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 experiences

Well, 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.

Who knows how their marriage works, and after all this time, who wants to know? I sure don’t. But that’s becoming a central issue in the 2008 election, as it becomes more clear that the Clinton family is running for a third term, circumventing the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution. It’s a bad idea.

Circumventing the 22nd amendment? Does Dave even realize that Hillary is a distinct person from Bill? I’ll be interested to see if any web-feminists take umbrage with the insinuation that the wife is just a little extension of the husband.

Aside: it seems like a healthy portion of Dave’s communications over the past few days have mentioned the 22nd Amendment. Why is that? Did he just read it and thinks he’s clever? Does he actually think that being the First Gentleman would invoke the 22nd amendment? What’s up with that?