Slashdot Log In
Special Interview: Rob Malda and Jeff Bates
Posted by
Roblimo
on Tue Jan 04, 2000 11:00 AM
from the breaking-the-veil-of-silence dept.
from the breaking-the-veil-of-silence dept.
The Andover.net IPO quiet period is finally over. A lot of you have had questions about Slashdot; what's happening, what's going to happen, and so on, that we weren't allowed to answer. Now those questions can be answered, and no one can answer them better than CmdrTaco and Hemos. They're already starting getting stacked up with interview requests from other media, but we decided that you, the loyal Slashdot readers, deserved first crack at them. Submitted questions will be selected by moderators and the usual hangers-on and will be submitted Wednesday afternoon EST. Answers will appear Thursday. (Friday is reserved for Steve Wozniak, who unquestionably deserves a day all to himself!)
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Special Interview: Rob Malda and Jeff Bates
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 364 comments
(Spill at 50!) | Index Only
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Privacy, Copyright and Legal Stuff (Score:3)
Firstly, I assume you're running Apache, and it must be generating logs of some such (like, IP address, time stamps, etc.). Is this information stored, and for how long? (Also assume I am anonymous coward and do not accept cookies). If somebody posted something defaming someone else / some other company and they took Slashdot to court to find out who wrote it, would you actually give up the logs? Do you ever process these logs in any way (yes, I know they must be huge, but so are Amazon's and Yahoo's and they do it ...).
Under whose laws are Slashdot content governed? If the poster is in Australia, is it Oz laws that apply or is it those from somewhere in America?
Has anyone ever tried to sue Slashdot over content? (libel, etc.). What would be your reaction then, and what would be it now, and does Andover have a hand in this?
On a totally different note, here is a suggestion: If an Anonymous Coward actually manages to get moderated up, could their comment then rise up to 2 rather than 1, where it is lost in a barage of pointless digressions? I prefer to surf at 3 nowadays, so I miss all people with karma above 30 who set their default level to 2 and are no better than the ones posting at level 1.
On another note, who took the decision to wipe out the sudden growth of personalised sid=me, and why?
How are editorial decisions made, if at all? (Score:3)
Other folks have written about editorial independence and about the quality of the stories; this is an entirely different question. A related question would be: could you perhaps identify more clearly which items are news, which are columns, which are editorials, and which are fluff? Traditional (i.e., "dead") media is adept at giving this kind of context to their stories, and it would be most helpful to your readers.
Is Hemos ever going to become a physician? (Score:3)
Change of revenue stream? (Score:3)
Is there a scheme to move to something else? To move to subscriptions for certain features (e.g. making the ability to filter out AC posts or low moderation posts a subscription-only features)
Or maybe to do more commercial tie-ins - such as interviews with Major hardware manufacturers, or QA sessions with corporate sponsorship.
Or to boost the ad revenue by turning
Or, maybe andover.net is just looking to get bought out by one of the media industry's big players like VNU or Disney or ZD or whatever?
Let the readers decide? (Score:3)
My question: Is there some way we, the readers, could view a larger portion of the submitted stories whether they get posted to the main page or not?
Kind of an overflow buffer, if you will. Obviously, duplicates and nonsense stories referencing "grits" would have to be done away with, but I feel that Slashdot could provide much more information than it currently does. From the reader perspective, more quality content is definitely better and from a business standpoint, more stories equals more valid page hits for Slashdot. We would all benefit.
----------------
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Utopia (Score:3)
New Articles (Score:3)
Relationship Between Blockstackers and Andover.Net (Score:3)
For those of you not familiar with EDGAR, this is the on-line database that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provides so that investors have access to the legally required filings of companies that have gone public.
I played around with it today, and this is the most effective query that I could compose. You should be able to just click the following link and see all of the documents related to Andover. Some of these documents discuss the how nature of Rob's contract with Andover, the relationship between Andover and Blockstackers, and related subjects.
http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/sr ch-edgar?ANDOVER+ADJ+NET [sec.gov]
--
Dave Aiello
Privacy and IPO (Score:3)
1.(l)User data.
