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Exclusive interview con el web jefe ( Tejano Journal) Abel Hernandez,2012. ?The
end of era, Tejano Journal?. Cchwnn. San Antonio, Texas.

 

Hello again I am Blanca Blanch Blanco, and I am Santa Cecilia la que te canta,
con this exclusive interview. The creator has asked both of us to do this last
interview con the web jefe. In our opinion of one of the most outstanding and
one of the most lasting Tejano websites that provide up dates on Tejano
programming, history and daily debates about la onda. We are talking about Abel
Hernandez del Tejano journal, that is expected to shut its doors down this
coming October. We found it very important to do this interview to recall all
the good memories and recall some of the major discussion that it had on its
website.

 

Now for that interview:
BBB: gee abel for giving time to do this interview, and can you give us both a
hand of this bicycle y care con Santa she is sitting on the handle bars?

 

Ah:Yes sir. Welcome back.

 

BBB: well let’s start con how did it all come about and how long were you on
line?

 

Ah; Back toward the end of 1994 I had been on the internet for about a year
learning all about email, web sites, ftp, etc. I was surprised with all the
information on the internet including photos and music. So I learned how to
create a web site using HTML and created a small personal web site on my
company's intranet. I called it "Abel's Home Room". I had a blackboard as my
background with those words written on it. After browsing for a few months I
noticed that there were no tejano music web sites or for that matter any
mexican web sites with mexican photos or music. The only thing I found were a
few universities with a history of mariachi music. So I bought a scanner and
started scanning my cassettes and moving my music and photos onto my web site.

I also decided to move my web site to the other side of my company's firewall
to make it visible to everyone out there but since my company had their own web
site, I had to use a different port for my mine. It was now February 1995 so
I decided to use port 1995. Those that were on my web site back then will
remember that in order to get to my web site, they had to type
http://someipaddress:1995/ lol U memeber.

 

I found a co-worker that was creating his own web  hosting network so we decided
that I would help him test it by moving my web site over so I registered the
domain name "ondanet.com"  This was in August 1995.

 

So my tejano music web site started in Feb 1995, became ondanet.com in Aug 1995
and will end 17 years, 7 months later on Oct 3, 2012.

 

SC: oh yes we remember,you know abel as we have talked about this before, TJ was one of the first Tejano websites to give us permission to post our barrio satire news and later
the posting of Tejano interviews, what was in your mind in allowing us to use
your website as a stepping stone?

 

Ah; Well I always did allow anything that wasn't tejano/mexicano related as long
as it didn't get out of hand. And you were no exception.

 

SC: in all this years abel what were some of the major discussion that your TJ
talked about the most?

 

Ah: That's easy.  What are we doing to keep Tejano alive and get it back to what
it was before the decline?

 

Sc: was there ever a time that you were fed up con tanto discussions about the
same thing and nothing address on how to come to some solutions?

 

Ah; Well, not really, I was just tried with all the fighting that would always
come up after some great discussions.

 

BBB: now let?s talk about the new and improved TJ, gee man, I think you created
a monster now, I mean now your viewers and new and old TJer can post pictures
and one can even see who they are responding too, did you think that it’s a
start of a new era for you sir?

 

Ah: Yes I do.  I thought of doing this a few months ago but just now decided to
go for it and see what happens.  I was very surprised at the turn out.  I now have
over 1700 friends with almost 464 registered on the Tejano Journal.

 

BBB: economic has always played an important role in ever Tejano life, now that
your new TJ website is more reasonable, do you think you will get a larger
crowd and in some cases bring back lots of the older TJer that left for one
reason or another back?

 

AH: It sure looks like it and I sure hope so.  It was a lot of fun back in the day
and it can continue being a lot fun in the future.

 

BBB; do you believe that it will be easier to address new and for sure some of
the old issues on your new facebook site?

 

Ah; I think it'll be about the same.  I already had to delete a message and almost
another one.  Some people will never change.  I have allowed photos on my site web
before but it got out of hand so I stopped allowing it.  But now I have a big brother
(facebook police) to  help me with any major problems.  I hope I don't have to
make my Tejano Journal group private but I will if I have to.

 

BBB: I a great Tejano fan and Tejano leader Mr. Viejito once said that there
were thousands of raza that visited your website and some of them never really
posted but would drop bye to see what major Tejano issues were being discuss,
do you think he was correct in mention that TJ was a leader in the recording
the progress of la onda tejana?

 

Ah; Yes because I would meet a lot of people at different events that would always
say that they would read the TJ everyday but had never posted anything.  I think
that was the case with most of the visitors on my web site.

 

BBB: Abel I’ve mention this before, Tejano and chicano websites have come and
gone, when one writes the history of Tejano Journal many years from now what do
you think they will say about 20 years from now?

 

AH; Well, I hope they will say, "Remember the good old days at the Tejano Journal?"

 

SC: well abel is there one last word that you think you need to share con your
fan base really from around the world?

Ah: Yes.  Remember, the Tejano Journal didn't "end".  The web site hosting ended.
The Tejano Journal continues on a new platform so .... continue posting!

 

SC/ BBB: again we want to thank you for your support and allowing us to have
posted our first news back in 2004, and we want a big Tejano hug for both of us
and if you don?t mine can you take us out to eat?

 

Ah: Sure it was my pleasure and it's my treat. You can choose any two items from
the dollar menu.

 

SC/BBB;  all right sir,, when it come down to it , we feel that Abel Hernandez lead the way in
which many tried, to let la onda tejana aware que we are caring people and are
very proud of what we have accomplished con nuestra muscia, and don’t never
forget that we all stand together for the betterment of la onda, regardless
which side of an issue you find yourself in. have a great Tejano day and see
you all at that new place.