Hi Mike

Thank you for the kinds words and clearly posting of private (slightly doctored) emails. As you know when we skyped each other 4 months ago on this matter, there are two sides to this story but you choose to only write oneside. I don’t intend to correct it on your blog as it is water under the bridge from July but suffice to say there never was a legal issue.

Good luck to Lee and blognation are fine, thanks for asking. Look forward to seeing you in Paris.

P.S Forgot if you make it.

Was going to make exactly the same point as the last comment - a disclaimer is definitely in order here - Techcrunch take a big credibility hit without it.

I recall Lee Wilkins was trying to launch MyKinda a year or so ago and I actually spoke to him at the time about possibly becoming involved as one of his bloggers. Back then MyKinda was being positioned as a UK blog network.

From memory, Wilkins was quite full of it, and then things went deathly quiet. Perhaps he was in hiding from a Sam Sethi on the warpath?

On a slightly different note, I was really pleased to see Blognation launch a few months ago thinking that it would make useful reading. Sadly it has not lived up to expectation. With all due respect to the guy, Sam Sethi seems to be a really bitter man. Covering startups, I imagine it helps to be positive where possible - it certainly makes for better reading. Sethi, on the otherhand, covers pretty much everything with a real dose of bile.

This approach really p*sses me off as these entrepreneurs are risking a lot and Sethi’s coverage is rarely constructive criticism, instead it appears as unconcealed bitterness about his lot in life: that someone has got off their arse and done something whereas he’s simply the messenger. It’s like he doesn’t think it’s fair when others seek success and he hasn’t found it yet.

Sad as it would be for the Blognation staff, it would be Sethi’s just deserts if Blognation went tits up.

Sam, is there some part of you that realizes saying things like “I will come on the next flight and fucking rip your head off” just isn’t the right way to settle a dispute? Everything else aside, all the smoke, mirrors and positioning…do you realize that threatening to kill someone is just wrong?

Peter, in your point 3 above you mention ‘TechCrunch taking a credibility hit’. I guess you’re referring to Sam and Mike’s previous working relationship. It’s not as if Sam doesn’t try and dig the boot into Techcrunch where he can, without mentioning the history.

Here’s a link to a piece he wrote for blognation a couple of months ago:

http://uk.blognation.com/2007/.....e-new-no1/

He’s trying to make the point that Mashable is somehow more valuable than TechCrunch as a trendsetter. He certainly chooses to omit that he was actually sacked from TechCrunch, which is unlikely to make for an unbiased piece.

(I tried to highlight this in the comments then.)

Mike,

regardless of what he does or does not say, do _you_ realize that posting a private email between two parties is wrong? Who are you to judge people anyways?

Mike,

I have always liked reading TC and you are doing a fabulous job as an editor. But my respect for you took a serious hit after reading this post.

I don’t know who Sam Sethi or Lee Wilins are and don’t have anything to do with them. But I think, it’s very wrong posting private conversation between these two people (especially when you are not even involved in the conversation).

And posting a private email to employees is wrong.

It is plain cheap.

Hope you correct yourself. You have decent credibility and don’t let such posts corrode that.

Written with good intentions.

- P

Prashanth - yeah, it’s not wrong. If we didn’t dig up confidential information on a regular basis we’d be reduced to regurgitating press releases. There are very clear laws on what journalists can and cannot do. Those are the rules we go by.

If you send an email saying you are going to kill someone, or an email trashing VCs who chose not to invest in you, you really can’t be surprised when it’s published. We didn’t break into anyone’s email account to get these. They were forwarded by a very scared individual in the first case, and a concerned employee in the second.

Mike

And exactly what purpose is served by this original post of yours regarding MyKinda and Blognation. You could have just as easily announced MyKinda, referred in some not to blunt manner about the history as you appear to know of it, but why on Earth the need to get in the middle of this all.

This does not reflect well upon you or TechCrunch at all. Is this going to set a precedent in the TC decision making when content is posted on the site.

What you have managed to do is take a page from the New York Post, which I can tell all of you, not from New York, is a page I would most heartily suggest returning to its owner post haste.

Over and out

#9 - “They were forwarded by a very scared individual in the first case, and a concerned employee in the second.”

I assume you told the scared person to not worry about your story but go to the police? This appears to be a post to get back at Sam’s twitters yesterday when he said Google played you.

If this person was so scared, would posting the email in public make the situation better or worse?

yep.

Douglas, no I don’t read stuff that Sam writes, so I missed the twitter. I went back now though and saw that he thought Google gave us an exclusive on the gphone. That was incorrect.

and this allegation needs some meat behind it:

http://twitter.com/ssethi/statuses/390237732

@Jack

I don’t know or read blognation nor am familiar the people who run it. I do read TechCrunch and it is importent to me that it is credible. By not mentioning their previous relationship, the piece dents that credibility of TechCrunch in my opinon.

