I'm sure that this is no surprise to the vast majority of you.
But I thought now would be a good time to make it official: I am the creater of the IllinPundit blog, and I'm the person who writes anonymously as IlliniPundit.
Last December, as I was preparing to begin working on Senator Judy Myers' campaign for the State Senate, I decided that to continue to blog here anonymously would have been inappropriate.
I could have deleted the blog. But I didn't want to do that, partly out of vanity, partly because I enjoyed it, but partly because I value the community and the collective intelligence of readers and commenters that gathers here. I think this site, in a small way, is a good thing. So I decided not to shut down the blog.
I could have given the site away to somebody else - but of the handful of prospects with whom I spoke, everybody saw my continued involvement as essential - for technical, advisory, and workload reasons.
Also, I didn't want people to think I was trying to hide something by continuing to blog here anonymously. And I didn't want Myers to be held responsible for every stupid thing I had written anonymously on here (and I wrote some pretty stupid things), before either she or I knew that I would be working for her campaign - especially because she didn't know I was IP, either.
So, I decided upon an inelegant solution: a "handoff" from my pseudonym to a group of authors that included myself and many others. This allowed me to continue to do something I loved, and have enough help that I could concentrate on the campaign, without Myers unfairly being burdened with the posts I'd written anonymously.
Now, for a handful of reasons, I am free to disclose that it really was me, all along.
Why?
Well, because my anonymity is no longer necessary. And because the time has come for some changes here, and some of those changes would have been impossible without knowing who was responsible for executing them. For starters, I'd like to re-emphasize a tone of reasonable discussion rather than a tone of overriding partisanship - a tone for which I, with my constant shilling for Senator Myers, was largely responsible. I'm also discussing ways to make this site less of a voice (or collection of voices) and more of a community. This will continue to be a site with multiple authors, and I'm hopeful to include much more community-created (versus author-created) content in the near future.
As always, if you have ideas, please share them - I certainly don't have all the answers.
And if you have criticism for the way I've handled things, I've earned it and I can handle it, so please share it here or email me.
But right now, it feels awfully good (and awfully nerve-racking) to say, with no small amount of pride, that I am IP, and that IP is back.
Now together, let's make this the best online political community in Illinois. I need your help; I certainly couldn't do it without you.
Like I said, I don't think this will be surprising to very many people. But, just looking back through the threads from last week, there are still some who were convinced that it was Shelden or someone else.
That's quite a blow to my ego Gordy. I always thought I was IP.
Heh.
Well, well, well.
I honestly had a theory about this around a month ago. Interesting.
I thought this fairly common knowledge? It just seemed like the logical answer.
I don't have much to say about the big IP reveal. It's really not that important considering that you took that handle off-line several months ago, and lets face it, a few months is a lifetime in politics. I'm sure that a couple of people have had an ongoing obsession about the identity of IP, but these are the same people that waited in line for five days to buy Playstation 3. Enough said.
As far as creating a "community" website, you should be careful about straying too far from a formula that has been very successful, relative to other local blogs. Community-created content, from what I've seen on UCIMC, is an unfocused, disjointed mess. Having a select group of authors gives the blog a firm and consistent perspective so readers have a good idea of what to expect for subject matter (which is why they visit), and the daily open thread allows for reader driven discussion. Please don't dilute the level of brand you have achieved in an effort to be overly inclusive!
IL Voter,
I think I've brainstormed a system that allows for more community driven content without the lack of focus and the disjointedness. But implementation has been challenging, so it may not work.
What's next, Gordy reveals that his alter-ego is MV?
Gordy - thanks for all your work on the site.
Thanks.
Well it was a surprise to me. I don't remember seeing much speculation on this site that it was you, despite a number of people who will no doubt claim they knew it all along. Some of the biggest know-it-all commenters on the site complained bitterly about how it had gone downhill since IP left. I think you did a great job disguising your identity.
John (I am actually Xian) Bramfeld
I kind of figured, but didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to figure it out.
It's still a great blog, and I am appreciative of your willingness to tolerate all views. Here's hoping the best days are ahead!
Thanks!
Every single time I am interviewed about blogs, I am asked to defend my position in support of anonymous blogging. My position has aways been that it's just a part of the free marketplace of ideas. Wasn't our country was founded thanks to the efforts of agitators who penned anonymous pamphlets? Still, when a blogger does so anonymously, he or she has to realize that some thoughtful people will assume that your words are less credible because there is no name attached to them.
In that sense, retroactively putting your name on all your previous posts lends a bit more credibility to them.
That being said, I'm not happy with the games that have been played here. Even anonymous bloggers have a responsibility to be honest and upfront. You told your readers you were quitting blogging, but you kept at it under your real name. In that sense, "Gordy Hulten" was the role you assumed to hide your identity as "IlliniPundit." That's not exactly upfront. I understand you wanted to protect your client against being tarnished by some things you've written. We'll, that's not exactly a kosher reason, I'm afraid.
