The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs - Valleywag Comments

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Trackback — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:52:41 PDT

Apparently someone was a little bit miffed when Daniel Lyons of Forbes was outed as Fake Steve Jobs by NYT reporting ninja Brad Stone. Now, erupting from the anonymous bosom that is the blogosphere has emerged the inevitable, Fake Brad Stone blog.

Trackback

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

jpmrb — Thu, 24 May 2007 01:30:04 PDT

Ok, the fake SJ writes you a "plaintive" email asking you not to reveal his (her?) identity if you ever discover it. People who enjoy fake SJ's blog make clear they don't want to know…
So what do you do? You go ahead, and find amusement in comparing yourself to the worst of the British rags.
I do not know who fake SJ is, and it may come to light , or not. But when you boast of your obsession to ruin it for everyone come what may, I know who you are: a little sh*t.

jpmrb

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Obtuse_Martin — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:26:00 PDT

"a spoof diary of the narcissistic Apple founder"

SJ is not a narcissist. I reckon he's OCPD (rather than NPD). Fits the classic symptoms. I am myself diagnosed with OCPD, so I know a thing or two about it. Can anyone say 'Perfectionist' or 'meticulous attention to detail'?

Second, my guess is that the wizard behind the curtain is Irish. The Irish are very very familiar with both US and UK culture, and can easily interchange between them both.
Check out the Bono posts. This guy is Irish, and probably has lived Stateside and in the UK.
Either way, I doubt this writer is a working journalist, certainly not a (former) tech writer. He's too good for that.

Obtuse_Martin

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Ma8thew — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:04:17 PDT

LONDON's Guardian? If anything it's the Manchester Guardian, but since it's the only major newpaper called that in the world, it hardly needs a prefix.

Ma8thew

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

rodbegbie — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:07:47 PDT

Isn't it obvious? FSJ is really Belle de Jour.

rodbegbie

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Imakenothing — Sat, 12 May 2007 10:46:45 PDT

I dont know much, but I do know Im not FSJ, or using an IP mask

HAHAH

Nothing like screwing with Dentons neurosis...

Imakenothing

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Funkalicious — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:50:46 PDT

I did not realize you were a Brit...don't you guys have private clubs where you can dig up this sort of gossip? Invite a bunch of these expats and let the beer and whisky flow - somebody will blab.

Funkalicious

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Blackjack — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:02:07 PDT

Hey, Your Dentonship, I gotta question. What makes you think only one person is FSJ?

Blackjack

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

mat-honan — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:41:06 PDT

Finding out who Fake Steve is would be like watching my sausage being made. No thanks.

I hope you guys are completely unsuccessful.

mat-honan

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Nick Denton — Fri, 11 May 2007 13:51:30 PDT

Leander Kahney has denied. Ugh.
http://valleywag.com/tech/fake-steve-jobs/the-hunt-goes-on...
And, yes, now I am obsessed.

Nick Denton

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

David Chartier — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:23:09 PDT

Directly what the hell is wrong with you nimrods? You just don't get it do you? No one actually wants to know who Fake Steve Jobs is. *That's the fun.* It's cute that you guys can play detective and make retarded claims that 'all good mysteries need a conclusion,' but you just don't get it: we don't want to know.

Let it go. Move on and get back to making up bullshit about something else.

David Chartier

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

vorjay — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:33:12 PDT

Why all the estonian, russian (Eastern Block) refrences?

vorjay

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

ArtGoogie — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:25:59 PDT

What about all the grammatical and stylistic errors? Could it really be a professional editor? I've hired writers who couldn't puctuate their way out of a paper bag, making me go back and look at their clips in puzzlement, wondering how much of their work was really their editor's. But an editor needs to know that stuff. And it's really hard -- painful -- for someone who can write properly to dumb it down deliberately.

It also seems to me that many of the posts are made at weird times, suggesting not only a Brit, but someone living in Europe now. Perhaps an expat (like Bill Bryson, although I'm not suggesting he is FSJ).

ArtGoogie

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

powerchicken — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:03:07 PDT

Wrong. Totally wrong. Give up. Outing FSJ means the end of FSJ.

powerchicken

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Nick Denton — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:56:57 PDT

over IM...

interesting. i had heard on good authority it was someone else, a former dotcom media exec. has leander fessed up? he certainly has the knowledge but I have to say that nothing that has ever appeared under his byline is nearly as funny as the stuff in the blog

Nick Denton

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Nick Denton — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:49:54 PDT

from the email box...

Dude, you took your at-bat and struck out, even after the real fake Steve wrote you, 'splaining why his site works.

you couldn't be more off base on FSJ being Brit or working at Wired. Oh, and why isn't there a prize for this contest? I could use a real MacBook Prom by the way, and your minders/background sources actually know who fsj is, which makes me wondere why they are leading you down the back path of the Q garden. Unless of course it was a desire to slip you the poofta's beef bayonet in private.

a friend of FSJ
oh genius, you figuyred out who I am yet?

Nick Denton

The unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs

Sam_Glamgee — Fri, 11 May 2007 09:27:21 PDT

So it wasn't Mona Simpson. No wonder the guy at Ladbrokes snickered when I bet.

Sam_Glamgee