TechCrunch Founder to Reassess Career Following Incident

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 28, 2009 - 8:52am.

Atherton, Calif. - Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular blog focused on Internet products and companies, said on Wednesday that he plans to take off most of February to reassess his future following an incident on Tuesday in which someone deliberately spat in his face at an event in Germany. "In the past I've been grabbed, pulled, shoved and otherwise abused at events, but never spat on," wrote Arrington in a blog post.

"I think this is where I'm going to draw a line... It's one step away from something far more violent."

Arrington also revealed that he and his family received death threats over the summer, and paid more than $2,000 a day for private protection.

So real were the threats that he resorted to hiding out at his parents' home.

"We write about technology and entrepreneurship," Arrington wrote.

"These things are important, but not so important that we should fear for our safety or the safety of our families."

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/aw829 (TechCrunch)

Published in DMW Daily, January 28, 2009

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tags: Blogs | Publishing | TechCrunch | Michael Arrington |

Comments

Do some soul-searching...

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on January 28, 2009 - 10:23am.

I am sorry to hear that Arrington met with such hostility over the last year but perhaps some self-exploration would uncover the root of his problems. He and his team have permanent chips on their shoulders. Their delusions of grandeur are matched only by the rude and dismissive manner in which they interact with PR professionals and the entrepreneurs they represent. From my personal experience with Arrington, I can safely conclude that his conduct, not the gig is to blame for his dilemma. It’s a shame the TC team tarnished an outstanding product with their diva-like behavior. If you are that “important,” people already know. If you need to remind them, you probably aren’t that important after all. Good luck to S.A. and I sincerely hope that he reemerges with a renewed perspective on life and work. His talents will be missed but his attitude will not.

absolutely

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on January 28, 2009 - 11:33am.

I've had a run-in with this crowd too. They are rude and abusive. There are others out there with a higher profile than Arrington and they never have these problems. So what gives?