Hey Oppo, Let's Chat About What Will Happen After The Sale (Spoiler Alert: I Don't Know)

"Patrick George" (pgeorge)
08/09/2016 at 17:15 • Filed to: Announcements

Hey Oppo,

How’s your week going? Mine’s surprisingly chill, if you can believe it.

Let’s get down to brass tacks. Many of you have commented or emailed me to ask what will happen to Kinja user blogs like OppositeLock after Gawker Media is sold to a new parent company as part of the bankruptcy proceedings next week.

The answer is, unfortunately, that I do not know. What I can tell you is that I have not heard any discussions about that topic on any level.

I’m sorry I don’t have more information than that. But in the spirit of honesty and transparency, I thought I’d try and let you know what was going on.

What I can say is my first priorities are, of course, the welfare of my staff and preserving the work we do every day. When it comes to Oppo, I cannot promise anything—but I can say I would oppose any bad ideas about potentially changing the reader-run blogs.

In other words, I’m on your side. Even when it’s nonsensical, even when it drives me nuts, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I still see value in this community of enthusiasts.

If you have questions please leave them in the comments and I will answer them as best I can. Thank you for your time.

DISCUSSION (67)

dogisbadob > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:22

Somebody with a shitload of extra storage space or a big-ass hard drive or something, should download everything Kinja/Jalopnik/Oppo/Gawker to preserve it.

Good luck to you and the rest of the staff

Also, you should share a parody article to the front page :p

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:22

Thanks for the update. Having survived buyouts and corporate transitions, I’m sure stressful doesn’t even begin to accurately describe things.

I’m sure I’m not speaking solely for myself when I say I hope this place is around for years. I might get bored enough to actually work between 8 and 5 without Jalop/Oppo.

Best wishes to yourself, the Jalop staff, and even a select few other Gawker writers :-P

Sam > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:23

Thanks so much PG. I can see why you’d keep us around, too. I mean, Oppo is a goldmine of content for the FP. Jalopnik and Oppo should almost be a package deal at this point.

CB > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:24

Thanks for the update, Patrick. Here’s hoping for the best for everyone in all this.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:25

Hey man not every Opponaught...

Seriously though, if Oppositelock does end up getting the axe (hopefully not though), would there be any objection to it being created elsewhere?

Tekamul > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:25

Thanks for the transparency.

I hope your senior week includes a skip day, that’s the best part.

My citroen won't start > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:26

Provided you know who the buyer is, which member of the Jalopnik staff can best wear his skin?

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:27

Well first of all I hope Travis isn’t rubbing it in anyone’s faces tooooo hard. Hope all of you keep being able to do what you love to do. Hate to see Raph walking around NYC shouting facts about cars he sees while on his way to the bottle depot.

Hope Oppo can hold on too, think we have a few ideas on how to move forward if not though.

Jcarr > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:28

Thank you for saying “brass tacks” and not “brass tax”.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:28

Depending on how Oppo ends up I’m going to apply for the part time Jalopnik job for my shit posting requirements.

LongbowMkII > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:28

So those applications you invitzing... It seems like you’re confident in the position being available for a while at least. Personally, I’m not concerned about potential positional brevity, but I could see that being an issue for more accomplished authors.

EL_ULY > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:30

LaLD is on your side too OPPO/Jalopnik. We consider OPPO our sister blog and Jalopnik our FP as well. You are all the greatest group of genuine enthusiasts and though we are small , we are extremely proud of this totally awesome bunch of enthusiasts as well. From 1:87 to 1:1 scale!!!! :’)

Hoping for the best.

Your small scale automotive enthusiasts!

- LaLD staff!

Kinja'd!!!

MonkeePuzzle > Tekamul
08/09/2016 at 17:30

our senior week included a day of waterfights, and a day of swapping uniforms wiht the opposite sex. gotta tell ya, the scots had it right with kilts, I could get used to a skirt.

MonkeePuzzle > Jcarr
08/09/2016 at 17:31

oddly enough, all brass taxes are expected to be paid in the form of brass tacks

scoob > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
08/09/2016 at 17:32

You’re gonna have to get through me first.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > MonkeePuzzle
08/09/2016 at 17:34

I thought brass taxes were paid with brass balls. Big brass balls.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:35

Appreciate the update/transparency!

