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Thanks For Reading: 15 Years of News For Nerds
Slashdot turns 15 this month! You may have noticed that we’ve swapped out the usual logo for the first of the reader-contributed designs we'll be featuring this month. (If you think you have a better idea, we'd love to see it; all artists whose designs we choose to run will get Slashdot anniversary T-shirts, and one will get a Nexus 7 tablet.) We're also happy to announce an overdue feature here on Slashdot: a blog with information from the developers and editors. We'll use it to provide updates and background information about the site's development (for instance, new features or fixed bugs, or changes in the user interface), and try to answer reader questions about the site at greater length than the FAQ. Shameless tease: today, you can read about the launch of Slashdot mobile in the inaugural post. We might use the blog to expound on story choice or to make non-critical announcements, too. You probably don't come to Slashdot generally to read about Slashdot, though, so don't worry &mdash the blog will live safely and quietly in the background until you want to read it. Since this is a new feature, we're still working out exactly how it should best be used, so feel free to make suggestions below on what you'd like to see. Between now and the end of October, look for a passel of other treats, too, starting with an interview with Woz later today. We hope you'll get together with other readers at one of the many parties planned for later this month, also. Slashdot exists for and because of everyone who reads the site; thank you for being part of it.
To everyone involved, on both sides of the fence!
The new logo is really great BTW.
The title gives the impress "thanks for reading, we're shutting down /. kthxbi"
as always, tl;dr
Thank you Slashdot. You created one of the greatest communities on the internet. Yeah, it is a community, despite the fact that we mostly argue with each other all the time :-) No other site comes close to being as insightful and interesting, and occasionally hilarious.
I'm sure there will be lots of "Slashdot is dying" posts, but I think it is more of an inevitable change. Long gone as the Emacs vs. vi holy wars, to be replaced with the Android vs. iOS wars. How long ago the late 90s seem now.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Wow! 15 years? Man I need a life.
and five years of news for burned out web admins.
I suppose that this means that /. is currently in its acne filled puberty.
Slashdot "bugfix" - LOL
Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
No thank you /. for enabling me to be across such a wide range of technology issues, it actually helps earn boss respect to be across so many things that I attribute to /. news.
Wow that might make some of us .. .err not me, feel old.
I wonder what the average slashdot age is around here. Meaning, are many "old timers" still around? How long the typical person stays active on /.? etc etc
Keep the Classic Slashdot.
15 years and it almost stayed the same over the years. I have visited Slashdot for over 10 years and find that the site never aged in a visible way, despite the many times it was sold and resold.
~ Best man at your service.
Been with you since day one. The attraction for me at the time was that Slashdot was using GNU/Linux. Continued since then because it is simply the best search engine out there. I've been trying to remember the other search engines at the time (without googling them) and can remember only Alta Vista and Dogpile.
Thank you for bringing me a community with people that are more than willing to give me sleepless nights.
Thank you for giving me a reason to surf on the job, just to check if that rat bastard Anonymous Coward has brought insult to my name, once more.
Thank you for bringing us a site that is immediately quoted on a bazillion dupe wannabee sites once it gets slashdotted.
Thank you for reminding me that I am a geek, no matter where I work, whom I work for - ultimatively Im really your bitch and nobody else.
Thank you for occasionally making me a moderator and handing me anything between 5 to 15 moderator points just to take it away from me a few days later, just to tell me that every geek is created equal.
Thank you for posting subjects making it possible to discuss no one else but us geeks would ever dream of discussing.
And ultimatively...
Thank you for being the one and only site out there, reminding us all of - that we have no life, really - we dont! ;)
I, for one, congratulate our Slashdot overlords!
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
It's appropriately ironic that after fifteen years, Slashdot has decided to use t-shirts instead of software as promotional giveaway items.... why?
Because regardless of how many man-years of careful craftsmanship went into creating a piece of software, Slashdot's readership would assign a value of zero dollars on the end result, in terms of what they would be willing to pay for it.
OTOH a t-shirt associating the wearer with an in crowd, hey that might be worth dropping twelve, fifteen dollars on.
Slashdot has suffered such a serious decline in the past 4 years that it's remarkable someone actually bought it. The constant off-topic posts by professionals: Hugh Pickens (mostly not tech related), judgecorp (Techweek), mikejuk (i-programmer.info), the laughably bad slashvertisements, the terrible video missteps, and the apparent lack of any actual editing by the "editors" have reduced the once mighty Slashdot to a mere footnote.
Anyone else read that as a Slashdot Smartphone? It would be awesome: "Features for paranoid people, encryption that matters!"
On /. will live for ever:
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3050993&cid=41003473
Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
So what the heck does Slashdot (recursively GNU speaking) stand for?
