Chris Pirillo
Encyclopedia
Christopher Joseph Pirillo (born July 26, 1973) is the founder and maintainer of Lockergnome, which is a network of blogs, web forums, mailing lists, and online communities. He spent two years hosting the TechTV
television program Call for Help
, where he also hosted the first annual Call-for-Help-a-Thon. He now hosts videos on several Internet sites, including CNN
, YouTube
, ustream.tv, CBC
and his own website.
. He studied at the University of Northern Iowa
, where he majored in English education. For a short time, he was a 7th grade English student teacher at Coke R. Stevenson Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington
with his two dogs, Wicket and Pixie, after whom the bots on his IRC chat room are named. Pirillo streams video of his office live and has a large community of dedicated supporters that watch his frequently recorded videos on various tech-based and non-tech-based topics.
, blogs, and new and emerging technologies and concepts, such as Web 2.0. Gnomedex 10 was held in August 2010 in Seattle, Washington.
Pirillo streams video live from his home office on Ustream
, and his stream at http://live.pirillo.com is one of the more popular, with over 5,000 regular watchers. His streams, also broadcast on YouTube
, focus on software, hardware, review, computers, iPhone
applications, operating systems, gaming, and other technology-related topics and events. , Pirillo has had over 100,000,000 views. , he reached over 180k subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Pirillo runs several online communities. His Lockergnome blogging network has over 100,000 members. Geeks, his Ning-based social network, has over 24,000 users. Lockergnome began as a technology mailing list in 1996, offering tricks and tips for operating systems and applications, software suggestions (with an emphasis on public domain and shareware
software), and web site recommendations. Several mailing lists are now provided, offering technology Advice and Tips and other content syndicated from Lockergnomes blogs and web forums, including IT Professionals and problem solvers.
Pirillo's advocacy of new technology went as far as setting up, with Jake Ludington
, a BitTorrent server at vistatorrent.com "to help Microsoft get [Windows Vista] Beta 2 in users' hands" in 2003. According to Information Week, Microsoft had "reported problems in delivering Beta 2 electronically ... recommending on its own Web site that users order the DVD rather than download the 3.5-4.4GB file". Microsoft sent a cease and desist
e-mail, and the pair complied.
Pirillo is the author of several books, including Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing, Online! The Book with John C. Dvorak
and Wendy Taylor, and several ebooks. In January 2010, he began hosting "Help Desk with Chris Pirillo", a weekly live video call-in show on Microsoft's Channel 9 web site. The show is at the pilot stage. Since early 2011, Pirillo has been one of the featured "CoolHotNot Tech Xperts," along with John C. Dvorak
, Jim Louderback
, Dave Graveline
, Robin Raskin, Dave Whittle, Steve Bass, and Cheryl Currid. At CoolHotNot's web site, he shares his "Loved List" of favorite consumer tech products, along with a "Wanted List" and a "Letdown List".
TechTV
TechTV was a 24-hour cable and satellite channel based in San Francisco featuring news and shows about computers, technology, and the Internet. In 2004, it merged with the G4 gaming channel which ultimately dissolved TechTV programming...
television program Call for Help
Call for Help
Call for Help, also known as CFH, was a computer-themed television program that first aired exclusively on TechTV , a cable and satellite television network focused on technology, and then aired on G4techTV Canada and the HOW TO Channel in Australia...
, where he also hosted the first annual Call-for-Help-a-Thon. He now hosts videos on several Internet sites, including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, ustream.tv, CBC
CBC.ca
CBC.ca is the English-language online service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was introduced in 1996. Under its previous names, the CBC's online service first went live in 1993....
and his own website.
Biography
Pirillo was born on July 26, 1973 in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. He studied at the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
, where he majored in English education. For a short time, he was a 7th grade English student teacher at Coke R. Stevenson Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
with his two dogs, Wicket and Pixie, after whom the bots on his IRC chat room are named. Pirillo streams video of his office live and has a large community of dedicated supporters that watch his frequently recorded videos on various tech-based and non-tech-based topics.
Projects
Since 2001, Pirillo has hosted Gnomedex, which is a yearly conference covering art, science, social mediaSocial media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
, blogs, and new and emerging technologies and concepts, such as Web 2.0. Gnomedex 10 was held in August 2010 in Seattle, Washington.
Pirillo streams video live from his home office on Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
, and his stream at http://live.pirillo.com is one of the more popular, with over 5,000 regular watchers. His streams, also broadcast on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, focus on software, hardware, review, computers, iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
applications, operating systems, gaming, and other technology-related topics and events. , Pirillo has had over 100,000,000 views. , he reached over 180k subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Pirillo runs several online communities. His Lockergnome blogging network has over 100,000 members. Geeks, his Ning-based social network, has over 24,000 users. Lockergnome began as a technology mailing list in 1996, offering tricks and tips for operating systems and applications, software suggestions (with an emphasis on public domain and shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
software), and web site recommendations. Several mailing lists are now provided, offering technology Advice and Tips and other content syndicated from Lockergnomes blogs and web forums, including IT Professionals and problem solvers.
Pirillo's advocacy of new technology went as far as setting up, with Jake Ludington
Jake Ludington
Jacob "Jake" Byron Ludington is the American author of Easy Digital Home Movies and founder of tech help site MediaBlab.- Biography :Ludington was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He majored in Marketing at the Iowa State University. He married Robin Amrine on June 6, 2004...
, a BitTorrent server at vistatorrent.com "to help Microsoft get [Windows Vista] Beta 2 in users' hands" in 2003. According to Information Week, Microsoft had "reported problems in delivering Beta 2 electronically ... recommending on its own Web site that users order the DVD rather than download the 3.5-4.4GB file". Microsoft sent a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
e-mail, and the pair complied.
Pirillo is the author of several books, including Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing, Online! The Book with John C. Dvorak
John C. Dvorak
John C. Dvorak is an American columnist and broadcaster in the areas of technology and computing. His writing extends back to the 1980s, when he was a mainstay of a variety of magazines. Dvorak is also the Vice-President of Mevio and well known for his work for Tech TV...
and Wendy Taylor, and several ebooks. In January 2010, he began hosting "Help Desk with Chris Pirillo", a weekly live video call-in show on Microsoft's Channel 9 web site. The show is at the pilot stage. Since early 2011, Pirillo has been one of the featured "CoolHotNot Tech Xperts," along with John C. Dvorak
John C. Dvorak
John C. Dvorak is an American columnist and broadcaster in the areas of technology and computing. His writing extends back to the 1980s, when he was a mainstay of a variety of magazines. Dvorak is also the Vice-President of Mevio and well known for his work for Tech TV...
, Jim Louderback
Jim Louderback
James 'Jim' Louderback is the CEO of Revision3. He has had numerous jobs in media companies involved in technology, most notably with TechTV and editor-in-chief of PC Magazine...
, Dave Graveline
Dave Graveline
Dave Graveline is an American radio talk show host. His syndicated show "Into Tomorrow" has been on the air for the past 16 years and is currently aired in over 160 AM & FM stations throughout the U.S., on the Armed Forces Network, and on several foreign radio stations.- Early career :Graveline has...
, Robin Raskin, Dave Whittle, Steve Bass, and Cheryl Currid. At CoolHotNot's web site, he shares his "Loved List" of favorite consumer tech products, along with a "Wanted List" and a "Letdown List".