Farewell, High Sheriff
This blog has been the brainchild and vision of one person: Deputy Managing Editor Josh Tyrangiel. It was Josh who first invited me to try blogging back in January, 2007. And then, when I refused, it was Josh who ordered me to. He insisted from the start that if this was going to work, we were going to have to take the blogosphere on its own terms, making this a forum where comments would go unmoderated, posts would go unedited, and readers would know they would find debate and community and accountability.
It was a pretty scary prospect for a traditional journalist like me, whose idea of feedback had been an occasional letter to the editor, or an angry phone call from a politician. But Josh promised he would stand behind me, hold my hand when I needed it, and always be there as a sounding board. He came through every time, with judgment and good humor and wisdom that sometimes made me forget that this High Sheriff is a mere 37 years old. (And a boss, I might add, with a slightly seditious streak; he encouraged my frequent barbs at the High Sheriffs.)
Swampland is not the only place where his hand has been on the rudder when I found it hard to keep my bearings. One story in particular stands out in my mind, maybe because it is so recent and maybe because it was so hard. As I was agonizing over whether to write about my brother's struggles to cope with a serious illness after his health insurance abandoned him, Josh was the one who told me I had to. Week in and week out, as I wrestled with the reporting and then the writing of that piece, I kept turning to Josh. He was my gut check, in dozens and dozens of conversations, most of which kept coming back to the question of how to maintain a journalist's perspective on a story that couldn't have been more personal. When I turned in a final version, he was the first editor to leap on it, and the one who got it over the finish line.
This morning, we got the devastating news that Josh will be leaving us to become the editor of Business Week. It's clear proof that those folks at Bloomberg have a real eye for talent. And it's an opportunity that Josh could not pass up. But we here at TIME will miss him. We owe him a lot. And we hope he will drop by and visit us here in Swampland. After all, he created it.
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1
KT:
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As somebody who also makes (and supports) "Swamplands" for a living, I'd say this fellow went above and beyond the call of duty...to the overwhelming benefit of us cranky, whiny users.
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Please wish Josh Tyrangiel well in his future endeavors, and let him know that the Swampland user community knows full well the value of his creation. -
2
KT: Thanks for giving the shout out to Josh and many thanks to Josh from the swamplanders.
Unmoderated though? I keep discovering new words that argue otherwise.
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2.1
You are so creative, sacred. Isn't that moderation the fault of the platform, however? They never seemed to be able to completely tweak WordPress. At least it's better than in the beginning - remember grape_crush and many others having to change names?
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2.2
I was a late addition to Swampland. I've been here less than a year, but I do remember hearing some commentors mention it. Fox remains the only (major) website that I've been banned from (with good reason). I do have to give the Swamp credit for allowing just about anything.
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2.3
sacred - originally it found any of many forbidden words if they were in the middle of any other word. Thus, g_crush. It is amazing how many perfectly innocent words have this sort of thing. KT spent much of her time clearing comments from moderation.
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2.4
We filter potty mouth words, but we don't have someone sitting there (as many if not most MSM blogs do) deciding which comments get posted and which don't.
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2.5
And it's a good thing you do. I'm a better person for it. I love you guys. How about a midweek "1000 Words"? You've given us some great ones lately. What do you want for Christmas?
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2.6
…of course, to ask an unanswerable question (my Cassandra-like fate), *which* pottymouthed words? KT, if you ever cross “the final frontier” and start writing regularly with those words, I won't be offended, promise. We all learn ‘em. I learned quite early from my dad; mom wasn't amused. I'm guessing your kids are learning too. “It” happens, so hang in there.
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3
KT, My thanks as well for the time and effort he put into making this work and the support he gave you, which helped you to find your inner blogger! I have been here since just about the beginning and have learned so much. I can't imagine enduring the endless primary season anywhere else. Even the few of us that had a difference of opinion from the majority mostly felt welcome.
The horrible platform crash just before the election was a real test for him and as much as we complained, we tried to be patient because he did a great job. We really appreciate his listening to us through you and making some important changes.
