Gawker
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new york, minute
New York blogger worries himself sick over conflicts of interest
"If we want NYC to kick ass in the world's tech community, we have to stop favoring a few 'friends' and let everyone get time on stage." CenterNetworks founder/writer/editor Allen Stern doesn't just complain about inbreeding in New York's Web 2.0 scene, he documents it by listing the companies that presented at last night's NY Tech Meetup, and speculating on their potential conflicts of interest. Jeez, Allen, wait'll you find out I used to be on the secret MacArthur committee. Here's what we're group-thinking out here in our Valley chatroom: More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by Lawrence: It seems there's always conflicts of interests - stop bitching about it, and just accept it as the norm now more » | Other threads
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housekeeping
What I learned from the Alleywag
Even before he worked at Valleywag, Nicholas Carlson had taken "Alleywag" as his commenter name. I always saw that passion for the site shining through his posts. True, he sometimes exhibited the inevitable traits of his hard-to-manage millennial generation, but he's unique — unique, I tell you! — among the precious snowflakes of his generation in being able to look at his peers' self-involvement with a wry glance. He covered the beat of online advertising adeptly, and made lists smart. What Here's what I think were some of his best pieces. Name your favorite Alleywagiana in the comments. Like me, you can keep following my favorite Gen Y-er on Tumblr. Natch. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by sample032: It's pretty cool of Owen to write letters of recommendation for the fireees so quickly and post them so publicly. more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
IAC building power outage kills New York tech meetup, spares us all
New York wantrepreneurs preparing for a night of rejection and glazed looks can relax — tonight's New York Tech Meetup is canceled due to a power outage at IAC. "We tried to find a replacement venue for tonight, but couldn't find anything for all 400 of us at this late notice," reads a memo sent to all invitees. The group won't meet again until September 2. Trust us: You'll survive four weeks without learning about the next great Muxtape killer. (Photo by waywuwei)
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Comment by CassidyMonet: I know that Barry's going through some rough times right now, but did he really forget to pay the... more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
Silicon Alley Insider publisher raises money
Silicon Alley Media, disgraced tech-stocks analyst Henry Blodget's recently formed blog collective, has raised a modest $1 million from wealthy investors, Tech Confidential reports. The A round's A list included Tacoda cofounder Dave Morgan and former Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz. With the proceeds, Blodget is hiring editors for two new sites: Clusterstock, a spreadsheet-heavy analysis site, and Business Sheet, a tabloidy take on business personalities. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Tnuc: ClusterStock: Because ClusterFuck was unavailable. more » | Other threads
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rumormonger
New Google skybridge will make New York look like it was supposed to
In June, Google expanded its Chelsea offices in New York by leasing more space across the street. Since Google's precious employees — not even its acquired lot of DoubleClickers — should have to brave New York's muddy winters, rheumatic indigents, and aggressive newsmen, rumor has it Google plans to build a skybridge connecting the buildings. Leave it to the Valley's geeks to finally give New York's cityscape the future it was promised by images such as this one, a 1917 postcard titled "The City of Skyscrapers."
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Comment by Clarissima: maybe because I used to work at DoubleClick, I'm inclined to suggest that Google names the skybridge "DARTway". When not... more » | Other threads
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tumblr
Puppet video reveals all you need to know about Silicon Alley
Gary the Puppet — who in the clip embedded below tours the offices of Tumblr, Next New Networks, Gawker, CollegeHumor, and Wallstrip — might be the perfect metaphor for the New York tech scene. It makes a big show of itself, but it's kind of flimsy and despite how it may look, somebody much larger and more powerful is actually running things. For New York tech, the puppeteer's hand is old media companies. IAC and CBS own College Humor and Wallstrip, respectively. Tumblr has its roots in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. So does Next New Networks, which just agreed to distribute its videos over Hulu, a News Corp. and NBC joint venture. And what's Gawker but a tape worm in Old Media's belly? Still, New York tech has this over the Valley: perhaps because of those old media connections, it knows how to present itself with a hokey smirk instead of new media's typical sassback. More »
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Comment by justinj82: @Michael_Irie: I wrote and edited this piece, and have never seen the 1938 Media video, so to way it's a... more » | Other threads
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google
Google quarantines sales and marketers in New York
Google has a tremendously huge office at 111 Eighth Avenue in New York. But at about a 500,000 square feet, it's apparently not big enough to house Google's suits and Google's New York-based engineers together. The company's opened a new, 25,000 square foot office for its sales team and marketers on the second and fourth floors of Chelsea Market. New York Senator Chuck Schumer cut the ribbon on the place yesterday. There, the MBAs and failtreprenuers can hone their "soft skills" such as "business development" and "revenue generation," leaving grateful engineers to work on changing the world in peace. As a bonus, it should free up some of the Razr scooters, too. -
rumormonger
Will Flickr cofounders make a run for the border, or head for the Big Apple?
