PC Magazine: Can They Survive? 

So, who are these people, PC Magazine and Extreme Tech?  They’re owned by Ziff Davis Publishing.  The "guru’s" of the computer world: At least, that’s what they think.  Didn’t you know?  They’re the foremost in computer information and technology, their PC Labs are the best in the world and vendors probably cower when they have to send hardware in for testing.

On the other hand, my readers know how out of touch they really are.  With just little things:  Recently was an article about "how surprised we were to learn people get their entertainment online." Yeah?  Don’t tell my people about that, they’ve been getting their entertainment online from me for years!  I ran a poll at Extreme Tech asking that very question; fully 85% watch less television because of their PC's.  Where have you been?

I'm curious PC Magazine: Who is "we" anyway?  The one’s who write your press at your own magazine?  Maybe you folks should get out more…

For those that don't know, my normal venue is "Danny's Daily's and it's an "R" rated humor page published twice a week."  My site covers everything from Inspirationals to Computer Tips and I have three mailing lists.  My members site gives you access to somewhere around 550 web pages.  Most of which are all mine...

In my opinion, this is a company that acts like dictators.

I'm very glad they aren't the US government!  

There is no freedom of speech at PC Magazine.  

The fact is: Ziff Davis has been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy since last year and perhaps much longer.  That’s who they really are…  Not too good in the business model department?  Definitely not too good in the "Customer Relations" department:  I totally agree.  Do a google search on "Ziff Davis, Bankruptcy" and see.  They even had to pay 125,000 dollars to stop a lawsuit because their lack of security caused peoples credit card numbers to appear in the clear!  Foremost in technology my ass… Want to Know More?

They're like "A Candle in the Wind" and the wind is blowing 60 miles an hour.

What’s my rub?  Why do I care?

Shouldn't we feel sorry for them?  

The Emperor Wears no Clothes Gang…

Example:  Just recently, John Dvorak published an article called:  "Can AOL Survive."  It was basically an AOL hit piece.  Then, at the end of the article, he went after all the members.  He said AOL members run like "scared puppies" back to AOL because they can’t handle the real world of the Internet. 

Look, I don’t care what you personally think of AOL but would you consider this a personal attack?  To like 32 million people?

I do and I’m in good company!  I’ve been online since 1995 and on AOL.  I've been with AOL since AOL2.  Through the "dark" days.  During the "dark" days I tried MSN, the old Compuserve, Prodigy and some stupid local ISP.  I went back to AOL as soon as access was reliably available.  

That was then; 

Yeah, like seven years ago: 20 lifetimes on the Internet.

And This is Now.  

Now, I have one of the highest rated web sites in the world and I say no!  Enough!  Especially with arrogant jerks!  AOL has one of the most secure email systems in the world and that's why I use them.  I also like their News.  What's so hard to understand about that?  Is it ANY of your or John Dvorak's business?  Because I choose AOL I'm called a "scared puppy?"  I can't handle the "real" Internet?  

What did I do to deserve such treatment from a man I've never met?

Beware of People like this Gang.  They're Usually just Worms in Real Life.

I found out my posts were pulled off their boards from a poster at the forum.  Even though he didn't agree with me about AOL, he felt I had the right to speak and certainly had the right to be offended.  And, as of today, March 21, they are indeed still gone.

Could they be lashing out at AOL because of the intense loyalty AOL gets and AOL 8 just introduced popup controls?  32 million people no longer have to look at Ziff Davis popup ads?

You do the math...

Anyone that thinks AOL is training wheels for the Internet has never seen AOL 8!  It's far from novice software.  In fact, AOL has the nicest email system in the world bar none.  I've tried them all.

Virus's don't effect us.  That's the dirty little secret!

It's important when Klez is rampant and you have address books/ mailing lists.

At AOL, you have to crack the main server; not some puny little server in someone's basement.  Good luck!

What’s cute is John says AOL/Time Warner has lost 98 billion dollars and it costs AOL 3,800 dollars as a net loss each year per subscriber.  I’ve never heard anything so ludicrous in my entire life!  If that were true do you think AOL could have bought Time Warner in the first place?

Anyone that reads John, knows, that he’s been against the dot com boom since its inception and all the inflated stock numbers these company’s had.  Then he sites these VERY same numbers for this article of AOL slamming.  John?  Kiss off!  When misinformation becomes out right lies, someone has to hold you accountable and I’m just the guy!

Is this a case of an old coot and the company that supports him, who’ve long past seen their day or what?

You know gang, the dot coms have been through hell and back and anyone that knows my sites and me, know exactly what I’m talking about.  We all need one another and that’s a fact.  10’s of thousands of dot coms have failed.  We should celebrate everyone who’s left!  Have IQ’s suddenly dropped here?

How do we users of AOL feel?  We OWN the Internet and that's NO secret!  We're not taking it anymore!!!