Best wishes as he moves on to Business Week.
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4
Ms. Tumulty,
What a moving piece!
Here is hoping that your standing as an elite journalist will translate into a sustained review of the ongoing crimes against my family and I being committed by technology hounds many whom I have repeatedly identified on this site like the black felon who uses a Jewish sounding name as a handle-- such as StaurtSzechman etc-- technology adroit felons, criminals whose acts I discuss on my blog.
The website http://www.akbarshabazz.com has the pictures of these felons who are also contributors to the Associated Press and other Media outlets in which they use so many numerous pseudonyms.
They target, stalk, molest and violate innocent women and their children.
The use of technology to commit crimes are real, malevolent and horrific and the consequences against law abiding citizens like me are measurable and tangible and violent.
I hope you will someday soon examine the veracity of the statements I make here regarding the violent and brutal criminality which I continue to endure to date from "Eve Sharon Moore" of the website "Black Female Interracial Marriage" blog and her husband "Akbar Shabazz", the Nigerian Scam Artist who runs so many Scam organizations including "Project 21", the so called National Black Conservatives. A sire replete with vile identity fraud and blatant digital misrepresentations.
Illegal wiretaps, activation of microphones as roving devices, misleading reporters, digital fabrications, lies, cyber leeching and sheer criminal desperation have left these crooks free to date.
Ms. Tumulty, it takes the interest and acts of just a few good people to make a difference. I hope you and other elite journalists on this site will make a difference to my life and that of so many others who are targeted by this new breed of vile BOUNDLESSLY evil, technologically adroit, vicious and amoral felons.
LM
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4.1
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j_2KMyUxso&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
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KT -- Swampland comes as close as any blog I know to what I consider ideal (even the openness to all substantive comments, no matter how outrageous), and your hail-and-farewell to Josh Tyrangiel gives credit where credit is due. It's tempting to behave like an Oscar winner and thank everyone from Ana Marie to the anonymous techies who keep the nuts and bolts connected to each other, and why not? So thanks to all of you.
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I wish Josh all the best in meeting the challenge of keeping a magazine afloat in these electronic times, and I wish for you and the other Swamplanders that your readers and commenters not lose sight of the talent and effort that go into the blog. -
6
Good luck to Josh! Aren't you glad he made you blog?
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7
What are the odds that Rusty and Spob will migrate to Business Week?
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7.1
Never, ever!!
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Josh: Good luck!
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Karen: Looking over the old posts you link to makes me miss the commenters who no longer grace this blog. Please keep doing what you're doing, KT. You are Swampland for many of us. -
9
Thanks, KT for this. And special thanks, Josh, for your work here. Alas, it's too bad that the first time I've heard your name is during goodbye. I would caution media cos. that Bloomberg is *now* getting serious about poaching top-shelf talent (such as Margaret Brennan) to become a major player.
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…but back here, life goes on. So KT, will YOU now be promoted to editor, take over here officially, and “earn your wings” meaning you too literally will have angelic superpowers like Amy (since she's an editor)? -
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KT: read your gracious note on Josh A; it's what collegiality is all about. I wish him well at Business Week. I don't want to hear about any plans you may have to migrate.
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10.1
…agreed, no migration please, KT. Between Bloomberg talent-poaching and corporate media layoffs (including here?), can we hold a bake sale or cash bar / keg party to keep you here? We're really good at whining and complaining. Would our direct rants to Starfleet Command help promote you to editor / High Sheriff / ensure long-term survival here?
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11
My sentiment exactly. I regret learning the name of the genius behind the swamp only on his departure.
I salute you, Josh Tyrangiel, I thank you, and I wish you the very best in your new endeavors.
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12
Thank you KT for the heartfelt farewell to Josh. The Swamp and Ezra Klein (somewhat) have managed to finally make a long-term engaged citizen out of me. And even though the most recurring feeling i get from politics is cynicism and oftentimes disgust, i still manage to learn about what our elected and non-elected leaders are up to. Which is the only way the People's lobby will ever compete with corporate lobbies and other interest groups. So i, too, am a little saddened that the person who first stoop up here before many others is leaving us. But i am excited about the new opportunities he will have to help make a couple more journalists empower more citizens a dozen at a time.
