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Slashdot's Disagree Mail

There is no shortage of comments about us selling out or running advertisements as stories. As you might expect there is no shortage of mail with the same theme. What I enjoy most about them is all the different corporate entities and sometimes political parties, that we are supposedly working for. If even half of them were true, I would have a stack of W-2s as long as my arm every year for the tax man. The truth of the matter is, nobody here sits in their Microsoft smart chair, talking on their minion iPhone, while playing in the Google money pool. (If someone knows how to get into the Google money pool, please send me a mail.) Conspiracy theories have been around as long as man, so I guess it should come as no surprise that Slashdot has a few of it's own. Read below to find out who is pulling our strings.

Traditionally the Slashdot community has had a harsh view of Microsoft, its software, and especially its management. All the more reason for us to become pawns in the evil Windows army, and it would have worked if it wasn't for this guy and his irrefutable statistics.

On Mon, 9 Oct 2006 ******* wrote:
"I can't understand how you managed to convince so many *smart* people that you support the open source and free software movement. It couldn't be more obvious that you sold out to Microsoft in 2004. I've kept careful records of your stories for many years and I've got the evidence. Pre-2004 showed a negative Microsoft story rate of 87% and a positive Microsoft story rate of 13%. From 2004 until today the negative story rate has crashed to a mere 62% while the positive story rate has climbed to 38%. Am I to believe that a 25% increase in positive stories is not significant. When i comment on this trend I get marked as a troll, nice. I suppose that is a coincidence to. Good work I'm sure the current political administartion will own you soon. I used to enjoy your message before it became Bill and Bush's."

With the failing health of Steve Jobs, we thought it would be the perfect time to get firmly entrenched into the Apple hierarchy. It's a shame that our rabid love for Apple and all its products made our actions so transparent.

On Fri, 2 Feb ******* wrote:
"Apple sure does pay good don't they! Is there anyone not on the Apple payroll at Slashdot? If you're going to become an Apple mouthpiece you might want to try and hide it better! How much does a frontpage Slashdot story cost anyway? I hope it's a lot. If you're going to become Apple whores you might as well get paid well. Just know that I know it's rotten to the core!"

I have to give him credit for the, "rotten to the core" Apple thing. Usually the rants I get aren't so poetic. Most of the time they are rambling and confused, like this.

On Wed, 23 Apr ******** wrote"
"I noticed today that many Slashdot stories are listed on Google. I thought you were supposed to be a neutral internet party? I can't believe what you have as "news" if you are in cahoots with the "do no evil" gang. Almost everything I used to believe in is on Google now I was hoping that Slashdot would be strong enough to resist the Google money pool but I guess I was naive. Google is going to slowly absorb everything is that ok with you? it doesn't seem so bad when your playing volleyball or bringing your cat to work but it is. A cat is no trade for integrity. Look back at what you used to stand for and not greed or I will have to find a news source that hasn't been swallowed by Google."

41 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Yawn by sexconker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, this disagree mail segment thing has run it's course.
    Kill it.

    1. Re:Yawn by gardyloo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Agreed. Either kill it or post the email addresses of the people who write the "disagree mail". That would at least make things interesting.

    2. Re:Yawn by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's just what Google wants us to believe, since clearly someone has caught on to the conspiracy!

    3. Re:Yawn by exabrial · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This poster is obviously from microsoft.

    4. Re:Yawn by perdera · · Score: 5, Funny

      Seriously. A cat is no trade for integrity.

    5. Re:Yawn by mellowfish · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you don't like disagree mail, then by all means contribute to it. Your clever arguments for its demise should be enough material to get the rest of us through to the next posting. Or if you would rather remain out of the limelight STOP READING THIS and then commenting negatively. Go read about cutting edge technology and leave us troll haters alone.

    6. Re:Yawn by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, this disagree mail segment thing has run it's course.
      Kill it.

      I suggest that you mail this request in to the slashdot editors. I understand the read their email diligently.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    7. Re:Yawn by ultramk · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Actually, I love it. In my opinion, it's the best and funniest thing on slashdot these days (kinda sad I know). I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that gets completely nutso, hilarious emails.

      See, my random opinion completely cancels out your random opinion. Isn't it awesome how that works?

      Plus, my UID is a good bit lower, so my opinion is inherently more valuable. Checkmate.

