...I wasn't very big on the other one.  I guess I got really used to the clean simplicity of ?off...

It wasn't until someone mentioned "COT" that I began a desperate search for this splinter... finding myself on http://www.ryanpark.org/2006/01/rest-in-peace.html, then here...

I think Joel has handled the incident very childishly, not even mentioning these substitute forums and worse, not mentioning chris...

"Sorry. It's making people unhappy. Find another place to chat." screams of insensitivity...

Oh, there you are.  We were worried.  For a minute we thought that
THOSE BASTARDS HAD KILLED KENNY.

What a relief!

My first thought was that he was closing it for Chris's sake.

But after reading his comment on the front page of Joel's blog, I figured he just didn't want to have to be party to those sorts of things, answer phone calls or emails about it, something like that.

I mean, it's pure business interest.  Just another one of millions of co.'s in this country, no need to exalt it, or patronize it.

I understand how Joel doesn't want any affiliation with the breaking story of a web suicide. I just wonder if he could have been a bit more elegant about it, as in, not antagonizing his oldest and most hardcore reader base.

That same thought struck me, too!

I understand his strategic reasoning, but I figured some of you guys are kind of core personalities.  Now that I think about it, giving Joel "Troll of the month" award may have pushed it over the edge, especially coming from a moderator.