2. Advertisements:
2.1. Are you going to continue to handle advertisements yourself?
2.2. Are you going to allow companies like doubleclick to handle advertising on slashdot?
Will slashdot integrate Andover.net? (Score:3)
Slashdot is, imho, more influential then all the sites Andover owns put together. Untill this linux/Open-source craze came along and Andover.net bought
Andover is now a public company, and as such it holds certain responsabilities to it's shareholders, growth being the most obvious one.
To do this Andover needs to exploite Slashdot's brand, as I see very little other value within Andover's arsenal. The current situation of Andovers stock is a good indication of pressure that might build on you guys to "sell out" in various ways (some of them might actually be good, IMHO) like expanding the focus of
how do you guys see Slashdot and that your small insignificate Andover part collaborating together, through this? what's going to happen? should I buy the stock or not?? (just kidding)
--------------------------------
Here's two questions (Score:3)
2) Has the andover.net acquisiton gone as well as you hoped it would, as far as making the site better?
slash code change. (Score:3)
jesse.
Re:Your HTML coding drives W3C bonkers (Score:3)
<rant quality="weary">
Is there really any other industry on earth that would put up with sloppy, incompetent, unprofessional workmanship just because it looked good on the surface? I mean, come off it. I like
And it isn't any sort of excuse to claim that the majority of websites (particularly expensive ones) are also produced by sloppy incompetents who wouldn't know what an RFC was if it fell out of a tree on them. This is true. We know it. We can do better. And if we can't do better, what claim do we really have to being techs?
</rant>
Re:Are you changing the domain? (Score:3)
Legally, this place needs to change it's domain to slashdot.com -- there's money going into Rob & Jeff's pockets, guaranteed.
Newest release of slash? (Score:3)
Katz... (Score:3)
----------------------------------------
Moderating bad things up (Score:3)
I for one really like to be able to browse comments what are sorted by moderation, largely to get rid of the offtopic stuff, but it's gives a distorted view of what slashdot readers really think.
No AC's allowed..... (Score:3)
Then when a story was actually posted the comments on its validity as a story could be removed or available separately. This would also give people some lead time on their comments and allow those dedicated enough to do some real research.
Slashlag (Score:4)
For instance, oftentimes there will be a delay of as must as two days (as with the Uri Geller story) from the time that I see an article on Linux Today or another news site and when I see it here. I've been around /. for a while now, and this wasn't always the case.
Is this just a case of waiting for a "slow news day", or is it something more insideous like ANDN wanting to maintain some editorial control over /.? For that matter, has ANDN imposed any other constraints that we're not aware of? Are there any circumstances where you'd see yourself having to remove libelous posts or posts which violate SEC rules (read here: stock manipulation)? Or has Andover been a benevolant king which is dedicated to protecting the happy-go-lucky days of Slashdot using its deep pockets to keep your legal butts covered?
----
A question for you (Score:4)
Quite Simply (Score:4)
- Xabbu
Re:Slashlag (Score:4)
Suggestion: make the incoming queue be a page which gets moderated. Then, the editors just have to pick from the stuff at the top.
--
Development issues (Score:4)
Isn't it about time the moderation abuses and "first posters" are addressed?
Will we ever be able to moderate or score the articles themselves?
Source code (Score:4)
What license will it be released under?
Will it be immediately forked into "public" and "private" versions (i.e., will Slashdot be running the with patches submitted by users)?
If/When patches are rejected/not-applied to the main tree, will an explanation be given (similar to Linux) or will they just be dropped (similar to Slashdot story submissions)?
---
BlockStackers? (Score:4)
J
Are you changing the domain? (Score:4)
(moderators: not meant as flamebait!)
A Question about Article Submissions.. (Score:4)
I do think there is one part of Slashdot that is still unfairly biased towards the site operators and their opinions. I'm sure Slashdot gets a few hundred article submissions per day, but we are limited to reading maybe 12-15 articles per day, and those are the ones which the folks in charge are interested in or what they think we are interested in. This is a commonplace system, but I still find fault with it, if the site is truly going to be an "open forum."
Is there any site reorganization in the works, or perhaps an expansion of the moderation system to include the approval and rejection of article submissions?
John
+1 posting (Score:4)
also, please don't take away AC posting, I've posted as an AC for privacy several times and think that everyone should have that right.
