Harry McCracken
Encyclopedia
Harry McCracken is creator of Technologizer, a technology-oriented website. He also presently writes a weekly column with the same name for the TIME.com
website. Harry is also a contributing editor at CNET
.
Until June 2, 2008, McCracken was the Editor in Chief
of PC World
for four years; he had previously held other editorial positions for ten. He was educated in the public schools of Newton, Massachusetts, the Cambridge School of Weston, and Boston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
. Crawford responded, calling media reports of McCracken's resignation "inaccurate." CNET
later reported that McCracken had told colleagues that IDG
"was pressuring him to avoid stories that were critical of major advertisers." On May 9, 2007, Crawford was transferred to another department and McCracken returned to PC World.
magazine. He was also co-moderator of the BIX
Animation Forum, with the late Emru Townsend. He is also the webmaster of the Scrappyland website, devoted to the Charles Mintz cartoon character Scrappy
. He has also contributed to Slate
.
.
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
website. Harry is also a contributing editor at CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
.
Until June 2, 2008, McCracken was the Editor in Chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
for four years; he had previously held other editorial positions for ten. He was educated in the public schools of Newton, Massachusetts, the Cambridge School of Weston, and Boston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
Awards
McCracken has won a number of awards for his editorial work. He received the American Business Media Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity in 2008, recognizing his resignation on principle in 2007 (see Controversy section below). That same year he also won Best Editorial Column recognition from ABM and was listed on Folio: Magazine's list of 40 media influencers.Controversy
On May 1st, 2007, McCracken, resigned abruptly under controversial circumstances. According to sources quoted in Wired Magazine, McCracken quit abruptly because the new CEO of PC World, Colin Crawford, tried to kill an unfavorable story about Apple and Steve JobsSteve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
. Crawford responded, calling media reports of McCracken's resignation "inaccurate." CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
later reported that McCracken had told colleagues that IDG
IDG
International Data Group is a technology media, research, event management, and venture capital organization.IDG evolved from International Data Corporation which was formed in 1964 in Newtonville, Massachusetts, by Patrick Joseph McGovern and a friend, Fred Kirch...
"was pressuring him to avoid stories that were critical of major advertisers." On May 9, 2007, Crawford was transferred to another department and McCracken returned to PC World.
Other works
In addition to his computer magazine work, McCracken has also been active in animation fandom, as a central mailer for Apatoons, and editor of Animato!Animato!
Animato was a magazine that was dedicated to animation, general viewed by animation fans as a successor to Michael Barrier's pioneering Funnyworld and David Mruz's Mindrot/Animania....
magazine. He was also co-moderator of the BIX
Byte Information Exchange
Byte Information eXchange was an online service created around 1985 by Byte magazine. It was a text-only Bulletin Board System-style site running the CoSy conferencing software running originally on an Arete multiprocessor system based on Motorola 68000s. When that didn't scale well, it was...
Animation Forum, with the late Emru Townsend. He is also the webmaster of the Scrappyland website, devoted to the Charles Mintz cartoon character Scrappy
Scrappy
Scrappy is a cartoon character created by Dick Huemer for Charles Mintz's Krazy Kat Studio. A little round-headed boy, Scrappy often found himself involved in off-beat neighborhood adventures. Usually paired with his little brother Oopy , Scrappy also had an on-again, off-again girlfriend named...
. He has also contributed to Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
.
Personal life
McCracken married Marie Domingo on December 26, 2010. He is the brother of novelist and teacher Elizabeth McCrackenElizabeth McCracken
Elizabeth McCracken is an American author.McCracken, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, graduated from Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts, earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from Boston University, an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa, and...
.