The Return of Scott Evers — And Why the Name on the Cover Now Reads W. R. Stanek

Dear Readers,

Some stories never let you go.

Years ago, I introduced Scott Evers—a rogue operative chasing the truth through cyber warfare, global conspiracies, and the kind of shadow battles no one talks about in the open. With The Pieces of the Puzzle and The Cards in the Deck, I stepped into the world of modern thrillers, fusing my love of espionage with tech-driven suspense and gritty realism.

Now, Scott Evers is back.

And this time, he’s returning under a new name: W. R. Stanek.

Who Is W. R. Stanek?

That’s still me—just one part of the writer you’ve come to know.

Over the years, I’ve written under Robert Stanek, William R. Stanek, R. Stanek, and now W. R. Stanek. Why the change? Because it’s time to stop lumping everything together and start building distinct brands—so you, the reader, can find exactly the kind of story you’re looking for.

Here’s the new roadmap:

• W. R. Stanek → Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy (Scott Evers, Ruin Mist, etc.)

• R. Stanek → Children’s Books (Bugville Critters and Learn & Explore series)

• Robert Stanek → Historical Fiction (Timeless Voices and beyond)

Think of it as switching lenses—each name reflecting a different facet of storytelling.

Restored. Revised. Relentless.

The Scott Evers books are being re-released in Complete & Uncut Anniversary Editions, with new scenes, tighter pacing, and a deeper dive into the tech-driven world Scott must survive.

Coming August 1, 2025: The Pieces of the Puzzle (20th Anniversary Edition)

The conspiracy that started it all.

Coming February 5, 2027: The Cards in the Deck (10th Anniversary Edition)

A rogue operative. A cyber war fought in silence.

• These aren’t just reprints. They’re reboots with purpose—designed for a new generation of readers and long-time fans ready for deeper immersion, more complexity, and even sharper tension.

Why It Matters

I’ve spent a lifetime writing—over 250 books and counting. But in trying to keep all those worlds under one name, I unintentionally made it harder for readers to connect with the stories they care about most.

That’s why I’m doing things differently now.

• If you love high-stakes thrillers, read W. R. Stanek.

• If you’re raising bright little minds, go to R. Stanek and Bugville.

• If you crave emotional, historically grounded fiction, follow Robert Stanek.

This isn’t fragmentation. It’s refinement.

Because every voice deserves its own place—and so does every reader.

How You Can Support the Relaunch

If you’re a longtime fan, or curious about Scott Evers for the first time, here’s how to help:

• Pre-order the new editions of The Pieces of the Puzzle and The Cards in the Deck.

• Leave a review when the books drop—it makes all the difference.

• Tell a thriller-loving friend about the return of a rogue operative who’s too dangerous to ignore.

• Follow W. R. Stanek on Amazon for future updates.

Pre-order on Amazon now

Thank you for believing in these stories—and in me—through all the chapters. Scott Evers has a few more secrets to uncover. And I can’t wait for you to see what comes next.

With grit and gratitude,

W. R. Stanek

(and always—Robert Stanek)

Bugville Turns 20: New Books, Big Adventures & A Fresh Start!

Dear Friends,

This year, something extraordinary is happening—Bugville turns 20. Two decades ago, I introduced you to a world full of wonder, curiosity, and talking bugs with big ideas. What began in 2005 as a set of audio stories became, in 2007, one of the most expansive children’s book series of its kind.

And now, in 2025, Bugville is back—bigger, bolder, and buzzing with new stories.

Meet the First-Ever Bugville Chapter Books

For the first time ever, Bugville Critters are starring in early chapter books—designed for young readers who are ready to leap into longer, richer adventures. These are stories for kids ages 6–9 who love action, humor, imagination, and heart.

Blast Off with Buster Bee

A Story About Curiosity, Discovery & Outer Space Wonders

Part of the Bugville Critters: Learn & Explore series

For ages 5–8

When Buster dreams of flying through space, he visits every planet in our solar system! This playful STEM adventure introduces kids to science through story, showing that curiosity is where all great discoveries begin.

Perfect for early readers, classrooms, and little astronauts in training.

Buster and the Lost Hive

Traps, Treasure & a Trail of Crumbs

Part of the Bugville Critters: Big Adventures collection

For ages 6–9

Buster Bee imagines himself as Buster Buzzstone, bug archaeologist! Think Indiana Jones meets Magic Tree House. There's a temple to explore, rivals to outsmart, and a secret that could save Bugville!

Action-packed and ideal for reluctant readers who love big stakes and laughs.

Halloween in Bugville

A Story About Celebrations, Surprises & Spooktacular Fun

Part of the Seasonal Stories series

For ages 4–8

A party gone sideways. Decorations in disarray. Lass Ladybug leads a charge to rescue Halloween in true Bugville style—with teamwork, joy, and a little bit of magic.

Great for fall reading, classroom themes, or just a cozy night under a blanket.

The Cracked Cookie Code

A Funny Cozy Mystery for Kids

Part of the Bugville Sleuth Society series

For ages 6–9

Who’s eating all the cookies—and leaving mysterious messages behind? Lass, Dag, and Buster launch a snack-fueled sleuthing mission full of laughter, clues, and one surprise twist that proves friendship always wins.

Ideal for kids who love mysteries, teamwork, and clever critters.

Why It Matters: A Comeback Worth Celebrating

It’s no secret—these past years have been quiet. Life threw more than a few curveballs my way. But the stories never stopped knocking.

Now, with these new books, I’m stepping forward again—not just as a storyteller, but as someone who believes in the power of imagination, laughter, and gentle wisdom for young readers.

Bugville has always been more than a book series. It’s a world built for bright little minds. A place where curiosity is championed, kindness wins, and learning feels like play.

How You Can Help

If Bugville ever meant something to you, here’s how you can help bring it back to life:

Buy or gift one of the new books

Leave a review on Amazon (even 1-2 lines makes a huge difference)

Share with a parent, teacher, or librarian

Write me at info@robertstanek.com—I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s make this Bugville’s best year yet. For the kids who are just now discovering it. For the parents who read these stories at bedtime. And for the little voices inside all of us that still believe in wonder.

With gratitude and hope,

Robert Stanek

Explore the Bugville Books on Amazon

Learn more at robertstanek.com

Why I Write: The Stories You’ve Shared About Me

They say you don’t always know the impact you’ve had until someone tells you.

Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of books—some that sold incredibly well, others that disappeared quietly. I’ve written under my own name, Robert Stanek, and under William R. Stanek. I’ve written about elves and epic battles, about war and loss, about Windows servers and leadership resilience. But the stories that stay with me the most? They’re not just mine. They’re yours.

