Come Celebrate 15 Years Of Techdirt (And 50,000 Posts)!

from the here's-to-15-more-(at-least) dept

Wed, Oct 3rd 2012 4:15pm — Mike Masnick

We recently wrote about Techdirt turning 15. A few weeks later, without anyone (including us) noticing, we also published our 50,000th post. Every day I'm in awe of the community here and the conversations and discussions that we've had. In the back of my head, it still feels like the early days, when I'd publish something and know that absolutely no one would read it -- even though that doesn't appear to be the case any more. I'm thrilled that I get to "virtually" spend time with all of you every day, and to celebrate, we thought it would be great to see some of you in person too! We're having a 15th Anniversary Meetup/Happy Hour in San Francisco next Wednesday, October 10th from 6pm to 8pm. The event is being hosted by our good friends at Hattery Labs and should be a lot of fun. It's free, but we have limited space, so please sign up to get on the guest list before we run out of space... We look forward to seeing many of you next week!

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: happy hour, meetup, techdirt

39 Comments

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kyle clements (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 4:42pm

"it still feels like the early days, when I'd publish something and know that absolutely no one would read it"

How times have changed. Now I can hardly post a comment without a dozen other people getting their remark in first.

And I'm sure the number of readers who don't comment is much higher than the number who do comment. (I'd guess 10X higher)

Congratulations.

Here's hoping the next 15 years will be just as good.
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rosspruden (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 4:48pm

Thanks!
I can say without equivocation that the insight offered here on Techdirt has changed my views on many, many things. I would have it no other way.

Thanks, Mike, for starting this wonderful adventure.
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Adam Singer (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 4:58pm

Totally there!
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Dark Helmet (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:05pm

Come see Dark Helmet in action!!!
Cheers to Techdirt and its 50kth post! As I'm sure all of my fans, and really, which among you can't say you love me, I'm from the greatest city in the world, Chicago. As such, Techdirt, I'm sure, will be flying me, free of charge mind you, out to San Fransico for this wonderful event. Yes, it'll be all limos out of San Fran (Oakland? Please!!!) and champaigne with those awesome olives that have garlic in them.

While I have yet to receive my complimentary air fare, limo voucher, and subsequent 3 day stay in Napa Valley to sample exquisite wines and various French cheeses, I am certain all of the above will be arriving in the mail any day now. So, for those of you fans who love you some Dark Helmet, I encourage you forthwith to show your appreciation for all the free shit I want my part time job to give to me.

I promise you, if your protestations are successful, I shall entertain you with naughty jokes and possible nudity.

Love and kisses,

Dark Helmet
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Jeremy, 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:15pm

15 Years?
I'm humiliated that it took 14 years to find this site. This site has replaced normal news for me.
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DMNTD, 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:24pm

I also mostly just found this site and I direct people who miss points all the time to it. I would show up at that get together, I know peeps in San Francisco..maybe next time.
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monkyyy, 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:27pm

whaaaaaaa im 19 O__o this site has been around for most of my life
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Mike Masnick (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:42pm

Re:
this site has been around for most of my life

Thank you. I feel old.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 5:54pm

Congratulations on 50K
50,000 is a whole lot of words. Impressive enough, but when most of the words have been aimed at various members of the establishment, so much the better.

I would love to join you in your celebration but flying out of the local airport means finding a qualified biplane pilot who's still alive. It also means carry-on baggage is limited to handheld bombs to throw at the Kaiser.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 6:16pm

Re: Congratulations on 50K
If only we Tims could wrangle up enough support to pressure Mike to flying us out there for free, on a private jet even. Come on, wrangle the masses!!!
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 6:27pm

Subject
Congrats, everyone!
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Zos (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 6:37pm

Re: Come see Dark Helmet in action!!!
be sure to properly enjoy your time behind the emerald curtain.

Just don't come back via texas.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 6:52pm

I've got to ask
With 15 years and 50,000 posts, how many comments do you have?
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Gary, 3 Oct 2012 @ 10:30pm

Re: Re:
Sadly this site hasn't been around the majority of my life,
but since finding it just before the SOPA debacle I'm here
everyday and will continue to be!
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Mike Masnick (profile), 3 Oct 2012 @ 11:24pm

Re: I've got to ask
With 15 years and 50,000 posts, how many comments do you have?