What’s Really ironic:  On the day I took exception to his insult, what shows up in my mailbox at home?  My new PC Magazine with an AOL CD inside!  

Who in the hell do these people think they are?  Biting the very people paying their bills?  Ziff Davis already has one foot in the grave, remember?  

These are people who now charge for freeware downloads, have sold off or shut down major portions of their business, laid off over half of their employees, sent me spam yesterday trying to sell me a Dell computer, have more popup ads then any site I've ever seen, and stick "doubleclick spyware" cookies on your computer if you don't have separate security stopping it!  And, you have to accept their "double click" spyware cookies to even read their message boards!  Are they desperate or what?  Don't know who "doubleclick" is?  Just do a google search on "doubleclick, lawsuits" and find out!  This is who Ziff Davis is in bed with gang...

I would dare say, depending on how much traffic Ziff Davis gets; they might well be the biggest spreader of spyware on the entire Internet!

If That's not enough, then they directly insult 32 MILLION people all at the same time!  

This is Who They Really are Gang.

I say GET RID OF THEM!  We don’t need this on our Internet!

I don’t care if it’s an opinion piece by John or not, this had to be approved before it was published!

Jim Lynch; some kid they have monitoring their boards, accused me of personal attacks against John, therefore, apparently, justifying his pulling down my posts.  Keep in mind folks, I wasn't cursing or calling anyone names.  Perhaps an "Old Coot" or "I'm not buying your d*amned magazine any longer" slipped by, but that's about it.  I've seen much worse on these boards.  On ALL boards...

In other words, company policy is; we can do all this stuff, and insult 32 million people on top of that, with one stroke of the pen and if you take it personally and insult us back, we'll just pull your posts and act like they never happened.

Then I get a post from John himself saying, "I'm sorry, I only meant to insult you."  That's who John Dvorak is.  We pay his bills and this is how he answers us...  Secure in his little kingdom where nay sayers are just taken away.  Poof, gone, they never existed...

Guess What?  That Doesn’t Cut it!

Then I hear "Tom’s Hardware" has a beef with Ziff Davis.  I said nothing at the time, now I’m not surprised.

I've come to realize how little it takes to stoke the wrath of the Ziff Davis Gods.  Just be insulted when they insult you!

Extreme Tech?  They test video cards at resolutions no one has ever heard of just so there is some difference in them.  How many people do you know run 1600x1200 resolution?  How many reading this?  Maybe two of you?  My trackers say .8%.  I would assume the vast majority of these are LCD displays because some LCD's use high resolutions natively. 

These "tests" cause uncountable debates on the boards from a bunch of little idiot kids and we, as parents, are expected to shell out 300 bucks for the latest and greatest video card for those very same little idiot kids?  Hey Extreme Tech, it's our money, not the little idiot kids!  You people are a "Clinking, Clanking, Clunking, Collection of Clowns." You've caused more trouble then your worth and real gamers wouldn't be caught dead with an LCD panel!  They'd be laughed at!

Your day is past!

And folks?  This is where Ziff Davis is today.  

They’ve got nothing else to talk about and only hear what they want to hear.  Don't wonder why so many people say they're out of touch.

You know what Ziff Davis?  At least AOL has the class to run news stories very unflattering about themselves.  And, they don't run ads for "The Better Sex Video Series" or "Hair Transplant" ads like you do in PC Magazine!

I don't remember you ever mentioning your money woes to your readers.  You certainly don't have any problem telling us about about anyone else's.  AOL has more class in their little fingers!  They probably use more in office supplies in one month then you're even worth!  You're not worthy to shine their shoes.

What's happened to you???

The Big Question

If this is how PC Magazine treats people publicly, on their boards, that most people don't know about.  What are they doing behind the scenes with all these "PC Editors Choice" awards that No one knows about?  Is anyone really sure anymore?  I'm not...

I've never met people that act one way over here, and another over there.  Shady is shady all the way around.  If I were a vendor, I’d no longer trust them.  They can have no tests if you don’t send them equipment.  Clean and simple.

Speaking of vendors:  I hope they didn't talk you into building "Tablet PCs!"  They know nothing, they are not the average consumer.  I hope you all thought small and I'm not talking about the display size!  Tablet PC's are fringe at best.  Bill Gates uses one?  Oh, he's mainstream alright.  Can you say "Internet Appliance?"

Vendors?  If you are?  Don’t cower any longer.  The myth is over, the last of the mighty are about to fall…

Why don’t you folks at Ziff Davis make even more enemies?  You seem to think you can afford it.  No wonder you were only days away from filing Chapter 11.  "Every Dog has their Day."  You can take your arrogance down the tube with you because that's exactly where you're going!  It's inevitable.  Have a nice ride!!!

Your candle's gonna BLOW out!!!

Tom's Hardware?  You're right, they started it...