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It's been three hours since I last heard voices outside. Since then, no one rushed past my office and the parking lot is visibly more empty than usual. It seems, most have survived this years Christmas party (though some livers may need more time to fully recover) and all remaining deadlines are in 2019. Offices are abandoned and Advent calendars emptied. Even the obligatory smell of coffee is missing. Soon, the last light will go out at Ashampoo headquarters and quiet will settle in for a few days.
2018 has been an exciting year - unpredictably so. We've seen MS take the crown as data hog, witnessed billion dollar fines being imposed on Google, experienced YouTube censorship powered by AI and had "fun" with broken Windows updates. Many of these events were unthinkable a year ago, which makes my job as blog author so interesting. I'm usually as surprised as you are! Everybody makes mistakes, no matter how big or small, but a number of headlines in 2018 left me flabbergasted and I'm hoping a few of my articles piqued your interest in some of the hot topics discussed.
As a (North) German computer buff, I'm rather inured to sentimentality by nature. Still, I'd like to say: Thank you! This small blog is now in its fourth year, powered and driven by your interest and yours alone. Without your comments (over 2,000 this year!), it wouldn't have made it past the first three months - or would have likely turned into a hotbed of petty product-centered ad stories, like so many company blogs. I have ample creative freedom, thanks to your interest and support. And with the approval rate for comments once again soaring at 99%, I couldn't be happier.
2019 will be doubly exciting for us. Not only do we have loads of programs in the pipeline, but we're also finally moving to another close-by city. As with all things Ashampoo, our beginnings were humble. Ashampoo founder Rolf Hilchner started out with a handful of employees in a small corner office, with a bus driver being the only other resident on that floor. Soon, we rented the entire floor and, eventually, the building. Now, we're moving into an office building especially designed for us, along with our sister company CleverReach. Will not having to stare at a gray corrugated iron roof all day long kindle my writing enthusiasm even more? Who knows.
All that is still a long way off. For now, I'll call it a day and head home to my family and richly decorated tree. A few days without meetings, co-workers and up-to-the-minute IT news, would you believe it?
I for one wish you a splendid Christmas and a joyous New Year! Take care and feel free to drop by our blog again in 2019! Our editorial staff will take a short break until the beginning of January. A few days of extra rest will hopefully also do wonders for my ankle. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing from you again in 2019. See you then!
Thank you Sven, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2019!
Greetings from Croatia
Miroslav
I enjoy the company products and your Blog keep up the good work. Hope you and the family have a very merry Christmas and a Happy & healthy New Year.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Sven.
Looking out the window the snow hasn't arrived though the wind is gusting up to 90 k/hr. We are roughly on the same latitude as Hamburg.
The snow at this time of year disappeared over 10 years ago Sven.
Cheers
Thank you so much! It's really windy and rainy, but I'm on vacation after all. :)
Thank you, Sven--and this gives me an opportunity to congratulate you on Winoptimizer 16. It's visibly 'smaller' (smaller cpu footprint, and other resources; contrast to the Avira all-in-one package; I'm tempted--if I can afford to--to buy a copy of System Mechanic. I did learn--the lesson finally sunk in--never optimize at the same time with two different pieces of software (back to back, sequentially not simultaneously--but potentially nearly the same effect, even to destroying MBR. I am an actual beta tester who starts with "what happens if..." *My apologies for any offences occasioned in the past (and for constantly mixing British and American spelling, as well).
A very Merry Christmas to you and yours and all the coworkers. Have enjoyed my stay and look forward to 2019 Cheers for now
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you, Herr Hilchner, and everyone at Ashampoo! The products are excellent and your blog is superb. Your insight and views are a pleasure to read. It is a wonderful gift to be a prolific writer and thinker and I am grateful that you share your thoughts on the blog. English probably isn't even your native language but it couldn't be better. Thank you very much and keep it up. The Ashampoo Blog is the first e-mail I click on when I see it in the inbox. All the best in 2019!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, Sven
Hope the family is well and each of you are in the best of health and spirits. (Not the liquid Kind) :)
I have become an avid follower of this blog and hope to be able to continue to do so in the future. We ALL need unbiased info. To that thanks to " All " that make this blog possible!
