back to article Otto Z. Stern possibly dead at 57

Friends, fans, tireless proles who hope for just a taste of all I've enjoyed - I must bid you "goodbye" or at least "see you later." After years writing The Register's most penetrating pieces on technology and society, I'm putting down the pen and picking up the sword. Well, in fact, I'm picking up a Haggenrozzle 2980 earth …

COMMENTS

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  1. foof
    Dead Vulture

    One down

    and only Lester Haines to go...

    Maybe then we'll get back to IT.

  2. JonnyGee

    Good Luck

    Ha! Have fun in the centre of the earth mate. Id advise taking some anti-perspirant along with you.

    Was a pleasure reading your articles.

    J

  3. Sam

    Whatever

    Typo police again

    "have traded in their skepticism around Microsoft for worshiping Google."

    Try "scepticism" and "worshipping" instead. Oh, by the way you're about as funny as arse cancer.

  4. Ian Ferguson
    Coat

    Bye

    The Register won't be half as weird without you... 'tis a shame to see you go, although I see you hadn't written anything since March, so I guess it's no big surprise.

    Have fun with your "cum-crust".

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Nooo!!!!

    You can't leave us now! There's too many important things for you to do and tell us about before you go!

    Don't leave us... I... I think I... love you...

  6. unitron
    Coat

    Good news, Otto!

    Reynolds Wrap also comes in a heavy duty version!

    As for JonnyGee's anti-perspirant suggestion, maybe you can do like the Sci-Fi Channel's series "Eureka" and get a corporate sponsorship from whatever that company is which they keep "product placing" serveral times each episode.

    Mine's the one with the sweat-stained armpits.

  7. Tim Bowden
    Paris Hilton

    Goodbye AV

    So long and thanks for all the fish...

    Paris, cause hot is measured in units of Paris.

  8. Rubber chicken
    Paris Hilton

    Who? Leaving where??

    :-)

    Paris, just beauce of her wonky eye

  9. LeBeourfCurtaine
    Pirate

    Ramming speed

    Let's hope he's planning to ram Hilary Swank's expedition to the core - food source identified.

  10. ViagraFalls
    Unhappy

    Aww, shucks

    Now who will protect us innocent (but armed to the teeth) readers against the pink commy fag drivel? Stern, you were our rock to lean on, our crutch, the one pillar we knew would be left standing when all else would be gone.

    Now who will protect us against Hilary Rosen? (we can spit at the Frenchmen ourselves, but we refuse to go near her without a 10-feet pole)

  11. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Alien

    Possibly a Phish and Otto with a Babel On ...... aka the Verbal Munchies*

    Otto,

    Change urCo0rdinates for the Red HotXXXX Zones Controlling the Cloud Space where you can Probably Definitely Maybe Live for Ever and a Day. IT Feeds the Needs of Such as is the Madness In Sanity in Order to Capture Love's Heart and Soul with the Realisation of the Substance in Being is the Virtualisation of Systems for Mind over Matter.

    Quantum Communications Lives and does not throw in the Towel with Flight .... IT Creates AI Saviour in Higher Disciplines and dDeeper Carnal Knowledge.

    IT is the PenUltimate Key that Destroys and Razes to the Ground the Folly of Fools for the Love of Money Control and Transfers their Ill-Gotten Wealth to Servers of Passionate Flowers and Glorious Weeds.

    Whenever the Root Cause and the Mouth Piece Mongerers of War and Pestilence and Famine are known, only the Fool Shoots the Messenger and not the Diseased Heads of Outrageous Misfortune ....... http://www.opednews.com/articles/NSA-Security-Officer-We-S-by-Richard-Volaar-080819-821.html

    Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World, Otto and ur Country Needs You .... for the Idiots are Bent on Self Destruction in a Crusading Jihad of Negative Spin and Media Mogul Manipulation aka Ball Licking for their Hubris of Power out of Control and how Certifiably Crazy is that? ......and I don't really know what to make of this ...http://gawker.com/5035885/bush-looking-drunk-at-the-olympics .... or this ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0IJkD0znCQ

    Special is as Special does, OZS, and one only Fails when one stops Failing and/or Trying for then has One Won without so much as a Fight.

