Rupert Goodwins' Diary

Friday 8/2/2002

Odd rumblings from our brothers in Webbery, messers Register and Inquirer. Regular viewers of the London high-tech online media circus will know that The Inquirer was set up by Mike Magee, a refusenik among the original Reg founding fathers. He left in something of a tizz after disagreements over the future direction of The Register, taking his unparalleled silicon scoop sniffing ability.

So far, so normal. But he remains in possession of a good chunk of Reg stock and thus something of a thorn in the side of the remaining Reggies. This has been exacerbated by his gleeful prodding at his old chums in the pages of The Inquirer, most recently about alleged attempts by them to buy back his holding -- a situation from which The Register itself remains profoundly aloof in public. In private, though, measures of the exasperation felt by all concerned are all too readily apparent.

It's highly entertaining stuff, or would be if it wasn't for the fact that these are hard times for everyone connected with the industry. It would be a crying shame if bad blood from either side of the Reg/Inky divide caused irreparable damage.

Expect further developments, perhaps quite soon: the Reg, Mike Magee and others (including yours truly) are gathering in San Francisco in a couple of weeks' time to cover the Intel Developers Forum. Foreign trips are notorious for catalysing brooding disagreements: who knows, we might even be able to get a good deal going in Las Vegas from promoters still smarting from Tyson's expensive self-destruction.

East Enders has nothing on this. Leave it, Mike, 'ees not worf it!

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