On The RMA Report Hitting The Public Domain…
(originally uploaded by Jeremy Dennis)
I want to make it very clear where I stand on the issue of the RMA report hitting the internet this yesterday morning.
The RMA needed to be released into the public domain.
Because this document was originally leaked from within city management, the cat has been out of the bag for a long time now, hiding in the engine chassis of many parked cars around town… cars with media powered megaphones.
Once that happened, there was no way for the city to professionally manage whatever issues existed within the GPD behind closed doors.
With all the conflicting commentary and positions in local papers and blogs following the original leak (such as The N&R, The Rhino, Guarino, Hoggard, The Troublemaker and Ed Cone) over the past God knows how many months, there really was no way for any resident of Greensboro (including me) to follow the numerous threads, form an informed opinion on any discrete level and ultimately, trust both city managers and the police department.
So, was I was receptive to obtain a copy of the report the other day and read for myself the details behind what drove the city to lock David Wray out of his office?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
I was also amped for it’s public consumption in the near future, because I had heard through the grapevine just a few days ago that a local print publisher had planned to print it… on this Thursday (whether that was true or not, who knows for sure).
Now here’s where the big ol’ but! of my perspective contradicts my previous position.
Greensboro101 is not an individually run web site
For Roch to allow the file to be available in the interface for an extended period of time after it was uploaded anonymously to 101 without notifying his editorial board, I do feel it was an irresponsible move in regards to his unpaid advisers.
Again, let me be perfectly clear: I completely support this document being available to all Greensboro citizens, especially after it has been used by a select few in town (media and residents) to construct their message since the original leak… but, to allow it on 101 signifies that everyone associated with 101 backs that decision.
Obviously, Ben, Sue, Jay and Cara Michele did not support that decision.
So while it is Roch’s right to keep the provided file available to the public, he in turn must take full responsibility for his decision.
And as far as I can tell — by speaking with three quarters of the resigning party — they’re fine to leave the actions of this day as an editorial decision, pure and simple, and go their separate ways. From what I gather, Roch feels the same.
Case closed. (UPDATE: Or is it?)
The 101 Of My Relationship To 101
When I first moved to town last year, Roch and I rapped a bit about the potential of Greensboro101 at one of my first Blogsboro Meetups. After having a few beers downtown later that week, Roch asked me if I’d like to serve on an advisory board, touting Ed Cone and Jay Rosen as members.
Interested in the potential of 101 and having met neither Ed or Jay at the time (both of whom I respected very much), I agreed.
Later that week, I provided Roch with a bio to publish and assist him in his conversations with potential investors.
Since that conversation sometime last fall, Roch and I have not spoken once about the future of 101.
Zero.
Nada.
Being that I don’t agree with the way that he proceeded in this manner — even though I do support his decision to keep the file available — I’ve asked Roch to remove me from our imaginary relationship. I’m not quite sure he understands my position, but that’s fine.
I have much more important things to focus on.
UPDATE: In the comments, Ed denies ever being an advisor to 101. I apologize to both Ed and Jay for even mentioning them if that is truly the case.
UPDATE II: Roch sets Ben straight regarding the business advisory board we thought we were a part of by allowing our resumes to be presented to potential investors:
Tags: activism, Ben Holder, Ben Hwang, business, Cara Michele Forrest, citizen media, community, David Wray, Ed Cone, GPD, Greensboro, Greensboro 101, Jay Rosen, management, personal, RMA, Roch Smith, Sue Polinsky.This “business� advisory board that Sean and Ben “resigned� from was never empanelled and never convened.
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I was unaware that I am listed as a member of any sort of advisory board to 101, having had zero interaction with the site in any such capacity.
Roch is a friend, and a pioneer in this arena. He’s learning some painful lessons about management. He will get through this and be stronger than ever.
The board was aware that several days before the report was posted to Greensboro101, I had turned of site tracking so that any possible upload could be truely anonymous. There were no complaints. In fact, one now-former board member cheered the decision. The board has never, ever exercised prior intervention for any content posted to Greensboro101.
Despite your characterization, Greensboro101 is an individually run web site for all practical purposes. I pay its costs, administer its technical operations and I have been the sole contributor to its daily maintenance despite board members having had the ability to contribute, something they chose not to do (with the occasional exception of Ben Hwang). The board is an advisory board who added tremendously to the site’s value with their insight and suggestions. But their role has always been to advise, never to rule and even where they had an opportunity for hands-on participation, they declined.
As for what allowing the report to remain on Greensboro101 may or may not have signified about the board’s approval, at a meeting last night, I suggested that those who disagreed with the decision could write of their objections and that I would post their dissent front and center on Greeensboro101. Nobody chose that option.
Ed and Jay Rosen were never advisors to Greensboro101.
I’m going to clarify something here. From my perspective as a former editorial board member, everything Roch said was true (to a point). We were only there to advise, and he called the shots since it was his business. (Chime in whenever, Roch).
But we did have procedure on how to deal with contraversial topics. We always pulled it when known, and then had a meeting over email or actual. That was the way it always had worked ever since I joined in Jan. 05 (inception). For instance, we pulled the deer pic for a while and had a meeting about it. We (I believe Roch did) pulled a strange post that seemed stalkerish until Roch found out what it was about. There was a couple others, but we all were involved in email discussions and/or meetings before meetups. In that regards, I would say that the board did actually “intervene” with content.
I believe that there would probably still have been resignations due to personal reasons with the RMA being posted on 101, but if it had followed the process, then we probably would have posted our objections on 101. Since the process was never followed, I personally did not feel it was necessary to do so in that sense anymore. The cat was already out of the bag so to speak and it was pretty obvious where it stood when there was a request for a temporary removal until meeting and that never happened.
We all have our personal decisions to contend with. GSO101 as a business entity chose to take a step in a different direction without the volunteer board advice. That’s the business’ perogative.
But I will say that it (the resignations) would have been more smooth if it had gone through the usual channels.
The piece about it being “truly anonymous?” This is the Internet, there isn’t any such thing. I know for a fact that from a hosting environment, there is always a way to track it. Just depends on how much authority is involved along with a forensics team that understands what their doing.
last fall, as i planned to head off to go see family in california, roch, you dropped names to garner my bio.
i mentioned that i was on this imaginary board/panel in a post many months ago, one that you commented on, and you said nothing at the time publicly or privately… except that we needed to get another beer.
hey, fresh blood driving the future innovations of 101 isn’t a bad thing. at least you can help kill off the LGBBC conspiracy now by inviting bubba, chip, marcus and DMJ to the table.
I think you did the right thing, Roch.
I do not like the idea of the report being leaked in support of a political agenda or personal vendetta, but I like even less the idea of the report remaining out of sight after our local newspaper used information contained in it to publish articles that were so damning of a public figure.