This is the second time in about a year I find myself unexpectedly promoted on the departure of the EIC. At least this time around I’m retired and can devote more attention to The Agonist, although, like Michael, I too have personal obligations which take precedence from time to time, as we all do.
I would emphasize that I have no agenda here except to facilitate and preserve The Agonist as a forum for discussing things that matter (or should matter) to all of us.
While previous editors have been experienced bloggers, I have been an IT technician for 50 years and my contributions here have been primarily administration and technical, such as trying to create a test site so we don’t crash Agonist in the process of changing/updating, or reestablishing some sort of Diaries functionality. I will continue to work on the admin/technical side as necessary, particularly in SEO and finding ways to improve our visibility. Michael has done a lot in that area, but we both agree there is more to be done, and I will work on that. I will also investigate site redesign to improve appearance, functionality and sustainability. (Some of the software is long-in-the-tooth and requires extra effort to maintain).
I do have some background in the business, albeit pre-Internet. My mother was a reporter, columnist, editor, writer and historian and I grew up helping her do research and even some writing. In my teens, I worked with a publisher who was also an author and editor, so I am pretty familiar with the role of Editor in the traditional publishing and newspaper environment.
That said, the Internet is a Brand New Game and I realize the process is different here. Unlike traditional media, blog editors generally write frequently, and even on a group blog such as this, the editors are usually the most prolific bloggers. In that regard I will be more pre-Internet style. You will not see me replace Michael as a writer. For one thing, that type of writing is not what I do and requires completely different mindset, skill set and interests.
If we find someone who is a good fit for a blogging EIC, I will gladly go back to the technical side, with an occasional idiosyncratic post of my own. Until then, it is my hope to be simply chief-among-equals and encourage others in our community to step forward to continue to provide The Agonist with prime content.
Thank you, Michael, and fare well, wherever you fare.
In Woody Guthrie’s words: