This one’s for the ladies.
Blogger Andy Baio uncovered Dave Winer’s 13-year-old personal ad from The Well:
From: Dave Winer (dwiner)
Date: 1994-08-17 17:52:00
Conference: singles
Topic: Personal Ad experiencesWell, here goes — my first message on The Well. I’ve just been lurking for the last few days, trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s pretty daunting, but maybe I’m getting the hang of it… You all seem like VERY nice people.
Anyway, I wrote a personal ad last week, and sent it via email to a bunch of friends, most of them women, for their reaction. Here’s the ad:
SWM 39, 6′2″, athletic build, Bay Area, software entrepreneur turned massage therapist, gentle hands, romantic, emotionally developed, born-again hippie. Loves gardening, road trips, walking, skiing, writing. Looking for a great gal who’s ready to create a safe space for love and lots and lots of play. Send email to: mailbox12@aol.com.
One of my friends had a pretty animated response:
“You’re going to find a nurse or a chiropractor. Why? The self-description sounds too needy, as if you’re looking for succor. Anyway, i never describe you that way to anyone i know. Your description entirely omits your shining INTELLIGENCE — you’re a genius; you assimilate new ideas like most people consume their morning cereal. You see shapes when there are only nebulae. You’re also kinetic, always soul-searching. grounded and yet ready to leap. You’re body’s pretty irrelevant, but obviously you want to be of athletic build (for what sport, exactly, would your body be considered athletic? no offense, but REALLY). As long as you’ve got some hair left and your sexual organs, your body’s functioning, or do you really want to be a combination of Yogi Berra and Albert Einstein? — Love, Sylvia”
Of course I liked Sylvia’s version of the ad better. ;->
Dave
PS: I’m a great skier. Definitely athletic.
I am in awe. And pretty grossed out. Massage therapist?
Athletic build? ROTFLMAO!
I always wondered why Winer settled in Berkeley.
Sylvia Paull blogs from Berkeley and is Dave’s friend. Imagine that… a Winer Friend that can tell him the truth and stay a Winer friend. She must also tell him the occasional “white lie”.
She thinks he’s a genious. But then, she is|was a PR flack for software companies. He is|was a potential client: conflict of interest.
You can’t blame Dave for wanting companionship. He is a social animal. He’s just not domesticated.
Perfect example of your hypocrisy. See comment on previous post. Have you guys never gotten laid or been horny or lonely? That would be a pretty good admission. Never mind your names, tell us about your sex lives.
To answer your questions: more than I probably deserved, yes and yes. But never desperate enough to brag in a personals ad about my athetic build and massage skills. Instead, I just told women I try harder because of my small penis.
You take yourself too seriously, Coward. I post here because Dave’s the biggest asshole in the blogosphere and he’s fun to ridicule. Even if we sent you our driver’s licenses and another photo ID, those two facts would remain true.
Dear “Bullshit” (I love that handle!)….I don’t think you’re out of line at all. And you’re quite right about Winer being the biggest asshole in the blogosphere – and then some. A day without ridiculing this jerk would be equivalent to a day w/o public service. Keep up the great work – and keep this ninny honest.
Many times I agree with you criticism of DW, at least as long as it’s professional. But why do you have to get into his personal life too? Uncool!
I don’t think I’d have posted this, but it was offered without commentary and it does tend to showcase an aspect of his personality more clearly than the 140-character snippets and ridiculous blog posts.
Methinks “Anonymous Coward” is Winer.
No proof, but I think it’s him too. Anonymous Coward was whining “tell us about your sex lives” at the same time Winer was hitting that theme on Twitter.
But far be it from me to question anyone’s right to criticize someone under a pseudonym. Rock on, Anonymous Dave!
“Have you guys never gotten laid or been horny or lonely? “
Yes. Sometimes all three in a 24 hour period. But not in that order… usually lonely, horny and then getting laid.
What is intriguing about the text above is not the sex life issue… it’s the self-description and Sylvia’s attempt to suggest something closer to the real Dave. Smart, funny and darn it loveable. Not tall, dark and horny. Anyway, those ads are what they are.