Dougherty says goodbye to WSJ

Tech writer Conor Dougherty sent out the following message to his Wall Street Journal colleagues:

People tend to grumble when a goodbye email hits their inbox, but I happen to love them. There’s news, emotion and often a little surprise. Sometimes people say something crazy. That one guy wrote a poem. What’s not to like?

Goodbye emails also have contact information, and mine is conordougherty77@gmail.com.

Anyway. This is my last week at The Wall Street Journal. I started reading this newspaper on August 29, 2001. I know this because that day Gautam Naik had an A-Hed about a Finnish air guitar contest, and it’s not a stretch to say that my life can be divided into before and after that moment. When I finished the piece, I knew what I wanted to do. Three years later, I got the chance.

I’ve given a lot to this place since then, but not as much as you’ve given me. Among other things, you let me write three skateboarding A-Heds. More than that, you are my friends and family. I’m married to one of you. I was married by one of you. It’s been a dream come true, and I can’t ever thank you enough.

Until our paths cross again.