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Neowin.net is a technology news website that focuses primarily on Windows and PCs, however Mac and Linux are also topics actively discussed. Neowin runs under the slogan, "Where unprofessional journalism looks better."
Neowin was started as a hobby in October 2000 by Marcel Klum and Steven Parker, known within the forums as "Redmak" and "Neobond" respectively.
Neowin is considered to be one of the great representations of the growth and concentration of enthusiastic users in computing, and of the ominipresent Microsoft Windows Operating System in all its forms. It has broken several stories, such as the leak of Windows source code onto the internet.
The servers hosting Neowin were upgraded during December 2005 and Neowin 3.9s was launched. This upgrade, codename "Swift", is a progression from the version 3 theme and introduces subtle visual differences as well as a major overhaul of the content management system, focusing on semantic XHTML and CSS technologies and replacing the out-dated nested table design. The forum system was also upgraded to IPB 2.1.3 as part of this move.
Site Structure
The website is composed of several areas which all provide different services:
NEWS
There are four news sections that involve different areas of technology.
- Main - general news, featuring articles about various tech-related subjects;
- Apple - news articles focusing on Apple hardware and software;
- Gamers - news about both PC and console gaming;
- Software - features mostly Windows software, including updates and beta releases.
ARTICLES & REVIEWS
This part of the site contains content that is original to Neowin and not linked from other sites.
FORUMS & BLOGS
These parts of the website provide users a area to talk about technology and other topics.
The Neowin forums are Powered by Invision Power Board forum software. Neowin has an active technology forum consisting of 126,285 registered users (December 23, 2005) and nearly 5¼ million posts. At its peak (October 14, 2005 at 2:50 AM PDT), Neowin had as many as 3,048 users online simultaneously. According to Big-boards.com it is the 6th largestInvisionBoard forum on the internet.
The Neowin forums trancend the normal web forum orthidoxy in that they provide an unusually friendly and "safe" enviorment
While the primary topics on Neowin are generally percieved as being Microsoft and Windows-centric, the forums have a large community for other discussions, including, but not limited to:
- Latest electronic technology: devices, gadgets, and other hardware.
- Customization and tweaking of Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
- Console and PC gaming.
- Discussion of real world issues (politics, religion, philosophy).
- Hardware related topics, such as overclocking.
- Internet and Web Browser discussion, such as Opera and Mozilla Firefox.
- Sports and Automobile discussion.
- Linux and Mac technology discussion
The blog extension of the forum, which allows Neowin users to post things they find interesting in their own personal blog, was only recently introduced with the latest update to the website's forums (3.9).
Staff
The staff on Neowin are:
Administrators; Redmak, Neobond, Daniel.
Supervisors; AgEnTsMiTh, BOOGSoftball, fred666, Joel, Toxicfume, WishX.
Coderators; Gerry, Marshalus, pHaez, Timdorr, Toxikk.
Graphix; FlishFun.
Global Moderators; Aaron, bangbang023, blackice912, Boffa Jones, BroChaos, Chad, Dave, dreamz, Frank, Radish™, rezza, sanctified, shockz, Simon, Triliaeris, Wickedkitten.
Forum Moderator; Dazzla.
News Moderators; matt74441, SMeK, Wave.
IRC Moderators; Colin-UK, Enigma-Penguin, pimpshiznid.
Software Contribution
Neowin has also been known for helping people to release new freeware programs to the public. Some examples of programs that started life on Neowin are AutoPatcher, HardDriveIndicator, WeatherAlert, and Nexus Messenger
The Future of Neowin
On Neowin's fifth anaversary, it's owners announced that a new look and backend would soon be coming to the site.
This new look -- Neowin 5 ("Finity") -- is due to launch in the near future with a brand new front page and forum theme designed by Jason Kelley (known within the forums as "FlishFun").
External links
- Neowin.net main website
- Neowin.net forums
- Interview with founders of Neowin
- #neowin IRC channel
- Neowin graphics work request system