According to my profile page, it's a bit over 16,000.
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The eejit (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 1:22am

Re: Re: I've got to ask
...slacker. /s

Still, the journey goes on.
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Ninja (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:13am

Re: Re:
Thank God he/she/it didn't say "longer than my life". Wait till the kids start calling you "uncle Mike"!

Congratulations though ;)
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Ninja (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:15am

Re: Re: Congratulations on 50K
You Tim's could just get your arses moving and go anyway just for the booze ;)

I was gonna say for the girls but then I stopped and thought about how many of them read TD. It'd be very sad to know that the best nudity we could get from TD is your Nudy calendar =/
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Ninja (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:16am

Re: Re: I've got to ask
How many comments from everybody? That must be a huge number...
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JustMe (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:49am

Grats on 50k, Mike
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Niall (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 5:25am

Re: Re: Re: Congratulations on 50K
How about throwing a celebration in Brazil for 2014? ;) Then we can have football and Olympics and girls...
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Niall (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 5:26am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Congratulations on 50K
Meh, 2014 for football and girls, 2016 for Olympics and girls.

It's only a few weeks since the Olympics ended here and I'm already in withdrawal!
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Jeff (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 5:53am

Congrats!
Here's to the next 15 years! To bad I'm not in San Fran, I'd love to grab a nice IPA with you guys - especially since I know the Tim's won't be there! ;-)

Regardless - 50K posts is an awesome achievement, and I'm glad we're here to rouse the rabble!
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Danny (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 6:29am

Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
My comment as well: it has got to be in the one million range.
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Ninja (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 6:35am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Congratulations on 50K
That could be nice indeed! Gotta do it on the beach though for added visual pleasantries! (good thing my girlfriend won't read this lmao)
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Mike Masnick (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 8:00am

Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
How many comments from everybody? That must be a huge number...

Just under 1 million. Getting very close to that millionth comment...
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Mark Gisleson (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 8:12am

Congratulations
Fifteen years is an awesome achievement, especially in a demanding area like IT trends. I've been tracking blogs pretty closely since my first one in 1999, and you are easily one of the most prolific quality bloggers out there.

And no, I don't know why your anniversary isn't on all the news wires, or why you haven't received a MacArthur grant yet.
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Gwiz (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 8:14am

Re: Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
Just under 1 million. Getting very close to that millionth comment...

Ohhh. Will the millionth commenter get something special? Like when that happens at the supermarket checkout.

You could make the comment a special color, maybe even add balloons and confetti as a background for the comment.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2012 @ 9:59am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
I'd think you'd have to make sure it doesn't go to a troll, because theyn they'll use it as a gloating point to claim that the site can't do without them.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 10:41am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
Ohhh. Will the millionth commenter get something special? Like when that happens at the supermarket checkout.

We'd thought about doing something, but there are way too many potential problems. What if it's a spam comment? And what about old spam comments that got through that we failed to catch. Just too difficult to precisely pinpoint who's REALLY the millionth comment. We may try to do something symbolic when it happens though...
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2012 @ 12:54pm

Re: Come see Dark Helmet in action!!!
"As such, Techdirt, I'm sure, will be flying me, free of charge mind you, out to San Fransico for this wonderful event."

Ever the freeloader. I might go myself just to unravel one of the great mysteries in the tech industry: What color is Mike Masnick's wallet?
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 1:26pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
order by date;
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rosspruden (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 1:31pm

Re: Re: Come see Dark Helmet in action!!!
I've seen it. It looks like this.
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Hephaestus (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 3:14pm

Re: Come see Dark Helmet in action!!!
I have seen pictures of you naked. That whole Paris Hilton tape you did ... shiver on multiple levels. ;)
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:09pm

The millionth Comment
You just won ten million dollars in a Nigerian lottery. All you have to do is pay the taxes and we'll send you the money!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2012 @ 4:19pm

We want Techdirt Party!
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Ninja (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 8:08pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I've got to ask
I'm tempted to bet $10 it'll be either bob, average_joe or some of the usual shills..
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Kevin (profile), 4 Oct 2012 @ 10:25pm

All things equal
50,000 posts for 50,000 dumb decisions by USA legislators and courts
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Bas Grasmayer (profile), 9 Oct 2012 @ 12:21am

Congrats!
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