Readers praise Lifehacker's compilation of free software and tips on using gadgets or Web sites. "She's a power user, so the problems she faces, normal users face 30 to 90 days later," he said. Trapani, though it has attracted its share of hardcore techies, one of the reasons Mr. Lifehacker was originally intended to be for the "aspiring geek," said Ms. "She kind of makes fun of me in all my geek-out sessions," she said. Her partner of 11 years is, according to Ms. The Brooklyn native works from a two-bedroom apartment in La Jolla, Calif., often writing her first posts of the day in her pajamas and spending up to eight hours on her blog. "It's like my online superhero alter ego." She declined to say what she is paid at Gawker Media, but said her compensation is similar to what she earned as a programmer. "I identify with it very much," she said. Trapani said that, for now, she's not entertaining offers to leave Lifehacker. "I assume that most of our writers that are talented are getting job offers," he said.
Lockhart Steele, Gawker Media's managing editor, said of the Calacanis dustup: "He enjoys stirring the pot." He dismissed concerns his bloggers will be poached. Denton didn't respond to requests for comment for this article.
Scoble, who is also a vice president at PodTech.Network Inc. "I'd hire Gina Trapani in a second," wrote Mr. "This post should cost Denton - Gina is clearly going to be getting a flurry of attention and competing offers," wrote TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. Denton's portfolio, and said he had repeatedly tried to hire her. Trapani's blog was one of the most profitable in Mr. Trapani also recently found herself in the middle of the continuing rivalry between Gawker Media publisher Nick Denton and Jason Calacanis, founder of Weblogs Inc., which has been acquired byĪOL. Last month, John Wiley & Sons published "Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day." Trapani about writing a collection of her best productivity tips. In the fall of 2005, as Lifehacker was gaining attention from computer users, a book agent approached Ms.
Trapani to their headquarters for product briefings andĪsked her to be a judge at a recent programming competition. The popularity of Lifehacker, where some readers regularly submit their own tips and tricks, hasn't gone unnoticed.Īnd other companies have invited Ms. Gawker Media said it doesn't have comparable stats for 2005, but said the site's unique monthly audience nearly doubled in the second half of 2006, reaching two million visitors in November. According to research firm comScore Networks, Lifehacker attracted 287,000 unique visitors in November, the latest figures available, up from 98,000 a year earlier. The number of people visiting Lifehacker rose sharply last year, according to both internal and external estimates, though the data vary widely. Any publicity about herself, instead of the site, "makes me want to climb under my desk and hide," she said. The former software programmer says she prefers to stay out of the limelight. She avoids writing about herself and her posts are free of the sarcasm and snarky attitude that other blogs - particularly those on technology - use as calling cards. Trapani, who manages a staff of three writers, is something of an anomaly among bloggers.