We Stopped Reading Gawker Before It Was Cool to Stop Reading Gawker

I had my Facebook account compromised because of fucking Gawker’s password breach. Then there was the issue of their braindead site re-design a couple of years ago.

It’s like they’re trying to drive of readers.

I honestly don’t know what they fuck they’re thinking over there. The comments and the commenters are what kept me there despite everything.

I liked Gawker because you had to audition to get in so it was troll and dipshit free (for the most part.)

I like io9 despite getting crossover from some dipshits at Kokatu and the odd humor crippled Sheldon Cooper type, it’s not a bad SF blog. Until Denton fucks with that, I’ll hang around there.

@ManchuCandidate: The audition was the best part. I still read Deadspin, and occasionally check in with Fleshbot for, you know, the articles.

I enjoyed the link back to early 2009 Stinque. I hadn’t made it over here yet, until I followed the breadcrumbs left by Serolf, so the enthusiastic chatter with Monk, Shortsshorts, Prommie (whither goest?) and Hose Manikin nearly brought a tear to my eye.

As fellow Oddjack reader, imagine my disappointment when I finally met AJ and found out he didn’t even know how to play poker.

@TSWSarah: Starter Wife! Finally roped you in! Giant Grazer Head Forever!

The day that Jamie Sommers was banished by the Jezzies for a fucking funny comment was the day that Denton’s brand was dead to me.

@peggynooner: Prommie wanders through the sandbox these days. He’s still cooking and boating. Stick around and he might come through here.

@TSWSarah: Holy shit – don’t be a stranger!

@Serolf Divad: @ManchuCandidate: It makes me laugh now to think that I actually *sweated* my fucking audition on Wonkette/Gawker back in late 2006. (Holy Fuck, has it really been that long?)

@SanFranLefty: Ah, the Days of Wine and Disemvowelment.

@SanFranLefty: Srsly? They had auditions to be able to comment?

And Benedick? Thank you for this: ” that über hack Agatha Christie.”

@nojo: I can always count on you to go in the Way-Back Machine and come home before I can even find the keys or figure out how to hot-wire the jalopy.

Damn, I love you kids. Squishy bewbie hugs all around.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: Yes, this was waaaaaaaay back in the day. You have no idea how many hours it took me to arrive upon my Nancy avatar/nickname. Then, I had to do three comments with five or more thumbs up before I was official. Getting a star was a fucking bitch.

Oh, and I told Anonymous Lobbyist that the best thing she could ever do if she ever wanted to work in DC again was to stay anonymous. What the hell do I know.

And, Ewalda. RIP. Miss that guy.

Holy fuck, nojo, that thread might deserve a permalink, between your perfect explanation of this freakshow site, and Benedick using the phrase “like being trapped inside the TV Guide crossword puzzle” to describe an uber hack Agatha Christie play.

@SanFranLefty: Agreed.

What a trip through memory lane. Is this our annual recitation of our origin myth?

@SanFranLefty: Ewalda’s BD popped on FB the other day.

I, too, spent some time (3-5 mins) crafting a screen name to convey a multitude of concepts at once. I once realized that good writing uses words that carry connotations that resonate with the reader, so you can use that to say more. Prom’s original screen name was just horrifying.

@peggynooner: We can pass your regards on to Prom.

@SanFranLefty: You’re right.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: Yes, seriously. There is no further explanation needed for how I ended up with “Nabisco”. All of my finely crafted screen names were wasted on comments that apparently never took.

As for this latest turn on Gawker, I rather enjoyed Layne’s brief back and forth with the commenters. He comes off as a mostly stable Olbermann.

I snuck in before commenter auditions. Emailed something clever to Lisanti at Defamer. He responded with an invite, which was the only way in at the time. Suddenly I was inside the rope.

And for the next two weeks I was scared shitless that I’d say something stupid and get kicked out.

Seth gave me the star. I think. They suddenly showed up one day, and I made a Sneetches gag that killed.

Meanwhile, the Corgi Vacuum has passed 3K views. Never doubt the awesome power of critter videos. Especially those that hit a groove at StumbleUpon.

@nojo: I saw what you did there in the left side column. Nice.