Techdirt Turns Twenty!

from the wasn't-expecting-that dept

Wed, Aug 23rd 2017 9:30am — Mike Masnick

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

80 Comments

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Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:27am

Link to your first post please
I got here a long time ago, exactly when I am not sure, but close to that 20 year mark. I first took notice from a Slashdot thread.

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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Mike Masnick (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:33am

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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Vidiot (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:34am

Congrats! Maybe it's time for "Member since..." badges (because I forget).
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Mason Wheeler (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:35am

I first discovered Techdirt in 2012 when people kept linking to it from the SOPA discussion on Reddit, and I found that you guys had some top-notch discussions of the issues involved.

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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Chris ODonnell (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:41am

I ended up here after Mike commented on a blog post of mine about a baseball simulation game - maybe in 1999?
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Chris ODonnell (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:43am

Re:
I just checked Google, the actual blog post is no longer online, but I found a reference to it. It was June 2002. So later than I thought.
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Thad, 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:46am

Re:
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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Stephen T. Stone (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:46am

Congratulations! 🎉
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Johan (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:47am

Happy birthday! Here's to at least another 20!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:48am

Congrats, Techdirt! I look forward to the next 50 years when your articles will start to trickle into the public domain.

That is, unless the ComcastNBCVerizonDisney company has anything to say about it.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:54am

I think I've only posted a handful of comments over easily a decade of lurking here but TechDirt is one of my hallowed Daily Sites. Congratulations and keep up the great work!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:54am

I first found Techdirt back in 2006 when some myGoogle homepage (if that's what those weird things were even called, I forget) suggested it as something I might be interested in. Been an avid reader ever since.

What a ride.
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Mr. Underhill, 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:55am

Congrats
I discovered Techdirt maybe around 2010? Got hooked immediately and added it to my rss feeds. Been there ever since. Thanks Mike.
Oh you need to update the Elvis link ;)
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:58am

Re:
iGoogle! That was how I first discovered Techdirt too, along with many other people - and it continued to be a notable source of readers for us up until the pages were discontinued 5ish (I think) years ago.
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Roger Strong (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:00am

Re:
You're obsessed with "police are evil, government is evil" stories, so that's all you see. Those to take an unbiased look at the stories here don't see it.
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hij (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:04am

Congrats and about that email....
Congratulations! I migrated here after groklaw stopped publishing. I am grateful for the diligent work and the editorial consistency in the posts here.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:05am

Re: Re:
iGoogle, that's what it was! I was thinking that, but I wasn't sure if that was just the Apple news getting to me or not.
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Mason Wheeler (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:11am

Re: Re:
Wow, awesome reading comprehension there. I said that I really love all the stories except those, and you somehow interpret that as "those are all the stories I see"?!?
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Mike Masnick (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:17am

Re:
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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christenson, 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:29am

Discovring Techdirt
I discovered Techdirt probably through groklaw, possibly through sjd (fightcopyrighttrolls.com) or DieTrollDie.com.

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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OA (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:30am

Congratulations! Wow, 20 years! Who knew?!...besides you...and many others apparently. I've lurked, on and off, for years. I kept getting re-introduced to Techdirt through Google searches and references from other sites that I don't remember.

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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Unanimous Cow Herd (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:44am

Great Job!
Congratulations! I hope you're here for twenty more.
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Chris ODonnell (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:48am

Re: Re:
I wrote a post about PureSim (I think that was the game), and in the comments you suggested that I check out OOTP. And I've sent money to OOTP just about every year since for the new version!
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Ben (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 10:58am

As best I can tell, I think I first found out about TechDirt around October 2007 - around the time of this article: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071016/013708.shtml
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Kaelis (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 11:17am

I found Techdirt in 2010 when Ars ran their insane, guilt-trippy screed against ad blocking. Someone linked me to a post here that took the counter view, which made much more sense to me. Then I started reading through the rest of the content and got hooked.

Congrats on 20 years!
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Wiggles (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 11:59am

iGoogle Widget!
I remember finding Techdirt when I was browsing tech blogs to add to my iGoogle page around 2005 and I have been hooked ever since!
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kallethen, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:01pm

Congrats!
I honestly can't remember exactly when I started reading TD. It was sometime after the Snowden leaks. I remember Groklaw shutting down because of the email privacy implications that came out of those leaks. That was a sad day, I was an avid reader of Groklaw.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:09pm

Re: iGoogle Widget!
>>> I remember finding Techdirt when I was browsing tech blogs to add to my iGoogle page around 2005 and I have been hooked ever since!

