Editor's Note: Six the Hard Way

This morning I got my dream job. My boss and friend, Lance Ulanoff, is moving on, and I am assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com. And while I will miss Lance dearly, I am pretty damn happy about my good fortune. It's a great time to be in technology and in digital media, and I can think of no better place to be then here at PCMag.

PCMag is a 29-year-old brand, but our mission hasn't changed much over the years. It reads:

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Notice that it reads PCMag.com, because as most readers know, PCMag is all digital. In January of 2009, we published our last print issue. Turns out, mailing dead trees to people's homes isn't the best way to live blog an Apple product launch or let people know the know the PlayStation Network is down again. Smarter and more-disciplined people than me made the decision to stop printing the magazine, and, it turns out, it's been a good thing. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have been able to do it. I love print too much—the feel of the pages, the smell of the ink, and the opportunity to tell designers how I think our pages shouldn't be laid out (turns out you can do this online, too). I have a great appreciation for what was PC Magazine and what is now PCMag.com.

I will be the sixth Editor-in-Chief of PCMag. I have never met its founder, David Bunnell, who has started more magazines and media properties than most writers could ever hope to read, but I've been fortunate to work with the rest. Back when I was at Computer Shopper in the 1990s, Bill Machrone helped me pitch my first original magazine idea to the CEO and top executives at Ziff. They passed. In fact, we pitched the idea to three different CEOs and, well, they all passed. I would tell you what the idea was, but I still think I have a shot. (Bill, call me… the new CEO is totally game.)

After a few years of freelancing, I got a full-time job at PC Magazine. Michael J. Miller was the Editor in Chief. Michael read every word published in the magazine, and whether it was a printer review or an interview with an industry executive, he found something that everyone had missed. I'm proud to say that Michael still posts his insights and opinions on PCMag.com, at his Forward Thinking blog.

Jim Louderback took over as Editor in Chief after Michael. Jim brought an incredible amount of energy to the publication, but to say he only brought energy is to dismiss Jim's incredible intellect. He knew great stories, great story telling, and was an excellent editor. He also helped PCMag expand into video, a medium that Jim loved. He left to be the CEO of Revision3, which is creating some of the most innovative Internet television online today.

Jim handed the reigns over to Lance Ulanoff, my boss and mentor at PCMag.com. Lance needs no introduction, of course. You can read a part of his . Suffice to say he has taught me a ton about media, technology, and how to reboot a robot vacuum when there is no reset button (just pop the battery).

My point, I suppose, is that being Editor-in-Chief of PCMag is a big deal. Ziff Davis hasn't always had an easy go of it, but having seen a little bit of where PCMag.com and all of our other properties, including Geek.com, the newly relaunched ExtremeTech.com, and our various blogs, are heading, I am enormously excited about the company's future. Our staff of analysts, writers, and editors are the best in the business.

Watch this space. Great things are coming.