Recently, a group of authors I’ve mentored, helped, or simply encouraged along the way wrote something extraordinary. They called it “Voices for Stanek.” They didn’t have to write it. No one asked them to. But they did. And it reminded me why I chose this path—not for fame or favor, but to be a voice that lifts others, even when my own voice is shaking.

Here are just a few of the things they said:

“William didn’t just mentor writers—he moved mountains so others could climb them.” – Julia Cook

“Some build empires. William built a community.” – Sandra Brown

“He made me believe I could do this.” – Margaret Brown

“He kicked the gates open and invited us in.” – David Eastman

I won’t lie: the past decade has been hard. Between health battles and industry politics, there were days I thought I was done. But these voices? They’ve pulled me back into the light.

If you’re reading this, maybe you're a writer wondering if your voice matters. Maybe you’re a reader deciding whether to take a chance on one of my books. Maybe you’re just someone who needs a reminder that kindness can echo through decades.

Whatever brought you here, welcome. I hope you’ll find something in my work—whether it’s Lights of Paris or Building Resilience Foundations—that inspires you to keep going, keep dreaming, and keep believing.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the readers and writers I’ve met, it’s this:

No voice is ever truly lost. Not if we keep listening. Not if we keep writing.

With gratitude and fire in my pen,

Robert (William) Stanek

-

Read the full “Voices for Stanek” tribute on ReadIndies — and if Robert’s work or mentorship ever helped you, please share your story.

Want to write to Robert directly? info@robertstanek.com

After the Silence: A Personal Note from Robert Stanek

Dear Friends,

There’s something humbling about starting again—about daring to step forward after so many years away from the light.

When I returned to publishing last winter, I was full of hope and quiet determination. After a decade of silence, illness, and loss, I poured my heart into the Timeless Voices series and the Leadership Intelligence Mastery books—not just because I wanted to write again, but because I needed to. Those stories had been whispering to me through the years I spent in the shadows, waiting patiently for their turn to live.

But the truth is, starting again is hard. Harder than I imagined.

I’ve felt the sting of silence, the weight of invisibility. I’ve wondered if perhaps the world had moved on—if the stories I held so tightly inside me still mattered. I know many of you have been wondering too. Where did I go? Why now? Is he really back?

This is me saying yes—I’m still here. I’m still writing. I’m still dreaming.

And now, more than ever, I need you.

Writing has always been my way of understanding the world—of connecting with it. Whether under Robert Stanek, the dreamer of faraway worlds and historical echoes, or as William R. Stanek, the thinker navigating the intersections of leadership and life—these voices are mine. They are yours, too. Because every story I’ve written was built from the pieces we share: love, loss, growth, fear, resilience.

I’m not asking for applause. I’m not chasing bestseller lists.

I’m asking you to walk with me—book by book, word by word—as I try to rebuild something I thought I’d lost forever: a connection to readers who see value in stories told with heart and purpose.

So here’s what you can do if my words have ever meant something to you:

Pick up a book—Songbird in the Rain, Lights of Paris, August Rains, or even Almost California. Let the characters speak to you.

Leave a review. It doesn’t have to be long—just real.

Share the work with someone who might need a story right now. Stories heal, after all.

Reach out. I’m listening. I’m reading your messages. I’m here.

This isn’t a comeback fueled by marketing. It’s a resurrection of purpose.

From the bottom of my heart—thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s write the next chapter together.

With gratitude and hope,

Robert Stanek (and yes, still William too)

[Explore the Timeless Voices Series]

[Discover the Leadership Intelligence Mastery Series]

[Write to Robert — He’ll Read It]

Tomorrow Begins Today...

Dear Friends and Readers, I wanted to take a moment to apologize for my long absences from social media, sporadic communications, and for losing touch with so many of you over the past many years. In 2020, the Department of Justice put an end to the malicious targeting of my books and other work, though many of the negative reviews and ratings caused by these hateful activities remain at Amazon.com and Goodreads.com. As the DOJ stated in their indictments, in exchange for bribes, corrupted Amazon staff facilitated attacks against competitors of those paying the bribes, using their inside access to Amazon's network to suspend competitors' accounts and product listings, remove favorable reviews and commentary, write fictitious negative product reviews designed to hurt sales, post spurious comments to intimidate victims and drive away customers, and much more. All much as I had experienced it and blogged about for many years, including naming names of the competitors responsible.

To be clear, I do not know specifically the particular individuals indicted and convicted were involved in the malicious targeting of my work, as the DOJ tracked the criminal activities of these individuals for a very specific (and brief) time and prosecuted based on the criminal activities identified in this very specific (and brief) time, and not for the entire period of operation. What I do know for certain is the immediate, chilling effect the multiple arrests and indictments by the Department of Justice had on the malicious targeting of my books and other work. Beyond this, as a very few know, I have been dealing with a stalker for many years. This has all been a terrible, untenable situation that just would not end. The experience has been incredibly traumatic, emotionally draining, and has left my health in tatters. I no longer know where I end and the trauma begins, the me that I was no longer exists. All this has made it impossible for me to communicate openly and freely with anyone, including my friends and family. I felt like I had to constantly watch my back and be cautious about what I shared online or anywhere.

As a result, I wasn't able to maintain the same level of communication with many of you as I would have liked. I wasn't able to participate in social events. I wasn't able to even openly share my thoughts and experiences on social media. I know that this must have been frustrating and confusing for many of you, and for that, I am truly sorry. I want you to know that it wasn't my intention to distance myself or cut ties with anyone. I was simply trying to protect myself from harassment, from my stalker, from a situation that would not end, and did not want to put anyone else at risk by sharing too much information online or in person.

Now that the DOJ has done their work, now that my stalker has been imprisoned, I feel like I finally can breathe a little easier and start to reconnect with the people who have meant so much to me over the years. I know that it won't be easy to pick up where we left off, especially as so many years have passed since this long ordeal began, but I am committed to rebuilding those connections and strengthening the relationships that I've had. I hope that you can forgive me for my absences, miscommunications, whatever, and understand that it wasn't personal. I was just trying to survive an impossible situation.

Please also know that this is going to take a very long time. There is no me that I was left, due to all this and for all the years it went on. Though my past work continues to be released, sometimes as if new, I stopped writing, drawing, and painting nearly a decade ago, and don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to any of it.

