Welcome to MakeUseOf, a booming daily blog that features cool websites, computer tips, and downloads that make you more productive. The aim of MakeUseOf is to guide you through the web and tell you about hot websites that you have never heard of, best software programs, and all kinds of “how to” tips for Windows, Mac and Linux computer users.
MakeUseOf launched in July 2006 and now has approximately 450,000 active subscribers and serves about 20 million pageviews a month. It also ranks among the most popular blogs on the web according to Technorati and in the top 1000 websites worldwide according to Alexa (an Amazon company).
Over the last two years MakeUseOf has been recommended by several mainstream sites and mentioned in hugely popular publications such as Telegraph, Fast Company, the Washington Post, and PC Magazine, including their Top 100 Websites for three consecutive years. Moreover, the site has been recommended on several radio shows and TV programs like DL.TV, Palm Breeze CAFE, DiggNation and KNLS Radio’s “Eye On The Web”.
Meet The MakeUseOf Team
Aibek Esengulov (Editor In Chief / Co-Founder)
That’s me, the guy behind MakeUseOf and a true geek.
I consider myself a pioneer of a new generation of geeks, you may call it Geek 2.0. On the one hand I retain the basics of being a geek i.e. being good in science, treating my PC as member of my family, and reading lots of stuff on a daily basis. On the other hand I am good in sports, on excellent terms with females, hold PhD equivalent degrees in several video games, love Amsterdam and have a blessing to always find myself among the smartest people around.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computational Science and Masters in Entrepreneurship. MakeUseOf is my full-time job these days. If you would like to know me better, feel free to add me to your friends on Facebook (mention MakeUseOf as how you know me). Here are my Facebook and Twitter profiles.
If you have any questions feel free to email me at aibek[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Kaly (Arslan.E)(MakeUseOf Directory & GF Editor / Co-Founder)
I am a father of two, neo geek, tech-obsessed male who runs the MakeUseOf Directory. I am also the co-founder of MakeUseOf and have been here since the makeuseof domain went live. I happily live with my wife and two daughters in sunny Colchester. I have degrees in Theology and Biomedical science.
In regards to what kind of person I am, let me just paste you a few lines from what Aibek wrote about me earlier. It goes: “Unique, never boring, extremely smart, inspiring person with always something interesting to tell” I really like the “extremely smart” part. ;-). And continues: “…Apart from the web he is quite fond of projectors, video games, gadgets, cooking, arranging things, and LCD TVs“.
These days I work full-time for MakeUseOf, mostly running MakeUseOf Directory and Geeky Fun sections.
Whenever you stumble upon something cool on the web and would like to share it with us please send it over to Kaly (kaly[at]makeuseof[dot]com).
Mark O’Neill (Managing Editor)
Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland and now living as an ex-pat in Würzburg, Germany, Mark is the full-time managing editor of MakeUseOf and the 2nd in charge. He is the guy who reads and edits all article submissions and makes the best ones ready for publication. He is also the one who gets to decide whether something is going to be published or not. He manages the ever-expanding busy staff and makes sure everyone meets their deadlines on time. In short, he keeps MakeUseOf running on a daily basis.
He is highly active on the Internet. You can find him on Stumbleupon, Twitter and Facebook. He also has a personal website which you can find here.
For two years (2004 & 2005), he was a columnist on Auctionbytes covering eBay and e-commerce related stories and he has worked in the eBay/e-commerce sector as a consultant and copywriter. He has also written, as a contributing writer, for about a dozen other blogs, including Geeks Are Sexy and NowSourcing. He has been described by Techipedia as an “influencer”.
Email Mark at mark[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Management Team
Jackson Chung, M.D. (Associate Editor & Giveaways)
Jackson Chung, M.D. spends most of his free time indulging in electronics he can’t afford. He loves anything that goes beep and has an instructional manual. Being a passionate Switcher, he started working for MakeUseOf by writing Mac articles.
Currently, he is the Associate Editor whose main task is to ensure that everyone at MakeUseOf is a happy worker. He is also the principal giveaway program coordinator, product review team leader and manages MakeUseOf’s social media presence.
