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Slashdot 10-Year Anniversary Charity Auction for the EFF

Posted by CmdrTaco on Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:02 PM
from the time-for-fall-cleaning dept.
News Slashdot.org
As part of our 10-Year anniversary, we've decided to have a little charity auction, with the cash going to the EFF. The items currently up for bidding are 'Triton' (the big old tower case from the first x86 used to host Slashdot from Feb 11 1998 through much of 1999... picture is attached to the story if you're curious). A low numbered UID (3 or maybe 2 digits!) so you can win those stupid low UID pissing match threads. Your URL plugged in the story where we announce the auction winners. Oh the fame! The Slashdot Grab Bag: We're putting stuff around the office in a box- random t-shirts, hats, even an old Nokia NGage. The mystery box could contain anything that we stuff in the box before the contest ends... there's a picture of what we have so far attached. A copy of the watchmen trade paperback singed in Hemos's 1999 house fire. An @slashdot.org email alias (tasteful names only ;) The auctions will be running for like 10 days, and we'll post the results when they come up.

Triton currently has a couple of P2s in it that may or may not work, as well as a number of SCSI controllers that may or may not work. It also has a 300W power supply that may or may not work. Remember, you are donating to charity here... but these guts have been sitting in a closet for probably 5 years now. We don't have any idea what works.... the machine was originally hosted in our Holland office, but eventually was shipped to California for colocation. While there it got its guts replaced from dual P133s to dual P2s. After that, it flew back to Holland where it was a file server for a few years until we retired it

What a treasure

The grab box will at least contain some shirts. We have a crate of shirts- some given to us by random companies, others are mis-prints of various corporate things... I think we have some static stickers and hats... but there's no promises here... again... you're making a donation to a worthy charity here! The picture shows you some things that will probably be in the box including Nate's Nokia ngage, a collection of hats... we'll throw in a few of the 10-year anniversary t-shirts as well...

A cornucopia of treasure

We're willing to sign the things if you think that makes it worth donating more. Or more likely not, if you think it's worth more without our childish scribblings on it. And bid high folks! This is for the EFF after all...

+ -
story

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As part of our 10-Year anniversary coverage, we intend to update our insanely dated FAQ entry that describes our system setup. Today is Part 1 where we talk mostly about the hardware that powers Slashdot. Next week we'll run Part 2 where we'll talk mostly about Software. Read on to learn about our routers, our databases, our webservers and more. And as a reminder, don't forget to bid on our charity auction for the EFF and if you are in Ann Arbor, our anniversary party is tomorrow night.
[+] Subterranean Slashdot Email Blues 267 comments
If you can imagine working in the office of a school for gifted, troubled, and criminally insane children, inside an international airport, you can get a taste of what it is like to do support for Slashdot. I've worked here around 5 years now and have seen some crazy things. From a guy showing up at the office and offering me a car if I let him "reverse engineer Rob Malda's life", to people shaking and on the verge of tears because they got a Slashdot sticker. I was really tempted to take the car by the way but the thought of Rob spending his last few weeks in a hole, while this guy lowered a bucket of lotion and water down to him once a day, made me feel bad. Most of my time is spent answering email. Most days I receive about 50. When it's busy I can get well over a hundred. As everyone knows, people are precisely 500% more rude and angry online than they are in real life. Something about not having to see the tears or dodge the fist of the person you are swearing at brings out the worst in some people. We decided it would be fun to go through some of the more 'interesting' mails we've got through the years as part of our 10 year anniversary. Below you'll find some of my favorite rants, conspiracy theories and tantrums. (CT: Don't forget to put in your charity bid for the EFF- time is almost up.)
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Slashdot 10-Year Anniversary Charity Auction for the EFF 50 Comments More /

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  • Only one question (Score:5, Interesting)

    by epiphani (254981) <epiphani@dal . n et> on Monday October 15 2007, @12:05PM (#20984079)
    Why is there a framed picture of Vegita in the grab box?

  • Your URL plugged in the story where we announce the auction winners.

    Why not save your money and just do what others do - post a pure slashvertisement or an article that uses your blog (or similar website) that's filled with adverts and a link to the real news source as "TFA"?