Now that Caterina Fake has left Yahoo and Stewart Butterfield has tendered his abstract resignation letter, what will the widely beloved Flickr cofounders do? And where will they go? Brendon Wilson, who worked in the Valley himself before returning to his native Canada, pointed us to an effort by a group of geeks to convince Fake and Butterfield to come back to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Flickr was launched. The welcome wagon even turned out a video slideshow of Flickr photos to remind the couple just how beautiful the city can be. Look, a rainbow! And it may just be working — last night, Butterfield added himself to the Bring Stewart and Caterina Home! group on Facebook. Fake may have other plans, though. More » -
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Real Estate
Apple to move into very boring New York office tower
Apple will move into a new New York office tower going up on 510 Madison, taking two floors. The building is still under construction, but developer CBRE Richard Ellis has a live construction cam you can use to follow its progress. Glancing at sketches,we expected more from design-obsessed Apple. Other than the pictured garden terrace, and a for-tentants-only indoor pool and health club, the place looks pretty much like every other Manhattan office tower.
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Comment by hoot-the-mopple: Ever seen their offices at Citicorp Center? Bleak man. Bleak. more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
New funding for New York wantrepreneurs
Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of some city on the East Coast with good nightlife but lousy conditions for startups, has unveiled a $2 million fund for companies doomed to failure by their thoughtlessly poor choice of location. Why doesn't he just give the would-be founders plane tickets to San Francisco and a deposit on a SoMa loft office? That seems easier. [Silicon Alley Insider]
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By Owen ThomasComment by Swifter: @random_play: Yes, do bring the lovely Heft. Bring her to Seattle. I'll get her a gig at Microsoft. more » | Other threads
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gary sharma
New Silicon Alley Reporter accuses "lovable scumbag" Jason Calacanis of spreading "baseless rumors"
Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis made his name running Silicon Alley Reporter back in the 1990s. You'd think Calacanis would be happy to hear that some guy named Gary Sharma has brought the Silicon Alley Report back to the Web. Nope. On his last trip to New York, Calacanis gleefully told a table full of reporters that Dow Jones, which bought the publication from Calacanis back in 2003 — was preparing to sue Sharma's project out of existence. Sharma denies the legal trouble. "Word on the street is that these are just baseless rumors being spread around by that lovable scumbag Jason Calacanis," Sharma tells us. "Maybe he's getting a lil antsy now that SAR 2.0 is getting rave reviews from the Silicon Alley community?" Asked to comment, Peter Kafka, managing editor of Silicon Alley Insider, a blog often confused with Calacanis's old rag, said: "Who?" -
sad displays
New York wantrepreneur, VC in training can sing and D.A.N.C.E.
Meet wantreprenuer Nate Westheimer and venture capital associate Kristian Hansen. Westheimer founded BricaBox, a publishing platform which you still haven't heard of, despite publicity stunts like the "Silicon Alley 100: People's Choice." Hansen you might know because his boss cofounded Wallstrip, which used to feature Lindsay Campbell, whom you definitely know. Here's the pair's lipdub to Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." As the song goes, fellas,"The way you move is a mystery." The clip is below. More » -
caption contest
"If you're Taurus, does that mean I'm Fondue?"
What was Star editrix-at-large Julia Allison saying to Tumblr's David Karp while they waited for Jason Calacanis's limo in Manhattan? (Photo by innonate)
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By Jackson WestComment by ♥ dosido☮: "50 bucks and dinner at The Waverly. 25 if you throw in a Macbook Air." more » | Other threads
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rumormonger
DailyCandy backer overheard in sale talks with Yahoo
Will one-time AOL exec Bob Pittman sell email newsletter DailyCandy to Yahoo? That's what DailyCandy execs are said to have discussed over dinner last week at the Village Restaurant in New York. Ben Lerer, publisher of Thrillist, another online publication backed by Pittman, told us he's heard no talk of a sale. But, tellingly, he was very curious to know what we've heard. That's because while Yahoo might be a surprise suitor, Pittman's desire to sell DailyCandy is no secret. In 2006, the WSJ reported Pittman had put DailyCandy on the block, hoping to sell his $3.5 million investment for more than $100 million. If the dinner happened, it's surprising Pittman didn't clue Lerer in. Ben's dad Ken, a cofounder of the Huffington Post, was a close ally of Pittman at AOL.