Email Jackson at jackson[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Saikat Basu (Assistant Publishing Editor & Internet Apps Editor)
A marketing greybeard reincarnated as a tech savvy professional freelance writer and blogger. That’s how Saikat describes himself. After having spent ten years in sales and marketing, he found nirvana in his old love for writing. So, you will always find him online trawling the net for bytes to comment upon or write about. His MBA degree might be gathering wool moths, but he tries to bring that training into his 360 degree imagination while writing.
His basic idiom on life is to find simpler answers to things which we miss in the clutter of the day. Be it a Windows shortcut, new web technologies, life hacks or positive inspirations from the world around us, his personal search engine is always on the go. Apart from tech topics, he loves writing about the environment and motivational themes.
Based in the City of Joy, Kolkata (India), he loves travelling offline too. That also allows him to try his fumbling hands on a Nikon. An avid reader, he likes nothing better than a mug of coffee and a good book. At MUO, he is a Staff Writer, and the assistant publishing editor.
You can reach Saikat by email at saikat[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Erez Zukerman (Android Apps Editor & Story Ideas Editor)
After working a number of years as a professional translator and as a technical writer with Taiwanese hardware company Tibbo, Erez decided to try his hand at technology blogging. He started writing at AOL’s Download Squad, and happily wrote there until the blog got shut down in the notorious Huffington Post buyout. He then moved on to writing for PCWorld and MakeUseOf, which he absolutely loves doing.
Erez has a penchant for alternative keyboard layouts, and has been using Colemak for a few years now. He also built his own custom workstation, and loves to take pictures with his Cannon 600D. He also sometimes tweets.
You can email Erez at erez[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Chris Hoffman (Newsletter Editor)
Chris is a tech-geek-turned-tech-writer from Vancouver, Canada. Chris was interested in both writing and technology from a young age. Growing up, if his head wasn’t buried in a book, it was staring at a computer screen. After years of tweaking software, building computers, being addicted to the Internet, and generally being obsessed with everything tech-related, he realized that he could combine his interests and make a living informing people about technology.
After a few years of writing about technology online and honing his skills, with work appearing everywhere from Salon.com to the Houston Chronicle, Chris joined MakeUseOf as a staff writer in December 2011. In June 2012, he took over the MakeUseOf Newsletter.
You can email Chris at choffman[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
James Bruce (Site Developer)
After taking a few qualifications in IT, James became a part time data-centre engineer, as well as a technical assistant at Kyoto University in Japan. With a budget to play with anything 3D related, James prototyped some giant multitouch displays. He eventually moved back to England, while at the same time, his best friend moved to China and started his own web development company. He and James now work full time together on WordPress and SEO projects.
James loves PC/Playstation/Xbox 360 gaming, Apple, board games and Dungeons & Dragons. He has an unhealthy relationship with his iPad, iPhone and iMac – but he’s not a fanboy. His Mac devices take pride of place next to his Windows gaming machine. He also loves motorbikes, and the awesome English countryside that he had totally forgotten about.
Email James with any website operational questions at jamesbruce[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Justin Pot (PDF Manuals Editor)
A Canadian expatriate living in Boulder, Colorado, Justin got his start at MakeUseOf in 2009. Today he’s responsible for the PDF Manuals project, that wonderful repository of free, in-depth information. Check it out here.
Being passionate about writing, and being a big fan of tinkering with technology of all kinds, MakeUseOf is pretty much a perfect fit for Justin. He loves all technology, but Linux and Open Source deserves his love more than anything else.
Other interests include international politics, which he will debate with you about on Twitter, and enjoying the beautiful trails Colorado has to offer. If you don’t hear back from him, he’s probably lost in the mountains somewhere with his wife. If that’s the case you can always check out JustinPot.com to see what he’s been up to lately.
Email Justin at justinpot[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Ryan Dube (Search Engine Optimization Editor)
Originally born in the wilderness of Northern Maine in the United States, Ryan was eventually civilized through a rigorous Electrical Engineering schooling.
With an obsession for high-tech gadgetry, a passion for creating unconventional computer applications and a love of writing, Ryan now serves as the MakeUseOf Idea researcher, always seeking to push the limits for creative and illuminating topics that will both educate and entertain MakeUseOf readers.
