zdhoo!

10 january 1996

The night before I went to the Wired party, I knew these people had more money cuz they served fwa grah and roasted garlic.

Classy food, perhaps, but Wired had more stimulating guests and SRL.

I was excited because I was going to finally meet the Chief Yahoos.

I was met at the door by a submit my business card for a raffle door prize drawing. I dropped my new business card in, strode onto the dancefloor.

zd smz The party was unadulterated schmooze. No distractions - band, cutting edge technology demonstrations, or dancing, just pleasant or dervs, cheesy pop music, and well dressed networking.

A professionally skirted woman spoke into a mike, trying to decipher the first winner.

Standing near the stage, I hear her confer with the dj. Justin? Cyborgasmic?

The absurdity of being the first Ziff Davis Yahoo raffle winner excited me - I leaped up and grabbed the mike - "Justin at Cyborgasmic in the winner! Links from the Underground! Victory!"

I recieved very little enthusiasm from the crowd. The DJ wrestled back his mike. The woman handed me a Power Computing T-Shirt and signed copies of CyberSource and Yahoo Unplugged - 35 pounds of promotional goods I left behind.

Mark Pesce was the third winner, I was still up near the stage. His bald head familiar, I thought, hey! A fellow freak winner! I proclaimed my congratulations vociferously, he backed away from me grinning weakly.

A corporate suit interupted the reverie to deliver a corporate victory speech unremarkable. He didn't demand the rapt attention of the audience, and neither seemed to care. "Who's that?" I ask the guy next to me - it's Bill Machrone, editor in chief of PC Magazine for ten years, now Editor in Chief of "Yahoo! Internet Life."
A cooperative venture between these two edge cutters of content, offering each a respected foray into a world in which they have little clout, and much to gain.

Ziff-Davis gets web street cred for being associated with one of the top five brand names on the net.

Yahoo gets exposure beyond it's medium, bringing that categorically cool sensibility to the print devouring masses.

I respect Yahoo, I use them a lot. I used to subscribe to PC magazine, back when I was a user, but this seventeen year old found them biased towards Microsoft Windows, over OS/2 which I favoured.

At the ZDhoo! site, reviews of the web's best site for fun, profit, and personal growth

I was so pleased to see smart coverage of Free Speech, ending appropriately enough with a free gift! offer of the first issue. <sigh>

Following his brief crowing, he announced that the Yahoo guys weren't actually there, but if we turned to the two seven foot video screens on either side of the dance floor, we would recieve a message from Jerry Yang, co-Chief Yahoo.
yang
Sorry we're not there guys, we're on our way to Japan to do more business.

The crowd felt dissed.
He displayed his supplies for the trip - a cartoon sumo towel, and "the number one tool for business in japan, the sake cup."
it was too audacious; the audience began conversing pointedly amongst themselves.

He finished, Dave might have something to say,

and our hero Dave bounded out on stage.

A more perfect contrast could not have been PERL scripted:

Dave in blue jeans, sneakers, giving a no hype geek-speech about his contained enthusiasm for the opportunities provided by the influx of cash, and the increase in exposure.

Stood in marked contrast to Machrone, slacks, a tie, both glibly happy and uninspiring new comrade in the web revolution.

Standing back for a moment, I notice "Yahoo! Internet Life" and "Ziff Davis Electronic Publishing" flashing by in brilliant hues - projected on the wall in five foot shifting textlogo glory.

sinifilo Summary stroking concluded, Dave disembarks the stage for the crowd, not yet swamped I stop him, Hi I'm Justin.

You used to work at wired? he knows me.

Yeah, but now I hang with cyborganic

he nods, knows them too.

You're not in japan?

Someone's got to be working. <grinmace>

You could have gone for big money, why'd you choose these guys? He didn't want to seeceed control, but to have money to continue expanding. I asked about Brian Behlendorf's community filtering system as an example, yeah, he nods, knows what I'm talking about.

After the furor, I spoke with Bill at some length; I conducted a brief interview, recorded on the back of his business card:
mach fun what do you see for the future?
everybody doing anything on the web gets rich. rising tide lifts all boats.
right, then let's get poor people online.

What are your favourite sites?

(he is chief editing an internet magazine for gosh sakes)
after a tangible pause, Well, you know, I like all the nasa sites, weather stuff," comfortable now, "heck I even like the spot. you know I'm not a soap opera fan, but I stll check in every once in a while.

we spoke of television and the web, he cites lenin said religion was the opiate of the people.

I realized the man primarily responsible for the potential education of millions of future internet consumers might have gaps in his understanding, so I leaned in for a vociferous point.

Raising a fist, vigour in my voice

the most important thing about this medium is that everyone is a potential producer.

Perhaps

his guarded reply

that's the first thing your readers should know when they get your magazine, is that they can do it too!

Perhaps

his guarded reply

(I guess he hasn't read about publishing empowerment)

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