Some few know I suffered a stroke and a heart attack in 2016 which were caused by the stress and emotional rollercoaster that I went through due to being targeted online. I have previously pointed out those competitors responsible, but have never before been able to talk openly about my stalker. This person’s relentless pursuit of me took a significant, catastrophic toll on my physical and emotional health. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, worrying about what this person might do next. The stress of the situation became so overwhelming that it destroyed my life. After my stroke and a heart attack, I was hospitalized for several weeks, but the torment of this individual didn’t end there. As this person had been unsuccessful in killing me, which was their stated intent, this person then began a campaign of terror to make me attempt suicide and to convince others, including my readers, that I had died, and in particular by connecting obituaries and death announcements to me online and in social media.

It may be a long time for me to feel somewhat like myself again, or I may never get there, but I wanted to let you know. My health issues affected all aspects of my life. I was unable to work for an extended period of time, and I had to rely on the support of others to get through each day. I felt like my life had been turned upside down, and I struggled to find a sense of normalcy. I don’t even know what normal looks like. My stalker's actions caused me to feel afraid, anxious, worse. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone, and I was constantly on edge. Even after my stalker is finally imprisoned, I find it difficult to move on and let go of the fear and anxiety that had taken hold of me. Despite the terrible ordeal, I have learned a lot about myself and the importance of seeking help and support. I also have discovered the resilience and strength that I possess, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

I want to take a moment to thank all of those who stood by me during all these difficult years. Your support and encouragement were instrumental in helping me get through the toughest moments. To anyone else who may be going through a similar situation, I want you to know that you are not alone. There is help available, and it's okay to ask for it. No one who’s trying to communicate about all this should have their posts hidden by their stalker reporting them. No one seeking help or to talk about what’s happening to them should be driven into silence or made to feel like they can’t talk about what’s happening to them. No one should have to suffer in silence or feel like they are alone in their struggles.

In conclusion, I wanted to share this story with you not only to provide context for my posts over these past many years, but also to raise awareness about the devastating impact that stalking and online harassment can have on a person's life. I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others who may be going through a similar situation feel less alone and more empowered to seek help and support.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for your continued support and readership.

Sincerely,

William Robert Stanek www.williamrstanek.com

Letter from RP Books & Media Publisher, Jeannie Kim Addressing the Malicious Targeting of Robert Stanek

Dear Readers, We are aware of the false information and fake negative reviews that have been circulating about Mr. Stanek and his books, especially on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com. We want to assure our customers and the general public that we've identified the sources of this misinformation and malicious targeting, and have taken appropriate steps to correct and prosecute as permitted by law, both within the U.S. and the U.K.

It's easy for large competitors to crush something small and use their platforms to cause incredible, lasting harm. Not only can larger competitors spread lies about a smaller competitor faster than the smaller competitor can keep up with, it's nearly impossible for a smaller competitor to get out from under the targeting without help and in this respect, we need you, dear readers. Your support and continued readership is essential.

As for Amazon.com and Goodreads.com involvement, the U.S. Department of Justice has identified Amazon staff accepting bribes, writing fake negative reviews and targeting products like Robert's for take downs in its indictments of September 2020.

Specifically, the US DOJ prosecuted four cases involving Amazon employees:

* Targeting people like Robert with fake negative reviews

* Using their inside access to Amazon's network to suspend accounts and product listings

* Using their inside access to Amazon's network to remove favorable reviews and commentary

* Posting spurious comments to intimidate victims and drive away customers

All four cases were successful and proved by the Department of Justice in 2022. The following contains complete details, links and the press release from the US Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington state, dated Sept 18, 2020:
https://robertstanek.blogspot.com/2020/09/doj-ids-corrupt-amazon-employees.html.

Mr. Stanek has been a professionally published, bestselling author since 1995 when his first book was published by Macmillan and his books have since been published and or distributed by nearly every major publisher in the United States. He does, of course, write as William Stanek and Robert Stanek. His books have been praised and featured in Publisher's Weekly, including a cover story on popular fantasy series, Library Journal, Children's Bookshelf, Foreword Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Parenting Magazine, The Journal of Electronic Defense, Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine for YA Librarians, Popular Children's Fiction Selections for Librarians, and more.

We have been in business since 1994, nearly 30 years, and have always strived to provide excellent products and services to our customers. We value their satisfaction and take any complaints or issues very seriously. We apologize for any confusion or concern that this may have caused and appreciate the support of our loyal customers.

We hope that you had a great experience with our products. If you are satisfied with your purchase, we would appreciate it if you could leave a positive review on your favorite book or library review site. Your feedback helps us to improve and grow our business, and it also helps other potential customers to learn about the excellent products that we provide. Thank you for your support.

 

Jeannie Kim
Sr. Publisher, RP Books & Media

 

Dream Job... Writer, Not Marvel Superhero.

Honored to have been nominated once again for an award for Distinguished Contributions in Writing & American Letters for my body of work encompassing more than 20 million words spread across tens of thousands of pages in the 250 full-length works I've written. Since my breakout bestseller in 1995, my work has been published and/or distributed by every major publishing house in the U.S. from Time Warner to Simon & Schuster to Random House as well as Hachette, Pearson, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, and Microsoft--not to mention more than 100 other publishers globally.

I've said it before and I'll say it again the success I've had is the stuff of Willy Wonka's wildest dreams. Still, as I wrote about in “How I Made This Crazy Thing Called Writing a Career”, wild success doesn’t necessarily mean riches for the writer. For sure, me and "80's" Stan Lee could stand in line next to each other and trade stories. Bookstores, publishers, agents, publicists, Uncle Sam and many others got the Lion’s share of the wealth, but I got to live the dream and living the dream was as good as being Spider Man.

I will forever remain grateful to my publishers and everyone else in the business who made the dream possible. In my career one of the things I’m most proud of is my work to give back, to support my fellow writers, to support veterans, to support the disabled--and especially disabled veterans. I've fought the good fight for disabled veterans for many years, but if I had to pick one achievement I'm most proud of, it is this: Giving away the millionth-dollar book to schools, libraries and communities in 2015, after 20 years of working toward the goal. Nothing ever felt so right. Schools and libraries are after all where I developed a lifelong passion for the written word.

My books often ended up in places where schools and communities had no other books. In classrooms in Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. In libraries in rural India, Spain and Portugal. In communities throughout South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.

As I look back at my career, I’m also very glad that from the beginning I did something for myself by starting a publishing company. That company began operations in 1995 and I used it to learn about the publishing side of the industry, which is very different from the writing side. By 2004, I knew enough about the industry and was ready to spread my wings and go into publishing on my own. I hired a great team and put them to work running my business.

