When working as an editor or writer online, it’s easy to stay behind the scenes and remain something of an elusive shadow. AppStorm is no exception – we have a great team of editors and writers who work really hard to bring you a regular stream of top-notch articles across the sites.
Today, I thought it would be fun to publish an interview with your very own editor – Jarel Remick. He joined the AppStorm team at the end of 2009, and is the driving force behind everything that goes on at Web.AppStorm.
I hope you enjoy getting to know your editor a little better, and feel free to leave a few questions for him in the comments!
How did you begin working for Envato/AppStorm?
In late 2008 I stumbled across ThemeForest and decided to become an author there. A few months later a reviewer position opened up and I convinced Jeffrey Way (ThemeForest’s site manager at the time) that I would be a great fit for the job. Not long after becoming a reviewer for ThemeForest I began writing for Nettuts+ and ThemeForest’s blog.
I was offered ThemeForest’s blog editor position but that didn’t pan out because the marketplace blogs ended up being discontinued. At this point I had my foot in the door with Envato as a writer and possible editor if something opened up. Not long after, Chris Bowler, the prior Web.AppStorm Editor, decided to leave Web.AppStorm to spend more time on his new business.
This was my opportunity to get involved with the AppStorm sites and the rest is history!
What part of your job do you enjoy the most? And which part really grids your gears?
I definitely love trying out all the fantastic web apps we cover, and it’s great having front row seat to watch the evolution of the web and the increasingly amazing applications being developed.
I don’t know that there is a part of my job that really grinds my gears, but I would have to say I probably dislike re-formatting really long posts like roundups. That’s not really an issue any more though.
Which web apps couldn’t you live without?
Well, aside from WordPress for Web.AppStorm, Google Apps mail (or Gmail) is, without question, an app I couldn’t manage without. I nearly live in my email inboxes.
After that, Hootsuite is probably my second most used web app I rely on daily for everything from staying current on news and web app updates to socializing and communicating with our readers.
Talk us through your computer setup – both hardware, and software!
My computer setup is quite modest, but it more than gets the job done for me. I use a 20″ iMac with a second, matching resolution, display. For backups and extra storage I use a 750GB Lacie FW800 drive, which is also mirrored on Backblaze.
In addition to the iMac, I use an iPhone while I’m out and about, even using it to access and control my iMac while I’m away.
As far as software goes, Safari and Chrome are probably my most used desktop apps and are always running. These are the other apps that get to stay on 24/7.
- Hootsuite (via Fluid)
- Skype
- Gabble
- Speed Download
- Activity Monitor
- Evernote
- Dropbox
- Notify
- Jaadu VNC
- iClip
- Typinator
- Funes
These are my other regularly used apps from left to right on my dock.
- MAMP
- Parallels
- Coda
- TextEdit
- Transmit
- Photoshop
- Pixelmator
- Lightroom
- LittleSnapper
- Skitch
- iTunes
Which post on Web.AppStorm are you most proud of having published?
Hmm, I’d have a hard time narrowing it down to a single post so I’ll list a few:
- 10 Reasons I’m Switching from TweetDeck to HootSuite
- 10 Marketing Resources Every App Should Provide
- 15 Awesome Dropbox Tips and Tricks
What do you get up to when you’re not editing our awesome articles?
When I’m not working on Web.AppStorm or ThemeForest stuff, I’m usually on the computer reading about technology and app news, watching Hulu, editing photos or doing something else along those lines. I try to balance my time on the computer vs the real world but it’s difficult when your passion is technology.
Occasionally I’ll realize I haven’t gone outside in 2-3 days so I try to make a point to get some sun every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes while checking the mail.
When I do manage to get away from the computer I’m either working out, going hiking, or visiting friends. When I really need to de-stress, I’ll go for a nice long day hike and take lots of photos. Photography is a relatively new hobby for me that I’ve fallen in love with, so more and more of my free time is spent doing that (usually while hiking).
What’s the best thing that you’ve watched, listened to, and read this week?
I watched the movie “Red“, which has some of my favorite actors and had some neat effects. I discovered some music by Citizen Cope, my favorite song being “Bullet and a Target”. The best thing I think I’ve read this week was the comic “This is what my car needs” by The Oatmeal.
Photo by Roger Byrne. See his Flickr gallery.
If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?
How do you think we could make Web.AppStorm (or AppStorm in general) better?
Thanks, Jarel!
Thanks to Jarel for taking the time to shed a little light on how he came to edit Web.AppStorm, and what his routine looks like!
If you have a question for him, or would like to answer his question above, we’d love to chat in the comments. Now’s your chance to quiz your editor on anything and everything related to AppStorm and web apps (no pressure, Jarel!)
Thanks for reading, and look out for similar editor interviews across the other AppStorm sites soon…