Don Fitch wrote to me shortly after the last issue of CoN
One of you (if I have the attribution right) wrote:
> There is always some freak that has to write back and add their > two cents worth on something.
Yup. Maybe we feel a need to prove to you that we're really Paying Attention and actually reading the stuff you publish.
My first reaction was to slap myself in the forehead. I slapped myself so hard in fact that I had a red mark for a couple of hours. But in that moment I realized something which made me feel terrible. I realized that I was being nasty and bitter not only at the things that I write about in CoN, but to the people that read CoN as well. The two people that got the most of my evil nasty snarling have been Chen Drori and Danielle. These two readers proved to me that they are just that... readers. They proved with their comments and e-mails that they read what we write. So, guys, I'm sorry for snarling at you. I'll try to be a better Editor from now on. I hope you (and everyone else who I have snarled at undeservingly) can accept my apologies. I appreciate you appreciating us.
After Don Fitch's e-mail, another e-mail arrived, this one from Bennett Kwan. He responded in regards of CoN's article "C++ is a waste of time" and informs us that "it is complete BS."
There is a similar hoax article that has been circulating for years claiming that Kernighan, Ritchie, Thompson et al. originally created C and Unix to be a joke operating system and programming language as perfect examples of bad design. It further claims that all parties involved kept their mouths shut for two decades after being overtaken by the success of their prank until they decided to reveal the whole “dark" secret to the unsuspecting world during a similar interview at a conference with a similarly clueless interviewer. There are also a number of inaccuracies in the article which has pretty much lead me to conclude that the article is well... complete BS.
You should've seen my face. CoN falling for a hoax article. I was shocked. I grabbed my bat and went looking for Dynamis, the guy that sent the article in. Unfortunately he had already hidden away once he knew I was looking for him. "Damn you!" I yelled while waving my fist in the air. "DAMN YOU!!!".
To make things worse, two reviews for Capital of Nasty arrived. One from Dominis' eZine Database:
Capital of Nasty Electronic Magazine Don’t be fooled by the title - it's not really 'nasty'. it's definitely NOT the kind of reading filled with pent-up frustrations and anger, expressed through vulgarity and endless unbearable whining that we get too much of these days. It's a pleasantly light-hearted and usually humorous approach to what surrounds us in our modern day life, opinions with which you may not agree (that's why it's called opinion), reflections upon our world's past, predictions of the future. it may just open your eyes!-- eZines Database, 1998-03-10http://www.dominis.com/Zines
This review made me feel as if CoN was softly and cuddly. Such a cuddly and soft zine in fact, that once you were done reading it in the john, you could use it to wipe yourself as well. (If anyone does that for real, I hope they get some mean paper cuts).
The second review crushed my ego completely:
EMPTY PROMISE
CAPITAL OF NASTY
Capital of Nasty has something special - a good name, but try and try as it might, it doesn't really live up to it. With pieces on what Dale Winton would be like if he were a cat, I wonder what Capital of Nasty would be like if it delivered something. Top ten drug using cartoon characters anyone? Shaggy, Daffy Duck and one of the fucking Smurfs! Shame really, because it is well written, but it is the fucking Disney Channel of e-zines!
Sadly the few bits and pieces that are of any interest are from other sites. The most annoying thing is that Capital of Nasty could do better, and perhaps is over-stretched by trying to constantly create - something which drags down all-too-many text-only e-zines!
Fleshmouth http://www.netmatters.co.uk/users/conway/review.html
For a minute I sat there looking at this thinking... actually no. I wasn't thinking. I think that in medical terms it would be called a trauma. Yes, I was in trauma. Can you believe this? First I realized what a prick I was being to CoN's readers, THEN to find out that I had actually published a fake story and LASTLY my well grown and trimmed better-than-a-bonsai ego destroyed so brutally by Fleshmouth. Unable to react, Colin slapped me a few times around.
Have a great one folks.
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