Well, I'm checking up on a 26.4k connection (bummer), and find I have a new fan and a new freak. Welcome both to the club. I never write too much interesting in here, other than complaints when stories I submit don't get posted, only to see them on the front page within a day or two.

Happy holidays to everyone.

I just posted a (IMHO) well written post on Google. At the bottom, I put "P.S. First post?" because when I started writing the comment, there weren't any posts and it looked like it might be first.

It got modded up to 5 quickly (insightful, interesting), then gets a (-1, Flamebait). Quickly returns to 5 with another insightful. Gets smacked with (-1, Offtopic).

It's back at 5 right now (thank you to the intelligent moderators). My question is: Did someone read the post, see the words "first post" and decide that whatever was said before that was irrelevant? How big is the bong of the moderator that looks past a post to a PS and moderates based on that?

REJECTED. I wonder if I should quit bitching in my journal? Do the editors read these things?

<appeal>Hey editors. Comments are enabled. Tell me what's wrong with these submissions.</appeal>

Well, I just submitted a story on a study, conducted by MS, that says W2k is less expensive than Linux for certain tasks. I imagine, if it gets accepted, it would generate about 800 "Linux Rules" comments; but hey, my track record so far sucks, so why should this article be any different.

This one on MS being "cooperative" as a result of their court case, and getting into corporate instant messaging.

Update: 9:33pm CST, another one bites the dust. I'm 0 for 5

I wonder how that happened? Better yet; I wonder how I got one?

How many bad mods does it take to lose your +1 bonus? Also, as a couple of mods to /code:

• Story rejections should say which editor rejected the story, and why. This would give people a chance to figure out what they're doing wrong in submission, and hopefully, contribute better stories to /.
• Moderations should be identified, so that, much like the court system, you can confront your "accuser". I've seen some really odd mods, and think that, rather than getting offtopic trying to discuss the moderation, you could take the discussion to journals or email and fix things that way.Update: after thinking about this for a while, I thought, why not have a setup where, when you want to question the moderation of one of your posts, there's a button that allows you to send a message to the moderator. You don't need to know who it was, because /code can fill that in when you send the message. The mod could then send you a message back.
• If /code will allow the < (ampersand,lt,semicolon) and > (ampersand,gt,semicolon), why won't the system allow (ampersand,copy,semicolon) or (ampersand,trade,semicolon)?

O.K. I think I'm done ranting for now.

Just submitted a story on MS holes. Knowing how /. loves to bash MS, this should be a no brainer.

Update: 6:17pm CDT. Rejection #4. Waiting to see it on the frontpage...

Never made it. Hmmm

Well, it became official today. Story on MS buying Rare software. I'm now 3 submitted, 3 rejected, 3 on the front page.