Rob CmdrTaco Malda AMA On Reddit

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Rob CmdrTaco Malda AMA On Reddit

Posted by Unknown on Tuesday July 17, 2012 @07:41AM from the mirror-universe dept.

TheNextCorner writes with news on where CmdrTaco has been hiding. Quoting Malda's IamA blurb over at that Reddit thing: "In 1997 I started Slashdot.org. For several years, we pioneered news aggregation and on-line communities while exploring our niche of the 'net under the slogan, 'News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters.' Our work was later expanded upon at countless other more successful sites including Reddit and the Huffington Post. I left Slashdot last year, took a long time off, and then started work at the Washington Post Co's WaPo Labs their digital media R&D skunkworks group. I work as their Chief Strategist and Editor-at-Large, contributing what I can to a variety of projects ranging from their Social Reader, to some projects under development. From here I am able to continue to explore my interests in news, journalism, technology, and communities. ... I'll hopefully be answering from 2pm-5pm ET"

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Re:yes but by AttyBobDobalina · 2012-07-17 07:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=jonathan+pater
Who really cares? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-17 07:48 · Score: 4, Funny

Outside of the fluke that is slashdot, what else has he done. And who really cares (besides his mom)?
1. Re:Who really cares? by i+kan+reed · 2012-07-17 07:50 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I heard he posted on reddit this one time. That, like everything else, is a step up from being a slashdot editor.
2. Re:Who really cares? by SJHillman · 2012-07-17 07:53 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I think I know where he went wrong. Although he created Slashdot in college, he still went on to graduate. If only he had dropped out then Slashdot would be an Internet sensation and 28 billion people would have accounts. Taco would also be worth eighty trazillion dollars.
3. Re:Who really cares? by PopeRatzo · 2012-07-17 08:51 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Outside of the fluke that is slashdot, what else has he done.
  
  Slashdot is enough. What have you done?
  He should be proud of creating this lasting community. It's a worthwhile destination on the Web in my opinion (and yours, since you are here).
  How many online sites have made a big splash and then disappeared into the dustbin of history? Like MySpace and others. Slashdot goes on and there are people here whose opinions mean something to me. That's an accomplishment.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
4. Re:Who really cares? by PopeRatzo · 2012-07-17 14:12 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  When Slashdot makes a big splash, that would be a valid question. Slashdot is, and always has been, a niche site that many people have never even heard of.
  What's wrong with "niche"? Do you need the validation of mass popularity to find value in things? Do you only enjoy music that reaches the top of the Billboard charts? Do you only enjoy movies that make $50 million or more in the first weekend?
  The things of value, that last, are only occasionally the things with greatest mass appeal. And those occasions should always viewed with care, if not suspicion.
  
  When Slashdot makes a big splash, that would be a valid question.
  That's my point. In the swimming pool of culture, it's the big fatsos that make the biggest splash, and they often expire young.
  I've read obituaries for slashdot since I first started lurking here more than a decade ago. They are usually earnest, and often entertaining, and always wrong.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
Re:yes but by eln · 2012-07-17 07:48 · Score: 5, Funny

He became locked in his car and ate himself to death. Very tragic.
Nifty by RyoShin · 2012-07-17 07:51 · Score: 3, Insightful

That sounds pretty nifty, and I wish the best of luck to him, but Slashdot seems to have really lost its way without a Taco to command it.
1. Re:Nifty by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-17 07:56 · Score: 2
  
  people have been bitching about slashdot posts for YEARS. Nothing makes this year without CmdrTaco any different, really.
2. Re:Nifty by datavirtue · 2012-07-17 15:37 · Score: 2
  
  Bullshit...I've seen plenty of bitching in the past and I didn't know what people were complaining about really. These days? I see what the bitch is about. In the past when people bitched it was not reflected in the activity. Now, activity is much lower than usual.
  
  --
  I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
AMA? by wonkey_monkey · 2012-07-17 08:00 · Score: 4, Funny

I'll probably get howled out because I shouldn't be allowed on Slashdot if I don't know, but what does AMA stand for here? Against medical advice?

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
1. Re:AMA? by Short+Circuit · 2012-07-17 08:04 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  "Ask Me Anything"
  It's a recurring thing on Reddit for celebrities.
  
  --
  tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
2. Re:AMA? by sentientbeing · 2012-07-17 10:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Ok. What does AMA stand for?
  
  --
  
  ------
  beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his mind he dreams himself your master
Wrong place to do a Q&A by hessian · 2012-07-17 08:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

Reddit, Digg, YouTube, and FaceBook have a standard of comments so low that Slashdot looks like the Encyclopedia Brittanica in contrast.
Perhaps we can get CmdrTaco into a forum with more standards, or just do the chat in cryptocat and post the result here.

