Mac the Knife
Encyclopedia
Mac the Knife was the pen name
(inspired by the homophonous well-known song "Mack the Knife
") of an anonymous
gossip
columnist for the (now defunct) Apple Macintosh-focused trade publication MacWEEK
. Mac the Knife was always written by a single writer, but the identity of that writer changed more than once over the long publishing history of MacWEEK. The column was known not only for its wide-ranging and often accurate Macintosh-related rumors, but for its gonzo
, Hunter S. Thompson
-like style.
Tipsters who provided juicy gossip were provided with coffee mugs emblazoned with the Knife's logo. During the column's heyday, the trophy mugs were occasionally sent randomly to Apple employees in order to obscure the true leakers.
MacWEEKs party at Macworld Conference & Expo
was named for this fictional character. The party was often more secretive than Apple's own parties, to protect the identity of the Knife.
During the latter part of the Knife's career, his or her columns appeared on a website called The Electric Knife, which was published by Mac Publishing
at mactheknife.com, but after the Knife's retirement, the domain expired. For some time, it was not associated with the Knife. Recently, it has been pointed at the defunct MacEdition homepage.
Today, none of the former Mac the Knife columnists write using this name. The columnist himself moved to MacEdition in 2000, penning a column called the "Naked Mole Rat Report" (an allusion to a phrase used in one of the Knife's last columns). The column seems to have ceased publication in 2003. Some speculate that Robert Hess
or former editor Matthew Rothenberg
(of the online publication eWEEK
) might have been the columnist at one time.
Many of the later Mac the Knife columns are still available from the Internet Archive
's copy of the Electric Knife site.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
(inspired by the homophonous well-known song "Mack the Knife
Mack the Knife
"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the...
") of an anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
columnist for the (now defunct) Apple Macintosh-focused trade publication MacWEEK
MacWEEK
MacWEEK was a controlled-circulation weekly Apple Macintosh trade journal based in San Francisco founded by Michael Tchong, John Anderson , Glenn Patch, Dick Govatski and Michael F. Billings. It featured a back-page rumor column penned by the pseudonymous Mac the Knife.Founded in 1987, it was...
. Mac the Knife was always written by a single writer, but the identity of that writer changed more than once over the long publishing history of MacWEEK. The column was known not only for its wide-ranging and often accurate Macintosh-related rumors, but for its gonzo
Gonzo journalism
Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-person narrative. The word "gonzo" is believed to be first used in 1970 to describe an article by Hunter S. Thompson, who later popularized the style...
, Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
-like style.
Tipsters who provided juicy gossip were provided with coffee mugs emblazoned with the Knife's logo. During the column's heyday, the trophy mugs were occasionally sent randomly to Apple employees in order to obscure the true leakers.
MacWEEKs party at Macworld Conference & Expo
Macworld Conference & Expo
Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld | iWorld is a trade-show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It is held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January...
was named for this fictional character. The party was often more secretive than Apple's own parties, to protect the identity of the Knife.
During the latter part of the Knife's career, his or her columns appeared on a website called The Electric Knife, which was published by Mac Publishing
Mac Publishing
Mac Publishing is a publishing company based in San Francisco, California, and is wholly owned by the International Data Group. It is the publisher of Macworld magazine and numerous web sites, including and .- History :...
at mactheknife.com, but after the Knife's retirement, the domain expired. For some time, it was not associated with the Knife. Recently, it has been pointed at the defunct MacEdition homepage.
Today, none of the former Mac the Knife columnists write using this name. The columnist himself moved to MacEdition in 2000, penning a column called the "Naked Mole Rat Report" (an allusion to a phrase used in one of the Knife's last columns). The column seems to have ceased publication in 2003. Some speculate that Robert Hess
Robert Hess (MacWEEK editor)
Robert Hess was an associate editor for the magazine MacWEEK and a notable Apple evangelist.He died on January 12, 1996 at age 29 from complications due to pneumonia....
or former editor Matthew Rothenberg
Matthew Rothenberg
Matthew Rothenberg is an American journalist and co-author of "You're Better Than Your Job Search" with TheLadders.com CEO Marc Cenedella....
(of the online publication eWEEK
EWeek
eWeek is a weekly computing business magazine published by Ziff Davis Enterprise.The magazine consists of a print publication and web site covering enterprise topics and is targeted at IT professionals rather than hobbyists.-Audience:The eWeek audience is actively involved in buying enterprise...
) might have been the columnist at one time.
Many of the later Mac the Knife columns are still available from the Internet Archive
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's copy of the Electric Knife site.