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    8. Re:Yawn by NeilTheStupidHead · · Score: 3, Funny

      What about an integra?


      ...cause I've always wanted a kitty.

      --
      Lose: misplace or fail || Loose: not bound together
    9. Re:Yawn by Angus+McNitt · · Score: 3, Funny

      Damn. What's a cat worth then? I have a few of the rascals running about, and am willing to trade!

      --
      "To Do Is To Be" - Socrates, "To Be Is To Do" - Sartre, "Do Be Do Be Do" - Sinatra
    10. Re:Yawn by steveo777 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The best way to accomplish that goal will probably be with an angry email or two.

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    11. Re:Yawn by The+Redster! · · Score: 4, Funny

      Has an email server ever been slashdotted?

    12. Re:Yawn by melikamp · · Score: 3, Informative

      Please stop trolling. SECTIONS >> Deselect IDLE >> SAVE. 3 clicks is all it takes!

    13. Re:Yawn by Van+Cutter+Romney · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...Google is going to slowly absorb everything...

      Google announces Google Sponge (Beta)!

      --
      Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
    14. Re:Yawn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Seriously. Like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe. So, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. 'Give me five bees for a quarter', you'd say. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah...the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war; the only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.

    15. Re:Yawn by coldandcalculating · · Score: 3

      LOVE the disagree mail.

      Yeah, we all know that /. is supposed to be "news" for nerds and stuff that "matters", but I think that we all need a good laugh every now and then. This seems to fit the bill quite nicely.

    16. Re:Yawn by jetsfandb · · Score: 2, Funny

      google kitchen Beta, and google house Beta. don't forget google bathroom Beta and google-naughty-tv-at-2am-when-your-parents-are-sleeping Beta...
      .
      There. Fixed it for you.

      --
      It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, The hands acqui
    17. Re:Yawn by sexconker · · Score: 3, Interesting

      These aren't even funny.
      We get a handful of boring emails each update.

      Yes, the people who write them are dumb. But it's like reading 3 random /. posts, with 0 context, that got modded "+10, Idle".

      Anyone who's been on /. has probably seen far more outrageous/stupid complaint emails (some of which are bound to be real).

      These emails do not provide drama or comedy.

      In fact, I propose the following (and will submit it email!):

      Add a "+1, Idle" modifier for comments.

      Add a separate "IdleScore" field (so "+1, Idle" doesn't affect the regular score) for that modifier only.

      Make the Idle score of a comment completely invisible (don't list it, don't let people filter by it, don't send comment moderation notices about it).

      When a comment hits Idle +10, it goes to idle.slashdot.org .

      Every week or so, we get a hand-picked selection of these comments, instead of the disagree mail segment.

    18. Re:Yawn by Danse · · Score: 2, Funny

      Do not despair. It is not very glamorous.

      Dude, my UID gets me chicks! ..... Just not the ones that I'd want to date..... :(

      --
      It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
    19. Re:Yawn by Precipitous · · Score: 2, Funny

      I am so totally making that my motto. In fact, I'm adding it to my sig right now!

      --
      My motto: "A cat is no trade for integrity."
    20. Re:Yawn by JoeF · · Score: 2, Funny

      And I thought any chick would do for the people who post here ;-)

    21. Re:Yawn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Good advice there!

      Yours,

      Rob Malda <malda@slashdot.org>

  2. Also a harsh view of . . . by gardyloo · · Score: 4, Informative

    white-on-green and mis-used apostrophes.

    1. Re:Also a harsh view of . . . by iknowcss · · Score: 5, Funny

      I believe it's "mis-used apostrophe's"

      --
      Life is rarely fair. Cherish the moments when there is a right answer.
    2. Re:Also a harsh view of . . . by nsayer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mis-used the apostrophe's what?

  3. In Google's pocket by GiovanniZero · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's obvious that anyone that doesn't have a robots.txt with Disallow: / is on Google's pay roll!

    --
    Mod me up, mod me down, do your worst you modding clown.
  4. A cat is no trade for integrity. by robkore · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have to believe that people are now writing intentionally schizophrenic emails in the hopes to appear in this section, and as such still retain their cats.

