Gawker
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caption contest
Grandpa, no!
Powerset founder Barney Pell brazenly reaches past former TechCrunch contributor Calley Nye's first available knee for an extra helping of frottage during the TechCrunch50 conference festivities. For Pell, the "Hot Chicks with Douchebags" joke has already been made, so you'll have to come up with something better in the comments if you want to win the honor of rewriting the headline. Yesterday UncleSalty took home the trophy with "How to make a baloney sandwich."
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By Jackson WestComment by JJ: Expose your ontology to my crawler! 1 Responses | Other threads
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conflicts of interest
Was TechCrunch50 rigged?
The anointing of Yammer as the winner of TechCrunch50 has raised questions about how the startup-launch conference operates. Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch, has made much of the fact that he and fellow event organizer Jason Calacanis don't charge startups to present at the show, as established rival Demo does. But people who attended the show are saying behind his back that the contest was rigged in favor of a pet startup of Arrington's with ties to one of the event's sponsors. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by calleynye: The point of TC50 isn't about the $50k. It's about presenting it to a room of full VCs, press,... 3 Responses | Other threads
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craigslist
Startup seeks full-time coder to put on no-pay lockdown
There's so many reasons to run away from this as-yet-unknown Portland startup's "gigs" ad on Craigslist. The founders say their app was written "I think [in] C#." They're "so disruptive" that they've "already been approached by TechCrunch" — without a product release yet. And for the right full-time programmer, they'll give you a nice room, Wi-Fi, and food. Stock? You can find as many sheets of that as you like in the bathroom. "No drugs or alcoholics!" Good god, how else are you supposed to blow off this sweatshop steam? The full ad continues: More » -
party report
Loïc Le Meur, Segway instructor
Please tell me someone has pictures of Seesmic founder Loïc Le Meur giving small-time technology investor Michael Arrington Segway riding lessons outside 330 Ritch for the TechCrunch50 conference's closing party. For now, I'll have to settle for Siqi Chen, left, and Alex Le, right, the guys behind Facebook widget Friends For Sale, at the Plista party at Fluid. Where's the afterparty? It's not at the W or the Four Seasons. Maybe Mahalo chief Jason Calacanis is drinking responsibly tonight and has turned in early, but I'm pretty sure Arrington is up drinking scotch somewhere.
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By Jackson WestComment by michaellamb: the thought of seeing that tub of lard teetering around on a weird looking scooter is enough to make me... more » | Other threads
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party report
Cal Henderson sighting at 330 Ritch
Stubblicious Flickr developer Cal Henderson and his "fake wife," Pownce community liaison Ariel Waldman, were sharing a precious booth with their entourage at yet another overpacked Seesmic party. Here, Waldman tries to chat with Laughing Squid founder Scott Beale over the din. Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis and Twitter cofounder Evan Williams, probably fed up with the crowds, have ditched 330 Ritch for the Plista party at Fluid.
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By Jackson WestComment by cal_forgot_password: i'm scared. are you outside my house now? this isn't healthy more » | Other threads
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techcrunch50
Michael Arrington almost made to wait in line with plebes
TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington just wants to get a scotch and hit on girls at the Seesmic party at 330 Rich, but ended up stuck in the multi-hour-long line outside the closing night party. Dutiful Seesmic founder Loïc Le Meur personally came out to escort him past the velvet ropes. For a second there, people might have come to the conclusion that TechCrunch50 was some kind of democracy.