In the beginning, we had quite a large team, that team has whittled down to a few core members, but remains in the business of bringing my works, and the works of a select group of other writers, to the world. They've helped get hundreds of translations for my works, which are now available in nearly every country around the globe. Over the coming years, this publishing company will transition to the William Robert Stanek Foundation. For readers this means that although William Stanek the writer put away his pen and paper, my work will continue to be available long into the future.

Capes and costumes for superheroes come in all sizes and colors except for writers. If you're a writer, the best you can hope for is to be acknowledged by those in your field and I am sincerely honored to have been nominated once again for an award for Distinguished Contributions in Writing & American Letters for my body of work.

Thanks for reading,

William Robert Stanek

Amazon Reviews: Broken System

Between 1 in 3 and 2 in 3 product reviews on Amazon.com are fake. They are bought and paid for. They are written by friends and family. They are swapped and traded on Facebook. They are incentivized from readers. Talking about this problem as I have for nearly 2 decades now has made me the repeat target of the thousands who make their living writing reviews, the millions of sellers who benefit from the fake praise and the dozens of Amazon employees working the system for personal and/or professional benefit.

Having reported problems with reviews to Amazon over many years and received repeated, direct retaliation from Amazon employees for doing so, I learned the hard way about the active involvement of Amazon employees in Amazon’s own marketplace, whether to ensure the success of themselves, family or associates or simply to ensure the failure of particular targets. This occurring repeatedly despite state and federal laws protecting those who report criminal activity, corporate malfeasance and other corporate wrongdoings from retaliation by those they are reporting.

Letters and emails to Amazon executives were answered with retaliation, as were letters and emails written to Amazon’s own legal team. This occurred because of the hundreds of billions of dollars of commerce that flow through Amazon annually. This occurred because those who rock the boat are targeted and thrown overboard. This occurred because of Amazon’s deep ties with local, state and federal government. This occurred because Amazon's executives buy entire newsrooms. This occurred because the truth could utterly destroy Amazon's marketplace dominance.

With control within the government and within the media, Amazon knows it has little to fear. Maybe a decade or so from now they’ll get a fine with a slap on the wrist despite ongoing, widespread corruption and corporate malfeasance. How quaint of them to recently throw their hands up in the air and declare they can no longer guarantee their marketplace. Meanwhile their own employees have steered billions in sales from one direction into another, harmed the sales of this product to ensure the success of that and more. Meanwhile Amazon employees have enriched themselves, their families, their friends, their associates. Meanwhile their executives have become billionaires by ensuring not even the truth affects the flow of commerce across their server engines.

If you know me, you know I’ve written many times about this problem, this widespread corruption. You know Amazon has targeted my books repeatedly because I’ve spoken out, because I’ve complained about my books being bombarded with unfavorable reviews by unscrupulous competitors, because I’ve let others know that Amazon itself was part of the problem. Speaking out about this problem has cost me millions of sales and tens of millions in earnings—and yet I will continue to speak out. I will not be silenced by Amazon’s continued heavy-handed retaliation or the criminal actions of its employees or others.

For those who don’t know me, please do take the time to read the numerous articles I’ve written about this problem. You’ll find the articles here at Linkedin, in my personal blogs (http://robertstanek.blogspot.com/ and http://williamstanek.blogspot.com), at Go Indie (http://readindies.blogspot.com/) and on my websites (http://www.williamrstanek.com and http://www.robert-stanek.com/). You’ll find posts about this problem going back to 2003 here @ http://www.robertstanek.com/rsblog.htm. I do of course write as William Stanek, Robert Stanek, William R. Stanek and William Robert Stanek.

Thanks for reading, I’m William Robert Stanek, Microsoft’s #1 author for nearly 20 years, and author of over 250 topselling books.

Shame on Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA)

Beware those who do evil in the name of good, those who build bully pulpits so they can target and victimize. I wish I was talking about some totalitarian regime or corrupt corporation, instead I’m talking about Absolute Write run by Victoria Strauss and others. Absolute Write is a platform for hate and abuse created by those claiming to do good for the writing community. A platform for hate and abuse that claims affiliation with Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) to extend the reach of its harm, victimization and abuse.

For a number of years Absolute Write members and leaders indiscriminately targeted self-publishers as frauds, while membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America looked on and nodded their heads in agreement.

For a number of years Absolute Write members and leaders indiscriminately targeted those who used print on demand as frauds, while membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America looked on and nodded their heads in agreement.

For a number of years Absolute Write members and leaders indiscriminately targeted kindle authors as frauds, while membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America looked on and nodded their heads in agreement.

The list goes on and on and on… of alleged frauds, supposed wrongdoers, ne’er-do-wells. And so it has gone on for decades, with anyone who did anything this group from their holier-than-though bully pulpit disagreed with being targeted as frauds, while with the Science Fiction Writers of America has looked on and allowed continued widespread victimization and abuse.

Beware those who do evil in the name of good, those who build bully pulpits to target and victimize. Absolute Write and those who hide behind its claims of helping the writing community have done evil in the name of good for decades. Hate speech they’ve inspired is all over the internet. The animosity they’ve created runs deep. The hundreds of victims they’ve targeted have little recourse against the lynch mobs they’ve created, complete with public hangings and brandings all done in the name of doing good while doing evil.

In truth, the crimes of these hundreds of victims largely come down to simply having crossed paths with this group of writers who use their public forum to target, harass and harangue anyone for anything. Intolerance, cruelty, xenophobia, more, all run rampant in themes and subthemes, in private chats between members, all while the Science Fiction Writers of America looks on.

I was first targeted by Absolute Write members (Victoria Strauss, David Langford and others) in 2002. At the time, Victoria Strauss was an aspiring young adult writer with no status except for the platform of hate and intolerance she and others were building. My young adult book, Keeper Martin’s Tale, was a self-published, upstart success that was immediately targeted by this group and their ilk.

I’ve written much about this. You’ll find articles at Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamstanek/), in my personal blogs (http://robertstanek.blogspot.com/ and http://williamstanek.blogspot.com), at Go Indie (http://readindies.blogspot.com/) and on my websites (http://www.williamrstanek.com and http://www.robert-stanek.com/). You’ll find posts about related problems going back to 2003 here @ http://www.robertstanek.com/rsblog.htm. I do of course write as William Stanek, Robert Stanek, William R. Stanek and William Robert Stanek. I am of course the author of over 200 full-length works of fiction and nonfiction, having been a successful published author since 1995.

