ZDNet

File:Zdnet-lightbg-200px.png
URL	http://www.zdnet.com/
Slogan	"Where technology means business."
Category	Business Technology
Publisher	CBS Interactive
Launch date	April 1, 1991
Language	English
Editions	Australia, Asia, China, France, Germany, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Korea, USA
Registration	Optional
Readership	23 million monthly[1]
Country	United States
Editor	Larry Dignan
v t e

ZDNet is a business technology news website published by CBS Interactive, along with TechRepublic and SmartPlanet. The brand was founded on April 1, 1991 as a general interest technology portal from Ziff Davis and evolved into an enterprise IT-focused online publication owned by CNET Networks.

History[link]

Beginnings: 1991 to 1995[link]

ZDNet began as a subscription-based digital service called "ZiffNet" that offered computing information to users of CompuServe. It featured computer industry forums, events, features and searchable archives.

Initially, ZiffNet was intended to serve as a common place to find content from all Ziff-Davis print publications. As such, ZiffNet was an expansion on an earlier online service called PCMagNet for readers of PC Magazine. Launched in 1988, PCMagNet in turn was the evolution of Ziff Davis' first electronic publishing venture, a bulletin board, which launched in 1985.^[2]

On June 20, 1995, Ziff-Davis announced the consolidation of its online information services under a single name, "ZD Net." The service had grown its membership to 275,000 subscribers across six platforms: CompuServe, Prodigy, AT&T Interchange, the Microsoft Network, AppleLink and eWorld.^[3]

A few months prior to the name consolidation, Ziff-Davis expanded onto the World Wide Web under the name "ZD Net."^[4] Dan Farber, former editor-in-chief of PC Week and MacWeek, was named editor-in-chief of the property.^[5] By June, the site was recording web traffic of 2.5 million pageviews per week.^[6]

Early history: 1995 to 2000[link]

By its fifth-year anniversary in 1996, the collective "ZD Net" brand—now on the Web, America Online, Microsoft Network and Prodigy—counted 300,000 subscribers and was named the second-highest grossing advertising site on the Web.^[7] The site also expanded overseas: initially to France, Germany and the U.K.; later to China, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and India.^[8]

In 1997, the website—now the brand's flagship property—underwent another redesign that featured topical "channels" of content. It also marked the change in name from "ZD Net" to "ZDNet."^[9]

ZDNet News[link]

Two months prior, the company launched ZDNet News, or "ZDNN," the site's first dedicated section to original reportage.^[10] Among the journalists hired to staff the department were former Computer Shopper executive editor Charlie Cooper, San Jose Mercury News business editor Steve Hamm, PC Week Inside senior editor Bill Snyder, PC Week editor John Dodge, Computerworld editor Michael Fitzgerald and PC Week editorial director Jim Louderback.^[11]

The appointment of digital publishing executive Dan Rosensweig as ZDNet's first president capped a year of significant change for the brand.^[12]

In 1998, ZDNet launched "Inter@active Investor," or ZDII, a spin-off website for investors that offered financial news and information on technology companies.^[13]

ZDTV[link]

On May 11, 1998, Ziff-Davis launched ZDTV as the first cable television channel and website to offer 24-hour programming about computing and the Internet. The venture, which was partly owned by Vulcan Enterprises, was supported with a staff of 170 and incorporated ZDNet content on its website, ZDTV.com.^[14][15] The channel would later become Tech TV.

By the end of 1998, ZDNet was the dominant technology brand online. It led its closest rival, CNET, by a 26 percent margin and was the 13th most popular site on the Web, reaching 8.4 million users, or 13.4 percent of all users on the Web.^[16] The site would reach an additional 600,000 users within a year.^[17]

ZDNet the company[link]

In 1999, Ziff-Davis spun ZDNet off as a separate company and offered it as a tracking stock, ZDZ, to accompany the parent stock, ZD. An initial public offering raised $190 million, but the tracking stock was eliminated in early 2000 and revived as common stock.^[18] The new company soon acquired Updates.com, a software upgrade service. It was incorporated into the site's "Help Channel."^[19]

Consumer expansion[link]

In 1999, ZDNet also launched "Tech Life," a network of six consumer-focused tech sites intended to attract parents ("FamilyPC"), music listeners ("ZDNet Music"), gadget enthusiasts ("ZDNet Equip"), gamers ("ZDNet GameSpot") and basic users ("Internet Life" with Yahoo).