I thought the story was entertaining. Although i do think it should be 2 seperate posts. One announcing mykinda and the other being the drama.

People need to get over the private email thing. Especially when dealing with an “enemy”, dont say stuff if you dont want people to hear it. Becuase 90% of the time your enemy will use what you gave them against you.

@ Mike. Well, sensationalism is certainly a valid part of Journalism and you do quite well at that. And I quite frankly enjoy your escapades in digging up the dirt!

But going on to the extent of providing/seeking moral/legal judgments on whether or not it’s right to say “I will fucking rip your head” is plain puerile! Enjoy the dirt, don’t get sullied in it! And believe me, most of us readers here are out of college!

@ Readers. ….but then Mike is only human and he should be granted his follies at being judgmental and a little childish!

Keep it up Mike. Maybe TechCrunch should merge with Valleywag - I really think you were made for each other.

other than making it a bit personal, i see no issue with the article.

if mike is a journalist, this is what journalists do. who cares if it’s this sethi guy or alberto gonzales. you open your mouth, you say stupid things, they get printed.

would anyone react as “shocked” if they read it in the times or post? doubt it.

Mike,
I subscribed to techcrunch feed and became a regular reader after you hired Erick Schonfeld. But I almost suffered a brain infarction after reading this particular post. I truly believe that blogs like yours are positioned to change the way news is produced and consumed. Please consult your CEO/Investors/someone next time you decide to post something like this. I still can’t believe this was posted on techcrunch.

Money

Oh I love a little idle banter from time to time. The fallout between two lovers always makes for an interesting read - even if to take us out or our everyday routine for a giggle or two.

Perhaps we could all have a celebratory drink in Paris next month to mark the anniversary

I am one of the many BN writers and I can say that things are very, very bad right now. No ones knows what to believe.

Too bad mykinda didn’t get any actual analysis out of this post.

This is very bad form.

Attacking a rival by publishing private emails you obtained through a third party is wrong.

Try to decide if this is a private blog or a news organisation. You’re undermining serious bloggers with this sort of activity if you want to be taken seriously as the latter.

This is tabloid journalism at its very worst. It doesn’t do much for those companies tripping over themselves to get coverage on Techcrunch. The message is now clear. Dig some dirt on Sam Sethi to ensure you get Techcrunch exposure. Disgraceful.

If this Sethi character sent me that email, cc’ed his prospective VC’s and requested I forward it to my lawyer, I’d would not be expecting to see them on the next flight. I would see it more; boy has he lost the plot and whatever I’m doing is working.

Is the sanctimonious Mr Arrington saying he has never threatened someone in anger? Perhaps we should send it out to Blogsphere. “has anyone ever heard Michael Arrington threaten to physically harm someone?”
What if you have, will you berate yourself publicly on Techcrunch.

Someone mentioned Valleywag. This was much worse, your post was pure gutter press.

p.s. I don’t know either of you.

Has it been a slow news day perhaps?

Mike had to do something to rise about the real news Google gphone. Nice tactic Mike. Drama sells. Good job Mike.

I loved his email your setup and take down piece was great. Reading cut and paste emails provided for great out of context drama.

You’re the KING

Mike -

There’s a difference between what is legally allowed and what is ethical. Do us all a favor and learn more about ethics. Contrary to what you think, it is possible to be both ethical and interesting.

Shameful.

Informative and entertaining, Please write more.

@11 and #27: Spot on.

Apparently, MA requires the government to help determine what is right and what is not. Anyone that requires a law for that is in need of psychiatric help.

What a true philanthropist MA must be by saving Wilkins’ life by telling everyone about the horrible homicidal tendencies of this Sethi guy. Who would take this emotional email seriously? Only the learning disabled or someone trolling for attention.

Please do not insult our intelligence Michael. This is ridiculous.

Guys,

do you know what a real journalist do? A real journalist seek news with every mean. He doesn´t sit there waiting for a press release. He goes through the trash to find important documents, he pays informants, he tries to get his hands on private and confidential information at all time… all in the name of getting info that´s not available to the public. In that sense, what Micheal is doing is, absolutely, journalism. A journalist must bite and hurt when needed.

We can discuss if Micheal is doing it for the sake of information or because he has a personal grudge, but remeber that without this kind of journalism, Watergate would have never happened.

Dear Mr. Many Names: you’re ever so close to bringing TC readers around to your view. Surely another 20 or 30 anonymous comments will clinch it. Let’s have them!