Mike
Thank you so much! :)
Many thanks for all your good humoured writing this year! Enjoy your Christmas and take a well earned rest. Looking forward to hearing more from you in the New Year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Ashampoo blog team,
Loved reading your blogs through the year, Sven.
All the very best,
Lee
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all at Ashampoo and the blog staff and to all the readers of this blog.
Merry merry Christmas Sven to you and your family. Thank you so much for your blog, which has been of much value to me for information on what is happening on the Internet.
The best ever tip for me was your recommendation for Opera as a browser. This has saved me so many headaches and made browsing a much easier and happier environment. After all the frustrations and freeze-ups with other browsers, I am more grateful than you know.
I hope your festive season is safe and happy and full of joy and blessings.
Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr to you, Sven. Thank you for a year of very interesting and informative blogs. I look forward to seeing more in 2019.
Since today is my final work day of the year (you can guess how it's going), I can't personally thank each and every one of you for your kind words. Still, you made me happy and put me in the right mood for my upcoming vacation. Many thanks!
Merry Christmas to you Sven, family and all the team at Ashampoo. Even though I never comment on the blogs, they are the only ones I take the time to read. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing your new blogs in the new year.
All the best Daffydd
Merry Christmas, Sven. Enjoy this festive season with your family.
Thank you for the great job you are doing on this blog.
All the best to you Sven,family and all the team at Ashampoo.
Hope the ankle gets better and you will soon be dancing again .
PS. How come the name Ashampoo ?
regards
hughie
The company’s name arose out of an analogy from the English product description of Ashampoo UnInstaller ’99, which was one of the first software products by Ashampoo – “It cleans your Windows like a shampoo”. We have to deal with that today. :)
Nice article. I have to admit that your posts are the only ones I have the patience to read until the end...Christmas time is a good time for reflections, overviews and, why not, plans for the next year. But most important, is the time to be spent with your family.
Merry Christmas!
Your opening paragraph reminded me of the opening paragraph of my favorite Christmas story - "The Shepherd," by Frederick Forsyth, read by "Fireside Al" on CBC radio every Christmas eve for at least the last twenty years.
I do enjoy your Blog, and look forward to your 2019 articles.
Merry Christmas!
Seasons greeting to you and yours!
An irrelevant query: what happened to the bus driver who was the co-tenant of your original business premises?
No kidding, he's living in the house next door now! I can always see him when he goes to work. :)
Happy Holidays !!
I too wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas and a great new year. I look forward to your articles and appreciate them. I have almost completely moved away from American software and onto German with a greater level of stability being the result. Thank you ☺
Hi Sven,
Ihnen, Ihrer Familie und allen in Ashampoo wünsche ich ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und ein frohes und erfolgreiches neues Jahr 2019.
Johan D in Australien.
Hi Sven,
I have again read your blogs this year with interest. They are refreshing in that you often say what we think, but do not utter.
May you and your family have a great Christmas and New Year.
Looking forward to more of your gems next year.
David from Australia
G'day Sven,
Thank you for your blog throughout 2018.
Although I haven't participated in the blog personally , I have enjoyed many a pleasant hour reading not only what you have written , but also the replies of other readers.
I look forward to doing it all again in 2019.
Well, here we all are facing the end of another year.
Maybe we're waiting with curiosity and/or wonder or perhaps anticipation for what the New Year will bring us not only as individuals but as a world wide family.
Sven, to you - and also those near and dear to you, and also to each and every person reading this I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may 2019 bring you all Good Health , Peace and much Happiness.
Cheers,
Mark.
Hi Sven,
thankyou for your kind wishes. May I return them one hundred fold. I have never experienced a White Christmas as it is almost Summer here in Australia, your missals have been most interesting & I shall look forward to reading them in the New Year. Enjoy your time away, it is all too short.
See you next year & bye for now.