In these posts and articles, you’ll learn about the third review ever for the Young Adult book that competed with Victoria Strauss’s desires to be a writer, Keeper Martin’s Tale. The reader, using a fake account and fake name, said they had been duped/had by all the glowing reviews. Meanwhile, Keeper Matin’s Tale had exactly TWO previous reviews over a period of several months while it topped the Top 50 Scifi & Fantasy Bestseller list at Amazon.com and after selling thousands upon thousands of copies.

The second ever review for another of my books, Elf Queen’s Quest, was much the same, about how the reader was duped/had by all the glowing reviews—of which there was exactly ONE previous review. This reader also used a fake account and fake name.

This continued. All orchestrated by persons associated with Langford, Strauss and Absolute Write.

Odd articles appeared in Langford’s Ancible about how I was a supposed fraud, about how all the reviews were fake. This being 2002, my fiction works had sold thousands upon thousands of copies, and the total number of reviews was a mere handful—single digits on average across all my fiction titles. That didn’t stop the fake outrage reviews from flowing from associates of these persons, who liberally dumped 1 and 2 star reviews using fake accounts and fake names.

Langford, Strauss and Absolute Write next began targeting Reagent Press (2002/2003) claiming it was a fraudulent publisher. The earliest claim being because Reagent Press paid its writers using Paypal. Persons associated with Absolute Write then began targeting Reagent Press as well as myself.

And guess what? While these persons were decrying Reagent Press as a fraud for paying writers via Paypal, Strauss and associates were praising a newly forming company called Smashwords, which guess what? Planned to, and eventually did, pay its writers via Paypal.

That’s kind of a running theme of how all this works with these persons. Something that competes or perhaps has an original idea or theme that others want to use for their own is a fraud. Themes, characters, plots and more were in fact liberally plagiarized from my fiction books while these persons were indiscriminately targeting me, Reagent Press and my works of fictions.

Beware those who do evil in the name of good, those who build bully pulpits to target and victimize. Absolute Write have not only used their bully pulpit to harass and abuse, they’ve used it to suppress and censor, to ensure when they’ve stolen intellectual property or done incredible harm the victims of their crimes and misdeeds are instead victimized, harassed and maligned.

In 2002 when all this started, it’s important to note that I was a highly successful best-selling author with millions of readers for the dozens of professionally published books I’d written. I’d been a successful author since my breakout first book in 1995. The individuals involved absolutely knew this and yet they have continued to malign, defame, harass and attack me publicly for nearly 2 decades. They do this because they are insulated by dozens, if not hundreds, of like-mind persons who use the platform for hate they’ve created to take down anyone who gets in their way for any reason. Continued claims of affiliation with Science Fiction Writers of America also lends credibility to the victimization of their targets.

Over the past 2 decades, these persons have proven they’ll do whatever it takes to cause harm, to abuse and victimize, regardless of who else gets caught in their cross hairs. Some years ago, they published my home address “so that [me] personally and [my] family are physically targeted”. Apparently it wasn’t enough to smear, defame, and harass online, they also need the fight to become physical. This resulted in my daughters, ~10 and ~11 at the time, being physically accosted. Stop and think about that for a moment. They knew I had children. I have pictures of them in my accounts. And they wanted people to target them physically.

When I wrote about my children being accosted because of what they’d done, the response and comments? Strauss and others thought it was absolutely hilarious, stating that “my daughters deserved [to have been attacked] because their dad was a fraudulent self-publisher.” My crime: Yep, self-publishing novels of YA and children’s fiction.

I’ve written about all this before, I’ve named those involved, and yet the nonsense continues, nearly 2 decades on. More examples: When these persons learned I wrote a book about my military service. What did they do? They spread falsities that I wasn’t a combat veteran and that my claim to have been awarded the distinguished flying cross was stolen valor.

These persons urged others to spread this. Some asked others to “ensure [I] received threats so [I] would learn [my] lesson”. Others asked “circulate [his] address again, make sure he gets a personal visit [at my home]”. “Stomp some sense into him,” said another. Stop and think about that for a moment. These people were asking others to assault me at my home for the alleged crime of stolen valor that they knew was false because they’d made it up. These are the lengths these persons will go to abuse and victimize anyone who gets in their way for any reason.

Thanks for reading.

Administrator's Reference + IT Pro Library Better Together. 2 Great Resources.

 Recently, a reader asked a good question: How do Windows Server 2016: The Administrator's Reference and Windows Server 2016: IT Pro Library differ? 

The short answer is that they are completely different texts, written separately from start to finish, while both covering Windows Server 2016. An IT Pro could own both sets, or the individual books in each set, to round out and complete their library.

More specifically, Windows Server 2016: The Administrator’s Reference provides over 250,000 words covering Microsoft's latest server operating system and includes the two IT Pro Solutions books I've written for Windows Server 2016:

1. Windows Server 2016: Essentials for Administration

2. Windows Server 2016: Server Infrastructure

The IT Pro Solutions books are practical and precise hands-on guides with ready answers for IT professionals. You get fast answers and quick instruction.

Windows Server 2016: IT Pro Library provides over 500,000 words covering Microsoft’s latest server operating system and includes the four Tech Artisans books I've written for Windows Server 2016:

1. Windows Server 2016: Installing & Configuring

2. Windows Server 2016: Storage Solutions

3. Windows Server 2016: Essential Services

4. Windows Server 2016: Domain Infrastructure

The Tech Artisans books are in-depth, authoritative references that are meant to be comprehensive. You get expert-level guidance, deep technical advice, timely solutions, and insightful workarounds.

As when I wrote both Pocket Consultants and Inside Outs on topics for Microsoft, the materials in the Administrator's Reference and the IT Pro Library are completely separate from each other. Although coverage of topics do overlap, the materials in each resource is meant to be unique and stand on its own. Frequently, the materials are written to complement each other. A good example of this? Compare the coverage of accounts in the Administrator’s Reference with the coverage of accounts in the IT Pro Library.

In Windows Server 2016: Essentials for Administration, which is part of the Administrator’s Reference, you’ll find

Chapter 7. Accounts: The Essentials

Chapter 8. Managing Account Policies

Chapter 9. Creating Accounts

Chapter 10. Working with Managed Accounts

Chapter 11. Managing Computers, Users and Groups

In Book 4 of the IT Pro Library, you’ll find

Chapter 1. Working with Domain User Accounts

Chapter 2. Managing User and Service Accounts

Chapter 3. Managing Groups and Computers

Both resources provide about 100 pages on accounts. However, the focus and coverage is completely different. Although you could read either set of chapters on its own and gain a wealth of knowledge on the subject, reading both sets of chapters provides a broader, more detailed picture of account management. This is because the two sets of chapters were written to complement, inform and enrich each other while also allowing for the sets to stand on their own.