I’ll put this ontop of the Google story right now. I love how Mike trashes people. I lived with him. He’s a mean guy. Don’t cross him.

@Giordano:

“He goes through the trash to find important documents, he pays informants, he tries to get his hands on private and confidential information at all time… all in the name of getting info that´s not available to the public.”

You’re absolutely right. Except for one detail. You’ve confused journalist with blackmailer/identity thief. A journalist has a responsibility to the reader to set aside their personal grudges, examining both sides of a story to get to the truth.

“Without this kind of journalism, Watergate would have never happened.”

Again, just one detail off. With this kind of journalism, Watergate would have happened but the only source would have been one of Nixon’s former lovers. As a result noone would have believed it. The analogy is hilarious, though. Well done.

I’m not taking sides here - I’ve met Sam a few times and he seems like a decent chap - and he hasn’t ever threatened to rip my head off - but I have no idea the story behind the emails or who is right and who is wrong when it comes to him or Wilkins.

What I do know is that we’ve all said things in emails, while angry, that we don’t mean. And we’ve all been frustrated by business partners from time to time, sometimes to the point of wanting to lash out. But publishing an argument between two people, even with VCs copied in, doesn’t pass any kind of public interest test I can think of. Especially not with a single source and with everyone else involved apparently declining to comment.

The frustrating thing here is that what could be a legitimate story here about how Blognation is doing, and the launch of MyKinda, has become totally undermined by the *appearance* of bias and one-sidedness and the use of someone as a source who has a clear motive to want to trash a former colleague and now a rival.

And an extra irony is that, if Techcrunch did want to run a story attacking Blognation then you could have just stuck to the payroll allegations (assuming the source was good) and it would have been perfectly justifiable as news.

I’m a huge fan of Techcrunch, but the increasing number of comments on this and other stories that liken TC to Valleywag must surely indicate a worrying decline in perceived authority.

I think Mike Arrington needs to take a chill pill because the valleywagisation of Tech Crunch degrades technology journalism in general. That’s too bad because it also leads to the decline in the authority of the TC brand in the space of reporting on innovation.

Oh come on. Seriously. You guys don’t like a bit of mudslinging? Is the web 2.0 world so serious business that nobody can indulge in a bit of behind the scenes backstabbing?

MyKinda is an interesting startup, but it would have been virtually impossible to cover, credibily, without mentioning its history. If you don’t like it, move on to the next post, don’t spend the next 5 minutes whining.

Mike,

I cant believe you have ruined your own credability, just to try and get back at Sam Sethi, or maybe its a little more sinister than that and you view him as a direct threat - just trying t nail him early!

Either way you have blown your standing in this community, the article is clearly just a smoke screen to vent your own petty insecurities.

How many more of the articles that you have posted in the past - that we took to be balanced and impartial - are actually biased and scewed for some personal reason?

Shame on you

“If we didn’t dig up confidential information on a regular basis we’d be reduced to regurgitating press releases.” Reduced to?

I kid, I kid (no I don’t). This thread makes my brain hurt, though. On the one hand you have the usual crowd who believe that journalists should be tame little puppies. If they read Private Eye, which makes its name from reporting embarrassing conversations and correspondance between the people who own us, I think their heads would explode.

On the other, you have Michael’s stupid attempt to characterise Sethi’s comment as a “death threat” because of the kneejerk reaction that word gets (it belongs in the same category of overused thought-terminating terms like “national security” and “terrorist”). “I will rip your head off” is not a death threat, in the same way that “Michael Arrington is a sophisticated robot programmed to hype Web 2.0 startups and microwave chicken” is not libel, because they’re both patently ridiculous statements. (I don’t know if this would hold up in court, I’m speaking logically rather than legally.) It’s a very silly and childish thing to say, yes… so say that, instead of trying to make someone out to be a murderous criminal when they’re not.

“It’s a very silly and childish thing to say, yes… so say that, instead of trying to make someone out to be a murderous criminal when they’re not.”

Exactly. Writing “Sethi actually said he would kill Wilkins” is straight up yellow journalism, so MA can just change the background color and we’re all set.

If you found a email from Mark Zuckerberg saying “if OpenSocial takes off I’m gonna jump off the Golden Gate Bridge”, would the TC story be “Facebook founder is suicidal”?

So this is all a little wild. Did no-one think to ask the guy who owns the blognation.com domain name what he thinks about all this who-ha? A simple who-is look-up reveals it is one Tristan Louis who resides in New York. Perhaps he’d like to step up to the plate and answer a few questions, expecially as he’s an ‘Internet veteran’ and all (says his Bio). No wait, he’s the former CTO for Boo.com. No wonders he’s layin’ low! Geez, that was easy. Can I get a job on TechCrunch now please?