I'm not part of the hunt, but I can't stop thinking about who Fake Steve is, even if I don't really want to know.
Despite being in love with other gadget sites, and hating fellow-Gawker blog Valleywag, Fake Steve Jobs has always been very decent to me. He returns my emails, and is timely and cordial about it. I bought some T-Shirts, and a mug. I like his work, like we all do. This week, after some site sent him an email with a image that would log its downloader's IP, Fake Steve is kind of on the run, and lashing out against Valleywag (who didn't pull the nasty email trick, BTW) and others who are seeking his identity. He seems, to me, scared and offended. I don't blame him. I'd want to remain anonymous after saying all those things about so many people, even in character.
But I'm not sure how much longer that can happen. I mean, someone at blogger knows who he is. If not someone at blogger, someone who hosts his email. Certainly, the Wired.com EIC who cut the sponsor checks for the blog does. This can't stay a secret. Many commenters on FSJ's blog and on other Mac sites repeatedly make the comment that everyone on the internet should claim they are FSJ, just as the plot went in Spartacus. That would work, except FSJ is exceptionally smart, and the majority of the commenters on the internet leave very stupid comments. No one would believe it.
So what will happen to Fake Steve when the people he's called Goatberg, Sodomite, and worse, know his identity. If he's a tech writer, isn't that going to be pretty painful to have to deal with people at Microsoft, Apple and publications like the WSJ? Very awkward. And um, what is Real Steve thinking about right now? Is he enjoying the rise and fall?
Fake Steve, here's hoping for the best, whatever that might be. In your words, Namaste.