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13
KT, thanks for this elegant farewell. Perhaps, since he helped you discover your inner blogger, you should grace him with a proper bloggy handle to carry with him to BW. SwampMan Josh?
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14
KT:
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Is Josh the person who took away my previous handle? LOL just kidding. Nice tribute to him, I am sure he is humbled.
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Hopefully the next "High Sheriff" does as well. -
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Why haven't we had any Lou Dobbs blog posting. He was very good at smacking down CNN last evening on O'Reilly. I am surprised that CNN hasn't pushed one of you guys into writing some scathing scornful blog about him yet.
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O'Reilly has invited him to be a regular guest on his Factor show. Imagine that!!
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Fox is on a roll lately, sucking up all the really good journalists. I suppose it is only a matter of "time", before TIME goes the way of the dinosaurs. Oh well. -
16
KT, thanks for the tribute and background. Josh created something to be very proud of... I hope his vision continues to grow and evolve.
Currently I'm heartbroken because I've been too busy to participate or even keep up during work (though I'm thrilled my business is thriving in this economy lol). But I'm so saddened that I can't read or participate in Swampland comments on my iphone which is how I always used to during my off hours, until Time Mobile took over.
What gives? Why no comments section in the Time Mobile version of Swampland? Or at least the option to view the full site from a mobile device. Maybe something for the new high sheriff(s) to work on. I hope so, I miss it terribly.
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17
Does this mean TIME will be hiring someone qualified to write for the music section?
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17.1
…Conde Nast shut down “Gourmet” mag and fired many people. Maybe TIME can poach some chefs for the food section. Or maybe KT and Amy can post recipes here.
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17.3
...I thought you'd love that, esp. with bearnaise sauce. Seriously, some talented folks like Sara Moulton could come work for your company (her two cookbooks are awesome). Lunch will never be the same.
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17.4
i'd be happy to post my recipes, but not even my children will eat them. except for my lemon cake, which is a doctored cake mix. never fails, and it's been my favorite since i was in elementary school:
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http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/dh/lemon-pound-cake
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you can also find it on the side of the duncan hines lemon cake mix box.
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amy, on the other hand, is an accomplished baker who is constantly bringing in treats to the office. and her mom's cookies are a religious experience. -
17.5
Texas sheet cake is the best. Is it cake or a brownie?
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17.7
Thanks! I've made that cake too; my mom has for years. It's soooo good. It's great to read that Amy is an excellent cook. Here's a link to Jello cookies (my mom makes these every holiday) –
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,159168-225200,00.html -
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My wife used to be a cook in a restaurant. That might explain her collection of 500 cookbooks. Holiday meals in our house verge on the amazing.
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18
"He insisted from the start that if this was going to work, we were going to have to take the blogosphere on its own terms, making this a forum where comments would go unmoderated, posts would go unedited, and readers would know they would find debate and community and accountability."
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Please pass along my most sincere compliments and thanks to Mr. Tyrangiel and his managers who gave him license to implement this bold experiment (for corporate media) in the new interactive media model. He was 100% right and put Time miles ahead of its competitors in the corporate press. -
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KT - thanks for this tribute. It will be hard to think of a new HS behind the curtain.
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Your recipes? I thought you were working on a book about the food on the campaign trail!
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Josh T - the best of luck to you. On your way out the door let Time management know they better pay Karen more so we don't lose her too.I appreciated your responsiveness to our occasional concerns here in the swampland, whether you read them directly or through Karen. This was a valuable and safe port during the stormy political season last year. Twitter and/or something else has meant a lot of the old crowd has either wandered off or doesn't comment often, but this blog has been a great source of energy, comfort, and comaraderie, and I thank you for your efforts on our behalf.
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20
Sorry, late to the tribute-thanks for hosting a surprisingly open forum.
Surprising because of the TIME imprimatur.
And while KT is more modest than she needs be thanks for whatever aid you supplied for her.
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