You guys posted last week about hiring some part-time contributors for Jalopnik, is that still in the plan amidst the pending sale? (I planned on writing a couple of pieces to submit this week)

Also, I emailed you awhile back to see if anyone on the staff wants to join the 24 hour kart race team I’m on for November. The offer still stands, as we have about 3-4 spots left open. Although I now plan to do a full write-up, especially if a nab this sweet part-time writing gig for my favorite automotive blog in the meantime. ;)

Urambo Tauro > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:36

We appreciate your openness on the matter, Patrick. I’m sure you can understand how hungry we are for a little heads-up, particularly in light of the sudden changes GM has been making in recent months.

citizennick > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:36

Wait until he finds out that oppo is buying Jalopnik.

MWAHAHAHAHA WRITE US ANOTHER STORY PATRICK *grasps whip*

nah, whipping’s bad.

RallyWrench > Jcarr
08/09/2016 at 17:37

I fucking hate it when people do that.

Patrick George > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
08/09/2016 at 17:37

Yes! I still have an opening for a freelance columnist and a staff writer. Those have not changed.

Where’s the karting event?

citizennick > MonkeePuzzle
08/09/2016 at 17:38

well huh. Color me intrigued.

. . > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:39

Kinja'd!!!

RallyWrench > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
08/09/2016 at 17:39

I would love to see Raph doing that, but as a regular column piece.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:40

Cool! I’ll get to work then. haha

The race is at Full Throttle Karting in Cincinnati. I’m driving out with a couple other guys from Chicagoland, one of whom is a good friend/fellow Oppo and one who is a co-driver for Brakim racing, Saturday morning of the event and driving back Sunday after. I am going to be absolutely dead on Monday. haha

crowmolly > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:41

Thanks for stopping in! There’s much bigger fish to fry than the status of the user blogs. I hope that the transition to the new owner isn’t a total disaster and that you and the rest of the staff can get through it as painlessly as possible.

With whatever happens, thanks for all of the good times. Many a brutal, droning conference call was softened via Jalopnik.

When you hit the third hour of a discussion about synergy you can really use a Torch article that discusses how to build a limited slip differential out of rusty nails and a block of pecorino romano cheese.

MonkeePuzzle > citizennick
08/09/2016 at 17:43

it should be noted that without the years of practice my fairer counterparts have had, we fellas were not as well skilled at keeping our legs together as one would hope. a definite downside to the skirt attire for men. although, the scottish have that covered too with a pouch “sporan”. the whole idea has been well thought out.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > RallyWrench
08/09/2016 at 17:45

Or, “For all intensive purposes.” That one drives me crazy.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > RallyWrench
08/09/2016 at 17:45

All hidden camera’s though, keep him honest.

Ash78, voting early and often > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:46

No matter what happens, we will all resurrect something somewhere. I refuse to turn my back on a decade of this awesome community. Also, I might be applying...working on a couple pieces that I hope to post to Oppo soon. Keep up the great work. In the meantime, Oppo's version of Senior Week will continue!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:47

What’s the relationship between Gawker and Kinja? Is Kinja still gonna be around after Gawker is disbanded?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:48

TL;DR: Dear Oppo, chill the fuck out. Love Jalopnik.

Patrick George > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
08/09/2016 at 17:48

From what I understand the ideal outcome is that we’re not “disbanded” but rather purchased outright, so hopefully nothing (or very little) will change.

citizennick > MonkeePuzzle
08/09/2016 at 17:50

I feel like I should know more about kilts since I'm a big Outlander fan.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:50

Did Doug leave because he knew this was coming?

MonkeePuzzle > citizennick
08/09/2016 at 17:50

time for you to go forth and experiment

Patrick George > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
08/09/2016 at 17:53

No, he got another full-time gig elsewhere. I think it’s full-time, anyway. Doug was always a freelancer at Jalopnik, I talked to him at least once about a staff gig but he liked that freelance life (as some writers do.) We wish him the best over there.

pauljones > Ash78, voting early and often
08/09/2016 at 17:54

Don’t get me wrong - I love Oppositelock, and as a collective whole, have enjoyed it while it’s been around. But if it goes kaput tomorrow... I probably wouldn’t panic or cry. Life isn’t precious because is eternal; it’s precious because it’s short and transient. Just like internet blogs. What makes humans wonderful isn’t our ability to hang on to the transient, but our ability to love the transient for what it is while we have it, and then let it go and move on. This is the key to life.

Oppositelock may go away, and that’s okay. Take it for whatever it is, be grateful you had it while you did, and go find the next fun thing.

RallyWrench > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:54

Hoping for the best for Jalopnik, Oppo, and LALD, and that you guys are given the resources needed to succeed.

RallyWrench > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
08/09/2016 at 17:55

Yes. For all we know, he may do this already.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:56

What is Jason’s plan regarding the Chevette?

Xyl0c41n3 > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 17:58

Hola! Just wanted to offer a quick thanks for this post. I know it’s part of the overall company culture that staffers maintain a back-and-forth relationship with the commentariat, but I’ve always thought Jalopnik has done so with the most success, and most genuinely.

I think Oppo is the last remaining sub-blog, for instance, where Jalopnik authors and freelancers maintain such a regular presence. I’m on Groupthink, too, where Jez used to maintain a similar relationship with GTers, but that faded away some time ago.

So, yeah, that’s pretty much it. Thank you. :)

Mid Engine > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
08/09/2016 at 18:00

No way, shape, or form

Sn210 > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 18:00

Thanks Patrick, keep us posted!

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > scoob
08/09/2016 at 18:23

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 18:38

Hey, who talks shit about us!?

scoob > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
08/09/2016 at 18:46

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

DrJohannVegas > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 18:51

Kinja'd!!!

bhtooefr > dogisbadob
08/09/2016 at 18:51

I’m surprised ArchiveTeam doesn’t appear to already be on it.

I’ve got a Warrior running, but there’s no project listed to archive Kinja/Gawker Media properties.

yamahog > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
08/09/2016 at 18:56

porpoises

Future next gen S2000 owner > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 18:56

You have to admit though, the article saying how terrible the FP was that week was pretty thorough.

yamahog > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/09/2016 at 18:59

oppo has no chill, we all know this

Dusty Ventures > citizennick
08/09/2016 at 19:09

If it helps, you can ease into the whole “kilts” thing with a “utilikilt” or “tactikilt.” Helps first-time kilters feel like they aren’t as far outside their comfort zone

Dusty Ventures > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
08/09/2016 at 19:10

Raph already does that

Leadbull > yamahog
08/09/2016 at 19:11

Owl in tents and porpoises

Dusty Ventures > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 19:16

I get the subliminal message you’re sending out with the rally car lead image, PG. You’re saying you really, really want me to apply for that writer position.

Leadbull > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 19:27

Ok so this isn’t necessarily related to Oppositelock, but here goes...

Is the Gawker sale a package deal, or is there a possibility that it’ll be “parted out” so to speak? Is there a chance that Jalopnik will be sold to a separate buyer, or left to fend for itself?

If that is possible and hypothetically does happen, would Jalopnik have the resources to keep the staff and maintain current production?

Patrick George > Leadbull
08/09/2016 at 19:30

Package deal. If not, who knows. That’d be a completely different situation with budgets, resources, etc.

Leadbull > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 19:37

Well I’m glad to hear that probably won’t happen. Thanks again for all you guys do. You sure put in a lot of work just to inform/entertain dillweeds like us :D

Flavien Vidal > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 19:46

Thanks the update... Hopefully things go well for both Jalopnik and Oppo. How was Gawker Media before the sale? I know it made around 6.5 millions in profits in 2014, but is that in anyway a good result for such a massive company?

With profits like this, and a company apparently highly over valued, it seems hard to justify keeping it around following the same format. Unless of course, Gawker is sold for nowhere near its actual value...

thebigbossyboss > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 20:54

Thanks Patrick for the heads up. It’s a tough world out there these days. We may not have always agreed. I remember on one occasion disagreeing quite passionately with you about something (forget what now, must have been important lol).

But I do wish you every success in the future, I will miss Jalopnik if it goes under.

Guess I’d better publish all my drafts now.

thebigbossyboss > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
08/09/2016 at 20:56

You’ve survived buyouts....I’ve survived elections. Political staff life. LOL.

thebigbossyboss > pauljones
08/09/2016 at 21:13

My main take away is my real life friends I made on this blog. A banned user whom shall not be named really helped me out when I moved to my new house. On the way to said house, I staid with Peter the SV Wrangler in Thunder Bay, I met Clayton Seams the writer for a canadian auto publication, I got to meet CB and Zippy and whiskygolf, and a few others as well.

Without those people my life would be poorer. Oppo also gave the encouragement to wrench on cars myself. Now I’ll take on almost any job, before I remember just changing my spark plugs was a huge deal to me.

Quite a contribution I’d say. Thanks Oppo!

Ash78, voting early and often > pauljones
08/09/2016 at 22:45

I'm just worried the Next Fun Thing might require a Facebook login. ;)

Jonee > Patrick George
08/09/2016 at 22:53

Long live Oppositelock! It’s where I learned how to love again.

Stephen the Canuck > Patrick George
08/10/2016 at 00:40

Has anybody asked Elon Musk if he wants to buy Jalopnik/Oppo?

Captain of the Enterprise > Patrick George
08/14/2016 at 10:19

Thanks for keeping us posted its nice to hear from someone in the know. Any update since this post?