For years we struggled through an identity crisis. We always went back and forth about what exactly Icrontic was. As we evolved into a clearer focus as a tech site, and launched a gaming side, we still had this feeling that something was missing.
To be an Icrontian is something special, something truly unique. Those who stumble upon us one way or another soon discover to their delight that they have found a wonderful community of people with exceptionally diverse and fascinating hobbies and passions. Our shared culture brings us together and ensures that we remain a tight-knit online family. We needed a way to celebrate that.
One day, a most innocent post by Bobby “UPSLynx” Miller about shaving (of all things), blossomed into a fervent discussion about the art of manliness, and then grew into something truly amazing. Several members went and threw out their disposable razors and bought classic safety razors, blades to put in them, bowls, shaving soap, brushes, and stypic pens. They went forth and joined shaving sites, watched instructional videos, and began to spread the gospel of the art of manliness and the joys and benefits of shaving in the classic style. All because Bobby wanted to know how to shave better.
During this time, Greg “Fatcat” Jones wanted a place to write beer reviews. Brewing and appreciation of fine beer had become a passion within the community, and people wanted a place to talk about it.
Simultaneously, Peter “Buddy J” Gill had started getting passionate about educating the men of Icrontic on how to dress better. His inaugural post was about improving the quality of our footwear.
Where to put all this content?
We created a page called Icrontic Life, and the term “Livin’ the Icrontic Life” became a sort of catch-all for doing anything cool. If you went deep-sea fishing that weekend and came back with a huge catch, that was Livin’ the Icrontic Life. If you drove from Texas to Alaska and visited breweries and saw amazing things on your trip, you were Livin’ the Icrontic Life. You get the idea.
The original incarnation of life.icrontic.com was good in theory, but poorly executed. We didn’t vet the content closely. We didn’t exercise editorial control. We didn’t have a solid editorial and writing staff. It ended up becoming a sort of dumping ground for things we found funny. In a word, it flopped.
We closed the doors and went back to the drawing board. We focused on streamlining our editorial workflow. We worked on beefing up our staff and our skills. We brought more talented writers on board, widened our audience, launched IC Gaming, went to trade shows, and basically got better at this whole internet gig.
Perhaps it was time to try again.
It is with renewed focus and fire that we are proud to be relaunching Icrontic Life; a lifestyle site dedicated to all the things that make Icrontians such amazing people. Here you will find in-depth articles about fashion, fitness, photography, automobiles, bikes, music, cuisine, travel, beer, wine, liquor, and yes, even shaving. Our writers are better than they’ve ever been, and we have more of them. Our editors have got this gig down tight. Our workflow is finally in place. It is time. We’re ready.
We hope you enjoy the show. Welcome to the Icrontic Life.
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