Last week I decided that I needed a bit more fun in my life, or if you look at it another way, to add some more workload to my already busy day. Since I cover technology all of the time in the form of reviews, how-to’s, fix-it’s and other musings, often with a family spin, I needed a way to “vent” or at least, have a way to express the other side of technology – the side of failure.
I wanted to create a site that people would go to for laughs, so that they would know that they are not alone when their gadgets or gizmos or software or hardware decides to go haywire or simply fail. And, it had to be simple for me to update. So, one night last week, I started searching for a domain that would be easy to remember. “TechFail.com” was taken, or at least it is for sale (anyone want to buy it for me?). But I was able to get “tech-fail.com“. Within an hour or so, I owned the domain and was in the process of installing WordPress on it.
For me, blogging software was the easiest way to go when creating a content site. I know how WordPress works, what plugins I like (but I did find some new ones in the process) and found what I hope is a pretty good theme. But this is probably not that interesting for you. So I will skip the details.
What’s important here is that the site is live and it is STARVING for content. I have found some good sources for videos/graphics/stories, but for the most part, I have been the only one scouring the web looking for funny technology failing content. A site needs content in order for it to be alive. The content needs to be relevant and should be engaging to the audience, whether you are writing about the latest kitty litter or the next big advancement in physics. People will come if the content is right. But with old or stale content, you only have search engines to keep you going and with all of the new content created daily, it’s easy to get buried. With fresh content, people come back for more (hopefully).
That is where I need YOUR HELP.
I know that you have encountered a failure of technology in your day-to-day life…or you have seen some sort of a funny video of a guy smashing his computer or something because he’s frustrated. Something like this:
[iframe_loader width=”425″ height=”349″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/V6iDw5ykmwQ?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen ]
So I ask you for this, the next time you encounter a technology failure (a “techfail”), remember the site: http://tech-fail.com. Go there and submit it, there is a quick form do send something in. Or if you want, you can send a link to me (@hightechdad) on Twitter, or better yet, send a tweet to @tech_fail_com. Submitting content will make it grow and succeed, and hopefully provide enjoyment or amusement to you and others.
As Robert Scoble tweeted about the site: “Cool new site. @HighTechDad started tech-fail.com It’s always fun to study failure.”
I created this site for YOU…as a way to have a laugh or just take a break from our technology-filled lives. But in return, I hope that you can help it grow.
www.Tech-Fail.com
Join me in the collecting and celebration of technology failures! Become part of the Tech-Fail.com army and submit some content! I’d really appreciate it.
HTD says: I love it when technology works, but it’s even more fun when it fails, as long as it doesn’t affect you directly!
