Editing Slashdot (section)

===1990s===
[[File:Rob Malda & Jeff Bates.jpeg|thumb|right|Co-founders [[Rob Malda]] and [[Jeff Bates (technologist)|Jeff Bates]]]]
[[File:Jeff Bates.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Co-founder [[Jeff Bates (technologist)|Jeff Bates]]]]
Slashdot was preceded by [[Rob Malda]]'s [[personal website]] "Chips & Dips", which launched in October 1997,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/slashdot.org|title=Slashdot.org WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools|work=[[WHOIS]]|date=2016|access-date=2016-02-09|archive-date=2018-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201143255/http://whois.domaintools.com/slashdot.org|url-status=live}}</ref> featured a single "rant" each day about something that interested its author &ndash; typically something to do with [[Linux]] or [[Open-source software|open source]] software. At the time, Malda was a student at [[Hope College]] in [[Holland, Michigan]], majoring in computer science. The site became "Slashdot" in September 1997{{Contradictory inline|date=March 2021}} under the slogan "News for Nerds.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Timothy B. |date=2013-08-07 |title=Slashdot founder Rob Malda on why there won't be another hacker news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/08/07/slashdot-founder-rob-malda-on-why-there-wont-be-another-hacker-news/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-date=2022-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208040506/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/08/07/slashdot-founder-rob-malda-on-why-there-wont-be-another-hacker-news/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ohtake |first=Miyoko |title=Slashdot's CmdrTaco Looks Back at 10 Years of 'News for Nerds' |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/10/slashdots-cmdrtaco-looks-back-at-10-years-of-news-for-nerds/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> Stuff that Matters", and quickly became a hotspot on the Internet for news and information of interest to computer geeks.<ref name="Leonard_Andrew">{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/1998/06/15/feature_308/ |title=Geek Central |last=Leonard |first=Andrew |date=June 15, 1998 |work=[[Salon.com]] |access-date=January 15, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011123183320/http://www.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/06/15feature.html |archive-date=November 23, 2001 }}</ref>

The name "Slashdot" came from a somewhat "obnoxious parody of a [[Uniform Resource Locator|URL]]" &ndash; when Malda registered the domain, he desired to make a name that was "silly and unpronounceable" &ndash; try pronouncing out, 'h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slashdot-dot-org{{'"}}.<ref name="slashdot_name">{{cite web|url=http://slashdot.org/faq/slashmeta.shtml|title=FAQ: About Slashdot: What does the name "Slashdot" mean?|last=Malda|first=Rob|date=October 29, 2000|publisher=Slashdot|access-date=January 15, 2010|archive-date=September 24, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924100115/http://slashdot.org/faq/slashmeta.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> By June 1998, the site was seeing as many as 100,000 page views per day and advertisers began to take notice.<ref name="Leonard_Andrew" /> By December 1998, Slashdot had net revenues of $18,000, yet its Internet profile was higher and revenues were expected to increase.

On June 29, 1999, the site was sold to Linux megasite [[Andover.net]] for $1.5&nbsp;million in cash and $7&nbsp;million in Andover stock at the [[Initial public offering]] (IPO) price. Part of the deal was contingent upon the continued employment of Malda and Bates and on the achievement of certain "milestones". With the acquisition of Slashdot, Andover.net could now advertise itself as "the leading Linux/Open Source destination on the Internet".<ref name="Welch_Matt">{{cite news|url=http://www.newcitychicago.com/newcity/content/specials/webby_feature2.html|title=All the Young News|last=Welch|first=Matt|date=May 5, 2000|publisher=Newcitychicago|access-date=January 7, 2010|archive-date=March 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302073601/http://www.newcitychicago.com/newcity/content/specials/webby_feature2.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Slashdot_goes_quiet">{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/tech/log/1999/09/17/slashdot/index.html|title=Slashdot goes quiet|last=Leonard|first=Andrew|date=September 17, 1999|work=[[Salon.com]]|access-date=January 15, 2010|archive-date=March 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308141406/http://www.salon.com/tech/log/1999/09/17/slashdot/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Andover.net merged with [[VA Linux]] on February 3, 2000,<ref name="VALinux_acquisition">{{cite news|url=http://www.zdnet.com.au/va-linux-acquires-andover-net-120102822.htm|title=VA Linux acquires Andover.net|date=October 13, 2000|work=[[ZDNet|ZDNet Australia]]|access-date=April 4, 2010|archive-date=December 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229063719/http://www.zdnet.com.au/va-linux-acquires-andover-net-120102822.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> changed its name to [[SourceForge|SourceForge, Inc.]] on May 24, 2007, and then became [[Geeknet|Geeknet, Inc.]] on November 4, 2009.<ref name="company_name">{{cite news|url=http://geek.net/press/sourceforge-inc-changes-its-name-to-geeknet-inc/|title=SourceForge, Inc. Changes its Name to Geeknet, Inc.|author1=Parry, Tracey |author2=Friedman, Todd |author3=Bosinoff, Stacie |date=November 4, 2009|publisher=[[Geeknet]]|access-date=January 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108220120/http://geek.net/press/sourceforge-inc-changes-its-name-to-geeknet-inc/ <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=January 8, 2010}}</ref>