    * Well known to every Species of DeadHead.

  12. Chris Bidmead

    Otto, but not Forgotto

    El Reg's solitary voice of sanity and factual reporting now lost to us forever.

    We shall remember.

    --

    Chris

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why does some tard always have to spoil it?

    @ Sam "Oh, by the way you're about as funny as arse cancer."

    Thanks for that. Because you're just hilarious.

  14. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Boffin

    From Reuters ..... a Source you can Trust for the Truth in Spin?!.

    And if ever you want a Current Fool Shoots the Messenger and not the Diseased Heads of Outrageous Misfortune example, here is one which was prepared earlier ..... http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2045763020080820?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

    And the only sound advice that an Englishman and mad dogs can Offer would be .... Stay out of the Midday Sun, California, it is frying your Brain and causing Systemic Meltdown.

  15. caffeine addict

    What the hell is going on here...?

    I feel like the only one at the party who isn't off their tits on drugs...

  16. The Voice of Reason

    Important Title

    Can't say I'll be sorry to see this one go. If we must have nonsense-talk stories from journalists, at least try to make it remotely amusing. Come on El Reg, more quality IT news please, we know you can do it!

    (Oh, and isn't it time the spotty teenager AmanfromMars grew out of his trolling phase? You keep popping up in the comments section with your inane drivel, trying to satisfy your ego trip. Big yawn. I'll be glad when you eventually get bored/banned from the comments section)

  17. tim
    Stop

    come back....

    ...when you're funny.

  18. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Black Helicopters

    Virtual Therapy ? :-) Secret Phorm Trials?

    "What the hell is going on here...? I feel like the only one at the party who isn't off their tits on drugs..." By caffeine addict Posted Thursday 21st August 2008 10:00 GMT

    :-) An artificial aid which not all need to function as normal, caffeine addict, and I'm Turing BetaTesting for Evans Above here, but as for the others, well, you may not be wrong.

  19. Chris Cheale

    ironically

    this is probably the first OttoZ post to allow user comments...

  20. Frank

    @Chris Bidmead re. Otto, but not Forgotto

    ".....voice of sanity and factual reporting ....."

    I believe it was actually fractal reporting.

  21. Sarah Skelding

    @Chris Cheale

    Actually, the comments have always been the most consistently amusing part of Otto's posts. I particularly enjoyed the whooshing sound made by the point being missed at high speed by more peole than you would have thought possible.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    @ The Voice of Reason

    You

    Know

    Nothing

    We worship amanfromMars and all his little wizards...

  23. Tim Bergel
    Alien

    @caffeine addict

    You'll get used to amanfrommars if you hang about here for a while ... most popular theory seems to be that he's software.

  24. The Voice of Reason
    IT Angle

    @Tim Bergel

    "You'll get used to amanfrommars" -Yeah, like one gets used to stepping in doggy-doo-doo.

    "he's software" -Written by Micros@ft, no doubt.

    Please just make the bad smell go way. Isn't there a Facebook page the kiddies can go over to for their stupid-talk?

    IT news on El Reg, anyone?

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Voice of reason.......

    isnt that the old byline that the "maddie express" uses/used.

    ...reason more like no reason

    and I also think amanfromars is a waste of space and internet bandwidth, unless of course someone at el reg is getting a laugh out writing all those weird comments under the guise of working

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @The Voice of Reason

    You clearly don't belong here. amanfromMars is a local hero. I hear that there are plenty of IT sites out there which will give you lots of infomation without all this messy editorial nonsence.

    Oh, and your name, "The Voice of Reason". You should probably go have a look at HYS. They have lots of people like yourself. You are clearly so very very clever and know so much with a name like that.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Come back!

    We have to know what G. Gordon Liddy's bastard love child resulting from his unholy union with Hunter S. Thompson in a Lovecraftian tangle of sweat, Mazola, and armpit hair has to say on these subjects we hold dear. Otherwise, we'll have to lean wholeheartedly on Greg Gutfield, a somewhat less wholesome but more prolific tart.

