Preparations for Our 19th Anniversary Have Already Begun
Being on holiday means one can think with a "fresh mind", not only about the second-year anniversary of the "new" (SSG) site but also its nineteenth anniversary, coinciding with the Microsoft/Novell deal (a treasonous patent collusion arranged in part by Miguel de Icaza).
Not many sites make it to 20 (my personal site and Tux Machines did), so it's not something to be easily overlooked. In the software world, 20 years is a very long time. One cannot be stagnant; things need to be constantly upgraded, not merely patched. Constant work is required just to keep stuff online, not just to "publish it online" (sites come and go; various ownerships change too). In software, 20 years means like 4-5 "generations" of 'stuff'... code stacks, physical servers, routers and so on.
19 is not considered a "special number". It's hardly even gracefully divisible (prime numbers from 1 to 20 are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19). But that does not mean that it is meaningless to us. This past 1.5 years (maybe a little longer) we fought off evil people (even a violent Serial Strangler from Microsoft) who weaponised against us a bunch of low-grade, widely notoriously* London lawyers [1, 2] while hiding in another continent (in a forest or in dad's home) and constantly looking for SLAPP partners/sponsors. That didn't succeed. We endured everything they threw our way and can therefore focus on what we'd rather do: spread information in an independent news site which is difficult to censor.
When we get back we'll probably sort out some balloons and venue for the next party. It won't be big like the pre-COVID parties, but simple and modest is what we stand for. █
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* They're so notorious that even small law firms in Manchester know them, albeit only for negative reasons. Their media lawyers (this is what they specialise in) only attracted one litigation client this year, after more than 8 months. No wonder staff is leaving in droves and they choose very cheap, inexperienced barristers known mostly for playing "social control media", talking about celebs, and embracing anti-metoo (because women victims are liars?).