As shown by your commenting history of... (1)

WEIRDEST site on teh internets.
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Toom1275 (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:12pm

I think I got started here following links during The Oatmeal v FunnyJunk saga. First as a lurker, then as an AC, then registered.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:14pm

Re:
>>> Then I started reading through the rest of the content and got hooked.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:16pm

Re: Great Job!
@ "Unanimous Cow Herd": you showed up again in
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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:22pm

Re: Re:
@ "iGoogle! That was how I first discovered Techdirt too"

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:33pm

Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
7 comments in 3 years.

And where are the usual couple dozen fanboys?
Seem to be missing the party!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:37pm

Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
7 comments in 3 years.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:38pm

Re: Re: Here's another ardent fanboy yet single digit comments!
Whoops. Attach to "Johan" below.
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:40pm

Huzzah!
Can't recall if I found through iGoogle or just made sure to add it to iGoogle because I found it a hair before that. Either way, been reading since around 2006. Good stuff. Thank you for all of the work you have done. I recall many different experiments you've gone through. Including the "this person's favorite posts of the week" that I got picked for once. That was fun having a shot at contributing something more than just a comment. This is one of those things where I feel like I know you and if I saw you would want to talk like you know me even though you don't at all. Funny how that works. Here is to hoping this continues on for many more years and that crazies suffering from illusions of grandeur don't manage to damage it.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:50pm

Re: Re: Re:
Yes, your an idiot with severe mental health problems.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 12:51pm

Re: Re:
Like a case of herpies on an otherwise good date, you keep showing up.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 1:24pm

Thanks Mr. Masnick for Techdirt and stiill allowing anonymous commentors here to vent and chime in on a lot of very real issues many that hound civilization into civil dissodence unfortunately. Many kudos to you and your great staff. Think back at how fast 20 years have passed. Savor the time to come.
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Gwiz (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 2:01pm

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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timlash (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 2:16pm

Congrats to the Techdirt Team!
Mike, thanks for starting this off and assembling a first rate team over the years. Keep up the good work. I think I heard about Techdirt via Slashdot about seven years ago. I've been an avid fan ever since. I bought a commemorative tee and hope a few more bucks into the pot help with all your endeavors. Thanks again!
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Éibhear (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 2:57pm

First time: debating with Glyn Moody about Kutiman
My first real encounter with Techdirt was after a 'discussion' with Glyn Moody (probably on G+) on whether Kutiman got express permission for each of the YouTube pieces he used in ThruYou. Glyn said that Mike said he didn't, and if anyone knows, it's Mike.

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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Kal Zekdor (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 3:42pm

No clue.
I honestly cannot remember when or how I first stumbled across Techdirt. My account says it was back in 2006, but I think I lurked for a while before signing up. Damn, I was just 19 at the time... I probably came across it while researching something or from a recommendation from a peer or a professor, but those are just guesses.
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Kal Zekdor (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 3:45pm

Re: Congrats and about that email....
Not to defend "Mr. Email" in any way, but 20 years ago was 1997, long after the claimed date of "invention".
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Kaelis (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 3:47pm

Re: Re:
I speak when I have something useful to say.

Sounds like maybe you should try that more. :)
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Carrie (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 4:02pm

It was 2010. I was in law school, wanting to specialize in tech policy issues. And a guy at a think tank told me to read techdirt. It only took about a week before I was hooked.
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That One Guy (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 4:23pm

Re:
I unfortunately don't have a link to one of the comments in question(and I'm not quite sure what I'd need to search for to find them), but as has been noted multiple times the articles are essentially already in the public domain, with Mike/TD having said that anyone is free to do whatever they want with them.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 4:45pm

Re:
Collectively doing the government's will no matter what that will does to to citizens at large is a conspiracy.. no theory involved.
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Thad, 23 Aug 2017 @ 4:56pm

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 5:00pm

Re: Re:
When that will is dictated by one person while others who are charged with ensuring the constitutionality of decisions eminating from the government ammbiguously watch on IS EVIL.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 5:09pm

Congratulations, Mike! Here's to another twenty years of news that makes out_of_the_blue gnash his teeth in self-righteous fury.
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TheResidentSkeptic (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 6:21pm

Too senile to remember...
... when I first started reading TD, but I have enjoyed it for quite a few years now. I have even set it as my Chrome home page (just to annoy OOTB and his buddies) as "we" all know that Mike is a google shill... is that right, OOTB?

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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Pixelation, 23 Aug 2017 @ 6:23pm

Woot!
20 years doing anything will pretty much have you be an expert. Way to stick with it and thanks for all of the entertainment!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 7:54pm

On this page four screen names with very sparse commenting popped up,
out of the blue, one might say:

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 8:04pm

Re: On this page four screen names with very sparse commenting popped up,
You don't expect a response. According to you and MyNameHere Techdirt is virtually non-existent, evidenced by falling Alexa ratings. So based on the statistics that you and your buddies love to bring up, this is actually within normal parameters.