You’ll find Ryan throughout the net, working as a Group Editor for LoveToKnow, a major information portal site, as well as running his own blogs FreeWritingCenter and TopSecretWriters. You can also find him on Twitter.
You can reach Ryan by email at Ryan[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Tina Sieber (Answers Editor & Windows Apps Editor)
Tina Sieber grew up in the suburbs of Frankfurt and Stuttgart, Germany. After spending a voluntary year working in nature conservation, she was accepted to study Biology in Würzburg (never meeting Mark) and later moved to Berlin to obtain a PhD in natural sciences. She is currently finalizing her PostDoc research project and preparing to move to Vancouver, Canada.
Tina discovered her passion for technology long before advancing into higher education. It led to countless missed parties and honorary jobs throughout her time in university and research. In 2007, she applied for a writing position with MakeUseOf, which has given her the chance to develop many new skills.
Today, Tina is a staff writer and the editor of MakeUseOf Answers.
Feel free to email tina[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Angela Alcorn (News Editor)
Angela is one of those geeky types who finally realised that knowing a lot about different social networks and being able to write about them was actually a pretty good mix. She then ran off and got a degree in Internet Studies with a minor in Journalism because the idea of having qualifications in the field sounded somewhat appealing.
One day she decided to ask MakeUseOf for a position and hasn’t looked back since. She’s written regular articles, news stories, polls and has now taken on the News Editor role.
Angela is an Australian who now lives in France and is just starting a family. When not hiding behind a laptop she’s usually found singing with a big band, choir or trio or just hanging out at a festival eating the best possible food. Online you’ll see Angela around using the name Smange. See @Smange on Twitter, or her favourite lifestream for the latest updates.
Email Angela using angela[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Matt Smith (Assistant Answers Editor & Rewards Editor)
A product of the American midwest, Matt grew up with interests in gaming, computer hardware and writing. After some trial and error, he discovered how to combine these three into a career, and now works as a full time freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.
Matt has written for numerous publications in the past, including gaming sites such as Thunderbolt, The Escapist and Games Radar. Today he contributes to MakeUseOf as a staff writer, news writer and the assistant editor of MakeUseOf Answers. His love for hardware shows itself in his work for PC Perspective and Digital Trends, where he is responsible for reviewing laptops, tablets and smartphones. If you need buying advice about mobile hardware, he’s your guy.
Besides these professional interests, Matt runs two blogs. One is SmidgenPC, a blog about mobile hardware that he uses to channel his theories, advice and rants. The other is SWTOR Class Guides, which provides tips and advice centered on the character classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
You can drop Matt a line at mattsmith[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Tim Brookes (2nd Assistant Answers Editor & Mac / iOS Editor)
Tim is originally from the UK where he spent much of his time in Wales and the North West of England. He first started writing tech articles and news for Neowin while studying for his BA. After completing a degree in Journalism in 2008 he continued writing and took on live music photography work to pay the bills. Tim joined MakeUseOf in July 2010 and has been writing feature articles and news stories ever since. In 2012, Tim joined the MakeUseOf Answers team as an Assistant Editor.
In October 2011 he moved to Melbourne, Australia where he is currently living with his girlfriend. Tim is fond of coworking and works from a shared office in Melbourne. His passion for technology started with the Amiga 1200 he was given for Christmas as a child. Gadgets, photography, music and gaming take up much of his spare time and cash.
Tim has a personal website and you can also reach him on Twitter
You can drop Tim a line at tbrookes[at]makeuseof[dot]com.
Namanyay Goel (Programmer & Designer)
Namanyay Goel is a web designer/developer from New Delhi, India. He’s passionate about design and developing for the web, and loves to mess around with new, experimental technologies. He works as a freelancer, currently, under his own name.
When he’s not developing or designing for the web, you’ll probably find him playing the guitar or working out. He’s a fan of science fiction literature, and loves the works of Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Douglas Adams. He’s a fan of simple, minimal design.
You can drop Namanyay a line at mail AT namanyayg.com .