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gnulaw (58.02)

[UPDATE3] The Top Thirteen Questions Analysts Should Be Asking Geeknet (LNUX) CEO Kauffman on the Feb 11 Q4 Conference Call.

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February 06, 2010 – Comments (7) | RELATED TICKERS: GKNT , BBY , AMZN


 

#13. What happened to Slashdot? Geeknet (LNUX) has not created/evolved any of its existing assets or new assets as competitive Web 2.0 entities viz-a-viz digg.com, twitter, facebook, et al. This is simply symptomatic of the wrong management team and Board of Directors. 


"...The Slashdot Effect - I recall times when my articles got slashdotted (a verb contributed to the English language like Googled). You would see several hundred thousand hits. Now one is lucky to see a few thousand. Either the Linux readers have been overwhelmed by the Microsoft web site killers or the articles just don't interest the Free Software Crowd.

You should look at the comparison of Slashdot to Digg. You can find an Alexa chart comparing the two sites at this hyperlink. Notice how Digg came out of nowhere to challenge Slashdot. Digg is rated the 439th most trafficed web site on the Internet. Slashdot is ranked 265..." - (March 12, 2006)*

Note: Digg.com's traffic ranking on 2/5 was 70. Slashdot's was 1,135. - (February 5, 2010).

 

#12. What happened to fossfor.us? Kauffman was all giddy when disclosing this secret weapon at the 6 months ending June 30, 2009 conference call.


Note: Given SourceForge has now publicly disclosed ohloh.net (this acquisition was suppoed to be announced in "early June" but has not) and fossfor.us (never formally publicly disclosed) on its newly designed website today, Sunday,  June 28, 2009 one can assume they will be issuing a press release Monday June 29th...another smoking gun(s)... Source: (June 26, 2009)  Comment #4. 


#11. Ohloh.net. How has ohloh.net contributed to: Geek.net's contribution margins?, ROE?, revenue growth?, sourceforge.net's competitive strategy? and competitive advantage?, brand equity?

#10. Why isn't this press release posted on the Geek.net website?

Note: As of February 3rd Geeknet posted this announcement and also here as of February 2nd (Note: since this Blog was originally posted  2/2).


#9. Why hasn't Geeknet made [any] announcements indicating any progress?


#8. Why isn't Geeknet engaging Analyst and Investor Conferences as a minimum baseline shareholder value maximization strategy?


#7. Kauffman is all about Advertising and Branding yet has not issued one press released during hisentire tenure at Geeknet supportive of maximizing Geeknet Brand Equity specifically and LNUX shareholder value, in general. This is very bizarre, counter-intuitive, and a substantive smoking gun. See LNUX Headlines History. Why is Kauffman, with the Board of Directors support, running Geeknet as a privately-held company?


#6. What is Geeknet Board Director ... Suzanne Present up to?


#5. Why does Geeknet maintain the LNUX stock symbol when it gave away Linux.com and rebrandeditself as Geeknet? (Nasdaq:G33K) seems painfully obvious?


#4. Why hasn't Geeknet IPO'd ThinkGeek?


#3. In a move suggesting Geeknet is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, why was Jay Seirmarco rebranded from LNUX General Counsel to Chief Technology Officer?

#2. Accordingly, why is Geeknet engaging in a blatant shareholder hostile and shareholder value challenged campaign? Is this symptomatic of a failed management and Board of Directors ? gross negligence ? consistent patterns of alleged violations of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and SEC Rule 10b-5?  

 

...and the #1 question Analysts should be asking Geeknet (LNUX) CEO, Scott Kauffman... 


#1. What are your specific short, intermediate, and long-term plans to mitigate allegations that Geeknet is the poster child for the last decade as "The face of sustained shareholder value destruction" viz-a-viz MoM and YoY ROE, ROE > Sustainable Growth (G*), Earnings and Sales Growth...


References:

 

*(February 10, 2006) Is Slashdot the future of media? Source: Fortune Magazine. 


(September 25, 2008) Breaking News...13D Shareholder Appointed to Board [but] SourceForge (LNUX) Fails to Disclose this Fact 

(December 24, 2009) Geeknet (LNUX) In Perspective: Is Geeknet nothing more than a Refuge for the Unemployable? Shareholder Value Hostile and Challenged Company Continues to Close Below Liquidation Value.


(November 21, 2009) Geeknet (LNUX) - What did Tesla's Jonathan Sobel Know and When Did he Know it? Should Tesla's Imminent IPO be Accordingly Delayed Pending FINRA/SEC investigation?