I'll never forget September 11th 2001 on Slashdot. When I first heard the news that somebody had flown a plane into the World Trade Centre I reflexively checked the BBC website. It was unreachable - completely swamped. I checked CNN and that was swamped too. I went to Slashdot and they were reporting it and available so on-and-off I followed the story on Slashdot and on TV all day.
By the evening on the TV they had already gathered their pundits and reduced the days events to a continuous 10 second loop of a plane hitting a building. It was already starting to look like a music video.
Meanwhile on slashdot there were real conversations going on with real people who had been there, seen it or been affected by it. I remember one comment in particular - somebody wrote about psychologists being dispatched (volunteering I think) to go to school bus stops to tell some of the waiting kids that their parents were dead.
L.
That's something I've had a hard time to get accustomed to years ago, the name of the site: slashdot or /. /. and not the damn ./ I use to call my scripts? Had been looking for a reasonable explanation.. None, there is none.
Being a Linux cli nerd, it always troubled me. Why the heck did they choose
So I'm glad you think about fixing it..though 15 years later...
I, for one, welcome our new ./
You know, like implementing things like IPv6 and UTF-8 support.
I hear each and every AC is going to get 15 mod points for /. 15th anniversary, spread the news !
Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
Slashdot's gone cold I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all
And even if I could it'll all be gray but your picture on my wall
It reminds me, that it's not so bad -- it's not so bad
Dear Rob, I wrote but you still ain't callin
I left my email, my ICQ, and my yahoo chat at the bottom
I sent two emails back in autumn, you must not-a got 'em
There probably was a problem with your sendmail or somethin
Sometimes I scribble email addees too sloppy when I jot 'em
but anyways; fsck it, what's been up? Man how's your boxes?
My boxes is linux too, I'm bout to be a compiler
once I learn gcc,
I'ma go on and compile for hours
I read about your Palm Pilot too I'm sorry
I had a friend lose his Palm over at the airport in Maradonna
I know you probably hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan
I even read all your bullshit Linux news and Microsoft's man
I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man
I like the way you sold your ass out too, that shit was fat
Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back,
just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan
This is Stan
Dear Rob, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance
I ain't mad - I just think it's FSCKED UP you don't answer fans
If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your Linux World
you didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew
That's my Senior sys admin he's only 26 years old
We waited on a 9600 baud for you,
four hours and you just said, "No."
That's pretty shitty man - you're like his fsckin idol
He wants to be just like you man, he likes you more than I do
I ain't that mad though, I just don't like bein lied to
Remember when we met in Boston - you said if I'd write you
you would write back - see I'm just like you in a way
I never had a clue about shit either
I gcc'd shit with my wife then beat her
I can relate to what you're saying in your page
so when I feel like rmusering I read Slashdot to begin the rage
cause I don't really got shit else so that shit helps when I'm depressed
I even got a tattoo of slashdot across the chest
Sometimes I even packet myself to see how much it floods
It's like adrenaline, the DDoS is such a sudden rush of blood
See everything you say is real, and I respect you cause you tell it
My girlfriend's jealous cause I talk about you 24/7
But she don't know you like I know you Rob, no one does
She don't know what it was like for people like us growin up
You gotta call me man, I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose
Sincerely yours, Stan -- P.S.
We should be together too
Dear Mister-I'm-Too-Good-To-Waste-A-Packet-On-My-Fans,
this'll be the last packet I ever send your ass
It's been six months and still no word - I don't deserve it?
I know you got my last two emails
I wrote the @ signs on 'em perfect
So this is my payload I'm sending you, I hope you hear it
I'm on my modem now, I'm doing 9600 baud so fear it
Hey Rob, I drank a fifth of vodka, you dare me to code?
You know the song by Deep Purple or Slayer
its irrelevant by playing on my linux player
while I write some php scripts and play some Dragonslayer
That's kinda how shit is, you coulda rescued me from drowning
Now it's too late - I'm on a 1000 downloads now, I'm drowsy
and all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call
I hope you know I ripped +ALL+ of your pictures off the wall
I love you Rob, we coulda been together, think about it
You ruined it now, I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it
And when you dream I hope you can't sleep and you SCREAM about it
I hope your conscience EATS AT YOU and you can't BREATHE without me
See Rob {*screaming*} Shut up bitch! I'm tryin to code
Hey Rob, that's my senior admin screamin from the comode
but I didn't cut the power off, I just rebooted, see I ain't like you
cause if rm -rf'd we'd suffer more, and then the boxes die too
Well, gotta
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Speaking of, when will we get unicode support?
xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
Congratulations /.
Michigan lads done good... ;-)
Well, 15 years eh? That means I'm getting old as well. It doesn't feel like it though! Can't remember how many years I've been reading but it must be 15 years (or close to it) as well. Congratulations!
