When folks start talking about the latest television shows I'm generally a little lost. I always felt it was kind of pretentious to announce that I don't watch a lot of TV, but the reality is I don't. I'm certainly not bragging though.
The truth is I'm an Internet addict.
It all started back in the early '90s when we got our first home computer. I had to sell a car to buy it. My obsession started innocently enough, but then Napster arrived (sorry Metallica) and I was hooked. It's never gone away. Over the years I've bought and sold everything on eBay from alternators to Zippos, and nowadays I have a MySpace site, practically live on YouTube and have almost 500 friends on Facebook.
So what the heck does this have to do with autos?
Well, as of last week I am now the Winnipeg Free Press online autos editor. It's a new title, but don't worry, Willy's Garage isn't going anywhere. While my role changes somewhat behind the scenes, I'll still be writing in the paper every Friday.
Essentially my role as online autos editor is to find interesting stuff to post on the website. I've quickly come to a conclusion, we can't make this successful without your help.
On that note we have set up a spot on the website where you can tell us what you would like to see on our newly minted autos site.
In my mind's eye it's a busy affair with numerous automotive-related articles and photos, sourced both locally and around the globe. I'm putting aside two hours per day to surf the web, and the site will be updated daily. Essentially, I'll be your filter, wading through all the junk in search of the good stuff.
Another new element will be the weekly Willy's Garage Tour. I'll make a two-minute video and post it every Friday. In these short web videos I will do a variety of auto-related things, including new car test drives at local dealerships, coverage of local cruising and motorsports events, and even the occasional how to, or perhaps how not to, instructional video.
We are also in the process of creating a Reader's Forum where you can post reviews of your own car, ask questions, or simply communicate with other like-minded folks. We will keep you posted on the web events right here in the Autos section of the newspaper every Friday, but I'd encourage you to take a look at our site, it already features more than 7,000 vehicles for sale with colour photos and detailed descriptions. If you want to list a vehicle for sale, remember, it is absolutely free of charge for both private sellers and dealers.
Buckle up your seatbelts, we're going for a ride.
Free Press Autos
Your choice. Your car. Your website.
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