Sci-Fi Storm

Just thought I’d give an update, since I haven’t posted any articles in a while…I decided to take some time off from this site as it was taking up a lot of time just trying to keep up with the news lately, and I’ve been super busy with many other things that I just couldn’t concentrate on it the way I’d like. We also had a big family vacation this summer.

To be honest, the site has been running on fumes for a while. Any sort of revenue has slowly dwindled away to a fraction of what other relatively static sites I have generate (which still doesn’t cover the cost of the server), and and while Amazon’s associate program made doing this worthwhile in the early years, changes in policies made it much more time consuming than what the dwindling revenue was worth. I have to pay for a kid in college now and another one in a few years, and this isn’t paying for lunch.

Not to mention that since Syfy’s abandonment of the always-fun digital press tours several years ago and due to my being on the opposite side of the country from Hollywood itself, there have been no real opportunities to get face to face with the talent in front of and behind the scenes beyond local conventions – and even then, I’ve been doing it as a fan and not as a press person (although, if you need an interviewer or moderator in New England, I’m here…)

All this has led to overall interest fatigue, and thinking about the future. I had hopes to make it to the 20 year anniversary of the site next year.

So, where do we stand? I think at this point updates to the site will be sporadic at best. I’m not actually going anywhere, but you are more likely to see me commenting over on Twitter (@scifistorm), especially doing things like teasing Eddie McClintock…and I’ll certainly have some updates from Walt Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge – but not until next Spring.

For those of you who might have been tagging along for these 19 years, THANK YOU.

Time for some shameless self promotion…if you are still doing your holiday shopping, and plan to order things from [aml] – SF-related or not – order through the link and you’ll help keep Sci-Fi Storm going – 12+ years now! Hosting costs went up this past year, and we don’t really pull in much from advertising or [aml], but every little bit helps. Save the link for future orders as well!

Of course, you can find many of your favorite TV programs available on DVD and Blu-ray on our Sci-Fi TV Store page.

Shopping late and need it fast? Amazon Prime members get free 2-day shipping among other benefits!

The move went well, although some adjustments may still be necessary. Send a tweet to @scifistorm if anything seems amiss…

Due to some changes in facilities, the server for Sci-Fi Storm (and all the other OINC sites) will be relocated to a new facility tomorrow morning, Wednesday, September 14th, so it will be unavailable for a few hours. Follow @scifistorm on Twitter for updates in case there are problems, but I don’t anticipate any.

I just completed an update to WordPress 3.1. I don’t think you should see any changes (although if you are logged in, there appears to be a new toolbar at the top of the screen), but let me know if anything appears broken.

It looks like the news outlets have already started their holiday, so unless something major comes up you probably won’t hear much from me either – so Happy Holidays everyone! And don’t forget – BBC America has the Christmas special Doctor Who episode, “A Christmas Carol” (don’t worry, there is more than just a retelling of the same old Dickens story) at 9PM ET on Christmas Day, and Matt Smith will appear on The Graham Norton Show immediately afterwards.

The winner in our BBC America DVD pack giveaway is Republibot! Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated! I only started using Twitter recently, and it’s becoming such an important news distribution system where followers and retweets are very important. Hopefully we can continue to build it and grow that way…its given me renewed interest in continuing and I’ve got some interesting ideas for the future…is there another 10 years here?

Stay tuned for future giveaways!

OK, I’ve mentioned this several times now…thanks to the great folks at BBC America (who also have their own giveaway), I’m giving away a prize pack which consists of the following DVD sets: Doctor Who Series 5, Being Human Series 2, and Top Gear Series 13, plus a Union Jack light switch wall plate! And it’s very easy to get a chance to win!

Note: I said following us on Facebook would work, but unfortunately that won’t work for this giveaway right now. I have to change the way I integrate with Facebook and won’t have that ready in time. Update: I’m working on at least a temporary solution to the Facebook issue, but no guarantees.

First, follow us on Twitter if you haven’t already. Then retweet any news article posted on Twitter (the ones that start with News – this article doesn’t count but feel free to retweet anyways) from today through Monday night (if retweeting the old fashioned way, make sure “@scifistorm” is in there as well as the link). Also send @scifistorm a tweet naming your favorite Doctor from the classic years (up through the seventh Doctor). If you don’t have a favorite from that era (perhaps you are too young to know), then choose one of the newer ones.

On Tuesday evening a winner will be randomly selected and announced. One entry per person, please – although retweets of articles are always appreciated. Spread the word! We haven’t been using Twitter very long, but I’d like to see us get the follower numbers up!

Update: This will be extended through Wednesday night…and I should add, this is for U.S. copies of the DVDs and is open to U.S. residents. I can’t ship the package internationally.

The much needed vacation is sadly over, and things will pick up starting tomorrow after some site software updates, etc. But in the meantime, a reminder that I’ll be conducting a BBC gift giveaway which will include Doctor Who Series 5, Being Human Series 2, Top Gear Series 13, and a UK flag-inspired wall switch plate. More details tomorrow but you should follow scifistorm on Twitter and/or Facebook to participate.

Just a quick reminder from the road…the holiday episodes of Eureka and Warehouse 13 are tonight on Syfy. I have to wait until I get back to see them 🙁

Also, I’ll be giving away a BBC America prize pack, but you’ll need to be following scifistorm on Twitter to qualify…more details later.

Update: Facebook followers will count as well, but you must be a U.S. resident or have a U.S. address at least…I’m still coming up with a plan, but it won’t be a complicated contest…the prize pack will include DVDs of Doctor Who, Being Human and Top Gear and a Union Jack light switch cover.