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By Jackson WestComment by superpixel99: Pretty funny, although I have video of Brian Lam being made to wait at the Giz/Ars WWDC party last year.... 1 Responses | Other threads
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ashton kutcher
Actor assures tech reporter he's not a puppet, but a real business boy
In a short interview for Yahoo, giggly Tech Ticker reporter Sarah Lacy gave model-turned-actor-turned-investor Ashton Kutcher a chance to let everyone know that he's not just a pretty face as a company founder, but "isn't getting much sleep" while managing every facet of his new startup, Blahgirls. This week he's been at the TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco promoting his new celebrity gossip and humor site, where cheeky, animated teenage girls keep a blog and appear in two short videos a week — in the first batch, we meet the character Stewart, a fey online gossip who, purely coincidentally, has a pink fauxhawk. Full interview after the jump. More »
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By Jackson WestComment by ld50: @jangregory his cartoons did not appeal to me one bit. and i can certainly appreciate cartoons- south park, family guy,... 1 Responses | Other threads
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techcrunch50
Jason Calacanis has no idea how much vodka he drank last night
The closing party for TechCrunch50 kicks off tonight, and our spy will be bringing us live updates as the evening unfolds. Hungover organizer Jason Calacanis, who got so sauced he couldn't remember what city he was in last night and showed up late this morning, was offered a bottle of Finnish vodka from a wantrepreneur, soliciting a bit of a reprimand from TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington — who also demanded that Calacanis delete his drunken postings to Twitter (Calacanis complied).
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By Jackson WestComment by Nicholas Carlson: "Nice article in Valleywag about you by the way. Not that I ever read that." Hi Mike! more » | Other threads
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party report
Valleywag spy goes to TechCrunch50 so you don't have to
A Valleywag spy attended the second day of TechCrunch50 and then followed the crowd to a dinner, a party and an after party. He learned that blondes love Mark Cuban, Jason Calacanis likes to drink, and flack turned TechCrunch blogger Calley Nye knows how to leave with a billionaire. Also, our spy reports that the startup that's getting everyone's attention at the show itself is doing it "through the use of hot and semi naked booth girls." All that and more in his bullet-point recap, below. More »
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Comment by nicolejordan: Dearest anonymous poster (I know who you are, btw) It was nice to have you at my personal friends and family... 2 Responses | Other threads
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immigration
TechCrunch50 opens ceremonies with national anthem
Bless their little hearts, TechCrunch50 organizers Jason Calacanis and Michael Arrington have had someone sing the national anthem to kick off each day of their startup demonstration conference. Even we here at Valleywag, who will presumably believe anything, couldn't believe this. Marxists, Objectivists and Kurt Vonnegut can all agree: drawing national boundaries and exciting nationalist sentiment through propaganda was so last century. And to have Arrington's former paramour Meghan Asha try to hit that high note in a room full of pitch-perfect math geeks, as pictured here? Deadly. More »
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By Jackson WestComment by michaellamb: I am starting to feel sorry for Megan now. She so doesn't get it. We're building this cadre of lame... 7 Responses | Other threads
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commenter of the day
Rachel Marsden
I thought Ashton Kutcher at TechCrunch50 was just some elaborate year-long Punk'd episode. Ooma? Blah Blah Girls? But it turns out it's actually just Michael Arrington's publicity bait! Well today's featured commenter, Rachel Marsden, shares with us a glimpse of her ass-kicking notoriety: More »
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Comment by twig: This is a devastating commentary on the quality of Valleywag comments. 2 Responses | Other threads
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caption contest
You just put your lips together and blow
Google's cupcake princess Marissa Mayer celebrating the company's tenth anniversary at the TechCrunch50 party — giving us all a taste of how they celebrate young Googler birthdays at the Kinderplex. Yesterday's winner: "You know little boy, I have much I can teach you" by Duncan. (Photo by Andrew Mager)
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By Jackson WestComment by michaellamb: (no caption just a comment) the asian chick looks THRILLED to be playing the subservient role to blondie - arrington's... 1 Responses | Other threads
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design
TechCrunch50 shows how consistent branding is key
An eagle-eyed tipster points out that TechCrunch50's Web site favicon, the little graphic which appears next to URLs in your browser's location bar, is off by about 30. "TechCrunch50 startups ideally better at math than their hosts," our tipster quips, before reminding everyone he'll be here all week, and please remember to tip your waitress.