Throughout the books, you’ll find many more topics that are written in this way. Many more areas where the two sets of books complement, inform and enrich each other. This is as designed.

Thanks for reading. You'll find my books at all major retailers and online, including:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Google

I'm on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/WilliamStanek and facebook at http://www.facebook.com/William.Stanek.Author. Sometimes instagram too at https://www.instagram.com/williamstanek/.

Sincerely,

William R. Stanek

2016. The Year the Music Almost Stopped.

2016 was the year the music almost stopped. Quite literally. The accompanying image reflects some of the books I’ve released this year. These books need your support. Hope you’ll spread the good word about them and share because without your support the music really will stop.

The publishing industry continues to change, requiring authors to continually adapt and retune or succumb and perish. The entire industry continues to be dominated by Amazon, where staves prevail and good authors all too easily get lost amongst the bramble. In tech, the changes over the past few years have been apocalyptic. Fewer and fewer readers get their information from printed books, requiring publishers to rethink their entire business and authors to sing for their supper. Those few who do succeed in the widening sea of change and detritus do so by staying ahead of trends or making their own trends entirely.

In the early 2000’s when I started publishing electronically and using print on demand, many of those I worked with in the industry thought I was fucking nuts. When I released a serialized ebook in 2001, I was pioneering a way of doing business that others couldn’t even fathom. Ditto when I took the entire operations digital, establishing one of the first entirely digital publishers.

We did things different. Our processes were entirely digitalized. It was a new way of doing business and publishing. Like any new enterprise or methodology that challenges the establishment, it too was challenged by those who didn’t want change.

Fast forward 15 years and you’ll be hard pressed to find a publisher that isn’t publishing electronically. You’ll also find most of those who were decrying the change now make their living from it. Either that or they’ve been forced to move on from publishing. Change happens. Whether we want it to or not.

By and large, publishers are going out of business on a scale never seen before. Those that haven’t are retooling to focus on different aspects of their business. In technical publishing, those few who survive have done so by focusing on education, training and certification or such rather than traditional publishing. Others are simply zombies waiting for the end. They’ll be gone when the money runs out or they'll wake up to the inevitable change (but likely too late).

Out of this sea of change comes Stanek & Associates and Smart Brain Training. My latest publishing endeavors. I’ve been releasing technical titles since 2014 under these monikers. The earliest of these were in The Personal Trainer and Fast Start series, which were followed by my Tech Artisans and IT Pro Solutions series. Although The Personal Trainer and Fast Start books were meant to test the marketplace, the Tech Artisans and IT Pro Solutions books represent a full-scale embrace of the digital revolution.

For the Tech Artisans and IT Pro Solutions books, I hired cover designers, editorial developers and technical reviewers and also brought in a full-time contributor, my son Will. Will has been my apprentice of sorts since his freshman year of high school. He worked summers, holidays and spare time to set up my development environments and perform procedure review and final reads of every technical book I produced. No small feat of magic, as I release 6 to 10 titles a year on average and write books about every major Microsoft operating system and technology from Windows to Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server and Windows Powershell.

After eight years of support and contribution to my work, I’ve finally been able to give Will the cover credit he deserves, in books that I feel are worthy of the high esteem I hold for the work he’s done for me. And you’ll find these cover credits on current Tech Artisans and IT Pro Solutions books.

Our first true father and son effort is for an upcoming series of SQL Server books, which I hope will be ready in 2017 in time to commemorate our tenth year of working together. Will remains torn between his law studies and his passion for IT engineering and database management. I don’t know which will win out but I know Will is ready for any challenge, especially as he’s been able to work with me for nearly ten years already in one of the most demanding work environments on planet Earth.

Thanks for reading,

William Robert Stanek

Lifetime Achievement Award – 30+ Years of Books

Huge THANK YOU to readers and others who submitted me for an award for distinguished contributions in writing & American Letters. As a past recipient of awards for excellence in writing, merit and distinguished accomplishments, I'm honored to be nominated. I’ve written nearly 200 full-length works since I completed my first novel in 1986, but it wasn’t until 1995 that I had a breakout hit that established me as a bestselling author.

I wrote those early books for Macmillan and have since had books published and/or distributed by Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Microsoft, O’Reilly, McGraw Hill, Pearson and others. My books have sold nearly 10 million copies worldwide and been translated into 34 languages, with well over $150 million in sales.

That type of success is the stuff of Willy Wonka’s wildest dreams. Still, as I wrote about in “How I Made This Crazy Thing Called Writinga Career”, wild success doesn’t always mean riches for the writer. Although bookstores, publishers, agents, Uncle Sam and others got the Lion’s share of the wealth, I remain tremendously grateful to my publishers and everyone else in the business who made the dream possible.

In my career one of the things I’m most proud of is my work to give back and to support my fellow writers. Giving back to communities across America and the world is something I’ve written about in “It’s GivingTuesday!”. It took 20 years but my goal to give away $1 million in books to libraries and schools was finally achieved in 2015.

In the early days, I gave back to writers through Writer’s Gallery and other outlets I maintained online, including Internet Daily News (one of the earliest online dailies). In 2007, I launched Go Indie to support independents (writers and bookstores). Other resources include #AmBlogging #FreeToday and the Read Indies blog.

As I look back at my career, I’m also very glad that from the beginning I did something for myself by starting a publishing company. That company began operations in 1995 and I used it to learn about the publishing side of the industry, which is very different from the writing side. By 2004, I knew enough about the industry and was ready to spread my wings and go into self-publishing. I hired a great team and put them to work running my business.

In the beginning, we had quite a large team, that team has whittled down to a few core members, but remains in the business of bringing my works, and the works of a select group of other writers, to the world. They've helped get dozens of translations for my fiction works, which are now available in nearly 100 countries around the globe.

I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much my traditional publishers and those I worked with in the industry hated (loathed, really) my self-publishing efforts. But my efforts were wildly successful from the start with Keeper Martin's Tale quickly becoming a bestseller at Amazon.com (2002) and The Kingdoms & the Elves of the Reaches rocketing to #1 in Fiction at Audible.com (2005) where it remained a Top 10 Kids & YA bestseller for over 180 weeks (2005 - 2008). 