  5. Getting into the google money pool by Wee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I was in the Google money pool for a few years. Getting in is easy, as long as you can pass 4 hellish interviews and wait 6 months for HR to respond.

    Having said that, what you really need is a time machine. Go back to August 2004 and get hired. Even if you get a meager grant back then, you'll make out pretty well. Getting hired now, well, they aren't as forthcoming with the stock as they once were, and the base pay is pretty terrible. Free food, though.

    -B

    --

    Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.

  6. Microsft own from 2004 by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Being by 2004, I think Windows XP SP2 came out and solved lot of the origional problems with XP. As well most modern computers can run XP smoothly and easilly. As well XP solved a lot of the problems that 95, 98 and ME had. Windows 2000 was still consiered Pro-Grade so not a lot of people used it. But XP being the first consumer focused using the NT Kernel. Also many of the virus and such started to clear up. Code Red and such... So yea there are less MS Bashing as they did fix a lot of the major problems they had.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  7. Damn sellouts! by ganjadude · · Score: 4, Funny

    You are working for the LHC too arent you.. I knew it the world IS going to end!!!!!!

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  8. Simple by tuxgeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    If even half of them were true, I would have a stack of W-2s as long as my arm every year for the tax man. The truth of the matter is, nobody here sits in their Microsoft smart chair, talking on their minion iPhone, while playing in the Google money pool. (If someone knows how to get into the Google money pool, please send me a mail.)

    Avarice is easy, just sell your soul to Balmer

    --
    "Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself." Mark Twain
  9. Amusing read by Reibisch · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Judging from the comments that most Idle stories bring these days, I think I must be about the only one to find these segments worthy of at least a chuckle. Of course they're mostly groaners, but at least I know what I'm getting myself into when I open it :)

    1. Re:Amusing read by halivar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I like it, too, but you gotta remember: this is the internet. For every 10 happy people who won't post, there is 1 whiner who will.

  10. Re:Dear Slashdot... by SydShamino · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I read it and replied to it. You didn't read it but clicked the link and replied to it anyway?

    Man, I only have enough free time to read and comment on the things that interest me. Can I borrow some of your free time to have the luxury of not reading but commenting on boring, uninteresting things?

    --
    It doesn't hurt to be nice.
  11. Okay, I get a lot of value out of this by Xaedalus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't dismiss this disagree mail thing. I'm finding it valuable actually as a sociological study. Think about it: there are people out there who actually get inflamed enough to write in and post this stuff. What kind of mind honestly works this way? To me, it's a viewpoint into a perspective way different from my own. And that is useful, because it reminds me that the world is not filled with my clones who all perceive the world the same way I do. Plus it is funny.

    --
    Here's to hot beer, cold women, and Glaswegian kisses for all.
  12. No we're not! by gardyloo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Meow, we are!

  13. SHhow their names by Wee · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Hate to comment twice in one article, but I have to say: Show the names of the people writing you! Maybe not their email (though that would be OK), but at least their slashdot ID, if they have one. Shit, make it a requirement that they have a slashdot account before they write in.

    It'd be much more fun if there was some accountability...

    -B

    --

    Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.

  14. its not that bad by smashin234 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No one makes you read these stories, if you don't like them, don't read them, that simple.

    Although this batch isn't funny, some of the stories were so random that I actually did laugh (of course after my headache stopped due to the bad coloring scheme.) Post more pointless stories imo, like the guy talking about racism...

  15. Man, by IceCreamGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now I really want to bring my cat to work. "Kitty no! Get out of the AS/400!"

  16. Misunderstanding by dedazo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think the reason most people bitch about the Idle articles is not due to the fact that there is an Idle section or what it's about, but rather because it kind of a let down. I can't believe that after more than 10 years of being on the cross hairs of every nutjob and bored teenager on the internet, these are the weirdest emails you've received or the strangest stories you can tell.

    If you're going to take up space on the front page with this, you better make it worth the while for people who read the site.

    --
    Web2.0: I love when people Flickr my cuil and digg my boingboing until my google is reddit and I start to yahoo
  17. Re:Google Sponge? You're thinking small. by julesh · · Score: 3, Funny

    Come on; if Google were going to get into the business of absorbing things, surely we'd be seeing Google Shamwow! or something along those lines.

    Google Black Hole (Beta), obviously. Bet you didn't know they'd been pouring money into the LHC.