Why I’m starting Delimiter

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opinion In my time as an Australian technology journalist working for publications like ZDNet.com.au and The Australian Financial Review, I’ve interviewed a lot of global technology executives.

The situation is always the same. The executive is the “Asia-Pacific vice president” or the “global general manager of operations”, they’re in Australia for a week to check up on their local division, and they take a day or so out to talk to the press.

My standard first question is always: “So, how are you liking Australia so far?”

From here their response can go one of two ways.

75 percent of people say something polite about the nice weather and beaches, the dangerous creatures and the short distance to Asian markets.

But it’s the other 25 percent that I like.

These are the people who get a little excited gleam in their eye. “It’s bloody awesome!” they exclaim, or proclaim similar words to that effect.

They then proceed to tell me how they have already fallen in love with Australia after only a few days here. The weather is amazing. The food is fantastic, the wine as good as you can buy in France. The people are “so laid back” and you can even go for Friday drinks with your competitors because everyone just gets on so well.

They’ve probably gone on a power jog around Sydney Harbour and realised that for a modest sum they can buy a decent-sized boat and take it out on the water every weekend, while still making their sales targets during the week.

They’ve realised, in short, what most Australians realise. We’re blessed to live in one of the best countries in the world. We have enough of everything, and not too much of anything. I’ve seen several members of this 25 per cent go out of their way to get transfers Down Under, or when that fails, leave their job overseas for one in Australia.

The reason that I’m starting Delimiter (and may launch other sites in the future) is that like that 25 per cent, I love Australia. While I do follow international news, what I’m really fascinated with is Australia’s technology sector in all its facets (IT, telco, gaming, consumer gadgets and so on). I’ve worked in that sector myself.

I wanted to found a site that would cover that sector in minute detail. A site that would tell the stories of Australians, for an Australian audience.

Also, just one more thing.

I’m going to make all of the content on Delimiter available for other publishers to license for a flat fee, in a similar model to the one used by ‘wires’ services like Australian Associated Press and Reuters.

It is my hope that by doing so, other Australian technology publishers will be able to reinvest in quality investigative journalism in the local market and stop competing for the scraps of basic coverage any more.

There’s been too much doom and gloom about Australia’s journalism industry in the past 12 months, and it’s time to look towards a stronger future together. One where Australian journalists get back to our job of holding the nation’s rich and powerful to account — and even gently teasing them about their foibles.

Feel free to post your feedback below.

52 COMMENTS

  1. All the best with your ideas and new venture. The tech media has a long "cargo cult" history of lauding O/S tech over the home-grown thing. The reasons for our tech sector is what it is is something I would like to read about.

  2. Good luck Renai, sounds like a great idea with good focus on the Aussie market.

    Although I'd argue that French wine is better (and cheaper) :)

    All the best.

  3. Congratulations Renai. It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this new venture and I'm glad that there will be a specifically Australian IT media outlet. Can't wait to see more.

    Good luck!

    • I'm sure you'll put out a valuable resource, but drop the nationalism. You can service a need in a small discrete market like Australia without having to resort flying the bloody flag (disgrace that it is).

      cheers, and good luck.

  4. Congrats Renai!! Sounds like an exciting and interesting venture.

    Isn't it funny that an Australian-focussed publication is such a unique thing in Australia!

    Look forward to catching up to learn more.

  5. Looking awesome so far, Renai =) I'm very interested in your venture, and look forward to what it brings!

    All the best =)

  6. Congratulations Renai

    I like the concept and the perspective and look forward to both reading you directly and seeing you improve the occasionally shoddy tech reporting the mainstream media falls back on. Accuracy and enlightened insight is always a good thing!

    Good luck!

    Joe

  7. Congrats Renai – I wish you all the best, and hope in 20 years from now you're running a vast media empire!

  8. Thanks for all the kind wishes everyone! I am a little awed that so many people dropped by to wish me well!

    @Jimmy: I too believe nationalism is a bit of a troubled concept. We don't want to go too far with it and exclude others. However I feel that many people in Australia right now are searching to discover what Australia truly means :) And I hope to be part of that debate to influence it positively :)

  9. Well done launching this, not only for the faith in Aussie IT but also in the hope that we can start having more focus and attention on companies that produce IP rather than just dig stuff out of the ground!

    Good luck!

  10. Renai its great to see you take this bold step forward for Australian IT journalism.

    I wish you every success with it.

    Australia has a huge array of IT talent with some great ideas, startups and established success stories. The failures always make for useful case studies to learn from as well. I look forward to reading your coverage here in Delimiter.

    warm regards,

    Bradley

  11. I moved to Australia less than a year ago and my eyes are still gleaming :)

    I also think it's an exciting time to be here given the balance of (economic) power shifting east and the opportunities presented to technology and communications companies based in Australia.

    Look forward to reading your articles.

  12. […] Since Delimiter launched several months ago, we’ve gone through the typical phases of any startup. There was the day where we got slammed by our much larger competitor (actually, that was our first day). There was the day where we forget to eat properly because of working too hard and had our spouse give us concerned looks and cook us a nutritional meal. […]

  13. Well done Delimiter – after for decades in IT and three decades helping or delivering successful outcomes there is no doubt in my mind there is no valid excuse for the massive failure experienced regularly – not since late 90s early 00s when Google and blogs etc became so effective if experienced independent system development auditor or other strongly and widely skilled overseer is used.
    Absolutely no valid excuse now in 2013 with sites such as yours!
    Congratulation!

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