It also launched "Computer Stew," a web-based comedy show about technology that featured John Hargrave and Jay Stevens,^[20] as well as the first ZDNet Holiday Gift Guide.

On December 30, 1999, ZDNet launched a $25 million branding campaign in response to a $100 million advertising campaign launched by rival CNET.^[21]

ZDNet's lead over the competition narrowed by 2000. Despite a record 10.7 million unique users in January, it managed only a 13 percent lead over the next competitor.^[22] By mid-2000, ZDNet had expanded to 23 countries in 14 languages on six continents.^[23]

The CNET years: 2000 to 2007[link]

On July 19, 2000, CNET Networks—parent company of CNET, ZDNet's largest rival—announced that it would acquire ZDNet for about $1.6 billion.^[24] Some analysts thought that the merger of CNET and ZDNet would lead to redundancy in their product offerings, but research revealed that their target audiences had just 25 percent overlap.^[25]

In 2001, Ziff Davis Media Inc. reached an agreement with CNET Networks Inc. and ZDNet to regain the URLs lost in the 2000 sale of Ziff Davis Inc, to Softbank Corp.^[26]

In 2002, CNET Networks launched ZDNet sister site Builder.com, a site intended for enterprise software developers.^[27] On July 7, 2002, CNET Networks acquired Newmediary for its database of more than 30,000 enterprise IT white papers.^[28] ZDNet had integrated its services into its "Business & Technology" channel as early as January 2001.^[29]

Realignment[link]

In 2003, CNET Networks redesigned and relaunched ZDNet as an enterprise-focused publication intended to help business executives make better technology decisions.

The entire site was realigned as part of a CNET Networks B2B portfolio that included CNET News.com, Builder.com and TechRepublic.^[30]

A "Tech Update" section was created to serve as a directory of proprietary IT research (dubbed "IT Priorities"), and a new "Power Center" was implemented to prominently feature webcasts, white papers and case studies from partners. ZDNet also offered eight enterprise-targeted newsletters, as well launched its first blogs.^[31]

In 2005, ZDNet Government was launched as the brand's first industry vertical, with a mission to cater to IT professionals in the public sector. Editorial features included writing by former Utah CIO Phil Windley, TechRepublic columnist Ramon Padilla and CNET News reporter Declan McCullagh. ZDNet also launched its first original podcasts in 2005.^[32]

ZDNet Blogs[link]

In 2006, ZDNet experienced another redesign that reduced its editorial focus on traditional news articles and product reviews and emphasized a growing network of expert bloggers, now totaling more than 30. The blogs covered topics such as enterprise IT, open source, Web 2.0, Google, Apple and Microsoft, and featured journalists David Berlind, Mary Jo Foley and Larry Dignan.^[33]

On February 19, 2008, Larry Dignan was appointed editor-in-chief of ZDNet and editorial director of TechRepublic,^[34] replacing Dan Farber, who became editor-in-chief of CNET News.com.^[35]

The CBS years: 2008 to present[link]

On May 17, 2008, CBS Corporation announced that it would acquire CNET Networks for approximately $1.8 billion.^[36] The entire company would be organized under its CBS Interactive division.

In May 2010, ZDNet redesigned its site to place emphasis on the topics its blog network covers—now "Companies," "Hardware," "Software," "Mobile," "Security" and "Research" -- and de-emphasize the downloads and reviews it imported from CNET post-merger.^[37][38]

Content[link]

ZDNet currently operates a network of about 50 blogs loosely aligned by its major verticals: companies, hardware, software, mobile, security and IT research. Within those general areas are blogs on gadgets, management strategy, social media, datacenters, technology law, SOA, healthcare, CRM, virtualization and sustainability.

The site still offers product reviews and software downloads, which are mostly imported from CNET. It maintains an extensive database of enterprise-focused white papers.

