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Hey Friends,
As I am sure you all know, I run dotTech less as a business or work, and more as a hobby. In other words, I enjoy writing articles and reviews for dotTech and enjoy the interaction with dotTechies from all around the world. However, lately, since my short one week break, writing a review for GOTD everyday has been feeling more like a chore rather than a fun past-time. Taking into consideration this is supposed to be my “winter break”, I have decided it is best for me and the future of dotTech-GOTD relationship to temporary halt GOTD reviews and just take a break. What I mean is for a temporary time I will not be publishing GOTD reviews. I have already not published GOTD reviews for the past week or so, so I may as well finish off the break as it is intended to be. The plan is to restart GOTD reviews very soon, at the latest when winter break ends.
However do note I will still be publishing non-GOTD related articles on dotTech; but the rate of the articles will most likely be less than in the past, maybe one article every day or two (depending on whenever I find something interesting to talk about).
I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused everyone. Please don’t egg my house. Or my car. Or my grandmother.
Take care,
Ashraf
Still the geek of dotTech
About the author: Ashraf View all posts by Ashraf
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I trust your opinions!!!
I appreciate all your hard work!!!
I was wondering if there might a close group of your dotTech.org friends that might be willing to pitch in and give some “guest” reviews of GOTD and others while you take a break or on a ongoing basis to give you some “rest” from the “chore” of writing. I know you love your writing and advise giving – I am not saying replace your work with others – just allow some to help take the “pressure” off.
Keep up the good work and ENJOY your time-off.
Never let your hobbies turn into “haf’tas”
You have done a great job here mate and deserve a rest.I agree with others about taking things easy for a while,you have done yourself and ourselves proud with this site and it shows.Take a break and let us your faithful share the load for a while.I think we can manage that :-) Take care my friend and have some well deserved rest.
Your reviews are great, but there’s been too much sameness in GOTD recently. When you get back in gear, just concentrate on their offerings that provide something we haven’t seen too much of already anyway.
GAOTD can go on but dottech has to have you. Rest up and write when you can…tell Grand Ma I’m sorry about the eggs. :D
Don’t worry about it, man. Most of the GAOTD stuff is crap anyway – some beginner software trying to get their name out there and instead showing everyone why NOT to buy their software. If there’s an exceptional software posted there it would be great if you would still review it, but other that that you don’t really have to even after the Christmas break is over.
Don’t sweat it. As you said, it’s a hobby, not a job. Although we appreciate everything you do, you don’t anyone anything. Take a break and enjoy yourself.
Many thanks for your reviews, postings and website–they all are greatly appreciated! And enjoy your break–it is a good thing to recharge periodically.
As to the GOTD reviews, a suggestion: they are great to see, but I wonder if they can be shorter and, on many occasions, in the form of a “GOTD-at-a-Glance” review; in fact, that could be the default starting position. Perhaps a paragraph summarizing what the software does and its capabilities, a paragraph summarizing the successes and failures with it, and then a concluding listing of alternatives with a few words about each. OK, and maybe a last paragraph for personal opinions and observations–it’s you website, after all! You might find that these “At-a-Glances” are less burdensome and bring back some of the fun for you!
Again, many thanks–
ALL of us need to “re-charge” from time to time. Even a labor of love can turn into ‘work’ very easily.
Rest your mind, body and spirit…
Ashraf, even “burn out” is now reviewed with your personal flare. None of us are above our limitations. It’s part of being a human being. In your case it’s being a human being able to project warmth, respect and caring advice; a good friend indeed. I can’t help myself from seeing you positively. With appropriate inspiration I care about you and appreciate what you do. Your house is safe; no yolk intended.
You deserve a break for as long as you want. I don’t know where you get the energy to do what you do, but I am grateful. Happy Gregorian calender New Year!
Thank you for all you do and have done and will do! We appreciate your dedication to this “hobby” and understand your reasons for cutting back.
Live long and prosper!
Thanks for the heads up Ash. Your last ‘disappearance’ caused some mayhem, concerns and confusion in dottech nation. Glad to hear that everything is O.K. with you. Enjoy your break.
Although I can not vouch for your car or house, I can truly assure you that no self respecting dottechie will egg your grandmother’s house for not writing GOTD reviews.
Thanks for all you do, and pass our regards and thanks to your grandmother, a truly special woman among all special grandmothers of the world.
Life is short, live and enjoy everyday, responsibly, to the fullest.
“Cuídate mucho” (Take care of yourselves) to all dottech nation.
I have enjoyed and respected your judgements for quite a while, and will still look foward to them in the future.
Great job,
Al Lipsky
Lynbrook, NY
Take your break, you deserve it. =)
Missing your fine reviews very much.
(keep looking here every day before at GAOTD !),
waiting happily for your vacancy to finish.
Whish You have a nice time and a happy new Year !
In other words, Ashraf, we love you!!!
You deserve a break! Thank you for your tremendous daily efforts! You are very much appreciated and trusted by your loyal subscriber base.
Hi Ashraf, do whatever you want, we will always support you. Even without gaotd reviews, I will come here everyday. Take care, my friend.
Hi Ashraf, I would also say that is incredible how many articles you can write in a week, I know by my self that hobbies some time take much more time and life that you have decided in the start. Take care of your self and make your life as you desire it. Here where I live they usually say, you need to load your batteries sometimes.
Happy New Year to you Ashraf and the dottech readers :O)
Hello Ashraf,
Thank you for all you make for us. Take your break.
Hi Ashraf,
You deserve the best winter break for the awesome work you’ve done. Enjoy it.
Hey man,
Don’t sweat it. Of course we’ll miss your reviews but I think we all know that in the long run, this break of yours may actually benefit dottech. How? Well, I’m sure you’ll miss doing all this stuff after your break and then you’ll come back with a vengeance. :) Besides, a hobby stops being a hobby when its no longer fun. No pressure man. Just enjoy your vacation.
yah, what they said.
enjoy your time off, enjoy your break, enjoy life.
Like everyone has been saying, you definitely deserve a break. Last thing we want happening is you feeling grrrrr-ish about doing reviews, and as a result decreasing the level of quality that we have come to rely on from your work, or worse yet, just saying to heck with the whole thing and disappearing off to the wilderness somewhere and leaving us to fend for ourselves.
Enjoy your time off, and get back to the GAOTD part when you feel you can. In the meantime, you know we’ll all still check out what you have to bring our attention to via the other work you do here at dot tech.
Cheers!!