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By Jackson WestComment by michaellamb: I noticed that too, but stopped paying attention when they said they were having 52 companies show 5 Responses | Other threads
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celebritards
Ashton Kutcher pulls in the press for TechCrunch50
The New York Times and Los Angeles Times don't normally write about tech conferences. But if the host of MTV's Punk'd shows up to launch a cartoon site, so does the MSM. In a Q&A for the LA Times with former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Jessica Guynn, Kutcher explains his ties to Silicon Valley: "We have offices in L.A. and New York." (Photo by Andrew Mager)
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By Paul BoutinComment by mager: Kutcher is a real dude. He's on top of his business. more » | Other threads
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the 250
Demi Moore and Robert Scoble's moment of mutual unrecognition
Just how isolated are tech pundits like Robert Scoble from the real world? In a telling moment at a "VIP" party for TechCrunch50, Michael Arrington's startup conference taking place this week in San Francisco, an attendee tried to explain Scoble's notoriety to fading film star Demi Moore. Moore was on hand to promote her hubby Ashton Kutcher's new Web show Blah Girls. The actress, like most of America, had never heard of the ruddy, flaxen-haired Fast Company videoblogger. More surprising was Scoble's confession that he hadn't recognized Moore, either. Which makes me think of a new motto for the 250, Valleywag's term for the Valley's self-appointed, self-obsessed inside crowd: "You don't know us, and we don't know you." (Photos by AP/Evan Agostini and Shannon Clark)
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By Jackson WestComment by categorically: Please, Robert wanked off to Demi when he was out of work in the 90s. He is so full... 1 Responses | Other threads
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nerdfight
Michael Arrington mocked by Kara Swisher at Demo
In the war of words being fought between the organizers of the DemoFall and TechCrunch50 startup conferences, AllThingsD reporter Kara Swisher unleashed quite a salvo yesterday: "Being lectured on journalism ethics by Michael Arrington is like getting parenting tips from Britney Spears." Zing! She proceeds to call out the TechCrunch50 organizers attacks on Demo for what they are — "Marketing 101." Walt Mossberg was a bit more diplomatic, offering more subtle jabs like, "It never occurred to me not to come here [Demo]." Here at Valleywag, we maintainthe highest standards of impartiality through our willingness to get kicked out of any and all such events.
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By Jackson WestComment by the_gdude: Ugh... why is she famous? She's fucking terrible. 1 Responses | Other threads
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conflicts of interest
TechCrunch owner's startup slips into TechCrunch50 lineup
The TechCrunch50 is out and again the list reads like a self-parody. Shryk? Swype? There is one interesting startup on the list, however: Fotonauts. Not because we know or care to know what Fotonauts does. We're just intrigued by Fotonauts president Keith Teare's habit of saying he owns 10 percent of TechCrunch. Isn't that a refreshing bit of honesty about how a list like the TechCrunch50 gets put together? More »
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Comment by WagCurious: Could this be related to the internet-only device (being promoted by Michael) that the San Jose Mercury News was all... 2 Responses | Other threads
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shira lazar
Demo vs. TechCrunch beef has entrepreneurs chewing softly
It's the echo chamber's busiest week of the year. Chris Shipley kicked off the Demo startup conference on Sunday in San Diego. Michael Arrington and Jason Calacanis have amassed an army forTechCrunch20TechCrunch40TechCrunch50. We're curious: Which one are you going to, and why? Tell us in the comments. One prominent tech blogger told Valleywag he's splitting his time between the two shows because he doesn't want to offend either Shipley or Arrington. More »
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Comment by Rachel Marsden: Calacanine (that's 1 dude and 2 dogs, technically) is one of my favourite people EVAR. I have no idea how... 1 Responses | Other threads
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jason calacanis
The stupidest demo mistake people make
After rehearsing onstage demos with fifty companies last week, TechCrunch50 conference organizer Jason Calacanis listed eight rules for giving a good demo in a message sent to his public mailing list. What's the worst thing that presenters do deliberately? If you've ever been to a conference, you'll recognize it. More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by ddaq89: I can't stand it when people read to you what is written on the power point slide. Really? ... more » | Other threads
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nerdfight
Demo organizer makes nice with accused plagiarist Jason Calacanis
Shortly after we ran the item about the writer who accused Jason Calacanis of plagiarizing from his TechCrunch50 conference's main competitor, we got this email from Chris Shipley, who has run the Demo conference for years. Short version: The text from which writer Deb McAlister-Holland claims Calacanis copied exactly 1,893 words may have been in a newsletter sent out prior to 1996. McAlister-Holland claimed her piece "was on the Demo website for three years," but no one's turned up either a copy or McAlister-Holland yet. Long version: Demo's current guide to presenters, below. More » -
nerdfight
Plagiarism charge rocks TechCrunch, bores Valleywag
Here's the short version of a long story: The TechCrunch50 conference is a relatively new event cohosted by blog entrepreneurs Michael Arrington and Jason Calacanis. It presents itself as an Web 2.0 counter to Chris Shipley's firmly established Demo event, which itself was created as an antidote to previous tech shows. Both TechCrunch and Demo unveil new products and companies live onstage. Demo charges companies to participate. TechCrunch does not, and claims Demo is a "payola" scheme. Got all that? Great, now you'll understand why it's a big deal that a lady you've probably never heard of claims that 1,893 words of Calacanis's guide to pitching your company "were directly lifted" from a guide she wrote for Demo ten years ago. Deb McAlister-Holland hasn't yet produced her original article nor responded to attempts to reach her, so I'm skeptical. Chris Shipley says the article predated her 12-year stewardship of Demo, and disavows the charges. Jason Calacanis, plagiarist? Come on, that would require him to give someone else the last word.
