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Monday, July 30, 2007

When Stickheads Fight

It appears Rachel Moran finally realizes that Sticks of Fire is a editorially schizophrenic blog with a passive-aggressive blog master. Her comment is a rare glimpse into how Tommy Duncan communicates through email.


Frankly, if you’re really looking for feedback, I’ll tell ya I don’t know what the hell you’re doing anymore.


Are you just editorials and boilerplate e-columns? Are you trying to get as many local views in as possible?


I’m not sure - the voices aren’t particularly cohesive, but they do seem somewhat uniformly aligned on the political continuum.


For awhile, I thought you were trying to be neo-news, but when I wrote you something that all the newspapers actually took quite happily from me, you sent me this pissed-off email telling me I was presumptuous and then asking me if I was getting paid (not that that was presumptuous or anything).


I never figured out why you were so annoyed, because I considered SoF a viable source of information equal in audience and respectability to the papers (and, also, you wouldn’t pick up your phone!).


The point being how can anyone say anything definitive about Sticks of Fire? You’ve got a ton of readers because there’s at least one post every few days that someone can kill some time with and think about, but other than that, it’s this jumble that defies any criticism of the sort you’re asking about simply because, well, your intentions are a little unclear, so who’s to say you haven’t fulfilled them perfectly or not?


Either way, I don’t know that I’d sweat an angry developer who did not actually mention you.


The intentions are that Tommy and Bill Sharpe or trying to make money off a commercial blog. The problem is they don't have the skill or savvy to go big time. I have lefty blogger friends who receive more traffic a day than SoF. What amazes me is that local bloggers get suckered into writing for free on someone's else's for-profit blog.

Rachel's comment was followed by the usual hostile reaction by a Stickhead.


Brett Says:


July 30th, 2007 at 11:00 pm.


You communist bastard.


I have always been fascinated with the Stickheads giving Tommy this Jim Jones-level of loyality. The Stickheads were mostly silent (some even defended) Rachel's pro-assault on homeless post. Tommy left Rachel to be chewed up by the lefty blogosphere (which is I played a hand in) and never wrote a post amount the largest controversy in SoF history. Hardly transparency or a profile in courage.

Let me spell this out to the Stickheads. Tommy is a backup singer in a cover band. He makes snarky comments in blog posts because he doesn't know what he is writing about most of the time. I have taken pains to point out that he is an expert on nothing. That is all he is. He is not the blog messiah and being buddies with him isn't going to give you more notoriety.

I also had the same problems with email conversations that Rachel had. Tommy took pains to point out that are email exchanges or "offline." Short answer: not to be republished on blog posts. He then wrote this wonderful piece of punditry.


Offline, Hussey and I have discussed politics now and again. Admittedly, he’s much further to the left than I. Specifically because of that, I asked him contribute to the voices here at Sticks, so his viewpoint can get the attention it deserves. He declined.


Tommy is so ethically challenged that it's really sad.

As for who is right or wrong in the Tommy/Rachel feud - I couldn't tell you. I do think Rachel's comment about SoF are on the money.

8 comments:

  1. To me, it's obvious that bill sharpe who just bought a few other small local papers thinks he is the tampa rupert murdock.
    The killing part is that he used to be the head of the democratic party in pinellas but he hardly leans left. Guess we don't have to wonder anymore what happened to the dems in both counties. Bit of subterfuge wrecking the parties and infighting.
    He thinks he can replace the Tampa Tribune (you may have noticed)
    They're not the only two involved in that, I would think.
    They try to do enough to keep people believing they are for the interest of the community yet they do not support the efforts.
    They'd make a fine replacement for the TT and that's not a compliment, really.
    It kinda also explains why people who really can't write are employed in the field. LOL !!!!
    The inmates running the asylum; bill spreading the love around. The other players: who's to say?
    That's on them.
    Interesting that people continue to refer to that blog as a lefty blog. I feel like I want to encourage mariella to find her way out of there.
    The others: I'm just watching it play out.
    I have my opinions but I'm still sitting on some of them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry to break your streak of uncommented posts, but I gotta respond, since I'm apparently your poster child today.

    I clarified over on Sticks - but since you seem to have used my comment as cannon fodder for your article, I'll take a moment to explains, Lucy. My comment wasn't directed at Rachel. If you spent, oh, I don't know, fifteen seconds reading the article, and put my comment in context, you'd realize it had absolutely nothing to do with her. Now, I'm not saying there's plenty of hate in those comments for Rachel - there definitely is, and none of it is really warranted.

    But I'm not your huckleberry. Sorry, Michael.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't think Sticks has any idea what kind of blog it is and therefore it morphs to this and that according to the contributors du jour. I'm not knocking the effort, which brings up the bigger issue, as there are no rule books or handy guides, that a community blog that tries to be the every-blog for a city takes much more editorial effort and staff, like say, a major newspaper has and does. Maybe the effort here just doesn't meet the ambition, maybe it's growing pains, or maybe we are seeing the "last throes" of Sticks.

    It is a bit sad that the tiny little local community of friendly bloggers that once was can get so adversarial.

    Peace out? or in?

    t...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read this blog because I like the national political slant. Rope is always talking about the national scene and then every now and then you go on this tirade about this local blog sticks.

    You make the foaming at the mouth right wingers look good when you go rabid on them for nothing.

    Why does Rope stoop so low ?

    ReplyDelete
  5. tiny's too cool

    Peace to you, too.
    Maybe the community needed a lil shake, though. Some false teeth running around here and there ???

    I don't mean anything horrid when I express my opine. There are very few people in the entire world that I feel animosity towards. They really have to work to earn it. LOL !! Mostly because I am completely immune because my eyes are on something else than others seem to be looking at. I dunno.

    Anonymous: Whatever.
    If you really read this blog you will see that his reasoning is sound when he highlights others.
    Personally, I'm glad. He saved me from some stupidity by his frankness. And, yes, again, for the record: Michael and I disagree on several pretty huge issues.

    So what?
    He's right to keep nailing the things he does.
    IMO

    ReplyDelete
  6. why do u have such a hardon for Tommy? I enjoy your political posts but your pissing contest with Sticks of Fire just degrades your blog and questions its credibility.

    Stick with what you do and that is left wing politics. Attacking other local bloggers just makes you another hypocrite like the Repugs that you write about.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stick with what you do and that is left wing politics. Attacking other local bloggers just makes you another hypocrite like the Repugs that you write about.

    SoF has one of the top Republican activists as a blogger. The blog owner (Bill Sharpe) has hosted candidate debates and is starting his own for-profit internet empire. These people have influence.

    There is also the pro-homeless beating post and a former blogger whom abused her position as a teacher by publishing a parent's email. That is just a start.

    SoF and Tampa Taxi Shots' blogger is running for Congress. What these people do falls under what the blog covers.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Michael, you forgot to mention that former dem. party leader sharpe also schedules the political forums UNFAIRLY ergo shutting out Dem. candidates and highlighting Repub. candidates.

    I have to know and probably should already ! WHO is the top republican activist.

    B. Taxi blogs at sticks now?

    Things will bite BS (interesting the initials of people) in the arse because people are actually SICK of being fucking lied to which I tried to tell him nicely. He wants a megaphone but in his hands it will break.

    ReplyDelete