Techdirt Turns Twenty!
from the wasn't-expecting-that dept
We more or less broke the news of this with yesterday's podcast, but Techdirt turns 20 years old today if you trace it back to its true origins. It was, initially, an email newsletter I wrote up to send to other students at Cornell's MBA program and (more realistically) a way to bolster my resume to help me get a job in the tech industry. And, damn, did it ever get me a job -- just not the one that I expected. After a few years as a hobby, in which it grew and grew and grew, Techdirt became my full-time job, and it's been that way ever since. I can't believe that it's gone on for 20 years.
What I do remember was staying up late on that Saturday, August 23rd, twenty years ago, crafting the very first newsletter. Initially, it was supposed to be an email newsletter on the intersection of technology and business, based on Danny O'Brien's brilliant NTK newsletter (which was much more pure tech, and much funnier) -- though I'm only just now realizing that NTK had only begun a few months earlier. In my head, at the time, NTK was an established giant in the space and I was just some kid. Danny eventually discovered my newsletter and was quite kind about it (though, when I finally met him in person many years later, he jokingly pretended to wind up to punch me for copying him). I, unfortunately, can't find it now, but I believe Danny's initial response to me was something along the lines of "don't worry: the only IP we believe in stands for 'Internet Protocol'." But, knowing Danny, I'm sure what he actually said was much wittier.
Techdirt has obviously grown and changed and grown and changed some more over the years (we certainly didn't focus nearly so much on legal and policy issues at first). And a huge part of what's driven the success of Techdirt has been the community here. We didn't always have a huge community, but it's always been supportive and educational. The community around Techdirt has challenged me, educated me, and inspired me over and over and over again. I've met (both virtually and in real life) so many amazing and wonderful people that I likely never would have met without Techdirt. And, it still excites me every single day. I have no idea what I would have done if I hadn't started Techdirt on a whim 20 years ago, but I can't imagine how it could possibly have resulted in a life as fulfilling as the one I've had, even through various challenges along the way.
If you want to know more about the history, please go listen to yesterday's podcast, which was a fun discussion about those early days and how the site changed over time. However, I did want to thank all of you reading this, who are a part of the larger Techdirt community for being around, for sharing stories, for giving us feedback, for participating, for commenting, and for just reading what we put out. And because it's so often the community here that is more interesting and knowledgeable than the writers here, I'm curious -- to anyone reading this, let us know in the comments: when did you discover Techdirt, and how?
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: 20 years, anniversary, techdirt
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Link to your first post please
I lurked for a while, then commented as an Anonymous Coward for a while. Then, wishing to be distinguished from other Anonymous Cowards started using Anonymous Anonymous Coward. Still later I joined and started paying a subscription, and now pay two subscriptions (one from the store and one from Patreon). My profile only shows those comments since I joined, the others are out there, but not part of my profile, yet (I either heard or imagined that one could claim those older posts with the same ID).
Out of curiosity, could you post the link to the first Techdirt article? Reviewing the earliest posts would be interesting in understanding the evolution of the site.
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Re: Link to your first post please
I honestly thought I had included it, but it appears I didn't. Apparently, making mistakes doesn't go away after 20 years. I've now added the link in the text above and it's also here: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/990317/0341214/august-17-23-1997.shtml
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5 years later, you continue to be really good at it. I just wish you'd stick to your strengths, and stop running so much of the "police are evil, government is evil" garbage that undermines your credibility and makes you look like wacko conspiracy theorists. That severely detracts from what is otherwise a really good site.
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That's funny. From where I'm sitting, suggesting that there aren't major problems with police abuses in the US makes you look like a wacko conspiracy theorist.
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In my experience, they only run such posts when there's new stories about the police or government seriously overstepping bounds, ignoring or attacking civil rights or otherwise seriously screwing up.
If there's a lot of those, maybe it's not conspiracy theory? It's not like they're running round screaming about the "deep state", secret societies and lizard people. They're simply commenting on increasing attempts to bypass due process, no-knock warrant and surveillence theat end really badly, FBI stings that never catch anyone who would have been terrorists without FBI coaching, cops who literally get away with murder, and so on.