(October 28, 2009) SourceForge (LNUX) Website Promoting Jon Sobel as Current Group President Media as Shares Continue to Slide below 50-100-200 MA


(August 23, 2009) Follow the Money:Gladwyne/Sams (Present/Sileck) SourceForge (LNUX) Control Exceeds 22%* (shares) 28% (Board)

(August 1, 2009) Scott Kauffman "SourceForge's (LNUX) Three Guiding Principles: Speak Openly, Take Risks, and Don't Look Back" #4 - Don't Provide Guidance

(July 15, 2009) SEC RULE 10b5-1, SourceForge (LNUX)'s Morris (CFO)s July 1 SELL, and [delayed?] Q2 Ending June 30 Announcement

(July 10, 2009) SourceForge (LNUX) CFO Continues Dumping Position, Group Media President Joins on Eve of Announcing Q2 CC

(May 15, 2008) CBS Eyes C|NET for $1.8B, LNUX In Its Sites?

(November 23, 2008) Are There Two [CBS] Trojan Horses Inside SourceForge (NASDAQ:LNUX)?

Three Trojan Horses?** : Has Scott Kauffman Discovered the Combination to Unlocking SourceForge (NASDAQ:LNUX) Shareholder Value?

** Sobel, Present, Sileck. Combination numbers 2, 3 and 6.


(July 23, 2008) Is SourceForge (NASDAQ:LNUX) About to be Taken Private?

7 Comments – Post Your Own

#1) On February 06, 2010 at 11:24 AM, fmahnke (95.72) wrote:

I'd be tempted to buy this crap again if the insiders continued to buy with both hands through Jan.  Something could be up here but  I am skeptical .  You could add "why did Marlon pay a million at $1.25 $1.30 when even my dumb ass could  find a lower price if I wanted to buy going into earnings.

Do you own it ?

 

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#2) On February 06, 2010 at 11:39 AM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

Yes. Presently in a HOLD position. Have accumulated slowly over past two years but have not added to my position for > 6 months. Waiting to see that Kauffman has the right stuff. And keeping an eye on Suzanne Present/Marlin Sams...

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#3) On February 06, 2010 at 12:21 PM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

Is Slashdot the future of media?  Slashdot fumbles...digg.com, web 2.0 recovers...Arguably the greatest story never told...What happened? Who was asleep at the wheel? The future was literally stolen from slashdot by the present...by smarter, more passionate futurists/technologiists as it was being hailed as the future of media...

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#4) On February 07, 2010 at 8:26 AM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

#14. Geeknet's statement in its most recent press release announcing its pending Q4 Conference Call:

"...ABOUT GEEKNET

Geeknet, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNUX), is the online network for the global geek community. Our sites include SourceForge, Slashdot, ThinkGeek, Ohloh and freshmeat. We serve an audience of more than 40 million users* each month and provide the tech obsessed with content, culture, connections, commerce, and all the things that geeks crave. Want to learn more? Check out geek.net.

(*October 2009 Unique Visitors 42M. Source: Google Analytics and Omniture)...."

is using stats from October 2009 pursuant to said January 25, 2010 Press Release for its unique visits.


Q: What are current stats...from Nov 2009, Dec 2009, Jan 2010?

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#5) On February 07, 2010 at 4:34 PM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

Question #14.

In SourceForge's (nka Geeknet) 10K filed for Fiscal year ended July 31, 2008 under Item 2. Properties it is stated that Dexter, Michigan is "...the Resarch and Development center for Online Media..." and in the footnote  it is further stated "...(1) In September 2008 we entered into a 2 year lease agreement for a new 4,300 square feet facility in Dexter, Michigan...".  This is where the founders of Slashdot are domiciled, Jeff "Hemos" Bates and Rob "Cmdrtaco" Malda. (See above re: Slashdot and here). Jeff Bates is also Vice President, Product for Geeknet. Jeff Bates and Rob Malda also own Everything2.com. According to WHOIS the registrant for everything2.com is Blockstackers of Dexter, Michigan (8122 Main Street). The administrative contact is Rob Malda, xxxxxxx@cmdrtaco.net. Everything2.com appears as yet another competitor to Slashdot.org, in addition, to requiring time of Slashdot principal's. 

Note: Dave Brondsema, another Dexter, Michigan Geeknet employee, previously highlighted here, also is/was engaged in another project outside Geeknet.

Q:  Whose R&D do the Dexter, Michigan offices actually represent? Is this office actually a breeding ground for launching geeknet competition? Is this a conflict of interest and or alleged further consistent patterns of alleged violations of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and SEC Rule 10b-5 or ? And why is R&D for Geeknet Online Media in a barn in Dexter, Michigan (population 2,338 - 2000 census) and not at Geeknet's Mountain View, Silicon Valley Headquarters? Dexter looks nice but where one would retire...Could this be why Slashdot was digged by Digg.com and the answer to Question #13, above?

 

 

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#6) On February 07, 2010 at 5:10 PM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

[CORRECTION]

>>Question #14.

-->Question #15 Report this comment
#7) On February 07, 2010 at 5:38 PM, gnulaw (58.02) wrote:

>>According to WHOIS the registrant for everything2.com is Blockstackers of Dexter, Michigan

According to the Asset Purchase Agreement Andover* (acquired by VA Linux nka Geeknet) acquired Blockstackers assets.

References:

Andover.net Acquires Slashdot.

VA Linux (nka Geeknet) to Acquire Andover.net 

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