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Comment by raincoaster: @snarkotic: Where's a rickroll when you need it, eh? I for one LIKE looking at pix of bobbleheaded anorexics, but then,... more » | Other threads
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venture capital
Manhunting no more, Allison, Asha and Rambin plan Sand Hill Road tour
Julia Allison, Meghan Asha and their friend, bag designer Mary Rambin, are planning a mid-April trip to Silicon Valley. This time, they say they're after funding for their new startup — Oprah on the Web! — not geek boyfriends. The three met with some New York VCs last week and it went "well enough," Allison told me, that their next stop: Menlo Park. Ah yes: Broadway has become the warm-up act. -
caption contest
Charles Forman desperately wants you to see him holding hands with David Karp
Iminlikewithyou founder Charles Forman is a shameless self-promoter. And it disgusts us. The photo below of Forman and Tumblr founder David Karp, however, does not. More » -
nerdfight
Will blogger finally get to "#&%$!ing drop" Jason Calacanis tonight?
Mahalo founder Jason Calacanis will host a dinner at New York Chinese restaurant Golden Unicorn tonight. He's calling it Dim Sum 2.0. I'm going, but not for the lazy susan full of food. The last time Calacanis hosted one of these during a trip to New York, it was the night after Calacanis and DealBreaker blogger John Carney nearly came to blows. At the end of a fundraiser for Mouse, Carney allegedly told Calacanis "I will #&%$!ing drop you to the floor." The pair didn't come to blows, but maybe they just needed a little encouragement?
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Comment by DonV: @seanpercival: Just so you know, I've never actually used your site, so I can't call it crappy in content. I... more » | Other threads
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google
New York reporters scooped on YouTube by blabbing blogger
Google hosted an event in Manhattan yesterday to pitch advertisers on YouTube. Silicon Alley Insider's Michael Learmonth tried to crash and got booted. The New York Times's Louise Story played nice and apparently got to stay, but later told readers the "bulk of the event" was "off the record." Apparently, neither tried Google search. Attendee Ian Schafer, CEO of a digital marketing agency, was happy to blog everything. More »
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Comment by joshuajcohen: Too bad Michael got booted. I was able to grab some footage from the event. Check it out:... more » | Other threads
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clips
Another half-good idea ruined in New York
Brace your ears. Here's "Wall Street Meltdown," set to the music of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," much like the Richter Scales' own Joel imitation, "Here Comes Another Bubble." Yes, you heard right. That was "SIVs, CDOs" rhymed with "tell me what did Moody's know." Enough.
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Comment by Keonda: Weren't you missing the song? Here comes another parody: "I'm getting bored of Facebook" more » | Other threads
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charles forman
Don't everybody apply at once, now
Iminlikewithyou founder Charles Forman needs a Ruby developer. If you already have a job, Forman writes on his blog, "You should quit." One small hitch? The job's in New York ... sorta. More »
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Comment by The_Age_of_Plastic: @Alleywag: There is nothing worse than a jilted fan Nicholas. Alas, the numbers speak for themselves:Jan 30Jan 24Jan 22 (x2)Jan 14Dec... more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
New York Times trying to offload About.com
The New York Times has hired a bank in order to sell About.com, Silicon Alley Insider reports. The Times bought the site — a collection of bloggers posting Google- friendly content — back in 2005 for $410 million. SAI's Peter Kafka figures the Times will ask for around $450 million. And will be happy to get it. Makes sense. How much can a company full of permalancers paid by the pageview be worth, anyway?
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Comment by WillVille: Hehe, shows NYT have their priorities right. Old Media Company sells one of its only connections to the future. I can see... more » | Other threads
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twitter
New York VCs know their bathrooms, bars
So you're after venture capital and you want to know as much as possible about your potential investors before making your pitch. You could try following them on Twitter. But you might learn more than you wanted to. More »
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Comment by ScalaWag: This guy puts ASS in ASS-ociate. What is his biggest accomplishment? "He has co-ordinated Facebook's first ever Developer's Meetup with Mark... more » | Other threads
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julia allison
Renowned tech critic takes on Tumblr
Early adopter and technology evangelist Julia Allison took time from a busy punditry schedule for a rare update to her personal blog "And another thing..." yesterday. And then she posted another 33 times. One post's topic? Allison's frustration with Tumblr and its CEO, David Karp. The Fox Business News contributor wants Tumblr to become a "REAL company." Her words: More »
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Comment by jinxremoved: sometimes it's better to ignore the messenger and just look at the message. it's not like she's wrong more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
First tech hiring freeze due to mortgage mess
During an internal conference call yesterday, Bloomberg LP management announced it would freeze hiring and cut costs, a source told Silicon Alley Insider. Sure, Bloomberg earns its money licensing terminals to Wall Street firms, and is therefore more directly connected to the mortgage meltdown than any Silicon Valley firms. But news that Silicon Alley's most successful tech firm is suddenly under the gun remains unpleasant. Especially considering yesterday's doom and gloom prognostications from Digitas Web-ad buyer Carl Fremont. (Photo by azrainman) -
new york, minute
From the east, a puff of smoke
Portfolio blogger Sam Gustin dislikes the phrase "cloud computing," a term for Web-based software whose popularity he attributes to "desperate reporters who, for the sake of the almighty scoop, are willing to publish just about any nonsense that a public relations professional shovels at them." True. But Gustin then proceeds to publish just about any nonsense shoveled at him by the PR department of Transmedia, a little nothing of a Web-software startup, which just happens to be based, like Gustin, in New York. Gustin reveals himself here as the typical journalist of New York's mostly inconsequential tech-startup scene: Entranced by proximity, out of touch with the currents of technology — as deluded, in his own way, as the reporters he critiques.