Today, the industry has changed so much that without self-publishing I don’t know where I’d be. Strange how things can turn around so dramatically. What was once forbidden fruit has now become one of the best ways for writers to earn a living.

Thanks for reading,

Robert Stanek

Cloud Matters: Got Cloud, Will Travel

This is the fourth in a series of articles based on the popular Cloud Matters lecture series I’ve been giving to executives and their top staff at global Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 companies since 2012. These articles are for working pros at all levels and are delivered without icing and sprinkles. 

Cloud Matters lunches happen, so do Cloud Matters lectures. Before a lunch or lecture with management and their teams, someone usually introduces me to everyone. I’ve only been introduced one time as “that guy that wrote all them books that are sitting on your desks,” but I kind of liked it. Much better than the usual about how I was Microsoft’s top author for nearly twenty years, wrote a hundred plus authoritative books, or how I’m one of the world’s leading authorities on Microsoft enterprise and cloud technologies.

The numbers aren’t why I write or lecture, but people really seems to like the numbers.

Ten million "William Stanek" readers. Check.

Twenty years of "William Stanek" books. Check.

$100 million in top-line sales for my Microsoft books. Check.

It’s important to realize that I don’t write the hyperbole. Those are all things the marketers, publishers, press etc wrote about me—and none of it is why I do what I do. I do what I do because I love sharing what I know and helping others succeed. If I can enhance careers and save companies money while I’m doing it, even better.

At the end of the day, what Cloud Matters is all about depends on the needs of the company and their teams. For $XYZ an hour plus expenses some expect earth-shattering revelations and may not even realize until they send the inevitable “Thank You” note how valuable the advice offered was or how much money they saved by getting an additional opinion before committing to this or that cloud project.

Sure, there are plenty of management consulting companies in the cloud space but they’re not necessarily independent authorities, and they’re not necessarily selling the cow, the milk and the farm at the same time. The truly shrewd ones though they recognize the value of independent opinion, independent review, independent oversight and everything else Cloud Matters offers. They’re the ones filling my calendar.

So where is Cloud Matters going this year? This year it’s going to Japan, China, Korea, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Scotland, Canada, and around the USA. If your company is in any of these locations and wants a Cloud Matters lunch or lecture, now’s the time.

This is cloud matters, part 4. If this strikes a chord with you, I hope you’ll follow, share and sign your company up for Cloud Matters.



Thanks for reading,



William Robert Stanek

williamstanek at aol.com



PS

AND YES, I WOULD rather be home writing than lecturing. Help me stay home and write by supporting my books. My upcoming books include:

 

Cloud Matters: Amazon Web Services. Right For Your Company?

This is the third in a series of articles based on the popular Cloud Matters lecture series I’ve been giving to executives and their top staff at global Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 companies since 2012. These articles are for working pros at all levels and are delivered without icing and sprinkles. 

Whether your organization is already in the cloud or looking to make a cloud move, an important question that needs answering is which service provider to choose. If you’ve looked at the field, you know there’s a veritable sea of options. Amazon Web Services, AWS, is one of these options and a dominate player in the cloud space.

Although AWS delivers a smorgasbord of services and solutions for many different types of cloud scenarios, AWS is especially well suited for Software As A Service (SAAS) and Platform As A Service (PAAS), making AWS a strong choice for mobile, app, and messaging solutions as well as platform development. AWS also is strongly positioned for use in implementation of virtual meeting, chat and streaming desktop solutions.


Where AWS falls short is with regard to Infrastructure As A Service (IAAS), especially if you want to say move your company’s data center to the cloud or implement a hybrid enterprise cloud. AWS is slowly improving in these areas (think tortoise), but the options are not as robust as those offered by their leading competitors (by far).


Another area where AWS underwhelms is customer service and responsiveness. When I advise clients regarding AWS, the first thing I do is look at the potential size of business they are looking to bring to Amazon, dividing them into four categories:


Under $1M annually, clients who will be lucky to get the time of day


$1M - $2M annually, clients who are likely to get middling responsiveness half the time


$2M - $5M annually, clients who will get better responsiveness most of the time


Over $5M, clients who will get best responsiveness


An example? Sure. Recently, I contacted AWS on behalf of a group of clients. The AWS rep who received my emails didn’t even seem to read them before responding with generic, auto responses. This happened time and again over the course of the several weeks, where I got half-answered responses and half-attempts to deliver needed resources and answers. Mostly, I was directed to generic online help and documentation.


My experience was similar to that of multiple other clients, who couldn’t get anyone at AWS to give them proper focus and attention. During the course, of my discussions with AWS, I asked if it weren’t possible to actually block out calendar time to work with me to answer questions, gather materials and resources, etc. I was again pointed to generic online help and documentation, and then I received no further replies or responses to my inquiries or follow up whatsoever. Again, similar to what clients who went with AWS experienced and largely a reason they were moving elsewhere or going with alternate solutions for additional cloud needs.


Something else I’ve told my clients. When you consider Amazon, also consider it’s 20-year history of abusive labor and business practices. Below the executive, the general staff at Amazon is notoriously underpaid and overworked, meaning even the well-intentioned contacts your teams work with may not be able to properly support you in the first place. And when it comes to ethical, fairness as a business partner? Losing your wallet due to overbilling, extra charges, etc will likely be the least of your worries.


So there you have it, AWS served up raw on a platter. As always, these are my opinions and I reserve the right to change my position. Who knows, maybe Amazon will stop its draconian ways, clean up its unfair practices and stop minting billionaire executives while underpaying and overworking other staff. I won’t be holding my breath for that to happen. In the meantime, it’s why I’ve directed $100M+ in business away from AWS since I started lecturing.


This is cloud matters, part 3. If this strikes a chord with you, I hope you’ll follow, share and sign your company up for Cloud Matters.


Thank you for reading,


William Robert Stanek
williamstanek at aol.com


Find my books online at:


https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=William+Stanek


https://www.amazon.com/William-R.-Stanek/e/B000APT6MS/


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22William%20Stanek%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall


PS



Hope you found this article useful, informative or whatever. My upcoming books include:

Cloud Matters: How Much Are You Overpaying for Cloud Services?

This is the second in a series of articles based on the popular Cloud Matters lecture series I’ve been giving to executives and their top staff at global Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 companies since 2012. These articles are for working pros at all levels and are delivered without icing and sprinkles. 

The title question is a zinger, delivered with a grin when I’m told a client has gone with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and states they are paying X dollars for Y number of servers with Z discounts (or whatever other arrangements they’ve made). Of course, to be fair and honest, I do the same when clients tell me they’ve gone with Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, VMWare, OpenStack or whatever. Because clients paying X for Y with a side of Z are getting gouged every day.

