I haven't posted a journal here in almost three years, because I couldn't find the button to start a new entry. ...yeah, it turns out that it's at the bottom of the page.

So... hi, Slashdot. I used to be really active here, but now I mostly lurk and read. I've missed you.

I've lurked at /. without posting for ages, mostly because I just don't have the time to interact like I used to.

But I've been clicking through the old RSS feed more and more lately, and when I saw the PAX Plague thread today, I came over to comment, since I'm kind of affected by the whole damn thing. I thought I'd take a look around since I haven't been here in awhile, and I saw that there are freaking ACHIEVEMENTS associated with our accounts. It's silly, and I'm sure it's been here forever, but I thought it was awesome and I was delighted when I read it.

I didn't realize how much I missed Slashdot until I spent some time here today, and I bet that anyone who joined in the last 2 years doesn't even give a shit about my stupid comments or anything, but it felt good to come back here, and feel safely among my people again.

The lists are now kept here: http://slashdot.org/~SockDisclosure/journal/

Don't let the socks bite!

First off, sockpuppet log updated. I have to hand it to the guy that runs that weird boycott site, he operates wide in the open. And it's just too funny to see him repeatedly asking twitter to stop.

Anyway, in the next few days the log will be transferred to a separate account dedicated only to maintaining that journal entry. Its purpose will be made clear in the profile area, and it will not be used to post. The account will be passed around as needed when the current maintainer finds he has no time (like me!). If not, then I guess it will just wither and die, but I hope by then it would have served a good purpose.

I am now actually in the process of moving to another city so I have no time for anything. I enjoyed my semi-retirement and 100% virtual telecommuting way too much it seems, and all good things must come to an end. The company I'm working for is actually finding strength in the general economic weakness, and I think they have very good products that deserve a chance to make it in the market. From a 3-man boutique software shop project to a fully-funded privately held corporation in three years flat (with no debt), along with an impressive client portfolio and almost 100 employees worldwide now. Nothing to sneeze at, and hopefully exciting times ahead for us. In any case, I was starting to get bored. My kids say I'm a workaholic, and they are absolutely right *grin*

Funny how this Slashdot thing has served as a sort of blog for me in the past few months. One of the nice things about the new company is that they provide a public-facing blog for the management team and most employees. I hope to take advantage of that, if only to speak about the drab technical details of managing IT infrastructure and reassure clients that we have our eyes on the prize. Probably no mentions of twitter (hah!) but my time here has certainly helped me better understand the power behind the software I've been using for the last 10 years or so. Zealotry aside, I believe free software is going to grow even more, especially in the server space, and will eventually occupy the one half of the IT sphere of operations that Microsoft will simply never be able to provide because their products are simply targeted at other things.

Anyway, I'll post a final journal entry in the next few days to let everyone know where the log is being kept. Take care everyone!

Report socks, troll me or whatever you want!

Corrections and comments welcome.

Thanks to the unsung AC heroes as usual, I have no idea how you guys have the stomach to slog through all that crap.

Sock reports, rant against the system or just stop by and say hi!

Well, I'm back. I've been back for about a week but not much time to post. I see that many a socks were created in my absence *grin*.

First off, responses to a few of the emails I got and couldn't reply to for whatever reason -

- guy with the soft drink nick: The answer is yes. But your reply-to: address is bouncing and your from: addy looks like it's work related so I didn't want to use it. Also, sorry but I don't know who you are on Slashdot.
- gourmand: Thanks for the list of trollpuppets, I'm in the process of updating the list. No problem on the other thing, will do.
- YeShallRemainAnonymousAsRequested: I digested your email and I think I agree. I think one of those comments was the missing link to the whole anti-slash connection that I did not have. But I need a bit more information, and your spoofed SMTP server or whatever it is is not working. I also need your permission to publish your message here. So please email me again if you can.

Thanks also to everyone who emailed me with possible socks, words of encouragement, etc. Funny how fighting abuse in a community brings out good things in people.

