I originally launched this blog in January 2007 under the name ‘Ether Breather.’  I was just starting as the online product manager at Vocus, Inc. and had recently completed my Masters at the LSE in media and communications.

At the time, it was my intention to focus primarily on new media, culture and technology and I chose a somewhat abstract name that I felt encompassed the range of topics I would be writing about, as well as the texture of the site.

Towards the end of 2007 I realized my focus had honed in on social media and changed to the fabric of the media landscape that were creating new patterns of engagement.

A great deal of literature, both offline and online, has come out in the past few years focusing on this new space  including Paul Gillin’s book, “The New Influencers.”  The term caught my attention because it referred in my mind to an emerging class of publishers, marketers, and artists that were beginning to gain traction through the emerging mediums online.

I realized that not only was I participating in this space through the site (as well as other projects I was working on) but that my focus was really framed in the context of this emerging world of influence.

After checking with Paul Gillin and getting his approval, I changed the name of this site to NewInfluencer.com and here we are.