So long — it’s been lots of fun talking about tech

After 23 years, this is my last Personal Technology page for The Dallas Morning News.

For those who don’t know, I don’t work directly for The Dallas Morning News. My day job is for the University of Texas at Dallas.

Before that, I worked in the IT department of The News for 20 years, so I’ve seen lots of changes in the newspaper business.

Back in the late 1990s, the Personal Technology section editor, the late Bob Bersano, asked me to start writing a weekly column called the Tech Adviser.

At the time, all I did was answer questions from readers about their tech issues. The News had a great group of people producing a stand-alone Personal Technology section each week, and I was honored to be part of that group. In the early and mid-2000s, the PTech section was reduced to coverage inside the business section once a week.

Eventually I was the last man standing, and I’ve been writing the entire Personal Technology page for years now, including product reviews and my original column.

I’m so grateful to The Dallas Morning News business staff, including everyone who ever had to edit my copy. For the last handful of years, that’s been Laura Jacobus, who is always patient with me when I just end a sentence midthought.

I always gauge my writing by the number of questions Laura asks me during her editing. Occasionally, a week will go by with no questions, which I consider a personal victory.

I’m grateful to my former editors as well: Rick Barrick, Linda Johnson and Janie Paleschic.

I also appreciate Paul O’Donnell, the business editor, who asked me to keep writing after I was laid off from the Morning News IT department five years ago.

I thank my wife, Donna, who brought lots of boxes from our front porch. She also had to endure the constant swapping out of gadgets like our front door deadbolt — and help me review them.

Finally, I’d like to thank the readers. I get a few dozen emails each week from readers in Dallas — and around the country, too, since my stories are syndicated.

Interacting with readers is the best part of this gig.

I frequently wrote about my mom, and whenever I mentioned her, I knew emails would be up for the next week or two. People always loved when I wrote about her tech struggles. I can’t tell you how nice it felt when someone would write, “I wish you were my son so you’d come fix my computer.”

I wish I could come fix everyone’s problems, but writing about them was the next best thing.

So thanks to everyone who made this possible.

I’m really going to miss it.