As an outside advisor, I don’t negotiate deals or terms for my clients, though I probably should. Companies like Cloudyn and its many lookalikes are charging a commission of 2 to 3 percent of the cloud-bill for the same, and minting new millionaire employees as fast as the Denver mint ships truckloads of coins in the process. Meanwhile, I simply tell my clients what I know when asked, without charging fees in perpetuity for the know-how.

What I know is this, well at least part of what I know, because one can’t give away the cow without charging for the milk. Companies that move to the cloud are getting taken to the cleaners, literally, and have been for years. This is especially true for the early adopters, and it’s still true with pricing for cloud services dropping like a stone into a river.

The problem is bad, has been bad, and will continue to be bad. The sort of bad that comes from negotiating the price of your 60-proc E10K servers to the decimal point while letting Oracle decide how much to charge for the db12 licensing. Hey, what the heck, roll the dice with your cloud licensing too. After all, you’re saving money, right? Right?

Call when the sticker shock sets in, because it does and will. The dozens of companies that have jumped into the cloud cost-management game are counting on it. They make bank off the money they save clients, and like I said earlier, they’re getting filthy rich in the process. I suppose I should cash in too. Heck, why not? Everyone else is swimming in the pool; they don’t even seem to notice that big, fat, brown turd floating there. Hey, maybe it’s a chocolate bar, right? Right? Wink, wink.

Yeah, a little sarcasm and melodrama for your day. But sometimes that’s what it takes to get people to really listen, especially when you’re in a room full of people wearing watches that cost more than the car you drive—and I drive a pretty nice car, btw.

The deals most companies negotiate for cloud services are like those watches. Anachronistic. But hey, if you got the need, wear that Platinum Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona and overpay for your cloud services too while you’re at it. Me personally, I prefer the chestnut brown bevel with the ice blue face and not overpaying. That’s just me. I’m funny that way.

This is cloud matters, part 2. If this strikes a chord with you, I hope you’ll follow, share and sign your company up for Cloud Matters.

Thank you for reading,

William Robert Stanek

williamstanek at aol.com

Upcoming releases:

Cloud Matters: Is Your Company’s Future on the Line? Will a Cloud Mistake Cost Your Company Millions?

This is the first in a series of articles based on the popular Cloud Matters lecture series I’ve been giving to c-suite executives and their top staff at global Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 companies since 2012. These articles are for working pros at all levels and delivered without icing and sprinkles.

Whether your organization has moved, is moving, or wants to move to the cloud, odds are your management is congratulating themselves over all the money they are or will save now that they have or can fire all the IT staff, decommission all the servers, stop having to pay for so much tech training, etc. Just today, in fact, I saw another sky’s the limit graph in my LinkedIn feed showing the copious cloud savings for enterprises.

The graph showed a partially submerged iceberg. On the old school side of the graph, the iceberg was half out of the water, representing all the money enterprises were spending on IT staff, servers, training, etc. On the new school side of the graph, just a little tip of the iceberg was out of the water, representing all the money enterprises save when they move to the cloud by reducing staff, using someone else’s servers, etc. You know what my reaction to this was if you’ve ever been in one of my classrooms in the early days and seen me do a rolling on the floor belly laugh.

As a growing number of my clients have learned, moving to the cloud isn’t necessarily as cheap as Amazon, Google, VMWare and all those other companies would like you to believe. If it was, the dozens of professional cost-management companies designed to help enterprises save money on their cloud bills, like Cloudability, Cloudyn, CloudCruiser, CloudHealth, etc, wouldn’t exist. Clients in my lectures who were following along were getting these cost savings, and without having to give a 2 to 3 percent cloud-bill commission to a management company for the same. The others simply had money to spend that their shareholders didn’t really care about. (Yes, that's sarcasm.)

A growing number of clients are listening when I talk about not needing other managed cloud services either, like those from RackSpace, which recently laid off 6 percent of its workforce. As I’ve been telling my Cloud Matters clients, completely outsourcing the cloud or even parts of it to these management companies may not be in your enterprise's best long-term interest. There are many factors companies moving to the cloud don’t properly consider beforehand and these items, the ones the professional management companies won’t even speak of, can come back to bite you in the ass.
Something else I’ve also been telling my Cloud Matters clients: Getting rid of the experienced in-house IT staff that your company has spent countless years and dollars building is a very, very bad idea.

Contrary to what Amazon, Google, VMWare and all those other companies would like you to believe, the cloud doesn’t run itself. Your company really does still need good technical professionals after your cloud move. Your company really does still need to allocate dollars to IT training, recruitment and retention. In my lectures, I tell my clients where and how to reposition IT staff for the future that’s coming like a full-on freight train. After all, we are in the cloud infancy and when Cloud 1.0 passes over to Cloud 2.0, you want your company to be ready.

Fair warning, I also tell my clients: If you eliminate your in-house IT, you are going to regret it. At some point, the operations of your entire company may be on the line and you will need IT. A real world example:

Some of my clients moved entirely to Office 365 and Exchange Online without even considering what happens to company operations when Office 365, Exchange Online and other internet services aren’t available. Not because Microsoft or any other datacenter is out, but because some construction worker cut through your city’s Internet backbone lines accidentally, and guess what this didn’t just take down one Internet service provider in the area, it took down them all because there was no other backbone in your area and all the service providers used the same one. Now what? Do you tell 15,000 workers to go home until the problem is fixed in 2-3 business days?

Think this can’t happen? Think again. This scenario actually happened at a startup I worked at in Portland, Oregon. The company I worked at didn’t have thousands of workers, but other companies in the area did. So with your entire operations in the cloud how much would it cost your company to be unable to do business for 24 hours? 48 hours? 72 hours? $5 million? $10 million? $25 million?

Would it put your company out of business? It sure might. Have you planned a contingency? Do you even know who and what backbone providers are in your area? Now that your 100% cloud, is there any experienced IT staff in your organization left who can answer this important question for you right now or should your shareholders flood the exit gates?

Something to think about, and perhaps even, go check on right now.

This is cloud matters, part 1. If this strikes a chord with you, I hope you’ll follow, share and sign your company up for Cloud Matters.

Thank you for reading,

William Robert Stanek
williamstanek at aol.com

PS

Speaking of the cloud, if you’re using Office 365 and Exchange Online, I hope you’ll buy my books on these subjects. Upcoming releases: