Some people have been wondering what happened to TotalWonkerr.com. Well. Glad you asked.
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a great island called Atlantis, west of the Pillars of Herakles. (Left at Gibraltar, then a couple blocks down — boom, you couldn’t miss it.) The Atlanteans were zealous in the service of the gods, and labored mightily, offering up many worthwhile reports. Even today, their reports are used as references.
But the gods were capricious, and smote Atlantis. One day there, the next day, bupkis. The many lamentations still ring in our ears.
The memory of that awful day persists, and it makes the neighboring islands kinda jumpy. So much so that the extracurricular activities of their analysts — when identified as such — may be frowned upon.
Thus, TW has been discontinued for the foreseeable future. [See note below.] As for me, I’m still here, and intent on continuing, one way or another.
Thanks, Paul. It’s been fun!
Update: Some people have told me that the meaning of this tale is unclear. So here’s a more explicit version. In 1995, as a demonstration of commitment to a balanced budget, Congress eliminated funding for its own Office of Technology Assessment. As explained here, this episode struck terror into the hearts of managers elsewhere, who accordingly act with an abundance of caution, lest their own organization suffer a similar fate.
I should also add that “the foreseeable future” may not be very long after all. TW is down, but as Paul points out in the comments, no final decision has been made. You’ll know more when I know it.