who are you, anyway?
Good question, actually. I’m Dave Hamilton… beyond that, a quick history of business-related involvements might help. In 1998, Bryan Chaffin and I started The Mac Observer, the best Mac-news site on the web. Then we hired Greg Snyder to head up our ad sales department. Pretty soon we had other Mac-based web sites coming and asking if we would do the same thing for them that we’d done for ourselves. This made us all realize that we had yet another venture on our hands, and as such BackBeat Media was born out of the combined energies of Greg, Bryan, and myself. Then in 2000, The Mac Observer partnered with the wonderful folks at Rebound Technologies to form Deals On The Web, delivering a healthy, daily dose of hand-picked deals and coupons from — you guessed it — around the web. In 2005, The Mac Observer started another web property, iPodObserver. This site focused and comments on the life-changing revolution brought about by portable music players, portable audio, podcasting, and iPod-related stuff in general.

The Mac Observer was acquired in early 2022, and that has given me time to continue focusing my efforts on three podcasts: Mac Geek Gab, Gig Gab, and Business Brain.

Additionally, because I both enjoy getting outside and also being a productive member of my local community, I have always kept at least a small consulting business, helping folks with their computers (yes, that includes both Mac and Windows). Unfortunately, I haven’t found the time to commit to this last bit since we moved here to New Hampshire in 2005, but… perhaps soon I will?

yeah, that’s all fine and good, but really who are you?
I’m Dave… the nerd. I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. I have a great family, including my wife, Lisa, my daughter, Skylar, and my son, Lucas. Lisa and I are currently empty-nesting here in Durham, New Hampshire, where we raised our two kids. Oh yeah, and I’ve been a musician for as long as I can remember.

you’re a musician, too?
Yep, I started playing the drums, oh… well, a LONG time ago, and haven’t really stopped. Currently I’m playing with two bands consistently, Bitter Pill and Fling, with the occasional dose of acoustic fun in Monkey Fist, all in the New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts area.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing with a lot of great musicians and bands over the years, some of whom include Jeff Steblea, Murry Woods, and Hypnotic Clambake, the last with whom I spend a few months on the road touring (and living on a converted school bus!). I also play the piano/keyboards, and though I’ve technically played that instrument longer than the drums, I’m not nearly as proficient on the keys! Also, in August of 2008 I started taking guitar lessons along with my daughter, and that’s given me enough facility to simply accompany myself whilst singing, with voice being another instrument I’ve worked on significantly over the past few years.

ok, that’s cool. what else have you done?
Well, let’s see. My first (and some would argue only) “real” job was working for a little company called Citibank. There, as a member of the Home Access team, I was involved with the rollout of the first banking screen phone and their (dial-up!) online banking system, Direct Access. Then, in 1995, I partnered with Lee Robin and helped to build the Computer NERDZ! business. Eventually Lee and I decided we would both be best served working on different projects, and went our separate ways. Both Citibank and Computer NERDZ! are still thriving today. 🙂

why do you have a blog?
Well, first and foremost, I’m a nerd. And secondly, I’m not really actively blogging. While I do enjoy writing, I am far more drawn to podcasting and the interactivity that allows us all to have with one another. Seriously, go check out my shows!

why “dave the nerd”?
Ya know, it’s funny, I don’t remember where it first came from. I do remember how surprised I was when I got to Austin, TX, and found other people calling themselves by that name, which was, of course, one of the reasons I got in touch with them (and probably one of the reasons Lee called me back!). But wherever it came from, it stuck, and it is one of those names no one forgets. See? Now you won’t forget it either. So there. 🙂