Competitors[link]

Publications from IDG – PCWorld, InfoWorld, NetworkWorld and CIO – and TechTarget are primary competitors to ZDNet. The site also competes with technology publications from its former corporate owner, Ziff-Davis.

Newer publications such as GigaOm, TechCrunch and ReadWriteWeb also compete with ZDNet. Gadget-oriented consumer publications such as Engadget and Gizmodo are indirect competitors. Corporate sibling CNET—specifically News.com -- remains an occasional rival from a coverage standpoint, though their respective audiences do not overlap significantly.

Awards and recognition[link]

At the 14th Annual Computer Press Awards in 1999, ZDNet was adjudged the Best Overall Online Site.^[39]

In 2007, the Association of Online Publishers awarded ZDNet UK under the Business Website category for its contribution to innovation in incorporating Web 2.0 and community features effectively on its site.^[40]

ZDNet international editions[link]

ZDNet India[link]

CNET Networks in India closed their operations in 2001, but they continue to have the jobs site of ZDNet operational.^[41]

ZDNet Japan[link]

A Japanese news publishing company called Asahi Interactive owns the ZDNet Japan website. According to alexa.com statistics, the Japan.zdnet.com subdomain is the second most visited on ZDNet, after the blogs subdomain. Also, the ZDNet website has an overall traffic rank of 558 in Japan.^[42]

ZDNet UK[link]

The ZDNet UK Live feature displays real time news updates and comments on the website and on social media including Twitter.

Other country editions include Australia, Asia, Belgium, China, Germany, Netherlands, UK and France, in their native languages.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• ZDNet Australia
• ZDNet Belgium
• ZDNet UK

Jason Perlow is a technology columnist and Linux expert who is considered one of the top 100 technology experts on Twitter.^[1] He writes the Tech Broiler blog for ZDNet and the Off The Broiler "foodie" blog, and is an Advisory Architect for IBM. In 2007, Perlow decided to change his foodie lifestyle, a change which was chronicled by the New York Times.^[2]

Background[link]

Perlow spent ten years as a technology consultant for Bankers Trust, Canon, and Sharp Electronics.

Since 1998, Perlow has also been a technology and food writer. He was a Senior Technical Editor for PalmPower Magazine and Windows CE Power Magazine,^[3] a writer for Sm@rtReseller Magazine, and was a Senior Technology Editor for Linux Magazine.^[4]

In 2008, Perlow was named a blogger for ZDNet, a division of CBS, where he currently holds the title of Senior Technology Editor, and works as an Advisory Architect for IBM.^[5]

Foodie[link]

Perlow founded the eGullet.com food discussion community along with food writer Steven Shaw in August 2001 and was its sole financial supporter, proprietor and technologist. In 2004, he gave up his financial interest in the company and it became the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts and Letters, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, and he joined its Board of Directors.

In February 2006, Perlow founded Off The Broiler to "return to my roots as a food enthusiast and do what I truly loved, which is to talk and write about food, technology and other topics that genuinely interested me."^[6]

In April 2006, Perlow left eGullet and its Board of Directors to concentrate on Off The Broiler full time.^[7] In 2007, Perlow decided to change his foodie lifestyle,^[8] a change which was chronicled by the New York Times.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Perlows's weblog
• Tech Broiler

Christopher Henry Dawson (12 October 1889, Hay Castle – 25 May 1970, Budleigh Salterton) was a British independent scholar, who wrote many books on cultural history and Christendom. Christopher H. Dawson has been called "the greatest English-speaking Catholic historian of the twentieth century".^[1]

Life[link]

Brought up at Hartlington Hall, in Yorkshire, Dawson was educated at Winchester College and Trinity College, Oxford. His background was Anglo-Catholic, but he became a Roman Catholic convert in 1914. As a post-graduate student, he studied economics, and then at Oxford history and sociology. He also read in the work of the German theologian Ernst Troeltsch. In 1916, Dawson married Valery Mills.

Writing[link]

He began publishing articles in The Sociological Review, in 1920. His starting point was close to that of Oswald Spengler and Arnold J. Toynbee, others who were also interested in grand narratives conducted at the level of a civilization. His first book, The Age of the Gods (1928), was apparently intended as the first of a set of five tracing European civilization down to the twentieth century; but this schematic plan was not followed to a conclusion.