Slashdot Parodies (Score:4)
" A company can be judged by the size of their lawsuits "
On a personal note.... (Score:5)
One Definitive Day (Score:5)
Since the creation and subsequent explosion of Slashdot, what one day stands out in your mind as the most randomly odd of them all?
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky
DoxPara Research
http://www.doxpara.com
Slashdot Source Code (Score:5)
1. Post annoying reminders to every
2. Using the word "hypocrites" a lot
3. Slay the Andover Alien Masters and destroy their Mind Control Ray
4. Procure many beautiful women dedicated to the open source cause
5. Crack slashdot.org, download source code, leave kewl hAx0r d00d cracked page to brag from
6. Bribe Hemos
7. Get a lab insider to "innocently" copy code to an unclassified server
8. Dress up as Rob, go to Andover, claim "Hello, my name is CmdrTaco. I misplaced my copy of the Slashdot code, can I make another?"
9. Send the Slashdot gang a free case of beer.
10. Poison the beer, use the antidote as a bargaining chip.
11. Cry
12. Get Nitrozac to cry
complete the following sentences.... (Score:5)
"since the recent monster ipo we've found it much easier to pick up ________."
"in spite of it all, my parents still wish i would _______."
"if you had it all to do over again, the name of your site would be ________."
and lastly, i'm sure it's been asked a hundred times already, but what's you're favourite linux system call and why?
What happened to browser and os stats? (Score:5)
Slash 0.4 (Score:5)
"Moderation is good, in theory."
-Larry Wall
What About the Slashdot Story Submission Queue? (Score:5)
DeCSS (Score:5)
Lawyers (Score:5)
Re:Here's two questions (Score:5)
It seems strange that the "voice of the open-source community", as Andover has been built up to be in the rest of the media, can't get it's act together and release the source to slashdot on a timely basis. How hard can it be to copy a few Perl scripts into a directory, and export some empty tables from MySQL? Other people could attempt to document it, if you guys are too busy to deal with that.
Also, in as far as licenses go, it seems that Slashdot has it's own opensource license. It's based on the GPL, but requires you to use the slashdot logo if you actually use the code on a site, with the alternative of paying money.... That seems to fly in the face of the GPL and Opensource.
(It's funny... i was driving to work this morning and these issues popped into my mind for the last 30 minutes of the drive... show's a little about how interesting my life is, huh?
So anyways... put your money where your mouth is and provide us with slashes source on a timely basis and under the GPL, not the Slashdot Pseudo Public License.
Thanks.
Meta-Moderation. (Score:5)
Signal to noise (Score:5)
I am finding it less and less worthwhile and enjoyable to follow the discussions , as well as less coherent.
Have you any plans to further deal with this sort of thing, above and beyond moderation ?
Is it time for the end of AC posting, esp seeing as there is the post anonymously option ?
And lastly, do you find these trends a little depressing?
I know I do and I'm just a reader.
Direct reporting... (Score:5)
Your HTML coding drives W3C bonkers (Score:5)
Any idea if Slashdot's code will ever be cleaned up? Would open sourcing help things?
Re:ACs (Score:5)
Browse at +1, you'll see the comments. Browse at +2 (or better), you'll see a greater ratio of quality/comments. Just because there are more lame posts, doesn't mean there's less quality. Increase your browse level, and lower the signal/noise ratio.
The ACs are working very hard to disrupt threads with NATALIE/NAKED/COMMIE/GRITS posts.
Some do, some don't. I browse at +1, and see none of them (just those who reply to them, and are +1 -- but they're at the end of the comments). Rob has provided, in all his Wisdom, a way to avoid ACs -- but he will not silence them. It's his decision to allow, and your decision on what to read.
What plans do you have (if any) for bringing more adults into the slashdot fold and to try and make for a more inteligent discussion.
... No comment
---
Editorial Independence (Score:5)
What will Andover be doing to make sure we can continue to trust that Slashdot Editorial policy is not in thrall to advertisers' concerns?
-Jordan Henderson
Karma Shares! (Score:5)
Oh, shit, Signal11 is gonna be rich. . . .
Rafe
V^^^^V
Critical Person Insurance (Score:5)
etc, etc, (thud)
jsm
One for all those grrls out there... (Score:5)
When will we finally see the "Men of
Go ahead, moderate me, see if I care...