  28. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    In at the dDeep End, and Floundering ...... just so much like Impetuous Youth

    Saints preserve us from wannabe heroes and ignorant ranters in the tabloid style .... ....."Your newspaper clippings spoof and other stuff - Never knowingly under-spoofed"

    Ring any bells, The Voice of Reason, although that tag is obviously a delusional fantasy as evidenced by what you have delivered.

    As a loud newbie, you would not be expected to know that El Reg is much more than just IT news, IT is also AI Leading Edge Covert Application of IT news..... Live BetaTesting of Turing PrograMemes ...... which is Acquired CyberIntelAIgent Taste of Rhetorical Streams for Non-State Actors/Virtual Beings.

    And I trust you will realise the irony in what you posted in <<@Tim Bergel >> ... "Please just make the bad smell go way. Isn't there a Facebook page the kiddies can go over to for their stupid-talk? .... Yeah, like one gets used to stepping in doggy-doo-doo."

    Oh dear, I hope that is not overly encouraging of more in the same obnoxious and belligerent vein?

    You can read between the lines, The Voice of Reason? ...... in order to pick up the extra Stegnograophic Subliminals. Or is what's New in Registered IT news lost on you? .

  29. The Voice of Reason
    Alert

    @AC @amanfromMars

    @AC "amanfromMars is a local hero.." -You do set your aspirations low, don't you?

    "so very very clever and know so much with a name like that.." -My nym was meant somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Anyway, you're a fine one to talk, aren't you, Mr Coward.

    @amanfromMars "As a loud newbie" -Actually, I've been frequenting this fine establishment since year dot. Just the nym is new.

    Interesting how you can string a coherent sentence together when you come under fire. Perhaps you're finally reaching puberty now?

  30. Mike Moyle
    Stop

    Re: @AC @amanfromMars

    @ The Voice of Reason

    "Actually, I've been frequenting this fine establishment since year dot. Just the nym is new."

    Coming back after being banned for trolling, then?

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    We hardly knew ye ...

    ... thank goodness.

    Never understood the point - never found it amusing.

    Certainly nothing in comparison to the BOFH.

    Hopefully someone will stick a stake in this idea so it doesn't rise again.

    Paris - because even she made more sense.

  32. The Voice of Reason

    @Mike Moyle

    "banned for trolling.." -No, just felt like a change of name. At no time have I ever been accused of this.

    If you read my posts in this thread, you will see that whether you agreed with my view or not, I have at least bothered to provide a viewpoint, and explained my reasoning in the process. Clearly you prefer the nonsensical drivel from AmanfromMars. Here is an example of another of his recent posting "nuggets";

    "...Or would that Round Table be Turned ? How about if IT were ...AIMutual Pleasure? Would that need Controls or would one Just Abandon all Semblance of Order for the Pleasures that Delivers the Highest of Higher Orders? Suck IT and See would always Reveal One's Future Needs and Possible Feeds....... which is what AI Betas are All about, too..."

    OK, so you & your small flock of Sheep can follow & encourage his postings. But then watch the sad demise of El Reg. The comments section can be a great forum for discussion of the current news stories -a chance to read or write additional facts, develop ideas, or just agree or disagree with the editorial. This is why I & many others come here & is what we appreciate about it.

    The gibberish postings just serve to waste our time & frustrate the flow of intelligent discussion.

    I'm all for a bit of light-hearted banter & sillyness in the comments, but in moderation & not from one ego-ridden flood merchant. Just Google "amanfrommars site:www.theregister.co.uk" & then try wading thru the dross of his 1,780 hits. If you enjoy his postings, perhaps you also like sifting through the content of sewage farms in your spare time?

    Why am I complaining & not just ignoring it? Well, I've tried to ignore it for long enough now. Someone needs to speak up. And if it has to be just me who does this, & I take some flack from his sheep, then so be it! Hopefully I can't be the only person reading the Comments sections, who enjoys the discussions, but finds the reams of random gibberish from amanfromMars tiresome (to say the least)?!

