Guy Kewney
Encyclopedia
Guy Kewney was a South African
-born British
journalist
, regarded by some as the first UK technology journalist. He was best known as a personal computing pundit, starting with Personal Computer World
writing a monthly column for the magazine from its launch in 1978 until its closure in June 2009. He launched the blog NewsWireless.Net in 2002 and was a founding partner of AFAICS Research. His daughter, Lucy Sherriff, was on the staff of The Register
until 2007.
At the peak of the fame and influence of PCW, Guy Kewney was widely regarded as one of the UK's most influential writers and broadcasters on microcomputing technology, founding and editing trade publications Microscope and PC Dealer, co-presenting Computer Trade Video and working as a TV presenter for five years on Thames TV's Database and Channel 4's 4 Computer Buffs before helping launch Ziff-Davis in Britain as the star columnist of PC Magazine
(UK), PC Direct
, Computer Life, IT Week
, and ZDNet
UK.
BBC News 24
made headlines in May 2006, when they interviewed Guy Goma
live on air, mistakenly believing him to be Kewney. News 24 Journalist Karen Bowerman
asked the Congolese Economics graduate questions about the Apple Corps v. Apple Computer
court case under the impression that he was Kewney. Kewney did not take the mix-up well and wrote an angry response on his blog, 'NewsWireless' in which he comments "[a]nd the fact that a few hundred thousand people in the world are now under the impression that I’m an ignoramus who knows nothing about technology or Apple or iPods, and has a very poor command of English? – well, that’s not the Beeb’s problem, is it? After all, is a journalist going to sue the BBC and get blacklisted? Of course not!"
Kewney was diagnosed with colorectal cancer
in 2009, which was found to have spread to the liver, and wrote about it in his blog, The Hunky Mousehole. He died peacefully in the early hours of 8 April 2010, survived by his wife Mary and two daughters.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
-born British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, regarded by some as the first UK technology journalist. He was best known as a personal computing pundit, starting with Personal Computer World
Personal Computer World
Personal Computer World was a long-running British Computer magazine.Although for at least the last decade it contained a high proportion of Windows PC content , the magazine's title was not intended as a specific reference to this...
writing a monthly column for the magazine from its launch in 1978 until its closure in June 2009. He launched the blog NewsWireless.Net in 2002 and was a founding partner of AFAICS Research. His daughter, Lucy Sherriff, was on the staff of The Register
The Register
The Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
until 2007.
At the peak of the fame and influence of PCW, Guy Kewney was widely regarded as one of the UK's most influential writers and broadcasters on microcomputing technology, founding and editing trade publications Microscope and PC Dealer, co-presenting Computer Trade Video and working as a TV presenter for five years on Thames TV's Database and Channel 4's 4 Computer Buffs before helping launch Ziff-Davis in Britain as the star columnist of PC Magazine
PC Magazine (UK)
There are several different versions of PC Magazine. The UK edition was taken over by VNU in 2000 and ceased publication in 2002, although they still maintain a website.The columnists moved to Personal Computer World....
(UK), PC Direct
PC Direct
PC Direct was a UK computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. The magazine was shut down in 2001 soon after Ziff Davis sold its European business to VNU.- References :*...
, Computer Life, IT Week
IT Week
IT Week is a weekly newspaper for the UK computing industry, published by Incisive Media.It was launched on 18 May 1998 and was originally published by the UK subsidiary of American media company Ziff Davis. In late 2000, Ziff Davis sold all its UK print publications, including IT Week, to VNU...
, and ZDNet
ZDNet
ZDNet is a business technology news website published by CBS Interactive, along with TechRepublic and SmartPlanet. The brand was founded on April 1, 1991 as a general interest technology portal from Ziff Davis and evolved into an enterprise IT-focused online publication owned by CNET...
UK.
BBC News 24
BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
made headlines in May 2006, when they interviewed Guy Goma
Guy Goma
Guy Goma is a business studies graduate from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo who gained international fame when he was accidentally interviewed live on BBC News 24, a UK television news station, on Monday 8th May 2006.-The interview:...
live on air, mistakenly believing him to be Kewney. News 24 Journalist Karen Bowerman
Karen Bowerman
Karen Bowerman is an English journalist and television presenter who has worked for Sky, ITV, CNN International and the BBC. She was the consumer correspondent for BBC One and the business, finance and consumer presenter for the BBC News Channel and its international counterpart BBC World...
asked the Congolese Economics graduate questions about the Apple Corps v. Apple Computer
Apple Corps v. Apple Computer
Between 1978 and 2006 there were a number of legal disputes between Apple Corps and the computer manufacturer Apple Computer over competing trademark rights...
court case under the impression that he was Kewney. Kewney did not take the mix-up well and wrote an angry response on his blog, 'NewsWireless' in which he comments "[a]nd the fact that a few hundred thousand people in the world are now under the impression that I’m an ignoramus who knows nothing about technology or Apple or iPods, and has a very poor command of English? – well, that’s not the Beeb’s problem, is it? After all, is a journalist going to sue the BBC and get blacklisted? Of course not!"
Kewney was diagnosed with colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
in 2009, which was found to have spread to the liver, and wrote about it in his blog, The Hunky Mousehole. He died peacefully in the early hours of 8 April 2010, survived by his wife Mary and two daughters.
External links
- Fare comment! - article about Congolese job applicant mistakenly being interviewed instead of Guy Kewney (with link to video of the interview)
- Guy Kewney at NewsWireless.net
- Interview with Kewney (Oct 06)
- The i-Kew - down as of 18/08/07
- AFAICS Research
- Guy Kewney's influence on the home computer industry. At Bruceongames
- Thread for memories of Kewney
- Obituary: Guy Kewney BBC
- Guy Kewney RIP Manek Dubash