the IT blog

We're off and therefore offline for at least this week!
But feel free to contact us at franzstehrn AT hotmail DOT com.

best, Franz

Gothamist lost Andrew Krucoff who is leaving for Gawker where he appeared as "statistician" lately and contributes Krucoff's Data Dump. But of course Jake Bluejake is not the one to surrender. He fights back by launching LA-ist to compete with the Defamer. Jake also claims that Chicagoist is a success - hey, were are the sitestats darling?

"Brit Brit wants to get married to this total scumlord douchebag" [whatevs]

Conspiracies are spiced with silence. [...] Moore is just he [!] mirror image of what he despises. He is the O'Reilly... the Bush of the left.

Read Jeff Jarvis's take on Fahrenheit 9/11.

"Sophomoric celluloid rewriting of recent history", is what Chris Hitchens calls the Moore film.

To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability. To describe this film as a piece of crap would be to run the risk of a discourse that would never again rise above the excremental. To describe it as an exercise in facile crowd-pleasing would be too obvious. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery. [...] At no point does Michael Moore make the smallest effort to be objective. At no moment does he pass up the chance of a cheap sneer or a jeer.

Unfairenheit 9/11. The lies of Michael Moore. [slate]

Jacques Peretti says: "the loss of art is infinitely more important than the loss of human life."

ET and the her pagan Porsche friends: "I tried. I really did try to feel the presence of the goddess. I walked and hugged and chanted and tried to meditate (but that's hard to do when all the voices in your head are discussing what a prat you are). Eventually, the sun began to rise."

As for the latest MK Olsen outrage stereogum has found proof in the archives of the NY blogosphere.

Kate Moss & Johnny Knoxville: once icons of obvs. now they're reduced to being algae-snorting hipster poseurs cum back-alley Webster Hall abortion cleaner uppers. sans buzz, indeed. [whatevs]

Jason McCabe Calacanis continues making friends:

Jeff Jarvis came out of the gate with the playa hate, kicking Metroblogging as YAJB (yet another Jason blog). Of course, he goofed and got Jason D. confused with me and got himself fact checked (check yourself kid!).
Also, Jeff neglected to mention in his first post that he had almost the exact same business model a year ago at his day job at Advance.net (see the local blogs here: http://www.nj.com/weblogs/). Hmmm...
Oh yeah, Jeff forgot to mention that he is on the Board of one of Nick Denton's companies, as such his loyalty is to Denton's local blogs (as a total aside you ever notice Jeff giving massive praise to Nick's blogs and dissing everyone else's?). He even goes on to link to Gawker as an example of great local blogs without mentioning his relationship to Nick.
Maybe I should get on IM and "talk" to Jeff... oh wait, I'm not allowed on IM any more! :-)

Jeff's follow up (admitting that he "screwed up royally") reads:

This is a relationship medium and that changes how we all do what we do -- for the better... (I think). [...] This all fails if we get pissy and feud. It fails if we snipe and hide. But it succeeds if we keep the discussion going and admit that we're all human.

transcription of all past and all future social software panels:

Welcome blah blah blah relationship capital blah blah blah social contracts blah blah blah media businesses blah blah blah identify the rabid fans of the iPod blah blah blah utility media blah blah blah this is the future of the web blah blah blah RSS blah blah blah Spam blah blah blah killer app blah blah blah business model blah blah blah advertising model blah blah blah is this a product or a feature blah blah blah a feature doesn't make a business blah blah blah leveraging relationships blah blah blah decentralized system blah blah blah privacy concerns ....

[via BuzzMachine]

Kurcoff's a bit late but here's his version of the Bluejake vs. Jason McCabe shake up

Chris and I often fight like gay lovers, but it's only because he can be a total bitch sometimes. Like not pitching in with his minimal editorial obligations. We play, we fight, we make-up. Here's what happened yesterday when he couldn't produce one freakin' column for the week.

kiddigit: I'm not an asshole, asshole
kiddigit: omg this is so playa hater and stupid it is shocking
kiddigit: really
kiddigit: what ap playa haters
kiddigit: look at the comments
kiddigit: The tone of your comments is a bit odd, krucoff
kiddigit: you owe me a huge public apology
kiddigit: you know krucoff, this is either that your desperate to get attention, jealous, stupid or wrote this post while not thinking.
kiddigit: really disappointed in you.
kiddigit: Personal attacks on me that have no basis in reality...
kiddigit: you just jumped the shark...
kiddigit: and took TOP with you
kiddigit: idiot
kiddigit: how dare you say shit about me.
kiddigit: really.
krucoff: jeez, man- take it down ten notches- the tone of the post is clearly playful
kiddigit: you are fucking asshole piece of shit
krucoff: I'm not allowed to question you? (heh, you also kinda sound like a pissed off foreigner)
kiddigit: how dare you say shit about my column
kiddigit: are you so stupid you dont see how I would be insulted by that?
krucoff: jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez, louise.
kiddigit: go fuck yourself asshole
kiddigit: i
kiddigit: m done with you
kiddigit: signed off at 1:23:06 PM

Well, perhaps Krucoff is right....