    Alternatively, why pay to see your server go down in flames when someone can post an article on Slashdot, Digg or one of the others and you can have it done for free?

  • Wrong season for Spring cleaning, no? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Procasinator (1173621) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:11PM (#20984161)
    Good thinking, Slashdot, you can get rid of some of the clutter AND help out EFF at the same time!

  • Just one question (Score:5, Funny)

    by truthsearch (249536) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:13PM (#20984179) Homepage Journal
    Have the shirts in the grab box been worn?

    If a sports celebrity gives a worn jersey to a fan, that's cool. But an old sweaty shirt from a Slashdot admin isn't quite the same thing.

    • Re:Just one question (Score:5, Funny)

      by Opportunist (166417) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:18PM (#20984243)
      Hey, it's original CowboyNealSweat(tm).

      Just be glad he didn't have the idea to bottle it and add it to the aucti... NO! Don't! I was joking!

    • Re:Just one question (Score:5, Informative)

      by ScuttleMonkey (55) * <<scuttlemonkey> <at> <slashdot.org>> on Monday October 15 2007, @12:27PM (#20984385) Homepage
      Hah, you make a good point.

      To the best of our knowledge none of these shirts have been worn and are clean and free of debris. Barring any errant burglars who broke in to wear our t-shirts of course.

      • (..) burglars who broke in to wear our t-shirts of course.
        ... and I've been bragging about it ever since...
      • (Grampa and Bart pay a visit to Herman's Military Antiques.)
        Herman: What's the password?
        Grampa: Let me in, you idiot!
        Herman: Right you are!
        (Herman lets them in the store.)
        Grampa: So, Herman, has the large-type edition of this month's Solider Of Fortune come in yet?
        Herman: Uh, not yet. But, can I interest you in some authentic Nazi underpants?

        And with that, the episode, and this thread, was Godwinned.

        (from Bart the General [tv.com])

  • ah well (Score:3, Interesting)

    by stoolpigeon (454276) * <bittercode@gmail> on Monday October 15 2007, @12:13PM (#20984181) Homepage Journal
    the low uid is already more than I can afford - but since it's going to a good cause I can live with that. I wonder what one would go for without a charity involved.

  • Low UID? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Piedramente (1063240) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:14PM (#20984193)
    Actually now that provides a comeback for those flaunting low UIDs.

    Oh yeah? Well you *bought* yours!

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by eln (21727)
      I'm sure that's why they're making it secret. There's already been at least one slashdot UID auctioned on eBay, and the buyer was mocked mercilessly for it for quite a while as I recall.

      Of course, even if this one is secret, given that very few 2 and 3 digit UIDs still post regularly, if the winner posts regularly at all (and what would be the point otherwise?) they'll be found out in fairly short order.

    • Re:Low UID? (Score:5, Funny)

      by yalsaif (1105481) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:34PM (#20984495)
      That's just nice. Now seniority doesn't matter. Only the rich can have a low uid. We need to do something about this. Damn CmdrTaco! VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

      • Re:Low UID? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by elrous0 (869638) * on Monday October 15 2007, @02:21PM (#20986131)
        As poor as I am, I'll just have to hope I can live long enough to be able to brag about having a six figure UID.

        • Re:Low UID? (Score:5, Insightful)

          by Stamen (745223) on Monday October 15 2007, @02:36PM (#20986363)
          I'm with ya. We should form some sort of 6 digit UID group. Then actively ridicule anyone who posts with either less than or more than 6 digits. If you do something long enough, people will actually start to think there is something to it.

          vi or emacs? Who cares, are you a 6 digiter? That's the question.

  • Swag box (Score:5, Funny)

    by BiloxiGeek (872377) * on Monday October 15 2007, @12:15PM (#20984207)
    First bid! That was a lot easier than getting a first post!

  • If I win... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Rob T Firefly (844560) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:16PM (#20984233) Homepage Journal
    ..and I promise to pay extra, will you keep the N-gage?