How would it have helped your client had your identity of IlliniPundit had come out during the campaign? It wouldn't. And to make matters worse, you didn't tell her this potentially damaging information.
I would have been very pissed.
The most honest thing to do would have been to bow out of blogging altogether, or come out as IlliniPundit instead of fake-quitting.
Matt Varble will be disappointed.
Thanks, Bill.
You're absolutely correct, of course. But both of the "most right" options were unacceptable to me.
Gordy, in the sprit of your openness, I will do something that should help this blog.
I will not reveal who we are, but as of right now, Ralph Cramden is dead.
We may still take people to task to justify their positions, but will do so without any further nastiness.
Ralph started out merely defending the MTD, and was vilified right away. Unfortunately, Ralph didn't know any better, went on the attack, and then continued without much provocation, even instituting name calling and generally insulting, childish behavior.
So, Ralph is dead. At least the mean spirit of Ralph is dead.
Long live IlliniPundit.
Well, I recognize you were in a bad spot. One of your own making, I'm afraid.
Still, best wishes with the new IP. Complete transparency will only help make this blog the best in Chambana.
"the best in Chambana"
Sorry Bill, the best in Illinois. Our basketball team is better than yours too!
Be nice - Bill Dennis (aka Peoria Pundit) is my "blogfather" - the blogger who originally inspired me to start this blog almost two years ago.
Don't talk smack to the blogfather. :-)
John (I am actually Xian) Bramfeld
Cute. :)
I think it's even better that we are like two of the only non-anonymous people on this blog.
NotBored: Are you talking high school or college?
To Ralph Cramden,
If you are really serious about starting to blog without the incredibly unproductive personal insults, I commend you. You appear like a pretty smart guy who has a lot to offer. However, your arguments have been ineffective because of your obsessions. This will go a looooooong way to making IP a better blog. Thank you.
I was pretty sure because of the writing, but to me it didn't matter much. Another Republican out of the closet ;)
That's a joke people.
And Gordy, if you want to get blogginois going, drop me a note--as things slow down I've wanted to move on it again if you are interested.
[...] Well, the anonymous blogger has some out of the closet, as it were. It was IlliniPundit, who announced he is GOP activist Gordy Hulten, who very recently worked on Judy Myers' campaign for the Illinois State Senate. [...]
I suspected something like this a few weeks ago as well. Something in one of your posts seemed to ring a bell with me and then I remembered what you said just before adding all the other co-bloggers and I thought perhaps your dilemma came from working on a campaign....
That said, I've felt for a while that the discourse level has deteriorated. I don't know if it's a too many cooks spoil the broth kinda thing or the fact that IP seems to have doubled readership in the same time so there are many more readers. Regardless, I'm glad to see you "out" yourself and move forward with some changes here at IP.
I still think your posts are good and I enjoy reading what you write.
[...] Illinipundit has come out of the blog closet. The funny thing is, that the guy behind Illinipundit has been blogging under his real name for some time now on that site, but only today revealed that it was he who initiated the site. [...]
I don't believe a word of it. It's obviously just another right wing conspiracy and cover up. The exit polls have proven with mathematical certainty that there are two pints of strawberries missing, so it's clearly impossible for IP to have been anyone other than Martha Mitchell...
Gordy is clearly pulling a cover-up for Mark Shelden. :D
WCIA is going to do a story on this tonight. This is surreal - must be the slowest news days in history. If I can get a copy of it, I'll upload it here so you can have a chuckle.
Just saw it. Congrats, Gordy!
Just saw the news report . . . I wish I could say it was the camera that adds ten pounds. :)
And to think I knew you when... I did even know who you really were and I am still not sure who you really are.
"Just saw the news report . . . I wish I could say it was the camera that adds ten pounds."
No kidding. Do I really look that fat all the time? I even asked them to use the "George Clooney" filter, and they promised they would! ;-)
Gordy,
Yes the camera does add ten pounds, but I'm not sure where the other ten came from!!
Just kidding. I received a phone call this morning that told me that Gordy was on the news "coming out the closet"...first I thought "well that explains the golf game"...then I realized what was happening. I figured that I would use this momentous occasion to post on your site for the first time...of couse I thought it would be ironic if I did so anonymously.
"Yes the camera does add ten pounds, but I'm not sure where the other ten came from!!"
I blame Fiesta Cafe.
But that is the best burrito north of Route 13...wait their both north of Route 13.
I guess I'd look down on the subterfuge, but I paid little attention to this site until the political ramblings started.
Will there still be lots of hapless defenses of the status quo? Because that keeps things fun -- the same tiresome arguments about the Chief that we've heard for 16 years; the blind ignorance to the blatant failings of the current health care system; the desire for sprawl and land grabs while ignoring the problems in developed areas; and so on.
[...] That will teach his commenters to mouth off about which city has the best basketball teams. [...]