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By Paul BoutinComment by Big Schmuck: probably true. [www.fotolog.com] more » | Other threads
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silicon valley users guide
How to demo your company the Calacanis way
After sitting through 200 10-minute company pitches for his upcoming TechCrunch50 event, Mahalo Chief Opinionator Jason Calacanis emailed around a 2,500-word guide to presenting a new company and/or product, aimed at novice startup founders who haven't figured out the ropes yet. Having suffered through many such presos myself, I gave Calacanis Valleywag's highest honor: an edit. More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by Paul Boutin: @Figaro: True. I need someone to read TechCrunch so I don't have to. more » | Other threads
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techcrunch50
Arrington, Calacanis doom 50 startups to obscurity
Last year, self-identified kingmakers Michael Arrington and Jason Calacanis put together a conference with a gimmick: They selected 40 Web 2.0-ish startups to make their onstage debuts, and kept the list of the chosen "TechCrunch40" secret until showtime. Looking back at that list, I can't say I'm stoked to see this year's expanded roster of 50 companies. Each one will be making its public launch in a down market, on the same day as 49 other startups. So don't worry, guys, I won't be sniffing around the San Francisco Design Center Concourse trying to get the secret list this year. We'll let GigaOm have this one.
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By Paul BoutinComment by JasonCalacanis: uhhh.... i think you're not going because you don't have a ticket actually. :-) more » | Other threads
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nerdfight
Jason Calacanis begs rival conference producer to switch sides
Our commenters are revolting. Specifically, over our continuing coverage of Jason Calacanis, who is famous on the Internet for owning two adorable bulldogs. But there's something charming about the sheer clumsiness of Calacanis's relentless hucksterism. Take the live broadcast he conducted to beg Chris Shipley, the producer of tech-startup conference Demo, to come work on Calacanis and Michael Arrington's rival TechCrunch50 conference. "Be part of the winning team! We are the street level team ... blue collar. Everybody needs to support the Jason Nation." J-Dawg, with that headset look, shouldn't you be playing CounterStrike? And on what planet are you and Arrington "blue-collar"? I can only imagine what Arrington said to you when you tried to put him on the speaker — no doubt something as subtle and polite as "Demo needs to die." The video: More »
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Comment by planet_of_the_snapes: @Paul Boutin: Are you saying calacanis doesn't pay taxes? more » | Other threads
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snoozefests
TechCrunch50 announced — now with 25 percent more awkward pitches
TechCrunch and Jason Calacanis (did you know that he runs Mahalo?) have announced their second TechCrunch conference: the TechCrunch50, with 10 more companies than last year. The conference will be held over three days — overlapping Demo's fall event. Demo is the startup-launch Arrington and Calacanis are trying to compete against, their distinction being that all finalists are supposedly chosen by "merit," as they define it. The "merit" is so important that TechCrunch head Michael Arrington mentioned it twice in the 248-word announcement. I can't wait.
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