Cathy Resmer covers the VNRC purge of GMD founder and former blogger John Odum here.
Cathy says: I'm sorry to see him go, especially in this way. He says GMD will continue without him.
Exactly right, Cathy. We feel the loss here, but we're going to keep it up.
From the extreme right (I hope she doesn't object to that description), She's Right blogger Charity Tensel also covers this story, describing the loss this way: This is a great loss for political blogging. Odum's thoughtful posts and comments kept GMD in the realm of sensible discussion. He was an anchor, a rock, keeping the blog focused on remaining relevant and holding it back from slipping into the realm of radicalism.
Philip Baruth has the same story, along with a photo of John (I'm not sure we've ever posted photos of him here.)
Philip: The Vermont blogosphere is still very much in its infancy, and it depends on a handful of sites for its signature feel. Green Mountain Daily has been, and will remain, one of those deep-anchor sites. And although others have contributed greatly, GMD is John Odum's brain child, and his love child, and its success is in large part his success.
We also have this link from Reason and Brimstone.
... And this just in. Steve West of WKVT's "Live & Local" has now weighed in with his take on the story. Check out his latest - and very funny - blog entry, Odum Addendum and dem Demagogues.
Haik also covers the story, with a different angle. We know that this wasn't about Snarky, but he couldn't restrain himself from chiming in. You kind of have to wonder what would motivate someone like that, don't you?
If you're a regular reader of these pages you know about this story, but it's obvious now that this decision is going beyond the world of Green Mountain Daily.
When you read about attacks on journalism, and particular citizen journalism of the kind we practice here, you don't necessarily think about relatively enlightened places like Vermont. Now we know that we cannot afford to be complacent.
Thank you all for your support.
from JD - article in Seven Days here. |
