Craig Zeigler wrote:
> Go Robin... put the lowly reporter in his place :P
Trevor got a lot of facts about me wrong, I'm sorry to say. He and I
were both drinking, and he was not taking notes but apparently worked
from memory. I am not arguing with his characterization of me, but he
messed up many details: I was a sysop for Compuserve and later NVN, not
Prodigy, for example. Also, the readership figures he quoted were for
all of OSDN, not just for NewsForge. Big difference!
And my first published non-fiction piece was about property taxes, not a
shooting, and I drove a cab - not a limo - back when I wrote both of
those stories. The shooting article came into the dicussion because it
led to a string of death threats from people who claimed to be NRA
members. It was far from my first article for the Baltimore Evening Sun
back in its heyday, and it was mentioned only to explain why I found
tech journalism easy (and safe) compared to hard-core political
reporting and editorializing.
Those of you who have seen me "on duty" know that I'll play the redneck
idjit role to the hilt, but that I am a scrupulous and careful reporter
and constant note-taker. Yes, I have one book out, and I have a contract
for a second. That part is 100% true, as is the income level he quoted,
which I get because I work 80+ hours in the average week.
I also own, beside the little trailer in Bradenton, a larger place in
Maryland -- although I prefer the Bradenton trailer. Why a large house
makes one a better person I do not know. I am simply not a materialistic
person....
But Trevor's a good guy, and I think the Planet was silly to let him go.
He's done a fair amount of tech reporting in the past, and I just
commissioned a freelance article from him for NewsForge. I will,
however, make sure I fact-bcheck him very carefully. I am as compulsive
about accuracy as an editor as I am as a reporter...
- Robin
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