I'll give you the same advice I give to anyone else - don't like the subject of a particular post? Scroll past. Don't click on it, don't comment on it, just scroll past to the next story. If clicks are the reason such stories are posted and enough people do this, the stories won't be written. If they're written because Mike feels they need to be told either way and/or enough people disagree with you that they find such stories important, you complaining won't change a thing. Just move on, read and comment on the stories that interest you.
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I ended up here after Mike commented on a blog post of mine about a baseball simulation game - maybe in 1999?
Wait. That's how I got to know you? I didn't remember that. And now I'm wondering how I first discovered your blog...
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Congratulations! 🎉
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Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
And where are the usual couple dozen fanboys?
Seem to be missing the party!
And looks as though comments are being individually okayed again:
this be 3rd try...
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Re: Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
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Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
And where are the usual couple dozen fanboys?
Seem to be missing the party!
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That is, unless the ComcastNBCVerizonDisney company has anything to say about it.
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What a ride.
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THREE mentions of Google pointing people to here!That suggests to me that Google's vaunted "algorithm" is loaded with a bias to promote Techdirt (it DOES have subjective inputs), and a click to the Copia site will explicitly show that Google "sponsors" Masnick.
Astute readers will draw obvious conclusion.
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Lots of people found Techdirt through the world's most popular company for finding websites. Therefore that's proof of a conspiracy! If you believe that, it's a wonder you manage to remember to breathe.
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What's especially odd about the "Techdirt is secretly sponsored by Google" conspiracy theory is that Techdirt's been pretty upfront about who its sponsors are. There's a "Thanks To Our Sponsors" header in the sidebar of the Free Speech section, and no attempt to conceal even sponsors that may be unpopular with some of the site's readership. I'm not a fan of Charles Koch, but I don't go around screaming that he's influencing Techdirt's content or editorial positions, because I don't see any evidence of that. And that's from an actual sponsor, not a made-up one.
I do feel that Techdirt's got more of a pro-Google stance than I do personally. But I see no reason to believe that's the result of bribery instead of just a legitimate difference of opinion. Especially since Techdirt has been upfront in acknowledging its other sponsors.
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Congrats
Oh you need to update the Elvis link ;)
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Congrats and about that email....
Also, since it is 20 years since you started emailing your newsletter can you use that fact to help establish prior art on that guy who says he invented teh "email?"
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Re: Congrats and about that email....
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Re: Re: Congrats and about that email....
Yes, but his claimed date of invention is years after the actual invention of email, so it all works out.
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Discovring Techdirt
Generally a lot more legible than Ars Technica.
As to "police and government being evil", well, I hate to tell the nattering nabobs this, but even our founding fathers were worried those things could be quite evil, and DIRT is part of the site's name!
Now, I do think we could use some studies on how the internet amplifies negative news -- as we have heard on Techdirt before, violent crimes are at historic lows, but you wouldn't know it from much of the media. Likewise, we hear about all the evil things our police do, but nothing about when they are effective. The police department that *fired* the guy who was trying to become the 100+ MPH cop in Palm Beach just isn't news; nor is the one that dismisses the violent ones before someone like Philando Castile gets murdered.
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I routinely read (or skim through) A LOT of Internet comments (though less so recently). I rarely make comments myself and I don't remember ever creating an account before. What manner of sorcery did you use on me?
Anyway, good luck going forward.
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Great Job!
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Re: Great Job!
2017 after a FOUR YEAR GAP from 2013.
Why so long if so ardent on the site?
Inquiring minds want to know.
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Congrats on 20 years!
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As shown by your comment history, begun in 2015, and now up to all of... 6!
Oddly enough, Arse Technica is how I too found this obscure little site that Google promotes beyond its influence, yet I've made... about a THOUSAND times as many comments! And a good half of them have been censored, I mean hidden.