SlashDot, Andover, and Wall Street (Score:5)
The Wall St. Journal, two weeks ago, devoted considerable space to the Andover IPO--strongly suggesting that the only perceptible value in the company was SlashDot, and demonstrating the unorthodox steps that Andover took to get the IPO underwritten. (Notably, the WSJ reports that when Andover initially tried to get underwriting it owed the two of you more money than the entire assets of the firm.) The WSJ has subsequently referred to Andover, by name, as an example of an IPO with a stratospheric share price, but no substance. Nobody, anywhere, has suggested that there is any commercial value to Andover other than SlashDot.
Much as I appreciate the sense of humor you have, and the contributions of the SlashDot community, it seems to me that the really valuable thing about SlashDot is the software--the database system that permits posting, moderation, meta-moderation, etc. It is a work of genius. And, a very valuable thing.
The Wall St. Journal has all but called Andover a bubble--(or, to be less kind, a pump 'n dump). The only way to prove them wrong is to achieve corporate earnings that support the current share price. The only real asset of Andover is SlashDot--and the only real asset of SlashDot is the software. And the software is supposed to be Open Source.
So how are you guys going to make earnings?
My Questions (Score:5)
1.) Right now slashdot is rather inefficient in that we download the same comments over and over again when rereading an article searching for new comments. Is there anything in the works to deal with this inefficiency or will we be allowed to toy with this in the slashdot source (if it ever comes out) and submit these modifications? Will an NNTP slashdot be considered to deal with this?
My second question has to do with Karma
2.) Is there a chance that the amount of Karma needed for a default posting of 2 be increased to at least twice the current value(25)?
I ask this because I already post at a default of 2, which implies I must be a knowledgeable member of the slashdot community which I do not believe I am. Especially considering the fact that it is relatively easy to spew dogma for a month or so and get 25 Karma then revert to one's true self (Signal 11 [slashdot.org] has proved the value of spewing dogma and karma whoring for triple digit Karma). I would feel more comfortable if the Karma needed for a default posting off 2 was higher so that there is more chance that the person posting is actually an intelligent member of the slashdot community who posts are interesting and insightful instead of a karma whore who has no true value to add to a discussion. Because of this I now read posts at a moderation of 3 or higher.
3a.)What is the slashdot official position on the phantom discussion groups e.g. Trolltalk [slashdot.org] or Moderation [slashdot.org]?
I notice that some of the early posts to these discussions have disappeared (probably archived);
3b.)How do I get to read the old posts to the phantom groups since there's no assosciated story to do a search on?
And finally I have only moderated once and this was about a month after I got an account. Since then I have not moderated...
4a.)I would like to know if this is because of the rule that users who view slashdot excessively don't get to moderate?
4b.)And if so exactly how many page views per day/week/month is viewed as excessive by whatever algorithm does the selection?
Personal life? (Score:5)
I guess this is a question for both of you:
How's life in meatspace?
Lets just lay all technical issues aside for a moment. I want to know Who You Are, as people, not webmasters.
We have a pretty good idea of the comings and goings of your professional lives, but what about your friends, family, and groupies? Mmmm... groupies.
I guess this is more of a request for a biography than any particular question, but don't let that put you off.
Oh, one other question: Any plans on visiting KLUG any time soon?
More "News for Nerds" Please... (Score:5)
I believe Slashdot got much of its "mature" geek following back when most of the headlines were apolotical in nature. A couple years ago, the biggest threads were generated while discussing new microarchitectures, physical limits of the lithography process, the size of the universe, and other *real* high-tech news. Since the stories were less subject to political debate, the S/N ratio was good. Now, the only "tech" stories are about nanotech (thanks hemos!) or the Aibo.
With Andover.net now owning Slashdot, am I just SOL? I know that most of the stories are going to be Linux/GPL/Open Source related, and that's fine. But please, Please, *PLEASE*, don't forget that many of your readers are well educated, and would like to spend time thinking about something new and exciting in the tech world rather than reading 500 posts ending with M$ $ucks...
Re:News for who? (Score:5)
Actually, in the beginning, /. actually posted stories on engineering, physics, space, philosophy and other topics that were actually interesting. Only in the last 12-18 months has it become a dedicated Linux/Open Source forum. I for one, would like it to go back to the "News for Nerds" theme, rather than the "Politics for Nerds" it is today.