On November 20, 2007, Wayne Schulz wrote his very first Gear Diary review on the Bose In-Ear Headphones. This post gave absolutely no hint that the same man who could write such a mainstream piece would also be the guy who would hit his stride posting about Crayon Sports Drinks, $110,000 New York toilets, how to research urban legends, how to get yourself fired, and so many other offbeat things. In fact, we had to create an Offbeat tag simply because there was no other way to define so many of Wayne’s postings. But more than just the offbeat, Wayne also had a knack for finding the best internet nuggets – things that sites like Engadget and Gizmodo couldn’t resist linking to. He had — and continues to have — an uncanny nose for the newsworthy and the unique. He also became the most prolific poster in Gear Diary’s three-year history – as of today, he did it 2,074 times.
Let that sink in for a moment.
That’s not to dismiss Wayne’s acumen for cutting to the chase regarding all things tech. The man is a master of pinpointing what will work and what will fail. Trust me on this – he knows.
Wayne brought much humor and kitsch to the site – and for that he is a legend, but behind the scenes, he was so much more. He was a confidant and mentor during my amazingly successful online dating experiment, he was a motivator, an instigator, and a general wiseacre. His sarcastic musings (and I mean that in the fondest way) about social networking, internet startups, and all things web 2.0 were the start of many a spirited GearChat. Wayne was and is, and will always be – – one of a kind.
So how do you say good-bye to someone that has done so much, meant so much, and simply is so much to the site?
You don’t. I can’t.
So instead, I’ll say “see you around,” and I’ll point all of us to WayneSchulz, where we can continue to enjoy Wayne’s World.
Thank you for everything, Wayne; you will be missed.