Yes, a dismaying waste of time, but I've stated that it's a vice.
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Sounds like maybe you should try that more. :)
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2. Do you also attack Ars on a regular basis for their habit of fading, then hiding posts with lots of downvotes? If not, why not?
3. Also, you wouldn't be able to be the AC moron there due to their posting policy. Perhaps you only proudly display your stupidity where you can be anonymous?
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It was not "when did you start commenting on stories on TechDirt?"
Quality not quantity.
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iGoogle Widget!
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Re: iGoogle Widget!
As shown by your commenting history of... (1)
WEIRDEST site on teh internets.
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Congrats!
I have to say that I've come to enjoy TD as much as I enjoyed Groklaw. Keep up the good work.
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Winning the EFF's Pioneer award seems like a perfectly-fitting 20th birthday present. If only an overwhelming victory in court had arrived quickly enough to also be on the gift list.
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Huzzah!
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Happy Birthday!!!
I stumbled onto Techdirt sometime in 2009 from Digg.com and I've been lurking in comment section ever since. The first year or so I commented anonymously before creating an account in 2010.
Here's to twenty more years!
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Congrats to the Techdirt Team!
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First time: debating with Glyn Moody about Kutiman
I'm still not convinced, but I still love (and support) Techdirt.
I probably had heard of Techdirt during the Groklaw days, sorely missed, but that was a lot of reading on its own!
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No clue.
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Too senile to remember...
I frequently reference stories here to my IT teams and many of them have become fans as well.
I enjoy commenting, and love reading the comments (even the hidden [ NOT "CENSORED" ] ones).
As one of the "Senior Citizens" around here, I will again congratulate Mike and the whole TD team for bringing us stories that make people think (except for...); make people take notice and respond; and really piss off a few folks.
Not sure I'll be around for the 40th anniversary - but I'll keep reading as long as you keep publishing.
Thank you for the entertainment, enlightenment, and camaraderie of the group. This is a great place to hang out.
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Woot!
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On this page four screen names with very sparse commenting popped up,
timlash with 44 comments in 6 and a half years.
Johan with 7 total.
Kaelis with 6 (now 7) total.
And best: Wiggles made an account just today after a claimed TWELVE years!
But sure, I can agree it's USUAL for Techdirt!
Because zombies having over SIX year gaps set inexplicable as baseline:
dickeyrat: 3 comments total since Jul 10th, 2010!!! https://www.techdirt.com/user/dickeyrat
https://www.techdirt.com/user/andrewlduane
https://www.techdir t.com/user/slowgreenturtle
And the other odd point stands: where are the couple dozen regulars congratulating Masnick on this "achievement"? I expected BIG response, but even Dark Helmet hasn't shown up!
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Re: On this page four screen names with very sparse commenting popped up,
Try to keep track of the bullshit you spew. It makes it slightly less unbelievable, you IP address-changing TOR pirate.
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Chilling effects
Walked back or not, there's an unseasonable chill in the air today.
If Techdirt should ever happen to get a warrant or subpoena demanding—
To the best of anyone's knowledge, no responsive record exists or can be produced.
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1 fanboy St.
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techstuff | grep -v "microsoft" > friends
Nice.
Thanks for the historical nostalgia.
Permalink: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/990317/0337252/september-7-13-1997.shtml
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The ethics of TechDirt
In the podcast I finally 'get' why I like Mike. "Not gaming dig", "Not gaming facebook" ... "It just feels wrong". Post good content and hope that people find it ...
Yes.
Happy Birthday.
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Congrats!
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I had found freshnews.org and was reading articles that looked interesting. Eventually ended up coming here directly. Don't remember how I found freshnews.
(FTR I was already reading El Reg before I stumbled across freshnews.)
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Greetings from Uruguay
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Congratulations for the anniversary and a special thanks for providing good content for almost 7 years to me. I hope we have many, many years of Techdirt ahead!
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Congrats and good luck on the next 20!
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It was SOPA
Thanks, Mike (and team) for this great resource.
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