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By Owen ThomasComment by The_Age_of_Plastic: @eze: Really? Because it seemed a bit pot "3/5 of the posts today were SF related or insidery" calling the... more » | Other threads
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real estate
Make it in Silicon Alley and you might just land yourself a bathtub
In Silicon Valley, VCs talk about building wealth for your great-grandchildren. But for Manhattan's tech entrepreneurs, success is measured by being able to immerse yourself in bubbly water at home. Connected Ventures cofounder Ricky Van Veen — yes, one of those "silly kids" in New York I cover way too much — just bought a new pad. Paul Boutin's response: "Who?" Owen's: "Wake me when you have photos of Mark Zuckerberg's new condo at the Ritz." Whatevs. Check out the hot real estate porn. More »
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Comment by Nicholas Carlson: @Alleygal: And two weeks later, Alleygal lets them have it. more » | Other threads
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connected ventures
Zach Klein not the man for the MySpace redesign
Connected Ventures cofounder Zach Klein did fly out to California to interview for a gig at MySpace, but it wasn't the right fit for him. Or he wasn't the right fit for MySpace. Hard to tell which. So what's the designer behind BustedTees and Vimeo up to next? Think geckos and real estate. More »
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Comment by chip: i vote ZK as the most likely to suceed of the CV boys. Was the myspace interview the reason for... more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
Barry Diller's shrinking startup factory
IAC, after it spins off all its boring businesses like HSN and LendingTree, will be left with a motley collection of questionably successful startups with so-cute-you-could-pinch-them names like Vimeo and Zwinky. In an interview with the New York Observer, Diller saves special favor for Very Short List, a daily email newsletter which sells one thing a day, with just two employees. Think of it as a Woot.com, but for aging billionaires. He claims to have bought 30 items off the list. "Without Very Short List, I would be much diminished," Diller tells the Observer. But as the newspaper points out, IAC's market cap has shrunk from $22 billion in 2003, before it spun off Expedia, to $8 billion today. A bit too late for an email to stop his diminution, I think. -
new york, minute
Silicon Alley wannabe lists 99 other nobodies
Here in New York's so-called Silicon Alley, we occupy ourselves by filing stories about people setting up meetings to talk about organizing events to increase awareness of necessary preconditions for entrepreneurship. This leaves us with no time to do anything as tiring and complicated as, say, actually writing software. Bricabox founder Nate Westheimer and the Silicon Alley wantrepreneur community have their answer to the old white guys on Silicon Alley Insider's top 100. It's the Silicon Alley 100: People's Choice. Problem is, because its order was decided by nominations and votes, it's full of self-promoters you've never heard of, such as tech "activist" Dana Spiegel. Yes, he's the guy who takes the top spot. Telling that there are more people on this list than there are votes for the winner.
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Comment by sggrf: I don't know - there are a bunch of rich folks on the list. more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
Jupitermedia CEO talks trash about 24-year-old writer
Watch Jupitermedia CEO Alan Meckler lose his executive cool after former employee Nicholas Carlson — our own Alleywag in New York City — deems him "old, rich and boring." More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by coffeeshop: Are you guys serious? The guy started Internet World Tradeshow in what - 1991? He mortgaged his house three times when... more » | Other threads
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new york, minute
Silicon Alley 100 a bunch of old white guys
Silicon Alley Insider decided to revive one of Jason Calacanis's oldest traditions and produce a Silicon Alley 100. In doing so, the blog run by disgraced tech stock analyst Henry Blodget just proves the thoroughgoing irrelevance of the exercise. The editors' No. 1 man in New York? Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some other highlights among the old, the rich and the boring? AOL topper Randy Falco, IAC's Barry Diller and Jupitermedia's Alan Meckler. The closest SAI comes to someone we care about is VC blogger Fred Wilson — a moneyman, not an entrepreneur. As in Calacanis's time, New York is where ideas come to be financed, repackaged, and marketed — not invented.
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Comment by Oh No I Di'n't.: WTF? While reading this list I was repeatedly going, "Wait, they're involved in Silicon Alley? Huh." more » | Other threads
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1-31 of 31 for "Valleywag, New York, minute"