On a more personal note, my 2 weeks work/2 vacation ended up being more like 3/1, but it was good to back in Europe nonetheless. (hey clampolo, I did have a beer. Several actually, thanks). This is the first time I've ever been to Dublin, highly recommended. Beautiful place.

My company is probably going to merge with another similar firm that operates out of Dublin and Hamburg (I chuckled two days ago when I saw that AT&T commercial about the guy that has no bars and misses the call about not discussing the merger, that almost happened to me). What this means is my comfy DC wizard job will come to an end, replaced with a less comfy one that pays more but is probably boring as heck. I always envisioned spending my last few working years before retirement surfing the web and writing chapters of my book (20 year delay so far...), but it looks like that's not going to happen. The extra $$ is good, but not necessary at this point (unless the stock market collapses completely), so my real motivation is curiosity, because I've never had an upper management job. We'll see if I can stand being a PHB. Hah!

Well enough about me.

Anyway, I'm going to start updating the lists now, because I don't know if I'll have much time later.

Catch you all later-ish.

Going on work/vacation to crusty old Europe for the next four weeks (well actually 2 work and 2 pleasure).

Have fun, behave and paste new sockpuppets and trollpuppets below *grin*

For those of you who read my journal, be aware that he has a new account.

http://slashdot.org/~myCopyWrong

It's the same old tired offal, but he hasn't used it as a sockpuppet (yet), so it doesn't go into the log. Yet. (Update: Never mind that)

Thanks to the person who emailed me with this. I know it's a pain to decode that Slashdot spam armoring thing sometimes...

The sockpuppet/trollpuppet lists are now maintained here: http://slashdot.org/~SockDisclosure/journal/

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Previous discussions (be aware there are some really insulting trols in some of these):

Here

The sockpuppet/trollpuppet lists are now maintained here: http://slashdot.org/~SockDisclosure/journal/

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Update: Fresh discussion space here.

This feels like a mega-spam entry, and I'm very self conscious about posting it, but I'm excited about this and I wanted to share . . .

I just published my third book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives. I mention it here because it's all about growing up in the 70s, and coming of age in the 80s as part of the D&D/BBS/video game/Star Wars figures generation, and I think a lot of Slashdot readers will relate to the stories in it.

I published a few of the stories on my blog, including Blue Light Special. It's about the greatest challenge a ten year-old could face in 1982: save his allowance, or buy Star Wars figures?

After our corduroy pants and collared shirts and Trapper Keepers and economy packs of pencils and wide-ruled paper were piled up in our cart, our mom took our three year-old sister with her to the make-up department to get shampoo and whatever moms buy in the make-up department, and my brother and I were allowed to go to the toy department.

"Can I spend my allowance?" I said.

"If that's what you want to do," my mom said, another entry in a long string of unsuccessful passive/aggressive attempts to encourage me to save my money for . . . things you save money for, I guess. It was a concept that was entirely alien to me at nine years old.

"Keep an eye on Jeremy," she said.

"Okay," I said. As long as Jeremy stood right at my side and didn't bother me while I shopped, and as long as he didn't want to look at anything of his own, it wouldn't be a problem.

I held my brother's hand as we tried to walk, but ended up running, across the store, past a flashing blue light special, to the toy department. Once there, we wove our way past the bicycles and board games until we got to the best aisle in the world: the one with the Star Wars figures.

I'm really proud of this book, and the initial feedback on it has been overwhelmingly positive. I've been reluctant to mention it here, because of the spam issue, but I honestly do think my stories will appeal to Slashdotters.

After the disaster with O'Reilly on Just A Geek, I've decided to try this one entirely on my own, so I'm responsible for the publicity, the marketing, the shipping, and . . . well, everything. If this one fails, it will be because of me, not because a marketing department insisted on marketing it as something it's not.

Of course, I hope I can claim the same responsibility if (when?) it finds its audience . . . which would be awesome.