His general point of view is as a proponent of an 'Old West' theory, the later term of David Gress, who cites Dawson in his From Plato to Nato (1998). That is, Dawson rejected the blanket assumption that the Middle Ages in Europe failed to contribute any essential characteristics. He argued that the medieval Catholic Church was an essential factor in the rise of European civilization, and wrote extensively in support of that thesis.

He received also a measure of academic recognition, and was considered a leading Catholic historian. From 1940 for a period he was editor of the Dublin Review. He was Chauncey Stillman Chair of Roman Catholic Studies at Harvard University from 1958-1962.

Influence[link]

His writings in the 1920s and 1930s made him a significant figure of the time, and an influence in particular on T. S. Eliot, who wrote of his importance. He was on the fringe of 'The Moot', a discussion group involving Eliot, John Baillie, Karl Mannheim, Walter Moberly, Michael Polanyi, Marjorie Reeves, Bernard Lonergan and Alec Vidler;^[2] and also the Sword of the Spirit ecumenical group. According to Bradely Birzer, Dawson also influenced the theological underpinnings of J. R. R. Tolkien's writings.^[3] Russell Kirk was another who greatly admired Dawson, although the two men never met. The topical approach outlined by Dawson for the study of Christian culture forms the core of the Catholic Studies program at Aquinas College (Michigan).

Comparable historians[link]

As a revivalist of the Christian historian, Christopher Dawson has been compared with Kenneth Scott Latourette and Herbert Butterfield. ^[4] Comparisons have also been made between the work of Dawson and German sociologist and historian Max Weber. Both employ a metahistorical approach to their subjects, and their subjects themselves bear similarities; namely, the influence of religion on aspects of western culture.^[5]

Works[link]

• The Age of Gods (1928)
• Progress and Religion: An Historical Inquiry (1929). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2001)
• Christianity and the New Age (1931)
• The Making of Europe: An Introduction to the History of European Unity (1932). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2003)
• The Spirit of the Oxford Movement (1933)
• Enquiries into religion and culture (1933). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2009)
• Medieval Religion and Other Essays (1934)
• Religion and the Modern State (1936)
• Beyond Politics (1939)
• The Judgment of the Nations (1942). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2011)
  • The Failure of Liberalism** (1942)
• Gifford Lectures 1947–49
  • Religion and Culture (1948) ISBN 0-404-60498-6
  • Religion and the Rise of Western Culture (1950) ISBN 0-385-42110-9
• Understanding Europe (1952). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2009)
• Medieval Essays (1954). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2002)
• Dynamics of World History (1957) edited by John J. Mulloy, with others
• The Movement of World Revolution (1959)
• Progress and Religion: An Historical Enquiry (1960) with others
• The Historic Reality of Christian Culture (1960)
• The Crisis of Western Education: With Specific Programs for the Study of Christian Culture (1961). Reissued by the Catholic University of America Press (2010)
• The Dividing of Christendom (1965)
• Mission to Asia (1966) [Originally published: The Mongol mission (1955)]
• The Formation of Christendom (1967)
• The Gods of Revolution (1972)
• Religion and World History (1975)
• Christianity and European Culture: Selections from the Work of Christopher Dawson edited by Gerald J. Russello

Notes[link]

1. ^ The Vision of Christopher Dawson, Araceli Duque,
2. ^ Marjorie Reeves (editor), Christian Thinking and Social Order: Conviction Politics from the 1930s to the Present Day (1999), p, 25.
3. ^ Bradely J. Birzer Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth, p. 136.
4. ^ W. A. Speck, "Herbert Butterfield: The Legacy of a Christian Historian" in A Christian View of History?, George Marsden, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975 P.100
5. ^ Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the "Spirit" of Capitalism, and Other Writings. Penguin Books, 2002 P.xx

External links[link]

• Christopher Dawson Internet Archive
• The Failure of Liberalism (1942) by Chistopher Dawson.
• Full Dawson bibliography
• Overview of Dawson's Philosophy