 2007. He researches and analyses social and environmental computing matters. He has other internal responsibilities which explain why his business card reads 'programme director'. He made the move because he likes the people and because prefers to base his consulting and reporting on primary research among IT and business professionals and on preferential access to industry sources. Since starting, he has found the analyst community entirely to his liking. (Although he occasionally misses the cut and thrust of the journalistic world.) Despite officially retiring his 'journalist' role on teaming with Freeform, he finds himself writing more than ever before. His editors on Information World Review, SmallBizPod and Sustainable Solutions all asked him to continue contributing. So he does. His Teblog blog has gone weekly and is dedicated to Freeform Dynamics subject matter. It is usually republished by Computing. In the first few months of his Freeform role, he also contributed to CIO magazine, The Register and silicon.com. This 'outreach' writing is an important complement to Freeform's private engagements and community research reporting. He has also collaborated on, or written, a number of minibooks. |
 |
Training, BrainStorm and background In theory, the Freeform Dynamics role leaves David with a little bit of time for other activities. While not seeking new business, David does provide the (very) occasional media skills training course, often in partnership with Martin Banks. (After almost 20 years of running Press Here courses, we sold the presshere.com domain name and put the proceeds in our piggy banks.) David has also coached a number of startups on how to secure interest from venture capitalists. He has also helped technical people to brief board members. David had a secret hobby called BrainStorm. It's a piece of software he first wrote in 1981 which enables you to capture and organise thoughts and other information. The business was sold to Brainstorm Software, Inc. in Colorado in October so David and Marck Pearlstone, who was the lead programmer for many years, are taking a back seat but keeping a friendly eye out for the new owner. In a previous life, David was an IT professional for 11 years (programmer to IT manager) and a management skills trainer at ICL (now Fujitsu-Siemens) for three. His writing career started with the relaunch of Personal Computer World, which he edited for over two years. He was a director of Caxton Software for three years then became a freelance journalist. He was shortlisted eight times for national writing awards and won three times. |