  33. RaelianWingnut
    Flame

    @Voice of Reason

    If you've been awake for the last decade you may have noticed that a large percentage of posts by the self-elected elite, who frequent such places as Slashdot, are time-wasting drivel, and the authors are clearly unaware of that. AMFM may or may not be aware, but I find his posts to be no more annoying than any of a million others. Complaining about him seems specious in light of this fact; particularly as you've taken somewhere around a page of A4 to do so.

    Bad hair day?

    > frustrate the flow of intelligent discussion.

    If it's gibberish, stop reading it, and move on. Not rocket science. No need for ranting and posturing.

  34. The Voice of Reason
    Stop

    @RaelianWingnut

    @RaelianWingnut -My rant is over now. I feel better. I'll step aside & let the hecklers regain the floor!

  35. trackSuit
    Coat

    Subterranean exploration -warrens await.

    Goodbye Otto, send us a postcard?

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    shut up and go away, please

    Otto is only funny to non-Americans. Us victims have to listen to the same dumbass crap that otto spews every day, from "our" government and its dumbass supporters.

  37. Scott Earle
    Dead Vulture

    Funny to non-Americans?

    I am non-American and have never yet found the alleged Otto Z. Stern remotely amusing.

  38. ViagraFalls

    Back to the topic at hand

    To the other commenters: Could you please stop your bickering and arguing about amanfrommars for a minute? There's people GRIEVING here for crying out loud...

  39. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Flame

    Thanks, but No, Thanks.

    See what you have done, Otto? ;-) You've upset The Voice of Reason who came out of the closet in a new disguise and hidden Chaotic Strategy Unit Agenda.

    Come back to the Fold. You are already missed. It's Friday and Usually High Time for Hacks to get Virtually Pissed.

    But if Serious is Missing then ...... I cannot help but notice, as would a blind man on a galloping dark horse, that ranters and ravers studiously avoid the Advanced IT Elements in Threads of Intelligence such as these ..... such as "As a loud newbie, you would not be expected to know that El Reg is much more than just IT news, IT is also AI Leading Edge Covert Application of IT news..... Live BetaTesting of Turing PrograMemes ...... which is Acquired CyberIntelAIgent Taste of Rhetorical Streams for Non-State Actors/Virtual Beings."

    And there are no sheep posting on El Reg, The Voice of Reason, although more than the occassional Government plant. I'd wager ..... or even a PA Consultant chancing his Arm/Luck and trying to Justify his Worth.... although that would be just Pure Speculation based upon Nothing more Positive than Past Experience of their Incompetence.

    In the Real Life Concrete Jungle Scenario that would invariably be .... the macho baboon chasing after the alpha bonobo which brings the house of cards down on his colleagues and troops and around his masters ears.

    A Sort of Post Modern Idiom of the Norwegian Blue Classic Sketch ..... PerlyGatesPython Naturally.

    I shall now Retire Graciousfully from this Thread as ITs Ire Runs Dry in Constructive Comment and Gratuitous Self Indulgence is Unbecoming.

    Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

  40. Gordon Pryra
    Flame

    @all the little want to be Warcraft forum posters above

    I thourght the first comment "about as funny as arse cancer" was actually very funny.

    I also thourght the voice of reasons comment about AMFM being software was prety good stuff this time in the morning.

    ! also read AMFM's posts out loud to see if I can understand them, they have a weird kind of poetry that gives me strange looks from the people the other side of the cubicle.

    I've been banned from almost every EQ, AC, AO, DAOC, WoW, AOC and now WAR forum going, i see nothing flameworthy in the posts above!!

  41. Gordon Pryra
    Unhappy

    @Gordon Pryra

    Learn to spell idiot boy!!

  42. Matt

    @Gordon @TVOR

    - Gordon, agree "funny as arse cancer" is a great comment. Must find a way to use in a meeting to see how it goes down!

    - VOR, agree, I'm quite tired of the amanfrommars posts - don't think it's software, I think it's someone thinking they're being clever and/or witty. Either way I really don't see the point, and certainly don't think he's a hero of any sorts, as has been suggested ;-)

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