Whatevr 2.0
Posted on August 18, 2006 Posted by John Scalzi 20 Comments
I’m pleased to announce that Scalzi.com and the Whatever have been acquired by Tribune Media Services in a $1.7 million cash and stock deal. The Whatever will be retooled into a community site, complete with personalized reader diaries with integrated multimedia and filesharing capabilities. This will require the site going dark for the next ten days while we swap out the database and expand bandwidth; the new Whatevr 2.0 (beta) will go live Monday, August 28. I hope you’ll join me and Tribune Media Services for this exciting new stage in the evolution of The Whatever.
or
No one’s buying the site for $1.7 million, alas; I’m merely stepping away from the Whatever until the 28th to spend time with family and then to spend time with about 5,000 science fiction geeks at LACon IV, where I will be on a ridiculous number of panels and will have to attend some sort of ceremony regarding some awards I doubt anyone’s ever heard of.
You decide which of these two stories is more believable.
In the meantime, for those of you who are coming to LACon IV, please note that my reading will be on Thursday, August 24 at 4pm. I will be reading either one of two things: Either the infamous first chapter of the upcoming The Android’s Dream, or the first chapter of The Last Colony, the third and for now final installment in the Old Man series. Either way, you don’t want to miss it, and I don’t want to blather on to an empty room. Please come, won’t you?
I don’t plan on spending any amount of time here between now and the 28th, although I’ll probably check in to delete spam comments, because spam sucks. I may post an open thread entry or two during that time, but don’t count on it. If you postively can’t live without me, I’ll be posting a couple of entries a day over at By The Way, because they pay me to. But basically, you’re on your own until the 28th (and possibly the 29th, if I’m feeling lazy). Find something to do, people. I hear Yahtzee’s a lot of fun.
Seriously, enjoy yourself for the next ten days. I will. And for those of you coming to LACon IV: See you there. Hopefully at the reading.
Here’s wishing you a happy Saturday night next week! (And I’ll try to avoid stalking you, but I very much enjoyed Old Man’ War. Thank you for a lovely book.)
Have a great time, Scalzi. And I like the “Whatevr” logo.
You still planning to come to Sandy Eggo the 21st?
I’ll be visiting San Diego, yes, although I wasn’t able to manage a formal “meet and greet.”
Here’s a great way to kill some time everyone:
http://web.okaygo.co.uk/apps/letters/flashcom/
Aw, Scalzi, so close and yet so far. Wish I could go to LACon IV, but no can do.
Excuse me while I weep in the corner…
See you there! :)
You had me going there for a min. I was like WHAT SCALZI GOT PAID! Haha
Damn. What am I gonna do online without a daily dose of scalzicce?
Have fun out there. We’ll be waiting. MAybe doing some writng, some sudoku, some pottery…
Who am I kidding. I’ll just be TIVO’ing SpongeBob and eat doritos by the handful.
Including the link to Tribune Media Services was a nice touch, like not using a round number for the buyout price ($1.7 million). Not that I fell for it — I figured this was a bit of fun after your previous posting about what a blog’s worth — but I do enjoy being strung along for awhile.
I guess since they didn’t offer $2 million, that’s why you didn’t sell them the last “e”, even though we all know that vowels don’t cost that much.
Dr. Phil
You had me going for a moment, ’cause the words going through my head were “Buh bye.”
Wish I could meet you in LA, but I won’t be able to go this time. Japan’s probably out of the picture too, but in a couple years maybe it’ll be back in the States or my financial circumstances will have changed enough to go.
One of these days…
Enjoy San Diego, then. If you get a chance to let an e-pal buy you a beer or coffee, you know how to contact me.
See you next week! Maybe we can have, like, an actual conversation this time!
We’re rooting for you for the Hugo and the Campbell up here. DON’T LET US DOWN.
Kidding, of course I’m kidding.
Sweet! I’m glad your reading’s on Thursday, as I have to miss Saturday and Sunday’s festivities (gotta preside over a wedding in San Diego, then recover from said wedding).
I was getting all excited for you…seriously excited and than POW, you hit us with the second scenario. I felt like Robin when he found out Batman wasn’t gay.
It looks like you’re having a very busy Worldcon. Be sure to have a good time, eat lunch and ENJOY!
Have fun, Scalzi. Wish I could be there. But like the rest of America, on Saturday evening I’ll be camped out in front of the tv with a big bowl of popcorn, watching the Hugo ceremony. Can’t wait to see your outfit on the red carpet! I hope Peter O’Toole finally wins one this year.
Um… judging by the “recently commented on” postings and comments, it appears your spam filtering is taking a break as well…
You had me going for a minute sneaky bastard.
Enjoy Worldcon, post some doctored photos when you get back.
Let me be one of the first to congratulate you on becoming the newest Campbell Non-Hugo Award Winner and for the terrific Style with which you wore your new diadem (can’t wait to see what pictures you post for that).
The little Rockettes number you were doing with Frank Wu and the other Hugo Winners was in the very best tradition of The Whatever, too!
Harriet
(silver hair, green gown,
camera)