Gossip

The Register? Never heard of it, mate. You sure you didn't imagine it all?

It's supposed to be a secret. The Register, that august sister-site to NewsWireless, sent three reporters to cover the Hannover-based high tech show, CeBIT - the three being two hax, and the Editor. Here's what happened:

CeBIT clips vulture's wing

...that doesn't mean CeBIT has lost all its power to shock and awe. If anyone's in a position to cut El Reg down to size, surely it is CeBIT.

The show was plagued a few years ago by wannabe kids who would set up a website, review a few pieces of kit, and then insist on press credentials. Naturally, the organisers cracked down, and now anyone who tries to wrangle a press pass now has to prove they are not only a bona fide journalist, but that they have a bona fide audience. Ne'er-do-wells touting their opinions to a few million mates can just piss off.

So top marks to Deutsche Messe for stopping the Reg sneaking in. Well, sort of. Two vultures flew in under the radar gathering up their press IDs. It was only the third who was collared, pulled back down to earth, and told that he wasn't getting a press pass, as CeBIT wasn't convinced he was proper journalist, and that El Reg's readership was clearly the result of a fevered imagination. And that two journalists from an imaginary news website was more than enough. Suitably brought back to cold reality, we went to buy a day ticket, which will be an eternal badge of shame. Or perhaps, we'll auction it on eBay, as a rare example of the Reg actually paying to be in the same space as tech marketeers.

So, who was this obvious phoney, who couldn't even persuade CeBIT reception that he was a Real Journo? Step forward TheRegister's Editor, himself.

No, I don't think he likes them much... and no, I don't think he'll be going again.