On El Som’s Valedictory Remarks
I didn’t read much of the 140 comment post while I was on vacation. Someone that said this has gone from being a liberal blog to being a Democratic Party blog. That seems true. Someone else (or maybe the same person) said that it went off the rails because I got lazy. I think that might be confusing cause and effect. But either way, it is true that I got lazy.
Having founded DL and then having tricked a bunch of awesome people to go from commenters to contributors, I suppose I am viewed as a father of this thing, and as I father I guess I have responsibilities. I don’t agree that the family paradigm really fits because, as El Som points out, we’ve always been a loose, consensus-seeking confederation, and not a patriarchy. But maybe the family metaphor fits better than I realize.
When any family experiences a significant trauma, the loss of the child for, example, it changes. It would not be surprising for such a family to slide into dysfunction. I happen to regard the recent election as a significant trauma. It has changed us as people, and so it is not surprising that it has changed this family.
And so, as to El Som’s remarks…
I agree with them. We are standing on scorched earth. I was sad to hear he was leaving, but not surprised. The stridency of the contributors and commenters here is off-putting. Particularly the stridency of people who have been proven so wrong by events. But now I’m blogging about blogging and that’s something I try to avoid.
1) Because it is boring, and there is no higher crime than being boring. and 2) Because it doesn’t move me in the direction of accomplishing my goal of being an irascible peanut gallery to the politics and political players in Delaware.
In other words, what I think our job here amounts to is trying to be a pain in the ass to some people whose asses seem much too unaccustomed to pain. And (keeping in mind point #1), trying to do so while being funny. And if not funny, at least readable. We’ve had our successes doing that, and I believe El Som is going to keep on doing that because he is so good at it. I understand his desire to not do that here.
This is a picture of me and some friends from Christmas 1985.
I have been excoriated for pointing out the snobbery and condescending self importance of the contributors. Their screeds in response have made my point. This is Not that. You have spoken truth. Good on ya!
You all sure now how to spice things up while we wait and see how the victors from November govern!
I was 4 when that picture of you was taken Jason.
“In other words, what I think our job here amounts to is trying to be a pain in the ass to some people whose asses seem much too unaccustomed to pain. And (keeping in mind point #1), trying to do so while being funny. And if not funny, at least readable. We’ve had our successes doing that, and I believe El Som is going to keep on doing that because he is so good at it. I understand his desire to not do that here.”
I’ve been under the assumption that the purpose of this blog was to poke and prod the DE gov’t (and to an extent, our federal representatives) to keep them on their toes. Maybe I mistook the purpose. When I actually write a post, I do enjoy doing so. I’d like that to continue.
Yes.. That’s a more grown up way to say it, (you whippersnapper). “… to poke and prod the DE gov’t (and to an extent, our federal representatives) to keep them on their toes.”
And also to help liberals and progressives who are more active in other ways, like how we helped Don Peterson with a little money and encouragement. [That was a twofer because it was a poke and a prod of Pete Schwartzkopf.]
My wife works with WordPress and social media all day long. In fact, if you’ve ever taken it upon yourself to visit UD’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources website (or the Cooperative Extension pages) you’ve seen her work…that’s all her. And it’s built on WordPress. So if assistance is needed, I “know a guy”, or in this case: girl.
None of it’s too hard these days, facebook, twitter, instagram, they all link together very seemlessly. WordPress is very easy to navigate and always has been.
Easy for you to say. (…he dictates to his secretary who will key his comments into the punch card machine)
a regular Don Draper….
@donviti, the integration of Facebook, Twitter, etc with WordPress is easy. The engagement beyond an auto-post of the latest article to social media is what’s hard.
A Tweet linking back to this site does nothing if no one re-Tweets it.
Thanks dad