--
Futurist Traditionalism
1. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by pieisgood · 2012-07-17 08:13 · Score: 2
  
  My feelings exactly. If I had mod points I'd give them instead of commenting.
  
  --
  Eat sleep die
2. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by blind+biker · 2012-07-17 08:24 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Reddit, Digg, YouTube, and FaceBook have a standard of comments so low that Slashdot looks like the Encyclopedia Brittanica in contrast.
  Reddit is huge, and at least the sections I frequent, have very high standards in posts and replies. I mostly frequent /r/askscience/ and /r/science/
  My experience is phenomenal, especially after being "trained" by the awful Slashdot editors. The replies on Slashdot are, of course, great and the only good thing about the site, but the reddit sections I most follow have a higher average quality.
  
  --
  "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
3. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by FatLittleMonkey · 2012-07-17 08:27 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  You're assuming he left on good terms....
  
  --
  Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
4. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by Tough+Love · 2012-07-17 09:55 · Score: 2
  
  Slashdot is increasingly cited by, if not mainstream media, at least the next tier.
  
  --
  When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
5. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by FrangoAssado · 2012-07-17 11:44 · Score: 3, Interesting
  If you only see the posts on Reddit's front page, you might get the impression that Reddit is really dumb. You'll also be missing a lot of good stuff.
  I'll give an example: there was a story a while ago saying that a kid in Germany found an equation to solve a (pretty basic) open problem in classical mechanics. The discussion on slashdot had some good comments, a lot bickering about unrelated math stuff and the obligatory comments denouncing the American educational system (moderated +5 insightful, naturally).
  On Reddit, this post on the "Math" sub-reddit (which sadly got nowhere near the front page) also generated a lot of inane comments, but also some really good stuff:
  
  -the derivation of the equation "discovered" by the kid, highlighting that the equation was just an implicit solution
  
  - a link to a previous paper from 1977 that contained a similar solution (showing the kid's work wasn't that original)
  
  - a link to a French book from 1860 that also contained the formula (showing it wasn't even recent)
6. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by Tough+Love · 2012-07-17 13:12 · Score: 2
  
  Slashdot is increasingly cited by, if not mainstream media, at least the next tier.
  Citation please
  Example: http://techtalk.dice.com/t5/Tech-Nation-Discussion/Wedel-case-being-discussed-on-Slashdot/td-p/290688/page/3
  Find more here
  
  --
  When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
7. Re:Wrong place to do a Q&A by blind+biker · 2012-07-17 16:05 · Score: 2
  
  with the exception of r/spacedicks that place is a cesspool
  Punctuation is your friend; use it.
  
  --
  "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Re:Reddit? What's that? by Rude+Turnip · 2012-07-17 09:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

Some people say Reddit killed Digg, but most people would say Digg committed suicide.

--
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Slashdot has the best commenters... by teadrop · 2012-07-17 09:52 · Score: 4, Interesting

I spent a greater part of my life reading Internet comments, here's what I found...
Hopelessly dumb:
Yahoo News, Newswine, Foxnews, CNN, MSNBC (pretty much any news site), Youtube (depends)
- By reading comments from these sites, you will lose all hope for mankind

Dumb but not hopeless:
Cnet, Endgadget, Verge, Facebook...
- It does not speak well for mankind but we still have hope...

OK:
Wired, Washington Post, Huffington Post

Best quality comments:
Slashdot, New York Time
- There is intelligent human out there!
Re:Link? by Unknown+Lamer · 2012-07-17 15:30 · Score: 2

Yo dawg I heard you liked slashdot so I ...

--

HAL 7000, fewer features than the HAL 9000, but just as homicidal!
Lost Luster by DaKong · 2012-07-17 16:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

I have been an ardent /. fan since early days. When CmdrTaco left I was emotionally affected, as if my brother was moving to the Moon and I'd never see him again. And all these years the naysayers and haters have railed against Jon Katz and goatse and dupes and spelling errors and such when I've considered them idiosyncracies that make the place more genuine than your typical corporate clone news site (tm).
I still read Slashdot for the comments, same as always, because I still learn about areas I don't know much about; but, several recent misadventures like that goofy business portal make me think there's some jackass MBA PHB at the parent company who knows absolutely zip about science, technology, intelligence, or, heck, even the Slashdot community and who's spending every waking hour scheming how to pump-and-dump this bitch. That makes me very, very sad.

--
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Re:Link? by isorox · 2012-07-17 20:38 · Score: 2

Still a valid question about why a summary posted to Slashdot links to Slashdot.

Someone wanted to slashdot slashdot?