Category: Odd + Funny, Technology Author : Fake Steve Gillmor Posted: July 30, 2008
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A failure to communicate: the closure of TechCrunchIT

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From our regular contributor, Fake Steve Gillmor

As the Russians battled into the heart of Berlin, Hitler decided to end it all. TechCrunch IT is no more. Killed by the hand of god before it could reach its full potential. A watergate sized travesty in a magic mushroom teacup.

Was it a failure to communicate with the IT community that hastened the Russians at the gate, or a bumbling mess of poor seques and historical anecdotes that became an atom bomb to the Japanese. Is it not a failure to communicate the failure to communicate the sites demise, instead simply redirecting it to gods kingdom alone?

What now for the mesh toast, the fluffy clouds and yapping dogs that can no longer find a home. Why isn’t there a ASPCA for lost blogs from where they can find new homes. Why did Joni Mitchell die so young, and yet Tinny Tim live until 1996. O Grub Street! how do I bemoan thee, Whose graceless children scorn to own thee! Yet thou hast greater cause to be, Ashamed of them, than they of thee.

Death cancels everything but truth; and strips a man of everything but genius and virtue. It is a sort of natural canonization. It makes the meanest of us sacred—it installs the poet in his immortality, and lifts him to the skies.

Death or life or life or death. Farewell sweet TechCrunch IT, I love you still.

Editors note: since FSG posted this, TechCrunchIT has returned and is no longer redirecting to TechCrunch, however the last post date on the site is July 25. Still looks dead to me

Editors note 2: TechCrunchIT is now redirecting to TechCrunch again and the site has be scrubbed from the network list. Completely 100% dead.



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  • July 30, 2008 at 7:47 pm Stephen Jones
    that didn't last long
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:48 pm Mark Trapp
    There wasn't any focus I could see. Just Steve Gillmor's personal blog and the b-side of TechCrunch.
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:50 pm TDavid
    Where will Steve Gillmor post his next manifesto?
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:54 pm Hutch Carpenter
    "Farewell sweat TechCrunch IT" - sweat kinda works in a weird way, but maybe you meant sweet?
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:55 pm Duncan Riley
    for those wondering if it is shut as there's no official announcement: type techcrunchit.com into a browser. Also heard that Calley is no longer at TC as well. Changes happening by the sound of it.
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:56 pm Bwana McCall
    Man, I don't know whether to laugh or cry....or both
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:56 pm Duncan Riley
    Hutch, I'm not sure what FSG means...I never do with him
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:57 pm sean percival
    Sorry but this blog post is not nearly long enough to be from steve gilmor, even fake steve gilmor.
  • July 30, 2008 at 7:59 pm Duncan Riley
    Sean, in death people become relatively silent.
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:00 pm Cyndy
    So does this mean a spot opens up on the Techmeme Leaderboard for you, Duncan?
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:02 pm Adam Helweh
    I was surprised to see the blog launch considering all guest posts on techcrunch.com from Steve Gillmore before Techcrunchit were getting considerable flak about the long winded and abstract writing style that was used.
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:04 pm Duncan Riley
    Cyndy, that spot will be reserved for another Arrington/ Gabe sycophant :-)
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:19 pm Jason Holbrook
    Thought it was a great feed, I will miss it, Later TechCrunchIT
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:25 pm Mark Trapp
    Looks like it's back. I'm able to access the front page and articles again.
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:26 pm Jason Carreira
    I don't think I'm on enough hallucinogens to understand that post... something or another shut down? Uh, ok... It was HItler's blog or something? That's where you lost me...
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:28 pm Duncan Riley
    It's back! although notice the last post date.
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:42 pm Cyndy
    FSG has the power to bring blogs back from the dead??
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:42 pm Roger Kondrat
    Guys they have only been around for like 60 days and had 50,000 uniques according to Compete.com... I wish I had that kind of traction. If they hadn't used the TC brand someone (me and a group) would have picked it up for sure. That was a great start. Why did they not continue I wonder? Duncan help me out you know how the big man thinks more than any of us
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:46 pm Cyndy
    Roger, you would have that kind of traction if TechCrunch crosslinked with every article you wrote. ;)
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:50 pm Duncan Riley
    Two problems. Nik + SG would have been paid...well Nik definitely but both were named editors so presume both. Say 80-100k yr for an editor, maybe total if they split it + other writers for the site (allocated expenses, even if they were shared between sites). 50k uniques over 2 months doesn't even come remotely close to covering expenses. Arrington is a tight arse who hates spending money. My guess is that the site wasn't growing quickly enough and they decided to cut their losses now
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:52 pm Duncan Riley
    It's also not a space Arrington would want to necessarily own either, after all there's no magical pot of gold nor any competitor he wants to destroy, so where as CrunchGear was sustained at a loss for a long time (and could well still be losing money) there was no reason for TCIT to do so. Pure business decision from him.
  • July 30, 2008 at 8:54 pm Duncan Riley
    also there's the sucker aspect. My guess is that it wasn't his idea to start with, that Nik cooked it up and sold it to him, with SG's support. Arrington has always had poor judgement with investments and happily spends money to support friends. Maybe charity would be the better definition
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:08 pm Glenn Slaven
    It's redirecting back to TechCrunch again
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:10 pm Glenn Slaven
    Completely gone from all the menus too now
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:13 pm Duncan Riley
    bizarre, it's like ZOMG, someone noticed! What should we do!
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:29 pm Paul Montgomery
    TCIT is an idea that has been floating around for some time in Arringtonland, I was even involved with some very early discussions (nixed when Gillmor noticed I was being included in group emails). I wouldn't be quite so quick to deadpool it, but one wonders if any such closure might be related to acquisition discussions which are coming to a head.
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:37 pm Paul Montgomery
    Does this mean the TechCrunch Tablet is deadpool'd too?
  • July 30, 2008 at 9:46 pm Duncan Riley
    Paul, interesting question given the initial drive came out of TCIT.
  • July 30, 2008 at 10:02 pm Charlie Anzman
    With all due respect to Duncan, I think it opens a spot for Cyndy .... (he ducks)
  • July 30, 2008 at 10:13 pm gregory lent
    outside looking in, the guy has a heart, is loyal to friends, has that difficult combination of thin skin and strong character, and when he cuts, it's over. he has a good product, a good writing voice, and, hey, a job that he created that is fun and furiously difficult. i thought the tablet a brilliant idea, that might have flown enough to cover expenses. plus the pr and learning curve. bottom line, on the side of light.
  • July 30, 2008 at 10:33 pm Sidharth Dassani
    it is again redirecting. Duncan any informed guesses on the reason for closure :-). Bye the way I posted about no new articles on techcrunchit on friendfeed about 3 days back.
  • July 30, 2008 at 10:39 pm Pat Hawks
    No kidding Paul, what does this mean for the iCrunch?
  • July 30, 2008 at 11:58 pm Duncan Riley
    Sidharth, apol, I got a direct tip on it today. My guess is that it simply didn't find enough traffic.

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