Congratulations on surviving this long...many other places on the net have come and gone in the time that you have been around...and I have been there with you too, and enjoying it all the time. Thank you for building such a wonderful site, again and again and again! :-)
Good luck going into the future, from one of you're earlier members!
ttyl
Farrell
CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
...dotSlash
Does this mean there is only 15 more years?
I'm sure that the mobile version of this site is great and all, but currently it is unavailable. Only Slashdot can slashdot Slashdot.
sd jumped the shark... Not very good any more.
A mobile version of /. is years overdue. What the hell took so long?
Been reading for years, commenting only very rarely but this site and its contributors have entertained, enlightened and enraged me and keeps being relevant even after 15 years. Well done and a big heartfelt thanks from one of the old beards.
I've had a wonderful time, but this wasn't it -- Groucho Marx
Thanks for giving me something to do during those long compiles!
The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
My android only loads half of the new icon. The mobile site doesn't let me view just the article - it automatically expands the first or second article.
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
Happy Birthday Slashdot, from a long time mostly-lurker.
Slashdot, I love you.
Having had legitimate posts downvoted to "Flamebait" for offending community pretense, I'm not going to pretend Slashdot is a Utopia. People are still people, and people are still stupid, even when they're smart. On the internet, this all gets turned up to 11.
However, Slashdot is a better example of what the net can be than "social networking" like Facebook, Myspace, Digg, Fark, Reddit, etc. These sites are clustered around the idea of people socializing through the internet. As a nerd, I think that's foolish. You socialize around being a person who likes to be with other people, and you find people who you respect.
A lot has changed in the past 15 years. UNIX is now mainstream, running on thousands of devices. Even more, computer technology and networking are now mainstream, with ordinary people navigating wi-fi hotspots and even writing code for their phones. What once was special and unique is no longer so removed from the experience of normal people.
I miss CmdrTaco and his guidance, but think the team is doing a good job. That's fortunate, as they have quite a task ahead of them: remaining focused on what it is they do well in a world that has surged past their original mission, and now needs new types of guidance with new uses of technology.
Who was your favourite /. troll?
At the moment, I'm enjoying For_A_Free_Internet. When he's in his stride, he's quite entertaining. Plus I love to know how he and the beautiful Laura are getting on
In the last 15 years I've had 4 different jobs, I've moved 4 times in 3 different countries, I divorced and got remarried and I've had a lot of personal changes. In all these years Slashdot has been a refuge for me, even an obsession when I had nothing else going on, or when I was stuck over the weekend in some foreign country. I always felt part of this community even if sometimes I've been modded down into oblivion.
Being a nerd and a geek is cooler now, but we are still fringe elements of society at large, so I never want to underestimate the need and value of the few good virtual places where we can be accepted and talk to others like us. So today, I just want to say thank you Slashdot for being there. We've all grown together.
I have learned alot of stuff about a good number of topics thanks to the interesting and insightful comments. To the community, my sincere thank you and please keep sharing your knowledge.
/. has been under some criticism (quite rightfully) about the bad writing of most summaries. But one thing that distinguishes this site from others, is that normally the conversation, around even a uninteresting not-for-nerds story, brings a interesting discussion, thanks to the good comment's system and community.
/. has of value and keep evolving. Like others have already said, embrace support for todays standard web technologies and for sure well be around for other 15 years ;)
Don't ruin what
I block all of the trolls in my HOSTS file...
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
I'm kinky, I ordered a whole Beowulf cluster of them. Imagine that!
C|N>K
Should've been from the "stuff-that-matters-department."
Slashdot is a shadow of what it once was. Now it gets it's stories submitted by people who read Reddit, etc, and often days after the story lands.
I stop by every once in a while to see if there's anything, but am saddened that most stories have been posted prior, elsewhere.
Fuck me! I'm getting old!
Well I remember back when slashdot was running on a CoCo-II and using a pair of VIC-20s as the database back end... mumble grumble...
Hey you with the 7 digit UID, go fetch the old man a beer and I'll tell you the story of LED watches that required two hands to use... and we liked it that way!
-- I have a private email server in my basement.
Was really into computers when I was in the sixth grade. I had no idea how to program or even where to start. All I managed to do at the time was learn everything about autoexec and batch files. Back in 2000 or so I got a computer again and discovered slashdot. I learned a plethora of things I never would have on my own. Rather than google for entertainment related things, I was learning about laws, physics, technology, etc. I started using Linux and eventually went and finished college.
This isn't all owed to slashdot, however, since the start of a huge lifestyle change, I've been a slashdot reader.
I have an account but never log in because I'm lazy.
oh god the awful meme's that became funny back when slashdot was more popular/there were less alternatives
Thanks slashdot, youre not as cool as reddit, but you were there first and youre still way more smart
Yeah,
/etc/hosts
echo "127.0.0.1 slashdot.org" >>
blocks all the trolls.
