Real People Interview: Deb Shadovitz talks
Posted by Daniel East 
Nov 15, 2005 at 1:15am
More than a staple personality in the Apple community, Deborah Shadovitz (she politely insists that I refer to her as “Deb,” since that has become her name-brand to some degree), is an accomplished author, columnist and consultant; however, that is just a Quartz-droplet in the bucket when you consider her extraordinary events (Macworld Expos’ “Party for The People,” “MacGathering” conferences, etc.) where she plays the multiple roles of promoter, producer, presenter and host. So how does she do all of this and still find time for user groups? Her relationships with the groups’ leadership, vendors and the press allow her to wear several “hats” at a time and she never forgets her roots.
When it came to the climate for user groups today, Ms. Shadovitz … err, “Deb,” talked about the changing climate with regard to Apple’s role, “When the [original] Apple User Group liaison position went away, I lobbied hard to get it back.” Given her more than ten years of experience with user groups, she is passionate about her advocacy. “When the position came back I was happy to help. Then the UG Advisory Board came into being and I was disappointed. It did good things like UG University, but I think it [originally] failed in the biggest way by not bringing vendors to the groups. I’ve been my own one-man crusade helping vendors find the groups.” Changes have already happened for the RL’s [Regional Liaisons] and the advisory board, “I’m looking forward to the new leadership in the Advisory board and hope more can happen now.”
Deb is a self-described “sponge” for information. She looks at product development from her unique perspective, “Mostly, I teach, so I’ll respond from the perspective of developing teaching materials. This is the same for when doing a product demo. Forget your own knowledge and look at the words, images, directions, as if you know nothing. Ask yourself if it makes sense. Even when an audience member knows some of this already, some will not and many won’t be confident in what they know, so this is your chance to clarify in simple terms.” Vendors do respond to her approach and often bring her to their product briefings to evaluate their latest developments – most recently with Adobe’s Creative Suite 2 (a.k.a. “CS2”).
“When developing a physical or software product don’t assume anyone will know what your buttons do. Interface is everything – and needs to be clear. Tooltips work wonders to provide details but first users need to have a clue where to mouse.” Her first career was as a broadcast engineer and an audio-visual producer, so it was perfectly natural that when she discovered personal computers (although late in the game in 1989), she threw herself into discovering their power. “Teaching a friend led to selling computers,” while she did brochures and mailers as a side business. “My knowledge really grew when I became active in the original Los Angeles Macintosh Group [not the current one by the same name], and after offering help here and there found [that I] suddenly had a consulting and training business.” After her presence at the LAMG booth at various trade shows, she was invited to write — yet another of her passions.
Party for the People 2006
With all of the VIP, private and exclusive events that are a staple at Macworld Expo conferences, there is one event that brings everyone together. An “open door” suaré with the best vendors, authors, writers, user groups and, really, everyone who wants to be there is what Deb puts on each year. Her idea being that there should be a party…well…”for the people.” The second floor’s Piazza Lounge in San Francisco’s Parc55 hotel will host this year’s event on Tuesday, January 10, 2006. Deb always gets great prizes and offers the chance to get up close and personal with some of your favorite personalities in the Mac-world at Macworld.
For more about the next PFTP, go here.
Who’s on your iPod??
Indicating that her focus is more on her playlists over the actual artists, “My most frequently played playlist is one I call Sing-along. It’s a collection of songs that are comfortable for me to sing along to. It starts with the theme from Greatest American Hero, includes Dan Fogelberg’s Part of The Plan, Petula Clark’s Other Man’s Grass, John Denver’s (Take Me Home) Country Roads, Neil Diamond’s America, and Nik Kershaw’s Wouldn’t It Be Good and The Riddle. I’ve got other sing-along lists too, but this is the one whose CD remains in my car’s player.” So, what is her favorite? “My REM smart playlist –– and my ‘walking mixes.’ I love going for long walks at night with my iPod and Future Sonics Ears earphones.”
What are your favorite gadgets?
“I love taking them apart, putting them back together (sometimes) and figuring out how they work — for as long as [I] can remember.” So what does Deb consider her personal favorites? “I take it you mean after my PowerBook, of course. My RoadTools PodiumPad. No, people would not expect that. Mice, cameras, scanners, etc., seem so much cooler.” As her reputation would indicate, she even has a page on her web site dedicated to her preferred hardware items: http://www.shadovitz.com/machardware/
What is your current personal-use computer?
As one of the most notable Mac experts, Deb chooses Apple’s 15-inch aluminum Powerbook, noting, “it has a 1GB stick of OWC ram added to give me 1.25GB of RAM, total. The RAMmakes ALL the difference, up from the original 512.”
What are your personal essentials?
Deb’s list includes: an iPod in a Marware case, a PowerBook in a Timbuk2 bag, a PalmOne Zire71, SanDisk memory cards, Kensington lock, iKlear Apple Polish, RadTech Bluetooth mouse, RoadTools CoolPad, Future Sonics Ears earphones, toothbrush, aspirin, tissues and change.
Conclusion
With so much notoriety, people do have misconceptions about Ms. Shadovitz. “User Group leaders don’t think of me as one of them any more because they think I ‘went pro,’ but that’s not so. It was through user groups that I got to know the things and people that enabled me to go to the next level. It’s through the groups now that I see my friends, meet new people, and keep in touch. Life would be a lot emptier without MUGs in my life.” Keeping her grounded is a simple philosophy, ”’Love when you can, cry when you have to. Be who you must. That’s a part of the plan.’—Dan Fogelberg.” Deborah Shadovitz brings a dedicated work-ethic, a real understanding for what she presents, and the ability to demystify the techno-speak that often alludes a lot of “everyday” Mac users.
This article was reprinted, with permission, from the AUGmentations: The Apple Groups Team Newsletter. AUGmentations is an exclusive benefit for user group leaders, vendors, resellers, manufacturers, developers, Apple Consultants Network—ACNs—and Apple staff who are members of The Apple Groups Team. For more information about joining the TAGteam Leaders’ eList, go here.)
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Daniel East
Daniel M. East is a technology author, freelance writer, presenter/trainer and consultant with more than 20 years experience in professional photography, design, pro-audio and music industry marketing. East is also founder and president of The Apple Groups Team support network for user groups.
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