  • triton (Score:3, Funny)

    by ArcadeX (866171) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:22PM (#20984299)
    I have that same casee, was a pain to carry to lan games... anyone want to bid on an almost exact replica?

  • The Mystery Box (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anti_Climax (447121) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:23PM (#20984317)

    The Mystery Box could contain anything that we stuff in the box before the contest ends...
    A boat's a boat but the mystery box could be anything... even a boat! You know how much we've always wanted one of those.

    We'll take the box.

  • How 'bout selling the 10-year t-shirts? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by macklin01 (760841) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:25PM (#20984361) Homepage

    How about selling 10-year t-shirts for $15-$20 each, with $10-$15 to EFF? I know I'd buy one, and I'm sure the demand would result in a much larger contribution to EFF than a single grab box, etc. -- Paul

  • Shipping (Score:3, Informative)

    by phatscum (1023069) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:27PM (#20984383)
    Will you ship outside the US?

  • Low ID's (Score:5, Funny)

    by strredwolf (532) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:29PM (#20984429) Homepage Journal
    Well, then. That gives me like a coin-flip chance of saying "You, mister over #532! You young wipper-snapper! You had to buy that low-id! I got mine the ol' fashoned way, when the 'net was young, dialup was king, and AOL came on floppies!"

  • Can I put something in? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by cvd6262 (180823) on Monday October 15 2007, @12:39PM (#20984599)
    I'll donate my "Sounds of Slashdot" CD (which include Debian 2.0) to the auction. I got it in a boxed set at Linux World in '99 or 2000.

    For those of you who haven't heard it, it's some dance mix Rob put together (or something).

  • Low uid.. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Improv (2467) <pgunn@dachte.org> on Monday October 15 2007, @12:57PM (#20984891) Homepage Journal
    I am amused at the thought that low UIDs are valuable.. It's not like one can buy being an old-timer...

  • Whats so special in low uids? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kju (327) on Monday October 15 2007, @01:01PM (#20984967)
    Really, i don't get it. I was reading slashdot someday in the morning when user registration was announced. I created an account and now i have a fairly low uid. So, wow, but still, whats so special about it? It does not make me any wiser or more important than any other user of slashdot. While, yes, it feels cool to have been with something like slashdot for such a long time, but past is past. Buying in on a low uid is just faking oneselfs identity.
    • Like anything in the world ever, it's only "worth" what someone somewhere is willing to trade for it.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Skyshadow (508) *
      So, wow, but still, whats so special about it?

      To sum up basic economics: Anything that people can't have has value to the people who can't have it.

  • Primeness? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kandenshi (832555) on Monday October 15 2007, @01:46PM (#20985649)
    Ah, but will the 2/3 digit UID be prime? That'd add a bit more value to it for me. I suppose a UID like 380 would be nice enough, but I'd probably prefer one like 389(even with its *slightly* lower "stupid low UID pissing match thread" winning potential)

    Really, with incomplete information about the number I can't make an informed decision on how much money to try and waste.

  • Funny (Score:3, Informative)

    by MadJo (674225) on Tuesday October 16 2007, @05:01AM (#20992935) Homepage Journal
    Triton is apparently worth less than a /. Swag package.

    As of this writing, the scores are as follows:
    2000 Low /. UID
    760 Yourname @ /. dot org
    457 Plug your url
    305 /. Swag Package
    252 Triton
    51 The Watchmen
    • I think Microsoft should put in a bid - just to see the spontanious outbidding by nerds who don't want to see slashdot plugging Microsoft on their anniversary day. Hell, you could probably get a buck each from half of slashdot for that.
    • Your URL plugged in the story...

      Well, if anyone needs something "plugged in", it's him.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by ScuttleMonkey (55) *
      Several bidders have written to ask about the charitable donation credit thing.

      Unfortunately, the way that MissionFish.org (eBay's charitable works branch) handles the tax credit is all done auto-magically. So, when I asked if we could pass the tax credit on to the winner of the bid giving them both the item and the ability to do the tax write-off I was given the big "not a chance" answer. :(

      So we greatly appreciate your bids, as I'm sure the EFF will as well, but we are unable to pass the tax credit

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