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Welcome to The Red Ferret Journal.

What?
The Ferret is a weblog which looks at gadgets, software, web sites and trivia in what is hopefully a fun and offbeat way. You won't find coverage of every single MP3 player or mobile phone launch listed here - for that type of comprehensive reporting you need to visit the excellent Gizmodo or Engadget sites - but you will be able to read about unusual, important or downright bizarre technologies, products and events.

We pride ourselves on two things:
a) giving early warning on potentially important new technologies and trends and
b) on digging out the weirdest, silliest and most arcane news from around the world.

Apparently the Ferret now has some rather important, influential and cool readers, but of course we couldn't possibly comment on that!


Who?
The Ferret is edited, produced, designed and written by Red, a black footed, red sable Mustela furo hybrid. By the way, if you're reading The Ferret in California, please do be careful and keep the door closed at all times, as it is unlawful to own a ferret of any kind in that state (as well as gerbils, hedghogs, sparrows and land snails).

Red prefers to remain annonymous in order to give full rein to his creative urges. His normal daytime profession is as a freelance technology columnist and feature writer on a well known UK publication, and he feels - rightly or wrongly - that declaring this identity publicly would shackle his zany, outspoken, contentious and downright slapdash delivery.

Or not.


When?
The Red Ferret Journal was originally started in March 2000 as an experiment in the then emerging web log tools. The first site was located on a Freeservers free host and used the, now sadly defunct, Grok Soup weblog service as the engine. It was created to provide a safe and relatively private way of picking up some rudimentary skills in HTML, web design and javascript.

Why?
The current version went public in December 2001, with a more professional design and attitude. There were three main reasons for its re-launch:
a) To give back. Red has been an online user since January 1992 and today uses the Web extensively in just about every way possible. Producing The Ferret is a way to return something to the Web as part of the 'community' spirit.
b) To act as an online log of interesting technologies and trends, which can be used as an aide memoire and reference source at times of need.
c) To see whether a tiny, obscure weblog started up by an annonymous scribbler could generate a readership, and perhaps even become somewhat influential on its own un-hyped terms.
d) To provide an editor-free zone where Red could write freely, enjoyably and non-commercially on any topic he chose.


Where?
The Ferret is published from a bijou residential home office somewhere in the darkest wilds of West London, UK.

Red hopes you enjoy reading it as much as he enjoys writing it. Please feel free to send any comments, suggestions, or news stories his way via FerretMail.



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