We'll see if it was the right desicion to put that under "fun and games":

Swiss football fans are pinning their hopes on voodoo ahead of Thursday's crucial Euro 2004 game against England.
A cut-out effigy of David Beckham has been published in dozens of Swiss newspapers, with readers encouraged to stick needles into the England captain.

Swiss campaign to hex Becks [BBC]

Jason vs. Jake: Actually we forgot to include the second IM conversation which led to the public apology on Gothamist. First Jason wants to send Jake on a walk to think about where 'n' what he wants to be in life, but is willing to call him "good man" in the end. Do you remember those better times when Jason threw a blogger bash at Waikiki Wally's and Bluejake was also invited?

A kind reader of our blog has forwarded an IM conversation in which Jake Dobkin tries to talk people into some kind of media strategy:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jacob Dobkin [mailto:----@--------.com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 10:41 AM
> To: '--- -----'
> Subject: pr is really mad!
>
>
> Jake Dobkin: Denton's next step was offering Peter
> Rojas - "an
> underemployed freelancer," says Denton - money to do
> the gadget venture.
> Jake Dobkin: zing!
[...]
> thecounterfeit2: thanks a lot;
> thecounterfeit2: that was exactly what I wanted to
> see this morning
> thecounterfeit2: seriously, don't waste my time with
> this shit ever again, ok?
> Jake Dobkin: you need to know about these things so
> you can plan your media strategy, bro!
> thecounterfeit2: I already knew
> thecounterfeit2: and I didn't need to hear it from
> you
> thecounterfeit2: especially in such a shitty manner
> thecounterfeit2: so don't waste my time anymore
> Jake Dobkin: o k

When Jake "Scooby Doo"bkin started to comment on the latest WeblogsInc site, BloggingBaby, he questioned Jason McCabe's business model as for how things will work out concerning Scale, Finances, and Agency Problems. All well so far. But then he wrote his musings on WeblogsInc's Quality. And that got Bluejake into trouble. Jason got *very upset* when he read:

Already Weblogsinc has recruited Jason Calacanis' mother, the wife of his partner, and a number of his friends. Surely not all of these people were born to be great bloggers.

What followed was an IM conversation between Jason and Jake featuring strong language and ... It went off something like:

Jasoncalacanis: my mother is a nurse practioner
asshole

and ended:

Jasoncalacanis: are you so stupid you dont see how i
would be insulted by that?
Jake Dobkin: jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez
Jasoncalacanis: go fuck yourself asshole
Jasoncalacanis: i
Jasoncalacanis: m done with you

So what can we learn? First that Jason is easily upset and second that Jake is not a very eloquent person when it comes to confrontation (and that he "forget[s] sometimes that people don't always have the same sense of humor" - well observed!)

Soon the blogosphere was buzzing about the hot topic du jour. And every single blog dork (oh, that's me) weighed in. Finally Jake posted a public apology. What's left is a boost for Jake and his "-ist" force conquering some ground in the blog market. Felix Salmon was keen to write up a quick portrait. Although Jakes still denies competing for some blog audience on a professional level, he actually does. Most obviously by launching direct attacks on both Nick and Jason. So Felix is definitely right by saying, "somewhere along the line, Gothamist stopped being just another New York blog, and started being a proper business which was competing directly with Gawker", - and now WeblogsInc, too.

The Gorilla contributes a Wonkette worthy post:

Uncle Grambo and I have been taking some crap lately on the back blog about how we are narrow minded liberals merely aping the broad talking points of the democratic party. That's of course ridiculous, I've often pointed out that a system based on a bi-lateral legislature is inherently undemocratic and merely results in a stagnant two party travishamockery. But in the interest of equal time I've decided to give the FOWs a cornucopia of politically minded links....

Gawker Media still provides stats for its sites, even though sitemeter does not cooperate. But the new ones are better anyway:
- Gawker stats
- Fleshbot stats

Eurorash's first Manolos:

As Gothamist is rising to become a competitor on the blogging niche, it's funny to see that everyone seems keen to advertise for Nike Labs and their Art of Speed campaign. Gothamist has introduced Graphic Ads between 4th and 5th post just like Gawker. And from there they also crosslink to their other -ist properties, you know, just like Gawker. COPYCAT! (BTW: While we still think that playing the -ist card is clever enough, the Chicago-... part is not)
Anyway, we're pleased to notice an upgrade on the advertised brands and are happy that those screen saver ads have disappeard from Gawker. One thing we are wondering about though is, why the sitemeter stats have disappeared from Gawker.com and why Gothamist has never even bothered to put stats on the site! We call for transparency!

Gawker PR machine has landed again:
Nike Tries a New Medium for Advertising: The Blog [NYT via buzzmachine]

The one we're all keen to possess: Jason McCabe Calacanis's cell phone #!
917-597-6209

Since Thursday we have seen the latest marketing scoop of bloglands: Nick Denton's contract publishing model for blogs. Exciting development, especially since big brands seem to be attracted to it. Remy Stern has also posted a round up of praise on the microsite.
Yet, he did not include what the Jakester had to say.

Gothamist has no plans for contract publishing, but if we did, here are some titles that we think would be a "good fit" (add your own in the comments!):
- Fairway produce and cheese blog
- Washington Zoo panda mating blog
- Law and Order Blog (natch)

Do we spot some jealousy behind this? Well, anyway Gothamist has Puma skyscrapers.