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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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 8:47pm

First found Techdirt as a result of the anti-SOPA articles and protests. I've checked the site daily since.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Aug 2017 @ 8:53pm

Chilling effects

I'm curious -- to anyone reading this, let us know in the comments: when did you discover Techdirt, and how?

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—

2. … subscriber information for the Account, to include:

…

b. Length of service (including start date)…

To the best of anyone's knowledge, no responsive record exists or can be produced.
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DaveInCanada (profile), 23 Aug 2017 @ 9:57pm

1 fanboy St.
Buddy named aequi sent me here. I'm guessing 5 years or so ago. Visit daily now. Keep it up and Thank You!!
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2017 @ 1:05am

From a very early post:

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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Hugo Connery (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 1:30am

The ethics of TechDirt
I am a great believer in following people, not organisations. This is especially true in news. Follow the journalist, not the publisher.

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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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 1:58am

Re:
"stop running so much of the "police are evil, government is evil" garbage"

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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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 2:05am

Re: Re:
As I understand it, they're not "public domain" as such, but for practical and other reasons Mike chooses not to try and enforce the copyright that's technically attached to them. When the trolls come here and try and goad him with threats to copy his work, his response is to go ahead because he doesn't care, not because he couldn't technically try to stop them.
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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 2:08am

Re: Re: Re:
The obvious conclusion that you're an obsessed idiot? Yes, they will.

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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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 2:13am

Re: Re:
1. People read sites without commenting on them. In fact, while I've also been reading Ars for years I don't think I've made more than 10 comment there. There's a multitude of reasons, but it doesn't mean any new post I make there is suspicious.

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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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 2:15am

Re: Re: iGoogle Widget!
Again, you do understand that people will regularly read sites without actively commenting on them? Those of us who comment regularly make up a tiny proportion of any site, the majority of people who visit ANY site will be passive readers/lurkers, even on a site like this that axtctively encourages discussion.
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PaulT (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 2:18am

I honestly can't remember when I started reading TD or how I found it, but I do know that I lurked for a couple of years before diving into conversation. As others have said, may it long continue despite the ramblings of the less sane and knowledgeable.
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Teamchaos (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 6:51am

Re: Re:
iGoogle was how I discovered Techdirt as well. Congratulations on 20 years.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2017 @ 6:54am

Nice work! Keep it up!
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SanjayC, 24 Aug 2017 @ 7:31am

Congrats!
Mike, I remember those early fondly, it's amazing to see what you and the other folks at Techdirt have created, congrats and here's to another 20!
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Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 8:01am

Looks like my first comment was in late 2010. I was probably lurking for a while before that.

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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Thad, 24 Aug 2017 @ 10:21am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
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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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2017 @ 11:00am

Re: Re:
I should have used the /s tag, but thank you for pointing that out. (I actually myself tried to find the same article with no luck either.) I guess the larger point I (poorly) tried to make was the direction in which copyright is going, claimants will try to take ownership of content that doesn't belong to them in the first place and try to put idiotic restrictions on them.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2017 @ 11:30am

During the Apple-Samsung "rounded corners" trial.
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Thad, 24 Aug 2017 @ 1:22pm

Saw pretty frequent links here from the likes of Ars and BoingBoing over the years. Eventually became a regular reader/commenter sometime last year.
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Ben (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 1:52pm

Re: Re:
What's the number of comments got to do with when someone discovered TechDirt? The question was "when did you discover Techdirt, and how?"
It was not "when did you start commenting on stories on TechDirt?"
Quality not quantity.
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NaBUru38 (profile), 24 Aug 2017 @ 5:54pm

Congratulations, Mike!

Greetings from Uruguay
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Ninja (profile), 25 Aug 2017 @ 5:54am

I found out about TD in 2010 but I can't remember what brought me to the site. I started seriously commenting and otherwise following the site in 2011 though.

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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Joe Mullin, 25 Aug 2017 @ 1:12pm

Congrats and good luck on the next 20!
I started reading Techdirt in 2007 when I had to start covering intellectual property for a legal newspaper, but really knew nothing about it. It was the best crash course I could have found, and such an important and intelligent counter-point to other points of view I was hearing. Congratulations to Mike and the whole team, and here's to another 20.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2017 @ 7:54pm

I came across techdirt from a post on /. while living in a stone house that George Washington stayed in!
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Wendy Cockcroft, 29 Aug 2017 @ 7:35am

It was SOPA
I discovered TD while researching SOPA, which seemed to be a big deal in 2011 when I was running my own web design business (I folded it in 2013). Techdirt has consistently proven to be the best source of information for me on internet law, freedom of speech, and other issues because it's written in language I understand.

Thanks, Mike (and team) for this great resource.
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