Happy New Year everyone and welcome to #Android! Depending on our mood — and compatibility with the hashtag — you will see us refer to ourselves as either #Android or Hashtag Android. This is a brand new site built around one man’s affinity for Android and the community that makes it more than simply a mobile operating system.

Vincent Messina – Founder/Editor-In-Chief

I’d like to start by introducing myself and giving a little history on how Hashtag Android came to be.

My name is Vincent Messina and I’ve been interested in little green robots since the release of the original Motorola DROID on Verizon.

I share the all-too-familiar story of a BlackBerry user unsatisfied and looking for more. Braving the tides of change, I jumped from the sinking ship of RIM and gave our beloved Android a shot.

It didn’t take very long for me to see the clear differences and sheer superiority of Android over BlackBerry. However, it was what I wasn’t looking for that really caught my attention. I am, of course, talking about the Android community.

Don’t get me wrong, the BlackBerry community was also a great community — and I’m not ashamed to admit my former CrackBerry addiction. However, it was the thrill of being a part of something “new” and the fact that so many were sharing and helping in my newfound adventure that really forged the bond with Android that I have today.

Being a Motorola DROID user, I certainly wasn’t here from the beginning, but the great thing was — it didn’t matter. Unlike many other platforms or communities, no one called me a noob or ridiculed me for my rudimentary questions. No. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms and given advice, help and all the Jedi training necessary to become a full-blown Android addict.

The whole experience reminded me of my first Nintendo really. I was so very excited when I first received my Nintendo back in 1985 (yea, I’m getting old), and like many others around me, began exploring and sharing stories of secret levels, cartridge nuances, and of course: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left Right, B, A, Select, Start.

The Nintendo gave birth to what would become my life-long video game obsession and surprisingly, my first Android blogging position.

As the Android Market grew, I began enjoying and reviewing the plethora of games and apps being dropped daily. For a year, I wrote about every game, app, developer, and market update that came across my desk. I eventually moved on to covering all things Android and really haven’t look back since.

While my love for Android and its community grew, I slowly found myself being held back by the companies hiring me. I was brought on to start up a few projects for people I can only categorize as “Apple enthusiasts looking to monetize on Android’s success.” While I personally have nothing negative to say about these individuals (as they were all great, hardworking individuals that I would consider friends), it was the fact that they really didn’t share in the Android community that resulted in my eventual departures and ultimately led me to start #Android.

I now have the freedom to write, say, hire, create, and breakdance whenever I damn please, and I have no one to answer to other than myself and the Android community.

If you’ve followed me throughout my projects, you already know I enjoy giving back to the community. I frequently feature community members and their projects, I fully support the business ventures of a majority of Androidpreneurs, and I’m always giving away as much swag as I can get my hands on.

With #Android, I will continue to give my insight, share news and tips, spark debate, and most of all — have fun.

#Android is a new chapter in my life, and I hope you will join in my journey to create more than just another Android blog tainted with bad intentions.

This is me… This is you… This is #Android.

Disclaimer: I’m a writer not a web developer, so bear with me as I try not to destroy the site with some misplaced code.