Dave Winer Strikes Back!
LOL. This is funny shit.
I don't even know why I'm responding to this - it's just so "out there" that it doesn't even deserve my time or merit. Either well, let's begin. First off, AmphetaDesk is not a competitor to Radio Userland - it will never tie in to a hosting company, it will never cost money to use, and it will never be closed sourced. Competition suggests I'm getting something in return - that there's something I'm going to "win" from you - and there's absolutely nothing you have that I want, be it your customer's monies, or the headaches involved with week-long outages that leave people royally pissed at you.
As for the death jab - I don't even know where to begin. There's no "intention" there, and if you've read anything on Disobey (a lot of which would probably piss you off as well) besides the AmphetaDesk or DNN stuff, then you'll realize that it's just an idle statement, much like my pathetic attempt to associate women in abusive homes with dodgeball lovers. Neither of us are one-trick ponies, and to think that either of us would get this upset over gay-ass RSS is plain old stupid.
And yes, I did coin the term 'Jewgregator' - in response to your "hear no evil, see no evil" dictatorship of RSS 2.0. What the frell does that have to do with anything?! Oh, oh, I see! I'm a white supremacist now, of course. Bwahahah. You really have my priorities placed wrong when it comes to worldy issues (I don't even watch the news, read the papers, vote, or give two turds - I live in a state of deliberate blissful ignorance). If I did watch the news, I'd probably say you're creating an Axis of RSS Evil, with the same dramatic moronics as Bush's.
Plays this rough? Why'd you link to, on Scripting News, my mailing list comments on RSS 2.0? And, more importantly, if we're not communicating, why haven't you removed it yet? Your hidden spin makes it seem like I approve of RSS 2.0 - I don't, not one bit. If I had half a moment to care, I'd be in the midst of the RSS-DEV discussions, beating out answers that solve something. Instead, I figured, if you're going to go ahead and make RSS 2.0 suck, I'll try to make it suck less. Que sera.
As I sent in a personal email last night: I speak when the moment hits me, creating a unique blend of incredible, jaw-dropping assholishness, and occasional sensible discussion. You know that just as well as I do, considering our history together on mailing lists.
To understand how much you've got me wrong, you've got to understand how much joy it brings me that you've called me a monster. That made me chuckle with joy, dance with joy, and gallop with glee! Hell, I'm thinking of putting that on one of my random email signatures: "Dave Winer Approved Me As A Grade A Monster". My flipping pseudonym (Morbus) means "disease" in Latin, and the last name (Iff) is from an Aleister Crowley book (you know, that good ol' Satanist / Mark of the Beast guy). You would have done me more harm by calling my "Strawberry Shortcake", but even then, that's cultural bravado, and I'd wear that like a badge too. There are so many assumptions you've made, so many idiocies you've been caught in, that this is just another. Yaawwwn.
As for my cause, I'd love to hear it. Honestly, Dave, you're not that important to me. I don't think your ideas are very good, I think you're surrounded by a certain group of "yes" men that empower your twisted visions of grandeur, and you've set yourself up on a pedestal of "I AM IMPORTANT!" - witness your recent whinings about not being mentioned in The Guardian. It's NOT one bit about who was first, or what you think you've contributed to the community - it's about what people think about you and your accomplishments. Quite frankly, myself included, there are many people who dislike you. Whether you want to accept that or not, that's the sole reason you're not being mentioned anywhere - people are disgusted by your attitude, your personality, and your inability to discuss on a rationale level. If you want people to accept your accomplishments, then be a better person.
For my own personal benefit and historical memoirs, I've got to quote this in my weblog just so it'll survive the Winer History Rewriting Machine:
None of this means that RSS 2.0 will be delayed by even one moment. I thought competition in the software business in the 80s was rough, but this is so much worse. Competition used to require a certain collegiality and professionalism. It's not true today. Anyone who works with Hemenway or Kearney should be aware that these people are nothing less than monsters, who will stoop to any level to get their way. Their perversion may even be the reason they're involved.
Oh yeah, you forgot to mention that I write for Apple, I run a game site, I'm a system administrator for an ISP, I collect horror movies (over 400 strong, now), I'm a huge magazine and book reader, I run multiple semi-living zines, and that I collect nearly everything I can get my hands on. I could sell everything I'm working on right now and have more than enough ideas to start anew. RSS or AmphetaDesk isn't that crucial to my existence, Dave (primarily because there is no money going in or out, so there's nothing to lose), so if you're looking to make me boo-hoo over your critical words, then I'm not going to. And so it goes. Ever read Kurt Vonnegut? My favorite author.
I still don't understand your mention of Ben Hammersley - I'm glad both he and the Guardian are threatening legal action. That's just plain old, blatant, misrepresentation by association. You bollock up and down about journalist ethics, but I'm sure it's with a wry smile you commit a common, first-grade sin. Typical Winer, as I've said in the past.