Use of the words "good", "bad" or "evil" is almost invariably the result of oversimplification.
It's time for dating
I guess this is an appropriate post for me to comment in. Nice work Slashdot, still going strong.
# Hack the planet, it's important.
The only difference between Huffingtonpost and /. are the pretty pics in the headlines as opposed to scored rating system. Both add a puffery of importance which the articles lack and attract people who eat with a large silver spoon.
UNIX was mainstream, running on "thousands" of devices then too. The great bulk of traffic went through and to UNIX devices. It was a 'background' tech, just like it is today -- people may have *nix based OS's, but since nearly none use the CLI, it's no more visible.
Yup, more. But that's less of a Change and more of a More. Parents and grandparents are online now. But then, Us adults of Then have been becoming parents and grandparents Since.
Ordinary people were navigating to wired hotspots. I was a carpenter for petesakes. I heard about /. from a mate in a cafe only a month after things started. Everything was remarkably mainstream already. WiReD was being sold in the grocery store racks. It had been for four years already.
Memory lane: the WiReD covers of 1997,
http://www.wired.com/wired/coverbrowser/1997
Java, HTML, Javascript. Very active time for Ordinary People writing code for themselves. BASIC was already historically interesting.
It's tough to get right, but if /. is to have distinction and thus survival, it really needs to get more nerdy.
----
Yup, AC. AC since The Beginning and of course can't prove that at all. But if you're curious about Why anyone would, it's because some think it's a measure of /.'s health to test how posts resting on Content alone are moderated. And that it's important to submit such AC posts so that important option will be preserved and respected. Ain't no other way but doing it.
Congrats on 15 years! To mark this auspicious occasion (if for no one 'cept myself), I've finally decided to stop lurking. You'd think this would happen sooner given that you've had 3rd place on my bookmarks toolbar for years. HA. Hi y'all. Thanks for all who contribute to make this site what it is. Awesome.
I suspect there is a tech-nerdier way to say thanks, but having lived on what has always felt as the "outside" regardless of the situation (Douglas Adam's character Arthur Dent's perspective on the Universe), I will drop back to a simple Thanks and Congrats. Greg
Happy birthday! God, has it really been that long? No wonder I'm old :-/
Using HTML in email is like putting sound effects on your phone calls. Just say <strong>no</strong>.
Slashdot! I'll have to look at the old hard drives and I think I was Stroke1 or something lamer. I'd light a candle but, come to think of it now I remember why I only have the drives.
Congratulations to the team! Learnt much by sticking around here. Great website which has spawned 1000s of clones but none have been quite as good.
Yay - and I've been reading for all them - just check my low id number.
Now - when who do I have to payoff to fix my karm which as been stuck at Terrible with -1 posts for the last 10 of those 15 years despite having done nothing except read like a regular user should - way to treat us old timers.
Uhm..allright :|
enough of yay'ing
Now, where the gals? I have spoiled my precious Rpi hacking time to read this post..
Cmon' don't disappoint me!
BTW we chose today's because it's the most little-endian day of the month. Har har har.
That is all
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
I've been reading since a friend referred me to an interesting rant site called Chips and Dips. I guess he must have found it on "What's new on the Internet" or something. So, to CmdrTaco and all the team that followed, a big Thank You for one of three sites I still check every day.
Wow, submission about the 15th b-day and here it is, early evening.
192 posts.
Sad, Slash. So sad...
I'll roll you over later on so you don't aspirate all the myspace feeling your retching up.
Is it possible to get the Slashdot's 15th Anniversary Shirt logo with black instead of white lettering, black instead of white lines, and a transparent background sized to fit a 11" * 17" paper? I would like to print a few as banners/signs for the Slashdot party.
n.b. Join me at Larkspur Landing Shopping Center on 2012-10-26T19:45-7
Probably the only page I have checked nearly every single day. So much amazing stuff has made it onto Slashdot. I even got one of my projects listed, the USB Floppy RAID. It killed my website !
To everyone who's had a hand in keeping this site going strong, thank you for doing News for Nerds *and* Stuff that Matters all these years. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing this again 15 years from now, too.
Also, you guys owe me about 8,000 hours of my life back :-)
Thank you.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
I thought slashdot was an IP Law blog... my bad ;-)
I just realized that I've been using this site as my main home page ever since I signed up. Close to 15 years ago now apparently...
Thanks SlashDot!
C
+1
Is there a way to order the anniversary t-shirt not from ThinkGeek? Because unfortunately TG does not ship to some countries, e.g., Russia.
Make parties outside US! For example in Argentina ;)
still my favorite source of news.
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